USA > Indiana > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Indiana : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 75
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Samuel G. was elected a member of the Board of County Commissioners as a candidate of the Democratic party in the fall of 1876, serving one term, and exhibiting in that time a degree of firmness and cool, good judgment, such as made his refusal of a re-election a source of regret alike to both parties. Christopher E. at one time served for several terms as Trustee of Tippecanoe Township. Though members of the Democratic party, they have never en- tered actively into political labors, and never sought the distinction of political offices, coupled as they always are with political drudgery.
Samuel G. since 1842, has been a member of the Masonic fraternity, and, next to Abner H. Bowen, is the oldest living member of the Delphi Lodge None of the three brothers ever married. They have living at the present time, one brother, Hoover Greenup, and one sister, Mrs. Benham, of Indianapolis.
Men of quiet, equable dispositions, careful judgments and temperate habits, they have acquired an ample competence by business integrity and personal industry. Deserving all they have, and meriting the respect and esteem of their fellow-citizens for the quality of the kindly influence which they shed abroad, they are quietly moving down the wintry side of life in the screne enjoyment of peace and plenty.
RES. OF GREENUP BRO'S. TIPPECANOE TP. CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
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عماله
ـوية
RES. OF LEWIS SWATTS, TIPPECANOE TP. CARROLL CO.IND.
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TIPPECANOE TOWNNILIP.
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came here and settled in 1831. and improved the farm since owned by Ira Cress. He was a very excellent citizen, and spout the remainder of a very long and useful life in Tippecanoe Town- ship. Two or three years since, he died at an advanced age. honored and respected by all who knew him. He was an honest man and a devont Christian.
Some time during the year 1831, John Berry, a farmer from Pennsylvania. settled upon and improved a farm on the bank of the Tippecanoe River in this township. He has been dead many years.
A farmer named William Hopkinson, from Ohio, came here and improved a farm since owned by Thomas B. Galloway. After remaining in the township for a number of years, he removed hence. He is probably dead.
During the same year. or about that date. Obediah Corder. a farmer from Virginia. moved to this township and settled here. improving the farm not long since owned by the heirs of Henry C. Bolles, deceased. He died several years ago on the farm npon which he had resided. and his remains were interred on the east bank of the Tippecanoe River. about one mile south of his old homestead.
James and Jolm M. Evans, from Bloomingion. Ind .. farmers. came here and settled in the latter part of the year 1531. The former settled on and improved the farm since owned by James McNail: the latter, on the farin recently owned by Robert An- derson's heirs. They were both very substantial men, good farin- ers and exemplary citizens. Both have been dead several years. and their ashes now rest in the Pleasant Run Burying-ground.
The farm recently owned by J. G. Maleom in this township. was settled upon and improved by Thomas Green, who came here some time in 1831. He left here long since, and went to Mis- sonri. About the same time. an improvement was made on the Christian Burkholder farm, by Benjamin Greathouse, who had previously come here from Ohio. He died several years ago.
Within a year or two afterward. several families came here from the State of Tennessee and settled. becoming permanent citizens. They were William McCall. who purchased land here quite early. John McClung. David Seroggs. James Delzell. Sam- nel Diekson, John Hamill. James McCully. Solomon MeCully. William Montgomery, John Tedford and his sons. Henry P. Ted ford, Auburn Campbell and Sarah Crews: John Chambers, from Ohio; Joshna Lindsey, from this State, and Jacob Mecker. from Maryland. Nearly all of them were farmers and pursued their avocatious as such for many years. Few of those hardy pioneers. who came and battled with adversity until. by diut of persover. ance, they surmonnted all the difficulties of the situation and wrought out the great problem of snecess. now survive; but the memory of such as have departed will not fade while the evidouer. of their having been here in the role of pioneer men and women. and left such mementoos of the past. are found everywhere in our midst, as may be observed in the subdued wilderness, by their hands made to blossom as the rose.
CHURCHES.
