USA > Indiana > Tipton County > History of Tipton County Indiana > Part 5
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His situation was now desperate, and the wolves were every minute growing more daring, as if determined to have his life's blood. As they would spring up around him the foam from their mouths bespattered his garments, while their huge jaws seemed to come together with a peculiar sharp click, as of a fierce steel trap, sounding in his ears like the warning of the death rattle. He felt that he was lost, but determined to die bravely. Fortunately in the heat of the encounter there flashed across his mind the thought of his three faithful dogs that he had slipped away from and left in their kennels at the cabin, and which he knew if they could only hear his voice would soon be at the side of their master, ready to do his bidding. He yelled their names with all the power that was in him, even the wolves paused to listen. A moment later there came to his ears a most welcome sound. His dogs had recognized his voice, and were coming as fast as canine legs could carry them. Louder and louder he yelled, and with renewed courage he attacked the savage beasts with such vigor that they found it difficult to dodge the rapid strokes.
The dogs, in a few moments more, bounded upon the scene and at once engaged the wolves in a ferocious conflict, thus diverting the latter's atten- tion and permitting Thomas to escape to his house, exhausted, torn and bleed- ing, but still clinging to the remnant of "Dirty Camp," which was preserved for many years afterward as a sacred reminder of that heroic struggle. Un- fortunately the three faithful dogs were killed and torn to pieces by the wolves, but not until they had made a desperate fight and saved their master's life
Thomas afterwards owned the first threshing machine in Tipton county, and became a soldier in the Civil war, serving under General Grant at Vicks- burg. But during that memorable siege he contracted a disease from which he died shortly after his return home.
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CHAPTER IV.
ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT.
ACT OF LEGISLATURE CREATING TIPTON COUNTY.
In 1842 and 1843, the Miamis were removed west of the Mississippi river, after which the pre-emption of lands in the reserve, though they were not yet thrown into market, was rapid, and the improvement and settlement were as extensive as if the land had been placed in the land offices for sale. The settlement in the present counties of Howard and Tipton was so rapid that the State Legislature was formally petitioned to create two new mem- bers, which was done during the session of 1843 and 1844, the enactment in full being as follows :
"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana, That all the country included within the following boundaries shall form and constitute the county of Tipton, to-wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 36, township 23 north, range 2 east, thence east to the northwest corner of section 33, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence south to the line dividing townships 20 and 21 north, thence west to the line dividing ranges 2 and 3. thence north to the place of beginning.
"Section 2. That all of the country included within the following boun- daries shall form and constitute the county of Richardville, to wit: Begin- ning at the northeast corner of section 36, township 23 north, range 2 east, thence north to the southeast corner of section 13, township 23 north, range 2 east, thence west to the line dividing ranges 1 and 2, thence north to the line dividing townships 24 and 25 north, thence east to the northwest corner of section 4, township 24 north, range 6 east, thence south to the northwest corner of section 33, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence west to the place of beginning.
"Section 3. Daniel P. Alder, of Grant county ; Jesse Carter, of Clinton county ; Samuel Cunningham, of Hamilton county ; Giles W. Thomas, of Cass county ; James Nowland, of Madison county, and Lewis D. Adkins, of Miami county, be, and they are hereby appointed, commissioners for the purpose of
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fixing the permanent seat of justice in the said county of Tipton, agreeably to the provisions of an act to establish seats of justice in new counties, ap- proved January 14, 1824. The said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet at the house of Jesse Brown in said county of Tipton, on the sec- ond Monday in May next, or as soon thereafter as the majority of them shall agree upon.
"Section 4. John Moulder, of Parke county; Himelias Mendenhall, of Miami county; John Armstrong, of Carroll county; Oliver Raymond, of Wabash county, and Samuel Colip, of Hamilton county, be, and are hereby appointed commissioners for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of justice in the said county of Richardville, agreeably (etc., as in section 3). The said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet at the house of James Harrison in the said county of Richardville, on the second Monday in May next, or as soon thereafter as a majority of them shall agree upon.
"Section 5. The said commissioners shall locate the permanent seats of justice of the said counties as near the center thereof as a convenient site can be obtained, taking into consideration the amount proposed to be donated for the public buildings in said counties. Provided, however, if the land where the said county seats are to be located is not surveyed, and a good and suffi- cient title cannot be obtained. then the said commissioners shall convene for the purposes aforesaid as soon as such survey is made and a title can be ob- tained.
