History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana, Part 26

Author: Goodspeed Bros. & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 901

USA > Indiana > Greene County > History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana > Part 26
USA > Indiana > Sullivan County > History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana > Part 26

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The Odd Fellows organized a lodge in April, 1879, with the follow- ing charter members and officers: W. S. Dye, N. G .; John A. Pate, J. G. Hert, Secretary; J. W. Graham; Charles Graham; W. H. Dowden, 15

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V. G .; J. C. Blalock, S. M. Hitchcock, P. Lancaster, W. M. Dobbins, Jerry Hatfield, W. B. Mitchell and T. O. Daggy. The present membership is abont thirty. The lodge owns the upper story of the Dobbins & Mitchell building. The present officers are Charles Graham, N. G .; Ed Strosnider, V. G .; Marion Graham, R. S .; F. M. MoCurdy, P. S .; M. S. Hitchcock, Treasurer; John Graham, Jerry Hatfield and William Dobbins, Trustees. The lodge number is 545.

THE TOWN SCHOOLS.

The children of the town went to the country schoolhouse east until abont 1857, except when select schools were taught in town, which was often the case. Among the early teachers were Ale Hatfield, who taught probably the first term in town in the Giles Gainey house, not far from 1852; William Ellett; Aden Gainey, who taught in the Baptist Church; Sarah Gainey; and Benoni Blackmore, who, it is thought, taught the first term in the small frame schoolhouse. After a number of years, this house was succeeded by another built in the east part; and this, in about 1874, gave place to the two-storied .frame in the northwestern part. John Beaty, Trustee, built the house at a cost of about $2,000. The Princi- pals in this house have been Ziba Williams, E. H. Poindexter, Harvey Letsinger, Charles Whitted, F. M. Parker, P. J. Leonard, E. H. Poin- dexter, John W. Carr, E. H: Poindexter and W. B. McKee. The enu- meration is about one hundred and twenty-five, and three teachers are required.

THE TOWN CHURCHES.

The Church of Christ was first organized near John Lamb's in March, 1843, and met there and at the Copeland Schoolhouse alternately. The early members were John Nantz and wife, A. Geddes and wife, William Magill and wife, M. Davis, A. Cook and wife, John Cook, Joseph Fitzpatrick, Nancy Ferguson, Jane Sexson, Nancy Fuller, Rebecca Hudson, Sarah Fuller, Elizabeth Brown, Sarah Brown, Sabra Floyd, A. B. Ferguson and wife, James Beaty and wife, John Beaty, Sr., James Sloan and wife, John W. Ferguson and wife and others. James Beaty, James Sloan, Sr., and J. W. Ferguson were the first Elders. A. B. Ferguson and A. Cook were the first Deacons. After a number of years, the congregation was divided into two-the Bethel and the White Oak. Of the last named, James Beaty, E. Short, L. Carr and J. W. Ferguson were the Elders, ahd H. Lowder and A. Short, the Deacons. Among the pastors have been John Nantz, J. W. Ferguson, J. M. Mathes, Joseph Saddler, Morris Trimble, J. B. Hay. ward, Washington Short, Newton Short, Milton Short and Joseph Wil- son; and since 1864, Trimble, Hubbard, Blankenship, Butler, Mathes, Evans, Chrisler, Treat, Franklin, Elmore, McKee, and Mr. Littell at present. The removal to town was in 1864 The church was brought at that time from about a mile east of town, where it had stood since he forties, and put up again where it now stands.

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The Baptist Church was built in town not far from 1848. The class had been organized before. Among the early members were Armstead, Polly, Washington and Mordecai Hatfield, William Jackson and wife, Silbern Owens and wife, Kiah Owen, C. D. Giles, Frank George, Josiah Records, Joseph Leonard and others. The church was burned four years ago at the big fire, when about a dozen buildings went up in smoke, at a loss of about $12,000.

