USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 6
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > History of Lawrence and Monroe counties, Indiana : their people, industries, and institutions > Part 6
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OOLITIC.
Three miles and a half northwest of Bedford in Shawswick township, is situated the town of Oolitic with a present population of ahout two thou- sand. a substantial growth since the census of 19to, when it was 1.079. Under the statutes of Indiana. the village of Oolitic was incorporated as a town in 1900. The present town officers are: Trustees, Marshall Miller, S. L. Roberts and Ira M. Carmichael: marshal, Joseph Pace: clerk and treas- urer. R. V. Worman. The town has no water system, but is supplied with electricity by the Oolitic Light. Heat & Power Company, which was estab- lished in April. 1913. The city has a town hall.
The business interests of 1913 are as follows : H. L. Paxton and Wal- ter Mosier, attorneys: blacksmiths. M. Anderson and H. L. Clark : barbers, Smallwood & Johnson, and Noah Harney ; clothing stores. E. H Riddell ; dry goods. R. Dobbins, Berney Mitchell and Isaac Siletz; drug stores, I. A. Smallwood. C. V. George and Harvey H. Belton : furniture, Ooolitic Furni- ture Company. Meadows & Meadows, proprietors, and the Miller Furniture Company : grocery stores. Cook & Cook, D. Watson. W. M. Cuddy. Harry Byers. Deford Brothers: dray lines, H. L. Clark, Ira M. Carmichael; shoe stores, J. A. Bush, also a jewelry and general store keeper ; grain dealers, William Cuddy. Claude Cook and Delbert Watson : livery. H. L. Clark and Thrasher Brothers; hardware. A. C. Clark; lumber. Ziba Owens, Gilbert Pierce and the Oolitic Lumber Company: grain mill. Arch Anderson: mil- linery, Mrs. Joseph Pace and Mrs. Clarinda Smallwood : meat markets. Del- bert Watson and Deford Brothers. The physicians of Oolitic are R. B. Short. Oliver Mclaughlin. Claude Dollins and Dr. Ray. Dr. J. B. Blessing is the dentist. There is one newspaper. the Progressive.
The town of Oolitic owes its existence mainly to the stone industry. The town is a center of many quarries and mills bearing a world-wide reputa-
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIAN.I.
tion. Among the principal ones surrounding the town are: The Indiana Stone Company, the Reed Stone Company, the Indiana Quarries Company, the Consolidated Stone Company, the Furst-Kerber Company, and the Ingles Stone Company. A drive through the country nearby reveals mammoth stacks of cut stone, black smoke from myriad mill chimneys, and stone- heaped cars sidetracked ready to be rushed to different points of the country. The workers live in the picturesque and beautiful hills of Lawrence county. close to their working ground, little noting the magnificent proportions and impressive detail of the wooded and rocky elevations around them.
In Oolitic there are three churches, the Baptist, the Methodist and the Church of Christ. The lodges are the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. including the encampment and the Rebekah.
ABANDONED TOWNS.
Scattered over the county are several towns, or rather, sites of towns. which stand as lonely monuments to villages once flourishing. but abandoned to decay on account of some climatic or commercial reason.
Liberty, four miles and a half southwest of Bedford, is one of these. This village was platted in 1829, and several small buildings immediately sprang up. John S. Daughton, Frank Tilly, Alexander H. Dunihue were among the early merchants. The health conditions finally became so bad that residence there was dangerous, and accordingly the town was abandoned.
Woodville, laid out December 10, 1849, by Edwin Wood, was located on the Louisville. New Albany & Chicago railroad. The proprietor of the town manufactured lumber.
Redding was laid ont by Robert Porter and John R. Nugent. on August 25. 1842. and was situated on the southwest quarter of section 15. This town has passed into history.
Juliet, also, has been relegated to the ages. This village was opened in . 1850 on the southwest corner of section 11. During the first years, the town was the terminus of the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago railroad, and con- sequently hecame a trade center. The completion of the road to the north ruined the town, however, and early death was its fate.
For other defunct places see "Village Plats" in Miscellaneous chapter of this work.
CHAPTER IV.
ORGANIZATION OF LAWRENCE COUNTY.
