USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana > Part 107
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Daniel Cooper was born in Virginia in 1793, and moved to Ohio with his father in 1809. He served in the war of 1812, and in 1830 came to Indiana and settled in the northwestern part of Pike township, on Fishback Creek. He served as justice of the peace for several years, and was a school teacher of some prominence in the early day of the township. The farm of Danicl Cooper is now owned by Elijah Cooper.
Samuel Cooper, of Perry County, Ohio, a carpenter by trade, came to this township in 1830, and entered eighty acres of land in the northwest corner of the township on the Lafayette road. Fishback Creek runs through the land he entered. In 1831 he, with his wife (Elizabeth Moore, to whom he was married in December, 1827) and two children, moved to his land, where a cabin was soon erected, and they were at home in the woods. They raised eleven children who lived to maturity, seven sons and four daughters. Aunt Betsey, as she is called, still lives, at seventy- five years of age, on the farm they entered. Mr. Cooper died April 1, 1864.
John Moore, a son of John Moore, Sr., was born in Perry County, Ohio, June 9, 1816, and came to Indiana in 1832. He settled in Pike township, on the farmn now owned and occupied by Pluman Reek. Mr. Moore now resides in the southwestern part of the township, on the west side of Eagle Creck. He owns a farm of over three hundred acres, which he has acquired by his own industry and economy. He
is extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. He has served as inspector of elections for thirty-five or forty years, and is an elder in the Presbyterian Church at Clermont.
Enoch Reade was born in Jackson County, Ohio, in 1814, and in 1828, with his father's family, came to Hendricks County, near Plainfield, where he lived until 1831. In August of that year they came to Marion County, and settled in Pike township, where Marion Wiley now lives. He was married to Ruth Hume, daughter of J. C. Hume, Oct. 16, 1834, and in 1837 moved to Illinois with a number of other early settlers of this township. He remained in Illinois five years, then returned to this township, and settled on the farm where A. P. Wiley now re- sides. He raised five children, who are still living. Mr. Reade is now and has been for a number of years living on the Lafayette road.
Alexander Felton came to Pike township Sept. 2, 1832, and settled on the farm now owned by Leander Felton. He taught school the following winter in a house owned by Zephaniah Hollingsworth, in his own yard, used for loom-house, ete. For many years afterwards, during the winter, he taught in different places, working on the farm in summer. He was an advocate of temperance and freedom for all races and color, standing up for the anti-slavery cause when it cost something to do so. He did not, however, live to see the liberation of the slaves. He died Sept. 2, 1854. His widow died Feb. 17, 1883, at eighty years of age, having lived fifty-one years on the old homestead.
John Bowers was a son of David Bowers, Sr., born in Dearborn County, Ind., Aug. 28, 1818. He came to this township in 1833, and settled on land, now the G. W. Aston farm, on the Michigan road. John Bowers was married to Elizabeth Gullefer Oct. 27, 1844. They had five children,-three sons and two daughters,-who are all living in this vicin- ity on good farms, to which they were assisted by the liberality of their parents.
Mr. Bowers was one of the early school-teachers of this township when the qualifications required of a teacher were a knowledge of spelling, reading, writing, and ciphering to the single rule of three,
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but his qualifications exceeded those of the ordinary teacher, for he was master of the arithmetic that was then used in the schools. Mr. Bowers owns and oc- cupies the land entered by Allen Harbert and Wil- liam Groves in the southeast centre of the town- ship,-one hundred and eighty acres of good land. He is a model farmer and stock-raiser ; is an exem- plary member of the Methodist Church, in which he has held several positions, having acted as class- leader the most of the time for the last forty years.
