USA > Indiana > Henry County > History of Henry County, Indiana > Part 60
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H. L. Risk was born in Augusta County, Va., Oct. 28, 1815, a son of John and Margaret (Daugherty) Risk, of Irish and Welsh descent. His grandfather, John Risk, was a soldier in the Revo- Jutionary war. His early life was passed on a farm, and he had but limited educational advantages, but being a close observer and ambitious he applied himself to private study and acquired a knowledge of all practical subjects. He was married Aug. 27, 1835, to Rebecca A. Weaver, a native of Virginia, born Oct. 1, 1819, a daughter of Jacob and Hannah Weaver, natives of Penn- sylvania, of Dutch descent, who moved to Virginia in 1808, and from there to Henry County, Ind., in 1837, locating near Knights-
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town, where the father died Feb. 28, 1857, and the mother July 9, 1874. In 1839 Mr. Risk, with his father's family, moved to Henry County, Ind., and located a mile south of Knightstown, where his father died the following October, and his mother, May 31, 1855. Mr. Risk was an industrious, energetic man andfac- quired a fine property, owning at his death 1,500 acres of land with a good residence and comfortable farm buildings. In his political views he was a Republican, and was one of the most en- thusiastic to advocate the formation of the old Abolition party, although at that time the unpopular party. He and his wife were members of the Society of Orthodox Friends, and were always earnest workers in the church. Mr. Risk died Dec. 27, 1876. His family consisted of five children, but two of whom (are living- William L., and Mary M., wife of Clark HosierPeJohn W., Jo- sephine H., and Amanda J. are deceased. William L. Risk was born March 23, 1857, and was married Aug. 8. 1879, to Emma S., daughter of S. P. and Margaret K. Wood. They have two children-Nettie and Blanche. Mr. Risk lives on a part of the old homestead, and is the owner of one of the finest farms in the county.
William Saint was born in Wayne County, Ind., Nov. 29, 1828. His parents, William and Achsah Saint, were natives of North Carolina, and were married in their native State in 1807, and in 1816 moved to Indiana and settled near the present site of Germantown. In 1836 they moved o Henr C (inty and settld on the farm now owned by our subject, where the mother died Nov. 29, 1839, aged fifty-three years, and the father, Jan. 24, 1871, aged ninety years. Daniel Saint, great-grandfather of our sub- ject, was a native of France and moved to Wales. His son, Her- cules Saint, came from there to the United States, and settled near, Philadelphia. William Saint, our subject, was reared on his father's farm, receiving his education in the district schools, at- tending in the winter when the weather would not admit of his working. Since twenty years of age he has devoted his time to agriculture, and now owns a fine farm. He was married in 1849 to Mary A., daughter of John and Mary Elliott, of Wayne County. She died Aug. 16, 1851, leaving one child-Hettie S., wife of M. J. Kennard, of Omaha, Neb. In 1853 Mr. Saint married Mary A., daughter of James and Henry Johnson, of Spiceland. They have had three children; but one is living-Manta S., wife of W. S. Moffitt. Mira and Alice are deceased. Politically Mr. Saint is
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
.a Republican. He was a delegate to the National Free-Soil Con- vention in 1852, held at Pittsburg, and cast his vote for John P. Hale. Mr. and Mrs. Saint are members of the Society of Ortho- dox Friends.
R. A. Smith, M. D., son of Isaac M. and Catherine Smith, natives of Ohio, and of English descent, was born in Hancock County, Ind., April 13, 1843. His early life was spent on the farm with his father. He received only a limited education, his parents failing to recognize the importance of the same. In 1861, at the beginning of the Rebellion, he enlisted in Company A, Fifty- seventh Indiana Infantry, under Captain Robert Allison. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Kennesaw and all the battles in which the Army of the Cumberland was engaged. The last battle in which he participated was at Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 15 and 16, 1864. He was mustered out of the service in March, 1865, and returned home. In the fall of 1866 he began the study of medicine under H. S. Cunningham, M. D., of Indianapolis, remaining with him two years, at which time be entered the Physio-Medical Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating in the spring of 1870. He located in Grant City, Ind., and seven years later moved to Greensboro, Ind., at which place he has built up a large practice. He is a member of the First District, State and National Physio-Medical Associations. He was married April 9, 1868, to Mary J., daughter of Thomas J. and Jane Evans, of Welsh descent. They have three children-Katie E., George H. and Nettie E. Mrs. Smith is also a physician of many years practice, having been educated in Dr. Traul's School of New York. Politically Dr. Smith is a Repub- lican. He is a member of the Society of Friends.
