History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, Part 112

Author: Sulgrove, Berry R. (Berry Robinson), 1828-1890
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 942

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Fielding Clark came to this township a single man from Bracken County, Ky., about 1822, and settled on eighty acres now owned by Joshua Spahr, which he paid for by clearing land. About 1830 he sold the eighty acres to John Nesbit, and entered two hundred acres just north of the old home place. He lived there sixteen years and went to Missouri, where he died about 1879. He was a farmer.

Thomas Brunson was born July 8, 1760, in Penn- sylvania. He came to this township in 1826 from Kentucky, and entered eighty acres, now owned by Rev. R. D. Robinson. He followed farming all his life, and lived there till his death, in 1839. He was the father of William, Robert, and Jonathan Brunson, and of four other children.

William Brunson was born April 8, 1795. He married Martha Allison, and with her and four chil- dren-Madison, Hulda, Jane, and Jefferson-came to this township in the year 1825, and entered one hundred and twenty acres, now owned by Erastus Brunson and John Bear. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for twenty years prior to his death, which occurred in the year 1876. In all he had eight children, five of whom grew up to manhood and womanhood, and three of whom are now living, namely, Madison, Erastus, and Armelda. They all have families and live in this township.

Robert Brunson was born Feb. 22, 1797, in Ken- tucky, and came to this township in the year 1825. He entered one hundred and sixty acres, now owned by his son Leonidas. He married Jennie Allison, whom, together with their daughter, Malinda, he brought with him. Mr. Brunson was the father of five children, three of whom are living, viz., Ma- linda, who married Anthony Williams, from Ken- tucky. She is now a widow, and and lives in Cicero. Leonidas and Caroline live on the old place. Mr. Bronson was a farmer ; a moral and industrious man.

Jonathan Brunson, son of Thomas Brunson, was born in Harrison County, Ky., April 8, 1801. He was married there to Mary Ann Henry, and in Octo- ber, 1826, came from that State to this township with his wife and son, Asher. He entered one hundred and sixty acres, now owned by that son. He lived there until 1849, then went to Allisonville, where he lived until his death, Sept. 12, 1859. He followed farming all his life, and was industrious, moral, and frugal. He was a member of the Christian Church for twenty-five years prior to his death. He was the father of eight children. His widow, now seventy- seven years of age, is still living in the township on the old homestead with her son Asher.

Jacob Ringer, Sr., was born in the year 1757.

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He came from Maryland, bringing his wife and one child with him to this township, in 1824, with a Lu- theran colony, and settled ou land now owned by Perry Rhodes. His wife died there in 1842, and Mr. Ringer then lived with his children till his death. He was a Lutheran for many years. The daughter who came here with him was named Lydia. She subsequently married Hezekiah Smith, Jr., and lived in the township many years. She died at Cicero, Ind.

Peter Negley was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1777. He moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, and thence, in March, 1823, cmigrated to this town- ship, and settled on Fall Creek, where Millersville now is. He brought from Ohio with him his wife and nine children,-four sons and five daughters,-as follows : John, George H., David, Jacob, Elizabeth, Katie, Eva, Sarah, and Margaret. Of these children all are dead except Sarah (now Mrs. McIntosh), who lives in Greene County, Ind. He purchased four eighty-acre tracts of land, and, in partnership with Seth Bacon, built the first mill at Millersville. He also founded the village of Millersville. He followed milling a short time, and then farming the remainder of his life. He was a Universalist in belief, and a moral, industrious, and respected citizen. He died at Millersville, Aug. 6, 1847. His wife survived him four years.

Elijah Dawson was born in Virginia in 1781. His wife's maiden name was Mary Ann Hardin. He emigrated to Kentucky, lived there two years, and went to Dearborn County, Ind., from whence he came to this township in 1823, and settled on the land now owned by his son Ambrose, and where he resided till his death, in 1858. He was of Baptist persuasion, but not a member of the churchı. He was strictly moral and temperate in all his habits; was an industrious and valuable citizen, and good neighbor, and he was never at law. He raised seven sons to be sober, moral, good citizens. In all there were ten children, named Squire, Matthias, Uriah, Isabel, Ambrose, Mary Ann, Charles, Amanda, An- drew, and Jackson. The first three named and Mary Ann are dead; Amanda lives in Knoxville, Tenn., the wife of Joseph Schofield ; Andrew lives in Cowles Co., Kansas. The remainder are highly-respected citi-

zens of this township. There are several families of Dawsons, all descendants of this one family, now living in the township.

