USA > Indiana > Howard County > History of Howard County, Indiana, Vol I > Part 4
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DOMESTIC LIFE.
The council of the tribe assigns to the gens a particular tract of land for cultivation. The woman council carefully divides and distributes that tract of land among the heads of the families, who are responsible for its cultivation. The crops are planted, culti- vated and gathered by the squaws. The wigwam and all articles of the household belong to the woman and at her death descend to her eldest daughter or nearest of female kin. In their criminal code adultery is punished in the first offense by cropping the hair, re- peated offenses by cutting the left ear. If the mother fails to in- flict the penalty it is done by the council of women of the gens. Theft is punished by twofold restitution. It is tried by the coun- cil of gens, from which there is no appeal. Maiming is compounded and tried in the same way. Murder is triable by the gens, but an appeal lies to the council of the tribes ; technical errors in the prose- cution are proofs positive of defendant's innocence ; if found guilty the friends of the accused must pay for the dead man, and on fail- ure to do so the friends of the dead man may kill the murderer at pleasure. Witchcraft is punishable by death, by tomahawking, stab- bing or burning : an appeal lies from the grand council of the tribe to the holy ordeal by fire. A circular fire is built, and if the ac- cused can run through it from east to west and from north to south without injury he is adjudged innocent. Treason is punished with death and consists in first giving aid or comfort to enemies of the tribe, secondly in revealing the secrets of the medicine men.
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Each tribe had a sachem or chief counselor in matters of peace, whose place was filled on his death by the election of another mem- ber of his family, usually his brother or his sister's son. Women as well as men voted at these elections. In times of war or other emer- gencies chiefs were chosen, who continued in office as long as they lived. Being chosen for personal qualities, such as wisdom, elo- quence or bravery, these chiefs were often very able men.
The sorcerers, called powwows or medicine men, had still greater power, owing to the superstition of the people. They really had some skill in healing sick persons by vapor baths and decoctions of roots and herbs, but to these rational remedies they added howl- ings and incantations, which were supposed to frighten away the evil spirits that occasioned disease.
RELIGION.
According to the dark notions of barbarians the Indians were a very religious people. They believed in a Great Spirit, the Master of Life, who had made the world, and whose bounty they celebrated by six annual thangsgivings-at the first flowing of maple sap, at planting, at the ripening of berries, when their green corn was ready for eating, at harvest and at New Year. They believed also in an evil spirit, who might bring upon them famine, pestilence or defeat in war, and whom they sought to appease by fastings and sacrifice. They expected another life after death, and desired to have their weapons, and sometimes a favorite dog, buried with them for use in the "happy hunting grounds." No matter how great the fam- ine in the land, they provided the departed spirit with plenty of food to last it until its arrival at that bourne. Their heaven was limitless plains and boundless forests abounding in game of all sorts and flowing rivers stocked with all manner of fish -- a place where the
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imperfect conditions of this life for happiness would be perfect. They had no priesthood nor ceremonials of worship. As illustrating their religious ideas it is related that "In the year 1791 two Creek chiefs accompanied an American to England, where, as usual, they attracted great attention and many flocked around them, as well to ascertain their ideas of certain things as to behold the savages. Be- ing asked their opinion of religion or of what religion they were, one made answer that they had no priest in their country, nor estab- lished religion, for they thought that upon a subject where there was no possibility of people agreeing in opinion, and as it was al- together a matter of opinion, it was best that every one should pad- dle his canoe in his own way." Dancing and singing were impor- tant parts of every religious observance. No sick person could be cured, no war planned and no treaty made without a dance, which often continued several days. Their musical instruments were drums, rattles and a rude kind of flute. The war dance was com- mon to all tribes, but each clan had peculiar dances of its own, some- times numbering thirty or more.
PICTURE WRITING.
Though they had neither books nor writing, some Indian tribes practiced picture writing, which answered all their purposes. They had even a sort of musical notation, by which a leader could read off his song from a piece of birch bark marked with a stick. Beads made of shells or stone served them as money. Communion was the social law of the Indian race. In some of the "long houses" of the Iroquois twenty families were fed daily from the common kettle of boiled corn and beans. Hunters left their game to be carried home by other members of their clan while they pushed on for fresh supplies.
