USA > Indiana > Pike County > History of Pike and Dubois counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. : together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 45
USA > Indiana > Dubois County > History of Pike and Dubois counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. : together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 45
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SEC. 4. This act to take effect from and after the Ist day of February next.
This was the law authorizing Dubois County. The name was given for Tousaint Dubois, who purchased land in the county in the eastern part of what is now Boone Township, in the year 1807. He engaged in the army of Gen. Harrison to crush out the Indians then forming a powerful confederacy under Tecum- seh. At the battle of Tippecanoe he distinguished himself and received the special mention of his general.
It was proper that the county should be named for such a man, one who had been one of the earliest settlers, and who was not afraid to risk his life in defense of the homes of the Indiana frontier.
On the 29th of January, 1818, the Legislature passed another act touching Dubois County. It took away all the land within the following boundaries and annexed it to Perry County: Beginning at the southeast corner of Township 3 south, Range > west, thence with the said township line to the line dividing R and 4 west; thence north three miles; thence east through th ter of said township to the line dividing Ranges 2 and 3 west; thence south with the same to the place of beginning.
On the 17th of January, 1820, Martin County was created out of Daviess and Dubois Counties, thus reducing Dubois to about its present limits, and with but little change has remained ever since. The destruction of the court house on the night of August 17, 1839, and with it all the county records, has rendered the com- ilation of this work doubly difficult. as that is usually a large
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
source of reliable information that is impossible to supply either from tradition or recollection.
Division into Civil Townships .- At the first division of the county into civil townships five were created. Their boundaries were changed but little from the following, as stated in an order of the county board, after the fire, at the June term, 1841:
Harbison .- Beginning at the southwest corner of Section 10, in Town 1, south of Range 6 west; running east on said line to Patoka River; thence up Patoka to the center line of Range 4; thence due north to White River; thence down White River with the meanders thereof to the center line of Range 6.
Bainbridge .- Commencing at the northwest corner of Section 15; thence running due east to Patoka; thence down Patoka with the meanders thereof to Pike County line; thence with said line to the place of the beginning.
Columbia .- Commencing on White River on the section line dividing Sections 21 and 22; thence south across Patoka to the Township line 1 and 2 south to the south part of Township 1; thence east to the Crawford County line to where it strikes the Orange County line; thence with said line to the northeast cor- ner of Dubois County; thence west to White River; thence down White River with the meanders thereof to the place of beginning.
Hall .- Beginning at the southeast corner of Section 36 on the township line dividing Towns 1 and 2, where the same strikes the Crawford County line; thence west to the center line of Range 4; thence south to the Spencer County line; thence with said line to the Crawford County line; thence with said line to the place of beginning.
Patoka .- Beginning on the section line, dividing 9 and 10, thence south to the Spencer County line, thence all the territory in Dubois County, west of said line, and south of Patoka.
At the same session of the commissioners, the county was divided into three commissioner districts as follows: First District shall be composed of Harbison Township, and all of Columbia north of Patoka. The Second District shall be composed of Bain- bridge Township, and all the territory west of the old county road in Patoka Township. Third District, Hall Township, and all Pa- toka Township east of the old county road, and all Patoka Town- ship south of Patoka.
