USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 14
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 14
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Bedford Council No. 62, Royal and Select Masters, was organized under (10)
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dispensation of date of July 16, 1891, and chartered October 21, 1891. Prior thereto a council of the same name, but No. 49, was granted a dispensation April 12, 1876, and chartered October 18, 1879, but the charter was arrested in October, 1888. The present council has about one hundred and forty members, and the officers are: L. Berry Emery, thrice illustrious master ; James W. Malott, deputy master : Charles H. Strupe, principal conductor of the work; Joseph R. Voris, treasurer; McHenry Owen, recorder; John E. McCormick, captain of the guard; Jasper H. Wyman, conductor of the coun- cil; Julian Calonge, steward; James B. Wilder, sentinel.
Bedford Commandery No. 42, Knights Templar, was granted dispensa- tion January 25, 1899, and was chartered as Bedford Commandery No. 42, on April 20, 1899. The old Commandery, No. 7, surrendered its charter in 1864. The officers at present are: Walter J. Bailey, eminent commander ; Fred N. Strout, generalissimo; James W. Malott, captain general; James A. Zaring, senior warden; Ward H. McCormick, junior warden; Charles H. Strupe, prelate; Joseph R. Voris, treasurer; McHenry Owen, recorder; Wal- ter H. Sherrill, standard bearer: Morris P. Keith, sword bearer; Walter A. Pitman, warder; James B. Wilder, sentinel; William R. Grafton, Andrew Duncan, John E. McCormick, guards ; Morton F. Brooks, Sherman L. Keach, L. Berry Emery, trustees. The commandery at present has a membership of one hundred and seventy-five.
In Bedford there are twenty-eight resident members of the Indianapolis Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, thirty-second degree, and there are fifty-six resident members of Murat Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
Another Masonic lodge at Bedford is Emmet Lodge No. 345, organized under dispensation and received a charter May 29, 1867, it being a branch of the old Bedford lodge. In 1884 it had a membership of sixty-eight. In 1888 this was consolidated with the parent lodge.
Mitchell Lodge No. 228, Free and Accepted Masons, was chartered May 25. 1858. For many years before that John P. Burton was the only Free Mason residing within Marion township, and later this lodge at Mitchell was organized and has been sustained all these years. The first officers were: William V. T. Murphy, worshipful master; William Muir, senior warden; Edward Antonieski, junior warden ; J. T. Biggs, secretary. The present mem- bership of this lodge is eighty-nine, and its elective officers are: J. D. Byrns, worshipful master ; Cealy Braman, senior warden; John L. Holmes, junior warden : John A. Rodarmel, treasurer ; W. M. James, secretary ; Hugo Siefker,
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senior deacon; Howard Chitty, junior deacon ; W. G. Oldham, senior steward; John A. Gibbons, junior steward; B. H. Sherwood, tyler.
Mitchell Chapter No. 23, Royal Arch Masons, was organized and chartered October 20, 1870.
Mitchell Council No. 48, Royal and Select Masters, was chartered Octo- ber, 1876.
Lawrenceport Lodge No. 543, Free and Accepted Masons, was granted a charter August 31, 1876, with the following officers and charter members: A. F. Berry, worshipful master; John Mitchell, senior warden; and Harrison Field, junior warden. The other members were W. G. Todd, G. W. Hamer, H. T. Hamer and John Laswell. The lodge worked under dis- pensation until May 22, 1877, when a charter was obtained. From its organi- zation the lodge for many years was among the most prosperous in the county. It owned a good building in 1883 and had money in its treasury.
At Huron, Masonic Lodge No. 381 was organized May 27. 1868. with Thomas J. Cummings, worshipful master : Joseph Bosler, senior warden, and Benjamin F. Prosser, junior warden. It was never very prosperous in earlier days, and in 1884 had a membership of only seventeen.
At Springville. Lodge No. 177 was organized in 1855, by the following charter members: Jewett L. Messick, W. H. Cornelius, Dean Barnes, E. M. Stanwood, Thomas Graves. M. B. Garton, and a few others. They were com- pelled to surrender their charter in 1881.
At Heltonville, Leatherwood Lodge No. 116 was organized in the early fifties. The first worshipful master was Major Bemen. The lodge went down many years ago.