John Miller, son of William Miller, a Revolution- ary soldier, was born in Fleming County, Ky., in 1801, and was married to Cynthia Wilson, Feb. 23, 1828. He came to Indiana in September, 1833, and settled in this township, half a mile northwest of where the village of Trader's Point now stands. He is the only man, in this township living on the land which he entered from government. He and his wife have lived together fifty-five years and raised six children. Mr. Miller is eighty-three years of age, and the oldest man in the township. His wife is seventy-two years old. Mr. Miller has been a member of the Christian Church nearly sixty-eight years, and his wife fifty-eight years in the same church with her husband.
Isaac N. Cotton (a son of John Cotton, who came to this township in May, 1838) was born in Wayne County, Ind., in 1830. He now owns and lives on the farm of his father. He is an excellent farmer, raises fine-wool sheep, is quite extensively engaged in raising bees, and is the president of the Indiana State Bee-Keepers' Association. He is also a member of the Swine-Breeders' and Wool-Growers' Association of the State of Indiana. He attended .the Marion County Seminary from 1849 to 1851, crossed the plains with an ox-team in 1852, and remained in California two years. After his return to this county he engaged in school-teaching in the winter season and farming in the summer. He was at one time township clerk ; was revenue assessor for the three north townships of Marion County ; represented the county in the State Legislature in 1859, and was elected again in 1880.
Long, to Indiana in February, 1832, and settled in Rush County. In February, 1848, he was married to Sarah D. Recs, and on April 1, in the same ycar, came to Pike, and settled in the southwest corner of the township, on the farm entercd by James San- dusky. He is one of the elders of the Christian Church at Clermont, is a good farmer and citizen, and takes a great interest in the educational interests of the township. He has been inspector of elections at different times, and was captain of a company of the Indiana Legion during the war of the Rebellion.
John W. Riley was born in Maryland in 1830, and in 1835 came to Marion County, Ind., with his father, Samuel J. Riley, and settled on Fall Creek. From there he moved with his parents to Perry township in 1836, and settled in the western part of the township, on the east side of White River. In the war of the Rebellion he served two years as first lieutenant in the Ninth Indiana Cavalry, and in the battle of Sulphur Trestle, Ala., he (with a detachment of one hundred and eighty-five men) was taken prisoner. He was commissioned captain by Governor Morton in the Indiana Legion. After the war Captain Riley returned to his farm in Perry township and remained there until 1869, when he moved to Pike township and bought a farm on the Michigan road, one and a half miles north of Old Augusta. He now owns over four hundred acres of good land, is a prosperous farmer, and somewhat en- gaged in raising graded short-horn cattle. He was a charter member of Hosbrook Lodge, F. and A. M., and served as Worshipful Master eight years.
The first road that was surveyed and cut out through this township was the Lafayette road. It was surveyed and cut out in 1831 and 1832 from Indianapolis to Lafayette. The next was the Michi- gan road from Indianapolis to Michigan City ; this was surveyed by George L. Conard in 1832. Some of the citizens are still living who helped cut out these roads. The Lafayette road ruos in a north- westerly direction through the township, and in some places passed through the swampiest land in the township. In, such places it was " corduroyed," and
William P. Long was a native of Hamilton County, Ohio, whence he came with his father, Daniel | in open, wet winters or in the spring this road was
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impassable for teams and wagons, and in those days it was a great undertaking to go to Indianapolis, a distance of ten or twelve miles, and often re- quired two days to make the round trip to mnill or market with a small load. In 1859 to 1862 the Lafayette road was graded and graveled by Aaron MeCray, Isaac Meyers, John Bowers, and Manning Voorhes, at a cost of twelve hundred dollars per mile ; in these four years twelve miles of this road was graveled, and it was made one of the best thorough- fares of the county. Since that time the Michigau road, the Zionsville, and other roads in this township have been graveled, and there are now about thirty- five miles of gravel roads in the township, fully half of which are free roads. Quite an improvement has been made in the other roads of the township, all the wet and low places being graded and graveled. In the summer of 1877 the first iron bridge was built in this township aeross Big Eagle Creek, on the Lafayette road at Trader's Point, at a cost of twelve thousand dollars.