16
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
Location of the County Seat .- The commissioners appointed to fix the seat of justice, selected the present site of Portersville, in Boone Township. This land was purchased from the Govern- ment by Jacob Lemmon, in the year 1814. It is on the bank of the east fork of White River, and was no doubt selected partly on that account, as the streams were the main outlets for produce in the Western country at that time. The location was probably obtained through the influence of Arthur Harbison, one of the early associate judges of the county, and Jacob Lemmon, both at that time prominent in the affairs of the county. It is said that John Niblack was the county agent appointed to lay out all the lots of the town. The first sale of lots took place in July 1818, and was largely attended. The lots were sold at a good price, and many of them taken. The survey was made by Hosea Smith, a resident of Pike County. The act of the Legis- lature creating the county, required the county commissioners to build the necessary public building at the county seat within one year. This they proceeded to do, and during the fall of 1818, a two-story log court house was completed, and a little later the jail was finished. Everything at the new county seat was prospering, and it gave promise of a thriving and enterprising town. There were two elements, however, destined to be its overthrow. The malaria prevalent along the streams of a new and unsettled coun- try is always greater than in later years, when drift and other impediments to the flow of the water are removed. All the towns along the streams in southern Indiana, suffered much from the sickness caused by the sluggish and overflowing water. Some of them were almost depopulated, and especially was this so during the decade from 1820 to 1830. Portersville was no exception to this, and it proved a great drawback to its prospering. Another, and perhaps a more influential cause for the removal of the seat of justice from this place, was its position. It was situated on the extreme northern side of the county, and as the population in- creased in the southern part a demand was made for a change in the location of the county capital. This demand resulted in the appointment of another commissioner by the State Legislature to change and permanently fix the seat of justice in Dubois County. This was probably done at the session of 1829-30. The men chosen for this purpose were William Hoggett, Adam Shoemak-
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
er, Thomas Vandever, Thomas Cesale and Ebenezer Jones. After considering the various places suggested for the new town, the present site of Jasper was selected, on the Patoka River. Thus it seems that one of the reasons for changing the county seat, the health of the people, was ignored in the new choice. for no stream in Indiana is more sluggish, and therefore, more unhealthy. than the Patoka. But other considerations had their influence. The land was donated for the purpose of a county seat as will be seen by the following affidavit made after the fire in 1839, whereby the county records were entirely destroyed.
"Simon Morgan, being duly sworn, says that in the year of our Lord, 1830, Jacob Enlow and Elizabeth Enlow. his wife, donated to William Hoggatt, Adam Shoemaker, Thomas Vandever, Thom- as Cesale and Ebenezer Jones, commissioners appointed by the Legislature of the State of Indiana to locate the county seat of Dubois County, and to receive donations therefor, the following tract or parcel of land lying and being in said county of Dubois. State aforesaid, to wit: The west half of the northeast quarter of Section 35, Township 1 south, Range 5 west, containing eighty acres, for and in consideration that the county seat of said county was located at this place where the town of Jasper, in said county is now situated. That afterward to wit: On the night of the 17th of August, 1839, the said deed and the record thereof, were wholly destroyed by fire by the burning of the clerk's and recorder's office in the town of Jasper, in said coun- ty." The record then contains a similar statement concerning & tract of six acres off of the west part of the east half of the north- east quarter of the same section, made by Benjamin Enlow and Fanny, his wife, and Jacob Enlow and his wife, Eliz- abeth: That these deeds were made in the year 1830, and that they were duly recorded by Simon Morgan, then recorder. This affidavit was made by Simon Morgan and sworn to before Elisha Embree, the circuit court judge. In addition to the donation of the land, twelve citizens of the neighborhood bound themselves to erect a court house and jail in the town equally as good as those at Portersville, free of cost to the county. They did so, and the buildings were log, similar to those in the former county seat. The jail was built near the present site of the store of M. A. Sermersheim & Co., but was afterward moved to the public
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
square. No other change occurred until the fire, on the night of August 17, 1839. On the first Monday in September following, the county board met in regular session. The county commis- sioners were Henry Enlow, Robert Oxley and John Donald. Simon Morgan was county clerk and also auditor. The record shows that the sessions were held at the usual place of holding courts. At the November term the circuit court was ordered to be held at the house of James H. Condict in Jasper. This continued to be the usual place for about one year, when the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was secured for the purpose. This continued to be the court house until the erection of the pres- ent building in 1844. In March of that year, Alexander McK. Graves was employed to build the foundation, which was com- pleted by September. In December, a contract was entered into with Rev. Joseph Kundeck to build the court house. George A. Lepper, Jacob Jerger and I. S. Martin were appointed a building committee to superintend the work on behalf of the county. The work went on slowly and trouble arose between the county and the contractor, which was finally determined by litigation in court. In December, 1845, a bell was ordered to cost $50. The county board finally received the building in June, 1847. The public square was to be fenced in, and the court house "to be used for all public meetings such as court houses are usually used for." A. S. Blagrave, M. T. Powers and Elijah Cox were county commissioners. The total cost of the court house was about $6,773.
In March, 1849, Major T. Powers, B. B. Edmonston, and E. Stephenson were appointed to superintend the letting and build- ing of a county jail, to be twenty-two feet long and 20 feet wide. The contract was awarded to M. T. Powers for $1,799.75, and William Bretz appointed superintendent on the part of the coun- ty. It was built on the northwest corner of the public square, and finished in due time to the satisfaction of all parties.
