USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 25
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Trustees: Charles Lowder, 1856; Elisha Hobbs, 1857; Jesse Hoekett, 1858; Elisha Hobbs, 1859-'60; Carey Reagan, 1861-'64;
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Dillon Haworth, 1865-'67; Carey Reagan, 1868-'74; Ebenezer Tomlinson, 1876-'78; David Hadley, 1SS0; Ebenezer Tomlinson, 1SS2-'S4.
Clerks: Perry Ransome, 1856; Hiram Lindley, 1857; Elias Jessup, 185S (office abolished).
Treasurers: Solomon Blair, 1856; William F. Harvey, 1857- '5S (office abolished).
Assessors: Eli Overman, 1870; Hngh J. Jessup, 1872; Amos Hoak, 1874; Hugh J. Jessup: 1876-'S2.
STATISTICAL.
The population of Guilford Township was determined by the censns of ISSO to be 2,691. The following figures of property and taxation are for the year ISS5: Acres of land assessed, 22,097.15; value of same, $707,188; value of improvements, $134,629; value of lots, $18,439; valne of improvements, $67,735; value of personal proper y, $335,275; total taxables, $1,263,266; polls, 387; dogs, 213; ' tate tax, $1,709.42; county tax, $3,734.68; township tax, SSS4. 3; tuition tax, $2,623.25; special school tax, $3,351.68; road tax, $2,526.50; endowment tax, $63.16; bridge tax, $1,263.25; total tax, $1S, 836.64; delinquent tax, $1,311.39.
- PLAINFIELD.
The second town in the county in size is Plainfield, pleasantly situated in a beautiful valley on the east bank of White Lick, 01 the Indianapolis & Terre Haute Railroad, now known as the Van- dalia line. It was laid ont by Elias Hadley and Levi Jessup in 1839. Thomas Worth built the first frame house in town, and Worth & Bro. were the first merchants.
Plainfield was duly incorporated as a town in 1839, when an election was held to choose five trustees. Following is the report of the officers of the election:
"We, the undersigned president and clerk chosen and qualified according to law, do hereby certify that we did, on the morning of the 25th day of May, 1839, lay off the said town into five districts, to wit: That the town lots lying east of Center street and north of the national road shall be known as the first district; that the lots lying east of Center street south of the national road shall be known as the second district; that the town lots lying between Center and Mills streets sonth of the national road, shall be known as the third district; that the town lots lying between Center and
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Mills streets north of the national road, shall be known as the fourth district; and that the town lots lying west of Mills street shall be known as the fifth district.
"And we do further certify that David G. Worth, Eli K. Cavi- ness, James M. Long, Andrew Prather and James M. Blair were duly elected Trustees of the town of Plainfield according to law. " DAVID G. WORTH, President. " Attest: ISAAC OSBORN, Clerk. "
At this election the following twenty-three persons voted: Daniel Berker, David G. Worth, M. G. Taylor, David Berker, Jesse Hacket, James M. Blair, A. C. Logan, A. Prather, Luther Sikes, James M. Long, James T. Downard, Eli K. Caviness, M. G. Cor- lew, Joel _Hodgin, Huling Miller, Thomas J. Porth, Benjamin Lawrence, David Phillips, V. C. Githens, John Shelley, Isaac Osborn, Isaac Holton and William Osborn.
