USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana > Part 99
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John W. Combs was born Jan. 25, 1825, in Dear- born County, Ind. He came to this county with his parents in 1828, located on Pennsylvania Street, in Indianapolis, his father building a residence on a lot known as Switcher property, opposite where the new Denison Hotel now is. In 1837 he moved five miles west of Indianapolis, on the National road, where his father, Jesse Combs, bought a farm of eighty acres. John W. left home at the age of seventeen years, and engaged in the dry-goods business with his brother, William F. Combs, at Strawtown, Ind. He was there two years. In 1847 he was married, in Hamilton County, Ind., to Emma, daughter of Allen Cole. These two brothers then moved to this county, and engaged in the dry-goods business at Germantown till 1852. They built the first store-house in Oakland, and moved there in 1852, and continued the business five years. John W. was agent of the " Bee Line" at Oakland for fourteen years. He served as justice of the peace in this township for sixteen years; has been assessor of the township, and held many places of trust and honor. After retiring from the dry- goods business he purchased a farm near Oakland, and is now a farmer. He has three children,-two sons and one daughter. He has been a Master Mason since 1852, and served as Worshipful Master of Oak- land Lodge, No. 140, two years, and as secretary eleven years, and held many other places of honor and trust in that fraternity. He has been identified with the interests of Lawrence towoship for years, and is one of its most prominent citizens. He is a prominent local politician, identified with the interests of the Democratic party. He is a notary public.
John Perry was born in Maryland about 1780. He married Druzilla Newhall when twenty-four years of age. He moved to this township in 1832 and entered the land on which John L. Brown now re- sides, one-half mile south of Lawrence. Mr. Perry lived there until 1862, and died. His wife died in
1864. He and his wife were members of the Bap- tist Church for more than fifty years. Mr. Perry owned a store in Lawrence for several years, his son, Aquilla D., attending to the business for him. Mr. Perry was a useful member of society, moral, tem- perate, and upright. He brought seven children to the township with him, and another followed him soon afterwards, viz., Thomas, died in township twelve years ago. Ann died in Colorado in 1881; lived here until 1858, married Moses Winters; Wil- liam was born in Hamilton Connty, Ohio, Feb. 1, 1810. He emigrated to this township with his par- ents in 1832. At end of one year returned to Ohio, remaining there five years, and then returned to this county and bought the farm on which he has since re- sided. He was married Jan. 20, 1839, to Catharine Newhouse. He has been an industrious farmer all his life. John died in Iowa, lived here twenty years ; Rezen only lived here four ¿years, lives in Pana, Ill. ; Samuel lived in township about twenty-nine years, died in 1863; James, never absent from township since 1832 but three years. He died in Marshall Connty ; Aquilla D. lived here four years, died in Pana, Ill., in 1873.
Thomas P. Silvey was born in Fayette County, Ind., Nov. 6, 1825, and moved with his father's family to this township in 1832, where he lived till his death, Nov. 13, 1881. He married Margaret J., daughter of Robert Johnson, Sr., in October, 1846. She died Sept. 13, 1867. He had by this wife nine children, seven of whom, three sons and four daugh- ters, survive him. Two died in infancy. In June, 1868, he married Lauvina Johnson, daughter of James Johnson, who died in March, 1869. In Jan- uary, 1870, he married Elizabeth E., daughter of John Calvin Johnson, who lived till June, 1875. By her he had three children, all of whom died in infancy. He again married in March, 1876, to Sally Ann Irwin, who survives, and by whom he had one child. When he was first married he lived on a rented farm near Millersville, this county, where he lived till 1852, when he bought a farm of eighty acres ncar the same village. On this farm he lived one year, when he sold it and bought what is known as the old Joshua Reddick farm, on Mud Creek.
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
Subsequently he purchased the Sheets farm, the Abe Anderson farm, and a part of the John Calvin John- son farm. He sold all of this to Elijah Fletcher in 1872, and in the spring of 1873 bought and moved to the Ozro Bates farin, one-quarter of a mile east of Castleton. In 1874 he bought of David Macy the Gentry farm and Brown farm, in all about three hun- dred acres. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and lived a consistent member thereof. He was an industrious farmer and a useful member of society. By his death the church lost one of its most prominent and valuable members. He was a member of the order of Odd-Fellows.
