USA > Indiana > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Indiana : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 59
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Sufficient proof of Mr. Wickard's financial success in life is seen in the fact of his ownership. to-day, of a farm. consisting of 640 acres of land. 360 acres of which are cleared. The land, in (mality, and the farm, in modern improvements, compare favorably with the best farm properties in Carroll County. It bears the stamp of industry. system and progress. Such men make on comity what it is, agriculturally and financially- one of the fore. most in the State.
ISAAC N. WAGONER.
The subject of this sketch is one of a number of sons of Mar. tin Wagoner. all of whom are farmers and highly respected citi. zons of eastern Carroll County. Martin Wagoner, born January 20, 1799, was a native of the " Keystone " State: emigrated to Indiana at an early day, and entered 160 acres of land in that section of Carroll County now known as Carrollton Township. His wife, Rose Ann (Martin) Wagoner, of Ohio, was born Sep. : father and husband, and an excellent neighbor.
tember 25, ISH. This conple, both of whom have departed this life, were married March 3. 1831. by Rov. Carnahan, at one time a minister of Dayton, Ind. Martin Wagoner. after removing to Indiana, worked from time to time at his trade, that of a wheel- wright. and. among other labors, assisted in building the old Harter Mill, on Bachelor's Run. Ton children grow to maturity from this nnion, eight of whom are now alive.
Isaae N. Wagoner. of German-Scotch descent, was born on the Wagoner homestead, on the 15th of September, 1938. His younger days were spont in the usual routine work of farm life. alternating with the district school. umtil 1564. when he quit the homestead to begin life on his own responsibility as a farmer and renter, in Jackson Township. Seven years later. he bought his now thoroughly improved and well-appointed farm in Carrollton Township, and, in January. 1874, romoved to it, where he has lived in the ocenpation of a tiller of the soil until the present time.
September 22, 1864. Isaac Wagoner was united in marriage to Miss Sarah C. Bone, a native of Butler County. Ohio, born December 9. ISBS. Mrs. Wagoner, of Irish-German lineage, is a daughter of Adam Bone, born October 21. 1815. and still liv- ing, and Susan (Lefever) Bone, born July IS. 1516. both in War ron County, Ohio. Adam Bone came to Carroll County Docem ber 9. 1835: has been twice married, having by his first wife six children, and by his present wife three. Isaac aud Sarah Wag oner have two children Orion M .. born January 3. 1569; and Zulema. born April 12. 1976. Mr. and Mrs. Wagoner are mom bers of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Politically. Isaac Wagoner is a Democrat, yet he is never carried away by party prejudice or dosigning candidates.
Sons of a pioneer who lived and moved a moral, upright man. Isaac Wagoner, as one of them, has diligently and honorably pursued the even tenor of a Farmer's life wronging no man, and paying. impartially and uncomplainingly. his tributes to God and his Fellow-men, to the last. Sneh men are not rare, but they are the bone and sinew and the real pillars of our splendid Ry public.
JOHN WAGONER.
Joli Wagoner is an elder brother of Isaae N. Wagoner, and a son of Martin Wagoner and Rose And (Martin) Wagoner free biographical sketch of Isaac N. Wagoner), and was born on the Wagoner homestead in Carrollton Township. Carroll County. Ind., on the 4th of November. 1536. Since the date of his birth, Mr. Wagoner has never resided elsewhere than in Carrollton Town. ship. Making but fow changes, he located on the farm of his present residence, on the Flora & Michigan road. in March, 1872.
On the 20th day of February. 1866, he was married to Miss Mary A. Bryant, daughter of James Bryant, now a resident of Camden. Ind. Mary Bryant was born in La Fayette. Tippecanoe Co., Ind .. Mareb IS, 1836. Her ancestors were Quakers, and. on her father's side, hailed from Virginia. Jolm Wagoner and his wife have four children - James Martin, born November 1, 1866; Charles Edward. born Angust 1, 1561; De Witt Clinton, born July 2, 1871: and Mary Elizabeth, born November 13, 1875.
Mr. Wagoner and his wife are Cumberland Presbyterians. He was trained a farmer, and has always followed that pursuit in life. He is a stanch Democrat, and has been satistied to live a manly, straightforward course, guarding his own good name and protect- ing from the rude storms of life the family for whose existence he is responsible. He is, we have been assured, a good citizen. a kind
284
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
CLAY TOWNSHIP.
