USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 5
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 5
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"There were many noble men who cast their lot in Spice Valley, but this sketch must be too brief to mention all. However, there are some that stand out above the rest and we will mention a few of them. The township is in- debted to two branches of the powerful Burton family which did so much in the development of the sister township of Marion. Eight of the ten brothers settled in Marion, but two came to Spice Valley, Hardin and Eli. The first was a Baptist preacher and farmer and a great deal more. He was a splendid type of man. He reared an intelligent family. Drs. John W. Burton and George W. Burton were his sons and did splendid service in their profession. Two other sons. Isom and Hardin, taught many schools in Spice Valley and were instrumental in bringing the schools to the high plane they have attained. A grandson, Jackson Burton, also did yeoman service in the uplift of the schools of this section. For the last twenty years he has been engaged in the mercantile business and is now a leading merchant in this part of the country.
"Eli Barnes, son of Joshua Barnes, heretofore mentioned, was one of the old teachers and served in the capacity of township assessor for many years.
"Richard Williams, who owned much fine land near Port William, was among the most substantial and respected of our early citizens. Dr. A. W. Bare was another leading citizen who lived a pleasant, gentle and useful life in the beautiful valley of Bryantsville.
"Spice Valley has quite a deposit of kaolin and alluminum clay and at one time this industry employed several men, but of late years the mines have not been worked.
"Some of the men of recent years who have been most active in the affairs
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of this township are Leonidas W. Spencer, Daniel W. Sherwood, Thomas J. Daniel and William Trowbridge. And now, as I close this short story, I wish to mention one of the latterday and present teachers, William McNabb. Since 1882 he has taught school almost continuously. He is original in his methods and never fails to inspire his pupils to strive for better things. There is hardly a district in the township in which he has not taught and always with the highest success. Were I asked the question. what man in the last thirty years has performed the greatest service in Spice Valley, the answer would be without a moment's hesitation, "Bill" McNabb."
HURON.
On February 12, 1859. John Terrell platted the town of Huron, on a part of the northeast quarter of section 6, township 3 north, range 2 west, and in April, 1868, an addition was made. In 1857 Anderson Beasley began as the first merchant, later was succeeded by James Coleman, also a black- smith. The first mill at Huron was built by L. Prosser in 1857. In Janu- ary, 1873, Huron was incorporated. The United States census for 1910 gives this town a population of one hundred and ninety-seven.
BRYANTSVILLE.
The date of the platting of Bryantsville was May 28, 1835, and Henry Connelly was the first settler. The town was first named Paris, but was later changed to its present name. Among the early merchants of the village were numbered Henry Weathers, Tucker Williams, Frederick R. Nugent, James Taylor and William Weathers. Alexander Coleman was the first blacksmith, and the first physician was S. A. Raridan. With the passing years not much growth has attended this town. Its population in 1910 was only seventy-five souls.
PERRY TOWNSHIP.
Perry township is situated in the northwest corner of Lawrence county, and is composed of the congressional thirty-six sections in township 6 north, range 2 west. The name Perry was given in honor of the famous sea com- mander who conquered the British on Lake Erie during the war of 1812. When Lawrence county was organized in 1818, all of the territory now in Perry township was a part of Indian Creek township. It was converted into an independent township on May 14, 1822, and included all of the land west of Salt creek and north of the line between townships 5 and 6 north.
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The following is a list of some of the early land entries in Perry town- ship, including some of the most prominent men in the county : Eli Powell. 1817: Alexander Clark, 1817: Jesse Davis, 1818; Warner Davis, 1816; Robert Holaday. 1816; Ralph Lowder, 1819: Benjamin Phipps, 1818; Mich- ael and Mathias Sears. 1817: William Newcomb, 1817: William Sackley, 1817; William Kern, 1817: Thomas Hopper, 1817: William Hopper. 1817; Jonathan Osborn, 1816: Azel Bush, 1818; Isaac V. Buskirk, 1818; Joseph Taylor, 1816: Benjamin Dawson, 1818; Archibald Wood, 1816; John Gray, 1817: William Kerr, 1817: William Tincher, 1817; Reuben Davis, 1816; Seymour Cobb. 1816; John Armstrong, 1817: Samuel Steel. 1817: John Duncan, 1817: Coats and Samuel Simon, 1817; John Dishman, 1818; Adam Hostetter, 1817. Others noteworthy among the early settlers were: Wesley Short, William Whitted, Aden Gainey, Samuel Owens, Caleb Odell, Nathan Melton, Kenneth Dve, John Jarvis, William McDowell. James McDowell. Thomas Cobb, Dixon Cobb, and later. Noah Bridwell, Elza Woodward, Zedekiah Robinson, Melcart Helmer, Samuel Tincher, Franklin Crooke, M. C. Rafferty, Milton Short, John and Thomas Hert. Thomas Armstrong, John Hedrick. John Rainbolt, Andrew McDaniel, James Beaty, Booker Wil- son, Martin Holmes, James Garton. Eliphalet Pearson, John D. Pedigo. John Vestal and A. H. Gainey.