The town has no charter now, the same having been surrendered many years ago. It was found that the township government was best, on the ground of both efficiency and economy. Plainfield has i ever retrograded, for while its business is purely local, it has always been healthy and steady, and the population and wealth of the place have steadily increased. There are now nearly 1,000 inhabitants. The business firms of 1885 are enumerated in the following list:
Pleasant Allman, livery; Misses Allman, dressmaking; A. A. Brown, attorney; A. Carter, physician; H. T. Conde, agricultural implements; Douglass & Carter, saw-mill; Douglass & Strong, builders; W. C. Douglass, builder; Dennis & Adams, wagons and wood-work; Caleb Dalton, meat market; T. E. Evans, physician; Ellis & Sons, saw-mill; Robert Edmonds, builder; Teresa Ellis, dressmaker, G. W. Fogleman, builder; Miss Rosa Fogleman, dressmaker; Nerins Frazier, blacksmith; W. T. Fawcett, boots and shoes; Green & Hadley, druggists; Cyrus Green, station agent; T. B. Gullefer, physician; Miss C. A. Havens, dressmaker; Hiatt & Sons, saw and flouring mill; Harlan Hadley, . livery; W. L. Hamar, dentist; B. G. Harlan, dentist; A. T. Harrison, editor Plainfield Progress; Auson Hobbs, grocery and hotel; Hiss & Car- ter, agricultural implements; S. Hiss, undertaker; I. A. Johnson, harness; Allen Jackson, livery and sale stable; Ellwood Johnson, greenhouse; Adam Jones, nursery; R. A. Kelley, barber; T. B. Kinnan, postoffice; A. M. Lewis & Co., hardware; Lawrence & Small, real estate and insurance; Robert Lewis, physician; McMil-
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len & Son, dairy; P. F. Moore, grocer; Mrs. Newlin, boarding- house; S. A. Osborne, wagon shop; Charles Owens, blacksmith; Mit Phillips, druggist; A. M. Pritchett, builder; Frank Phillips, dry goods; T. Reagan, grocer; Jesse Reagan, physician; S. Smith, restaurant; O. W. Sullivan, shoe-shop; N. R. Schooley, coal dealer; Eli Spray, dairy; I. R. Sivage, livery; J. T. Strong, physician; E. J. Shaw, dry-goods; W. R. Snipes, grocer; F. W. Smith, physi- cian; Wm. Townsend, grocer; Moses Tomlinson, jewelry, pho- tography and mill; Will Tucker, barber; Tomlinson & Co., bankers; W. A. Watson, grocery; Wm. Wilkin, blacksmith; Ellwood Was- son, blacksmith, J. C. Worth, feed stable; Mrs. J. E. Walker, mil- linery and dressmaking; Mrs. A. Wagoner, millinery and dress- making; Willis Wilhite, dry-goods; B. F. Worth, grocery and meat market; T. J. Worth, tin-shop.
SCHOOLS.
The town has a fine public-school building, two stories in height, erected in 1867 nd 1868, at a cost of $12,000. It contains six rooms, used by a many different instructors. J. R. Owens is now (1885) principal, und the assistants are Addison Moore, William Douglass, Sue MoMillin, Ida Phillips and Mrs. Elva T. Carter. The enrollment reaches about 300 annually. The affairs of the school are well managed under Ebenzer Tomlinson's trusteeship.
Central Academy, located at Plainfield, is controlled by a Board of Trustees appointed by three Quarterly Meetings of the society of Friends-Plainfield, White Lick and Fairfield. There are eighteen Trustees, six from each Meeting. The school was organized in 1881, and is consequently four years old now. The academy building was completed in 1882, at a cost of $5,000. The school has no endowment, and is sup- ported by the tuition fees. These, however, are very moderate, ranging from $7.80 to $9.00 per term, there being three terms in a year. The object of the academy is stated to be " to furnish such literary instruction as is generally given in the High Schools of our cities, joined, however, with a larger amount of Christian teaching than is common in such schools." There are three courses-the grammar school, the English and the Latin. The Principal is George W. White, A. B.
RELIGIOUS.
