History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 17

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926
Publication date: 1970
Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Indiana > Madison County > History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 17

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LAPEL

On the line of the Central Indiana Railroad, eight miles west of Anderson, lies the incorporated town of Lapel, the principal town of Stony Creek township. Probably the first settler here was Benoni Freel, who had previously settled near the present town of Perkinsville, Jack- son township, but in 1828 erected a cabin upon the site of Lapel. This town is the outgrowth of the building of the Anderson, Lebanon & St. Louis (now the Central Indiana) Railroad. Work was commenced on this road in 1873 and the first rail was laid late in the year 1875. On April 27, 1876, Samuel E. Busby and David Conrad laid out the town of Lapel. For several years the village consisted of a few scattering houses, a flour mill and a general store. Then a second flour mill was erected and after the discovery of natural gas the growth was more rapid. In a short time Lapel boasted-besides the two large flour mills -a planing mill, a flint bottle factory, a pump and gas regulator fac- tory, tile mills and some minor industries.

In January, 1893, Lapel was incorporated with E. R. Rambo, O. C. Shetterly and James Armstrong as trustees, and J. C. McCarty as clerk. After the incorporation considerable attention was given to the

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work of improving the streets and in other ways beautifying the town, with the result that Lapel has the reputation of being one of the pret- tiest places in Madison county. It has a fine public school building, a commissioned high school and employs eight teachers, there are several neat churches edifices, lodges of various orders, a number of handsome residences, some good stores, a bank and a few factories, among which are a flint bottle works and a large canning factory. Lapel is sur- rounded by a fertile country and is the principal shipping point on the Central Indiana Railroad between Anderson and Noblesville.

An incident that occurred at Lapel in the summer of 1886 attracted considerable attention. That was the incendiary fire that destroyed Woodward Brothers' large flour mill early on the morning of August 16th. Mrs. William Woodward discovered the fire and aroused her husband, who reached the window in time to see the incendiary watch- ing, apparently to see if his work was well done. The town had no fire department and the mill, together with its contents-about 5,000 bush- els of wheat and a large quantity of flour-was completely destroyed, the loss being given as $15,000. Detectives were employed by the owners to discover and convict the guilty parties. Suspicion pointed to John Cottrell, who was soon afterward arrested at Pendleton and taken to jail. In a preliminary hearing before a justice of the peace he was bound over to the Madison circuit court. Thomas and George Ford, the son and nephew of James Ford, the rival miller, were also arrested, given a preliminary hearing and bound over to the circuit court.

Upon promise of immunity Cottrell turned state's evidence, testify- ing that a conspiracy was formed between him and the Fords by which he was to fire the mill. A change of venue was taken to the Hamilton county circuit court, where George Ford was found guilty at the Decem- ber term in 1886 and sentenced to serve nine years in the penitentiary and pay a fine of $1,000. At the March term following Thomas Ford was found guilty as an accessory and sentenced to four years in the penitentiary. Cottrell was never punished for his part in the work. James Ford, the owner of the rival mill, an old and respected citizen, spent the greater part of the fortune he had accumulated in the defense of his son and nephew. No accusation was brought against him as hav- ing guilty knowledge of the affair and he had the sympathy of many citizens who had known him for years as an honorable and upright man.

CHESTERFIELD

This town dates back to about the year 1827, though it was not for- mally laid out until early in the year 1830 by Allen Makepeace. It was first called West Union and when the township of Union was organ- ized in May, 1830, the first election was ordered to be held at the house of Thomas Vananda, who kept a grocery in the town of West Union. The county commissioners, at the September term in 1834, changed the name to Chesterfield upon a petition signed by a majority of the cit- izens and presented by Allen Makepeace.

In its early days Chesterfield was one of the prosperous towns of Vol. 1-9

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the county and so far as trade was concerned bid fair to become a formidable rival to Anderson. When the Indianapolis & Bellefon- taine Railroad was completed through Madison county in 1852, Ches- terfield experienced several years of unusual business activity. Large shipments of agricultural products were made from the town and the merchants extended their trade over a large district of the surround- ing country. Population increased to such an extent that in the late summer of the year 1857 a petition was circulated and signed by a large majority of the citizens, asking for the incorporation of the town. At the September term the county commissioners ordered an election for October 9, 1857 (the second Friday), at the schoolhouse, when the voters might have an opportunity to express themselves for or against the incorporation. For some reason that election was not held, and in December the board ordered a second election, to be held on January 2, 1858. This time the effort was productive of better results. Thirty-two votes were cast in favor of the incorporation and none against it. Proper returns of the election were filed with the commis- sioners, who, on March 11, 1858, issued the order for the incorpora. tion of Chesterfield.