"Section 6. From and after the first day of May next, the said coun- ties of Tipton and Richardville shall enjoy all the rights and jurisdictions which to separate counties do or may belong.
"Section 7. It shall be the duty of the sheriff of Hamilton county to notify the commissioners hereby appointed to locate the seat of justice in the county of Tipton by writing of their appointment and the time and place of their meeting, and the county of Tipton shall make such sheriff a reason- able compensation for his services.
"Section 8. It shall be the duty of the sheriff of the county of Carroll to notify the commissioners hereby appointed to locate the seat of justice in the county of Richardville, by writing of their appointment and the time and place of their meeting and the county of Richardville shall make such sheriff a reasonable compensation for his services.
"Section 9. The circuit and other courts of the county of Tipton shall be held at the house of Jesse Brown in said county, or at any other place where said courts may adjourn to until suitable accommodations may be had at the seat of justice.
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"Section 10. The circuit and other courts of the county of Richardville shall be held at the house of John Harrison in said county or at any other place where the said courts may adjourn to until suitable accommodations may be had at the seat of justice.
"Section 11. The boards doing county business in said counties, when elected and qualified, may hold special sessions, not exceeding three, the first year after the organization of the said counties, and shall make all necessary appointments, and do and perform all other business that might have been necessary to perform at any regular session, and take all necessary steps to assess and collect the state and county revenue.
"Section 12. The county of Tipton shall be attached to and form a part of the eleventh judicial circuit, for judicial purposes, and shall be attached to the county of Hamilton for representative purposes, and to the counties of Hamilton and Boone for senatorial purposes, and to the fifth congressional district.
"Section 13. The county of Richardville shall be attached to and form a part of the eleventh judicial circuit for judicial purposes, and shall be at- tached to the county of Carroll for representative purposes, and to the coun- ties of Carroll and Clinton for senatorial purposes, and to the eighth con- gressional district.
"Section 14. The circuit courts in the county of Tipton shall be held on Mondays, succeeding the courts in Jay county, and shall continue three days if the business requires.
"Section 15. The circuit courts in the county of Richardville shall be held on Thursdays succeeding the courts of Tipton county, and shall con- tinue three days if the business requires.
"Section 16. The sixth section of an act approved February 16, 1839, entitled 'An act for attaching certain territory to the counties therein named', and for other purposes, be and the same is hereby repealed.
"Section 17. The act entitled 'An act to compel speculators to pay a road tax equal to that paid by actual settlers,' approved January 31, 1843, is hereby extended to the county of Tipton.
"Section 18. This act to be enforced from and after its passage.
"Approved January 15, 1844."
THE FIRST ELECTION.
On March 27, 1844, William Harrington was commissioned sheriff by Governor Whitcomb, and given power to order an election of the necessary
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officers to organize the new county of Tipton. May 27, 1844, was accord- ingly selected as the date that the first election of the county should be held. Elections were advertised for three commissioners, two associate judges, one clerk of the circuit court, and one recorder, to be held in Cicero, Madison, Jefferson and Prairie townships. N. J. Jackson was elected clerk; Sylvester Turpen, recorder ; Joseph Goar, associate judge; Silas Blount, associate judge.
FIRST VOTERS.
