USA > Indiana > Gibson County > History of Gibson County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 31
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The postoffice was early established and John J. Neely, a prominent man in the county's early history, was the first postmaster. It then cost twenty-five cents a letter to get it from the postoffice. The fourth business house was erected by John Arbuthnot in April, 1815. It was on the corner of Hart and Emerson streets, one block north of the public square. Mr. Arbuthnot was a saddler and established the harness and saddlery business, which he followed a number of years. He was postmaster twenty years and died in 1865, aged eighty-two years. The next business house was con- structed of brick on the corner north of the northeast corner of the square. It was built by George W. Chapman in 1815-16 and, with the exception of the first court house, it was Princeton's first brick building. Chapman was a gun and silversmith, and followed his trade here about ten years, then removed to Missouri. This building was undermined and caved in about the first of the eighties. Mr. Zimmerman, from the East, erected a one-story brick house, containing three rooms, in which he kept a general store in one room. In another room Chauncey Pierce, a Yankee, manufactured combs, buttons, etc., and the third room was occupied by a saloon. Samuel Shannon built a frame store room and dwelling near the center of the east side of the square. Mr. Shannon engaged in general merchandising, pork packing, etc. He was also an extensive shipper, loaded great cargoes of pork and grain on the flat-boats of the Patoka river, and floating them down to the New Orleans markets, where he realized a good profit. In 1819 he erected and operated a tannery, where the Air Line railroad depot later stood. In 1833 he sold to Alfred A. Poland and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He later made his home in Princeton and died here many years ago. The first licensed taverns were kept by James Russell in the Chapman building and by Basil Brown on the corner where later lived Dr. Kidd. Brown's Hotel was a large log house built V-shaped, two stories high, with a large ball and dining room attached. It was in its time a celebrated resort and the entertainment given at this favorite hostelry was highly complimented by the traveling public. This house burned about 1830.
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The next store was that of John Brownlee & Son, who began business in 1815-16. They also controlled a large trade. After the death of George Brownlee, the business was continued by his son, John Brownlee, until he died, April 17, 1855. His stand was in the center of the south side of the public square, in a low brick building. John Brownlee was a very successful merchant and made much money. He erected, in 1817 or 1818. the Lagow House. In those early days the merchants dealt in peltry, furs, pork, grain and any commodity that was merchantable, handling but little money in their business. Their goods were usually purchased in Pittsburgh or Phila- delphia. The trip was frequently made on horseback, carrying their money in their saddle-bags. Robert Milburn, Mr. Smith and Augustus B. Sturges each had a hatter's shop in Princeton in 1816 and followed this business several years The first blacksmith shop was started by Perkins Lyons and it stood opposite the old Donald House. Richard Iliff started a pottery in 1816. In 1816 there were seven hotels, or taverns as then called, in Princeton.
In 1817 Samuel Boicourt, a cabinet and chair-maker, came in and he also made spinning wheels for the old settlers of Gibson county. He was also a local Methodist preacher, justice of the peace, merchant and an intelligent, enterprising character. A distillery was erected in 1817 by Sanford Grissim, which stood at the foot of Hall hill. It was a small concern and only in operation about two years. On the hill west of the distillery, one Elliott had a small powder mill for the manufacture of gunpowder. In 1819 six more taverns were added to the business interests of Princeton. With the excep- tion of Charles Harrington's place, these taverns, as then called, were nothing more than we now term saloons, although their license allowed them to entertain travelers. Harrington's house stood on the Devin corner, east of the southeast corner of the square. It was a large, two-story frame building erected in 1818. A deer painted on a circular sign hung in front of the door. This and Brown's Hotel were the leading public houses for a number of years and both did an excellent business. It was about this time, or a little later, that the Vincennes and Evansville stage line was established and Princeton became the "half-way stand," and here the coaches met every day at noon and the passengers took dinner ; a fresh relay was had before starting out for the rest of the journey. In busy seasons there were two stages a day. The New Harmony and Mt. Vernon line was started a few days later. The stages carried the mails and brought the news from the outside world.