Squire Dawson, the eldest son of Elijah and Mary Ann Dawson, was born in Lawrenceburg, Ind., in 1807. He came to this township with his parents in 1823. He was an exhorter and member of the Chris- tian Church. He raised a large family of children, of whom two are now living. He died in 1871.

Jacob Coil, Sr., was born in Hamilton County, Va., about 1790. He was of German descent. He emigrated to Fayette County, Ohio, where he lived several years, and from there came to this township with his family, consisting of wife and several chil- dren, in the year 1823, and settled on eighty acres now owned by James Bridges. In 1835 he moved to near Broad Ripple, and died there in the fall of 1837. By occupation he was a farmer. He was moral and industrious, and in business a persevering

man. He took an active interest in all matters per- taining to the public good. He followed the burning of lime for several years during his residence in this township, obtaining the rock for the purpose out of the bed of White River. He burned many thousands of bushels of lime every year. Most of the lime used in the building of the old State-house was burned by him. He married Barbara Colip, and was the father of eight children, four of whom he raised to maturity. Two are living, viz., Casandra, the wife of Swartz Mustard, who lives in Broad Ripple, and Sabina, the wife of Lewis H. Rickard, who resides in Norton County, Kansas.

William Crist came to the township from White- water in 1824, and settled on land now owned by William Schofield, just north of Malott Park. He served through the war of 1812, and was severely wounded in the service. He with his family went to Iowa about 1842.

Jonas Huffman was born in Virginia, and from there went to Kentucky, where he settled for some time. He then went to Ohio, and from there emi- grated to this township with his family about 1824, and entered one hundred acres on White River. The land is now owned by James Huffman, his son. He was a carpenter by trade, but followed farming for a

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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.

livelihood. He was a moral, upright citizen, and took especial interest in all laudable public enter- prises. He lived on the old homestead till his death, in 1861. His wife died in 1856. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom,-four sons and three daughters,-became men and women.

Thomas A. Long was born in Carlisle, Nicholas Co., Ky., about 1796. He emigrated to this town- ship about 1824 with his wife (formerly Peggy MeClanahan) and two children, and entered eighty aeres, now owned by Mrs. Mary A. Woollen. He is a blacksmith by trade, and is now living in Howard County, Ind., where he went about 1844. For sixty years he has been a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was one of the first and leading mem- bers of the old Washington Presbyterian Church. In Howard County he served as associate judge of the Circuit Court, and afterwards as a justice of the peace for many years. He is an influential business man; raised a large family, and they are all good citizens and wealthy.

John Johnson was born and raised in Kentucky, and emigrated to Indiana, and first settled on White- water, near Brookville, where he remained till 1824, when he came to this township with his wife (Louisa Dawson) and two children (Louisa and Oliver), and settled on one hundred and sixty acres of land now known as the G. II. Voss farm, where he continued to reside till his death. He followed farming all his life, and was a moral, upright man, and a valuable citizen. He was always kind to the poor, and helped those around him as much as his circumstances would allow. He died about 1858, at the age of fifty-six years.

Joseph Culbertson was born in Franklin County, Pa., in 1766, and emigrated to Kentucky, where he lived till 1829, when he came to this township with wife and family, and settled on land now owned by William Culbertson, his son, where he died in 1850. He was a member and the founder of the Washing- ton Presbyterian Church, which was built on his farm. He was an elder in that church. He took special interest in the schools and the public high- ways, and was a promoter of all worthy enterprises. In all he had eleven children, two of whom are

living, William Culbertson and Esther Jane Hahn, the latter of whom resides in Maryland.

John Nesbit was born in Bourbon County, Ky., in 1782, and with wife and eight children emigrated to this township in 1829. He bought eighty aeres of land (now owned by Joshua Spahr), and entered eighty acres adjoining. He was a farmer, a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church about thirty years, and an elder and trustee of the Washington Presby- terian Church. His wife's maiden name was Mary MeClure. She died in October, 1835. Mr. Nesbit dicd in August of the same year. There were three sons and five daughters. Joanna and William A. died single, Nancy T. is the widow of A. G. Ruddle, M.D., M. J. is the widow of Henry B. Evans, Margaret married Daniel R. Smith, and Eliz. E. married John P. Moore.

