History of Henry County, Indiana, Part 39

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago: Inter-State Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 996

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SALLIE THOMPSON .- Sallie Mitchell was born in Culpeper County, Va., in 1777. In the year 1785 her father, Major Robert Mitchell, and nine other men with their families started for Kentucky by the old Cumberland trail, Major Mitchell leading the company. Near Fort Pitt the emigrants were surprised by the Indians, and Sallie Thompson, then eight years old, was captured. She was four years a prisoner among the savages and four years a slave in Canada. Two years of her captivity she spent with the Pawnee Indians on the head waters of the Whitewater River, now in Henry County, Ind. She escaped or was rescued from her captiv- ity and subsequently married John Thompson, a pioneer settler near Indianapolis. She was the mother of the late John W. Thompson, Esq., of Indianapolis; also of Mrs. Naomi Hobart, of that city. She died in Springfield, Ky., in 1852.

CHAPTER XII.

NEW CASTLE AND HENRY TOWNSHIP.

ORGANIZATION OF HENRY TOWNSHIP. - ITS ORIGINAL METES AND BOUNDS .- FIRST TOWNSHIP OFFICERS .- FIRST LAND ENTRIES .- FIRST SETTLERS. - PIONEER LIFE. - INDIANS AS NEIGHBORS. - GROWTH OF THE TOWNSHIP .- RELIGIOUS HISTORY .- NEW CASTLE. -RETROSPECTIVE. - FROM THE FOREST PRIMEVAL TO THE POPULOUS TOWN .- THE DONATION OF THE TOWN PLOT .- THE FOUNDING OF THE TOWN .- THE FIRST SETTLERS .- THEIR WORK .- THE VIL- LAGE AND VILLAGE LIFE. - THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC OF 1833 .- LATER EVENTS .- INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN .- BUSINESS MEN OF LATER YEARS .- INDUSTRIAL HISTORY .- HOTELS, BANKS AND MANUFACTORIES. - PORK PACKING .- IMPROVED AGRICULTURE. - FIRE RECORD. - MERCANTILE INTERESTS. - POPULATION, 1830 TO 1884 .- CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES. - BIOGRAPHICAL.

In the Commissioners' Court, June 11, 1822: " Ordered by the board, that all that tract of land contained in the following bound- aries shall form and constitute a new township, to be known and designated by the name and style of Henry, to wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of Dudley Township, and running thence west twenty miles to the western boundaries of Henry County; and thence due north to congressional township's line, dividing of townships 17, 18; and thence east with said line to the line divid- ing Wayne and Henry counties; thence south with the line dividing said counties, to the place of beginning. The new town- ship of Henry shall, from and after the first Saturday of July next, enjoy all the rights and privileges which to separate and inde- pendent townships do or may properly belong and appertain."

Thus was formed a township six miles in width by twenty in length-soon to be reduced, however, by the formation of other townships. At present Henry exactly coincides with the limits of a congressional township.

The first election was ordered to be held at the house of Samuel Badson, July 6, 1822, for the purpose of electing two justices of

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the peace. Charles Jamison was appointed Inspector; William Shannon and Samuel Badson were chosen Justices of the Peace; Asahel Woodward, Thomas Watkins, and Micajah Chamness, Fence Viewers.

This township is watered by Blue River, Duck Creek and Flat Rock Creek. The surface is somewhat variable on account of the streams. A large part of the land is bottom-land of the best quality. The soil is generally good, and the farms in excellent condition.

Asahel Woodward, Charles Jamison, Alan Shepherd, William and Andrew Shannon, - Whitinger, George Hobson and David Cray were the earliest settlers. Woodward settled in April, 1819, and the others mentioned within the same year. Asahel Wood- ward is said to have been the first white man who raised a crop of corn in what now constitutes Henry County.

William Shannon settled in the spring of 1819, on an eighty- acre tract adjoining the land afterward taken up by Shepherd. In 1820 he sold out to Shepherd for $50, and the latter proceeded to erect a hewed-log house, 20 x 20 feet, on the lot. The house, which is now standing on the J. C. Hudelson farm, was at that day the best in Henry County.

Alan Shepherd, an Englishman by birth, came to Henry County with his family in October, 1819, and settled one and three-fourths miles north of New Castle. He had been here a short time previ- ously, and selected a site for his cabin and engaged Charles Jami- son to build it. The Woodward and Jamison families were then the only settlers at New Castle. There was an Indian cabin about eighty rods from the Shepherd cabin. The Indians seemed friendly, though they objected to the white men hunting and fish- ing. The Shepherd family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd; ‘ Nathan Powell, a Revolutionary veteran of eighty, who was the father of Mrs. Shepherd; Alan Shepherd, Jr., a boy of eight or ten years; an infant son, Samuel; and Eliza and Martha Ward, daugh- ters of Mrs. Shepherd by a former marriage. Martha (now Mrs. Andrew J. Lytle) is still living in New Castle. Alan Shepherd was one of the first commissioned officers of Henry County. He died in 1832.