James, Alexander Lyle and Thomas J. Evans, brothers of Gen. Robert M. Evans, came to Gibson county in 1810 and were among the early business
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factors of Princton. Alexander L. carried on the cooperage business here for several years; moved to Evansville and died there in June, 1844. James Evans bought a farm lying southwest of the original town and his house stood on what is now Broadway, in the western part of the city, where he resided until his death, in 1832. In 1818 he established and operated a wool- carding machine, in a building on Main-Cross street, one block west of the square. The machine was propelled by tread-power and the wool was carded into rolls. In 1827 Abraham Lincoln (later President), residing with his parents in Spencer county, Indiana, came here on horseback with a sack of wool to Mr. Evans' factory and had it carded. John N. Lockwood, then a boy, carded the wool for him. Lockwood, in later years, was president of the National Bank of Mt. Vernon, Indiana. In 1824-25 William Jerauld and Goorge Bucklin erected a frame cotton factory in the north part of town, in the neighborhood of where the first Catholic church stood. It was an important industry, employing several hands, and continued in operation five years, when it was burned and was never rebuilt. George N. Jerauld, son of pioneer Edward G., commenced general merchandising in the spring of 1832, and was continuously in trade on the same lot until his death.
James Lesley had a distillery on his place a mile east of the court house, which was in operation from 1818 to 1823. He made large quantities of whisky and peach brandy. In 1825 the first steam grist- and saw-mill was erected, by Robert Milburn, Nathaniel Foster and James Finney. A year or two after it was erected Titus Jessup put in a wool-carding machine, having bought an interest. He continued this until 1852. In 1829 a distilling ap- paratus was attached by Robert Milburn and Samuel Hall, who, it is said, made an excellent grade of liquor. This old milling plant passed through numerous hands and finally became the property of Lewis Kolb. After his death the old mill was torn down and a residence was built on the lot. This is at present the residence of D. P. Bird. About 1828 Titus Jessup and James Howard built and operated a wool-carding and cotton-spinning fac- tory one block west of the old mill. This was burned after about two years.
Princeton had no railroad until the construction of the Evansville & Terre Haute, in the summer of 1851. After the railroad era commenced the town took on new life and many new features in trade were added. With the passing of the years, the beginning and ending of the great Civil war period, and on to the present date, Princeton has had many dealers in numer- ous lines. It is not profitable to go far into the deail of these later features
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of the city. The account of schools, churches and newspapers in this city are already included in other separate chapters on such topics.
POSTOFFICE HISTORY.
A postoffice was established at Princeton in 1816. It is now an office of the second class, and is housed within a beautiful modern federal building, centrally located. This postoffice building was completed in 1913 at an expense of forty-nine thousand five hundred dollars. Going out from this postoffice are seven rural delivery routes extending to the country districts. The amount of deposits in the postal savings department of this office, in October, 1913, was five thousand one hundred and thirty-eight dollars. The business of the office, outside of money order transactions, for the fiscal year ending July 1, 1913, was thirteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight dollars. At present there are twenty-one persons employed in handling the mails at Princeton, which included the postmaster, his deputy, the city car- riers, clerks, etc. There are now many mail trains per day in and out of the city, which give ample mail facilities.
The following is a complete list of Princeton postmasters since 1816, when the postoffice was established, as furnished by the first assistant postmas- ter-general at Washington, D. C .: John I. Neely, March 3, 1816; John Arbuth- not, February 24, 1830; Isaac Montgomery, July 23, 1841 ; John Arbuthnot, January 14, 1845; Anderson F. Ely, March 10, 1851 ; John Arbuthnot, April 12, 1853; Thomas J. Arbuthnot, November 10, 1857; Silas W. Boswell, March 14, 1860; Charles A. Slayback, May 8, 1861 ; Charles C. Hill. Septem- ber 28, 1866; Drusilla Dorsey, March 12, 1867; Andrew J. Calkins, .April 9, 1877: Erastus R. Pinney, January 24, 1884; William H. Evans, September 17, 1885; Oliver M. Tichenor, January 9, 1890; Ollin M. Kolb, October 6, 1893; James H. Warnock, March 31, 1897: Arthur P. Twineham, Decem- ber 19, 1905; Henry Tichenor, April 13, 1910.
