USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 10
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 10
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What was known as the Lawrence County Seminary was just such a school as was provided for all over Indiana by an act of the Legislature. For a time (until the free school system came into existence) these schools bid fair to be of great value to the people. A good brick building was built. The attendance was large, pupils coming in from all sections of the county. The first to instruct here was Professor Lynn, who did not remain very long and was succeeded by others better known. In 1832-33 the institution was headed by that well-known man, Hon. Richard W. Thompson. His successor was Hon. George W. Dunn, after whom came Joseph Stilson, who was long one of Bedford's best physicians. The school was managed by a board of trustees appointed by the district court. In March, 1838, the trus- tees reported to the county commissioners as follows: "Upon examination they found the seminary building considerably out of repair, and in a con- dition subjecting it to rapid decay, destitute of a teacher, under the control and supervision of the trustees, the institution in debt and without a very exalted reputation as a high school. The board caused the necessary repairs to be made to the building without delay and have it now in good order for the comfort and accommodation of two teachers and at least a hundred pupils. All debts except some trifling amounts against the institution have been paid . off and there is yet remaining in the treasury the sum of $93.59, which, to- gether with such sums as may be constantly coming in from fines assessed before the justices of the peace and in the circuit court of said county, will be amply sufficient to keep up repairs, make all necessary improvements and in a short time we trust to purchase a suitable library for such institution. A
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
female school, by Miss Lovey Kittredge, has been taught in one room of the building under the inspection of the board, and by the reports of the exam- ining committees of the schools it appears that the conditions of that depart- ment of the school are highly creditable to Miss Kittridge and beneficial to those under her care. The best of order is observed in her school, although large ; entire harmony and good feeling exists in her school between the pupils themselves and between them and the teacher, and the scholars are making rapid improvement in all the useful branches of female education. The other room is occupied by Mr. Minard Sturgis, a young gentleman of superior acquirements, amiable disposition, gentle manners, industrious habits and strict morality. These qualities render him a valuable acquisition to the sem- inary, as he proposes taking it permanently under his charge. The present condition of his department is prosperous and interesting in every respect, we believe meeting the entire approbation of the public. The following are the rates of tuition: Reading, writing and arithmetic, three dollars per quarter ; English grammar, bookkeeping, geography, composition and decla- mation, three dollars and fifty cents per quarter ; the classics and other higher branches, six dollars per quarter, to which is added upon each pupil the sum of twenty-five cents per quarter as a contingent fund, out of which are de- frayed all expenses necessary for the comfort and convenience of the pupils and teachers connected with the seminary. The board thought it necessary to fix the rates thus high in order to secure competent teachers and guard the institution from degenerating into a mere town school, benefiting only a few individuals, instead of being, as it was intended, the resort of all who desire to procure the advantages of a liberal education."
This report was signed by G. R. Dunihue and George D. Dunn, as com- mittee and gives a good idea of the school at that time. In May, 1841, an- other board was appointed and of this Gustavus Clark was president, John Vespal, treasurer, and Michael A. Malott, secretary. In September, 1842, the report was made by the secretary and from that it is learned that John Dale had for some time before then been in charge of the school as teacher and part of the time employed an assistant. The institutions lingered along under various instructors until the Legislature, in 1852, provided for the sale of county seminaries and applying the proceeds to the common school fund. This was sold at public sale to R. M. Parks, who had formerly been one of its teachers, for one thousand fifty dollars, and thus died the Lawrence County Seminary.
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
SOUTHERN INDIANA NORMAL COLLEGE.
This was one of the most prosperous and popular educational institutions in the state. It was located at Mitchell, this county, April 6, 1880, and re- ceived its articles of incorporation June 7th, that year. Many prominent men in southern Indiana felt the need of a training school where teachers could be instructed for the profession of teaching. Mitchell was chosen the place for this school, because of the enterprising, untiring zeal her people took in the matter. Among those who aided in securing this school may be recalled Prof. J. N. Selby, Prof. W. F. Harper, Dr. H. L. Kimberlin, M. N. Moore, Dr. J. L. W. Yost, J. Y. Bates, John Dodson, Alfred Guthrie, Dr. W. A. Burton, Allen C. Burton, Anselm Wood, M. A. Burton, Isom Burton, Dr. G. W: Burton, E. P. Eversole, James D. Moore, Dr. E. S. McIntire and many more.
