USA > Indiana > Johnson County > History of Johnston County, Indiana. From the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 54
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and O. A. Robison. The camp is composed of the leading young men of the town and country, and, though still in its infancy, is growing satisfactorily.
Centenary Lodge No. 2,079, K. of H., was incorporated under articles of association, March, 18So, with a large list of charter mem- bers. The following is a brief statement of the objects aimed at, as set forth in the articles of association. "The object of this as- sociation shall be to unite fraternally all acceptable white men, who may become members, to give moral and material aid to the members of the association, to nurse and care for the sick and suffering mem- bers. and to keep them from want; to provide benevolence and charity, by establishing a widows' and orphans' benefit fund, from which, in case of the satisfactory evidence of the death of a member of the association, who has complied with its lawful ruquirements, a sum not exceeding $2,000, shall be paid to his family * * And to * provide a fund for the relief of sick and distressed members." The lodge has accomplished a good work in the community, and though not as strong as formerly, is still in a fairly prosperous condition.
Additional to the above orders, there is in Greenwood, at this time, an organization of the Society of Chosen Friends, which is re- ported in a prosperous condition, numbering among its members, some of the leading citizens of the community. The Knights of Labor are represented by an assembly which, though weak, nu- merically, is gradually gaining ground, and doing good work.
Retrospective .- Perhaps the most prosperous era of Green- wood's existence, was the decade from 1855 to 1865. During that period it assumed the character of an important commercial point, and drew a large amount of trade from the Counties of Johnson, Marion and Morgan. The completion of the railroad several years previous, gave an impetus to all kinds of business. but it was not until about the year 1855, that the importance of the town as a shipping point for grain, live-stock, lumber, etc., became apparent to the citizens of the adjacent country. The stringent times which followed a few years after the war, had a depressing effect upon the business interest of the town, and a few of the merchants and others were obliged to succumb to financial disaster. The mer- chants, as a rule, have been unusually shrewd and progressive, and quite a number of them have realized comfortable fortunes from their business ventures.
An era of prosperity seems to have been inaugurated in ISS5, since which time many valuable improvements have been under- taken, including principally dwelling houses, more than twenty of which were erected during the year ISS7. Some of these are ele- gant structures, and for neat homes, well-kept premises and other
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evidences of an intelligent and progressive class of citizens, Green- wood will certainly compare favorably with any other town in Johnson County. The moral growth of the place has kept pace with its material prosperity, in fact exceeded it: and to-day there is no more quiet and law-abiding town in the state than Greenwood. Four churches, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist and Disciple, show the trend of religious sentiment, and a large and thoroughly disci- plined graded school attests the interest the people take in matters educational. The town has never been cursed by the presence of a saloon, although about the year 1857 a vain attempt was made to open and run such an establishment.
The present business of the town may be summarized as follows: N. E. Noble, Grafton Peek, Bass & Crawford, and S. & M. Justus, general stores; Robert Milburn, groceries and confection- ery; Joseph Tomkins, stoves and hardware; Harvey Brewer, drugs; Dalton Wilson, drugs; David S. Whitenack, furniture and undertaking: McHose, furniture; D. Foster, bakery and restaurant; Mrs. McClain and Perdew, millinery: W. W. Watson, dealer in sewing machines; Scott & Wilson, agricultural imple- ments, and livery stable; G. M. Whitenack, buyer and shipper of poultry ; David S. Whitenack, hotel :- - Rogers, and George Over- street, meat markets ; R. H. McAlpin, manufacturer and dealer in sad- dlery and harness; Stanton & Simpson, dealers in buggies and carriages: Joseph Prewett, contractor and builder; G. T. White and William Clark, blacksmiths: Watson & Wilson, and William H. Bishop, wagon-makers; William Simpson and Conklin, shoe- makers. Statistics of 1887:
Value of lots. $5,055
Value of improvements. .
