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 35
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The Poseyville Sun made its appearance March 8, 1877, with S. D. McReynolds as editor. The paper was published in Mount Vernon by Leffel & Jolley. In May, 1878, the Sun was discontinued as a separate paper. The Poseyville Times was be- gun by James B. Berkshire in the fall of 1881, but failed after about a year's existence. The Poseyville News was begun by J. A. Leonard December 7, 1882. The paper is independent in politics, and is having a good patronage. The banking house of V. P. Bozeman & Co. was established in the fall of 1884, with an individual responsibility of $100,000. The professions are now represented by Leroy Williams and S. D. McReynolds in the law: by Rutledge, Elliott & Son, and T. R. Young in med- icine.
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
The large business houses now are: R. A. Brennan, Hudspeth & Curtis, J. C. Yarbwan & Co. and Noel & Hume, general mer- chandise; Charles Kightly, drugs; F. M. Smith, furniture and undertaker's goods; Muth & Tiserand, hardware. Grain is han- dled by V. P. Bozeman, William Stevens and Isaiah Fletchall. Besides these there is a saw-mill, planing-mill, two hotels, two millinery shops, and other businesses found in such places. As an evidence of the immense amount of freight handled by the railroads for 1884 we submit the following: Total number of car loads of freight handled, 550; merchandise in smaller quantities, tickets sold and express matter altogether to the number of $29,396.91. The I. O. O. F. was instituted by dispensation De- cember 13, 1866, and a charter was granted in 1867. The first recorded trustees were Samuel H. Endicott, John G. Pullam and Elam Fairchild. Peter Shepherd was N. G. and R. M. Weaver, secretary. The present membership is about thirty.
CYNTHIANA.
This thriving village is situated in the northeast part of Smith Township, in a rich agricultural district, embracing some of the finest lands of Black River bottoms. The town was laid out March 6, 1817, by William Davis, who, with a colony of about forty persons, emigrated from the vicinity of Cynthiana, Ky., from which it is said to have been named, although an authority at hand says it was named in honor of two daughters of Mr. Davis. Almost the entire colony settled in the neighborhood of Cynthi- ana. The town was laid out with an old-fashioned "public square," which still remains unoccupied, as the conditions were that it shall remain to the public so long as kept for public purposes exclusively. The first enlargement made to the town was by Clement Whiting June 5, 1819; this was known as the "Whiting enlargement." The growth of the place was very slow for nearly sixty years, as a proof of which some of the original lots are still unimproved. The present era of prosperity was begun about 1876, when on the 26th of January of the same year, D. B. Montgomery's enlargement was added, and December 24, 1877, Montgomery's additional enlargement was laid off. James Redman's enlargement was added February 27, 1885. Andrew Moffat and John Shanklin kept the first store in
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Cynthiana; this was in a small log-house. George Jaquess and Thomas Blackhurst once did business in the same place. Goods were then bought mainly at Henderson, Ky. Clement Whiting . did business on the corner where D. B. Montgomery's house now stands. His first house was burned down, but was rebuilt by the assistance of his neighbors. He began keeping tavern in 1818. He afterward moved to the Whiting property near the old Baptist Church. He kept tavern, the postoffice, and began selling tobacco and whisky in 1828. Charles Whiting was granted license to sell whisky in 1818. The first election in Smith Township was held in Cynthiana in 1818, at the house of Samuel C. Hiron. The firm of Craig & Pollard began business in Cynthiana on the Pollard corner in 1830, and continued in business about six years.
The first preaching in Cynthiana was by the Regular Baptists, at the house of Clement Whiting. There had, however, been preaching before this at the house of Elsberry Smith. Elder James Martin is thought to have been the first minister. The first house of worship built by these people was a small log struc- ture erected a short distance west of the present site of the church. The logs were bought of Robert Long. The house is now used as a blacksmith shop. A second house was built near the same place at a later date. This people now have a good house of worship of modern style. The membership is quite large. Among the pioneer families of this church are the Lowes, Eatons and Williamses. Benny Keith, Lewis Williams, Lewis Duncan and Joel Hume are among the early ministers. The Methodist Church was built about 1836. James Nesbit, George W. Lindsey, Wiley Marvel and Phillip Martin were some of the pioneer members. The first mills were tread-mills. Robert Long is believed to have built the first mill in the west part of town. Tol. Grigsby was also connected with a mill for some time, as also was George W. Lindsey. Jesse Kimball built a mill not far from the town hall. The present steam-mill was built as a saw-mill and flouring-mill about 1858. The first schoolhouse was built in the south part of town below the mill, on the Evans- ville road; later, one was built near the old Presbyterian Church, and still later, another was built northwest of the postoffice. The present was built in 1874, with an addition made in 1884. The first teachers were Ebenezer Phillip, who became county surveyor,
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John Grant, Elijah Goodwin and Thomas Barrett. The first physician is believed to have been Enoch Jones; later were Rich- ardson, and Clark. The following is a list of postmasters: Job Tillet, Clement Whiting, Silas Jones, Green Hindman (one day only), Jones again, Silas Cox, James Putnam, J. H. C. Lowe, G. W. Lowe (ten years ), G. W. Fisher and J. L. Blaze.
