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 39
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 39
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1834-Jacob Rudy, born in Switzerland in 1818, died here in the early eighties. Martin Rudy, his father, died here several years afterward. Others who came in that year were Peter Switzer; his son Wesley, born in Ohio in 1821, was still an honored resident in 1888.
1835-Thomas Moore, who died in 1843, was the father of Joseph and Washington. T. H. Harrison, born in Virginia in 1810, was still a resident of this township in the late eighties.
1836-John R. and George H. McNeill, from Maryland, the former born in 1811 and the latter in 1818. Lewis and John Butler, from Ohio, the former born in 1813, and the latter in 1816; Lewis was deceased in 1886, when John was still living in Vermillion township. Elijah Roseberry, who died in 1857, aged fifty-one years. Thomas Cushman, born in New York in 1814, was living at Newport in 1887; he had served as county auditor.
1837-James J. Lewis, born in Maryland in 1805, still residing in this township in the late eighties. He was the father of J. A. Lewis and Joshua Lewis; the latter lived at Cayuga many years. Robert J. Gessie, born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1809, was residing here in 1887. An- · other old citizen was Charles Chezem, born in Indiana in 1827.
1838-Walter B. Moffatt, a native of Indiana, born in 1822, died Au- gust 14, 1882. Horatio Talbert, long since deceased, was the father of Henry, born in Pennsylvania in 1816 and died in this township in the middle of the eighties. Samuel Harris, born in Virginia in 1819, moved to another section of the country.
1839-John Dunlap, deceased, born in Ireland in 1809. Others who settled that year were Samuel Swingley and Samuel Watt, from Ohio.
Other pioneers in this township were J. F. Smith, John N. Jones, mer- chants and millers; Joseph Cheadle, father of Joseph B., who served in Con- gress from this district, was born May 9, 1789, in one of the Eastern states, and died in this township June 19, 1863; William B. Palmer, who died about 1876.
It was stated in 1887 that there were but three keeping house in High- land township who were in that relation in 1833, when Thomas H. Smith set- tled, he being the man who made this statement. These three were Mrs. Chestie Hain, Adaline V. Jones and Mrs. Glover.
TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP.
Perrysville was laid out in 1826, by James Blair, on a pleasing situation on the banks of the gently winding Wabash, and named by him in honor of
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the commander of the Lake Erie fleet in 1812, Commodore O. H. Perry. For many years this was the largest town within the limits of Vermillion county. For a time it was ahead of Danville, Illinois-really until the present railroad system was projected. Since then it has lacked thrift, enterprise and growth. It was said thirty years ago that "the passing days are like one eternal Sabbathı. Grass and weeds have overgrown the streets and the lovely shade trees continue to do their sweetest duty." There is a station a little to the west of the old town. Among the enterprising men who were engaged in business here in the more palmy days of the town's history may be re- called J. F. and T. H. Smith, J. N. Jones and Robert Moffatt. The old warehouses and grist-mill were used to some advantage in 1890. They were built and operated many years by Smith & Jones. Jones also built another grist-mill at the wharf, but it was burnt down many years since. March 31, 1884, occurred the largest conflagration ever experienced in the place. It en- tirely destroyed the three chief business blocks, two story bricks; these were the property of Smith Brothers. The fire originated in the roof of an adjoin- ing building. By this fire the Masonic hall, with all of its valuable records and paraphernalia, was destroyed.
A few years after the close of the Civil war, the Perrysville Woolen Mills were erected in the western portion of the town by Riggs. Head & Company, who furnished the machinery mainly from Covington, Indiana, in which place they had previously operated a factory. The Perrysville factory was operated until 1881, but with only partial success. It stood idle a year or more and was then purchased by B. O. Carpenter, who converted it into a mill, having two run of stones for wheat grinding. It was an excellent flour- ing-mill plant, and had a capacity of about eighty barrels per day.
In an historic account of this town, written in 1886, it is learned : "H. S. Comingmore & Son's Perrysville Stove Works, in the southern part of town, is a modern, neat establishment. It is in a brick building, erected in June, 1884. Its two wings are for foundry and finishing rooms. The firm started in business in Perrysville, in 1858, in a small frame building."
At the time above named-about 1887-there was then running the Per- rysville Creamery, on the bank of the Wabash. It had a capacity of two thousand pounds of butter per week. E. A. Lacey was secretary and super- intendent, while J. F. Compton was president of the company.
