History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 103

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104

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The next most important matter for these newcomers to consider was the organization of the county and the location of the seat of justice or the county seat. There was considerable contro- versy over this question, but the Hart neighbor- hood being the largest, their voice prevailed and the name Spencer was adopted.

Spencer is a thriving little city, situated on the west bank of the west fork of White river, fifty- three miles southwest of Indianapolis. The United States census of 1910 shows it to have a population of 2,150. The Indianapolis and Vin- cennes division of the Vandalia railroad passes through the city, which gives first-class accommo- dations to the traveling public. Spencer is sit- uated in a valley, beautifully located, and has the reputation of being one of the prettiest cities in the State. It is surrounded with majestic hills on all sides, with scenery and a combination of natural views not often seen, and the "Narrows" above and below the city are fine resorts for boat- ing. Boon's Cave, McCormick's Creek, the Falls of Cataract and many other places are popular re- sorts for many pleasure seekers and the weary in search of rest.

"Lovely village of the plain,

Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid, And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed."

The county was named Owen, in memory of Major Abraham Owen, a gallant Kentucky officer who fell in the battle of Tippecanoe and the county seat was named Spencer in honor of Captain Spire Spencer, another gallant Kentucky officer, who was killed in the battle of Tippecanoe.

EARLY EVENTS.

The first wedding recorded in Owen county, marriage record No. 1, P 1, was Pitman Chance to Nancy Hicks, October 4, 1819. The first white child born in Owen County was John R. K. Dunn,

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HISTORY INDIANA

DEMOCRACY-1816 -1916

December 12, 1817. The first court was held in the , county March 1, 1818, at the house of John Dunn, Honorable Amory Kinney, President Judge; Hugh Barnes and Joseph Freeland, Associate Judges; John R. Freeland, Clerk; Andrew Evans, Sheriff ; John F. Ross, Prosecutor for the State. John Mitchell, Thomas McNaught and John Milner were the first county commissioners. John Bartholo- mew was the first county treasurer. There were but three townships at the time of the organiza- tion of the county, and the western boundary line of Owen was the eastern boundary of Vigo county. The first taxes levied were in 1819, as follows:

FOR STATE PURPOSES.

On first rate lands $1.00 on each 100 acres.

On second rate lands 87} cents on each 100 acres.

On third rate lands 62} cents on each 100 acres. And on bond servants $3.00.

FOR COUNTY PURPOSES.

On first rate lands 50 cents on each 100 acres.

On second rate lands 432 cents on each 100 acres.

On third rate lands 312 cents on each 100 acres. And on horses 37} cents per head.

The salaries for the following county officers for the year 1819 were allowed by the board of commissioners as follows :

John R. Freeland, County Clerk $25.00

Andrew Evans, Sheriff 22.00

William Alexander, Lister (Assessor) 20.00

COURT HOUSE ERECTED.

The board of commissioners at its September term, 1819, made an order for the erection of a temple of justice, and the specifications as they appear on the ancient record of these worthy offi- cials are as follows: "A double log house, one room to be 20 feet square, the other 16x20, with a passage between 12 feet wide, all to be covered un- der one roof, the logs to face 8x12 inches, the story 10 feet high, foundation to be raised 6 inches above the ground, on rock, to be covered with a good clapboard roof, a puncheon floor to be laid in each, each room to be chinked and daubed on the outside, one door and one window in each room, the shut- ters to be made of plank and hung on iron hinges." Here was the beginning of reckless extravagance and a waste of the people's money. No such thing had ever been heard of in this county as doors on iron hinges. The hinges of these sturdy pioneers upon which the doors were hung were hinges made of wood, and a wooden latch with a wooden catch fastened to the door case into which the latch dropped, and this locked the door, which could only be unlocked by a member of the family on the inside of the cabin. But in order that the

door might be unlocked from the outside, a gimlet hole was bored through the door about 5 or 6 inches above the latch, a string was then attached to the latch and pushed through the gimlet hole and hung down on the outside, and by pulling the string, the latch raised and the door opened. At night when the inmates retired, the string was pulled in and the door was locked. Many who wished to make themselves more secure, bored an auger hole at a proper angle into the door cas- ing which was most usually a hewed log or punch- eon, and then a wooden pin inserted, which clamped the edge of the door to the puncheon or door casing. This was thought to be ample secur- ity by the inmates as against intruders; the pin serving as a kind of time lock to the latch, and was regarded a burglar-proof protection. The court house was to be finished in the following May, 1820. It was the first house built where the town of Spencer now stands. That unique and primeval structure still stands where it was built, on lot 98 at the southeast corner of the public square. The logs have been weatherboarded on the outside, and the building has been used for a residence for many years.

