USA > Indiana > Vermillion County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Parke County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
170
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
and of which he soon gave the public an acre, including the spot where the dear one was interred, thus making a start towards the present cemetery. The grounds are just to the southeast of the city proper. Up to 1826 there had been only five burials there, in the two years of use. No record is found back of 1839. John Alexander commenced his duties as sexton of this ceme- tery in 1843 and up to 1883 nine hundred graves had been dug by him. There the strong man and the frail woman, the infant and the aged, had been put beneath the sod. Civilian and soldier had there been buried, including many of the Civil war soldiers, and one continental soldier-Jesse Duncan- who fought at Guilford Court House, whose remains lay on the east end of lot No. 147. Many beautiful family monuments and memorial piles now grace this cemetery, which is kept in fine condition. With the return of each spring time, and Memorial Day, the graves are visited and the green carpeting moistened by the tear-drops of the friends of those who lie there, sleeping their last sleep. Of recent years many improvements have been made on these lots and today the passerby recognizes a Christian community, for no other so carefully watches the resting places of their departed dead.
There have been at least three additions made to this "Silent City," but in all only about eleven acres are platted, and but about eight of this has been occupied with graves.
INDUSTRIES OF ROCKVILLE.
Milling is one of the earliest industries in almost any community, and here in Rockville the flouring mill industry was first established in 1853-4, by a New Englander named Isaac Jarvis Silliman, who was a pioneer miller at Bridgton and Armiesburg, where he was a partner of General Patterson, both in milling, merchandising and distilling. About the date last mentioned, he came to Rockville and entered into a partnership with O. J. Innis and J. M. Nichols. In a few years Innis retired, and Silliman and Nichols purchased the mill. Early in 1860, William M. Thompson and James H. McEwen bought Silliman's interest in both mill and store property. A few years later Silliman died, greatly regretted by the community, at the age of seventy or more. In 1864 the mill was sold to Eiglehart and Brothers, of Evansville, and finally went into the hands of the national bank here, and it was burned in 1884. After this the citizens were greatly in need of such an industry as a good flouring mill, and then commenced the remarkable history and career, in Rockville, of the Rohm family, three generations of which have been con- nected with flour-making in this section of Indiana. In April, 1893, E. H.,
I71
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Calvin and George W. Rohm, sons of Jacob Rohm, who had commenced mill- ing at the age of ten years for his father, began the construction of a modern flour mill at Rockville, on the site of the old woolen factory, where plenty of good water and other conveniences were at hand,-the site of the present roller mills,-and made their first flour on New Year's day, 1894. It is a brick structure, with metal roof, and is grouped with the power house, ware- house and roomy office. As far back as 1896 this mill employed eight men. It is still running at full capacity and is known far and near for its superior grades of flour.
The only other important industries in Rockville are its two quite ex- tensive lumber mills and wood-working machinery, the one being the exten- sive works of the Ferguson Lumber Company, the other, Graham & Com- pany, both of which firms do a large hard-lumber milling business.
It may be added that the town now has five garages in successful opera- tion, and that many automobiles are sold and used in Parke county.
ADVENT OF THE COLORED PEOPLE.
According to the 1870 United States census, Adams township had sev- enty-four colored population, of which fifty-five resided in the town of Rock- ville. The year after the Civil war closed-1866-there was only one colored person in the town, Alexander Harper, a hatter by trade; he died and his family went away. Patrick Thomas arrived that year and was soon followed by Alexander Black. In 1870 Abram Gaston brought his family to Rock- ville from North Carolina; he accompanied Samuel Kirkman, who had been back on a visit; this was the first family from that state. In the colony that emigrated from that state in 1872 were Joseph Kirkman, Jesse Kirkman, Anthony Brower, Jesse Craven and Ransom Coble. By 1880 colored people had come in from the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee till they numbered fully two hundred, many of whom became excellent citizens and not a few became well-to-do persons, who seemed to prize their liberty and rights, and they and their children have kept up this record of good citizenship until this time. They support a Methodist and a Baptist church and a public school.
CHAPTER XVII.
ADAMS TOWNSHIP.
