History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 14

Author: Archibald Shaw
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1123

USA > Indiana > Dearborn County > History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 14

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).

Digitized by Google

151

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

of 1813, he received three or four months' schooling, which, with the exception of a little instruction before entering the service, was the extent of his educa- tional advantages. November 3, 1814, he was married to Elizabeth McClain, whose father resided on an adjoining farm. His father had purchased land on Laughery creek, in Dearborn county, and a portion of which was given to the son, who in 1815 had built thereon a cabin, to which he removed and there begun life for himself. His father erected a saw-mill and later estab- lished a tan-yard and in and about these in connection with farming Johnson Watts was employed for some years, subsequently purchasing the same and in addition operating a distillery. Soon after settling in Indiana he was elected a colonel of militia, which office he held for five years. About 1825 Colonel Watts commenced flatboating, having perhaps made the first effort in start- ing boats from up Laughery creek; which business he was engaged in for a number of years. In 1832 he moved to Hartford and was there for a time engaged in merchandising, having gone to that place more for the purpose of schooling his children-then eight in all, three sons and five daughters. Subsequently he purchased his father's farm on Laughery creek and moved upon it, and in connection with other business and his official duties, he was chiefly occupied during life. In 1825 Colonel Watts served as a representa- tive in the Legislature from Dearborn county, and from 1838 to 1843 in the state Senate. At the time of his election to the Senate in 1838 the county was Democratic by from three hundred to four hundred majority, though Watts was a Henry Clay Whig. In 1850 Colonel Watts, with William S. Holman and James D. Johnson, was chosen a member of the constitu- tional convention, and in the same years was made the Whig candidate for Congress in the fourth district, but was defeated by sixty-seven votes only. Colonel Watts, on the breaking out of the Civil War, was a supporter of the Union and of President Lincoln's administration, and, fired by the same patriotism as led him on to battle in 1813, when but a lad, he, although near- ing man's allotted time on earth, offered his services to Governor Morton, but on account of advanced years was declined. Colonel Watts was a man of considerable native ability, of good character and of unquestioned integrity. He closed a useful life on the 27th of May, 1871.

SOME OF THE PIONEERS.

Among the early settlers of Caesar Creek township were Eleazer Cole, Robert Ray, Charles L. Henry, John Froman, Jesse and Jordan Rice. On Laughery creek were living ,about 1820, Judge John Watts, James Rand,

Digitized by Google

152

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

Adam Pate, George Zinn, John Froman and Robert Ray. The latter was a brother of Gov. James B. Ray and was a minister of the gospel.

Many present residents of the township are of German descent. Their ancestors began to settle in the township about 1837. Among the earlier of the German settlers were Bosse, Droge, Ruhlman, Grelle, Sieker- man, Otting. With the exception of a few farms the lands in Caesar Creek township are owned by people of German descent, who are a thrifty, frugal class, and who have kept up the fertility of the soil to such an extent that the land produces with its old-time abundance.

The following is a sketch, written in 1843, of Gideon Tower, a resident of the township at that time : "Gideon Tower was born in Cumberland, Provi- dence county, Rhode Island, April 30, 1753, and was married in March, 1775. He joined the army of the Revolution in April, of the same year, and served from three to seven months of every year while the war lasted. His wife was born on November 28, 1754, and both are now living in Caesar Creek township. this county. and are enjoying good health. They had thirteen children, fifty-nine grandchildren, seventy-nine great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. They had two sons who were out in the last war, John Tower and Gideon Tower, the former was massacred on January 23, 1813, at River Raisin. They had one grandson. Henry Millard, who had the honor of commanding the right wing of the Texas forces, on the memor- able 21st of April, 1836, when the Mexicans were defeated and Santa Ana taken prisoner by the Texans. It is seldom that husband and wife live to- gether for sixty-eight years, and live to see their descendants multiply to one hundred and fifty-seven and see six of their fourth generation. And what is yet more strange, that their generation should all be of the one political opin- ion. All of them, so far as my knowledge extends, that were voters in 184c. except one, voted for General Harrison."

Robert Ray, the brother of Gov. James B. Ray. as well as being a preacher, was also a school teacher, and it is claimed that he taught the first school in the township in a log cabin on the old Licking farm. He also taught a school on the Judge Watts farm.