J. M. Vance was born Oct. 13, 1823, in North Carolina, a son of Samuel L. and Sarah Vance, also natives of North Carolina. His parents moved to Wayne County, Ind., in 1830, and a few years later to Hamilton County, where they passed the remainder of their lives. His early life was spent on the farm, attending the district school three months during the winter, till he was seven- teen years of age. He has always devoted his time to agriculture and stock-raising, and now owns a fine farm of 100 acres, all well improved. He was married Oct. 15, 1848, to Millie, daughter of Bowman Benjamin and Annis Hinshaw. They have had a family of eight children; but six are living-Martha E., Benjamin F., Charles E.,
41
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
Sarah E., Samuel G., William L., Elias E. and Louis E. Politi- cally Mr. Vance belongs to the National Greenback party.
Joel Wright was born in Tennessee, Oct. 30, 1817, a son of Jesse and Annie Wright, natives of the Carolinas, who moved to Knox- ville when young, and in 1835 came to Henry County, where the father died in 1847. He received a fair education, and lived on the farm till 1850, when he went into the drug business. He was the first to establish the business in the township, and is now the oldest man in the business in the county. He was married in 1839 to Annie Elliott, who died two years later leaving one child. In 1847 he married Eliza, daughter of Sylvanus and Rhoda Swain. They have had seven children; six are living. Politi- cally Mr. Wright is a Republican. He is a member of the Society of Friends by birthright, and headed the congregation several years.
CHAPTER XVIII.
- HARRISON TOWNSHIP.
ORGANIZATION. - GENERAL DESCRIPTION .- PROGRESS OF IMPROVE- MENT. - BEGINNING OF THE SETTLEMENT .- FIRST SETTLERS. - LATER ARRIVALS .- THIRTY-TWO VOTERS AT THE FIRST ELECTION, 1838 .- SCHOOLS. - POPULATION .- TOWN OF CADIZ .- ITS BEGINNING AND ITS PROGRESS. - CHURCHES AND LODGES. - BIOGRAPHICAL.
Harrison Township was formed Nov. 7, 1838, from portions of Greensboro and Fall Creek townships. The township has an undu- lating surface and a good soil. Improvements are generally good. The progress of settlement was at first very slow, consequently there was not, for some years, as much advancement in improving as in other parts of the county, but for forty years or more the work has progressed rapidly. Sugar Creek, Montgomery's Creek, Deer Creek, Honey Creek, Duck Creek and several other small streams rise in this township.
The first entry of land within this township was made by Dempsey Reese, April 29, 1822. During 1823, the following per- sons made entries: Zeno Reason, Richard Ratliff, Levi Pearson, Gabriel Ratliff.
The actual settlement seems to have begun in 1822. In that year came to the township Dempsey Reese, Roderick Craig, Phineas, Richard and Joseph Ratliff and Rice Price. All of these located on or near Duck Creek, in the eastern part of the township. Other early settlers were Wm. Oraig, Exum Pearson, Nathan Ratliff, Thomas Stevens, Robert Mcclellan, John McCormack, Samuel Buffkin. The Coopers from Pennsylvania came between 1830 and 1835; Caleb, in 1830; Imla, the only one now living, in 1834; William and John, 1835. David Pickering, the founder of Cadiz, settled in 1835, coming from Belmont County, Ohio. mills Jonas Pickering came to the county early. Jeremiah Crawford, an eccentric character, settled about 1835. The original settlers were originally from North Carolina and Virginia, principally.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
Several moved to this township after residing some years in other parts of the county. Among those citizens of the township who were either born in the county or came to it early may be men- tioned Eleazer Allis, Shubal Julian, J. W. Leavell, Pearson Palmer, Daniel Hutson, D. Pressnal, Jas. Pressnal, Geo. Keesling, L. W. Hess, Elias Phelps, Greenburg Farmer, the Maddys, etc. Additional particulars of early settlers is given in the biographical sketches at the end of this chapter.
