USA > Indiana > Posey County > History of Posey County, Indiana : from the earliest times 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 26
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THE CHURCHES.
Preachers representing the Regular Baptists, Methodist, Dis- ciples or Christians and Cumberlands were early in the township, each pleading the cause, of Christ and pointing out the straight and narrow guaged single tracked road that leads to life eternal . as well as the broad guaged, double tracked road that leads to damnation eternal. Elders "Jimmy" Morton, "Benny" Keith, "Luky" Williams, "Charley" Whiting and Joel Hume, were among the early Baptist preachers. Revs. Schrader, Holliday, Thomas and Davis represented the Methodists. Revs. John M. Berry, Hiram A. Hunter, William Lynn, William McClesky and William Barnett, represented the Cumberlands. Elders Elijah Goodwin, William Goodwin and Montray headed the Disciples. Though at first without any houses of worship they were kindly received by the settlers and permitted to preach in their log dwellings until their organizations were able to build houses of their own. The Baptists and Methodists built at Cynthina, the Disciples about a mile northeast of town and the Cumberlands four miles southwest, the former being christened Liberty and the latter Mount Pleasant. The Elders Goodwin denounced in unmeasured terms the use of the "mourners' bench" and the prev- alent doctrine that people could and did "get religion" declaring that the mourners' bench was without precedent in the Bible and
yours Truly Milton Black
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that religion consisted in doing good works and obeying to the letter the commands of the Scriptures. They also denounced the use of the words reverend, the reverend, the right-reverend, doctor, the reverend doctor, and the right-reverend doctor, as prefixes to the names of preachers, insisting that Bible names should be applied to Bible things. Rev. Joseph Wason, dissent- ing from these views, organized a faction and withdrew from the church. They organized as a separate body near 1816 retaining the old name of Christians but they have usually been known as the Christian Body, New Lights or Wasonites.
The old log church at Liberty has long since passed away, but through the benevolence of "uncle" Isaiah Wilkinson a neat frame was erected a few years ago on the old site and the Wason- ites still "hold the fort" at the old stand. The other log churches have also given place to neat frame edifices. The Mount Pleas- ant church was organized about the year 1820. Soon after its organization a large log church was built and a camp ground laid out in the form of a hollow square. A large number of small log-huts were built all around the outer edge of the square, for the accommodation of the campers.
The pulpit erected in this log church was very similar to those erected in other houses and would be quite a curiosity to church goers of to-day. The pulpit floor was about four feet above the main floor the dimensions being 6x12 feet. This platform was boxed up all around to a height of about four feet above the pulpit floor, with the exception of two small openings on each side of the pulpit which were left for doors. The pulpit was reached by stairways on each side. Unless the preacher was very tall only the head and shoulders would be visible to the audience. Camp-meetings were occasionally held and thither people flocked in great numbers to hear "the same sweet story of the Cross," the beauties of heaven and the tor- ments of hell. In that early time the torments of hell, or what is now known as hades and sheol, was quite a lever in the hands of the revivalists in warning sinners to flee from the wrath to come. The greatest revivals of the time occurred at this camp-ground. Hundreds of voices have frequently been heard supplicating with the Throne of Mercy at the same for forgiveness of sin. At times the excitement became so intense that the penitent sinners
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were seized with strange hallucinations declaring that they could see the Savior, the devil, or smell the burning of brimstone in hell. Some were seized with what was termed "the jerks," fall- ing headlong to the floor or ground. The violent jerking was succeeded by a comatose state in which the mourners would re- main for half an hour. The history of this church and camp- ground would be incomplete without mentioning that Thomas Smiley, "Uncles" "Tommy" Wilson, "Johnnie" Shelton and Squire James Wilson were prominent characters in camp-meeting days.
THE MILLS.
In the first settlement of the township George Smith erected a horse-mill for grinding corn and wheat. A still was run in connection, a bushel of meal being taken in exchange for a gallon of whisky. They were located about two miles south of Cyn- thiana. The horse-mill was succeeded by Kimball's Grist-mill, Knight's Grist-mill, the Alcorn Grist and Saw-mill and the Elper- man Grist and Saw-mill, all located on Big Creek, and run by the excellent water-power it then afforded.
The first lumber was sawed with a whip-saw by Jonathan and William Moutry. They established themselves in business as sawyers, and with their hand saw-mill did much sawing for the neighbors. Ford Robinson built a cotton gin about 1825, but it ceased to be operated when cotton goods became cheap. When cotton reached such a high price during the late Rebellion, the people again commenced the cultivation of cotton, and Elisha Jones built and operated a cotton gin.
