USA > Indiana > Knox County > History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present; with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. ; together with an extended history of the colonial days of Vincennes, and its progress down to the formation of the state government > Part 53
USA > Indiana > Daviess County > History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present; with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. ; together with an extended history of the colonial days of Vincennes, and its progress down to the formation of the state government > Part 53
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. The first and only threshing machine manufactured in Daviess
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
County, was invented and built by James and William Thompson in what was generally known as McTagart's barn. This barn was 30x48 feet in size. Thirty feet of the west end of the barn was used for the horse power, consisting of one driving wheel sixteen feet in diameter, by which, by means of gearing and belt- ing, the thresher and cleaner were propelled. The cylinder of this thresher is worthy of description. It consisted of a wooden shaft three feet long, the width of the thresher, with an irou axle. From each end of this wooden shaft projected eight arms, to the outer ends of which eight ribs were fastened. The ribs were faced with heavy hoop iron, and as this cylinder or reel revolved the sheaves of wheat were fed to it through rollers, and thus the grain beaten out of the straw. The grain was separated from the straw by passing into a hopper through a wire grating three feet wide and six feet long fixed in the floor, the straw being passed out of an upper window in the barn. From the hopper it was fed to the cleaner as fast as threshed. Two horses were required to run this machine, and with it six hands-three men and three boys-could thresh and clean 100 bushels of wheat in ten hours. The first portable threshing machine was introduced by a Mr. Parsons. It was an iron four horse-power, and only threshed the wheat, which had afterward to be fanned. Richard Graham brought in the second thresher, which was similar to that of Mr. Parsons, and after him came the combined threshers and separators, propelled by horse-power, and later by steam as they now are seen.
The first mills to grind both corn and wheat were turned by hand. Richard Palmer built the first grist-mill on Palmer's Creek, on land afterward owned by William McCluskey. It had a bolting apparatus. A short time afterward a second mill was built on the same stream and on the Hawkins' farm by William Hawkins, both of these it is believed in 1816. Palmer's mill was built of round logs without chinking and was a cold place in cold weather, but Hawkins' mill was neatly built of hewn logs and was much more convenient aud comfortable. The old-fashioned tub wheel was used in both, which was substantially on the same principal as the turbine wheel of the present day. The capacity of each of these mills was about two and a half bushels per hour.
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
CLOTHING MATERIALS.
Clothing, scarcely secondary in importance, required even more forethought and skill to provide than food. Flax was the principal dependence at first, and its cultivation and manufacture into fabrics were attended by no little exertion and anxiety. The cultivation of cotton was attempted, but the seasons proved too short, the facilities for clearing it of seed were too meager, and after a few years it was abandoned. Sheep were few at first, on account of the difficulty of protecting them from the wolves. But, as wool was an absolute necessity, this protection had to be afforded. As the wolves decreased in number, sheep increased and wool became more plentiful. It was at first carded and spun by hand, but in 1815 Eli Chapman erected a carding machine in connection with his saw-mill on Veal Creek, previously men- tioned. Deer skins were also used for clothing.
DISTILLERIES.
Besides food, shelter and clothing, it seemed as necessary then as now to have recourse occasionally to a stimulant, and va- rious kinds of stills and distilleries were, from time to time, brought into use. "Teapot stills," as they were called, were common. The first distillery within the county was erected by "Obe" Flint in 1810, in Veal Township, two miles south of Maysville. But it was not before 1836 or 1838 that more whisky was made than the early settlers needed for home consumption. The first store in the county was opened in 1812 by George W. Curtis, about two and one-half miles southwest of Washington, near 'Maysville; the first in Owltown by a Mr. Fairbanks; in Newberry by Cary O'Neall; the first in Raglesville by Hosier Crook; the first in Plainville by William Mccluskey, and the first in Washington by James G. Read.
VEAL* TOWNSHIP.
Veal Township was named after James C. Veal, who was the first, or at least one of the most prominent of the first settlers within its limits. Parmenius Palmer arrived here in 1812. Christopher Coleman was also an early settler, as was also a Mr.
*This name is often spelled with a final e, but to prevent confusion it is dropped throughout this work.
