History of Jackson County, Indiana, Part 26

Author: Brant & Fuller
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 759


USA > Indiana > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Indiana > Part 26


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Missouri-Is derived from the Indian word " muddy," which


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more properly applies to the river that flows through it. Its motto is Salus populi suprema lex esto, " Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law." The State was first settled by the French near Jefferson City in 1719, and in 1821 was admitted into the Union. It has an area of 67,380 square miles, equal to 43,123,200 acres. It had a population in 1860 of 1,182,012; in 1870, 1,721,- 000. She gave to defend the Union 108,162 soldiers. Capital, Jefferson City. Its inhabitants are known by the offensive cogno- men of "Pukes." Has 13 representatives in Congress, and 15 Presidential electors. J. S. Phelps is Governor; politics, Demo- cratic; salary, $5,000; term, 4 years.


Nebraska-Has for its motto, "Equality before the law." Its name is derived from one of its rivers, meaning " broad and shal- low, or low." It was admitted into the Union in 1867. Its capital is Lincoln. It had a population in 1860 of 28,841, and in 1870, 123,993, and in 1875, 246,280. It has an area of 75,995 square miles. She furnished to defend the Union 3,157 soldiers. Has but 1 Representative and 3 Presidential electors. A. Nance, Repub- lican, is Governor; salary, $2,500; term, 2 years.


Nevada-" The Snowy Land" derived its name from the Span- ish. Its motto is Latin, Volens et potens, and means "willing and able." It was settled in 1850, and admitted into the Union in 1864. Capital, Carson City. Its population in 1860 was 6,857; in 1870 it was 42,491. It has an area of 112,090 square miles. She furnished 1,080 soldiers to suppress the Rebellion. Has 1 Rep- resentative and 3 Electors. Governor, J. H. Kinkhead, Republican; salary, $6,000; term, 4 years.


New Hampshire-Was first settled at Dover by the English in 1623. Was one of the original States. Has no motto. It is named from Hampshire county in England. It also bears the name of "The Old Granite State." It has an area of 9,280 miles, which equals 9,239,200 acres. It had a population in 1860 of 326,- 073, and in 1870 of 318,300. She increased the Union army with 33,913 soldiers. Concord is the capital. Has 3 Representatives and 5 Presidential electors. N. Head, Republican, Governor; salary, $1,000; term, 1 year.


New Jersey-Was named in honor of the Island of Jersey in the British channel. Its motto is " Liberty and Independence." It was first settled at Bergen by the Swedes in 1624. It is one of the orig-


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inal thirteen States. It has an area of 8,320 square miles, or 5,324,- 800 acres. Population in 1860 was 672,035; in 1870 it was 906,096. She put into the Federal army 75,315 soldiers. Capital, Trenton. Has 7 Representatives and 9 Presidential electors. Governor, George B. McClelland, Democrat; salary, $5,000; term, 3 years.


New York .- The " Empire State" was named by the Duke of York, afterward King James II. of England. It has a Latin motto, Excelsior, which means "Still Higher." It was first settled by the Dutch in 1614 at Manhattan. It has an area of 47,000 square miles, or 30,080,000 acres. The population in 1860 was 3,880,735; in 1870 it was 4,332,759. It is one of the original thirteen States. Capital is Albany. It gave to defend our Government 445,959 men. Has 33 members in Congress, and 35 Presidential electors. Governor, L. Robinson, Democrat; salary, $10,000; term, 3 years.


North Carolina-Was named after Charles IX., King of France. It is called " The Old North," or "The Turpentine State." It was first visited in 1524 by a Florentine navigator, sent out by Francis I., King of France. It was settled at Albemarle in 1663. It was one of the original thirteen States. It has an area of 50,704 square miles, equal to 32,450,560 acres. It had in 1860 a population of 992,622, and in 1870, 1,071,361. Raleigh is the capital. She furnished 3,156 soldiers to put down the Rebellion. Has 8 mem. bers in Congress, and is entitled to 10 Presidential electors. Z. B. Vance, Democrat, is Governor; salary, $5,000; term, 4 years.


Ohio-Took its name from the river on its Southern boundary, and means "Beautiful." Its motto is Imperium in Imperio- " An Empire in an Empire." It was first permanently settled in 1788 at Marietta by New Englanders. It was admitted as a State in 1803. Its capital is Columbus. It contains 39,964 square miles, or 25,576, 960 acres. Population in 1860, 2,339,511; in 1870 it had 2,665,260. She sent to the front during the Rebellion 310,- 654 soldiers. Has 20 Representatives, and 22 Presidential electors. Governor, R. M. Bishop, Democrat; salary, $4,000; term, 2 years.