The first grist-mill of the township was built by David MeCurdy on Big Eagle Creek, at the MeCurdy ford. The next mill of the kind in Pike township was built by John Trester on Crooked Creek, nearly one-half mile southeast of Old Augusta, on the farm now owned by Byron K. Elliott. Lewis Mitehell built the third grist-mill in 1832, about one mile south of the site of the village of Trader's Point. The first saw-mill was built by Henry Groves on Little Eagle Creek, on the farm known as the Cropper farm.
Harrison Button built the next saw-mill on Fish- baek Creek, on the farm he now owns and occupies. Other saw-mills were built in this township by Stephen Gullefer, George Hollingsworth, James MeCurdy, and others. These were all propelled by water-power. The first steam saw-mill was built by Marchant Rode- baugh on the Zionsville road, on the northeast corner of the farm now owned by Ezra Meyers. Rodebaugh sold out to Jacob Souerwine. The first distillery in the township was built by David MeCurdy, Sr., just south of the house that Samuel MeCurdy now lives in. This was built about 1827. The second distillery was built by Joseph Klingensmith, near the house now
owned and occupied by Simon Klingensmith. The third distillery in the township was built by Richard Miller and - Gay, and was sometimes called " Sodom." This was on the bank of Eagle Creek, just below the MeCurdy ford. All of these mills and distilleries are matters of the past in the history of Pike township.
The first post-office in this township was named Piketon, and located at Adam Wright's house, on the farm now owned and occupied by Zachariah Bush, on the Lafayette road. The mail was carried on horse- back from Indianapolis to Lafayette. The mail con- tractor was a man named Bentley, and his son Joseph carried the mail for a number of years on this route. The second postmaster in this part of the township was Christopher Hines, under whom the office was removed to the farm now occupied by F. M. Hollings- worth. Piketon post-office was continued and kept at Mr. Hines' until 1853, when an office was estab- lished on the Indianapolis and Lafayette Railroad at Augusta Station (now New Augusta), and the Pike- ton office and also the office at Old Augusta were dis- continued. Mr. Rudicil was the first postmaster at Augusta Station. The present postmaster there is Dr. E. Purdy.
Villages .- The oldest village in Pike township is Old .Augusta, situated in the eastern part, near the Washington township line. The first settlements in its vicinity were made by George Coble, Sr., and Jonathan Ingo. George Coble was a native of North Carolina, who came to this township in 1829. He entered and settled on one hundred and sixty acres of land one-quarter of a mile east of where New Augusta now is, and lived there until his death, which occurred a few years ago. He was a zealous member of the Lutheran Church for many years, and was respected by all his neighbors. He raised a family of five children, of whom Jeremiah Coble, the youngest, was born in this township, and now owns the farm on which his father settled. He has served eight years and six months as trustee of the town- ship, and in that position gave satisfaction not only to his own party, but to his political opponents. He was a charter member of Hosbrook Lodge, F. and
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
A. M .; has served as its secretary for ten years, and was re-elected at its last stated communication. He also holds the same position in the Knights of Honor at New Augusta. He is a member of the Lutheran Church.
Old Augusta was laid out in 1832 by David G. Boardman and James Fee; and Riley B. Hogshire built and owned the first dry-goods and grocery-store that was opened iu the place after the town was sur- veyed. The store was on Washington and Walnut Streets, and is now owned and occupied by John Darling as a residence. The next who engaged in the merchandising business in the place was a Mr. McCalley, who, in connection with his store, was licensed to sell whiskey, this being the first licensed place in the town. It was on the west side of the street, where Joseph Martin's blacksmith-shop now stands. The next store was opened by James Evans, one square south of where Joseph Johnson's store now stands. Mr. Evans continued in the business for a number of years, then went to Noblesville, and was engaged in merchandising there until a few years ago, when he was elected to Congress. Riley Hog- shire, Sr., again purchased a large stock of goods, and carried on the business very successfully for a number of years, theo sold out to his son, Samuel H. Hogshire, who was also successful in business. There have been quite a number since that time engaged in selling goods at Old Augusta. At the present time there are four stores in the place, the proprietors being Joseph Johnson, Arthur Wakelin, Leander Cox, and B. F. Berry.
