USA > Indiana > Shelby County > History of Shelby 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 21
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
to the manufacture of wagons and farm implements; and again the old policy of hiring the convicts was resorted to; for in the latter year, 1871, the Southwestern Car Company was organized, and every prisoner capable of taking a part in the work of car- building was leased out. This did very well until the panic of 1873, when the company suffered irretrievable losses; and previous to its final down-fall in 1876 the warden withdrew convict labor a second time, leaving the prisoners to enjoy a luxurious idleness around the prison which themselves helped to raise.
In later years the State Prison South has gained some notoriety from the desperate character of some of its inmates. During the civil war a convict named Harding mutilated in a most horrible manner and ultimately killed one of the jailors namned Tesley. In 1874, two prisoners named Kennedy and Applegate, possessing themselves of some arms, and joined by two other convicts named Port and Stanley, made a break for freedom, swept past the guard, Chamberlain, and gained the fields. Chamberlain went in pursuit but had not gone very far when Kennedy turned on his pursuer, fired and killed him instantly. Subsequently three of the prisoners were captured alive and one of them paid the penalty of death, while Kennedy, the murderer of Chamberlain, failing committal for murder, was sent back to his old cell to spend the remainder of his life. Bill Rodifer, better known as "The Hoosier Jack Sheppard," effected his escape in 1875, in the very presence of a large guard, but was recaptured and has since been kept in irons.
This establishment, owing to former mismanagement, has fallen very much behind, financially, and has asked for and received an appropriation of $20,000 to meet its expenses, while the contrary is the case at the Michigan City prison.
THE STATE PRISON NORTH.
In 1859 the first steps toward the erection of a prison in the northern part of the State were taken, and by an act of the Legis- lature approved March 5, this year, authority was given to construct prison buildings at some point north of the National road. For this purpose $50,000 were appropriated, and a large number of convicts from the Jeffersonville prison were transported northward to Michigan City, which was just selected as the location for the new penitentiary. The work was soon entered upon, and continued to meet with additions and improvements down to a very recent period. So late as 1875 the Legislature appropriated $20,000
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
toward the construction of new cells, and in other directions also the work of improvement has been going on. The system of government and discipline is similar to that enforced at the Jeffer- sonville prison; and, strange to say, by its economical working has not only met the expenses of the administration, but very recently had amassed over $11,000 in excess of current expenses, from its annual savings. This is due almost entirely to the continual employment .of the conviets in the manufacture of cigars and chairs, and in their great prison industry, cooperage. It differs widely from the Southern, insomuch as its sanitary condition has been above the average of similar institutions. The strietness of its silent system is better enforced. The petty revolutions of its inmates have been very few and insignificant, and the number of punishments inflicted comparatively small. From whatever point this northern prison may be looked at, it will bear a very favorable comparison with the largest and best administered of like establish- ments throughout the world, and cannot fail to bring high credit to its Board of Directors and its able warden.
FEMALE PRISON AND REFORMATORY.
The prison reform agitation which in this State attained telling proportions in 1869, caused a Legislative measure to be brought forward, which would have a tendency to ameliorate the condition of female convicts. Gov. Baker recommended it to the General Assembly, and the members of that body showed their appreciation of the Governor's philanthropic desire by conferring upon the bill the authority of a statute; and further, appropriated $50,000 to aid in carrying out the objects of the aet. The main provisions con- tained in the bill may be set forth in the following extracts from the proclamation of the Governor:
" Whenever said institution shall have been proclaimed to be open for the reception of girls in the reformatory department thereof, it shall be lawful for said Board of Managers to receive them into their care and management, and the said reformatory department, girls under the age of 15 years who may be committed to their custody, in either of the following modes, to-wit:
"1. When committed by any judge of a Circuit or Common Pleas Court, either in term time or in vacation, on complaint and due proof by the parent or guardian that by reason of her incorrig- ible or vicious conduct she has rendered her control beyond the power of such parent or guardian, and made it manifestly requisite
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
that from regard to the future welfare of such infant, and for the protection of society, she should be placed under such guardianship.
"2. When such infant has been committed by such judge, as aforesaid, upon complaint by any citizen, and due proof of such complaint that such infant is a proper subject of the guardianship of such institution in consequence of her vagrancy or incorrigible or vicious conduct, and that from the moral depravity or other- wise of her parent or guardian in whose custody she may be, such parent or guardian is incapable or unwilling to exercise the proper care or discipline over such incorrigible or vicious infant.
