History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana, Part 69

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 69
USA > Indiana > Sullivan County > History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana > Part 69

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).

Since that period very prosperous schools have been maintained in this building during almost the entire year. When the town school year closes, the Principal and others organize for a term of normal training, which has been very successful and very beneficial to those availing themselves of its privileges. During the last three years this school has acquired a great regularity and a high state of excellence under the su- perintendence of Prof. O. J. Craig, Prof. Craig having been given a po- sition in Purdue University. Prof. J. C. Black is the present Superin- tendent. The acting Trustees at present are T. K. Sherman and Murray Briggs.

MERCHANTS OF THE PAST.

From the year 1848, when the few merchants of Sullivan had just made their start in the mercantile trade, until 1884, of course quite a 38

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number of changes have occurred in this business, but perhaps fewer than is customary in a period of time of this length, of the early mer- chants, John Bridwell was quite a successful one, accumulating quite a good estate from a very small beginning. Another of the successful merchants of Sullivan, who had removed from this place, was William Wilson. Many others have been in this business here for. longer or shorter periods, some of these, George Parks, James Reed, H. K. Wilson, Price Bros., L. Stewart, Joseph L. Merrill, M. E. Chace, James Kel- ley, W. B. Ogle & Co., George Manwarring, W. G. Hinkle, Charles Scott, Thompson Bros., J. W. Wolfe, John Giles & Sons, M. B. Wilson & Bro. and others. Many of the present merchants have been in this business for years, and are recognized as fixtures therein.

THE PRESENT BUSINESS.

The improvement or growth of the merchandising of the town has not been rapid as compared with some towns or cities, but has been reg- ular and continuous, conducted at present as follows:

Dry goods-W. G. Young & Co., T. K. Sherman & Son, George Parks & Co., Gill & Royse.

Hardware, farming implements, etc. - Jake F. Hoke, Davis, Engle & Davis, Brewer & Burton.

Family groceries-Mason Bros., Carrithers Bros., Wilkey & Allen, Curry & Curry, R. H. Crowder & Co., Whitman & Whitman, W. Whit- man, Squire Draper, Edmond Leach, B. Koltinsky.

Furniture-Crawley & Mckinley, Brewer & Burton.

Sadlery and harness-J. P. Stratton. M. Kirkham & Son, Crowder Bros., S. Shalter.

Clothing-Solomon Goodman, MoCammon & Wolfe, M. Clanahan & Brocaw, J. B. Abell.

Boots and shoes-Troll & Burks, Miles & Crowder, J. W. Hinkle, Nelson Wilkey.

Confectioners-J. A. Ritter, J. C. Ridge, W. C. Barrett, E. L. Allen. Queensware and glassware-Whitmam & Whitman.

Millinery and fancy notions-Mrs. A. M. Knotts.

Drugs, etc .- Crowder & Reed, Jamison & Marlow, William H. Burks, Weir & Reed, Mayfield & Co.

Three barber shops-Jethro Bass, J. B. Allen, Charles T. Bass.

PLANING MILLS AND LUMBER YARDS.

J. F. Hoke and A. B. Stansil, proprietors. A. B. Stansil, manager.

In addition to a planing mill business, they deal in shingles and lath, and contract for the erection of buildings. They work some 500,000 feet of lumber yearly. The mill was built in 1870, by William Green- lee, Craven Reed and John H. Robertson. Mr. Reed lost his life by injuries from a buzz saw in the mill, soon after its completion.

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Greenlee & Robertson ran the mill until 1875, when A. B. Stansil bought Greenlee's interest, and he and Robertson ran it-until 1879, when J. F. Hoke became the sole owner. Mr. Robertson ran it one year for him, when Mr. Stansil took his place, and in the spring of 1881, took an interest in it again, and is running it in his own and Mr. Hoke's interest.

James Devol & Sons have a planing mill, and Albert Hopewell has a lumber yard, on the northwest corner of Section and Jackson streets. Good, well seasoned lumber may be obtained here in any quantity desired. and will be dressed by Devol & Sons, and worked into any form to suit the fancy of the builder. Mr. Devol is a genius, and it has become a proverb " If you have a job that no one else can do, take it to Devol." He and his sons have a repair machine shop and gunsmith shop on his planing mill lot, and are prepared to do all kinds of work in this line.

Barney Saucerman is a pioneer gunsmith of this county; has his shop on Beech street, near Broad street. Mr. Saucerman makes an elegant new gun, or does any kind of repairs in this line.

WOOLEN FACTORY.

