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 61
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The proprietors of that portion of the town lying in Rush County, were James Patterson and Patrick McCame. The lots were numbered from one to nine to which Shawhan addition was made in August, 1867. So small a portion of the town lies within
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the borders of Rush County, that it is not entitled to special men- tion in this work.
Raleigh is a flourishing little village of perhaps 150 people, located near the geographical center of Washington Township. The first house built on the present site, was by William McCan, Sr. In this house which was a frame of small dimensions, Benja- min Clifford placed a stock of general merchandise, and in about 1841, began selling goods. In a short time he was succeeded by William McCan. William Turner was the first blacksmith. The town was at first known as McCan's, and so continued to be known until 1845, when William Beard began the sale of lots and named the town Newburn. November 7, 1847, at the instance of William Beard and Sarah Irvin, the town was platted and laid off into twenty-three lots, and recorded under the name of Raleigh. The postoffice which was established probably as early as 1843, was named McCan's, but has since been changed to the same name as the town.
The town from a commercial view has been of little importance, supplying only the demands of the immediate neighborhood. The present business of the town is as follows: B. F. Martin, general store; William Beard & Son, groceries and queensware; D. P. Saul, groceries; John S. Bailey, drugs; McEntee Bros. and Hopper & Bales, blacksmiths; J. W. Herrin, wagon shop; and J. R. McCan, harness. The practicing physicians are Drs. Axline and Ross. One of the most important business enterprises is the steam saw mill owned and operated by Fry & Aikins.
Hamilton Station, Sexton Postoffice, is situated on the line of the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad about six miles north of Rushville. It was laid out May 25, 1883, by Martha J., Francis M. and Rebecca Hamilton, and surveyed by Thomas J. New- kirk. Marion Hamilton was the first resident, McMannus & Swarr were among the first to sell goods, and occupied the house now used by J. A. Jones. Others who have done business here were James Ayer, Matthias Knecht and William O. Goldsmith. The present business is conducted as follows: J. A. Jones and John A. Windau, general merchandise; Henry Schonert, blacksmith; J. H. Ayres, elevator; Mathias Knecht, saw mill; J. W. Hauson, lumber- man, and George Wright, physician.
Mays is a station on the Ft. Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad in Center Township. The town was laid out by Samuel Kirkpatrick and Charles H. Throwley, June 25, 1884. The origi- nal plat contained seventy-four lots. The first merchants were Swarr & Cooper, who occupied the small frame store building in
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which J. J. Martin is now doing business. Henry Carter was the first Postmaster. The principal enterprises of the town are two large grain elevators owned by Samuel Cohee, and James Ayres. John Windau has a large ware house, and Brackner & Schook a heading factory. Others doing business here, are Warner & Co., saw mill; W. M. McBride, drugs, and J. J. Martin, general merchandise. The name of Hiram Paxton, also, deserves mention among the business men of Mays.
Moscow, the only town in Orange Township, is located in Section IS, and on the west of Big Flat Rock River. In 1822, soon after the Indian title to the land had been extinguished, John Wood and David Querry built a water mill on Flat Rock River. This was one of the most important early mills in all the new pur- chase, and was patronized by the settlers of all the adjacent coun- ties. This was the first enterprise of the town. The same mill although several times remodeled, and now with a saw mill attached is owned and operated by A. V. Barlow. John Woods was the pro- prietor of the town and at his instance it was surveyed, and laid off into sixteen lots, by William B. Laughlin, in 1832.
About 1822, Johnny Wood in connection with David Querry, built a mill on Flat Rock, and by means of water power operated it for several years. That mill, though remodeled is now owned and operated by A. V. Barlow. It is now a combined grist and saw mill. Soon after the building of the mill by Wood, Nathan Julian operated a store at the present site of Moscow, thus becoming the first merchant of the town. Julian was followed by Erastus Poter, Poter by A. Muscleman, Muscleman by John T. Drummond, Drummond, by O'Brien Gwynne, who was followed by many others. Present business men are: Thomas H. Carter, general merchandise, and John W. Barlow, drugs and groceries. Carter began business in 1885, and Barlow ISSI. The population is about 150.
