USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 10
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"To the Honorable Board of County Commissioners of Hancock County : Greeting: We, the undersigned subscribers, citizens of Brandywine Township in said county do labor under many disadvantages for the want of roads being opened through our county. Therefore we pray your honors to grant us a road in the manner following, viz: to commence at the southwest corner of Section 32 in Township 15. North of Range 7 East, thence to Sweem's Mill
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIAN.A.
on Brandywine Creek, thence to the southwest corner of Isaac Roberts land. thence with said Robert's west line to the northwest corner, thence the nearest and best way to the Town of Greenfield for which your petitioners in duty bound will ever pray.
"Signed. etc., June 19th, 1828.
"OTHINIEL H. SWEEM. "JARED CHAPMAN, AND OTHERS."
Two petitions came up for consideration on the 12th day of August. 1828. and asked for the construction of a road from Greenfield to Anderson Town :
"We the undersigned petitioners do think it beneficial to have a county road opened from Greenfield to Anderson .Town and under this consideration we the undersigned do petition the respected County Commissioners of Han- cock for the grant of a road commencing at the National Road south at the west side of B. Spilman's first choice Block, thence the nearest and best route to the Northeast corner of the northwest quarter of Section 18, in Range 7. Township 16. thence the nearest and best route to north line of Hancock County on the direction of Anderson Town. Signed etc ..
"\. WILSON AND OTHERS.'
On May 4, 1829. it was ordered by the board that on a petition presented to said board by George Worthington and others: "Road to commence on the south line of the county as near Michael Murnan's mill as the situation of the ground will permit, running thence on the nearest and best route to George Worthington's, thence to William Pierson's Mill, thence on the nearest and best route to intersect the contemplated State Road from Greenfield to An- (lerson town on the East Side of Sugar Creek."
On the same day a "Settlement on Buck Creek" presented a petition. signed by John Shirley and others, praying for a road "to commence at or near the Mill of William Pierson on Sugar Creek in said County, from thence in a westward direction to the settlement on Buck Creek, thence in a south westward direction until it intersects the Centerville State Road near the house of Samuel Fuller."
On AAugust 9. 1830. Joseph Chapman and others, filed the following petition :
"To the Honorable Commissioners of Hancock County: Gentlemen, we. your petitioners, pray your Honorable body to grant an order for a county road to begin at the south side of Greenfield where the State Road from Shel- byville to Fort Wayne leaves the same, thence the nearest and best way to Joseph Thomas, thence the nearest and best way to William Murnan's on the
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GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.
Brookville State Road, thence with said road to the corner between John Suod- grass, Senior, and William Murnan, thence to the corner between Esom Thomas and Elias Truett at the old State Road, Gentlemen, grant this and we, your petitioners, will ever pray at the same time," etc.
On that day the following petition for a highway by George Anderson and others was acted upon :
"To the Honorable County Commissioners of Hancock County, we your petitioners beg your honors to grant us a county road to commence and end as follows, to-wit :- Commencing at the east side of William Murnan's land on the Rushville State Road, thence the nearest and best way to John Baker's and from thence to Greenfield, the county seat of said county, we further rep- resent to your honors that there is at this time a petition in circulation for a road to commence and end near the same point but as this will be on the nearest and best ground and the most beneficial to the public. we beg your deliberation," etc.
At the January term, 1831. Jacob Zumwalt filed the following petition which was acted upon :
"It is ordered by the Board that the following petition presented to the Board by Jacob Zumwalt and others praying for a road to commence and run as follows, to-wit: Commencing at or near Sweem's and Stephen's Mill on Brandywine Creek, thence in a southwestward direction until it strikes the section line dividing sections 17 and 20, thence with said line west as near the situation of the ground will admit, to the south west corner of William Thomas' land, thence the nearest and best route to Bellus' Mill on Big Sugar Creek, thence the nearest and best route to intersect the Brookville State Road at or near James Parker's," etc.
At the same term a petition was also presented by Allen Simpson and others for a road "beginning at the Brookville State Road on the line between sections 28 and 29 and running the nearest and best way to Joseph Thomas. from thence to Greenfield."
At the May term. 1831, the following petition was presented to the board by David Temple and others asking for the following highway along Six Mile creek :
"We, the undersigned do petition to the Honorable, the Board of Com- missioners, doing county business in Hancock County, Indiana, praying for the granting of a County Road leading up Six Mile and running up through Josiah Vanmeter's land up the east side of main Creek until Benjamin Fort's corner adjoining James Bartlow's, and thence through his land and through Jackson's lands along up the west side of the Main Creek. on the most suitable (8)
HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIAN.1.
ground and thence through John Catt's land and so on to intersect the Ander- sontown road on the west side of the creek on the most suitable ground." etc.
