History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 22

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 22

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).

During the period from 1815 to 1820, a bank was organized under the name of the Farmers and Mechanics Bank. Isaac Dunn was its president and Thomas Porter, father of ex-governor Porter, its cashier. This bank. it is claimed with good authority, did business on the north side of High street next door to the former residence of W. D. H. Hunter, now the residence of Louis Schusterman. Its board of directors elected at the annual election, January 3, 1820, was Isaac Dunn. Ezra Ferris. Isaac Morgan. Walter Arm- strong. John Weaver, David Guard, Lazarus Noble, Stephen Ludlow, Levi Miller, Moses Schott, George Weaver, Samuel Bond and Amos Lane.

The town seemed to have its quota of physicians, for records show that at least seven practiced upon the woes of the people to relieve their suffer- ings. The list obtainable is Dr. Jabez Percival, Dr. John S. Percival. Dr. Ezra Ferris. Dr. Marmaduke E. Ferris. Doctor Finch, Dr. Abraham Brower and Doctor Easton. If there were any disputes to be settled by law there was no difficulty in finding an attorney to present the matter to court, for a list of twelve attorneys of more or less ability is given as follow: James Dill. Jesse B. Thomas, Elijah Sparks, Thomas Wardell, John Lawrence. Amos Lane, James Noble, Jesse L. Holman, Stephen C. Stephens, William Hen- dricks, Daniel J. Caswell. Moses Hitchcock, Isaac S. Brower and George H. Dunn. Some of these, however, only practiced here and resided in other county seats. The system in vogue at that time was a circuit court of a num- ber of counties and attorneys would ride from one county seat to another to get their practice, often riding in the course following the circuit, hundreds of miles.

Prices of merchandise were different from now. On some things for which we now pay a stiff price, at that time the price was ridiculously low, while other things were very high. Muslin was seventy-five cents a yard. Calico at sixty-five cents a yard would now be thought too high to wear. Indigo was four dollars per pound. Coffee at seventy-five cents per pound

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made it a great luxury. Tea was two dollars and fifty cents per pound; salt four dollars and fifty cents per barrel; flour five dollars per hundred ; potatoes fifteen cents per bushel; corn fifteen cents per bushel; pork one dollar and fifty cents per hundred; eggs six and one-fourth cents per dozen; butter twelve and one-half cents per pound.

George Weaver ran a saw-mill in Newtown by horse power or oxen. It is probable that not many hundred feet were sawed in a day. The hotel at the corner of Walnut and High streets was partly built at that time. It is prob- able that the residence of Louis Schustermann, owned by Mrs. Conrad Stumpf, is the oldest house in the city and the corner part of the Grand Hotel is the next oldest.

Jesse Hunt built the hotel and Benjamin Stockman was the brick mason. This hotel building lays claim to being the oldest three-story brick building erected in the state.

FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL ORGANIZATION.

Lawrenceburg was, if anything, more of a religious town then than it is now. January 6, 1820, the ladies of the town met at the house of David Guard, when they proceeded to organize a Sunday school society. Mrs. Frances Dunn was chosen chairman and Polly Lane, secretary. The com- mittee on constitution and by-laws was Miss Elizabeth Brewer, Miss Mary Brooks and Mrs. Elizabeth Percival. Those appointed to have charge were Mrs. Elizabeth Percival, Mrs. Frances Dunn, Mrs. Polly Lane, Mrs. Rebecca Wright, Mrs. Elizabeth Rice, Mrs. Elizabeth Brower, Mrs. Ann Eads and Mrs. Huldah Gardner. Class teachers were Mrs. Mercy Porter, Miss Mary Brooks, Miss Elizabeth Brower, Miss Mary Ann Brower, Miss Lucretia Earl and Miss Electa Wright. Mrs. Beulah Guard was elected treasurer and Miss Elizabeth Brower secretary.

The men of. the town, not to be outdone in well doing, met on the 24th of December, 1819. It seems that the men were the first to see the necessity for religious instruction, for their meeting was about two weeks earlier than that of the women of the town. At the men's meeting to organize a Sunday school society, Dr. Jabez Percival was made president and George H. Dunn, secretary, David P. Shook, treasurer; and Dr. Ezra Ferris and Dr. Abram Brower, superintendents.