"3. When such infant has been committed by such judge as aforesaid, on complaint and due proof thereof by the township trustee of the township where such infant resides, that such infant is destitute of a suitable home and of adequate means of obtaining an honest living, or that she is in danger of being brought up to lead an idle and immoral life."
In addition to these articles of the bill, a formal section of instruction to the wardens of State prisons was embodied in the act, causing such wardens to report the number of all the female convicts under their charge and prepare to have them transferred to the female reformatory immediately after it was declared to be ready for their reception. After the passage of the act the Governor appointed a Board of Managers, and these gentlemen, securing the services of Isaac Hodgson, caused him to draft a plan of the proposed institution, and further, on his recommendation, asked the people for an appropriation of another $50,000, which the Legislature granted in February, 1873. The work of construc- tion was then entered upon and carried out so steadily, that on the 6th of September, 1873, the building was declared ready for the reception of its future inmates. Gov. Baker lost no time in proclaiming this fact, and October 4 he caused the wardens of the State prisons to be instructed to transfer all the female convicts in their custody to the new institution which may be said to rest on the advanced intelligence of the age. It is now called the " Indiana Reformatory Institution for Women and Girls."
This building is located immediately north of the deaf and dumb asylum, near the arsenal, at Indianapolis. It is a three- story brick structure in the French style, and shows a frontage of 174 feet, comprising a main building, with lateral and transverse wings. In front of the central portion is the residence of the superintendent and his associate reformatory officers, while in the
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
rear is the engine house, with all the ways and means for heating the buildings. Enlargements, additions and improvements are still in progress. There is also a school and library in the main building, which are sources of vast good.
October 31, 1879, there were 66 convicts in the " penal" depart- ment and 147 in the " girls' reformatory " department. The " tieket-of-leave " system has been adopted, with entire satisfaction, and the conduct of the institution appears to be up with the times.
INDIANA HOUSE OF REFUGE.
In 1867 the Legislature appropriated $50.000 to aid in the formation of an institution to be entitled a house for the correction and reformation of juvenile defenders, and vested with full powers in a Board of Control, the members of which were to be appointed by the Governor, and with the advice and consent of the Senate. This Board assembled at the Governor's house at Indianapolis, April 3, 1867, and elected Charles F. Coffin, as president, and visited Chicago, so that a visit to the reform school there might lead to a fuller knowledge and guide their future proceedings. The House of Refuge at Cincinnati, and the Ohio State Reform school were also visited with this design; and after full consider- ation of the varied governments of these institutions, the Board resolved to adopt the method known as the " family " system, which divides the inmates into fraternal bodies, or small classes, each class having a separate house, house father and family offices, -all under the control of a general superintendent. The system being adopted, the question of a suitable location next presented itself, and proximity to a large city being considered rather detrimental to the welfare of such an institution, Gov. Baker selected the site three-fourths of a mile south of Plainfield, and about fourteen miles from Indianapolis, which, in view of its eligibility and convenience, was fully concurred in by the Board of Control. Therefore, a farm of 225 acres, claiming a fertile soil and a most picturesque situation, and possessing streams of running water, was purchased, and on a plateau in its center a site for the proposed house of refuge was fixed.
The next movement was to decide upon a plan, which ultimately met the approval of the Governor. It favored the erection of one principal building, one house for a reading-room and hospital, two large mechanical shops and eight family houses. January 1, 1868,
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HISTORY OF INDIANA.
three family houses and work-shop were completed; in 1869 the main building, and one additional family house were added; but previous to this, in August, 1867, a Mr. Frank P. Ainsworth and his wife were appointed by the Board, superintendent and matron respectively, and temporary quarters placed at their disposal. In 1869 they of course removed to the new building. This is 64 by 128 feet, and three stories high. In its basement are kitchen, laundry and vegetable cellar. The first floor is devoted to offices, visitors' room, house father and family dining-room and store- rooms. The general superintendent's private apartments, private offices and five dormitories for officers occupy the second floor; while the third floor is given up to the assistant superintendent's apartment, library, chapel and hospital.