Lodge No. 528, I. O. O. F. as shown by the records, was organ- ized in 1876, with A. B. Wilkinson, A. I. Reece, and I. T. Saul- man, trustees; A. N. Garten, N. G .; D. M. Shoemaker, secre- tary. L. J. Wilkinson, J. W. Brerridge and C. Reister han- dle dry goods; E. M. Bates and the Whiting Bros., are druggists; G. W. Lowe deals in grain; L. B. Cosby, J. E. Gudgel, Rutter, and Thomas are physicians. T. J. Mathews is miller. A tile factory is owned by James Redman. The town has had a rapid and healthful growth since the completion of the branch of the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad to that place in 1880, to which it gave liberal aid.
BLAIRSVILLE.
Blairsville is located on Big Creek, in the western part of Rob- inson Township, and is in the northern part of Section 21. The land of said section in which Blairsville is located, was entered by Charles Kimball, Stephen Blair, Ruben Cross, Samuel Lee George Gordon, Hardin Wallace and John W. Phillips. The town was laid out by Stephen Blair, in honor of whom the town was named, and Ebenezer Phillips, July 4, 1837. The town being the central seat of what was originally Robinson and Cen- ter Townships, and on the main line of travel from New Harmony to Evansville, and being kind of a half-way place between the two, and was then a place of some note. It was the place where politi- cal speaking was held, and the many evils of Whiggery or Democracy were shown up in all their horrors by the champions of the opposite side.
In the campaign of 1842 a joint discussion was held at Blairs- ville June 26, between Robert Dale Owen, the Democratic candidate for Congress, and John W. Payne, the Whig candidate. It might not be out of place to state that the old compass and tripod with which Phillip surveyed the town of Blairsville, and in fact the one with which the most of the lands of the county were sur-
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veyed, is now owned by John E. Whitson, of Grayville, Ill. Among the early inhabitants of Blairsville, were Stephen Blair, Ebenezer Phillips and Charles Kimball. In 1842 there lived there a Dr. Owens, and a little later there was a Dr. Mitchell. Among the first shoe-makers were Henry Thenerkauf and Henry Weber. Henry Newmann was one of the first blacksmiths. Charles Kimball ran the feed-mill which was on Big Creek oppo- site Blairsville. "Bush" Gardner and John Becker were some of the early successful merchants and business men. The extension of the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad through Wadesville, and other causes have conspired to injure the commercial inter- ests of Blairsville, so that now it contains no store, but 2 black- smith shops, 2 shoe shops, 1 wagon and 1 cooper shop, no mill, and 1 physician-Dr. Lawrence B. Bitz. In the good days gone by, a reliable citizen relates that he saw eleven fights one after- noon in the town; such sights now are not common. In 1842 the following persons, citizens of Blairsville, petitioned the "hon- orable board" to grant tavern licenses (which meant to sell whis- ky in those days, also), to J. H. Owens, and that he was a man of good moral character: Daniel Cox, William Watson, David B. Downen, M. Duty, Robert Stephens, William Dodge, Nelson Doty, Daniel Elkins, Benjamin Garris, Soren Sorenson, M. Wat- son, H. W. Young, William F. Phillips and Richard Ramsey.
FARMERSVILLE.
The settlement in the vicinity of Farmersville is one of the oldest in the county, some parties having settled there before the county was organized. The first settlers were mainly from New England, and the settlement was long known as the Yankee set- tlement, or sometimes was called Yankeetown. The place was looked upon very favorably as a suitable place for the location of the county seminary, for which end Elisha Phillips offered four and a half acres of ground.
