History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 16

Author: Reifel, August J
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1648

USA > Indiana > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 16

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The churches and lodges as well as schools form separate chapters, hence are not treated in this chapter.

The township's population in 1890 was 1,073; in 1900 it was 849 and in 1910 it had dwindled to 699.

The towns and villages of the township have been as follows: Pep- pertown, in the eastern portion, on the main road from Metamora to Oldenburg, in the center of a large, thrifty German settlement. It was laid out by Fielding Berry, a surveyor, for John Koener, proprietor, in August, 1859, and received its name from August Pepper, who located on the site in 1851. It now has a population of one hundred.

The present business, etc., of Peppertown consists of the following : A general merchandise store by Louis Koerner; a blacksmith shop by Jacob Reifel. and it is situated on the rural free delivery from Metamora. Its only church building is the Lutheran.

Stips' Hill, once an important place in the township, a little to the northwest, has a population of about one hundred. It was here that the first postoffice was established in the township. John Wildridge was post-

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master. Charles Marlin is supposed to have been the first person to sell goods at this place; he used a part of his residence for a storeroom. See "Stips' Hill Postoffice" further on in this chapter, a valuable contribution.

Buena Vista, another small village along the northwestern border of the township, is partly in this and partly in Posey township. It was laid out in July, 1848, by William Pruet, who owned land adjoining in both townships. What is known still at Stips' Hill postoffice is located there. There are a few stores and shops, such as are usually found in small inland hamlets.

Hamburg, with a present population of about eighty, partly in this and partly in Ray township, was platted in 1869. Here one finds a small trading center, much appreciated by the surrounding community.

Sometime prior to 1858, Ward postoffice was established in this town- ship, but since the days of rural free delivery it is unknown as a post- office.

REMINISCENCES OF PIONEER DAYS.

August Pepper, an early settler in this township, and for whom the village of Peppertown was named, was by trade a calico printer and carried on the business when he settled in this section. He was associated with Mr. Koener, the founder of the village, and they conducted a country store. These two excellent gentlemen left a record of many thrilling in- cidents connected with the early history of this county. One of the stories runs thus : "Nat Marlin and I went into the woods in November to hunt our hogs. We soon agreed to separate, one going in one direction and the other in another. Toward night I lost my way and became confused as to my whereabouts in the woods. I saw a light which indicated a clearing and soon found myself at the cabin of Mr. Scott, where the large stone house later was built. I was lost not far from the old brick church."

In the extreme northwest corner of the township, and running over into Posey township, there was once quite a settlement of colored people. It also ran over into Decatur county, and there was enacted many a scene connected with the fugitive slave workings in this and adjoining counties.

A block-house once stood on section 33, in what is now Laurel township, near the Salt Creek line. In later years the land was owned by Spencer Wiley, Esq. The remains of the block-house were visible in the eighties, if not later. This place of refuge was built as a protection against the Indians in the War of 1812. It has gone under three or more names : "Baker's block-house," "Hawkins' block-house" and the "Salt Creek block-house." There it was, or

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near that point, that Rev. John Baker, the independent minister, located. The Baker improvement was entered by Isaac Stips, in January, 1814, and later was owned by the Hawkins estate.

It was probably in March, 1812, when two young men named Stafford and Toone were chopping for Father Baker on the bottom lands, near the confluence of Little Salt creek and the main stream, and not far from where the road from Hawkins to Stips' Hill begins to ascend the valley. These men were cutting "rolling lengths," and had agreed to chop one more tree before quitting work for the night. It being dark, they lighted a brush camp- fire, by the light of which a party of Indians crept up and shot them. Toone was wounded in the abdomen and escaped to the cabin of Father Baker, where he died the following morning. Stafford was shot through the hips and was unable to escape. He was tomahawked three times and three scalps taken off his head, but he probably lived several hours thereafter. The In- dians stripped him of his clothing and took their departure. The road to Stips' Hill, before mentioned, was formerly the "Shawnee Trace," or not far from it. These Indians escaped along this path and tore Stafford's shirt into fragments, which they scattered along the way to lure the pursuers into an ambush. The news of this act spread rapidly from station to station, and soon brought together a band of frontiersmen, who recovered Stafford's body . and went in pursuit of the Indians. This band was composed of five or six men, who were the most experienced in woodcraft, and among the number were two or three of the Brison family. They followed the trail until night, when they discovered the Indian camp, and early next morning opened fire upon them (there were but three of the Indians), killing one in his tracks and badly wounding a second. The third escaped by hiding in the tall grass nearby, while the whites were scalping the first two. Having accomplished their object, the party returned, but they had been watched by the Indian in the tall grass and he resolved to have revenge upon them. That Indian was Bill Killbuck, an account of whose death is commonly known to the readers of Indiana history.