The Methodists at first met in the Baptist Church, but about five years ago built a church which cost about $1,200. Among the members were Samuel Hitchcock, Samuel Wollem, Israel Call, Mrs. Hill, Daniel Fultz and others.

NEWSPAPERS.

The little town of Owensburg has not been without its newspaper en- terprises. In December, 1875, George M. Sleeth, a practical printer, issued the first number of the Owensburg Register, a six-column folio newspaper, of neutral or independent political principles. It was newsy, and supplied a local want, and while the novelty of having a paper there lasted was successful financially. It was conducted six or seven months and then become defunct. But the citizens still wanted a paper in the town to advertise the resources and advantages of the place; and in 1877 Noah Brown, James G. Hert, W. M. Dobbins, John Graham, Mr. Winter, James Boord and others formed a stock company, secured the necessary funds with which sufficient office material was purchased, and turned the equipments thus obtained over to W. J. Ward, who became the editor and publisher of the Owensbarg Gazette, the first number of which was issued on the 2d of June, 1877. The paper was independent in politics, or at least was designed to be, was a siz-column folio, sub- scription price $1.50 per year. In August of the same year the editor- ship passed to J. M. Boord and Otho F. Herold, the ownership still remaining with the stock company. Each of these editors in the absence of the other managed to give to the paper a political tone favorable to his individual views, regardless of the designed non-partisan character of the sheet. Of course the paper was the pride of its friends and of the town. In November, 1877, Mr. Herold was succeeded by George A. Scott, after which event, the editing and publishing were conducted by Boord and Scott until the spring of 1878, when the office was sold to Harry Osborne and removed to Bedford, where it is yet used in the pub- lication of the Magnet.

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CHAPTER XIV.

STOCKTON TOWNSHIP-HISTORICAL SKETCH, BY MARTIN WINES-ORGAN. IZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP REMINISCENCES-LINTON-MERCHANDISING -RESIDENTS AND INDUSTRIES-THE EARLY SCHOOLS-THE SCHOOL LAW-THE EARLY CHURCHES-DIFFUSION OF RELIGION.

T HE following general sketch of the settlement in Greene County, written by Martin Wines in 1860, and published in the White River zette, is deemed of sufficient value for an insertion in the chapter on Stockton Township, where the old settler lived for so many years:

" The first settling of any new country is generally an encounter with privations, hardships, difficulties and dangers. Some are more so than others, according to climate, natural productions, variety and quantity of game, fish, wild fruit, etc. Scarcely any new country but what has more or less of these; some have nearly every difficulty to brook, while in other new settlements a good many of our necessary wants are easily ob. tained.

" In the first settling of Greene County, many had to encounter the fever and ague, chills and fever, and in some instances bilious fever, and without the assistance and relief of physicians, of which we are so abundantly blessed in these days.

" The first location was made in the fall of 1816, on the waters of Black Creek, by John Jessup and his family. He built a small log cabin near the western line of Greene County, and during the next winter or spring was joined by William Lemon and Thomas Smith. Smith re- mained but a short time, however, when he concluded to establish a ferry on White River, a short distance below the mouth of Eel River. His ferry-flat he constructed by having two long poplar sticks, in such man- ner and shape as to form of each one half a boat; these were firmly fastened together with cleats, and in such a manner as to form a good and substantial ferry boat, that lasted for several years. This ferry is continued to this day, and is still known by the name of Smith's Ferry, although Smith himself has been dead for many years, and his family nearly extinct.

" Lemon and Jessup soon followed Smith on to White River, and many others about this time also settled in the White River Valley.

" Some of the lands were purchased at the land sales at Vincennes, in the year 1816. Jonathan Lindley purchased the tract where the beauti- ful village of Worthington now stands, including the lofty site of Point Commerce. Solomon Dixon purchased that excellent tract just' below

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Fairplay, which is still owned by the Dixon family, I believe by William Dixon. Peter C. Vanslyke also purchased, at the land sales aforesaid, a tract of superior land, mostly river bottom, amounting to 800 or 1,000 acres, situated up and down the river, west of Bloomfield. These, with one or two others, perhaps, were the only tracts sold at the public sales; yet immediately after the close of the public sales, the purchases by pri- vate entries were numerous and continual. Many exciting races have been run from some part of Greene County to the land office, and even the darkness of night or the blasts of storm could not intercept the contest.

