USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Richmond > Memoirs of Wayne County and the city of Richmond, Indiana; from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Wayne County, Volume I Pt. 2 > Part 20
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MEMOIRS OF WAYNE COUNTY
SPECIAL SERVICES.
Each year one or two series of meetings are held at one or two houses, and continued from two to three weeks, with two preaching services each day, generally.
Love-feast, or Communion Meetings are held, generally twice each year, at the center house, one in the spring and one in the fall. These meetings are generally attended by ministers and members from other congregations, with a very large local at- tendance. The national Thanksgiving Day has been faithfully observed since President Lincoln's first proclamation, in 1863. On these occasions, special collections are taken up for missionary or other charitable purposes. A Harvest Thanksgiving Meeting is also held on the last Thursday of August, each year. At these meetings a collection is taken up also for some charitable purpose.
TIIE MISSION FIELD.
As before, so also after the organization of the Nettle Creek congregation, the tendency of the mission movement was north- westward. Its ministers, with others, continued their efforts, visiting many new settlements, mainly in Henry, Madison, and Delaware counties. The more favored districts, where the ad- vantages of natural drainage were apparent, assuring healthful- ness and successful farming, soon became well established settle- ments. The membership continued to increase, both by conver- sions and immigrations, until about 1840, when the territory be- gan to be organized into separate congregations-now seven-in all.
THE MEMBERSHIP.
A number of members belonging to the "Four Mile" con- gregation, mentioned before, live in Wayne county and as far north as Richmond. Some live in the east part, belonging to organizations in Ohio. The Nettle Creek organization is the only one having its center in Wayne county. It being only one mile distant from Henry county, its membership is in both counties. The present membership of the Nettle Creek congregation is about 330.
OFFICERS OF NETTLE CREEK CHURCH.
From the time of its organization until 1900 the total num- ber of officers, both by recommendation and election was seventy- eight, twenty-seven ministers and fifty-one deacons. The names
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of the deacons are as follows: Aaron Miller, John Ulrich, John Hardman, Samuel Eiler, Sr., Abraham Zook, Daniel Bowman, Daniel Ulrich, George Coutryman, Abraham Myers, John Werk- ing, John Holler, Edward Raffe, Abraham Garver, John Bowman, Benjamin Hardman, Jacob Caylor, David Hardman, Zachariah Albaugh, John Hart, Abraham Replogle, Sr., Christian Holler, Daniel Welty, John Crull, David Lontz, Aaron Richardson, Fred- erick Dilling, Henry Shultz, Lewis W. Teeter, Benjamin F. Koons, Jacob Replogle, Benjamin F. Crull, Henry Moore, Jacob Deardorff, Daniel E. Bowman, Isaiah Brennamin, Jonathan Hoover, Franklin Bowers, Abraham Bowman, Joseph Holder, Abraham Holler, Ittramar Bowman, Levi S. Dilling, M. W. Rob- ertson, Martin Werking, Amos Ellenberger, Charles H. Bowman, Abraham Replogle, and Harrison Johnsonbaugh.
The names of the ministers are: David Miller, Benj. Bow- man, John Bowman, Zachariah Albaugh, Jacob Bowman, David Bowman, William Roby, Daniel Smith, B. F. Wissler, Samuel Eiler, Jr., Levi S. Dilling, Daniel E. Bowman, Aaron Miller, John Clapper, David Hardman, Daniel Bowman, John Holler, Lewis Kinsey, William Lindley, Jacob Hoover, Lewis W. Teeter, Abraham Bowman, Jolın A. Miller, and John W. Bowman.
It is noticable in the foregoing lists that quite a number of deacons were elected ministers. The names of the bishops in charge of the Nettle Creek congregation, from its organization, are as follows, the first having been David Miller, previously noticed. He was succeeded by Benjamin Bowman. The latter, having moved to another congregation, was succeeded by David Hardman. Mr. Hardman having died in 1863 the charge fell regu- larly upon Daniel Bowman, who continued in charge until age and failing health rendered him unable to bear the burden longer. On Oct. 15, 1885, the charge was given to Lewis W. Teeter, of Hagerstown.
CHAPTER XXVI.
EARLY HISTORY OF RICHMOND.
THE SETTLEMENT-LAYING OUT OF THE VILLAGE-INDUSTRIAL ENTER- PRISES - FIRST MANUFACTORY - FIRST THINGS - RELIGIOUS SOCI- ETIES-HISTORICAL NOTES FROM EARLY NEWSPAPERS-CITY CHARTER -HENRY CLAY'S VISIT TO RICHMOND.