About the beginning of 1880 active steps were taken in securing a faculty and advertising the opening of this normal school or college. Prof. W. F. Harper was selected as president, and Prof. J. N. Selby, business manager. A very acceptable corps of instructors headed each department. April 6th, the morning on which the school was to open, orders had gone forth that all bells in Mitchell should be rung for a full half hour. The stores were closed, and merchants and their families all repaired to the Baptist church to witness the organization. In July of the first year, a class of six were graduated, the number in attendance being in all departments about one hundred and fifty. This was a good start for the first year's work. On ac- count of overwork, Professor Harper was forced to resign in 1882, and was succeeded by one of his professors, W. E. Lungenbeel, who built the school up wonderfully in a short time. In 1883 a small-pox epidemic (mostly a scare) injured the school for a year, but its president went forth and suc- ceeded better than ever before, so that in 1884 he had enrolled over five hun- dred teachers and those seeking training for this profession. The fame of the school spread throughout the entire Union and men of prominence every- where backed it and talked for its policy. This school certainly did revolu- tionize the common schools in southern Indiana. A similar school was estab- lished at Milan, Tennessee, September, 1884, the same being promulgated by this Mitchell College, and its teachers were all of the Mitchell College alumni. The Tennessee college had two hundred and fifty pupils on hand at its first day of opening. With the passing of years these institutions have been superseded by those of better value.
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
PRESENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Today educational advantages are to be found in every township in the county, where good buildings obtain, where thorough teachers are employed, and where general interest is taken. The summing up of the schools of Lawrence county, with the buildings, teachers and enrollments, may be found by reading the following digest from the annual report of the county school superintendent, issued for the last year :
Average High School Attendance. Schools. Teachers. Houses.
Township or Town.
Bono
219
0
9
6
Guthrie
329
I
15
10
Indian Creek
492
2
22
I4
Marion
437
O
19
16
Marshall
471
I
19
13
Perry
115
I
8
5
Pleasant Run
372
I
16
12
Shawswick
657
I
29
I7
Spice Valley
501
2
17
12
-
Total
3,503
9
I54
105
Towns and Cities.
Bedford
1,606
55
5
Mitchell
625
20
3
Total
2,33I
75
8
Grand total
5,734
229
II3
-
Of the one hundred and thirteen school houses in Lawrence county, seven are brick and one hundred and six are frame.
CHAPTER IX.
AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, ETC.
While the greatest industry of Lawrence county is that of the Bedford stone quarries and the shipment of this wonderful material to all sections of the country. it may be stated that long before this valuable mineral product was discovered and developed to any great extent, the lands of this portion of Indiana had attracted many settlers. While there are much more fertile soils, there are many more sterile. The forests of excellent timber, the running streams and numerous never-failing springs, found bubbling up from the earth, all had their value and charm for the hardy pioneer who first looked upon this county. The soil is well adapted to raising blue grass and it has been produced in large amounts from the earliest settlement. It was first sown in Indian Creek township by Abraham Kern and Stever Younger dur- ing the winter of 1819-20 on sections 13 and 24 in township 5, range 2 west, and from that small beginning has grown to be a leading crop and has had much to do with the raising of live stock throughout this county. The early settlers were well satisfied that the richest portion of the county was in the fertile bottom lands, and there they naturally located and built homes for themselves. While Indian township was at first considered the choicest in the county, as years went by other sections were found equally productive, and soils that were once thought almost valueless for the production of crops have come to be known as excellent farming sections.
This county is fast becoming famous as a fruit region. Joel A. Burton's great orchards, lying near the southern boundary line of the county, where many fine bearing trees are now growing, is a rare sight to behold. Many smaller orchards are found around Mitchell.
The dairying business is also coming into prominence, on account of the greater growth of Lawrence county's famous blue grass, which produces an excellent grade of butter.
The state agricultural reports for 1911 show these figures: Acres of wheat, 11,247; average yield, thirteen bushels. Corn, 33,812 acres, with a million bushels, averaging twenty-eight bushels per acre. Oats, 7,112 acres, less than twelve bushels per acre. Rye. 614 acres. Barley, seven acres.