Joseph A. Nesbit, son of John and Mary Nesbit, was born in 1821 in Kentucky. He emigrated to this township with his parents, with whom he lived until their death, in 1835. He then went to Ken- tueky and remained one year, when he returned to Allisonville, where he lived on a farm until 1841. He then attended school at Centreville, Ind., for two years, after which he taught school during the winter months and farmed during the summer till the winter of 1846. He then began the study of medicine with Dr. Charles Ray, and during the winter of 1848-49 he attended Jefferson Medieal College at Philadelphia. He located at Allisonville, and practiced medicine till 1856, when he took the second course of lectures in the above-named college, and in March, 1857, graduated. Since that time he has been a prominent and successful practitioner of medicine at Allisonville. On the 22d of July, 1858, he married Margaret Sterrett. Dr. Nesbit has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for nine years, and he is a member of Keystone Lodge, No. 251, of F. and A. M. In polities he is a Re- publiean.

Thomas McClintock, who was an early settler in Marion County, and lived for several years nearly on the line of Washington and Centre townships, was a son of Joseph MeClintock, who emigrated from Mary- land to Kentucky, and settled at Hinkston Station,

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in a block-house built for defense against Indians. In that house Thomas was born in 1788. The fam- ily afterwards moved to Harrison County, Ky., near Cynthiana, whence, in November, 1829, he emigrated to Indianapolis, coming at the solicitation of the Rev. William R. Morehead, a Presbyterian clergyman, who had previously come to Indianapolis from Kentucky. Thomas MeClintock lived in the town during the winter following his arrival, and in the spring of 1830 moved out about one mile to the Johnson farm, where he remained one year, and then removed to lands which he had purchased at Sugar Flat, where he died in September, 1837.

Thomas MeClintock was a life-long member of the Presbyterian Church. He had three sons and two daughters. Of the latter, Rebecca died about 1853, and Martha is now living in Greensburg, Deeatur Co., Ind. The mother died at her daughter Martha's house about 1873. Of the sons, Joseph is living in California, Thomas J. died about 1853, in Marion County. The other son, William H. MeClintock, was born in the old block-house at Hinkston Station, Ky., March 13, 1813, and moved with his father's family to Harrison County, Ky., and thence to In- dianapolis. He lived with the family till his father's death, and after that event owned eighty of the one hundred and sixty acres of his father's farm at Sugar Flat. In 1873 he sold out and moved to Indian- apolis, where he remained eight years .. In 1881 he bought a house and land at Mapleton (about a half- mile from his father's homestead), and is now living there. At the age of fourteen years he joined the Presbyterian Church at Stonermouth meeting-house, Bourbon County, Ky. In January, 1843, he married Sarah Ann Mattox, near Booneville, Union Co., Ind. His wife heing a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, induced him to leave the Presbyterians and join the Methodists, and he is now one of the most prominent members of the church of that denomina- tion at Mapleton. He reared three sons, viz .: Thomas A. (now a class-leader in the Mapleton Church), Edmund A., also a member of the same church, and living at San José, Cal., and William D., who joined his mother's church at the age of nine years, after- wards studied medicine with Dr. Harvey, of Indian-

apolis, and located in practice in Kansas, where he died in December, 1880.

An examination of the list of tax-payers of 1829 shows that of the Allison family, for whom Allison- ville is named, there only remains in this town- ship William, son of John Allison. There remain in this township of the children of Abraham Bowen, Peter, James, and Abraham, Jr., all honorable citi- zens and farmers. James is, in addition to farming, engaged in merchandising at the town of Nora. Of the Brunson familics there remain Erastus and Madison, sons of William, and Asher and Noble, the sons of Jonathan Brunson. Leonidas, the son of Robert Brunson, is yet living in this township. Of Hiram Bacon's family there are still living here Mrs. C. A. Howland and William Bacon. George and Hiram, Jr., live in Shelby County, Ind. Mrs. B. F. Tuttle, daughter of Hiram Bacon, lives in Indianapolis. Of William Bacon's family there remains a grandson (John Strange), a very prosperous and wealthy young farmer. Of James Bunnell's family, Reuben is still living here, a prosperous and honored citizen, having served several terms as township trustee. Robert Barnhill is still living. D. Bowers has two daughters and one son living in this township. Of Jacob Coil's family there are still living in this town- ship two daughters, Mrs. Volney Dawson and Mrs. Hamilton Thompson. William Crist, so often elected constable in the early history of this township, has no descendants left. He, in addition to serving as con- stable, was or had been quite an Indian-fighter. It is said by his niece, Mrs. Gerard Blue, who is still living here, that Mr. Crist, in the early settling of this county, went with two of his neighbors to the mills on White Water, in the eastern part of the State, and on their way back they were attacked by the Indians in ambush. The two neighbors were both killed and Crist severely wounded, but holding on to his horse he was enabled to make his escape. He had during his life on the frontier received eighteen bullet-wounds from Indian guns.