The history of Richmond begins in 1816. Part of the land occupied by the town was entered by John Meek, who sold it to Joseph Woodkirk, who cleared about four acres and erected a cabin, in 1806. In the fall of that year this land was again sold to Jeremiah Cox. John Smith came about the same time and took the land just south of Cox's-the section line running along where Main street is, being the dividing line between the two possessions.
The following year more land was cleared and a road cut to this vicinity from where New Paris was afterwards (1816) laid out. Cox built a mill in the valley, and another road was cut from the mill up the bluffs to where Smith had his store. To the west this road went to Salisbury. Smith built a brick house, in the year 1811, at the west end of South B street, and at the time of its erection it was the best residence in the Ter- ritory. Near this house he first had his store, in 1810, but as the point where the road from the east met the old country road be- came a prominent place, he removed there and built a house where now is the southwest corner of Main and Fourth streets. A short time previous to this ( 1814) Robert Morrisson, who came in 1810, had opened a store on what was afterwards the north- west corner of those streets. These men went into partnership, but before Morrisson's goods could be moved to Smith's new . store his own building and contents, estimated at a value of $500, were consumed by fire. Smith and Morrisson remained in part- nership for a few years.
Many families of Quakers came to settle in this part of the
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country. The locality was one through which a large number of immigrants passed, and this, together with the eligible site for such a purpose, made it appear as a good place to start a town. The idea was first suggested by Smith to Cox, but the latter declined to enter into the scheme. "I would rather see a buck's tail," said he, "than a tavern site." However, Smith pro- ceeded with his project and employed David Hoover to lay out his land into lots, along South Fourth and Fifth streets. This was in 1816. In 1818 Cox made his addition by laying out land north of Main street. Writing of this, the late Dr. Plummer says :
"Perhaps some of our uninitiated citizens may hereafter en- quire why our present North Front [ now North Fourth ! street was run along the brow of the hill at an acute angle of forty-seven degrees with Main street. We have it in our power to satisfy the enquiry. At that time there ran along the edge of the hill a country road, the first perhaps laid out in Wayne county. As no splendid anticipations of future greatness were entertained for the new town by its proprietors, no provisions were made for coming necessities; but the conveniences of the present were the ruling principle. To continue South Front street directly north would run into wet grounds, unsuitable for a street and unsuit- able for building lots; besides the street would ultimately run into the river. On the hill was a road already established; no ground would again have to be relinquished for a street, forty feet was probably the width of the road, and that was sufficiently wide for the wants of the town. Lots were accordingly laid out along this road; and the corners of Main and Front streets be- came important points. These are the oldest streets, and for a long time were the only ones in Richmond. The writer remem- bers them well as among his earliest impressions of the village."
David Hoover says, that "in the employ and under the direc- tion of John Smith and Jeremiah Cox, I laid off the city of Rich- mond, did all their clerking, wrote their deeds, etc. If I recollect rightly, it was first named Smithville, after one of the proprietors ; but that name did not give general satisfaction. Thomas Rob- bards, James Pegg and myself were chosen to select a name for the place. Robbards proposed Waterford, Pegg Plainfield, and I made choice of Richmond, which latter name received the prefer- ence of the lot-holders."
Lots were offered at public sale, and several bought, and the purchasers proceeded to clear the ground and erect houses. The
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early records of the Commissioners' Courts contain the follow- ing:
"Agreeably to an Act of the Legislature of the State of In- diana, passed Jan. 1, 1817, the citizens of the town of Richmond convened on the first of the ninth month (September, 1818), at the house of Thomas & Justice, for the purpose of ascertaining whether they wished said town incorporated, and pursuant made choice of Thomas Swain, president, and Ezra Boswell, clerk, who, after being legally qualified, entered on the discharge of their duties, and taking the state of the poles, it appeared that there were twenty-four votes in favor of incorporating, and none against it. Attest: THOMAS SWAIN, Pres't; Ezra Boswell, Clerk.
"At a meeting of the town of Richmond, for the election of Trustees, at the house of Thomas & Justice, on the 14th of ninth month (September, 1818), it appeared, on comparing the state of the poles, that Ezra Boswell, Thomas Swain, Robert Morrisson, John McLane, and Peter Johnson were duly elected. Attest: THOMAS SWAIN, Pres't; Ezra Boswell, Clerk. Filed and re- corded the 28th of September, 1818."
