History of Carroll County Indiana, its people, industries and institutions, Part 4

Author: John C. Odell
Publication date: 1916
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 803


USA > Indiana > Carroll County > History of Carroll County Indiana, its people, industries and institutions > Part 4


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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I. Knox June 20, 1790 10. Washington -Jan. 17, 1814


2. Clark


Feb. 3, 1801 II. Switzerland Oct. 1, 1814


3. Dearborn Mch. 7, 1803 12. Posey Nov. 1, 1814


4. Harrison .Dec. 1, 1808 13.


Perry Nov. 1, 1814


5. Jefferson Feb. 1, 18II 14. Jackson -Jan. 1, 1816


6. Franklin Feb. 1, 18II 15. Orange Feb. 1, 1816


7. Wayne Feb.


1, 18II


16. Sullivan Jan. 15, 1817


8. Warrick Apr.


1, 1813 17. Jennings Feb. 1, 1817


9. Gibson Apr. 1, 1813 18.


Pike Feb. 1, 1817


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


19. Daviess


Feb. 15, 1817


56.


Delaware Apr.


1, 1827


20. Dubois


Feb. 1, 1818


57.


Hancock Mch.


I, 1828


21. Spencer Feb. 1, 1818 58. Carroll May I, 1828


22. Vanderburgh Feb. 1, 1818 59


Cass Apr. 13, 1829


23. Vigo Feb. 15, 1818 60.


Clinton Mch.


1, 1830


24.


Crawford Mch. 1, 1818


61. St. Joseph


Apr. 1, 1830


25.


Lawrence


Mch.


1, 1818 62. Elkhart Apr. 1, 1830


26. Monroe


Apr. 10, 1818 63.


Boone Apr. 1, 1831


27.


Ripley


Apr. 10, 1818


64.


Grant Apr. 1, 1832


28.


Randolph Aug. 10, 1818


65.


Laporte Apr. I, 1832


29. Owen


-Jan.


1, 1819


66.


Lagrange Apr.


1, 1832


30.


Fayette


Jan.


1, 1819 67.


68. Miami Mar.


1, 1834


69. White Apr.


1, 1834


33.


Martin Feb.


1, 1820


70.


Wabash Mch. 1, 1835


34.


Union


Feb.


1, 1821


71.


Porter Feb. 1, 1836


35 Greene


Feb.


5, 1821


72.


Adams Mch.


1, 1836


36. Bartholomew Feb. 12, 1821


73. Jay Mch.


1, 1836


37.


Parke Apr.


2, 1821


74.


Noble


Mch.


1, 1836


38. Morgan


Feb. 15, 1822 75.


Fulton


.Apr.


1, 1836


39. Decatur


Mch.


4, 1822 76.


Marshall


Apr. 1, 1836


40.


Shelby


Apr. 1, 1822


77.


Brown


Apr.


1, 1836


41.


Rush


Apr.


1, 1822 78.


Kosciusko


June


1, 1837


42.


Marion Apr.


1, 1822


79.


Lake Feb. 15, 1837


43


Putnam


Apr.


I, 1822


81.


DeKalb May


1, 1837


45.


Montgomery Mch.


1, 1823


82.


Wells


May 1, 1837


46.


Hamilton


Apr.


7, 1823


83.


Jasper Mch. 15, 1838


Whitley Apr. 1, 1839


49.


Vermillion Feb.


1, 1824


86.


Pulaski


May ยท 6, 1840


50


Allen


Apr.


1, 1824


87.


Benton


Feb. 18, 1840


51.


Hendricks


Apr.


1, 1824


88.


Ohio


Mch.


1, 1844


52. Clay


Apr.


I, 1825 89.


Tipton May


1, 1844


53. Tippecanoe Mch.


1, 1826 90.


Richardville


May 1, 1844


54. Fountain Apr.


1, 1826


91. Starke -Jan. 15, 1850


55.


Warren Mch. 1, 1827


92.


Newton


Dec. 9, 1859


84. . 85.


Black ford After pub., 1839


47. Johnson


May


5, 1823


48. Madison July


1, 1823


80. Steuben


May


1, 1837


44 Henry .June


1, 1822


Huntington Dec.


2, 1834


31. Floyd


Feb.


2, 1819


32. Scott


Feb. 1, 1820


The first thirteen counties in the above list were all that were organized when the territory of Indiana petitioned Congress for an enabling act in 1815.


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


They were in the southern part of the state and had a total population of sixty-three thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven. At that time the total state tax was only about five thousand dollars, while the assessment of the whole state in 1816 amounted to only six thousand forty-three dollars and thirty-six cents.


CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA.


The Constitution of 1816 was framed by forty-three delegates who met at Corydon from June 10 to June 29 of that year. It was provided in the Constitution of 1816 that a vote might be taken every twelve years on the question of amending, revising or writing a wholly new instrument of gov- ernment. Although several efforts were made to hold constitution conven- tions between 1816 and 1850, the vote failed each time until 1848. Elections were held in 1823, 1828, 1840 and 1846, but each time there was returned an adverse vote against the calling of a constitutional convention. There were no amendments to the 1816 Constitution, although the revision of 1824, by Benjamin Parke and others was so thorough that it was said that the revision committee had done as much as a constitution convention could have done.


It was not until 1848 that a successful vote on the question of calling a constitution convention was carried. There were many reasons which in- duced the people of the state to favor a convention. Among these may be mentioned the following: The old Constitution provided that all the state officers except the governor and lieutenant-governor should be elected by the legislature. Many of the county and township officers were appointed by the county commissioners. Again, the old Constitution attempted to handle too many matters of local concern. All divorces from 1816 to 1851 were granted by the Legislature. Special laws were passed which would apply to particular counties and even to particular townships in the county. If Nobles- ville wanted an alley vacated or a street closed, it had to appeal to the Legis- lature for permission to do so. If a man wanted to ferry people across a stream in Posey county, his representative presented a bill to the Legislature asking that the proposed ferryman be given permission to ferry people across the stream. The agitation for free schools attracted the support of the edu- cated people of the state, and most of the newspapers were outspoken in their advocacy of better educational privileges. The desire for better schools, for freer representation in the selection of officials, for less interference by the Legislature in local affairs, led to a desire on the part of majority of the people of the state for a new Constitution.


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


The second constitutional convention of Indiana met at Indianapolis, October 7, 1850, and continued in session for four months. The one hun- dred and fifty delegates labored faithfully to give the state a Constitution fully abreast of the times and in accordance with the best ideas of the day. More power was given the people by allowing them to select not only all of the state officials, but also their county officers as well. The convention of 1850 took a decided stand against the negro and proposed a referendum on the question of prohibiting the further emigration of negroes into the state of Indiana. The subsequent vote on this question showed that the people were not disposed to tolerate the colored race. As a matter of fact no negro or mulatto could legally come into Indiana from 1852 until 1881, when the restriction was removed by an amendment of the Constitution. Another important feature of the new Constitution was the provision for free schools. What we now know as a public school supported at the expense of the state, was unknown under the 1816 Constitution. The new Constitution estab- lished a system of free public schools, and subsequent statutory legislation strengthened the constitutional provision so that the state now ranks among the leaders in educational matters throughout the nation. The people of the state had voted on the question of free schools in 1848 and had decided that they should be established, but there was such a strong majority opposed to free schools that nothing was done. Orange county gave only an eight per cent vote in favor of free schools, while Putnam and Monroe, containing DePauw and Indiana Universities, respectively, voted adversely by large majorities. But, with the backing of the Constitution, the advocates of free schools began to push the fight for their establishment, and as a result of the legislative acts of 1855, 1857 and 1867, the public schools were placed upon a sound basis.


Such in brief were the most important features of the 1852 Constitution. It has remained substantially to this day as it was written sixty-five years ago. It is true there have been some amendments, but the changes of 1878 and 1881 did not alter the Constitution in any important particular. There was no concerted effort toward calling a constitutional convention until the Legislature of 1913 provided for a referendum on the question at the polls, November 4, 1914. Despite the fact that all the political parites had de- clared in favor of a constitutional convention in their platforms, the question was voted down by a large majority. An effort was made to have the ques- tion submitted by the Legislature of 1915, but the Legislature refused to submit the question to the voters of the state.


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


CAPITALS OF NORTHWEST TERRITORY AND INDIANA.


The present state of Indiana was comprehended within the Northwest Territory from 1787 to 1800, and during that time the capital was located within the present state of Ohio. When the Ordinance of 1787 was put in operation on July 17, 1788, the capital was established at Marietta, the name being chosen by the directors of the Ohio Company on July 2, of the same year. The name Marietta was selected in honor of the French Queen, Marie Antoinette, compounded by curious combination of the first and last syllables of her name.