At the May term of the commissioners' court, among the orders and allowances made by the board at said term was an allowance made to John Dunn, for $9.87} for whisky, furnished the county on the day of the sale of town lots in the town of Spencer. At the special session of the board, held August the 11th, 1820, it was ordered that a jail be built on the public square, of the following dimensions: To be 18x36 feet, the tim- ber to be of oak, black walnut, locust or coffee-nut; the logs to be hewn one foot square for walls, floors and ceiling. At the November term, 1820, Lewis Noel was allowed $338.60 for building the jail, and as the winter was near by and the weather was getting cold, Daniel Harris was ap- pointed to build a chimney to the new court house. The specifications provided that it should be built of "cat and clay," the fireplace to be eight feet wide, back and jambs to be of rock as high as the mantel. Thomas Allen was allowed $7.50 for whisky furnished the county at the second sale of lots in the town of Spencer. Whisky seems to have been a necessity for the sale of lots. The new brick court house, and the one that supplanted the temple of 1819, was built in 1825. This build- ing accommodated the courts and county officers until 1910, when on May 4, 1910, Governor Thomas R. Marshall delivered the address at the laying of the corner stone of the new court house. This is one of the handsomest and most gracefully ar- ranged court houses in Indiana. Built out of Bed- ford limestone, it is a model of perfectior and a temple of beauty.

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

At said November term, 1820, the board of com- missioners ordered a public well dug in the court house square of sufficient depth to afford plenty of water, to be well walled with stone, to be pro- vided with a sweep and a bucket with iron bands. At this session it was ordered that the timber on the public square in Spencer be cleared off ; all trees under six inches in diameter to be grubbed up, and all six inches and over to be cut not more than six inches above the ground; brush, chips and chunks, with the timber brush and rubbish to be taken off and the square made clear of all ob- structions. Philip Hodges was awarded the con- tract for $25.00. Owen county, in its primeval state, was one of the finest timbered counties in Indiana. Black walnut, yellow poplar, white oak, bur oak, sugar, ash and other timber, had grown to an enormous size, and to clear the land was no small task, and by the time the farms were cleared and made ready for cultivation most of the pio- neers had served their day and generation and their children had taken their places.

The roads were irregular, commenced any- where and ran nowhere. The road leading toward Terre Haute was ordered opened, all brush to be cleared away, and the road made ten feet wide. Now the timber of the county is practically gone, the highways are constructed from thirty to forty feet wide, and every road in the county of any consequence is macadamized with gravel or crushed stone nine to twelve inches deep.

At the August session of 1820, of the board of commissioners the first road tax was levied and it is as follows :

On first rate land $1.50 on each 100 acres. On second rate land $1.30 on each 100 acres.

On third rate land 932 cents on each 100 acres.

In a sparsely settled county such as Owen the road tax was a mere bagatelle, and these hardy yeomen had to rely on their individual ef- forts for the construction of these primitive high- ways. Church service and the education of the children were matters of too much importance to be overlooked. The first "meeting house" in Spen- cer was built in 1824. This church house was built of logs with clapboard roof, puncheon floor, and hewed puncheons for seats. Hugh Barnes was the first preacher. He was a man of sterling qualities of head and heart and well suited to minister to his frontier congregation. This church house was also used for a school house, in which the children were taught the rudiments of an edu- cation.

By an act of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, approved February 1, 1834, to "Regu- late the mode of doing county business in this State," it was provided "that in each of the coun- ties of Harrison, Orange, Monroe, Parke, Hen-

dricks, Johnson, Putnam, Owen, Clay, Spencer and Greene, the qualified justices of the peace of said counties shall constitute a board of com- missioners in their respective counties." Under this act, Delana R. Eckels became a member of the board of commissioners of Owen county. In after years he became one of the most eminent lawyers in Indiana. He was possessed of an analytical mind and a keen and powerful intellect. He was circuit judge from 1864 to 1870 in a judicial dis- triet of eight counties of which Owen was one. President Buchanan appointed him Chief Justice of the Territory of Utah, and he discharged the duties of that high office during that administra- tion with distinguished ability.

OWEN COUNTY BAR.

The names of the attorneys living in Owen county in active practice are as follows:

Spencer-Inman H. Fowler, David E. Beem, Willis Hickam, 'John L. Duncan, Thomas G. Spangler, Homer Elliott, James R. Miller, Her- bert A. Rundell and Hubert Hickam.

Gosport-J. C. Henderickson.

Coal City-Henry J. Hochstetler.