The family houses are similar in style, forming rectangular build- ings 36 by 58 feet. 6 The basement of each contains a furnace room, a store-room and a large wash-room, which is converted into a play-room during inclement weather. On the first floor of each of these buildings are two rooms for the house father and his family, and a school-room, which is also convertible into a sitting. room for the boys. On the third floor is a family dormitory, a clothes-room and a room for the " elder brother," who ranks next to the house father. And since the reception of the first boy, from Hendricks county, January 23, 1868, the house plan has proved equally convenient, even as the management has proved efficient.
Other buildings have since been erected.
PART II.
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
CHAPTER I .*
GEOLOGY-SURFACE CONFIGURATION-GLACIAL DRIFT-GEN- ERAL SECTION OF THE COUNTY-HOT WELLS-PALEO- ZOIC GEOLOGY -- DEVONIAN AND SILURIAN AGES-FOSSILS- LOCAL DETAILS-CONN'S CREEK AND "WALDRON BEDS," Erc.
HIELBY COUNTY was organized as a municipality, pursuant to an act of Legislature, in 1821, and contains an area of 408 square miles, or 261,120 acres. It is bounded on the north by Hancock, east by Rush and Decatur, south by Decatur and Bartholemew, and west by Johnson and Marion counties. Shelbyville, the county seat. is twenty-six miles southeast from Indianapolis. Sugar Creek, Big and Little Blue Rivers, and Flat Rock, are the principal water courses. These afford a large amount of water power, only a small part of which is properly utilized. Brooks and creeks ramify into all parts, affording stock-water and drainage to their respective districts.
To the casual visitor the surface configuration is uniform and monotonous, except in the vicinity of Flat Rock River, in the southeastern parts, where hills and boldly escarped bluffs give va- riety to the view. As a rule the uplands slope gently to the rivers and creeks, presenting to the observer a great plain, nearly level, but with gentle undulations hardly sufficient to discharge the rain- fall, without artificial drainage. The upland divides attain a pretty uniform elevation of 900 feet above the ocean. The valley streams are usually from 100 to 175 feet lower. In some regions soils are made up from the destruction of local rocks, hence lean and thin, or, in other parts, the stiff, cold clays of unmodified glacial drift prevail. Remote from great rivers or actual beds of water, one is astonished to find almost the whole surface of the county covered with alluvium, either ancient or modern. This explains at once the uniform depth and fertility of the soil, and asks what great
* Adapted to this volume from the report of Prof. John Collect, state geologist for the year 1881.
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SHELBY COUNTY.
floods of water and ice plowed out these valleys. contrary to the usual westsouth direction of the drift, and afterward covered the hill tops and glacial drift with clay sands of the loess?
The forest mould and peaty soils are caused by the decay of leaves, grass and other vegetable remains. The alluvial loams of creeks and river bottoms, are due to causes now in action. Water, in swift motion, grinds rolling rocks and pebbles to sand and clay, a slow. but sure and mighty mill, and these, by floods. are spread upon overflowed lands, blessing them with renewed fertility. These deposits are from two to ten, and. on the larger streams. twenty feet in thickness, and make a soil of unrivaled fertility, always pro- ductive, and commanding full prices.
There was a period when a great lake of fresh water covered southwestern Indiana. and adjoining regions in Illinois, Kentucky, Mis- souri, etc. A sub-tropic or tropic climate prevailed. A southern vege- tation was known to exist, with the Elephant. Megalonyx. Peccary, etc. This lacustral deposit in these parts exhibits a summit level of about Soo feet above the ocean: hence. shallow on the elevated plateaus and dotted with island hills. it deeply covered with its waters the valleys previously eroded. The inflowing streams gave rise to slow currents, so that the deposits are often finely and dis- tinctly laminated. Few or no pebbles, only fine sands, are found even upon its shores. for the temperature did not permit the trans- porting agency of ice. The loess deposit is seen on many of the highlands of the county. and is well exhibited in the wagon road cut at the hilltop near Mount Auburn. Long exposure to rainfall and other atmospheric conditions have removed most of the deposit from the slopes, and its material modified by fluviatile action largely forms the tenacious soil of the " flat woods," or enriched by coarse sand, the loams of the river bottoms.