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
Lett, who had three sons-William, Hamilton and James. William and Elijah Chapman, Moses Morgan, Thomas Wallace and a Mr. Goodwin were among Veal's earliest inhabitants. Following are some of the earliest land entries: In 1807-James C. Veal, June 24, southwest quarter Section 17, Township 2, Range 7. 1808- William Smith, September 22, northwest quarter Section 29, Township 2, Range 7; Henry Edwards, October 23, northwest quarter Section 20, Township 2, Range 7; 1809-James Lett, September 7, southeast quarter Section 20, Township 2, Range 7; 1811-Robert Hays, February 11, northeast quarter Section 29, Township 2, Range 7; 1812-James Arrell, December 1, east fraction Section 19, Township 2, Range 7. 1813-Christopher Coleman and Samuel Comer, August 5, southwest quarter Section 29, Township 2, Range 7. 1814-Elijah Chapman, December 3, northwest quarter Section 15, Township 2, Range 7; John W. Horrall, December 14, fractional Sections 13 and 14, Township 1, Range 7. 1815-Jonathan Morgan and Alexander Tever- baugh, February 25, east fraction of Section 30, Township 2, Range 7, about 600 acres; James C. Veal, southeast quarter Section 17, Township 2, Range 7; John Edwards, northeast quarter Section 20, Township 2, Range 7; Parmenius Palmer, December 21, northwest quarter Section 21, Township 2, Range 7; March 7, William Trayler, northeast quarter Section 26, Township 2, Range 7. 1816-John Edwards, west half of south- west quarter Section 27, Township 2, Range 7; April 4, Samuel Hughey, Jr., northeast quarter Section 21, Township 2, Range 7. 1817-William Veal, May 23, northeast quarter Section 32, Township 2, Range 7; William Chapman, September 1, east half of northeast quarter Section 2, Township 1, Range 7; September 18, Moses Morgan, northeast quarter Section 22, Township 2, Range 7. After 1817 land entries were made rapidly.
HARRISON TOWNSHIP.
was originally divided between Veal and Reeve Townships, but was in 1840 created by the board of county commissioners. The territory now within its limits was settled almost as early as any other portion of Daviess County. It is not easy at this late day to ascertain the exact date of the arrival of all the early settlers, and
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
the dates given below are in some cases only approximations. Among the first to arrive were William and Lewis Jones, who came from South Carolina in 1812; Christopher and Jeremiah Gregory, also from South Carolina; Daniel Jackson, from New York; Tolliver Colbert, who was born in Virginia, and who lived a short time in Kentucky, and also in Ohio, before reaching Daviess County, in 1819; Samuel Comer was among the earliest, from South Carolina; James Allen was from Kentucky, and John Edwards from South Carolina, both arriving in 1820; Green, John and Thomas McCafferty came about 1820. A son of Green McCafferty, John, is now keeping a general store in Washing- ton. John Ellis came from North Carolina; Joseph and William Jones came from South Carolina, and were among the first; John, Thomas and Franklin settled south of the present site of the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church; Campbell Vance and John C. Steen were also early comers, from South Carolina; Jere- miah Allen came from Kentucky in about 1822. The first Irish settler in Harrison Township was " Grandad " Molloy, who came here almost directly from Ireland, having lived in Cincinnati only a few years. John Toy arrived in 1827, William Smoot in 1835, William Donnelly in 1838, and William Jett about the same time. Of those who were living in this township in 1840 only five remain: William Donnelly, William Jett, John Gregory, John Arms and Thomas Baldwin. William Stone was among the earliest settlers, as was also William Morgan. The latter was a fine singer and something of a composer of rhymes, as witness the following stanza, designed to apply to Mr. Stone, who was a Methodist preacher:
" Old Mr. Stone preaches elegant well; He loses his hogs for want of a bell; Because he can't watch them wherever they go, They catch them and mark them in 'doggery row.'"
Some of the first land entries in Harrison Township were the following: In 1814, February 8, Joseph Case, north fraction Section 7; September 22, Robert Hays, southwest quarter Sec- tion 9, and on November 25, Elias Stone, southeast quarter Sec- tion 6-all in Township 1, Range 6. In 1815 the following: March 8, George W. Clift, southeast quarter Section 9, and
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
Daniel Clift, northwest quarter Section 9, both Township 1, Range 6; and on July 26, John De Pauw, west half of the north- west quarter Section 6, also in Township 1, Range 6. In 1817, January 1, George "Belue " and Elijah Hammond, a portion of Section 8, and on October 10, Samuel Comer, southeast quarter Section 10, both in Township 1, Range 6.
REEVE TOWNSHIP.