The Poor Farm .- In 1858 the question as to the propriety of buying a county farm for the purpose of maintaining the county paupers upon, arose. As a result, the board advertised, in June, 1859, for a farm. But a difference of opinion on the subject caused the purchase to be delayed. At the December term fol- lowing, the county auditor was ordered to correspond with other
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
county auditors on the advantage of poor farms to the county. Nothing fu ther was done until March, 1861, when the board met in special session to purchase a farm. Out of several offers made to the board, that of E. A. Hochgesang was accepted. The amount paid was $1,400; of this $1,000 was paid down, and the balance in one year, at 6 per cent. interest. A contract for building a poor house was awarded to John Bohart for $408. The building was to be 50x16 feet, and a porch on the south side ten feet wide, and all to be finished by the first Monday in June following. Phillip Sterringer was appointed the first superintendent of the Dubois County Poor Asylum. No other buildings of consequence were erected by the county until 1865.
New County Jail, and Court House Addition .- For several years prior to 1868, the grand jury had often returned a report con- demning the county jail. In December of that year preparations were made for building a new one. Lot No. 142, in the town of Jasper, was purchased of Vincent Keller, for $1,200. After the required advertising was complied with, E. A. Hochgesang was awarded the contract for the brick, stone and plaster work, for $2,645, and the wood work to John Miller and George Freidman for 8975. Adam Schlessinger was appointed superintendent, with Henry Lang, assistant. The business of the county had grown so rapidly that the oldl court house was not large enough; conse- quently, in March, 1875, the auditor was ordered to advertise the letting of a contract for building an addition to the court house. This was done May 24 following, to E. A. Hochgesang, for $3,685. The addition comprised about two-fifths of the present building, and it was finished and completed by the 29th of No- vember, in the same year, and received by the board.
Creation of New Townships .- At the December term, 1844, of the county court, the following order was passed: That a town- ship be laid out taking a part of Hall and Patoka Townships, said new township to be called Ferdinand Township, and have the following boundary, to-wit: Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 1, Town 3 south, Range 4 west; running thence west to the dividing line of Ranges 4 and 5 west; thence south along said range line to the southeast corner of Section 13; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 22, Town 3 south, Range 5; thence south to the county line; thence east on the county line to
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
the line between Ranges three and four; thence north to the place of beginning. This composed parts of what are now Jackson and Cass Townships. In September, 1845, it was ordered that Pato- ka River be the line between Bainbridge and Patoka Townships, from a point where the section line dividing Sections 2 and 11, Township 2 south, Range 5 west, strikes said river. In Septem- ber, 1948, it was ordered that the following boundary shall here- after constitute the line dividing Patoka and Bainbridge Town- ships, to wit: Commencing at Hall's Creek, where the west line of Hall Township crosses said creek, running north and south ; thence down said creek to the mouth of said creek; thence down said river to the mouth; thence down Patoka River to the Pike County line.
Thus the townships remained until March, 1874, when the county board reorganized the county into twelve civil townships. Hitherto there had been but six. These townships were named and bounded as follows:
Columbia Township .- Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 13, Town 1 north, Range 3 west; thence running west to the northwest corner of Section 18, same township and range; thence running south to the southwest corner of Section 7, Town 1 south, Range 3 west; thence running east to the southeast corner of Section 12 in last named township and range; thence running to the place of beginning.
Harbison Township .- Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 13, Town 1 north, Range + west, running thence west along the north line of Sections 13, 14 and 15 until the same intersects White River; thence down said river with the meanders thereof, to the northwest corner of Section 26, Town 1 north, Range 5 west; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 11, Town 1 south, Range 5 west; thence east to the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of Section 8, Town 1 south, Range 4 west; thence north to the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of Section 8 in same township and range; thence east to the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of Section 12, also in the same township and range; thence north to the place of begin- ing.
Boone Township .- Commencing at the point on White River, section line dividing Sections 26 and 27, Town 1 north, Range 5
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
west, and running thence down said White River with the meanders thereof to the line dividing Pike and Dubois Counties; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 10, Township 1 south, Range 6 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 10. Township 1 south, Range 5 west: thence south to the place of beginning.