The place was also sometimes called "the Corners" from its being at the corner of four farms. The first settlers were Samuel Black, Elisha Ellis, Rufus Johnson, Anson Andrews and Samuel Phillips. Mr. Phillips settled at Farmersville about 1812 on 100 acres lying to the northeast of town, Mr. Johnson to the south- east on 250 acres of land. Mr. Andrews settled on a 120 acre
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
farm to the northwest of town, and Mr. Ellis settled on an eighty acre farm to the southwest of the town. The "Corners " for a time bid fair to become a place of note, but other places having more eligible sites have far outstripped it. The first store in the place was owned by Anson Andrews, and stood where the old store now stands. Another store was built on the same spot by E. Ellis, A. S. Osborn, D. F. Johnson and A. Andrews. This was called the " Union Store." A second union store was built on the same ground, all three of which were burned, the latter in 1863.
There have been nine other stores and nine blacksmith shops, one furniture store and one cooper shop. Of these but one, a blacksmith shop, remains. There have been three mills in Farm- ersville. The first stood where the saloon now stands; the second was built for a saw-mill, but was changed to a grist-mill, and stood on the northeast corner: The third was a "company " mill. The first building in the place was a log schoolhouse, and it stood where the old store now stands. There have been five other schoolhouses in Farmersville. The present building is a brick structure of four rooms, built in 1875 at a cost of $6,000. Only three of the rooms are furnished. The schools have a good library, and are presided over by W. Thompson, who for several years has had charge of the schools. Leading services were held at Farmersville as early as 1823 either in private dwellings or in the old schoolhouse. The first church erected in the place was built by the Christians. This was followed by the Baptists, and later by the Methodists, all of which are still in existence.
SPRINGFIELD.
The lands in and near Springfield were entered by George Rapp in 1817. The beginning of the town Springfield was in the selection of the place as a seat of justice for the county. The commissioners who made this selection were Isaac Montgomery, Adam Hope, John Brazelton and Hugh McGary. The plat of the town was made in 1817. The surveying was done by Mat- thew Williams, assisted by Andrew Hindman, Thomas Wilson and William Alexander. For the encouragement of the enter- prise George Rapp donated 100 acres of land. The town was laid off in rectangular form and contained 189 lots. It contained
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
also a public square. For the sale of town lots Thomas E. Cas- selberry was allowed by the commissioners $7 for whisky fur- nished at the sale.
The public buildings were the first of importance erected. The contract for the court house was let to Frederick Rapp and others March 2, 1817. The house was of brick, two stories high, with stone foundation. David Love received the contract for putting in a "plank loft, a plank door, to chink the chimney inside and daub it on the outside with clay mortar." John Hinch dug a well in the Public Square for $25. James Campbell got the contract for clearing the Public Square. Joseph Hier got license to keep public house in Springfield in 1818; Samuel James in 1817; Joseph Spalding in 1818; Isaac C. Nettleton in 1819, and John Schnee in 1824.
On the removal of the county seat to Mount Vernon in 1825 property in Springfield greatly depreciated in value. For the relief of property owners a committee was appointed to assess the damage to property caused by the said removal. A scale was made for each lot. The aggregate of damages allowed was $1,313, which amount was paid to the owners of the lots. Spring- field has had little property since the removal of public business to Mount Vernon. It contains a church, a schoolhouse (the old court house), and about 100 inhabitants. The trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Springfield in 1871 were William C. Pitt, J. M. Minick, Calvin Stallings, Z. C. Wade, Thomas. Mil- ler and Daniel Miller. The membership now is about thirty. The business interests of Springfield are not great. In 1880 Albert Clemens and William F. Martin built a tile factory. It is run by horse-power. Clemens sold his part of the factory to James Murphy, and in 1882 Murphy sold his interest to Will- iam White. In 1885 Martin sold his interest to Zephaniah Williams. It is now owned by White and Williams.
WADESVILLE.
This place was laid out February 16, 1852, by Daniel Leffel, James Pelt and William Moye. The surveying was done by Will- iam F. Phillips. The streets run at an angle of about 45 degrees, and are named respectively Main, Princeton, West, High and Pelt. The lots are 60x132 feet, with twelve foot alleys. The place was
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
formerly called the Cross Roads, but on laying the town it was named Wadesville in honor of the Wade family. The first busi- ness house in Wadesville was owned by Daniel Leffel; he kept a small store of dry goods and groceries. The next was by the Moye Bros., and soon after Zachariah Wade was associated with the firm, as also was Abner Wade for a time. This firm did an extensive business in clocks. Other business houses were those of James Gardner, William Hains, Nicholas Joest and Finley Allison. The latter is still doing a good business. The firm of Nicholas Joest & James Cross is doing an extensive busi- ness in dry goods, groceries, etc,, besides having an extensive flour- ing-mill and warehouse for grain. The first physician of the place was Dr. Richard Smyth, now of Mount Vernon. He set- tled in Wadesville in 1852 and remained till 1864. The place supports two good physicians now, Drs. Kransgrill and Williams. It has a nice two-story graded school building built in 1874 under successful management. Other lines of business are agricultural implements, blacksmith shop and a hotel. The following is a list of the postmasters: James Gardner, William Hains, Zachariah Wade, Nicholas Joest, Charles Franklin, Zachariah Wade a sec- ond time, Cox or Becker, John C. Shacklett, Nicholas Joest, James Cross, Finley Allison and James Cross, the present post- master.