25.655
Value of lots and improvements. 30,7IO
Value of personal property. 121,875
Total assessed value of property . 162,280
Williamsburg. - The village of Williamsburg is situated in the southern part of Nineveh Township, and is the site of one of the oldest settlements in Johnson County. ,Among the first settlers in the neighborhood was Joab Woodruff, who, as early as 1822, erected a residence upon his land a short distance east of the vill- age, and the year following, opened a small store for the accom- modation of the few families then living in the vicinity. The circumstances under which this pioneer mercantile establishment was started, forms an interesting chapter in the early history of the village. Briefly stated, they are as follows:
It appears that Mr. Woodruff was a very skillful hunter, and as the woods, at that time, abounded in an abundance of all kinds of
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game, he had no difficulty in killing more than the necessities of his family required. During the winter of 1822-3 and the succeeding spring, it is stated, that 370 deer and ten bears fell before his un- erring rifle, the skins and hams of which, he hauled to Madison, a distance of sixty miles, and exchanged them for a few dry-goods and groceries. With the small stock thus obtained, he opened a store in his residence, near where the toll-house now stands, and was soon in the enjoyment of a very prosperous trade, his place of busi- ness being at the time the only source of supplies for a consider- able area of territory in Johnson and Brown counties. Money being very scarce, he was obliged to exchange his commodities for such articles of traffic as the country afforded, to wit: ginseng, deer skins, hams, maple sugar, feathers, wild honey, etc., large quanti- ties of which he secured and marketed at a good profit in Madison, and occasionally at Cincinnati. His store was highly prized by the people of the neighborhood, and by honorable dealing he suc- ceeded in laying the foundation for a comfortable fortune, which was subsequently divided among his eleven children, each of whom received as his allotment, a valuable farm. Mr. Woodruff sold goods for a period of twenty-five years, and is remembered as one of the substantial business men and prominent citizens of Nineveh Township.
In the meantime, one Daniel Mussulman, whose arrival was contemporaneous with that of Woodruff. purchased the improve- ments of a settler by the name of Young, and located upon the present site of Williamsburg, where, as early as IS30, he opened a small store and began vending " foreign and domestic groceries, " which, of course, included a generous supply of whisky. The two stores formed the nucleus of quite a flourishing settlement, and the following year (1831) Henry Mussulman, thinking the in- creasing population of the neighborhood demanded an additional business house, procured a license for keeping a grocery. The records of the board of county justices show that A. H. Scroggins & Co. opened a mercantile establishment at Nineveh, in 1832, but of the success of their business venture, the local chronicler of the village is not informed.
The better to induce settlers to locate in the neighborhood, and at the same time enhance the value of his real estate, and build up a flourishing dry goods business, Daniel Mussulman, about the year 1834, procured the services of a surveyor, and laid out a plat of thirty-six lots, which was secured in May of that year, under the name of Williamsburg. The town site occupies a part of the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 27, Township II north, Range 4 east, which, with other lands in the township was pur-
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chased from the government on the 20th day of August, 1823, by Joab Woodruff. The lots were at once offered for sale, and sev- eral of them found ready purchasers, among whom are remem- bered Milburn Jacobs, an early trader, and William Gillaspy, whose " ginshop " became the rendezvous of all the worthless characters in the village and adjacent country.
Daniel Mussulman continued the dry goods business with fair success for several years, but subsequently ( 1838) disposed of his stock to his son-in-law, Thomas Mullikin, whose store eventually became one of the best-known mercantile establishments in John- son County. Mr. Mullikin conducted a very successful business, and in time amassed a considerable fortune, the larger part of which consisted of valuable real estate in the neighborhood of the village. He subsequently disposed of his business and moved to Bloomington, where, it is said, he experienced severe financial re- verses. James Mills engaged in the dry goods business in Will- iamsburg in 1839, with a stock of dry goods and whisky, and about the same time other stores were opened by merchants whose names are now difficult to recall. Among those who were iden- tified with the mercantile interests of the town from time to time, may be named: William Mathes, Benjamin Keeton, David Chase, Walter Black, Pudney & Miller, Miller & Graves, Miller & Keeton, Miller & Gale, John Walsh, Forsyth & Keeton, Aaron Gregg, Thomas Pruner, William Cotton, Felix Ditz, Harvey Mul- likin, Graves & Dressler, and Joah Dunham, the last-named being still in the business. It is not claimed that the above merchants are given in the order of succession, but the list contains the ma- jority of those who have carried on the mercantile business in Will- iamsburg since the founding of the village.