S. Brunger, W. E. Aydelotte and J. W. Brunger, south of the E. & T. Hdepot. This mill was built in 1864, by Jewett Bros .; they ran it for two years, and then left it on the hands of Chauncy Rose, of Terra Haute, who furnished the money for its erection. Hill & Milner then ran it for a time. Hill then sold to Philip Thurman, and he and Milner con- tinned to run it. George L. Speak bought Milner's interest, and he and Thurman ran it for two years; then Speak bought Thurman's interest and ran it alone until 1877; then let it stand idle one year. In 1879, Brunger and Whipps (George) and Aydelotte bought it, and have done good work with it ever since. In 1880, J. W. Brunger bought Mr. Whipps' interest. The Brungers are natives of Canada; came to Ohio in 1852, to Sullivan in March, 1879; have been in (this business all their lives. Mr. Aydelotte dates in Kentucky, 1850; came to Sullivan in 1880. They manufacture yarns, flannels, jeans, blankets, etc. Their factory has a capacity of 80,000 pounds of wool per year.

Merchant and exchange flouring mill. James S. Reid and James T. Reid, North Section street. This mill was built in 1850, by Solomon Walls, M. E. Chace and James W. Hinkle. In 1855, James S. Reid moved from Pleasantville and bought the interest of Chace, and soon after that of Walls, and he and Hinkle ran it until 1872, when J. T. Reid bought Hinkle's interest, and in 1874, sold to his father. In 1880, he again bought a half interest of his father. In the spring of 1881, they shut down and spent in additions and repairs $18,000. They have one run of corn stones, three run of wheat stones and two sets of patent roll- ers. This mill has now all the latest and most improved machinery for

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manufacturing the finest grades of flour. Mr. James S. Reid is one of the pioneers. He was born in North Carolina, July 22, 1802; moved with his parents to Jefferson County, Ky., in 1808, and to Indiana, this county, about the close of 1819. There are in Sullivan three good flour- ing mills.

George Bauer & Son, merchant and exchange flouring mill, south of the E. & T. H. depot. This mill was first built at Scottsville, near Car- lisle, by A. Van Fossen, and moved by him to Sullivan in 1865, and sold to Mr. Neal in 1866. , It has been changed and added to so often by Mr. Neal, that little or nothing of the old mill remains. In the fall of 1882, he made extensive changes, converting it into a complete roller mill, with eleven sets of rollers, and capacity of 175 barrels of flour per day. In the latter part of 1883, Mr. Neal sold to Messrs. Bauer.

Flouring mill of Jetson and Thomas Eaton and Charles Parks, on the northeast corner of Section and Jackson streets. This was a little mill built several years ago by John Whitman. After changing its ownership a number of times during the year 1883, the present company became associated in its ownership, and in the summer and fall of that year razed it to the ground, and thoroughly reconstructed it, putting in new and improved machinery, and now do first-class work.

RURAL MACHINE WORKS.

Stationary or portable engines, mill machinery, coal shaft machinery, reapers, mowers, threshers, cane mills, etc., repaired, chilled plows sharp- ened, gas and steam pipe cutting and fitting, etc., otc .; shop near the E. & T. H. depot; Rost & Heiny, proprietors.

MARBLE . AND GRANITE WORKS.

P. McEneney, proprietor, manufacturer and dealer in all kinds of plain and ornamental cemetery work, monuments, columns, urns, Vases, spires, tombe, and head stones, made of the finest grade of Italian and American marble.

Sullivan has two carriage factories, both making very elegant and substantial work. E. J. C. Hilderbrand, on Court street, south of W. G. Young's store, makes the very finest grade of work, in carriages, phaetons, etc., in style to suit the most fastidious, or the lower priced to suit the customer, in solid work.

J. H. Welling, north of Sullivan, builder of fine carriages, buggies, phaetons and spring wagons, builds his work in very tasty and neat styles, and is thoroughly modern, and up with the times. John B. Gouldy, manufacturer and jobber of tinware, roofing, spouting, gutter- ing, etc .; shop on Court street, opposite Davis' hardware store.

Two professional and practical dentists-Dr. W. T. Allison, office second story, No. 13, west side, extracting, filling and putting in teeth. Dr. William Bucher, over No. 8, south side, also doing the various kinds

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of dental work. John Shields, west of Sullivan, grower of sweet potatoes and all other vegetable plants in their season.

BRICK AND TILE YARDS.

