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 36
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 36
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traveling Methodist minister, Rev. J. E. Wright, as president, Betsy Griffin, Joseph Hopkins, Benjamin Carter, Ivy A. Astor, Sally Canady, John Wig- ley, Rebecca Huff and Joseph Cheadle. The lodge has long since been dis- banded.
The next movement was the tidal wave of the "Woman's Crusade" in 1874, having its birth in Ohio, and which struck Newport in 1874, with great force. Meetings were held in the churches, speeches made, and a committee appointed to wait upon the two saloon keepers of the county seat, who soon closed their dram shops and signed a pledge not to again open in Newport. The drug firm of William M. and William L. Triplett (father and son) refused to sign the pledge, offering one in its stead al- lowing them to sell liquor for medicinal, mechanical and sacramental pur- poses. They were publicly charged, in a set of formal resolutions, with selling liquor at wholesale for drinking purposes, but they denied the charge. The controversy was long and bitter, but they held their ground. Later the father died and the son removed from the community.
In December, 1874, a woman from the country, becoming enraged at her husband's way of spending his time and money in the saloon, made a general scatterment among the inmates of the saloon, which she entered boldly, and as a result her husband was made to walk straight to his home.
In 1877 that great temperance reformer, Francis Murphy, and his blue- ribbon movement came to Newport like a cyclone. More than three hun- dred men signed the pledge in two nights' time. Again in 1879 came the red-ribbon movement of Tyler Mason, which proved still greater in its effect.
At one time Newport had a very strong Woman's Christian Temper- ance Union and edited a department in the Hoosier State. Leading mem- bers were Mrs. Zachariah Thornton, Mrs. Ramsey, Mrs. Ervin Lamb, Mrs. Sears and others whose good work was not in vain. Fifty ladies in all were thus associated at Newport. Perrysville Woman's Christian Temperance Union was also associated with these ladies.
BUSINESS INTERESTS OF 1912.
Attorneys-Hugh H. Conley, W. Bert Conley, Martin G. Rhoads, E. E. Neel, Homer B. Aikman, Charles N. Fultz, William C. Wait, Forest IV. Ingram, Herman J. Galloway.
Abstractors-E. E. Neel.
Banks-R. H. Nixon & Co.'s Bank (private), Citizens State Bank.
Barber Shops-John H. Nichols, James W. Thomas.
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Blacksmiths-John A. Darby, James C. Garrigus.
Billiards and Pool-White & Nichols.
Clothing and Furnishing Goods-Henry Watson.
Confectionery and Fruits-Louis Coil.
Cement Works-John G. Myers and Searing M. Robbins, of the firm of Robbins & Myers.
Coal, Wood and Props-William H. Wiltermood.
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railway Agent-Ralph B. Hollingsworth.
Citizens Mutual Telephone Company-H. V. Nixon, president ; James W. Thomas, secretary : Adva Julian, electrician.
Dry Goods-E. R. Stephens, John T. Simpson, Ordie E. Pritchard.
Dray Line-Ottie White.
Furniture and Undertaking-Sam D. Chipps.
Groceries-E. R. Stephens, Benton Nichols (with bakery), White & Hughes, John T. Simpson.
Grain-William M. Prillaman.
Garage-"Newport Hill Garage," H. T. Payne and Ralph V. Hughes, pro- prietors ; Byron Hamblen, mechanician.
Harness-L. J. Place & Son.
Hotel-"The Hart." by Robert A. Hart.
Hardware and Implements-L. J. Place & Son, Maurice Hegarty.
Jeweler-Levi P. Bever.
Lumber- Greer-Wilkinson Lumber Company.
Livery-L. J. Place.
Music -- Zachariah T. Galloway.
Millinery-Alice M. Nichols.
Meat Market-J. S. McCormick.
Newspaper-The Hoosier State, S. B. Davis & Son, publishers, Bird H. Davis, editor.
Physicians-Drs. I. M. Casebeer, M. L. Hall.
Restaurants-Elmer Bush, Wiltermood Bros. (R. A. and George).
Shetland Pony Farm-L. J. Place.
Saw-mill-Charles T. Evans.
Shoe Repair and Custom Work-John D. Brown.
The B. A. W. Gasoline Light Manufacturing Company-Benjamin A. Wil- termood.
Transfer Line -. Andrew J. Wise.
Tile Works-William E. Dee Clay Works.
Theater-"Idle Hour Moving, Pictures"-Elbert S. Nichols.
CHAPTER XX.
CLINTON TOWNSHIP.