Dempsey Reese came to this township in 1822. He was a member of the first grand jury ever empaneled in Henry County and for many years was an honored citizen. He died in 1878 in the eighty-third year of his age.
The first township election was held at the village of Cadiz, at the house of Jonas Pickering, Dec. 7, 1838, for the purpose of electing one justice of the peace. Wm. Tucker was inspector. John Cooper and Moses McKee were the candidates; each received sixteen votes, consequently there was no choice. As most, if not all, of the voters of the township were present at the election, it is prob- able that the entire population of the township was then less than 200. At the time Cadiz was founded (1836), says Mr. Pleas's his- tory, there was no settler west of the place nearer than seven miles.
The first school in the township was probably held at the Clear Spring meeting-house about 1830. A school was kept up regu- larly there for many years. Another early school-house was built on section 28.
The township now has ten school districts. The average value of each school-house is $650. The total enrollment for the past year was 475 pupils; average attendance, 250.
The population of this township in 1880 was 1,914. The town- ship officers for 1884-'85 are: J. P. Weasner, Trustee; H. T. Alshouse, Justice of the Peace; Tabor Allis, Willis Craig, Consta- bles.
CADIZ.
This is an old but thriving country town, without railroad facili- ties, situated seven miles from the county seat. It has had a slow but steady growth. According to the census of 1880, its popula- tion was 594. The town occupies an elevated and beautiful site. It was laid out in 1836 by David Pickering, and received its name from Cadiz, Ohio, as its founder came from the vicinity of that town.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
The first store in the village was opened by John B. Swayze about 1837. Swayze was formerly an editor in New Castle. Other early merchants were David Hiatt, Esq., John W. Grubbs and his brother, Henry C., the former now of Richmond, and Geo. B. Rogers. Among the early industries of the town was a tannery, started by Jonas Pickering, still a resident of the place, and a grist-mill. The grist-mill then built passed through various hands, and has been improved. It is now owned by W. D. Cooper.
John B. Swayze built the first house in the town. The first brick house was built by Jonas Pickering. The first public house was kept by David Pickering. Tabor W. McKee also kept a house of entertainment early, but neither kept a tavern.
The first physician was Dr. S. Ferris, now of New Castle. Dr. John C. Beck, now of Cincinnati, was a physician of extensive practice for many years.
The first blacksmith was Theodore Shannon.
The business interests of the town are as follows in 1884: Gen- eral stores-M. A. Pickering, W. D. Cooper. Grocer-Rotheus Scott. Agricultural implements-T. B. Edwards. Drugs-Dr. C. W. Bond. Saw-mill-McCormack & Elliott. Grist-mill-W. D. Cooper. Physicians-C. W. Bond, F. C. Hess and G. W. Zimmer- man. There are blacksmiths, wagon and harness shops, and the usual industries of a small town. Cadiz has a graded school and three churches.
The oldest residents of the town are Jonas Pickering, B. W. Pickering and Imla Cooper.
About $6,000 worth of property was destroyed by fire in Cadiz in March, 1879. Reese & Pickering, C. W. Bond, Geo. Zimmer- man, H. Alshouse and W. D. Cooper were the losers.
The postoffice at Cadiz was established during the administra- tion of Van Buren. David Hiatt, the first Postmaster, was suc- ceeded by John Cooper, Wm. Brown, Theodore Shannon, Dr. John C. Beck, Moses McKee, Alfred N. Vestal, James Beck, Jacob Meek, Asbury Showalter, Peter H. Julian, Ezra Foster, Jacob Meek, Wm. J. Meek. Joel McCormack and Charles Lewis.