For some time after the town was incorporated it continued to pros- per and improve. Harden, who wrote in 1874, said at that time-"It has, however, lost its prestige, and many of its houses are untenanta- ble." The principal reasons why Chesterfield thus declined were no doubt that other towns offered better inducements and some of the most active and successful business men of Chesterfield removed to other points. In 1910 the population of Chesterfield was 285, and the prop- erty in 1912 was assessed for tax purposes at $107,560.

Since Harden alluded to Chesterfield in 1874 as having "lost its prestige," it is but justice to the town to say that in recent years it has again become a live, active place. The building of the interurban railway had the effect of stimulating industry and activity in mercan- tile pursuits. It is now one of the best villages in the county for coun- try trade. The Indiana Spiritualist Association has a large tract of land adjoining the town, which makes for it a beautiful park and a meeting place for the annual gathering of those connected with the Spiritualistic faith. Allen Makepeace, who died at Chesterfield, was the wealthiest man in the county at the time of his death.

MARKLEVILLE

This town is located in Adams township, two miles from the Henry county line and the same distance north of Hancock county. It is on the Michigan division of the Big Four Railroad, ten miles southeast of Anderson, and is the principal town in that section of the county. The Pendleton & Newcastle pike runs east and west through the town. Markleville was laid out by John Markle, from whom it derives its name, in 1852. Soon after the town was laid out a postoffice was estab- lished there with John Markle as postmaster.

Among the early merchants were Newton Busby, E. B. Garrison, Ralph Williams, David Johnson, J. W. Shimer and H. H. Markle.

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Those of a later date were the firms of Sebrell & Blake and Hardy & Lewis. The latter firm about 1873 erected the finest business room in the town up to that time. Dr. Daniel Cook was probably the first resident physician. Other physicians in the early history of the town were William Hendricks, Jacob and William P. Harter and William Swain.

When the railroad was completed through the town in 1890, Mar- kleville became a station of considerable importance for the south- eastern part of the county. By 1910 the population had increased to 225 and some of the citizens began to advocate the incorporation of the town. Two years passed before anything definite was done, but on August 10, 1912, a petition to incorporate the town of Markleville, signed by more than one-third of the resident qualified voters, was pre- sented to the board of county commissioners. An election was ordered for Tuesday, August 27, 1912, the polls to be open from 9 o'clock A. M. to 4 o'clock P. M. On the 31st I. N. Addison, B. F. Ham and B. L. Petro, inspectors of election, filed a certificate of the result with the commissioners, showing that sixty-seven votes had been cast, fifty-two of which were in favor of the incorporation and fifteen opposed.

Upon this showing, and it further appearing that all the require- ments of the law had been complied with by the petitioners, the board "ordered and ordained that said town is legally and lawfully incor- porated under and by the name of Markleville."

Markleville has the usual mercantile concerns and business inter- ests found in towns of its size, churches of different faiths, a public school, a bank, lodges of some of the fraternal societies, and is a ship- ping point for a rich agricultural district.

INGALLS

This town, located near the southern boundary of the county in Green township, was laid out on June 5, 1893, by the Ingalls Land Com- pany, of which J. H. Clark was president, and was named in honor of M. E. Ingalls, president of the Big Four Railroad Company. At that time natural gas was plentiful in Madison county and the liberal inducements offered by the founders of Ingalls led to the establish- ment there of a number of manufacturing concerns, one of which was known as the Zinc Works, which employed a large number of persons. A glass factory was established in 1895 and soon after the town was platted the railroad company erected a comfortable passenger station. At the March term in 1896 the county commissioners received a peti- tion asking that Ingalls be incorporated. The petition was granted and an election ordered for April 7, 1896, for the purpose of giving the voters the privilege of recording themselves as in favor of or opposed to the incorporation of the town. John Manifold, Silas Baker and Henry Swain were the inspectors at this election. They reported sixty-five votes cast, only four of which were against the proposition to incor- porate, and on May 1, 1896, the following town officers were elected : J. C. Manifold, George Laws and William Potter, town council; J. H. Lail, clerk; J. M. Manifold, treasurer; Chance Stewart, marshal.