Milling was the chief pioneer industry in the township, and the first mill was operated by Benjamin Dawson, beginning probably in the year 1818. This mill was a very primitive affair, and was abandoned in 1835, when water mills began to be built. Noah Bridwell conducted a horse mill run by a tramp wheel until 1840, also had a still in connection. Wesley Short also owned a small mill on his farm about. 1835. In the early forties Levi Butcher and Eliphalet Pearson had carding mills in the township, and they carded con- siderable quantities of wool brought in by the farmers. Pearson sold out to Elza Woodward, who in turn placed the mill in the hands of Zachariah Purdy. Under the last ownership the mill was abandoned in the fifties. Cot- ton was another produce raised in this portion of the county during the early days, and several cotton gins were constructed. Aden Gainey and Samuel Owens operated a gin for about seven years. This gin gained notoriety at the time from the fact that Lorenzo Dow preached a sermon there to one of the largest crowds ever assembled in the township.
Hunting constituted the prime sport of those days, deer and bear being very plentiful. John Gray, who came up from Kentucky in the fall of 1815, became noted for his skill as a hunter, and he killed enough game to support his family. He performed the feat of killing four deer with one
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bullet ; he shot two, recovered the bullet from the second deer, and later had two others lined up for a shot, using the same slug of lead.
SPRINGVILLE.
Samuel Owens laid out the village of Springville on July 11, 1832, on section 22, in the central portion of Perry township. Later additions were made in 1836 and 1846. Samuel Owens himself was the first merchant, and he began about 1825. Other men followed him, some of whom were A. H. Gainey, John Vestal, Eliphalet Pearson, Giles Gainey, Samuel Reddle, Cor- nelius Wells, Franklin Crooke, Jabez Owen, Thomas Butler, Winepark Judah, Dr. W. B. Woodward, James Tincher, J. E. Dean. The postoffice was established in 1825, and Samuel Owens was the first postmaster. Jabez Owens was the first blacksmith. Henry Lingle was the first doctor to locate in the village, and he came in about 1835. Springville today has about three hundred population and the usual number of stores and shops found in towns of its size. Its people are seemingly contented and happy.
INDIAN CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Indian Creek township is the center one of the three which form the western border of Lawrence county. The name is taken from the creek that enters at the northwest corner, leaving near the southwest corner. Salt creek and the East fork of White river form the eastern and southern bound- aries. The township is one of the original five, and now is much smaller than at first. at present comprising about fifty-three square miles. In the agricultural life of the county this township stands very high, by virtue of the excellence of the soil. The ground is rich bottom land in most places and is very productive, although not the most valuable in this respect in the county.
A few of the men who entered land in this township during the days up until 1820 were: Henry Speed, John Towell, Simon Ruebottom, Benjamin Beeson, Silas Dixon, Jonathan Lindley, Ephraim Lee, Isaac Williams, Joseph Richardson, Seymour Cobb, Archibald Wood, Felter Hughes, James Garton, David Sears, Jesse Towell. and Peyton Wilson, in 1816; David Ribelin, James Duncan, Adam Siler, John Duncan, John Cloud, John Roberts, Reu- ben Short, Jeremiah Boone, Elijah Boone, John Rochester, Wesley Short, John Crook, Daniel Todd, Abraham Kern, Robert Garton and R. Browning, William Dillard, John and Michael Waggoner. Joseph Sargeant. Henry
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Waggoner, Elbert Howard, Sullivan and Duncan, John Duncan, in 1817; Robert Wood, William Gartin, Henry Piersoll, Holland Pitman, William Dougherty, James Mulloy, Isaac Waggoner, William Cochran, Robert Mit- chell, Peyton Wilson and Martin Ribelin, in 1818; Andrew Howard, Sterling Sims, John Short, Albert Howard, Benjamin Chestnut and William Wood- run, in 1819: John Donaldson, in 1820.