The name of the first settler in this township is perpetuated in its name. He was Joshua Reeve, from South Carolina, who came to this part of Daviess County in 1807. He was an enter- prising and active pioneer, as is shown by his having blazed a trace from his home in this township to Vincennes. James and William Alford were also very early pioneers, having come in about 1809 or 1810. James and Robert Gilley were not much if any later, nor was Peter Helpenstine, none of whom came later, probably, than 1811. "Old Bill Allen," as he was called, came about 1812, and a Mr. Kelso was also an early arrival. The first land entry was made by Joshua Reeve, April 13, 1812, and consisted of the north fraction of Section 23, Township 1, Range 5. The next entry was made in 1814, June 20, by Trice Stafford, he taking the southwest quarter of Section 7, in the same township and range, and on December 8, 1815, Mr. Stafford entered the northwest quarter of the same section. During the same year three other entries were made-Jacob Reeder, July 24, the north fraction of Section 21, and William Ballow, April 29, the southeast quarter of Section 8, and on September 18 the north fraction of Section 17, all in the same township and range. In 1816 the following entries were made: February 23, Joseph Hays, southeast quarter Section 15; April 19, Isaac Hollings- worth, east. half of the southwest quarter Section 14; April 4, Edward Adams, southwest quarter Section 9; October 1, Caleb Brock, southeast quarter Section 10, and on the same day, Henry Foster, the west half of the southwest quarter, Section 10, all in Township 1, Range 5. From this time on settlements and land entries were more frequent, and the township has since kept pace with the rest of the county in the general march of prog- ress.
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
BARR TOWNSHIP.
Among the earliest settlers in this township were Hugh Barr, James Montgomery, William Dant, Nicholas Kidwell, Joseph Miller, John Shepard, John Allison, John R. Kendall and Williams. Most if not all of these, with numerous others, whose names occur in connection with some of the early land entries, came from Kentucky. Williams Prairie was named after William Williams, and was located nearly two miles west of Montgomery. Barr Township is the largest in the county, containing seventy-six sections, and a proportionately large num- ber of early land entries; hence only those made previous to 1817 are here recorded. Isaac Burgin, on June 1, 1815, en- tered the northeast quarter of Section 23, Township 3, Range 5, and on the 26th of December Robert M. Davis entered the northwest quarter of Section 5, Township 2, Range 5. In 1816 the following entries were made: February 7, John Hutson, southwest quarter of Section 23, Township 3, Range 6; March 12, James Barr, southeast quarter Section 31, Township 3, Range 5; October 1, William George, east half of the north- east quarter Section 4, Township 2, Range 5; October 25, James Montgomery, the northwest and southwest quarters of the south- east quarter of Section 23, Township 3, Range 6, and the northeast quarter Section 26, Township 3, Range 6; Nicholas Kidwell, northwest quarter of Section 26, and Robert Barr, northeast quarter Section 34, same township and range; Novem- ber 25, Francis McDonald, southwest quarter Section 9, Town- ship 3, Range 6, and on December 12, John Johnson, north- west quarter Section 6, Township 2, Range 5.
One of the early incidents, remembered by most of the early inhabitants of this township who still live, is that of a barbe- cue, which was held at " Billy" Williams' house in about 1820. " Billy" Williams, after whom Williams Prairie received its name, had a pet bear, and it was thought it would be rare fun to see the bear fight with the dogs of the surrounding country. In accordance with this sentiment about twenty dogs were brought in and set on the bear, which, after quite a long and exciting fight, came off victorious over them all. It was then determined to have a grand barbecue, and the pet bear was killed,
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
cooked and eaten by the forty or fifty persons assembled to enjoy the sport furnished by bruin in conquering the twenty canines.
An amusing story is told by Robert Shercliff. One morning Thomas Shercliff heard some one far in the woods calling his name. Jumping on a large horse, and taking Robert behind him, he hastened toward the call of distress. Upon reaching the spot from which the call proceeded, he found James Seal up a large tree, with only a knot for a foothold, a large buck watching at the foot of the tree, and Mr. Seal's dog watching the deer. Mr. Shercliff dismounted, and from a sapling as rest fired at the deer. At this the buck made for Mr. Shercliff, who effected his escape by climbing a tree. Robert, also, not willing to risk his life by remaining on the horse, had recourse to the same means of safety. At this moment the brave and faithful dog seized the deer, which served as a signal for all three to descend from their perches, and the brave but unfortunate buck soon found all his enemies on him at once, and was compelled to sacrifice his life to satisfy the ravenous appetite of a hunter whom he had held a prisoner for three long hours, and whose cries for help had at length been heard and answered, as above recorded.
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
Van Buren Township had very few land entries made within its limits previous to 1820, and so far as is now remembered, but very few settlers. The two brothers Peterson, who have been mentioned as great bee hunters, were there among the first. Jabez Osmon was there as early as 1818, and William Baker on. November 12, 1818, entered the west half of the northwest quar- ter of Sections 31, Township 4, Range 5. Francis Williams was one of the early settlers, and also an early justice of the peace. Squire Bruce and Joseph Bruce were among the early arrivals, as were also Asbury Sims and Cyrus Crook, the latter of whom lived where Raglesville is now situated. Charles Kilgore came in 1827, bringing with him his three sons: Hiram, Simp- son, and Stephen. Jacob Byrer became a resident of this town- ship in 1828, and is still living. He recollects a small distillery having been built on the south part of the township by a man named Lance, and that there was soon quite a little settlement
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
around the distillery. He also remembers his hound chasing and failing to catch a big black bear.
