History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 12

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664

USA > Indiana > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships > Part 12

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Thomas Parker had come from Carolina with five other families, and in the course of the summer two of them had come and settled in his neighborhood, viz .: John W. Thomas and Clarkson Willentts. Thomas Parker entered a part of the fractional section, on the east side of Wayne's boundary where it crosses the Wayne County line, and the other two settled farther north. John W. Thomas located on the same section with Parker, a large frac- tional quarter, 168 acres, (since owned by Mr. Lewis). Clarkson Willcutts lived on the south half, southeast quarter, Section 28, Town 16, Range 1 west, (land since owned by P. Heiner).

October 22, 1814, Ephraim Bowen came from Pennsylvania, and settled still farther north, (northeast quarter, Section 18, Town 16, Range 1 west), entering the farm so long_occupied since by his son Squire, and now by Squire'a con, James D. Bowen, northwest of Arba. Mr. Bowen had a considerable family, six children, and was pretty well off for those times. He lived long in the county, dying in 1858, aged eighty-nine years. His wife died in 1849.

The fifth family was that of Ephraim Overman, who took the land where Joshua Thomas now resides in Section 27. He is thought to have come in November, 1814. What seems to be very remarkable, he is stated to have kept his family in a "camp" from November, 1814. to the fall of 1815. What need there could be for such a thing we cannot tell. One would think that with a lot of boys, some of them large enough to work, Mr. Overman need not have been so careless as it would seem that he was. It may not be safe to judge so harshly, however, for he would appear to have been a man of sense and judgment, as Wayne County sent him to the Legislature in two years from that time, 1817. Mr. Overman had five children, all boys. [The father of Joseph Hawkins of Jay County, who emigrated thither in 1829, dwelt in a " camp " all summer].

Thus far the record is clear. From this point, however, we cannot be certain as to the exact times of settlement.

Squire Bowen (who was a boy nine years old when his father moved here) gives the list of settlers as follows: "The other set- tlers who came in 1814 were. these-James Cammack, west of Arba; Eli Overman, where Henry Horn now lives, west part of the village of Arba ; Jesse Small, near where Isaac Jordan now lives, Section 22." He does not remember any others, though there may have been some, but could not have been many. Squire Bowen says: "David Bowles, Jease Johnson, James Frazier and Hodgson, came in 1815. They settled near Lynn. John Pealc took the land south of Ephraim Bowen. Several Smalls came in 1815. Obadiah Small occupied the site of the present town of Spartansburg. John Small had the Hough placo just north of that village."

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

Mr. Bowen cannot tell exactly who came in 1815, but he thinks not very many. He says that he believes the tide of emi- gration did not get under full headway till 1816. John Fisher thinks that when he came to Wayne County, just south of Ran- dolph (December, 1816), there were no settlers in Ran- dolph, except those on and near Nolan's Fork; and that William Wright was the first settler on White River, and that he came from Ohio, on his way to White River, two or three weeks after that, say December 15, 1816.

Mr. Fisher was then twenty-four years old, and his memory now seems quite strong and clear, yet he is, perhaps, in error. [He has died since the writing of the above paragraph].

Solomon Wright says he came here in March, 1816, and that the Ways and Diggses had come the year previous, as also two or three Wrights and a Haworth.

If Solomon Wright is correct, White River was begun in 1815. But the tradition is firmly held among the Ways and the Diggses, that their advent to this country for settlement was in March, 1817, which would seem to set Solomon Wright's coming in 1818. He may have come in 1817; but there are points about the whole matter of early dates which seem hard to understand or to reconcile.

LAND ENTRIES.

So far as land-entries are concerned, a considerable amount of it was done in both 1814 and 1815. Land was often entered months and even years before the owners occupied it, and not seldom the patentee never personally took possession. And often on the other hand, persons would live in the new country months, or even years, before they could succeed in entering land.