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
The Indians were of an almost uniform dark brown color, with straight shining black hair and high cheek bones. With but few exceptions they were treacherous, cruel and revengeful. Often hos- pitable and friendly while at peace, they were merciless and brutal in war. Prisoners were tortured with fiendish barbarity. It was thought an ill omen for the conquerors if they failed to make their victims cry out with pain; therefore, though they tore out bits of flesh with teeth or pincers night after night and at last roasted him in a slow fire, he continued to sing his death song with a calm, un- wavering voice until his last breath released him from their torments.
ORGANIZATION AND EARLY HISTORY.
Howard county was organized in 1844. For three years it was known as Richardville county in memory of the Miami Indian, Chief Richardville, the successor of Little Turtle.
The county was formed wholly out of the Miami Indian Re- serve. Ervin, Monroe and Honey Creek townships were a part of the seven mile strip sold off of the west side of the reserve and given by the government to the state of Indiana to use the proceeds of the sale of these lands for the completion of the Wabash and Erie canal. After the Indians had sold this strip, Ervin and Monroe townships had been annexed to Carroll county, which had been organized in 1828, and Honey Creek had been annexed to Clinton county, which had been organized about 1830. The remainder of the county was formed from their final sale of the "Reserve" in 1840 and on which the Indians were granted five years to give possession. The white man had possession of the territory surrounding the "Reserve"; he was anxious to move into the new possessions. It was to the in-
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coming tide of settlers a real "Promised Land". The Indians had chosen it from all their possessions as being the choice. It was a goodly land. It originally contained the choice lands from the Wabash southwards, along Big and Little Deer creeks, along Big and Little Wild Cats and tributaries and along Kokomo creek. While it was an almost unbroken forest, the trees were tall and stately, denoting a rich and productive soil. It is true that those early comers did not see in the giant poplar, walnut, ash and oak trees the wealth that a later generation would have found. In those vast sugar orchards they saw an obstruction to the use of the land as cultivated fields ; but in the rolling lands along the creeks they saw golden opportunities to make pleasant, comfortable homes.
THE COUNTY OF RICHARDVILLE.
To prepare this land for settlement as soon as the Indians should go, an act was passed by the legislature and approved Janu- ary 15, 1844, to organize the county of Richardville. In the form- ing of Richardville county only Ervin and Monroe townships west of the boundary line were added to the county. Honey Creek town- ship was not made a part until several years later. John Moulder, then of Parke county, Himelias Mendenhall, of Miami county, John Armstrong, of Carroll county, Oliver Raymond, of Wabash caunty, and Samuel Calip, of Hamilton county, were appointed commission- ers to permanently fix the seat of justice; and these commissioners were instructed to meet at the house of John Harrison in this county on the 2d Monday in May, 1844, to proceed with their duty. And it was ordered by that act that on and after the Ist day of May of that year, the county of Richardville should enjoy all the rights and jurisdiction which to a separate county belong. It was made the duty of the sheriff of Carroll county to notify the commissioners
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of their appointment and place of meeting. By this act the circuit and other courts of Richardville county were ordered to be held at the house of John Harrison until other accommodations should be provided. The circuit court was ordered to be held on Thursday succeeding the court of Tipton county, and "shall continue three days if the business require it." Also by that act Richardville was attached to Carroll county for representative purposes, and to Car- roll and Clinton for senatorial purposes. The house of John Harri- son referred to in the act was about seven miles west of Kokomo, on the south side of Wild Cat creek, in the northwest quarter of section 2. It was a double log house, and the largest in this settlement.
The commissioners appointed to fix the county seat met at the time and place fixed in their order. All were present. Mr. Arm- strong was a surveyor and had his instruments with him. There was a large gathering of pioneers at Harrison's. Some of them wanted the site of the county town at Harrison's, others at Crom- well's mill, about two miles east, but a large majority favored the site at Kokomo. The commissioners viewed the sites at Harrison's and Cromwell's mill and then came to Kokomo.
