USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from the earliest times to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, etc. > Part 16
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was another old warehouse belonging to Mr. Mitchell. In the rear of his store on the cor- ner, stood the Kazar House. On the west side of Main street was an old frame, where W. & C. Bell afterward kept a drug store. Next came Sherwood & Rowley's two-story brick store, which was torn down when the Mer- chants' National Bank building was erected. Opposite this on the corner of Main and First stood an old log cabin and another log house next to the alley, opposite which stood Mr. Samuel Mansel's dwelling house weath- erboarded with clapboards. Above Second street on the lower side of Main were two or three small frames, in one of which Mr. James Scantlin, Sr., kept a tin shop. There was nothing on the other side. The old court-house stood on the corner of Main and Third streets. Court was held up stairs, while hogs and sheep contended for posses- sion below. Across the public square was a small brick school-house. Where the court-house now stands there was what seemed to be an old brick pond from which I often gave my cow water. The other cor- ner of the square contained the old jail, which stood a little off the street. Farther out above Fourth street, stood Mr. Varner Satterlee's frame residence, and across the street Mr. Henson's brick. At that time there were ponds, sloughs, gullies, and places for back-water, running nearly from Main street to the river and Pigeon creek, near its mouth. There was an old graveyard between Third and Fourth streets, two blocks below Main, and when there was a funeral, which occasionally took place, it was no light task to cut the way into it, such a thicket of brushwood and briers covered the ground."
In 1837 the real estate and personal property in Evansville was valued at $863,675, and the taxes assessed reached the sum of $3,266.061/2. The following
126
THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
citizens, all prominent men of that day and of later years, formed the board of trustees and filled the town offices: Robert M. Evans, president; James Lockhart, Wm. Walker, Edward Hopkins, Abraham B. Coleman, John Douglass, Thomas F. Stockwell and Francis Amory, trustees; Joseph Bowles, clerk ; James Cawson, treas- urer; John S. Hopkins, collector; and Amos Clark, attorney.
In this year the march of Evansville's progress and prosperity was checked and the extravagant hopes of her people were dashed to the ground. The financial crisis of 1837 is a part of the country's history. The banks suspended specie payments, real estate everywhere declined in value, and distress prevailed in all parts of the country. Evansville, instead of enjoying any immunity from the general calamity, received a greater blow, perhaps, than towns in other states, because of the downfall of the internal improvement system. The period from 1838 to 1844 was indeed gloomy; much property in the town passed into the hands of eastern creditors, in payment of the indebtedness of merchants and specula- tors, and for several years possessed very little market value; many were forced out of business and a considerable number left the town for other and better fields. The town decreased in population, wealth and commercial importance. For a time some struggled against the calamity and hoped for a betterment of conditions, but at length, with courage and patience exhausted, went into bankruptcy or turned over their posses- sions to creditors and migrated elsewhere to start anew. Among these was Amos Clark, Esq., a lawyer of early times, who maintained a high position at the bar and before the people. Col. Dobyns, of Tennessee, married Clarissa, daughter of Hugh McGary, and thus became possessed
of certain property interests in and about Evansville, which were entrusted to the management of Mr. Clark. The condi- tion of the times preceding and following the financial panic of 1837, is well shown by the personal letters which passed between these gentlemen at that time, from which some extracts are hère made.
Mr. Clark wrote to Col. Dobyns January 20, 1837, as follows:
" Dear Sir :- I have been applied to re- peatedly for leases upon the land adjoining' town, but have not yet given any, and think it best not to offer the land for sale. The favorable termination of the canal renders the land extremely valuable. I have no doubt but if it were laid out in lots it might, a considerable portion of it, sell from one to two thousand dollars per acre. The canal terminates in a large basin at the end of the street which leads out from the public square, and by opening a street to the Princeton road following the course of the street which divides the Lower enlargement from the original plat, will render this land of incalcu- able value. Laughlin has done nothing concerning the six acres on which the old steam mill stood. That piece is now worth not less than twenty thousand dollars. * Our railroad, I have no doubt, will be com- menced this year. The canal on this end of the line is under contract and the work is progressing."
