USA > Indiana > Rush County > History of Rush County, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory, and the State of Indiana > Part 57
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ORLANDO WINSLOW, a farmer of Ripley Township, was born in that township, November 6, 1859, being the son of Josiah P., and Rachel (Patterson) Winslow, who now reside in Ripley Township. He was reared upon his father's farm, and at twenty- one years of age or November 20, 1879, he was married to Miss Mary Parker, who was born in Ripley Township, August 26, 1860, being the daughter of Silas and Priscilla (Butler) Parker, the former of whom is deceased, and the latter of whom resides in Ripley Township. Ever since their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Win- slow have resided in Ripley Township. They have occupied their present home since May, 1882. The entire attention of our sub- ject is given to farming. He and wife have a farm of eighty acres which is in a good state of improvement, and about forty-five of which are in cultivation. They are the parents of three children as follows: Walter F., Jewel Grace and Orloa, the first two of
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whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Winslow are members of the Friends' Church. In politics the former is a Republican.
JOHN Q. ZION and Mrs. Julia A. Henley were married Novem- ber 12, 1887. The former is a native of this county, born Decem- ber 10, 1829, being the son of Matthew and Catharine (Sergeant) Zion, who were natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively, the for- mer of Dutch and English, and the latter of English descent. His father was the son of John and Rachel Zion, and his mother was the daughter of Thomas Sergeant. He was reared upon a farm in this county and was married to Miss Maria Pickering, December 4, 1851. She was born in Miami County, Ohio, March 26, 1832, and was the daughter of Benjamin and Hettie (McCove) Picker- ing. For one year after their marriage they resided in Center Township. They then removed to Marion County, Ind., but four years later they returned to Center Township, where Mrs. Maria Zion died September 14, 1885. Their marriage resulted in the birth of four children: Selina E., born December 6, 1852, died July 16, 1860; Hettie C., born May 5, 1854; Mary E., born March 16, 1857, and William R., born January 31, 1859. After the death of his wife, Mr. Zion resided in Carthage until his second mar- riage the date of which is given above. His present wife, Mrs. Julia A. Zion, was born in Henry County, Ind., October 15, 1839, being the danghter of Wyatt and Mary Stanley who were respec- tively natives of Randolph County, N. C., and Wayne County, Ind. Her father was the son of John and Elizabeth (Dix) Stanley, and her mother was the daughter of George and Karon (Elliott) Bundy, all of whom were natives of North Carolina. When she was six years old her parents removed to Hancock County, Ind., where a year later, or in August, 1846, her mother died. For three years thereafter she made her home with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Bundy, in Henry County. She then returned to the home of her father, who, in the meantime, was married to Nancy A. Henley. She remained with them until her first marriage which occurred March 29, 1859. Her husband, whose name was Milton Henley, was born in Ripley Township, May 28, 1833, and was the son of Thomas and Abigail (Starbuck) Henley, whose parentage is given elsewhere. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Henley settled upon the farm where the latter now resides. There Mr. Henley pursued the vocation of a farmer until his death on the 17th day of March, 1872. Their marriage resulted in the birth of four children, Harvey G., born April 4, 1860; Wal- ter C., born September 15, 1861; Milton, born February 10, 1872, and a daughter that died unnamed. After the death of her hus-
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band Mrs. Henley remained a widow until her marriage to Mr. Zion. Mr. and Mrs. Zion are both members of the Friends' Church. In politics the former is a Prohibitionist. In her earlier life Mrs. Zion was a teacher in the public schools two years. Her first husband, whose later education was received in Earlham College, was also, for a number of years, a teacher in the public schools of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Zion have two farms: one upon which they reside, in Ripley Township which is admirably situated and improved, and one in Center Township which is also in a good state of improvement.
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RUSII COUNTY.
CHAPTER VIII.
BY JOHN ARNOLD, M. D.
TOWNS - RUSHVILLE, ITS FOUNDING AND FIRST SETTLERS - PUBLIC BUILDINGS-SALE OF LOTS-SITES OF THE EARLY HOUSES-FIRST BUSINESS VENTURES-PLATS AND ADDITIONS - MILLS-RAILROADS -INCORPORATION -- PUBLIC IMPROVE- MENTS-THE PRESS-BANKS-LOAN ASSOCIATIONS-SECRET SOCIETIES - PRESENT BUSINESS INTERESTS - CARTHAGE - MILROY -MANILLA -- ARLINGTON - NEW SALEM - GLEN- WOOD - FALMOUTH -- RALEIGH AND OTHERS.