The first physician in the neighborhood was Dr. William John- son, of Kentucky, who began practicing the healing art within a short time after the arrival of the first settlers. He made his home for some time with the Woodruff family, and is said to have been a painstaking and successful practitioner. The following medical men practiced their profession in the village at different times: Drs. Ward, Howes, Farmer, Woodyard, McDermott, McCorkle, Marrs, Schofield, Mellett, St. John, Ream, Lanam and Davis, and the pres- ent physicians, A. J. Marshall, A. F. Wright and Irwin Ilibbs.
One of the earliest industries of Williamsburg, was a distillery, started about the time the town was laid out, by Daniel Mussulman, who operated it with fair success, for several years. While whisky was an article of almost daily use in the majority of the early fami- lies ot the country, this distillery appears to have been the fruitful source of a great deal of trouble in the village, and its presence was
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greatly deplored by the more peaceably disposed citizens of the neighborhood. It was the resort of the convivial spirits of the com- munity, who on certain days of the week imbibed so freely of the "spirits of the still " as to make the little village hilarious with drunken shouts and maudlin revelry. Mr. Mussulman manufactured for the local demand only, and exchanged the production of his distillery for corn, with an occasional sale for cash. He fin illy abandoned the business, since which time no attempt has been made to manu- facture " calamity water " in Williamsburg.
The manufacture of leather was also an early industry in the village, and it is stated that a small tannery was operated as long ago as 1835 or 1836, by one Robert Whitney. He made a good article of leather, and was in the business, on a small scale, for several years. John Prime began tanning, in an early day, as did James C. Parmelee, the latter of whom appears to have met with good success in the venture. He carried on the business for some time in Williamsburg, but later, moved his tannery to Brown County, where bark could be more easily obtained. Mr. Parmelee subsequently met with a violent death at Edinburg while attempt- ing to jump from a moving train. Among the early mechanics of Williamsburg, was George Fleming, who, prior to the year 1834, began the manufacture of furniture on the Woodruff place, about a quarter of a mile east of the village. He subsequently moved his shop to the town, and for a number of years supplied the greater part of the furniture used by the early settlers. He was a good workman, and met with financial success for a few years, but after- ward failed in business and left the town.
John Gosney and Matthias Derrington effected a partnership in cabinet making many years, and operated a shop with encouraging success for some time. Derrington is remembered as a skillful mechanic, and numerous specimens of his handiwork are still to be seen in the dwellings of the older citizens of the village and town- ship. About the year IS4S, or 1849, Ellis Jones began the manu- facture of wagons in Williamsburg, constructing vehicles to order, and for the general trade. He employed several good machanics, and put up first class work, and continued the business with success and financial profit for a period of eight or ten years. He then disposed of the shop and engaged in saw-milling, and was thus em- ployed until his death, some time in the fifties. Jacob Landis, about the year 1855, opened a carriage shop in the village, which gave employment to from eight to twelve hands. Mr. Landis came from Pennsylvania, and was a very skillful mechanic, as is attested by the superior quality of the vehicles which he placed upon the market. He manufactured all kinds of carriages, bug-
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gies, spring wagons, etc., beside doing an extensive repairing busi- ness, and operated his shop quite sucessfully, until about 1860, or 1862, when he abandoned the business and left for other parts.
The manufacture of lumber has been one of the most impor- tant industries of Williamsburg ever since the founding of the village, at which time a steam saw-mill was started by Daniel Mus- sulman. It was an ordinary mill, with an old-fashioned sash saw, but was highly prized by the people of the community, who, before its erection, were compelled to go long distances for their lumber, or manufacture it by hand. The mill was in operation for several years. A large frame flouring mill, operated by steam power, was erected in the southeastern part of the village, about the year 1866, by Andrew Barnett and Henry Pudney. After operating it sometime they sold out to other parties. It did a good business until 1878, at which time it was destroyed by fire. The last owners were Samuel Dunham, Daniel Britton and George Solomon, who subse- quently erected a large saw-mill upon the same spot, which is still in operation. The latter is owned and operated at this time by Dun- ham, Britton & Co. Several years ago, Messrs. Land & Britton, began the manufacture of drain tiling, which they still carry on, their factory at this time, being one of the most successful enter- prises of the kind in the southern part of the county.