Perrysville was incorporated in January, 1881, and its first officers were : First ward, William Collins; second ward, Jolin R. McNeill: third ward, Samuel Shaner. W. M. Benfield was elected clerk: Rezin Metzger, assessor : Lewis A. Morgan, treasurer; Peter S. Moundy, marshal. In the fall of
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1884 the question of whether the corporation should be continued or not was up to a vote by the citizens of the place, and resulted by a small majority in favor of letting the municipality go down. It is not now an incorporated place, but a quiet, orderly country village, where many of the older inhabit- ants live on the past glory of former days!
In 1910 the population of Perrysville was six hundred, and there were the usual number of stores and shops for a town of its location and size. Of the churches, schools and lodges, for which the place has ever been noted, other general chapters will treat under their appropriate headings.
VILLAGE OF GESSIE.
Gessie is a village on the railroad, three miles northwest of Perrysville station. It was laid out in 1872 by Robert J. Gessie and named for him. In 1887 this place had a population of one hundred and forty. The 1910 United States census bulletin gives it as having one hundred and fifty.
Dr. William Isaiah Hall, who purchased the first town lot in the place, also erected the first building. He was still practicing medicine in the place in 1888. His partner was for many years Dr. James Barnes, who afterward practiced alone in the village. Early business men were J. C. Stutler, with a general store ; L. A. McKnight, general store and grain dealer ; D. M. Hughes, drugs and groceries; John Cade, postmaster, drugs and groceries; A. Van Sickle, blacksmith; Silas Hughes, wagon and repair shop; C. L. Randall, painter and jobber; John Haworth, station agent; H. C. Smith & Company, proprietors of tile factory ; this was built in 1884 and the first year's output . of the plant was six thousand dollars' worth of tile.
Rileysburg, formerly called Riley, is a flag station two miles northwest of Gessie, where in the eighties there were already a postoffice, store and a tile factory.
CHAPTER XXIV.
VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.
Vermillion is the central civil township within Vermillion county, both taking their name from the Vermillion river. The county seat, Newport, is within this sub-division of the county, also the little station hamlet of Opedee. The township contains forty-five square miles. In 1880 its population was 2,215 ; its personal property was then valued at $1,086,000. The census of 1910 gives the population of the township as 1.974, including the town of Newport, which was listed at 748. The total personal and realty assessed valuation of property in the township in 1911 was $1,940,000, that in New- port being $486,395. For an account of the towns, villages, schools, churches and lodges within Vermillion township, the reader is referred to special and general chapters on these subjects within this volume.
PIONEER SETTLEMENT.
It is not certain who constituted the first settlers in the township now known as Vermillion. Illy kept records, the lapse of many years, and the little attention paid by former generations to making note of such things, makes it very difficult to establish beyond a doubt just who was really the first to establish a home and residence in the township. But it will suffice, for all practical purposes, to state that the first settlers included these whose names follow :
Richard and Susan (Henderson) Haworth, who, some claim, were the first couple to locate in the township, came in from Tennessee in the autumn of 1820. Mr. Haworth died in 1850, aged fifty-seven years, and his wife died in 1854, also aged fifty-seven years.
In 1821 came Joel Dicken, from Prairie Creek, Kentucky, settling where Newport now 'stands. His son, Benjamin K., long a resident in the vicinity, was born in 1818 and died about 1886 in either Michigan or Wisconsin.
In 1821 Joseph Eggleston, father of Attorney William Eggleston, came to this township and died after many years residence. John L. Eggleston was born in 1827 and resided in Newport.
In 1822, it is supposed that John Wimsett, of Virginia, located here.
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Jacob Wimsett, born January 8, 1827, was still a highly respected citizen there in 1887. The same year came in Jacob Custar and located about one mile and a half above Newport. Philemon Thomas came that year and re- mained until his death in 1860. Nathan Thomas was five years old when brought to this township in 1827.
In 1823 Carter and Catherine Hollingsworth, of North Carolina, came into the township. Mrs. Hollingsworth died in 1880, aged eighty-eight years. Eber Hollingsworth, born in Union county, Indiana, in 1822, was brought to this county the next year. In 1887 he was a well-known, well-to-do farmer and stock trader, two miles west of Newport. Henry Hollingsworth, born in this state in 1830, died in the latter eighties at Newport.