STIPS' HILL POSTOFFICE.

The following was contributed for a weekly paper some years since by M. A. Ailes, and it is too good an account to be lost to the historical collection of the township and county, hence is here reproduced :

The passing of Stips' Hill postoffice closes an interesting chapter in the history of Salt Creek township, one that is of more than local interest, for

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there are persons, no doubt, in every state in the Union who remember mes- sages sent and received through this office.

In the year 1814 Isaac Stips bought or entered land near the confluence of the Little Salt creek with the stream called Big Salt creek and at the foot of the hill afterward known as Stips' hill. This territory is located in what is known as the Twelve-mile Purchase and the road that ascends the hill is the old State road.

The first postoffice in the township was at the foot of Stips' hill, with Isaac Stips, John Wildrig and James Halsey, in turn, as postmasters, but eventually the office was removed to Robert Ward's, on the top of the hill. It was again moved further to the west and Thomas Gard held it for some years. Gard kept a small grocery store, and some persons went there to get a drink and got their mail, while others went there for mail and got a drink.

The office was again moved westward and Aaron Ailes was postmaster for some years. Following him came Alexander Davison, who held the office many years, including the time of the Civil War. At that time the mail was received only once a week-on Saturday.

When you remember that Salt Creek township gave more men, in pro- portion to its population, to the war than any place in the county, possibly in the state, you can understand what "mail day" meant to the anxious ones at home, with mail only once a week. The writer has stood with the crowds that gathered at Alexander Davison's house and yard impatiently waiting, yet fearing to hear the "news" from the boys at the front. After a battle, old men with pale faces and throbbing hearts would listen for their names to be called, for Mr. Davison always called the letters off. There were aged parents that had bid "Godspeed" to three or four stalwart sons, and Satur- days would bring letters from some of them. Sometimes the address was in a strange hand and a comrade had written the heart-breaking news that dis- ease or bullets had laid low one of the dear ones. Mothers, wives and sweet- hearts almost held their breath until the roll was called. While many mes- sages of love and hope came to gladden their lives, others brought grief and distress. While they had come hoping, they went to their homes bowed down with grief and sorrow. Those days can never be forgotten.

At last the postoffice found a permanent home at Buena Vista, four miles west of the starting place, although it has changed hands a number of times. Among the number holding it were James Osborn, Mr. Gaskil, Arthur Alford and Corydon Brown, the latter being postmaster at the date of its de- mise, August 14, 1909, after eighty or ninety years' existence. The record of the numerous carriers and their experience would be a chapter of itself.

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The territory which the carriers passed in the early days was almost an un- broken wilderness, in which was heard the cry of the panther and other wild animals, while Indians, also, were numerous. A few rods from the first post- office the Indians shot two boys who were at work in the woods, and their graves are with us today.

When we grow old we cling to the things of the past, and when the ruthless hand of Time makes changes we look upon them with disapproval, even when we know it is better thus.

Farewell, dear friend! Thou didst not bring us the sweetest messages of our lives, but farewell !

LAUREL TOWNSHIP.

Laurel civil township is on the northern line of Franklin county, bounded by Blooming Grove and Metamora townships on the east, Metamora and Salt Creek townships on the south and Posey township on the west. It con- tains all of congressional township 12, range 12 east, except sections 25, 26, 35 and 36, which are within Metamora township.

