USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana: containing a history of the townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies, etc., etc. > Part 29
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The Christian (Campbellite) Church, situated just east of the hamlet of Harrisburg, is the outgrowth of religious meetings held at private houses and in the schoolhouse at Harrisburg some years before the late war, though perhaps not formally organized until in 1864. It has been stated in print that the organiza- tion was effected in 1864 by Elder W. G. Irvin, with thirty-two members. Among those early identified with the church were Warner Broaddus and wife, Edwin Wilson and wife, Edward Higham and wife, Thomas Robinson and wife, and Warren Drennen and wife. The neat and substantial church edifice in which the services of the society are held was erected in 1871, aud dedicated that fall by Elder Daniel Van Buskirk.
HALF-CENTURY CITIZENS.
The following list contains the names of such persons as had in 1879 been residents of the county fifty years or upward:
S. G. Tyner and wife, J. Gronendyke and wife, William Monteith and wife, Warner Broaddus, Sam- uel Pavey and wife, William Stephens, William Christman, William Wolf, George Wolf, David Wolf, James Dehaven and wife, W. W. Thomas, Mary A. Honeywell, Benjamin Thomas, Josiah Kerr, Potter Kerr, Margaret Kerr, Elizabeth Kerr, Mary Moffitt, C. G. Dehaven, Stephen Thomas and wife, C. M. Stone, Eliza Florea, Franklin Booe and wife, Jane Lambert, John Ludlow, S. B. Ludlow, Hannah Lud- low, David Taylor and wife, Lewis Ellis and wife, Rachel Meeker, Nancy Hackleman, Mary Jordon, Thomas Shipley and wife, Josoph Caldwell and wife, Sidney Taylor and wife, David Gordon, Sanford Guard, Caroline Kolb, Zenos Powell and wife, Hiram Sparks and wife, John Bates, Miss E. M. Rea, Miss H. J. Rea, Emeline Sims, L. C. Stone, L. W. McCormick and wife, H. Hackleman and wife, Thomas Campbell and wife, U. B. Tingley and wife, Chester Meeker, Anson King, Rachel Hackleman, Hannah Murphy, Asenath Trowbridge, Jacob Dehaven and wife, Sam Caldwell and wife, Nancy Webb, S. J. Shipley, Eliza J. Merrifield, Garret Wolf, Mrs. E. Rogers, J. B. Bush, Sarah Smith, John H. Dehaven, Louden Smul- len, Elizabeth Bryant, Elizabeth Smullen.
CHAPTER XX.
JENNINGS TOWNSHIP.
BOUNDARIES AND ORGANIZATION-LAND ENTRIES-EARLY SETTLEMENT AND PIONEER BIOGRAPIIY-AQUINA - EARLY SCHOOLS-CHURCHES AND GRAVE-YARDS-MILLS AND DISTILLERIES-HALF-CENTURY CITIZENS.
J ENNINGS is one of the original five townships into which the county was divided by the Com- missioners February 9, 1819, when its boundaries were described as follows: "Beginning at the south- west corner of Section 16, Township 13, Range 13; thence north to the northwest corner of Section 21, Township 14, Range 13; thence east along the line dividing Sections 21 and 16 to the boundary line; thence south along said boundary to the south- east corner of fractiona! Section 18; thence west to the place of beginning." In addition to its present territory the township then included more than one- third of the present township of Liberty, and more than one section of Harmony Township of Union County. This it lost on the formation of Union County in 1821.
The township is in the form of a parallelopipedon and has for its northern boundary Waterloo Town- ship, its eastern boundary Union County, its south- ern boundary Jackson Township, and its western boundary Connersville and Jackson Townships. It contains eighteen sections or 11,520 acres of land, the surface of which is rolling and of excellent pro- ductive quality. The streams of the township are Simpson Creek, Mud Run, Village and a branch of Eli's Creek-all small. It is well piked and the northern portion is crossod by the C., H. & I. R. R.
LAND ENTRIES.