Oregon-Owes its Indian name to its principal river. Its motto is Alis volat propriis-" She flies with her own wings." It was first visited by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. It was set- , tled by the English in 1813, and admitted into the Union in 1859. Its capital is Salem. It has an area of 95,274 square miles, equal to 60,975,360 acres. It had in 1860 a population of 52,465; im


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1870, 90,922. She furnished 1,810 soldiers. She is entitled to 1 member in Congress, and 3 Presidential electors. W. W. Thayer, Republican, is Governor; salary, $1,500; term, 4 years.


Pennsylvania .- This is the "Keystone State," and means "Penn's Woods," and was so called after William Penn, its original owner. Its motto is, " Virtue, liberty and independence." A colony was established by Penn in 1682. The State was one of the original thirteen. It has an area of 46,000 square miles, equaling 29,440,- 000 acres. It had in 1860 a population of 2,906,215; and in 1870, 3,515,993. She gave to suppress the Rebellion, 338,155. Harris- burg is the capital. Has 27 Representatives and 29 electors. H. M. Hoyt, is Governor; salary, $10,000; politics, Republican; term of office, 3 years.


Rhode Island .- This, the smallest of the States, owes its name to the Island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean, which domain it is said to greatly resemble. Its motto is "Hope," and it is familiarly called, "Little Rhody." It was settled by Roger Williams in 1636. It was one of the original thirteen States. It has an area of 1,306 square miles, or 835,840 acres. Its population in 1860 numbered 174,620; in 1870, 217,356. She gave to defend the Union, 23,248. Its capitals are Providence and Newport. Has 2 Representatives, and 4 Presidential electors. C. Vanzandt is Governor; politics, Republican; salary, $1,000; term, 1 year.


South Carolina .- The Palmetto State wears the Latin name of Charles IX., of France (Carolus). Its motto is Latin, Animis opibusque parati, " Ready in will and deed." The first permanent settlement was made at Port Royal in 1670, where the French Huguenots had failed three-quarters of a century before to found a settlement. It is one of the original thirteen States. Its capital is Columbia. It has an area of 29,385 square miles, or 18,806,400 acres, with a population in 1860 of 703,708; in 1870, 728,000. Has 5 Representatives in Congress, and is entitled to 7 Presidential electors. Salary of Governor, $3,500; term, 2 years.


Tennessee-Is the Indian name for the " River of the Bend," i. e. the Mississippi, which forms its western boundary. She is called "The Big Bend State." Her motto is, " Agriculture, Commerce." It was settled in 1757, and admitted into the Union in 1796, mak- ing the sixteenth State, or the third admitted after the Revolution- ary War-Vermont being the first, and Kentucky the second. It


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has an area of 45,600 square miles, or 29,184,000 acres. In 1860 its population numbered 1,109,801, and in 1870, 1,257,983. She furnished 31,092 soldiers to suppress the Rebellion. Nashville is the capital. Has 10 Representatives, and 12 Presidential electors. Governor, A. S. Marks, Democrat; salary, $4,000; term, 2 years.


Texas-Is the American word for the Mexican name by which all that section of the country was known before it was ceded to the United States. It is known as "The Lone Star State." The first set- tlement was made by LaSalle in 1685. After the independence of Mexico in 1822, it remained a Mexican Province until 1836, when it gained its independence, and in 1845 was admitted into the Union. It has an area of 237,504 square miles, equal to 152,002,- 560 acres. Its population in 1860 was 604,215; in 1870, 818,579. She gave to put down the Rebelion 1,965 soldiers. Capital, Austin. Has 6 Representatives, and 8 Presidential electors. Governor, O. M. Roberts, Democrat; salary, $5,000; term, 2 years.


Vermont-Bears the French name of her mountains Verde Mont, "Green Mountains." Its motto is " Freedom and Unity." It was settled in 1731, and admitted into the Union in 1791. Area 10,212 square miles. Population in 1860, 315,098; in 1870, 330,551. She gave to defend the Government, 33,272 soldiers. Capital, Mont- pelier. Has 3 Representatives, and 5 electors. Governor, H. Fair- banks, Republican; term, 2 years; salary, $1,000.


