USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 35
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Lee, William Hardin, Nelson Moore, Ebenezer McDonald, J. W. Lee, Aquilla Rogers, John Foster, Thomas Hadey, Granville Ward, James Dickins, Ste- phen S. Bigger, Susannah Lee, Jonathan Nichols, Reuben Fullen, Martha Brown, W. B. Brown, Joshua Howe and James Brown. The land upon which the town had been located was purchased from Jonathan and David Rogers and Robert Graham. The Roger brothers were paid one thousand two hundred dollars for such land and Mr. Graham nine hundred dollars for one hundred and fifty acres soon after the first sale of lots. At the original sale of lots Jonathan Nichols, surveyor, laid out two hundred and eight lots and received thirty cents each for his surveying services. Benjamin Parks was allowed, as agent for the county, thirty-three dollars and fifty cents for the whisky used at the lot sale. The spirits were received from Whisenand. Robinson Graham was chain carrier; Aquilla Rogers, chain carrier: John Owen, chain carrier; Lewis Noel was "crier" or auctioneer. James Parks was clerk of the sale. Jonathan Rogers was "tapster" and dealt out the whisky, and was allowed one dollar a day for his services as bartender. There was a shortage of about fifteen per cent. when the lots come to be finally settled for. A few sold for over two hundred dollars each-not many so high, however. The sale was "spirited," of course, but the county lost about thirty per cent. of the purchase price before the collections were all made.
The cash receipts from the town lot sales from November, 1820, to November, 1821, were $3,860. Of this amount $3,207 was expended. In February, 1822, the agent reported in his possession notes from the sale of lots to the amount of over $18,000. This fund was the most extensive and useful in the county's early history and organization.
BLOOMINGTON PLATS.
By Ulysses S. Hanna, City Engineer.
In 1818 the county commissioners of the newly organized county of Monroe purchased two quarter sections of land, bounded by the township line near Third street on the south, by the quarter section lines of Dunn street on the east, in Tenth street on the north and on the west side of Oak street on the west.
Jonathan Nichols, grandfather of the members of the present firm of Nichols & Nichols, architects, was employed by the commissioners to lay out and establish the town site of Bloomington for the seat of justice of the new county. He was ordered to make the streets eighty-two and one-half feet wide, alleys, twelve feet wide and the lots sixty-six feet wide by a hundred and
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thirty-two feet long, the lots to face on the four main streets bordering the court house square, originally called North, South, East and West Main streets, now known as Sixth street, Fifth street or Kirkwood avenue. Wal- nut street and College avenue.
He first located the court house square on the rather prominent knoll. as it then lay in the cornfield that it was, two hundred and seventy-six feet square. He evidently used the compass to determine the north and south line without making any correction for the declination of the needle, the streets now running about five degrees east of true north. The four corners of the square were marked by stone a foot square and six feet long set in the ground as far as the limestone under the soil would permit. It happened that the southwest corner of the square fell over a crevice in the limestone and this stone might probably be still in place if it had not been removed in 1864 to place a Lincoln flag pole in the hole it occupied. The stub of such a pole was found at this point, well preserved, and a part of it was removed when the brick pavement was placed about the square in 1910. Frank Bishop is one yet living who saw the stone removed at the time of the flag-pole raising, and he states that the stone was afterwards broken up and used for macadam on the streets. If these stones had been smaller and less in the way as obstruc- tions they might all have remained in place to the present time.
Mr. Nichols first laid out three rows of blocks two hundred and seventy- six feet square, each containing eight lots and a twelve-foot alley each way through the center of the block. These first platted blocks lie between Third street and Sixth street. He was ordered to add two more rows of blocks on the north, thus extending the plat to what is now Eighth street. The four corners of this original plat of in-lots were at some time marked by corner stones of the same size as those marking the corners of the public square. These stones were yet in position in 1848 when County Agent Tanner laid out the east fractional lots, and such a stone is still in its place at Eighth and Jackson streets. David Hughes has stated that he remembers the one as it stood at Third and Jackson streets when he was a boy at play about that place. In a search for evidence of the stone on Third street, near Dunn street. at the tirne of the construction of Third street in 1911. a hole in the very red clay two and one-half feet across and four feet deep, filled in with light and dark streaks of soil, with clay, was found one hundred and fifty-five feet west of the quarter section line in Dunn street where the stone was located accord- ing to County Agent Tanner's description. The stone at the northeast corner of the plat of in-lots, on Eighth street near Dunn street, was probably removed some time soon after 1848 in the construction of vats for the old Alexander
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tannery, which occupied the lots on either side of the stone. These old vats were cut through when constructing the Dunn street drain across Eighth street in 1907, near the position of the stone as given by Tanner, one hun- dred and twenty-seven and a half feet west of the quarter section line in Dunn street.
