USA > Indiana > Gibson County > History of Gibson County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 30
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THE BEGINNING OF BUCKSKIN.
In the early days of Gibson county a road was opened from Boonville. Warrick county, to Princeton, in Gibson county. As there were but few farms cleared between the two places, this road was built on the shortest route, regardless of the land lines. It was cut through the woods nearly all
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
the way and was used as the stage line between the two towns. The great, awkward stage coach lumbered back and forth and all the traveling men going from one of these towns to the other took passage in this coach. It also car- ried the mail. Now along this road lived several men who made their living hunting game, and all the deer hides or other pelts they had to sell were sent to Boonville or Princeton, and as these hunters never knew just when the stage would pass their locality, they would take their skins to the roadside and put their mark on them and hang them up in some conspicuous place. When the stage came along the driver would gather up the hides he thus found and deliver them to the merchants in one or the other of said towns, who knew the marks and would give the hunter to whom they belonged pro- per credit for them. Thus the travelers in the stage coach would see. the driver stop every mile or two and gather up the deer skins which he found hanging up by the roadside. Soon this route became known as the Buckskin road. This name became general throughout the whole country and for many years remained unchanged, until the farmers along the route began to straighten the road and put it on the lines. This road left the old State road at the Young place, just south of Princeton, and ran in a southeasterly direc- tion. It passed just south of the poor farm to Port Gibson and from there on to Lynnville, in Warrick county, and from there almost due south to Boon- ville. For many years this was the main route to all this country between Boonville and Princeton, and along this line the early settlers clustered and small business places sprang up along the road, such as cooper shops, black- smith shops and other industries.
Along in the early fifties there came a young German from Evansville by the name of Emil Sasse, and started a small store on this road, near the east- ern line of Gibson county. His business at first was a kind of settlers' can- teen, with a few groceries, powder, lead and other small wares. He also secured a postoffice and named it "Buckskin," after the road on which it was located. His business was prosperous from the start. It was fifteen or twenty miles to any other point where people could trade and he did a good business. His brother, Theodore, was in business in Evansville and soon sold out and joined Emil at Buckskin. They increased their stock and built a larger store. Trade rushed in and people came for ten miles in every direc- tion, and the Sasses were the busiest men in the whole country. Emil Sasse was twice elected treasurer of Gibson county. After the closing out of the Sasse store at Buckskin the Evansville & Indianapolis railroad was built. It ran about a mile east of old Buckskin. A new town was laid out on this rail-
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
road and Herman Buskuhl opened a store and secured the postoffice and still continued the town of Buckskin. But Buckskin never has and perhaps never will enjoy such prosperity as it did in the palmy days of the Sasses.
THE OLD GRIST MILL.
There are but few men in Gibson county that have reached the half- century mile stone on the highway from the cradle to the grave but have memories lingering around the old grist mill of their boyhood days. Tues- days, Thursdays and Saturdays were "custom days", toll one-sixth for corn, one-eighth for wheat. First come, first served.
Here all the gossip of the country was exchanged for its kind. Here knives were swapped, either by inspection or sight unseen. Horse swapping was also of common occurrence. On those "custom days" from early morn to dewy eve the crowd was coming and going, swapping and bantering. Did it happen to be a campaign year, politics was discussed by all except the miller, who was supposed to favor all sides and have nothing to say, and it was regarded as a breach of good breeding to attempt to draw him into dis- cussion.
The milling was most often done by the boys of the family, ranging in age from ten to seventeen years. If any one should inquire about the size of any certain boy and was told that he was big enough to go to mill. they would consider the answer satisfactory. When the family mcal barrel showed signs of exhaustion, a bag of corn would be selected the evening before some particular day, and at night after all the chores were done and the family was all indoors, a bed quilt would be spread out upon the floor and the corn poured thereon. Then the family would gather around and shell the corn upon the quilt, while the cobs would be thrown aside for use in the kitchen stove. Then the quilt would be gathered up, causing the corn to collect in the center, when it would be scooped into the bag and set aside until morning. Bright and early the next day it would be placed across the back of a horse, with a boy mounted astride, and he would strike out for the nearest grist mill. Sometimes he would have to go five or six miles. The sign "First come, first served", was strictly adhered to. Often he would be among the last to arrive and many times he would have to stay till dark for his grist, and then ride the lonely way home through woods and swamps in the darkness.