Many came with no money, and had to work and rent or live out, or do some other way to earn the money to pay for what they bought. The records of the land office show that the entries in the county, during 1814, were as follows in order of date:

Clarkson Willcutts, Greensfork, southeast quarter of Section 28, Town 16, Range 1, 160 acres, January 19, 1814.

James Cammack, Greensfork, east half of Section -, Town 16, Range 1, 323.16 acres, January 22, 1814.

Ephraim Bowen, Greensfork, northeast quarter of Section 28, Town 16, Range 1, 160 acres, April 13, 1814.

Travis Adcock, Washington, northwest quarter of Section 14, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, May 14, 1814.

John Thomas, Greensfork, northwest quarter of Section 33, Town 16, Range 1, 156.58 acres, July 21, 1814 (fractional).

Thomas Parker, Greensfork, northwest quarter of Section 32, Town 16, Range 1, 156.88 acres, August 16, 1814.

Ephraim Overman, Greensfork, northwest quarter of Sec- tion 27, Town 16, Range 1, 160 acres, October, 1814.

Travis Adcock, Washington, southeast quarter of Section 10, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, October 19, 1814.

Shubael Ellis, White River, northeast quarter of Section 18, Town 20, Range 14, 160 acres, November 30, 1814.

Eli Overman, Greensfork, southeast quarter of Section 33, Town 16, Range 1, 156.58 acres, December 13, 1814.

Thus there were in 1814 ten entries by nine persons, com- prising about 1,750 acres. Seven were in Greensfork, with about 1,273 acres, two in Washington with 320 acres, and one in White River with 160 acres.

In 1815, there was in Greensfork only one entry, Nathan Overman, southwest quarter of Section 27, Town 16, Range 1, 159.50 acres, September 13, 1815.

There was but one in White River, to wit, George W. Ken- non, southeast quarter of Section 26, Town 20, Range 13, 160 acres, September 10, 1815.

In 1815, there were in West River seven entries, as follows: William Blount, southwest quarter of Section 8, Town 18, Range 13, 160 acres, April 10, 1815.

. Lot Huddleston, northwest quarter of Section 17, Town 18, Range 13, 160 acres, May 3, 1815.

John Jones. Town 18, Range 13, 325.68 acres, May 3, 1815. John E. Hodges, northwest quarter of Section 8, Town 18, Range 13, 160 acres, July 6, 1815.

Isaac Barnes, Section 7, Town 18, Range 13, 186 acres, July 6, 1815.

Arny Hall, east half southeast quarter of Section 17, Town 18, Range 13, 80 acres, October 12, 1815.

Cornelius Shane, northeast quarter of Section 8, Town 18, Range 13, 160 acres, July 6, 1815.

Seven entries, about 1,230 acres.

In 1815, there were, in Washington, entries as follows :

Curtis Cleny, southwest quarter of Section 11, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, January 7, 1815.

Obadiah Harris, southwest quarter of Section 10, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, May 8, 1815.

John Ozbun, southeast quarter of Section 8, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, August 9, 1815.

Paul Beard, northeast quarter of Section 10, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, August 9, 1815.

Paul Beard, northwest quarter of Section 11, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, August 9, 1815.

Obadiah Harris, northeast quarter of Section 15, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, October 14, 1815.

George Frazier, northwest quarter of Section 9, Town 18, Range 14, 160 acres, October 17, 1815.

Seven entries, equaling 1,120 acres.

The total entries in Randolph County for 1815, were sixteen entries, and 2669.50 acres, all but two being in Washington and West River Townships.

The entries in Washington were in Sections 8, 9, 10 and 11, of Township 18, Range 14.

The entries in West River were in Sections 7, 8, 17 and 18, Township 18, Range 13.

The total entries to the close of 1815 ( 1814, 1815) were twenty-six entries, with 4,420 acres, in four townships, Greens- fork, Washington, White River and West River.

The year 1816 saw a great increase of entries, and of settle- ments also.

