USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana > Part 110
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Cumberland has now about four hundred inhab- itants, three physicians, four stores, a post-office, a railway station, one hotel, two blacksmith-shops, one grist-mill, two saw-mills, a school-house, and one church (Baptist). There were at one time two other church organizations in the place, viz., Methodists and Universalists, and all worshiped in harmony.
Julietta village, in the southeast part of Warren township, was laid out in 1868 (plat recorded Feb. 5, 1870). It contains at present two stores, one blacksmith-shop, a post-office, one physician, and about fifty inhabitants.
The suburban town of Irvington (so called in honor of Washington Irving) is situated on an ele- vated piece of ground, one hundred and seventy-five feet higher than the ground on which the Union depot in Indianapolis is built, and is four miles east of Indianapolis, on the National road. The original town was laid out into one hundred and eight lots by Jacob B. Julian and Sylvester Johnson, on the 7th day of November, 1870, and embraces the southeast quarter of section 10, township 5, range 4 east, lying north of the Junction Railroad, except the school- house lot in the northeast corner, the entire area covered heing 304.47 acres. Irving Circle was dedi- cated to use and purposes of a public park, on which, at no distant day, it was designed to erect the statue
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WARREN TOWNSHIP.
of Washington Irving. College Circle was designed for the use of a female college. The object was to make it a suburban residence town for the profes- sional and business men of Indianapolis. Additions have from time to time been made, the most notable of which are the following : Woodland Park addition to Irvington, laid out Jan. 4, 1872, by James E. Downey and Nicholas Ohmer ; and Ritter's addition, laid out Sept. 6, 1871. Every purchaser of a lot was obliged to accede to the following requirements, em- bodied in the deeds of conveyance :
" The grantee accepts this deed from the grantor with the express agreement that he, his heirs, and assigns will not erect or maintain, or suffer to be erected or maintained, on the real estate herein conveyed any distillery, brewery, soap-factory, pork- or slaughter-house, or any other establishment offen- sive to the people, and that he will not erect or maintain, or suffer to be erccted or maintained, on said premises any stable, hog·pen, privy, or other offensive building, stall, or shed within fifty feet of any avenue in said town, and that he will not sell or suffer to be sold on said premises any intoxicating liquors except for medicinal, sacramental, or me- chanical purposes strictly, and he accepts this decd on the further agreement that the right to enforce and compel a compliance of the above conditions rests not only in the grantor, his heirs, and assigns, but in all the property-holders and inhabitants of said town."
The land on which the town was built was owned by Jacob Sanduska and Isaac Sanduska prior to the time it was purchased by Messrs. Julian and others. The town now embraces four hundred and fifty acres. There was an agreement entered into by the gentlemen who were the leading spirits in the under- taking to build in the town and reside there, accord- ingly Jacob B. Julian, Sylvester Johnson, and Levi Ritter each built a fine residence and moved into it, where they have since resided. The next house was built by Charles Brouse, and then the following persons built fine houses in the order named, viz., Nicholas Ohmer, Dr. John H. Tilford, Oliver M. Wilson, James M. Crawford.
On petition of Jacob B. Julian and eighty-two
other citizens and tax-payers, the town was incor- porated June 2, 1873.
In the year 1874 the trustees of the Northwestern Christian University (now Butler University) de- cided to locate said college at this place, and in 1875 those persons who had been so persevering in their efforts to secure the prize had the satisfaction of see- ing their anticipation realized, and the college moved to and located within the town. A more extended account of this institution is given in the history of the city of Indianapolis.
The first merchaut in Irvington was William Furrey. After him were the following: William H. H. Shank, William W. Wilson, Cones & Huston, and Omer Burger, the present merchant of the village. Jacob A. Krumrine, the proprietor of the first drug store, is still conducting the business.
Dr. - - Cotton was the first physician who located in the place for the practice of medicine. The next was Dr. Jacob A. Krumrine, who at present is retired. Dr. J. A. Tilford was the next. Dr. Robert W. Long and John Daugherty are the present physicians. Edgar Williams was the first postmaster, and George Russell is the present one.
The Robinson Methodist Episcopal Chapel was built for Sabbath-school purposes in the year 1880, and will seat three hundred persons. It was named after its founder, Mrs. L. O. Robinson. In the year 1881 this lady minister held a protracted mecting in the house and organized a Methodist Episcopal Church class of about eighty persons, and she served them as minister for a period of cighteen months. The next minister was the Rev. John W. Turner, who has been for two years and is still in pastoral charge. The number of members is now about eighty. Sabbath-school is held every Sabbath in the year, with an average attendance of about one hundred. James E. Downey is the superintendent.