The northern half of the township lies in Town- ship 14 north, Range 13 east, and the southern half in Township 13 north, Range 13 east.
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184
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
Disposing first of the former:
John Keeney purchased the southwest quarter of Section 22, November 1, 1811.
Lewis Noble, the southeast quarter of Section 26, October 23, 1811.
Samuel Riggs, the northwest quarter of Section 17, October 30, 1811.
John C. Death, the northwest quarter of Section 21, September 29, 1812.
Abraham Vanmeter, the northeast quarter of Section 22, August 5, 1812.
Isaac Fletcher, the southeast quarter of Section 21, October 30, 1813.
David Fletcher, the northwest quarter of Section 22, October 27, 1813.
Hill & Oldham, the southeast quarter of Section 22, October 13, 1813.
William Knott, the southwest quarter of Section 26, July 21, 1813.
Smith & Conner, the northeast quarter of Section 28, January 7, 1813.
Samuel Bell, the northeast quarter of Section 33, October 12, 1813.
Peggie Shields, the northwest quarter of Section 34, November 6, 1813.
Jacob Darter, the southwest quarter of Section
34, November 27, 1813.
Thomas Simpson, the northeast quarter of Section 23, January 11, 1814.
Amos Sutton, the northwest quarter of Section 23, August 23, 1814.
Daniel Boyles, Jr., the north half of Section 26, September 21, 1814.
Michael Brown, the southeast quarter of Section 27, January 7, 1814.
James Ward, the northwest quarter of Section 28, December 3, 1814.
Samuel Bell, the southeast quarter of Section 33, January 17, 1814.
Phineas McCray, southwest quarter of Section 33, February 2, 1814.
Thomas Patton, northeast quarter of Section 34, October 10, 1814.
Richard Colvin, the southeast quarter of Section 34, September 8, 1814.
Robert Abernathy, the northwest and southeast quarters of Section 35, March 10 and November 26, 1814.
Jonathan Hougbam, the southwest quarter of Sec- tion 21, August 24, 1815.
Valentine Harman, the southeast and southwest quarters of Section 23, March 4, 1815, and December 10, 1816, respectively.
John Oldham, the southwest quarter of Section 27, January 16, 1815.
Samuel Bell, the northwest quarter of Section 33, January 6, 1815.
Samuel Wilson, the northeast quarter of Section 35, February 9, 1815.
Joseph Dungan, the southwest quarter of Section 35, March 13, 1815.
O. Stoddard and N. Robinson, the northeast quarter of Section 21, February 14, 1816.
Zachariah Daree, the northeast quarter of Section 27, October 25, 1816.
John Keeney, the southeast quarter of Section 28, March 8, 1816.
Robert Brown, the southwest quarter of Section 28, November 30, 1816.
The following lands are in Township 13 north, Range 13 east:
Samuel Fallen purchased the southeast quarter of Section 3, October 28, 1811.
Joseph Vanmeter the northeast quarter of Section
2, August 30, 1813.
Giles Mattix the southwest quarter of Section 2, November 8, 1813.
Joseph Vanmeter the northeast quarter of Section 3, August 30, 1813.
Jacob Darter the northwest quarter of Section 3, April 9, 1813.
Thomas Clark, the northeast quarter of Section 4, August 4, 1813.
William Patton, the northwest quarter of Section 4, November 23, 1813.
John Manley, the southeast quarter of Section 4, June 18, 1813.
James Worster, the southwest quarter of Section 15, September 10, 1813.
Harod Newland, the southeast quarter of Section 15, December 21, 1814.
John Huff, the northwest quarter of Section 15, January 12, 1814.
Benjamin H. Hanson, the northwest quarter of Section 14, September 10, 1814.
Herod Newland, the northeast quarter of Section 14, March 10, 1814.
Joseph Vanmeter, the northeast quarter of Section
2, March 18, 1814.
Michael Brown, the southeast quarter of Section
2, January 7, 1814. Andrew Bailey, the southwest quarter of Section 3, August 9, 1814.
