History of Vigo county, Indiana, with biographical selections, Part 30

Author: Bradsby, Henry C
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : S.B. Nelson & co.
Number of Pages: 1032

USA > Indiana > Vigo County > History of Vigo county, Indiana, with biographical selections > Part 30

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"I arrived home late in the forenoon. Asa met me at the gate and took the pony to ride around to the stable, but somehow man- aged to fall overboard before he got there. This tumbling off the pony was chronic with Asa. I was warmly greeted by Mrs. Probst,

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Lane and the children. That night a letter which I had mailed at Vincenes arrived. I had taken that precaution in case I met with an accident."

CHAPTER XVIII. VIGO COUNTY FORMED.

BECAME A COUNTY, FEBRUARY 15, 1818.

TN our account of the. settlement of this particular spot on the Wabash River, we have now arrived at the time when the rapid increase of population demands that a new county be formed. In the beginning of the year 1818 this was Sullivan county, and the settlement in the vicinity of Fort Harrison became fully entitled to be stricken off and have their own convenient seat of justice, and this public necessity was heeded by the legislature. The following is the act:

AN ACT FOR THE FORMATION OF A NEW COUNTY OFF OF THE COUNTY OF SULLIVAN. APPROVED, JANUARY 21, 1818.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That from the fifteenth day of February next, all that part of the county of Sullivan included in the following bounds shall form and constitute a new county, that is to say: Beginning at a point on the Wabash river where the section line between fractions 14 and 23, in Range 11 west, Township 10 north, strikes the same; thence east with said line to where it intersects the range line dividing Ranges 6 and 7 west, Township 10 north; thence with said range line to the Indian boundary; thence north with said boundary to the division line between the State of Indiana and the Illinois Territory; thence south with said line to where it strikes the Wabash river; thence down said river to the place of beginning.

SEC. 2. The said new county shall from and after the fifteenth day of Febru- ary next be known and designated by the name and style of Vigo county, and it shall enjoy all the rights, privileges and jurisdictions which to a separate county do or may properly appertain and belong.

SEc. 3. That Elihu Stout, of Knox county; John Allen, of Davies county; Charles Scott, of Sullivan county; James D. Jones, of Gibson county, and Marstin G. Clark, of Washington county, be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners to designate the place for the seat of justice of Vigo county, agreeably to an act entitled " An act for fixing the seats of justice in all new counties hereafter to be laid off." The commissioners above named shall convene at the house of Trueman Blackman, in the neighborhood of Fort Harrison, on the third Monday of March next, and then proceed to discharge the duties assigned them by law.

SEC. 4. The board of commissioners, of said new county of Vigo, shall, within twelve months after the permanent seat of justice shall have been established, pro- ceed to erect the necessary public buildings thereon.

SEC. 5. Until suitable accommodations can be had, in the opinion of the circuit court at the seat of justice of said new county, all the courts of justice of the same shall meet at the house of Trueman Blackman, near Fort Harrison, from whence they may adjourn, if they think proper, to any other suitable place near the center of said new county, and as soon as the public buildings are, in the opinion of the circuit court, in a sufficient state of forwardness for their accommodation, the

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courts shall adjourn to the county seat; and after that time the circuit court and all other courts necessary to be holden at the seat of justice of the county aforesaid, shall be held at the county seat established for said county.

SEC. 6. Whenever the seat of justice of the said new county shall have been established, the person or persons authorized by law to lay off the lots and sell the same shall reserve ten per centum on the net proceeds of the whole sale of lots for the use of a county library in said new county, which sum or sums of money so received shall be paid over to such person or persons as may be authorized to receive the same in such manner and in such installments as shall be authorized by law.

SEC. 7. Be it further enacted, That the said county of Vigo, which was for- merly a part of Sullivan, shall form a part of the respective counties of-Knox, Davies and Sullivan, for the purpose of electing senators and representatives to the General Assembly, until otherwise directed by law, in the same manner as if this act had not been passed.

SEC. 8. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its publication.

This was the new county of Vigo [pronounced Veego, though the pronunciation Vygo is entirely permissible ]. The name is pure Spanish, and the soft pronunciation would seem to be preferable.

The boundary lines originally differed materially from those of the present. In the above description it will be noticed that the starting point is between Sections 14 and 23, where the line strikes the Wabash river, and then due east (this is just three miles north of the present southern boundary line of the county) ; then it ran east to the range line between Ranges 6 and 7 (that was two miles farther than the east line of the southern part of the county now is) ; then it followed this range line to the " Indian boundary line." That is now a "lost line " on the present maps, and hence the school children in studying their geographies could not trace out the original boundary line of the county without studying the history of the treaties with the Indians and Harrison's purchases, from time to time, of their lands. This Indian boundary line evidently was what was known to the Indians and the early settlers as " the 10 o'clock line."