Adams township, in which the seat of justice is located, has, in common with others of Parke county, no public record showing the facts connected with its organization and settlement, owing to the fact that the records made by the early county officials were all burned in the fire of November, 1833. Except for the first actual settler, there is abundant proof about who the first settlers were. It was contended at the date of the old history, by Walker Adams, that his father, James Adams, made a settlement in 1816, on the Little Raccoon in what is now known as Adams township. He further con- tended that the township derived its name from his father, all of which looks plausible, though possibly he has fixed the date of coming a little too early. However that may be, it is usually granted that Adams was first to locate in this township, and that it was before 1818. There is no account of any others coming in prior to 1821, to make permanent homes for themselves. In 1817 a colony of several families emigrated from Butler county, Ohio, and settled on the Big Raccoon, in what came to be known as the Bell Settlement, near Bridgton. Among those were Abel Bell, Tobias Miller, Solomon Simmons, the Adams and Webster families. Isaac McCoy, the celebrated Indian mis- sionary, had his home in the same region. A few years later Aaron Hand, also from Ohio, joined this colony. In the spring of 1821 Solomon Simmons moved and located, a mile southwest of Rockville. In the autumn of the same year Aaron Hand came up from the Bell settlement and located on the present site of Rockville. Greenberry Ward and his father, James Ward, made a tour of exploration and in their travels found Cornelius Sunderland, living on what in later years was known as the Beadle farm. In 1822 came James McGinnis, settling a mile and a half south of Rockville. Cornelius Sunderland arrived the same year. Andrew Ray came to Rockville that year, early in the spring, but was here the autumn before and located his lands. At that date land hunters were numerous and there was much rivalry to see who should obtain choice bottom tracts of bottom lands. A party con- sisting of James Glass, John Miller, Jacob Miller and Thomas Wolverton, who were much disheartened at not being able to secure such lands as above mentioned, were on their way to Montgomery county to search for a better
I73
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
choice of lands, when they were happily directed by a Kentuckian to the "di- vide between the two Raccoons." Upon examination, the country pleased them and they decided to locate there, and were joined by Tobias Miller, Reuben Webster, Lawrence Cox and a few more. So general was the sat- isfaction at finding their desires, that James Kelsey named the settlement "New Discovery," and it is still spoken of as such, and churches and schools have been named for it. A wonderful rush soon pushed forward for this portion of the county. The land office was soon moved from Terre Haute to Crawfordsville, and the route was dotted all the way with newcomers' places, and smoke from many cabins greeted the eye. For the choice of land men took great chances at swimming streams and they rode day and night, through drenching rains and other fierce storms, often exhausting and sometimes kill- ing the horses which bore them. Next was heard the sound of the settler's axe and saw, in clearing up the forest and making farms. The crashing of falling beech, walnut and sugar trees might have been heard on every hand, preparatory to the log-heap and crackling fires.
The spring and summer of 1822 were exceedingly wet, and the new- comers were sad and disheartened with water all around them, and mud, mud, mud at their feet. They hauled their grain from Fort Harrison, but found other supplies at Roseville. Toward the close of the summer the rain clouds . passed by and sunny weather was present to greet them. Here might have been seen men and women with children at their knees, far distant from their former homes and out of reach of every civilized comfort, spreading their beds and boards in a trackless wilderness, infested with venomous reptiles and wild beasts, voluntarily seeking rough toil, accepting course food, and facing all but famine, yet yielding to nothing but protracted and blighting dis- ease and sometimes death. Their experiences form a story of trials, priva- tions and sufferings, and a picture of heroism and triumph, which can never be accurately depicted by the pen.
