USA > Indiana > Knox County > Vincennes > History of Old Vincennes and Knox County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 60
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All of the earlier land grants-as has been shown at length in previous chapters-were made by the commandants. Through an act of Congress passed in March, 1791, Congress appropriated about 5,000 acres of land ad- joining Vincennes for the use of the inhabitants thereof, which was used for pasturing stock and growing cereals. This was the original commons of the village, and it was utilized for the purposes aforesaid until disposed of by the trustees of the borough, in 1825. It was in 1816, however, that the inhabitants of the town joined in a petition to Congress for authority to sell the commons lands. Acting upon that petition, Congress passed an act in April, 1818, transferring to the borough of Vincennes, in trust, the said lands, for the purpose of selling the same, and with the proceeds of sales drain a pond and pay any balance that remained to the University, as has been noted in a preceding paragraph. On accepting the trust the trustees proceeded to have a survey made of the lands, and divided the commons into three divisions-A, B and C. The number of lots assigned to A was 138, each containing five acres. Division B was divided into 204
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lots of ten acres each, and C into twenty-six lots of twenty acres each. From and after 1825 the trustees of the boroughi sold these lots to in- dividual purchasers at different times-buit the pond referred to was never drained by them (the work having been done by their successors many years later) and it is very probable that the University never received a farthing of the proceeds. Proposals for the survey of the commons lands and for the town as well were invited through advertisements inserted in the Western Sun, Indiana Herald, Louisville Journal and Western Spy. Samuel Emison and Homer Johnson were awarded the contract to perform the work. In the year 1856, after Vincennes changed her charter from a borough to a city, the remaining portion of the commons land passed into the control of the common council.
The first meeting of the trustees of the Borough of Vincennes was held on the first Monday in February, 1815, "agreeably to a charter passed and approved 6th September, 1814, by the Legislature of Indiana, for incor- porating the 'Borough of Vincennes,' and in consequence of an advertise- ment appearing in the 'Western Stin' for an election to take place at the court house on the above mentioned day to elect nine fit persons to act as trustees for twelve months in said Borough, the citizens met as aforesaid and appointed F. Graeter and Joseph O'Neille to act as judge and James G. Read and David Ruby to act as clerks to sd. election, when after being duly sworn to swear, etc., proceeded to the election, when upon counting the bal- lots (the poles being closed at 4 o'clock) the following persons were elected as follows-Jacob Kuykendall, Jolin D. Hay, Samuel Thorn, Henry Ruble, Christian Graeter, Elias McNamee, Benj. I. Harrison, Mark Barnett and Wilson Lagow and whereupon, each of the said trustees received the follow- ing certificate :
"'We the undersigned, after being duly sworn as Judges, do certify that an elec- tion held at the Court House in the Borough of Vincennes in Indiana Territory on the first Monday in February, 1815, for the election of Trustees for said Borough agreeable to an act of the Legislature of said Territory-apd. Sep. 6th, 1814, the following Trustees were duly elected: Wilson Lagow, Jacob Kuykendall, J. D. Hay, Sam'l Thorn, Mark Barnett, Henry Ruble, C. Graeter, Elias McNamee, Benj. I. Harrison.
A copy of list. "F. GRAETER, "J'H O'NEILLE, Judges of the Election.
" 'The original of the foregoing is now filed in the hands of the Clerk-as also a statement of the polls, it being unnecessary to give then a place in the Journal, they are now ready for inspection-and also the Charter.'
The first significant act of the board occurred at a meeting thereof on February 8, 1815, when a committee was appointed to raise funds for the purchase of ground on which to erect a market house. After such plans were successfully executed, and the building made ready for occupancy, the board appointed a market master, who was ordered to enclose the market
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house with a fence "made of scantling, with turn-stile at each end," to open the market on market days (thrice a week) at daylight, and to close it at 9 o'clock, and to announce the opening by the blowing of a horn.
In 1837 a town hall was erected near the corner of Main and Fourth streets. John Moore was the architect and builder of the structure, which was made to answer the purpose of a market space as well as the regular place for the transaction of the town's business. The north and south sides of the building were provided with wings, thirty-five or forty feet wide by an equal number of feet in length. The roofs of each were supported by heavy iron pillars, and the area covered by them was divided into stalls, where green grocers, butchers, bakers and fish venders provided early morn- ing callers with the choicest of articles in their respective lines. The mar- ket was well patronized as long as it was maintained ; but, for some reason, in the early seventies it was abandoned. On the site of hose house No. 3, corner Sixth and Harrison streets, was located another market house, builded a few years later, which was abandoned about the same time as the first one. The old town hall and market house were torn down in 1886 to make room for the present handsome city building, which was erected in 1887-8.
