Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1, Part 26

Author: Clifton, Thomas A., 1859-1935, ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 672


USA > Indiana > Fountain County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 26
USA > Indiana > Warren County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 26


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30


In 1870, the "Warren County Humanitarian Society of Spiritualists" was instituted upon the following basis: "Whereas, the religious sects or de- nominations of the Christian world. after unremitted effort for eighteen hitin- dred years, have failed to redeem man from the manifold evils incident to human life, and whereas, the spirit of the age in which we live deman im- provement and progress in the religious, political and social departments of life." etc., but this organization did but little beyond filing articles of asso-


THE HARMONIAL ASSOCIATION.


This, the society to which belonged Horace Greeley and other illustrious Americans, had a following in this county in the forties and fifties. It was founded on theorie, advanced by Charles Fourier, and was styled the "Four- ier System." It was believed that this system would accomplish in the in- tellectual and moral world what all the churches had failed to accomplish. It was to consist of "communities," such as exist in a few sections of this country nowadays.


Among other things provided for was that all property should be held in common and controlled by a board of trustees, and that conduct and labor should be regulated by a constitution and by-laws. Horace Greeley, editor of the great New York Tribune, was an earnest advocate of this system and be- came connected with many of the organizations instituted under it. Many other prominent men of the times were connected with this society or system of community work.


In tulsa, a society of the land was formed on the costthen god of War


Scott, George Beer, gold Gesamten Vidt. . 13 : 00 Leroy Tenplein Folgo Bran od Claul. Pigh.


about the thousand dollars, in wust, for the use of the commongt ;. The Funds were placed in the hands of John (. Wattles, in frage 1. 1. by Him expensed in the purchase of real estate and in the creation of buildings, and after such purchase and labor the whole property was duded to il win-win. to be held in trust by them for the use specified in the constitution and by- laws. The subjonelis a copy of the deed to the tru tres:


"Know all men by these presents that we. Joan O. Wattles and Esther Wattles, his wife, of Tippecanoe county and state of Indiana, in consideration of the premises and one dollar to them in hand paid, the receipt where i is hereby : knowledged, do hereby grant, convey, bargain and sell to Horace Greeley, of New York City, Thomas Trusdale, of Brooklyn, New York. ! Igar Ryan, Charles Tigh and James R. M. Bryant, of Warren county, In- chana. . ustees, and to their heirs and assigns the following real estate to-wit: The northwest quarter of section 5, township 23, range 9 west, containing one hundred and sixty acres, more or less; also the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of said section, containing forty acres more or less; also the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter and the cast half of the sou li- west quarter and three-fourths of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of the same section, containing thirty acres, more or less; also the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter and the east half of the southwest quarter, and the east half of the northeast quarter of section 8, in the afore- said township and ringe, containing one hundred and twenty acres, more of less, together with: ! the privileges thereunto belonging, to have and to hold unto the said Greeley, Trusdale, Ryan, High and Bryant and their heirs and assigns forever in trust to and for the uses named, viz. : For the use and occu- pation of an association for educational and social reform purpose."


The objects of this association, as shown in the constitution, were to secure the education, elevation, purity and unity of its members, and so far as possible forward the elevation of the human family, by the means of three departments, educational, agricultural and mechanical. Each of the depart- ments had a treasurer, secretary and chief, who constituted a board of direc- tors, which should have charge of all departments of work. Persons over eighteen years of age, of a good moral character and free from debt, were eligible to membership after they had remained with the community one


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stitute of a college. All endowments were robe by fonation -blauwe Request of scholarship, to my amount not to excel two hundred de man dollars, which stock was to be divided into shores of fifty dollars each. Tun or three milkings were created on the scuss land, and in the a selond van taught two ferns. But it was not founded on the Rock and are ting it sel to pieces, as an institution. The few connected with it lost interest and the outside world stood by and laughed at the disseal failure. How the affairs vere finally wound up. none now living can tell. The first oficers were: Charles High, president; Edger Ryan, corresponding secretary; Al in High. recording secretary : Thomas Scott, treasurer.