But all this was nothing to the day he had spent with the other mill boys, wrestling, jumping, playing ball and marbles, swapping knives and exchang-
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
ing gossip for gossip, which he knew would be called for and listened to by all when he got home. A good supper would be waiting for him when he arrived home at last, for of dinner he had none.
SCHOOL DISTURBED BY A PANTHER VISIT.
In the Major David Robb settlement near where the town of Hazelton now stands, they had built a school house not far from White river and school was being held there. One of the patrons of the school had started out hunting and gone by the school to see one of his boys at the time of noon recess. While there the hunter's dogs treed a young panther, not far from the school house. The children went out to see what the dogs were barking at, and the hunter, on coming up, saw it was a panther kitten about one-third grown. He shot it out of the tree and told his boy to drag it near the school house and when school was out in the evening to take it home and save the hide.
.A short time after "books were taken up" the teacher and pupils were startled by the awful scream of the old mother panther, as she came bound- ing along the way the young one had been dragged. They had forethought enough to close the door and put the window bench in place and fasten it there. The furious animal rushed up to the carcass of her kitten and when she found it was dead she broke forth in terrible howls and screams of la- mentation. Looking around for something on which to avenge its death, she made a rush for the school house, ran two or three times around it and then leaped on top of and commenced tearing across the roof from side to side as if hunting some place where she could get in to the imprisoned teacher and pupils. . After a while she gave three or four most terrible screams ; presently the answering screams of another panther were heard some distance off. It was but a short time until her mate came rushing up and the two went to the dead kitten and seemed to be examining it. They then gave several screams, one after another, and made a rush for the building, bounded on top of it and for the next half hour kept up a screaming such as the helpless scholars and frightened teacher had never heard before.
Major Robb had several men working for him at that time. They heard the fearful noise. and by the direction were sure it came from near the school house. Three men took their rifles and hurried to the rescue. Sev- eral dogs had followed the men and they set up a loud barking and rushed at the school house. A panther could easily kill the largest dog with one stroke of its terrible claws, but for some reason they are dreadfully afraid
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
of a dog and could be easily treed by a small feiste. The panthers jumped to the ground and ran up a large tree which stood near the school house and were soon shot to death by the hunters.
The teacher was a full-blooded Irishman, but a short time from Ireland. He had wandered out into the wilds of Indiana. Coming into that neighbor- hood and learning that Major Robb was from Ireland, he had been staying at his house for some time. Having the necessary qualifications he was em- ployed to teach the school. After the panthers were killed he dismissed the school and went back to the Major's, but refused to teach any longer. He said he would not live in a country that was on the frontier of "hades" and was inhabited by such pesky, screaming, screeching varmints as this country possessed .- From Cockrum's Pioneer History of Indiana.
FLOOD WATERS.
Gen. George Rogers Clark, when making his memorable march from Kaskaskia to Vincennes in the month of February, 1779, encountered the high waters of the Wabash river, and in his account of the tortuous miles covered he relates of meeting the overflow from the rivers. Muddy roads and numer- ous pools were first discovered, and a drizzling rain warned them that these signs were a bare forerunner of the floods ahead. He describes the fortitude of the men later, when they were compelled to wade through the level expanses of water covering the level country, and the good spirits prevailing notwith- standing the hardship. A portion of his diary, published in English's "Con- quest of the Northwest," and there quoted from Bowman's Journal, relates :
"Ioth. Crossed the river of the Petit fork upon trees that were felled for that purpose, the water being so high there was no fording it. Still raining and no tents-encamped near the river. Stormy weather.
"13th. Arrived early at the two Wabashes. Although a league assunder, they made but one. We set to making a canoe.
"15th. Ferried across the two Wabashes, it being then five miles in water to the opposite hills, where we encamped. Still raining."