There have been some three or four brick yards vigorously run for several years in the immediate vicinity of Sullivan, supplying this de- mand with brick, though not so smooth as those made in some localities, yet, when well burned, of a hardness and tenacity that will cause them to last for generations. Present brick yard firms: Willoughby Nichols, J. B. Clark, Orr Brothers and Chrisman Brothers. The latter firm, Jo and Harvey Chrisman, whose shackles fell off in Kentucky, during the war of the rebellion, allowing them to make brick in their own interest, now own their residences, their own brick yard and implements, and a good farm in the vicinity of the town.

Pollock Brothers have a tile factory by the coal shaft, near the E. & T. H. depot. They use fire or potter's clay from under the first vein of coal, 210 feet below the surface, which makes the best quality of drain or sewer tile; is of a buff color until taking a salt glaze. This clay is well adapted to making roofing, tile or terra cotta ware.

It is impossible in a sketch of this kind to give every business the notice and description to which it might be entitled. Most of the busi- nese firms mentioned herein are in good two story brick buildings, inclos- ing the square on the north, west and south. The hardware houses are commodious, with very extensive warerooms, contiguous to them. So of most other of the business houses, they would be very creditable in any city. And according to estimate just taken, their stock in trade is of the aggregate value of $250,000.

COAL SHAFTS.

One coal shaft opened near the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad depot, by Hanford Bros., reaching two inexhaustible veins of good coal at 210 and 260 feet. This mine went into the hands of the Shelburn Coal Company August 19, 1879, and Hugh Moore is the local managing agent. Many other coal shafts are being sunk in the vicinity, as the ge- ological report of this county will show, and the almost inexhaustible mine of wealth in the coal beds underlying almost this entire county.

SAW MILLS.

There have been a number of saw mills in this vicinity. The first on the brow of the hill on North Section street, an inclined tread-wheel, run by ox or horse power, built by Elias Albertson for Solomon Walls, and sawing but a few hundred feet per day. Afterward, those propelled by steam, sawing great quantities of lumber, by A. F. Riley, W. H. Power, W. C. & R. M. Griffith, Curtises, Perkins and others, but these have all been discontinued or followed the timber into the interior of the country.

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THE SULLIVAN BANKS.

The first banking business in the town was done in the fifties, by one or more of the merchants, who issued a limited quantity of " shinplasters," owing to the great scarcity of small change at the time. This money, if such it can be properly called, circulated quite readily, first at par, but later at a steadily increasing discount. It was convenient, however, even if it was dangerous to handle, for it could not be told at night that it would be worth a picayune the next morning. Much of it was never re- deemed, and was a loss to the holders.

The Sullivan County Bank, the oldest institution of the kind in the county, is situated at the southwest corner of the public square; W. H. Crowder, President; George R. Dutton, Cashier; James M. Lang, Clerk; capital stock and surplus, $114,000. William H. Crowder, Jake F. Hoke, John H. Wilson, David Crawley, Joshua Dix, William Dix and O. H. Crowder constitute the partnership. W. H. Crowder and G. R. Dutton have both grown up with Sullivan; Mr. Crowder in the hardware and im- plement trade principally, and Mr. Dutton in the grocery trade. They were well known, and their business reputations well established, before they engaged in banking; and the stockholders in this bank are of the most reliable men of this community.

The Farmers' State Bank, John Giles, President; M. P. Wilson, Cash- ier; W. E. Crawley and C. R. Hinkle, Clerks; Dr. J. R. Hinkle, W. G. Young, John Giles and M. P. Wilson, Directors; capital stock and sur- plus, $61,000. In 1870, the Sullivan County Bank was founded, and in 1872 merged into the First National Bank. In 1875, a bank of Vigo County was moved to Sullivan, and in 1877, the Farmers' National Bank was founded, the First National having gone into voluntary liquidation. In December, 1883, the Farmers' National Bank was changed to the Farmers' State Bank, the Directors declining to pay the premium neces- sary to procure United States bonds upon which to operate as a National Bank, their former bonds having been called for redemption. The bank is situated at the northwest corner of the square. The bank and its Pres- ident have the utmost confidence of the county.

The effect of the present reliable currency, both the greenback and other issues by the United States, and the currency of the National Banks secured by Government bonds, as compared with the former currency of individual banks under the laws of the State, the value of which could not be determined a day beforehand, whether it would be one hundred per cent, fifty per cent, twenty-five per cent, or less, has been very healthy upon the financial transactions of the country.

NEWSPAPERS.