The total for 1816 was 6,109 acres, in the following town- ships :

Greensfork, four entries, 830 acres; Washington, thirteen entries, 2,080 acres; White River, eighteen entries, 2,880 acres; Ward, one entry, 640 acres; West River, three entries, 400 acres.

The great rush that year seemed to be to Washington and White River; 1,600 acres were entered in the latter township in three days, December 4, 5 and 7 ; and in Washington six entries were made in October and four in November, or 1,600 acres in the two months.

The yeara 1817 and 1818 saw a greatly stronger movement, in so much that the entries for the two years amounted to 25,200 acres, those for each year being somewhat nearly the same.

The entries in 1817 were in Greensfork, Washington, White River, West River, Franklin, Ward and Wayne.

Washington, eighteen entries, 3,439 acres; White River, thirty-five entries, 5,337 acres; Greensfork, seven entries, 1,- 178 acres; Ward, eight entries, 1,280 acres; West River, twelve entries, 1,832 acres; Wayne, five entries, 800 acres; Franklin, two entries, 360 acres. Entries, 87 ; 14,226 acres.

The entries in 1818 were in the same townships.

Washington, twenty-four entries, 3,060 acres; White River, forty-one entries, 8,437 acres; Greensfork, five entries, 437 acres; Ward, one entry, 160 acres; West River, nine entries, 1,- 440 acres: Wayne, seven entries, 1,280 acres; Franklin, one entry, 154 acres. Entries, 88; acres, 11,968.

Total entries up to the close of 1818, were, in Washington, 64; White River, 96; Greensfork, 24; Ward, 10; Weat River, 31; Wayne, 12; Franklin, 3. 240 entries, with 36,729 acres. Emigration to Randolph after 1818 fell off greatly, so much

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

so that during the nine years from 1820 to 1828 inclusive, a smaller quantity of land was entered than in 1817 alone.

The following statement will show the amounts of land entered year by year to 1840:

1812, 160 acres; 1814, 1,744; 1815, 2,512; 1816, 6,109; 1817, 14,226; 1818, 11,968; 1819, 3,623; 1820, 1.779; 1821, 1,654; 1822, 2,084; 1823, 1,496; 1824, 530; 1825, 789; 1826, 2,047; 1827, 882; 1828, 1,445; 1829, 2,477; 1830, 4,320; 1831, 10,890; 1832, 8,225; 1833, 16,833; 1834, 10,430; 1835, 10,909; 1836, 77,368; 1837, 48,308; 1838, 7,293; 1839, 894; 1840, 700.

Thua it appears that the rush of settlers to Randolph was at first in 1817 and 1818, and then again from 1833 to 1837 inclu- sive, especially the two years 1836 and 1837. The amount of land entered in these two years last named, reached the amazing quantity of 125,676 acres, and, including 1833, 142,509, which is almost exactly half the area of the entire county. The land entered in 1836 and 1837 exceeded all the previous entries dur- ing thirty five years from 1812 to 1836, by some 8,000 acres.

By the close of 1838, almost all the land had been " taken up." Except the " school sections," little remained for original entry, and what was yet unentered lay in scattered parcels here and there throughout the county. By that time, therefore, Randolph had been bought of " Uncle Sam." and the public title was transferred to private hands.

"Speculators," however, here, as elsewhere, had extensively "got in their work," and in various localities, vast tracts lay unoccupied for years because the speculator's title covered it.

It has been said by some of the early pioneers, that most of the land on both sides of the road between Winchester and Decr- field was owned by one man, and after his death that vast body of land remained still vacant for many years.

As a specimen of the evil work of entering land for " specula- tion," a single person, residing at Cincinnati, appears to have "entered " many tracts in several different townships comprising we know not how many acres. Another, from Cincinnati, also engaged largely in the same speculative work. Still a third in- dividual, yet living, and now a resident of the county, appears as having entered tract after tract, scattered here and there.