The first religions society formed here was composed of per- sons who, having been nurtured and instructed in the tenets of the Associate Presbyterian Church -better known, perhaps. by the name of Seceders -formed a settlement in the vicinity of Pleasant Run about the year 1831, and soon after organized a society for worship according to the peculiar faith of its. ad- herents. At first. the membership was not large, nor was it in.
dood at any time extensively numerous; but. being very earnest. zealous workers, by their example. the influence shod abroad had a general moratizing effect on the adjacent community. the im- press of which has not been obliterated. The major part of the settlement ultimately became communicants or attendants npou the religious services conducted nuder its anspices. Through the instrumentality of this people, aided by non-communicants favorable to the movement, erected a comfortable house of wor. ship in the midst of their settlement, about the year 1533. The building was hewn logs neatly though plainly finished. answering most satisfactorily the end contemplated in its projection. It served its purpose for many years, and. being the only edifice in the vicinity dedicated to religions worship. the services were usually well attended. About the year 1551. this building was torn down and replaced by a neat frame structure. 3tix50 feet in dimensions, more elaborately finished and better adapted to the wants of a larger congregation. Not withstanding these improve- monts. however, the worshipers are no more devout, but less zeal. ons, perhaps, in their religious observances within the walls of the church house, than in the humble, unpretentious building of hown logs which it has superseded. Of the status of the church at this date, in point of membership and in the enlargement of its sphere of usefulness. we are not informed. It has. however. in its day. done a good work. and leserves to be remembered as the pioneer church in Tippecanoe Township. As such. its record will not be obliterated.
Next to the church of the Associate Presbyterians in this township was that of the Regular Baptists. The society was organized about 1541 or 1542. and a building occupied as a meeting. honse was built soon after. Whether the church organi- zation as originally formed is still in existence is a fact not now readily determined. The church building was in the town of Pittsburg. but its identity, like the society, cannot now be fixed. The probabilities are that the original organization was. many years since, merged into another, the successor of the ohl " Regu. lar Baptists." and the members. no doubt. if they have public worship at all. meet at Delphi with the congregation there.
Abont the year ISIS. a Methodist Episcopal Society. or church, was organized and continued to worship in the school. hotte at Pittsburg nutil 1- 19 or 1550. when a lot being proented. a very neat little frame church edifice was created on the hill. side, immediately west of Washington street, where the congre- gration has siver continued to worship. It orenpies a commanding position and gives an excellent prospective view of the lower grounds to the cast along the margin of the Wabash River and Deer Creek. The membership has not been ascertained.
SCHOOLHOUSES.
The first schoolhouse oreted in Tippecanoe Township was that afterward known as the " Pleasant Run Schoolhouse." built. probably. about the year 1536. of howed logs very convenient and comfortable. pleasantly situated near the margin of the creek from which the building took its name. It continued in use un. til the 3d of January. 1851. when it was consumed by fire. A neat Frame structure was erected in its place, during the fall of the same year, and was seenpied for the use of the public schools for several years afterward. In the course of time. it became in. suficient in capacity aud plau to meet the wants of the district: it was removed and another frame schoolhouse, better adapted to the purposes for which it was constructed, was built on the site of the former one, and is now known as No. 1.
340
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
Not far from the same date, when the Pleasant Run School house was built, another one, known as the Bonham Schoolhouse. was erected in the Benham settlement. to the westward from Pittsburg. The original building in time came into disuse, was removed and a more suitable structure put in its place. The house is known as No. 3. under the present district arrangement.
As early as 1846. a small frame building was erected in the southern part of the town plat of Pittsburg. for school purposes. and. in its day, was considered as considerably above the average in the plan of its construction and style of workmanship. It sub- served the purpose for which it was ereeted for many years, and. indeed, was the only buikling in the place adapted to the wants of promiscuous assemblages, for religions and other meetings. Within the past few years. a convenient two-story building was constructed, and has since been used for public school purposes. accommodating comfortably all the pupils in attendance. It sup- plies District. No. 1.
There are two other districts in the township. No. 2 and No. 5. both supplied with comfortable and convenient school build- ings of sufficient capacity to supply the public want, and all are occupied regularly during the school season.
MIL.L.S.
The first grist-mill propelled by water-power was built about the year 1835 on a small branch in the northern part of the town- ship. by a man named Danbury. the chief purpose of which was to grind coru to be used in his distillery for the manufacture of whisky. an article of very common nse in those primitive days. The proprietor has long since discontinued both the milling and the distillery business. The mill stones used by him in that pioneer mill are now in nse in the grist mill in Pittsburg. They were only thirty-six inches in diameter, but are still capable of doing substantial country work.