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Ingalls has never reached the magnitude anticipated by its projec- tors, though if the natural gas supply had continued the town might have been larger and more active than it is. In 1910 the population was 322. It is a trading point for the southeastern part of the county, but the proximity of Fortville, Hancock county, which is only a little over two miles distant, robs Ingalls of some of its prosperity.

ORESTES

Two miles west of Alexandria on the Lake Erie & Western Railroad is the incorporated town of Orestes. It was established as a station soon after the railroad was completed in 1876 and remained a small village until after the discovery of natural gas. Then a large glass factory and a tile works were located there and the population increased until two school buildings were required to accommodate the children of school age. It was about this time that the town was incorporated, the order of the commissioners to that effect being made late in the year 1894. With the decline of natural gas the town lost much of its pres- tige and much of the business formerly transacted there was trans- ferred to Alexandria. Orestes still maintains a good public school, some general stores, a money order postoffice, etc., and in 1910 reported a pop- ulation of 420.

SMALLER VILLAGES

Besides the ten incorporated cities and towns above mentioned in this chapter, there are a number of smaller towns and villages in the county. These are Alliance, Emporia and Ovid, in Adams township; Leisure, in Duck Creek township; Huntsville, in Fall Creek township; Halford and Perkinsville, in Jackson township; Florida and Linwood, in Lafayette township, and Fishersburg, in Stony Creek township.

Alliance is a station on the Big Four Railroad about five miles south- east of Anderson. A general store is located here and some shipping is done from Alliance, though it was considered too small by the cen- sus authorities in 1910 to give it a separate report as to population, its inhabitants being included with Adams township.

Emporia, a small station on the Big Four Railroad, is two miles southeast of Alliance. It was laid out soon after the southern exten- sion of the railroad was completed in 1891. One of the first industries to be established there was the sawmill of William and Edward True- blood. A postoffice was established here with William Trueblood as postmaster, but upon the introduction of the rural free delivery system the office was discontinued and the people now get their mail through the office at Markleville, two miles southeast. William Mauzy opened the first general store after the town was laid out. The population in 1910 was fifty.

Ovid, formerly called New Columbus, was laid out by Abraham Adams in 1834. It is pleasantly situated upon the high grounds just south of Fall Creek, seven miles south of Anderson and about half a mile west of the Big Four Railroad. When the postoffice was estab- lished in 1837 it was named Ovid, in order to avoid confusion with an

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office at Columbus, Bartholomew county. William Miller was the first postmaster; Hiram Burch was the first merchant, and Dr. C. Horn was the first physician. Armstrong & Fort started a tannery in 1837, but it was not a financial success and was abandoned after a short time. Early in 1840 a petition was presented to the county commissioners praying for the incorporation of the town, whereupon the board took the following action: "On a petition of a majority of the citizens of New Columbus, Madison county, Indiana, it is ordered that the citizens of said town hold an election in said town on the first Monday in April next, for the purpose of electing the proper officers to govern the said town as an incorporated town. And upon the citizens complying with this order the said town thereafter to be considered as incorporated."

The records do not show what became of the town government, but it is certain that for many years New Columbus has not appeared upon the tax duplicates of the county as au incorporated town. The postoffice has been discontinued and the people are supplied by rural carrier. The population was 110 in 1910. Ovid has a public school; some of the fraternal orders are represented by lodges, and the village is a trad- ing point and rallying center for a rich and populous agricultural district.

Some of the most prominent meu in Madison county, in former years, lived and thrived in Ovid. Among them may be mentioned Dr. Joel Pratt, Dr. Bear and Dr. Stanley W. Edwins, all prominent in their profession. Allen Makepeace and Abner Cory were among the early merchants. The defeating of a subsidy of $6,000 asked for the southern extension of the Big Four Railroad through Adams township, was the death knell of Ovid. It was a mistake often since regretted, but it can never be corrected. The influence of Ovid was against the subsidy and for this reason the railroad avoided the town, causing other villages to be built up along the line.