William McDowell, for many years Court Bailiff of the county, was an early settler west of town. Judge Abraham Elliott came from Wayne County to the Elliott farm in 1823. Meshit came was an early settler south of New Castle. Moses Finch located

meshack

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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

where the County Asylum now is in 1823. Many other early settlers have found mention in the history of New Castle.

During the year 1821 seventeen persons made purchases of land in Henry Township. Their names and the date of each purchase were as follows:

Aug. 15, Alan Shepherd, William C. Drew, Thomas Symons, Christopher Bundy, Joseph Hobson, William Shannon, Joseph Newby; Aug. 16, George Hobson; Aug. 20, Asahel Woodward, Thomas Woodward; Aug. 21, Robert Hill; Aug. 27, Joseph Holman; Aug. 31, Aaron Mills; Sept. 21, Ann Ward, Caleb Cummins; Sept. 24, Joseph Hiatt; Oct. 17, William Blount, Sr.

Other early settlers, chiefly at New Castle, are mentioned else- where in this work. The township, having the county-seat within its borders, naturally grew quite rapidly, and in early years it was probably improved more rapidly than any other portion of the county.

The population of Henry Township in 1880 was 3,656, of whom 1,357 resided outside of the limits of New Castle.

The township officers for 1884-'5 are: D. A. Tawney, Trustee; C. C. Perdiew and Jesse N. Hall, Justices of the Peace; J. W. Sanders, Constable.

CHURCHES.

Methodist Episcopal Church .- Sugar Grove Methodist Epis- copal Church was organized at the house of William Conner, in the winter of 1830, under the ministry of Rev. Fairchild. The first members were: William and Mary Conner, Emsley Brookshire, Joseph Allen, Hannah McDowell, Nancy Conner and Mary Lang- ley. Joseph Allen was the first Class-leader. Meetings were held at the houses of William Conner and Emsley Brookshire several years.

About 1838 a log meeting-house was erected, and later a frame building, which was destroyed by fire. The present house, also a frame, was next erected, at a cost of about $1,000. The pastors have been: Revs. Swank, Farnsworth, Robert Burns, Ansel Beech, Constant B. Jones, James Scott, E. Whitten, Davidson, L. Smith, Bruce, Davis, Beamer, Greenman, J. C. Medsker, Dale, C. Martindale, M. Mahan, N. Gillam, Harrison, Powell, Miessie, McKaig, R. B. Powell, H. C. Klingle, W. S. Boston, Newton Wray, M. Mahan. The present Class-leader is Moses Bowers; Trustees, Moses Bowers, Samuel Fisher, John McDowell. The

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Sunday-school was organized about 1844. The number of pupils is now about fifty.

McDonald Methodist Episcopal Church .- The church, located on section 33, in Henry Township, was organized about 1835. Among the early members were: Hugh McDonald, Wiley Ballard, Woodside, William Woolen, David Templeton, Jonas Moss, John Black, William Shelly, Ephraim Anderson, George Adkinson, William Davis, Samuel Low, James Smith, John Welsh, and their wives. A Sabbath-school has been maintained about thirty-five years. The church now has about twenty-five members. The first meeting-house was a small log building, the logs being unhewn. This was used until the present church was built.

Wesleyan Methodist .- Duck Creek Wesleyan Methodist Church was organized in August, 1843, by Rev. Emsley Brookshire. The first members were: E. Brookshire, Miles and Sarah Lamb, Be- noni Pressnal, Jane Pressnal, Preston Kennard and Sarah Lamb. The first officers were: Preston Kennard, Steward; Jeremiah Pressnal, Clerk; Miles Lamb, Class-leader. The class first met at the house of Miles Lamb, and afterward at the Brookshire school- house. The first church-a log building-was erected in 1847. In 1863 the present house was built, at a cost of $1,200. The pastors have been as follows: Revs. Mifflin Harker, Daniel Worth, Elmsley Brookshire, Orlando Haywood, -- Summers, Wilson Payne, John Harrison, J. L. Fall, Absalom Parris, J. W. John- son, L. White, William Talbert, P. W. Bilberbach, C. S. Smith. There were revivals under the pastorates of Haywood, Fall and White. The present membership is about fifty. The present officers are: B. F. Vanmatre, Class-leader; W. Bennett, Clerk; P. Lamb and W. H. Conner, Stewards. The first Sabbath-school was organized in 1844. Shubal Julian was the first Superintendent.