CHAPTER AL


Hoe that abold to be completed through Marion comy wife the We bash. It panmiencea runinng tiajus in 1856, and was fully completed in 1857. It crosses the Wabash river at Attica, Fountain county, traverses the townships of Washington and stenben, cutting the corners of Pike and Kent. 13 Warren county, leaving the county at State Line City, as originally known. But before the days of railroads, as a medium. for transportation, in this county, there was the canal. This came about through the fact that the grain and live stock market of Withamsport had grown to be of such proportion that when the canal was finished to Attich, on the other side of the river, the business men on the Williamsport side sought a waterway outlet for their lauge shipments They bandel together, circulated sub-cripti at papers and raised the sam of sixteen thousand dollars for the purpose of constructing what was styled the "Side Cut," a short canal feeder, by which beats could 1, sent direct from Wilhemsport. When completed, which was about 1851, the town took on a genuine growth and the shipments through the side-it cana: were very large, the promoters of the enterprise being richly repaid for their venture. But this was not to last long, for steam was coming to change the old time-honored tow-path to brightly shining iron rails and swiftly moving freight and passenger trains. With the completion of the Wabash railroad in 1856-57, the "side cut canal." as well as the canal itself, began to go into decline and was soon put entirely out of commission. This change also changed the location of busine in Williamsport, from the river front to the uplands where it is now situated. While the scheme of having direct water route, without breaking bulk, from Williamsport to distant points touched by the great Erie canal system, was effected by the "side cut canal." yet the building of the more rapid system of transportation- the Wabash road- really became a blessing to more people than would the canal had its existence been of longer duration.


In 1869 the question of giving aid to the Northern Indiana & Southern Railroad Company by a tax was agitated and submitted to a vote of the peopk, with the result of one hundred and forty votes for and one thousand and ninety against the proposition.


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BOH SING AND WARPER COLADIE, INDIA ).


Mouad township void upon the question of adding the h damaged Crawford stille & Danville Reload (now the Big Four sy tem to the amount of five thousand dollars, the vote standing, when taken in thon, is uty fell in Derty four against the u.S. Kent township voted ryt the question of aid ing the Drumssale, Terre Haute & chicage Railroad, but the result no know:1.


The seventies and eighties saw much railroad holding de aphort the entire country, and with the period came much of the latter military con- findin i Warten and Fountain counties This includes the Chicago & Eastern illinois Ii : crossing the Wabash at Attica a I running through Warten and Adams townships, with station points at Kickapoo, Winthrop. Chatterton and Pine Village. A branch of the Illinois Central system rims into the county from the west, terminating at West Lebanon, where i form. junction with the Wabash system. Another railroad enters the county from the west side of jordan township, having it- terminus at the village of Judy ville; it is lown as the branch of the Chicago & ! stern Ilinois system. The only other railroad widnn arren county is the short section of the main line of the Big Four found running from Covington to the west, with a sta- tion point at Foster.


The railroad mileage in Warren county, according to late state report., is as follows: The Wabash line has a mileage of 16.77 main tracks in this county, The Chicago, In liana & Southern has 18.77 miles main track, the Chicago & Eastern Illinois has 20.80 miles, the Illinois Central has 8.22 miles and the Peoria & Eastern ( Big Four system) has 5.02 miles. This makes a total of main line tracks in Warren county of 09.58 miles.


The following bit of unfulfilled prophecy from the pen of Enos Canutt, editor of the Commercial at Williamsport in June, 1853, may not be without interest to the reader: "When the canal boats for the first time launched from the Wabash & Erie canal into the river at our steamboat landing and out into the Wash river the destiny of Williamsport was forever fixed- the Rubicon was passed. Since that time an immense trade has been going on-the farmers have in cases bee ; paid more for produce here than they could get at the city of Lafayette; the entire trade west of us for many miles has been secured; and there is no part of the west having so delightful a climate and fertile a soil. There is nothing to prevent this place ulimatch from being one of the best towns in this valley. So long as the Wabash flows down its natural channel and while the Wabash & Eric canal, that great work of art, continues to connect Lake Erie with the navigable waters of the bean tiful Ohio, will she continue to prosper and grow and ere the dawn of 1800


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oi trap poration fi loan could ever pro ile.


6. VEJ ROADS


The present public highway -- the wages road syste pin Warren county -is indeed an excellent oile, and it is yearly being improved. This condition of things has not twee without much struggle and butlay of money. by sub- scription and, in later days, by direct taxation. In an early day roads well constructed by companies that charged toll In 1850 the Independence & Oxford Bank Road Company was granted the ight to put down a plank road on the old Independence and Oxford public road. The company was large and declared a capital of twenty thousand dollars. Sawmills were created and these, with old ones, were set to work cutting plank, and it is not long before sever i miles of such wagon road was put down and travelers. were paying foll to pass over its even surface. A year later, box or, the Work was alegdoned, as the subscribed stock could not be collected. Some of the old plank were still intact as late as 1882. The plank roads were usually co-existent with the "and" But of later years the propriety of constructing gravel reads has obtained in the minds of the taxpayer, and the introduction of automobiles into general use has stimulated the improvement of the high- ways in this county.