Following is a petition presented by Levi Leary and others at the Sep- tember term, 1831, of the board of county commissioners, asking for a highway from Pierson's mill, to the northeast part of what is now Center township :
"We the undersigned citizens of Hancock County, to the Honorable the Commissioners of said county, now in session whereas we deem it necessary to have a road from William Pierson's Mill to the northeast corner of Section 15, Township 16, North, Range 7 East, beginning at said mill thence running the nearest and best route to the south of James Reeves' land. thence with said lane to the section line north of the school section, thence following said line to said corner aforesaid-and we your petitioners do ever pray. etc.
"May 28th, 1831.
"LEVI LEARY AND OTIIERS "TWELVE LAWFUL SUBSCRIBERS."
At the November term. 1831, the board made the following entry in rela- tion to another in Jackson township :
"Petition from James Bartlow, Andrew Jackson and others following, to-wit: Commencing at the National Road on the section line between John Burris and Samuel Thompson and running up the line until the brakes of the west fork of six miles, thence by John Fort's east of Benjamin Fort's orchard and so on up to the west side of the creek on the most suitable ground, and thence on east of James Dennis' to intersect his land and running west until his meadow and thence running north through Samuel Dille's land, and thence running past the northeast corner of the school section and thence to intersect the county road running on the west side of the school section on the most suitable ground. Signed, James Bartlow and others."
At the March term. 1832, the board ordered "that a road be located be- ginning at the county line near John Jackson's, where a road from the falls of Fall creek cross the county line, thence the nearest and best way to William Curry's of Brandywine township."
CHANGES IN LOCATION OF HIGHWAYS.
No attempt is being made here to give a full history of the construction of all the early roads in the county, nor even to give a full history of the con- struction of any of them. The foregoing petitions have been inserted for the purpose of illustrating the general plan of making connections with the roads that were important to the early settlers. It is needless to say that as soon as the forest began to disappear and the land was put under cultiva-
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GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.
tion, these roads, running at various angles across the county, made it very in- convenient to cultivate many of the farms. As soon as fields of any size were cleared, the farmers began to feel the inconvenience of the location of these highways, and they began petitioning for changes in their location. The first of such petitions was presented to the board on January 7. 1833. and is in the following words :
"To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of Hancock County, whereas I wish to cultivate a portion of my land on the east township of the northeast quarter of section 31. range 8, township 15, north, through which a County Road runs angling, I do pray a change of said road as follows to commence at the northeast corner of said lot thence south a few poles thence in a westward direction to said road again, and I do further wish said Board to appoint Viewers for that purpose.
"FESTUS HALL."
A member of such petitions were filed following this date, but we offer just one more, which was presented to the board at the September term. 1835 : "To the Honorable the Board of Commissioners of Hancock County. In- diana, we, your petitioners, citizens of Buck Creek Township in said County do humbly pray your honorable Body to grant us a change in the road leading from the National Road on Buck Creek to William Pierson's Mill on Sugar Creek, whereas the said road now runs on a line due north one mile and one- half, then angles through a number of farms to the injury of those wishing to improve their land, therefore we pray a change in said road." etc. .
Between the January term, 1833, and the May term. 1838, twenty-five petitions were filed with the board of county commissioners, asking for changes in the location of highways. These petitions continued to be filed for years to come. From 1850 to 1860, thirty-three changes in the location of highways were petitioned for, as indicated by the indexes of the county com- missioners' records. It was not until after the Civil War that our roads were all generally located on section lines as we now find them.
TURNPIKE COMPANIES.