OUBTLESS the people of to-day would like to know something of the founding of the present flourishing City of Rushville, sixty-five years ago. Located in the midst of an unbroken forest, it required brave hearts and industrious hands to undertake to build up a town. But the men were found able and willing to undertake it and succeed in spite of all difficulties in their way. Amaziah Morgan, Jehu Perkins and John Julian, the first Commissioners of Rush County, met at the house of Jehu Perkins on the Ist of April, IS22, organ- ized as a Board, and at once entered on their multiform duties. At a called meeting held on the 17th of June, 1822, they received and approved the report of the Commissioners, Train Caldwell, Robert Luce, Samuel Jack and James Delaney, who had been appointed to locate the county seat. The next day, the ISth, they appointed Conrad Sailors agent to lay out the town, which was to consist of not less than 150, nor more than 200 lots, with a central square, of a size sufficient for the public buildings that would be required. Dr. W. B. Laughlin had donated twenty-five acres, and Zachariah Hodges forty-five, to the county, to secure the location. Dr. W. B. Laughlin was a member of the Legislature when the county was set off, and had given it the name in honor of his preceptor, the illustrious Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia. Actuated by the
same tender remembrance, he named the town. The 29th day of July was appointed for the public sale of lots. A number of lots were sold on that day, and soon the crash of falling trees was heard, and the smoke and flame of burning log-heaps was seen, as the clearing went on. Then the building of cabins speedily fol-
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lowed, and Rushville was begun. Next the public square and the principal streets were cleared though ungraded and full of stumps. In 1822 a jail was built, and in 1823 a court house was contracted for. This was the old-fashioned, square, two-story, brick building, and though there was little architectural beauty to recommend it, it was a substantial structure, and answered every purpose until in 1848, when the present more convenient and commodious build- ing was erected.
At the October Term of court, 1822, the price of tavern license was fixed at $10, and the number of beds that must be kept for the accommodation of travelers, and the number of stalls in the stable were definitely set forth. The proof of these things was a pre-requisite for the obtaining of the license. Richard Thornberry and Jehu Perkins were the first to avail themselves of this priv- ilege of keeping a tavern. Modern fashion would call these hotels. It may be noticed that both of these were in the country. The very first house erected upon the ground now occupied by Rush- ville, was a large double cabin built by Dr. W. B. Laughlin, in De- cember of 1820, near the river, back of where John Fouts now resides. This location was selected on account of its nearness to a fine spring that gushes from the river bank. This was an unusu- ally large double cabin, with a hall running through the middle. It was necessarily large to accommodate the doctor's family of three sons and ten daughters.
Among the first to build after the sale of the lots, may be men- tioned Stephen Simms, who built near where Dr. John Moffett lives, Clum, a shoemaker, had his cabin where the Orphans' Home now is. Miner's cabin was just south of Caldwell's livery stable, John Alley's, where Hufford's is, William Hart's, immediately west of this, Robert Thompson's, where J. R. Carmichael's store stands, A. Lauman, in the same block, a little north of it, Dr. H. G. Sex- ton's where the Mauzy double store is, Job Pugh's double two- story house, stood where the National Bank now stands, Joseph Nichols', where James Pattison now lives, Charles Veeder's in the _ park, where three or four large locust trees now grow, Charles Test, where Dr. W. H. Smith's house stands, this he occupied as an office and dwelling until he married, when he bought William Hart's property on the mill race east of John Carmichael's mill; here he built a two story log house, which still remains, though changed from its original appearance by weather-boarding, etc. The first stock of goods was brought by a Mr. Patterson, from Pittsburg, who sold them in a house where Dr. M. Sexton's block is, east of the Windsor Hotel. Reu Pugh opened a dry goods store on the National Bank lot, Deming brought a stock and sold
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them in a building where the Rush County Bank now stands, he afterward built the brick, south of the court house, where he carried on the business' for several years, Major Newell built a two-story log house, and sold goods, where Dr. W. A. Pugh lives, then came W. McCleary & Co. west of court house. Thomes Wooster opened a dry goods store in 1828. He had pre- viously kept a grocery. The very first tavern, was one kept by William Hart, west of Hufford's house. He kept this house for perhaps two years, and then sold out to Charles Test, and moved away. Lauman, in 1823, opened one west of the court house, and Job Pugh, one north of the court house. This he sold to his brother Reu Pugh, after he was elected Recorder, the latter en- larged and improved the house, and carried on the business most successfully for many years. Reu Pugh was a most energetic busi- ness man. He kept a first rate tavern, a dry goods and grocery store, had an extensive tanyard and a shoemaker's shop, thus largely increasing the business of the town. Joseph Hamilton came to Rushville in 1830, and opened a dry goods and grocery store, in a room where Toolen's block now stands. He afterward moved it to the McPike corner and finally built a brick building, which is now a part of the Grand Hotel. Here, at the old white corner, as it was usually called, he for many years, carried on successfully, a general mercantile business and also kept a hotel, which made glad the heart of the weary traveler. In later years George Hibben, Laren & Flinn, Hibben & Flinn, Maddux & Havens, Hibben & Mauzy, and William Mauzy & Co., were among the leading mer- chants of Rushville. Joseph Thrasher was one of the early black- smiths. His shop stood where Reeve & Burt's store is. Jack Irvin had a tailor's shop where Mrs. Mason's milinery store stands. Henry Beckwith had a wagonmaker's shop on the south side of the court house. Alexander Glon was a well-known shoemaker in early times. Thomas Pugh carried on the business of hatter, in a shop that stood where Gwin's livery stable now stands. Hiram Bell had a blacksmith's shop south of the court house.
