History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc, Part 47

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 199-?]
Publisher: [Salem, Mass. : Higginson Book Co.]
Number of Pages: 954

USA > Indiana > Orange County > History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc > Part 47
USA > Indiana > Washington County > History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc > Part 47
USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc > Part 47

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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was formerly considerable cotton raised in this part of the county and Mr. Bruner remembers some of the joyons times at cotton pickings. The women then would card and spin it for their own use, while the boys would wear buckskin trousers. Many times they would go barefoot in the snow.

In Northwest Township the people have usually been more than ordinarily civil, and but one crime of any magnitude has been committed there. This one, however, was the most atrocious and bloody that has yet been perpetrated in the county and it is doubtful if a worse one has ever been recorded in the criminal annals of the State. This was the murder of the Woodard family, an account of which will be found else- where in this volume. About the year 185S a terrific cyclone passed over a portion of this township, and a young woman named Proctor was killed. The family was living in a log house which was utterly demol- ished, but the balance of the persons in it were almost miraculously pre- served from injury. The storm did great damage along its entire path by destroying houses. fences and other property. There have been sev. eral temperance societies of various kinds in this township. but they have all gone down, and at present there is none in it of any consequence

SETTLEMENT OF FRENCH LICK TOWNSHIP.

One of the most important townships in Orange County is French Lick, so named from the famous springs in its bounds. In the early history of the county and until 1847. this was known as Southwest Township, but in June of that year by an act of the County Board it was changed to its present name. Its area is fifty-three square miles, being the largest but one in the county, and is situated in the middle of the three western townships. There is a tradition among the people in this part of the county that a settlement of French was made here in this township sometime late in the eighteenth century, but that it was finally broken up by the hostility of Indians. The cause of this early settle. ment is said to have been the salt found in this region. It is also said that the last of these people when driven away by the savages. threw a large number of kettles and other articles into the river, and that search was several times made for these by the first settlers of which there is no reliable account. Of course nothing of the kind was ever found. but the probability of there having been a class of these early French traders here is quite strong. Almost at the very outset of the eighteenth cen- tury, a post was established at Vincennes and at the time of the Revolu- tion was a strong and well-settled community. As this part of Orange County is only about tifty miles directly east of Vincennes. there is no more reasonable supposition than that the people would. in the course of nearly a hundred years, push this far into the wilderness, and finding what was apparently a rich saline deposit, locate with the object of

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manufacturing salt. It bears an evidence of this in the very name, for the oldest settlers now living will say that the name was derived from the fact of it having once been a French settlement, and that they came from around Vincennes. The water here being brackish it was of course a great resort for deer, buffalo and other animals of the forest, and was what is commonly known as a " lick," hence the French and the " lick" made it a French Lick. At the first surveying of land here the first twelve Sections of Township 1 north, and Sections 13 to 30 inclusive, except 16 of Township 2 north. all in Range 2 west, was reserved as saline land. After several unsuccessful attempts to make salt on this land it was finally disposed of as State property. The following act of the Legislature was approved January 20, 1826:

"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, that Thomas F. Chapman, of Orange County, be and he is hereby authorized and empowered to employ and contract with a suitable person to bore for salt water at or near the salt spring called the French Lick, on the lands reserved for salt springs in Orange County, upon the condition and understanding that the person so employed shall bore a depth not exceed- ing 200 feet with a diameter of at least two and a half inches, and on the completion of the boring aforesaid, the said Thomas F. Chapman is hereby authorized to draw on the Treasurer of State in favor of the per- sou so employed for the amount thereof which shall not exceed $2.50 for each perpendicular foot so bored as a full compensation therefor; said draft of the said Thomas F. Chapman, the Auditor of the public accounts is hereby authorized to audit, and the Treasurer of State to pay out of any monies in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. This act to take effect from and after its passage."