The Christian Church has an organization in the town, and its members hold their services in the col- lege chapel. The church was organized, at the time Butler University was opened for the reception of students. President Everets and Allen R. Benton hold services alternately. The present membership is nearly one hundred. Sabbath-school is also held
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
in the college chapel every Sabbath. Average at- tendance is about one hundred and ten. Professor Scott Butler is the superintendent.
The average daily attendance of all children in the public school in 1883 was one hundred and eighty- five, and the school was taught one hundred and sixty days during the year.
Irvington contains, besides the University, a Meth- odist Episcopal Church building, a handsome depot built by the Panhandle Railroad in 1872, and front- ing on Washington Irving Circle stands a magnificent three-story brick public school building, which was erected in 1874, and is valued at twenty thousand dollars. The town has a telegraph-office (Western Union), and a telephone-station connecting it with all parts of the State. The street cars pass to and fro between the place and Indianapolis every hour, and arrangements have been perfected whereby special passenger trains will be run by the Panhandle Rail- road line between the points namcd. The town has a post-office, an Odd-Fellows' lodge, one general dry- goods store, one drug-store, a wagon-shop, a meat- store, and a blacksmith-shop, and six hundred and fifty-two inhabitants by the United States census of 1880.
Irvington Lodge, No. 508, I. O. O. F., was insti- tuted Sept. 10, 1875, with the following-named mem- bers : J. H. Tilford, John B. W. Parker, L. C. Kuhn, B. F. Askren, John B. Wilson, C. C. Heizer, E. T. Wells.
The present active membership is twenty, with the following officers: Jonathan B. Roll, N. G .; Devit C. Devall, V. G .; Thomas W. Wunnell, Sec .; J. A. Krumrine, Treas .; Thomas W. Wunnell, Per. Sec. The number of Past Grands is sixteen.
Churches .- The Cumberland Baptist Church dates back to the fall of 1832, though its organization was not fully effected until the following year. On the 20th of October, in the year first named, James Parker, John Kitley, Lyman Carpenter, Dosha Car- penter, and Sarah Pogue met at Cumberland, “ in order to converse upon the propriety of becoming a constituted church, and it was agreed to be consti- tuted on the faith of the Apostles," after which the meeting adjourned to meet on the second Saturday
in November following, when they took steps pre- liminary to formal organization, which was effected on the fourth Saturday in July, 1833, at which time there were present at the meeting in Cumberland Ezra Fisher and Samuel McCormick from the Indian- apolis Baptist Church, Joseph Clark and Joel Black- ledge from the Bethel Baptist Church. Ezra Fisher was chosen moderator, and Joseph Clark clerk, and by the usual proceedings the Cumberland Baptist Church was fully organized with the following-named members : John Kitley, Lyman Carpenter, Ambrose Shirley, Anna Kitley, Elizabeth Shirley, Hannah Hathway, and Sarah Pogue.
The first pastors were Thomas Townsend, Ebenezer Smith, and Madison Hume. Thomas Houston was pastor for twenty years previous to the last year. A new church building is now being erected, though the membership is but small.
Pleasant Run Baptist Church was organized in 1832, with the following members : John Pogue and wife, Caleb Clark and wife, William Herrin and wife, Joseph Clark and wife, James Ferguson and wife, Jeunison Hawkins, moderator. This church dis- banded in 1856.
Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1830. It is in the southeastern part of the township, and is in a very weak condition at present.
Old Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church was or- ganized about 1840. It was disbanded for several years, but was reorganized about 1878, and a new church house built in 1882. This church is in the northern part of the township.
Robinson Chapel Mission, Methodist Episcopal Church, located in Irvington, just north of National road, in 1877. The first pastor was Mrs. L. O. Robinson, the present pastor Rev. J. W. Turner. The church has been in a flourishing condition from the beginning.
The Christian Church in Irvington was organized in 1874. Meetings are held in Butler University chapel.
The German Lutheran Church was built in 1874, in the southwestern part of the township, on the Michigan road.
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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
The German Presbyterian Church edifice, in the southeastern part of the township, was built about 1877.