Of the the churches, there are several, all well supported. The Christian Church was organized in March, 1830, with the 39
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following as the first members: David F. Cox and wife (only ones now living), John Hadley, Jonathan Hadley, David Carter, Ezekiel Hornaday, Hiram Hornaday, Hiram Green, Abijah Cox, with their wives, and Alexander Shawver, seventeen in all. They soon built a hewed-log church, having first held their mecting's in the settlers' cabins, and in that primitive structure, half a mile north of where is now Plainfield, they worshiped for five or six years. They then erected a frame church in the village, using the same for twenty years, when it was succeeded by the present brick struct- ure, built on the site of the frame, at a cost of $3,000. Among the first ministers were Revs. Michael and Job Combs, Lewis Comer, John Secrest, Oatman and John O'Kane. For the past two years their spiritual interests have been attended to by Rev. Urban Brewer, of Danville.
The Methodist Episcopal society has been organized some forty years, and has used the same building as a place of worship, col .- tinuously. Among the early members were O. H. Dennis (only one living), Riley Taylor and wife, Alexander Worth (founder of the society) and wife, William Owens, Sebastian Hiss, Fred Trucks and Mrs. Higgins. The church has now about 100 men .- bers, and the present pastor is H. H. Dunlavy, who commenced his labors here in September, 1884. He was preceded by Revs. G. W. Switzer (three years), Green (two years), Johnson (one year), Beard (two years) and Siddell (two years). The present Trustees are John Moore, S. Hiss and William Lakin; Stewards, Isaac A. Johnston and John Moore. The Sunday-school has forty members and meets before church services every Sunday morning, under the superintendency of John Moore.
The Western Yearly Meeting of Friends was organized in the ninth month, 185S, the first members being Eleazer Bales, Charles Moore, Matthew Stanley and Robert W. Hodson, and their fami- lies. Their house of worship was completed in 1858. It is of brick, and with the grounds, twelve acres, cost $14,000. In 1873 an unfortunate difference of opinion arose as to the doctrine and practice, which has permanently divided the society. The "con- servatives" meet on the first and fourth days of each week for worship. 'Their Elders are Albert Maxwell and Davis Mecker; their Overseers, Joel D. Carter and Albert Maxwell. The " liber-
. " als " advocate a more active system of religious work. They also meet the first and fourth days of the week. Their Clerk is Josiah Morris; Treasurer, Moses Hadley ; Elders and Overseers, Jesse Hor-
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ney, Calvin Osborn, Elwood Stanton, Brazleton Hadley, Elwood Wasson and Jesse D. Hiatt. The " liberals " are in possession of the church property, the " conservatives" renting other quarters. The former won a snit brought in Cirenit and Supreme Court, and are now defendants in a second suit, yet undetermined.
The Baptists have had a regular organization for some thirty years. Among the first members were Adam Jones and wife, Orrin Bonner and wife, Samuel McCormick and wife, William Douglass and wife- and children. After a time the society pur- chased the church which had been occupied by the Friends, and used the same for a number of years .. In August, 1884, they dedicated their present brick church, which cost $3,000. Services are held ev- ery alternate Sunday, the present minister being Rev. A. B. Chaffee, of Franklin. The membership of the society is about seventy., The Sunday-school is under charge of Henry Straughan.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church has been supported for some fifteen years. It met for a long time at the Morgan school-house, two and a half miles from Plainfield, and in 1879 commeneed holding its services in the village. The church erected in that year cost about $600. There are about twenty-five mem- .bers. Rev. Roberts has been the pastor for two years past. The colored Baptists also have an organization, with occasional services conducted by a clergyman from Indianapolis.
SOCIETIES.
Plainfield Lodge, No. 286, F. & A. M., was organized Oct. 21, 1862, with the following officers: Amos Easterling, W. M .; Caleb Easterling, S. W .; Amos Alderson, J. W .; Madison Osborn, Secretary; Carey Regan, Treasurer; N. Y. Parsons, S. D .; William D. Cooper, J. D .; Thomas Powell, Tyler. The list of present officers is: William H. Morgan, W. M .; Allen Pritchett, S. W .; D. F. Cox, J. W .; Eb. Tomlinson, Treasurer; T. Reagan, Secretary ; A. D. Krewson, S. D .; William C. Douglass, J. D .; Stephen Os- · born, Tyler. The lodge has now a membership of thirty-three, and meets at Masonic Hall the Monday evening on or before the full moon in each month.