Literary matters too were not neglected and the town, even that far back in its history, was the possessor of a public library. It is recorded that during

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the winter of 1820 the directors of the Lawrenceburg Library Company were John Porter, John Weaver, Joseph H. Coburn, Isaac S. Brower, Jabez Per- cival, James Dill and George H. Dunn.

The infant city felt some hope of future prosperity, for the town council that same year assumed an indebtedness of three thousand five hundred dollars for the purpose of digging public wells and filling High street. Some of the dug wells now in existence date their existence back to the year 1820. High street, in the business portion, has had little filling since that time. The coun- try west of Lawrenceburg commenced to fill up so rapidly during the period following the peace with Great Britain that Lawrenceburg became a town of first importance in the state. Emigrants began to swarm in to the "New Pur- chase," as the Grouseland purchase from the Indians was then called. These settlers commenced to raise a surplus of produce and Lawrenceburg was the nearest town where money could be obtained for it. The Lawrenceburg mer- chants at that time were very enterprising and an extensive trade was main- tained with New Orleans and the country along the lower Mississippi. Flat- boating, which had ever since the first settlers came, been the best method of transporting the products to market, commenced to be an important factor in the commercial life of the town. Hay boats, cattle boats and boats of every description and kind could be seen at the Lawrenceburg wharf. The New Orleans market governed the prices of all kinds of farm products. As the settlements extended farther and farther in the wilderness of central Indiana the amount of farm products received and shipped south via. the flat- boat route increased. River men were in evidence in the town everywhere.

THE NEW ORLEANS TRADE.

Almost every dealer in merchandise of any description carried on a trade with the South. Hogs and cattle, hay, corn, potatoes, apples, poultry, in fact every conceivable product of the country, brought a ready market on the lower Mississippi. This brisk trade was much encouraged by the advent of steamboats. Formerly the return journey was made overland, via the Natchez trail, Nashville and Louisville, from New Orleans, and few cared to undertake it. John Callahan, Walter, Joseph and Jacob Hayes were some of the hardy boatmen and traders who were ready in those pioneer days to undergo the hardships and dangers of such a trip. The boatmen would, after selling out their cargo, purchase a horse and start out, generally with what money they received for their produce on their person. Desperate. characters were plenti-

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ful along the route, who would commit most any kind of a deed in order to secure the hard earned earnings. In order to prevent such outlaws from rob- bing them the boatmen, if possible, came home in squads of eight or ten and were amply ready to take care of themselves.

The produce was brought in wagons, or if live stock was driven in, and the town in these brisk commercial days presented a lively appearance. It is probable that from a commercial standpoint the volume of country business far exceeded what it is today. This brisk commercial prosperity brought here many noted characters, men of strong intellects and broad minds. Keen business men and bright active men of affairs were here, brought from all quarters of the East on account of the great volume of business caused by the opening of the new country. Some of them were merely birds of passage staying only a few weeks, others remained for some years; but the majority in time moved on to find other and more promising fields, for their abilities.

It is probable that if the city had been laid out on ground not subject to overflow, that the period between 1815 and 1820 would have been the starting point for a large city. It was the natural outlet for all the country northwest for many miles, before the railways were built; but the overflow and the poor roads in time gave other river towns a chance to compete and divide the business.

Among the characters that the influx of population and trade brought into the growing town was a man by the name of Brown. The early "Dear- born County History" thus tells of him: "There were many noted characters here in the zenith of the town's commercial prosperity, many whose names have come down to us, brilliant with the memory of their many good deeds and acts, and whose reputation was co-extensive with their young and rising state, and who did much with laying the solid foundations upon which we have builded, while there were some, as in this day, noted for their dark and infamous deeds; of the latter class we will mention one, Daniel Brown, and there are quite a number of our elder citizens living today who will remember him well. He is said to have been one of the most powerful men of his time, nearly six feet in height, straight as an arrow, and very active, at all times appearing in a smiling mood, subtle and courageous as a lion. He was an active business man and a member of the county board of supervisors. He kept a store on High street in a building situated about where John Roehm's store is now. He traded on the river in addition to his business at the store, as most business men of the town did in those days. He was a noted counter- feiter and gambler and in one of his trips south he got into difficulty with

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gamblers at a noted place known in those days to all river travelers as 'Natchez Under the Hill' and killed one of them. He succeeded in making his escape and proceeded to New Orleans, where he at once entered largely on counter- feiting, and was very successful, and it was some time before he was detected. He was placed in jail with others of the gang and some reports said he died, while others claimed he succeeded in making his escape. Be that as it may he was never heard of by citizens of Lawrenceburg after that time."

