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 140

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 140

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CHARLES M. STINE, Farmer, P. O. Winchester. He was born February 2:1, 1841, in Darke County, Ohio, and came here in the year 1842. He was edu- cated in the coaimon schools of this county, and has followed farming from hoyhood. He was united in marriage to Mary A. Will July 18, 1864. They have one child-Clara R., born September 18, 1868. Mr. Stine served in Com- pany E, Eighth Indiana, participating in the battle of Rich Mountain, Va., and, upon being discharged, re-enlisted in Company C, Sixty-ninth Iodiana Infantry, and was severely wounded in the right long at Richmond, Ky. He was compelled to leave the army on that account. His father's name was .James W. Stine, born in the year 1812, in the Stateof New Jersey, and deceased October 8, 1876, in this county. The family is of Dutch descent, and one of gul standing in society. le and his worthy wife are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are universally respected by their neighbors.

WILLIAM G. WRIGHIT, farmer, P. O. Econemy. This successful farmer was born January 16, 1828, in Wayne County, Ind. He settled in this county in the spring of 1813, and was eduented in its district common schools. He was united in marriage to l'atharine Grubbs, who was born April 29, 1837, in this county. They have four children- John W., boru October 18, 1858 ; Hicks K., August IS, ISMU ; Sarah, Murch 12, 1865, and Martha J., August 3, 1868. Hicks K. Wright, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of the State of Maryland, and born October 12, 1812; he enine t, this county with his family in 1813. He served the people as County Commissioner for a number of years, and was noted for his ability and integrity. He deceased April 16, 1875 ; his wife, originally Sarah Stevens, was born January 20, 1812, in Maryland, and deceased in August, 1874. Mr. Wright is a Republican in politics, owns a valuable farm of 478 acres of land, and is universally esteemed.

REV. DANIEL WORTH.

Prominent among the early settlers of Randolph County was Daniel Worth, a man of' more than ordinary ability, and a leader in anti-slavery, temperance and other reforms of his time. He early espoased the cause of anti-slavery, and dovuted most of his time for more than twenty years to advocating it with a zeal and power, through suffering and imprisonment, that gave him a national reputation. His life stands out as a beacon light upon life's highway, showing that the path of duty leads to honor and distinction. Daniel Worth, the son of Joh and Rhoda Worth, was born in Guilford County, N. C., Mny 3, 1795. He was the fourth of a family of ten children, of whom but one is now living. Joh Worth, the father of Daniel, was born on the Island of Nantucket July 11,

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405

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

1764. ITis mother was the slaughter of Joseph and Mary Macy, and was born on the anme Island December 26, 1769. The removed with their parents and settled in Guilford County, N. C., in the year 1770. Jub Worth and Rhola Macy were married about the year 1788, and continued to reside in Guilford County till the spring of 1822, when they removed to the western part of Indi- ana, where Job Worth died, September 30, 1822. After the death of her huy- band, Rhoda, with her three children, settled in the southern part of Raadolph County, where she resided till her death, which occurred February 27, 1837. Daniel lived with his parents in North Carolina till he was twenty-one years of nge. Hie educational advnotages were very meager, but were the best the schools then afforded. Netwithstanding the inefficiency of the schools, he, hy his perseverance and antiring energy, obtained a fair education. He not only obtained knowledge from the booka he read, but was a close observer of human nature, and gained much knowledge fr m association with his fellow-men, which fitted him for a public teacher. He was married, March 5, 1818, to Elizabeth Swaim; sha was the daughter of Joshua nud Sarah ( Elliott ) Swaim, of Randolph County, N. C., and was born January 27, 1798.

After marriage, he settled ou a farm ia Gu Iford County, and remained about four years, when he removed to Indiana, and, after spending the summer en the Wabash, in the western part of the State, where he lost two children by death, he settled in the southern part of Randolph County in the spring of 1823, where he purchased eighty acres of land, on which ho resided till the full of 1850. Ia 1824, he was elected a member of the State Legislature, and for seven years was a member of the Senate and House of Representatives. About the year 1831, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, but severed his connection with that church in 1843, on account of its complicity with elavery, and assisted in organizing the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which would not fellowship slave-holders. lle was licensed to preach in September, 1843, and was ordained an Elder in a Conference at Cincinnati, the following September. The greater portion of his time, from 1842 to 1850, was devoted to lecturing on the subjects of temperance and anti-slavery, and preaching, principally in Eastern Indiana.