The Rockville Tribune at one time published the following incident that may throw some light upon this state of affairs :
"Nancy, wife of Cornelius Sunderland, had been to her father, Nathan- iel Page's one afternoon late in the autumn of 1821 or '22, to borrow a reel. The houses were not more than half a mile apart and as she was returning she strolled along, gathering nuts, buried in the leaves on the ground, failing to note the direction, and strangely oblivious of everything around her, until her attention was arrested by a sudden darkening of the sky and falling of snow flakes. On looking up she discovered that she had missed her way, but, correcting her course, pressed forward with all haste, in the supposed
174
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
direction of her home. She had not proceeded far before she was filled with alarm at finding herself in a dense forest, and totally ignorant of her where- abouts. The snow was falling fast. The deep gloom and grand silence of the woods added to her painful feelings and situation and her fears grew almost frantic, when she noticed the dog that had accompanied her had dis- appeared. She searched wildly about for the path, shouting every few steps, and then pausing for an answer, but hearing no sound but the beating of her own heart. On and on she wandered without a glimpse of a single object she knew to relieve her terrified thoughts. Night came on and still she groped about. The boughs were now bending beneath the weight of falling snow. At length, finding that her traveling and calling were only a vain waste of strength, and wet, cold, faint and overwhelmed with despair, she took shelter in a hollow tree, where she passed the night. As soon as daylight came she renewed her fruitless endeavor to find a habitation or to attract at- tention by her cries. As hour by hour went by she continued her wanderings till late in the afternoon, when her strength was gone and, benumbed with cold, she sat down to await help or die.
"When evening came it was known that she was lost. Her husband, greatly distressed, spread the alarm and the settlers north of' the Big Rac- coon turned out in a general search. By the middle of the next day all the west part of the county was aroused and had joined the relief party. About sunset John Sunderland, while hunting along the bluffs of Raccoon, heard a faint cry, so faint that he could not ascertain the direction, till several times repeated in answer to his shout. Following the sound, he came upon a human being leaning against a tree, whom he confidently believed to be a squaw. He supposed she had been abandoned or lost by her tribe, nor was it till he drew near and actually touched her, that he recognized his sister-in-law! Thirty hours of toil and suffering had completely transformed her ; her dress was in rags, her voice was almost gone, and she was so chilled that she could not climb upon a log, and he had to lift her to a horse and then hold her as he would a child. But the constitution of a pioneer woman soon brought health and she survived to a good age, to be the mother of a large family of vigorous sons and handsome daughters. And it is recorded that, womanlike, she had held onto the borrowed reel, through all her wanderings."
Other early settlers outside of Rockville, not already named, were: Jos- eph Wilkinson, who came from Warren county, Ohio, in 1825, and located in New Discovery; James Ward and son Greenberry, in 1826; Nathaniel Page, about the same time. By about 1830 nearly all the land, at least all of the choice tracts, had been taken up, and settlements were evenly distributed.
175
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
It is related that it was then uncommon to find a stretch of country where there was not a house at least within two miles of another. The Indians had nearly all departed. From 1825 to 1831 there were numerous parts of tribes of the Delawares and Pottawatomies left behind the main tribes of these Indians. The settlement at Rockville is mentioned in the town or city his- tory of that place, hence is omitted here. Aside from the interests at Rock- ville, the township is an agricultural section, now highly developed and full of beautiful farm homes and a happy, intelligent and prosperous people. A table' elsewhere gives the population of this and every other township within Parke county. The Educational chapter treats of the early and present schools, while the chapter devoted to churches gives much concerning the various branches of religious work in Adams township. The wagon roads leading into Rockville are numerous and all well graveled at this date, and the number of carriages and automobiles owned by the farmers is indeed wonderful, while the rural free delivery of mail and the parcel post make a net-work of the township. These all present a great contrast to the days of 1822, when the first stakes were stuck by the hands of a few pioneers. The valuation of property, real and personal, in Adams township in 1912 is $1,250,500, outside the city of Rockville. Including the city, the valuation, as per recent assessed list, is $2,500,000. The 1910 United States census gave Adams township (outside town of Rockville) a population of 1,417.
CHAPTER XVIII.
FLORIDA TOWNSHIP.