Leisure is a small hamlet in the northwestern corner of Duck Creek township, five miles dne north of Elwood. It has a church, a public school, a general store aud a few dwellings. A postoffice was once maintained at Leisure, but it has been discontinued, the people now receiving mail by rural carrier from Elwood. In 1910 the village re- ported a population of one hundred.

Huntsville, situated about one mile northeast of Pendleton, is one of the old towns of the county, having been laid out on May 24, 1830, by Enos Adamson and Eleazer Hunt, who were among the early set- tlers in that locality. Other pioneers were Thomas and J. T. Swain, Abel Johnson, B. F. Gregory, John Montgomery, Dr. MeCain, William Wright and John Jones. For several years IIuntsville was a rival with Pendleton for commercial supremacy, but with the completion of the railroad through the latter town in the early '50s, Huntsville began to decline. In the early days the elections in Fall Creek township were held in IIuntsville, but in 1838 the voting place was removed to Pendle- ton by the county commissioners. In 1890, when the township was divided into four precincts under the Australian ballot law, Hunts- ville again became a voting place.

Among the early industries were a tannery, started by A. S. Under-

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wood in 1830; Enos Adamson's gristmill, which began operations the same year; James Hackney's hat shop, John Conrad's tailor shop, Rob- ert Childers' distillery and Joseph Hair's shoe shop, all opened in 1831. Eleazer Hunt also opened a tannery in that year and conducted it for six years when he sold out to Isaac Wright. Adamson's mill continued in operation until 1848, when it was destroyed by fire. During the lat- ter part of its existence a woolen mill and oil mill were conducted in connection with it. Not long after the burning of this mill Wilson, Wynn & Kocuin built a new one. Cook & Aimen afterward became the owners of this mill, as well as the sawmill a short distance east of it, and in 1872 Mr. Aimen became the sole owner. This mill, like its predecessor, was destroyed by fire and has never been rebuilt.

Benjamin Snodgrass was the first merchant in Huntsville. Simeon Lewis, John Tillson, Nathan Wilson, William Johnson, Dr. McCain, Benjamin Lukens and some others were also engaged in merchandising at Huntsville during the early days. A postoffice was established there at an early day, with David P. Hazleton as postmaster. Horace Lewis was the last postmaster, the office being discontinued while he held the position.

Halford, a small hamlet of Jackson township, is located on the south bank of the White river, about four miles west of Anderson. It was laid out in 1836 by Henry Devlin, who was the agent of Conner & Stephenson, of Noblesville, who were active in locating towns and open- ing stores along the line of the Indiana Central canal. When it was first laid out the name of Hamilton was conferred upon it, but the postoffice established there some years later was called Zinnsburg. Sub- sequently the name was changed to Halford, after Elijah Halford, an Indianapolis journalist. William King was the first merchant, and Dr. William Godell the first physician. John Ashby opened a tavern here in 1842 and for some years after that the town did a considerable volume of business. The postoffice has been abandoned and the inhabit- ants are supplied by rural carrier from Anderson.

Perkinsville, situated on the north bank of the White river in the western part of Jackson township and extending to the Hamilton county line, was laid out by Thomas L. and James Beckwith and Bick- nell Cole on August 1, 1837. It was the intention of the founders to name the town in honor of William Parkins, who was one of the prom- inent pioneers, but the plat was recorded as "Perkinsville" through mistake. Thomas L. Beckwith opened a store here in 1835, and in. 1838 was appointed the first postmaster, a position he held until 1877. The postoffice has since been discontinued. A large flour mill was one of the industries of Perkinsville for many years, but it was destroyed by fire in August, 1884, and has never been rebuilt. The town has a good public school building, the usual quota of general stores, churches, etc., for villages of its size, a hotel, and in 1910 reported a population of 318, according to the United States census for that year.