Adam Pigman, the northeast quarter of Section 9, January 12, 1814.
Jesse Pigman, the southeast quarter of Section 9, Jannary 12, 1814.
Herod Newland, the southwest quarter of Section 9, December 21, 1814.
John Bray, the northeast quarter of Section 10, January 28, 1814.
185
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
Benjamin Elliott, the northwest quarter of Section 10, January 4, 1814.
Ephraim Bering, the southeast quarter of Section 10, April 2, 1814.
John Hilff, the southwest quarter of Section 10, January 12, 1814.
Henry Bray, the northwest quarter of Section 11, February 7, 1814.
Jacob Mattix, the southeast quarter of Section 11, March 13, 1814.
John Black, the southwest quarter of Section 11, March 29, 1814.
William Manley, the southwest quarter of Section 4, March 10, 1814.
John Wood, the northwest quarter of Section 9, August 28, 1815.
Solomon Wise, the northeast quarter of Section 11, April 4, 1815.
Elisha Crandel, the southeast quarter of Section 14, January 19, 1815.
William and Robert Angent, the southwest quarter of Section 14, April 4, 1816.
William P. and James A. Belton, the northeast quarter of Section 15, November 18, 1831.
EARLY SETTLEMENT AND PIONEER BIOGRAPHY.
It will be noticed that the earliest purchases made were in 1811 and 1812, the lands lying in the north- ern half of the township, excepting one in Section 3, south of Alquina. While this is true the first settle- ment effected was on land not entered until 1814. Thomas Simpson, Sr., who is credited with being the first to settle within the present limits of the sub- division, was a native of Maryland, born in 1773. He subsequently settled in North Carolina, where he was married to Sarah Mabry or Marberry, and in after years removed to the vicinity of Clinch River, in Tennessee. About the year 1805 or 1806, having in view the purchase of land in the Territory of Indiana, he removed to the vicinity of Harrison, Ohio, and was there awaiting the further preparation of lands for market. Here he lived several years, and when one Vantrees, a Government Surveyor, was making up the party for the survey of the " Twelve-Mile Pur- chase," Simpson joined them to act as hunter for the party. He accompanied them and remained until the survey was completed (which was in progress in 1808 -09), traveling and hunting over the country from Michigan to the Ohio River. On the approach of winter the party built a log-cabin by a spring on the northeast quarter of Section 23 (Township 14, Range 13), which they occupied during the survey of that region of the country.
After the completion of the survey, and in Decem- ber, 1809, Mr. Simpson, by means of a four-horse
wagon, moved his family, consisting of wife and six children, to the cabin, and on that site passed the remaining years of his life, dying February 5, 1848, in the seventy-sixth year of his age.
To Thomas Simpson, Sr., a son, still residing in sight of the spot where the old cabin stood, around which cluster so many recollections of frontier life, the writer is indebted for the above data, and much other contained in this volume. Mr. Simpson was born in Tennessee in the year 1800 and is conse- quently past four score years, yet is well preserved physically and retains a clear memory. In 1826 he married Joanna S. White, who too has been spared to spend the evening of their lives together.
In the vicinity of the cabin, probably three-quar- ters of a mile south of the spring in that early day, was a camping-ground for the Indians which they frequently occupied and many were their visits to the Simpson dwelling, where they were always fed, which kindness they remembered and no depredations were committed in the neighborhood. Just north of the creek, which by the way was known by the Indians as Brush or Brushy Creek, and subsequently designated by the pioneers as Simpsons' Creek, in honor of the first settler, was the place of burial of the Indians, and on the arrival of the Simpsons was still used.
Probably the major portion of the early settlers of Jennings were emigrants from the South, yet some of them were natives of the North and East but had emigrated thither in the earlier history of that sec- tion.
John and Stephen Oldham, brothers, John Keeney, James Smith, and Samuel Hill, all men of families, immigrated to the Simpson neighborhood from Ten- nessee about 1810 or 1811. Smith and Oldham were ministers of the Regular Baptist Church. These with later settlers came from the neighborhood in Tennessee in which the Simpsons had resided and communication had been carried on between them and others by which means they and others were induced to come.