ONE HOUSE IN KOKOMO.
There was then no improvements at Kokomo except David Foster's log house, log barn and a small clearing around them. On the south side there were two or three Indian huts and a small field. What is now the business district of Kokomo was covered with a dense forest of great trees and a thick undergrowth, the greater part being swampy, presenting a very uninviting appearance.
The commissioners examined both sides of Wild Cat and unanimously decided that the south side should be selected. Foster refused to make the donation on the south side, alleging, it is said.
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that the south side was dry and very fertile and well suited for the making of a good farm, while the north side was swampy, hard to clear and not very fit for a farm. The commissioners remained with him two days trying to induce him to yield to their choice. He was obdurate and the commissioners finally agreed to the site on the north side. His donation was forty acres. The donation as made by Foster and accepted by the commissioners began at the northwest corner of the LaFountain Reserve, thence east with the north line of the Reserve to the west side of Union street, thence south along the west side of Union street to a point about seventy-four feet south of High street, thence west to a point about one hundred feet west of Washington street, thence north to the beginning. By agree- ment the rude fence on the north line of the cleared "patch" about the house and barn was to be the south line of the donation, and the north line of the float section was to be the north line of the dona- tion. Looked at from a present day standpoint this was a magnifi- cent donation. In that early day it was far different. No lands had been surveyed east of the boundary line except the Indian Re- serve, of which this was a part. The time of the Indians had not then expired and they were still in the neighborhood. Lands were rated as worth two dollars an acre.
In addition to the donation of land, Foster paid the expenses of the locating commissioners. They made their report to the county commissioners in called session on the 17th day of August follow- ing recommending the acceptance of the Foster donation. The county commissioners formally accepted the report, and David Fos- ter delivered the deed to the land December 5th following.
FIRST ELECTIONS.
The first election held in any part of what is now Howard county was in the presidential election of 1840. The voting precinct
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
was at the house of John Harrison and included all the voters in that part then attached to Carroll county. Twenty-four votes were cast and resulted in a tie; twelve Democrat and twelve Whig votes. The first election under the county organization was held May 27, 1844, at which the following county officers were chosen : clerk, Franklin S. Price; auditor, Benjamin Newhouse; recorder, Austin North; treasurer, Harless Ashley ; sheriff, John Harrison; county commissioners, John Lamb, Benjamin Fawcett and David Bailey.
The county commissioners held their first meeting June 17th, following their election, meeting at the home of John Harrison. At this session they divided the county into three townships; the west one being Monroe and including all west of the boundary line, the middle one Kokomo, extending from the boundary line east to a line running north and south through or near Vermont and all the remainder formed Greene township. Little else was done at this session.
The regular session, meeting on the Ist Monday in September, was held at David Foster's. At this term Peter Gay was appointed county agent and Austin C. Sheets, county surveyor, who was directed to plat the donation into town lots and thus to make the beginning of Kokomo. The other subordinate officers were ap- pointed so that the local government was ready for the county. The first tax levy was also made, consisting of twenty-five cents on each one hundred dollars valuation and twenty-five cents poll tax.
At the December term, 1844, the board ordered an election to be held in each of the three townships on the 3d Monday in Janu- ary, 1845, to elect a justice of the peace for each township. At this term they granted the first retail liquor license to Charles J. Allison. His license fee was ten dollars. In the succeeding year the com- missioners raised the fee to fifty dollars. Mr. Allison was the first licensed retail liquor seller in Howard county ; he was also the first
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liquor law violator, having been indicted for violating the license law while holding this first license. At the September term Charles Price had been appointed county assessor ; and at this term he was allowed thirty-four dollars and fifty cents for his services in mak- ing the assessment for the whole county. At this term the com- missioners acted upon the first road report. During the early his- tory of the county much of the time of the board of commissioners was taken up in ordering the location of roads or public highways, and in hearing reports of such roads as were located. As showing the lack of accuracy and permanency of much of the work then done, a few of these reports are here transcribed. The first report was made by Isaac Price, Jonathan Hayworth and J. C. Barnett, viewers : "In pursuance of the order of the board, we have viewed and laid out a road of public utility, to-wit: Beginning at the forks of Honey Creek, and running the nearest and best route in the direc- tion of Peter Duncan's tavern, on the Michigan road, ending at the county line."
