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 19

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 19

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August, 1820, Ward Township was formed, taking all that part of White River north of the line between Townships 20 and

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

21, leaving White River on the north line as it is now. About this time (1820), the boundaries of the county had been enlarged to take in what it includes at present west of the twelve-mile boundary and Delaware County, and Grant County and all the State northward from Randolph County were attached thereto for temporary judicial purposes. Liberty Township (now in Dela- ware County), was erected in 1825. Delaware was made a sepa- rate county in 1827, and Grant in 1831.

Stony Creek was set off July, 1826, embracing at first Town- ships 19, 20 and 21, Range 12, and perhaps the north half of Township 18. Green and Monroe were afterward formed, and the boundary of Stony Creek moved one mile eastward, making White River stand as it now does.

WARD TOWNSHIP

was created August, 1820, and included all the county north of the line between Sections 20 and 21, to wit: All the present town- ships of Jackson, Ward, Franklin and Green (if the boundaries of the county had then been extended to its present limits, which is probable.) In fact, the general formation of counties in (this part of ) the purchase of 1818, and the final establishment of the bounds of Randolph County were made by the Legislature at the session commencing December, 1819.

The other three townships were cut off subsequently, leaving to Ward its present limits.

STONY CREEK TOWNSHIP

was created July, 1826. It embraced Townships 19, 20 and 21, Range 12 (and, one would suppose), the north half of Township 18. Liberty Township, including perhaps Delaware County, had been formed on the west side of what is now Randolph, in 1825, and Stony Creek embraced the entire west side of Randolph County. It then included (probably) all of Nettle Creek Town- ship, the most of Stony Creek and the larger western parts of Monroe and Green. Nettle Creek, Monroe and Green were in due time created with their prescribed limits. The limits of Stony Creek were also enlarged on the east by taking a mile from White River, and thus Stony Creek became as she stands at the present writing.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP (NORTH).

NOTE 1 .- In August, 1820 (at the same time that Ward was cut off from White River), a township was created, extending northward indefinitely from (probably) the present north line of the county, perhaps to the north end of the State, and named Wayne Township. Mr. Smith says: "The Commissioners ap- pointed the place of election at the house of Dr. William Turner, at Fort Wayne. They made Ezra Taylor Inspector, and directed an election to be held for the choice of two Justices and one Constable." This territory (as we think), was wholly outside what is now Randolph County.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP (DELAWARE COUNTY).

NOTE 2 .- As to "Liberty Township " Mr. Smith writes :

" In the May term of 1825, David Rowe was allowed $1.50 for making return of the election of two Justices of Liberty Township. From this and from my recollection, I can say that in January, 1825, either the whole or the east part of Delaware County was made into Liberty Township. The township con- taining Smithfield is still called Liberty. And as Daniel Stout had been County Commissioner in Randolph, and had moved to what is now Delaware County, built a mill and laid out Smith- field, I presume he had that county erected into Liberty Town- ship. There were but few inhabitants in that region, and David Rowe, who brought the election returns, lived pretty well up on Prairie Creek, at least six miles from Smithfield. Also, May, 1826, John J. Deeds, who had settled on White River and built a mill above Smithfield, was appointed Supervisor on the West Fork of White River from the mouth of Cabin Creek to

Mont-see-town, as the Indians called it. Hence " Mont-see- town" was then (May, 1826) in Liberty Township and in Ran- dolph County as well."

John Sample was at the same time made supervisor on West Fork of White River from Sampletown to the mouth of Creek. It should be stated that the Legislature had declared the West Fork of White River to be a navigable stream, and had ordered it to be worked as such. Thus, up to 1830, the townships stood as stated below :

Greensfork, 1818 ; Ward, 1820; White River, 1818; Stony Creek, 1826; Wayne (outside, north), 1820; Liberty (outside, west), 1825.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, 1831.

Was erected at the term in May, 1831, beginning at the corner between Sections 14 and 15, Township 18, Range 14; thence north eight miles; then west seven miles ; thence south eight miles ; thence east seven miles to the place of beginning.

The line between Washington and West River was then ex- actly through Huntsville north and south, und the line between Greensfork and Washington was half a mile west of the present line.

In September, 1834, half a mile was taken from the west side of Greensfork and attached to the east side of Washington.

West River was created at the same time (1881) and extended to the Delaware line. It embraced all west of the west line of Washington Township, i. e., the west half of the present town- ship of West River, westward from a line north and south through Huntsville, all of Nettle Creek Township and two miles at the south end of the present Stony Creek Township.

WEST RIVER TOWNSHIP, 1831.