Jacob Darter and family settled just west of Alquina in 1813. He and wife Catharine emigrated from Virginia to Campbell County, Tenn., in 1811, where one winter was passed and in 1812 they re- moved to the old Adam Eli place on East Fork, in what is now Union County, where the husband rented ground and raised one crop, then came to what is now Fayette County. They are believed to have been the first family that settled in that vicinity. That same season Joseph Vanmeter, who lived on the William Louderback place and John Manley, who lived on the Joseph Rutherford place, came to the neighborhood; the former emigrating from Ohio. About this time Isaac and James Jones settled in that vicinity and it
186
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
is believed purchased land of Joseph Vanmeter. The following sketch of the life and labors of one of Jenning's pioneers appeared in the Liberty Herald of September 9, 1875:
"Adam Pigman was born August 18, 1789, in Greene County, Penn. At one year of age, he was taken by his parents to Bracken County, Ky., living some time in Fort Augusta, Bracken Station. At the age of four years his parents moved to Jessamine County, where he grew up to manhood, spending most of the time working at the carpenter's trade. When a boy, he often saw those old pioneers of Kentucky, Boone and Kenton, and was a nephew to James Har- rod, who built the first cabin on the historic 'dark and bloody ground.' In June, 1812, he enlisted in the army under Capt. Dowden, Col. Togue's regiment serving as Fourth Sergeant of his company, and in August his regiment marched for the seat of war. He was in the relief sent to Fort Wayne, which place they entered without firing a gun; then marched to the support of Gen. Winchester, in Ohio, following the defeated British and Indians under Proctor down the Maumee River for several days and nights. He was then detailed to help build Fort Amanda, on the Auglaize River, and was afterward in the relief sent to Gen. Winchester, then at Frenchtown, on the River Raisin, but was too late to participate in that bloody engagement which clothed Kentucky and Ohio in mourning, His command then marched to and helped build Fort Meigs, where, after considerable skirmishing, and enduring many hardships, known only to frontier life, in all of which he considered death preferable to dishonor, he was mustered out, and returned with a number of comrades to the home of his boyhood, where he again entered the service, this time as Lieutenant of his company.
"He came to Indiana Territory in December, 1813, and entered a quarter-section of land in what is now Fayette County, and in the summer of the next year, in company with the Huff family, started again for the far West, traveling through the wilderness on foot, driving stock for his board. They arrived at their destination, now Rigor's Mill, in September, 1814, and the first morning of his arrival he shot nineteen wild turkeys. His first work in the new country was to build a house for Huff, howing the timber, including the studding, braces' and rafters. It was the first frame house built within the limits of Union County, and the present residence of R. T. Maize. After the completion of the job, he went to Brookville-then composed of a few small cabins- and worked as journey carpenter with Tom Coldscott, and through this means obtained the money to pay for his land. He was married, November 4, 1815, to Mary, daughter of Adam Eli, from whom Eli's
Creek derived its name. December 14, 1815, he and his wife moved on land in Fayette County, and on the night of their arrival snow fell to the depth of two feet and six inches, and lay on the ground until the next spring; yet notwithstanding this and the many privations incident to new settlers, by the mid- dle of May they had cleared in the greenwood six acres, and planted it in corn, and by the next spring they had cleared twelve acres more, part of which they plauted in fruit trees, being the first planted in the Village Creek Valley. For nine years they lived here, sometimes suffering greatly for the comforts of life, but always cheerful, submitting to any privation or labor that fell to their lot.
" Fields were to be cleared in the green timber, roads to be cut through the trackless forest; school- houses were to be built; a means of defense was to be kept organized, in all of which he contributed his full share of means and time, serving as Captain of a com- pany of Territorial Militia for several years. In March, 1824, they moved to their present residence, to be near to and care for their aged parents. They. had twelve children, ten of whom have already gone over the dark river, leaving them but two in their old age-Luranah, the eldest, and Eli, who is a power of strength to them in their declining years. Adam Pig- man, now eighty six years old, in early life resolved to abstain from the use of whisky, coffee and tobacco, and has strictly adhered to that resolution from that year to the present time.