The present structure is considered the finest building of its character in the state. The plans for its construction were drawn by Henry Wolters, architect, of Louisville, Ky., and the contractor was Charles Pearce, of In- dianapolis. Although builded at a time when material and labor was cheap, it cost $50,000 ; and is the only public building of which there is any record ever constructed for less than the contract price. The building is the may- or's headquarters, where His Honor also holds court when acting in the capacity of a police judge. It has a large and handsomely frescoed council chamber, and is provided with roomy and convenient offices for the city clerk, comptroller, civil engineer, board of public works and chief of police. The most interesting department in the building, however, is the public lib- rary, on the third floor, of which brief mention has already been made.
For a time the town organization consisted of a board of trustees, who elected their chairman, secretary and treasurer. The officers were elected by the people, every freeholder and householder being deemed a legal and qualified voter. An amendment was made to the town charter in 1831, changing the style of name to "The President and Trustees of the Borough of Vincennes." An act also passed the General Assembly in 1831 granting a city charter, which was submitted to the voters June 4, 1831, the election board consisting of R. P. Price, judge; John B. Martin and Joseph Rose- man, clerks. Only forty-three votes were cast-of which twenty-three were "for" and twenty "against" the charter. The vote was not considered strictly legal, and there was no further effort to secure a city charter until June, 1852. The same act was amended in 1855, but did not become opera- tive until a year later.
The last appointees of the borough trustees were: Commissioners of
FIRST CITY HALL AND MARKET HOUSE, VINCENNES
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Board of Health-Dr. Joseph Somes, Dr. R. B. Jessup, Sr., and William Burtch ; Supervisors of Streets-Jolin Moore, Jolin Dubois, William Green, John B. La Plante and Henry D. Wheeler.
At the last meeting of the Board of Trustees February 8, 1856-when Vincennes discarded borough and assumed city government-Andrew Gard- ner, father of the venerable Elbridge G. Gardner, submitted as treasurer his annual report for the year ending February 7, 1856, which showed receipts to be $7,056.12 and disbursements $694.82.
The first meeting of the common council, elected under the provisions of a charter granted by legislative enactment, was held February 18, 1856, with John Moore, mayor, presiding, and the following members present: First ward-John Turney and Chas. Graeter; Second ward-John Dubois and Garret Reiter ; Third ward-Thos. Bishop and Wm. Green ; Fourth ward- William Burtch and John B. La Plante; Fifth ward-Henry D. Wheeler and Thomas Harrow. Certificates were presented setting forth the election of Emanuel Meisenhelter as marshal, Andrew Armstrong as treasurer, and James S. Mayes as city clerk. After making the following appointments, council adjourned without the transaction of further business : William Green, chief engineer of fire department ; Peter E. La Plante, assistant chief, No. 1 ; Eli Chadwick, assistant chief No. 2.
The first decisive step toward the organization of a fire company under borough government was taken in 1839, at which time 300 feet of "leath- ern" hose, 500 leather buckets, four axes and "four hooks, with tarred ropes," were purchased. To raise funds to pay for the apparatus the trus- tees passed an ordinance providing "that there be a general tax levied on houses and tenements, on the ad valorem system, and that every tenant be compelled to purchase from the board two fire buckets for each two-story house, and one for each one-story tenement and, if three-stories, three buck- ets, and that the board keep such number that they may think proper for use of borough, and that they pass such order as they may think proper for the protection of all buckets."