LODGES.
Cadiz Lodge, No. 237, I. O. O. F., was chartered Nov. 16, 1864, and instituted Dec. 30, 1864. The charter members were John W. Leavell, Caleb W. Bond, Joseph Modlin, Luther W. Modlin, Wm.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
H. Baker and M. M. Hess. From the first organization to the present time nearly ninety-six have been admitted to membership. Several lodges have been wholly or partly formed by members of this lodge. The lodge is in a thriving condition, with assets of about $1,100. The present officers are: Isaac Brown, N. G .; J. P. McConnell, V. G .; Thomas B. Edwards, Secretary .; Eleazer Allis, Treasurer. C. W. Bond, the only chartered member now an active member of the lodge, is D. D. G. M. A lodge of the Rebekah Degree was charted Feb. 6, 1869, with thirteen charter members.
Cadiz Lodge, No. 277, F. & A. M., was organized in 1862 and re-organized in 1870. In the latter year it had twenty-nine mem- bers. It is no longer in existence.
RELIGIOUS.
Cadiz Christian Church .- This church was organized prior to 1850. Among the early ministers were Elijah Martindale and Samuel K. Hoshour. The first house of worship, a frame build- ing, burned down and the present brick chapel was erected about 1862. Among the early active members were Robert Mc- Clellan and Samuel Hendricks, Elders and preachers; Michael Hendricks, Thomas Hess, Milton Hess, Frank Woodward and John Lowry, and their families. The congregation now numbers about eighty members. The present pastor is Rev. Wm. J. Howe. Present Elders, Benj. Wilhoit, George Vanwinkle and Robert H. Cooper. Deacons, Peter Bushong, Henry Thompson and Lincoln Cooper.
Wesleyan Methodist .- The second congregation in Indiana of the Wesleyan Church of America was organized at the house of Miles Lamb, where Phineas Lamb now resides, in 1843. The prin- cipal organizers were Miles Lamb and Emsley Brookshire. The charter members were E. Brookshire and wife, M. Lamb and wife, Benoni Pressnal and wife, Phineas and Sarah Lamb, Pressnal Kennard and Jeremiah Pressnal. The church is now called Duck Creek church, on the New Castle and Blue River circuit. A house of worship of hewed logs was built in 1845 at a cost of $100. The present house was built in 1863 at a cost of $1,000. The first ministers were Mifflin Harker and Thomas L. Bauscher. The present pastor is Charles F. Smith. The membership is now sixty.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
New Light Christians .- An organization has been maintained by this denomination in the northwestern part of the township for nearly forty years. No house of worship was erected until 1872 when the Keesling branch house was begun and finished the fol- lowing year. The first Trustees were: Edward Lindsey, James Wisehart, John M. Leavell, Greenburg Farmer and Martin Wise- hart. The congregation is now small. It has been much larger. Rev. James Comer was the first pastor after the house was built. The present pastor is Rev. G. W. Witter. Edward Lindsey, now deceased, was the founder of this organization.
United Brethren .- Centre Chapel, United Brethren society. A class was formed at the Centre school-house in 1838, by Rev. Alex. Carroll. Among the leading early members were Nancy Perdieu, Christopher Bennett, Wm. Baughn, Washington Leavell and others. The meetings were held in the school-house for some- time. The chapel was erected in 1868, costing, aside from volun- tary labor, about $600. The church now has about seventy members. The pastor is Rev. F. M. Demunbrun. Present Trus- tees: Wm. A. Davenport, Alex. Reynolds, A. Lewis, A. Tully, John Baughn. Class-leaders, Geo. Thompson, Steward A. Tully.