Gings, Star Postoffice, is a small village on the line of J., M. & I. Railroad about seven miles from Rushville. Michael Ging was the original proprietor. The town was surveyed and platted by R. R. Spencer, September 26, 1870. Those who have done busi- ness here were Michael Ging, first merchant, followed by John M. Francis, A. P. Pelers and Pelers & Newkirk. The business at present is conducted by J. M. Bell, Henry Rheuman, Theodore Schonert, S. C. Wicoff and Michael Hlittle.
Homer, a small village on the line of the J., M. &. I. Railroad, dates its beginning from the time of the establishment of a saw mill at the time the railroad was being built, probably 1850. This mill, it is said, was owned by Nathan Murphy and Samuel Craig. Several rudely constructed houses were erected for the use of the
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employes, and the town in honor of its only business enterprise called Slabtown; but a few of the more fastidious fearing the name might injure its business prospect for the future, caused it to be changed to Homer. Benjamin is said to have been the first mer- chant, who was soon succeeded by J. Folger. Jesse Jarrett was the first blacksmith, and Isaac Hilligoss first Postmaster. Other business men of an early day were James Andrews, Alex Bridges, J. J. Emmons, Wm. Emmons, J. T. Robertson and Uriah Thomas. The last named was the owner of a flouring mill which was estab- lished early in the sixties, and was destroyed by fire a number of years after its establishment. The present business enterprises are as follows: J. W. Webster, J. T. Robertson and Henry E. Sklower, general merchandise; M. E. Inlow, drugs; Nathan Arbuckle, tile factory; Arbuckle & Vanwinkle, saw mill; J. M. Anderson, wagon and carriage shop; Sklower & Hilligoss, grain dealers. Homer Lodge, I. O. O. F., was instituted at this place in December, 1874, with twenty-two charter members. The first officers were: John M. Smith, N. G .; John Jones, V. G .; Alfred Swain, Secretary, and Henry Sklower, Treasurer. The present officers are: H. B. Ward, N. G .; S. C. Vanwinkle, V. G .; F. B. King, Secretary; George B. Caldwell, Treasurer. The present membership is about thirty- three. The resources of the lodge are about $2,500.
Richland is a small village situated in Richland Township, four miles east of Milroy. It is surrounded by a country of unusual fertility, which is now in a very high state of cultivation. The original plat consisted of twenty-six lots, and was laid out Decem- ber 14, 1854, by A. P. Butler, T. L. Stewart, H. C. Robinson, J. R. Hood, S. H. Caskey, N. H. Gwinup, John Starp, G. Gwinup, C. S. Gwinup, G. Butler, Jacob Hite and M. Breckenridge. Some of the early merchants of the township were Joel Craig, Larrimore & Eyestone, afterward Eyestone & Hackleman, and Harvey Bros. The town as a business center is not of much importance. There has from its inception, however, been some business done at this place.
Besides the towns mentioned in the foregoing, there are several that have been entirely abandoned, others that have never grown into business importance, and a few that were platted but never populated. The following towns may be mentioned as belonging to some one of these classes:
Williamsport, by Hugh Montgomery and William Knox, Sep- tember 2, 1830, located in Sections 25, 26, 35 and 36, Town 12, Range S.
Marcellus, by A. B. Line, September 27, 1836, postoffice, Farm- ington.
yours Truly Pohil Bitter
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Mt. Etna, by John Scott, June 4, 1836, in Section 7, Town 14, Range 10.
Carmel, John W. Barber, John Day, William Tate and E. K. Hart, April 27, 1837, in Section 5, Town 13, Range 10.
Ashland, by Reuben Johnson, June 30, 1835, Section 17, Town 12, Range 9.
Savannah, laid out by Moses Coffin, J. Leonard, and Thomas Macy, June 9, 1834, and located in Township 13, Range 8, Sec- tions 3, 4, 9 and 10.