The first blacksmith-shop in Old Augusta was opencd by Elias Fee, on the east side of the street, near the centre of the village. He sold out to Thomas Council, who carried on the business, in con- nection with that of wagon-making, for a number of years.
The first physician in the village was Dr. James M. Blades ; the next, Dr. . Woodyard. Sample Loftin (ex-county treasurer) practiced medicine here for sixteen or seventeen years. George Dusan was a resident physician here for a number of years, and lived where Mr. Stucker now resides. Dr. Almond Loftin practiced medicine here for ten or fifteen years.
Dr. E. Purdy was located here in practice at one time, and is now at New Augusta. The last physi- cian of this village was Dr. Sanford Hornaday, who was a graduate of the College of Physicians and Sur- geons at Indianapolis. Dr. Hornaday moved West in the early part of 1883, and settled in Winfield, Kansas.
The first church built here was by the Methodists. The second was built in 1845 or 1846 by the Chris- tian congregation. The first school here was taught in 1832 by a Kentuckian named Lynch, in a cabin just north of the town, on the north side of Crooked Creek, owned by a man named Lakin. The next school taught in this vicinity was by David G. Board- man, in a cabin on the land belonging to Elias Fee.
At that time the cabin stood about one-quarter of a mile southwest of the village, where the orchard is on the Adam Rodebaugh farm. Old Augusta is now a place of little importance, having been eclipsed by the newer town of Hosbrook, which enjoys the advantage of railway communication.
The village of Hosbrook (otherwise known as New Augusta) is on the old Lafayette and Indianapolis Railroad, ten miles north west of Indianapolis. It was laid out in 1852 by William Hornaday, who was administrator of the estate of Christopher Hornaday, deceased, on which estate the town was laid out. The railway-station and post-office established at that place bore the name of Augusta Station. The first postmaster was Ephraim Rudacil, who was suc- ceeded by Joseph Klingensmith. The office re- mained in the Klingensmith family the most of the time until 1882, when Dr. Ephraim Purdy was appointed and is still the postmaster. The name of the office was changed in 1878 to New Augusta. The first store at this place was owned by Thomas Council & Son. Soon after Council's store was opened, Ephraim Rudacil and Jacob and Simon Klingensmith built a large store and warehouse, and did a large business in selling goods and buying and shipping grain. Rudacil sold out to Joseph Kling- ensmith, Sr., after which the firm continued in the grain and merchandising business for a number of years and then sold out. The business afterwards
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passed into the hands of Reuben Klingensmith, who dropped the grain business but continued the store trade until 1879, when he closed out his stock of goods at private sale and retired to his farm. The two stores of the village are now carried on by George Avery, Robert Avery, and Marshall Hollingsworth. There is also a drug-store, owned by Nelson Kling- ensmith.
Dr. Ephraim Purdy was the first resident phy- sician and surgeon of the town, and he is still here in practice. Dr. W. B. McDonald, who is also in practice here, is a graduate of the Indiana Medieal College. He served three and a half years at the City Hospital in Indianapolis, the last two years as superintendent. He located at New Augusta in 1877. Dr. George Coble, who graduated at the Indiana Medical College in 1882, is located at New Augusta and associated with Dr. MeDonald.
In 1872, Henry and William Pollard built a large flouring-mill at this place, and afterwards added a saw-mill to the establishment. The flour-mill and two saw-mills are now owned by William H. Neid- linger. Besides what has already been mentioned, the village contains three churches (Methodist Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran, and Christian), several mechanic shops and trades, three lodges of secret benevolent societies, and about two hundred inhabitants.