MADISON TOWNSHIP.
This township lies in the northeast corner of the county, and coincides with Congressional Township 5 north, Range 5 west. It is not easy to arrive at a conviction as to who was the first settler within its limits; but among the first was Baldwin Howard, who lived on the farm now owned by James H. Garten, about three-fourths of a mile south of Odon. The first land entries were made in 1821, by Zebulon Jenkins, May 19, east half of the northwest quarter of Section 4; August 20, by Robert Evans, Sr., west half of the southeast quarter of Section 4, and by Samuel Hughen, the northeast quarter of Section 4. William Gilmore made an entry August 26, 1822, the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 20, immediately west of Odon, and the low land in that location is known to this day as " Gilmore's Swamp." Benjamin Coombs, who is still remembered by some of the in- habitants of Madison Township, entered the east half of the south- east quarter of Section 30; on the 20th of August 1823, Joseph B. Van Matre, who is also still remembered, entered the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 9 on the 7th of April, 1829, and on the 21st of October of the same year, Joshua Manning entered the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 7. Some of the other early settlers were Joseph, John and Harvey Hastings; Reuben and George Rainey, who came about 1830, as also Wil- son Webster about the same time. Jacob and Eli Kinneman came to this township in 1838, directly from Stark County, Ohio, with their father and the rest of his family, traveling the entire distance in a four-horse wagon. Jacob declared upon arrival here that he would return to Ohio as soon as he had money enough to pay his way back, he was then so disgusted with Indiana; but he is still living on the old homestead, and has never yet been back, even on a visit. A few names are given of other but later arrivals. Emsley Odell and William Hubbard came about 1840, William Boyd in 1845, Clement Correll and Audrew Sears in 1850, Howard Crook in 1854, and C. R. Burns in 1855.
There was also a colored man named Ben Perkins, who was
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
among the early settlers, in connection with whom a good story is told. He was well known to everybody, having attended all the log-rollings and cabin-raisings from the first. He was also a general favorite. Not being very dark he had tried to pass himself off as a Portuguese, but was not very successful in this direction. He was, however, successful in voting regularly, with- out opposition, at a time when the colored man had no right to vote in Indiana, and, as was natural, had uniformly voted with the Whigs. In the spring of 1856, at the first election the Know-nothing party attempted to elect candidates in Madison Township, there was much curiosity manifested as to what "per- simmon" would fall to Ben Perkins' lot, and at last it became known that Ben was left entirely out in the cold. At that time each township elected three school trustees and a clerk, and the Democrats, in order to surprise and reprove their Know-nothing friends, promptly made Ben Perkins their candidate for town- ship clerk, and, perhaps to their own surprise as much as to their candidate's, succeeded in electing him. Ben Perkins, being something of a scholar, made a very efficient clerk, the best, it is said, the township ever had. The next fall the Democrats con- fidently expected Ben's assistance . and vote in their efforts to elect Buchanan; but, much to their surprise, and this time quite as much to their disgust, Ben. cast his ballot for John C. Fre- mont, the first Republican candidate for the presidency.
ELMORE TOWNSHIP.
This township was named after the Elmore family, in the vicinity of whose homes the first voting precinct was established. But the Elmores were not the first settlers. The names of no settlers can be obtained who arrived in the township before those who made the first land entries in 1816. These were made . on September 18, by Edward Johnson, who selected the south- west quarter of Section 17, Township 5, Range 6, and by Will- iam Paddock and Solomon Dixon, who together entered the south- west quarter of Section 8, same township and range, and also by Joseph Taylor, whose choice was the northwest quarter of Section 17. There were a few more entries made in the same year, but either by some of the same parties or by non-settlers. In 1818,
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
October 5, Isaac Elmore entered the southwest quarter of Section 4, Township 5, Range 6. Among other settlers who came in about this time were James Robison, Terry Tate, Alexander Rogers and Thomas Rogers. The Rogerses did not remain many years. Think - ing they could do better elsewhere they made a flat-boat and floated down the White River, and to the southwest. John K. Long arrived here in 1824, as also did Christopher, Jonathan and Isaiah Johnson, Pascal Rucker, from Kentucky; William Moore and Jackson Haynes from Tennessee, and from the same State about the same time Stephen, Eleazar, Thomas, Reason and Isaac Elmore. In 1825 the following named parties arrived: William and Isaac Dillon, from Tennessee, and also probably Andrew Hannah. In 1826 Silas Ketcham, with his wife and two chil- dren, Marshall and Jane, and also Jacob Smiley, all from Tennes- see. Charles Nugent came, it is believed, about the same time from North Carolina. Two of his sons are still living here: Mar- tin and Thomas. In 1830 came James Courtney, and since this time the township has settled up quite rapidly, so much so that it would be useless to attempt to make a list.