In accordance with this act, William Craig was employed to bore the whole 200 feet, but it was of no avail. By this time every one had become thoroughly satisfied that salt was not present in sufficient quant- ities to pay for the expense of making it, and as a result the following memorial from the State Legislature to Congress was approved January 23. 1-29;

To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled:

Your memorialists, the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, respectfully represent: That the Sixth Section of an Act of Congress of the I'nited States, to enable the people of Indiana Territory to form a Constitution and State Govern- ment. and for the admission of said State into the I'nion, on an equal footing with the original States, approved April 19, 1-16. provides that all salt springs within the said Territory, and all land reserved for the use of the same, together with such other lands as may by the President of the United States be deemed necessary and proper for working suid salt springs, shall be granted to the said State for the use of the people of said State. And, whereas, there has been reserved for the use of the state of Indiana one township of land. being Township 1 and 2 north. Range " weet commonly called the French Lick Township. for the purpose of making salt

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thereon: and. whereas. all attempts to make salt on said township have hitherto proved abortive, and in the above recited Act of Congress it is provided that the Legislature of Indiana shall never sell or lease the same for a longer period than ten years at any one time; therefore, your memoralists respectfully request your honor- able body to pass an act authorizing the Legislature to sell said township in fee simple and to appropriate the proceeds of such sale to the use of township or primary schools under the direction of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana.

Approved January 23, 1829.

In consequence of this the land was sold sometime early in the thirties at public sale.

Other than the French before spoken of, Joel Charles is said to have been the first settler in this township and located near the present site of the Springs. He had a large family and for some time lived in the fort that was located there, and where a company of troops were for several years stationed. This was during and after the war of 1812, when the Indians were more then usually hostile. and the date of Mr. Charles' coming was probably as early as 1512. Samuel Cobb. who was famil- iarly known as Judge, was one of the pioneers in this neighborhood. William Pinnick was another that came with a large family of boys and helped to clear up and populate the western part of the county. where his descendants have ever since been among the best citizens. Edward Moore, Sr., was among the first and followed the gunsmith trade for some time. Two of his sons were John and Edward. who are yet living, the latter at Orleans. Other early settlers were John Lashbrook. Edley Campbell, Thomas Giles, Captain of the Militia. Mark Rutherford, Isaac and George Wolfington, Clayton Taylor, Basil Payne, Joshna Briner, Samnel Scarlett, Abraham Osborn and Samuel Morgan. The following return of an election will give some idea of whom the settlers were in this township in the year 1817.

At an electon beld at the house of Joel Charles on the Sth day of March 1817, for the purpose of electing one Justice of the Peace for the Sontu- west Township in Orange County, Joshua Nicholas received 5 votes, Adlai Campbell 6, Joel Charles 13. " We hereby certify that an elec- tion has been held agreeable to law at the house of Joel Charles on the 4th of March. 1817, in the Southwest Township of Orange County. for the purpose of electing a Justice of the Peace, wherein Joel Charles was elected. Given under our hands and seals. John Dougherty and Cornelius Williamson. Judges; Samuel Cobb and Elijah Rush, Clerks. Voters. James Martin. William McDowell. Thomas Smith, John Orlau. Renben Hazlewood, James Pinnick. Edward Bryant. Hiram Martin, Henry Dougherty, Meredith Hazlewood, James Porter, Samuel Dougherty, Michael Miller, Nathaniel Pinnick, Elijah Rush, Cornelins William-on. Samnel Cobb, William Pinnick, Martin Nicholas. John Dougherty. Joseph Nicholas, Joel Charles, Adlai Campbell; total. twenty-four." On Novem-

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ber 11, 1811, Joel Charles entered 160 acres of land in Section 6, in Township 1 north. Range 1 west, and on March 24, 1812, Henry Dough- erty entered 160 acres in Section 20, Township 2 north, Range 1 west. Other land entries in this township up to the year 1820 were as follows: James Pinnick, 1513; James Porter, 1814; Josephus Hazlewood. 1915: Reuben Hazelwood, William Wells, Edward Moore, Thomas Leonard, James Wolfingtun. Samuel Dougherty, 1816; William Charles, Joseph Con. 1817; George Wolfington, John Orton, 1818; Mark Rutherford, Lewis Coombs, 1819. This gives a total of sixteen entries of land on the twenty-four sections in this township that were not reserved for saline purposes, showing that immigration was slow in its movements to this part of the county during its first settlement.

THE SPRINGS.