" I have mentioned the rames of Jessup, Lemon and Smith as early settlers. I might also, in the same list, mention Soebe, Shoemaker, San- ders, Stalcups, Watson, Dyer, Heshaw, Craig, Owens, Buskirk, Jackson, Kelshaw, Deem, Clark and Kelly. These, with a few others, located in the upper part of the county. Further down the river could be found Ingersoll, Fields, Wines, Howard, Shintaffer, Shafer, Hogue, Van Voorst, . Warnick, Van Slyke, Scott, Robinson, Gillum, Bradford, Fellows, Pearce, Faucett, Mason, Benham, Bogard, Barker, Bynum, O'Neal, Slinkard, Herrington, Stafford and Buckles.

"These, with a few others, may be styled the first settlers of Greene County. But previous to the organization of Greene County, Sullivan, extending east to White River, and Daviess, extending upon the east side of White River to the Owen County line, were in the territory before the organization of Greene County, which took place during the session of 1820-21. The emigration increased rapidly, and extended into every part of the county; but the east increased faster than the west side of the river. Timber and fine springs were in abundance on the east side to be found, while on the west, below Eel River, the timber was generally scant and dwarfish, and nearly or quite destitute of springs. These pri- vations and objections to a North Carolinian were insufferable obstacles, not to be encountered in settling a new country.

" The election held previous to the organization of Greene, and while we yet constituted a part of Sullivan, was at David Soebe's, where Rob. ert Inman now lives. It was the precinct of White River Township, and contained 200 square miles. The representative district included Knox, Sullivan, Vigo, Morgan, Owen and Daviess Counties, and sent three Representatives to the State Legislature.

" John McDonald, of Daviess County, George R. Sullivan, of Knox, and Gen. Sturges, of Vigo, were the candidates voted for in our town- ship, and they were elected. The other candidates I do not recollect, but I believe Gen. George W. Wasson, of Carlisle, in Sullivan County, was one of them. The Legislature at this time and for two or three years after met at Corydon, Harrison County. Jonathan Jennings was Governor, his term of office expiring at this time, he was succeeded by Gov. William Hendricks.

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" Besides the sickness of this new settlement, and this was by no means light, especially in the summer and fall of the year 1820, we were also destitute of mills for grinding our breadstuffs, excepting the hominy block and hand mills, which, by way of definite designation, were termed " Arm-strong's mill.". The grinding on either of these mills required the strength of a full-grown person, and as the operation was slow it made a repetition of hardships daily amounting in the aggregate to a very considerable sum of fatigue and hardship.

" Mechanics were but few and far between-their materials of poor quality and a short supply, so that many of us had for a table a broad piece of plank, a slab, top of a box or chest-and our bedsteads were in like manner, badly constructed in one corner of the cabin. Thus many inconveniencies were endured for several years, until by degrees we became inured and resigned to our destitutions and privations."

The early settlers, more particularly in Stockton Township, were Thomas Breece, Robert Harrah, William Osborn, John Osborn, old man Hale, M. Pool, Stephen Stone, J. Robinson, William Humphreys, Jesse Powell. William Ellis, Aquilla Moss and his boys Nathaniel, C. M., Stephen, W. G., J. J., Jeptha, Laban, D. H., Joseph and Elijah, and his girls Mary and Sarah, old man Goodman, Martin Wines, Wickliff Wines. William Stephens, Andrew Humphreys and many others.

ORGANIZATION.