McCarty Lodge, No. 233, I. O. O. F., has a membership of thirty-eight, and meets every Friday night at Odd Fellows Hall. The present officers are: N. M. Frazier, N. G .; N. Boggs, V. G .; M. Carter, Secretary; W. R. Snipes, Treasurer; T. B. Kinnan, P. G.
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Virgil HL. Lyon Post, No. 186, G. A. R., was chartered June 11, 1SS3, with forty members. The present number of members is sixty-seven. The officers are: Taylor Reagan, Commander; I. A. Johnson, Adj .; John Walker, Q. M .; Anson Hobbs, S. V. C .; Henry Straughan, J. V. C .; Charles Doane, Chap. The post meets the first and third Monday evenings of each month, over Hobbs's grocery. -
FRIENDSWOOD
- is a station on the I. & V. Railroad, in the southeastern corner of the township, in the midst of the richest community and best improved farms in the county. Large quantities of milk and other dairy products are shipped thence to Indianapolis.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Harris Almond, eldest son of Matthew and Rebecca Almond, was born in Richmond County, N. C., Jan. 5, 1809. His father immigrated with his family to Indiana in the fall of 1811 and set- .tled in what is now Wayne County where his wife died. He then removed to Winchester, Ind., where he remained four years, and in the fall of 1827 he located in Hendricks County, and in the fall of 182S he removed to Bridgeport, Marion Co., Ind., where he re- sided twelve years. He then settled in Henry County, Iowa, where he died in 1876. He had a family of six children by his first wife and two by his second. Harris Almond, whose name heads this sketch, being the eldest son, he was obliged to assist his father on the farm, thus his educational advantages were limited, he having the benefit of school but a few months during the year. He was married in 1829 to Ruth Lakey, a native of Ohio. After marriage he settled on eighty acres of land in Marion County, going in debt for the land, which he afterward sold, and bonght eighty acres in Washington Township and later bought another eighty acres ad- joining, and on this land he resided about thirty-three years. His wife died April 12, 1841, leaving three children-Sarah J., wife of Samuel Weer; Pleasant and John. He was again married Oct. 17, 1841, to Anna Montgomery, and to this union were born two children, one dying in infancy and the other after reaching matur- ity. His wife died March 4, 1877, and he was married in October, 1877, to his present wife, Mrs. Parthena Tucker. She was the widow of George Tucker by whom she had seven children, four of whom survive. She is a native of Kentucky. Mr. Almond is now in bis seventy-seventh year, and has been a member of the
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Christian church for forty-eight years, of which he has been Deacon twenty-one years, and he has served as Trustee about thirty years. In politics he is a staunch Republican.
Pleasant Almond, a successful stock-raiser and business man of Plainfield, is a native of Hendricks County, Ind., born Jan. 3, 1836, the eldest son of Harris and Ruth (Lakey) Almond, natives of North Carolina, who came with their parents in childhood to Indiana and were reared in Marion County. After their marriage they moved to Hendricks County, where they lived the remainder of their lives. Pleasant Almond was reared a farmer, receiving a common-school education. In 1857 he was married to Minerva J. Hadley, daughter of John and Edith Hadley. After his marriage he settled on a farm in Guilford Township a mile and a half east of Plainfield, on the National Road. Here he lived till 1881, and by industry and energy improved his land, till he has 200 acres under cultivation. He has made a specialty of stock-raising, having the best grades of English draft and Clydesdale horses, Jersey cattle and Poland-China hogs. In 1881 he left the farm and moved to Plainfield, where he has a pleasant home. His wife died in 1873. leaving three children-Theophilus, Roscoe and John H. In 1874 he married Mrs. Mary Osborn, widow of Madison Osborn. They have one daughter-Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Almond are members of the Christian church.