Soon afterward conditions changed. On February 21, 1838, Mr. Clark wrote thus: " As to money, there is none in my hands or anybody's else in this part of the country. It is an article now more difficult to obtain than I ever knew it." He proceeded to tell of failures, assignments, the taking of mortgages and judgments to secure claims, and pictured the greatest financial distress. Again, June 6, 1838, he said: "As to getting money out of Walker, it is out of the question at pres-
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FINANCIAL DISASTERS.
ent. * * * It is impossible now to collect money except by suing, and under existing circumstances I would hardly ad- vise that course." More than two years later, on July 2d, 1840, he wrote, "I tried every means in my power to raise some cash for you, but it was out of the question. In fact there is no cash here. Town is dead and his estate is not settled. Goodsell is doing all he can, and will get through. Walker is worth money, but has got none, and says this week he expects to be pro- tested in bank. As to myself I shall recover judgments next term against some of the best men in the place sufficient to pay all I owe, and am determined to close my busi- ness as soon as the law will let me, so there is no use suing me." With an account of foreclosures, ejectments, etc., he portrayed greater distress than prevailed two and a half years earlier. The following letter is presented in full:
" EVANSVILLE, 4th March, 1840.
" Dear Sir :- I have not heard from you this winter, except Mr. Goodsell told me on my return from Harrisburgh, where I at- tended as a delegate to the National conven- tion, that he had received a letter from you. It will be advisable for you to be here at our court, by all means. The New Yorkers have brought their suit now for the land in an action of ejectment, of which I am this moment apprised, and it renders it still more necessary for you to be here. I have an- other reason why I want you to come. I have a good little steamboat exactly calcu- lated for your trade which I want to sell you. She sold last summer at $3,500.00, and an additional $500.00 was laid out on her. I will let you take her at a fair price and take claims here and property for her. By this means you will get your pay and have it under your control. She is a sound, good boat and will carry I suppose sixty or
seventy tons. Asto any money being now col- lected, or for years to come, it is out of the question. Our legislature has passed a most extraordinary law with a view to relieve the people, by which it will be next to impos- sible to collect debts, and have taken away one term of our court. Our public works are stopped, the state is bankrupt and half the people in it. Produce is low and falling, and what is to be done God only knows. I returned last night from a trip far up the Wabash and found times harder there than here, if possible. Property here can not be sold at any price, and I am well satisfied I can make you a trade in this steamboat that will be much better to you than to have your concerns lying as they now do. You will, of course, be here as soon as a letter could reach me: if not, write immediately. " Yours truly, " AMOS CLARK."
In 1838 the census showed a population in Evansville of 1,228, represented as follows : white males, 567; white females, 621; col- ored males, 24; colored females, 16. In 1840 the population of the county was 6,250, and of the town 2,121. In the last named year, the mercantile interests of Evansville were represented by the following individ- uals and firms: Shanklin & Johnson, Row- ley & Sherwood, llenry D. Allis, John Mitchell, John M. Stockwell & Co., Burbank & Co., Jones & Royston, Jerome B. Lamp- hear, John R. Wilcox, F. C. Gwathney, Alexander Price, S. W. Townsend, Edward Hopkins, John H. Maghee, William Cald- well, Fred Wetsell, Martin Schovel, A. B. Carpenter & Co., Charles L. Rhomann, C. M. Griffith, Robert Barnes, Thomas Gedney, Charles Folmen, Bittrolff & Geissler, Joseph Raim, P. Wise & Co., G. A. Meyers, G. Venneman & Co., J. E. Wood, B. Jacobs & Co., Daniel Wolsey, John Greek, Edward Jewell, W. & C. Bell,
128
THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
Decker & Kramer, L. & P. Hornbrook. was honorably compromised, but there was no possibility of inducing the legislature to undertake anew the scheme of internal im- A. M. Klein, C. Newburgher & Co., T. G. Thurston, Peter Vaughn, John S. Hopkins, A. Laughlin, J. Farquher, G. W. Miller, provement, and the national congress was Harrison & Walker, C. D. Bourne, C. Levy again looked to for aid. Hon. Conrad & Co., and J. W. Tileston & Son.
In the midst of these hard times the bril- liant and spirited campaign of 1840 was fought, and William Henry Harrison was triumphantly elected. The stirring scenes of that campaign can never be forgotten by those who witnessed them, and they form an interesting chapter in our national history.