THE KIDNAPERS.
The kidnaping of free negroes and runaway slaves was quite frequent in the early settlement of the county, and several in- stances of the kind are reported to have occurred in this township, the most interesting of which is the kidnaping of the Goddard boys, John and Isaac. They were twin sons of a white woman of that name, whose husband was a very dissipated and dissolute character. While the family were immigrating to this county, in 1815, the wife took sick with small pox on a small flat-boat, com- ing down the Ohio. Her husband deserted her, and she was picked up and cared for by a negro, who had a small hut on the
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bank of the river. Upon her return to health she returned to her husband, and soon after gave birth to twins, one a bright mulatto and the other of darker complexion. Their rich color was ac- counted for by her husband as birth marks, he being a believer in psychological impressions. It was in 1822, when the boys were six years old, that they were kidnaped by Acquilla Ford and Jack Lynn, members of a gang of adventurous and desperate men, who congregated at Diamond Island, later known as West Frank- lin. The news of this high-handed outrage spread like wildfire all over the township. It was known to be the work of this gang, led on by the brave and desperate Ford. Patrick Calvert, William Rogers and Joe Cater, bold and fearless spirits, immediately or- ganized a band of twenty-seven men armed with flint-lock guns, horse pistols, knives and clubs, and started in pursuit. Ford, Lynn, Inman and their friends about West Franklin, hearing of the movements of the rescuers, made preparations to meet them. The party of deliverance arrived at the village, and demanded a search of the entire place. At this proposition the citizens ap- peared highly incensed, declaring that the boys were not in the village, and after a somewhat lengthy and heated discussion a conflict ensued. The citizens rallied to the defense of the Ford gang. The rescuers, fearing that the whole neighborhood might re-enforce them, retreated to an adjoining corn field, Goddard be- ing the first to run away, leaving Calvert, Cater and Rogers to resist the attack. Guns and clubs were freely used by both par- ties, and two of the Ford gang received serious wounds, while only Calvert of the rescuers had been hurt. He had been se- verely beaten, and was left for dead. The combatants had now been reduced to two of the rescuers and five of the opposition, when Dan Lynn appeared on the scene as a peace-maker, and stopped the battle. After hostilities ceased Calvert was looked after, and found to be still alive and able to ride home, though another account says he remained at the house of Dan Lyun for several days. The rescuers collected together, and departed for home. It is reported of Calvert that after he had been severely beaten and his gun taken from him and bent around a tree, that he was asked if he was not sorry he came, to which he replied: "No, you cowards!" They then gave him another beating, and asked if he was not now sorry he came, the reply being "No, you
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
cowards and cut-throats!" He then received another beating, and was left for dead. But the search did not end here. Joe Cater organized another company of forty picked men, whose reputation for courage was well known, Avery Allen, of Cynthi- ana, being one of them and the only survivor of the band. The company visited West Franklin, and not only searched the place without opposition, but crossed over into Kentucky and searched the entire neighborhood, but their efforts to find the boys were in vain. For a time the matter was almost forgotten. About the year 1824 Patrick Calvert visited the Red River country in Arkansas on a prospecting tour, being accompanied by a party of Posey County farmers, who were going to that country for the purpose of entering lands. After viewing the country the whole party started homeward. On their return they camped for the night at Fulton, Ark. While sitting around the camp fire, in conversation with one of the citizens, Calvert chanced to speak of his experience with the kidnapers. When he had finished the story his visitor remarked: "Stranger, about the time you men- tion 'two mulatto boys, answering your description exactly, were -, in the neighborhood." The brought here and sold to
next morning Calvert went to see the boys. He tested their memories in reference to their abduction and other matters, and was so entirely convinced of their identity that he at once insti- tuted legal proceedings for their recovery. The court, after hear- ing the evidence and testing the memories of the boys as to all the circumstances of the kidnaping, was thoroughly convinced that they were the same abducted by Ford and his gang, and ordered them turned over to Calvert, who returned them to their mother upon his return home. The joy of Mrs. Goddard's heart seemed to know no bounds when her dusky children were returned so unexpectedly to her.
In gratitude, their mother had them bound to Calvert who had been wounded in their behalf and who rescued them from a life of servitude. The boys served Mr. Calvert long after at- taining their majority and always proved themselves grateful to their deliverer.