The first elections of Indian Creek township were held by Joseph Sulli- van as inspector at Stepp's, but a little later were held at the house of Samuel Owens, not far from the present site of Springville. James Cully held the office of constable for the first time, and Patrick and Adam Tyler were over- seers of the township poor in 1819. In 1822, when Perry township was formed out of part of Indian Creek, the southern border was extended to White river, and the election place changed to the house of Frederick Hamer.
In the early days of Indian Creek township there were many grist mills situated within her borders. One of the earliest was situated on Indian creek, and was operated by water power. Robert Dougherty operated it in the year 1818, and then sold it to a man named Bowers. Henry Purcell owned it next, and in his hands it was shut down. John Craig, in 1824, built a horse mill on his farm, and ran it successfully for about ten years. This mill failing, Mr. Craig erected a new and better one, which descended to his son, Robert Craig. Elijah Garton had a "corn cracker" near what is now Fayetteville, and the power was furnished by an inclined wheel and a young steer. John Short, Simon Ruebottom, Oliver Cox and Isaac Rector also owned small mills.
The making of salt was at one time a good industry in the township. The value of the product was high, due to the poor transportation facilities with the outside world. In 1824 Joseph Laughlin dug a salt well on the farm owned by Jackson Kern, but the produce was not sufficient to pay for the expense of manufacture.
Samuel Simons, one of the earlier settlers, kept a tavern where Fayette- ville now stands. The bill of fare was very simple, consisting at times of roasting ears and sweet milk, for which a sum of twenty-five cents was charged. This tavern was kept for a period of two years, when the owner abandoned it and went to farming. Among the first merchants was John Vestal, who came to Fayetteville in 1816 or 1817, and there set up a stock of merchandise in a log house. He replenished his stock from Louisville, the goods being hauled from there in wagons. Frederick Hamer also undertook the merchandise trade in 1826, and enjoyed a very lucrative trade.
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WILLIAMS.
On the banks of the East fork of White river, in the southwestern portion of Indian Ceek township, is situated the village of Williams, located on the Chicago, Terre Haute & Southeastern railroad. The village is one of the most individual in its artistic beauty of any in the county. The houses are built upon and at the base of a thickly wooded hill, and the winding bank of White river encloses the whole into a spot of natural beauty and uncon- ventional form.
There are three hundred and fifty people in Williams. McCarty & Fer- guson, C. Wagner, Mundy Brothers, and J. H. Beavers own the general stores and have complete stocks. S. O. McClung, "the prophet of Eden," conducts a hotel and store. H. Barnes, Z. R. Craig and J. L. Sullivan have blacksmith shops. The physician is J. T. McFarlin.
One church is located here, the Church of Christ. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias both have lodges in Williams, the former having been established in 1907.
SOUTHERN INDIANA POWER COMPANY.
One of the strongest, if not the strongest, contributing forces to the importance of Williams is the presence of the main station of the Southern Indiana Power Company on White river, just below the village. This plant was built during the years 1910 and 1911, and its purpose is to supply the stone industry of Indiana with electrical power. The plant also lights the villages of the surrounding country and the cities of Bedford and Blooming- ton. There is at present a sub-station located at Bedford, one at Blooming- ton, and one near Saunders. The officers of the company are: H. C. Still- well, president : H M. Mansfield, vice-president, and Charles B. Fletcher, secretary-treasurer. The construction of the plant was in charge of the Mansfield Engineering Company, F. H. Burnette, chief engineer, and the electrical equipment and apparatus was designed by the Easterline Company, and installed by D. G. Angus, who is the present general manager.
The present generating capacity is 8,000 K .: 4.000 K. water and 4,000 K. of steam being generated. The plant is equipped with a hollow, rein- forced concrete dam, three hundred feet long, spanning the river, and it impounds the water to the water wheels, which are directly connected to umbrella-type generators. There are four of these units, 1,000 K. each, and with a maximum available head of seventeen feet. The steam plant consists
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
of two 750 K. generators directly connected to steam turbines, and one 2,500 K. generator, directly connected. A 2.442 horse-power boiler is being in- stalled. From the main station power is transmitted to the sub-station at Bedford over double transmission lines, supported on steel towers. A trans- mission line is being constructed from Bedford to Bloomington.
FAYETTEVILLE.
The village of Fayetteville was laid out on February 6, 1838, by Ezra Kern. and in October, 1874, an addition was made to the original by Noah Kern. Near the year 1818 John Vestal opened up the first merchandising house, his -place being constructed of logs, and his stock very small, but large for the day. The goods in his store were hauled by wagon from Louisville, Kentucky. Solomon R. Frazier, Ambrose Kern, Ambrose Parks, Robert Boyd, William C. Pitman, Milton Short. John Lackey, Ezra Kern and George W. Morris were later merchants. The earlier doctors of the village were E. F. Allen and Harvey Voyles. In 1910 Fayetteville had a population of about one hundred and twenty-five, being a mere country town trading place.