Earl City, by William Duncan, February 13, IS82, in Section 25, Town 12, Range 9.
Smith, laid out by Jesse Murphey, October 23, 1883.
RUSHVILLE, CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
JOSIAH C. ALGER, a retired farmer, and one of Rush County's pioneers, was born in Oxford, Ohio, September 17, 1823. He was the youngest of nine children, six sons and three daughters, born to Skillmon and Catharine (Conkling) Alger, both natives of West- moreland County, Pa., of English descent. His father was born July II, 1783. They were married July IS, 1805. His paternal grandparents were Josiah and Elcy Alger. His five brothers were Lewis, Freeman, Pierson S., Skillmon and Joseph, all of whom are deceased, except Pierson S., a resident of Nebraska. His three sisters were Elcy, Susan and Catharine, all of whom are deceased, except Catharine, who is the wife of Rev. J. W. Mellender, of Carthage. When he was twelve years old his parents came to In- diana and first located in Franklin County, but about one year and a half later they came to Rush County and settled in Union Town- ship, five miles east of Rushville, where our subject spent his youth assisting to clear and cultivate the farm. At the age of six- teen he began farming for himself upon the old home place, his father having died about a year before. He continued to reside upon the same farm until in March, ISS4, when he removed to Rushville, and since he has been leading the life of a retired citi- zen. He was married to Mary Ann Griffin, July 2, 1845. She was born in Pennsylvania, November 29, 1826. She was the daughter of Charles and Mary (Shipley) Griffin. Mr. and Mrs. Alger have had four children: Elcy B., born July 12, 1846, died May 20, 1863; Charles H., born February IS, 1850; Emma M., born April 3, 1857, died September 1, 1857; Lillie M., born No- vember 4, 1859. In politics, Mr. Alger is a Democrat. Besides the handsome residence property Mr. Alger occupies in this city,
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he still owns the old home farm in Union Township, and also owns a good farm in Rushville Township. His Union Township farm is one among the best in the county.
JOHN ARNOLD, M. D., one of Rush County's senior physicians and a very scholarly gentleman, was born on the Isle of Wight, January 14, 1815. He was the son of John and Mary A. (Cole) Arnold, the former of whom was the son of Richard and Mary (Bull) Arnold, and the latter was the daughter of James and Sarah (Dennett) Cole. Both his paternal and maternal ancesters were of English extraction, and had resided upon the Isle of Wight for more than three centuries. In 1821, when the subject of this sketch was but six years old, his mother and her children, in company with her brother-in-law, Isaac Arnold and his family set out for America, whither her husband had come to locate a home a year previous. He had left his native Isle, in company with his brother, Richard Arnold, on the 20th of May, 1820, and on reaching this country, he came on westward to Rush County, and on the Ist Monday in October, 1820, he entered a 160-acre tract of land in Union Town- ship, where he settled down and immediately set about preparing a home for his family, who was soon to join him in the wilderness. In the following year he went on horseback to Philadelphia, where in September, he met his wife and children, and the re-united family made haste to reach their Rush County home, whither they ar- rived October 21, 1821. The development ofi a farm was at once begun, and in the course of a few years the forest was converted into beautiful and well-tilled fields; and with other corresponding improvements, the cabin and forest were replaced with a comfort- able home and a good farm. That farm, which has ever since been known as "Arnold's Home," has, since the day it was entered, been in possession of the Arnold family, and it is now owned by the subject of this sketch. In 1824, John Arnold, Sr., moved his family to Cincinnati, where, for two years, he was engaged in the clothing business. In 1826 he removed to Aurora, this State, and there engaged in general merchandising. While a resident of that place, on the 2d day of July, 1826, he was bereaved of his beloved wife, and his children of their affectionate mother. On meeting with this misfortune he determined to return with his children to his farm in this county, which he did in the following year. There he opened a store, which he conducted in connection with his duties as Postmaster, for about ten years. He continued upon the farm until 1855, when he moved to Connersville, and there spent the rest of his life, his death occurring June 26, 1864. At twelve years of age, or in 1828, the subject of this sketch became a student at the first academic school ever taught in Rushville, which was presided