LOCATION, BOUNDARY, ETC.
Clay is the southwest township of Carroll County, and is bounded on the north by the township of Madison, on the east by Democrat Township. on the south by Clinton County and on the west by Tippecanoe County. Wild Cat Creek flows west through the township, and is fed by numerons small tributaries, to which no names have been assigned. Its natural features do not differ materially from those of other townships in the county. Along the course of Wild Cat, and for a mile or two back of that stream on either side, the surface is broken into gentle undulations, which, in places, almost attain the dignity of hills. Away from this stream. toward the extreme portions of the township, the land is quite level, being scarcely relieved by a single hillock. Not. withstanding this fact, however. there are no swampy or useless lands in the township. The soil is principally clay. except in the bottom lands, where a sandy soil prevails. At the time of its set- tlement by white men, the township was heavily covered with timber. On the uplands and hills, the prevailing varieties were beech, sugar-maple and poplar, while, farther removed from the streams, on the lowlands, water elm, gray ash, swamp ash and linn grew in great profusion. Walnut and oak also flourished con- spicuously, among the other varieties. While the demand for walnut timber has resulted in a great depletion of that wood, there is still a great abundance of oak, and recently it has become a recognized rule among the farmers to save a portion of their woodlands, thus permitting marketable timber to grow unmolested. This is certainly a step in the right direction. and cannot fail to be of great benefit in years to come.
SETTLEMENT.
Of that class who formed the first pioneer band within the limits of this township, none now survive to relate the tale of their advent or recount their experiences for the benefit of pos- terity. In view of this fact, a difficulty has been met by the writer insurmountable in its nature, since he is compelled to rely upon the statements of surviving pioneers for all details regard- ing the early settlement of each township. Inaccuracies are almost inovitable when this source fails, and for these the histo- rian should not be held accountable, as he bat repeats the state- ments given by his informants. For the brevity of this township history, and any inaccurate statements it may contain, his inability to.obtain here the usual amount of data is his excuse.
clearing his farm and identifying himself with the earliest in- provements of the township, constructed a rude little distillery of very primitive pattern. and peddled the product of the "still " among the Indians, who haunted this locality in great numbers, but were peaceable and orderly. It must not be supposed that Murphy possessed any of the characteristics of a hard citizen be- cause he manufactured and sold the beverage now in such had repute. It was as much a legitimate pursuit in those days as is the mercantile trade to-day: and, as whisky then was free from poisonons drugs, its effect was less terrible, and its manufacture and sale were not discountenanced by the better class of people. Murphy was a hard-working man, energetic, and ambitious to riso above poverty. He enjoyed the respect of all who were associated with him in pioneer days, or formed his acquaintance in later years, and succeeded in carving out a good farm from the wilder- ness around him. It was probably not later than the year 1830 or 1831 when he came to the township. Those who came very soon after him were a Mr. Daniels, Adam Bates and James Gray. The precise date of their settlement is not known. but it must have been several years anterior to 1535, as they all had portions of their farms cleared and under quite a successful state of culti- vation when John Beard came. Eli and Samuel Moore, James Enochs, James Bulla and George Stombaugh all settled in the township between the years 1533 and 1835. They were all good citizens, and linked their names inseparably with the early set- tlement and subsequent improvement of the township. And when a cabin was to be raised for the shelter of a newly arrived family in the wilderness. a log-heap to b. burned for a struggling neigh- bor just opening his farm, or a erop to be gathered, these men were always found, with their neighbor settlers, contributing their labor cheerfully in the counuon cause. The settlers always helped one another. and thus a nuiversal friendship and common interest prevailed among them. There were no bickerings or neighbor- hood quarrels. They felt their dependence upon each other, and lived harmonionsly.
The settlement which had been formed prior to 1835 also comprised Daniel Wagner. John Waguer. Joel Fouts and Samuel Mooney, all of whom settled in the western part of the township. Nathaniel Campbell settled in the eastern part of the township in 1833 or 1834. and a Mr. Hufford settled in the southeast part about the same time. In the fall of 1835, John Beard, with his family. came to the township, and located upon the farm now oc.