SILVERVILLE.
Robert C. McAfee platted the village of Silverville in 1855, on the 26th of July, and the whole originally comprised seventy-six lots. Lewis J. Baker was probably the first merchant, doing business here as early as 1850. Soon after Wallace Craig joined him. Dr. S. D. Honnochre was a druggist and doctor, also Dr. J. S. Blackburn. J. E. Kern owned a valuable grist mill, operated by steam power. In 1910 the census .tables show this town to have a population of two hundred and seventy.
PLEASANT RUN TOWNSHIP.
The northeast corner of Lawrence county is the location of Pleasant Run township, and it was created when the county was organized in 1818. The township now comprises sixty sections, being all of township 6 north, range I east, and the western half of township 6 north, range 2 east. As in Spice Valley township, the land is much too rough to be of great value for crops, although along the streams may be found some excellent land. Back. Leatherwood, Little Salt and Pleasant creeks cross the township, and from the latter the name is derived. In the list of Lawrence county townships
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIAN.A.
Pleasant Run had the fewest settlers until 1829. having but twenty-three land entries, as follows: Jesse Gilstrap, 1820: William Clark, 1820: Adam Hel- ton, 1820; William J. Anderson, 1818; Arnold Helton, 1818; E. Terrill. 1820; Heirs of Abraham Martin, 1820; Rene Julin, 1818; R. Brooks, 1820: Samuel Gwathney, 1820; Joseph Dayton, 1816: Joseph Trimble, 1820; E. Parr, 1820; Edmund Garrison, 1820: James Mundell, 1816; John McClellan, 1820; David Mckinney, 1816: Edward Moore, 1820; Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt, 1820; Vana Wilson. 1817: Jacob Woolery, 1820: Edward Tewell. 1820; and John N. Nichols, 1817.
Mills and distilleries were the chief vocations during the early days of the county. Adam Helton and a man named Mitchell owned a few of these mills, but on account of the scarcity of water they were compelled to wait until a storm before they could grind at all. Among the distilleries probably the most important one was that kept by William Clark, familiarly called Billy. John Hunter also kept a still on his farm.
The first elections of the township were held at the home of Joseph Dayton, with Thomas Henton as inspector. William Fish and Drury Mobley were overseers of the poor in the township.
HELTONVILLE.
The town of Heltonville, Pleasant Run township, was platted on Septem- ber 8, 1845. by Andrew Helton, on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 26, township 6 north, range 1 east. The town originally comprised twenty-seven lots, but since that time several additions have been made, en- larging the town. Before 1839 Andrew Helton opened the first merchandise store, first being a partner of William Templeton. Houston & Ragsdale were also among the first merchants. J. C. Foster, John R. Browning, George Brock, A. M. Ramsey, J. W. Browning, William Logan, James S. Denniston. William Elston, Jefferson Ragsdale, W. C. Denniston. M. D. Reid and An- drew S. Fountain, Dr. W. T. Ellison were following merchants and business men of the town. David Carson was one of the first blacksmiths, and John Raney, Ziba Owens, the Hamer brothers, Luke, James and John. and John Lane were wagon makers.
The present population of Heltonville is about four hundred and fifty. The town has no officers other than the township justices of peace, William F. Kinser and William Stackleather. G. N. Norman and B L. Store have general stores; J. S. Hanna, the postmaster, conducts a drug store ; Don Browning has a saw mill and the grain mill is run by the Williams Milling
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Company: J. M. Butchre, the East brothers, W. M. and George W., are blacksmiths ; J. W. Grubb has a dray line; Otto White is the proprietor of the hotel; R. E. Martin has a drug stock; D. B. Stafford is an undertaker ; Rags- dale & Alexander also have a general store. and L. R. Thompson owns a barber shop. The physicians are Drs. Jasper Cain, W. T. Ellison and Perry Woolery.
There are three churches in Heltonville, the Methodist, the Baptist and the Church of Christ. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows have a lodge in Heltonville, No. 532, which was granted a charter May 18, 1876. The first noble and vice grands were William Denniston and G. T. Starr, and the original lodge started with ten members. The Masons also had a charter in Heltonville in the early fifties and until 1822, when the charter was sur- rendered, and their building sold to the Odd Fellows. Major Bemen was the first worshipful master. There are many men in Heltonville, however, who belong to outside bodies of the Masonic order.