Clark himself says in his journal that the weather was "wet, but fortu- nately not cold for the season, and a great part of the plains under water several inches deep. It was difficult and very fatiguing marching. * I viewed this sheet of water for some time with distrust : bnt, accusing my- self of doubting, I immediately set to work, without holding any consultation about it, or suffering anybody else to do so in my presence ; ordered a pirogue
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
to be built immediately, and acted as though crossing the water would be only a piece of diversion. * * *
"In the evening of the 14th, our vessel was finished, manned and sent to explore the drowned lands on the opposite side of the little Wabash, with private instructions what report to make, and, if possible, to find some spot of dry land. They found about half an acre and marked the trees from thence back to camp, and made a very favorable report. Fortunately the 15th happened to be a warm, moist day for the season, and the channel of the river where we lay about thirty yards wide. A scaffold was built on the opposite shore that was about three feet under water; our baggage ferried across, and put on it. Our horses swam across and received their loads at the scaffold, by which time the troops were brought across, and we began our march. Our vessel was loaded with those who were sickly, and we moved on cheerfully, every moment expecting to see dry land, which was not discovered until we came to the little dry spot mentioned.
"This being a smaller branch than the other, the troops immediately crossed, and marched on, in the water, as usual, to take possession of the (nearest ) height they could discover. Our horses and baggage crossed as had been done at the former river, and proceeded on, following the marked trail of the troops. * As tracks could not be seen in the water the trees were
marked. * * We were now convinced that the whole of the low country on the Wabash was drowned, and that the enemy could easily get to us, if they discovered us, and wished to risk an action; if they did not, we made no doubt of crossing the river by some means or other."
The narrative continues to tell of the repeated hardships endured by the men who were forced to march through the flooded country. Camp grounds were difficult to find, for the country was uniformly low.
English's "Conquest of the Northwest" relates: "There was no cessa- tion of the flood. If anything, it grew worse as the party advanced. It would be difficult for persons at this day to realize the generally wet and marshy condition of the flat lands, especially the bottom lands adjoining rivers, lakes and creeks, in Illinois and Indiana in early times. This was the general situation, which was much aggravated, of course, by seasons of great rains and foods. The country, from a variety of causes, has been gradually getting drier, as the author personally knows, for the last fifty or sixty years, and the same drying-out process has no doubt been going on as far back as the campaign of Clark against Vincennes. The author saw the bottoms of the Wabash when overflowed, in 1834 and 1835, and fully realizes the vastness of the country covered with water. He made a horseback journey almost en-
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIAN.A.
tirely across Indiana and Illinois, from east to west and return, in those years, and can not but compare the present dryness of the whole country with its extremely wet state at that period. Indeed it may become a serious matter if the streams and the water supply continue to diminish at the same rate for an- other half century.
"This wet condition was noticed by all travelers in early times, and especially in the region of the Wabash and its tributaries. Thomas's 'Travels in the West,' in 1816, says: 'There is one inconvenience attending this country, exclusive of the overflowing of the Wabash. All its tributary streams, after a heavy shower of rain, rise above the banks, and overflow the lowlands, adjoining, which on all is of considerable extent. In time of high water. it is one of the most difficult countries to travel through I ever saw I have known it for more than four weeks at one time that no person could get away from Union Prairie without swimming his horse, or going in a boat.'"
Clark and his heroic little band continued their march toward Vincennes, at times wading through water to their waists and even to their shoulders. High land would be reached, and hopes of better country would arise. only to be dispelled by the sight of limitless expanse of watered lands on the other side. Clark, upon reaching the Embarass river. discovered the whole country between that and the Big Wabash river toward Vincennes over- flowed, and impassable by straight course. The Embarass and Wabash rivers had overflowed to such an extent that they were united across the land inter- vening. Through this mire and muddy water, Clark and his men forged their way.
OTHER FLOOD FIGURES.
Concerning the action of the floods in the past years there is little to say, only that the water at certain stages does certain things. At the eighteen- foot level the water overflows the banks and spreads into the surrounding country, driving the people from the lowlands to the higher points of ground. At the twenty-two foot level no section of the river country is inhabitable except the highest points. The spring of 1913 was an exception, for the water at this time rose to the point of 31.1 feet on the gauge at Mt. Carmel, Illinois. There has been no period since the year 1875, when records were first tabulated, when the water reached such a height. Genuine disaster fol- lowed this phenomenon ; hundreds of people were made homeless, and thon- sands of dollars worth of property in Gibson county was destroyed.