The house of Thomas & Justice was a new frame, designed for a store, and stood on the northeast corner of the cross-roads.
The following items are mostly from the notes of the late Dr. Plummer :
Two tan-yards were established in 1818; the first by John Smith, for Joseph Wilmot, an Englishman, and the other by Robert Morrisson. Smith's yard was the beginning of one afterward owned by the Wigginses. Wilmot, who was a Quaker, lived in Cincinnati, and Smith employed Henry Hoover and Wil- liam Clawson to remove his large family to Richmond. They were several days on the way, owing to the bad condition of the roads.
Morrisson's was on Main street, north side, between Second and Third. It once had seventy vats, but was long ago discon- tinued. At the yard were employed Walter Legg and John Wil- coxen. Prior to the establishment of these yards, hides were tanned at home, in vats and sugar troughs.
Ezra Boswell started a brewery in 1817. The price of beer sold at the tavern was, in that day, fixed by the court at twelve and one-half cents per quart. Whisky was also thus rated, at twelve and one-half cents per half pint; brandy, eighteen and three-fourths; cognac, rum and wine, thirty-seven and one-half. At one time an excitement was raised by the report that the councilmen of the little village were drinking beer at the expense
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of the corporation, because they were seen by some suspicious in- dividual to send for some of Ezra's brewing. Of course they were innocent of any embezzlement of the public funds, but they for- got the looks of "bad habits in high places."
A postoffice was established in 1818 and Robert Morrisson was appointed post-master. He continued in the office until 1829. when he was succeeded by Daniel Reid, a school teacher in those days. The first office was in a frame building, on the southwest corner of Main and Fourth streets. It was finally located on the northwest corner of Main and Fifth streets, in the old frame which long stood north of the brick building, to make room for which it was removed to that position. Mails were brought on horse- back every two weeks, but sometimes the boy did not arrive for four or five weeks. The quarterly returns did not amount to more than $3.
The first manufactory was a "carding machine," erected by Philip Harper, in the ravine north of the Gas Works. It stood on long stilts and was run by water power from a spring. It was a useful establishment at that time, and when we look at the many and large shops our city now has, we should despise not the day of small things.
In 1818, this Harper opened a public house in a log building on lot 6, South Fifth street. It was burned in 1827. Another was early established on the old Citizen's Bank corner, northeast cor- ner of Fifth and Main. It was kept by Jonathan Bayles and had for a sign a "green tree." This house afterwards passed into the hands of John Baldwin. It was a two-story, red brick, and was torn down to make way for the bank, years ago. Ephraim Lacey kept a tavern in a two-story frame on the west side of South Fourth, near Main street.
Eli Brown opened a hatter shop in 1819. A pottery was in a long frame building on Fourth street near South A. It was torn down in 1824, having been occupied by David Beeson, Elea- zer Hiatt, George Bell (colored), and John Scott. William Wil- liams built a house on the northwest corner of Fourth and South A streets. Williams had a blacksmith shop opposite. He was an early minister among the Friends', and came from North Caro- lina, had a large family, and was in limited circumstances.
An old citizen of Richmond says: "There is not another man, either living or dead, in Wayne county, who, in his day, so disin- terestedly, so humanely attended to the wants of the settlers and land hunters. Although his house was the point to which land
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hunters were directed, and with them he would spend days and entertain at night, I do not suppose he ever received a dollar for his services. Could the places where rest the remains of Jeremiah Cox and John Smith be designated, and leave be obtained, the city of Richmond should, by some humble monument or marble slab, designate to the inquirer the places where they sleep."
David F. Sacket was the first man practising medicine in this county. He lived at Salisbury and Centerville. Dr. Thomas Car- roll came here in 1819, and went to Cincinnati about 1823. Ithamer Warner came in 1815 and took up his residence in Richmond. Dr. Cushman came in 1820, remained a few years and then returned to Fort Wayne. He started a distillery in the south part of the town on Fourth street. The establishment passed into the hands of Dr. Warner, who soon abandoned it. Dr. Warner seems to have been the leading physician up to the time of his death, in 1835. Dr. Wil- liam Pugh was here carly. In 1824 he removed to Centerville, where he died soon afterward. Dr. James R. Mendenhall came in 1822 and retired from practice in 1830. He was the first graduate in medicine who settled in Richmond.
A lawyer named Hardy was here very early. Business was not then very encouraging and he removed to other parts. John B. Chapman came from Virginia, in 1826, and opened a law office. John D. Vauglian came about this time also. He died of cholera in 1833.