The attorneys' roster in this county contains the names of attorneys who practiced law here, and for ability was one of the most distinguished bars in Indiana. We copy from the record the following:

Isaac Blackford, Terre Haute; Elisha M. Hunt- ington, Terre Haute; Joseph A. Wright, Bloom- ington; John Cowgill, Spencer; George B. Tingle, Spencer; John H. Ross, Vincennes; Samuel P. Ju- dah, Vincennes; Randall Crawford, New Albany; James M. Hanna, Sullivan; Cyrus M. Allen, Vin- cennes; Joseph E. McDonald, Indianapolis; John A. Matson, Greencastle; Moses Huett, Greencas- tle; John A. Watts, Bloomington; William T. Otto, New Albany; Tilghman A. Howard, Rockville; Daniel McClure, Martinsville; William D. Fairly, Spencer; Thomas F. G. Adams, Spencer; Willis A. Gorman, Bloomington; Isaac N. Pierce, Terre Haute; David McDonald, Bloomington; John T. Gunn, Sullivan; Delana E. Williamson, Greencas- tle; Delana R. Eckels, Spencer; Craven P. Hester, Bloomington; George G. Dunn, Bedford; James Hughes, Bloomington; James S. Hester, Bloom- ington; Samuel H. Buskirk, Bloomington; George A. Buskirk, Bloomington; Edward C. Buskirk, Bloomington; John P. Usher, Terre Haute; Hugh L. Livingston, Bloomfield; Hugh O'Neal, Indian- apolis; Henry Secrest, Spencer; Basil Champer, Spencer; Richard W. Thompson, Terre Haute; Paris C. Dunning, Bloomington; Allen T. Rose, Spencer; Solomon Claypool, Greencastle; George W. Wiltse, Bowling Green; Daniel W. Voorhees, Terre Haute; Moses F. Dunn, Bedford; Aden G.

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

Cavins, Bloomfield; Elijah H. C. Cavins, Bloom- field; Thomas R. Cobb, Vincennes; Newton F. Ma- lott, Vincennes; Cyrus F. McNutt, Martinsville; George W. Grubbs, Martinsville; Courtland C. Matson, Greencastle; William R. Harrison, Mar- tinsville; James H. Jordan, Martinsville; Milton H. Parks, Martinsville; William S. Shirley, Mar- tinsville; William W. Carter, Brazil; Silas E. Cof- fey, Brazil; Samuel W. Curtis, Brazil; George A. Knight, Brazil; Willis G. Neff, Sullivan; James B. Smiley, Greencastle; William Mack, Bloomfield; Albert G. Porter, Indianapolis; Alfred Ennis, Mar- tinsville; George W. Teter, Bowling Green; Wil- liam E. Taylor, Spencer; John H. Martin, Spencer; Wiley E. Dittemore, Spencer; Alfred Dyar, Spen- cer; Basil Meek, Spencer; Robert W. Miers, Bloomington; James B. Wilson, Bloomington; John R. East, Bloomington; Rufus East, Bloom- ington; Joseph E. Henley, Bloomington; John F. Rejester, Bloomington; Cyrus E. Davis, Bloom- field; William M. Franklin, Spencer; John W. Bus- kirk, Bloomington; Eli K. Millen, Bloomington; George Munson, Bedford; Addison L. Daggy, Greencastle; George W. Friedley, Bedford; Har- mon Friedley, Bloomington; James B. Mulky, Bloomington; Addison C. Harris, Indianapolis; Morton C. Hunter, Bloomington; Samuel O. Pick- ens, Spencer; William A. Pickens, Spencer, and John C. Robinson, Spencer. Many of these attor- neys became eminent in their profession, in the halls of legislation, on the bench and in the coun- sels of the nation. It is questionable whether a greater array of legal ability could be found at the bar in any other county in Indiana.

JUDICIARY.

James Hughes was elected circuit judge and served until 1856, when he was elected to Con- gress. The judicial district was a large one, be- ing composed of eight counties, as follows: Mor- gan, Putnam, Clay, Vigo, Sullivan, Greene, Mon- roe and Owen. The district for many years was known as the 15th. James M. Hanna, of Sullivan county, was elected in 1856 to fill the judgeship made vacant by the resignation of Judge Hughes. Judge Hanna occupied the circuit court bench un- til 1858, when he was appointed by Governor Willard to fill a vacancy on the supreme bench, caused by the resignation of Judge Samuel B. Gookins, of Terre Haute. The Governor then ap- pointed Solomon Claypool, of Terre Haute, judge to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Hanna. Judge Claypool served under his appointment until the election in 1858, when he was elected. He served until 1864, at which time Delana R. Eckels, of Putnam county, was elected and served until 1870, when William M. Frank- lin, of Owen county, was elected, and served un-

til 1876, at which election John C. Robinson was elected and served until 1882, when Ambrose M. Cunning, of Morgan, was elected and served until 1888. George W. Grubbs, of Morgan, was then elected and served until 1902, at which time Mil- ton H. Parks, of Morgan, was elected. He served about four years and died, and Governor Durbin appointed Joseph W. Williams, of Owen, to fill the vacancy. He held the court under his appoint- ment from April, 1904, until the election in 1906, at which election he was elected.