William Green, the first chief of fire department, is the oldest man living to-day in Knox county. On April 17, 1911, he celebrated his ninety-ninth birthday, and has, therefore, entered on his one hundredth year. His is a familiar figure on the streets nearly every day. The old gentleman is well preserved mentally and physically, has a remarkable memory for one of his years ; and is looking forward to the celebration of the centennial anniver- sary of his birth with pride and pleasurable anticipation. He now has the contract for hauling the United States mail to and from the Union Station, and personally oversees the work of his employes. Mr. Green was born April 17, 1812, in England, Huntingtonshire, (county) Summerson, (town) Fen (parish.) He is the younger of three brothers and two sisters, all of whom are dead. His father died when young Green was in his fourteenth year, at which period he hired as a servant to a grand aunt living at Sum- merson. His labor consisted in looking after the horses and carriages, in
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addition to performing all the work ordinarily required of a house maid, for which his rich aunt paid him three sovereigns a year. The last year of his service she paid his night school tuition. At the expiration of his con- tract, at the end of the second year, he hired to William Nicks as a servant at a salary of ten pounds per year. At the age of seventeen he sailed from Liv- erpool to New York, arriving at the latter place in March, 1829. He soon afterwards found his way to Evansville and sought employment as a farm hand with a man named Hornbrook, who owned a farm at a settlement sev- eral miles south of Evansville, and conducted also a general store. Young Green worked for Hornbrook about six months, receiving a monthly salary of eight dollars, "most of which he took out in clothing." His next employ- ment was with Mr. Warner, who conducted a livery barn in Evansville and ran stage coaches between that place and Vincennes. While in the employ of Warner, Green met Samuel Emison who had gone down in Tennessee with Capt. Fellows to buy a steamboat and stopped at Evansville on his re- turn. Green drove the stage in which Emison and Fellows rode from Evansville to Vincennes ; and it was while on this trip he engaged his ser- vices as a driver to Emison, who was then running a line of coaches between Terre Haute and Vincennes. This was in 1830. After four years of faith- ful service Mr. Green, who had lived very economically, had a settlement with Mr. Emison, who paid him the balance of wages due, which amounted to $1.200. The two men then agreed to form a partnership. Emison put into the business one horse for every hundred dollars Green represented. The partnership continued for three years-from 1834 to 1837-during which period the firm had the contract for carrying the United States mail between Vincennes and Danville. About the time the firm dissolved the government invited new bids. The bidders were John Wise, Samuel Emi- son and William Green. The contract was awarded to Green-since which time he has been carrying the mail for Uncle Sam, and is, undoubtedly, the oldest mail carrier in the service anywhere. Mr. Green says that when he came to Vincennes the first time the Wises, Wm. Burtch, J. W. Maddox, L. L. Watson and Capt. Isaac Mass were among the prominent citizens of the place. Green amassed a fortune in the livery business, ( from which bad investments forced him to retire about twenty years ago) and at one time owned large tracts of farming lands (now city lots) lying on the east and west sides of Fairground avenue, besides large quantities of town property. He built the Grand Opera house, and on its site had previously erected at different periods two fine theatres of similar character, which were de- stroyed by fire. Nearly all the property and money he accumulated in youthful days, and after attaining vigorous manhood, passed from his pos- session at the beginning of his declining years. Yet he is uncomplaining and apparently contented. Although Mr. Green does not attribute his longevity and health to any particular thing, both are no doubt due to his splendid habits and the regular and methodical manner in which he has lived. With the exception of partaking of an occasional sip of wine, only
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during the last few years, he has never tasted intoxicating liquors of any kind; nor has he ever used tobacco in any shape or form. He is very fond of tea, and drinks one or two cups with each meal. His hours for arising and retiring have varied but little in all these years ; and his three meals a day are partaken of each day at the same hour with clock-like regularity. He is on the down town streets nearly every day, and prefers walking to riding any time he leaves the house.
In the spring of 1842 Mr. Green was married at Marshall, Illinois, to Miss Hannah Bartlett, who died in Vincennes, May 10, 1900. To the couple were born three sons and five daughters, viz: John, Frank and Will- iam, Ann (Mrs. Perry Tindolph) Mollie, deceased, who married Wyle Tindolph; Ella (Mrs. Theo. Agnew) ; Laura, deceased; Jane, (Mrs. Wm. Downes, deceased.)