This line runs in a northwest and southeast direction-as the Indians could comprehend about in the direction of the 10 o'clock sun. It passed the mouth of Raccoon creek in Parke county and passing east of Brazil to White river in Jackson county.

Vigo county then included on the east a strip two miles wide, commencing at the southeast corner of the county, and extending north to the south line of Township 13 and along the range line between 6 and 7, as now, but striking the Indian boundary line in what is now Parke county; then going northwest past the mouth of Raccoon creek to the State line. The county then included what is now a part of Clay, and the southwest part of Parke, and nearly the south half of what is now Vermillion county. ·

It continued in this shape until January 10, 1819. On the first day of January of that year the legislature passed an act contain- ing the following: "After the 10th of January next all that part of the county of Sullivan lying within the following bounds to

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wit: beginning on the Wabash river at the southwest of the said county of Vigo on the said river Wabash; thence with the meanders of the same to where the township line dividing Towns 9 and 10 intersects the Wabash; thence east with the said line to the range line dividing Ranges 6 and 7; thence north with the said line between Ranges 6 and 7 to the southeast corner of Vigo county, shall be, and the same is hereby attached and shall form a part of said county of Vigo."

January 9, 1821, the new county of Parke was formed from the north part of Vigo county. This fixed the north boundary line of Vigo county as it is now. The act provided: "That all that part of Vigo contained in the following bounds, shall form and consti- tute a separate county, viz .: Beginning at the line dividing the States of Indiana and Illinois, where the line between Townships 13 and 14 north, intersects the same; thence east to the line divid- ing Ranges 6 and 7, west of the third principal Meridian," etc.

The same year, December 31, 1821, the new county of Putnam was formed, and that again remapped Vigo. Its boundaries were as follows: Beginning in the center of Range 7 west on the line dividing Townships 10 and 11 north; thence east fifteen miles to the line dividing Ranges 4 and 5 west; thence north twelve miles to the line dividing Towns 12 and 13 north; thence east three miles; thence north twelve miles to the line dividing Townships 14 and 15 north; thence west fifteen miles to the line between Ranges 6 and 7; thence south six miles; thence west three miles, and thence south eighteen miles.

This act remained in force one year, when an amendatory act was passed, which restored to Vigo county her original boundary lines as they existed before Putnam was formed. The new boundary lines of Putnam, and restoring the territory of Vigo was an act of the legislature of December 21, 1822. The following are the new metes and bounds of Putnam: Beginning in the center of Town- ship 12, north, on the range line dividing Ranges 6 and 7, west; thence east twenty-four miles to the line dividing Ranges 2 and 3; thence north with said line twenty-seven miles to the line dividing Townships 16 and 17, north; thence west with said line twenty-four miles to the line dividing Ranges 6 and 7; thence south twenty- seven miles to the place of beginning.

This restored the territory of Vigo, "except any part of her original territory that might be in the new boundary lines of Putnam."

But in time some confusion arose as to the exact boundary lines, and the jurisdiction, especially of the counties, lying along the Wabash river.

In 1852, in order to correct any inaccuracies in the statutory

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definition of different counties' boundary lines, the general assem- bly passed an act dividing the State into counties and defining their boundary lines. Then in 1873 a supplemental act to the above was passed, and of Vigo county it is enacted:

" The district of country within the following boundaries shall form and constitute the county of Vigo: Beginning at a point on the Wabash river, where the line dividing Townships 9 and ten strikes the same; thence east to the line dividing Ranges 7 and 8; thence north to the line dividing Townships 12 and 13 north; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 32, Township 13, Range 7 west; thence north to the line dividing Townships 13 and 14; thence west to the State line; thence south with the State line to the Wabash river; thence down the same to the place of beginning."

This described the lines bounding the county, and especially the county's east line, dividing Vigo and Clay. It so remains at present, and in all probability will not be subject to any more changes.

The county was not fairly upon its feet as an independent mu- nicipality until some vexed questions arose as to the term of office of the county commissioners, and the legislature finally had to step in and untangle matters.