Of the De Ford family there remains only George W., son of William De Ford. He is an honorable farmer and good citizen. Of Elijah Dawson's family, Ambrose, Charles Jackson, and Mrs. Isabella Cul-

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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.

bertson, the mother of Alexander Culbertson, or, as he is familiarly ealled, Squire Culbertson. Ambrose Dawson is one of this township's best and most hon- ored citizens, and has been a very successful farmer. A few years since he divided his property to his ehil- dren, giving all of them a good farm, and in his old age and deelining years has the pleasure of seeing his children all well started in life. Charles Dawson is, in addition to being the wealthiest citizen of this township, an honorable gentleman. He has a large family of children, all of whom are at home except the eldest daughter, who is married to Dr. Collins. Matthias Dawson, one of Elijah's sons, has been dead about six years. His son, W. M., is now living in. this township, and also two young sons by a second wife. Jackson Dawson, son of Elijah, is still living in this township, and is one of its best citizens, a suc- cessful farmer and honorable eitizen.

Of the heirs of James Ellis there remains in this township Alfred Ellis. Of John Fox there remains his son, Raney Fox, a wealthy farmer. Of the Noah Flood family there remains here Mrs. Gerard Blue, with a family of four children,-one son, William J. Blue, and three daughters. The oldest daughter was the wife of G. W. Laneaster. She died in 1875, leaving one son, Edwin G., and one daughter, Dovie. The second daughter is the wife of L. G. Akin ; the third daughter is the wife of C. G. King. Of the heirs of John Johuson there remain Luther, Oliver, and John V. Johnson, all very successful farmers, honorable citizens, and intelligent men. Luther has a family of two sons and three daughters, all at home except the eldest daughter, Mrs. Amos Butterfield. Oliver Johnson has three sons-James, Silas H., and Frank P .- and one daughter, Mrs. Mary Lowe, wife of W. A. Lowe, an attorney-at-law. Silas H. and Frank P. are living in this township, and are intelli- gent, honest young farmers. John V. Johnson is a bachelor, a very successful farmer, and good citizen. Mrs. Ambrose Dawson (deceased), Mrs. Jackson Dawson, Mrs. W. M. Dawson, and Mrs. Hiram Haverstick are daughters of John Johnson.

Of James MeCoy's heirs there remains Mrs. Rich- ard Hope. Of James Mellvain's family only S. H. Mellvain, a successful farmer, remains. Of Ed-

mond Newby's family there remains Mrs. George Stipp. Of Jacob Roberts' heirs there remains only Mrs. William Scott. Of the heirs of David Ray there are in this township Mrs. Jacob Whitesel, Mrs. Jane MeCoy, and another married daughter. Of the heirs of David Sharpe there remains William H. Sharpe, a wealthy farmer and successful business man. Of the heirs of John Shields there are John Shields, Jr., a successful farmer and thorough busi- ness man, and Mrs. Jane Dodd, wife of Peter Dodd. Of the heirs of Daniel R. Smith, generally known as Judge Smith, there remains John H. Smith, an in- telligent farmer and one of our honored citizens, having served two terms as township trustee and one term as county commissioner, whieb term expired Nov. 1, 1883. He is known as a careful, pains- taking man in all of his business transactions, both public and private. To him the writer of this brief history of Washington township feels under lasting obligations for counsel and assistance in the adminis- tration of a publie office. Mrs. Dr. Woollen and Mrs. W. W. Woollen are both daughters of Daniel R. Smith. Of the heirs of Cornelius Van Seyoe there only remains his granddaughter, Mrs. James Mustard, and daughter of Lorenzo Van Seyoe, who was a son of Cornelius. Isaac Whitinger's widow is still living in this township, being now the Widow Kinsley. Henry Whitinger, son, and Mrs. Mary Newby, daughter, of Isaae Whitinger, are living in this township. Of Joel Wright's family there re mains his son, Emsley, an attorney-at-law and ex- tensive farmer, and the oldest settler in the township now living. Mrs. Jincy Osborn is also a daughter of Joel Wright. James T. Wright, an old citizen of this township, is a grandehild, as are also Mrs. Mary John- son and John Wright.

Of other old settlers who have come to this town- ship sinee 1829 may be mentioned Dr. J. A. Nesbit, who lives at Allisonville, a successful practicing phy- sieian, and also a large farmer. Jacob S. and James Mustard, who are among the old settlers, are both honored and intelligent citizens. James, the younger of the two brothers, has a national reputation as a breeder of the best strains of Poland China swine, has also served as township trustee, and is in every

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particular an excellent citizen. R. R. and Thomas C. Hammond are also among the esteemed citizens and wealthy farmers of the township. Benjamin Tyner is another intelligent, successful old settler. James Parsley is an old settler here, a successful business man, and a good citizen.