Hosbrook Lodge, No. 473, F. and A. M., was organized June 7, 1873, with the following-named officers : John W. Riley, W. M .; Joseph F. Trow- bridge, S. W .; F. M. Hollingsworth, J. W .; Ste- phen Gullefer, Treas .; Jeremiah Coble, Sec. ; Jesse Dun, S. D .; Joseph Loftin, J. D .; John S. McClain, Tiler. The lodge owns property valued at one thousand dollars.
A. Guion, Rec. Scc .; G. W. Bass, Treas. The present officers are Wyatt Farrington, N. G .; A. V. Lewis, V. G .; G. N. Gullefer, Rec. Sec .; W. H. Neidlinger, Per. Sec. ; Perry Haines, Treas.
Knights of Honor Lodge, No. 176, at New Au- gusta, was chartered Oct. 20, 1875, with Ephraim Miller, Jacob Miller, William Meyers, I. S. McClain, B. F. Abrams, John Coble, Volney Kenney, Samuel Coble, J. M. Neidlinger, D. C. Kindrey, W. H. Neidlinger, and J. N. Harden as charter members. Its first officers were J. N. Harden, D .; William Meyers, V. D .; J. McClain, P. D .; B. F. Abrams, A. D .; W. H. Neidlinger, R .; E. Miller, F. R .; John Coble, Treas .; Volney Kenney, G .; D. C. Kendrey, G .; Samuel Coble, Chap. Its present officers are Jeremiah Coble, D .; S. Klingensmith, V. D .; B. F. Abrams, A. D .; W. D. McDonald, R .; W. H. Neidlinger, F. R .; Henry Dobson, Treas. ; F. M. Mathes, P. D .; James Nelson, I. G .; Samuel Coble, O. G .; John Hessong, Chap. The present total membership is twenty-six. The lodge owns property worth six hundred dollars.
The village of Trader's Point was laid out by Johu Jennings and Josiah Coughran in 1864. They erected a flour-mill, with four run of burrs,-three for wheat and one for corn. It was at first a water- mill, with a raceway nearly three-quarters of a mile long, and cost, with water privilege, machinery, and construction, about thirty thousand dollars. The mill was run to its full capacity for several years as a grist- and merchant-mill. In 1868 or 1869, Mr. Jennings sold out his interest to his partner, Mr. Coughran, who continued to run the mill until the panic of 1873, when Mr. John Irick bought the mill at assignees' sale, and afterwards sold it to James Skillen, of Indianapolis, who ran the mill for a few years, after which it fell back to the Irick estate, and in 1881 John Jennings again became the owner. He remodeled it, put it in good repair, and sold it to Mr. Coffin, of Indianapolis, who sold it in the fall of 1883 to a Mr. Jennings, of Kokomo, who is pre- paring to put it again operation.
Augusta Lodge, No. 511, I. O. O. F., at New Au- gusta, was organized Nov. 18, 1875, by Grand Sec. B. F. Foster, with T. J. Dawson, D. R. Walker, Henry M. Hessong, G. W. Bass, Peter Smith, W. H. Neidlinger, Jasper N. Guion, Allen Avery, Jonathan A. Guion, Henry Lowman, R. S. Hollingsworth, Perry Hanes, and C. H. Felton as charter members. The first officers were T. J. Dawson, N. G. ; William The first store in Trader's Point was opened by H. Neidlinger, V. G .; D. R. Walker, Per. Sec .; J. | Clark Jennings, who did a good business. He was
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
followed by John Ray, who sold out to Lewis Wiley, Wiley to Harry Morris, he to James Kirlin (one of the oldest merchants in this county), and Kirlin to J. B. Gossett, who did a good business for a number of years, and finally sold out and went to Kansas.