About 1842 wise legislation and private thrift and economy brought back a fair de- gree of prosperity, and the country began to recover from the results of the panic. ' Evansville shared in the improved condition of affairs, but her revival was more largely due to favorable causes of a local nature. Faith in the future of the town, however, was not firmly fixed until about 1845. In the midst of the distress attending the busi- ness stagnation, in November, 1842, the town was swept by the most destructive fire that thus far had ever occurred in its limits. All the houses fronting on the east side of Main street, between First and Second, were destroyed. There were no fire engines in those days, and the citizens were compelled to carry water in buckets from a cistern lo- cated in the yard of the old State Bank, and had great difficulty in controlling the flames.
Work on the northern portion of the Wabash & Erie canal had been pushed for- ward as much as possible. It was completed to La Fayette in IS41, in which year a sec- ond grant of land was made by the general government. The sagacious and far-seeing men of that day held tenaciously to the idea that Evansville's location was exceptionally favorable for the building of a great city, and they set about industriously to work a realization of their hopes. The state debt
Baker, Gen. Joseph Lane, Hon. William Brown Butler, Willard Carpenter and other prominent men did their part in effecting an honorable settlement of the state debts, and in securing favorable legislation by congress. In 1845 the third grant of lands for the con- struction of the canal was made. It included one-half of all unsold lands in the Vincennes land district. The completion of the canal thus became assured, and the anticipation of the benefits to be derived from its success- ful workings strengthened confidence in fu- ture growth, and gave an impetus to business such as it had not felt before. At once hopes began to crystalize into facts, not so much through the agency of the canal when constructed (for, indeed, of itself it was a disappointment) but through the agency of other conditions and facts pro- duced by the anticipation of benefits to flow from the construction of this waterway. When pursuing wealth and prosperity in one direction other means silently combine to produce the desired results regardless of the touchstone sought after. Evansville be- came an El Dorado to which men of all classes flocked to better their conditions. Speculators visited the town, examined its advantages and prospects, pushed on across the prairies to Chicago, or went by steamer to St. Louis, investigated those places and returned to Evansville as the land of greater promise. Life, hope, and energy were in- fused into every branch of business. The surrounding lands far to the interior had by this time passed from the possession of the government into the hands of individuals, and the agriculturist seeking a new home was forced to induce some earlier settler to
129
FORTY YEARS AGO.
part with some of his holdings. Values of real estate in town and country rapidly ad- vanced. New farms were fast brought into cultivation, forests fell before the ax of prog- ress, and because of the productiveness of the soil, which had garnered in its pores the accumulating richness of ages, vast quantities of farm products found their way into the markets of Evansville. Merchants buying produce and shipping it southward and fur- nishing supplies of tea, coffee, sugar, spices, and manufactured goods to the farmers mul- tiplied and the volume of business transacted increased so rapidly as to occasion wonder and amazement. Long lines of wagons from points as far inward as Vincennes, La Fay- ette, and Terre Haute came to Evansville to effect these exchanges. Magnificent steamers daily landed at the wharf and lay for hours discharging and receiving freight. The levee as soon as it was constructed, in 1848, and prior to that time the river bank in front of the city, from end to end was stacked with produce of all kinds. This was the commencement of Evansville's career as a great commercial city. Her favorable position for handling the products of a vast and productive region, recognized for years and, indeed, from the first looked forward to as a source of greatness only awaiting development, was now yielding the rich fruits so long anticipated.
to enter upon broader fields of usefulness than were promised at the old homesteads. Evansville soon became a city in its pro- portions, its advantages and its importance.