The first Postmaster in Rushville, was Charles Veeder, in 1822. The first school taught in the township and county, was by Dr. W. B. Laughlin, in 1821.
Plats of Rushville. - The original plat of Rushville contained 15I lots. As time rolled on and the population increased, it became necessary to enlarge the limits. The Laughlin addition was laid out and platted, November 17, 1836. It was immediately west of the original plat. This sufficed until September 17, 1847, when Bridges and Tingley recorded their addition situated west of the Laughlin addition along Buena Vista Avenue. In 1850, Smith and Carr
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platted their addition, lying west of Bridges and Tingley's, between the Indianapolis road and Ruth Street and north of the J., M. & I. depot. This area was found to be insufficient for the increased and increasing population, and in April, 1867, G. C. Clark, in response to the demand for more room, made his first addition, extending east of Main Street, between Elm and Lilac. Our High School is on Perkins between Lilac and Magnolia. These lots were taken up so rapidly that in May, 1868, he made his second addition east of the first, and extending to Maple Street, and in May, 1869, he made his third from Maple to the point on which the second or colored Methodist Church stands. In February, 1870, H. G. Sex- ton's first addition was made, to the northwest part of town. In 1879, Lon Sexton made his addition between Main and Morgan streets. Theodore Jennings made an addition to the west and south part of town. H. G. Sexton's heirs made their second addition lying west of Jackson and north of West Fifth Street.
Besides the above important additions, there have been quite a . number of smaller ones not necessary to be here enumerated. These later additions have been rapidly taken up and improved by laboring men, through the beneficent aid of the building associa- tions. These associations are emphatically the friends of the poor man. Many a man now enjoys the blessings of a home that is in verity his own by their aid; without this organization he would be now a renter at the mercy of a landlord. The growth and de- velopment of Rushville has been steady and real, but scarcely keeping pace with the advance of the county in wealth and finan- cial prosperity. Rushville has never been cursed by that unfounded and fictitious inflation of values, usually known as a boom, and which is worked up by unscrupulous speculators and tricksters for their own gain. About 1856, Col. Alfred Posey built, and for sev- eral years run a large distillery, in what is now Circleville. This afforded a good market for all surplus grain. But the farmers found that it was more profitable to feed their corn to their hogs than to sell it, so that the distillery could not get enough to make the manufacture of whisky very remunerative to the owner.
Mills .- In 1840, Harvey W. Carr, Joseph Nichols, Joseph Mc- Pike and Dr. William Frame formed a company and built the steam mill, to which was attached a saw mill. In the spring of 1845, John and Jesse Carmichael bought it. After running it some time, Jesse went out, and Lewis Maddux, James Hibben and John Carmichael became the owners. In a short time Hibben and Mad- dux sold their interest, and it has been ever since the property of John Carmichael. This mill was for many years the most popular mill in the county, and did an immense amount of work. In July
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of 1887, Mr. Carmichael put in the roller process works, so that he is now prepared to successfully compete with any mill in the coun- try. In June, 1857, T. & E. Moffett and John Winship built a large and very complete and well equipped woolen mill, whose founda- tions stand on the river bank south of the Presbyterian Church, it having been consumed by fire in 1887. This factory turned out first-class goods and gave employment to about twenty-five hands. In 1870, John Carmichael bought out the interests of Winship and Estell Moffett, it being the one-half interest of the concern; he paid for this $20,000. It was run a few years longer to the pe- cuniary loss of the proprietors. The City Mills were built by J. B. Fouch, in ISSI, and are now doing a fine custom business under the present proprietor, T. W. Hilligoss. The latest devices in mill machinery are used in this mill.