It is interesting to give in this connection the various heights of the
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
Wabash river at the Mt. Carmel station since 1875, these records being those of over twenty feet, the genuine danger point. Sixteen feet is the official danger point, but at this stage little loss is suffered owing to the precautions taken by the people.
August, 1875 28.0
January 18, 1907 22.8
June 18, 1889 21.4
January 28, 1907 24.5
January 9, 1890 22.6
February 1, 1907 21.I
January 15, 1890
25.1
March 17, 1907
20.4
February 28, 1890
20.3
March 21, 1907
22.9
March 2, 1890.
22.2
February 17, 1908 20.I.
March 6, 1890.
23.4
February 24, 1908
23.2
February 28, 1891
21.9
March 8, 1908
20.I
March 2, 1891
22.0
March 15, 1908
23.5
April 2, 1891
20.8
May 8, 1908 20.5
April 6, 1891
21.8
May 13, 1908 20.5
April 13, 1892
21.5
February 18, 1893
21.2
January 27, 1910 21.0
February 23, 1893
21.7
March 9, 1910 21.9
April 30, 1893
22.6
March 5, 1912
20.4
May 1, 1893.
22.9
March 6, 1912
20.8
May 8, 1893
24.5
March 7, 1912
21.0
March 7, 1897
.20.5
March 8, 1912
20.4
March 13, 1897
26.4
March 24, 1912
20.5
January 31, 1898
21.8
March 25, 1912
21.I
February 3, 1898
26.6
March 26, 1912
21.6
March 31, 1898 .27.0
March 27, 1912 2I.I
March 8, 1903.
26.6
March 28, 1912
22.4
March 12, 1903-
.22.3
March 29, 1912 22.6
22.7
April 1, 1904 27.00 I 1
March 31, 1912 22.6
April 2, 1904 27.01
April I, 1912 22.5
April 3, 1904
20.8
April 2, 1912.
22.3
April 8, 1906
20.8
January 30, 1913
24-3
April 8, 1906
23.6
March 30, 1913
31.I
January 9, 1907
21.6
1
March 26, 1904
20.7
March 30, 1912
January 24, 1910 20.3
1
1
.1
ELKS' HOME, PRINCETON.
CHAPTER XXII.
CITY OF PRINCETON.
Princeton is situated on an elevated ridge, ninety feet above low-water mark in the Wabash river; is one hundred and nineteen feet above the city of Evansville, and four hundred and eighty feet above the ocean's level. Topographically, the city is handsome. The land is for the most part level and well adapted to building sites, without many excavations. There are some portions of the place rather uneven, but in no true sense hilly. The drainage is excellent. It is now an up-to-date city, with a beautiful public square, many fine modern business blocks, a good system of electric lights and a good water-works plant. It has been an incorporated place since 1818, and according to the census returns of the United States in 1910 there were six thousand four hundred and forty-eight inhabitants. The last decade has seen a rapid growth here, owing to various conditions, but chiefly a true spirit of enterprise that has been fostered by a younger, more active. progressive element among its worthy citizens. Its schools and churches bespeak intel- ligence and correct manner of living. The reader is referred to the chapters on Education and Churches for these elements, both of which have been characteristic of Princeton from early days to these opening years of the twentieth century.
Princeton is not known for its manufacturing industries in recent years, but it exists more especially by reason of the rich agricultural country sur- rounding it; by its railroad interests : its railroad shops; it being the county seat; its solid banking institutions and retired men and women who have, many of them, resided here all their lives, at least within Gibson county. The coal, gas and oil industries have of more recent years been of much financial value to the city.
The reader's attention is now called to some of the interesting features of Princeton in former days, for, remember, Princeton is one hundred years old, and this year (1914) is celebrating her centennial anniversary in a. be- fitting manner.
(21)
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
BEFORE THE LAYING OUT OF PRINCETON.