STEWARTSVILLE.
This place was laid out October 29, 1838, by James Stewart. It is situated near the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railroad from which there is a branch road to New Harmony. The town was formerly called Paris, but was changed to Stewartsville on the es- tablishment of a postoffice in 1853, of which office John W. Robb was the first postmaster. The first store in the place was estab- lished by Perry & Schneider about 1844. Other merchants have been John Robb & Silas Cox, -- Lock, John Robb, James Montgomery & Silas Cox, Thomas Robb, John & Thomas Robb, John Robb, Demberger & Faul. George Gleichman built a horse- mill there about 1842. David Knewler built a saw and grist-mill in 1853, and John Shelby one in 1854. Schneider & Wise started a still-house in 1845. Montgomery ran a "moonshine" distillery for a time but was checked by the Government. A man named Hyne has manufactured liquors there for some time. George
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
Demberger and Henry Fauls added an enlargement to the town February 7, 1882. Before this there had been laid off Calvin Station on the railroad opposite Stewartsville. This was done April 21, 1881. The I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 214, was established at Stewartsville in 1871, the trustees were Samuel Defur, George Huebner and John Norris. A fine two-story brick school build- ing was erected in 1874, since which time the schools have been in successful operation.
WEST FRANKLIN.
This place is situated in the extreme southeastern part of the county. It is claimed that Jacob Weinmiller settled there as early as 1807. Other early settlers were Daniel Lynn and John Williams. Elcana Williams ran the ferry at West Frank- lin called Diamond Island Ferry in 1813. Daniel Lynn had the same ferry in 1807. He died at West Franklin of cholera in 1833. This was the favorite crossing place of immigrants from Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina into Posey County. Among these was the Jaquess colony of nearly fifty persons that settled in the vicinity of Poseyville in 1815, and a large colony that settled near Cynthiana about the same time. The town was named West Franklin, it is said, to distinguish it from a man living near called East Franklin. The first store was kept by John M. Hayne about 1835. The town was laid out by John B. Stinson, in January, 1837. The first doctors of the place were F. H. Pease and Floyd Williams about the years 1848 and 1849. The first schoolhouse was built in 1850, and the first school taught in it was by James B. Campbell who now lives about two miles north of the town. Mr. Campbell was county superintendent from 1868 to 1877 except a short interval in 1875. The first church was a Methodist Church. The house was built in 1848; it was destroyed by the flood in 1883. A new house was erected in its stead in the summer of 1885 at a cost of $800. The busi- ness of the place is now confined to two or three business houses.
BLACKFORD.
The land where this place was located is in Section 29 of Marrs Township, and is now a part of the George Jackson's estate. It was named in honor of Hon. Isaac Blackford who was the first
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circuit judge, and who was on the supreme bench for thirty-six years. The town was laid out in 1815, and was intended as a seat of jus- tice for the county, A term or two of court were held there, one in May, 1817. Public buildings were begun, among those built was a county gaol (jail). This was built by Samuel Jones for which he received about $500. In 1815, William Hutchens was granted license to keep tavern and a dram shop for one year in Blackford. Others received similar licenses during the years 1816 and 1817. In 1817, Springfield was fixed upon as the seat of justice, after which time interest in Blackford ceased and it be- came simply a settlement. Chambille is another town only in name. It was situated in Lynn Township, and was laid out De- cember 22, 1836, by an agent of William McClure. As a town it never materialized. November 5, 1819, W. A. L. Green caused to be laid out a tract of land near Dunn's graveyard. The town was known as Greenville or Woodville. Little further was done toward building a town. The fate of none of these three men- tioned towns have been preserved. The lands where flourishing towns were to have stood are now under cultivation.
NEW BALTIMORE.