All that has been said in connection with the great improvement made in the drainage of the county immediately following the Civil War. can also be said of road construction during the same period. Up to this time roads had been laid out and graded, but very little had been done in the way of building substantial road beds. Across low places, trees and logs were fre- quently placed in the road to make passage possible during wet weather. In
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
1852 a law was passed by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana pro- viding for the incorporation of gravel road or turnpike companies. Some amendments were made to this law, but in the main it provided that com- panies could subscribe capital stock, improve highways, and then maintain the same by collecting toll from people who used the roads. This brought in the era of "toll gates," which are still familiar even to the middle aged. A number of turnpike companies were organized in Hancock county under this law. From 1865-1882, forty or more highways, from one to twelve miles in length, were improved under this system. Highways leading to the towns were usually selected for improvement, and during the decade or more follow- ing the Civil War it was practically impossible to reach any town in the county without having to pass a "toll gate" and pay the fee for the upkeep of the road. The "toll gates" were usually built near the edge of towns or at such points at which the greatest number of people passed. At nearly all of them sweeps were built which were kept down except when vehicles passed. The most of them had a small porch adjoining the road, from which the "toll keeper" received the fee, usually ranging from three cents to a dime or fif- teen cents, depending upon the length of the road and the distance over which the traveler passed.
A great number of people took stock and were financially interested in these roads. The names of the principal turnpike companies, with the dates of their incorporation, are inserted. The names of the companies will in most instances indicate the location of the roads :
Hancock Gravel Road Company (National road) 1864
Greenfield and Brandywine Gravel Road Company 1865
Eden and Pendleton Turnpike Company 1865
Greenfield and Western Grove Turnpike Company 1867
Fortville, Pendleton and Eden Junction Turnpike Company 1867
Barnard and Troy Gravel Road Company 1867
Greenfield and Pendleton Gravel Road Company 1867
Northwestern Gravel Road Company
Markleville and Knightstown Gravel Road Company
McCordsville and Eden Gravel Road Company
Charlottesville and Brandywine Gravel Road Company
1869
Brandywine Gravel Road Company 1869
Brandywine and Greenfield Junction Gravel Road Company 1869
Prairie Branch Gravel Road Company
Western Grove Gravel Road Company
Hancock and Hamilton Gravel Road Company .1872
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GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.
McCordsville and Clarksville Turnpike Company 1872
McCordsville and Buck Creek Gravel Road Company 1872
Greenfield and New Palestine Gravel Road Company 1873 New Palestine and Eastern Gravel Road Company 1873
New Palestine Gravel Road Company IS73
Doe Creek Gravel Road Company I873
Woodville and Markleville Turnpike Company I873
Sugar Creek and Philadelphia Turnpike Company 1874
Leamon's Gravel Road Company 1874
German Gravel Road Company I874
Jackson and Center Township Turnpike Company I 874
Hancock and Shelby Gravel Road Company
1874
Philadelphia and New Palestine Gravel Road Company 1875
Greenfield and Sugar Creek Gravel Road Company 1876
Center and Brandywine Township Gravel Road Company 1876
Anderson and Warrington Junction Turnpike Company 1878
Sugar Creek and Fortville Gravel Road Company I878
Buck Creek Gravel Road Company IS82
These roads were operated for a number of years, but in most instances were not very profitable to the stockholders. In 1882 a petition was filed with the board of county commissioners requesting the county to take over the "toll roads" and make them "free gravel roads." An election was held in April. 1882, but the movement was defeated. In the spring election of 1888 the question was again submitted to all voters of the county as to whether the "toll roads" should be made "free gravel roads" by purchase, or whether they should remain "toll roads." In this election the proposition of purchas- ing the "toll roads" was again defeated.
On August 13, 1889, another special election was held to determine whether the "toll roads" should be purchased. In this election the movement was successful and the following roads were purchased by the county at the prices indicated :
Hancock Gravel Road Company's road $7.500.00
Greenfield and Pendleton Gravel Road Company's road 2,275.00
Greenfield and New Palestine Gravel Road Company's road 1.650.00 Greenfield and Brandywine Gravel Road Company's road 2,622.50 Sugar Creek and Fortville Gravel Road Company's road 2,665.00 Center and Brandywine Gravel Road Company's road 720.00 Doe Creek Gravel Road Company's road 1,217.75
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIAN.I.
The purchase of the Prairie Branch Gravel Road Company's road was defeated in this election, whereupon the directors at once surrendered their charter and their road was made a part of the "free gravel road" system with- out cost to the county. The greater number of the "toll roads" had already surrendered their charters and the few that remained were soon given over by the directors. The New Palestine and Eastern Gravel Road Company seems to have been the last to surrender its charter. This was done at a special meeting of the board of commissioners, November 22. 1894. At this time there were between one hundred and twenty-five and one hundred and fifty miles of free gravel roads in the county. From time to time additions were made to this mileage by the improvement of other roads.
"THREE-MILE ROADS."