At one time Lawrence county was a part of Washington and also, at an- other date, of Orange county. The act of the Legislature creating Lawrence county out of a part of Orange county was approved January 7, 1818, and reads as follows :
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That from and after the third Monday of March next, all that part of the county of Orange contained in the following bounds shall form and constitute a separate county, viz. : Beginning at the range line dividing ranges 2 and 3 west, at the center of township 3 north, and running thence east to the line dividing the counties of Washington, Orange and Jackson ; thence north with said line dividing townships 6 and 7 north ; thence west with said line dividing ranges 2 and 3 west; thence south with said range line to the place of beginning.
"Section 2 .- The said new county shall be known and designated by the name and style of the county of Lawrence, and shall enjoy all the rights and privileges and jurisdictions which separate counties do or may properly be- long or appertain : Provided, that all suits, pleas, plaints, actions and pro- ceedings in law or equity which may have been commenced or instituted be- fore the third Monday of March next, and shall be pending in the county of Orange shall be prosecuted and determined in the same manner as if this act had not passed : provided, also, that all taxes which may be due on the said third Monday of March next shall be collected and paid in the same manner and by the same officers as if the said new county of Lawrence had not been formed.
"Section 3 .- Abraham Huff, of Jackson county, Abraham Bosley, of Orange county, Joel Holbert. of Daviess county, William Hobbs, of Wash- ington county, and George Boone, of Harrison county, are hereby appointed commissioners agreeable to the act entitled 'An act for the fixing the county seat of justice in all new counties hereafter to be laid off.' The commission- ers above named shall convene at the house of James Gregory in said county of Lawrence on the third Monday of March next, and shall immediately proceed to discharge the duties assigned them by law. It is hereby made
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
the duty of the sheriff of Orange county to notify the said commissioners, either in person or by written notification, of their appointment on or before the first day of March next, and the said sheriff of Orange county shall receive from the said county of Lawrence so much as the county commissioners shall deem just and reasonable, who are hereby authorized to allow the same out of any moneys in the county treasury, in the same manner other claims are paid.
"Section 4 .- The circuit and other courts of the county of Lawrence shall be holden at the house of James Gregory, in the said county, until suit- able accommodations can be had at the seat of justice, and so soon as the courts of said county are satisfied that suitable accommodations can be had at the county seat, they shall adjourn thereto, after which time all the courts of the county shall be holden at the county seat of Lawrence county established as directed by this act.
"Section 5 .- The agent who shall be appointed to superintend the sale of lots at the county seat of Lawrence county shall receive ten per sent. out of the proceeds thereof, and pay the same over to such person or persons as may be appointed by law to receive the same for the use of a library for the county, which he shall pay over at such time or times as may be directed by law. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the third Mon- day of March next."
Approved January 7, 1818.
From this enactment it will be observed that originally Lawrence county did not comprise two tiers of sections north and south along the eastern side which now fall within her borders. These two tiers included the towns of Leesville and Fort Ritner, both of which were in existence in 1822, at which date, through the influence, mainly, of these towns, by means of petitions, the following enactment of the Legislature was secured :
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That from and after the first day of January next, all that part of the county of Jackson included within the following boundaries. to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of section 16, township 5, range 2 east, thence east two miles to the northeast corner of section 15, thence south to the Driftwood fork, of White river, thence down said river to the line which at present divides the counties of Jackson and Lawrence, thence to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby attached to the county of Lawrence, and shall after the date above mentioned be deemed and taken as a part of Lawrence to all in- tents and purposes to form and constitute a part of said county of Lawrence : Provided, however, that all suits, pleas, plaints and proceedings which shall (5)
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIAN.A.
have been commenced and pending within the said county of Jackson previous to the said first day of January next, shall be prosecuted to final effect in the same manner as if this act had not been passed; provided, further, that the state and county taxes which may be due on the said ist of January next shall be collected and paid in the same manner and by the same officers as if this act had not been passed. This act to be in force from and after the first day of January, 1823."
Approved December 31, 1822.
FIRST CIVIL TOWNSHIPS.