. John M. Carter is a native of Hendricks County, Ind., born May . 16, 1832, the only son of David and Ruth (Hadley) Carter, natives of North Carolina, who moved to Ohio with their parents, where they were married, and in 1822 moved to Hendricks County, Ind., and settled on a tract of heavily timbered land which is now the site of the town of Plainfield. David Carter at one time owned 600 acres of land and at the time of his death owned 500 acres. His wife died about 1871 and he in 1881. They were members of the Christian church, of which he was for several years an Elder. Their family consisted of nine children, one son and eight daughters -- Jane, Matilda, Mary, Martha A., John M., Saralı, Orpha, Ara M. and Zipporah. John M. Carter spent his youth on his father's farm and after his marriage settled on a tract of wild land, of which he made a good farm, on which he lived till 1864, when he moved to Plainfield and engaged in the mercantile business. He afterward returned to his farm, and remained till 1870, when he again engaged in the mercantile business till 1874. He then lived on the farm till 1883, and since that year has lived retired from active
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business. He still owns his farm in Washington Township, which contains 183 acres of valuable land, with a good residence and farm buildings, and is now occupied by his son. Mr. Carter has served four years as Township Clerk. He and his wife are members of the Christian church, of which for the past fifteen years he has served as Deacon, and at present is Superintendent of the Sunday- school. He was married in 1852 to Susan Wells, and to them have been born two children-David W., and Mary, wife of Dr. J. T. Strong. In politics Mr. Carter is a staunch Republican.
John Fullen, a prominent and successful business man of Plain- field, was born in Fayette County, Ind., Dec. 25, 1821, the second son of John and Jemima (Harrell) Fullen, natives of Virginia, who moved to Fayette County, Ind., in an early day. The father died in Fayette County, and John subsequently moved with his mother to Johnson County and settled on land entered by his father before his death. There he grew to manhood and remained till 1872, when he moved to Hendricks County and located in Plain- field, where he has since lived. He owns a fine farm of 200 acres in Johnson County, all under cultivation, and until his removal to Hendricks County he was successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising. He has accumulated a good property and is now living retired from active business life. He was married in 1841 to Rachel Smith, who died in Plainfield in 1SS1. They had a fam- ily of five sons aud five daughters; four of the number are living. July 14, 1881, Mr. Fulleun married Mary E. Barton. Mr. Fullen has been a member of the Baptist church since 1843 and for sev. eral years has been Deacon of his church. His wife is a member of the same denomination.
Elias Hadley, deceased, was one of the carly settlers of Hen- dricks County. He was born in Chatham County, N. C., Aug. 5, 1809, a son of Jeremiah and Mary Hadley. When he was three years of age his parents moved to Butler County, Ohio, and subse- quently to Hendricks County, Ind., and settled in Guilford Town- ship, where they both died. Oct. 14, 1829, Elias Hadley was mar- ried, in Butler County, Ohio, to Miss Cox, danghter of Mordecai and Nancy Cox, a native of Butler County, born in 1814. After his marriage he settled on a tract of wild land which is now the site of Plainfield, but at that time was heavily timbered. He cleared and improved a farm, which he subsequently sold and bouglit one north of Plainfield, where he lived till 1874, when he rented his farm and moved to the village and lived retired from active busi-
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ness till his death, Dee. S, 1SS4. The farm contains 180 acres of valuable land, all under cultivation. To Mr. and Mrs. Hadley. were born sixteen children, six sons and ten danghters, twelve of whom are living-S- , Hiram, Nancy, Mary, Jane, David, Enos, Emma, Susan, Addie, Oscar and Arthur. Mr, Hadley was a member of the Christian church fifty years and his wife is a member of the same denomination.