These three hundred and fifty-two in-lots did not occupy all of the two quarter sections purchased, in any direction from the public square, and the county agent at once proceeded to lay out out-lots of various sizes much larger than the in-lots. Seventeen were platted on the west in 1819, numbered from I to 17, nine on the south, numbered from 18 to 26, and twenty on the north, numbered from 27 to 46, exclusive of Graham's Reserve, a parcel of land held by Mr. Graham, the former owner of the west quarter section. In 1848 County Agent Tanner platted what remained east of the in-lots into six lots numbered from 353 to 358, a continuation of the in-lot numbers instead of the out-lot numbers, although the lots, excepting 358, were much more than twice the size of the in-lots. The plats of some of these out-lots as they occur in the records do not show the signatures and acknowledgments of the county agent and because of this fact some litigation has arisen in which certain property holders have taken the interesting position of claiming title to their property by reason of the plat and at the same time denying the rights of the public to the easements for streets as shown by the plat. Most of the out-lots west and north have been replatted into city lots.
In 1820 the west half of section 4 and the east half of section 5. in town- ship 8 north, range I west, which lie immediately south of the two quarter sections purchased for the site of the town of Bloomington, were platted into the Seminary Square, containing ten acres, the first site of Indiana University, where the city high school is now located, and eighty seminary square lots surrounding it. These lots were of different sizes from those immediately abutting the Square, which are about the size of two ordinary city lots, up to twenty-seven acres, the area of lot 80 in the southeast corner of the plat. Very many of these lots have been sub-divided, either platted or sold by metes and bounds, into building lots.
Similar amounts of land east and west of these first seminary lots were soon afterwards platted into seminary lots and many of these have also been sub-divided into building lots. Most, if not all, of the corners of these sem- inary lots were marked by corner stones, a great many of which are still in place. The first set of these lots platted was "circumscribed" by an alley which is now Henderson street on the east and Walker street on the west. Both of these streets are thirty-three feet in width and measurements of the
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lots and locations of the section lines show that the alley was the same width on the north and on the south of the lots. The alley on the north was aban- doned because of the platting of the south fractional lots just north of it along Third street, thus putting two streets only fifty-three feet apart. The descrip- tion given in McCullouch's Addition states that this alley was afterwards vacated by an act of the Legislature. The south fractional lots are given on the plat as eighty links in width. The part of the alley occupied by the owners of these fractionals, as shown by the lines as now located, increases the width of the fractionals to about seventy-six feet and in this way the original width of eighty links has come to be confused with eighty feet and many deeds have passed for this width, resulting even in some litigation.
The chain used by Surveyor Nichols in laying out these original plats was evidently much worn, so much so that there is a surplus of about one to six inches to the lot of sixty-six feet. The surplus is greatest on the level por- tions of the plats, as on Dunn street, and is least on Eighth street, where there were four considerable hills and valleys over which to survey. The presence of this varying surplus has been the cause of much confusion as to lines and in some cases has led surveyors to miss the original location of a lot line by several feet. Different surveyors have gotten quite different locations for the same lot and many people, not knowing the cause of the glaring discrepancies, have come to have no faith at all in some surveyors in particular and very little faith in surveyors in general. An effort is now being made to locate the original lines accurately and corner stones are being placed on the lot corners at the street intersections so that purchasers of lots can see the lines of the property they are buying. Very naturally the owners of many properties that have encroached on the streets, particularly owners of corner lots who wish to occupy them with two or three houses, complain that the stones injure the sale of the property, which is probably quite correct. On the other hand the city authorities feel that in justice to the public and to purchasers of real estate the stones should plainly mark the lines, so that within perhaps the next fifty years when the greater part of the original in-lots come to be used for business properties instead of for residences the streets will be ample in width for the traffic that is certain to develop.