The old 15th district had been divided and subdivided until all that was left of it was Mor- gan and Owen, and in 1911 the General Assembly again subdivided the district, creating a circuit in Morgan and creating the 10th Judicial Circuit out of Owen and Monroe. Judge James B. Wil- son was the presiding judge in Monroe when it was united with Owen and he took the bench here September 4, 1911, and held the court until No- vember, 1914, when Judge Robert W. Miers, judge-elect, took the bench and is now judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit. Many of these gentle- men are among the most eminent lawyers in the State. Judge Hanna made a fine reputation as a jurist while on the supreme bench; Judge Clay- pool was one of the able attorneys at the Indian- apolis bar; Judge Eckels distinguished himself as chief justice of Utah; Judge Franklin was on the Supreme Court Commission for a number of years and proved himself eminent as a jurist; Judge John C. Robinson was one of the brightest law- yers in the State, and his reputation as a jurist was statewide, and he probably had no superior on the bench in Indiana at the time he occupied the bench. All these judges who were elected by a vote in Owen were Democrats, with the excep- tion of Judge Grubbs and Judge Williams. Judge Wilson is a Republican, but he was elected in the judicial district of Lawrence and Monroe. But they all discharged the duties of the high office which they held faithfully, honestly and honor -. ably, and no taint, spot or blemish ever attached to their judicial ermine.

THE COUNTY PRESS.

The first newspaper published in Owen county was about 1842 or 1843, called the Gosport Chron- otype. John R. Kerr was the editor. It was devoted to foreign, State and home news, and was a four-column folio. About the year 1846 Joseph Reed established an office and began the publica- tion of a newspaper, neutral in politics, which he named the Western Chronicle. He did not succeed very well, and some time in the year 1847 or 1848 the paper passed into the hands of William M. Franklin and William E. Taylor, both rising young lawyers and stanch Democrats. They

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

changed the name of the paper to the Republican and made it a Democratic newspaper and the organ of the county Democracy. They sold the paper to a Greene county party after they had pub- lished it for about a year, and the office was moved to Greene county. About 1850 Madison H. White commenced the publication of a newspaper at Spencer, called the Busy World. This paper sus- pended after a publication of about two years for lack of patronage. Its politics leaned to the Whig party. The National Weekly Guard was pub- lished about 1853 or 1854-David L. Lusk editor and proprietor, and was Democratic in politics. This paper was published at Spencer for about two years, when he removed his press and mate- rial to Shawneetown, Ill. John F. Harner came to Spencer in September, 1858, and began the publication of the Owen County Journal. Mr. Harner was a practical printer as well as an ex- pert engraver in wood. He was a man of fine intelligence, a good writer, and had worked in the Louisville Journal office for many years. The paper was well conducted and was well received and well patronized by the reading public. In fact, it was the first real newspaper the county had ever had. The Democrats at Spencer formed a stock company and bought the Journal from Mr. Harner, and it became a Democratic newspaper and the organ of the Owen County Democracy, with James W. Archer installed editor, and he edited and conducted the Journal through the presidential campaign of 1860 and advocated the election of Stephen A. Douglas to the presidency. Jacob V. Wolf and John C. Robinson afterward occupied the editorial chair, and it was finally sold to Mr. Harner, the first owner. He contin- ued it as the organ of the Democratic party in Owen county until the fall of 1874, when he sold and transferred the office to Mr. John Wayland of Batavia, Ohio. He was thoroughly saturated with Democratic principles, and the Journal con- tinued the organ of the Owen County Democracy and was more successful, financially and other- wise, than it had ever been before. Mr. Wayland was a good editor and his wife was a brilliant writer, and during his ownership the Owen Coun- ty Journal was deservedly popular. Mr. Way- land sold the Journal to Messrs. Walker Schell and Luther H. Smith. This partnership was of short duration. Smith purchased the Schell in- terest. Luther H. Smith was not a printer and put his brother, George E. Smith, in the office in charge of the Journal. It was finally sold by Smith and passed into the hands of the Republic- ans, and has ever since and now is the organ of the Republican party in Owen county.