Thus the curse of the ownership of land in vast amounts began in the county in its early history, and the same evil has contin- ued among us, still increasing its huge proportions, eating up the substance of the body politic, and sapping the very vitals of the community.

A people who do not own the land they live on, must be, in the very nature of things, a subject class, dependent not alone for the means of livelihood, but for a domicil (not to say a home) it- self, upon the mere whim of unother. Whether uny practicable method exists to prevent the permanent accumulation of lands in the hands of a few "lords of the soil," is hard to say. The " Law of Moses" in the old Jewish commonwealth, undertook to fight the old demon of " land monopoly " in those ancient times, by forbidding the soil ever to be sold in fee, requiring it to revert, every seventh, or at most, every fiftieth year, to the original own- ership. But this is not history, but a bit of a treatise on land ownership, and may be considered to be, in the midst of a his- tory of Randolph County, out of its place. Perhaps so. How- ever, facts are facts and cannot be ignored. Whether present evils can be remedied in coming time, those future years and ages must determine for themselves.

FIRST RELIGIOUS MEETING, ETC.

Squire Bowen says the first religious meeting was held in his father's cabin (probably in 1815), and that Stephen Williams (local preacher) exhorted at that meeting.

The first sermon was preached also in Ephraim Bowen's cab- in by Rev. Mr. Holman, of Louisville. Text from Isaiah, " Is there no balm in Gilead ? Is there no physician there ? Why then is the hurt of the daughter of my people not recovered ?"

James C. Bowen, who was at the meeting, says it was an ex- cellent discourse, and that it greatly edified the assembly.

EARLY BIRTHS.

The first person born in the county was Robert Thomas, son of John W. Thomas. His birthday was December 18, 1814. He now resides in Huntington County, Indiana.

The second was Thomas Willcutts, son of Clarkson Willcutts, born February 14, 1815 (St. Valentine's day). He now resides in Grant County, Ind.

The oldest person born in this county, and now residing there- in, is thought to be Elihu Cammack, son of John Cammack, and born near Arba (in Greensfork Township) April 15, 1817, and residing (mostly since 1846) on the State road east of Bartonia. [Elihu Cammack married his second wife in Iowa in 1881, and removed thence in the fall of that year. Who is now the oldest native living in the county we do not know.]

Lewis Cox, son of Jesse Cox, of West River Township, claims to have been born in August, 1817.

Fanny (Diggs) Hill was the first child born on White River, and her birth was September 11, 1817.

Lydia (Wright) Jones, sister of Solomon Wright now (1881) residing in Stony Creek Township near the mouth of Cabin Creek, and wife of Endsley Jones, was born October 5, 1817, a few days after her parents came from Ohio to the settlement upon White River.

Matilda Hunt, daughter of Rev. William Hunt (familiarly called " Old Billy Hunt "), and sister of William S. Hunt, Esq., was born in June, 1819.

John W. Botkin, son of Hugh Botkin of West River Town- ship, was born southeast of Huntsville, September 1, 1819.

FIRST SCHOOL.

J. C. Bowen says that the " Friends " built a cabin for school and meetings at Arba in 1815, and that a school was kept in that house during the winter of 1815-16 by Eli Overman ; and Jesse Parker says that he was at that school the first day with his " primer," and that he attended during the whole term.

That school, taught by Eli Overman, was the first in the county, and, moreover, in 1818. this same Eli Overman was elected a member of the first Commissioners' Board.

A much larger number of settlers came in 1816. Settle- ments were probably planted in this year (1816) on Martinsdale Creek, West River and White River, and additions were made to those on Nolan's and Green's Forks. On Green's Fork, about 1816 or 1817, came several families. Silas Johnson, now liv- ing, who was fifteen years old at the time, states that his father, Jesse Jolinson, moved to Randolphi County in the fall of 1817, that Paul Beard came in the spring (1817), and John Moor- man, Francis Frazier (uncle to the " bellmaker"), and John Barnes, came perhaps the year before (1816). Curtis Cleny says that he entered his land February 13, 1817. [The Land Office record says his patent is dated January 7, 1815.] Travis Adcock entered his land May and October, 1814.