In the fall of 1850, he left the farm and removed to Ohio, where he first located nt Troy, taking charge of u church there. F'rom Truy, he went to Wil- mingten ; from Wilmington to F'elicity, and from thence to Ripley. At all those placea he was pastor of churches. After remaining in Ohio for six years, he re- turned to Indiana, locating at Carthage, and filling pulpits in various parts of the State. His denomination had planted some churches in the State of North Caru- lina. Three different ministers had been sent there to take charge of these churchea, but each one of them in turn had been driven away by mnoh violence. It was thought that as Worth was a native of North Carolina, had spent his early manhood there, and as he and his wite had many relatives and friends there, that his presence would at least he lesa obnoxious than his unfortunate breth- ren. Circainstances scemed thus to point him out as the one to occupy this hitherto dangerous field. So, in the fall of 1857, in company with his invalid wife and unmarried daughter, he took his life in his hand, as it were, and re- turned to his native State to preach the Gospel of his Master. This he was per- mitted to do unmolested till the fall of 1859, when the South became excited and alarmed over Jolin Brown's attempt to free the slaves of Virginia and other covaes. In addition to preaching, Daniel Worth had been disseminating some anti-slavery literature. He had sold several copies of Helper's " Impend- ing Crisia ;" and for selling and circulating this incendiary document, he was arrested by the Sheriff of Guilford County, on the 23d of December, 1859. 1la hnd a preliminary trial in the presence of a large and excited crowd, in which he defended himself, argoing that slavery was an evil and that it was his duty as a minister to preach against it. He was boand over to court and held to bail in the aum of $5,000 for his appearance and a like suma to keep the peace. Hia frianda would have furoist ed the bail, but he was liable to arrest on sim- ilar charges, and taken before a Judge who would uot admit him to bail ; and be- sides the mob was thirsting for his blood in case he was released. A dispatch to the New York Herald, of December 30, sayy: " I was glad to see that mob violence was not exercisel on him." Another correspondent in the same pa- per says : " At the close of the examination, remarks were made by Ralph Gorrell, Esq., and Robert P. Dick, Esq., to the effect that the public mind was much excited by this examination, and that threats had been made as to a dis- position of the prisoner, but that they would recommend the people to let the

law have its course." The same correspondent thus describes Worth's appear- ance and demeanor in the presence of the above-described surroundings : +

" The Rev. Daniel Worth is a large, portly man, with a fine head, an iu- tellectual and expressive countenance, and a large, commanding eye. lle is fluent in speech, and the general style and manner of his speaking are calen- lated to win atreution. Ite did not appear to be at all embarrassed or fright- ened at his position, but, on the contrary, expressed his ideas and opinions with boldness and fearlessness." He was reminded to jail, where he lay for four months in a cold, filthy, uncomfortable building, awaiting trial. However; his friends were allowed to take him bedding and make him as comfortable as they could under the circumstances. He was first tried in Randolph County, where na indictment had been found against him for selling copies of the same book. lle was found guilty and sentence I to twelve months' imprisonment in the county jail, the additional punishment of whipping, which was at the diy- cretion of the court, being omitted. Ilis second trial was held shortly after in the court of Guilford County, with the same penalty as the result. In the menotime, a third indictment was found against him in the Randolph Court for incendiary language in the pulpit. He appenled the two cases that had been decided against him to the Supreme Court, and was held to bail in the sum of $1,000 in each, and the same amount in the case pending. Being convinced that he could not obtain justice in the courts, he resolved, if possible, to leave the State. lle knew that his enemies were watching him and guarding every avenue of escape should he give bail; but his friends arranged the matter so quietly that he was beyond the limits of the State before they knew of his re- Jease. The bonds were signed In e in the evening, nad be placed in a close carriage with two friends, one a slaveholder, well-armed ( without his knowl- elge, however), and driven over unfrequented roads in a direction unexpected by his enemies. The following day was a drizzling one and but few people on the road, and they were not recognized by any one, and they succeeded ia put- ting him on a train in Virginia, when he was soon north of Mason and Dixon's line. Ile now inde a lecture tour through the Eastern and Northern States, reciting Ins prison experience, aud firing the people against the institution of slavery, the object and spirit of which he so well knew by bitter experience. His friends of the North generously contributed the amount necessary to ena- ble him to reimburse his bondsmen of the South. The bail bonds and costs amounted to nearly $1,000. The spring following his return to North Caro- lina, the wife of his youth ,lied. She passed away May 12, 1858. He was united in a second marriage to Hullah Cude, a widowed sister to his former wife, May 19, 1859, who is still living and resides in Fountain City. At the close of his lecture tour, Worth returned to Indiana, where he was joined by his wife. They speat the summer of 1862 in visiting their children and friends in luwa, after which they returned nud settled in Fountain City, Wayne Co., la'l., where they remained uill his death, which occurred December 12, 1862. Fountain City was the place where he had many times met in council with the friends of freedom, and it seems meet that this should be the place where his labors should close, and that he should be laid to rest by the side of 11. P. Ben- nett, Benjamin Stanton, Daniel Packet and others who stood beside hint in the times that tried men's souls.