It should be added that for its "efficiency record" as a postoffice, the department at Washington selected Princeton as the first office in Indiana in which to try out the new postal savings bank system. Hence it became the first postal savings office in Indiana.
THE PRINCETON SANITARIUM.
The Princeton Sanitarium Company (incorporated), in 1906-07, erected one of the finest, best-equipped hospitals in all southern Indiana, at a cost of
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over thirty thousand dollars. It is centrally located in the city of Princeton, and is built of hard brick, cement floors and steel girders throughout. The roof is of substantial tile. This hospital was opened to the public in Febru- ary, 1907, and conducted for several years, but on account of the death of one of the proprietors and founders, Dr. Frank Blair, the institution was closed after a time. It was built and operated by Drs. Frank Blair, A. L. Ziliak and R. S. Anderson, all local physicians and surgeons of. Princeton. The institution stands ready for use, having been well supplied with all the modern equipment and expensive up-to-date instruments, etc., for carrying on successful hospital work. The field here is very large, there being no other hospital within a wide radius, and is within a good city, surrounded by one of Indiana's best counties. It is sad to relate that one of the founders, Dr. Frank Blair, was taken ill and was the first one to die in the institution on which he had built up such high hopes. He was the son of Dr. W. W. Blair, who has practiced here since 1850.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY MOVEMENT IN PRINCETON.
By Thomas R. Paxton.
The opening of a free public library is a most important event in the history of any town.
An act of the Indiana Legislature, approved February 16, 1852, en- titled, "An act to establish public libraries," provides that "the inhabitants of any city, town, village or neighborhood in this state, or any part of them, whenever they have subscribed the sum of fifty dollars or upwards, towards the establishment of a public library, may assemble themselves for the pur- pose of holding an election for directors."
On August 9, 1881, thirty-six persons, all "inhabitants of the town of Princeton," met in the court room for the purpose of establishing a library under this law. These persons, and seventeen others not present at the meet- ing, had subscribed five hundred and thirty dollars. The directors elected were Adam J. Snoke, William P. Welborn, William G. Kidd, Clarence A. Buskirk, Samuel E. Munford, Samuel Warnock and Martin W. Fields. Officers elected : Adam J. Snoke, president, and Martin W. Fields, secretary.
The name adopted was the Princeton Library Association. A statement of the proceedings at this meeting signed by the secretary and sworn to before A. J. Wright, justice of the peace, was filed in the recorder's office August II, 1881, and recorded in Miscellaneous Record, No. I, page 200. This state- ment gives the names of those who attended the meeting. Upon the record- ing of this document, the Princeton Library Association became a body cor-
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porate and politic with all the usual powers of such bodies. Efforts were made to collect the remnants of the township library established by William McClure, of New Harmony, by his will. Some books were donated, some purchased. The books so obtained were assembled in the large back room This was the beginning. In this room meetings were held from time to time, at which papers were read and addresses given by prominent citizens.
Later the library was moved to a second-story room in the Lewis build- ing on the southeast corner of the public square. Under a law approved March 8, 1883, the board of trustees of the town levied a tax for the pur- chase of books on condition that the library should be opened free to all the inhabitants of the town. Prior to this only stockholders of the association, or those who paid an annual fee, could take out books. After Princeton be- came a city the Legislature, in 1885, gave to the common council of the city the same power to levy a library tax the trustees of the town had. The city levied the tax and the library was accumulating a nice lot of books, and sub- stantial progress had been made, when, on February 9, 1886, the Lewis block, then owned by William Jessup, was destroyed by fire, and with it all the books, furniture and records of the Princeton Library Association. And, sad to relate, there was no insurance on the books.
Nine days after the fire the board of directors met on call of the presi- dent to consider ways and means of re-establishing the library. It was a crisis in the history of that institution. Experience had shown that to place a library upon an enduring basis provision must be made for meeting the neces- sary expenses, such as light, heat, furniture, book cases and salaries of librar- ian and janitor. The money received from taxation could be spent only for books. After much consideration it was decided to ask for subscriptions sufficient to buy a lot and erect a two-story building, the first story to be rented and the second story to be used for library purposes.