THE BEGINNING OF BLOOMINGTON.
Much of the population, at the date of organization, lay in the neigh- borhood of the respective county-seat town. Many citizens visited the spot set apart by the board for the seat of justice. The streets running north and
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south, beginning on the west, were named Poplar, Cherry, Spring, West, East, Walnut, Blue and Buck. Those running east and west, beginning on the south, were called Water, South, North and Washington. Since then some of these street names have been changed. The settlement of the town was indeed wonderful. By the end of 1818 not less than thirty families resided in the place in hastily-built log cabins, or rude frame houses, from the saw-mill of old Mir. Blair. A log court house had been built in which was taught the first school in the county. Stores and blacksmith shops had been set in operation ; tailors, saloons, hotels, and an irregular stage service had been instituted-at least they received their mail (once in a while). The town had a possible population of a hundred and fifty souls. In 1820 the population had reached three hundred.
The first store had been opened in 1818 by William Hardin, who had about a hundred dollars worth of general goods and a large stock in whisky. He also kept a tavern. The second tavern was by George Whisenand, and he also handled liquors at his tavern bar. Separate stores were soon opened by Messrs. Howe, Owens and Batterton. Liquor in those days was always classed as "wet groceries." In 1824 the population had reached quite the five hundred mark, and Bloomington was known as one of the best towns in this portion of the state.
About 1820 Austin Seward commenced the manufacture of wagons, as did also Benjamin Noel. William Alexander built a tannery in the east part of town, and Col. Joseph Campbell started one a mile west of town. Blair & Lowe owned a horse mill and David Tucker owned another. Here grain was ground in a most crude manner, and bolted by hand, the owner of the grain doing the turning act. The toll was one-sixth. Thacker's mill supplied his small distillery with grain. About a barrel of whisky was pro- duced per day. A man named Garner conducted a saw-mill near the college grounds, the propelling force being cattle or horses on a tread-mill. Ellis Stone started a carding mill in 1820, and this was operated by means of a tread-wheel. He occupied his log building for more than twenty years. He pinned up his packages of rolls with thorns gathered from the woods by boys whom he hired. In 1824 Haws Armstrong was operating a fulling- mill, which he had started in 1820. He also made a superior article of gun- powder. Where the high school building later stood a tannerv was operated by Samuel Dodds. In 1823 John and Samuel Orchard started a carding machine. run by ox-power. They also manufactured much linseed oil. Seward made axes, plows and wagons. In 1823 F. C. Moberly kept a tavern
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and J. H. Lucas opened his store that year. Lucas was uneducated, but ran for the Legislature against William Alexander, and by reason of his inter- esting stories-some smutty-he captured the baser element and was elected to the office. The old ledgers of the firms of A. & J. Owens, Henry Batterton and J. O. Howe show that goods sold at three times as much as they brought thirty years ago in Monroe county. Calico (prints) were from twenty-five to fifty cents ; while wheat, corn and oats were worth from twenty to forty cents per bushel. Good money was scarce. Paper money was plenty, but was worth much less than face value. Silver and gold were very seldom in circulation. Small denominations were scarce in silver for years, and quar- ters were cut in half and the pieces called "sharp-shins" and passed current for six and a quarter cents, or twelve and a half cents, according to their size. Farmers, however, could barter their produce for goods, the demand always regulating the supply and prices paid. This forced merchants into pork-packing and grain buying and to the construction of flat-boats for the conveyance of produce to the Southern markets.
GENERAL MUSTER DAY.