One of the most remarkable men that has ever . published a paper in Sullivan County was John W. Osborn, the history of whose life and

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labors we gather principally from a sketch by his son-in-law, Judge S. B. Gookins, who terms him the pioneer editor of the Wabash Valley, and we would add, cne of the pioneer editors of this continent. He was born at St. John, New Brunswick, February 7, 1794. Prior to the war of 1812, he was associated with Col. Joseph Wilcox in publishing the Upper Canada Guardian and Freeman's Journal. His love of liberty and his belief in the justice of the American cause prompted him, on the breaking out of the war of 1812, to leave country and friends (father, brothers, and others of his family, being in high military positions in the British Government), and cross to the United States, and join the American Army.

At the close of this service, we find him taking charge of and pub. lishing the Cortland Republican, in Cortland County, N. Y., until 1816. During this time he was an ardent and devoted advocate of the United States Government.

In 1817, in a trip of almost two months, in company with Lucius H. Scott, he wended his way from New York State to Vincennes, then the far West, in the new State of Indiana, arriving on the 6th of June. He entered the office of the Western Sun, the first paper published in Indi ana, by Elihu Stout. He soon secured the charge of this office, and be- came the champion of the rights of the colored man, as well as of the white man, as many in this vicinity had held their slaves until this time, and the Constitution of this new State now prohibited slavery.

The effort was now being made to still hold and run them to the Southern States, and realize all the profit possible out of them. He and others defended the colored man; carried the question to the Supreme Court, and obtained a decision which forever set at rest the question of slavery in Indiana.

On the 21st of July, 1823, Mr. Osborn issued the first number of the Terre Haute Register, the first paper published in that village. In 1834, Mr. Osborn published the Ploughboy, in Greencastle, and a small tem- perance paper called the Temperance Advocate; which he enclosed gra- tuitously to all the subscribers, to the Ploughboy.

This was the first temperance paper published in the West. He also becomes here an ardent advocate of liberal education, and is made one of the first Trustees of Ashbury University. In 1838, we find Mr. Os- born at Indianapolis, publishing the Indiana Farmer and Stock Register, and continuing his temperance paper.

Upon the breaking-out of the war of the rebellion in 1861, Father Osborn takes his place in Sullivan, publishing a small war campaign paper, called the Stars and Stripes, doing valiant service in the cause of his country, and for the perpetuity of the Federal Union. How wonder- ful and how grand, the life and the labors of this noble, yet modest man. In labora, abundant. For a full half century constantly battling, and

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that often in the face of bitter and violent opposition, for justice, for liberty, for the good of the farmer and the stock-raiser, for every moral and social reform, for temperance, for education, and in this, his seventh and last enterprise of this kind, as we have traced them, which is the perfect number, for the life of the greatest and best government the world has ever known. This . battle fought, the Stars and Stripes was discontinued. Since the 12th of November. 1866, Father Osborn rests from his labors at Greencastle, Ind.

The Sullivan Democrat was started in August, 1854, by James M. Mayes, of Vincennes, Ind., who issued but one number, when it fell into the hands of a printer by the name of Samuel Farley, who issued two numbers. In October, 1854, the present editor, Murray Briggs, bought the material, and has issued the Democrat without intermission ever since. Mr. Briggs is from Newark, Ohio, and while probably not the . oldest editor in the State, he has been with the Democrat longer than has any other editor been with any other one paper. Much of the time since 1854, the Democrat has been without opposition or competition in the county, a circumstance which has made it a valuable property. The present proprietors and publishers are Murray Briggs & Son. The Sul- livan Democrat first appeared as a five-column folio, but had been en- larged at different times until it was of a respectable size for a town of the population and business of Sullivan. In 1869, a cylinder press was put in the office, and in 1881, steam was introduced. In June, 1883, the paper was changed to a semi-weekly, in which form it has since regularly appeared, giving fresher local news to its patrons, and being the first departure from the weekly publication in the county. Office on the north side of the public square.

The Sullivan County Union is owned and published by our worthy Post- master, U. Coulson, and is the organ of the Republican party of the county. It was started in the county by Isaac M. Brown, of Terre Haute, in September, 1867, and by him sold to U. Coulson in November, 1872. By Coulson sold to James A. Hays in 1874, and by Hays to U. Coulson again in 1883. The Union being the organ of the Republican party, is one of the institutions of the county, and a valuable property. Office over the Sullivan County Bank, at the southwest corner of the court house square.

The Sullivan Times newspaper occupies the second floor of Masonio building. The Times was started by George W. Basler as The True Democracy, February 4, 1878. In April, 1881, he sold to the present proprietor, Dr. J. C. Bartlett, from Marietta, Ohio, who issued his first number May 7, 1881, and changed the name to that it now bears. The present proprietor, in June, 1882, traded the old presses for new ones. A Prouty-power and a Universal jobber have added very largely in types and other appliances, thus making the Times office one of the best equipped country offices in the State.