Some time previous to 1820 Peter Wright built a grist-mill at the mouth of Hayes branch, which was operated for a number of years.

PIONEER CHURCHES.

The Methodists and Baptists were among the early settlers and preach- ing was frequently held in the cabin homes of the members. The Methodists

Digitized by Google

- - - - .

153

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

built a meeting house about a quarter of a mile southeast of Farmers Re- treat, where there is an old cemetery. This was in the decade between 1820 and 1830. Robert Ray and Israel Cole were the local preachers who filled the pulpit when the regular circuit rider was at other appointments. Many of the members of the congregation are sleeping in the old cemetery that surrounds the place and which was set apart for cemetery purposes by a member of the Cole family that owned the land at that time.

The earliest burial recorded by a date on the tombstone is that of Jolin Cole, son of E. and H. Cole, who was buried there in 1819, December 10, aged twenty-seven years. George Headley, a native of England, died in 1848. Lemuel D. Turner died in 1865, aged sixty-four years. Thomas Kelsey, a soldier of the Revolution, died in 1835, aged eighty-one years.

In 1832 a Baptist society was formed and a meeting house was erected on lands donated by Jacob Zinn. It was given the name of Laughery Valley Baptist church, and among its members were Jacob Zinn, David Fisher, the Pattersons, the Sanders, the Grahams and the Conaways. No meetings have been held for many years and the members have died or moved to other fields.

Farmers Retreat is the central place of the township of Caesar Creek, and considerable business is transacted there. The houses are extended along the highway for some distance. There are several stores and a blacksmith shop. The physician resident at the place is Dr. C. C. Housmeyer. A good macad- amized highway extends through the township, leading from Dillsboro to Friendship and Versailles, in Ripley county. The township, while the small- est of any in the county, is at the same time one of the most thrifty, and the people of the township are strictly law abiding and abreast of the times in everything that goes to make up good citizenship.

Digitized by Google

CHAPTER XI.

CENTER TOWNSHIP.

Center township was organiged in January. 1839. Its territory was taken from Laughery and Lawrenceburg townships. Its area has not been changed since it was formed, except in 1849, when it gained in area from Lawrence- burg township, and lost some territory to the same township in 1853. In 1853 a little less than a section was given up to Hogan township, being the lands of David Walser, Conrad Huffman and Conaway Bainum. The bound- ary lines of the township, which were described in 1855, were as follow: Be- ginning at the southwest corner of section 21, congressional township 5, range I west; thence west to the southwest corner of section 21 ; thence north to the northwest corner of section 21 ; thence west along the northern line of section 20 to the center of Wilson creek ; thence up said creek to the south line of Alfred Howe's land in section 7: thence west along the south line of Al- fred Howe's land to the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 7, town 5, range I (being the center of said section 7) ; thence west on the north line of said southwest quarter of section 7 to the range line dividing ranges I and 2; thence south on said line to Laughery creek ; thence down the creek to the Ohio river; thence up the Ohio river to where the east and west line. running between sections 28 and 21. township 5, range I west. strikes the river; thence west to the place of beginning.

The earliest land entered from the government was made by Daniel Con- ner, April 22, 1801, and it was resold to Oliver Ormsby, December 9, 1806. Ormsby must have purchased it for speculation, for the records fail to show that he ever lived upon it. Ormsby also bought a large tract of land at an early period in Mexico bottoms, in Switzerland county. The next tract of land entered was by Charles Wilkins, April 27. 1801. On December 19, of the same year, James Conn purchased fractional sections 27. 28 and 29 in township 5, range I west. Daniel Conner also entered fractional section 4. September 18, 1804, and resold it December 18, 1810, to G. R. Terrence. Charles Vattier entered sections 32 and 33, in town 5, range I, September 18. 1804. This is the land on which the city of Aurora is situated. In 1806 David Rees and Nathan C. Findlay entered land in sections 19 and 20.