The first addition to the Borough of Vincennes was made in 1816, be- fore Indiana was admitted as a state to the Union. The ground was sur- veyed and platted by Robert Buntin. Since that date the following have been made: G. WV. Cochran's addition to borough, 1853 ; McCord & Smith's addition, 1858; W. W. Hitt, ten lots, 1858; Jos. G. Bowman's addition, 1858; Mantle & Noble's addition, 1859; Watson & Noble's addition, 1859; W. W. Hitt's addition, 1860; McCord & Bayard's addition, 1861 ; J. W. Hin- kle's addition, 1863; C. M. Allen's addition, 1866; N. F. Malott's addition, 1868; Mass & Watson's addition, 1870; A. B. Daniel's addition, 1872; Peck's addition, 1874; R. B. Jessup's addition, 1875; William Richardville's addition, 1876; Ellen Hitt's addition, 1877; Bishop Chatard's addition, (lower prairie) 1879; Chas. Cornoyer's addition, 1879; Government Sub- division, 1881 ; Frederick Bultman's addition, 1882; John Hack's sub- division, 1884; Chatard's Subdivision of College Grounds, 1884; Judah Bro.'s subdivision, 1884; Tindolph & Green's subdivision, 1890; Fairview subdivision, 1891; Mantle's Oak Grove subdivision, 1891 ; Thos. Dawson's subdivision, 1891 ; W. C. Niblack's subdivision, 1892; Morrill A. Shepard's Rockledge Place addition, 1892; Reel & Swartzle's subdivision, 1892; Co- lumbia subdivision, 1893: Manufacturer's addition, 1896; Wmn. Brevoort's subdivision, 1898; Wm. Green's subdivision, 1899: A. M. Yelton's sub- division, 1899; Christian Hoffman's subdivision, 1900; Carlin Utterback's addition, 1901 ; B. F. Wheeler's addition, 1901 ; Henry Eberwine's addition, 1902; W. L. TeWalt's addition, 1903; Wmn. Green, Jr.'s subdivision, 1903; Lanahan & O'Donnell's subdivision, 1903 ; B. F. Wheeler's second subdivision. 1904; Wheeler's third subdivision, 1904: McCarthy's subdivision, 1904; Vincennes Board of Trade's subdivision, (South Vincennes), 1904; Hand's subdivision, 1904; Joice & Risch's subdivision, 1904; Parkinson & Wheel- er's subdivision, 1905: Henderson's subdivision. 1905; Tewalt & Meyer's subdivision, 1905; Meyer's subdivision, 1905; Zepf's subdivision, 1905; La Plante & Joice's subdivision, 1906; Pennington's subdivision, 1906; Wil- helm's subdivision, 1906; Miller & Bayard's subdivision. 1906; Baker & Emison's subdivision, 1906; Garret Smith's subdivision, 1906: La Plante &
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Joice's second subdivision, 1906; Baker & Emison's second subdivision, 1907; Meyer's second subdivision, 1907; Johnson Bro.'s subdivision, 1907; Harry Lewis' subdivision, 1907; Stalkamp's subdivision, 1907; Norman's subdivision, 1908; Brevoort's second subdivision, 1909; La Plante & Joice's third subdivision, 1909; Schmidt's second subdivision, 1909; William Bolk's subdivision, 1911.
Among the names of prominent men on the official roster of the Bor- ough of Vincennes will be found those of General W. Johnson, Elihu Stout, Jacob D. Early, John Moore, Valentine Bradley. Chas. H. Tilling- hast, Owen Reily, John Ewing, Andrew Gardner, Martin Robinson, Geo. R. C. Sullivan, Abner T. Ellis, John Collins, Samuel Hill, Henry D. Wheeler. J. S. C. Harrison, Jeremialı Donovan and Christian Graeter.
The names of the mayors of Vincennes, beginning with its incorporation as a city in 1856, up to the present time, are John Moore, James Dick, Wm. A. Jones, Richard J. MeKenney, Henry V. Somes, George E. Greene, Sr., Wm. B. Robinson, James S. Pritchett, Wm. H. Beeson, William B. Sea- right, James H. Shouse, Jolin Wilhelm, Francis Murphy, O. G. Miller, Geo. E. Greene, Jr., Geo. W. H. Roush, James D. McDowell. The following named persons, during the same period, have filled the office of city clerk; James S. Mayes, Jolin Ewing, Albert Mont- gomery, Chas. G. Mathesie, Geo. G. Turney, Emil Grill, Chas. W. Eastham, Chas. 'A'. Cripps, Cyrus M. Allen, Jr., George E. Greene, Chas. Laugel, Thomas Robertson, Clement C. L. V. Tucker. The treasurers, from the in- stitution of the city charter, have been Andrew Armstrong, Isaac N. East- ham, Gerhard H. Duesterberg, Joseph Bey. Chas. W. Jones, Peter R. Mc- Carthy, Henry B. Duesterberg, Charles G. Mathesie, Frank H. Hoffman and Thomas Eastham. By an act of the General Assembly of 1907 the office of city treasurer, in county seat cities and towns, was abolished, making it incumbent on the county treasurer to discharge the duties for- merly devolving on the city treasurer.
