USA > Indiana > Carroll County > Recollections of the early settlement of Carroll County, Indiana > Part 14
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Creek. During the trip he came very near being frozen up in the river. Mr. Robinson was then building a small mill just above where Delphi was afterward located. The Rock Creek settlers expected to procure grinding at this mill, but it had only been in operation a few days before it was frozen up, and was not thawed out again before the latter part of Winter. The people in Mr. H's neighborhood subsisted on potatoes, meat, and hominy, until the mild weather of Spring unlocked the mill.
In the Spring of 1827, Mr. Hicks married a daughter of Mr. William Price.
At the first election held in the county, Mr. Hicks was elected one of the county commissioners, Jacob Baum and Graham Roberts being his colleagues. He discharged his official duties honestly and faithfully, and to the satisfaction of the people.
After a residence of about seven years in the bounds of what is now Carroll County, having wit- nessed its progress from almost a wilderness to an organized county, rapidly increasing in population, im- provements, and wealth, he sold his property, and re- moved about eight miles north, into the territory out of which the county of White has since been made. In that county Mr. H. still resides, one of its most re- spected and worthy citizens. He is the only survivor of the first Board of County Commissioners.
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CHAPTER XIV. DEPARTED VETERANS.
JACOB OLINGER.
A LL the early settlers remember "Father Olinger," who removed here at an early day from the state of Tennessee. He had been a soldier of the " Revolu- tion," and like most of the men who fought in '76, was fond, when he came to town, of indulging in a social glass. When asked "if he would take something," his invariable reply always was, "Would a duck swim ?" Of course a duck would swim, and just as naturally would " Father O." take a " nipper."
He was a kind-hearted, honest old man as ever lived, and one who loved the country he had fought for, with his whole heart. It was his custom, on election days, to take his place on the court house steps, and about every half hour shout at the top of his voice : " Whoop'e ! Whoop'e more votes ! More votes ! Our end best." This speech would never fail to put the crowd in a good-humor, and raise a laugh.
SAMUEL WELLS.
SAMUEL WELLS purchased the land on which was afterward located the town of West Delphi, east of the Wabash River. Wells had the name of being " awfully avaricious ;" a " fip," in his eyes, looked as big as the full moon. A short time after the location of Delphi, a Yankee peddler came along, vending his " wall-sweep- ers." After remaining over night at Joseph Dunham's tavern, when about to depart in the morning for a trip
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to the sparse settlements on the west side of the river, he inquired of the landlord, if any one resided between the town and the Wabash. He was informed that a man by the name of Wells lived on the river bank, but that he was " awfully stingy," and it would be wasting time to attempt to sell him a clock. The peddler started out, hitched his horse at Wells's door, and was informed that W. was plowing in a field at some dis- tance. He took up his line of march, and after finding his man, saluted him as follows : " Is your name Wells ?"
W .- " Yes, sir."
P .- " I presume I have come upon a fool's errand. I am engaged in selling clocks. I inquired about you at the little village the other side of the bayou, and they informed me that you were so close, that it was all nonsense to think of trading with you."
W. (Very indignant)-"The rascals over at that hole have always been abusing me."
Thereupon he proceeded to the house with the ped- dler, and to prove to him how outrageously he had been slandered, he purchased a " sweeper" for forty-five dol- lars, and paid for the same with Mexican dollars, which he resurrected out of an old chest !
At one time, Wells, after having built a hewed log house, the one that stood just below the dam, undertook to saw off the ends of the logs, which were projecting six or eight feet from the corner. He commenced with the upper log, but unfortunately was seated on the outer end of the same! The consequence was, the log fell, and so did Wells! He was pretty nearly killed by the fall, and was compelled to send for a doctor to do up his bruises !
The author has another anecdote of Wells, told him by Robert Cade. Wells and Tom Burk met one day at Cade's. A quarrel arose and they proposed to fight ; Wells was at least twice as large as Burk, but was
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generally thought to be a great coward. The moment Burk commenced to pull off his coat, W. sat down and commenced taking off his shoes and stockings ! At this moment Cade interposed, and the fuss was compromised. After Burk left for home, Cade had the curiosity to ask W. " why he had pulled off his shoes and stockings ?" W. replied that he "was afraid if he got into a fight, he would kick Burk's guts out !"
Cade believed, until his dying day, that the true rea- son was, to enable W. to do some "tall running."
JOHN ROBBINS.
MR. ROBBINS was a decided " character," quite eccen- tric, and celebrated for his dry humor. His acts were those of kindness, although his manner would be some- times quite the reverse. He must have his fun, even if his best friend was at the point of death.
Mr. R. was not a member of any religious denomi- nation, although his wife was a member of the Baptist Church. On one occasion a minister of that persuasion rode up to Mr. R's. door, about sunset, and found the man of the house busily engaged in chopping wood for the next morning's fire, when the following colloquy ensued :
Preacher-"Is your name Robbins?"
R. (Without stopping his work)-" Yes, sir."
P. (Still sitting on his horse)-" Any news, Mr. Robbins ?"
R .- "No, sir; none that I know of."
P .- "I believe, Mr. Robbins, that your wife is a member of our Church ?"
R .- "I generally carry my members in my pocket when I leave home."
P. (After a long pause, R. still chopping)-" Mr. R., can I stay all night with you?"
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R .- "Certainly, with great pleasure. Why did'nt you name the matter at first?"
THE CONSTABLE.