Virginia .- The Old Dominion, as this State is called, is the oldest of the States. It was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth, the " Virgin Queen," in whose reign Sir Walter Raleigh made his first attempt to colonize that region. Its motto is Sic semper tyrannis, "So always with tyrants." It was first settled at James- town, in 1607, by the English, being the first settlement in the United States. It is one of original thirteen States, and had before its division in 1862, 61,352 square miles, but at present contains but 38,352 square miles, equal to 24,545,280 acres. The population in 1860 amounted to 1,596,318, and in 1870 it was 1,224,830. Rich- mond is the capital. Has 9 Representatives, and 11 electors. Gov- ernor, F. W. M. Halliday, Democrat; salary, $5,500; term, 4 years.


West Virginia .- Motto, Montani semper liberi, " Mountaineers are always free." This is the only State ever formed, under the Constitution, by the division of an organized State. This was done in 1862, and in 1863 was admitted into the Union. It has an area of


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29,000 square miles, or 14,720,000 acres. The population in 1860 was 376,000; in 1870 it numbered 445,616. She furnished 32,003. Capital, Wheeling. Has 3 Representatives in Congress, and is entitled to 5 Presidential electors. The Governor is H. M. Mathews, Democrat; term, 4 years; salary, $2,700.


Wisconsin-Is an Indian name, and means "Wild-rushing channel." Its motto, Civitatus successit barbarum, "The civilized man succeeds the barbarous." It is called " The Badger State." The State was visited by the French explorers in 1665, and a settle- ment was made in 1669 at Green Bay. It was admitted into the Union in 1848. It has an area of 52,924 square miles, equal to 34,511,360 acres. In 1860 its population numbered 775,881; in 1870, 1,055,167. Madison is the capital. She furnished for the Union army 91,021 soldiers. Has 8 members in Congress, and is entitled to 10 Presidential electors. The Governor is W. E. Smith; politics, Republican; salary, $5,000; term, 2 years.


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PART II.


HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.


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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.


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CHAPTER I .*


GEOLOGY-GENERAL FEATURES-THE STRATA-SECTIONS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTY-THE QUATERNARY-THE SANDY PLAINS -- RIVER VALLEYS-ARTESIAN WATER.


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TACKSON COUNTY is of a rectangular shape. The East Fork of White River enters at the northeast corner, and flows through it in a southwest direction, forming two rectangular shaped districts, which are, for the most part, totally unlike in topography and geological features. In the southeast district the country is mostly rolling, with low, sandy hills, fifty to 100 feet high. An exception to this is seen in the short range of knobs south of Brownstown, and in the sandy-clay hills southeast of Seymour, called Chestnut Ridge. The knobs at Enoch Baugh- man's, south of Brownstown, have an elevation of about 360 feet above White River, while some portions of Chestnut Ridge are 200 feet above the river. This ridge is said to be about eight miles long and one mile wide, although in length it may be traced considerably in excess of this.


The northwest district of the county is broken, and traversed in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction by ridges, that have an average elevation of 280 feet above the plains. The valleys through which the small streams find their way to White River are generally narrow. In the vicinity of Sparksville and Weddlesville, there are beds of loose sand, thirty feet or more in


*Adapted from State Geologist's Report of 1874.


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depth, that cap the solid beds of knob shale and sandstone at an elevation of 280 feet above the river. Sand occupies a similar elevation in the ridge near Vallonia, on the south side of the river. The sand deposits have the same bearing as the course of White River. The Muscatatuck River forms a large portion of the southern boundary of the county, and two of its principal forks, Vernon and Grassy, flow in a southwesterly course across the southeast district.


The oldest formation seen in the county is a black shale found in the northeastern part, on Section 32, Township 7 north, Range 6 east. The section at that place shows sandy soil and sandy clay, 40 feet; clay, with a few shall granite boulders and pebbles, 30 feet; black shale, with large masses of calcareous concre- tionary stone to the bed of the river, 20 feet, making a total of 90 feet. This shale is found in the wells as far north as the county line. Its eastern boundary is at an average distance west of the east line of the county, about four miles. A number of fossils have been found in this shale, among which are Leiorhyn- chus quadricosta. Chonetes lepida, Tentaculites fissurella, Lingula and Discina.


The Chemung and Catskill groups, forming the upper mem- bers of the Devonian, are entirely wanting in Indiana. Next above the black shale is found the Kinderhook group, which lies at the base of the carboniferous formation. The Kinderhook beds in Indiana are made up of marly and arenaceous shales and sandstones, with two or more beds of geodes associated with or replacing beds of roughly weathering entrochal limestone. The geodes first make their appearance on the high ridge south of Brownstown, then at Pea Ridge, and at Sparksville. On Section 11, Town 4, Range 2, the St. Louis oolitic limestone appears, and is quarried in large blocks, for building purposes, at Dixon's. At Rockford, immediately above the black shale, is found a greenish gray, hard, calcareous shale, filled with fossil cephalopod


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shells in a fine state of preservation. The Goniatiles and Nautili of this locality are among the most interesting fossils of the country, and have given to Rockford a world-wide notoriety. It is the only locality in the State where many of the species are found, and they are known locally as "snake rocks."