Clinton township, named in honor of De Witt Clinton, a former gov- ernor of New York state, is the southern sub-division in Vermillion county. It contains forty-two square miles, and in 1880 had a population of 3,000, with persona: property valued, in 1882, at $643.675. Its population in 1910 was ( including the city ) 9.341, with an assessed valuation in city and town- ship amounting to $3,842.335.
John Vannest, the first settler in this county, located in section 9, of this township, in 1816. See an account of his settlement in the general chapter on "Early Settlement." The next to enter Clinton township was John Beard, who located and built the first house in what is now the city of Clinton, and in either 1819 or 1820 built what was later styled Patton's mill, three and a half miles southwest of Clinton, the same being Vermillion county's first mill. Mr. Beard was also an early justice of the peace.
In 1818 came William Hamilton, who had sons, John and William, who lived many years in the county, William dying about 1878. The parents of Nelson Reeder came from Ohio and settled here in 1818.
Judge Porter, of New York state, settled here in 1819. His son Charles was born in 1816, was a good and useful citizen, but finally ended his own life by suicide. John J. Martin, who died in about 1884. was in his second year when his parents moved to Clinton township in 1819. The same year Daniel MeCulloch, born in York state in 1797, settled in Clinton township, this county, on a farm five miles southwest of Clinton. His son, W. B. McCulloch, was born here in 1830.
It was in 1820 when the parents of John Wright, Sr .. emigrated with him from New York to Clinton township. George Wright came in 1832, and died many years ago.
Major Chunn, a regular army officer, came here from Terre Haute some time previous to 1820, and was an efficient soldier in driving the Indians away from this settlement. He also participated in the battle of Tippecanoe. under General Harrison, on November 7, 1811. He was many years one of the justices of the peace in Clinton township. His son. Thomas, was many years an honored citizen here.
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John Clover, from Ohio, located in Clinton township in 1821, with his son, Josepha A. Clover. Joshua Dean, a native of Virginia, born in 1801. settled in this township in 1822, and died about 1877. The Andrew's family, including several sons, located here in 1822. Henry and Eli Shew, natives of North Carolina, were mere boys when they located as residents of Clinton township. The former was born in 1815 and came here in 1825. and the latter, born in 1819. was brought here in 1823.
Capt. William Swan was born in Pennsylvania in 1802, settled in Clin- ton township, this county, in 1823, was a member of the first jury in Vermil- lion county and followed the river, making over sixty trips to New Orleans on both rafts and flat-boats. He was a Universalist in his religious belief. and a Freemason. He died at Clinton, January 29. 1887.
Washington Potter, who was still-living in 1887, was eight years old in 1823, when he was brought to this township from Ohio. He was a carpenter by trade.
Silas Davis, a cooper and farmer, was born in 1818. and came to this township in 1823. The parents of William and Israel Wood came here in 1824. The same year came John W. Hedges. His son, Dr. I. B. Hedges, was. born October 30, 1819. died February 24, 1883, and was buried in the Clin- ton cemetery. It was also in 1824 when the father of Walter G. Crabb, born in Fayctte county, Ohio, came here to reside. In 1827 came James H. Allen. born in Ohio in 1822.
John Payton, an early merchant in Clinton, born in Ohio in 1818, came here in 1828. The same year came James Clark, Sr., from Ohio, where he was born in 1798. He became a sturdy farmer a mile and a half west of Clinton.
Samuel Davidson, deceased many years since, was born in Ohio in 1817. and settled in this township in 1830. Martin N. Davidson was born in Ohio in 1829, was brought here in 1832, lived here many years and was a resident of Terre Haute for many years later in his life.
George W. Edwards, of Clinton, was born in Indiana in 1827. and be- came a resident here in 1830. Andrew Reed, a native of North Carolina, settled here in 1830. Thomas Kibby, born in this state in 1810. came to Clin- ton township in 1830.
Benjamin R. Whitcomb, born in Vermont in 1798, and his cousin and business partner. John Whitcomb, came in 1828, settling in the village of Clinton, where they were among the pioneer merchants, pork packers, etc. John died in August. 1830, aged forty-one years. Benjamin R. died April 23. 1861, and his wife, Anna S., died May 21. 1860.
John R. Whitcomb, another merchant, born in Ohio in 1804. first settled
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in Edgar county, Illinois, in 1832, and in the village of Clinton in 1834. He died in March, 1873.
Scott Malone, who married Sarah, one of the twin daughters of pioneer John Vannest, came in from Ohio and resided here until his death, in the eighties.
Simeon Taylor, a native of Indiana, born in 1818, settled in this county in 1831, and died in the eighties. John F., his brother, born in Ohio, resided here and survived him.