As soon as the foregoing memorial from the General Assembly to Congress as the machinery of Government could be brought around to that point, these lands of the French Lick Reserve was disposed of at public sale. As before stated, this was sometime in the forepart of the thirties. probably about 1532. At this sale, Dr. William A. Bowles. a man of large notoriety ere his death, either by himself or agent, succeeded in obtaining a considerable tract of this land upon which were situated the principal of these mineral springs now so widely known as the French Lick Springs. Soon after this, in partnership with John Hungate, he began a mercantile trade there and sometime prior to 1840 he had erected at the springs a building for the accommodation of guests, for by this time people had already begun to resort hither for the recovery of their health. Probably the first mention by white man of this import- ant place is that of Gen. George R. Clark, who in his memoirs of his famed espedition to Kaskaskia and Vincennes, speaks of it as a great resort for deer and buffaloes, and that their unusual tameness was strong indication that they had been but little hunted here. The intelligence and quick perception of Dr. Bowles at once marked this spot as a desir- able one to possess.

Another man of equal foresight was Dr. John A. Lane, who in trav. eling through this country as an agent for the celebrated Brandreth pat- ent medicines was attracted to this place. About the year 1846 he leased these springs of Dr. Bowles for a period of five years. During this time he is said to have made enough money to purchase 770 acres of land near there. and which embraced what was then known as Mile Lick, from the fact of it being one mile from French Lick. This he afterward named West Baden. During the term of this lease everything had not gone smoothly between the landlord and the tenant. Both men are said to have been aggressive. stubborn and unyielding. and Lane held pessession of the premises as long as possible, counting even to the minutes when the

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time would expire. He then paid the last installment of rent, which was considerable, in silver coin previously blackened in the strong sulphur water of the springs. He immediately borrowed $1,800 in addition to what he already had, and in nine months from that time he built a saw- mill. sawed and seasoned the lumber. and built a good frame hotel and a bridge across French Lick Creek. Thus began the rivalry between the French Lick and the West Baden Mineral Springs, which has ever since continued without abatement.

In 1864 Dr. Samuel Ryan rented the springs of Dr. Bowles for a term of fifteen years, and under his management a new impulse was given to the business here, and much improvement was made. At the end of this time it was managed by the Bowles estate for one year, and iu 1880 Dr. Ryan, J. M. Andrews and H. E. Wells purchased the pro- perty, including 320 acres of land around the springs. but Dr. Ryan after- ward sold his . interest to the other two. who are the present owners. They have done most of the building and improving, having spent about $20,000 for that purpose in the last three years. There are thirteen of these springs in all, six of which are used in treating invalids. About 7.000 persons visit this place annually, most of whom are from Indiana. Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri.

Hugh Wilkins secured the control of West Baden Springs in 1864 for a period of ten years, but his death occurred two years before the expira- tion of this time. For abont six years William F. Osborn had been managing the affairs for Mr. Wilkins, and after the death of that gentle- man he continued in partnership with Mrs. Wilkins one year. Dr. Lane again secured the control of this place in 1873, which he maintained until 1883, when the present owners bought it. These are Dr. James Braden, George W. Campbell, John T. Stout, Elvert B. Rhodes and Amos Stout. There are five of these springs, the waters of which are similar in composition to those of French Lick, and an analysis will be found elsewhere in this volume. The large hotel here is supplied with water from a spring in one of the high cliffs near it at an elevation of about 100 feet. The improvements during the past year are valued at $11,000. A daily mail is received here, and Lydia E. Braden is Post- mistress. While Mr. Wilkins was engaged in the carriage and wagon manufacture, and in connection with Mr. Osborn carried on general mer- chandise business. The present proprietors have a good store here, and Moses F. Ham is doing a trade in harness and saddles. Dr. John A. Ritter has done a drug trade here for six years. He was formerly con- nected with the springs as physician.

On the farm where Arthur Atkisson now lives, John Moore had a water-mill in early times that did a considerable business in both grind. ing and sawing for ten or twelve years. Col. John Pinnick has a saw. mill on French Lick Creek, about a mile farther down, where James Pin-

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nick now lives. Nelson Spaulding and John Moore had horse-mills, and Abraham Osborn had a tread-mill about 1830, but he soon after moved it to Lost River, and operated it by water-power. His successors have been Gen. Clendenin, Rigney Brothers. Mr. Morgan, Mr. Dougherty and Thomas and Peter Grigsby who now own it. This is the best mill in the township, and has two sets of buhr-stones. J. T. Bundy has a No. 1 saw. mill at French Lick and is doing a good business.