In the fall of 1874 John W. Cooper & Co. com- menced the publication of the Gosport Tribune,

neutral in politics. This newspaper in Owen · county had a brief existence, for in January, 1875, the press with all its material was moved to Bloomfield, Ind.

In the year 1879 James K. Smith started a lit- tle paper in Spencer which he called the Free Press. Mr. Smith was a brother of Luther H. and George E., eccentric and radical in his opin- ions and having no qualifications for the news- paper business, he soon merged his Free Press into his brother's paper, the Owen County Jour- nal, and the two passed together into the hands of the Republicans.

In 1865 Clarence Williams came to Spencer with a press and some material and started the publication of a newspaper and called it the Owen County Union. In a short time he sold out to Joel A. Coffey and David E. Beem, who continued its publication. It was Republican. In 1867 they sold the press, material and paper to S. H. Mathes and in 1868 he sold a half interest to Henry C. Painter. They removed the office to Gosport and started the Gosport Independent. Mathes shortly after sold his interest to Charles L. Yockey and the office was soon sold and moved to Blooming- ton. In politics the paper was Republican as long as it remained in this county.

In 1872 Walter Connelly and Charles L. Yockey brought an office from Bedford, Ind., and com- menced the publication of the Owen County News, independent in politics. This paper took an ac- tive part in politics during the Grange movement in Owen county in 1874. A part of the Grange movement made up a ticket for county officers, which they called the Grange ticket, composed of candidates from all the political parties, which was run in opposition to the regular Democratic ticket. The Owen County News was a supporter of the Grange ticket, which was badly defeated, and the introduction of this political movement killed the Grange organization in Owen county. These owners sold the paper to O. M. Howard, who continued the publication as an independent local newspaper until some time during the year 1875, when he sold out to S. H. H. Mathes. He changed the politics of the paper to a straightout Repub- lican paper and took an active part in the presi- dential canvass of 1876. His experiment was a financial disaster and he sold out to O. M. How- ard, who immediately changed the name of the paper to the Democrat, and the name of the paper was a true index of its politics. The paper has been sold and bought several times, but ever since 1876, and now is, the standard-bearer of the Dem- ocratic party in "Sweet Owen."

In September, 1879, William B. Harris brought an office to Spencer and commenced the publica- tion of a newspaper which he called the Owen

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

County People, Republican in politics. In 1881 he sold out to M. M. Havens, who changed the name to Spencer Republican. In 1882 the paper was enlarged and leased to S. H. H. Mathes, who in 1883 bought it and continued the publication as the Republican organ in Owen county. This paper went out of existence some years ago.

On December 13, 1913, the Owen Leader made its appearance. It is a progressive newspaper and advocates the principles of the Progressive party in this county. It is published in Spencer. Carl Anderson is the proprietor and editor. The mechanical execution is good, it is well patronized and the editorial department is well conducted.

The Gosport Reporter, published at Gosport, has been in existence for a number of years. It has had a diversity of owners and editors. It was started as a Republican paper; in 1912 it became Progressive, and in 1914 it was Repub- lican. It recently changed ownership and will probably be independent. Charles A. Wampler is the present owner and editor.

There are then four political newspapers pub- lished in the county-three published at Spencer, the Democrat, the Owen County Journal and the Owen Leader; one at Gosport, the Gosport Re- porter.

SCHOOLS.

The first schools in Spencer were held in the log church and in the log court house. The first teachers were James Galletly and Isaac Heaton. Mr. Galletly taught a school in Spencer about the year 1821 and Mr. Heaton about 1825. The schools in Owen county, as in nearly all the coun- ties in the State, were primitive. But the schools in this county would compare favorably with the schools in other parts of the State, all being con- ducted alike and with the same meager course of study. The methods of teaching then were en- tirely at variance with the scientific system adopted now. Teachers then were not educated to teach as now. The normal schools have done a wonderful work in preparing the teacher for the school room. Owen county has always taken a lively interest in her schools. The curriculum of former years consisted of reading, writing, geography, grammar and arithmetic. In many instances grammar was condemned as being use- less and a waste of time of the pupil. But we have long since passed that period of crude no- tions as to what constitutes education, and the toy or girl who passes through the high school in Owen county, if he or she has been diligent and faithful, is well educated and well prepared for the duties of life. Owen county is justly proud of her common school systems; her school houses and their comfort and conveniences; her six high school buildings, five of which have been erected

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 103

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104