In 1867, the Pine Creek Gravel Road Company was organized, with a stock of twelve hundred shares, of twenty-five dollars each, the road to extend from the county seat northward on the Chicago road to the county hne. This company afterwards became the Williamsport & Carbondale Gravel Road Company, with a stock about five thousand dollars. About three iniles of the road was built next to Williamsport, and then further work was abandoned. S. B. Knour & Company owned fifty-two shares and Kent & Hitchens forty shares, when the project was first undertaken. In 1869, the West Lebanon & Walnut Grove Gravel Road Company was formed, the stock amounting to twenty thousand dollars. This route was to extend due north. or nearly so, from the old town of Lebanon eight and one-half mile . The heaviest shareholders were C. J. Tinkler, twenty shares, and A. C. and F.


281


FOUNTAIN AND WARLES OF STARS PELOS


Goodwine, twenty shares sont pofon filtern a coppie well formed tresteg the county line, but this, too, sa being finished. Warren cont was not find good old- gen sont werd's are ch aply mode und at what everlasth


CHARGER AH.


well tilles felds have brought pubmodel prospects do un pai miei 1% ( 11 generations of husbandmen. Its fertile valleys its original timber lands a. line protiv soil have all brought forth their annual yield, until told; on looks out tym a highly developed, weil improved county, where peace all plenty make the farmer an independent and happy long, who mor enjoys Incuries uuknown to be forefathers, even in city and town life. The tele- phone, the electric light, the daily mail delivery over a vet-work of free rural toutes and the recent perfection of the automobile, are all made to serve his will and grant him convenience and enjoyment the year sont Pm these things have not come by chance, - in has . finding sades it that way. . but by the effects of a sturdy ancestry of noble industry a piovere the first cleared away the forest and broke the tough prairie se at a period when anchets were reached by team to far distant points. To have been a picasa was an honor, but to possess a landed estate in varer courant in 19le is to be happy and contented.


No attempt seems to have been made in this coming to establish a county Agricultural : xiety until 1853, when the farmers organized one and on Sep- tember 6th and 7th, that year, held a county fair at Independence. J. J. Shermerhorn was president of this society. The display of live stock was quite large and creditable for that day. Grains, vegetables and fancy articles made by the artisans and women of the county made a fine display. The next year the fair was held at Attica, many of the farmers of Warren county par- ticipating, and after that year the people of Warren county concluded to have their exhibits in conjunction with those of Fountain county people, which contimied nutil 1850, when many of the progressive farmers in the northsin portion of Warren county organized the Grand Prairie Agricultural Society. and held their first far in the autumn of that year on grounds just to the cast of Pine Village, that was leased from Ichabod Boyer.


George Wagoner was the first president and Thomas Atkinson, the treas- urer. The first premium list offered was six hundred dollars. The rent of the ground was mostly paid in fences built by the society. After two or three


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60 1.1


Test i amon, however, come to the road atpl


the average business man Jane Crawford Val iendoon Hand ball mow ment. They encul: a subscription pape . seuuring a. totiand al lars, and a strong organisation of the best, most entorp ring the er lamted together under the title of Warren ( septy Joint-Stock. Association. 1 long before that the purchased thirty are of boundin wordod tih oile northwest of West Lebanon, paying me thousand ! it. hundred daily. for the same, which amount was paid by the county commissioners, at t's carnest petition of worthy interested citizens. The ground needed made in provement to make it fit for the use interpled. Werk commenced at 187 .. and up to 1883 there had been expended on the grou is estuda thousand dol- lars. Two hundred walls for stock were among the improvements, and floral hall, an agricultural ball. a large amphitheater for speed, pois, and various other buildings were erected. The entire tract of hard was covered with choice nalive timber and surrounded with a tight board fence, painted pure white, as were all the buildings. The first president of this association was Fame. Goodwine: William Grow, vice-president; George T. Bell, secretary : John (. Lincoln, treasurer. In 1872 an attempt was made to reorganize he fair at Pine Village, but it failed.


Since 1896 the history of the West Lebanon association shows that it continued to exist for a number of years and then went down. A portion of the buildings and stalls were burned after the 1896 fair. At present, it is to be regretted that Warren county has no agricultural society.


STATISTICS.


Seventy-two years ago, or in 1840, the statistics of Warren county siam that it had 694 perso is engaged in agriculture: in commerce. 24 : in mannin - ture and trade, 185 : learned professions of engineers, 25 : military pensioner . 2; blind. 2 ; insane or feeble-minded, 6: number of primary of common school-, 8; scholars, 185 : number over twenty years old who could not read and write. 465: total population, 5,650; bushels of coal mined. 20,000; men employed.