Was first formed May, 1831, embracing at that time all west of Huntsville, and eight miles from north to south, including thus the west part of West River, all of Nettle Creek and two miles at the south end of the present Stony Creek Township.

In January, 1835, West River Township was made to be thus: Beginning at the southwest corner of Township 19, Range 13, and extending northward seven iniles, and four miles east- ward, the east line being one mile west of the present line of West River.

Afterward ene mile was taken from the west side of Wash- ington and attached to the east side of West River, making West River and Washington as at present.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP, 1833.

Was first laid out by the Commissioners at the November term, 1833. The bounds of the township at first were all of what is now Jackson and Wayne Townships. But in September, 1838, Wayne Township was cut off from Jackson, leaving Jack- son, Greensfork and Wayne as they are at present.

Before that ( September, 1834) half a mile was taken from the west side of Greensfork, and attached to the east side of Washington.

GREEN TOWNSHIP, 1834.

Was created in January, 1834, embracing its present limits and two and a half miles of what is now the north part of Mon- roe. Afterward Monroe was formed from parts of Green and Stony Creek, leaving Green as it now appears on the map.

NETTLE CREEK TOWNSHIP, 1835.

Was created January, 1835, lying in Range 12, and extend- ing seven miles north from the Wayne County line, and including one mile at the south end of what is now Stony Creek. After- ward ( probably when Monroe was formed ) one mile was given to Stony Creek from the north end of Nettle Creek, making Stony Creek to stand as it now does.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP, 1838.

Was formed September, 1838, being cut off from the south

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

end of Jackson Township, and leaving Jackson as it now stands.

MONROE TOWNSHIP.

Was in existence in 1851 and must have been created before that time. It was formed by taking parts of Stony Creek and Green Townships, and Stony Creek was extended southward by taking two miles from the north end of Nettle Creek Township.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, 1859.

Was created with its present limits, in June, 1859, being cut from the west side of Ward Township, leaving Ward as it is found at the present time, Franklin being the last township formed in the county.

UNION TOWNSHIP, 1838.

Union Township was created by the Commissioners in March, 1838, four miles square, at the north end of West River, leaving West River four miles square. A remonstrance was afterward presented against the formation of Union Township, and it is to be presumed that the township was dissolved asi t is not now in existence, though no record has been found of such action on the books of the Commissioners.

Union Township included the village of Unionsport. Why action was taken for so small a township, and what was to be done with the remainder of West River, deponent saith not. Both Union and West River were far too small. The name, Union, would seem to indicate some connection between the for- mation of the new township and the "community " movement which established Unionsport Village about that time.

SALAMONIE TOWNSHIP, 1834.

Salamonie Township (Jay County), was erected by the Randolph Commissioners September, 1834, embracing all of Jay County (then a part of Randolph). Jay County was formed by the Legislature shortly afterward. Allen County had been laid off before and Blackford was made a few years later.

MADISON TOWNSHIP.

Madison Township (Jay County), was erected in May, 1835, embracing five miles on the east side of Jay County. Jay Coun- ty was afterward organized, including Salamonie and Madison Townships.

CREATION OF TOWNSHIPS, 1818-1859.

Greensfork, formed 1818, brought to present form, 1834. White River, formed 1818. Ward, formed 1820, brought to present form 1859.

Stony Creek, formed 1826. Washington, formed 1831.

West River, formed 1831. Jackson, formed 1833, present form 1838. Green, formed 1830. Nettle Creek, formed 1835. Wayne, formed 1838, in its present form. Monroe, formed before 1850. Franklin, formed 1859, in its present form. Union, formed 1838, remonstrance, organization dropped. Wayne (northern regions), 1820. Liberty (Delaware), 1825. Salamonie (Jay), 1834. Madison (Jay), 1835.

TOWNSHIPS AS NOW LOCATED.

On the north side of the County are four townships, making a strip across the north side of six miles wide, except Green, which is four and one-half miles wide. They are arranged thus, reckoning from the west :

Green, six and one-half miles east and west and four and one- half miles north and south.

Franklin, six miles north and south and four miles east and west.

Ward, six miles square.

Jackson, six miles north and south and about five and one- eight miles east and west.

On the south side of the county are four townships, bounded on the north by an irregular line, with location and size as fol- lows, beginning at the east side of the county :

Greensfork, six and one-eighth miles from east to west and about seven miles from north to south, with a corner in the north- western part, one mile north and south and one-half mile east and west.

Washington, eight miles from north to south and five and one-half miles from east to west.

West River, eight miles from north to south and five miles from east to west.