The names of the voters at this first election were: In Madison town- ship, Henry Harbit, D. G. Wright, John Morris, Spencer Etchison, Isaac Shaw, C. T. Jackson, Isaac Harbit; Granville Gibson, Josiah Gilliland, James Merritt, George Leaman, Henry Sloan. H. H. Hobbs, Bert Wright, T. Star- key, William Harrington, Philip Ledsinger, Reuben Farlow, James Cross, Zimri Brown, Joseph Henderson, Gabriel Martin, William Townsend, Will- iam Orr, Silas Blount, William Birch, Colbern Birch, Jr., Thomas Cooper, John Bilheimer, Richard Miner, R. E. Davison, L. T. Hobbs, Charles Thur- man, William Stevenson, James Forsythe, John B. Cole, Benjamin McCash- land, John Little, Amasa P. Cassler, W. H. Stokesberry, Harvey Stokesberry, J. L. Jack, George Rhodes, Samuel Judy, John Etchison, Adam Elder, John W. Balser, George Little, Samuel Townsend, Samuel Bottorff, Edward Sharp, Absalom Hobbs, James Shaw, Sr., James Shaw, Jr., Ira Plummer, Daniel Etchison, George Myerly, Thomas Jackson, Nicholas Fox, John Russell, Jo- seph Goar. and Enos Mills. In Cicero township, David Miller, Jacob Whis- ler, T. C. Parker, Samuel Ledgerwood, M. L. Thomas, George McNeil, Dan- iel Welshons, Jesse Brown, Edward Good, George Van Buskirk, E. D. Thomas, Samuel S. White, Andrew Carpenter, David Webber, D. G. Wilkes, John Beck, Lewis Beck, Stephen Weller, Green Lilly, George White, Solo- mon Miller, James Teichnor, James Johnson, Sylvester Turpen, J. C. Balser, James Myerly, William Welshons, William Sharp, Abraham Goodykoontz, S. H. Newlin, John Johnson, Solomon Smith, Joseph Van Buskirk, March Tucker, Joseph Sumner, George Tucker, E. R. Conner, Harvey Goodykoontz, Allen Goodpasture, John Emehiser, George Smith, Joseph McMurtry, James Cooper, A. M. Young, Jonathan Reed, Arthur Davison and E. S. White. In Prairie township the voters were : William Nickerson. Joseph McConnelly, Elijah Harder, Joseph Harness, Jesse Stepp, George Teter, Hardin Stepp, S. T. Harlow, John Parker, William Parker, Eli Teter, Edward Jackson, Wesley Herron, Jesse Coleman, Ebal Teter, Benjamin Stewart, David Camp- bell, Perry Evans, Robert Armstrong, Solomon Edmundson, John Herron,
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J. W. T. Duvall, David Humphreys, John Farlow, John Cooper, William Pfaff. John Sharks, Edward Stivens, G. A. Search, A. Small, Abraham Ploughe, John Nutter, George Forsythe, J. A. Wright, G. W. B. Parks, George Tucker, David Kemp, William Black, Levi Dunn, William Campbell, D. S. Pritchard, A. Pitmore, Daniel Stephens, W. H. Richardson, Ambrose Conn, James Miller, E. M. Sandridge, William Stewart, William Dye, George Dye, Archibald Montgomery. G. N. Phares. William Turpen, Curtis Prit- chard and Robert Alexander. The list of voters of Jefferson township is not on record.
ORGANIZATION OF TIPTON COUNTY.
On Monday, the 3rd day of June, 1844, the three county commissioners who had been elected met at the home of Jesse Brown, to set the official ma- chinery of the county in motion. William Harrington announced himself sheriff by virtue of his commission from Governor Whitcomb, and the county commissioners formally introduced their certificates of election. The first commissioners were Robert E. Davison, John D. Smith and Thomas Jackson. The first act was to draw lots for the long and short terms, which was done with the following results: Davison, one year; Smith, two years; Jackson, three years. N. J. Jackson was appointed temporary county auditor, and Jesse Brown, county assessor. Brown had previously served as county as- sessor under appointment from the commissioners of Hamilton county, and he presented his assessment list, which was received, and he was paid eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents for his services for twelve and a half days. The board then proceeded to create townships as follows: Madison to be six miles square, in the southeast corner of the county; Cicero to be six miles square, and to adjoin Madison on the west; Jefferson to be six miles north and south and eight miles east and west, and located west of and adjoining Cicero; Prairie to be all of the county north of Jefferson township. Elec- tions in Madison were ordered held at the house of John B. Cole; in Cicero, at the house of Jesse Brown; in Jefferson, at the house of Stephen Bleven, and in Prairie, at the Montgomery school house. John Hogan was granted a license to vend merchandise for six months for fifty, cents, his capital amount- ing to sixty dollars. This gentleman, at that period, was not rich. All road supervisors who had previously been appointed under Hamilton county juris- diction were ordered to open all roads that had been properly laid out and graded. Two justices of the peace were ordered elected in each of the town- ships. Madison, Cicero and Jefferson, and one in Prairie. At the September term, 1844. N. J. Jackson was again appointed temporary auditor, as he had
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not yet qualified as clerk, to which office he had been elected. Elias S. Con- ner was appointed constable of Cicero township. Madison was divided into four road districts, Cicero into three, and Jefferson into four. Jesse Frasier was appointed constable of Prairie township. The county was divided into three commissioner's districts, as follows: All east of an extended line be- tween sections 31 and 32, township 21 north, range 5 east, to be district num- ber 1; all east of the extended eastern boundary of section 36, township 21 north, range 3 east, to be district number 2; all the remainder of the county to be district number 3. On Monday, October 14, 1844, David P. Alder, Jesse Carter, Samuel H. Cunningham and G. W. Thomas, four of the five commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate the county seat, ap- peared and after investigating the merits of several locations, finally drove the stake and permanently fixed the seat of justice of Tipton county on section II, township 21 north, range 4 east, on a tract of one hundred acres that was donated to the county by Samuel King in consideration of having the county seat located thereon. These commissioners were paid one hundred and fifty- nine dollars for their services and discharged. The county seat was named Canton. William H. Nelson was appointed county agent and directed to lay out the new county seat after a design of a plat supplied by the locating commissioners, and was ordered to sell not exceeding fifty of the lots so laid out. As the county had no funds to carry on expenses, the auditor was di- rected to produce a quire of printed county orders, which were to be issued to raise money.