About the same time. Samuel Williams built a small mill on the creek that puts into the Wabash at Pittsburg. The stones used for grinding purposes in this mill were neither French nor English buhrs. but simply a respectable quality of the bowlder- granite species, such as are frequently found in the immediate neighborhood. They served the purpose of the projector in that particular enterprise, and were used in his mill with. perhaps. the same good results that might have been obtained from the imported article. The mill continued in operation for only a few years, when it was abandoned and the stones appropriated for : other uses. Afterward. when Demas K. Ward erected his oil- mill. these stones were utilized in grinding the seeds out of which oil was compressed. When the oil-mill was discontinued and the stones no longer needed there, they were cast away among the rubbish and are probably still lying in the vicinity between the upper saw-mill site and the old dam.
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
The agricultural products of Tippecanoe Township are equal in quantity and quality, compared with the acreage under culti- vation. with most other townships of the county, and in the va- riety also, as a reference to the statistics of the township will reasonably show. By the report of the State Statistician for the vear 1880. it appears that there were cultivated that year 3.436 acres of wheat. yielding an average of 18 bushels per acre, making an aggregate of 61.848 bushels; of corn. 3,230 acres, yielding 20 bushels per acre. in the aggregate. 64.600 bushels: of cats. 565 acres. with an average yield of 20 bushels per acre. in the
aggregate. 11.300 bushels: of hay. 440 acres, yielding an average of two tons per acre. in the aggregate SSO tous: Irish potatoes. 230 acres, yielding 60 bushels per acre, an aggregate of 13.800 bushels. Considering the average price at which these several products would bring, or did bring. in market. an approximate idea could readily be obtained of the immense value of this source of wealth in Tippecanoe Township.
The population of the township. as shown by the last and preceding census. is as follows: In 1850. the population was 1. - 174. and, in 1870. 1.109 -- an increase of 65 in ten years.
PITTSBURG.
Pittsburg was projected and laid ont by Merkle. Kendoll & Co. in 1836. in anticipation of the building of the dam across the Wabash as a means of creating slack water for navigation and ; for water-power. which, about that time, had been fully deter- mined upon by the constructors of the canal. Until the comple- tion of the canal. the town made bnt little improvement; but. as soon as the dam had been constructed and the extensive water privileges created thereby had been fully developed. it received an impulse that stimulated improvements of the town site and the erection of mills and other machinery deriving their motive power from the surphis water of the pool above the dam. At an early date in the history of utilized water privileges in Pittsburg, two saw-mills, an extensive flouring-mill. oil-mill and wool-carding established a little way below the dam. Which of those many- facturing establishments was erected first is not now readily as- certained. As long as the canal continued in operation. business was at full ebb, and at times the prospect seemed to indicate that it might ultimately rival Delphi in a business view: and. truly. the probabilities were strongly in favor of such an assumption. The tide changed. however, soon after the railroad began to be operated through Delphi. and the business prospects were less bright and inviting. the source of energy having departed. Still. for a considerable time after the road had been in operation. a latent fire continued to burn and there was a manifest indispo- sition to surrender the vantage-ground. The final blow seemed to have been struck when the canal was abandoned and the dam suffered partial destruction. Although the outlook was gloomy and the prospect lowering. hope was not wholly ernshed ont. At this opportune moment. the construction of the Indianapolis. Delphi & Chicago Railroad through the town. induced the re- newal of hope that the future might yet be prosperous. The result of the building and operation of this road is already mani- fest in the revival of business.