Our narrative is compiled principally from information given : cupied by his son, John M. In the spring of 1836 came David by John M. Beard, who, when a boy, settled in the township with Wagner, Jolm Cripe and others. During that year, a great many families were added to the settlement, but to follow cach in the order of arrival, making personal mention, would be a task which could scarcely be performed without omitting the names of some as well entitled to notice as those already enumerated. Samuel his father, John Beard, in 1835. Mr. Beard states that, as early as the year 1827 or 1828, Nicholas Garst and Jacob Shigley set- tled in the township and engaged in the usual labors of the pio- neer. Among the earliest arrivals after Garst and Shigley was Alexander Murphy and family. Mr. Murphy, in addition to Studebaker, Mr. Felix. Thomas Brown, John Brackney, John :
MAP OF
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285
CLAY TOWNSHIP.
Denman, Peter Pippinger. Jacob Cripe, Jacob Diel. Daniel Metz- ger, Jacob Saylor and Daniel Saylor were prominent among the settlers who came in 1836 and subsequent to that date. They bore each a full share of the trials and hardships incident to the life they had adopted. and added their strength to the contest against the aged forests which covered the land soon to be trans- formed into fertile farms and quiet homes. Many of them sleep the dreamless sleep. from which there is no awakening to the affairs of mortal life: but the good work inaugurated by them has heen faithfully proseented by their posterity, to whom it was in- trusted, and time has witnessed the consummation of the end for which they strove.
A record of the entries of public lands in this township reveals the names of other settlers, not ommerated otherwise in our list of pioneers, and at the same time contains the names of many who were in no manner identified with the settlement of the township, as they only purchased the lands for speculative purposes. Others there were who purchased public lands here, and yof resided in neighboring townships. It would be next to impossible to sepa- rate these from the actual settlers, and the list is given entire. as it presents a condensed history of each section of land in the township. Following are the names of purchasers:
TOWN 23 NORTH. RANGE 2 WEST.
Section 1-Lands were purchased in this section as follows: By Samnel Bugher. February 6. 1829: Samuel Daniels. July 6. 1829: Robert and Joshua Simpson, October 19. 1830: J. and M. Carysbell. August 23. 1833: David Cripe. April 14. 1835: John Parke. Jannary 27, 1836.
Section 2 -Nicholas Garst, May 3. 1828: Jacob Sheagley. De- Cumber 13. 1828; Jacob Parker, November 17. 1829: William Dawson. October 6. 1832: George W. Snodgrass. December 6. 1832.
Section 3 -Nathaniel Tallman. June 28. 1831: Sammel Moore, August 18, 1831; Eli Moore, January 19, 1831; Moses Carysboll. August 19. 1835: Clark Johnson. Jannary 3. 1836.
Section 4 - Jaines Enoch. March 19, 1828: Alexander Murphy. March 19, 1828: Josiah Murphy. May 26, 1829: Samuel Mooney, January 26, 1831; Samuel Moore. October 1. 1832: Daniel Wag. oner. June 17. 1835.
Section 5 -- John Wagoner. Angust. 1. 1828: Daniel Wagoner. October 1. 1828; William Smith. December 5. 152S: Peter Pip- pinger. October 4. 1834: Leonard Wolf. June 9. 1535.
Section 6 - Joel Fonts. June 21. 1825: Daniel Wagoner. Ov tober 1. 1828: Jolm Wagoner. October 21. 1S25; Joseph Mur- phy. May 26. 1829; Androw Metzger. October 16. 1532.
Section 7 -- John Wagoner. December 1. 1825: Joel Fouts. June 21. 1828: Jacob Ellery. October 22. 1:32: Levi Wright. December 3. 1S33.
Section S Daniel Wagoner. October 12. 1529: John Wag- oner. October 22. 1820: Barbara Plokoustaff. May 3. 1:30; Loon ard Wolf. October 1. 1832.
Section 9 - John Carysbell. September 29. 1832: Zachariah Hurley. March 7. 1833: Daniel Wagoner. July 22, 1833; Alex- ander Murphy. January 9. 1834: Theodore Ridgill. December 12, 1834: John Delmer. November IS. 1835: Uriah R. Bulla, No- vember 25. 1835: Thomas Malaby. Angust 12. 1836.
Section 10-Zachariah Hurley, December 17, 1832, James and William Bulla, November 23, 1833: Abraham Huffard. Feb- ruary 15, 1836; John Dehner, May 30, 1836; John Brackney, May 23. 1836: David L. Fever, December 7. 1836.