Cedar Lodge No. 161 was organized at Leesville. The first officers were: Thomas J. Reed, worshipful master: Robert Henderson, senior war- den : Jonathan C. Todd, junior warden. In 1884 there was a membership of about twenty.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
This order, one of the greatest on earth today, has a splendid following in Lawrence county. It has lodges of strength and usefulness at Rivervale, Bedford. Oolitic, Heltonville, Fort Ritner, Williams. Springville and Mitchell.
Shawswick Lodge No. 177. at Bedford, was instituted by John B. An- derson, grand master of Indiana. May 21, 1856, with the following charter membership: Francis A. Sears, John Baker, W. C. R. Kemp. C. S. Kauffman, Joseph J. Dean and W. C. Hopkins. The first noble grand was F. A. Francis. Up to 1884 there had been two hundred and twelve members uniting with
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the lodge and only eleven had died, the membership then being eighty-five. Its present membership is three hundred and eighty-five, and its present elective officers are: Walter Chilton, noble grand; Walter Thomas, vice grand; Basil Miller, secretary ; Fred Pitman, financial secretary ; J. J. Johnson, treasurer. The trustees are McHenry Owens, Read Cathers and H. L. McKnight. The lodge owns a hall. the approximate value of which is twenty- two thousand dollars.
Bedford Encampment No. 80, of the Odd Fellows order, was instituted in Bedford, July 24, 1866.
Mitchell Lodge No. 242, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was in- stituted September, 1865, by G. W. Webb and Major David Kelley. Its pres- ent membership is two hundred and seventy-two. The first noble grand was William Wilson. The present officers are: Jesse F. Ewing, noble grand; R. W. Smith, vice grand ; C. W. Colman, treasurer ; J. Lee Horton, recording secretary ; Will D. Ewing, financial secretary. The order erected a hall for lodge room purposes in 1895, at a cost of three thousand five hundred dollars.
Lawrenceport Lodge No. 780, at Rivervale, this county, was instituted November 14, 1901, and now has a membership of one hundred and two. They own their own hall property, which is the second story of a business house : its cost was eight hundred dollars. The present officers of this lodge are : James B. Ewing, noble grand: William Leatherman, vice grand; Clyde Quillen, recording secretary : John C. Kane, financial secretary ; Albion Bul- litt, treasurer.
Springville Lodge No. 846 was instituted February 1, 1907. The pres- ent elective officers are : Charles Stevenson, noble grand; Elbert Adamson, vice grand; F. A. Brinegar, secretary. The hall was erected in July and August, 1910, at a cost of one thousand two hundred dollars. The lodge has a good-standing membership of twenty-four.
THE KNIGHTS OF PYTIIIAS.
Palestine Lodge No. 137. Knights of Pythias, was organized in the city of Bedford many years since. The officers serving during 1913 are as fol- lows: H. G. Wilson, chancellor commander : J. C. Mckinney, keeper of rec- ords and seal : F. W. Kennedy, master of finance; J. V. Strout, master of ex- chequer ; T. C. Hassett, prelate ; B. E. Hassett, master of the work ; Leonard Woody, master at arms: Owen Rout, D. K. Hollowenn, William Barr, Mit- chell Guthrie and J. G. Hogan, trustees.
Oolitic Lodge No. 523, at Oolitic, this county, was organized several
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years ago. It owned a good hall, which was burned July 8. 1913. at a loss of four thousand dollars. The present trustees are Ora George, Albert Bryant and Jackson Temple. Its officers are: Elza George, chancellor com- mander ; O. L. Brown, vice chancellor : William Bruce, master at arms ; Will- iam Hesler. prelate: Claude Phillips, inner guard: Howard Blazew, outer guard : Charles Nichols, keeper of records and seal : William Mitchell, keeper of exchequer : Charles Gilbert, collector.
The Knights of Pythias Lodge at Mitchell is No. 150. It was organized in 1887, and has a present membership of one hundred and fifty. Its officers are: Walter Pierce, chancellor commander : Victor Prosser, vice commander ; Warren Wright, keeper of records and seal ; Lee Horton, master of finance; Walter Shanks, master of exchequer: A. O. True, prelate: James Coppey, master at arms. This lodge owns its own castle. erected in 1905, at a cost of seven thousand dollars.
There are lodges of this order at Leesville and Tunnelton, the facts about which were not obtainable by the writer. The Tunnelton lodge has a member- ship of sixty.