The next great improvement in road building came with the passage of the "Three-Mile Road" law in 1905. During the summer of 1906 a number of petitions were filed with the board of county commissioners in accordance with the provisions of this law, and a vast amount of money was expended by the county during the next few years in road construction. Following is a list of the roads that were improved under this law and under the "county line" road law, beginning in 1907. The bond issue for the construction of each road is also given :
BUCK CREEK TOWNSIIIP.
Roads
Bond Issue Date of bond issue.
James M. Evans et al Road
$ 6.120.00
August 5. 1908
James F. McCord et al Road
1.640.00
March 1, 1909
Franklin Steele et al Road No. I
9.663.60
January 4, 1909
Franklin Steele et al Road No. 2
8,156.40
December 7. 1908
Samuel Wallace et al Road
9.820.00
March 1, 1909
John N. Dobbins et al Road
7,220.00
March 1. 1909
Edward Eastes et al Road
5.840.00
March 1, 1909
Daniel Fisher et al Road
5.760.00
March 1. 1909
* James F. McCord et al Road
3.980.00
December 8. 1908
John R. Williams et al Road
6,000.00
January 1. 1909
John F. Wallace et al Road
2,660.00
AApril 5. 1909
Total $66,860.00
*Buck Creek and Vernon
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GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.
VERNON TOWNSHIP.
Daniel Dinach et al Road $ 6,160.00
August 5, 1908
Lewis C. Pickle et al Road
6,430.00
November 6, 1908
Robert G. Wilson et al Road (West )
3,420.00
March 1. 1909
Robert G. Wilson et al Road (East) 4.420.00
March 1, 1909
J. H. Kimberlin et al Road 5.374.60
January 4, 1909
Henry Collins et al Road
4,960.00
February 1. 1909
Jesse P. Cook et al Road No. I
6,600.00
February 1, 1909
Jesse P. Cook et al Road No. 2
8,000.00
February 1, 1909
Thomas W. Gardner et al Road
30,480.00
February 1. 1909
T. J. White et al Road
5, 140.00
April 6. 1909
*Lee D. Olvey et al Road
5,600.00
June 7, 1909
Total
$86.580.00
*Vernon and Green
BROWN TOWNSHIP.
Elnathan Hays et al Road $ 4,150.00
July 8. 1908
Ira W. Sparks et al Road
4.640.00
January 5, 1909
William Hoppes et al Road
6,080.00
January 4. 1909
Samuel B. Blackburn et al Road
6.140.00 January 4. 1909
Harry Davis et al Road 4.660.00
July 15. 1910
Joseph Wilkinson et al Road
10,100.00
April 15. 1911
*Elmer McComas et al Road
23,000.00
May 5. 1914
Charles W. Manfold et al
9.700.00
July 6. 1914
John L. Hanna et al Road
14,000.00
July 6. 1914
Total
$82,470.00
*Brown and Green xBrown, Green and Vernon
CENTER TOWNSHIP.
John L. Fry et al Road $33,640.00
January 6. 1909
Richard Hagan et al Road
19.940.00
March 4, 1909
Charles F. Carlton et al Road
34,200.00
February 1, 1915
*Joseph M. Henry et al Road
8,200.00
April 5. 1915
xKim Derry et al Road
88,000.00
August 2, 1915
Total
$104.780.00 *Green. Center and Jackson xCenter and Jackson
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP.
Murry Moore et al Road $ 6.420.00 July 15, 191I
Adam L. Sivard et al Road
10,000.00 January 5. 1912
Charles E. Coffin et al Road
1.500.00 September 1, 1913
Total
$17,920.00
SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Columbus M. Jackson et al Road $ 2,900.00 December 4, 191I
Fred Hitzman et al Road
2,960.00
December 4, 19II
William G. Lantz et al Road
9,000.00
July 7, 1913
Total
$14,860.00 1
From the above tabulated statement it appears that from 1908 to the present (August, 1915), Hancock county has spent for road improvements the sum of $373-470.00. This also represents only the face of the bonds that were issued for the construction of the roads and does not include any inter- est that is being paid thereon.
At this time (August, 1915) we have two hundred and eighty-one miles of free gravel road in the county.
EARLY LIFE IN THE COUNTY.
When the first settlers came into the county the nearest grist-mill was on Whitewater, where Connersville now stands, or near there. Cincinnati was the point from which groceries and other supplies were purchased. They were brought to Indianapolis and to other points in wagons. Whatever the settlers had to sell, such as grain, hogs and cattle, was also commonly taken to Cincinnati. Many droves of hogs and cattle and flocks of sheep were driven to Cincinnati over the National road. Anthony Fort, of Charlottes- ville, at one time drove a flock of turkeys to market there. In fact, flocks of turkeys were frequently driven through from central Indiana. Drivers are said to have had little trouble with them except that when evening came they always flew into the trees to roost, regardless of the wishes of their driver.