Section 11 Nathaniel Carysbell. March 6, 1832: Jacob Sheagley, October 5. 1832: Abraham Huffard. October 6. 1833: James M. Bartmess. September 22. 1835: David Cripe. Septem- ber 11, 1836.
Section 12 -George Johnson. Jannary 5, 1830; Abraham Huffard. August 6. 1833: Adam B. Gillam, August 13. 1833: Pe- ter Cripe, April 14, 1835.
Section 13 --- Daniel Hays, October 10. 1829: Joshna Cranor. January 5. 1830: John Cassady, November 1. 1830: James Bow- en. November 12. 1830; James Major. November 13, 1832: Sam uel Nevin. November 13, 1832.
Section 14- Abraham Huffard. November 16. 1829: Joseph Plank. November 16. 1829: John Cassady. November 1, 1530; John David. January 27. 1836.
Section 15 Jacob Saylor, May 26, 1829: James Gray, No- vember 26. 1530: Alexander Moore. September 27. 1833; Isaac Roll. Jannary 5. 1536.
Section 17 - A. Huffard. July 26. 18:33: Elizabeth and Hanna Blickenstaff. June 28. 1834: Christian Shively. June 9. 1835.
Section IS- - Leonard Wolf. October 14, 1833: Daniel Wagoner. November 23. 1833. Joseph Blickenstaff. June 9. 1835.
POWx 24 NORTH. RANGE 2 WEST.
Section 31 Daniel Wagoner. June 17. 1835: John Metzger February 20, 1836.
Section 32 John Shively. December 23. 1534: Houry Bus minger. March 14. 1536: David Wagoner. April 21. 1836.
Section 33 -- Leonard Wolf tthe entire south half of this see tion). June 9. 1835.
Section 34 -John Deliver. November 17. 1835: Eli Moore. February 17. 1536.
Section 35 Robert Fletcher, February 21. 1835; Mary Suod grass, May 20, 1535: William Nice, February 22. 1836; S. Cor- nell. Angust 31. 1836.
Section 36 Robert Fletcher. February 24. 1534: Joshua. Simpson. April 8. 1535: William Underhill. June 15. 1535: Jacob Underhill. November 11. 1535.
ORGANIZATION.
Clay was among the first townships invested with a separate civil existence by the Commissioners of Carroll County Tippeca- now. Deer Crook. Rock Crook and Jackson alone antolating it in point of organization. although those townships are several years older in point of settlement. Clay became a civil township by an act of the Board of Commissioners in session at Delphi in Febru ary, 1831. By this board it was ordered that a new township be formed. " to be known and designated as Clay Township, with the following bounds, to wit: To commence at the northeast corner of Section 13. Town 21 north, of Range 2 west, running thouco west along said section line to the county line: theure south to the south line of the county: thenew cast to the range line between Ranges 1 and 2 west: theure north to the place of beginning." These boundaries included the territory which was taken off six years later to constitute Madison Township. By the act of or- ganization. Albert G. Hanna became Inspector of Elections, and the house of Jonathan Gillam was designated as the voting. place. An election was held on the second Monday in April. 1831. ro. sulting in the choice of George Julian as Justice of the Peace. for a term of four years. This office has since been filled by the following gentlemen: Samuel Moore, elected 1837. ro-elected in 1841 and 1845: Abel Slaback. 1850: Samnel Moore (re-elected).
286
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
1851; Francis S. Morrison and Samuel Moore, elected 1855: James E. Smith, elected 1857; Francis S. Morrison, 1861. re- elected 1866; Thomas J. Dawson, 1870; I. H. Newland. 1872: Norton G. Jones, 1874: Solomon Winters 1878: Samuel Wile, 1880.
John Corner was elected Constable iu 1832, and served three years. His successors have been: Isaac Wilson, 1835; Moses Campbell, 1836; Thomas Wright, 1842: John W. Tingley. 1845: David Morrison, 1847; William Campbell, 1847: Nathaniel R. Campbell, 1851; James M. Winters, 1856; Alexander McLaugh- : lin, 1860; John Morrison, 1863: William Maish, 1870; Alvin ; Delong, 1872; John M. Wier, 1876 to 1882.