Obadiah Harris entered his land May, 1815 ; Paul Beard's entry is dated August 9, 1815 ; Jesse Johnson's patent is dated November 28, 1816 ; John Baxter entered his land January 9, 1817; Isaac and Stephen Hockett's patents bear dute February 8, 1817; Daniel Shoemaker and David Kenworthy were very early settlers, perhaps in 1817 ; Francis Frazier, the bellmaker (fifteen years old at the time), says his father, James Frazier, also a bellmaker, came in 1817, and settled one mile east of Lynn.

WHITE RIVER.

Early in 1816, Paul W. Way, Henry H. Way, William Way, Jr., Robert Way (a lad sixteen years old), and William Diggs, came from South Carolina and located land four miles west of Winchester. Paul Way returned for his parents and his family,

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

and, coming back with them and several families besides in the spring, arrived in March, 1817.

The sume fall, John B. Wright, David Wright, William Wright, and Judge John Wright, settled from Salt Creek west.

In the summer of 1817, William Way returned on horse- back alone, to South Carolina, to bring his father, William Way, Sr., to the new country, which purpose he successfully accom- plished. With them came, among others, Mrs. Beverly, mother of Dr. Beverly, now of Winchester, and Moorman Way, then a lad of a few years old, but for many years a shrewd, active and successful lawyer, well known to the bar and the courts of the surrounding region for nearly half a century [died 1881.]

The emigration of that period would now be a sight to be- hold. Many came on horseback ; not a few made their weary way on foot, having a single pack-horse to carry their few house- hold goods. One man, long a prominent resident of Randolph, says that his father came with two one-horse carts, and that he, a boy of seven years old, rode one of the horses all the way from Carolina.

Some could boast a two-horse wagon, while few, very few, possibly one in a hundred, came through with a huge old fashioned Carolina wagon, drawn by four horses. But even when the settlers had wagons, the men and the larger boys were obliged to walk, since the women and the girls, together with the house- hold stuff, were even too much for the awful roads over which they must pass. People who ahould travel now as those old pioneers came to this country, would be the town talk and the laughing stock of the whole region round. Yet it is a fact that in this very way, rough and uncouth as it may seem to the exquis- ites of the present day, came into thesc western wilds the " cream and substance" of the Southern land, and of this western world. A prophet's cye could have descried in those motley groups and cavalcades of men and boys, or even of women and girls, on foot, of pack-horses piled up with all sorts of goods, und surmounted with the woman and the baby, of carts drawn by little " plugs" of ponies or by mules, and loaded to the utmost capacity ; of men on horseback with their wives or mothers on a pillion behind them ; of capacious wagons of the ancient style, almost as roomy as Noah's ark, and nearly illimitable in capabilities of contain . ing children and goods and furniture ; that in these various methods, now regarded as so uncouth und so outlandish as to be impossible and unimaginable for any but the very scum and out- casts of humanity, came to this land the men and the women who should be, and the children who should grow up to become the strength and the glory of the land. Many of the proud and haughty dames and maidens of the present luxurious days, were they to behold, filing past their palatial mansions, the pro- cession in which their own ancestors made (though not proud yet) successful entry into the woods of the great northwest, would well-nigh faint with mortification and almost die with chagrin at the barest hint that they could by any possibility be connected by even the remotest tie of relationship or consanguin- ity to such a group. Yet such were our fathers and our grand- fathers. These stalwart old pioneers were our progenitors, and we have no occasion to blush to acknowledge the fact. Those noble sons and daughters of hardship and toil have more cause to feel ashamed of us, their posterity, than we of them. They heroically performed their part, and grandly hewed their way from poverty and want to comfort, and even to opulence. God grant that their descendants may as patiently, as worthily and as suc- cessfully accomplish the labor assigned to their lot in life ! God grant that the generation now upon the stage of action may leave to their children a heritage as nobly enlarged und as greatly increased in all that is useful and excellent and of good report, as did those strong-limbed and bold-hearted (und gentle souled as well) men and women who, amid difficulties and obstacles insurmountable to any but the hardiest and the sturdiest, pressed their resistless way into the forests of Randolph and made her wilds to bud and blossom as the rose.