1


1 in 1846. 9. When one compare these dames with those of the fire Hay don de into insignificance in many of the dome Brem nerrate products of a single township will come us to that of the cure count: along years ago


THE GIANGTES CUATKINS OF HUSBANDAND.


he Granger movement, that spread from one end of the last to the other le seventies, swept through Warten burg. In March. 48, 9, the Farmers mi mai. comity, with head warter. It Willrenspon, organized the Wire Count: Co- operative Asoperation, with a cage Is only tell the me and dollars It was designed to deal directly with die manufacturer- well with war the profit di middlerien. I'm a number of year, there Grenses operate in many parts of the county, and were not with but good results. In tan Are passed the general feeding was that a busines i was sited for his particular role and that the farmer was best adapted to ms own line of work. There are some farmers' clubs today. but the object sought by the Patrons of Husbandry, which finally ran into political party channels, has gone forever.


POSTOFFICES AND POSTMASTERS.


By permission of the Warren Reviews of Williamsport, which paper ha compiled frem government records a list of the offices, etc., in Warren county from the earliest day, we are enabled to here make the following valuable postul record of this county :


Williamsport is the oblet office in the county ; established September 28, 1829, with James Cunningham as distributor of the mails and disponer of the old fashioned stamp. The tenth po timaster in this office was R. S. Wheeler, serving ten years, having received his appointment March 12. 1803. turning the office over to Elisha lichens, March 20, 1873. Warren and


i"pent thang Hires. "No, nothing today."


N. M. Gen. was the chest postmaster. 1 pont . . Poi, h1 no


Twenty seven years having been appointed March pris dal al por- i master when the office was discontinued, November 1, 9400, Accordi of ale rare! ropte system. Thomas D. Kent, of Marshfield was the secret chini beastmaster in point of continuous service, having been aprinted I binary s. 1850 and holding the ofice until March 4. 1874. 3 ben he was followed is Withan F. Bani, A. R. Simpson, of State Line, wa the third in carefre. He was appointed February 20, 1872, and served thirteen years, being sa corded by B. F. Marple, November 6, 1885.


The postmasters in their order of service it willrainspent are given i the city history of Williamsport.


Baltimore. established April 15, 1833; William Wilineth, followed in order named, by Mesers. John B. King, Williama Wohnen. Elisha Rodger .. ofice discontinued from him. 12, 1862, 10 August, 1802, and permanently decomimed March 7, 18.


Carbondale, established October 9. 1873 : discontinued July 30, 14 - Postimasters were John P. May. Wesley Clark. B. I. Woodling. J. S. Frind. (. W. Sentman, E. C. Livengood, C. G. Dick, J. F. Judy.


Chatterton, established January 27, 1900, with postmasters as follows: J. R. Albright, Fred J. Albright ; discontinued January 15. 1906.


Clark's Cross Roads, established January 17, 1855, discontinued June 30. 1858; postmasters, John Thompson, Martha J. Clark, Augustus Schlep.


Dresser. established March 9, 1899, discontinued February 28, 1903: postimasters, I. P. Layton, John Silva.


Foster, established June 25. 1883 : discontinued January 15, 1900; post. masters, John Galyan, B. V. Ricketts, George W. Boughter, Irvin C. Denius.


Hedrick, established January 1.1, 1880: postmasters. A. S. Zese. V. 11. Greene, William F. Byers, Wentworth Crane, Eliza Briggs, Fliza Ca.11. Richard Jacobs. F. R. Bell, Joseph Clarey.


Hoosier, established July 27, 1874, discontinued January 6. 1875: 15 m Romine, postinaster.


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1 1, 1. J. W


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1.


1 isnisamon callished August 20, .842; discontinuo | 18:3: 2019- fished April 24. 1884; discontinued again December 23, 1 por pertintable) J bo Barvybell. J. j. Andrew, George E. Hubbard.


Cameron Springs, established November 5, 1885, name changed to ja- diane Mineral Springs, June 13, 1880; postmasters. William Cameron, H. I. Kramer.


Indrena Mineral Springs, ablished June 12. 1880; name changed to Kramer, March 3, 1901 : postmasters, HI. L. Kramer, William F. Ruby, IL. 1. I rainer, Samuel P Moore, Joseph Rice, Henry L. Kramer.


Kramer, estab: hed March 23. 1901. postmasters, Henry I. Kramer, John Perry.


Pine Creek, established April 30. 1830 : discontinued January 1. 1512. postinasters, William Billings, Levi Jennings.