Railroads have materially aided in opening up the business of the town and in developing the resources of the county. The nec- essity of these was long felt, and resulted in the building of the Shelbyville and Rushville Railroad. It was rather a poor concern, being a flat bar, with a track imperfectly ballasted. It was com- pleted, and the first cars came into Rushville on the 10th of Sep- tember, 1850, and was the occasion of great rejoicing to the citizens. It supplied the wants of the town until December 25, 1867, the first train on the C., H. & I. Road arrived from Connersville, making glad the hearts of the people. On the 4th of July, 1868, the first cars passed through on the J., M. & I. These roads were secured by large donations of the citizens along the lines. The V., G. & R. was completed in September, IS81. Rushville Township voted an appropriation of $18,000 to aid in its construction. The next year the N. & R. Road was built, having been aided by an appropriation of the township. These roads have been of great advantage to the town, making it a great center for trade in gen- eral, and more particularly for the buying of grain, as will be shown farther on when the elevators and mills are mentioned in detail.
Incorporation. - It is not easy to fix definitely the date of in- corporation of Rushville, as a town. Prior to the building of the present city hall, council meetings were held wherever convenient for the members, and the town records were not safely kept. For a time they were left in the office of a Justice of the Peace, on whose dockets were recorded fines and penalties against certain law-breakers. These individuals, thinking to destroy the judg- ments against them, broke into the Justice's office at night and carrying forth what books they could find, which unfortunately were the town records, built a fire in the streets and destroyed them. However, old citizens agree that the incorporation was effected
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prior to 1845, and it is generally believed that it was about 1842. The Town Board held its last meeting September 6, 1883 (the rec- ords are signed by J. H. Bebout, President, and H. P. McGuire, Clerk), and on the same day the first meeting of the City Council was held, when Mayor George H. Puntenney, Clerk Joseph A. Armstrong, Marshal Samuel G. Vance, Treasurer William E. Harmes, and Councilmen L. Link, A. Pavy, J. J. Fouts, J. Readle, Martin Bohannon and J. B. Reeve were duly installed. These gen- tlemen had been elected to the respective offices named, at a spec- ial election held on September 4, 1883. The mayors of the city have been: George H. Puntenney from September 6, 1883, Wil- son T. Jackson from May 9, 1884, H. G. L. S. Hilligoss from May 7, 1886.
Public Buildings .- Until 1881, the town owned no public build- ings. The need of a suitable city hall had long been felt, and in January, ISSI, bids pursuant to advertisements were presented to the town board for the building of a council chamber and engine house. The bids were as follows: Robert W. Perry, $2,600.00; E. O. Dale, $2,800.00; Aultman Bros., $2,850.00; Pearce & Wood- ward, $2,981.50; Mock & Walker, $2,900.00. That of Robert W. Perry was accepted and proper contracts were entered into. In February following an ordinance was passed authorizing the issue of bonds for $10,000.00 for the purchase of ground, building of council chamber and engine house, and construction of wells and cisterns. The amount provided was not sufficient for the purposes named, and subsequently additional bonds for $2,000.00 were issued. In the early spring work was commenced on the building, and soon thereafter it was ready for occupancy. The building is well and substantially built of brick with stone trimmings, is two stories high and of sufficient size to answer all the requirements of the city. On the upper floor are the city offices and council cham- ber, and below is the engine house. It is situated near the center of the square on Elizabeth Street, between Main and Morgan streets. The present city officers, besides the Mayor above named, are H. P. McGuire, Clerk, and David Graham, Treasurer.
Fire Department .- Prior to ISSI, there was no organized fire department in Rushville. In that year an engine with the best Latta coil, a hose cart and hose, were purchased by the town, from Ahrens & Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, for $4,350. The de- partment is now well equipped and efficient. Twenty-one men are employed, with Samuel Finney, Chief, and Stewart Beale, En- gineer. Three well trained horses belong to the department.
Gas Company .- The gas works in this city were established as a private enterprise, in 1878, by J. G. Isham & Company, of
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Cinninnati, Ohio. About $25,000 are invested in the plant which is now under the management of Mr. Frank Brown. There are nine miles of mains and one tank with a capacity of 10,000 feet. About 3,000,000 feet per annum are used. The gas is made of oil fur- nished by the Standard Oil Company, of which about 24,000 gal- lons are consumed annually-citizens pay $3.50 per thousand feet for gas. The city uses seventy-eight posts and pays for each post $15 per year.