RAILROAD.
In 1880 the township voted a subsidy to the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad Company for an extension of its line from
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
Owensville to Cynthiana; the extension being made the same year. The extension was brought about principally through the efforts of the late Dr. D. B. Montgomery, who merits great praise for his public spirit and the interest taken in the welfare of the township.
INCIDENTS.
The county board made the following township appointments in 1817: William Davis, assessor and inspector of merchandise; John Armstrong and James Martin, overseers of the poor; John McCrary, constable; Josiah Elkins, supervisor of all the roads in Smith Township; Miles Armstrong, inspector of an election held in the township on the 12th day of April of that year for the purpose of electing two justices of the peace.
Samuel Irons and Samuel McReynolds were early justices of the peace, but there are no records showing the dates of their commissions. The commissioners' record shows that the board of county commissioners was succeeded September 6, 1824, by the board of county justices, and that Samuel McReynolds was elected presiding officer.
Ebenezer Phillips, James Nesbet, James Downey and Peyton Robb served the township as trustees, clerks or treasurers in the days of the township board. When the board was abolished in 1859, William Calvert was elected trustee, continuing in office fourteen years. His successors were Ellsberry Smith, John Wil- son, Dallas Smith and Joseph Welborn, incumbent.
Robert Montgomery, William Harmon, Samuel Johnson and John Williams were in the battle of Tippecanoe in 1812.
Joseph McReynolds, a soldier of the Revolution, joined the army in his sixteenth year, and continued in the service till the ยท close of the war, eight years. In his seventieth year he married Miss Jane Simpson, in her seventeenth year. The old soldier now lies buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, while his widow : still survives him, though married again.
In an affray at Cynthiana, August 20, 1881, Robert Vint shot and killed Joseph Alvey, but the murderer made his escape from justice by fleeing the country.
George W. Mccrary, late secretary of war in President Hayes' cabinet, was born in this township on a farm about one mile and a half southeast of Cynthiana.
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
James Williams was accidentally killed July 4, 1861, at a celebration near Cynthiana. He was loading a cannon, when a premature discharge sent the ramrod through his body.
LYNN TOWNSHIP.
This township embraces an area of about 43 square miles, and is bounded on the north by Harmony Township, on the east by Center, on the south by Black and on the west by the Wabash River. The township was named in honor of Dan Lynn, who was the first representative to the State Legislature, and also a member of the convention that adopted the constitution when Indiana was admitted into the Union. Among the early settlers of the township, were Samuel Eblin, who settled in the township about 1814. F. Young and Edmond Bacon were early settlers in the township. John Server was a Methodist class leader, a jus- tice of the peace and a kind of lawyer, The Goad family, who were prominent in the township, came from Kentucky. Henry Kivent and Samuel York were two other early settlers. Billy Alexander, another settler, had sons: William, John and Silas. John Noel came from Ohio and settled in the township in 1820; he raised quite a large family. The township was organized in 1817, not, however, with its present limits.
OFFICERS, INDUSTRIES, ETC.
John Turney and Elias Altizer were the first overseers of the poor of the township. Altizer was inspector of elections before the township was separated from Harmony Township. John Curtis and David Love were constables in 1818, and Frederick Rapp was appointed superintendent of school section for Lynn Township, in March, 1817. James Black built a mill on Big Creek, in Lynn Township near the upper New Harmony and Mount Vernon stage route in 1817. A bridge was built across Big Creek, at Black's Mill, in 1818. Black's first mill was a water-mill, but in 1823 he built a horse-mill near the same place, in addition to his water mill.