Among the oldest and best citizens of the township are the Hessong family,-John J., M. L., H. M., George, and Charles. Thomas and Jacob Sutton are old settlers here. Jacob Whitesel came to this township in 1835, and is one of its best citizens. He has a large family of sons and daughters, most of them yet at home.

The Blue family is among the oldest of thé town- ship. There are now in this township Uriah and George, sons of the late Benjamin Blne, both intelli- gent, upright farmers ; Mrs. S. H. MeIlvain is also daughter of Benjamin Blue. Mrs. Elizabeth F., widow of Peter Blue, has a large family of sons and daughters, most of whom are at home. C. A. How- land, a wealthy and honored citizen, who has repre- sented this county in the Legislature, served as county commissioner, and filled numerous places of trust in this township and county, is living here. Isaac Bomgardner is among the prosperous and thorough- going citizens. William Bradley is another of the substantial citizens.

The sons of Daniel Pursel are among the best citi- zens. Samuel, O. J., and J. O. are all living here, prosperous and thorough farmers. James Hubbard, aged ninety-nine years, who is probably the oldest person living in Marion County, lives here. He is hale and healthy, works regularly, and converses with intelligence on any subject with which he has ever been familiar.

There are no manufactories in Washington town- ship, nor any very important towns or villages. Broad Ripple and Wellington villages, on White River, in the central part of the township, are the most important. Malott Park, Millersville, and Al- lisonville are villages in the eastern and southeastern part of the township. Mapleton is on the south line, adjoining Centre township, part of the village being in Centre.

Nora is a village in the northern part of the town- ship, having a railroad station on the Chicago Air- Line, a post-office, two general country stores, two blacksmith-shops, and a population of about one hun- dred and fifty.

Sutton's Corners, also located in the north part of the township, has a school-house (No. 11), one gen- eral store, a blacksmith-shop, a drain-tile factory, and a sub-post-office, which receives and distributes mail- matter for and from Nora.

Broad Ripple village is situated seven miles north of Indianapolis, on White River, and the Chicago and Indianapolis Air-Line Railroad. It was laid out into forty-eight lots by Jacob Coil, on April 20, 1837. It was so called from the fact that the ripple in the river at that point was the largest and widest in the country, and the place was known by that name from the time of the first settlement. The town is just south of the fecder-dam of the old Wabash and Erie Canal, which was begun in 1837, and finished in 1839, by John Burke, contractor. About two-thirds of the original town, as laid out, has been thrown back into farming land. At present the town contains only one water-mill, one railroad depot, and a few dwelling-houses, with a population of thirty-five.

The first merchant of the village was Robert Earl ; the second was Zachariah Collins; the third was William Earl; and the last one was Joseph Ray, who left the business in 1860.

Dr. Harvey Kerr, the first physician, was there from 1851 to 1880. The present physician is Dr. R. C. Light. The first postmaster was William Earl, who took charge of it about 1850 for a time, and it went to Wellington, and afterwards returned to Broad Ripple, when William Earl again kept it for a short time. The office is now called Broad Ripple, but is kept in Wellington.

About 1843, John Burk built a saw-mill on White River, just below the feeder-dam, and operated it till 1845, when Peter W. Koontz became a partner, and together they operated it till 1851, when it was abandoned and torn down. In 1845, near the same place, Jolın Burk and Peter W. Koontz built a grist- mill, and operated it till 1847, when the former sold

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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.

to the latter, and Abraham Koontz became a partner. About 1851, Peter W. Koontz died. The mill then passed into the possession of Abraham H. Turner, who operated it until about 1853. Mr. Fairbanks then rented it, and operated it one year. In the fall of 1855 the ownership again became vested in Abra- bam Koontz. He ran it a while, and Samuel W. Hetsellgesser became partner, and together they operated it till the spring of 1862. William Craig and George A. Kirkpatrick then bought it, and oper- ated it three or four years, when the former retired, and Mr. Kirkpatrick operated it till it was washed away by the great freshet in 1875. Shortly after- wards Mr. Kirkpatrick built a new mill where it now stands (being several rods down the river from the place where the old mill stood), and operated it until 1880, when Harrison Sharp and Samuel Sheets became the owners by purchase at sheriff's sale, and they still own it. The water supply is furnished by the feeder-dam, as it has been from the beginning.

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History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, Part 112

Author: Sulgrove, Berry R. (Berry Robinson), 1828-1890 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 942

Author: Sulgrove, Berry R. (Berry Robinson), 1828-1890
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 942