The Indiana Gasettcer, published in 1833, gives the following report of Hancock county: "The face of the county is generally low or rolling ; the soil is chiefly a rich loam mixed with a sand and covered with a heavy growth of beech, buckeye, ash. walnut, poplar, cherry and different kinds of oak ; with an undergrowth of spice, pawpaw, hazel and thorn. The staple products of
-
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GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.
the county are wheat, corn, oats, pork, beef, flour and poultry. The county is advantageously situated for mills: the streams passing through it afford a number of excellent sites for water-mills ; it is also well supplied with springs of purest water."
That the eyes of the settlers were open to the advantages of mill sites, is evident from the number of mills that were built within eight years after the organization of the county. Following are a few of them and the dates at which they were established. These mills were propelled by water :
Joshua Wilson, 1824. on Blue river. grist-mill.
William Pierson, 1825, on Sugar creek, five miles northwest of Green- field, grist-mill.
Othniel H. Sweem, 1826, on Brandywine creek, three miles below Green- field, grist and saw-mill.
John Fort, 1827, Six Mile creek, above Charlottesville, grist-mill.
Steven Bellus, 1828, Sugar creek, two miles north of New Palestine, grist and saw-mill.
Black and Brother, 1832, Sugar creek, one mile south of Philadelphia, saw-mill.
David Longnaker, 1833, Six Mile, above Fort's mill, saw-mill.
Isaac Willett, 1834, four miles northwest of Greenfield, grist-mill.
Steven Harlan, 1835, Sugar creek in Brown township, grist and saw-mill. William Curry, 1835, about four miles northeast of Greenfield, grist-mill. George Mason, 1835, Sugar creek in Green township, grist-mill.
William Beeson, 1836, in Green township, grist-mill.
Daniel Blakely, 1836, Sugar creek in Brown township, saw-mill.
All of these mills were small concerns. Some of them were hominy mills, or "corn crackers," as they were commonly called, yet they made it possible for the people of the county to obtain flour and meal without having to make a long wagon journey for it.
These were days when people lived in rude log houses, with puncheon floors and oiled-paper windows; when furniture was crude and often home- made : when clothing was homespun; when the logs crackled in the fireplace and the kettle swung from the crane. They were days, too, when crops were planted and cultivated with a hoe; when the harvest was gathered with the reap hook, the scythe and the cradle : when log-rollings flourished, and when the smoke in the "clearings" was never lost from sight. Game was plenti- ful. The howl of the wolf broke the stillness of the night and the bear and the panther were at home in the forest.
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIAN.A.
Each township had its board of three township trustees, and cach schooi district its board of three district trustees. Highways were few and went at all angles through the woods. Everywhere there were swamps, swamps. swamps. Yet the soil, that "rich loam mixed with sand." was productive. The streams were furnishing water power for the mills, and the springs were supplying purest water. Grocers and merchants were establishing themselves in the county, and all these things were adding something to the comfort of the people, whose number was increasing daily.
For the purpose of raising revenue for the county, all persons wishing to engage in the sale of merchandise, groceries or liquor had to pay a license fee. The record of these fees makes it possible now to learn the distribution of the groceries. etc. Below are given the names of the owners and the dates on which their first license fees were paid to the county treasurer. Some of these men made application to sell merchandise or groceries for such periods as three months and six months. Ordinarily, however, the license fee was paid for a period of one year. Some of the names appear on the record many times, since the license fee was paid annually.
GROCERIES AND MERCHANTS.
Name.
Date.
Location. Business.
Elijah Tyner
1828
Blue River, Grocery
James Parker
1828
Greenfield, Grocery and Liquor
Nathan Crawford
1829
Greenfield, Grocery
E. & R. Tyner 1829
Greenfield. Grocery
Joseph Chapman 1829
Greenfield. Grocery and Liquor
James Hamilton 1830
Greenfield, Grocery
George Troxell 1830
Greenfield. Grocery
Amnos Dickerson 1831
Sugar Creek. Grocery and Liquor
Morris Pierson 1831
Greenfield, Grocery and Liquor
Lewis Tyner 1832
Greenfieldl, Grocery
John Eastes 1832
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