From 1847 or 1848 nutil 1856. an amount of business was done in Pittsburg surpassing even that done in Delphi, within the same period. A review of the situation as presented in 1851 and 1852 would show umistakably the correctness of the fore- going statement. " Then. the entire water-power supplied from the river was used in the propulsion of machinery ; hat was run to its itinost capacity. In addition to the use of water for mo- chanical purposes, a sufficient quantity was allowed to remain in the race to allow the passage of canal-boats brought down from the canal over the slack-water. to and from the warehouses stored with grain. together with the products of the several manufact- uring establishments -- to receive and discharge their lading. The amount of transportation through this channel was sur- prisingly large. compared with what has been done since the first-named railroad was built. The grain trade especially caused the influx of large sums of money in payment for the
RES. OF THE LATE RICHARD M. SIBBITT. PRESENT RESIDENCE DF MRS.SARAH SIBBITT, TIPPECANDE TP. CARROLL CO. INDIANA
341
TIPPECANOE TOWNSHIP.
products of the extensive farms lying to the north, west and sonth, but of easy access to this center of that class of commercial transactions. The flouring-mills, saw mills and other like indus tries were of a capacity equal. if not superior, to any elsewhere in the county. An extensive foundry and machine shop. under the skillful management of Josiah Russell. supplied work of su- perior quality and in large quantities, compared with which no better could be produced by other shops of like dimensions and capacity. To compensate in a measure for the extensive ontlay of capital for the purchase of grain and other articles of com. merce. large stocks of goods were kept by mercantile honses con- trolled by Bolles & Colton. Spears & Bro .. Timothy Donovan and others, to supply the demands for such articles as were needed by the farmers, mechanics and artisans. in exchange for the products of their farms and shops. These relations were therefore compensatory.
The above is a picture of the past: the present prospect is les propitions. Det, brighter anticipations may be realized in the no distant future.
In another place, the churches and church editices have been noticed with all the particularity attainable from the data at hand. but less completely than could have been desired under more ad- vantageous circumstances.
Of the schools much more may be said. The buildings How appropriated to and used for school purposes in Pittsburg, in their internal arrangement especially. exhibit a respectable measure of skill in design and construction. The most attractive feature of the school economy of the place is the conduct of the schools themselves. the division into departments. the assign- ment of classes and the determination of grades. The happy disposition of these difficult problems of necessity requires experi ence and skill. qualities which the results of each school torm continue to make more manifest. The plan npon which these schools are conducted does not materially vary from that by which the school work in Delphi is executed and with not dis- similar results. Viewed from the standpoint of practicability. it may be questioned whether these schools are not entitled to share at least equally in the merit awarded those at Delphi.
RICHARD MARLEN SIBBITT.
Mr. Sibbitt was of Scotch lineage, and was born in the State of New Jersey on the 14th day of February. 1793. being. there. fore, at the time of his death, which occurred from paralysis, on the 25th of November, 1877. at the ripe old age of eighty four years. He was one of a family of six sons and one daughter of Aaron Sibbitt and Elizabeth (Marlen) Sibbitt. Aaron Sibbitt. by
occupation, was a farmer, and is entitled to the distinction of having been a soldier of the Revolutionary war. Richard Sibbitt came to Carroll County in 1830, and. excepting two years, lived from 1937 to the end of his life on the farm in Tippecanoe 'Town ship, where he died. following, during all those years, the business of a farmer. His labors, however, were not restricted to the connty of Carroll, for, in addition, he managed farm- in Tippe- canoe Connty and in the State of Illinois, owning and controll- ing. at the date of his decease, more than sixtem hundred acre- of land. This body of land Mr. Sibbitt successfully operated by brain work alone, rarely, if ever, putting his hand to the plow.
In politics, he was an ardont Republican: in religion. a Uni- versalist. He was a soldier of the war of 1972. As a citizen of Carroll County, he took an active interest and participation in all public enterprises. In his own private affair-, he was a shrewd, careful and judicions manager. As a Iniband and father. he was kind, generous, temperate and indulgent. Twice married. he loft surviving him a widow and two sons. - Marlen Richard and Albert Clifton. His long life bespoke him, as he was in reality, a man of abstentions habits. In his death. the county lost a good citi- zon. and his connuunity an excellent neighbor.
LEWIS SWATTS.
Lewis Swatts is a son of John Swatts and Mary (Dishner) Swatts (both native Virginians). his birthday being September 16. 1931. and birthplace Blountsville. Sullivan Co .. Tonn. In IS1. John Swatts, who wears the honors of having been a soldier in the war of 1812. brought his family to Indiana and located in Clinton County. On the H0th of March. 1550, Lowis Swatt- moved to Carroll County, and settled on the farm where he yet resides. on Deer Creek Prairie, our and a half miles southwest of the little town of Pittsburg.