On March 6, 1845, the board of commissioners divided Posey township and out of a portion of said township erected the new township of Laurel. The record reads as follows: "On petition of a large number of the citizens of Posey township for the division of said township in the words following, to wit: 'To the honorable board of commissioners of the county of Franklin state of Indiana : The undersigned petitioners of the township of Posey labor under great inconvenience on account of the township being too large, we therefore pray the honorable board to divide the said township, to wit: Com- mencing on the corners of sections 5 and 6 and running thence due south on the section lines until it intersects the line between the township of Posey and Salt Creek. This division will make the new township two by six miles and the old township five by six miles.' Said petitions being publicly read and no objection being made, the board ordered said township divided as fol- lows, to wit: Commencing on the line between the counties of Fayette and Franklin between sections 5 and 6 in congressional township 12 of range 12 east, in said Franklin county ; running thence due south on the sections lines till it strikes the south boundary line of said township 12 of range 12, and that part of the aforesaid Posey township being on the west side of the aforesaid division line be called and known by the name of Posey township, and that part of the aforesaid Posey township being on the east side of said division line be known by the name of Laurel township."

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NATURAL FEATURES.

As to the topography and water courses, it may be said that a large part of Laurel township is bottom land and is unusually productive. The banks and uplands of the western portion possess a large amount of excellent build- ing stone, elsewhere mentioned. The West fork of White river courses through the central portion, from the north, the principal tributaries of which are Salt creek, which crosses the southeastern corner ; Sillimon's creek, Seine's creek and smaller streams from the right-hand side. Little Duck creek drains the eastern portion of the township, on its course south to meet the waters of Duck creek in Metamora township.

The township, in 1910, had a population of 1,209. In 1890 it had 1,760 and in 1900 it was 1,412, showing a constant decrease.

LAND ENTRIES AND FIRST SETTLERS.

The government land office records show the following to have been the first land entries : Elijah Lympus, southwest quarter of section 3; James Agins, southeast quarter of section 9; William VanMeter, northeast quarter of section 21; Hugh Brison, southwest quarter of section 22; James McCoy, southwest quarter of section 21; John Conner, northwest quarter of section 27; George Crist, southwest quarter of section 27; Eli Stringer, southeast quarter of section 33.

These land entries were all made on October 21, 1811, but the first entry in this township was that effected by Archibald Guthrew, who claimed the northeast quarter of section 3, October 1, 1811, three weeks prior to the entries above named. A week later, October 28, 1811, entries were made as follows : Samuel Garrison, northwest quarter of section 3; William Smith, southwest quarter of section 3; Robert Russell, southwest quarter of section 9; James Russell, southwest quarter of section 24; James W. Bailey, south- west quarter of section 27.

In November, 1811, Jacob Monan entered the northwest quarter of sec- tion 34.

In 1812 entries were made by Michael Monan, John Brison, John Crist and Henry Teagarden.

In 1813 James Thomas, James C. Smith, John Ferris, John C. Harley and John Senour all took land by entry.

In 1814 Joseph Hoffner, Thomas Williams, William Maple, Spencer and (12)

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J. Wiley, Enoch Russell, Stephen Bullock, Jonathan Webb and John Ferris claimed land by entry right.

In 1815 lands were entered by Edward Toner, Harvey Lockwood, Ed- ward Brush, William Rundle, Joshua Rice and Atwell Jackman.

In 1816 came John Arnold and Ephraim Young.

In 1817 entries were made by William Cox, Horatio Mason, N. Harp, John Curry and Artema D. Woodworth.

In 1818 came Hugh Mead, Otho Rench, Allen Simpson, James and Sol- omon Cole and also William Gordon.

In 1821 land was entered by William Maxwell.

To the north of the town of Laurel, in the White Water valley, the pion- eer settlers were unquestionably these: Nathan Stringer, Samuel Garrison, Elihu and James Abbott, Jesse Stubbs, Johnson Clark, John Arnold, George Bellenger, Barrett Parrish and Abner Conner.

On the land now occupied by the town of Laurel, Benjamin Maple set- tled, and the first to locate south of the present town in the township were : James Brison, Hugh Brison, John Brison, George and John Crist, John and William Wilson, George Conn, James Allison, Edward Toner and James Toner. John H. Faurot settled in Laurel in 1831 and many years ago gave his approval of these settlements, as they were then understood by residents themselves. It should be understood that many of the first settlers never en- tered land in the township.