Methodist Episcopal .- The Cadiz Methodist Episcopal church was organized at the school-house in 1848. Rev. Charles Wright was the preacher in charge. Among the early members were Emnsley Julian and wife, Jacob Meek and wife, Scott Conner and wife, James Beck and wife, Euphemia Cooper, Pharbia Guyman, Levi Cooper, J. W. Callahan and Wm. Hendricks. The first Class- leader was Wm. Hendricks; first Trustees, Emsley Julian, Scott Conner and Wm. Hendricks. The first church was built in 1852 at a cost of $750. In the year 1872 this was exchanged for the building then known as the town hall, which was deeded to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church. The repairing and renovating cost $1,650. The present pastor is Rev. R. B. Powell; present officers: J. W. Callahan, Leader; Geo. Gilbert and S. Bowers, Stewards; W. W. Holloway, B. W. Pickering, Allen Crim, M. A. Pickering and Luther W. Modlin, Trustees. The church has now fifty members.
Cadiz Meeting .- The Friends of Cadiz and vicinity formed a meeting and built a meeting-house in 1850 on a lot donated by David Pickering. The Trustees were Jonathan Saint, John Buff- kin and Eli Ratliff. The cost of the meeting-house was about $500. The original membership was about fifty; present membership, about seventy.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
Clear Spring Meeting .- This meeting, one of the oldest in the county, was organized about 1825. Rice Price, Nathan Pearson, Elias Newby, Joseph Ratliff, Richard Ratliff, Phineas Ratliff, John Pressnal, Eli Stafford, Dempsey Reese and a few others, with their families, were among early and prominent Quakers. Clear Spring is under Duck Creek Monthly Meeting of which Joseph Pearson and S. Stafford are the ministers. About 120 members belong to Clear Spring.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Eleazer Allis was born in Henry County, Ind., Aug. 14, 1822, a son of Moses and Ruth (Whitney) Allis. When twelve years of age he began to work at the tanner's trade, a business he followed the greater part of the time till 1881 when he bought the farm of eighty acres on section 2, Harrison Township, where he has since resided. He was married in 1841 to Ann E. Rhodes, who was born in 1824 and died in 1850. They had three children-Zerilda, wife of Job Ginn; Ruth M., wife of David Osborn; Mary A., wife of Wm. M. Gardner. In 1853 Mr. Allis married Maria Ginn, who was born in 1832 and died in 1874. Their children are-Sophro- nia; Letha, wife of H. Reicherd, and Tabor. In 1874 Mr. Allis
married Nancy J. Ginn, who was born in 1836. They have one child-Newton. Politically Mr. Allis is a Democrat. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Mrs. Allis is a member of the Christian church. Mr. Allis's father, Moses Allis, was born in New York in 1794, and went to Massachusetts when a young man, where he married Ruth Whitney, who was born in 1795. A few years after their marriage they moved to Connersville, Ind., and two years later, in 1821, to Henry County. He took up eighty acres of land in Henry Township, where they lived ten years, when the land was entered by another party and he was compelled to find another home. He then entered forty acres north of New Castle, where he lived till his death in 1849. His wife died in 1828, leav- ing four children; only two are living-Phidelia, wife of NathanX Comar, of Howard County, Ind., and Eleazer, the eldest and young- est. Whitney and George W. are deceased. He married the second time, Nancy Slagle, who was born about 1805, and died in 1862. They were the parents of six children; but one is living- Oliver. The deceased are-Hiram, who died in Nashville while a soldier in the Rebellion; Austin, Electa, Josephine and Joseph. Politically he was a Jacksonian Democrat. He was a member of the Protestant Methodist church.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.
Christopher Bennett, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Bennett, was born in Ohio, June 25, 1817. When he was quite young his parents moved to Wayne County, Ind., and there he was reared and educated. He was married Nov. 5, 1838, to Rachel, daughter of Levi and Sarah Beauchamp. She was born Jan. 24, 1816, and died Jan. 16, 1879. They had a family of nine children-Levi, resides in Missouri; Noah, enlisted in Company F, Fifty-seventh Indiana Infantry, and died at Louisville, Ky., Jan. 17, 1862; Sarah Ann, John and Hannah are deceased; Vashti, wife of Gresham Gard, of Oregon; Evaline, wife of Columbus Elliott; Cynthia, deceased; Philander, married Mand, daughter of D. O. and Lydia Ann Pickering, and has one child-William E. Oct. 25, 1879, Mr. Bennett married Esther Sanders, a native of Boone County, Ind., born April 26, 1832. Mr. Bennett moved to Henry County in the winter of 1843, and located in Harrison Township. In 1851 he bought the farm where he has since resided, two miles west of Cadiz. He owns 100 acres of choice land, all well improved. Po- litically he is a Republican. He is a member of the New Light church. His first wife was a member of the United Brethren church. His present wife is a member of the Reformed Christian church.