THE MANUFACTURE OF WHETSTONES.

The whetstone business in French Lick Township is the largest in the county, and probably in the State. From Mr. T. N. Braxtan, who is extensively engaged in the business, most of the facts concerning this article of commerce was obtained. The quarries here were first worked about the year 1825, by some Eastern people named Prentiss, who had settled at a town in Martin County named Hindostan, at one time the county seat. They had learned of the quality of this stone from the Government Surveyor. The first stones were boated to New Orleans by Lost, White, Wabash, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. From there it was shipped to New York and England. In the latter country it was con- demned as a fraud. because it bore the name of Hindostan, supposing it to be represented as coming from the country of that name. This for a time nearly caused the abandonment of the quarries, although not entirely 80. They were worked in a small way by persons at Hindostan, and by a few living near the quarries. The principal of this quality of stone is on what was formerly the French Lick Reserve, and when the State sold that land William Cathcart and Col. John Pinnick bought most of the best quarries. These men worked them for some time. The Charles family purchased from them and operated for some time. Mr. Braxtan bought in 1560 for $6,000, and has been engaged in that business ever since. His mills are run by steam power, and he employs a large number of bands. The annual yield is about 4,000 cases, nearly one-half of which goes to Europe, and some to South America. The present value of these quarries is about $10,000. Besides this there is a quality of shoe knife sandstone in the northeast part of Jackson Township, said to be the tinest in the United States. This is owned by Mr. Braxtan and L. A. Bledsoe. Mr. William F. Osborn is also engaged in this same business, his quarries being on Section 32, Township 2 north, Range 2 west, and on Section 24, Township 1 north, Range 2 west. In all he produces abont 3.000 cases a year, employing a number of hands. This is the most profitable and largest commercial enterprise in the county, and one that is yet capable of large development, as the supply of this stone is nearly inexhaustable.

CRIMINAL ITEMS.

This township has had its due proportion of crime and tragedy. The

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killing of William Charles by the Indians and the murder of Andrew Seybold are both elsewhere mentioned in this work. The suicide of Miss Malinda J. Parsons, by hanging herself to a rafter in the house where she lived with her parents. was in January, 1884. The freezing to death of a man named Elkins about twenty years ago, and the accidental death of Preston Charles some four or five years since help to make up the list of fatal accidents. In the early part of the sixties there was a considerable amount of robbing and petty thieving committed, and it was supposed to have been done by a band of men who lived in the neigh- borhood. One of the most important of these was the robbing of Nelson Spalding of $400 in the spring of 1863. They went to the house of Mr. Spalding and demanded admittance, which being refused. they threatened to kill him and burn his buildings. Not being able to find any money, they hung Mr. Spalding twice to make him tell where his money was hid, and they finally forced him to tell where the $400 were, but he bad about $2,000 besides this in another place which the robbers did not get. There were none of the perpetrators of this deed ever dis- covered, although suspicion pointed to some of its authors pretty clearly. The proof was wanting, however, to establish their guilt, and no legal steps were ever taken against them. There were some four or tive in number, and were all masked and armed with muskets.

DEER HUNTING.

Here as elsewhere in the county hunting has been in its glory, and from Uncle " Neddy " Moore, who is now living at Orleans, in his eighty- second year, in unusual physical and mental vigor, many interesting epi- sodes of the chase were learned. Since the year 1811, when nine years of age, he has been a constant resident of Orange County. settling in French Lick Township in 1816, where he remained until about 1870. He early learned to use the ritle, and when but sixteen years old suc- ceeded in killing a bear, and in 1823, when he was married, he killed a large "five-point" buck deer which lay stretched before the fire-place in his humble cabin, on the first night of their house- keeping. In the fall of 1521, on a rainy afternoon, he was at his brother's house. a short dis- tance from his father's. and they concluded to go deer hunting. He went home for his gun, and in his hurry forgot the shot ponch. When about a mile from home, and having separated from his brother, he saw three deer. a buck, a doe and a fawn. He took aim and shot the buck ** a little high " of where he intended. the ball passing through near the spine. This paralyzed the deer and he fell, but soon after got up and made an effort to escape. It was at this point Mr. Moore discovered that he had forgotten his pouch. He at once started for the deer. intending to kill it with a club or anything that might be handy. The deer was dragging itself along. and Mr. Moore gathered up some rocks from the

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dry bed of a creek that was near by, and after pelting it with several of these he succeeded in knocking it down. He then went to get another larger rock with which to break in its skull, but before he could return the deer again got up. and after several unsuccessful attempts to kill it he abandoned the efforts with much chagrin, greatly provoked at the animal's tenacity to life.