January 8, 1821, an act was passed "legalizing the board of county commissioners of Vigo County." The preamble recites the case:

WHEREAS, It is represented to this general assembly that in March, 1818, the county of Vigo was organized and three commissioners for said county were elected; and the aet organizing the board of county commissioners does not pro- vide when the election for commissioners shall take place upon the organization of the new county; and whereas, the first board were [was] elected in March, 1818, and Ezra Jones being clected one of said board, drew for one year, and Isaac Lam- bert, who drew for two years, and John Hamilton, who drew for three years; and the said board being of opinion that the seat of the said Ezra Jones would be va- catcd in August, 1818, ordered an election, whercupon the said Ezra Joncs was re-elected; and that in August, 1819, the said Isaae Lambert's seat would be vacated and ordered an election to fill the vacancy, when the said Isaac Lambert was re-elected to fill his own vacancy, and that in August, 1820, the said John Hamil- ton's seat would be vacated, and an election was ordered at the last annual election to fill the vacancy of the said John Hamilton, when Gersham Tuttle was elected and received his ecrtifieate and was sworn into office; and an election was ordered at the last annual election, also to fill the vacancy of Ezra Jones, who had previously resigned, and John M. Coleman was elected'to fill said vacancy; and whereas John Hamilton has considered that he has a right to his seat until March, 1821, in conse- quence of which four commissioners have appeared and taken their seats at the last meeting of the board of county commissioners; and whereas, doubts are enter- tained of the legality of said board sinee August, 1818, and also of the time of the commissioners clected in March, 1818, were to serve." After this very full statement of the tanglc the legislature confirmed all of them and legalized all their acts.

John M. Coleman was appointed by the legislature as one of the county seat commissioners for the new county of Parke formed out of the northern part of Vigo county.

In 1818 an act of the legislature authorized Jane Dubois execu-

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trix and Touissant Dubois and William Jones executors of Touis- sant Dubois, deceased of Vigo county, to sell and convey a por- tion of the lands of said deceased, not otherwise disposed of by his will, for the payment of the debts of the estate.

In 1818 the legislature appointed Touissant Dubois of Vigo county, one of the commissioners on county seat for the new county of Owen.

January 2, 1821, an. act apportioning the senators and repre- sentatives of the State was passed. By this act Vigo county was entitled to one representative. And the counties of Vigo, Sullivan, Greene and Owen were made a senatorial district.

January 2, 1819, the State was divided into four judicial cir- cuits, Vigo was in the first, and courts were to be held in the county in the "fourth Mondays in February, May and September, and shall sit six days, if the business requires it, at each term." The counties composing the first circuit were Knox, Sullivan, Vigo, Owen, Monroe, Lawrence, Dubois and Davies.

CHAPTER XIX.

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF VIGO COUNTY.

U PON this honorable body devolved the duty of creating and putting in motion the machinery of the new county.

The first meeting was May 13, 1818; John Hamilton and Isaac Lambert, commissioners, present.

First business consisted of authorizing an order to Curtis Gil- bert, clerk, $27 for record books; $10 to Nathaniel Huntington, for drawing bonds; $400 to William Durham "in part payment for building walls, etc., of court-house," and $300 to Elihu Hovey and John Brocklebank " in part payment for building the court-house," and John M. Coleman is allowed $300 "in part payment for build- ing the foundation walls and piers of the court-house." The money for public buildings came from the Terre Haute Land Company- the $4,000 the company gave to have the county seat located here. The court then adjourned.

The next meeting was June 25 following, when an additional payment of $60 was allowed John M. Coleman.

At the August meeting following, $10.75 was allowed Elisha U. Brown for surveying and laying out road in now Parke county.

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HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.

The same man was allowed $15 for " taking a list of the taxable property of the county " for the year 1818.

The law allowed the commissioners $2 a day for services in actual attendance.

The first board of commissioners was Ezra Jones, John Hamil- ton and Isaac Lambert.

At a meeting March 11, 1819, Andrew Brooks was appointed treas- urer of the county, and Elisha U. Brown, "lister;" Daniel Stringham was appointed superintendent of school Section 16, in Township 11, Range 9; Peter B. Allen in school Section 12 north, 9 west; Caleb Crawford for Section 13 north, Range 9; Joseph Walker for 14 north, Range 9; John Venesse, 16 north, 9 west; William Adams, 15 north, Range 8 west.

At this meeting the county was divided into four road districts. The next day the road districts increased to seven, and Otis Jones was appointed supervisor of first; John Dickson, second; Ezra Jones, third; Robert Graham, fourth; Joseph Walker, fifth; Robert Mitchell, sixth; John Beard, seventh.

In March, 1818, elections were ordered on first Monday of April following for the election of justices of the peace. Moses Hoggatt was appointed inspector of elections, and Elisha U. Brown, Joseph Walker and John Vanness also appointed election inspectors.