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CHAPTER XIV.
RAILROADS, TRANSPORTATION, FERRIES, ETC.
The New Albany & Salem railroad was the first steam highway to cross Lawrence county. The county did not furnish any aid in way of appropria- tions, but the road was materially helped by various individuals. It is said that in each and every instance the right-of-way was given free of cost to the company. Besides this, different citizens contributed in way of the stock they subscribed for and the labor they did, in all amounting to more than one hundred thousand dollars. Thus the pioneer railroad was constructed through this county in 1851-3.
The next road projected was the Ohio & Mississippi railroad, that crossed the southern portion of the county from 1855 to 1857. It was aided by in- dividuals, same as the road above mentioned, and to about the same extent in the total amount of aid.
In 1870 Marion township voted two hundred and sixty-four for and one hundred and sixty-nine against a two per cent. tax to aid the Rockport & Northern Central railroad. This tax was levied, but never collected, as the project was abandoned by the promoters. In 1872 the question again came up, the township voting three hundred and fifty-nine for and two hundred and thirty-nine against a two per cent. tax, which was levied, but, as in the former case, the road was not built. Other tax aids were asked at different dates, two of which were the matter of assisting the Indianapolis & Evansville Mineral railroad and the Bedford, Brownstown & Madison railroad.
The Bedford & Bloomfield narrow gauge railroad was built under the name of the Bedford, Springville, Owensburg & Bloomfield railroad. The capital was fixed at one million dollars, divided into twenty thousand shares of fifty dollars each. The line covered a distance of thirty-six miles. In Novem- ber, 1874. Clark. Buel, Donahey & Company contracted to build this road and secure the bonds for the individual stock subscriptions. This was to include the right-of-way and they were to have a two per cent. tax from the territory through which the line was to run. The matter of voting the tax in Shaws- wick township was seen to in February, 1875, resulting in 402 in favor and 160 against the tax. Indian Creek voted 157 for and 75 against. The tax in Shawswick township amounted to $42,000; in Perry it was $10,900; in Indian
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Creek, $13,000. In June, 1875, one per cent. of this tax was ordered levied. In 1875 Conley, Mason & Company, residents of Greene county, bought the railroad in its then unfinished condition, but soon thereafter went into bank- ruptcy, and the Indianapolis Rolling Mill Company, as assignees, took the road in July, 1876, and completed it by October that year, but did not obtain com- plete control of it until December, 1882. This company, in turn, in February, 1883, sold all the stocks, bonds and franchise to the Bedford & Bloomington Railway Company, a local organization, which still owned the property in 1885. In February, 1884, the company bought the short line from Bloomfield to Swartz City. Among the principal stockholders were A. C. Voris, W. P. Malott, Frank Landers, W. W. Mason, Acquilla James and J. W. Kennedy.
THE PRESENT RAILROADS OF THE COUNTY.
Of the railroads in this county operating in 1913, it may be said that the old New Albany & Salem line is now known as the "Monon," the legal title of which is the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway Company.
The Bedford, Springville & Bloomfield railroad was first built in 1876, having been completed on the 4th of July, that year. A great amount of trouble was experienced in the construction of the line, and consequent finan- cial difficulty compelled the abandoning of work. However, the citizens of Bedford and the surrounding country came to the relief, and by subsidies and subscriptions money was secured to complete the road. V. V. Williams acted as receiver, and managed the collection of the funds. The line is now owned by the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville road, or the Monon.
The Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern, running through Mitchell, was completed through the county in 1855-56, and has also a branch from Bedford to Rivervale, where it forms junction with the main line.
The Terre Haute & Southeastern line is also an important line in Law- rence county today, and was the result of many railroad schemes, but is now permanent and successful.
THE BEDFORD BELT RAILROAD.
The following was written concerning this railroad in 1895, and will ever remain as good history in Lawrence county railroading :
The most valuable property owned by the Bedford Quarries Company is the Belt railroad. The railroad, which is twelve miles in length, with the necessary accessories in way of yards, switching tracks, etc., was finished in the early nineties (about 1893), and while it affords the necessary shipping
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facilities from the several quarries of the company, it is of still further im- portance in the fact that it has become an indispensable feature of the entire stone industry in and around Bedford. Before its completion each quarry was dependent for the transportation of its product upon the one railroad which ran near its property or that could be induced to lay a switch thereto The consequence was, the quarry owners were practically at the mercy, so far as shipping their product was concerned, upon some one railroad cor- poration. We do not know that this was ever taken advantage of by the railroad companies, but that it could have been done if desired is very evident.