Glacial Drift .- The surface features of the county are largely due to the agencies of the great Ice Age. The underlying rocks, by parallelism of laminæ and strata. indicate that when upheaved from their ocean birthplace the general surface was nearly level, and now their general elevation would exhibit a line 1,000 to 1, 100 feet above the ocean, drawn from the highest points in Rush. De- catur and Shelby westward. to the knobs of Brown and Johnson counties, the intervening valleys being 300 to 500 feet deep. The hard-pan clays, gravel and boulders indicate the transporting and erosive powers of that slow, solemn river of icy mystery, and its summer sluices of torrent water, which has so wonderfully moulded the contour and blessed the soil of Indiana.
As a rule, the northern ice flow filled up ancient valleys. and river beds, as was determined by test bores and shafts in Knox,
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GEOLOGY.
Clay, Putnam, Vigo, Fountain and Tippecanoe counties, and as may be recognized in the sand and gravel pits near Waldron: pushing into such valleys, dividing hills and the masses of material beneath and at the foot of the glaciers and forming innumerable lakes, which dotted the entire surface of the State. At other times, the ice flow followed north and south valleys. or depressions parallel with the outcrops of the geological formations, as the rocks were more or less easily eroded by it and the existing conditions.
But all these elements and agencies cannot account for the re- sults exhibited in this and adjoining counties. The trend of the streams and valleys do not coincide with the dip of the underlying rocks. On the other hand, with slight southern deflections, they are parallel with the western extension of the axis of Lake Erie, and parallel with the general trend of the great valleys or benches crossing the State from east to west. The northern ice flow brought white. gray and black granites. and a multitude of speci- mens, positively indicating the line of transit by Lakes Michigan and Superior. In Shelby County few such rocks are found, but instead, massive boulders, from small, to six, eight and ten feet in diameter, are constantly, abundantly seen in the southern parts, of red felspathic granite, enough laminated to fix their gneissic or sed- ementary origin, closely resembling the red granites of Lower Canada and Vermont.
An inspection of the map of the state discloses the fact that the valleys of the actual streams crossing the county from northeast to southwest, have their sources near the eastern boundary of the State, and a water-shed, or general valley extends from the dividing ridge in Rush County to a similar divide in Hendricks County, con- ducting a central water-shed distinct from those of the Wabash and Ohio, with bluffs at the extreme barriers 1,000 to 1,200 feet above the ocean, and with a valley depth of 300 to 500 feet. Over much, or all, the included space, at various depths. are beds of gravel, sand and clays, showing that the whole included area has been subject to the denuding and modifying energy of currents of fresh water. This is especially true of Shelby County. Beds of gravel and sand are remarkably defined at Waldron and St. Paul, and in all the northwestern area: the irregularity of these pockets, of greater or less extent, often interrupted, very often partially re- moved, leaving mounds and knolls as the outliers at Waldron and St. Paul, indicates an inconstant stream, at one season with gentle current carrying only pebbles, sands and clays, but in the spring and summer, the season of melting ice, a mighty flood, with furious currents and sufficient volume to tear loose from the foot of the eastern glaciers great bergs and floating islands of ice, competent
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SHELBY COUNTY.
to bear the boulders of red feldspathic granite, some of which con- tain 300 cubic feet, and would weigh from 40,000 to 60,000 pounds, and are common on denuded points in the south part of the county.
Collett Glacial River .- Crossing the western bounds of the county, this great stream of water and icebergs impinges against and is obstructed, by the hilly district of Johnson and Brown coun- ties, having an elevation of 400 to 500 feet above the valley, and is deflected south perpendicular to the dip or along the strike of the rocks to the southern boundary of the State at Jeffersonville. This valley is a wonderful exhibition of energy and forces which have ceased to exist. The volume may be estimated by the amount of the erosion, which exhibits a width of five to ten miles, and depth of 300 to 500 feet as measured by the wall-like bluffs of the ad- joining high lands. The mighty ships which sailed upon this river sea were silvery bergs of ice, scattering boulders along its shore line, or in its depths as discovered in deep wells in Scott and Clark counties, its broad eastern pathway indicated by lower silurian fos- sils, found in Ohio and eastern Indiana. Economically, it furnishes an inclined plane, utilized as the roadway of the railroad from In- dianapolis to Jeffersonville. In the course of ages the valley was tapped by newer lines of drainage along the dip of the rocks by the east branch of White River, and the old bed silted up at and near Seymour, in Jackson County, depositing during this transition period of alternate eddy and current the vast hills and ridges of sand peculiar to that vicinage.
GENERAL SECTION.
