USA > Indiana > Daviess County > History of Daviess 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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68
54
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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 188I 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.
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.
55
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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, 18II. 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 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. The Americans lost thirty-seven by death on the battlefield, twenty-five mor- tally wounded and one hundred and twenty-six more or less seriously wounded. The savages carried most of their dead away, but it is known that about forty were actually killed in the battle and a proportionately large num- ber wounded. In addition to the men who fought at Tippecanoe, the pio- neers of the territory sent their quota to the front during the War of 1812. Unfortunately, records are not available to show the enlistments by counties.
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,
56
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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.
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. That they did many overt acts cannot be questioned and that they collected fire arms for traitorous designs cannot be denied. Governor Morton and General Carrington, by a system of close espionage, were able to know at all times just what was transpiring in the councils of these orders. In the cam- paign of 1864 there was an open denunciation through the Republican press of the Sons of Liberty. On October $ of that year the Republican news- papers carried these startling headlines: "You can rebuke this treason. The traitors intend to bring war to your home. Meet them at the ballot box while Grant and Sherman meet them on the battle field." A number of the leaders were arrested, convicted in a military court and sentenced to be shot. However, they were later pardoned.
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
57
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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 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
58
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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. II, 1825
James B. Ray, Dem. 1825-1831
Noah Noble, Whig 1831-1837 1
David Wallace, Whig
I 1 1 1 Samuel Bigger, Whig 1837-1840
1 1 James Whitcomb, Dem. 1840-1843 1
1 1 1 1843-1848 Paris C. Dunning (acting), Dem. 1848-1849 1 1 I 1
Joseph A. Wright, Dem. 1849-1857
Ashbel P. Willard, Dem. I857-1860
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 Thomas A. Hendricks, Dem. 1873-1877
James D. Williams, Dem. 1877-1880
Isaac P. Gray (acting), Dem.
1880-1881
Albert G. Porter, Rep.
1881-1885
59
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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 1 1 1
Winfield T. Durbin, Rep.
1 1901-1905
J. Frank Hanley, Rep.
1 1905-1909
Thomas R. Marshall, Dem. 1
I 1909-1913
Samuel R. Ralston, Dem.
1
1 1
1
1 1
1
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 :
Census Decades.
Population. 5,641
Increase.
Per Cent of Increase.
1800
1810
24,520
18,879
334.7
1820
147,178
122,658
500.2
1830
343,031
195,853
I33.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
1
1
1,978,30I
297,664
17.7
1890
2,192,404
214,103
10.8
1 900
1
1
1
1
2,516,462
324,058
14.8
1910
I
1
I
2,700,876
184,414
7.3
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I 1
1
1
1
I 1
1
I I 1
1
1
1
1
1 I
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
60
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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 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
61
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
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, 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.
The Soldiers and Sailors' Orphans' Home at Knightstown, is main- tained for the care and education of the orphan children of Union soldiers and sailors. The state educates and keeps them until they are sixteen years of age if they have not been given homes in families before they reach that age. Institutions for the education of the blind and also the deaf and dumb are located at Indianapolis. The state educates all children so afflicted and teaches them some useful trade which will enable them to make their own way in the world. The School for Feeble Minded at Fort Wayne has had more than one thousand children in attendance annually for several years. Within the past few years an epileptic village has been established at New Castle, Indiana, for the care of those so afflicted. A prison is located at
62
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
Michigan City for the incarceration of male criminals convicted by any of the courts of the state of treason, murder in the first or second degree, and of all persons convicted of any felony who at the time of conviction are thirty years of age and over. The Reformatory at Jeffersonville takes care of male criminals between the ages of sixteen and thirty, who are guilty of crimes other than those just mentioned. The female criminals from the ages of fifteen upwards are kept in the women's prison at Indianapolis. A school for incorrigible boys is maintained at Plainfield. It receives boys be- tween the ages of seven and eighteen, although no boy can be kept after he reaches the age of twenty-one. Each county provides for its own poor and practically every county in the state has a poor farm and many of them have homes for orphaned or indigent children. Each county in the state also maintains a correctional institution known as the jail, in which prisoners are committed while waiting for trial or as punishment for convicted crime.
But Indiana is great not alone in its material prosperity, but also in those things which make for a better appreciation of life. Within the limits of our state have been born men who were destined to become known through- out the nation. Statesmen, ministers, diplomats, educators, artists and literary men of Hoosier birth have given the state a reputation which is envied by our sister states. Indiana has furnished Presidents and Vice- Presidents, distinguished members of the cabinet and diplomats of world wide fame; her literary men have spread the fame of Indiana from coast to coast. Who has not heard of Wallace, Thompson, Nicholson, Tarking- ton, Mccutcheon, Bolton, Ade, Major, Stratton-Porter, Riley and hundreds of others who have courted the muses ?
And we would like to be living one hundred years from today and see whether as much progress will have been made in the growth of the state as in the first one hundred years of its history. In 2015 poverty and crime will be reduced to a minimum. Poor houses will be unknown, orphanages will have vanished and society will have reached the stage where happiness and con- tentment reign supreme. Every loyal Hoosier should feel as our poetess, Sarah T. Bolton, has said :
"The heavens never spanned, The breezes never fanned, A fairer, brighter land Than our Indiana."
CHAPTER II.
PHYSICAL AND GEOLOGICAL FEATURES.
Daviess county lies about half way in a line from the center of the state to the southwestern corner. It is south of Greene county, west of Martin, north of Dubois and Pike and east of Knox.
The county has an extreme length from north to south of twenty-eight miles and a width of twenty miles. It includes practically all of township 5 north, ranges 5 and 6 west; township 4 north, range 6 west; township 3 north; ranges 6 and 7 west; township 2 north, ranges 6 and 7 west; all but the eastern row of sections of townships 2, 3 and 4 north, range 5 west, most of township 4 north, range west, and parts of townships I north, ranges 5, 6 and 7 west; townships 3 and 4 north, range 8 west, and township 5 north, range 7 west. It has an area of 432 square miles.
The county has ten civic townships, as follow: Steele, Washington, Veale, Elmore, Bogard, Barr, Harrison, Madison, Van Buren and Reeve.
TOPOGRAPHY.
In the northeastern corner of the county the surface is rather hilly, but going west, southwest and south this quickly changes to a rolling country and that in turn to a very level surface. Most of Elmore, Bogard, Steele, Washington and Barr townships are of this level character, with some rolling land. Northeast of Washington a conspicuous group of hills exists. The southern part of this county, as White river is approached, again becomes quite hilly. Many prairies exist along Smothers creek and Prairie creek and their tributaries, which drain the northern central part of the county. In- dian Pond and First creeks drain the extreme northern part, while Veale's, Aikman's, Mud and Sugar creeks drain the extreme southern part. The west fork of White river flows along the western side, the east fork along the south side.
The country appears to range in elevation from three hundred and ninety-six feet above tide in the southwestern corner to over six hundred feet east of Raglesville and just northeast of Washington. Washington has an elevation of four hundred and eighty-four feet and low water near the same place is about four hundred and twenty-four feet above tide.
64
DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.
Coal has been found in abundance in many sections of the county; at Washington, Montgomery, Epsom, Odon, Raglesville, Cannelburg and other places. The towns mentioned all have mines in operation, which furnish the market a splendid article of fuel and make Daviess county well known as a coal producing territory. It has been estimated by a former state geologist that an aggregate of eight feet of coal, in the average, extended over the entire county, two hundred and seventy thousand acres. At Washington is mined some of the best coking coal found in the western coal field.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.