When Indiana was set off by the act of May 7, 1800, the same act located the capital at Vincennes where it remained for nearly thirteen years. The old building in which the Territorial Assembly first met in 1805 is still standing in Vincennes. In the spring of 1813 the capital of the territory was removed to Corydon and it was in that quaint little village that Indiana began its career as a state. It remained there until November, 1824, when Samuel Merrill loaded up all of the state's effects in three large wagons and hauled them overland to the new capital-Indianapolis. Indianapolis had been chosen as the seat of government by a committee of ten men, appointed in 1820 by the Legislature. It was not until 1824, however, that a building was erected in the new capital which would accommodate the state officials and the General Assembly. The first court house in Marion county was built on the site of the present building, and was erected with a view of utilizing it as a state house until a suitable capitol building could be erected. The state continued to use the Marion county court house until 1835, by which time an imposing state house had been erected. This building was in use until 1877, when it was razed to make way for the present beautiful building.


MILITARY HISTORY.


Indiana has had some of its citizens in four wars in which United States has engaged since 1800: The War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. One of the most important engage- ments ever fought against the Indians in the United States was that of the battle of Tippecanoe, November 7, 1811. For the two or three years pre- ceding, Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, had been getting the Indians ready for an insurrection. Tecumseh made a long trip throughout the west- ern and southern part of the United States for the purpose of getting the Indians all over the country to rise up and drive out the white man. While


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


he was still in the South, Governor Harrison descended upon the Indians at Tippecanoe and dealt them a blow from which they never recovered. The British had been urging the Indians to rise up against the settlers along the frontier, and the repeated depredations of the savages but increased the hos- tility of the United States toward England. General Harrison had about seven hundred fighting men, while the Indians numbered over a thousand.


During the administration of Governor Whitcomb ( 1846-49) the United States was engaged in a war with Mexico. Indiana contributed five regi- ments to the government during this struggle, and her troops performed with a spirit of singular promptness and patriotism during all the time they were at the front.


No Northern state had a more patriotic governor during the Civil War than Indiana, and had every governor in the North done his duty as conscien- tiously as did Governor Morton that terrible struggle would undoubtedly have been materially shortened. When President Lincoln issued his call on April 15, 1861, for 75,000 volunteers, Indiana was asked to furnish 4,683 men as its quota. A week later there were no less than 12,000 volunteers at Camp Morton at Indianapolis. This loyal uprising was a tribute to the patriotism of the people, and accounts for the fact that Indiana sent more than 200,000 men to the front during the war. Indiana furnished prac- tically seventy-five per cent of its total population capable of bearing arms, and on this basis Delaware was the only state in the Union which exceeded Indiana. Of the troops sent from Indiana, 7,243 were killed or mortally wounded, and 19,429 died from other causes, making a total death loss of over thirteen per cent for all the troops furnished.


During the summer of 1863 Indiana was thrown into a frenzy of excite- ment when it was learned that General Morgan had crossed the Ohio with 2,000 cavalrymen under his command. Probably Indiana never experienced a more exciting month than July of that year. Morgan entered the state in Harrison county and advanced northward through Corydon to Salem in Washington county. As his men went along they robbed orchards, looted farm houses, stole all the horses which they could find and burned consider- able property. From Salem, Morgan turned with his men to the east, having been deterred from his threatened advance on Indianapolis by the knowledge that the local militia of the state would soon be too strong for him. He hur- ried with his men toward the Ohio line, stopping at Versailles long enough to loot the county treasury. Morgan passed through Dearborn county over into Ohio, near Harrison, and a few days later, Morgan and most of his band were captured.


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


During the latter part of the war there was considerable opposition to its prosecution on the part of the Democrats of this state. An organization known as the Knights of the Golden Circle at first, and later as the Sons of Liberty, was instrumental in stirring up much trouble throughout the state. Probably historians will never be able to agree as to the degree of their .culpability in thwarting the government authorities in the conduct of the war.


The Spanish-American War of 1898 has been the last one in which troops from Indiana have borne a part. When President Mckinley issued his call for 75,000 volunteers on April 25, 1898, Indiana was called upon to furnish three regiments. War was officially declared April 25, and formally came to an end by the signing of a protocol on August 12 of the same year. The main engagements of importance were the sea battles of Manila and Santiago and the land engagements of El Caney and San Juan Hill. Ac- cording to the treaty of Paris, signed December 12, 1898, Spain relinquished her sovereignty over Cuba, ceded to the United States Porto Rico and her other West India Island possessions, as well as the island of Guam in the Pacific. Spain also transferred her rights in the Philippines for the sum of twenty million dollars paid to her for public work and improvements con- structed by the Spanish government.


POLITICAL HISTORY.