When the subject was brought up of building a railroad owned and con- trolled by capital most interested in the stone industry, which road should connect each quarry with every railroad system entering Bedford. and there- fore afford to all an equal opportunity of placing their product on the market. it was the source of much encouragement to the quarrymen. Not only its con- nection with all railroads was an accommodation, but the fact that the new company proposed to make such arrangements as would give them a sufficient number of cars at all times to supply all demands for transportation facilities. was a source for congratulation, for it had been a source of great annoyance and delay that the railroad companies were not prompt in furnishing cars and many a claim for damages because of delay in receiving stone was made by contractors against quarry owners, who were unable to send forward stone be- cause the railroads did not send cars when needed. This, the Belt line people promised to remedy. and did.
But the construction of the road was beset by many difficulties owing to the peculiar "lay of the land" around and among the quarries. Hilly to a degree a little short of mountainous, the problems of engineering presented were numerous and varied. Trestles, bridges, rock cuts and grades, and very many of them in most inaccessible places, were but a part of the difficulties to be overcome, but brains, backed by capital, overcame the obstacles and the road was completed in due time, but at a cost of over twenty-five thousand dol- lars per mile. because of the unusual character of the country through which it passed. A ride over this road convinces one that there is more picturesque scenery crowded into that twelve miles than be found in an equal distance of any other road. But it is for utility that this road was constructed and the many train loads of stone constantly passing back and forth over the line testifies that it is meeting the end for which it was built.
The Bedford Belt railway is fully equipped for doing the business de- manded of it. The company owns three large Mogul engines for the heavy hauling over the line and one of lighter build which is used for shipping in
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the yards and for a passenger service that is operated between the stations at Bedford and Limestone and from quarry to quarry. Altogether, the Bedford Quarries Company has in the Bedford Belt railway a valuable piece of prop- erty, valuable to themselves and valuable also to every person identified with the quarrying interests in and around Bedford.
CHAPTER XV.
MILITARY HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY.
In the days of the early settlement of Lawrence county there existed a military organization of similar character to that of the county of Monroe. This somewhat crude, but effective, system was based on the militia. The organization of the county militia was impelled by government orders, and each county in the state was required to consolidate bodies of men into com- panies, and drill them in the art of military tactics at certain stated periods. The Indian tribes were by no means pacified at this time, and they resented every inroad the white men made into their hunting grounds. This charac- teristic sullen discontent was apt to break into a bloody onslaught on the whites at any time, and consequently the militia was kept in formation to combat these attacks should they occur. The hostile tribes in the Hoosier state were not troublesome very long, however, and the need of a militia to cope with them ceased. Nevertheless, the people of Lawrence county took a great pride in maintaining these organizations, but the interest was not suffi- cient to justify the expenditure of much money on equipment. Each man who desired to be a soldier furnished his own arms, and if they did not have a gun, they brought broom handles, corn stalks, hoes, sticks, or anything with which they could employ in going through the manual of arms. The Law- rence county citizens dubbed the companies the "cornstalk militia," which appellation was the beginning of the end. As occurred in Monroe county, the militia soon degenerated into an absurd farrago, and instead of orderly drills and serious training, the meeting days became festivities, featured by all sorts of sports, such as horse racing, gambling, pugilistic encounters, and contests of markmanship. There were many early settlers prior to 1815 who joined companies of rangers, raised in neighboring portions of the county; these rangers were mounted and formed a very efficient body. These veterans of the war of 1812 were occasionally called out for the pursuit of troublesome Indians, but otherwise saw no active service.
The year 1846 marked the next step of any consequence in the military affairs of the county. Under act of Congress, approved May 13, 1846, the President of the United States, James Knox Polk, called for volunteers to go to Mexico, and the quota for Indiana was fixed at three regiments. Imme-
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diately following this call several prominent citizens of county, including Henry Davis, G. G. Dunn, L. Q. Hoggatt, Cyrus Dunham, George Carr, John C. Cavins, E. W. Rice and James Carothers, began an effort to raise a company at Leesville, war meetings being held in that town and at Bedford, Spring- ville and in other localities. The work progressed rapidly and within a week a full company was raised and their service offered to the governor of the state. The personnel and organization of the company were very satisfactory, and they were accepted and ordered to report at New Albany and be assigned to the Second Regiment. Henry Davis was chosen captain of the company, L. Q. Hoggatt, first lieutenant, Josiah S. Foster, second lieutenant, and Ed- mund W. Rice, third lieutenant. The old court house was used for a time as a barracks, while the formation of the organization was completed.