Nettle Creek, seven miles from north to south and four and five-eighths miles from east to west.

Through the middle of the county are four townships as fol- lows, beginning at the east :

Wayne, five miles from north to south and about five and one-eighth miles from east to west.

White River, seven miles from north to south and ten miles from east to west, and also a strip at the southwest four miles from north to south and one mile from east to west.

Monroe, four and one-half miles from north to south and six and five-eighths miles from east to west.

Stony Creek, five miles from north to south and five and five- eighths miles from east to west, excepting one square mile in the southeast corner.

Area of townships : Green, 30 square miles, 19,200 acres ; Franklin, 24 square miles, 15,360 acres ; Ward, 36 square miles, 23,040 acres; Jackson, 30} square miles, 19,680 acres; Wayne, 41 square miles, 26,240 acres : White River, 74 square miles, 47,360 acres ; Monroe, 30 square miles, 19,200 acres; Stony Creek, 27} square miles, 17,360 acres ; Nettle Creek, 32} square miles, 20,720 acres ; West River, 40 square miles, 25,600 acres ; Washington, 44 square miles, 27,560 acres; Greensfork, 47} square miles, 30,160 acres. Total area of county, 457g square miles, 292,480 acres (approximation).

ROADS AND BRIDGES.

There were, at first, no roads. Every man picked his way according to his own fancy, as a hunter roams through the woods. The earliest regular track, perhaps, through the Randolph forest of any considerable length, was the " Quaker Trace," opened by the settlers of Richmond and vicinity, to get an outlet to Fort Wayne for trade with the Indians.

Squire Bowen says: " The ' Quaker Trace' was begun in 1817. James Clark and twenty-five or thirty others took three wagons with provisions and a surveyor with his compass and chain and measured distances and blazed trees and marked mile trees, cutting out the road wide enough for a wagon to pass. They wound around ponds and big logs and trees, and quagmires, forded the Mississinewa and the Wabash, and so on to Fort Wayne. James Bowen went as one of the company twenty-five miles to beyond the Mississinewa Crossing, till one wagon load had been used up. That team returned, and James came back with them. The route passed through Arba, Spartansburg, Bartonia, South Salem, (west of) Union City, through Mount Holly, through Alleng- ville, crossing the Mississinewa just north of that place, through North Salem, and crossing the Wabash at Jay City, Jay County, near Corydon. There was but one house between (what is now) Dan Comer's, one mile north of Spartansburg and Fort Wayne, viz., at Thomson's Prairie, eight miles north of the Wabash."

This road or trace was, for a long time, a famous thorough- fare, being known far and near, and it obtained much travel. Most of it came to be at length a public highway, and much of it remains so to this day. Except the "Quaker Trace,"

HISTORY OF RANDOLPHI COUNTY

there were, up to May, 1819, no regular traveled roads. There were simply blazed paths, or tracks haphazard through the woods wherever a settler might happen to go.

FIRST ROADS.

At the session of the Board of County Commissioners, held May, 1819, Jesse Johnson and others, residents of the south part of the county, petitioned for a road as follows :

Beginning at Winchester, thence the nearest and best way to go between Jesse Johnson's and Paul Beard's, thence the nearest and best way to the county line at the southwest corner of Sec- tion 14, Township 18, Range 14. The petition was granted and the road was laid. It took chiefly the route now the Win- chester and Lynn pike and southward to the county line.

The second road was from Winchester west to the boundary, August, 1819.

The third road was ordered at the same time, August, 1819, from Winchester through Bloomingport to Wayne County line.

The fourth road was the extension of the "Lawrenceburg road " from the house of Ephraim Overman to that of William Yates (August, 1819) [the road through Arba northward]. William Yates entered the north half, Section 9, Township 16, Kange 1, northwest of Spartansburg.

The fifth road was from West River settlement to Winchester, August, 1819.

The sixth road was from Economy to Huntsville.

The seventh road (February, 1820) was from Winchester to Fort Recovery. This road is not now in nse.

The eighth road (May, 1820), was from Winchester to John Foster's (Griffis farm). This afterward became substantially the State road to Muncie, Indianapolis, etc., the route, however, being somewhat changed.

[NOTE .- The John Foster or Griffis farm, on Sections 25, Town 17, Range 1, Wayne Township, was entered in 1817 by Cheno- with ].

The ninth road (May, 1820), was from Sample's Mill to Huntsville. [Sample's Mill was on White River west of Winches- ter, somewhat east of the " twelve mile boundary]."

The tenth road (August, 1820), was laid out from Winchester to Ridgeville.