As to settlements up to the close of 1818. Jere Smith says, in his " Civil History :" " In the year 1818, when Randolph County was erccted, there were fifty or sixty familics on White River and Salt and Sugar Creeks, fifty or sixty families on Green's Fork and Mud Creek ; thirty families on Nolan's Fork, including Joshua Foster on the Griffis farm, near the State line ; eight or ten families on Martindale's Creek, and twelve or fiftcen families on West River, above the Wayne County linc." So that, by Mr. Smith's estimation, there were, at the time of the election in 1818, about 180 families in the present boundaries of Randolph County. Of course, at that time, the population was wholly east of the western boundary of the " twelve-mile strip," aince the land west of that line was still Indian Territory, on which white men were bound by treaty not to settle. In 1818, the tribes ceded those lands, and in eight or ten years the county west as well as east of the boundary was settled. In fact, that territory began settlement in 1821, but emigration was slow to push in for several years.

It would be interesting to find the "election returns" for August, 1818, the first in Randolph County, to learn how many and who were, at that time, the free and independent electors here. Those returns, however, have not been discovered.

On West River, in August, 1817, there were eleven settlers, all living east of the boundary and on Sections 7, 8, 17 and 18, the first and the last being fractional sections against the boundary. William Blount (and his two sons- in-law) on Section 7 ; James Malcom, Section 17; Henry Shoe- maker, Section 17; Samuel Sales, Section 17; Arny Hall, Sec- tion 17; David Jones, Section 17; Evan Shoemaker, Section 18; Griffin Davis, Section 18; William Smith, Sections 5 and 6 ; Isaac Barnes, Section 7, came in 1818; John E. Hodge, Section 8, came in 1818. The sections lie on both sides of West River but on the east side of the boundary, and William Smith (father of Hon. Jere Smith) went highest of the river, taking land in Sections 5 and 6, the latter section having but a small fraction east of the boundary.

MISSISSINEWA VALLEY.

The Mississinewa had a few settlers, but how many Mr. Smith does not know. Meshach Lewallyn (an old man with a large family) came near Ridgeville in 1817, and Joab Ward in 1819. He says also, (in substance), that in 1819 there was a large emi- gration.

West River settlement received four new families, and many came to the other settlements; 1820 also witnessed a good growth. But from and after 1820, the population began to flow into the "new purchase," which movement took muny settlers from Randolph. Still the continual net increase was consider- able. Henry Kizer, father of Elias Kizer and grandfather of Thomas W. Kizer, settled near Stone Station in 1820. The settlement on that river was, in fact, but sparse. Meshach Lewallyn entered land [parts of Sections 1 and 12, Town 21, Range 13], July 19, 1817.

Benjamin Lewallyn, son of Meshach Lewallyn, entered south- east quarter of Section 7, Town 21, Range 14 [in Ward Township], June 10, 1817, and on the same day five more quarter sections in Ward Township were entered by Messrs. Kite, Jacobs, Cana- dy, Reed and David Connor. Several Musseys came at about that time, as one of them, James Massey, was juryman in 1818, and Hon. Jere Smith says of him : " James Massey was an old man, and died soon after. He lived in (Jackson, or) Ward Town- ship. His son-in-law, James Smith, was Commissioner two or three terms, and one of his sons was Associate Judge of Grant County a term or two." It appears that they left that region eurly. When Daniel B. Miller came [in 1822] the Masseys had gone.

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History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 12

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman Number of Pages: 664

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664