From the organization of the township until 1859, the civil and school affairs were managed by a board of three Trustees. The records of the old board are lost, and there is now no source from which their names can be obtained. With the new consti tution of 1851-52, however, more system became necessary in the conduct of the township business, and from the records of the first board organized under the new regime, we are enabled to present the names of Trustees in an unbroken line. The first election for Trustees was held on the first Monday in April. 1853, resulting in the choice of the following officers: Alexander Mnr- phy, for a term of three years: Ezekiel B. Squier, for two years. and Eli Moore, for one year. This board was re-elected in 1854. and in 1855 the officers were Henry Saylor, Alexander Murphy and Ezekiel B. Squier. In 1856, Alexander Murphy succeeded Mr. Saylor for the three-years' term. In 1857. Anthony Delmer succeeded Eli Moose, and in 1858, the Board of Trustees were Eli Moore, John Fetterhoff and Hoagland Morrison, who served until a new law was enacted, by which the Board of Trustees and the offices of Clerk and Treasurer were abolished. The law placed the duties of the former board in the hands of one Trustee. James Gray was elected to this office in 1861, and served two years. His successors have been: Ezekiel B. Squier, elected in 1863: John K. Fry, 1865: James M. Winters, 1869: William ' estimated value of schoolhouses and grounds in the township is Hendricks, 1871; Isaac R. Kennard, 1873: Joli M. Beard. from 1877 to the present time (1882).
George H. Hopkins was appointed Clerk of the Township in 1853, in place of Samuel Moore, who was elected to that office, but was found ineligible, as he was then a Justice of the Peace. Mr. ; daily attendance of ISS. During that period the average length Hopkins occupied this position until the law was abolished.
James Gray was elected Treasurer of the Township in 1853, and was succeeded, in 1855, by Ezekiel B. Squier. Henry Saylor succeeded Mr. Squier in 1858, and retained his position until the office was abolished.
The schools formed a large proportion of the township's offi- cial business, and the records of the Trustees are filled chiefly with minutes of their transactions with regard to this institution of the public. There is nothing that would possess any interest for the general reader, and, with the introduction of the law of 1858-59, and the change it wrought in the management of town- ship affairs. we close our history of the organization.
SCHOOLS.
In the winter of 1836-37, the first school in the township was tanght by a Mr. Troxal. The schoolhouse was a little cabin of round logs, standing in the midst of a dense forest. on the farm of Alexander Murphy, and probably erected for the purpose for which it was used. The next schoolhouse in the township was erected probably two years later, on the farm of Jolin Beard, and very near the site of the district school, now known as the Beard
Schoolhouse. This cabin was erected expressly for the purpose by the settlers whose children attended the school, and Silas Jack was employed as teacher. During the next year, a cabin was erected for the same purpose on the farm of Daniel Wagner, and, at a later date. another on the farm of Jacob Cochran, near the site of the present Cochran Schoolhouse. Subsequently, a cabin was erected on the Jolm Hendricks farm, and still later, there was a similar building placed at the present site of Egypt School- house in the western part of the township. These were all "sub- scription " schools, being sustained by a tuition fee paid by the parents whose children attended them. They corresponded in all partienlars with the general order of pioneer schools, with which our readers are all familiar. either from descriptions or personal recollection. There was no material change in the conduct of the school system until the provisions of the revised constitution of the State took effect. The result then was a marked change for better in the government of the schools, and, at the same time, the privilege of acquiring an education was placed within the reach of all.
On the 25th of JJune, 1853, an election was held in the town- ship for the purpose of learning the will of the people regarding the levying of a tax for school purposes. A majority of the voters were in favor of the measure, and, in accordance with the affirm- ative decision of the question. the trustees levied a tax of 15 cents on each hnudred dollars worth of property and 25 cents on each poll. for the erection of schoolhonses and the maintenance of schools. On the 5th of August. they concluded a contract with John K. Fry. for the erection of three schoolhouses, at a cost of 8584. Thus the free school system was fairly inaugurated, and has prospered in the succeeding years. When it is remembered that Clay is the smallest township in the county, her school statis- ties may well be considered a subject of pride to her citizens. There are in the township eight school buildings, seven of which are neat, substantial brick buildings, the other being frame. Tho 86.725, while the estimated valne of school property. globes, maps. etc., is $175, making a total valuation of $6,890. During the school year of ISSO and IS81. there were 306 pupils admitted into the schools, and the teachers' register showed an average of the school term was 120 days, and the average compensation of teachers was $1.97 per day. for males, and $1.93 for females. The financial standing of the schools is shown by the following extract from the Trustee's report:
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