Daviel Worth was the father of eight children, only one of whom is now living -- Emily Yard, who resides in lowa. llis son William, the only son who reached his majority, enlisted during the late war in the Thirty-ninth lowa Regiment, but died in camp before the regiment left the State. William left 'one son, Charles Sumner Worth, the only descendant of Daniel's bearing the name of Worth.

Daniel Worth held the office of Justice of the Peace in this county for a number of yeirs, as he also did in North Carolina before emigrating to this State. As a public officer, he manifested the same bold and fearless spirit that characterized his life, doing his duty regardless of consequences. ilis dress and ma ... ers were plain and simple. He canvassed the State for years in the interest of freedom. riding on horseback, elnd in a suit manufactured, cut and male by his wife and daughters. In person, he was tall, measuring six feet and four inches in height, and in his oll age reached the great weight of 300 pounds. lle was a fine speaker and a good debater, being fluent in language, logical, sarcastic, abounding in wit, and never wanting an anecdote to illustrate his point. He had rare couversational powers, which drew persons around him at all gatherings.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

Franklin Township is located in the northern part of the county, being the smallest in extent of territory, as also the latest in formation. The township embraces twenty-four square miles, being six miles long by four miles wide. Franklin Township ios in the valley of the Mississinewa River. on both sides of that stream, the river dividing it into two unequal parts. As to surface, the township is mostly rolling, though in some portions inclined to be level.

It lies in Township 21 north, Range 13 east, embracing four miles wide of the east side of that township, and Sections 1 to 4,

9 to 16, 21 to 28 and 33 to 36. The streams of water in the township are the Mississivewa, in the north part, flowing west- ward; Day's Creek, entering the Mississinewa on the north, and Bear Creek on the south. Day's Creek comes from Jay County, and Bear Creek from White River Township. Mississinowa River is in this portion of its course a largo and important stream, serving a good purpose for water power. Bear Creek is of cor siderable sizo, and in early times was utilized to somo exte. though latterly it has been suffered to be unimproved for the most part.

The twelve mile boundary passos nearly through the center

406

IHISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

of the township, the angle of the boundary lying a little north of Ridgeville. Beginning at Fort Recovery it proceeds in a direct line to a point near Ridgeville, twelve miles west of the old or Wayne's boundary; then changing its course it extends to the Ohio River in a line parallel to the old boundary, and twelve miles distant therefrom. Franklin Township thus is seen to have boon at first, so to speak, the outmost corner of civilization in this direction.

Like the rest of the county, this part of Randolph was covered with a heavy growth of decidnons timber of many kinds, among which oak, sugar maple and walnut were prominent. Many of the early pioneers made great quantities of sugar from their maple orchards in those original days, and though some things may have been scarce, "sweetening " was not. Deer, bears, wolves, etc., were plentiful, as were also turkeys, squirrels and all the animals of various kinds common to the climate and re- gion, and hunters found the Mississinewa valley a very paradise for them. One of the first settlers killed six deer and wounded a seventh before ordinary breakfast time.