SHAWSWICK TOWNSHIP.
In the central part of the county is Shawswick township. On the south the East fork of White river flows, and on the west Salt creek. The land adjacent to these streams comprises the best agricultural ground within the borders of the county. Also, Leatherwood creek flows diagonally across the township from northeast to southwest, and the land through which this stream flows is named the Leatherwood district, and is famous for the rich- ness and fertility of the soil. Nearly all the land to the east of Bedford is under cultivation and the farms are supplied with the latest and best im- provements all indicative of the prosperity of the region. The bottom land along White river is a strong rival of the land of the Leatherwood district, and it is even claimed by some to be richer. The number of land entries made prior to and in 1820 proves how inviting the locality was to the settler coming on his way to the northward. These early land entries were as follows: James Mandell, Samuel Lindley, Ezekiel Blackwell, Hiram Kil- gore, Charles Kilgore. Preston Beck, William Bristoe, Reuben and Simpson Kilgore, Marguis Knight, Joseph Glover, James Gregory, John Hays, Will- iam Thornton, William Foot, John Gardner, John Williams and William Fisk in 1816: Dixon Brown, David Johnson, Thomas Thompson, John Hor- ton, Melcher Fehgelman, Robert Whitley, Vinson Williams, Peter Galbert, Martin Ribelin, William Dougherty, John Hawkins, Thomas McManus, Ross and McDonald. James Maxwell, Samuel Dougherty, Robert Dougherty, Alex-
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
ander Butler, George Silver, Thomas Elrod, Roger McKnight, Jacob Castle- man and Thomas Allen in 1817; Pleasant Padgett, Lewis Woody, James Blair, Andrew Owen, James Riggins, Mark Tully, William Denson, Stephen Shipman, Absalom Hart, Abraham Mitchell, John Spears, David Wilson, Timothy Ward, Arta Garrison, Ebenezer McDonald, Fetter and Hughes, Peter Harmonson, James Erwin and Henry McGree in 1818; T. McAfee, Michael Johnson, R. Bowles, James Blair. James Denson, Joseph James, James Owens, in 1819; Jacob Hikes, Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt, Dixon Brown, Roger McKnight, Jacob Geiger, Bartholomew Thatcher, Fetler and Hughes, Phillip Starr, J. Thompson, James Allen, Jonathan Henderson, Isaac Jamison, Samuel Gwathney, Thomas Maffitli, James Pace, Thomas Hill and Jacob Clark, in 1820.
Shawswick was one of the original five townships, and the name came in the following manner : A judge in the early history of the state bore the name of Wick, and he had many admirers in this county who insisted that the township should be named after him. One of the county commissioners at the same time, by the name of Beazley, had a comrade by the name of Shaw, who was killed in the battle of Tippecanoe. Beazley advocated the name of Shaw and had many supporters in his desire. The two parties finally com- promised on the name Shawswick.
It is highly probable that the first elections were held at the town of Palestine. Pleasant Parks was the inspector at the first voting, but in the following year was succeeded by William Kelsey. Joshua Taylor and James Mundle were chosen overseers of the poor in the same year. Instead of one constable, Shawswick township maintained that the dignity of the law could be upheld by no less than three, so accordingly Nathaniel Vaughn, William Dale and John Sutton were appointed as constables.
The many streams in the township gave rise to many water mills of various types, some for grinding grain and others for sawing timber. Early in the twenties Alexander Butler and Robert Dougherty built a saw mill on Leatherwood creek, about a mile and a half southeast of Bedford. The mill was run by a flutter wheel, which was faster and easier of operation than the undershot wheel. Edward Humpston, whose name was prominently identified with mills over the whole country, built another saw mill above the above mentioned one and on Leatherwood creek. After a time, and as was his custom, he sold the mill to Richard Evans, who ran the plant for seven years before abandoning it. Humpston also built a grist mill in 1826, which lasted for several years. It was operated by a breast water wheel. Farther up the creek, and near the present site of Erie, a grist and saw mill was
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
built in 1832 by Wesley and Michael Johnson. Also the Rawlins mill was among the best of the day, and was built by Joseph Rawlins about 1835. It was one of the largest in the county, having three runs of buhrs. and quan- tities of flour were shipped from here to all parts of the country By rail- road it was shipped north to Detroit and other northern cities, while the southern transportation was conducted by means of flatboats, principally down the Mississippi to New Orleans. There were many other mills, but each in turn suffered an ignominous end. either being abandoned by the owners or being washed out by a sudden rise in the streams.
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