NEW CASTLE.

Continuous change in all things earthly is one of the immut- able laws of progress. Geologists prove that the earth was brought from a chaotic state to its present physical condition, fitted for human inhabitants by successive evolutions. So in the history of mankind, tribes, nations and kingdoms have flourished and passed imperceptibly from barbarism to civilization. The mightiest empires of antiquity have fallen into ruin, and above the buried ashes of their once magnificent cities another people, nobler and freer, now holds sway, governing by new laws, guided by new maxims, actuated by new motives. Only God and his laws are

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unchangeable, and change is one of His laws. It is the law of nature, of man, and of the works of man. In civilized life advance- ment and not retrogression attends the operation of this law.

Long after advancing civilization had begun the work of trans- forming the West, and even after the Territory of Indiana had been erected into a State, the wily Indian still hunted the deer in the deep forests bordering upon the Blue River, paddled his canoe up and down the placid waters of the tortuous stream, sought the otter along its shady margin, or enticed the fish from the deepest pools. Stealthy beasts of prey roamed at will over the wooded plains, and only their cries at intervals awoke echoes in the wilder- ness of solitude.

But with the advent of the white man an era of change began; and though for some years improvements were made but slowly, yet in the period of a lifetime, magnificent results were achieved. To-day the beautiful town of New Castle crowns a gentle elevation east of Blue River, upon which, prior to 1819, the white man, per- haps, had never set his foot.

- Among the pioneers of 1819 was Asahel Woodward, a native of Ohio. He came early in the spring of the year mentioned, and chose for his farm land which is at present included within the limits of the corporation. His cabin was the first dwelling built by a white man within the present town limits, though for some years his land was not a part of the town. Other early settlers located on the river bottom, and thence, after the town site had been selected, moved their cabins to it.

When the legislative commission, referred to in a previous chap- ter, were seeking a site for the seat of justice of the newly erected county of Henry, about 100 acres of land was offered to them for the use of the county, on condition that the county seat should be located upon it. The commission accepted the offer, and thus New Castle was founded. By whom the name of the town was bestowed there is no record to inform us. Of the land donated twenty-eight acres were given by Absalom Harvey; twenty-eight, less two lots, by John Brumfield; fourteen by A. Lewis; ten by Alan Shepherd, and twenty-four acres, less five lots, by Rue & Holman, of Wayne County.

The land donated was surveyed by William McKimmy and John Dorrah, to whom the commissioners of the county subsequently granted $25 each for their services, and in July, 1822, lots were first offered for sale. The lots appear to have been a drug in the market. They were taken slowly, and yielded but a small price,

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although the commissioners tried their best to dispose of them, by ordering advertisements of the date of the sales to be inserted in the newspapers of Richmond and Connersville. Ezekiel Lea- vell, agent of the county, was ordered to make sales of town lots in May and August, 1823, in May and September, 1824, and many times subsequently. At their May term, 1824, the commissioners settled with Mr. Leavell, and found that the whole amount arising from the sale of lots up to that time was $522.12}. At the same term the agent was ordered " to offer for sale to the lowest bidder the clearing of the public square in New Castle."

Charles Jamison, whose house was the election place and the court-room until other accommodations were provided, was per- haps the first to occupy a town lot in the new village. He erected a cabin on what is now the Davis lot, on the west side of Main street, near the site of Judge Mellett's residence, and at once engaged in the business of tavern keeping, without going through the formality of obtaining a license to sell liquor. For this offense he was duly indicted by the first grand jury of the county, and subsequently found guilty and fined $3. The next year, however, he was granted a tavern license, and probably no allusion was made to his former offense by the commissioners, who appear to have taxed the liquor traffic for revenue only.

Among the first to locate in the infant town was an enterprising young man by the name of Isaac Bedsaul (afterward son-in-law of Jamison). Foreseeing the importance of the county-seat as a trad- ing-point, he made haste to establish a store. Having procured a small stock of goods, in the year 1823 he began business in a shanty, constructed of logs and poles, 12 x 16 feet in size. The commissioners' record shows that on the 12th of May, 1824, "Isaac Bedsaul, merchant of New Castle, made application to the board to assess rates of license to vend foreign merchandise, and having proved to the satisfaction of the board" that his capital was less than $1,000, the board assessed his rates at $10 per year agreeable to statute. According to the statement of an old resident, Bedsaul had about $200 worth of goods when he began to "vend foreign merchandise," and the greater part of them had been brought on his back from Cincinnati. His primitive mercantile establish- ment, the first in New Castle, was situated on the lot on which Judge Mellett's residence now stands. Bedsaul afterward removed his goods to another log building on East Broadway, and there continued business. The first frame building in the town was

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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

erected by Bedsaul about 1827, on or near the lot now occupied by the store of J. C. Hudelson, Jr., & Co. Part of the frame of this store of Bedsaul's was used in the residence now owned by Mrs. Edmund Johnson.