In December of the year 1844 Charles Thurman was appointed county surveyor. In laying out Canton, now Tipton, he was assisted by John Cris- well, Jesse Brown, M. L. Thomas and E. D. Thomas. Andrew Evans was clerk of the first public sale of town lots, and James Graves was auctioneer. A. M. Young became sheriff in the autumn of 1844. N. J. Jackson was for- mally qualified as clerk and took office. He relinquished the office of auditor. George Tucker was.licensed to sell liquor in January, 1845. The buyers of lots in Canton up to March 3. 1845, were Daniel Smith, Lewis Jones, Silas Blount, E. S. White, Lewis Beck, Jesse Frasier, Daniel Lister, J. M. Chew, Samuel Neese, D. G. Wilkes, N. J. Jackson, George Tucker, L. C. Phares, Daniel Welshons, William Ballard, M. L. Thomas, Brown and Whisler, Sam- uel Dale, J. N. Starkey and Wilson Thompson. The total receipts of the sale thus far were seven hundred and two dollars and seventy-five cents, one- fourth of which was cash. Almost all of the early funds of the county came from the sale of town lots. This was a very important source of revenue, but the county was forced to issue orders at a considerable discount, which
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discount continued to increase as time passed and the orders were not re- deemed. In June, 1845, Joseph Van Buskirk was paid in orders twenty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents, for assessing the county. The first county tax levied was in 1845, upon the basis of an assessment, twenty-one and a quar- ter cents on each one-hundred-dollar valuation, and seventy-five cents on each pole. The cash receipts on the county levy were very small and the delinquent list began to increase. The first court house was built in 1846 and a jail was constructed during the previous winter. Roads began to be laid out in the more needed places of the county. Township and county officers were paid in county orders and a discount of about ten per cent. The rapid settle- ment of the county began to be felt in the presence of money brought in by the new settlers. Business was done, however, largely by a system of ex- changing, balances often being disposed of by the transfer of some article of value. Butter, eggs and produce were worth so much sugar, coffee, calico or tobacco. Deer skins were marketable at about one dollar each. The county only gradually grew out of its early financial difficulties.
LATER TOWNSHIP BOUNDARIES.
In June, 1847, Wildcat township was created as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 32, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence south five miles, thence west twelve miles, thence north five miles, thence east twelve miles to the place of beginning. At the March term, 1849, the town- ships were given the following boundaries: Madison, located in the south- east corner of the county, to be eight miles from north to south and five and a half miles east and west; Cicero, located next west of Madison, to be seven and a half miles from east to west, on the south, thence north`six and a half miles, thence east one mile, thence north one and one-half miles, thence east six and a half miles, thence south eight miles to the place of beginning : Jef- ferson. located next west of Cicero, to be seven miles east and west, and six and a half miles north and south; Prairie, to commence at the southeast cor- ner of the northeast quarter of section 32, township 22 north, range 4 east, thence west eight miles, thence north six and one-half miles, thence east eight miles, thence south six and one-half miles, to the place of beginning; Wildcat, to commence at the southeast corner of section 20, township 22 north, range 6 east, thence west twelve miles, thence north five miles to the county line, thence east twelve miles, thence south five miles to the place of beginning. In June, 1849. Liberty township was created as follows: To commence at the northeast corner of section 32, township 23 north, range 6 east, thence west
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M.KLEYLA
MEAT MARKET BY
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EAST JEFFERSON STREET, TIPTON, IN 1885.