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
J. C. Barnett and J. C. Chitwood made this report on a road they were ordered to view: "We viewed the same, commencing near the southwest corner of section 30, in township 24 north of range 2 east : thence northeast to the south end of Abraham Bru- baker's lane ; thence through said lane to the north end of the same; thence northeast to the quarter post between Judge Ervin and Wil- liam Cullup's farms : thence north to Judge Ervin's fence : thence northeast along said fence to the mouth of Judge Ervin's lane ; thence through said lane; thence northeast to the northeast corner of section 29 and so on, and report the same of public utility." In a few years this road was lost and could not be found. Another county road was located by Rich Staunton and George Taylor. as
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
follows: "Commencing at New London; thence with the Delphi and Muncie state road to Mr. Walls'; thence east via Miles Judkin's lane to James Shank's on Little Wild Cat; thence east to Laomi Ashley's ; thence east to a school house near McCune's."
It must be remembered that these were the pioneers of a new country ; that they were very busy in clearing and making farms out of the wilderness as well as attending to the public business ; and that they had enough to do in looking after the pressing needs of the hour without planning for the future.
At the March term, 1845. the board took preliminary steps for the building of a court house. They decided that it should be twenty-four feet square, two stories high, and built out of hewn logs, and covered with boards three feet long and showing one foot to the weather. David Foster and Dennis McCormack were ap- pointed to let the contract, which was taken by Rufus L. Blower at twenty-eight dollars.
Arrangements also were commenced for the building of a jail. This was built of hewn timbers twelve inches square throughout, walls, floor and ceiling ; the logs notched down close and boarded on the outside, and double doors of two-inch oak plank. The lock to the door was made by Judge Thomas A. Long; the key was about ten inches long and weighed about four pounds. The build- ing was to be eighteen feet by twelve feet in the clear.
At this session the report of T. A. Long, one of the commis- sioners appointed by the legislature to view a state road from Burl- ington, in Carroll county, by the way of Kokomo to Marion, in Grant county, was made to the board, this being the first state road through the county.
Most of the time of the board was taken up in making orders (lirecting various officers and other persons to perform certain ser- vices for the public good, and in appointing various petit officers in
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the townships where the rapidly increasing settlement of the country seemed to demand it, and the looking after public property as is evidenced by this order: "It appearing to the satisfaction of this court that H. C. Stewart has taken eight pieces of plank from the court house, and that others have done the same, it is ordered that David Foster be requested to call on all such persons as have taken lumber and require them to return it in fifteen days."
It was no unusual thing in those days for persons to use any lumber lying around loose. Lumber was very scarce and in great demand in fitting up houses to live in, and only one slow going saw mill in many miles. It seems the lumber was returned as there is no further mention of it.
At the September term, two state roads were located : one from Kokomo to Michigantown and one from Kokomo to Peru. At the December term, the court house was accepted of the contractor, R. L. Blower, after deducting two dollars from the contract price for some defect in the work.
At the June term, 1846, Harles Ashley, the first county treas- urer, made his first report to the county commissioners, showing the receipts and expenditures for the first year of the county: "Re- ceived for the year ending June Ist, one thousand twenty-one dollars and forty-four cents : paid out for the same time nine hundred and eighty-four dollars and fifty-one cents ; balance in treasury, thirty- six dollars and ninety-three cents." He was paid one hundred and twenty-five dollars and twenty-five cents for his services. The as- sessed valuation of personal property for the year 1846 was sixty thousand one hundred and forty-three dollars, real estate, fifty-eight thousand six hundred and ninety-five dollars, total, one hundred and eighteen thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight dollars. At the same term the board received the jail of contractor, James H. Johnson, paying him one hundred and seventy-eight dollars and ten
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
cents for its construction. At the December term, 1846, Howard county was subdivided into nine townships-Center, Ervin, Monroe, Clay, Harrison, Taylor, Howard, Jackson and Greene. At this term the board appropriated one hundred dollars for the building of a bridge across Wild Cat where the New London road crossed it.