And the way the people responded to this appeal for subscriptions is a bright page in the history of Princeton. There were over one hundred sub- scriptions, ranging from five hundred to five dollars, and amounting to about five thousand five hundred dollars. An excursion on the Ohio river was planned for July 22d. A committee of fourteen ladies provided good things to eat and drink and sold them to the hungry and thirsty on the boat. This excursion netted one hundred and fifty-four dollars and seventy-five cents.
On September 15th the property on the east side of the public square, owned and occupied for many years by J. V. Hill, was purchased of Leon-
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ard Barrett for one thousand eight hundred dollars. A two-story brick building was erected thereon, which is still standing. On Thursday evening, March 17, 1887, a meeting was held in the large court room to celebrate the completion of the building and the reopening of the library. A large aud- ience assembled and Hon. Clarence A. Buskirk delivered an address. It was a day of rejoicing and gladness.
In 1903 the library had outgrown this building. Besides, it was found that some other and better method of electing the directors of the association was desirable. As the stock had no pecuniary value, and never would yield dividends in money, the stockholders would not attend meetings to elect directors. At a meeting held March 24, 1903, the holders of one hundred and forty-one shares of stock were present and voted unanimously for a reso- lution authorizing and directing the directors of the association to tender the ownership, custody and control of the library of said association and to transfer and convey all property, both real and personal, of said association to a public library board appointed for the city of Princeton under an act for the establishment of public libraries, approved March 4, 1901.
Pursuant to this resolution, the tender was made and accepted by the common council. The members of the public library board were appointed by the judge of the circuit court, the common council and the school board. The public library board was organized July 20, 1903, and the officers of the Princeton Library Association by deed conveyed all its property, real and personal, to the public library board.
Andrew Carnegie offered to give fifteen thousand dollars for a new building, provided a suitable lot was obtained on which to erect the building, and that the common council should pass a resolution pledging the good faith of the city that not less than fifteen hundred dollars a year should be provided for the maintenance of the library. These, by the way, are the only condi- tions Mr. Carnegie makes in donating money for a library building. Mr. Carnegie's offer was accepted. The lot, one hundred and forty-eight and one-half feet square, on the corner of Hart and Water streets, was pur- chased for two thousand dollars, and the money to pay for it was contributed by citizens of Princeton. The selection of this lot seems to have given gen- eral satisfaction. It is centrally located, and large enough to provide for ex- tension of the building in the future. The new building and equipment cost fifteen thousand one hundred and eighteen dollars and sixty-five cents and was completed and occupied in the spring of 1905. This is another glorious page in the history of Princeton.
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Prof. Adam J. Snoke was president of the Library Association from its organization to October, 1890, when he moved to Seattle. In accepting his resignation, the board of directors adopted this resolution: "That in the resignation of Prof. Adam J. Snoke the Princeton Library Association has lost one of its warmest friends and stanchest supporters; because this library has grown in ten years from a handful of books and a few private stock- holders to a public library of nearly three thousand volumes, with a library building and furniture valued at eight thousand dollars, and this magnificent success is more largely due to his untiring efforts in its behalf than to any other influence."
The next president was Samuel E. Munford, who was followed by Martin V. Witherspoon, whose term expired January 4, 1900.
The librarians in the order of their succession have been Flora Miller, Anna Wright, Mayme Thurman, Julia Duncan and Julia Mason.
The library now contains eleven thousand three hundred and twenty- two volumes. They are classified according to the Dewey system, which is in use in the congressional library and in most public libraries. Miss Mason has made a complete card catalogue of the books therein. A card catalogue is indispensable in a large library and invaluable. By its use the resources of the library on a given subject are quickly ascertained and found.
The librarian says that out-of-town visitors highly commend the ex- cellence of the books in the library and the judgment and wisdom shown in their selection. Much of the credit for this is due to Dr. William P. Wel- born, who was a director from the organization of the association until his death, and as a member of the committee on literature he gave much care and attention to the books to be purchased. The library contains a very full list upon the drama, American history, biography, travels, essays and criti- cisms
The use of the library seems to be increasing. In February, a short month, two thousand seven books were taken out. The number of cards now in use by the patrons is one thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine.