Ilis Jones, Elisha Bentley and William Walker were appointed to lay out the system of roads for the county. This included twenty- one new roads to be laid out, and to be opened immediately to accommodate each settlement.

The following rate of taxes for 1818 was fixed by the board: On first-rate land, every 100 acres, 50 cents; on second-rate land, 432 cents, and on third-rate land, 314 cents; for every horse, mare, mule or ass over three years old, 372 cents; for stallions, once the rate they stand by the year; every tavern $20; every ferry $5; for town lots 50 cents on every $100. Lucius H. Scott was appointed "agent" (that is, tax collector), and required to give bonds in the sum of $25,000.

In August, 1818, the board held a meeting at the house of Otis Jones for "the purpose of receiving testimony, and deciding the right of Lucius H. Scott to the office of sheriff." The first acting sheriff, Truman Blackman, had been appointed, and an election was held on the first Monday in August. Scott's election was contested on the ground that the election notices were not according to law. The contest was dismissed and Scott duly declared elected.

November 10, 1818, Touissant Dubois was licensed to establish a ferry at Terre Haute. He was required to "procure and keep constantly in good repair a flat-bottomed boat sufficient for the transportation of loaded wagons and four horses, and one good skiff

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for the transportation of passengers." The ferriage was allowed, for a wagon and one horse, 25 cents; wagon and two horses, 50 cents; wagon and four horses, $1; ox teams in proportion; man and horse, from April 1 to December 1, 122 cents, at other times, 25 cents ; cattle, 64 cents; hogs and sheep, 3 cents each. At the same time a license was granted Adam Weaver, for a ferry at Terre Haute on the same terms as the preceeding, and each was charged $10 license.

February 10, 1819, Andrew Brooks was appointed county treasurer; John Britton appointed same time "lister;" Peter Allen, inspector of elections in Harrison Township; James Jones, inspector in Honey Creek Township; William Adams, Jr., and John Durkee, inspectors in Wabash Township; Otis Jones was appointed constable in Honey Creek Township.

. In February, 1819, on the petition of Harrison and Independence Townships, two roads were established: One commencing at the west end of Ohio street, then direct to the Wabash river; the other commencing at the western shore of said river, running to Maj. Robert Sturgus' mill on Sugar Creek.

At the same time a road running east from Terre Haute to the county line, near the corner of Sections 1 and 4, Township 12, Range 7, was provided for, and Robert Sturgus, Caleb Crawford and William Walker were appointed viewers. This was road No. 30.

Another road at the same time was provided for to commence on Market street at the intersection of Swan and to run in the direction of Swan street; then west to the river, and to continue west from the west side of the river to Sturgus' mill.

Another road was provided for to commence at the Fort Harrison road opposite the lone tree near James Chesnut's on Honey Creek prairie; thence to the ford of the bayou; then to the Wabash river; then down the bank of the river to McClure's ferry, "or in that direction as far as the county goes."

Another act locating a road "from the school-house near the dwelling of Elisha Bentley on Honey Creek prairie," running west.

George Kirkpatrick, February, 1819, was licensed to keep a tavern in Terre Haute; Charlton Britton appointed constable in Harrison township; Robert Mitchell, constable for Wabash township; Solomon Lusk, for Independence; February 9, 1819, James Cun- ningham licensed to keep a tavern in Terre Haute.

At the same time Charles B. Modesitt and Curtis Gilbert were licensed to establish a ferry at Terre Haute. Their ferry was to run from Lots 256 and 257, at the foot of Ohio street [the board called it the mouth of the street ].

At the May session a road was ordered from Lambert & Dickson's

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mill to the house of Moses Evans, and then to the southeast corner of the county. Eleazer Aspinwall, agent for the Terre Haute Company, petitioned for change of road. Two justices of the peace were allowed for Wabash township.

May session, 1819, Joseph Malcom was authorized to open a ferry across Wabash river, south of Terre Haute. Same time tavern rates were fixed as follows: Whisky, half pint, 122 cents; rum, half pint, 372 cents; brandy and wine, pint, 50 cents; victuals per meal, 25 cents; horse kept on hay and corn, 50 cents; oats and corn per gallon, 123 cents; lodging per night, 12} cents. Tavern license in Terre Haute raised to $20 a year, and ferries at Terre Haute and John Durkee's and Salmon Lusk's ferries, $12 per annum, and the charges for ferrying reduced 25 per cent.