By an act of the legislature, passed at the session of 1905, in all cities of Indiana classed as first, second, third and fourth, a board of public works and the office of city comptroller were created, the appointing power for filling such places being vested in the mayor. The appointments were made Jannary 1, 1906, when the following persons were selected to serve for a term of four years: Edward Watson, John B. Zuber, George Borrowman, board of public works; comptroller, Edwin L. Glass. The Legislature of 1909 changed this law, by making it the duty of the mayor and civil en- gineer to act as members of the board of public works, the third member to be appointed by the mayor. The members of the present board, which was organized January 1, 1910, are James D. McDowell, mayor, Jos. V. Hershey, civil engineer, and Wm. Ritterskamp. Mr. Glass on the date last named was re-appointed comptroller. The other officials serving as ap- pointees of the mayor at the present time are Wm. McClelland Alsop, city attorney ; Dr. P. H. Caney, Dr. M. W. Scott and Dr. J. W. Smadel, board
WILLIAM GREENE, SR. Oldest citizen in Knox County
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of health; Herman F. Picl, Chas. Lauby and Clarke E. Stewart, board of police commissioners; Jos. V. Hershey, civil engineer ; Frank A. Kapps, street commissioner; George Feudrich, chief of fire department. Mr. Feu- drich, who celebrated his seventieth birthday last March, is the oldest chief, in point of service, in the United States, having held his commission for thirty-eight consecutive years.
Since the beginning of her career as a chartered city Vincennes has only had four chiefs of fire department-George Feudrich, the present incum- bent, being the fourth and last. For quite a number of years before the selection of Wm. Green as chief, the venerable Gerhard H. Duesterberg, deceased, and Elbridge G. Gardner, the veteran funeral director, now in his ninety-second year, were chosen leaders of the "bucket brigade." Mr. Duesterberg was the builder of a hand-engine, then in use. The machine is a unique piece of mechanism, constructed entirely of wood, and, when contrasted with the automobile fire engine of today ; becomes a greater odd- ity than ever. The machine is now in the possession of Henry B. Duest- erberg, and has been seen frequently in public parades in which the fire de- partment was featured.
The first regularly manufactured fire engine was not brought to the borough until 1840. It was the same which the board of trustees on April 29, 1839, had "ordered William Burtch to purchase at a cost of $950, with such quantity of hose that may be attached to said engine ; also 300 feet of extra hose, in sections of fifty feet, with single rivets of copper, with neces- sary connecting screws; and to draw on the borough at four months for the amount of the cost-if he can procure that credit-and if he can not procure that credit to draw at sight." Mr. Burtch subsequently went to Philadelphia and closed the deal satisfactorily, being at that time the mer- chant prince of this section of the country and having high credit among Eastern manufacturers and jobbers. In May, 1840, because of this in- creased expenditure, the trustees deemed it advisable to raise the tax rate fifteen cents on each one hundred dollars ; and it was "ordained by the presi- dent and trustees of the borough of Vincennes that a tax of forty cents on the one hundred dollars of taxation upon the aggregate amount returned by the assessor at this meeting be levied for the current year."
From 1840 to 1856 engine No. I was housed in the old town hall, the door on the Fourth street side of the building having been enlarged for tak- ing it in and out. During the year last named the engine was removed to the first engine house ever erected in the city. This building was a two- story brick structure, and was located in Main street, corner City Hall Place, where Watjen's drug store now stands. It was built by Wm. L. Duchane and cost $969.95. The upper story of the building for a number of years was used for educational purposes, and several private schools at various times were conducted therein, the last one being directed by the late An- son W. Jones and his wife, who were successors to Esquire Thomas J. Reily. Mr. Jones closed the institution in 1860 to accept the superintend-
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ency of the public schools, a position he admirably fulfilled up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1873.
At a regular meeting of the trustees held December 3, 1851, a resolu- tion was adopted recommending the purchase of a second fire engine. It was not, however, until four years later that the board visited Cincinnati and procured a second-hand machine. The consideration was a note for $1,000, payable in ten months from date of execution, without interest. In the spring of 1875, in the month of May, the engine, which was christened "Lafayette," arrived in the city. It was brought here on a steamboat from Cincinnati, and there was great rejoicing among the populace, who lined the river front at the foot of Main street when the boat landed at the wharf to discharge its cargo. On the same day engine No. 2 arrived the trustees met and authorized the chief to purchase "a hose reel, or fire car- riage, as cheap as could be made."
Two years before the second engine was bought, the trustees, having anticipated the purchase, appointed a committee of six (three members of the board and three citizens) to ascertain the probable cost of a house in which to keep the peerless "Lafayette." Messrs. Isaac Mass, Gerhard H. Duesterberg and William Burtch, members of the board. and Messrs. James Reynolds, Sr., Wm. R. McCord and John Crickmore, citizens, composed the inquisitorial commission. The result of their deliberations were made known to the public June 20, 1855. in a recommendation to the board that a frame building for the aforesaid purpose be erected in Broadway street, between Third and Fourth streets. The contract for building the house was subsequently let to Cook & Ackerley for $318.96.
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