Before the organization of Lawrence county in 1818, and while the territory was yet attached to Orange county. all the present county north of the river, except two tiers of sections on the east and a small tract on the southeast, was organized as Leatherwood township, and that portion of the present county south of the White river was part of the northern tier of town- ships in Orange county, except the old township of Bono, which had been created by the commissioners of Orange county, in January, 1817, with the following limits: Beginning on White river at the northwest corner of Washington county, thence south to the Cincinnati road, thence west to Fish- ing creek. thence north to White river; thence north with the section line which crosses at the mouth of said creek three miles, thence east to Jackson county, thence south to the beginning. Leatherwood township had been created early in 1816. The following is the results of the August, 1816, election, in Leatherwood township :
For Governor-Posey 12. Jennings 4; for Congress-Hendricks 16, Thom none, Sullivan none ; senator-Rawlins 16, DePauw none, Clark none ; representative-Jonathan Lindley, 13. Pinnick, none, Lewis none; sheriff- Roberts 7. Lindley 6; coroner-Crawford 13, Clendenin, none.
ACTS OF THE FIRST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
March IT, 1818, the county commissioners, Ambrose Carlton, Thomas Beagley and James Stotts, met at the house of James Gregory for the trans- action of such business as might come before them. The election of the cir- cuit clerk was contested and a new election was ordered. James Stotts, Jr., was appointed lister; John Anderson, county treasurer, and Robert M. Carl- ton, county agent. On the third day of this session, the commissioners pro- ceeded to divide the county into two civil townships, Shawswick and Spice
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIAN.A.
Valley. Shawswick was as follows: Beginning at the mouth of Salt creek, thence up to the line dividing townships 5 and 6; thence east to the county line; thence south to Guthrie creek; thence down the same to where sections II, 12, 13 and 14 unite ; thence west with the line dividing sections 11 and 14 one mile ; thence south with the line dividing sections 14 and 15 to the county line; thence west to the southwest corner of section 17, township 3. range I west ; thence north to White river ; thence up to the beginning.
Spice Valley township included all of the present Spice Valley town- ship, together with all of Indian creek township south of the dividing line of sections 19 and 30, township 5, range 2 west. Indian Creek township in- cluded all of Lawrence county west of Salt creek and north of the line divid- ing sections 19 and 30, township 5 north, range 2 west. Bono township com- prised all of the county southeast of Shawswick township. Pleasant Run township comprised all of the county east of Indian Creek township and north of Shawswick township.
Pleasant Parks was appointed inspector of elections in Shawswick and elections were ordered held at the cabin of Thompson, on the north bank of White river, near Palestine. Elections in Spice Valley were ordered held at Absalom Field's, with himself as inspector : Indian Creek, at the house of Mr. Stipps, with Joseph Sullivan. inspector : in Bono, at Bono Village, with Elisha Simpson, inspector; in Pleasant Run, at the house of Joseph Dayton, with Thomas Henton. inspector. Two justices of the peace were ordered elected in each township, April 25, 1818. The report of the county-seat-locating commissioners was adopted and spread upon the county's record as follows :
THE COUNTY SEAT FIXED.
"To the Board of Commissioners in and for the County of Lawrence, State of Indiana : We, the Commissioners appointed by an act bearing date January 7, 1818, to fix the seat of justice in the county of Lawrence have in conformity to our appointments met at the house of James Gregory, and in pursuance of the duty assigned us by law, after being sworn, proceeded to discharge the duty enjoined upon us by law, and therefore take the liberty of reporting accordingly that we have selected and fixed upon two hundred acres of land on the north side of White river and on both sides of the second principal meridian line, which said land is given as a donation to the county aforesaid by Benjamin and Ezekiel Blackwell, Henry Speed and Henry H. Massie. Said land is bounded as follows: Beginning on the river below the meridian line sixty-four poles ; thence north sixty-nine degrees west thirty
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poles to a gray ash : thence north thirty-six degrees west eighty-two poles; thence north fourteen degrees west eighty poles; thence north fifty-four de- rees east one hundred and sixty-seven poles to the river; thence west with the meanders of the same to the beginning- containing two hundred acres. Hav- ing taken the necessary bond for the title, your commissioners find nothing further to do in the discharge of the duty assigned them by law, and beg leave to report. Given under our hands and seals this 21st day of March, 1818. Furthermore, we the commissioners aforesaid have thought proper to make a reserve of one lot for Benjamin Blackwell, provided the said Blackwell will for the same pay such price as lots lying in the same situation and in value sell for at the sale of lots in said town.
"ABRAHAM HUFF, "ABRAHAM BOSLEY, "JOEL HOLBERT, "WILLIAM HOBBS, "GEORGE BOON, "Locating Commissioners."
"We, the Commissioners as above, do state that we spent each the num- ber of days affixed to our names: Abraham Huff, 8 days, $24; Abraham Bosley, 8 days, $24; Joel Holbert, 8 days, $24; William Hobbs, 8 days, $24; George Boon, II days, $33."