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over by Dr. William B. Laughlin. After pursuing his studies with diligence for one year, he spent a short time upon the farm, and in May, 1830, he entered the preparatory department of Miami Uni- versity, at Oxford, Ohio, in which institution he remained four years, completing the junior year. He then returned home, and after spending some time recruiting his health, which had become somewhat impaired, he entered upon the study of medicine with Dr. Jefferson Helm, who was then practicing at Vienna, now Glen- wood, this county. November 6, 1836, he was licensed to practice medicine, and immediately afterward he formed a partnership with his preceptor, Dr. Helm, with whom he was associated until 1841. By this time the state of Dr. Arnold's health was such as to seri- ously threaten his life, and realizing that it was necessary in some way to check the disease which was fast gaining hold of him, he concluded to make a trip to England and his native land, believing that the change of habits and climate which the trip would occasion would either benefit him or produce a fatal result. In August,
I84I, he started on his long journey, and at the end of about fifteen months he returned with his health fully recovered. Early in 1843, he located in Connersville, and there he was actively and suc- cessfully engaged in the practice of his profession for a period of ten years. His practice was very extensive, and was frequently more than he could attend. In 1853, he purchased the old Arnold homestead in this county, upon which he located, and where he continued to reside until 1877, giving his attention to the practice of medicine and to the management of his farm. He then became a resident of Rushville, where he has since practiced his profession. The marriage of Dr. Arnold occurred December 25, 1838, when Sarah Ann Ball became his wife. She was born in Fayette County, being the daughter of Abner Ball, who was one among the first settlers of Fayette County. Doctor Arnold and wife are the pa- rents of four children, three of whom are living. They are: Mary Ann, who is the wife of Hamilton R. Holmes, of Mobile, Ala .; William W., who received a diploma from a Philadelphia medical college, in 1886, and at present he is successfully engaged in the practice of medicine at Colorado Springs, Col. The third child is John Arnold, who is a farmer by occupation, and resides in White Co., Ark., and Abner, who died in infancy. Doctor Arnold and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. The political affilia- tions of the former have always been with the Whig and Republi- can parties. He takes a lively interest in politics, and uses every available instrumentality to promote the welfare of his party. While not an agriculturist, in fact, his sympathies have always been with the improvement of the condition of the agricultural classes and
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for a number of years he has been identified with various societies having for their object, the dissemination and utilization of the latest and most approved methods for the farming community. He is a member of the Rush County Agricultural Society, and has been Secretary of the Farmers' and Stock Growers' Association, of Rush County, ever since it was organized, and he has also held the po- sition of Secretary of the Farmers' and Stock Growers' Union As- sociation of Rush, Shelby, Bartholomew and Decatur counties. He is a member of the Rush Medical Society, the Union District Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical Society, the Medical Association of the Mississippi Valley and of the American Medical Association, in every one of which he has frequently been honored with positions of trust and distinction. Doctor Arnold has always been actively identified with the Old Settlers' Association and has been officially connected with the society ever since its formation. As a writer, he has exhibited remarkable skill and fluency, and in that capacity his historical sketches and his " remininisinces of an old settler," a series of articles published in the Rushville Republican, have all been read with interest and have given him considerable of a reputation. He is a man of positive convictions and he does not hesitate to speak his sentiments in support of what he considers to be right. He posesses a vivid recollection of the scenes and in- cidents of pioneer life, and there is certainly no other living person who is so familliar with the county's early history. He is a man that has always exhibited public spirit, and there has probably been no enterprise within the radius of his associations, having for its object, the general welfare of the public, with which he has not been con- spicuously identified. . His portrait is presented in this volume.