Long before the plat of Princeton was thought of, Pioneer James Mc- Clure deeded thirty acres of land to parties, who finally donated ten acres including the present public square. This tract was given to be used as a "gathering place" for the public, but after years went by, and Princeton was the seat of justice, it became the public square. All this was done while this was a part of Knox county, territory of Indiana. The county seat of Knox county was at Vincennes. William M. McClure, now a resident of Princeton, is a grandson of the James McClure who is above mentioned as owning these lands in the present Princeton plat.
NAMING OF THE TOWN.
At the session of court held February 16, 1813, at the house of Henry Hopkins, the following action was recorded, the name of the seat of justice having been hit upon by drawing of lots among the commissioners, Captain Prince winning :
"The court took into consideration the propriety of establishing some suitable name for the seat of justice for Gibson county; whereupon ordered that the seat of justice for Gibson county be hereafter known and designated by the name and style of Princeton
"The court then went into the establishment of a plan for the town of Princeton.
"Whereupon the following plan was adopted, viz: The public square and seat of the public buildings is to be laid off in the most suitable manner so as to include as near central as convenient, a certain stake to be set up by the judges of the court; the said publick square is to be laid off eighteen poles square, making two acres and four poles; the town, both in- and out-lots, to be laid off from the publick square in such a manner as to leave each street in said town sixty feet wide, and the in-lots to be laid in squares of eighteen poles each way; each square to be divided into four equal squares, so as to make each in-lot nine rods square containing one-half acre and one square rod each. The out-lots to be laid off in such manner as may be thought most suitable by the agent when the same comes to be surveyed.
"There shall be four streets laid out, two on each side of the range of lots on which the publick square lies, extending from the north to the south side of the town plat, the said lots to be sold on the following terms, viz:
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
One-third of the purchase money to be paid within six months from the day of sale, the balance in twelve months from the day of sale, the same to commence on the 4th Monday of March next and continue three days, viz : from ten o'clock in the forenoon until three o'clock in the afternoon of each day."
FIRST EVENTS.
Capt. Thomas Chapman erected the first house around the square after the town was laid out. Mr. Chapman happened here on a prospecting tour in the spring of. 1814 and attended the sale of lots. Being pleased with the outlook, he purchased the half acre lot on the corner south of the south- east corner of the public square and immediately set to work to build a two- story hewed-log house, thirty-six by twenty feet in size. This building was completed and Mr. Chapman returned to Kentucky and brought on his family, arriving November 14, 1814, having occupied thirteen days in mak- ing the trip. He moved into his house, established a hotel, boarding a portion of the hands that worked on the first court house. He named his house the "Traveler's Inn," and continued in it till March, 1815, when he sold to James Russell, who was one of the first licensed tavern-keepers in Princeton.
The first storehouse was made of logs, two stories in height, and was situated on the corner west of the southwest corner of the square. It was erected by Willis C. Osborn, who brought a small stock of general mer- chandise here from Vincennes in the latter part of 1814 and was the first merchant of the place. He was associate judge from October, 1814, till after the state was admitted in 1816. There had been some goods sold prior to this by a Frenchman who kept a small assortment in the "Long Ornery." He was not here over three weeks and did not really deserve the name of merchant. The "Long Ornery" consisted of a half dozen small cabins built very closely together and stood on the tan-yard branch near where later stood the Catholic church. The second store and third building erected around the public square was situated on the corner west of the northwest corner of the square. It was occupied by Jones & Moffitt, general merchants. The next business house was built by James W. Jones and Robert Stockwell and stood on the corner south of the southwest part of the square. These buildings were all built in 1814. Robert Stockwell was for many years the leading merchant of Princeton. He was a native of Pennsylvania. In the winter of 1815 he purchased a general stock at Pittsburg, loaded it on flat-boats and floated down the Ohio river to where Evansville now stands.
-
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GIBSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
Here he loaded his goods on wagons, came to Princeton and, having formed a partnership with Mr. Jones, opened a store in March of that year. After a few years Jones withdrew from the firm and Stockwell continued alone until 1846, when Samuel Archer became his partner. A few years later he moved to Lafayette, Indiana, where he died, aged ninety years. He was an active, enterprising citizen and during his long and very successful business career at Princeton he accumulated a large fortune.
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