Schools .- The first school-house in the township was on the farm owned by Andrew Morehouse. It was built by a man who had taken a lease of the farm and then left it. It was of round logs, about twenty feet square, with a fireplace in one end eight feet wide. The outside was a bank of dirt, sur- rounded by logs. On an appointed day the neighbors all assembled to transform it into a school-house. One log was cut out of the side for light, little sticks were fastened across at intervals, and then greased paper fastened on instead of glass. A door was cut in one end, then the splinters were shaved from a punchcon, large wooden pins fastened in the wall, and the puncheon laid on them and fastened down for a writing-desk. The seats were made of saplings about eight inches in diameter, split, and wooden legs fastened in. This completed the model school-house of that period. On the morning that school opened the parents came with their children from all direc- tions, cutting paths and blazing trees as guides for the children, some of them having as high as three miles to come to school. At Christmas it was de- cided to turn the " master" out, and not let him in until he promised to " treat." This was done, and the required promise made. Then came the ques- tion of what to treat with. There were no apples, and no money to buy with if there had been. One of the patrons generously proffered a bucket of whiskey (they had no jugs), and another, home-made sugar to sweeten it. On the day of the treat the children turned out in full force. The "master" mixed his toddy, seated the children in rows, and then with his bucket and tin cup passed up and down the rows, giving each one as much as. he thought they could stand. Then the children were permitted to go out to play, and in a short time they were again called in, and they did not tarry on the grounds. The same process was repeated until all the toddy was used. This was the first " treat" of school- children in Warren township, and patrons, " master," and children were all delighted with it.
In 1827 a school-house was built on land of James
C. Ferguson, and school was first taught in it by James O'Brien. In the east part of the township a school-house was built in 1831 on land owned by David Woods. In this house the first teacher was Elias H. Shimer. These and most of the other carly school-houses of the township were of about the same kind as the one first described, but it is not to be understood that the custom of treating the scholars to whiskey at Christmas was generally observed, as in the case before mentioned.
Warren township has now eleven school-houses, as follows : No. 1 (brick), in the northcast corner of the township; No. 2 (frame), in the north part; No. 3 (frame), in the northwest part; No. 4 (frame), just north of Irvington ; No. 5 (two-story frame), in centre of township; No. 6 (frame), two miles west of Cum- berland ; No. 7 (frame), in southeast part of town- ship; No. 8 (frame), south side of township; No. 9 (frame), southwest part ; No. 10 (two-story frame), at Cumberland ; No. 11 (frame), north side of town- ship. At Irvington there is one public-school build- ing, a large two-story brick, and three teachers are employed.
The number of schools taught in the township in 1883 was twelve (one graded). The average daily attendance was 277. Total number of children admitted to the schools, 436; number of teachers employed, 12 (seven male and five female). Average number of days taught in the year, 158. Number of teachers' institutes held in the township during the year, 8. Valuation of school-houses and sites, $20,000.
CHAPTER XXVII.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.I
THE township of Washington is the central one in the northern tier of townships of Marion County, being bounded on the west by Pike, on the south by Centre, on the east by Lawrence townships, and on the north by Hamilton County. The principal
1 By George W. Lancaster, Esq.
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
streams (and the only ones of any importance) are White River and Fall Creek. The former enters the township near its northeast corner, and flows thence diagonally across the township in a very meandering, but generally southwest, course to a point a little east of the southwestern corner, where it passes into Cen- tre township. Fall Creek, coming in from Lawrence, flows southwestwardly across the southeast part of Washington township into Centre. Several incon- siderable streams, tributaries of White River, enter it within the territory of Washington, chiefly from the west. The surface of this township is much like that of the others of the county, ranging from flat bottom-lands to undulating uplands, which, in some parts, may be termed hilly. The soil is, in general, good, and in some parts exceedingly fertile, yielding abundant returns to the farmer for the labor expended on it. The population of the township in 1880 was two thousand three hundred and ninety- nine, as shown by the returns of the United States census of that year.
Washington township was laid off and erected by order of the county commissioners, April 16, 1822, with boundaries as described in the general history of the county. In November, 1826, the western boundary was changed by order of the county board, by including in Washington three sections of land taken from Pike, in survey township 16 north, of range 3 east, leaving that boundary line as it is at the present time.
When Washington township was erected, in April, 1822, the commissioners ordered that it be joined with Lawrence as one township, neither being then sufficiently populous for separate organization. This union continued until Sept. 4, 1826, when the county board of justices ordered Lawrence to be taken from Washington, leaving the latter as a separate and independent township. Following is a list of officers of Washington township during the sixty-two years of its existence, viz. :
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Joel Wright, June 15, 1822, to Sept. 5, 1825 ; resigned. Willlam D. Rooker, June 22, 1822, to June 6, 1827. Hiram Bacon, Oct. 15, 1825, to Jan. 4, 1830; resigned.
(The three above named served as justices for Washington and Lawrence whilo they were united as one township.)