In 1824 Anna, widow of William Henderson, became a resident of this county.
Adam Zener, born in Kentucky in 1803, came to Clark county, Indiana, in 1812, and in 1826 to Vermillion county, where he remained until his death, March 14. 1877; was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Either in 1826 or the following year, came Philip W. Osmon, born in Ken- tucky in 1803. His son Archibald W., born 1829, became a well-known far- mer ten miles southwest of Newport. Jabez B., another son, born in 1836 at Newport, was a well-known man in his day.
In 1827 came Richard Potts, who served as sheriff of this county two terms, died in 1875.
Robert Wallace, a native of Virginia, became a resident of Vermillion county and located in this township in 1828, and died at Newport May 27, 1881, aged ninety-one years. He was a man of fine physical appearance and was never sick to exceed a week during his manhood's days. William Wal- lace, who was born in Ohio in 1817, was about eleven years of age when he was brought to this county. He died in the eighties.
Joshua Nixon, born in Ohio in 1813, came to Newport this year and re- sided until his death, May 23, 1875, a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
James Asbury, born in Virginia in 1815, was another settler of about that day ; also came about that time, Aaron Jones, from New Jersey, and William Jones, from Union county, Indiana. Samuel Jones, a native of Ohio, came in 1830 to this township, and died in 1881. George Brindley, a native of Ken- tucky, born in 1800, died in 1878, came here in 1828.
In 1829 came Robert Stokes; also Samuel Davis, of Ohio, born in 1811, was still an active citizen of Newport in 1888.
Among the settlers of this township in 1830 was Jacob Sears, who emi-
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grated from North Carolina, and died in 1859, aged eighty-five years. Thomas J. Brown, a native of Kentucky, born 1801, died in this township. Ross Clark, another settler in 1830, was born in Ohio in 1797, and died here in 1878. William L. Tincher, a settler of 1830, was born in Kentucky in 1814, was living in Montezuma in the eighties. About the same date came in Will- iam W. Doss, born in Kentucky in 1817. He moved over to Montezuma. An- other 1830 immigrant to the township was Robert S. Norris, from South Carolina, who died in 1877, aged seventy-three years. Other lifelong resi- dents of this township who came in 1830, when children, were Richard and John W. Clearwater, John L. White, James H. Hutson and George Weller.
In 1831 came William Nichols, born in Virginia in 1804, died October II, 1876. Isaac and Henry Nichols, sons of William, were brought here in an early day, lived here many years, and both died before 1887. Isaac and Mary Carmack, from Tennessee, settled in the Lebanon neighborhood. He died in 1863. Alfred, a son, born in Tennessee, January 8, 1814, died May, 1817; and Andrew, another son, settled at Dana, this county. Henry Wilter- mood, born in Indiana in 1821. Charles Herbert, from Kentucky; his son. William J., born in 1819, settled and was living in 1886 on section 27 of this township. John Henderson, who came the same year last named for settle- ment, located on section 7.
The settlement of 1832 included these: H. F. Jackson, born in Ohio in 1798, died in Missouri. John Jackson and wife Lydia, from Ohio; the latter died in Decmeber, 1880, aged seventy-four years. Joseph Jackson, from England, died here before 1886. Ezra Clark, born in Ohio, 1811, in his later years resided in Highland. John G. Gibson, born in Ohio in 1819, lived in this township until his death. Julius Bogart, born in Tennessee in 18II, was still residing in the township in 1886. William B. Hall, who died in 1863, aged forty-two years. James A. Elder, born in Brown county, Ohio, died prior to 1886. James Remley, born in Ohio, 1823, committed suicide.
1834-John C. Johnson, born May 16, 1807, in Belmont county, Ohio, married February 24, 1833, Miss Elizabeth Shaver, a lady of superior educa- tion, and the next year located in this vicinity, arriving at the mouth of the Little Vermillion river April 8th. Here he entered a small tract of land. built a cabin and began life on what was later known as the "first bottom." In 1854 he built a new house, which he occupied until 1880, when he removed to Newport, where he died in February, 1883. after having reared an exem- plary family of sons and daughters. In 1834 came also Benjamin Davis, who died in 1854, at the age of sixty-four years. His wife, whose maiden name was Rusha Sears, died in 1869, aged sixty-two years.