The second store building was erected by John Jennings, Chesley Ray, and the Rural Lodge, I. O. O. F., in 1873. This store did a prosperous busi- ness, and in 1874, Ray bought Jennings' interest in the store, and now carries on the business. He is also the postmaster of Trader's Point.
The first blacksmith at Trader's Point was Presley Jennings. Lewis Gass is now running the shop started by Jennings. Another shop is carried on by James Wells. A cooper-shop was started here by Alfred Parker, who followed the business for a number of years.
The first physician to locate here was a young man from Ohio named Howard. The present physician is Dr. Lewis O. Carson, who came in May, 1877. He is a graduate of the College of Physicians and Sur- geons of Indianapolis, is also a graduate of the Medi- cal College of Indiana, and of the medical depart- ment of Butler University. He has a lucrative practice, and is a successful physician and surgeon.
Rural Lodge, No. 416, I. O. O. F., of Trader's Point, was instituted on the 22d of May, 1873, with Christian Lang, James Troutman, W. R. Clinton, Nelson Starkey, A. B. Smock, A. D. Huls, John R. Wilson, Lewis Parker, John Caldwell, Enoch Reade, John H. Reade, James A. Davenport, G. W. Howard, J. F. Hickey, Isaiah Voris, and A. B. Conarroe as charter members. The first regular meeting was held at their hall on the 10th of June, 1873, at which time officers were installed as follows: Christopher Long, N. G .; W. R. Clinton, V. G .; J. F. Hickey, Sec .; G. W. Howard, Per. Sec .; A. B. Conarroe, Treas. The hall is twenty-one by fifty feet in size, valued at one thousand dollars. The lodge has now eleven members and the following-named officers : John Caldwell, N. G .; A. S. Huls, V. G .; A. D. Huls, Sec. ; Harrison Hollingsworth, Treas.
Pleasant Hill Methodist Episcopal Church .- The first meetings of the citizens in the north western
part of the township for worship were at the residences of J. C. Hume and Orlos Babcock. Mr. Hume then lived on the south end of the farm now owned by Samuel Hornaday. The meetings were conducted generally by a Rev. Bramble, who was a local Methodist preacher. In 1828, Abraham Busenbarick donated one acre of land at the southeast corner of his farm (opposite the residence of David Delong) on which to build a school- and meeting-house. It was built and named Pleasant Hill, and the charge was then added to the Danville Circuit, and Joseph Tarkington was the first circuit preacher who preached in this township. The original members of this pioneer church were John C. Hume, Patty Hume, Mrs. Rodman (mother of Judge Rodman), John and Mary Rodman, James Brazilton and wife, Orlos Bab- cock, and Jemima Babcock. The Rev. Bramble con- tinued to preach for this church for some years, in connection with the preachers of the circuit. Joseph Tarkington remained with the church for two years, and was succeeded by the Rev. E. Farmer, who re- mained for the years 1830-31. The Rev. Charles Bonner was on this circuit for the year 1832, and was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Bonner for 1833. The Rev. Asa Beck was assigned to this circuit for the years 1834-35. He was succeeded by Isaac Welsh and John Edwards for the year 1836. Heze- kiah Smith was assigned to this circuit in 1837, and remained in 1838. He was followed by Enoch Wood and Wesley Dorsey, 1839-40; Miles Hufacre and James L. Belot, 1841-42; Daniel F. Straight and Jacob Meyers, 1843-44; . Robert Calvert, 1845- 46. This is as far as the names of the preachers have been ascertained.
The congregation continued to meet at the old building until 1853, when they built a new meeting- house on the farm of Silas White, Sr., just south of his residence, on the west bank of Eagle Creek, and called it Pleasant Hill Church. The first Sunday- school was held in this part of the towoship in 1830, at the residence of James Duncan, on the Lafayette road (where Nelson McCurdy now lives), a quarter of a mile north of Trader's Point. The school was con- ducted by James M. Ray, of Indianapolis. The first Sunday-school was organized in the old Pleasant Hill
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