Stockton Township, as it is now, was not created until many years had elapsed after the organization of the county. In 1821, at the first term of the first Board of County Commissioners. Richland Township comprised the present townships of Stockton, Grant, Fairplay and Rich- land. The first change made in this large township was in May, 1828, when all west of the river (now Fairplay, Grant and Stockton) were con- stituted Dixon Township. In August, 1829, the township of Dixon was divided into Fairplay and Black Creek Townships, the latter comprising the present Townships of Grant and Stockton. In January, 1830, the name Black Creek was changed to Stockton, in accordance with the sug- gestion of Wickliff Wines, who regarded the township one of the finest in the county for stock-range. Another account says the township derives its name from an under officer in one of the early American wars. The township kept its above last-named limits through all the years, until March, 1869, when Grant, having secured the railroad and the town of Switz City was created, since which time Stockton has had its present limits. The early elections were held at Fairplay, which was the oldest town in the county, and the names of the residents of the present Stock- ton Township, who served in these early years, will be found in the chapter on Richland Township. At the creation of the above described township of Dixon the following officers were appointed by the County

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Board-Jonathan B. Sanders, Inspector; Hiram Hayward, William Buckles and John Patton Road Supervisors; Ezekiel Herrington and Daniel Fields, Fence Viewers; Robert Harrah and Samuel Fields, Over- seers of the Poor; and elections were ordered held at the house of Hiram Hayward.

REMINISOENOES.

Upon the arrival of the first settlers, the township was one of the finest in the county. A considerable portion was quite level and was open prairie land, where herds of deer grazed on the rich grass which grew in profusion, often higher than a man's head. Other portions were more rolling and were covered with timber, through which all the varieties of wild animals of this latitude roamed. Several of the Mosses and others were experienced hunters. C. M. Moss has killed eight full-grown deer at four shots. Laban Moss was also a skillful deer hunter. On more than one occasion he killed two at one shot. Aquilla Moss was one of the first preachers. He was a hard-shell Baptist, and was a man of great force of character and commanded wide influence and unbounded respect from all who knew him. He was also a man of great hardihood, and could withstand the attacks of disease and encounter the inclemencies of the weather without injury or effect. Nathaniel Moss was also an early preacher, as were Nicholas Smith and Jonathan Jones. Among the first marriages were those of James Armstrong and Eveline Harrah, and William Osborn and Eleanor Wines. William Stephens, an eccentric old settler who had been with Gen. Jackson behind the cotton bales at New Orleans, was a famous story-teller, a sort of Peter Pindar, whose fund of anecdotes was inexhaustible. Hart's trace was the old trail from Smith's Ferry on White River, extending across Stockton Township to the old Shaker settlement near Carlisle. Nine Mile Prairie is said to have received its name from the fact that it was nine miles from Fairplay, the election precinct and the leading commercial point on the river at the time of the earliest settlement. Buck Creek took its name from the great number of very large bucks killed there one winter at the time of earliest settlement. Prairie fires were grand sights when the country was yet new. The grass grew so high that late in the fall, when it was dead and before it had fallen to the ground, or early in the spring, ere the new crop had commenced to grow, when a fire once started with a strong wind nothing could stop the whirlwind of flame and destruction; not even a heavy rainstorm. The advancing ranks of fire would come so rapidly that they often swept over the leaves far out into the surrounding woods. The old man Wines told of a race he once had from the flames. He was on a horse, which he had to put to its best pace for a couple of miles or more ere he had reached a place of safety. The flames would dart up twenty feet high, and were accompanied by a frightful atmospheric roar- ing, as the great area of heat would cause the air to rapidly ascend in

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circular columns of smoke. The first three schoolhouses built in the township were destroyed by fire. More than a dozen houses were simi- larly burned during the early years. The destruction of hay was a com- mon occurrence. No distillery of note ever operated in the township. Andrew Humphreys manufactured a small amount at an early day. He was an early blacksmith and Justice of the Peace, and has for years been one of the most eminent citizens of the county. His remarkable political career is described elsewhere.

LINTON.