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In 1835-John S. Bush, born in this state in 1828, was still living here in 1887, and was totally blind. William Huff, born in Kentucky in 1812, and James Duzan, born in the same state six years later, both resided at New- port in the latter part of the eighties.
1836-David Albridge, born in North Carolina in 1790, and died Sep- tember II, 1877, being at the time about the oldest citizen of Vermillion county. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812-14.
1837-Isaac Tropts, long a resident of the township, was nine years old when he came to the county in 1837.
1838-Hiram Hastey, born in Indiana in 1818, was a harness-maker at Newport, where he died. J. F. Weller, merchant at Newport, was born in Kentucky in 1818; finally moved to Petersburg, Indiana.
1839-T. W. Jackson, born in Ohio in 1816, was still residing here in 1887.
1840-Hugh Dallas came into the township some time prior to 1840, from Virginia. Abel Sexton, who in 1887 was still a prominent citizen of Newport, was a native of New York, born in 1820, and settled in this county in 1843. Other prominent factors in the settlement and development of this township may be recalled the names of Alvah Arrasmith, Thomas G. Arra- smith, wagon maker at Newport, and G. W. Clark; also David Fry, James Kaufman, Leonard Sanders, Daniel E. Jones, who became a wealthy citizen of Chicago and died there ; also Major John Gardner and Henry Betson.
Col. William Craig, born in Newport in 1831, graduated at West Point Military School in 1853, having for his class-mates Generals McPherson, Sheridan and Schofield; crossed the western plains in 1854 as lieutenant and aid-de-camp on General Garland's staff; served in the regular army ten years. being one of the best Indian fighters, and greatly admired by Kit Carson and other scouts. He finally died in the Southwest in 1886.
A settler of 1840, in this township, should have more than a passing notice. We refer to Hon. Oliver P. Davis, from whose initials the village and railroad station Opedee took its name-O. P. D. And the three letters also stood for the one thousand three hundred acre farm he owned between three and four miles below Newport, the "O. P. D. Farm." Oliver P. Davis was born in New Hampshire, in 1814; learned the art of paper-making ; came to Indiana in 1838, traveling by coach, steamboat, canal and horseback, through the states of New York, Ohio, Michigan and the province of Canada. In New York he rode behind the first locomotive built in that state, then run- ning out of Albany. At Toronto, Canada, he was employed in a book-bind- ery and mill, doing the work more rapidly and efficiently than any of the
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native hands. In Ohio he fell in with a jolly dentist of whom he began to learn the art of dentistry, afterward practicing his new trade at Fort Wayne. -After residing at Logansport and Delphi, this state, for a time, he went to Greencastle and commenced the study of law in the office of Edward W. McGoughey, read two years and then in 1840 moved to Vermillion county and began the practice of his profession, continuing for five years. After that he followed the occupations of agriculturist and tradesman. At first he purchased forty acres, to which he later made additions until he had in 1887 one thousand three hundred acres of rich Wabash bottom, whereon some times he raised immense crops of corn, occasionally fifty thousand bushels or more, and sometimes, by reason of flood or frost, he lost great crops. The sediment deposited by the Wabash floods keeps the soil very rich. During the year of the famine in Ireland, Mr. Davis took to New Orleans by flat- boat twenty-five thousand bushels of corn, some of which he bought at eigh- teen cents a bushel and sold it from forty-five cents to one dollar per bushel. He is said to have sold in one season eighteen thousand dollars worth of corn raised by his own hand.
· Mr. Davis was also familiar with state legislation, having been a mem- ber of the constitutional convention of 1850, a member of the General As- sembly three terms, a delegate to important conventions, etc. Politically, he was, at times, a Democrat, Republican, National, etc. In his religious belief he was a "free-thinker."
A LONG-LOST DAUGHTER.