Poolsville, established December 2, 1837; name changer the Forces Chill. October 18, 1877; postmasters, Nathan Biddlecomite, Lieph Gray, Newton Morgan, J. C Vannetta, Newton Morgan. Nathan Lid combe. Newton Morgan. J. A. Haigh, John Dougherty, Thomas (. Bailey, Ezekiel Franklin, Elijah Dawson, Hepry Foster, Robert Crannons, Thomas M. Davis, John W. Jamies, Them' M. Davis.


Green Hill. established October 18, 1877 ; postmasters, Thomas M. Davis, J. (. Bailey, Horatio Wright, Thom C. Bailey: name changed in spelling to "Greenhill," May 16. 1893.


Greenhill, established May 16, 1893; postmasters. Frank Buck, D. J. Leeper, A. R. McKinnis, E. A. Feigel, J. F. Hildenbrand : discontinued August 13, 1904.


Rainsville, established February 5, 1836; discontinued September 15, 1904: postmaster, Isaac W. Smith, M H. Lewis, Michael Creekpaam. J. F. Hoffman, Enoch Fenton, George F. Hoffman, J. S. Gabriel, II. C. Gregory.


(19)


10881 313 435 WYARRE


Bartlett. Henry james . John Stato


Perse, established Other 12. 0003: postmaster. Ch. \ Fisher.


Blue Villig, established Pulmonary 18 1854: pastmasters, James !! Smalley. C. H. Turner. T. A. Wagging J. B. Bowen. J. J. Campbell j. P Ferie Jobb Vance. J. B. Roven, William L. Premier. M. L. Clock jolm Sinth Williams Messher, Amos R. Sewell, J.B. Kowe. William Mester. MiaƂam ! Barn, Young & Turmaa. Rebecca Turman. J. B Kowion. James F. Reven. J. M. Wagoner, William R Street. James F. Rewen. F. B. Ogbon. A HL. Baker, ER HT. Fenters, Sterling Cooper.


Marshfield, established April 6. 18. 7 : postmunters, Levi ( . mint .. El It Hitchens, Noah Trimble, Thomas D. Dent. William F Baume, Jon - Baum. Edward Pechin, William L. Hamilton, J. P. Seinespring. Valor Y .. Hami- ton, IL. P. Layton, William D. Talbert.


State Line, established July 14. 1857. pastmasters, Robert Gavenil. William Iloffihgion. S. L. Boyd, David Frazier, George Y. Stipp, James W !. Villars, Oliver (short, J. A. Maliby, A. R. Simpson. B. F. Marple. William R. Barger, Willie o Jones, William I. Barger, William Jones, C. A. Williams, George P. Wind, I. P. Worden, G. L. Williams, James C. Crouch.


Tab, established . April 8. 1907 ; postmaster. Albert Statzell.


Thomas, established December 29, 1877; postmasters, F. F Thomas, Henry Hasty, William M. Lingley, F. E. Thomas ; discontinued October 23. 1883.


Walnut Grove, established June 12, 1872; postmasters, Henry T. Calton, Elisha Hitchens, N. M. Gchris: discontinued November 1, 1900.


Warren, established December 4. 1832: discontinued February 5. 1830; postinaster, Isaac Brier.


West Lebanon, established December 26, 1832: postmasters. James G. Jameson, James M. Smith, Thomas Lyon, Abel Forshey. J. M. Rhode fer,


Factor


BANKING.


The banking busines was first established in Warren county in 185 by Post & Bundy, private bankers, who occupied the building in which now the law office of Attorney Stansbury are kept, on West Main street. They euily continued in bist less about one year.


The next bank was the Warren County Bank, established in 1889, and non has a capital of $50,000, surplus and undivided profits, $8,000. hs de- posits new run $205,000. Its president is W. C. Smith : vice-president, .1. HI. Faun ; cashier, J. A. Hatton. This is one of the two solid banking houses of the town of Williamsport.


The Williamsport State Bank, of Williamsport, was organized in 1893: the president is John Ridenour ; vice-president, I. T. Stanteor; cashier, P. W. Fleming. Their capital is $50,000; surplus and profits, $18,500.


The West Lebanon banks are safe, secure and progressive banks. The Central Bank was organized in 1888 and now has a capital of $25,000; surplus and profits, $2,000. Its president is William C. Smith; vice-president, F. C. Fleming ; cashier, L. T. Jones.


The Farmers Bank at West Lebanon was organized in 1893. has a capi- tal of $25,000 ; surplus, $4,000. Its president is W. S. Fleming; cashier, Burt Fleming.




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