It is not possible to trace in detail the political history of Indiana for the past century and in this connection an attempt is made only to survey briefly . the political history of the state. For more than half a century Indiana has been known as a pivotal state in politics. In 1816 there was only one political party and Jennings, Noble, Taylor, Hendricks and all of the politicians of that day were grouped into this one-the Democratic party. Whatever differences in views they might have had were due to local issues and not to any questions of national portent. Questions concerning the improvements of rivers, the building of canals, the removal of court houses and similar questions of state importance only divided the politicians in the early history of Indiana into groups. There was one group known as the White Water faction, another called the Vincennes crowd, and still another designated as the White river delegation. From 1816 until as late as 1832, Indiana was the scene of personal politics, and during the years Adams, Clay and Jackson were candidates for the presidency on the same ticket, men were known politically as Adams men, Clay men or Jackson men. The election returns


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


in the twenties and thirties disclose no tickets labeled Democrat, Whig or Republican, but the words "Adams," "Clay," or Jackson."


The question of internal improvements which arose in the Legislature of 1836 was a large contributing factor in the division of the politicians of the state. The Whig party may be dated from 1832, although it was not until four years later that it came into national prominence. The Democrats elected the state officials, including the governor, down to 1831, but in that year the opposition party, later called the Whigs, elected Noah Noble governor. For the next twelve years the Whigs, with their cry of internal improvements, controlled the state. The Whigs went out of power with Samuel Bigger in 1843, and when they came into power again they appeared under the name of Republicans in 1861. Since the Civil War the two parties have practically divided the leadership between them, there having been seven Republicans and six Democrats elected governor of the state. The following table gives a list of the governors of the Northwest Territory, Indiana Terri- tory and the state of Indiana. The Federalists were in control up to 1800 and Harrison and his followers may be classed as Democratic-Republicans. The politics of the governors of the state are indicated in the table.


GOVERNORS OF INDIANA.


Of the Territory Northwest of the Ohio --


Arthur St. Clair


1787-1800


Of the Territory of Indiana-


John Gibson (acting) July 4, 1800-1801


William H. Harrison 1801-1812


Thomas Posey 1812-1816


Of the State of Indiana-


Jonathan Jennings, Dem. 1816-1822


Ratliff Boon, Dem. September 12 to December 5, 1822


William Hendricks, Dem. 1822-1825


James B. Ray (acting), Dem. Feb. 12 to Dec. 11, 1825


James B. Ray, Dem. 1825-1831


Noah Noble, Whig 1831-1837


David Wallace, Whig 1837-1840


Samuel Bigger, Whig 1840-1843 1 1 1 1


James Whitcomb, Dem. 1843-1848


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


Paris C. Dunning (acting), Dem. 1848-1849


Joseph A. Wright, Dem. 1849-1857


Ashbel P. Willard, Dem. 1857-1860


Abram A. Hammond (acting), Dem. 1860-1861


Henry S. Lane, Rep. -January 14 to January 16, 1861


Oliver P. Morton (acting), Rep. 1861-1865


Oliver P. Morton, Rep. 1865-1867


Conrad Baker (acting), Rep. 1867-1869


Conrad Baker, Rep. 1869-1873 1 1


Thomas A. Hendricks, Dem. 1873-1877 1


James D. Williams, Dem. 1877-1880 1 1


Isaac P. Gray (acting), Dem. 1


1880-1881


Albert G. Porter, Rep.


1881-1885


Isaac P. Gray, Dem.


1885-1889


Alvin P. Hovey, Rep.


1889-1891


Ira J. Chase (acting), Rep.


Nov. 24, 1891 to Jan. 9, 1893


Claude Matthews. Dem.


1893-1897


James A. Mount, Rep. 1897-1901


Winfield T. Durbin, Rep. 1901-1905


J. Frank Hanley, Rep.


1905-1909


Thomas R. Marshall, Dem.


1909-1913


Samuel R. Ralston, Dem.


1913-


A CENTURY OF GROWTH.


Indiana was the first territory created out of the old Northwest Territory and the second state to be formed. It is now on the eve of its one hundredth anniversary, and it becomes the purpose of the historian in this connection to give a brief survey of what these one hundred years have done for the state. There has been no change in territory limits, but the original territory has been subdivided into counties year by year, as the population warranted, until from thirteen counties in 1816 the state grew to ninety-two counties by 1859. From 1816 to 1840 new counties were organized every year with the exception of one year. Starting in with a population of 5,641 in 1800, Indiana has increased by leaps and bounds until it now has a population of two million seven hundred thousand eight hundred and seventy-six. The appended table is interesting in showing the growth of population by decades since 1800:


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


Census Decades.