William McClaren, Sr., was born in Ireland about 1760. In the year 1831 he came from Kentucky to this township with his wife, five'sons, and two daugh- ters, and entered three hundred and twenty acres of land, where the MeIlvains and George G. Johnson now live. He lived there till his death, about the year 1850. He was a Universalist in sentiment, and a farmer by occupation. His wife, two girls, and son, John, are dead.
William Hubbard was born in Morgan County, Ind., Jan. 25, 1839, raised upon a farm, and served in Company H, Eleventh Indiana Volunteers, till May 23, 1863, when he was discharged to receive promo- tion as captain of Company B, Fifty-third United States Colored Infantry, he remaining in the service (participating in many engagements in and around Vicksburg, Miss.) until August, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. He returned to his old home, and engaged in the drug business. He came to Marion County in 1872, and at present is engaged in the drug business in Lawrence. In politics he is a National,-a leader in this township.
Jesse Herrin was born in Pulaski County, Ky., March 10, 1801. He left home at the age of eighteen years, and from that time has made his own living in the world. He emigrated to Shelby County, Ind., with second wife and three children, about the year 1831, and thence to this township in 1835. He moved on the McDonald land, now owned by Mr. MoLain, and took a lease there, and cleared about thirty acres. He then entered eighty acres about one mile southeast of where Castleton now is, and
built upon it, cleared it, and improved it. He has been a farmer through life. He has raised eight sons and two daughters to be men and women. Mr. Herrin still lives on the old homestead.
Cornelius Wadsworth was born in Harrison County, West Va., July 5, 1800. He lived on the farm with his father until near the close of the war of 1812, when he enlisted, served sixty days, until its close. He left his parental roof at the age of eighteen years to seek a home in the far West. He went to Ohio, thence to Illinois, and thence to Mis- souri, but soon came to Indiana; stopping in Indian- apolis, and before there was a brick laid or a house of any importance on the streets of Indianapolis, he cut cord-wood and helped to clear away the brush and trees off the ground where the prominent streets and business-houses now are. At the age of twenty- three he married Cassandra Legg. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres in this township, upon which he lived until his death, Aug. 19, 1882. There were born unto him five children, two of whom, to- gether with their mother, survive him.
Mr. Wadsworth was a man of good moral charac- ter, true to his convictions, and respected and liked by his acquaintances. He followed farming all his life, cleared a large tract of land, and, besides being a man of industry and energy, was a truly good neigh- bor and friend and citizen. In politics he was a Democrat of the Jeffersonian faith. He was elected and served three terms as justice of the peace of Lawrence township.
Christopher Apple was born in Clermont County, Ohio, April 28, 1807. At the age of twenty-two years he married Catharine Crumbaugh. Their parents were of German desceut. He emigrated from Ohio to this township in 1837, and entered eighty acres, the farm now owned by his son, John W., near Oakland. He cleared and improved the eighty acres, and lived upon it until his death, Jan. 24, 1871. He was an honest, industrious citizen, and his good wife shared with him in all the trials and hardships incident to pioneer life. For a number of years he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1866 he changed his relation to the Christian Church, and aided largely in building a
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house of worship in Oakland, Ind., for that denomi- nation. He lived a consistent and faithful Christian until his death. In politics he was a firm Democrat. His wife survived him five years, dying in January, 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Apple were the parents of eight children, the youngest dying in infancy. The following are living in Marion County, except Mahlon, who lives in Hancock County, Ind., viz. : Eliza J., Mary, Peter, Phebe, John W., Mahlon, and William M. John W. lives upon the old homestead; has been a successful teacher in the public schools of Marion County for a number of years, and in farm- ing (which occupation he follows) has been very successful. He is elder, trustee, and clerk of the Christian Church, and superintendent of the Sunday- school, and occasionally preaches very acceptably. He was born on the farm which he now owns Sept. 7,1841.