The Masonic order is represented in Williamsburg, by Nineveh lodge No. 317, the history of which dates from about the year 1862 or 1863. The lodge was organized with a small membership, but soon became a flourishing society. While not as strong numeri- cally as formerly, it is still in a prosperous condition with an active membership of thirty-five. A Grand Army Post was organized in 1886, but did not have a very long life, disbanding after an exis- tence of about eighteen months. The membership being quite small, it was deemed prudent to surrender the charter and meet with neighboring posts.
In churches and schools Williamsburg is not behind her sister towns of the county, there being at this time two religious organiza- tions, with as many houses of worship, and one of the best graded school building, in the county. The Christian Church is a substan- tial brick edifice, representing a value of about $3,000, and the Methodist building a frame structure, while not so valuable or com- modious, is a comfortable building, capable of accommodating an audience of from 250 to 300 persons. The former building is situated in the Williamsburg cemetery, a beautiful plat of about two acres, which was consecrated to the burial of the dead, in 1860. The first person laid to rest in this cemetery was Harriet, daughter of Jeremiah Woodruff, whose death occurred some time in the above year.
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Among the local happenings of Williamsburg and vicinity, may be recorded the death of James Mathes, by suicide, which occurred in a very early day, upon his place, a short distance south of the village. He was found hanging from a beam in an old out-house, and when discovered, had probably been dead for some hours. The cause which led him to commit the rash deed was never known. About the year 1857 or 1858, Jacob Landis met with a violent death by being crushed beneath the large fly-wheel of his saw-mill. It appears that he was doing some work in the second story of the mill, immediately over the machinery, and while thus engaged, accidentally fell through the floor upon the wheel, which so mangled him that death ensued in a short time. John Ruble, a resident of the village, was accidentally killed about the year 1873, while hunting. He was shot through the body with his own gun, and was discovered dead a few minutes after the fatal discharge.
The following is a summary of the business for ISSS: Joab Dun- ham, general store; Turner Hungate, groceries: Frank Boswell, groceries and hardware: Robert A. Wilkes, drug store: Joseph Hughes, drugs: Jefferson Yates, confectionery: James Wilkes, Thomas Cravens and Daniel Britton, blacksmiths; Joshua Aly, harness-maker; William Holtz, wagon-maker and repairer; Will- iam Chapman, shoemaker: Marshall Ralston, livery stable and un- dertaker: Mr. Maris, sale stable. Present population about 350.
Trafalgar .- The thriving town of Tralfalgar is pleasantly situ- ated on the Fairland & Martinsville Railroad, in the northeastern part of Hensley Township, about eight miles southwest of Frank- lin. Surrounding the village is a fine tract of country, the settle- ment of which dates back to a very early day. Among those who first located homes in the vicinity, were Henry Bartlett, Peter Titus, George Bridges, D. Mussulman, Henry Mussulman, A. M. Beckner, Stith Daniel, Elijah Moore, John James, Simpson Sturgeon, John Thompson, Henry Carroll, John and James Wylie, the Bailey family, and Thomas Lyman, all of whom settled within a radius of three- quarters of a mile from the village. These pioneer families were soon joined by others, and as the population of the neighborhood in- creased, the advisability of locating a trading point began to be dis- cussed. No definite action was taken in regard to the matter, however, until about the time the Fairland & Martinsville Railroad was projected through the county, when A. M. Buckner and Elijah Moore employed a surveyor, and had a plat of twenty-seven lots laid out on Sections I and 12, Township II north, Range 3 east, . which was recorded in IS51, under the name of Liberty. From the above date the history of Trafalgar properly begins.
A short time after the town was laid out, a man by the name
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of Culver opened a small general store on the south side of the railroad, and about the same time Mr. Buckner erected a frame business house, and began merchandising. He soon succeeded in building up a lucrative trade, but sold out in a short time to his son, Avery M. Buckner, who failed to make the business success- ful. The building was afterward occupied by Alfred Sturgeon & Son, who carried on a fairly successful trade for a few years, and later came a Mr. McCreary, whose business venture did not prove so fortunate. Among the earliest residents of the village was a mechanic, by the name of Middleton, who started a cabinet shop, which he operated until his death a few years later. Solomon P. Zook, James Buckner, Avery Buckner, A Cole, William Ragsdale and Wilford Wiley, were among the first citizens of the place to erect residences, all of whom moved to the village within a short time after it was founded.