The general dip of the strata in the county is at the rate of about thirty feet to the mile from the northeast to the southwest, but in many places it is difficult to recognize any dip at all. By a slight dip the black shale is carried beneath the surface before reaching Shields' Mill, where the following measurements have been made :


Sandy loam and clay.


Feet.


15 Glacial Gravel and occasional small boulders. 20


Arenaceous shale and sandstones, with nodular iron-stone .. 70


O. & M. Railroad track 0


Total. 105


The bed of Huff's Creek contains so many weathered lumps of iron-stone that persons were, several years ago, induced to under- take the construction of a Catlin forge to work it into swedged iron. Through a lack of funds it was never completed.


A section of the' Knobs at Baughman's shows the following :


Feet.


Feet.


Clayey soil


- to -


Nautili, geode bed 8 to 10


Vermicular siliceous shale and heavy bedded sand- stone, quarried for foundations 65


Encrinital limestone, local. 1


Vermicular siliceous shale. 145


Covered space containing siliceous shale and sand- stone.


50


Arenaceous shale with iron-stone.


12


To bed of Huff's Creek.


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Total.


283


The siliceous shales in this section are remarkable on account of the number of vermicular markings which they contain.


As showing the difference of the ridges on each side of the river, the following section is given near Josiah Shewmakers on Pea Ridge in Section 32, Town 5, Range 3, East:


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Foot.


Covered siliceous shale


25


Nautili bed, geode and limestone


10


Bedded gray sandstone


20


Vermicular shales


40


Geode bed


10


Limestone


1}


Vermicular shales and thick bedded standstone


40


Vermicular shales with bands of sandstone. 50


Gray arenaceous shale to grade of O. & M. Railroad. 100


Total 2964


Many of these geodes are more than a foot in diameter and run from that down to sizes not larger than a walnut. Some are solid, but they are generally hollow and contain chalcedony crys- tals of many forms and colors. They occupy the place of a lime- stone which has been removed by the chemical action of water that held silica in solution.


On Guthrie Creek, Section 18, Township 5, Range 3, there is a very good deposit of sandstone of a gray color. It has been used considerably for masonry, and when not subjected to too many sudden changes of wet and dry is durable.


Section at the ford on Salt Creek in Section 14, Township 6, Range 3 :


Feet.


Inches.


Covered, to top of hill


80


0


Gray shale


5


0


Band of ferruginous sandstone


0


2


Shale


1


0


Band of brown sandstone.


0


3


Brown arenaceous shale


2


0


Band of brown sandstone


1


0


Siliceous shale


4


0


Band of brown sandstone, 1 foot, 6 inches, to


4


0


Total


97


5


These bands of sandstone are of a handsome dark brown color, and the stone where exposed to the air has become very hard, and rings under the hammer. It will make a handsome and durable building stone. A similar stone is seen at Findley's Mill.


The ridges on each side of Muddy Fork of Salt Creek are


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composed of knob stones and vermicular shales, and are about 280 to 320 feet high. At low water several salt springs can be seen which break up from the bed of the creek. Nearly a half century ago a company began the manufacture of salt there, and it was carried on for several years in a small way. Near Hous- ton and several other places in the northwestern portion of the county, salt is found in considerable quantities. Near Freeport bog ore occurs in considerable quantities. At the Dixon quarry, near the southwestern line of the county, the stone quarried is a moderately fine-grained oolite bed which lies above the nautili geode bed; it corresponds with the Bedford, Ellettsville and Spencer oolite building stone.


THE QUATERNARY PERIOD.


Immediately on the paleozoic rock described in the preceding pages rests the quaternary or post-tertiary period. The influ- ence which this era has had in modifying the topography of the country is unmistakable and at the same time difficult to explain in a satisfactory manner. In the northwest part of the county there is barely a trace of glacial sand and clay, but it is well rep- resented on both sides of White River, and with the exception of a few short ridges south of Brownstown covers the entire half of the county south of the East Fork of White River and is com- posed of brown, reddish sand, 10 feet; brownish clay, mixed with sand, gravel, some small boulders and cherty gravel, 30 to 60 feet. In the northern part of the county the sandy hills contain : Sandy clay, 30 feet; and clay with some sand, gravel and small granite boulders, 40 feet. At the old Dannatelle farm the de- posit of this period is about 95 feet. Chestnut Ridge, as well as the sand to the northeast, are all composed of quaternary beds, the greatest thickness of which cannot fall much short of 200 feet. The moraine of sand, clay and small erratic stones compos- ing these beds came down from the high divide in Randolph


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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.