Mr. Pigman and wife celebrated, November 4, 1875, the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage. They died, the former, September 17, and the latter September 23, 1876, aged eighty-seven and eighty years respectively."
Many of those entering land settled upon it at about the time of purchase, or in some cases a little later, and were engaged for years in improving the same, while a few never settled their possessions, but bought for others or for speculation.
Isaac Fletcher came from Ohio pretty early, but did not remain long. His laud was purchased by William Walker, who too came from Ohio.
Aaron and Jonathan Haugham, from Kentucky, after a residence of some years, removed further West. The Nobles, Lewis, Daniel and Joseph, from Ten- nessee, were early settlers, but subsequently left the county.
William Knott was from South Carolina.
Michael Brown was from Lebanon County, Penn.
In 1814 James Newland, from Bracken County, Ky., settled in the township. He had, in 1812, emigrated from the State of Pennsylvania. He served in the war of 1812-15.
Jesse Pigman, who entered land here, was a broth-
187
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
er to Adam Pigman, spoken of above. The Stod- dards and Robinsons were from Ohio, and related. They resided on the land they entered for a period, then removed further West, to the Wabash country.
George, the father of John C. Death, in whose name the land was entered, came from Ohio here, and subsequently removed to Montgomery County, this State.
The Bells, Samuel and Joseph, from Kentucky, settled in the township quite early; also Stephen Goulding and the Woods, Jeremiah and John.
Abraham Lyons, who died at Lyons' Station in 1880, at the advanced age of eighty years, was a native of Virginia, and with his parents removed to Kentucky, and in 1808 settled in Indiana Territory, and about the year 1815 located in, the vicinity of Alquina. He was the father of ten children.
The Veatches, Loudenbacks and Hutchinses were among the pioneers of the township.
The Rosses, from North Carolina, were pioneers in the vicinity of Alquina. The Rutherfords were from the State of Pennsylvania, and settled in Sec- tion 4, on a tract of 170 acres, for which, in 1830, Joseph paid $800. It was one of the first farms opened up in the township.
Samuel Riggs, with his parents, settled early in Washington County, Ohio, coming from the State of Maryland. In 1811 Samuel walked from Washing- ton County to this section of the country, selected and entered his land, and in 1819, with family, moved upon it and there passed his life.
James Worster, a native of Pennsylvania, moved early in life to Bracken County, Ky., with parents. In 1814, with family, James emigrated to what lately became Jennings Township. He had previously served in the war of 1812. Subsequently his father, Robert, settled in the township, and was among the early school teachers of the county. He is said to have preached the first Methodist sermon west of the Alleghenies.
Amos Miliner settled in the township in 1819. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and in an early day emigrated from Pennsylvania to Bracken County, Ky. He died in 1851, in the ninety-second year of his age.
William Lair, a soldier of the war of 1812, and son of a Revolutionary soldier, a native of Virginia, though reared in Harrison County, Ky., some time subsequent to the last war with England immigrated to what is now this township, where he entered land upon which he lived and died. Several sons and descendants are now residents of this county.
David Sutton, a native of Pennsylvania, in about 1816 settled in the township on land where now resides his son A. B. David entered a large body of
land, and upon a portion of which A. B. has resided nearly seventy years. David stopped for a time in Warren County, Ohio.
In 1819 William Walker, a Virginian, settled in the township. He had previously lived for a time in the vicinity of Chillicothe, Ohio. He served in the war of 1812.
The widow Garland Stanley, of North Carolina stock, with several children immigrated from Campbell County, Ky., in 1822 to Union County, this State, and in 1824 settled in this township.
In 1833 John Jacob Scholl settled in the town- ship. He was a native of Pennsylvania, and the father of Jacob, Solomon and George Scholl, of this township. Michael Petro, a Virginian, though from Ohio here, located in the township in 1816.