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Buckwheat, thirteen acres. Irish potatoes, 334 acres, 13,622 bushels. To- bacco, three acres, producing 2,000 pounds. Tomatoes, 126 acres, producing 421 tons. Timothy hay, 10,000 tons. Alfalfa, 170 tons. Prairie hay, 1,017 acres, producing 1,224 tons. Clover, 4,324 acres, made 3,838 tons. Horses and colts on hand January, 1912, 4,792. Mules, 1,485. Average of cows milked, 4,008. Butter made, 472,000 pounds. Cattle on hand, 9,416; cattle sold, 5,590. Hogs sold, 12,964; hogs died, 1,250. Sheep on hand, 4,722; sold, 2,763. Wool sold, 20,452 pounds. Poultry sold. 5.867 dozen ; average number of hens. 6.500. Dozen eggs produced, 617,000.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.
The first attempt at organizing a county agricultural society in Lawrence county was at a preliminary meeting held at Bedford on the Fourth of July. 1851, when a committee was appointed, of which William Duncan was chair- man, to prepare a constitution and by-laws of the proposed agricultural so- ciety. The same season, on August 9th, a large mass meeting was held at the Bedford court house to effect the organization. John McCrea was made chairman and Leonard Green, secretary. Then the constitution and by-laws were adopted and many signers were placed on the file as members of the County Agricultural Society. No fair was held that year, but full plans were effected for holding one in 1852. It was determined to make this first fair largely a stock show. It was to be held just to the southwest of Bedford. on land of Jesse A. Mitchell, and the date was fixed upon as November 9th. The officers for 1852 were: Pleasant Parks, president ; John Whitted, vice-presi- dent ; Isaac Rector, treasurer; R. R. Bryant, secretary. There was quite a respectable number of Lawrence county's citizens-farmers, stockraisers and townspeople-in attendance. Premiums were awarded on cattle to G. M. Brown, Lewis Rout, Isaac Rector, Jesse Johnson, William Stipp and G. B. Owens; on sheep to Enoch Faubion and Jesse Johnson; on horses to Fred Stipp, William Fisher, John Rogers, William Duncan, G. M. Brown, Ben Newland and David Ikerd; on jacks to William Duncan and Daniel and Peter Myers ; on poultry to R. R. Bryant ; on manufactured articles to Enoch Faubion ; best beet was exhibited by John B. Buskirk, and it weighed eight and three-fourths pounds. Judge Duncan read an essay on the management of stock, and R. R. Bryant one on fowls.
In 1853 there was no regular fair, but rather a stock sale took its place. This was an interesting gathering and was well attended by many farmers and stockmen. In 1854 a strong effort was made to merge the Lawrence
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
county society with those of Orange and Washington counties, but the ma- jority ruled against this plan. So far there had been no gate fees charged to the county fairs here. In 1851 the membership fee was eighteen dollars; in 1852 it was placed at fourteen and in 1853 at thirteen dollars.
In the spring of 1854 arrangements were made to purchase fair grounds by means of a stock subscription. Before that grounds had always been leased. Nothing, however, was accomplished along this line until April, 1856, when a committee was appointed to purchase grounds, and they re- ported in June. that year, that they had bought a tract of land just west of and adjoining the town, thirty by forty rods, or equal to about eight acres, of Jesse A. Mitchell. But for some unknown reason no fair was held there, and in 1857 the grounds were sold, and a more suitable tract bought northwest of town, consisting of ten acres, which was purchased from William Fisher for one thousand dollars. The original subscription stock was fifty dollars per share, and the total amount subscribed was two thousand three hundred dollars, a portion of which, however, was never raised.
THE FIRST REAL AGRICULTURAL FAIR.
Lawrence county's first real agricultural fair was held in 1857, and was a very successful affair. The total receipts from all sources were $2,369.15, mostly raised by the payment of stock subscriptions. The value of the real estate and improvements was $2,090. The liabilities of the society were $1,941. The ten acres of ground were surrounded by a tight board fence, seven or eight feet high, and there were a hundred and fifty stalls for stock, and also a trotting track and an ampitheater capable of holding two thousand people, besides smaller buildings for floral and domestic displays.