In October, 1816, Edward Toner laid out a town site on the level bottom lands back from the river, in the southeast corner of section 9, and named it Somerset. For many years this was the trading center for a large area of country. This tract is now but an out-lot of Laurel. Settlement gradually spread over the township until the construction of the canal was an assured fact, when many came in and engaged in various enterprises and speculations. About this date came James and Francis Conwell. James Conwell was full of real enterprise and was a potent factor in the upbuilding of the community. He located at what was many years styled "Bocum," a little above the village of Laurel. He entered all the vacant lands in that vicinity, and really laid well the foundation stones for civil and religious society.

Benjamin Maple, it is related, was the first man to settle on the site of Laurel. He was an immigrant from Pennsylvania and first went to Kentucky, coming to Indiana Territory in March, 1811. He first lived in a log cabin he built, but later had a stone residence. By trade he was a tanner and sunk a few vats below his house. He was a strict Methodist and aided in forming the first class at Laurel. His death occurred in 1824.

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Stephen Maple cleared the first ten acres of timber land on the great · bottoms near Laurel, in March and April, 1812. He died at Rushville, in 1873, aged seventy-nine years.

John Maple built a cabin where, later C. W. Burt lived. He dug and walled up the first well in the town, and it was still used in the eighties, and possibly now. A log school house was erected in 1812; it had a dirt floor, and there John Maple taught the first school. James Agin was elected a jus- tice of the peace in 1813. The first mill for corn grinding was constructed in 1813 by Benjamin Maple on his farm. It was only a hand mill and the "stones" for grinding corn were lime rock. Before that, settlers were obliged to "go to mill" at Brookville or over to the Great Miami.

INDIAN AGGRESSION.

When this township was first settled and up to the War of 1812, the In- dians in the White Water valley, in which this township is located, were very troublesome. For this reason block-houses were constructed for protection against the savages. One of these stood on Garrison's creek, near the county line; Martin's block-house, on Seine's creek; Brison's block-house, on section 32, and Hawkins' block-house, on Salt creek, were all built for the purpose just named. After the War of 1812 the Indians soon departed for the north and west, and peace was enjoyed by the settlers. In March, 1812, the Indians killed Stafford and Toone, an account of which is found elsewhere in this work. .

In 1814, during the month of March, the Indians killed a Mr. Morgan and two boys who were boiling sap in the woods. It has been often related that the savages burned the parties in the fire under the sap-boiling kettles, but there is no positive proof of such a horrible crime. The man and boys were killed, however, and Captain Huff, with a company of rangers, followed the Indian band and captured and scalped them near Blue river town.

Another incident is to the effect that at another date Benjamin Maple was working near his mill, when an Indian came up in a half drunken con- dition and wanted to shake hands and get some liquor. Maple hung back from the hand-shaking and started for his cabin with the Indian after him. The race was a lively one, but Maple succeeded in getting into his cabin and fastened the door. The savage commenced kicking and beating the door, when John Maple, who had seen the whole performance, came up and knocked the Indian down with a club. At this juncture two or more Indians came to the scene and led their companion away. After a short time the Indians re- turned and told Maple that they would declare peace for a gallon of whisky,

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but this was not accepted. Later they offered to make peace and shake hands for a quart of whisky, which was given them and truce was granted.

Separate chapters will treat on the various church organizations of Laurel township and village.

In March, 1849, just immediately after gold had been discovered in Cal- ifornia, the following persons, citizens of this township, went overland to California : Edward Johnson, J. C. Wright, James H. Morgan, James M. Tyner, Henry Reed, John Evans, C. P. Edson, J. C. Burgoyne, Alex. Hous- ton, W. A. Patterson and W. N. Dougherty. Of these men, J. C. Burgoyne was the only person of the entire party then residing in Laurel.

This township is now well settled and improved. There are hundreds of happy homes and many contented people within its boundaries. Schools, churches, roads and other internal improvements have kept pace with the ad- vance of years.

The present township officers are: Trustee, S. W. Brier; assessor, Nick Hannefey ; advisory board, W. E. Ensminger, L. E. Seiler and Clark Tague ; justice of the peace, C. H. Reiboldt; constable, Jess Reese ; supervisors, Alex Hill No. I, Chas. Raham No. 2, John Hokey No. 3.

TOWN OF LAUREL.