PALESTINE-FIRST COUNTY SEAT.
At the suggestion of Benjamin Blackwell, the first county seat of Law- rence county was named "Palestine." The commissioners were given war- rants for their services and to be paid out of the first money paid in on the sale of town lots. Under the direction of the county commissioners, early in May, 1818, County Agent Robert M. Carlton laid out two hundred and seventy-six lots in Palestine, which were ordered advertised for sale May 25, 1818, in the Louisville Correspondent, the Indiana Gasette, the Western Sun, the Salem Tocsin and the Madison paper. Steps were immediately taken to build a courthouse and jail.
Thus fairly launched on the sea of a separate county, Lawrence began to transact her own business, which will be treated in the following chapter.
From time to time, the county has created new townships and changed the boundaries of other townships. until it is now well sub-divided.
After the first township divisions above mentioned, came the creation of
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PALESTINE COURT HOUSE
Drawn from memory by the late Alfred C. Hamm, who, as a carpenter's apprentice, assisted in building it.
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Perry township in May, 1822, and Indian Creek township was extended south to the river. Flinn township was created about that date. That portion of the county to the south of Fort Ritner, in the bend of the river, was attached to Bono township. January 23, 1826, Marion township was created, with its limits eight miles east and west, and from Orange county to the river, north and south. In June, 1855, Marshall township was created, its limits being all and no more than congressional township 6 north, range I west; all south- west of Salt creek was in 1856 attached to Shawswick. In March, 1866, a petition signed by one hundred and eighty residents of the territory con- cerned was presented to the commissioners, asking for a new township to be formed out of Shawswick, Bono and Flinn, asking that the same be called Morton township, but after much deliberation the township was named Guth- rie, after an old pioneer family of Lawrence county. It was bounded about the same as it still exists.
The latest changes in township boundaries in this county was effected in the winter of 1910-II, when Flinn township met with several changes, which also affected other townships surrounding it. It was ordered by the board of county commissioners at their December meeting in 1910 that the lines be changed as follows :
"Beginning at the southeast corner of section 35, township 5, range I east; thence running east to the southeast corner of section 31, township 5 north, range 2 east, thence north to the northeast corner of section 6, town- ship 5 north, range 2 east ; thence west to the northeast corner of section 2, township 5 north, range I east, and the territory east of the present bound- ary line of Shawswick township, including in the aforesaid is added and annexed and from said date shall be a part of said Shawswick township.
"And be it further ordered, that the boundary line of Guthrie township in said Lawrence county, Indiana, be and the same is hereby altered and extended from and after the first day of January, 191I, as follows :
"Beginning at the southeast corner of section 31, township 5 north, range . 2 east ; thence north to the northeast corner of section 18, township 5 north, range 2 east, thence east to the corner of section 15, township 5 north, range 2 east ; thence south to the southeast corner of section 34, township 5 north, range 2 east, and all the territory north of the present line of said Guthrie township and including within the aforesaid boundaries hereby annexed to and after January I. 1911, will be a part of Guthrie township.
"And be it further ordered that the southern boundary of Pleasant Run township, Lawrence county, Indiana, on and after January 1, 1911, be and the same is hereby altered and extended as follows: Beginning at the north-
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
east corner of section 6, township 5, range 2 east, thence south to the north- east corner of section 15. township 5 north, range 2 east ; thence east to the northeast corner of section 3, township 5, range 2 east, and that all the terri- tory south of the present line of said township and included within the afore- said boundary is hereby annexed to and after said date will be a part of said Pleasant Run township."
CHAPTER V.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF LAWRENCE COUNTY.
Under a democratic form of government, counties, like states and nations, must needs have their local organization, and so here in Lawrence county, after the organization steps were perfected, it remained for the board of county commissioners and the various county officials to organize such local government as would, in their own judgment, best meet the demands of those pioneer days. The following chapter will treat of the doings of the commissioners and the county officers, and enter into detail regarding the building of county buildings and the choice of a permanent seat of justice, etc.
Among the first acts of the county board were the looking into various petitions for roads and appointing road viewers. The following county tax levies were made : On each hundred acres of land ( first class), thirty-seven and a half cents ; on second class land, thirty-three cents : on third class land. twenty-two cents. A license was granted to Blackwell & Company to operate a ferry, at twenty dollars; Towell & Dixon, for same privilege, same rate; also one very early, to Milroy & Collins, at six dollars; horses were taxed thirty-seven and a half cents each.