On the 29th day of January, 1847, the governor of Indiana approved an act of the state legislature, granting to the citizens of the town of Evansville a city charter. Its mayor, the members of its first council, and its officers chosen at an election held on the first Monday in April, 1847, were all men of distinction and recognized ability. Hon. James G. Jones, a distinguished lawyer and citizen, was selected as mayor. In the council, which met for the first time on April 12, 1847, there were: L. L. Laycock, First ward: Silas Stephens, Second ward; Willard Carpenter, Third ward; C. M. Griffith, Fourth ward; L. Howes, Fifth Ward: John Hewson, Sixth ward. , The first officers of the city were: John J." Chandler, clerk; William Bell, assessor, col- lector and marshal; Samuel Orr, treasurer; James E. Blythe, attorney, and Wm. M. Walker, surveyor. At the time of its char- ter as a city, the area covered by its corporate authority was about 280 acres. It had within its limits about 4,000 souls; the valuation of its real estate and personal prop- erty was $901,324; and the amount of taxes assessed on this valuation was $3,319.47, a sum adequate for the needs of the young city, though insignificant when compared with the annual expenses of to-day.
Men of large attainments, broad experi - ence and dauntless energy were coming from lands beyond the sea, England, Ireland "Up to this period, notwithstanding Evansville had become the most important shipping point between Louisville and the mouth of the Ohio, a distance of 400 miles, very little wharf improvements had been made other than the cutting of roads through the high and almost perpen- dicular banks to the landing places. But the constantly growing commerce and and especially Germany, and from distant states, to engage in mercantile or profes- sional pursuits in this thriving place. Skilled artisans and manufacturing laborers were also seeking here a home. The descend- ants of the earlier pioneers in various parts of the country, of strong character and sterl- ing worth, in the vigor of youth, left the farms of their fathers and came to the town, increased shipping interests made it neces-
130
THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
sary to construct a wharf commensurate with the extensive business which was being established; and in March, 1848, the city entered into a contract with John Mitchell, Marcus Sherwood and Moses Ross to grade the river bank and complete a wharf having frontage on five squares, a length of nearly 2,000 feet. This at the time was consid- ered a great work, and was an important step forward in the commercial history of a place now dignified with municipal propor- tions and recognized by the important appellation of a City."
About this time saw- and grist-mills were springing into existence, some propelled by water and some by steam: a small foundry and machine shop and various other indus- ' tries which have since grown to huge pro- portions were begun on a small scale. The growth of schools and churches, as else- "where noted, was commensurate with the industrial advancement, and the community was supplied with an adequate number of those practicing the learned professions. In 1850, the census showed a population of 5,105, and at that time there were in the city, 10 grist-and saw-mills,-4 propelled by water; - about 100 stores, groceries and warehouses: 3 printing offices each issuing a daily newspaper : 15 lawyers; 16 physicians; 13 preachers, and a great variety of mechanical, manufacturing and mining laborers, all afforded constant employment by the abundance of coal in the vicinity and the demands of the large region of productive | by the company proposing to build country which made Evansville its supply depot. At this time the annual exports from Evansville amounted in round numbers to about 600,000 bushels of corn, 100,000 bushels of oats, 1,500 tons of hay, 1,500,000 pounds of pork and bacon, and large quan- tities of tobacco, wheat, potatoes and other products of the farm. the road. At the election there were cast 624 votes in favor of the proposition and 288 against it. The county treasury at this time was in a depleted condition, and when in June following, it became necessary for the county to pay $2.00 per share on the 500 shares required to be taken at once (the taking of the additional 1,500 shares being And now began the era of railroads. postponed until the company was properly
For several years this means of transporta- tion was more a feeder to the carrying trade of the river than a rival to it, but at length a revolution was wrought in the con- tinued progressive development, and the railway became the king of transportation. The canal was in course of construction when the feasibility of a railroad northward from the young city began to be seriously considered. Indeed, it was not completed and made ready for boats until 1853, and then it had but little influence on the growth of the city. Awaited for anxiously, in its coming it brought no fulfillment of promises. A few warehouse were constructed on its banks and there was some handling of freight, but the anticipated business activity was not realized, even to the tenth part. Its meager usefulness was of short duration, it being entirely abandoned about 1864, the railroads by that time having absorbed the whole of its business as a common carrier.