Laurel was platted, originally, November 30, 1836, by pioneer James Conwell, who had been selling goods from his house before that date. At first he intended naming his new town site New Baltimore, but later changed his notion and called his town Laurel after a town in his old home state, Maryland. It is situated on the old canal and is described on the maps as be- ing situated on parts of sections 9 and 10 in township 12, range 12 east. It is on the Big Four system of railroad. During the first few years of its his- tory it grew very rapidly, especially during the years in which the canal was being constructed, which was from 1839 to 1845. "Dove," the first canal boat to pass through the canal at this point, was owned by W. Harding, of Laurel. The opening of the canal brought in several new business factors, including Messrs. William S. Geyer, George and Samuel Shoup, David Haz- zard, Louis Steffey, the Snyder brothers, Doctor Gifford, James A. Derby- shire, Horatio Burgoyne, Joel Palmer and a few others. The population of Laurel in 1910 was five hundred and three.

Without further evidence of the spirit of enterprise and busy industries at this point, one has, today, but to look upon the ruins of numerous stone and brick structures, many years ago the scene of shops and factories and

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flouring mills. A wonderful tale could these old buildings tell were they gifted with tongues. Here men bought and sold, manufactured and shipped by water navigation many useful products. The old canal, completed in 1845, was the great artery of trade to and from the town, which grew rapidly until 1852. Fortunes were here made, and in several instances lost. Many men of more than ordinary note have, at one time or another, resided in Laurel.

The milling industry was one of much importance, but it has all disap- peared with the passage of years. The water power, once derived by tapping the canal, has been cut off, as now the canal carries no water in its bed above a point about one mile south of the town. From there on down to Brook- ville it has a steady, year-round current and gives the towns of Metamora and Brookville a splendid power for mill and factory purposes. The first mill on the White Water river was built by one Van Meter, a fourth of a mile below the feeder dam. Later, it was known as the Jenks mill; it was destroyed by the building of the canal, and it is related that Thomas Henderson, its owner at the time, recovered three thousand dollars in a suit at law against the state for the damages he had sustained.

The next mill built was by John Ferris, three and a half miles below the town of Laurel. This mill burned and was never rebuilt. Mr. Webster then constructed a rude mill, near Laurel, at the site of the later "Laurel Wreath mills." It was of but little account. In 1843 Samuel Fisher removed and enlarged this mill and it was rebuilt by the Conwells once if not more times ; it was burned in 1855. David Hazzard rebuilt in 1857, selling out to Johnson & Moak, and they in turn to James A. Derbyshire. It burned again in 1868, and in 1879 it was again rebuilt by Fisher & Withers. Later it was operated by Herman B. Buhlmann. It was originally propelled by the waters of the river, but later utilized the water from a cut-off of the canal.

The Laurel mills were built in 1845 by Shoup, Cullum & Company. It was on the right bank of the canal, below the present railroad station. It was, perhaps, the most extensive mill ever erected in the White Water valley. It was burned in March, 1877, never to be rebuilt. In the early eighties there was a small pulp mill operated on its old site.

At an early date, a few hundred yards above the iron wagon bridge, there was erected a carding and woolen mill by Dennis Calhon. It was later purchased by Elias Macey, and finally burned. Macey rebuilt farther down stream, but, owing to the washout of his dam so many seasons, it was long since abandoned and but little trace of its foundation can now be seen. In this connection, it may be stated that ahead of all these various mills there was the pioneer affair known as the old Maple hand-mill of a Mr. Davis,

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who set it in motion in 1816 on Garrison's creek. He also had a pottery there. The stones of this pioneer mill were to be seen as late as 1890. With the change of times and the process of making flour, now largely centralized in large grain centers, the milling interests of Laurel passed out of existence many years since, and today flour is shipped in, instead of out of, the place.

"In a very early day," says a pioneer, well posted, "you could stand on a hill and count the chimneys of thirteen distilleries up and down the river from Laurel." The one nearest to Laurel was the Webster distillery, op- erated in 1822. In 1874 John Colter built an extensive distillery in a large brick building near the railway station. It was really built for a general store in 1833 by James Conwell; later it was used as a pork-packing estab- lishment, in canal days, then as a store and finally converted into a "still." In the seventies it ceased to distill and the machinery was removed, while the building stands a monument of former greatness, if not usefulness.

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History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 16

Author: Reifel, August J Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1648

Author: Reifel, August J
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1648