ALQUINA.
The origin of this little village seems lost to the few pioneers yet living in its vicinity. Fifty years ago it was a village of almost its present size. From tradition it is learned that one Green Larimore gave the name to the place. He was one of the early merchants there, and made some pretensions to per- form cures by the laying on of hands, and other simi- lar means. The village occupies ground in the northwestern and northeastern parts of Sections 2 and 3 respectively, located on the road leading from Connersville to Dunlapsville, a little east of the cen- ter of the township. The original proprietor of this ground was Joseph Vanmeter, and the date of entry, 1813.
The records show that a south addition to the vil- lage was laid off November 2, 1838, by Joseph D. Ross and Isaac Darter, and that the north part was laid off December 27, 1841, by Jacob Reed; surveyed by William Dickey.
Among the early merchants of the village were Samuel N. Harlan, licensed in May, 1830; H. G. Larimore, licensed in January, 1831 (which was renewed for several years); Moses Lyons, licensed in 1836; Joseph D. Ross, licensed in 1837 (in January, 1839, Joseph D. Ross was Postmaster at this point, and the store was in the hands of Joseph D. & Sam- uel K. Ross, who were successors to Moses Lyons, the latter having built the store house); David Maze succeeded Ross, and in several years sold to John H. Eyestone. In September, 1839, license was granted to S. & T. Jackson to vend merchandise. Subsequent firms were Eyestone & Newland, H. H. & Thomas Jackson, and Maze & Jackson.
A Mr. Mallery, John Cashner, Joseph Graham, Jacob Davis, Joseph Pullen, John Sims and Aaron Goulding have been among the earlier blacksmiths of the village.
188
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
Not far from 1846 a tan-yard was put in opera- tion by John H. Eyestone and for more than a decade was one of the industries of the place.
Not far from 1841 George P. Lyons, Samuel Branum, William Freely and a fourth party erected a steam power saw-mill, which was operated a number of years. Having changed hands several times was finally destroyed by fire when owned by Price & Bros. It was rebuilt and a planing-mill attached for the manufacture of sash and doors. In recent years it was removed to another location.
The census of 1880 gave Alquina a population of 125. It has now a postoffice, two stores, two black- smith shops, one shoe shop, a schoolhouse and one church.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
Among the early schools can be mentioned the one known as the Jones or Darter schoolhouse, situ- ated about half-way between those farms, and located, perhaps, a mile southwest of Alquina. About the year 1826 or 1827 school was taught here by Baylis Jones. Another schoolhouse of about this period, known as the Eyestone school, stood probably one mile east of the present Mount Garrison meeting- house, or two miles east of south of Alquina, on the Asbury Hanson farm. Green Larimore, Mr. Linn, Matthew R. Hull, Washington Curnutt and Thomas O'Brine were early teachers in this locality; also John P. Brown. Daddy Wooster is thought, too, to have taught one of the early schools in the southern part of Jennings Township. A little later school was kept in the vicinity of Alquina by Squire Harrison, of Connersville, and by a Mr. Barnard. These were all subscription schools, and the buildings constructed of logs. Gradually the schools received part public money, and finally came improvement in the build- ings, and the regular school districts supported entirely by public money.
CHURCHES AND GRAVE-YARDS.
On a beautiful knoll in the northeastern part of the township, along Simpson's Creek, is situated what is known as the Simpson graveyard. It is on the farm and in sight of the spring where the cabin was built in the fall of 1808 which sheltered the surveying party, and soon became the home of Thomas Simpson, Sr., whose remains there rest, and whose name it honors. The first death, so far as is known, that occurred in the eastern part of the county, was that of a widow woman by name of McDade, who died probably before the war of 1812, or there- abouts, and her remains were here interred. There is no inscribed stone that marks the grave. The oldest grave marked is that of "Jesse, son of Thomas and Sarah Simpson, died March 27, 1816, aged two years,
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