All the government land in the township was sold to settlers by the year

Digitized by Google

155

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

1816, and much of it had been cleared and made ready for cultivation. A part of section 5, township 4, range I west, was sold to Jesse L. Holman in the year 1810. The names of the persons that entered the rest of the lands in Center township are as follow: Joseph WV. Winkley, in 1813; George Shinkle, in 1814; John Walsh, in 1815; a part of section 6 to James Rumblay, in 1812; Valentine Barton, in 1813; Richard Norris, the same year, and Isaac Conner in 1815. Portions of section 7 to Eli Green and Henry Grove, in 1812, and to Squire Poteet and George Green in 1813. A portion of section 18 to John Robinson, Enoch James, Jr .. Jehiel Buffington, Amor Bruce and Enoch James, in 1814. A portion of section 19 to Samuel Bond, in 1808; to Francis Cheek, in 1812; and to Samuel Perry in 1816. Portion of section 20, in 1811. to Page Cheek. A porton of section 30 was sold to Isaac Reynolds, Eli Green, John Buffington, and Conrad Huffman. Portions of section 31 to Richard Norris, Abraham Carbaugh, in 1812: and to Martin Cozine, in 1815. Portions of section 7 to Enoch James and David Hogan. in 1814: and to Charles Dawson, in 1815; also to Peyton S. Symmes and Lewis Whiteman.

From the early history of the township it is learned that "Mrs. Barbara Cheek died in 1861, and at that time it was stated that she was born in Vir- ginia and had lived there for forty years and sixty-four in Dearborn county. She claimed to be one hundred and four years of age. Before her death she stated that she and her husband were the fourth family to settle in the town- ship, that George Groves, Benjamin Walker and Ephraim Morrison had ar- rived just before them. Tavern Cheek, a brother of Nicholas, gave the year of their coming as 1796, which is very probable."

EARLY SETTLERS.

The following is written by George W. Lane for the centennial year : "George Griffin, in the year 1810, when he was ten years of age, with his parents, in company with the grandparents of the present Kyles, of Man- chester, and with the grandparents of the present Johnsons, of North Hogan, left Virginia, near Winchester, and were all bound in covered wagons for Vin- cennes on the Wabash. The destination was reached through an almost un- broken Indiana forest by the Johnsons and Kyles, but so great were their perils in consequence of the hostility of the Indians, that General Harrison, whose headquarters were at Vincennes, advised them to return as far as Kentucky; and to protect them, he sent with them an escort of seventy-five soldiers.

"The Griffin family were induced by David Rees, father of Amos and

Digitized by Google

156

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

Rezin Rees, to stop and try the Ohio river bottoms, he promising them what- ever aid they might need the first year in getting subsistence. Wild meat was plentiful, for game was always in sight. Deer were often caught with skiffs while swimming the river. Wild plums and grapes were abundant in their season. Bread, the staff of life, the most necessary article of food, was the most difficult to obtain. When the Griffins built their cabin between Wilson and Tanners creeks, it was the fifth in this region, and one of these was occupied by. a bachelor. This neighbor, Joseph Barlow by name, had been a Revolutionary soldier, and on account of increasing infirmities, he soon removed to Kentucky, where he lived with a nephew to the great age of one hundred and eight years.

"The bottoms were then covered with timber. David Rees kept a ferry at Tanners creek where the railroad bridge now spans it, but his boat was so small that a wagon had to be taken to pieces to be conveyed across. Wild animals were very numerous and were a great annoyance. The howling of wolves at night often rendered sleep impossible. 'While eating breakfast one morning I heard a squalling,' said Uncle George, 'and on going to see I saw a bear devouring a wild hog.' It was necessary to keep all domestic animals in pens adjoining the house. The widow of George Griffin tells of driving away the saucy deer and turkeys from the grain shocks when she was a girl. "But more to be dreaded than these were the lingering and hostile aborig- ines, some of whose tents were yet to be seen. The United States government had bought their lands two years previously, and they had removed to the Wabash; but incited by the British and French, both of whom were jealous of our national growth, they became dissatisfied and revengeful. In gangs, considerable numbers of them returned, with cheeks painted red and hair arranged for war. In those times it was not safe for one of the pioneers to venture alone away from his home. Horses and other property was stolen. 'Many a morning on going out of my cabin door,' said Uncle George, 'I have seen fresh moccasin tracks.' Billy Winter's cabin was the largest and strong- est, and when an attack was feared, the neighbors would occupy it as a fort. Subsequently, other block houses were built. Not until after the battle of Tippecanoe were the settlers relieved from the terror of the tomahawk.