Population.


Increase.


Per Cent of Increase.


1800


5,641


1810


24,520


18,879


334.7


1820


147,178


122,658


500.2


1830


343,031


195,853


133.I


1840


685,866


342,835


99.9


1850


988,416


302,550


44.I


1860


1,350,428


362,012


36.6


1870


1,680,637


330,209


24.5


1880


1,978.301


297,664


17.7


1890


1


1


2,192,404


214,103


10.8


1 900


2,516,462


324,058


14.8


1910


2,700,876


184,414


7.3


I


1


1


1


I


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


1


I


1


1


Statistics are usually very dry and uninteresting, but there are a few figures which are at least instructive if not interesting. For instance, in 1910, 1,143,835 people of Indiana lived in towns and cities of more than 2,500. There were 822,434 voters, and 580,557 men between the ages of eighteen and forty-four were eligible for military service. An interesting book of statistics from which these figures are taken covering every phase of the growth of the state is found in the biennial report of the state statistician.


The state has increased in wealth as well as population and the total state tax of six thousand forty-three dollars and thirty-six cents of 1816 increased in 1915 to more than six million. In 1816 the only factories in the state were grist or saw mills; all of the clothing, furniture and most of the farming tools were made by the pioneers themselves. At that time the farmer was his own doctor, his own blacksmith, his own lawyer, his own dentist and, if he had divine services, he had to be the preacher. But now it is changed. The spin- ning wheel finds its resting place in the attic ; a score of occupations have arisen to satisfy the manifold wants of the farmer. Millions of dollars are now in- vested in factories, other millions are invested in steam and electric roads, still other millions in public utility plants of all kinds.' The governor now receives a larger salary than did all the state officials put together in 1861, while the county sheriff has a salary which is more than double the compensation first allowed the governor of the state.


Indiana is rich in natural resources. It not only has millions of acres of good farming land, but it has had fine forests in the past. From the timber of its woods have been built the homes for the past one hundred years and, if


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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.


rightly conserved there is timber for many years yet to come. The state has beds of coal and quarries of stone which are not surpassed in any state in the Union. For many years natural gas was a boon to Indiana manufacturing, but it was used so extravagently that it soon became exhausted. Some of the largest factories of their kind in the country are to be found in the Hoosier state. The steel works at Gary employs tens of thousands of men and are constantly increasing in importance. At Elwood is the largest tin plate fac- tory in the world, while Evansville boasts of the largest cigar factory in the world. At South end the Studebaker and Oliver manufacturing plants turn out millions of dollars worth of goods every year. When it is known that over half of the population of the state is now living in towns and cities, it must be readily seen that farming is no longer the sole occupation. A sys- tem of railroads has been built which brings every corner of the state in close touch with Indianapolis. In fact, every county seat but four is in railroad connection with the capital of the state. Every county has its local telephone systems, its rural free deliveries and its good roads unifying the various parts of the county. All of this makes for better civilization and a happier and more contented people.


Indiana prides herself on her educational system. With sixteen thousand public and parochial school teachers, with three state institutions of learning, a score of church schools of all kinds as well as private institutions of learning, Indiana stands high in educational circles. The state maintains universities at Bloomington and Lafayette and a normal school at Terre Haute. Many of the churches have schools supported in part by their denominations. The Catholics have the largest Catholic university in the United States at Notre Dame, while St. Mary's of the Woods at Terre Haute is known all over the world. Academies under Catholic supervision are maintained at Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, Rensselaer, Jasper and Oldenburg. The Method- ists have institutions at DePauw, Moore's Hill and Upland. The Presby- terian schools are Wabash and Hanover Colleges. The Christian church is in control of Butler and Merom Colleges. Concordia at Fort Wayne is one of the largest Lutheran schools in the United States. The Quakers support Earlham College, as well as the academies at Fairmount, Bloomingdale, Plainfield and Spiceland. The Baptists are in charge of Franklin College, while the United Brethern give their allegiance to Indiana Central University at Indianapolis. The Seventh-Day Adventists have a school at Boggstown. The Dunkards at North Manchester and the Mennonites at Goshen maintain schools for their respective churches.


The state seeks to take care of all of its unfortunates. Its charitable,


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benevolent and correctional institutions rank high among similar institutions in the country. Insane asylums are located at Indianapolis, Richmond, Logansport, Evansville and Madison. The State Soldiers' Home is at Lafayette, while the National Soldiers' Home is at Marion.




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