[NOTE-The County Records of 1821-25 are mostly lost. ]

The next road on record (call it the eleventh) is from Sam- ple's Mill to Lewallyn's Mill (Ridgeville), May, 1825.

The twelfth road (May, 1825) was from southeast corner Section 35, Township 16, Range 1 west, to Obadiah Small's. The point of beginning is on the county line two miles east of Arba, and Obadiah Small owned the land that Spartansburg now stands on. This road is thought to be the one now running from Bethel, Wayne County, by " Pinhook," Charles Crist's, and Jeremiah Middleton's to Spartansburg.

The thirteenth road was from the State line north of Union City to Ridgeville, via Deerfield.

The fourteenth road was from (the direction of) Dalton through Losantville to Windsor.

The fifteenth road (November, 1827) was from the Win- chester and Lynn road, west through Bloomingsport to Hunts- ville.

The sixteenth road was (September, 1828) from Huntsville, by Hunt's, Rook's and Vestal's to the county line west of Vestal's house.

The " Quaker Trace" began to be worked in 1825-28, and much of it is worked and traveled still.

January, 1830, a road was laid from the west end of Hockett's lane to the Wayne County line, at the southeast corner of " Mar- tindale's Deadening." A wonderfully, clear and exact descrip- tion. The settlers knew where the "road " was as easily as the "boy knew his daddy."

March, 1831. From John Moorman's, via Arba to Ohio Stato line.

May, 1831. Road from the southwest corner of Samuel Smith's fence to the crossway south of Jackson's, thence to the new road at the north end of William Smith's lane. (Another description worthy of special notice).

September, 1831. Cartway laid from Winchester across the ford of White River to Lewallyn's mill.

September, 1832. State road from Winchester to New- castle.

May, 1833. Richmond and Fort Wayne State Road.

May, 1833. State Road from (toward) Greenville, Ohio, via Ridgeville and Fairview to Saunders' in Delaware County.

May, 1839. State Road from Winchester via Ridgeville and Camden to Bluffton, Wells County.

May, 1839. State road from Cambridge to Fort Wayne,

March, 1845. State road from Huntsville through Unions- port, Macksville and Fairview into Jay County.

March, 1845. State road from Deerfield through Steuben- ville and Fairview to Granville, Delaware County.

Doubtless many roads have been laid at some time or other not herein mentioned. Enough are named to give a general idea of the system of highways established and maintained by the county for the use of the citizens.

These roads, laid out, as we have said, by public authority, were opened and worked to some extent, yet for a long time most of them were but poor indeed. The trees were cut away some- what, a few bridges were made, and log ways were built in some places, yet for the most part they were horrid enough. David Lasley relates in his "reminiscences" how he (with another man) built three-quarters of a mile of " log-way" on the road west of Winchester. As late as 1859 there was one and a quarter miles of log-way, nearly in one " string," north between Winchester and Deerfield. Often logs a foot or eighteen inches through would be laid down and sometimes absolutely nothing on them, and the wagon had to go " bumping" across that continuous log-heap. Each new road would be divided into districts an overseer appointed, and "hands" given him for his "gang" to open and work the highway, c. g., Francis Frazier (bellmaker, east of Lynn), James Wright and William Hockett, were appointed to mark and lay off the road leading through Lynn, which they did. Albert Banta claimed damages, and John Ballinger, John Way, William Haworth, Joshua Cox and Henry Hill were chosen to consider and assess damages. They reported " no damage." The road was laid, and Paul Beard was made Supervisor of the south end and John Elzroth of the north end. Beard had all the east part Greensfork Township (in the south end of the county) for his district, and Elzroth had all the north end for his, cast of Sugar Creek.

Paul Beard was a physician, and was called "Old Dr. Beard," being the grandfather of Elkanah Beard, and he lived southeast of Lynn.

John Elzroth lived near the "Poor Farin." After residing in Randolph a long time he moved to the " Reserve," in Grant County. In 1871 he came back by rail to Deerfield, and on foot to Winchester, hale and hearty, then eighty years old. He was an older brother of Jacob Elzroth, so long a magistrate in Winchester.

[NOTE .- Either he or a brother of his died June, 1880, at Crawfordsville Ind., aged ninety-four years. He was in Ran- dolph County on a visit five weeks before his death, being then hale and sprightly].

Dr. Beard's district was eight miles long and about four miles wide, with thirty-two sections and perhaps thirty road-hands, and nine miles of road to open and work.

Mr. Elzroth's district was nine to ten miles long and seven miles. wide, containing sixty-six section and about forty hands and four and a half miles of road.