John L. Brown, born in Brown County, Ohio, April 20, 1816, is the son of George Brown and Mary, his wife, both old Virginians. They had eight children, the oldest a danghter, who was the wife of James H. Wallace. Mr. Wallace was one of the leading mou of Jefferson County, Ind. He was a member of the Indiana Legislature for several terms, commencing about the year 1830; was regarded as the father of the " Internal Improvement System" of this State. Their seven boys in succession grew to be men ; their names were as follows: Thomas B., Lewis L., James W., George, Richard H., John L., and Daniel R. The subject of this sketch is a first- class farmer, having two good farms, which he works to good advantage financially. He was county treas- urer of this county, and the county lost not a cent under his faithful administration. His brother, Daniel R., the youngest of the family (a resident of Indianapolis), by his energy and industry, has accu- mulated quite a fortune. He is a physician by pro- fession, but has long since given up the practice. He has served as clerk of the court of Hamilton County, also senator for the counties of Hamilton and Tipton in the Legislature of this State. Richard H. was a hotel-keeper in the cities of Madison, Ind., and Cov- ington, Ky. George was a merchant; was a very ardent Odd-Fellow. George Brown Encampment,
No. 44, I. O. O. F., at Noblesville, Ind., was named after him. James W., Lewis L., and Thomas B. were farmers, having cleared the forest and made their farms in this county.
This was a very remarkable family, all large, healthy men, with about one hundred and ninety pounds average weight, and what is yet more re- markable, no death occurred in the family under forty-seven years. The father, George Brown, was almost pure English. His father, Thomas Reeth Brown, was a native of Yorkshire, England, and came to Virginia about the year 1774. When the Revolutionary war broke out he enlisted as a soldier of his adopted country. He married Margaret Tacket, whose mother was a French lady and her father an Englishmau. She was born and raised near Old Point Comfort, Va. All of their children were born and raised in Loudoun and Fauquier Coun- ties, Va. About the year 1800 they emigrated to Mason County, Ky., bringing with them their chil- dren. After a short residence in Kentucky they maved across the Ohio River and settled in Brown County, Ohio, immediately opposite to Mason County, where they remained the balance of their days. The father lived to the age of eighty-five years, and the mother survived him, and lived to the great age of one hundred and four years. Mrs. Elizabetlı Thomas, daughter of these old people, died only a few years since, at the extreme age of one hundred and eight years. Mary (Lee) Brown, mother of John L. and the others of this family, was a de- scendant of the celebrated Lee family, of Virginia, being a relative of Gen. Robert E. Lee, of the Con- federate army. Her father was Lewis Lee, a brother of Gen. Harry Lee and Peter Lee. Her father, with his brothers, settled in Mason County, Ky., and for some time lived in a block-house, which was then called Lee's Station. They took up large tracts of land, which were called surveys. Some of those old titles are yet in the hands of tho Lee family. The father and mother of the subject of this sketeh were married in the year 1802, in Washington, Ky., and lived together for twenty-eight years, when the mother died in Maysville, Ky. In 1832 the father sold his farm in Ohio and emigrated to this county. The
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
four unmarried sons, Thomas, Richard, John, and Daniel, came with the father, and settled in the woods, three-quarters of a mile north of where Law- rence now stands, paying one dollar and twenty-five cents per aere for his land. The next fall James came and settled near by. Lewis had preceded the family six years, and also owned land adjoining. This family furnished seventeen good soldiers (their own sons) for the Union army during the late Rebel- lion. Two of those lost their lives in battle. The father died in the spring of 1847. At that time all of his children were living, but now all but three are dead, leaving Lewis L., John L., and Daniel R. living at this date (Nov. 11, 1883). The wife of John L. was born in Brown County, Ohio. Her maiden name was Caroline D. Mason, daughter of John Mason and Mary, his wife. The mother is still living at the home of her daughter, in the eighty-sixth year of her age. Mary Mason was a daughter of Charles O'Connor, an Irishman by birth, who came to this country in the latter part of the last century. He was educated for a Catholic priest, but never entered upon the duties of the priesthood. John Mason was born in Adams County, Ohio; was of English descent. His father was a soldier in the Revolutionary war under Gen. Francis Marion. John L. Brown and Caroline D. Mason were married in 1851, and are still living on one of the farms in Lawrence township. They have five children,-Mrs. C. Martin, who is now living with her husband, Reuben Martin, on their farm in Brown County, Ohio, the same farm where John L. and Daniel R. were born. Mrs. L. Huff, the wife of A. M. Hoff, living on their farm in Lawrence township. The other three-Clara, William, and Daniel-are living at home with their parents. John L. and Caroline Brown have also raised six orphan children. In politics the subject of this sketch is a Republican, as is also the whole family of Browns of this large re- lationship, most of them have been active and very decided in their political views. Mr. Brown says his experience in clearing up this country was a very laborious undertaking, but he has no regrets now. It is true, he says, they had many privations, but al- ways had plenty to eat, sometimes plenty of game, such as deer, turkeys, squirrel, and pheasant, and al-
ways certain of plenty of pork, with turnips and cab- bage, and, if the season was favorable, potatoes. In the summer wild plums, roasting ears, and pumpkins generally in abundance, especially after the first year. Corn-bread always on the table, for the best reason in world,-they had no wheat to make flour, and if he had there was no mill to grind and bolt it, only on the regular corn-stone, and had to bolt by hand, that made the flour dark and clammy ; but notwithstand- ing all the hardships and privations, if he knew of a county as good as this, he would be willing to try the same over again.