In 1823 William Wier built a horse-mill on Mill Creek, in Lynn Township. Abner Coates built a mill on Coates' Creek, in the same township in 1825. George N. Thomas built an ox
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
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tread-mill on Big Creek in 1836, and it was burned down in 1841, but was rebuilt again at once and changed to a steam-mill. The second mill was burned in 1848, but Mr. Thomas again erected a new mill which he used until it was worn out. Grafton marks the site of the mill. In 1822 John Schnee and Joseph Spalding were appointed by the county board to select a lot in Springfield on which to build a schoolhouse. A little later, 1827, a school- house was built on Big Creek. The house was built on the Allison farm and Samuel Annable was the first teacher. In 1818 Thomas Denby and Absalom Henson obtained license to keep tavern and sell liquors in Springfield. The General Baptists built a church at Beech Grove in 1870, and called it Bethesda. The trustees of the church were William York, John G. Donald- son and B. S. Aldrich. A church organization had existed here several years previous to the building of the church. The church was quite prosperous for a time under Elder James Rusk, but some difference of opinion as to church polity sprang up and caused a schism in the church. The members are now quite few. The Methodists formerly had a camp ground at Beech Grove. A quarterly meeting was held by them at Beech Grove in 1844. It is related by a reliable citizen of Mount Vernon that at one of these meetings, when it was almost considered a standard of Christianity to shout or to be affected by the "jerks," there was a woman who was considered of rather easy virtue, and who was always very demonstrative in her shouts, to the no little annoy- ance of other worshipers. Once while in one of her ecstasies, some of the Kennedy and McHenry boys with their companions, managed to throw a well filled hornets' nest near her feet, and when the hornets began to express their anger at the treatment they had received the woman shouted, "I already feel the stings of conscience!" This was done to the discomfiture of the wor- shipers but to the great amusement of the boys.
VOTERS IN 1833.
The following persons voted at Springfield in 1833, at the April election: Solomon Tennison, James Johnson, Isaac Bacon, Lawrence Douty, John Wilson, Greenbury Casey, Emanuel Edwards, Jefferson Nelson, Ezekiel Brady, Robert Wilson, Jesse Murphy, Leonard Hust, Milton Dodd, Henry Edmonds, John Cox,
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
John Gail, James Murphy, John T. Cooksey, Samuel Edmonds, Elias Altizer and John Noel.
EARLY LAND ENTRIES.
George Rapp and association, 1815; Alexander Heyman, 1816; John Saltzman, 1816; Frederick Rapp, 1817; Aquilla Mathews, 1816; Michael Saltzman, 1816; David Lynn, 1815; Abel Mathews, 1816; Robert Wilson, 1815; John Wilson, 1816; Thomas Miller, 1815; Absalom Kinson, 1819.
MUSTERS. -
In the early history of the county musters were regularly held. There were the company, battalion, regimental and brigade muster. Among the officers at various times were Gen. William Twigg, Gen. James P. Drake, Col. Zachariah Wade, Col. Jesse Nash, Col. Clement Whiting, Capt. W. J. Lowry, Lieut. John F. Allison, Adjt. Allen and others.
The officers wore gorgeous uniforms. A blue coat, cut "swal- low-tail" with stripes of red tape sewed on the breast and adorned with double rows of huge brass buttons and tinsel epaulets, a sword, homespun or buckskin trousers, a huge three-cornered hat with waving plume, and moccasins completed the costume. The file were dressed in the ordinary costume of the frontiersman; rifles or muskets or cornstalks were the arms. Their display of plumes and feathers were of little practical advantage, further than to satisfy a vanity for military display. Each section had its place of drill, at Mount Vernon the field east of Milton Black's was a common place for such, further north, Blairsville, and general musters were generally held in the vicinity of Springfield, at the farm of Lewis Wilson. An order at hand reads about as follows: .
NEW HARMONY, February 26, 1826.
REGIMENTAL ORDER.
The officers of the companies will appear with their commands at the house of Robert Randolf, on the 16th day of October, 1826, for a two days' regimental muster. All commissioned officers must appear in full uniform. Battallion muster will be held at the house of Joshua Overton.
ZACKARIAH WADE, Commanding Twenty-Sixth Regiment.
In 1834, a law was passed allowing persons to pay $1 as an equivalent for non-performance of military duty. In 1837, the law requiring militia musters was repealed altogether.