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About the year 1874, M. B. Crawford and Samuel Marts conducted a small weekly newspaper in Sullivan called The Banner, of general and local news, and in the interest of the Grangers. They sold an interest in it to William Eckles. In 1875, Stark & Evans were the proprietors, ran it for a short time, when it was discontinued. Other short-lived papers have been issued at the county seat.

CHAPTER XI.

BY JAMES W. HINKLE.

SULLIVAN CONTINUED-THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH -THE CHRIS- TIAN CHURCH-THE BAPTIST CHURCH-THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH- THE CATHOLIC CHURCH-THE SONS OF TEMPERANCE-THE ODD FEL- LOWS-THE MASONS-INCORPORATION-OFFICERS-POPULATION-POST- MASTER-STREETS AND SIDEWALKS-CONCLUSION.

T THERE are in Sullivan five Christian Church organizations, each with its own house of worship, to wit: The Methodist Episcopal, the Presbyterian and Reformed Christian have erected good brick buildings, the Baptist and Roman Catholic, frame buildings. We will give here a sketch of each of these churches, furnished principally by the pastors thereof.

The first church erected in Sullivan was the Methodist, in 1846. The following sketch is by the Rev. J. A. Scamahorn. The history of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Sullivan is like the history of the Methu- dist Episcopal Church elsewhere. Wherever there were men and women to be saved, there went the inevitable circuit rider, with his saddle-bags, Bible and hymn book, carrying words of cheer and comfort to the be- liever, and forgiveness and peace to repentants. So when the people of Sullivan concluded to build a town, and make it the county seat of Sul- livan County, and build a house as a court of justice, the fathers of the church concluded to build a house, and proclaim from its altars mercy to dying men.

And when the town was almost a wilderness, with scarcely one hun - dred inhabitants, under the superintendence of the Rev. James R. Will- iams a good frame church was erected on the west side of the public square in 1846. This good work was performed by a few of the pioneer fathers of civilization and of Methodism-such as Jordan Peter, who . came to this vicinity in 1818; Solomon Walls, who came to this vicinity in 1819; M. E. Chace, Reuben Crapo, et al, a little later. These and a few others, by their own personal labors, did most of the work in build.

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ing said church. Reuben Crapo furnished all the hewed timbers, the balance of the lumber sawed almost entirely by hand with the whip-saw, then the most of the carpenter work was done by themselves, led by their pastor. Prior to this the little band had been worshiping in pri -. vate houses, and in the County Seminary. On the completion of this house began a new era in Methodism in Sullivan County, and especially in the town of Sullivan.

Father Chace had organized the first Sunday school in the town in the seminary, consisting of six white and two colored scholars. The society then numbered about twenty-five members. From that time to the present the church has had a steady growth, with but little internal discord or external strife. Many strong and true men and women have fought in her ranks; have helped her to gain victories; have laid down their armor and taken their harps and crowns and are shouting on the hosts of the church militant to greater deeds of triumph, and greater victories over sin and Satan.

The following are some of the ministers who have served this church as pastors during these years of toil and triumph: James R. Williams, Elijah Burroughs, William Stevenson, William Bratton, E. E. Rose, A, W. Shively, A. Wright, M. W. Benton, Jesse Williams, R. B. Spencer, William H. Cornelius, Rev. O. Fling, J. B. Hamilton, William Erwin, Jesse Walker, John Hancock, R. L. Cushman, A. Turner, W. McK. Hester, J. H. Ketcham, William Maginnis, E. Haws, H. Gilmore, F. C. Igleheart, W. P. Armstrong, W. E. Davis, R. B. Martin, J. A. Ward, and the pres- ent pastor, John S. Scamahorn.

From a membership of twenty five in 1846, the church has now upon its rolls over 300. The Sunday school has increased from eight to over 200. M. E. Chace was the Superintendent for some five years, when James W. Hinkle was elected Superintendent, and served in that capac- ity almost continuously for over twenty-five years. Prof. O. J. Craig for two years. The present Superintendent is J. W. Royse.

The official members of this church are: Trustees, J. P. Stratton, W. R. Crowder, J. R. Hinkle, J. F. Hoke, R. A. Bland, J. T. Reid, M. O. Parks, M. H. Eaton and A. B. Stansil.

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History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana, Part 69

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

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