The practicability of railroads had been demonstrated, and progressive citizens were on the alert to keep Evansville fully abreast of the times. Early in 1849, the matter was thoroughly discussed, and at the March term in that year, of the board of commissioners, an election was ordered to be held on the following April 12, for the purpose of taking the sense of the people on the question of aiding in the construction of the Evansville & Indianapolis Railroad. by subscribing for. $100,000 worth of stock to be issued
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1-31
BEFORE THE WAR.
organized, etc.), it was forced to negotiate a note in bank to raise the necessary $1,000. At the same time the city, as a separate cor- porate body, also aided in the construction of the road by subscribing for $100,000 of its stock. The president of the company was Samuel Ilall of Gibson county. This pioneer railroad, whose construction was commenced in 1850, was subsequently known as the Evansville & Crawfordsville, and at present as the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad. Besides the incalculable value of this railroad to the city and county in developing their natural resources, both city and county realized handsomely on their investments, the stock subscribed by each being sold in ISSI for $150,000, to Mr. D. J. Mackey, whose energy and great execu- tive ability, as well as the public spirit con- trolling his actions, have made the property a great agent for good to the city of Evans- ville.
In 1853 the valuation of real and personal property had increased to $2,537,965.00, and the amount of taxes levied was $29,799.60. The growth of the city con- tinued, and in the tenth year of its career as a city, in 1857, the valuation of real and per- sonal property was $4,399,040.00, and the taxes levied amounted to $58,285.21.
In 1857 the adjoining corporations of Evansville and Lamasco, which had existed up to this time as separate municipalities, were consolidated, by the annexation of La- masco to Evansville. In location, business Wheat, bushels and social interests they had been one, and Flour, barrels. their union under one city government was Pork, barrels. a consummation which added materially to Bacon, hogsheads their prosperity. The city of Lamasco in- cluded that portion of the present city lying between Division street and Pigeon creek. It was laid out by four gentlemen, Messrs. John and William Law, and Macall and Scott, who gave the place a novel title, taking the | factured articles in that year :
first two letters of Law and Macall and the first three of Scott, thus succeeding in pro- ducing a distinctive and hitherto unheard of name. Later an unsuccessful attempt was made to change the name of the city of Evansville to Lamasco, the friends of the movement setting forth the advantage to re- sult from general advertisement over the country. The proposition, however, was not adopted.
Evansville had been made a port of entry in 1856, at which time trace chains and other staples of hardware were brought here from foreign countries. Manufacturing industries, however, were gaining a foothold, and in some branches an advanced position had been reached. But the chief cause of the prosperity enjoyed at that time was com- merce. The wholesale and jobbing trade had attained large proportions, and the ship- ments to the south of agricultural products were great. The board of trade report for IS57, prepared under the supervision of Judge M. W. Foster, gave the following figures as representing the sales of mer- chandise in the city for that year :
Groceries $2,034,629
Dry goods. 845,27I
Iron and hardware. 275,000
Boots and shoes .. 123,000
Drugs and medicines 69,095
Queensware 61,000
In the table of "exports," in this report, there were the following items:
Corn, sacks. 101,683
Oats, sacks 19,770
62,699
62,228
49,628
10,480
Lard, kegs 58,SS5
Tobacco, hogsheads 9,78I
The report shows the extent to which manufacturing had grown by the following items, indicating the amount of some manu-
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THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
Flour and shipstuff
$477,000
Stoves and castings.
120,000
Steam engines
165,000
Steam boilers ..
33,000
Saw-mill products
62,000
Planing-mill products
35,000
Furniture. . 96,000
Wagons and blacksmiths' iron
65,500
Brewery products
58,000
Tannery products.
58,835
The banking capital in that year, as rep- resented by the public banks, was $325,- 000.00. The population of the city was 12,250, and it was estimated that during the year 100 houses had been erected, valued at a quarter of a million dollars.
In this year there came to the country at large another financial crisis and period of business depression, from which there was no recovery before the outbreak of the civil war had changed social and business con- ditions. The working classes in Evansville had begun to feel the influence of hard times before enlistments for the army were called for. Some shops had closed their doors and operatives were forced into idle- ness and want. The favorable position occupied by Evansville with reference to the commerce of the Ohio river, prevented the distress from becoming general. Its shipments were constantly increasing, its population and wealth were growing, its trade was being extended and the city was apparently maintaining a steady and healthy progress up to the commencement of hos- tilities, but there were nevertheless many mechanics and shopmen out of employ- ment. Indeed, the manufacturing industries of the city were languishing; they were not keeping pace with the advancement being made in trade and agriculture.
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