Natural Gas .- Recently with a hope of finding natural gas in paying quantities several wells in and near Rushville have been bored. Three have been bored by private subscription. In some of these wells gas was found at a depth of 900 or 1,000 feet, but not in large quantities. The public offices in the County Court House have been partially heated by its use, but it has not been otherwise utilized. A well is now being dug four miles from the city, on the farm of Frank Cross, as a city enterprise, to be paid for by taxation. Should this well prove worthless provision has been made by the city for boring another well farther away from the city, in the direction of Carthage. Mr. George C. Clark, at his own expense, is sinking a well on the south end of the Oliver Posey farm, near the city limits.
Press .- As the press is one of the educators of our country, and exerts a powerful influence in giving tone and character to so- ciety, mention of its history in this county is made. It is rather dif- ficult to give the correct data, as the files of newspapers have not been preserved, and the historian must depend mainly on the per- sonal recollections of old citizens.
The first paper ever published in Rush County was a unique sheet dubbed the Dog Fennel Gazette, about ten by twelve inches. Though small, it was spicy and rich, filled with the local news of the county, humor, drollery and keen sarcasm. . Its sole editor and proprietor was William D. M. Wickham, an original genius of the first water. The press itself was decidedly pioneer; the bed of it was the top of a sycamore stump, and the lever a long pole in- serted into a mortise in a tree standing by its side; on this he printed his Gazette and all the bills called for by the business of the county. This he used for some time, but finally made a great ad- vance by constructing a press of heavy oak timbers. This he called "Wickham's Velocity Press," and did what was then con- sidered good printing. The first number of the Dog Fennel Ga- zette was issued in the latter part of 1822 or early part of 1823. This paper for many years supplied the wants of the community, until Samuel Davis and Thomas Wallace, two young and practical printers from Cincinnati, started a more pretentious sheet, called
Cylons Mull ( DECEASED )
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the Rushville Herald. A son of Wallace is now the partner of Puntenney in the Jacksonian office. The Herald was a Whig in its political affinities, though it was mainly devoted to the dissemi- nation of useful information and the current news of the day. It was published for many years by this firm, until somewhere about the year 1840, it was sold to Donovan & Tizzard, who transformed it into a Democratic journal called the Hoosier and Rushville Dem- ocratic Archive. About this time, in this ever memorable year of the greatest political enthusiasm ever known in this country, when the honored name of Harrison, so inseparably associated with the early history of the West, with all its stirring events, its hardships, its bloody battle-fields and its triumphs, fired the hearts of the people and caused them to arise as one man and shout for the Hero of Tippecanoe, P. A. & O. C. Hackleman started a pa- per known as the Rushville Whig. P. A. Hackleman was its editor and greatly distinguished himself by his ability during this exciting campaign. Several years later, the paper became the prop- erty of Cowing & Cox, who changed its name to the True Repub- lican and advocated the principles of that party; this was in 1855 or 1856. It is not definitely known when the True was dropped, but it has been for a great number of years what it now is, the Re- publican. In a few years, this firm sold to another of the same name, but composed of different individuals, who sold to Andrew Hall, about 1860 or 1861. In 1864, L. J. Cox had it for about one year, and then sold it to Conde & Shumm, who were succeeded in 1866 by William Shumm. In 1870, F. T. Drebert became its edi- tor and proprietor, and some time in 1875, sold to the Stiver Brothers, who in turn sold out to the present able editor. John F. Moses. At a subsequent period George C. Clark occupied the editorial tripod, and by the power and clearness of his editorial matter and the good taste of his selections, gave the paper a de- served popularity. The Hoosier and Rushville Democratic Archive was continued for some time, and was then sold to Samuel S. Brat- ton, and it was by him called the Jacksonian, and was edited by Finley Bigger, Esq. Afterward, a Kentucky gentleman of the name of Norris purchased it from Bratton, but Finley Bigger still continued to be its editor; afterward it passed by turn into the hands of George W. Hargett, John L. Robinson, R. S. Sproule, E. S. Hibben, Finley Bigger and many others, whose names cannot be recalled. It has been for many years the property of Puntenney & Wallace, and represents fairly and defends strongly the doctrines of the Democratic party. At different times, several other papers have been started, but the ventures have always proved disastrous to their authors except in the case of the Graphic, which came into
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