In the period from 1820 to 1830 the town continued to prosper and small fortunes were made by the active business men of the period. Captain Vance completed what is now known as the Tousey house during that period. Other houses that are yet in existence were erected. Business began to take on a more permanent character. Flatboating increased. Sugar, molasses, rice and other products of the Louisiana country were brought up on the steamboats that now began to ply between the upper Ohio ports and the lower Mississippi, and these were exchanged for the foodstuffs of this country.

LIST OF GOODS EXPORTED.

To give an idea of what the volume of business was in those days we quote from an article in the "Dearborn County History" from the pen of a Mr. John Scott: "Some idea of the commercial and growing importance of this town and the country adjacent can be formed by the following statement of pro- duce shipped at the river for the Missippippi and lower country market, from the Ist of January, to the Ist of May, 1826, four months. In giving this statement we have confined ourselves almost exclusively to the produce of the neighborhood of the town, not having it in our power to give the whole amount of produce exported from the county, which would, it is believed, swell the sum to $80,000 or $100,000.

SHIPMENTS.

14,140 bushels of corn at fifty cents per bushel. $ 7,070.00

51 horses at $75 each. 3,825.00

136 tons of hay at $20 per ton 2,720.00

45 head of cattle at $25 each. 1,125.00

2.13I barrels of pork at $6 per barrel 12.786.00

I.393 kegs of lard at $3 per keg. 4,179.00

493 live hogs at $5 each 2,465.00

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66 hogsheads of hams at $32 per hogshead. 2,112.00

Io tons of hams at $5 per cwt. 1,000.00

II barrels of hams at $8 per barrel. 88.00

80 bushels of potatoes at fifty cents per bushel .

40.00

186 barrels of flour at $3 per barrel. 558.00

500 gallons of whisky at twenty-five cents per gallon 125.00

453 kegs of tobacco at $10.50 per keg. 4,756.00

74 dozen chickens at $2 per dozen. 148.00

12,250 pounds of pork in bulk at four cents

490.00

Total. $41,467.00

"The writer said he made no mention of small articles, such as oats, hoop- poles, flax seed, etc., etc., which he thought would run up to $6,000.00 or $7,000.00 additional. He also informed us that it required twenty flatboats to carry this freight at a cost of at least $100.00 per boat. He placed the population of Lawrenceburg at that time at 700. It had 150 handsome brick and frame residences, nine stores, five taverns, six lawyers and three phy- sicians, with a number of mechanics of various professions. There was, he said, a storehouse of five stories which was considered the best between Cin- cinnati and the Falls, there is also an extensive silk-lace factory established in the town that supplies a large district of country with the article and the only one of the kind west of the mountains. Also a printing office and a Masonic lodge."

FLOODS REGARDED AS BENEFICIAL.

In 1828 a description of Lawrenceburg published in a current geography of the time was as follows: "It stands on the north bank of the Ohio twenty- three miles below Cincinnati and two miles below the Big Miami, which is the eastern limit of the state. This town is in the center of a rich and deep bottom. The ancient village was built on the first bottom, which was fre- quently exposed to inundation. It is not uncommon for the water to rise four or five feet above the foundations of the houses and stores, in which case the inhabitants remove to the upper story, and drive their domestic animals to the hills. Visits and tea parties are projected in the inundated town, and the vehicles of transport are skiffs and pirogues. The period of flood. from ancient custom, and from the suspension of all of the. customary pursuits, has become a time of carnival. The floods, instead of creating dis-

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ease, wash the surface of the earth, carry off vegetable and animal matter that would otherwise putrify, and are supposed to be rather conducive to health than otherwise. The old town built on the first bank has been station- ary for many years. New Lawrenceburg has been recently built on the second bank and on elevated ground, formed by the bank of Tanners Creek. Since the commencement of this town, few places have made more rapid progress. Many of the new houses are handsome, and some of them make a splendid show from the river. Its position in relation to the river and the rich adjacent country and the Big Miami is highly eligible. It has a number of commencing factories and promises to be a large town."