On June 19, 1846, the company was drawn up on the public square to say farewell to those left at home, and preparatory to their departure for New Albany to join their regiment. The time was in the early morning, to avoid. as history records, one of the hottest days of the summer. George G. Dunn spoke the farewell for the townspeople, and at the conclusion of his address each man in the company was presented with a Testament. The sorrow of the leave-takings was somewhat softened by the cheers and strains of martial music which were accorded the boys. Upon their arrival at New Albany the men were assigned to the Second Regiment as Company F, and later became known as the "Lawrence Grays," and bore a reputation for bravery and forti- tude unsurpassed in the American army.
In July, 1846, the Second Regiment was taken to the city of New Orleans, and thence across the gulf of Mexico to the mouth of the Rio Grande river. In this position the regiment remained until February, 1847, in the meantime losing several men by death, and growing more impatient every day for a movement against the "greasers." On the above date, they were assigned to a division of five thousand men under the command of Gen. Zachary Taylor, and placed in the Buena Vista pass to await the advance of the Mexican army of twenty thousand men under Santa Anna. Buena Vista means "beautiful view," and indeed the spot justified the description. The pass was narrow and ridged by numerous ravines across the sides, and run- ning across it was a broad plateau about two hundred feet above the level. General Taylor threw his line of battle across this plateau, and the Second Regiment was designated to the extreme left of the line, near the side of the mountain. The Mexicans soon appeared at the head of the pass in solid column, and an imposing sight it was. Their flags and pennants waved, their carbines and accoutrements glittered in the bright sun, and their gaudy uni-
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forms made bright splotches of color against the horizon. They endeavored to carry the pass by solid formation at first, but the Washington Battery, on an elevation to the right. threw canister and shrapnel into the thickly crowded ranks so rapidly that they were compelled to fall back in confusion, strewing the ground with their dead. Their next move was to flank the American forces on the left, and in this maneuver they were successful. The Indiana and Ken- tucky regiments received the weight of hundreds of mounted and foot soldiers, and the Mexican lancers, on ponies, stormed the rear, capturing several pieces of ordnance of Bragg's battery. The Second Regiment fired twenty-one rounds. and then the bugle sounded the retreat. Unfortunately, the correct tactics of retreat had been omitted from their training, and when they made the effort their flight became a rout, and they were literally crowded down off the plateau. In the fork made by the convergence of two ravines, the Americans halted, and, once at bay, poured a terrific storm of lead into the oncoming Mexicans, and stopped them completely. This encouraged the Indiana and Kentucky men, and they reformed their battle line. Until night the Ameri- cans resisted every charge of the Mexican infantry and cavalry, and stub- bornly contested every minute of the time. When night came the Mexicans drew off. and thus the Americans won a glorious victory from defeat. This was practically all of the fighting for the Second Regiment, and, after serving in various way, part of the time in doing guard duty, they were ordered home, their year of enlistment having expired.
The people of Lawrence county were greatly excited when the news came of the battle of Buena Vista, but were frightened by the first report that the Lawrence county boys had been among those who fled before the Mexi- cans. All refused to blame the fact to cowardice, and waited anxiously for further details of the battle. These were brought by W. A. Gorman, of Bloomington, Monroe county, who had been a member of the regiment, but who came home in advance of the others. He tarried at Bedford and delivered a public speech, wherein he detailed the events of Buena Vista ; how the boys, having used their ammuniition, were ordered three times by their command -. ers to retreat. The people rested easier when they learned that their men were not cowards.
On the 30th of June, 1847, the Bedford troops returned home. The citizens, with the Bedford band. met them at White river, and escorted them into town. On account of the brilliant victory a large barbecue was held on July 6th in Foote's woods, north of town, and it was estimated that fully six thousand people were present. The procession formed in town and marched to the grounds, where a large ox was roasted in a pit. Dr. Benedict delivered
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