Isaac N. Brown was born in Henry County, Ind., July 30, 1829. a son of Isaac and Mary (Mendenhall) Brown, natives of North Carolina, his father born in 1796, and his mother in 1794. His parents came to Henry County in 1821 and entered 160 acres in Liberty Township, where the mother died in 1870 and the father in 1878. They had a family of nine children-Tamar, Moses, Jacob, Rachel, Anna, James, Isaac N., Samuel and Thaddeus. Isaac Brown, Sr., was an enterprising, public-spirited man and many of the improvements of the county were due to his zeal and progressiveness. He took the contract of opening the road from New Castle toward Williamsburg, still known as the old Brown road, one of the first public thoroughfares in the county. Isaac N. Brown was married in 1852 to Sarah Stubblefield, who was born July 30, 1831. They have a family of seven children-Mary J., Marcus, Rosa, Dora, Cassius C., Cora and Elnora. Politically Mr. Brown is a Republican as was his father before him. He has been Justice of the Peace many years. He owns a fine farm of 220 acres but at present is in the agricultural implement business in Kennard. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco- pal church.
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Jackson Bushong, son of Abraham and Christena Bushong, was born March 27, 1817, in Augusta County, Va., and was married March 9, 1839, to Lydia Bushong, born May 14, 1818. In 1848 they came to Indiana and landed in Fall Creek Township, Henry County, where they resided fifteen years. They then moved to Harrison Town- ship and purchased 210 acres on section 29 where they have since resided. Politically Mr. Bushong is a Democrat. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. They have had two children-Eliza C., born July 6, 1842, married George H. Dellinger, Aug. 7, 1861, and died March 26, 1875, leaving five children- Minerva A., Phebe T., Hannah N., Cora C., Lillie L .; Peter P. was born Sept. 4, 1844, and Jan. 16, 1875, married Rosilla McCor- mack, who was born Dec. 6, 1854. They have three children- Wilford H., Anderson J., Charles A.
Captain Robert K. Collins .- Thomas Collins, the great-grand- father of our subject, was born in Scotland near the middle of the eighteenth century and came to America about 1770, and settled in New Jersey. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, serving with distinction. His wife was born in New Jersey about 1756. Both died in Pennsylvania. Their son, Andrew Col- lins, was born in New Jersey in 1778, and died in Fayetteville, Ark., in 1846. He married Margaret Jennings, who was born in New Jersey in 1781, a cousin of Jonathan Jennings, Indiana's first Governor. She died at Fayetteville, Ark., 1847. They had ten children. Their son and our subject's father, Thomas J. Collins, was born in Union County, Pa., in 1808, and died in St. Louis, Mo., in 1849. He married Mary Whitacre, who was born in Darke County, Ohio, in 1811, and died in Edgar County, Ill., iny 1851. They had a family of seven sons and one daughter; the daughter and three sons are living. Andrew J. is a stock-raiser in Montana; George W. is an attorney at Lafayette, Ind .; Sarah is the wife of Edward West, of Luray, Henry County. R. K. Collins was born in Henry County, Ind., Nov. 6, 1832. He was ten years of age when his parents moved to Arkansas, and remained in the West ten years. He then returned to Indiana. He learned the blacksmith's trade in Luray, Ind., and Urbana, Ill. In 1861 he was one of the four men in his township to respond to the first call for volunteers, and served three months as a private in the Eighth Indiana Infantry. In 1862 he enlisted in the Sixty-ninth Indiana Infantry, and was elected Captain of Company I. He commanded his company till 1865 when by the concussion of a
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