County, and from the western border of Ohio. It is most prob- ably the work of a retreating glacier which had its forces divided into several channels by ridges that checked and partially resist- ed its currents. Baughman's Ridge formed an island, as it were, between the two moraines in that part of the county. The East Fork of White River and the Muscatatuck flow through valleys that were cut by the glaciers.


A tradition among the older citizens of the county tells of a large granite boulder that was situated on Tipton's Island a short distance above Rockford, but later investigation proved it to have been only a stone resembling the concretionary limestone seen in the upper part of the black shale about a mile farther up the river.


The wells of Brownstown go to a depth of from fifteen to twenty feet, and water is found in a quicksand which is underlaid by argillaceous shale; the upper stratum passed through is sandy clay such as is seen covering all the country outside of the knobs to the south. It is probable that an artesian water can be had at a depth of about 100 feet. A well dug in Section 7, Township 4, Range 5, produces good artesian water. It contains bicarbon- ate of lime, bicarbonate of magnesia, carbonate of protoxide of iron and chloride of sodium. It is a pure chalybeate water, con- taining no more foreign mineral water outside of the iron than is commonly found in potable well or spring waters. In many cases of debility this water will prove highly beneficial as a pleasant, mild and safe tonic.


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CHAPTER II.


INDIANS-THE FRENCH AND THE CATHOLICS-ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF INDIANA-OCCUPANTS OF JACKSON COUNTY-EARLY REMINIS- CRNOES-INDIAN MURDERS-BATTLE OF TIPTON'S ISLAND-PREHIS- TORIC PEOPLE -- CLASSIFICATION OF MOUNDS SUCCEEDING RACES.


T N the early struggles for supremacy on the Western continent between the nations of the Old World, nearly all of the Mis- sissippi Valley gradually came under the dominion of France. This was acquired through the influence of the large number of ardent and zealous missionaries, which that country sent out in the latter part of the seventeenth and fore part of the eighteenth centuries. A number of trading posts were established through- out the whole of this vast tract of country, from along the shores of the lakes and banks of the important streams to the mouth of the Mississippi River, and from these places the peltry of the Indians was received in exchange for whatever gaudy and trifling ornaments would attract the savages' fancy. This, in connection with the religious influence of devout Catholics, won the heart and confidence of the red man toward the French. Almost without opposition France had thus secured control of all the lands from the Alleghany Mountains to the Mississippi River. Near the middle of the eighteenth century England began to arouse her- self to the situation. Her supremacy along the Atlantic was not questioned, and she had rested in contentment, satisfied with claiming the Pacific Ocean as the western boundary of her colo- nies. When her traders began to push beyond the mountains they found themselves forestalled by the French, and thus the conflict began, which only ended with the French and Indian war in 1763. In February, of that year, a treaty of peace was signed


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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.


at Paris, in which France gave up all claims to any territory lying east of the Mississippi River, except the town of New Orleans and the island on which it is situated. Thus matters remained until the Revolution necessitated a new map of the American Conti- nent.


The policy of the British Government seems to have retarded commerce with the Indians, who in return despised the haughty and domineering spirit of the English. No doubt the foundation of Indian hostility to later pioneers of the West was laid in this early antipathy for the English, and which, when once conceived, was craftily nourished by the proud and unrelenting natives. Immediately prior to the War for Independence several large tracts of land were purchased by companies organized for that purpose in the territory northwest of the Ohio River.


ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF INDIANA.


The most reliable information that can be obtained seems to establish the fact that nearly the whole of Indiana was originally inhabited by three different tribes of Indians, called the Twigtwees or Miamis, the Weas and the Piankeshaws. The last of these occupied nearly all of the Wabash Valley, and was a powerful factor in the celebrated Miami Confederacy. As the tide of im- migration poured its throng of Europeans upon the Atlantic shore, and civilization began its westward march across the New World, the sullen savage, disdaining the enlightenment of white men, retired constantly to the gloom and solitude of his native forests. Thus, in time, different tribes came to occupy the same territory. These later tribes were called "permitted," and throughout the whole of Indiana these stranger Indians were early found. Some of them were the Delawares,. Pottawatomies, Shawnees, Kickapoos, Wyandots and Senecas.




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