Princeton may well be proud of its public library. It will be noted that for twenty years before Mr. Carnegie made his gift Princeton had by taxation and by gifts of its citizens maintained a library free to all its inhabitants. That is why it is called the "Princeton Public Library," and not a "Carnegie Library." Under the law of 1901, "the judge. common council or town board, and the board of school trustees, in making the appointments shall select persons of well-known probity, integrity, business ability and exper-
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ience, and who are fitted for the character of the work they are to perform, and who shall not be less than twenty-five years of age at the time of appoint- ment, and shall serve without compensation for services."
A public library, like any other business or enterprise. depends largely on the management. In his address Mr. Buskirk said: "The majority of our citizens all along have shown a sympathy with the library which has been of the greatest assistance to the enterprise, and that sympathy with its purposes will be needed in the future for it to accomplish the public good of which it is easily capable. Let us remember to help watch over and guard the enterprise."
The library seems now to be on a firm foundation and to be accomplish- ing purposes of a public library which were so well expressed by Lowell : "The riches of scholarship, the benignities of literature defy fortune and outlive calamity. They are beyond the reach of thief, or moth or rust. As they cannot be inherited, so they cannot be alienated. But they may be shared, they may be distributed; and it is the object and office of a public library to perform the beneficent functions."
EARLY INDUSTRIES OF PRINCETON.
Although Princeton of the present can boast, of her coal mines, rail- road shops, lumber mills, brick plants, and various other important indus- tries, the old town of today has nothing to boast of in the way of a variety of industries as compared to the new town of a century ago. It will be of interest to briefly note some of these early industries and the various ways the few inhabitants of early times found employment, even if in this brief notice there may be a repetition of some industries mentioned elsewhere.
The first blacksmith shop in Princeton was located on what is now Main street, where the Kolb residence now stands. Perkin Lyons was the pro- prietor.
In 1816 Andrew Culbertson had a harness shop and Richard Hill a pottery in Princeton.
In 1817 Rev. Samuel Boicourt was giving the greater part, if not all, of his time to his cabinet shop, where he also made spinning wheels, a house- hold necessity of early days. When he was not busy at something else, Boi- court was justice of the peace and dealt out justice in quantities to suit.
As early as 1816 there was a hatter industry in Princeton. It was con- ducted by Robert Milburn, Augustus Sturges and a Mr. Smith.
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At the foot of Hall's hill there was a small distillery in 1817-18, oper- ated by Sanford Grissim. A short distance west of the distillery was located Elliott's gunpowder mill. If the product of Grissim's mill was anything like that of the "moonshine" mills of the present time the deadly effect of the gunpowder manufactured by Elliott would be mild in comparison. Any- how, it seems, that the demand for the product of Elliott's mill was small and his enterprise was abandoned after a short time.
A cooper shop was carried on for several years by Alexander Evans. James Evans built a wool carding mill on a lot one square west of the court house, on what is now Broadway, in 1818. It was operated by a horse treadmill. This was one of the big industries of that time, as people came from all the counties around with their wool to have it carded into rolls. Among those who came with sacks of wool was Abraham Lincoln, then a youth living at his home in Spencer county. . This visit was in. 1827, some thirty years before Lincoln began to attract public attention. As he did not get his wool carding done in time to make the long journey to his home that day, Lincoln remained over night in Princeton, staying at the home of Mr. Evans on west Broadway. At that time Robert Stockwell had a store on the corner where the public drug store now is, and had his name in gilt letters on a sign over the door. This, among other things, attracted the attention of the Spencer county youth, whose opportunities for seeing the sights in a town of the proportions of Princeton at that time had been limited. Years afterward, when Lincoln was President, he was visited by Robert Stockwell, then living in Lafayette. On being introduced Lincoln said, "O yes, I re- member the name as the one I saw in Princeton on a gilt lettered sign on the occasion of my visit there. It was the first gilt lettered sign I had seen and it attracted my attention."
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