The following is a list of early settlers, not previ- ously noticed, who came to Lawrence township about the year set opposite their names, viz. :
Oliver Vanlaninghamn 1825
Joseph Justice. 1825
Angel. 1828
Lamb 1828
James Sigmund. 1830
Solomon Bowers 1833
Richard Marshall. 1833
Benjamin Newhouse 1828
Madison Webb. 1834
William Mckenzie 1834
Adam Miller. 1834
Lewis Tilyer 1832
Benjamin Chapmar 835
Paulser Sowers 1865
Nathaniel Webber. 1836
Reuben Hunter. 1836
George J. Baker 1836
James White 1836
Joseph Heltman 1837
Isaac Murphy 1827
James H. Murphy 1837
Jonah F. Lemon 1838
James Hunter. 1838
Henry Klepfer. 1838
Zachariah White. 1838
Mark Day. Date unknown.
William MeKinster.
Adam Clark.
Frederick Sheets.
Conrad Fertig
William Sigmund
James T. Wright came to the township with a large family at a comparatively late period, but it can be truly said of him that he accomplished as much for the
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morals of the people of the township as any other man that ever resided within it. He was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for many years laborcd zealously for the cause of Christianity and the welfare of his fellow-men. He was beloved by all who knew him, and the moral, temperate, Chris- tian influences by him spread among the people were lasting. He was the founder of the Castleton Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and for many years preached " without money and without price" to the people at various points in the townships of Washington and Lawrence.
The first two white children born within the limits of the township of Lawrence were William Perry Reddick and John Newton Reddick, twin sons of Elisha and Margaret Reddick.
The first marriage in the township was that of David Cothran to Lucinda Reddick. They were married in May, 1825, by William Rooker, in the log house of William Reddick.
The first white person known to have died in the township was the wife of a man named Canada, who had squatted on public land. She died and was buried on the farm now owned by Hettie M. and John E. Hunter. She was buried by James Ellis, Robert Warren, and John Sellers in a piece of an old canoe on the top of the high hill just west of the residence now upon the farm. This occurred in the fall of 1823, and so frightened Mr. Canada that he took his departure for Kentucky the day after his wife's burial.
Silas Ashley was the first white man and the sec- oud white person buried in the township. His grave was dug within ten feet of the corner-stone now standing on the township line just west of the Mil- lersville Flouring-Mill.
The first funeral sermon preached in the township was by a Presbyterian minister named Mooreland at the burial of Charles Johnson, in the Joshua Reddick graveyard, in 1827.
The first burial-ground in the township was upon the farm known as the Joshua Reddick farm, and the ground was set apart as a burial-ground by William Reddick. The place is still used as a
burial-place, and is better known as the Tom Silvey graveyard.
The first physician who practiced in the township was Dr. Isaac Coe. His route was up and down Fall Creek. In the early settlement of the town- ship chills and fever were prevalent, and the doctor used to make the statement that frequently in mak- ing his trips he would find whole families down at one time with the then dreaded disease. The next doctors who came into the township were Drs. Jones and Dr. Stipp, who were successful practitioners.
The early roads of the township were almost im- passable, and during the spring of the year many of the present ones are nearly so. The first road laid out in the township was what is now known as the old Pendleton State road, and which was at one time a noted Indian trail. This route was used before the settlement of the township by people traveling be- tween Indianapolis and Anderson. It was " cut out" by the voters of the township during the winter of 1825-26. Before that time it was simply a track that wound around between the trees and brush. Samuel Morrow was the supervisor. Beginning at a point where the toll-gate stands northeast of Millers- ville, they worked in a northeasterly direction, and meet a gang of men engaged in a similar work, from Pendleton, at a point on the county line west of where Germantown now is. Several years ago the township received from the government what was termed the three per cent. fund, and with it cross- laid the highways wherever needed.