Madison Township .- Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 17, Town 1 south, Range 5 west, and running thence west to the northwest corner of Section 15, Town 1 south, Range 6 west; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 15, Town 2 south, Range 6 west: thence east to the southeast corner of Section 17. Town 2 south, Range 5 west: thence north to the place of beginning.
Bainbridge Township .- Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 18. Town 1 south. Range 4 west; running thence west to the northwest corner of Section 16, Town 1 south, Range 5 west: thence south to the southwest corner of Section 16, Town 2 south, Range 5 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 15. Town 2 south, Range 4 west; thence north to the place of beginning.
Marion Township .- Commencing at the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of Section 12, Town 1 south, Range 4 west, and running thence west to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 8, Town 1 south, Range 4 west; thence south to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of said last named section, township and range; thence west to the north- west corner of Section 17 of the same township and range; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 8, Town 2 south. Range 4 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Sec- tion 12, Town 2 south, Range 4 west; thence north to the place of beginning.
Hall Township .- Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 13, Town 1 south, Range 3 west, and running thence west to the northwest corner of Section 18 in said township and range ; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 7, Town 2 south, Range 3 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 12, Town 2 south, Range 3 west; thence north to the place of beginning.
Ferdinand Township .- Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 7, Town 3 south, Range 3 west, and running thence west
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
to the northwest corner of Section 7, Town 3 south, Range 4 west; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 7 last named; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 13, Town 3 south, Range 5 west; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 36, Town 3 south, Range 5 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 36, Town 3 south, Range + west; thence north to the northeast corner of Section 24, Town 3 south, Range 4 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 18, Town 3 south, Range 3 west; thence north to the place of begin- ning.
Jefferson Township .- Commencing at the northeast corner of Section 13, Town 2 south, Range 3 west, and running thence west to the northwest corner of Section 17 of said township and range; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 17, Town 3 south, Range 3 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Sec- tion 13, Town 3 south, Range 3 west; thence north to the place of beginning.
Jackson Township .- Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 18, Town 2 south, Range 3 west and running thence west to the northwest corner of Section 17. Town 2 south, Range 4 west; thence south to the southwest corner of said Section 17; thence west to the northwest corner of Section 19, Town 2 south, Range 4 west; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 6, Town 3 south, Range 4 west; thence east to the southeast cor- ner of Section 6, Town 3 south, Range 3 west; thence north to the place of beginning.
Patoka Township .- Beginning at the northeast corner of Sec- tion 24. Town 2 south, Range 5 west, and running thence west to the northwest corner of Section 22, Town 2 south, Range 6 west ; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 34, Town 2 south, Range 6 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 36 in said township and range; thence south to the southwest corner of Sec- tion 7, Town 3 south, Range 5 west; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 12, Town 3 south, Range 5 west; thence north to the place of beginning.
Cass Township .- Beginning at the northeast corner of Sec- tion 14 and running thence to the northwest corner of Section 18, all in Town 3 south, Range 5 west; thence north to the northeast corner of Section 1, Town 3 south, Range 6 west; thence west to
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
the northwest corner of Section 3, Town 3 south, Range 6 west; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 34 of said last named township and range; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 35, Town 3 south, Range 5 west; thence north to the place of beginning.
The order for redistricting the county took effect in Septem- ber, 1874, and the board appointed officers for all that had none after the change took place.
County Officers .- As near as it is possible to give, the following is a list of the officers of Dubois County from the organization down to the present time.
Clerks .- Simon Morgan was the first clerk of Dubois County, and together with the office of recorder, he continued to hold it until the year 1839. At that time Bazil B. Edmonston was elected to both the places, but the election being illegal, Morgan again held the offices for a while until Edmonston was again elected, but only as clerk. In 1846 he was elected to both places and held them until 1852, when the two offices were separated by law. He continued to hold the clerk's office until 1860, when Henry Holthaus was elected. Since then the various clerks with the dates of their election have been as follows: B. B. Edmon- ston, 1868; P. J. Gossman, 1876; Mr. Green, 1884.
Recorders .- Simon Morgan, 1818 to 1846; Bazil B. Edmon- ston, 1846 to 1852; J. B. Pfaff, 1852; Stephen Jerger, 1856; August Litschgi, 1862; George J. Jutt, 1870; John G. Lemmon, 1878, and Neninan Hoskins, 1882.