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
This township as its name indicates is in the centre of the county. It was originally a part of Robinson, Harmony and Lynn. It is bounded on the north by Robb and Smith, on the east by Robinson, on the south by Robinson and Lynn, and on the west by Lynn and Harmony. It was separated from the above named townships by order of the county commissioners March, 1859. Owing to the inconvenience of Blairsville, New Harmony and other towns, the citizens were compelled to provide them- selves with a market place nearer home which was done by the laying out of Wadesville, and the establishing of that as a central seat. The township contains over 15,000 acres of excellent farm- ing, more than half of which is under cultivation, yielding the industrious husbandman a rich reward for his toils. The soil produces an abundance of all the cereals, and fully maintains her portion of the immense yield made by Posey County. Andrew Cavitt came from Pennsylvania in 1817, and settled on the Cavitt farm about two miles from Wadesville. Andrew Cavitt was the father of William Cavitt now living near Wadesville. A sister of Cavitt came a little earlier and settled about four miles north of Wadesville. She married Jesse Nash and became the head of a respectable family. Joseph Robinson settled a little further east; he was the father of Jonathan and James Robinson. Robinson is believed to have built the first mill in the township. This was on his farm and was a small horse-mill to which was attached a cot- ton gin and still. The Wade family settled in Centre Township in 1817, in the vicinity of Wadesville, from which the town took its name. The two older Wades were Joshua and Caleb. They became the heads of very large families who have mainly all set- tled in the same vicinity. John Ashley settled near Wadesville; he was a mechanical genius, and worked a long time endeavoring to make a perpetual motion, and like all others who have tried that failed, but to use the language of one of his neighbors, he "came mighty nigh doing it." Sharp Garris settled in the same vicinity of the others in 1815. He came originally from North Carolina and settled in Kentucky, and afterward settled in Centre Township. John Parish was among the early settlers of the township; he was drowned in Wabash River, not far from New
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
Harmony. Benjamin Gwaltney settled the farm about two miles from Wadesville, lying on the line of the E. & T. H. R. R. Mr. Gwaltney, father-in-law of A. C. Williams, of the First National Bank of Mount Vernon, is still living. David Ball, father of Mrs. Wallace, of Wadesville, settled the farm about one-quarter of a mile from the town. He came from Kentucky about 1816. Moses Cross also from Kentucky, came about the same time. Abner and Ajax Campbell were among the early settlers; the former settled the farm now owned by Winnie Campbell; the lat- ter was an "old bachelor." Other families were the Wallaces, Smiths and Wilkinses. Reuben and Wright Stalling also settled a very short distance from Wadesville. The former brought four negroes to the settlement: George, Jerry, Becca and Morn- ing, but as slavery was not tolerated, they soon found their way back into slavery, whether by kidnaping or otherwise, will remain an unsolved mystery to the public. Old Nero, another, who had been a slave, lived in the settlement until his death. All the above mentioned settlers were farmers, and were instru- mental in clearing away the forests, and preparing the way for the trades and professions that were to follow. As before stated, farming was the business of the settlers mainly; still other business had to be carried on. Work was not so well divided then as now. A great many men tanned their own leather, and made their own shoes. Andrew Cavitt was among those who did such work.
MILLS, DISTILLERIES, ETC.
Joseph Robinson furnished meal, whisky and ginned the cotton for the settlement for a long time. Almost every one at first raised a small patch of cotton, hence the necessity of a gin. This was in the days of the old spinning wheel, carding and weaving by hand, and the dames and damsels af that day, looked as handsome to their admirers, dressed in their linsey-woolsey or home made suits, as do the queens of fashion now, in their silks and diamonds. Though they were not so artistic, they were far more robust. Corn or wheat was carried to the mill on horseback and not unfrequently the parties would have to wait a day or so for their grist as the mills were few and had a capacity of ten to twenty-five bushels per day. Each man furnished the team to grind his own grain. The time was usually whiled away in
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jumping, shooting at a mark or other pastime. As distilleries were usually connected with the mills, not unfrequently drinking was indulged in. In addition to Robinson's still, John Ahley also had a small one on his farm, and still later one was run at the same place by James Cross. These were all small copper stills with a capacity of a few gallons per day. The commissioners formerly regulated the price of liquors, meals, feed and lodging. Whisky sold at 12g cents per one-half pint, wines at 50 cents, food and lodging 25 cents, a horse with hay and stall all night 50 cents.
MARKETS.
The place for market for the township was Evansville, Mount Vernon or New Harmony. Market consisted mainly of pork, butter and eggs and a few other small articles. Pork was always killed at home and hauled to Evansville or Mount Vernon, and was finally sent to New Orleans. The price ranged from 12 to 3} cents. Butter was from 64 cents to 12g cents, and eggs 62 to 12} cents per dozen. It was considered no hardship to carry a basket of eggs or butter all the way to New Harmony or Evansville and sell at the above prices, and return the same day. . In this con- nection it will not be wondered at that there was little wheat raised for market as it was all cut by the reap-hook, an instru- ment in use since the building of the Pyramids of Egypt, and beaten out with the flail and winnowed by pouring through a sieve and allowing the wind to carry away the chaff by an artifi- cial current made by waving a sheet quickly over the grain.
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