This neat little village of enterprising, thrifty people, was founded really by Wickliff Wines. Before the town was thought of, John W. Wines sold goods in the township. This was as early as 1831, and per- haps earlier. It is said he afterward removed his goods to Fairplay. Wickliff Wines, the same, opened his store at Linton not far from 1837. He sold from a small stock of dry goods, groceries, hardware, drugs, no- tions, and soon afterward started a small horse mill to crack corn for the neighborhood. People then mostly ate meal instead of flour, and a home mill could crack the corn up fine enough for the pioneer mouth, and thus a long journey through bottomless roads to some distant water mill was avoided. This led to the demand for the horse mill of Mr. Wines. About the same time, also, he sunk a few vats, and began tanning deer and other hides. He dealt in furs, which, periodically, were taken away by French traders of Vincennes. In a short time the town, which was not yet a town, began to grow. It was not properly laid out and recorded until June, 1850, at which time Hannah E. Osborn and Isaac V. Cod- dington secured the services of the Courty Surveyor, and laid out forty lots on Section 23, Township 7 north, Range 7 west, and named the town Linton, for a gentleman living in Terre Haute, it is said. It had be- come quite a little village by this time, however.

MERCHANDISING.

Among the earliest merchants were Wickliff Wines, Henry String, William Osborn, Thomas Smith (who sold tinware), Thomas Ashley, Riggs & Ashley, John Ashley, Ashley & Osborn, Price Brothers, Humphreys & Aiken, Josiah Coddington and others. This brought it up to just before the last war of 1861-65. After this came Samuel Gray, Andrew Humphreys, and W. G. Moss (who had about $10,000 worth). Humphreys, Rector & Moss, Aiken & Son, William Baker, Price & Colton (about 1861), B. S. Sherwood (who sold goods for Holmes, of Louisville), John Klink, Henry Ramacher, J. F. Wood & Co., Ernest Stretelmyer, J. P. McIntosh, J. N. Yakey, Edwards Brothers, J. W. Wolford, Wolford & Yakey, Yakey & Law, Terhune & Humphreys, Cornelius & Osborn and others. The present business (February, 1884), may be classified as follows: General stores, J. W. Wolford & Son, Yakey & Law; drugs, J. B. Holson, Moss

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& Mos8; hardware and agricultural implements, Moss & Humphreys; groceries, C. E. Osborn and Moss & Moss; clothing and boots and shoes, J. B. Able; milliner, Mrs. S. E. Turner; barber, W. H. Andrews; cooper, W. H. Andrews; Blacksmiths, I. N. B. Hinman, H. M. Sherwood; livery, I. V. Buck; hotels, B. S. Sherwood and I. V. Buck; secret society, Ma- sonic; church, Methodist; grist mill, Watson & Bunting, east of town. Dr. J. M. Humphreys opened the first distinctive drug store. He was followed by O. P. Mckissick. McIntosh afterward took the trade. Dob. bins & Winder opened a hardware store in 1881; Graham soon took Win- der's place, and the latter, finally took the whole stock. Moss & Hum- phreys have the trade now. C. B. Kemp was in the drug business for a short time, as was also Robert Kirkham. Moss Brothers are his successora.

RESIDENTS AND INDUSTRIES.