Florida is a station on the Pan Handle Railroad in Lafayette town- ship, six miles northwest of Anderson. It was laid out in 1856 on the farm of Thomas G. Clark, and was at first known as Clark's Station. Henry Hendrick was the first merchant and George Craighead was the

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first postmaster. Dr. Thomas B. Forkner was the first physician. A large tile mill was one of the early business concerns, but with the drain- age of the lands in the vicinity the demand for tile decreased and the plant was converted into a brick factory. Florida is located in a fer- tile farming district and is a shipping point of some importance. Dur- ing the era of natural gas Van Metre's addition was made to the original plat, but the town did not grow as expected and in 1910 the popula- tion was but 125. The postoffice has been discontinued and the village now receives mail by rural route from Anderson. Public school No. 10, of the township schools, is located at Florida. The village also has a Methodist church, a general store, etc.

Linwood, originally called Funk's Station, is located on the Michigan division of the Big Four Railroad, about six miles north of Anderson. The name of Linwood was given the place when the postoffice was estab- lished there some years ago, with Samuel A. Towell as the first post- master. Given & Bruce at one time conducted a general store and Charles Hartman a drug store. John C. May and a Mr. Thomas have made additions to the original plat. Linwood has a public school, a sawmill and lumber yard, a general store and a few minor business con- cerns. A line of the Union Traction system passed a short distance east of the main portion of the village and a station has been established opposite the town.

Fishersburg was laid out in May, 1837, by Rev. Fletcher Tevis. It is located on the right bank of Stony creek at the western boundary of the county. The first house in the village was built by a man named Rogers, who started the first blacksmith shop in that part of the county. William and Benjamin Sylvester were the first merchants, opening their store in 1844. A postoffice was established in 1853, with Charles Fisher, who had bought out the Sylvesters, as the first postmaster. The postoffice has been discontinued, the citizens now being supplied by rural route from Lapel. Prior to the building of the Central Indiana Railroad in 1876, the village of Fishersburg was the principal trading point for the western part of Stony Creek township and a large section of Hamilton county. When the railroad was completed the town of Lapel, three-fourths of a mile southeast, sprang up, and being on the railroad drew a large part of the trade. The United States census of 1910 gives the population of Fishersburg as two hundred. A good brick schoolhouse was erected here in 1874, and Methodist and Baptist churches were organized at an early date.

Over forty-five thousand of the citizens of Madison county reside in the cities, towns and villages. The postoffices of the county, according to the United States Postal Guide for July, 1913, were: Alexandria, Anderson, Chesterfield, Elwood, Frankton, Ingalls, Lapel, Linwood, Markleville, Orestes, Pendleton and Summitville. All these are money order offices, those at Alexandria, Anderson, Elwood, Frankton, Ingalls, Pendleton and Summitville being authorized to issue international money orders. Forty-four rural routes supply daily mail to all parts of the county.

CHAPTER IX FINANCE AND INDUSTRY

PUBLIC FINANCES-OUTSTANDING DEBT- GRAVEL ROAD BONDS-BANKS AND TRUST COMPANIES -- BOLD BANK ROBBERY -- ANDERSON LOAN ASSOCIATION-EARLY MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS-NATURAL GAS ERA-NEW FACTORIES LOCATED-MANUFACTURING STATISTICS OF CITIES AND TOWNS-"MADE IN ANDERSON" EXHIBIT-AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS AND STATISTICS-THE FARMER STILL KING.

The people of Madison county are to be congratulated upon the fact that the public revenues have always been managed in such a manner that at no time has the indebtedness been burdensome to the taxpayers. Bonds have been issued from time to time for specific purposes, but with each issue provisions have been made for meeting the obligations when they fell due. So carefully and conservatively has this policy been followed that at the beginning of the year 1905 the county was entirely free from debt. The great flood of that year swept away a number of bridges, and to meet the emergency the commissioners decided to borrow $45,000 upon the county's notes, without issuing bonds. These notes were made pay- able one year after date, the county reserving the right to make payment sooner, if the revenues were in shape to do so. Plenty of men were found to loan money under these conditions, so that a regular bond issue was not necessary.

Shortly after the passage of the local option law by the state legis- lature, Madison county "went dry" and the saloon keepers asked a refund of the money they had paid for liquor licenses. That money had been turned into the public school fund, from which it could not be withdrawn and the county authorities borrowed, on notes, the sum of $3,950 to refund the license fees.

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History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 17

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926 Publication date: 1970 Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926
Publication date: 1970
Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc.
Number of Pages: 918