Florida is the extreme southwestern civil sub-division of Parke county. It is bounded on the west by the Wabash river; on the north by Wabash and Adams township; on the east by Raccoon township and on the south by Vigo county, Indiana. The old canal runs through its western borders. Its towns and hamlets are Coxville, Rosedale, Jessup, Lyford, Hudnut, Numa, and numerous postoffices, some established many years since, but abolished upon the introduction of the modern rural route system. Its area covers about forty-eight square miles. Its population in 1880 was 1,944. while at present (1912) it contains about 3;170 people. In 1880 its assessed valuation was $689,364, in real estate and personal amounting to $175,662, as against a total in 1912 of $1,324,155. Its territory is watered by Little and Big Rac- coon rivers. Along these streams, which are really large creeks, and along the Wabash river are the bottoms, stretching more than a mile in rich level lands, and where some of the finest crops of wheat and corn are produced annually. Back of these valleys are the bluffs showing their rocky heads, but soon wear down to a level country again. These flats formed by the raising of the bluffs are almost level, and at some remote period, possibly formed an island. East of Rosedale, the country forms a flat sandy section, resembling the prairies of Illinois somewhat. The north part of Florida township is very rough and broken, but most of its land has been utilized by energetic farmers and stockmen.
The township was named, according to Jesse R. Youmans, at its or- ganization in the fall of 1821, from David Loree, a pioneer who had emi- grated from such a named township in New York state. The first settlers in this township are to be classed among the first pioneers within Parke county. Among such sturdy, self-sacrificing characters may be recalled John M. Doty, whose axe was among the very first to be heard ringing through the forests of the county. He settled east of Rosedale, where he remained till overtaken by death. Another was Henry, a family well known in Parke county, through their descendants, to this day. It is claimed that this family settled east of Rosedale about 1816, and the place where they first set stakes,
177
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
almost a century ago, is still known as Henry's Prairie. Mr. Henry had four sons, John, William, Moses and Isaac. William died in Florida township in 1848; Moses was killed while en route to New Orleans with a flat-boat loaded with pork. The forks of the creek were settled by John Adams and James and Moses Barnes, from Kentucky. William Evans came to Florida town- ship about 1820. One of the first settlers in Parke county was Joseph Wal- ker, who came in 1816, locating on the bluff in the southwestern part of this township. This was ever afterwards styled Walker's Bluff. He first pre- empted a quarter section, where he built a log cabin. sixteen by eighteen feet, and there set out the first orchard ever planted in the township. He also built the first brick house in the town. A Mr. Kispert later owned and occu- pied this place. In 1819 Chauncey Rose settled in the township, which also was the date of the building of the Raccoon Mills on the stream where Rose- ville was afterward built. Rose came to the country a poor man, and when he bought his land bought it simply for farming purposes, little dreaming that he was to sell corner lots from the tract he had selected. Other early settlers were Messrs. Robbins and Brooks, who were early factors at Rose- ville and carried on merchandising at that point many years. In 1820 Will- iam Smith built his log cabin three-quarters of a mile to the south of Rose- dale, on Henry's Prairie, and lived there until 1835, when he erected a double-log cabin where Rosedale was later situated. He who was usually styled "Major." really James Smith, came in 1820, and has always been recognized as the first settlers on the bluff north of Jude Walker's. He finished a cabin eighteen by twenty feet, and became the owner of nearly a section of land. It was there that David D. Loree made his home in the spring of 1820. He came from New York, from which state he started on a flat boat, accom- panied by his brother's wife and her daughter, Minerva (later Mrs. Brown). Capt. Daniel Stringham, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and Jonathan Rockwell settled on what was known as Yankee street at about the same date. Other early settlers were John and Sylvester Sibley, Zebina Hovey, the celebrated pioneer carpenter of this county, and Hector Smith. An early blacksmith was Mr. Drure, in 1823 on Walker's land. Most of the follow- ing men were in Florida prior to 1830: Joseph Cahill, David Hix, Samuel House, John Crabb, Seba H. Case, Peter Pence, Z. Fenton, Abraham Laney, the Rukes, John Steward, the Boatmans, Benjamin Dailey, George Baugh, James Laney, the Kilburns, John Cottrell, James Burson, Cephas Fisher.
The township is now well developed and made up of wealthy and fair- circumstanced farmers. Some of the old settlers have sons and daughters (12)
178
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
still residents of the township where their forefathers first settled, while a majority of the people are of a later generation who came from other sec- tions of this and other counties. The schools and churches are all mentioned in the general chapters of this work, hence are not further noted in this con- nection. It may be stated in passing, that the pioneer Chauncey Rose very greatly resembled Daniel Webster. He was a man of character, enterprise and great public promoter of good in Parke county.