John Smith built a cabin about 1824, near Bedsaul's store, on the Mellett lot, and began keeping tavern. He remained but a short time, and was succeeded by Anthony Boggs. Nathan Crawford, blacksmith, was the first mechanic to locate in the town. A man named Mitchell started a tannery near where the Union Depot now is. A few years later he sold out to John Powell, who carried on the business for a number of years.

May,26, 1825, Matthew Williams & Co. were granted, by the county commissioners, the privilege of "vending foreign mer- chandise" in New Castle for one year, on payment of $10.

William Silver was one of the early merchants of the town. He sold out to Miles Murphey about 1830. Colonel Murphey, with whom for several years was associated his brother William, was one of the foremost business men of the town for nearly forty years.

New Castle was unfavorably situated for rapid growth. It had no water-power, and as the age of steam had not then dawned, it could look for no increase of prosperity from any except the usual small industries of country villages. The densest population of the county was in the Southern part, and Wayne County received considerable of the trade. The fact that it was the county seat was the chief recommendation of New Castle. By the year 1826, the town contained about twenty families, two stores, a postoffice, tavern-keepers, lawyers, doctors, etc. The buildings were chiefly clustered about Broad street. A log court-house adorned the public square.

NEW CASTLE IN 1827.

In the New Castle Courier of April 25, 1867, Dr. Joel Reed published the following reminiscences:

" Forty years ago New Castle consisted of two taverns, kept for the double purpose of entertaining travelers and supplying the country with whisky. There were two dry-goods stores, which did considerable business in the exchange of goods for ginseng, deer hams, deer skins, and furs of various kinds, which constituted their principal business operations. The Clerk of the Circuit Court lived in the place; one lawyer, one doctor; the rest of the citizens

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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

were in the main hunters, trappers and 'seng-diggers.' The build- ings consisted mainly of rude cabins of round logs; some had floors and some had none. There were, however, three or four hewed-log houses, which constituted the attraction and style of the town."

Muddy streets, at times almost impassable; stumps and trees standing upon vacant lots, and woods on all sides-such were some of the prominent features of the village. Yet the people were mostly happy and well-contented. Their wants were few and simple. The utmost freedom and sociability characterized their habits. Everybody knew everybody's business, yet there was little mischievous gossip; much good-natured fun, many a harm- less prank and practical joke relieved existence of monotony. The stores and taverns were the chief resorts, and, we may say, the chief places of amusement.

PROGRESS.

In the year 1828 New Castle had one frame building-Bedsaul's store-and one brick house. The latter was a small, one-story structure, which stood about where Nixon's drug store now is. It was erected by Thomas Ginn, who was once Recorder and Sheriff of the county. The oldest brick house now standing in the town is that occupied by Mrs. Charles Powell. It was erected by John Powell in 1838.

" On the 31st of March, 1833," says Rev. George B. Rogers, in a published reminiscence, "myself and family landed in New Castle, then a little village of 150 inhabitants." Among the prominent citizens of the town at that date Mr. Rogers mentions Judge Abraham Elliott, who had his law office in the village, but lived south of it on the Elliott farm; Major Asahel Woodward, a worthy man, who lived west of the town; Colonel Miles Murphey, then, as afterward, a leading business man; Dr. Joel Reed, the village physician; John Powell, a quiet, unassuming citizen of intelli- gence and Christian character; Isaac Bedsaul, the Postmaster and pioneer merchant, who began life by peddling, and trading with the Indians; Judge Jacob Thornburgh, a quiet, modest, worthy citizen; L. D. Meek, one of the first who began business in the town, a tailor by trade, quick-witted, quick-tempered and honest; Evan B. Hobson, the landlord; Dr. John Elliott, then the County Clerk; John R. Coleman, one of the first settlers, who helped to organize the Methodist church; Judge Samuel Hoover,

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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

Samuel Hawn, Thomas Ginn, James Carr, and Father Coleman, were then also citizens of the town, according to Mr. Rogers. To this we might add that Mr. Rogers himself became prominent in the little village. He set up a shop, and began the manufacture of chairs, the first article of the kind ever made in New Castle. Some of them are still in use in the town.

THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC.

A few months later a dread calamity had fallen like a thunder- bolt upon the little village, whose pastoral simplicity is described by the writer above quoted, and there was mourning and gloom in many a household. What citizen of Henry County has not heard of the cholera epidemic of 1833 in New Castle ? Or who that was then living fails to remember the consternation, the grief and the suffering which it brought?

There is an old-fashioned country grave-yard in Henry County, known as the Batson Cemetery. In it one of the headstones is marked with the name of Samuel Batson, Esq., who died Aug. 11, 1833, of cholera. Mr. Rogers states as a historical fact that this was the first case, and the first death from that terrible disease in the State. The cause and results of Mr. Batson's decease he also gives, substantially as follows:

'Squire Batson visited Cincinnati some time in July, 1833, and soon after returning to his home he fell ill. His sister, Mrs. Laboyteaux, who lived near, visited him during his sickness, and was with him when he died. After he was buried she returned home, and soon afterward was taken sick. Mrs. Laboyteaux's daughter, Mrs. John Ross, of New Castle, visited her mother and remained with her until she died. The funeral of Mrs. Laboyteaux was on Sunday; on the same evening Mrs. Ross returned home. So far no one knew the nature of the disease, but there was talk that it might be cholera. Other persons in the Batson neighborhood took the disease and died.

Mrs. Ross, after reaching New Castle, was taken violently ill on Monday morning, and died in the afternoon of the same day. Three of her children died, two before midnight and one the next day. Mrs. Webster, a young widow, who attended the Ross family, died on Tuesday. Mrs. Abraham Elliott was the next victim. Among the others who died were Mrs. Jesse Bedsaul, Mrs. Samuel Hawn and the wife of Dr. Penny. The names of all the victims of the disease are not recollected, but there was a total of fifteen deaths out of a population of 150.

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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

Another name may be added to the foregoing list given by Mr. Rogers, for an old resident informs the writer that Dr. John Elliott died of the cholera during the epidemic. He was one of the first settlers, and probably the first physician in the town. He was Clerk of Courts from 1828 to 1833.

LATER EVENTS.

By an act of the Legislature approved Feb. 6, 1839, the town of New Castle was incorporated, and the control of said corporation vested in a president and Board of Trustees. A subsequent act, approved Jan. 1, 1849, substituted a mayor and four councilmen for the president and trustees. At a regular meeting of the mayor and town council, March 30, 1867, it was resolved to sur- render the charter. And it was further agreed that steps should at once be taken to incorporate the town of New Castle in accord- ance with the general law of the State for the incorporation of towns, which law was approved June 11, 1852. The following officers were elected for the year 1867: Trustees-Michael Swigart, First Ward; Daniel Murphey, Second Ward; Jacob Mowrer, Third Ward; Jehu T. Elliott, Jr., Fourth Ward; Samuel Hoover, Fifth Ward. Marshal and Assessor, William N. Clift. Clerk and Treasurer, Robert M. Nixon.

No complete records of the town are to be found. In 1873 a Sixth Ward was formed. The officers for 1884-'85 are as follows: Trustees-W. A. Brown, First Ward; John F. Luellen, Second Ward; J. S. Hedges, Third Ward; Ed. Kahn, Fourth Ward; T. B. Loer, Fifth Ward; S. P. Jennings (President of the Board), Sixth Ward; C. F. Sudwarth, Clerk; A. W. Lennard, Treasurer; J. J. Watkins, Assessor; Daniel Harvey, Marshal.

Quite early in the existence of the town Jacob Brenneman started a cabinet-maker's shop. He followed his trade here for over forty years, most of the time in partnership with Adam Beam.

About 1835 John Davis started a hardware store and tin shop. After numerous changes Martin L. Powell become proprietor of the establishment and for nearly twenty years carried on a large business. The hardware store of John C. Livezey was established in 1866, and S. P. Jennings's store a little later.

Among the principal merchants of New Castle in 1843 were Miles and William Murphey, Rogers & Meek, opposite Hazzard's Hotel; and Wells & Goodwin, east of the court-house. In 1848

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Wilson Clift and Woods & Holland were among the leading merchants.

In 1847 Shirk & Johnson began the manufacture of grain cra- dles in New Castle. Numerous changes in the management of the business took place. In July, 1871, the firm of Shirk, Johnson & Fisher was organized and a flouring mill added to the establish- ment. Besides manufacturing thousands of cradles annually, the firm do a large business in the milling line.

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History of Henry County, Indiana, Part 39

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago: Inter-State Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 996

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago: Inter-State Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 996