The present generation knows nothing, save by reading such accounts as the following, concerning the early-day militia training and muster days. From an old reminiscence of Bloomington we quote the following : "Bloom- ington was the rendezvous for the general muster of the county militia once every year. In addition to that, there were company and regiment musters .. though the battalion or general muster was by far the most universally at- tended. On these occasions old Brigadier-General Lowe donned his uni- form and turned-up continental hat, buckled on his sword, and conducted the muster in person. On that day, men were free-that is, they were privi- leged from arrest, except for crime. They could fight, run horses. drink all kinds of liquid hell, and rave through the county seat at will, on the public streets and grounds, and no one could molest and make them afraid. The . old muster, or parade, ground was two or three or more blocks east of the public square, that portion of the town then being open. The muster was little better than a farce, and was chiefly enjoyed for the sports invariably present. Wrestling, jumping and shooting at a mark were among the popu- lar sports. At one of these gatherings two men became involved in a ques- tion of honor and with true Kentucky spirit proposed to settle the matter with a fist fight. One was an experienced fighter. the other was not, and
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
both were athletic, full of pluck and wind. Both stripped to the waist and the experienced man stepped into a door nearby, where stood a barrel of soft soap, which he quickly smeared over the upper half of his body and re- sumed his position ready for the fight. The slight delay led friends to inter- cede and the fight was compromised at this juncture, though the experienced man refused to withdraw unless his antagonist paid for the soap, which cost a picayune, which was accordingly done."
Many another savage and protracted fight was witnessed on the public square in those early times. Election days were similarly observed. Now an occasional encampment, or annual drill by the National Guard, is about all we know of military affairs, in a local way.
THE TOWN FROM 1830 TO 1840.
In 1830 the population of Bloomington was not less than seven hundred. At that time the Indiana College had a large attendance and a large corps of instructors, with a superior curriculum. This institution, which was built in 1823, was the pride of the town and the means of greatly and rapidly increasing its population, enterprise and material wealth. The town also boasted a flourishing newspaper, if such an issue can be said to have been flourishing. The citizens had incorporated the village a number of years be- fore, and this was another source of joy and congratulation. In addition to all this, there were numerous factories of leather, liquor, domestic and farm implements, flour, tailor goods, oil and numerous stores, shops, offices, me- chanics, artisans, tradesmen, educators, professional men and speculators. The incorporated town of Bloomington was indeed a prosperous place.
During the decade just named the place grew to one of about one thou- sand population : the County Seminary had been built in 1835: females only, at that date, could be admitted. The State University had a scholarship of about two hundred; there were two lively newspapers after the middle of the decade; there were four churches and large congregations. Merchants had greatly enlarged their stocks and had commenced to pack pork; the Sewards were doing a large business in all kinds of iron work; D. Batterton was making large quantities of stoves and hollow ware; Phillip Murphy & Co. were manufacturing a variety of men's hats that found ready sale here and elsewhere over this section of Indiana. J. Mccullough was tanner and currier : S. P. Seall was mine host at the Globe inn: William Lowe was post- master; T J. Ryan manufactured saddles; the master tailors were Abram Funk, W. J. Flurry, A. Labertew, S. T. Hardesty, who at that date signed a
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schedule of prices for cutting and making clothes: all branches were well
represented. In 1837 the old market house was erected, by citizens paying two hundred dollars and the county paying a like amount. Here it was that town folk went to market, instead of to groceries as today. This mar- ket house continued until late in the fifties. A saxe-horn band was organized and made the streets lively with its own peculiar music.
FROM 1840 TO 1850.
Bloomington kept on growing. It was during this decade that the temperance struggle was prosecuted with great vigor, so much so that most of the liquor dealers were driven from the place. The leading industries were the carding of wool, by Thomas Hardesty: Major Hite's steam flouring mill and carding mill : McCrum's grist mill, the numerous tanneries. wagon and iron works : saddle and harness shops, hatters, etc. The old town incor- poration had been revived in 1847, and the census showed a population of about twelve hundred souls.
FROM 1850 TO 1860.