The name of the first school-master is lost. He taught school in the south part of the village; was a young man and, 'tis said, but poorly qualified. He did not continue long at this occupation. At- ticus Siddall is supposed to have taught the next school. In 1822-3, Nathan Smith, a New Englander, had a full school in a frame house which stood on South A street. This house is remodeled and still stands as a dwelling on the southwest corner of Fifth and South A streets. In this house was held a debating society-the first of that kind of organizations held in Richmond. The late Mayor Fin- ley, Dr. Pugh, and Nathan Smith, appear to have taken active parts. Nathan Smith was considered a very competent teacher. He was succeeded by another member of the Smith family, one Jeremiah by name, who afterwards became a circuit judge.
The first religious society organized in the town of Richmond was that of the Friends. They had meetings in this vicinity as early as 1807, and a log meeting house stood in the north part of town, near where a brick meeting-house was afterwards erected. Writing of the old log house, Dr. Plummer says: "I well remember its leaky
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MEMOIRS OF WAYNE COUNTY
roof, letting the rain through on the slab benches, with three pairs of legs and no backs; its charcoal fires kept in sugar-kettles (for as yet stoves were not procured) ; and the toes, pinched with cold, of the young who sat remote from the kettles. Happily for the in- mates the air entered the room through numberless crevices of no small dimensions, or the whole congregation might have been sui- focated by the baleful fires." In 1815, the celebrated Quaker preacher, Nathan Hunt, visited Indiana and held meetings in this house.
In 1821 the Friends in this State and Western Ohio made re- quest to have a yearly meeting established at Whitewater, as the meeting at this place was (and is) called. The request was granted and the amount necessary to meet the expense of building, etc., was apportioned among the various quarterly and monthly meetings, where it was raised by voluntary subscription or ad valorem tax. As early as 1818 the Friends had opened a school. Mary Thomas and Thomas S. Teas were the first teachers.
For many years the Friends had the only regular religious meetings in this part of the county. The citizens of the little vil- lage were divided into the two religious divisions-the Quakers and the Nothingarians. The first class gave tone to the character of the place, and even those not members are said to have fallen into their ways and to a great extent adopted the use of the "plain language." The latter class seems to have continued to this day and is still large and respectable.
The next society established here was the Methodist. It is a matter of uncertainty when the first meeting of this denomination was held. Rev. R. Toly, former pastor of Pearl Street Church. says :
"In 1822 the Rev. Russell Bigelow was preacher in charge of the Whitewater circuit. He made an effort to plant Methodism in Richmond, but it was difficult to obtain a house to preach in. After a time, however, permission was obtained to preach in a small schoolhouse, in which Mr. Bigelow preached the first sermon de- livered by a Methodist in Richmond. A small class was soon or- ganized, whose meetings were subsequently held in Mrs. Pierson's house, but discontinued after her removal from the village. Rich- mond was given up for a time. In the autumn of 1825 the efforts of Rev. James Havens in re-establishing Methodism was success- ful, and since that time it has sustained a place in our midst."
It is also reported that in 1819 there was held a meeting in a log house on Fourth street. Daniel Fraley was perhaps an itinerant
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EARLY HISTORY OF RICHMOND
preacher at that time. These denominations remained the only ones for many years.
Some estimate of the population during these years may be made from the vote taken on the question of incorporation and from various other records preserved. At the time above referred to there were twenty-four votes cast, and it is fair to presume that these were all the votes in the village, as most likely all would vote on so important an occasion. Making an allowance of one voter to every six persons (which is a high estimate), the population would reach 150. Dr. Carrol estimated the population in 1819. 10 have been 350. In 1824 a census gives 453; another in 1826 gives 648; in the year 1827, 716; and in 1828 it reached 824. At the State election in August, 1817, the vote of Wayne township was 450. The elections for this township were then held at Salisbury. At that time this township was the most populous.
Richmond early had a newspaper. The publication of one called the "Richmond Weekly Intelligencer" was commenced about the first of January, 1822. A printing office was established nearly a year prior to this by John Scott, who was one of the publishers of the "Intelligencer." Elijah Lacey was editor. He is described as "of small and slender frame, and of a clear, sharp voice, his in- telligence and integrity procuring him the magistracy of the young village." Some time after 1828 he removed to Michigan, and died at Niles, Aug. 4, 1862, aged sixty-seven years. Scott was a Method- ist exhorter. After the abandonment of the "Intelligencer" he went to Centerville, where he started the "Western Emporium," and was afterwards judge. He printed several books and maps, and at last hung himself at Logansport. The "Intelligencer" office was in the second story of a frame building on lot No. 8, South Fourth street. The sheet was much smaller than one half of the "Palladium," and was printed on coarse paper. It continued to be published until March, 1824, and was succeeded by the "Public Leger." There are a few copies of Richmond's first paper in existence, and their owners "keep them with chary care," feeling,
"And yf that olde bokes were awey,
Ylorne were of remembrance the key."