Mr. Swatts was married to Miss Lucinda Runkle March 2. 1856. She was born in Tippecanoe County. Ind. in 1939. Mr. Swatts is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Three children are the fruits of this marriage . Frank. M . born November 19. 1800: Ida M. horn February 1. 1962: and Douglas M. born i February 1. 1968.
Mr. Swatts is a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, and in polities he has always associated himself with the Democratic party. He has never tokon an active part in politics, or sought political office, yet, as evidence of his reliability and trust worthi- ness, he served for eighteen consecutive years as a Supervisor in hi- township.
We but simply repeat the word- of several of Mr. Swatt-' long life neighbor- when we say that he is considered an honest. upright citizen, and a kind and agreeable neighbor. He is by occupation a farmer, and owns and manages with skill and en. ergy one of the choicest farms in Carroll County.
342
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
1
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
LOCATION. BOUNDARY AND NATURAL FEATURES.
Washington occupies the northeast corner of Carroll County. Cass County bounds it on the north and east. Carrollton Town- ship on the south, and Jackson and Rock Creek Townships on the west. It has an area of thirty square miles, or about nineteen thousand two hundred acres. Rock Creek. the principal stream. flows westwardly through the central portion of the township, and in its course becomes the receptacle for the waters of several smaller streams, or branches, among which Little Rock Creek is chief. Paint Creck flows in a westwardly direction through the southern part of the township. and. like Rock Creek, receives the waters of some minor branches in its course. The sontheast cor- ner of the township is watered by Deer Creek for a distance of about two miles. The general character of the surface is that of low. level lands, excepting in the immediate vicinity of Deer Creek, where it is characterized by bluff banks, beyond which rich, lovel bottom lands stretch away to the sonth. The soil is a mixture of clay and loam, with a considerable proportion of sand in the bottom lands. It is uniformly rich and productive through- ont the township, and yields an average of the products indige- lons to this elimate, oqual to any of its sister townships. Origi- nally, its surface was covered by a dense growth of thuber, among whic', the usual varieties of oak. walnut. beech. sugar. etc .. were prominent. and the early settlers waged a long and tedious war against this formidable barrier ore they beheld the fruits of their victory in fertile and well- tilled farms.
EARLY LAND SALES.
It has been explained in preceding chapters that all the pur- . October 9. 1530; John G. Treen. October 17. 1535: Joseph Treen.
chasers of Government land were not identified with the settle- ment of the localities in which they purchased. and it is not nec. essary to repeat. in this connection. that the following record of land-purchases does not purport to be exclusively a list of the early settlers, even while the majority of the names herein con- tained belong to that class. It was customary for prospective purchasers to visit the locality in which they intended to purchase. and, after selecting certain tracts. return and make formal entry of the same at the Goverment Land Office. There were no sales of the public lands lying within this township prior to the year 1829; but by the year 1536; all these lands had been entered. except one tract in Section 5. which was loft uuclaimed nutil 1850. Below we append the list of purchasers. with the date of purchase:
TOWNSHIP 25 NORTH, RANGE 1 EAST.
Section 2-The several tracts of land in this section were en- tered by William Martin. October 11. 1834: John G. Troen. No- vember 15. 1834; Daniel Dunham. October 25. 1,835: Anthony Brown. July 16. 1836: John G. Cohee, August 10. 1836: William McCain. December 13. 1836.
Section 3-Thomas Trimble. October 18. 1834: Richard Cor- nell. October 6. 1835: Anthony Burns, February 2. 1836: Charles
Hinkle. August 15, 1836: Vincent D. Cohoe, September 13, 1836.
Section 4 -- George Cohee. August 26, 1835: Thomas Me- (lamrock. October 6. 1835: Vincent D. Cohee, September 13. 1835: Thomas Cohee. August 15, 1836; James Cooper. August 25. 1536.
Section 5-James Cooper. Angust 26. 1835: William and Samuel Cohee. August 26. 1835: Alexander Johnson, October 3, 1835: Theodore D. Brown. September 18. 1850.
Section 6 -- JJohu Dubois. June 16, 1835: W. and S. Cohee. August 26, 1935: James Thorrington. August 27. 1535: Jacob Van Nost. December 17. 1835: Peter Weidner. February 16. 1536.
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