In 1859, among the residents of the town, according to the hastily given, though excellent recollection of Mr. J. W. Wolford, were I. V. Coddington, farmer and blacksmith; Stephen Coddington, Isaiah Cod- dington, wagon-makers; Dr. A. J. Miller, W. M. Price, storekeepers; Thomas Mason, tanner; John Klink, cooper; Dr. W. F. Sherwood, James McClung, hotel keepers; Wilson Humphreys, merchant; Dr. J. M. Harrah, D. L. Osborn, farmers; Marcus Sperry, blacksmith; Thomas Smith, tavern keeper; Hiram Baker, farmer and carpenter; Rev. A. P. Forsythe and J. W. Wolford, wagon-makers. Before this the old tannery had long been running, and continued under several owners until about the time of the last war, when it was abandoned. I. V. Coddington bad made wagons before this date. At his best, he had four or five employes, and turned out about thirty finished vehicles per annum. F. M. & Alvin Owens made wagons quite extensively in the decade of the sixties. A carding mill had been operated in town a few years, beginning about the year 1851; Bledsoe & Jones had some claim on this mill. Its life, like that of very good little children is said to be, was brief. The present grist mill, east of town, was erected by the Armstrongs about twenty years ago. The building is two-storied, is 40x60, and has two sets of stone, one for wheat and one for corn. The old George Clayton Grist Mill on Beehunter Creek was erected late. in the forties, and ran a nee- ful career of eight or ten years. Among the physicians of the town have been Wood, Sherwood, Miller, Harrah, Jackson, Clark. The present doctors are B. A. Rose, E. T. Sherwood, Jesse Hanna and L. H. Dilley. Wickliff Wines was the first Postmaster, and William ( ornelius is the present agent. Linton is a good business point. The county fair ground is just east of town. The population is about 200.

An account of the Odd Fellows Lodge will be found in the sketch of Switz City, to where the lodge was removed. Linton Lodge, A., F. & A. M., No. 560, was created a few years ago. It worked under a dis-

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pensation from 1880 to 1882, and then secured its charter. Thomas Jones, J. W. Wolford, E. J. Jackson, were the leading members at the start. The lodge started with a membership of about thirteen, and now has about twenty- four. The first officers were E. J. Jackson, W. M; T. M. Jones, S. W .; J. W. Wolford, J. W .; T. A. Fairnot, Treasurer; and Henry Ramacher, Secretary. The lodge is in a prosperous condition.

SCHOOLS.

This is one of the townships where it is next to impossible to tell who taught the first school or where it was taught. They were so few and so scattering, and at the same time so unimportant, that they escaped attention and have passed hopelessly beyond the powers of recollection. An early school was taught by one of the Mosses, one by Harrah, one by Wines, and another by one of the Osborns. A log schoolhouse was built near Linton, just west of town, as early, it is said, as 1828. Two others were built soon afterward. It is said that Nathaniel Moss was the first teacher in the Osborn neighborhood. An early schoolhouse was built near the western border of the township, east or southeast of Dug- ger. Three log schoolhouses were standing in about 1832, all of which were burned by prairie fires set out by hunters to drive deer into the woods where they could be shot from concealment. Hiram Hayward and Daniel Fields were famous hunters, who resorted to this method to se- cure venison and backskins. The primitive log schoolhouse is well known. Round logs, hastily thrown up in a square about 16x16; a log left out on one side, over which greased paper was fastened to keep out the rain and cold, to admit light; a large fire-place occupying an entire end of the building, and a huge " cat and clay " chimney on the outside; rude clapboard desks and seats, and an almost entire absence of books. The Testament and Webster's Speller were indispensable to the early schools. Writing was done with a quill sharpened by the teacher. "Mend my pen " was an expression of frequent daily occurrence. A long, seasoned gad was always present. Spelling schools were numerous and famous. Young people would " ride double " miles to attend one, and would stand and spell and spell until midnight. Then came the ride home over the frosty earth, through the eager air. The old school- house at the cemetery west of Linton was used many years. It was suo- ceeded by a log structure erected in the eastern part of Linton in the forties. In 1859, a frame schoolhouse was erected, which was destroyed by fire the following year, after which the old house was used until soon after the close of the last war, when another frame house was built, in size about 20x28. Miss Julia Sheehy was the first teacher in this house. In 1882, the present two-storied frame schoolhouse in the southeastern part of town was erected, at a cost of $1,500. The building has two comfortable rooms-one above and one below. S. P. Carress was the first

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History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana, Part 26

Author: Goodspeed Bros. & Co. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Number of Pages: 901

Author: Goodspeed Bros. & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 901