I. Recent alluvium . 20 to Io .ft.
2. Ancient alluvium 50 to IO ft.
3. Lacustral Loess o' to IO ft.
4. Glacial drift . 20 to 50 ft.
Devonian.
5. Magnesian limestone, upper beds of Geneva lime- stone, Corniferous. 38 ft.
6. Rubble stone of Waldron and top of St. Paul quarries, Corniferous ? o to 14 ft.
Upper Silurian.
7. Blue shale, Waldron fossil bed, Niagari. 7 ft.
8. Blue limestone, Niagari. 9 ft.
9. Cherty limestone, top of St. Paul quarry, Niagari. 8 ft.
IO. Laminated quarry strata at St. Pauls, Niagari. . 54 ft.
Total. 19I ft.
25I
GEOLOGY.
The general section is an exhibit of all the strata and deposits of the county gathered from widely separated stations. The beds of recent or ancient alluvium have been generally referred to in the preliminary topographical description of the county. For' specific information the survey is indebted to Mr. David Louden for a state- ment of facts of high interest to science, but even more valuable economically to those who desire pure water free from organic matter from the lower beds. Mr. Louden has bored more than a thousand wells in different parts of the county. In the valley of Lewis and Slash creeks, the wells sought water above the boulder clay, and along the bluffs or edges of these valleys and were from twelve to eighteen feet deep, but along the center of the valley re- quired a depth of twenty-five to thirty-five feet, or twenty to twenty-five feet, below the present bed of the creek, showing that the ancient valley, two to three miles wide, had a riverway eroded through the boulder clay to a depth of thirty to seventy feet as compared with adjoining highlands or bluffs.
Average Scetion of Wells on Lewis and Slash Crocks.
Black peaty soil. 6 ft.
Yellow clay. 2 ft.
Sand and fine pebbles
27 ft.
Total 35 ft.
A similar state of affairs exists in the beautiful and productive valley of Blue River, as is shown by the following :
Average Section of Blue River Valley.
Alluvial loam . 2 to 6 ft.
Yellow clay 2 to 6 ft.
Sand and fine gravel.
30 to 23 ft.
Total 35 ft.
A well made for Jacob Henry gives the following exhibit :
Section at Manilla.
Soil .
3 ft.
Yellow loamy clay
7 ft.
Loamy sand. IO ft.
Boulder drift blue clay 47 ft.
Fine quicksand.
3 ft.
Snow white sand I ft.
Gravel and sand 2 ft.
Total
73 ft.
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SHELBY COUNTY.
Water was here as usual at the bottom of boulder clay, found in large supply, neither increasing in wet years nor decreasing at time of drouth. It rises to within one foot of the surface, and in- dicates a perennial fountain of pure water. A well on the adjoin- ing farms of Arbuckle and Mills, shows the following :
Section in Drift West of Manilla.
Soil. 2 ft.
Clay .
33 ft.
Quicksand 3 ft.
Blue clav . 5 ft.
Clay and gravel
3 ft.
Boulder clay .
I7 ft.
Sand and gravel. 3 ft.
Blue boulder clay
57 ft.
Total 123 ft.
All these bores indicate a probability of an abundant supply of pure water below the glacial or boulder clay. At the residence of W. E. Teal, in the southwest part of the county seat, a bore gave the following results - commenced twelve feet above low water in Blue River:
Shelbyville Well. S ft.
Alluvial soil
Gravel. 2 ft.
Fluvatile silt. I ft.
40 ft.
I ft.
Limestone
I ft.
Total 53 ft.
The following section shows the depth of the ancient river valley in one of the lowest points, the farm of Wm. Rouse, Southeast quarter, Section 3. Township 13. Range 5, near northwest corner of Sugar Creek Township, a region of level, rich, agricultural farm land:
Section of Ancient Alluvium.
Black soil
25 ft.
Clay and sand. 2 ft.
Gray clay and gravel. IO ft.
Quicksand. 3 ft.
Gravel, fine, no bottom
5 ft.
Total
45 ft.
Boulder clay
Sand and fine gravel
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GEOLOGY.
At Waldron, an elevated station, the ancient fluviatile action is well developed.
Section in Wells at Waldron.
Soil and loam 4 ft.
Yellow clay 6 ft.
Sand and gravel - fluviatile.
14 ft.
Gray clay I ft.
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