In 1832 there settled in Clinton township Thomas G. Wilson, born in Virginia in 1804: William J. Noblitt, born in Tennessee in 1825: Benjamin Harrison, born in Virginia in 1805, was a justice of the peace many years and was still living here in 1887.
Robert H. and Adaline (West) Nichols located in Clinton township in 1835. He died here in 1872, aged fifty-five years, and she in 1874. aged sixty-five years.
Hiram B. Cole, John Ferral and John Marks were early Clinton mer- chants. The latter moved South. Ferral died February 25, 1832, aged thirty- six years.
In 1836 came William Payton and Philo Harkness. Payton was born in Kentucky in 1814, and Harkness in New York in 1816. In 1837 came Reuben Propst, and the next year Isaac Propst, natives of Virginia, but finally re- moved from this county. Acquilla Nebeker, born in Delaware in 1815, lo- cated in Clinton township in 1837. He was a liberal-minded citizen and a very considerate, kind neighbor. He died in 1880. Jesse Spangler, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1807. settled here in 1837, and died here about 1881. D. F. Fawcett came in from Virginia in. 1833. settling near Goshen. Vigo county, and then in 1837, in this county, near the southwest corner. He died in 1845 in Jasper county, Illinois.
From the above date on, the settlers came in so rapidly that it is impossi- ble to trace their comings and goings, but they included many of Clinton township's best citizens.
A former history of Vermillion county mentions, in 1887. the fact of there being three or four saw-mills in Clinton township, besides the two lo- cated at Clinton. Also that one of the largest agricultural interests in the township, at that date, was the extensive stock farm of Claude Mathews at Hazel Bluff, on Brouillet's creek, some three miles from Clinton.
Of the churches and schools of Clinton township, the general chapters on these topics ".il' treat in detail. Mso the great coal mining interests form
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a special chapter, hence will not be mentioned in this township history. This is the civil township in which is situated the city of Clinton, the largest place in the county, whose separate history appears in another chapter.
Another town of the township of Clinton is Fairview Park, adjoining the city of Clinton, platted in 1902 and is a separate incorporation. It has a popu- lation of about seven hundred, and has numerous stores and shops, with many residences, schools and churches.
CHAPTER XXI.
EUGENE TOWNSHIP.
This township is the second from the north line of the county, and is bounded on the east by Parke county, the Wabash river being the dividing line; on the south is Vermillion township, on the west is the state of Illinois, and on the north is Highland township. In this portion of Vermillion county, more than at any other point, were the Indian villages, battlefields and first trading posts, as well as the first settlements by white men. While it is true that John Vannest settled the county first in Clinton township, the settlement in Eugene was much more rapid than in other parts of the county. Eugene township contains thirty-three square miles, and in 1880 had a population of 1,340, with personal property valued at $681,000. In 1910 the population was, including Cayuga, 2,112. In 1911 the assessed valuation of both per- sonal and real property in this township was $1.376,085, exclusive of New- port, which had $402,720.
In 1869 Prof. John Collett discovered, in a mound near Eugene, a small coin upon which was an untranslatable inscription, in characters closely re- sembling Arabic. This mound was covered with full-grown forest trees.
Early settlers near Eugene village found an ax imbedded in the heart of an oak tree, with one hundred and twenty-five rings about it, thus indi- cating that the implement had been left there as early as 1712, or more than two hundred years ago. It was probably left there by the French people. possibly a missionary. It is true that different kinds of timber, growing in different soils, may vary in the years noted by the "timber rings," but this ax was evidently placed there long before the Revolutionary struggle.
The following rare exhibition of animal nature occurred in this town- ship: One evening about sundown in April, 1868. as "Eel" Vickers, who lived about four miles northwest of Eugene village, was returning home from a house-raising, he was suddenly alarmed by the scream of a lynx, which he soon discovered was in pursuit of him. Being unarmed, he dared not give battle, and began to run homeward with all his might. Of course the beast could easily enough have overtaken Vickers at a bound or two, whenever it desired, but such is feline nature that it occasionally rested a moment and
-
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PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
screamed most terrifically. When Vickers approached his house the animal jumped around in front of him, to intercept his passage to the house; but at this critical moment, the dogs arrived and chased it away. Its previous yelp- ing had alarmed them and brought them out just in time, but not a second too soon.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
It was in Eugene township that the Groenendykes, Thompsons, Porters, Armours, Colletts, Hepburns, Colemans, Malones, Naylors, Shelbys and oth- ers effected a settlement. Many of these worthy pioneers left numerous descendants who became and are still residents and influential citizens of Vermillion county.