The second fair was held in 1858, and this was also highly creditable to the people of Lawrence county. The total receipts were one thousand two hundred dollars, while the premiums amounted to four hundred and seventy dollars. There were five hundred and twenty entries and one hundred and seventy premiums awarded. In 1857 the president had been Robert Boyd; in 1858, Isaac Denson. By the last date the fair grounds were covered by a mortgage. There were then two hundred and twenty-eight stockholders, and so large was the debt that all hopes of holding a fair in 1859 faded and the cloud had not been cleared away by 1860. In the month of November, 1860, however, a joint-stock company was formed to pay off the debt then due the estate of George G. Dunn. Matters were getting in fair shape when the Civil war cloud of 1861 made its appearance and all local and home interests were
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
forgotten when the flag of the Union was assailed by traitors on the Southern soil.
Nothing further was attempted at holding an agricultural exhibit in this county until 1869. On October 8th, that year, a meeting was held to reor- ganize the old society, Henry Davis being chairman, with Isaac Rector as secretary. Committees were selected to form a new constitution and to circu- late a subscription list with which to procure funds, on the stock-membership plan. Later a constitution was adopted and officers as follows were elected : Jesse .\. Mitchell, president ; Henry Davis, vice-president; C. T. Woolfolk, secretary ; W. C. Wintstandley, treasurer. William Daggy was made super- intendent. Several meetings were subsequently held and the one which con- vened October 30th appointed a committee to purchase grounds, and then the shares of stock were fixed at twenty-five dollars each. July 14, 1870, the committee reported that they had purchased of Thomas A. Whitted land de- scribed as follows: The south part of the west half of the southwest quarter of section II, township 5, range I west, in all 13.75 acres ; also two and a half acres of the same tract of Stever Younger. These grounds were then ordered improved, and a fair seems to have been held in 1869, the gross receipts of which were $1,304. Thus well begun, the fairs continued in their annual order. In 1870 the fair continued for four days, and gave gross re- ceipts amounting to $1.189.50, all of which was awarded in premiums, as follows : $774 on horses ; $25 on mules ; $141 on cattle; $46 on swine; $30 on sheep; $3.00 on poultry ; $74 on farm implements ; $19 on domestic manu- factures; $16.50 on equestrianism, etc. The treasurer reported that year $2,377.75 spent on the grounds, and that the fair had cost incidentally, $278.70. In August, 1871, ten acres of adjoining timber land was bought of Mrs. George A. Thornton for $200. Extensive plans were effected for the fair of 1871, and the awards that season amounted to $1, 128 in premiums on 470 entries, and in special premiums the awards were increased to $1,443.90.
In 1872 there were one hundred and twenty stockholders and the debt of the society was about $313.
The figures for several years were as follows: 1873, $1,763, expenses, $1,698. 1874. receipts, $847; expenses, 767. In 1875, receipts, $321 ; ex- penses, $285. In 1877, receipts, $1,120; expenses, $1,030. In 1878, re- ceipts, $1,596; expenses, $1,427. In 1880, receipts, $1,056; expenses, $1,033.
The fairs were held until about a dozen years ago, but finally the society went down for lack of agricultural interest.
CHAPTER X.
BENCH AND BAR OF LAWRENCE COUNTY.
Law is a necessity in any civilized community. The opinions of men differ on many questions of right and wrong, and honestly, too. Then there are always law-breakers in every section of the world, men who have no just regard for the rights of their fellow men. It is the lawyer who comes in to adjust and try to make right these matters. While the lawyer follows his profession primarily for the pecuniary remuneration it affords, yet he is a man of great value in his community and no profession can boast of men who have been of more service to the world than the attorney at the bar. He it is who most frequently becomes a law-maker himself. Look over the list of illustrious statesmen in this and foreign lands, and in a majority of cases the men who have had to do with the making and enforcing laws have come from this profession. It is generally looked upon as among the most honorable of all professions. The standard of legal ethics has advanced some with the passing years, but even way back hundreds of years ago, the lawyer was noted for his honor and integrity, and among themselves and in court their word was as good as a bond. The profession has as few bad men, in proportion to the number who engage in the legal practice, as any other profession. In this country one has but to point with pride to Webster. Choate, Everett. Marshall, Lincoln, Douglas, and those of more recent years, to note that they were all men of great learning and prominent factors in the placing of im- portant legal enactments upon the statute books of many commonwealths.