"Wild turkeys were very numerous and troublesome. One day a large flock going down the bottoms was met by another flock coming in the opposite direction, and the result was a furious battle of the gobblers. The Griffin boys, attracted by the commotion, formed a semicircle and drove them all across the river, but so fat and heavy were they that they could not rise to the

Digitized by Google

157

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

top of the bank in Kentucky. Their only alternative was to return to the Indiana shore, from which the boys frightened them away again, and before they could reach any landing place many of them were so exhausted that they sank into the water, and the boys returned to the cabin with eleven they had captured with their skiffs.

"Uncle George had various experiences as a river trader. Twice on his return from the south he walked home from Shawneetown, Illinois. The first time he was obliged to leave his flatboat at that place on account of the heavy ice in the river. His pedestrian companions were John Conway (father of the late Captains Dan and John Conway), and his uncle, Joseph Johnston."

HUMBLE HOMES OF THE PIONEERS.

The Democratic Register in the centennial year alludes to the early set- tlement of Center township thus: "Previous to 1800, although many families had settled in this neighborhood, little was done in the way of clearing lands. Each family had sufficient ground under cultivation to raise corn, potatoes, etc., to supply its individual wants, and with their primitive mode of farming this was perhaps all they could cultivate. Game of every species common to the country was abundant. Buffalo and elk were growing scarce. The black bear, deer, gray and black wolf. wild cat. beaver, otter and porcupine were plentiful. In the summer of 1807 Isaac Cochran brought his family here from the neighborhood of Chillicothe, Ohio, and built and moved into a log cabin on the site of the present residence of John Cobb. Mr. Cochran had a large family and his cabin was necessarily built on a larger scale than those of his neighbors with small families. It contained two rooms. His family consisted of Mary, his wife, and nine children, namely: Alexander, George W., Isaac, John. Nancy. Mary. Malinda. Eliza and Susan. Of this family George W. is a prominent business man of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also retains many of the lots in the town of Cochran, near Aurora, which is built on property originally owned by him. Nancy is yet living in Aurora at the age of seventy-one years, the wife of Washington Stark.

"About this time came Martin Cozine and family, the Scott family, Thomas Horsley and family. Petite and others. A family named Ensley, con- sisting of an old couple and one child. were here when Cochran came. They lived on the bank of the river near the present residence of Abram Lozier. Their cabin, a primitive structure of logs and the bark of trees. was the first habitation erected by a white man on the ground where Aurora now

Digitized by Google

158

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

stands. There were other cabins in the neighborhood but in the opinion of Mrs. Stark, who remembers the location of all, Ensley's was the only. one within the present town limits. It scarcely rose to the dignity of a cabin, be- ing a mere hut, but as it marked the beginning of a prosperous city, let this brief record, at least, be made of its existence. It has long since passed away ; the people who inhabited it have returned to earth, and this is all that remains.

"Martin Cozine settled on what is now the James farm on South Hogan; Horsley, Scott and Petite in the same neighborhood. Nicholas Cheek still lived below Wilson creek in the cabin first erected by him, but soon after Cochran came he built a small house out of hewed logs, probably the first one of the kind in the settlement. Francis, Page and Tavner, brothers of Nicholas Cheek, were here at that time. The bottom lands between this point and Petersburg, on the Kentucky side of the river were cleared and the country in the interior quite thickly settled. Petersburg, formerly Tanners Station, was an ambitious village. Lawrenceburg was laid out and growing. Aurora was yet unborn. Among those who settled in the neighborhood, from 1807 . to 1812, and who have descendants still living here, may be mentioned the following : Charles Folbre, William Griffin, Thomas Billingsley, David Rees, Robert Milburn. Samuel Elder, Eleazer Small, William Wymond, Vachel Lindsay and William Winters. The last mentioned lived for a number of years on the bottoms above Wilson creek. Christopher Bingainan and Joseph Barlow were others. Barlow died some time ago near Burlington, Kentucky, at the age of one hundred and seven years."

The town of Cochran, now incorporated with Aurora, on the right bank of South Hogan creek, joins the city of Aurora. The Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern railway passes through it and the main street is the Aurora and Laughery turnpike. On account of the car shops of the railway company being erected here when the road was first constructed the town owes its origin. The town was laid out in section 31, township 5, range I west, and was platted and filed in the recorder's office of the county on August 25, 1860. The postoffice was established in 1878, on July 4, with A. P. Shutts postmaster. The village suffered the loss of many of its inhabitants by the removal of the railway shops to Washington, Indiana, but has recovered from it now and is becoming both a residence and business part of the city of Aurora.