BARZILLAI G. BARNARD, one of Rushville's honored old citizens, was born in North Carolina, January 13, 1817. He was the sev- enth of thirteen children-seven sons and six daughters-born to William and Matilda (Gardner) Barnard, both natives of North Carolina, of English descent. His ancestors formerly came from Nantucket Island. His paternal grandfather was Tristram Barnard. His maternal grandparents were Isaac and Eunice (Macy) Gard- ner. His six brothers were: Paul, Isaac, William D., Anderson, Byron, Sylvester, all of whom are deceased except the last two. His six sisters were: Lydia G., Eunice, Mary B., Phebe, Mar- garet, and Malinda, all of whom are deceased except Malinda. When he was a young child less than two years old, his parents immigrated to Indiana and located in Union County, where our sub- ject was reared upon a farm. When he was eighteen he accompa- nied his father and mother to Fayette County, where he was married at the age of twenty, or October 12, 1837, to Rachel
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Roberts, who was born in West Virginia, June 25, 1820, and was the daughter of Reuben and Jemima (Menson) Roberts. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Barnard continued to reside upon a farm in Fayette County until 1847, when they removed to Rush County and settled in Posey Township, ten miles west of Rushville. There Mrs. Barnard died October 4, 1882. In July, 1883, Mr. Barnard removed to Rushville, where he is leading the life of a retired citizen. He is the father of eleven children, as follows: Granville S., born September 25, 1838; David E., born November 2, 1840; Mary E., born October 10, 1842; Leander, born Febru- ary 22, 1845; Ambrose, born October 30, 1847; Cordelia J., born October 12, 1850; Linley P., born February 2, 1853, died Sep- tember 16, 1854; Marshall M., born October 8, 1855, died June 7, 1878; Herman J., born May 31, 1859: Helen J., born May 31, 1859 (a twin of Herman J.), and Ollie C., born September 10, 1862. Mr. Barnard is a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and he is an ardent Republican in politics. He is one among the worthy and honored old citizens of Rush County.
FRANCIS M. BENNETT, one of the representative farmers of this county, was born where he now lives, July 2, 1835. His father, Jesse Bennett, was one of the early pioneers of this county. He was born in Washington County, Pa., May 12, 1795, and was the sixth in a family of nine children, born to Patrick and Elizabeth (Smith ) Bennett, natives of the " Emerald Isle," and who immigrated to the United States prior to the Revolutionary War, first settling in Pennsylvania, and later removing to Ohio. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and in 1821, came to Rush County, and entered land in this township. He was a man of unmeasured energy, and succeeded upon the principle that " where there is a will there is a way." He was a life-long Democrat and always gave to that party his unqualified support. He died in this county, September 13, 1879, at a good old age, and at the end of an honorable life. The mother of Francis M. Bennett was born in Clermont County, Ohio, November 25, 1803, and died in this county, September 22, 1870. The subject of this biography is the fifth in a family of seven children, four of whom are now living. His life has been spent upon the farm where he now resides. He now owns 245 acres of fine land and a portion of which is a part of the old Bennett home- stead. Mr. Bennett was married April 28, 1870, to Miss Alma Brookbank, who was born in Anderson Township, this county, October 30, 1871, and is a daughter of Harrison and Clarissa Brookbank, both natives of this county. To this union are these two children: Bert, born January 5, 1871, and Harry, born May II, 1872. In politics, Mr. Bennett is a Democrat. For more than
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half a century Mr. Bennett has resided in this township, and is an honorable and highly respected citizen.