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seven miles, thence south five miles, thence east seven miles, thence north five miles, to the place of beginning. At the same time, Wildcat township was bounded as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of section 32, town- ship 23 north, range 6 east, thence west seven miles, thence south five miles, thence east seven miles, thence north five miles, to the place of beginning. In September, 1851, a portion of eastern Prairie was attached to Liberty, and a portion of southeastern Prairie to Cicero. In September, 1855, the boun- daries of Cicero and Jefferson were altered to present size. In 1857, fifty- four citizens of Liberty and Wildcat townships petitioned the county board to create a new township out of certain portions of those two townships, but action by the board was postponed, and finally dropped completely. In 1860 a petition to change the boundary between Madison and Cicero townships to a half mile east was refused.
COUNTY SEAT NAMED.
In the year 1848 the name of the county seat was changed from Canton to Tipton, in honor of Gen. John Tipton. Late in 1847 George Tucker, Zimri Brown and O. H. Perry were appointed as agents to see that proper donations of land for the necessary depot buildings were given the Peru & Indianapolis Railroad Company.
SALOONS.
On the first Monday in April, 1847, the townships were required to vote on the question of licensing the sale of liquor within their borders. Every township voted "wet". In April, 1849, the townships again voted on the liquor question, and Madison was the only township which voted "dry". Saloons were called in those days "wet groceries".
COURT HOUSE HISTORY.
Early in the year 1845, Jesse Brown was given orders to advertise for sealed proposals for the erection of a frame court house, twenty by twenty- four feet, two stories high, to be roofed with poplar shingles, to be con- structed on lot 3, block 10, Canton, to be ready by June 1, 1845. In Febru- ary of that year the contract was awarded to the successful bidder, George Tucker, who was paid the first installment on March 5, 1845. The building was erected in due time, and the contract for completing, partitioning and
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furnishing the house was let to Jacob W. Whisler and Christian Eshelman, for two hundred and thirty-eight dollars, the work to be completed by No- vember, 1845. This was accomplished according to contract, the contractors receiving their pay in March, 1846. Under orders, N. J. Jackson purchased two stoves, for thirty-seven dollars and seventy-seven cents in December, 1845, for the court house, and using the town lot fund for the purpose of gaining the money. The cost of this first court house was approximately twelve hundred dollars. It had a hall running through from east to west, and on each side of the lower story were two rooms for the accommodation of the county officials. The upper story was occupied by the court room. In June, 1846, Solomon Smith, who had donated to the county two thousand feet of good lumber for the public buildings, was directed to deliver the same at the court house. In September, 1846, James Cassler contracted to clear the court house square for thirteen dollars and twelve cents. At the same time, George Tucker, under orders, secured twelve chairs for the court house. In the autumn, quite an extensive addition was built to the court house, at a cost of several hundred dollars. This was rendered necessary owing to the crowded condition of the offices. In 1855, a much-needed fence was placed around the public square, and in December of the same year Samuel Deal and Harvey Goodykoontz were appointed to see the erection of additional county offices on the square, the building to be of frame, four- teen by twenty-eight feet, nine feet high, with a partition in the center, the rooms to be ceiled and plastered. The building was completed in June, 1857, at a cost of three hundred and twenty-nine dollars and nine cents. About this time the court house was unfortunately or fortunately destroyed by fire, and the county courts were forced to meet in the Methodist church on South In- dependence street, which had been erected about three years previously.
THE SECOND COURT HOUSE.
In June, 1858, Nelson Daubenspeck, of Hamilton county, contracted to build a new court house for Tipton county, within two years, for ten thou- sand dollars, of which one thousand was to be paid November 1, 1858, three thousand the first of January, 1859, three thousand the first of January, 1860, and three thousand when the building was completed and accepted. The foundation of the building was three and a half feet high, two feet thick at the bottom and twenty inches thick at the top. The outer wall was to be of hammer-dressed limestone, and the inner walls either of brick or limestone, eighteen inches thick. The walls of the building were of brick, the outside
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