SETTLEMENT OF JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

The southwest corner township of Orange County is Jackson, created in September. 1531, out of the western end of Greenfield. It was named for Andrew Jackson, who at that time was the most prominent and honored citizen of America. This township embraces a territory of forty-two square miles, being seven miles north and south and six miles east and west, the exact size of Greenfield Township. Tradition ' has it that the first inhabitants of this part of the county, other than the Indians, were some negroes, who were supposed to have been fugitive slaves. At any rate there is little doubt that some of these people were among the earliest settlers in this locality, and by some it is said they bad mixed with the Indians to a considerable extent and became a race half Indian half negro. This no doubt is partially true, for nothing would be more natural than for a people thus isolated and ostracized to seek the companionship of whatever class of humanity might present it- self. The first white man to locate in this township was Lewis Allen who entered the northwest quarter of Section 27, Township .1 south, Range 2 west. on the 5th day of June. 1S15. After him and prior to 1520 came the following: Daniel Allen 1816, James Rawlings 1816, Abraham Riley 1816. John Dixon 1817. Joseph Wells 1817. Clond Bethel 1817. John Belcher 1517. John Broadwell IS18, Henry Broadwell ISIS. I-aac Eastridge 1510, John Eastridge 1820. Lewis Putnam 1820, John McVey 1816. William B. Connell 1817, Christopher Flick 1817, William Miller 1516, Thomas Atkinson 1817. and Joseph Farlow 1916. Most of these men like the majority of the first settlers in the county were from Kentucky and the Carolinas.

ENBLY MILLING ENTERPRISES.

The land where Lewis Allen located in 1815, is the same with that now ocenpied by the town of Newton Stewart, in the extreme south part of the township. He seems to have been an enterprising man for his time, as he built two mills on Patoka Creek. one at Williamsburg in 1818, and soon after this bnilt one on his farm in Jackson Township. This was on the site of the present grist.mill at Newton Stewart. It was a rude log affair with one set of hubrs. He soon after replaced this with a better one made of hewed logs, a good one for the times, which remained in use until 1955. Allen sold to William and Henry Stewart, brothers, who

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were prominent members in this community for several years. They in turn sold out to Stephen and John Foster in 1855, who rebuilt the mill as it now stands in the following year. at a probable cost of $5,000. They also constructed at the same time a saw-mill upon the other bank of the creek. This said to be one of the best sites for a water-power in the county, the dam being about eight feet high. Among the early settlers not mentioned above were David Rice. Thomas Maxedon, John Glenn, David Brown, Neman Haskins, Isaac, John and James Kellams. William Walls, Andrew Mason. Elisha Haskins, John McWilliams, Joseph Kinkaid, Reuben Allen and Benjamin Carr. Later came John and David Stockinger, Dr. James Dillard. James Carr. Jabez Leonard. Fountain Tucker and J. W. Tucker. Many of the first white settlers here had to go to Kentucky for their milling before there were any mills in this section of the country. This did not long last. however, for such men as Lewis Allen took away all such inconvenience by push and enter- prise in building mills, even though of an imperfect kind. Jacob Wise owned a horse-mill in the north part of the township about the year 1820. and it was the resort for grinding corn for several miles around. In the southeast part of the township were the Bledsoes, Pitmans. Walls and others. while furtber north along the eastern side were John Lashbrook, the Willises and Lutrell. In the northwest of the township such familiar names as Flick, Cox, Connell, Pinnick, Wise and Hubbs were among the first in this part of the county. In the northern part is Cane Creek, said to have been so named by James McMurry. an early settler here. · on account of the abundance of cane he found growing on its banks.

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History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc, Part 47

Author: Goodspeed Brothers Publication date: 199-?] Publisher: [Salem, Mass. : Higginson Book Co.] Number of Pages: 954

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 199-?]
Publisher: [Salem, Mass. : Higginson Book Co.]
Number of Pages: 954