As early as 1852, Mr. Buckner made application for a post- office, in which movement he found a competitor, in the person of George Bridges, a well-to-do farmer of the neighborhood, who, in order to press his own claims for the office, laid out in r853 a small plat, one-half mile west of Liberty, which he named Hensleytown. The rivalry between the two places became quite spirited, and it was for some time a matter of considerable doubt as to which of the towns would secure the much coveted postoffice. Mr. Bridges' application followed close after the one sent by Mr. Buckner, but the latter's reaching Washington first, was favorably acted upon, and the office established at Liberty. The department, however, objected to the name Liberty, on account of an older office of that name in the state, and, as a result of the communications which followed, Tra- falgar was selected as the name by which the new postoffice should be known. Mr. Buckner was appointed postmaster, and the first mails were delivered to the neighbors from his store.
The failure of Hensleytown to secure the office did not retard its growth, and no great time elapsed before the majority of the lots were purchased and improved. One of the first buildings in the new town was a large store-room, erected by Mr. Bridges, who, in partnership with E. W. Morgan, engaged in merchandising and dealing in grain. They continued the business about three or four years, at the end of which time C. R. Ragsdale purchased Bridges' interest, and the firm became known as. Morgan & Rags- dale. The latter subsequently retired from the firm, after which Morgan continued the business several years, eventually selling out to his son, W. C. Morgan. Mr. Morgan built the first residence in Hensleytown, which is still standing, occupied at this time by
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William HI. Collier. The store building is also standing, and is owned by W. R. Willan, and occupied by G. W. Buckner.
Among the first permanent settlers in the new town, were: Robert Waggin, a carpenter, and John Marsh, blacksmith, both of whom came early in the fifties, and erected residences. Marsh ran a shop for a number of years, and was a very successful and skill- ful mechanic. The first manufacturing enterprise of the place was a saw-mill, erected in the eastern part of the village, near the rail- road, by J. M. Cottell and George Bridges. This mill was operated quite extensively for some time, and proved a source of considerable revenue to the proprietors. From 1853 until 1867, Liberty and Hensleytown, although situated within less than a half mile of each other, and generally considered as one village, maintained a separ- ate existence, but in the latter year, J. J. Moore, a prominent busi- ness man, purchased a tract of land south of Hensleytown, upon which he laid out a plat of twenty lots, under the name of Trafal- gar. At the same time the names Hensleytown and Liberty were legally changed by the commissioners' court, and the name Trafal- gar adopted for the entire town. This was in April, 1867, since which time Liberty and Hensleytown have existed in name only.
The laying out of Trafalgar, and the union of the three places, marked an important era in the history of the town, and since that time its growth has been steady and substantial. An addition of ten lots was made in April, 1868, by E. W. Morgan; James Gill- aspy's addition of six lots was surveyed December, 1870, and in April, 1872, an addition of eleven lots was made by John T. Rags- dale. Gillaspy's second addition, consisting of nine lots, was laid out December, 1873, and in December, IS83, J. J. Moore's addi- tion of forty lots was surveyed and recorded.
Growth Since 1867. - It may be well to state in this connection, that the first residences in the Trafalgar plat were erected by J. B. Riley, William Kelch, and N. Coppock, respectively. Other im- provements were pushed forward as rapidly as circumstances would admit, and it was not long until nearly all the lots found ready purchasers, among whom were merchants, mechanics and laborers, attracted by the favorable location of the town as a business point.
For the greater part of its prosperity Trafalgar is indebted to J. J. Moore, who, since 1867, has been the moving spirit of the place, and its leading business man. Mr. Moore began the mer- cantile business in February, 1867, in the old Buckner building in Liberty, and in the summer and fall of that year moved his stock to a large store-room which he erected near the railroad in the new plat. His business, which includes several departments, increased as the years went by, until he is now ranked among the most suc-
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