The public highways of Lawrence have never been in good condition, though they have received great attention, and a very large annual outlay of money and labor has been made to maintain them in even a passable condition. There are one hundred and eleven miles of public highway in the township, nine- tecn miles of which is turnpiked, and eight miles of that is frec. The levy for road purposes for the year 1883 is fifteen cents on one hundred dollars.
The water-power of the township is, and has always been, chiefly derived from Fall Creek, though many years ago three mills were erected and operated for some time on Indian Creek ; but as the country
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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.
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became cleared the water-power diminished until they could be operated only a short time during each year, hence the business proved an unprofitable one, and the mills were abandoned.
John Cory built a saw-mill on Indian Creek in the year 1836, just west of where Oakland now is. It was operated until about 1850, and then allowed to go down. David Hoss built a frame saw-mill on Indian Creek, two miles southwest of where Oakland now is, about the year 1836. It was operated about fifteen years, and then abandoned. About the year 1833, Samuel Williams built a log grist-mill on Indian Creek, upon the land now owned by Ben- jamin Smith. It had one run of stone, upon which both wheat and corn were ground. Its capacity was two bushels per hour. The flour was bolted by hand, and the bolt consisted of two boxes so adjusted that one would slide upon the other. Every man had to bolt his own grist, and it required two hours' work to bolt the flour made from one bushel of wheat. Mr. Williams built the mill and dressed the stone out of granite rock, performing all the labor himself. For some time after the completion of the mill nothing but eorn was ground. About the year 1837, Mr. Williams sold the mill to Alexis Riley, who operated it about ten years, and then abandoned it because of the lack of water in the creek in the dry season of the year.
A grist-mill was built in the fall of 1825 on the east bank of Fall Creek, just north of what is known as the " correction line," and owned and operated it about two years. It proved to be worth- less, and he let it go down. He then hired Messrs. Cooney and Van Pelt, two millwrights of Pendleton, to build another mill (grist-mill and saw- mill combined). It was erected on the opposite side of the creek from the first one, and a dam seven feet in height with force-head was built. The mill was operated by various parties for twenty-four years, and was destroyed by fire in 1851, and never rebuilt. The capacity of the mill was eight bushels of corn and one thousand feet of lumber per day.
Fountain Kimberlain built a saw-mill, about 1835, on Fall Creek, upon the land now owned by his heirs. It was torn down prior to 1840.
Samuels & Son built a saw-mill, about 1837, on Fall Creek, at a point known as the Emery Ford. The fall being insufficient and the mill of not much account, it was torn down about the year 1842.
Abraham Sellers built a saw-mill on Fall Creek about 1853. He ran it two years, and sold out to James Hines. In 1855 or 1856, Mr. Hines built a grist-mill on the west side of Fall Creek, opposite the saw-mill. About the time of the completion of the grist-mill building Mr. Hines died. The property was then sold to Benjamin Chroninger, who in turn sold it to Leonard & Francis Chroninger. James Floor then bought the property, and completed the mill and put in the machinery. He failed to pay for it, and the ownership reverted to Leonard & Francis Chroninger. They owned and operated it till 1864, and then sold it to William Roberts, who has owned and operated it ever since. The mill is a good one, and is supplied with improved machinery.
John Beaver, an old pioneer, erected a grist-mill in about the year 1832 on Fall Creek, about one-half mile below where the creek first enters the township. He owned it until his death, and his heirs sold it to William Bills about the year 1844. He sold it to Philip Dresher and - Baughman about the year 1862. Baughman lost his life by an accident re- ceived at the mill. In the year 1873 the ownership became vested in Enoch Hanna, the present proprie- tor. It is known as the Germantown Mill, and did a good business prior to 1873; at present the ex- penses of operating it exceed the income.
The mill built by Seth Bacon and Peter Negley in 1824 on Fall Creek, near Millersville, also the mills on the same stream and near the same place owned by Daniel Ballenger, Noah Leverton, Jacob Spahr, William Winpenny, Tobias Messersmith, and others, are mentioned in the history of Washington township.
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