Treasurers .- The names of the early treasurers are uncer- tain. Dominick Erny, 1852; Edward Stephenson, 1854; B. R. L. Nichaus, 1858; Theodore Sonderman, 1860; Edward Stephen- son, 1863; William Bretz, 1867; Edward Stephenson, 1872, James E. Spurlock, 1874; Ignatz .Eckert, 1878; William H. Bretz, 1882.
Surveyors .- Gamaliel Garretson, 1830; Jacob Warndt, 1852; B. R. Kemp, 1856; William Sandusky, 1862; Arthur Berry, 1868; W. R. Osborn, 1872; William B. Porkle, 1874; Frank Turtle, 1876; Henry Bugan, 1878; Michael Wilson, 1882, and George R. Wilson, 1884.
Sheriff's .- Adam Hope, 1818; Thomas Hope, -; Joseph Clarkson, -; William Edmonston, 1824; Daniel Harris, 1828 .
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
B. B. F.linonston, 1832; John Hart, 1836; James McDonald, 1837; Thomas Wooldridge, 1841; H. W. Baker, 1843; Robert Herr, 1847; William Mabin, 1849; John Mehringer, 1852; Jacob Harmon, 1856; John Wiekel, 1860; Henry Mauntel, 1864; Tobias Herbig. 1868: John Wiekel, 1872; George Cox, 1876; Frank Joseph, 1880; George Cox, 1884.
Coroners .-- D. G. Brown, 1824; John Brittain, 1830; Elijah Kendall, 1832; Abraham Baker, 1839; Joseph Buggs, 1845; Willis Niblack, 1846; Thomas Hurst, 1849; Stephen Stephen- son, 1851; William H. Green, 1852; William Schulterman, 1856; J. W. Taylor, 1860; Charles Kraus, 1861; Harvey Nicholson, 1863; John G. Allen, 1864; Reinhart Rich, 1866; Charles Birke- myer, 1868; George Cox, 1870; Michael Hochgesang, 1876; Anton Kerlin, 1880; Moritz Fritz, 1884.
Associate Judges .- B. B. Edmonston, Sr., and Ashbury Alex- ander, 1824; Edward Wood, 1830; John Niblack, 1831; Daniel Harris, 1835: Henry Bradley and Willis Hays, 1837; Robert Oxley, 1841; William Cavender and Thomas Shoulders, 1845; Conrad Miller, 1850.
Probate Judges .- B. B. Edmonston, Sr., 1829; Daniel Har- ris, 1840; Moses Kelso, 1841; Andrew B. Spicely, 1845.
Auditors .- Samuel B. McCrillus, 1852; John Mehringer, 1856; Theodore Sonderman, 1863; Martin Freidman, 1867; August Litschgi, 1870; Michael Deinderfer, 1874; Isidor Schuh- macher, 1878.
Representatives .- Richard Daniel and John Johnson, Gibson, and Pike Counties, 1818; William McMahan, Spencer, Perry and Dubois, January, 1825; John Daniel, same, December, 1825; John Johnson, Pike and Dubois, 1826-27; James Ritchie, same, 1828; Thomas C. Stewart, same, 1829-30-31; George H. Proffit, same, 1832; William M. Wright, 1833-34; Benjamin Edmonston, same, 1835; G. H. Proffit, same, 1836; Aaron B. McCrillus, Dubois and Crawford, 1837; George H. Proffit, Pike and Dubois, 1838; Ben- jamin Edmonston, 1839; Aaron B. McCrillus, Dubois and Pike, 1840; John Polson, Dubois, 1841; Benjamin Edmonston same, 1843; Silas Davis, 1844; George W. Lemonds, 1845-46-47; B. T. Goodman, 1848; B. Edmonston, 1848-49; H. W. Barker, 1849-53; John Abel, 1853; John S. Martin, 1855; Thomas Shoulders, 1857; B. R. Kempf, 1863; B. B. Edmonston, 1867;
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
Leroy Cave, Dubois and Martin, 1869; R. C. Stephenson, same, 1871; H. A. Peed, same, 1873; A. J. Gossman, same, 1875-77; Mr. Hart, same, 1879; Samuel Hargrove, Pike and Dubois, 1881; Morman Fisher, same, 1883.
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