Joel Wright, July 22, 1827, to April, 1828 ; died. Edward Roberts, June 28, 1828, to June 20, 1833.
Abraham Bowen, Feb. 20, 1830, to Feb. 12, 1835. Daniel R. Smith, Oct. 30, 1833, to Oct. 23, 1838.
Abraham Bowen, April 18, 1835, to April 6, 1840. John R. Anderson, Nov. 30, 1836, to Sept. 23, 1837; resigned. William R. Deford, Oct. 17, 1837, to March 1, 1841; resigned. Lorenzo Vanscyoo, June 20, 1838, to June 2, 1843.
Daniel R. Smith, Dcc. 3, 1838, to July 25, 1842; resigned. Walter A. Bridgford, Dec. 12, 1839, to Dec. 7, 1844. Charles Hallam, April 20, 1840, tu April 15, 1845. Henry B. Evans, April 6, 1841, to Oct. 2, 1841 ; resigned.
Daniel R. Browa, Nov. 24, 1841, to Jan. 13, 1846; resigned.
Anthony Williams, Sept. 20, 1842, to April 18, 1846; resigned. Lorenzo Vanscyec, July 22, 1843, to July 3, 1848. Eli Heaten, April 29, 1845, to Ang. 29, 1853 ; resigned. Jehn Essary, Feb. 27, 1846, te Feb. 27, 1851.
Cary H. Beatright, June 9, 1846, to March 1, 1847; resigned. James S. Hensley, April 22, 1847, to Feb. 28, 1851; resigned. William B. Bridgferd, July 6, 1848, to July 4, 1852. David lluff, April 21, 1851, to April 21, 1856. William Stipp, April 29, 1854, to April 29, 1858. James G. Featherston, Nov. 1, 1855, te Nev. 1, 1859. John Essary, April 19, 1858, to Dec. 1, 1864; resigned. William Stipp, May 24, 1858, te April 19, 1862. Emsley Wright, Nov. 1, 1859, to April 9, 1863; resigned. Benjamin Tyner, April 19, 1862, to April 19, 1866.
James W. Scheeley, Nev. 4, 1863, to Dec. 10, 1864; resigned. George W. Deford, April 21, 1865, to April 21, 1869. Benjamin Tyner, April 21, 1866, to Jan. 2, 1869; resigned. Calvin Fertner, April 25, 1866, to April 12, 1870. George W. Deferd, April 24, 1869, te April 24, 1873. Joha W. Vansoyoc, May 1, 1869, to April 16, 1873. James Legan Groves, Nov. 25, 1870, te Oct. 25, 1874. John W. Vanscyoc, April 24, 1873, to present time. John P. Moore, Oct. 30, 1874, to Aug. 15, 1875 ; died. John Stipp, Oct. 25, 1876, to May 15, 1880; died. Alexander Culbertson, April 21, 1877, to April 21, 1881. Gilbert Justice, May 15, 1880, to Oct. 25, 1880.
Henry C. Greee, Doc. 16, 1881, to April 15, 1882. Daniel W. 1Ieaton, April 15, 1982, to Aug. 13, 1883; resigned. Alexander Culbertson, Sept. 4, 1883, to April 15, 1886.
TRUSTEES.
David Huff, April 11, 1859, to April 19, 1860. Jaceh C. Coil, April 19, 1860, to April 13, 1861. Lorenzo Vanscyoc, April 13, 1861, to April 22, 1862. William Vance, April 22, 1862, to April 12, 1865.
Hiram A. Haverstick, April 12, 1865, to Oct. 19, 1872. John II. Smith, Oct. 19, 1872, te Oct. 23, 1874. William H. Sharpe, Oct. 23, 1874, to May 11, 1876. Hiram A. Hlaverstick, May 11, 1876, to April 14, 1880. James Mustard, April 14, 1880, te April 14, 1882. George W. Lancaster, April 14, 1882, for two years.
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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
ASSESSORS.
Joel Wright, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 5, 1829. Daniel R. Smith, Jan. 5, 1829, to March 7, 1836. David Bowen, March 7, 1836.
Young Em. R. Wilson, Jan. 2, 1837.
Carlton R. Smith, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 7, 1839. Daniel R. Brown, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. Jacob Roberts, Jan. 6, 1840, to Dec. 6, 1841. Jacob Roberts, Deo. 6, 1852, to Nov. 18, 1854. Ira Keeler, Nov. 18, 1854, to Jan. 6, 1857. William Shartz, Jan. 6, 1857, to Dec. 13, 1858. Jacob Roberts, Dec. 13, 1858, to Dec. 10, 1864. Jobn Essary, Dec. 10, 1866, to Aug. 1, 1873. Benjamin Tyner, March 27, 1875, to Nov. 6, 1876. Daniel W. lleaton, Nov. 6, 1876, to April 15, 1880. Samuel Sheets, April 15, 1880, to April 14, 1882. William H. Wbeeler, April 14, 1882, to April 14, 1884.