Digitized by Google

CHAPTER XII.

CLAY TOWNSHIP.

Clay township was organized in 1835 by an act of the board of county commissioners at their September session. The description given in the entry in the commissioners' minutes is as follows: Commencing at the con- gressional line dividing towns 5 and 6, range 2 west; thence east to the corner of section 4, township 4, range 2 west; thence south to Laughery creek; thence westwardly, meandering with Laughery creek to the mouth of Hayes branch; thence westwardly meandering with the main southwardly branch or fork of said Hayes branch to the first mentioned boundary line to the center of section 20, township 5, range 3, on the boundary line of Dearborn county ; thence northwardly with said line to the place of beginning. Clay township was by this description made out of portions of Sparta, Caesar Creek and of what was once called Laughery township, but now divided into Washington Center and Hogan. To the north of Clay lies Sparta township to the east is Washington township, on the south lies Laughery creek and Caesar Creek township and to the west is Ripley county.

The settlement of Clay township was not commenced as early as the townships having more creek or river frontage. The earliest pioneers who purchased land, however, were those who located along Laughery creek where an outlet could be found for the produce raised during backwater season or a strong headwater.

The first land entries from the government noticed in the transfers were in 1806, which were made by Hamilton and Jones. Several portions of land were entered in 1813, but it was not until 1817 that settlers commenced to enter the land from the government in any number. Davis McKittrick pur- chased a part of section 8, in 1813, and Benjamin Purcell purchased a part of section 25, the same year. Terrent and Robert Huston, John Fleming, Jacob Spangler, Henry Spangler, David Williamson, Daniel and George Abraham, Daniel Loder, William Frazer, Daniel White, Nehemiah Knapp, William Randall, Daniel Wilson, Jesse Vandolah, Archibald McCabe, Samuel Fleming, Philip Rowland, Henry Brogan, Daniel Crume, John Wheeler and Elijah Thatcher are some of the names of persons who entered land in Clay township-during the years from 1815 to 1820.

Digitized by Google

160

DEARBORN COUNTY, INDIANA.

THE FIRST SETTLER.

It is claimed for Clay township that the year 1796 marked the settlement of a Scotchman by the name of William Ross in the county. He first settled on Hogan creek. To show what vicissitudes some of the first settlers en- countered the following sketch of the life of Mr. Ross is herewith given : "William, the head of the Ross family, was a native of Scotland, and came to America a single man with Lord Cornwallis, during the Revolutionary war, and was made a prisoner at Yorktown. After living for a while on the farm of General Washington, he was there married. He afterwards lived for a time at the old Redstone Fort, on the Monongahela river, and at a place called Grants Station. He came to this county in 1796, settling at the mouth of Hogan creek, or near there. He then had a family of six children. Feb- ruary 22, 1799, David, a son, was born at the mouth of Hogan creek. Just at what time the family moved up Laughery creek is not known, but it was not long after their settlement on Hogan creek. Mr. Ross, with his boys, cleared up a farm on Laughery creek in Clay township, where he continued to reside until 1816, when he removed farther up the creek into Ripley county. He was a useful citizen, serving as a territorial justice of the peace up until he removed to Ripley county. The land on which he settled was at the time at- tached to Switzerland county, and during the time he was elected a com- missioner of that county or a member of the board of supervisors. His son, James Ross, was living in 1885 at Hartford, Ohio county, and was born on Laughery creek in 1803. Beginning as a pioneer boy. amid the scenes of fron- tier life. where the wilderness was his playground, the Indian boys his play- mates. and the blockhouse at times his home. he narrates with much interest and pleasure those bygone days. The Indians were often encamped in the woods surrounding has father's cabin. to which the frequently came for food. The settlers experienced little trouble from them but were at times subject to fright at their expense. Mr. Ross remembers in the spring of 1812, that the men folks of the settlement went in a company in pursuit of a band of Indians who had stolen a number of horses in that locality, but they failed to overtake them. Mr. Ross married Elizabeth Pate, who died in 1847. by whom he had seven children. His second wife was a daughter of Robert Conaway, and a member of the pioneer family by that name."

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.

History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 14

Author: Archibald Shaw Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1123

Author: Archibald Shaw
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1123