In March, 1826, the court house burned and all the records up to that date were destroyed. It was during the freshet of that year and the water was several feet in depth around the building. It was so cold that the next morning after the fire, ice was frozen all around the ruins. It was thought to have been the work of an incendiary.

The people of Lawrenceburg were not lacking in patriotism in those early days. The Fourth of July was the favorite time for holding celebra- tions, in which twisting the tail of the British Lion was the favorite pastime. It was only a few years since the War of 1812 and it had not been forgotten. Many of the public men of the time had either been active participants in the struggle, or had taken part in the St. Clair and Wayne campaigns and were imbued with much bad feeling against the conduct of the British in their deal- ings with the Indians during those campaigns. Captain Vance, General Dill and many other of the leading citizens were bitter against the British and whenever occasion offered never forgot to deal in severe terms with our cousins over the water. Many of the people were either Revolutionary soldiers or sons of soldiers of that struggle, and patriotism was rampant on such occasions as the Fourth of July or the 22nd of February. July 4, 1825, a celebration was held in which "Major Longley was marshal; Major Spencer, assistant. The procession proceeded to the Methodist church. The Declara- tion of Independence was read by Captain Vance, an oration by George H. Dunn, after which the procession proceeded to the hotel of John Gray, where a dinner was had. After the ladies had retired, the patriotic old gentlemen proceeded to drink twenty-four toasts, and acquitted themselves heroically, as they did every task imposed, and with unfaltering courage never shrank from any undertaking, and the record of that day no doubt did no discredit to their valor. With patriotism swelling in every bosom, they closed the scene amidst many cheers; in response to the following toast : 'O. H. Perry, the Hero of Lake Erie.'

(16)

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" 'May the British Lion lie and wheeze While swift the eagle flies, Spreads her broad pinions o'er the seas And picks out both his eyes!"

REPORT OF THE COUNTY TREASURER.

The Indiana Palladium of December 9, 1826, published a report of the county treasurer showing that the volume of business done by the county at that time was nothing like that of the present day. It says: "The following is an account of the expenditures of the county of Dearborn from the date of the former exhibit, believed to be the 7th of November, 1825, until the 8th of November, 1826, inclusive; together with an account of the amount of the county debt at that time, with the receipts of the present year, showing the situation of the county debt at this time :

"EXPENDITURES.

For this sum paid the Associate Justices $ 96:00

For this sum paid Grand Jurors. 72.50

For this sum paid Petit Jurors. 177.50 For this sum paid for support of and entering paupers. 347.191/2 For this sum paid for record books and stationary for the Clerk and Recorder's offices 134.2112

For this sum paid for repair of Jail. 12.371/2

For this sum paid for Constables attending Court. 49.00

For this sum paid for rent of house for Circuit Court. 35.00

For this sum paid for wood for Circuit Court. 1.25

For this sum paid Coroners and Jurors of Inquest, holding inquests on dead bodies 30.24

For this sum paid sheriff for extra services

70.00

For this sum paid Clerk for extra services. 70.00 For this sum paid road viewers, chain carries, etc. 27.25 For this sum paid Collector for collecting County Revenue. 108.43

For this sum paid County Treasurer, receiving and paying out 66.5012

For this sum paid Jailer boarding prisoners and jail fees 54.06 14 For this sum paid for rent of jury rooms. 6.00

For this sum paid attorney defending criminals who were unable to employ counsel 10.00

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For this sum paid to returning judges of elections 1.25

For delinquencies on duplicate in 1825. 70.90 For this sum paid Listers of Taxable property. 122.70

For this sum allowed for rent of room for supervisors

5.00

For this sum allowed printers for printing this expose. 2.00

For this sum paid Clerk for making duplicate in 1825 and 1826. .. 40.00

Supposed County debt last Monday in November, 1825. . 1,456.19

Total

$3,102.5674

"RECEIPTS.

For amount of duplicate of 1826

$1,818.05

For Tavern licenses 96.203/4

For Store licenses 290.2912

By tax on law process 19.50

Total

$2,224.651/4

County Debt. $878.51

"Done by the Board of County Supervisors John Porter, President. James Dill, Clerk."