It was during this era that Bloomington's first bank was opened, and the woolen factory of Mr. Holtzman was established and doing a large, profitable business. His advertisement in the county newspaper read as fol- lows: "BLOOMINGTON FACTORY .- The undersigned wishes to inform the citizens of Monroe and the adjoining counties, that we have built a large addition to our factory, and put up steam power : we are now ready to re- ceive any quantity of wool, to be carded into rolls or spun into yarn, at the following prices : For carding white, six and one-fourth cents per pound, or one-sixth of the wool. Mixed, eight and one-third. For carding and spinning, seventeen cents per pound, if not reeled; if reeled, twenty cents. All wool should be well washed and picked. The following is the best method for washing fine wool: Fill a large kettle with water. bring to near a boiling heat, add salt to make it a strong brine, put in some of the wool, not enough of double-coverlets and carpetings of a variety of patterns. The work will with water, adding a little more salt. We will also continue the manufacture rinse in clean water ; do not empty the kettle, keep up the heat, keep it filled to crowd the kettle, stir gently three or four minutes, take out the wool and
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be done by experienced workmen. We do it promptly and must have prompt pay.
"Blomington, Ind., May, 1858.
"A. HOLTZMAN & SON."
The extensive mills of Mr. Helton carried this notice to the public :
"BLOOMINGTON MILLS .-- We would announce to the citizens of the sur- rounding country that these mills are in complete running order, and would solicit their patronage. We shall endeavor to do our 'custom work' with the utmost dispatch. Having in our employ men of experience and skill and having most improved machinery, we flatter ourselves that we are able to give general satisfaction, both as to quality and quantity. We will grind, either for toll or exchange, flour for wheat. Terms: One-sixth toll. Ex- change : Thirty-eight pounds of flour for white wheat. and thirty-six for red wheat, and a half bushel of bran for each merchantable bushel of wheat. Grists to be ground we would prefer to be eight or ten bushels, or more. 50,000 bushels of wheat wanted !!! The highest market price paid for wheat and corn. Flour, meal and feed always on hand, and for sale. Extra family flour from selected wheat, put up in half and quarter barrel bags, and ALWAYS WARRANTED.
"Bloomington, Ind., August 20, 1858.
"A. HELTON & COMPANY."
BLOOMINGTON MAIL SERVICE.
Mails were sent and received in the decade between 1855 and 1860 as follows: "Arrival and departure from the Bloomington office-From New Albany (by railroad ) arrives 5 :25 p. m., and departs north immediately.
"From Michigan City (by railroad) arrives at 10:25 a. m. ; departs south at 10:45 a. m.
"From Columbus (by two-horse hack), arrives every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 12 m. ; and departs every Monday and Friday at 8 a. m.
"From Indianapolis via Martinsville (by two-horse hack), arrives every Tuesday and Friday at 12 m. ; and departs same day at I p. m.
"From Point Commerce via White Hall (horseback), arrives every Thursday at I p. m. ; and departs same day at 1:30 p.m."
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
MARKET QUOTATIONS.
In the month of August, 1858, the following were the market quotations in Bloomington ( from Dunn & Co.'s reports, corrected each Friday) : Wheat, 55 to 65 cents ; oats, 30 cents ; corn, 35 to 40 cents; wheat flour, per hundred pounds, $2: corn meal, per bushel, 40 to 50 cents; potatoes per bushel, 50 to 75 cents : bacon, per pound, 4 to 7 cents ; lard, 7 to 8 cents ; butter, 10 to 12 cents; eggs, per dozen, 5 cents ; sugar, per pound, II to twelve and a half cents ; coffee, per pound, 14 to 20 cents.
The prices quoted in August, 1913, are: Wheat, 95 cents; oats, 40 cents ; corn, 72 cents; flour, $2.50 per hundred ; potatoes, 80 cents; bacon, 18 to 28 cents; lard, 18 cents: butter, 30 cents (best) ; eggs, 16 cents per dozen ; sugar, 6 cents ; coffee, 20 to 35 cents.
BUSINESS OF 1884.
In 188.4-twenty-nine years ago-the following industries were flour- ishing in Bloomington: Baldridge & Gourley, flouring mills ; Gamel Peter- son and Joseph Alexander, saw mills; Holtzman Brothers, woolen mills ; Waldron. Hill & Co., spoke factory : chair and table factory, Showers, Dodd & Co .: John Waldron, tanner: C. J. McCalla, planing mills : J. H. Garrison. brick yards : George Seiner, cigar factory.
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES IN 1912.
From an authentic list compiled by the Bloomington Commercial Club in 1912, of all industries of importance, we take the liberty to here quote :
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