All males from eighteen to fifty years had to work two days each per year, and that was all the road tax there was. Hands could be hired from 25 to 50 cents a day. Mr. Smith says :

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

" How does that look by the side of the road-taxes now (leaving out pikes and railroads)."

And it may be added, how did the " bridle paths" and "log- ways," "pole bridges" and "mud-beds" then compare with the roads now. It must be confessed that, even now, road work is often laid out to poor advantage. A better method of highway labor is sadly needed.

For the second road (west from Winchester) Judge John Wright was made Supervisor, with all the hands in White River Township west of Sugar Creek and south of White River.

On the third road (Winchester to Bloomingport) is a point of some interest, Joseph Gass'. Mr. Smith says : " His house stood on the north side of a brushy prairie in Section 29, Town 19, Range 14, some three miles north of Bloomingport. He built there in early days on the main Indian trail between Mun- cie (an Indian town at that time) to Greenville. where the Indian annuities were paid from Wayne's treaty in 1795 to 1815 or 1816, at which time the place of payment was changed from Greenville to Fort Wayne. The Indians traveled from Muncie (which they called Mont-see-town) up White River on the south side till they crossed Prairie Creek at its mouth. They then took a "bee-line" for Greenville, which none but an Indian can do. The trail passed north of Huntsville and Spartansburg, and was about as straight as a surveyor could have made it. The trace was quite a plain one and was much traveled even by whites in those days.

Joseph Gass was a brother of the Gass who went with Lewis and Clark across the continent to the mouth of the Columbia River (1805-07), and who published a journal which he kept on that expedition. Joseph Gass built and settled on that trace at that point when there was no white settler from six miles west of Greenville to "Mont-see-town," and he lodged travelers who passed on that trace, and hence his house was a noted place to mention on the route of that road. Mr. Smith says he had often scen him and the house he built there.

The town of Springboro was afterward laid out February 15, 1834, at the point where Joseph Gass lived, but the town was not a success, and it is now extinct.

[NOTE .- Jesse Way says Joseph Gass's was not on the " In- dian trail" but considerbaly south of it.]

Mr. Gass probably settled there before he entered his land. He was there when the " Way company" came through from Carolina to White River, March, 1817. But the date of his land entry is August 11, 1817. How much earlier than March, 1817, Mr. Gass settled at that place we are not able to state. He seems to have been one of that enterprising class quite common in those days, whose activity took the form of trad- ing with the Indians, which perhaps might have been well enough except that it often included the practice of selling strong drink to the poor red men. That business, whether among white men or Indians, however lucrative it may be to the trader, brings evil and only evil to him who uses the fearful fluid. And as now, so of old, the traffic in strong drinks was one great source of trouble between the settlers and the savages. A sober Indian was commonly peaceable but a drunken savage was an object of fear and dread.

However, in those days, the manufacture of intoxicating liquors and the traffic in them was not regarded as otherwise than proper and honorable.

The fourth road (north from Arba) was viewed by Ephraim Bowen, Ephraim Overman, Jr., and David Bowles; and Jona- than Small was made Supervisor, with all the hands on Nolan's Fork and Greenville Creek to work the road. Lawrenceburg, at the mouth of the Great Miami was then expected to be "the town " on the Ohio, and roads had been extended ( among others) up White River, past Richmond, to Randolph County line, and it was called the " Lawrenceburg road."

Of the eighth road (May, 1820, State line to Winchester), Mr. Smith says :

"In May, 1820, Viewers were appointed to mark out a road from Winchester to the State line, near Foster's (Griffis farm). The road was reported and established in August, 1820. John Coates was made Supervisor from Winchester to the ford of White River, and Amos Peacock from White River to the State line. In 1822 or 1823 the Legislature authorized the laying of a State road from the State line near Foster's, through Winchester to Indianapolis. Joshua Foster, John Sample and John Way were appointed Commissioners to lay the road. They took Paul W. Way for their surveyor, and started from Foster's to run to Win- chester. But they ran too much south, so they made a " bend " to the north before reaching White River. But being still tor far south they veered again northward, west of George Hyatt's, and came in at the end of Broad ( now Washington ) street and ran on that street through Winchester. Then diverging to the south till they got opposite (west of ) the middle of the public square in Winchester, they struck west on the route of the present State road ( Pike now) to the west side of the county. Thence down White River ( south side ) to Old Town ( Indian town) six miles above Muncie, thence down the river by Ander- son, Strawtown, etc., to Indianapolis. The county road from the State line west to Winchester was merged in this State road." Again Mr. Smith says (of the thirteenth road above): "Sep- tember, 1825, a road was reported beginning at the Greenville

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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 19

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