John Hanna, a son of James Parks Hanna, was born Sept. 3, 1827, in what is now a part of the city of Indianapolis. His father entered and improved eighty acres of land in Warren Township and there died Aug. 31, 1839, leaving a widow and five children, John being the eldest. The mother died in 1844. John and the children remained on the farm until 1846, when, at the instance of General Robert Hanna, their guardian, they broke up house- keeping that they might go to school. The subject of this sketch, determined to acquire an education, started for Greencastle in Feb- ruary, 1846, with only $4 in his pocket. He walked the entire dis- tance, entered the university, got the position as janitor of the col- lege, worked his way through college and graduated with honors in June, 1850. He then entered the law office of Judge Delaney R. Eckles and there finished the study of his profession. He then became the law partner of his preceptor and settled in Greencastle. He was elected Mayor of the city of his adoption and served three years. After Judge Eckles went upon the bench as Circuit Judge, Mr. Hanna formed a partnership with the Hon. John A. Matson, which continued until the spring of 1858 when he went to Kansas. He was the same year elected a member of the Territorial Legislat- ure from the county of Lykins, now Miami, and served as such during the session of 1868-'9; was chairman of the judiciary com- mittee, introduced and carried through the act abolishing and pro- hibiting slavery in the Territory; was an earnest-working Repub- lican in politics. After remaining one year in Kansas he returned to Greencastle and resumed the practice of law. In the presidential canvass of 1860 he was the Republican elector of the Seventh Dis- triet, and as such voted for Abraham Lincoln. Prior to the Chi- cago convention he had advocated the nomination of Edward Bates, of Missouri, for the Presidency. Afterward Mr. Bates became Lincoln's Attorney-General. Hon. Henry S. Lane and Schuyler Colfax recommended the appointment of Mr. Hanna for United States Attorney for the district of Indiana, and he was also recom- mended by Mr. Bates, and appointed a few days after the inangu-
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ration of President Lincoln. He served four years; then his re-ap- pointment was ordered by Mr. Lincoln, although his name was not sent to the Senate until after the death of the President. He con- tinued to serve until the split between Johnson (the successor of Lincoln) and the Republican party, when he denounced Johnson, and at a Johnson meeting held in Indianapolis he introduced a scrics. of resolutions which was the immediate cause of his being removed, and Alfred Kilgore was appointed. This proves clearly that Mr. Hanna's political opinions were not in the market, to be transferred as merchandise. He furnished Mr Kilgore all the infor- mation desired as to the business of the office; assisted him in the trials the first term after his appointment. Mr. Hanna then formed a partnership with General Fred Knefler, of this city, in the prac- tice of law, and has devoted his time entirely to the practice of his profession, except in the canvass of 1868, when he, at the request of his political friends, canvassed the county of Putnam as a can- didate for the Legislature. Although defeated he ran ahead of the State ticket. Since 1868 he has made no political speeches, although known as a decided, out-spoken Republican in politics. His life at the bar has been a constant warfare and he has more than the usual share of hotly contested litigated cases. He has perhaps been engaged in as many jury trials as any lawyer of his age. As United States Attorney during the war his position was one requiring great labor, yet, without assistance, he managed to discharge his duties to the entire satisfaction of the Government. The prosecutions for violations of the draft laws, the revenne laws, confiscation acts, conspiracies, treasons and felonies were numerous, as the records of the court attest. As a successful prosecutor his record was sat- isfactory to those who gave him their influence. Since he com- menced the practice of law in this city he has been engaged in a number of the most prominent murder cases for the defense, the Clem case perhaps being the most noted. His practice at present . is remunerative. He still resides at Greencastle, where he has a lovely home near the town. His family library is the best in the county and the favorite resort of his children of evenings. He regards it as money well spent, and it is his boast that he never had a moment's concern about the whereabouts of his boys at night. His sons incline to be farmers rather than profes- sional men. The oldest is now a farmer in Hendricks County. While attending the University Mr. Hanna became acquainted with. Miss Mahala Sherfy, of Perrysville, Vermillion County, who
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