In the month of September, 1873, Mr. and Mrs. Brennan, living a mile to the west of Newport, received a visit from their daughter, whom they thought they had lost twenty-one years before, when they left her tempor- arily in the care of some one at New Orleans during the dreadful siege of cholera. She had been found during the preceding summer by relatives in Ohio advertising in the Irish Republic, a Boston newspaper. She was then a resident of New Orleans and the mother of four children, Mr. and Mrs. Brennan, on learning their daughter was still alive and living in New Orleans, immediately decided to visit her; but before starting they received a letter from her stating that she was coming to see them. Accordingly she soon ar- rived at Newport, late at night, on her way, and such was her haste to see her parents that, though it was dark and rainy, she hired a team and was im- mediately taken out to the home of her parents, where a very exciting meeting occurred. The daughter remained until spring and the mother died a few weeks after the daughter's visit.
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QUAKER HILL SETTLEMENT.
Quaker Hill, or what is sometimes called "Quaker Point," is the name of a fine neighborhood in a romantic section of country on Jonathan creek, near the western boundary of Vermillion township. The vicinity derived its name from the fact that an unusual proportion of the settlement was effected by members of the Society of Friends, nick-named "Quakers." A postoffice was established there, at a cross-roads, at an early date. The physicians of that section, at different times, included Doctors Joseph C. Cooke, who died in 1875, John Gilmore, Hiram and Lewis Shepard and P. H. Swaim.
Newport, the county seat, is in this township, and is described in a sep- arate chapter.
HON. ARED F. WHITE.
BIOGRAPHICAL
JUDGE ARED F. WHITE.
True biography has a more noble purpose than mere fulsome eulogy. The historic spirit, faithful to the record; the discerning judgment, unmoved by prejudice and uncolored by enthusiasm, are as essential in giving the life of the individual as in writing the history of a people. Indeed, the ingenuous- ness of the former picture is even more vital, because the individual is the national unit, and if the unit be justly estimated the complex organism will become correspondingly intelligible. The world to-day is very largely what the leading men of the past generation have made it, and this rule must ever hold good. From the past comes the legacy of the present. Art, science, statesmanship and government are accumulations. They constitute an inheri- tance upon which the present generation have entered, and the advantages secured from so vast a bequeathment depend entirely upon the fidelity with which is conducted the study of the lives of the principle actors who have transmitted the legacy. This is especially true of those whose influence has passed beyond the confines of locality and permeated the larger life of the state. To such a careful study are the life, character and services of Judge Ared F. White, of Rockville, pre-eminently entitled, not only on the part of the student of biography, but also of every citizen who, guided by example, would in the present build wisely for the future. In studying a clean-cut, sane, distinct character like his; interpretation follows fact in a straight line of derivation. There is small use for indirection or puzzling. His character is the positive expression of a strong nature, and he is distinctly one of the notable men of his day and generation and as such is entitled to a conspicuous place in the annals of his city, county and state, for here his life has been spent and his energies directed toward the general progress of his fellows, both as a private citizen and a public servant. The biography of such a man as he may well serve for an example and inspiration to youth who seriously meditate life, vet hesitate to lay the foundation for the stern realities of the every-day battles that await them. He is a fine type of the virile, self-made American. having begun his career under no favorable anspices, but, with a persistence
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as rare as it was admirable, le adhered to his purpose and in due course of time achieved notable success, the inhospitable environments of his youth not being without their compensations. The usual and persistent effort required to obtain liberal qualifications for professional pursuits, in spite of adverse surroundings, develop and strengthen the mind as labor hardens and renders flexible the muscles. Not satisfied with existing conditions, he decided to rise above then, and to this end he lost sight of every other consideration or made it subordinate to the one goal he had in view. Every step in his prog- ress has been due to matured plans and well defined purposes. By his courage and energy he climbed steadily and persistently and stood firmly upon each rung of the ladder until he could reach the next above and plant himself securely thereon. When a young man he selected the law as his life work, and determined, regardless of hindrance, to master the principles of his pro- fession and rise above mediocrity, instead of being satisfied with a mere super- ficial knowledge, such as many professional men under similar circumstances are content to acquire. Whatever success he achieved during his active, long and strenuous career was due to careful preparation, a high sense of justice, candor as a counselor, a religious regard for the truth, and courteous de- meanor and gentlemanly conduct in all relations with his fellow men. As a practitioner or during his long and notable service on the bench no charge or suspicion of any wrong doing ever tarnished his name or marred his official record; his personal honor was never compromised and his private life has ever been wholesome and free from fault. His friendships are warm, stead- fast and never, without the best cause, are they interrupted or broken, while his sterling worth makes him a power for good among all with whom he comes in contact.
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