The place that bore the name of New Baltimore was situated in Section 24, Town 4, Range 14. It lay at the mouth of the Black, where said stream empties into the Wabash. The lands were en- tered in 1819 by James Allen. The town site was laid out by Wilson J. Johnson, in 1837. The town plat contained fifty-six lots. Johnson, the founder opened the first general store and for a time did a thriving business. David Waller, James L. Jolly, Wash Wheeler and Isaac Williams were merchants and dealers in pork and grain. Large quantities of produce found a ready mar- ket here. This was an important river landing then. It was also an important point as a place of building flat-boats. The build- ing of other towns in more accessible localities, and the opening of roads caused the trade to find outlets elsewhere, and the town as a town soon ceased to exist.
CABORN STATION.
This village was originally called Caborn Summit from its position, but was soon afterward changed to Caborn Station.
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
The village was laid out in 1871 by Cornelius Caborn. Mr. Caborn was the leading farmer of the place and it was named in honor of him. The station is on the L. & N. Railroad in Marrs Township. The first store in the place was owned by Frank and Benjamin Crack in 1877. The postoffice was established there in 1876, with Benjamin Crack as postmaster. In 1871 Cornelius Caborn began buying grain at the station. John Fox started a blacksmith shop and wagon shop in 1877. H. C. Bradley now owns a saloon and grocery store. The postoffice and ticket office are kept by George King. About 1860 a postoffice was estab- lished in the northwest part of the township and called "Hickory Branch." In 1876 this office was moved to Caborn Station.
GRAFTON.
June 6, 1852, George W. Thomas, who was the owner of a steam flouring-mill, laid out a plat of twenty-four lots. The place was named in honor of a town in Illinois. It is located in Section 14 of Black Township, on Big Creek. The place is sur- rounded by a rich farming country, but is of little consequence as a town now. A short distance south of Grafton is a station on the L. & N. Railroad called Upton. The place is of some note as a shipping point for grain. No plat of the place has ever been made. Its name is in honor of a man living in the vicinity of the station.
ST. WENDEL.
This village lies partly in Posey and partly in Vanderburgh Counties. The earliest settlers in Section 12, the one in which St. Wendel is situated, were Wendle Wasman, Louis Wolf, James Haynes, Zachariah Fitzgerrill, John Liviston, John A. Baker, John Dedge, Johannas Brigher, Gotlieb Sterr, A. Knapp and John Sheller. The town was never formally laid out and is sup- posed to have derived its name from Wendel Wasman, who con- tributed largely to the building of the large and elegant Catholic Church at the place, which cost over $10,000. There has been a mill at St. Wendel for many years, which has added materially to the growth of the place. The mill, as well as a large mercan- tile house, has been owned and run by Raben & Naas for many years. The inhabitants are almost entirely German, and number about 200. Besides other smaller businesses than those men-
Yours Truly Hieny Brinkmann
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HISTORY OF POSEY COUNTY.
tioned above, there is also a schoolhouse in the place. Near the town is a large Catholic graveyard.
WINFIELD.
This is a town only in name. It is situated in Section 26, near the northern portion of Harmony Township. It was laid out by John Cox in 1838. It is sometimes called Bugtown. It is merely a settlement. Joshua & J. W. Cox kept store and did a general business there till 1859, when on the death of one of the firm the business was closed out.
PRICE'S STATION.
This place was laid out August 11, 1881, by William Price. It is situated between Black River and the Wabash in Section 6, in Bethel Township. It is on the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railroad, and is of some importance as a shipping point for grain and lumber. The postoffice at the place is called Griffin, by which name the town is often called. The lands in the vicinity of Price's Station are exceedingly rich.
CHAPTER V.
HISTORY OF THE BENCH AND BAR-FIRST AND SUBSEQUENT SESSIONS OF THE CIRCUIT COURT-THE USE OF THE WHIPPING POST-PROFES- SIONAL CHARACTER OF JUDGES AND ATTORNEYS-NATURE OF THE EARLY SUITS-COMPARISON OF OLD AND MODERN COURT METHODS- MURDER CASES-LATER JUDGES AND ATTORNEYS-COURTS UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION-SEVERAL IMPORTANT SUITS.
T THE civilization of any people is indicated by the character of their courts and their methods of administering justice. Those nations, whether ancient or modern, that are distinguished for the wisdom of their jurisprudence, are also reputed as the most progressive of their times in whatever might enhance the welfare of mankind. The demands of civilization for order and, consequently, law, infinitely exceed those of barbarism. That government which enacts the best laws and enforces them with the least partiality, is always the best. It is the province of courts to interpret laws and to administer justice.
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