The pioneer lawyers had not the advantages of those of today, but many of them were legal giants. In this chapter will be recited some things con- cerning the early courts and members of the bench and bar in Lawrence county.
At the house of James Gregory, in Lawrence county, on June 4, 1818, the first circuit court of the county was held. Those present were Thomas H. Blake, John Milroy and William Erwin. The home of James Gregory was located in Leatherwood, east of the site of the present Bedford, on the David Ikerd farm, afterwards belonging to Capt. Isaac Newkirk. James Gregory was a native of North Carolina. and came to Indiana in 1813. In
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
the war of 1814 he was a Ranger. In 1818 he located in Lawrence county, and in 1820 was a representative in the Legislature. His death occurred in Yucatan, whither he had gone on a trading expedition in 1842. He was the father of R. C. Gregory, later one of the judges of the Indiana supreme court.
Among the first circuit court judges were Thomas H. Blake, John Mil- roy and William Erwin. Jonathan Jennings, as governor, signed their com- missions, and each was sworn to support the Constitution of the United States. Blake was later, in 1839, a candidate for the United States Senate, but was defeated. John Lowrey became clerk, and also at this term of court John F. Ross, of Charlestown, was admitted to the bar. The first grand jury was composed of the following men: Jeremiah Rankin, foreman: John Horton, James Fulkerson, Samuel G. Hoskins, William Leaky. Reuben Kil- gore. Robert Brooks, Isaac Anderson, James Mundle, Thomas Henton. William Tulley, David Cummings, Isaac Mitchell, Daniel Piles, Dixon Brown, Joel Vanderveer, Beverly Gregory and John Ikerd. The sheriff. in all proba- bility, was Joseph Glover.
Ebenezer McDonald, George R. C. Sullivan and John Law were ad- mitted to the bar at this term of court. The early cases included an assault and battery, in which Eli Powell was the complainant and Thomas House the defendant ; another, of Joseph Thompson vs. Richard Evans, and another of similar nature.
The court met again in September, 1818, and Jeremiah Rowland. Isaac Naylor. William Hoggett and Henry Stephen were admitted to the har. The circuit court at this time included several counties. The case of Thomas House came up again, and he was fined ten dollars by the judge. The Thompson-Evans case also was argued, and the judge imposed a fine of one dollar each on the men. The jury in these cases was composed of the follow- ing men: John Leaky. Robert Mitchell, Joseph Rawlins, James Cully. Al- bert Howard. William Elrod. George McNight, John Gardner, Robert Hun- ter, William Dougherty. Joseph Sullivan and James Garten.
The first civil case tried in the county was that of Phillis, the slave, and was called Susannah Witcher vs. Phillis (a woman of color ), recognizance. As Phillis was a negro, she could not testify against Susannah, and accord- ingly the court decided that she was the legal property of the Witcher woman. The record of this case has strangely passed from memory of the oldest inhabitant. and the details have been forever erased from the legal records of the county.
The judgment taken by James Kitchell against John Brown for seventy-
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIAN.A.
three dollars, stayed by Patrick Callan, was the first. At this term of the circuit court there were twelve indictments returned, eleven of them on the charge of assault and battery, a notable fact. Four of these were made against one man, namely, John Andreson. who must have been very much of the nature of a "bruiser." James Cusick, John Laughlin, Francis Williams and Robert Erwin were the individuals who bore the brunt of his pugnacity. For his clean-up. Anderson was fined a paltry fifteen dollars.
Gen. W. Johnson, commissioned by the governor of the state, took his seat as judge of the first circuit at the March term, 1819. Having had a brilliant military record, there evidently was much local apprehension as to his methods of settling a dispute, and accordingly his oath of office contained words that he had neither "directly or indirectly given, accepted or knowingly carried a challenge to any person or persons, to fight a single combat, or otherwise, with any deadly weapon, either in or out of this state. since the 29th day of June, 1816; and that I will not directly give, accept or knowingly carry a challenge to any person or persons. to fight in single combat or other- wise, with any deadly weapon either in or out of this state, during my con- tinuance in office." At this term of court, Robert Holly, Jr., and Winthrop Foote were admitted to the bar. At this term Joseph Benefield was allowed two dollars for the use of a house for a court house, and the grand jurors were allowed one dollar and fifty cents each for the term.
FIRST COURT AT PALESTINE.
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