VILLAGES OF THE TOWNSHIP.
Florida has several small towns and hamlets, including the following : Roseville, the first village in the county, received its name from Chauncey Rose, its first settler, who entered the land upon which it stands in 1819, and soon commenced the building of a grist mill on the banks of Raccoon creek, which was for many years known far and near as the Raccoon Mills. A saw- mill was soon completed a short distance above the flouring mill. He also erected a cabin or two, for himself and those who worked for him, these being the first erected in the village. The mill soon grew to be one of great promise and drew customers from a radius of more than twenty-five miles. After many years the mill did not longer produce sufficient flour for the in- creasing demand, when another was constructed, being later owned and operated by Daniel Kiblar. The first store was run by Moses Robbins, which was opened about the same date as the mill. At first the Indians were the best patrons, and Mr. Robbins was by them called "Old Mohawk." They brought him large quantities of furs, for which he exchanged to them coffee, tobacco, "mad water." etc. "Uncle Moses" kept in stock everything that was called for by both white and red men, and for many years drove a successful trade and barter, but finally died a poor man. Judge Wedding conducted the second store in the village and operated it successfully till he removed to Terre Haute. In 1820 a tan-yard was established at Roseville, a quarter of a mile to the southeast of the mills. After two years it proved a failure and was abandoned. A distillery was also thought necessary and one was built at the foot of the bluff, and there many a barrel of whisky was made and sold at twenty-five cents per gallon, and shipped to New Orleans on rude flat-boats. Another was situated a half mile south of the first one and was known as the McCamic still-house. In 1825 Robbins and Wedding were extensively en- gaged in pork packing and shipping to New Orleans. The first doctor was Dr. McDonald. In this village the first session of court was held in Parke county. The first grand jury sat here, and here the first indictment was
179
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
found, while the first case was tried in the court which was in session, the same being a criminal case. John Grim, for stealing some furs from the Indians, was sentenced to the penitentiary for one year. Between 1825 and 1835 Roseville was indeed a lively place. It soon began to decline, however, when Rockville opened up and, in addition to the county business, also drew trade which had formerly gone to Roseville.
Numa, situated on section 26, range 9, was first settled by John Wilson, he having entered the land and laid out a part of his farm into town lots in 1837. These lots were advertised in 1838, and a number sold at prices rang- ing from twelve to fifteen dollars. Nearly every person in the neighborhood purchased one of these town lots. Mr. Wilson erected the first frame house in the village, it being designed as a hotel. The stage which carried passen- gers along this road from Terre Haute to Lafayette stopped here to change horses and eat their meals. The hotel had a sign reading, "Entertainment for Man and Beast," and as it did not pay, Mr. Wilson tore it down and opened a general store. In 1840 Mr. Gleason erected a large frame building in the southern part of town, which was used both for hotel and store purposes. Gleason sold to Silas Bowers, after which it became a noted place. During the building of the canal quite a business was carried on at this point, but when that highway was finished the interest in the town was forever gone.
Clinton Lock received its name from the fact that the locks of the Wabash & Erie canal were situated at this place, and also from its location immediately across the river from the city of Clinton. In June, 1880. it was named Lyford. It is in section 14, range 9, and is a station now on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad. John Crabb entered the land on which the village is situated, and in 1833 sold to his son, W. G. Crabb. He built a large warehouse there in 1850; it was on the bank of the canal and was forty by eighty feet, two stories high. After the days of the canal it was no longer needed for grain, and in 1862 it was sold to Youman & Smith. A. & J. M. Lyons put in a stock of merchandise in 1851, amounting to seven thousand dollars. At the closing of the canal in 1865, everything in the town seemed to instantly decline and went to decay. It remained defunct until the autumn of 1873, when a switch from the Evansville & Terre Haute railroad was put in and run to the mines and warehouse of Asa Fitch, who put in fifty men and shipped fifteen cars of coal per day. A year later another mine was opened half a mile to the north. In 1875 the railroad purchased these switches and recognized Clinton Locks as a station point on their line. That year the store was opened and in 1877 a store was conducted by Lake & Com- pany. In 1879 the old warehouse was purchased by Hudmut & Company,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.