One peculiar advertisement is found in this issue of the Palladium as follows : "Adverse scenes in domestic life and the cruel interference of others in my family circle, compels me publicly to state that the woman who is by law my wife, has been, induced to leave my family. Although I can not con- sent hereafter to be responsible for her contracts, it is far from my feelings to wage war with women, or add a stain to the reputation of her with whom I have lived with affection. A serpent hath beguiled my Eve; a worm con- temptible in its native dust has prevailed to corrode a flower which I once deemed fair for domestic bliss."

HARD TIMES.

In the decade from 1830 to 1840 Lawrenceburg suffered from the great flood of 1832 and from the nation-wide financial depression of 1837 to 1839. But the prosperity of the town was only checked, not stopped. Buildings were erected on every hand. The row of buildings from Short to Elm on

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the south side of High street were all built during this period. Much of what is called Germantown was built at that time and many of the business houses and the private residences were erected during that time. Schools commenced to flourish and the town took on more of a permanent appearance.

George H. Dunn commenced the promotion of the railway to Indianap- olis. It was first a vast dream for those early times. It was to be called the Charleston, South Carolina & Upper Mississippi railway. It was projected to be built from here to Indianapolis as a part of a great railway trunk line leading from Charleston, South Carolina. to the Ohio river at this point and thence to Indianapolis and on to Fort Snelling. Much of this was talk and dreams, but the road fron here to Indianapolis took on a definite character. Many of the monied men of the town and vicinity were interested in the mat- ter. The road was surveyed, in various places along the route work was commenced as early as 1835. The chief engineer, a Mr. Vandegraff, died about this time and the tightening of the financial affairs of the country caused it to lapse, only to be taken up again by Mr. Dunn and carried on to success some ten or more years later. But the postponement of the undertaking meant a heavy loss to the stockholders and the business of the town.

The flood of 1832 was a record breaker and up until the flood of 1883 was looked upon as a flood that would perhaps never be paralled in the years to come. Much property was destroyed but there was little suffering among the people.

AN AID TO INDUSTRY.

The White Water canal was constructed during this decade and it brought some additional business to the town. Manufactories were erected and business houses. The old flour-mill at the foot of Elm street was erected at that time and the river bank at Elm street was lined with warehouses. The canal was brought down to Elm street affording considerable water power. that was made use of to run the mill. Brown & Lamping manufactured furni- ture on the corner of Short and William. The A. P. Hobbs distillery was built during this time. A foundry was built in Newtown by Edwin G. Pratt. John B. Carrington was manufacturing steam engines. George H. Dunn and John Test were trying to promote a cotton factory, unsuccessfully. Much pork was packed. The New Purchase and the Big Miami bottoms brought to the town thousands of hogs that the merchants slaughtered and packed The new flour-mill, under the management of Enoch D. John, was stimulating the wheat production and the state road out through Manchester and to

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Greensburg, Shelbyville and points still farther, began to be crowded with farm wagons loaded with grain for this market. Money in those days was scarce and it was claimed that at this point, where a good bank was located, made it the only point where money could be obtained for the farm products.

The following is taken from the Political Beacon of December 11, 1839: "During this period some of the business men of the town were John Ferris, druggist; Frederick Lucas, jeweler; Lewis and Hobbs, ready-made clothing E. P. Bond, M. D .; J. F. Crider, saddlery ; William Tate & Son, lumber ; E. S. Close, druggist; John Wymond, merchant; Stephen Burr, boots and shoes ; John Hunt, insurance; T. C. Thorp, tinware; Norval Sparks, merchant ; James T. Brown, and Daniel S. Majors, attorneys; Warren Steele, jeweler; Dr. Ezra Ferris, William Brown, furniture; Lane & Holman, attorneys at. law; George B. Sheldon, tinware; N. N. John, agent for the Rising Sun foundry; C. S. Stevenson, wholesale grocery; J. J. Mayers, bakery; D. T. Laird, ready-made clothing; E. McNealy, butcher; E. Morehouse, butcher; J. P. Ulrey, dentist; William G. Monroe, county treasurer; John Weaver, deputy treasurer; W. H. Vaughan, grocer; James A. Morgan & Company, books and stationery. M. Gregg, as treasurer, offers for sale the furniture in the office of the defunct railroad company. Cyrus and Uel Armstrong announce a dissolution of partnership in the manufacture of chairs, and the latter announces he will carry on the business."

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History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 22

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

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