The first settlement in Franklin was made in 1817 by Meshach Lewallyn, an elderly man with a largo family. The great body of the township remained n wilderness for many years after- ward. A few settlers, however, made a location upon the river in the neighborhood. Mr. Lewallyn as just stated, in 1817, and Joab Ward in 1819.

Mr. Lewallyn about 1819 built a mill on the river, which has been a noted point ever since that day. The Mississinewa was in time of flood navigable for flat-boats to Lewallyn's mill, and not much above.

This place became the nearest point of connection between the settlements in Wayne County and the Wabash Valley, and for many years produce in large quantities was brought through the wilderness to Lewallyn's mill, and Joab Ward built boats and sold them to the produce owners to float it down the river into the Wabash Valley. Many curious and some dangerous advenutres occurred in connection with that old-time navigation down the booming Mississinowa during the spring flood upon the stream. In the reminiscenees of Thomas Ward, Burkett Pierce. Arthur MeKew, Edward Edger, William Robinson, etc., may be found statements concerning the matter, to which the reader is referred for more detailed information.

The Indians were yet residents of the region, and some tragie occurrences took place near Ridgeville. Fleming was shot and wounded near Joab Ward's, and killed at Meshach Lewallyn's, though not by him nor any of his family. Shadrach Lewallyn. one of Meshach's sons. shot and killed an Indian, and the nativos were greatly enraged and made threats of vengeance. They were. however, quieted by the pacific efforts of Meshach Lewallyn, as also of David Connor, the Indian trader, who, though a rough and wild man himself, had yet a great influence over the savage red men of the forest; and he often employed it in the interest of peace and order, insonmeh that he was, in solemn stato and with imposing ceremony, according to their custom in such mat. ters, installed a chieftain mong the Miamis.

The carly entrios of land appear to have been the following: Meshach Lewallyn, parts of Fand 12, 21, 13, July 19, 1817; Solomon Hornley, E. N. E. 13. 21. 13. December 11. 1817; Jolm Armstrong, fractional 11 and 11, 21. 13. Juno 29, 18IS: Benja- min Berry, N. W. fractional 11, 21. 13, January 29, 1821; Jumpes Addington, W. S. E. 10, 21. 18. September 20, 1828; David Hammer, W. N. E. 10, 21, 13. September 20, 1828; Francis Stephens, E. N. E. 9, 21. 13. May 1, 1830; Francis Stephens, W. N. E. 9, 21, 13, May 11. 1830: Burkett Pierce. W. N. W. 10, 21. 18, May 16, 1830: William Dembin, E. N. E. 10. 21, 13, August 21, 1830; William and Thomas Ward. in Section 11, 21. 13, August 6, 1831; Ezekiel Roe, in Section 3, 21, 13, November 12, 1831; Edward MeKow, in Section 10, 21, 13, March 17, 1832; James Addington, in Section 10, 21, 18, March 17, 1832; George Meek. in Section 3, 21. 13, March 31. 1832; George Meok, in Section 3, 21. 13. March 31. 1832; John Addington. in Section 10, 21. 13. April 28. 1532; Abram Renbarger, in Section 11. 21, 13, July 18. 1832: James Stophons, in Section 10, 21, 13, February 16. 1833; Edward MeKow, in Section 12.