NAME CHANGED TO HOWARD.
The name Richardville was not satisfactory ; many advocated a change. In the discussions that followed, some advocated the union of Richardville and Tipton with the county seat at Sharps- ville. Others advocated the division of the county and the forma- tion of a county out of the western part of Howard and the eastern part of Carroll and the county seat to be at Burlington ; others wanted a new name. N. R. Lindsay, a young attorney, was elected to the legislature this year and was a staunch friend to Kokomo re- maining the county seat, and at the convening of the legislature in December, 1846, he and John Bohan, C. D. Murry and David Fos- ter were present as also were the friends of the other interests. The Hon. T. A. Howard, a popular Democratic politician, who had recently died, had many friends in the legislature who wished to per- petuate his memory. The friends of the county and the county seat. remaining the same without change, took advantage of this senti- ment and late in the evening a bill was prepared changing the name from Richardville to Howard, and the next morning upon the as- sembling of the house, one of the friends of Howard, while the other parties were still in rooms near the legislature hall preparing bills to spring upon the legislature, arose in his place and offered the fol- lowing bill :
An act to change the name of Richardville county.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state
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of Indiana, that the name of the county of Richardville be and the same is hereby changed to that of Howard.
Sec. 2. Nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to in any manner affect any of the rights or liabilities of said county or any of the citizens thereof, but the said county shall be entitled, under the name of Howard, to all the rights, and be subject to all the liabilities the present county of Richardville is entitled or liable to.
Sec. 3. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage and it is hereby made the duty of the secretary of state to forward a certified copy of this act to the clerk of the circuit court of said county.
The bill was immediately put upon its passage, quickly taken to the other house and passed, taken to the governor and approved and the name was Howard before the others knew what was happening. It is related that some of the other parties coming in later and call- ing up the matter of Richardville county, a member arose and called the gentleman to order saying-"there was no such county as Rich- ardville in Indiana : there was a county of Howard, but Richard- ville, Richardville-that county must be in some other state." A good natured laugh was had and after some explanation all seemed to be satisfied.
The act was approved by the Governor, December 28. 1846, and the act was filed with the clerk of the circuit court on the 13th of February, 1847, and from that date all business was transacted in Howard county.
COUNTY TREASURER'S REPORT.
At the June term. 1847, the county treasurer's report showed, receipts one thousand two hundred and ten dollars and seventy-four
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
cents, expenditures one thousand one hundred and fifty-three dollars and thirty-three cents. The previous year the receipts were one thousand twenty-one dollars and forty-four cents and expenditures nine hundred and eighty-four dollars and fifty-one cents. For the following year, 1848, receipts were two thousand one hundred and ninety-seven dollars and eighty-six cents, expenditures one thousand six hundred and eighty-five dollars and ninety-seven cents. For the year 1849, receipts were two thousand eight hundred and ninety-two dollars and three cents, and expenditures two thousand four hun- dred and fifty dollars and fifty-six cents. For the year 1849 the assessed valuation of property was one hundred and forty-eight thousand three hundred and ninety dollars. The assessed valua- tion in 1846 was one hundred and eighteen thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight dollars.
These figures show a very gradual increase in Howard county values. It must, however, be borne in mind that the people who came to Howard county to make homes were of very limited means when they came here and any increase must come from the ground by their labor; that this land was covered with heavy forests that had to be largely cleared away before growing a crop. While clear- ing their lands they did well to provide themselves with food and clothing. The privation and hardships endured by them can not be realized by those who have never gone through similar experience. These men of limited means and opportunity for anything but hard work had all the public business to attend to in addition to making their clearings and paying for their lands when the time came for making the entries. They also came from different localities, each having a method of its own for transacting business, many of them without experience. Thus it is not a matter of wonder that much of their public work was crude and imperfect and without any regu- lar form. Experience in their case proved a good teacher, and they
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