The "Public Leger" was the second newspaper published in Richmond. It was a folio sheet, with pages 17x10 inches. "Printed and published every Saturday, by Edmund S. Buxton, Front street. opposite the Richmond Hotel." Buxton came to Richmond from the "Cincinnati Gazette" office. He was then a young man, poor,
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MEMOIRS OF WAYNE COUNTY
and like a sensible printer in that condition, unmarried. He was assisted in the establishment of his office by citizens. The names of Joseph P. Plummer and his son, John T. Plummer, John Finley and Samuel B. Walling, appear as some of his original contributors. Buxton is said to have been "of moderate stature, an agreeable man, but occasionally irascible." After the suspension of the "Leger," he returned to Cincinnati and finally went to Natchez, Miss., where he was connected with the "Galaxy." He died in the South. On Nov. 19, 1825, Mr. Walling is announced as a partner, and on Nov. 11, 1826, Buxton retired altogether. "Samuel B. Walling, an amiable young man of ingenious mind, and a thoughtful reader, came from Union county. He married a daughter of E. Lacy and removed with him to Michigan, where he died of a long afflicting dyspepsia." He conducted the paper with some ability and took much interest in local prosperity, but his support gradually declined, so on June 18, 1828, he announced, "This number closes the fourth volume of the 'Public Leger,' and terminates its existence." It made its first ap- pearance on March 6, 1824, and we must depend upon it to tell the story for several years.
Several partial files have been preserved, but in none of them is a copy of the first number. Probably the rush to get the new paper exhausted the entire issue and left none to posterity. The file used by the writer is nearly complete for the four years of the paper's existence, but has in some cases been severely clipped. Most of the articles thus taken out seem to have been from several com- munications-contributions upon some religious controversies. The file has also been used as a botanical album. No. 2 (the earliest now in existence) contains three pages of news and miscellaneous read- ing ; a theological communication ; one column of advertisements, in which Joseph P. Plummer wants to purchase some land with water power on it ; also, "Having moved to his new store, southeast corner of Main and Front streets, where he offers for sale, dry goods, queensware, groceries, hardware, cutlery, castings, saddlery, medi- cines, etc., for all which will be taken beeswax, feathers, linen, gin- seng, tallow, flax, &c .; also for sale, dried peaches and apples, and Eastern-tanned calf-skins."
James Cook and John Moore announce "A number of Win- nowing Mills, for sale for cash or hides, to be delivered to Levi Johnson, in New Paris."
Samuel W. Smith has garden seeds from the Shakers of Union Village, Ohio. He also calls on his debtors to come for- ward and make payment. Eleazer Hiatt requests those indebted
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to Dr. Thomas Carroll to make payment, as this is the last notice.
There is a prospectus and half a column of editorial matter. Saturday, March 13. contains :
"No mails having arrived at this place, either from the cast or west this week, accounts for our not having any later news from Washington City and from Europe, than was contained in our last paper. It is a subject of regret that there should be such frequent failures of the mail, and that, too, at a time when the subjects under discussion in Congress, at our last dates, were of the utmost importance to the interests of the West.
"Richmond .- In giving a sketch of our town, last week, we inadvertently made several omissions in the list of mechanical trades, and take this opportunity to add them: I silver-smith, I coverlid and draper weaver. I last maker, i painter, I brewery, 3 large tanyards, and, since our last. another saddler has com- menced business in this place."
There has been preserved the following item, which may be part of the sketch corrected in the above notice :
"Eight Dry Goods stores, 3 large and respectable taverns, a post office and a printing office. There are also 7 blacksmiths, 4 hatters, 4 cabinet makers, 6 shoemakers, 3 tailors, 3 coopers. 3 potters, I gunsmith, I saddler, I pump maker, I bakeshop and steam distillery, besides a large number of carpenters, brick and stone masons, plasterers, etc. Of professional men there are but two physicians; of lawyers we have not one, although every other town in the State abounds with them."
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