The first mill in this county was that erected in Clinton township by John Beard, either in 1819 or 1820. However, that was a small affair com- pared to the one built in this township by John Groenendyke, about the same date, on Big Vermillion river, at the point in the northern portion of Eugene township where the village of Eugene was laid out. This was for many years the best and largest mill in Vermillion county.
The following is an incomplete chronological list of pioneers who made their way to Eugene township between 1816 and 1840:
1816-Noah Hubbard, with a wife and a large family of children. After residing here many years he became a Mormon and went to Missouri, to join his people, then to Nauvoo, Illinois, remaining with them until they were driven away by the Gentiles, about 1847, when he returned to this county and began preaching that peculiar doctrine. Rejoining the Mormons in the colony at Council Bluffs, Iowa, he died there.
1818-Isaac Coleman settled three miles south of Eugene, on the prairie since known as Coleman's prairie. Judge J. M. Coleman came to the township a year later, from Virginia, settling on section 16, township 17, range 9 west. and was long and intimately associated with the Collett families. He had aided in laying out the city of Indianapolis, and also Terre Haute, where he also built the old court house. In this county he was one of the first grand jurymen, and an associate judge. Subsequently, he removed to Iowa City, Iowa, where he built the State House, died and was buried there. The same year ( 1818) came Major James Blair, who settled on the northeast quarter of section 16, township 17, range 9 west, and at his cabin on this place was held the first term of court in Vermillion county. He had been a sharp- shooter on Lake Erie, under Commodore Perry, in the war of 1812, when he was detailed to shoot at the Indians in the rigging of the British war vessels :
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PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
but at the very first fire of Perry's artillery the Indians were so frightened that they hastily "scuttled" down into the hold, and there were no Indians for Blair to do his duty upon. As his vessel sailed past the British man-of-war he could see the glittering tin canisters down through the muzzles of their guns. For his faithful services Mr. Blair received a medal from the American gov- ernment. On one occasion, after he became a resident of Vermillion county, he was a candidate for the Legislature. He attended a shooting match, in which he participated, and aimed so well that every man present voted for him at the ensuing election! On still another occasion he played an amusing trick upon the simple-minded pioneers and Indians, in the settlement of a controversy between them. Blair married a daughter of Judge Coleman, resided for a time on Coleman's prairie, then moved up the river and founded Perrysville. which place he named in honor of his brave commander, Commodore Oliver H. Perry, remaining there until his death. Both Blair and Coleman had an intimate acquaintance with the Indians and lived in friendship with them for a number of years. It frequently fell to their lot to act as peacemaker be- ยท tween the Indians and what were termed "border ruffians," who were much the worse of the two. These two pioneers always spoke in the highest terms of Se-Seep, the last chief who lived in the vicinity, who it is said was one hundred and ten years of age, when he was foully murdered by a renegade Indian of his own tribe. Like the fading autumn leaves, the Indians of these forests of Vermillion county died away. The guns and dogs of the white man frightened away the game from their hunting grounds, or destroyed it. and the virtue of a dire necessity called upon them to emigrate, to make room for the ax and the plow, the cabin and the log school house of the incoming white race.
1819 -- John Groenendyke came in from near Cayuga county, New York. first to Terre Haute in 1818 and the next year to this county, settling on the Big Vermillion river where Eugene now stands. He was the father of James -- who built the "Big Vermillion." the first large grist-mill in the county al- ready referred to-and Samuel, and the grandfather of Hon. John Groenen- dyke and his cousin Samuel, and also the grandfather of the later generations of Colletts. The name was originally Van Groenendyke, which the old-time express agent at Eugene further abbreviated to Grondyke, a word of two syllables, the first being pronounced "groan." The first family of this line came to America from Holland with the Knickerbockers in 1617, settling in New Amsterdam (New York).
1821-James Armour settled here soon after Mr. Groenendyke, and as- sisted in building the pioneer mill : he removed to Illinois about 1877. Alexan-
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der Arrasmith, born in Kentucky in 1795, emigrated to Sullivan county, In- diana, in 1818, and in either 1821 or 1824 came to Vermillion county. He died at his home, two and a half miles south of Eugene, January 15, 1875. having been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty-odd years. He was the father of Richard Arrasmith, born in Sullivan county, 1818, and of Thomas Arrasmith, a wagon-maker at Newport at an early day.