21, 13, March 22. 1833; Sebastian Brunnengast, in Section 12, 21, 13, May 11, 1833; Jacob Winegartner, in Section 9, 21, 13, May 18, 1833; William R. Merino, 17, 21, 13, September 7, 1833; James Stephens, in Section 10, 21, 13, October 12. 1833; David Miller, in Section 9, 21, 13. November 21, 1833; Joseph Tulley, in Section 9. 21, 13. December 21, 1833; Randolph Hughes, in Section 4, 21, 13, March 11, 1834; John McNees, in Section 35, 21, 13, April 7, 1834; Thomas Green, in Section 26. 21, 13, April 7, 1834: Thomas Addington, in Section 26, 21. 13. May 27, 1834; John Willson. in Section 11, 21. 13, June 10, 1834; Audrew Stephens, in Section 4, 21. 13, June 10, 1831: Thomas Green. in Section 27, 21, 13. June 12, 1834; Jesse Ad. dington, in Section 22, 21, 13. Juno 25, 1834; Andrew Stephens, in Section 9, 21, 13, July 7, 1834; Andrew Stephens, in Section 9, 21, 13, July 7, 1834: David H. Brown, in Section 30, 21, 13. July 7, 1834; David H. Brown, in Section 30. 21, 13. April 15. 1835; Seth Elliot, in Section 27, 21, 13. January 24, 1835; Joel Ward, in Section 12. 21, 13. April 20, 1835; Jamos Adding. ton, in Section 34. 21, 13, April 25, 1835; Joseph Addington, in Section 34, 21. 13, August 12, 1835: Thomas Addington. in Section 35, 21, 13, Angust 19, 1835; John Culp. in Section 24. 21, 13, October 5, 1835; Pardon Sherman, in Section 35, 21, 13, June 13, 1836.

Joab Ward, who came to Ridgeville in 1819, bought land on credit of Mr. Lewallyn; and for ten years those pioneers were literally in the woods, cut off from their fellow-countrymen, and dwelling far amidst the mighty forests. The next settlers after the Lewallyns and the Wards, were, so far as now known, James Addington and David Hammer, who entered, and, it is to be pre sumod, settled upon Section 10), about two miles west of Ridge- ville and on the river.

An interesting incident is related (perhaps by Temple Smith) of a wedding at Meshach Lewallyn's, at which the groom and bride were a young llander and a daughter of Lewallyn's; and at the nuptial dinner the male guests attended dressed in Imnek skin breeches and hunting shirts and leather belts, with huge knives in their belts; and one of the " white braves " carved the turkey with a bunting knife taken from the belt round his waist. Rough times these would seem to have been, yet these people wore upright, civilized American citizens: and, in such families dwelling in the forest thus, woro trained such quiet, peaceful, 'enltnred gentlemen as Hon. Thowas Ward and Arthur MeKew. Thomas W. Kizer, Esq., and many others like them, who are at once the ornament and delight of the later cultivated and polished society of the prosent day.

We are unable to follow the course of settlement further with any certainty. About 1830, the current of omigration began to set with a slight force in that dircetion, which grew still stronger in 1832 and 1833, and from that time and onward till 1838 the township came to be filled with occupants, at least the land was by that time almost wholly entered. Not much needs to be said as to carly efforts in the line of education and religion. The usual " woods schools " in the greased-paper log cabin were established in these forest nooks also.

Hon. Thomas Ward, now a gentleman of intelligence and dis- tinetion. and of high culture as well, got all his schooling in one of these old fashioned seminaries; and such facts connected with the lives of our distinguished men may well put to shame thousands of our yonuger citizens, who, notwithstanding the boasted modern advantagesa thousand-fold more showy and costly than those old time slab-seated puucheon-floored structures, have, nevertheless, failed to approve themselves men after the model of the backwoods times; and it may well raise a wonder whether. after all, some serious defeet may not exist in our magnificent system of public education, failing, as many believe it to do, to develop the strong individual mauhood and womanhood of the subjects of its training.

As to religion, noble souls and pions hearts found a dwelling place in those outpost4, and the Gospel Shepherd sought out. tho stray shoop in the wilderness, giving to them the needed care and comfort. And what was thus sown has proved to be good seed cast into a fruitful soil, which has in these latter years, brought forth thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.

407

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

The mineral advantages are found in its beds of lime rock, which between Doerfield and Ridgeville have been utilized for burning lime, and its banks of gravel which have, however, beon suffered strangely enough to be useless till within a year or two past. The people are now waking up to the mino of value that lies in their gravel banks, and are rapidly constructing pikes in various directions; and în a few more years the citizens will wonder how they could have been content to drag through the impassable seas and oceans of mud in which for forty years past they had been helplessly floundering and hopelessly engulfed. Franklin is so small, and Ridgeville is so central, that there seems to have been no call for any other town to grow up within its limits. At any rate, no other has ever found place in that 'neighborhood.

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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 140

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