Elisha Bentley was appointed road supervisor for District No. 2; Isaac Lambert for No. 3; William Walker for No. 4; Abraham A. Markle for No. 5; Seymour Treat for No. 6; Peter Allen for No. 7; Gersham Tuttle for No. 8; Jacob Bell for No. 9; Joseph Walker for No. 10; Robert Sturgus for No. 11; John Durkee for No. 12, and Truman Ford for No. 13.

Under the law of 1819 Robert Harrison was appointed inspector of flour, beef and pork.

May 1819 the board " ordered that the act of the State entitled 'An act supplemental to an act for opening and repairing public roads and highways, approved December 31, 1818,' be, and the same is hereby in force in this county."

Same time the board selected the following petit jurors for the succeeding year: John Adams, Truman Blackman, Jacob Balding, Robert Brasher (hatter), James Bennett, John Briggs, John Blair, George Clem, Thomas H. Clarke, James Curry, Eli Chenoweth, John Campbell, Alban Davis, Archibald Davidson, William Phillips, Luther Franklin, Robert Graham, Gordon Hallaway, William Adams, Amos P. Batch, Robert Bratton, Michael Blair, John Beard, Michel Brouellette, Alexander Chamberlin, Stephen Campbell, Robert S. McCabe, Robert McCoskey, Isaac Chenoweth, William Drake, William Durham, John Dickson, George French, William Foster, Ariel Harman, William Hamilton, Caleb Arnold, William Bales, John Blocksom, Samuel Blair, John Bailey, Daniel Barbour, James Chestnut, Caleb Crawford, Anthony B. Conner, John McCaw, Nathaniel F. Cunningham, Joseph Dickson, David French (State treasurer), Thomas Ferguson, John Goodwin, Robert Hopkins, An- drew Himrod, Henry T. Irish, James Johnson, Otis Jones, Pierre Laplante, Elisha Parsons, Samuel L. Richardson, Abraham A. Mar- kle, Samuel May, Jeremiah Mote, Sr., Salem Pocock, George Rec- tor, John Robertson, Eleazor Paddock, Jr., Thomas Pucket, John C. Packard, James Pettingall, Henry Redford, Hamilton Read.

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Grand Jurors .- Peter Allen, William Adams, Jacob Bell, Elisha U. Brown, Abraham Elliott, John Hamilton, George Kirkwood, Joseph Liston, Joseph Leiceler, Samuel McQuilkin, Armstrong McCabe, William Paddock, George Rush, Joseph Shelley, William Thomas, Joseph Walker, Jeremiah Wilson, George Webster, George Jones, James Jones, Jr., Daniel M. Brown, David Barns, Joseph Evans, John Jenckes, John Kesler, Isaac Lambert, David Lyon, Macom McFadden, William Mote, Robert Sturgus, Robert Robin- son, Daniel Stringham, Gresham Tuttle, William Walker, Ebenezer Wilson, Charles B. Modesitt, David Likins, Abraham Markle, Elisha Bentley, Alexander Barns, John Earle, Henry Kuykendall, Thomas Pounds, Ezra Jones, John Mansfield, Robert Mitchell, Joseph Mal- com, Jeremiah Raymond, Dimsey Sibald, Seymour Treat, John Vannesty, Casper Weaver, Edmund Liston, James Hall.

George Clem petitioned to vacate road from Terre Haute, cross- ing Honey creek at John Goodwin's.

A road tax was levied for 1819, on every 100 acres-first rate land, $1.50; second-rate land, $1.311; third-rate land, 932 cents.

The grand and petit juries were furnished room at Dr. Modes- itt's.

August 17, 1819, board met at the house of William Walker. The business of this meeting was to investigate the legality of Isaac Lambert's re-election as commissioner. He was confirmed.

Out of this election grew the muddle in the doings of the board that had finally to be cured by act of the legislature recited in a pre- vious chapter.

The county commissioners who signed the records for 1820 were John M. Coleman, Isaac Lambert and Gersham Tuttle.

In the early part of 1821 a coroner's inquest was held upon the dead body of Isaac Ashton. Jurors in the case were William C. Lin- ton, Daniel Wylie, Thomas H. Clarke, Thomas Rodgers, Abraham Morehead, Samuel Mites, Macom McFadden, Robert Graham, Samuel Slaven, John Slaven, John Harris and Reuben Newton.

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History of Vigo county, Indiana, with biographical selections, Part 30

Author: Bradsby, Henry C Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago : S.B. Nelson & co. Number of Pages: 1032

Author: Bradsby, Henry C
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : S.B. Nelson & co.
Number of Pages: 1032