In August, of the first year, meetings were held at Palestine. John Lowery was paid thirty-seven dollars for county record books. A seal was adopted, being a scrawl with the words "Commissioner's Seal." Numerous roads were projected and superintendents appointed. John Brown, John Milroy and John Lowrey assisted in the survey of Palestine. The following ferry rates were established : Wagon and four horses, seventy-five cents, and on each extra horse six and a fourth cents : a two-wheeled, one-horse vehicle, twelve and a half cents; with a lead horse, six and a fourth cents more : each person over twelve years, six and a fourth cents; under twelve, two cents ; sheep, each, one and a half cents; hogs, one cent each. The tavern rates were fixed at : Each meal, twenty-five cents ; bed, twelve and a half cents ; horse over night, fifty cents; single feed. twelve and a half cents.
The second sale of lots was held in Palestine in November. Robert Mitchell, who listed the county in 1818 instead of James Stotts, Jr., was paid thirty dollars. The sheriff under whose supervision the elections of February and April, 1818, were held, was paid twenty-two dollars.
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Early in 1819 the board adopted a seal for Lawrence county, which was designed with a harp, a plow and three sheaves of wheat, and a pair of scales, and a weathercock on top.
Andrew Evans, contractor, cleared off the public square at old Palestine, for which he was allowed thirty-eight dollars. Up to this time court had been held at the house of James Benefield. In 1819 the tax on each hundred- acre tract of land was thirty-seven, thirty-three and twenty-five cents, re- spectively. Robert Mitchell was paid thirty-two dollars for listing the county in 1819. It was during that year that the work of pushing the courthouse to completion went forward. In November, 1819, County Agent Carlton re- ported total receipts for town lots, $6,579.38; paid to the county treasurer, $5,303.56; paid to the county library, $657.93 : balance on hand, $618.09. For some reason now unknown, the county agent failed to make a satisfactory settlement with the board and was removed. William Templeton being ap- pointed to take his place; Carlton refused to settle with him, or to turn over the funds to him. Then Winthrop Foote, attorney was engaged by the county to commence action at law on his bond. Finally, County Agent Carlton made a sufficient showing and was allowed to hold the responsible position of agent for more than thirty years consecutive years.
John Brown took the census in 1820. Isaac Farris furnished a house in which court was held in March, 1820. The following bills allowed county agent in 1820 may be of interest to the reader of these later years :
Laying out lots in Palestine $132.00
Selling 249 lots, giving bond, etc. 13.50
Drawing 432 notes at six and a fourth cents 27.00
Superintending erection of temporary court house 7.00
Taking Bonds, advertising courthouse, etc. 10.00
Taking Bonds, advertising jail, etc .. 6.00
Letting the clearing of the public square 4.00
Letting the Building of the stray pen
2.00
Total
$201.50
By the 3rd of February, 1821, the sale of lots amounted to $17,580; cash, $8,639; notes, $5,551 ; due bills, $2,927. It was early in that year that Allen Brock was appointed inspector of flour, beef and pork. Much of the money received for the town lots was in the shape of bills of all the banks of the Southwest, the value of which was variable and at all times exceed-
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PRESENT SITE OF OLD PALESTINE COURT HOUSE
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LAWRENCE AND MONROE COUNTIES, INDIAN.A.
ingly doubtful. In 1821 the county had on hand several hundred dollars of very doubtful bills, which were sold to the highest bidder. Money affairs in these days were not what we find them today, with all the fault some citizens find with the banking system of this country. In June, 1821, $49 in counter- feit bills, taken in by mistake, were burned by the county board; also $126.50 in doubtful bills were sold at auction for $29.98. In connection with this incident the record has the following entry: "Ordered that William Kelsey (treasurer) be paid out of the treasury, out of moneys arising from the sale of town lots in Palestine, the sum of three dollars for liquor furnished by him and for his attendance at the sale of uncurrent money belonging to the county." The county agent was ordered to receive nothing but specie for debts due the county, but this order was soon rescinded. Robert Mitchell was county lister (assessor) for the years from 1818 to 1821, inclusive. Among the great cases in the circuit court about the time last named was that of the State against James Chess, for counter feiting gold coin.
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