BOGARD TOWNSHIP.
This township is the only "inland" township in the county. It was settled in an early day. Among the first, if not the first, was Elias Myers, who came from North Carolina in 1816. His land entry was made May 23, 1817, being the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 30, Township 4, Range 6. On the 23d of the next January he took up the other half of the same quarter section. Others who came about the same time were Jo- seph Summers, who on June 30, 1817, entered the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 7, and on the 2d of July, follow- ing, the southwest quarter of the same section. John Benefield was also there, and on the 14th of August entered the southwest quarter of Section 8. John Anderson, whom some of the present residents of Bogard Township still remember, entered the south- east quarter of Section 8, on the 28th of the same month. John Burch, on the 9th of October, entered the northeast quarter of Section 30, and Smallwood Canwood on the 4th of December, the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 19. David Kil-
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
lion, who is said to have settled in Bogard in 1816, entered the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 30, on February 12, 1818, and in the same year the following entries were made: August 24, Daniel Ruminer, northwest quarter of Section 31; Mathew H. Blackburn, July 7, west half of the northwest quar- ter of Section 20, and Jacob Tourney, October 20, the northwest quarter of Section 29. In 1819, on the 22d of January, Samuel Stewart entered the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 9, and Adam Killion on the 27th of December entered the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 6. Among the very early settlers were Abraham Snyder, who located immediately east of Epsom; Joseph Myers, who settled immediately south of Epsom, and John Ruminer, immediately west. The present schoolhouse at Epsom is on what was formerly Mr. Ruminer's land. This township, it is claimed, was named for W. Bogard, who was killed by the Indians, as is narrated elsewhere.
STEELE TOWNSHIP.
This township lies north of Washington Township and along the White River. Very few if any land entries were made here previous to 1820. The following were made in 1821: On June 18, Andrew Coutchman, the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 20, Township 4, Range 7; Abraham Case, the southwest quarter of the same section; and Alexander R. Hinds, the west half of the southeast quarter of the same section. On the next day Elias Beddle entered the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 29; and on the 20th of August Josiah Culbertson entered the west half of the northeast quarter of the same section. Since this time Steele Township has kept even pace with the rest of the county in improving on the early condition of things, and now, in common with Elmore, has a valuable line of railway, and has also a flourishing village and railway station by the name of Plainville, about ten miles north of Washington.
SLAVERY IN INDIANA.
It has been stated above that most of the early settlers in Daviess County came from the Southern States, and as was but natural many of them brought along their slaves. Eli Hawkins,
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
who came from South Carolina, probably brought the first slaves into Daviess County in 1806. Their names were Jake and Ann. James C. Veal had one slave here whose name was Sam. Will- iam Ballow brought in four: Buck, Ralph, Isaac and Mary. John Coleman had one-known as Cornelius Simms. William Hawkins had four: Peggy and her three children, David, Henry and Judy; and there was a boy by the name of Dish residing with J. Forden, but belonging to the Flint family. William Ballow sold Isaac to Eli Hawkins, who thus became the owner of three slaves. All these colored persons, with one exception, re- mained in servitude until after the death of Eli Hawkins. His widow, Mrs. Catharine Hawkins, married a Mr. Merril, after which difficulties arose between Mr. Merril and the two boys, Isaac and Jake. Isaac and Jake thereupou brought suit against Mr. and Mrs. Merril to test the legality of their servitude, em- ploying Amory C. Kinney, one of the first lawyers in the county. The case was tried before the associate judges of the county, Philip Burton and Ephraim Thompson, the decision of the judges being that the slaves by law were free. From the decision there was no appeal, nor were any other slaves obliged to sue for freedom. Almost imperceptibly the relations of master and slave were dissolved. The freedmen and women remained in the county acquired property, settled down and raised families of their own. Considerable prejudice against the colored people was, however, developed in the breasts of a few white persons by the success of Lawyer Kinney in obtaining the freedom of Isaac and Jake. Numerous threats and suggestions of violence were made against him, but none of them were ever carried into execution, and the bitter feelings and vindictive abuse gradually died away.
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