One of the earliest, if not the very first, of the pioneer settlers who came to make their homes within the territory now embraced in the township of Wash- ington was John Allison. He was born in Virginia about 1759, and went from there to Lexington, Ky., at the age of fourteen years, with his parents. Sub- sequently he moved to Nicholas County, Ky., and from there came to this township in October, 1819. He came through with his family, consisting of wife (formerly Anna Gray) and eight children, via Brook- ville, Ind., in wagons, cutting his road for quite a dis- tance between here and Brookville. He left two married daughters in Kentucky, who subsequently came here. He entered eighty acres near where Allisonville now stands (at present owned by the Widow Devanberger), upon which he resided till his death, September, 1837. He was a hard-working, industrious citizen, and followed farming all his life. He at one time owned two hundred and seventy acres in one body, two hundred acres of which he cleared. His wife died Jan. 2, 1838. When Mr. Allison settled here in the woods, his nearest ncigh- bors were William Coats and Joseph Coats, who lived two miles distant in a northwest direction. He lived there about nine years before his family enjoyed the privileges of even a subscription school. The Indians were in the neighborhood for three years after he set- tled. Mr. Allison laid out the town of Allisonville. He was a Freemason for years before he came to this State, and was regarded as a moral, industrious,
sociable citizen. He took a great interest in the schools, and everything tending to the advancement of civilization. The following were the names of his children : Mary, Martha, Jane, Malinda, Julia Ann, Nancy, John, David, Charles, and William. Only two, Nancy and William, are now living. The former is the widow of William Orpurd. Both live in this county, and are the oldest residents now living in this part of the county. Few, if any, persons now living in this county have resided here for so long a time as they.
Charles Allison was born in Kentucky, and came from that State to this township with his parents in October, 1819, and settled near where the town of Allisonville now is, and where he remained with his parents until thirty-five years of age. He owned eighty acres cast of Allisonville, now owned by the Widow Sterrett. He removed to Howard County, Ind., and established a trading-post eight miles east of Kokomo, on Wild Cat, where he traded with the Indians for some time. He followed farming and teaming while he lived here, and was a merchant while in Howard County. He kept the first store ever kept in Kokomo. He died about 1864, and his widow and one child are now living in Kokomo.
David Allison was born in Kentucky, and came from that State to this township with his father, John Allison, in the year 1819. He resided with his parents until about 1840, when he married Ma- tilda Ellery and went to West Liberty, Hamilton Co., this State, where he continued to reside until his death, in 1878. Hc belonged to the Methodist Church twenty years prior to his death. His widow and one child are now living near West Liberty.
Hiram Bacon, Sr., was born in Williamstown, Mass., on March 14, 1801. He was of English descent. He came to Indiana about 1819, and for about one year was a member of a government survey- ing party that surveyed land in this part of the State. He then returned to his home and married Mary A. Blair, and on the day of his marriage emigrated to Indiana with his wife, and settled in this township in 1821. He purchased two hundred and forty acres from William Bacon, who had entered it from the government. A portion of Malott Park is upon the
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
farm. Subsequently he bought one hundred and forty-five aeres from Arthur Williams. He built his first cabin in the dense woods, and made the sash for its window with his pocket-knife. That was the first glass window in that part of the county. An Indian brush-fence surrounded his cabin, and within the inclosure was an Indian well. He operated not only the first, but the most extensive cheese dairy ever in Marion County. Beginning the business on his farm in 1830, he continued it for twenty years. He was a member of the first Presbyterian Church ever built in Indianapolis, and he hauled with his oxen the logs used in its construction. He joined the Presbyterian Church in early life, and was a con- sistent member of that denomination until his death. He took great interest in all church matters, and held various official positions in it. His vocation was that of a farmer. He was justice of the peace in this township for a period of twelve years. In polities he was a Whig, and then a Republican. He was one of the leading citizens of the township, and was noted for his striet integrity. His first wife died in November, 1863; he remarried, and in August, 1882, he died. Seven children survive him, viz. : Eleeta (widow of William P. Thornton), Helen (wife of Charles A. Howland), George, Hiram, Mary A. (wife of B. F. Tuttle), William, and Caro- line (wife of George W. Sloan).
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