HON. EDWARD HENRY MCDANIEL BERRY was born in Marion County, Ky., September 30, 1823, was the son of Holes- worth and Mary (Stevenson) Berry, and is of English descent. His father was also born in Marion County, Ky., December 10, 1794, and died in Rushville, November 13, 1871. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Berry was Joel Berry, a native of Virginia. He was a Revolu- tionary soldier during the entire time of that conflict. He died in Ohio at nearly one hundred years of age. The mother of Mr. Berry was also born in Kentucky about 1791, and died in Rush County in 1863. The Berry family came to Indiana in 1828, and settled in Fayette County, and in 1832, came to Rush County. The Stevenson family removed from Maryland to Kentucky, and settled in Kentucky just after the Revolutionary War. The sub- ject of our sketch was raised on a farm, and received his educa- tion at the district school. His first teacher was a lady by the name of Malinda Points. Mr. Berry attributed his education to the old pioneer teaching of Benjamin.F. Reeve. At the age of seventeen years, Mr. Berry began teaching, and taught for ten years. He was recognized as one of the leading teachers of this part of Indiana in that day. Politically, Mr. Berry is an ardent Republican. In 1860, he was elected Senator of Indiana, and served four years. In 1864, he was elected Treasurer of Rush County, and re-elected in 1866. He was one of the best officials the county ever had, an 'honest and reliable one, and has been very successful as a politician. Mr. Berry was married in 1863, the bride being Miss Mary A. Conover, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1838, the daughter of Reading B. and Mary (Stook ) Con- over. To Mr. and Mr. Berry were born two children, viz .: Read- ing H., and William E. The subject of our sketch was made a Mason in the Milroy Lodge in 1852, and for nine years was Master of the same lodge. He settled where he now lives in 1878, and owns 240 acres of well improved land. He and his wife are mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church. He has been a very successful man, and it has been through his own efforts.
HON. FINLEY BIGGER, Ex-Register of the U. S. Treasury, law- yer and mathematician, of Rushville, was born near Lebanon, War- ren County, Ohio, September 9, 1807. He is the son of Hon. John Bigger, a native of Maryland, and born in 1770, and in 1798, emigrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio, to what afterward became Warren County. There he soon after was elected to the first State Legislature. He served, it is believed, more sessions in the
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Ohio Legislature than any other man. His early education was neglected, but he was a great reader and thinker, having a strong, clear and discriminating mind. He never suffered himself to be influenced by passion or prejudice, and those who wished to do right in difficult circumstances sought his advice and relied on his judgment with implicit confidence. Strongly attached to family and friends, inflexible in the discharge of his duty, ever ready to assist those who needed help, always more willing to forgive an injury than to resent it, he gained wide influence and was profoundly esteemed. For more than thirty years he was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. Tom Corwin was one of his most intimate friends, also Henry Clay. Gov. Corwin's mode of introducing him to distinguished gentlemen was, “al- low me to introduce my honored friend John Bigger one of na- ture's noblemen and an honest man." Hon. Finley Bigger was introduced by Elisha Whittlesey to Judge McLane as the " son of John Bigger, of Warren County, Ohio, as honest a man as the Lord ever placed on earth." Finley Bigger had only limited school privileges, but he was reared under influences that stimulated intellectual growth. There in the almost unbroken forest, was a coterie of young men of brilliant talents, who with his father's dis- tinguished guests, unconsciously aided in moulding the mind of the unlettered boy. Years passed and he studied law under Gov. Cor- win, was admitted to the Bar, and in 1834 or 1835, licensed to practice in the Supreme Court of Ohio. In 1836 (spring), he removed to Rushville, Ind., and commenced the successful practice of his profession. Except during a period of several years in which he resided in Washington, D. C., Rushville has ever since been his home. In 1853, Mr. Bigger was appointed Register of the United States Treasury, and discharged the duty of that respon- sible position until 1861. He found the archives of the office in a disordered condition; so much so, that it was difficult to find im- portant papers on file, and months sometimes elapsed before a call from congress or heads of departments could be answered. He set proper forces to work to remedy this evil, and when a new file room was prepared, some hundreds of thousands of vouchers and other papers were so arranged that any of them could be found in less than fifteen minutes, and a call for information answered promptly. In 1874, Gov. Hendricks appointed him one of the Commissioners of the House of Refuge at Plainfield. Almost ever since he fixed his home in Rushville, Mr. Bigger has been, as he says, an " amateur editor." He became well known from his numerous articles in home papers, which were often copied by east- ern papers. At an early age he evinced a natural taste for mathe-
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