1822-William Thompson, father of James, John and Andrew, and of Mrs. Jane Shelby, from Pennsylvania, settled near the big spring a mile south from Eugene. Their descendants were frugal, industrious people and hence accumulated a large amount of property. The same year came in Benja- min Shaw, from Vigo county, but originally from Kentucky, and settled near Eugene, and afterward on the Little Vermillion, five miles west from New- port, where he died over three-quarters of a century ago. He was the father of ten children, three of whom survived their mother. Andrew Tipton came to this township in 1822 from Kentucky, where he was born in 1800. He re- mained here until his death. J. W. Tipton, of Ohio, settled on the Wabash river.
1823-Lewis Jones located here about 1823, and died after the Civil war. J. A. Jones, born in 1821, was brought to this township in 1823.
1824-Jones Lindsey, born in Ohio, in 1818, came here in 1824. The next year there arrived Oliver Lindsley, born in Ohio in 1807. Judge Rezin Shelby, who became very wealthy, died here many years since.
1825-The parents of James Sheward, who was born this year. Ezekiel Sheward about 1870 in the township.
1826-William Fultz, Sr., born in Pennsylvania in 1805, with his wife Nancy, came to Eugene township this year, locating on Sand Prairie. They had thirteen children. The parents of Joseph Holtz, who was born in Ohio in 1822, came to the county in this year. John Holtz, who was born in Ohio, the same year, settled here in 1834.
1827-Samuel W. Malone, born in Ohio in 1810, came to Helt town- ship, this county, in 1824, and to Eugene township in 1827; he conducted a hotel for a number of years. M. W. Newman, born in Virginia in 1811, was still a resident of the township in 1887. Martin Patrick came some time before 1827. Hiram Patrick was born here in 1829, and William Patrick, in 1831, lived here many years, then moved to Missouri. About this date came also John Ross, born in Ohio in 1829, and brought here the same year.
1828-Ignatius Sollars, who died in June, 1833. Nancy, wife of Tru- man Sollars, died September 15, 1869, aged fifty-seven and a half years. Mat- thew Cole. born in Ohio in 1824, was brought to this county in 1828, as was
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PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
also Jesse Smith, from Tennessee, the year of his birth. The same year came also W. L. Naylor, and the next year Lewis T. Naylor, who still resided here in the latter eighties. Both were born in Ohio. W. L. in 1821 and Lewis T. in 1826. Benjamin Naylor, another old resident, was born in 1826. Jacob Iles, who died forty years or more ago, was the father of James B. Iles, born in 1829. and Jacob H., born in 1833. both natives of this county.
1829-John Hepburn. Sr., who was born in Virginia, died here about 1880. John Hepburn, Jr .. was a native of Vermillion county, this state. William Hepburn was born in Ohio in 1823, and was brought here in 1829. Enoch W. Lane, born in Ohio in 1798, died here before 1850.
1830- John Sims, born in Virginia in 1808, lived a mile and a half south of Eugene many years. "Crate" Sims, his son, was born in Virginia the same year. Charles S. Little, from Virginia, located near Eugene in 1830, and died in 1852, aged sixty-three years. His wife, whose maiden name was Rachel Moore, died, aged eighty years, southwest of Newport, in 1881. Rev. Enoch Kingsbury came from Massachusetts to Eugene about 1830, and organized the Presbyterian church. His wife. Fanny G., taught school there for a number of terms. Their eldest son, James G. Kingsbury, one of the editors and publishers of the Indiana Farmer at Indianapolis, was born at the resi- dence of Dr. Asa R. Palmer, two miles north of Eugene village, in 1832. The same year the family removed to Danville, Illinois, where Mr. Kingsbury organized a church and preached there many years. He also acted in the capacity of a home missionary, preaching in neighboring counties both in Indiana and Illinois, till the close of his life in 1868.
1831-Harrison Alderson, who died at a very early day here, came that year to this township.
1832-Philo and Milo Hosford, twins, born in New York in 1811. Milo died in January. 1880, after having spent a most useful and excellent life in this county. He was many years in the employ of Samuel Gronendyke. Joseph Wigley, this year, came to Eugene township.
1833-Isaac .\. Brown, Sr., born in Tennessee in 1816, settled "Brown Town." and was still living in the latter part of the eighties. He had at one time in his life weighed three hundred pounds.
1834-John Rheuby, about this year, came in from Illinois and settled : he was a pioneer in Illinois in 1826. William Reuby was born in this county in 1834. J. W. Boyd was born in Pennsylvania in 1828. died here in the eighties.
1837-The parents of Edward B. and Joseph Johnson : father died many years since. Edward B. was born in Indiana in 1830, and Joseph in this
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