AN anecdote is told of one of the first constables elected in the county. Pretty soon after he had re- ceived his commission, an execution was placed in his hands for a small amount against Bob Scott, who re- sided on the Forsythe land, on Deer-creek Prairie. The constable proceeded to Scott's, and demanded the money or property. Scott, who was fond of fun, and something of a wag, told him that he might levy on that calf, pointing at the same time to one on the other side of the fence. At that time there were no cross-fences on Deer-creek Prairie, and a field would contain from four to six hundred acres. "But," said Scott, " the law requires that you must put your hand on the calf be- fore you can make a legal levy." So, stripping off his coat and vest, and tying his suspenders around him, he jumped the fence and started after the calf. The animal, frightened of course, started off with the swiftness of an antelope. Around and across that six-hundred-acre field went the calf, and close upon his heels pursued the constable. After a hard run of three hours, he caught the calf by the tail, and satisfied the law by ex- claiming at the top of his voice, "Now, mister calf, I levy on you."
Scott described the race as one of the most amus- ing ones he ever witnessed.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM HANCE.
FOR many years Captain William Hance was one of the county commissioners of this county. He died on his farm, a short distance above Camden, on the 20th day of June, 1859, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. Captain Hance emigrated to Carroll County, from
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the county of Miami, Ohio, in the year 1828. He was a consistent and influential member of the Baptist Church for forty years.
As a county commissioner, Captain H. was dis- tinguished for the fidelity with which he discharged the various duties connected with that office. To sum up, he was one of that honest, incorruptible class of men, too little appreciated, we fear, in this degenerate age. His word was as good as his bond.
As a husband, father, friend, neighbor, and Christian, he was always true and consistent. He was a zealous follower of the meek and lowly Redeemer.
JUDGE SANDERSON.
GEORGE C. SANDERSON was born in England, but came to the United States when quite a young man, and settled near Dayton, Ohio, where he married. He emigrated to this county in the year 1829, and engaged in the occupation of teaching school, which he followed most of the time during life. He was a successful and popular teacher, and in that vocation did a great deal of good.
In 1834, Mr. Sanderson was elected one of the as- sociate judges of the Carroll Circuit Court, which posi- tion he continued to hold under repeated elections until the adoption of the new Constitution. He was a man of stern integrity, an upright and honest judge.
He died at his residence, six miles east of Delphi, on the 25th day of October, 1859.
WILLIAM HUGHES.
ONE of the first settlers was William Hughes, who was born in Winchester, Virginia, on the 28th day of April, 1790. When William was a boy, his father re- moved to Clarke County, Kentucky ; thence to High- land County, Ohio; thence again to Clarke County,
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Kentucky, and thence to Adams County, Ohio. In that county, at about the age of twenty, he was married to his first wife.
In 1814, he volunteered, and served six months in the war with Great Britain, was stationed at Upper Sandusky, and was there at the time Colonel Croghan fought the battle of Lower Sandusky. While in the army, he had a pitched battle with the " bully" of another regiment ("fist and skull"), and whipped him.
About the year 1820, he removed to the Indian ter- ritory of Indiana, in what was afterward organized into Madison County. He purchased a tract of im- proved land from a Delaware Indian, and remained on it about two years; sold out, and removed to Henry County. Resided in Henry at the time Sawyer, Bridges, and others, killed the friendly Indians, and saw Hud- son, Bridges, and Sawyer hung, and young Bridges re- prieved.
About the year 1825, Mr. Hughes went to Texas, induced to do so by the promises made by Colonel Austin. First located about one hundred miles up the Colorado. He returned home to Henry County, hav- ing been absent nearly two years.
He was married to his second wife about the year 1823. After his return from Texas, he came to this part of the Wabash twice, on a peddling tour. He started with his family to remove here, in January, 1827, and arrived the last of February. He came down the Mississinewa; had a pretty hard time in coming; could procure scarcely any thing to eat, until he arrived at Aleck Chamberlain's, who kept tavern on the river, a mile below where Logansport was afterward located.
When Mr. Hughes arrived in Carroll County, he settled near where Eli Wingard now resides, in the Burntrager neighborhood. One of his near neighbors was Moses Standley. He afterward bought thirty-six
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acres in the same neighborhood, which he improved. He made his living principally by hunting.
In 1828, in company with Moses Standley and John Mitchell, he got on board a " bitter-head" boat, and went down to the mouth of the the Big Vermilion River, with beeswax, etc., purchased corn and meal, and then pushed the boat all the way up, and landed at the "Elm Ford," on the Wabash, just below the mouth of the bayou, near the paper-mills. They were absent about one month.
Mr. Hughes was at the first sale of lots in Delphi; bought the corner lot, on which the wigwam was erected in 1860. He gave seventy dollars for the lot, but soon sold out to old Billy Wilson.
Mr. Hughes has killed deer near where the present court-house in Delphi stands, and he found a " bee-tree" just below where the jail is located.
The Delphi town-plat, before it was cleared off, was open woods of oak, walnut, elm, plum-bushes, and hazel. A favorite Indian camping-ground was on Deer Creek.
Mr. Hughes is residing about three miles south-west of Delphi.
ENOCH COX.
ENOCH Cox was born August 28, 1784, in the state of New Jersey, and in 1789 his father removed to Ma- son County, Kentucky, where Mr. C. continued to re- side thirty-six years. In 1825 he removed to Mont- gomery County, Ohio, and resided there until the 2d day of April, 1829, on which day he started to Delphi, in company with his family, and arrived at the house of John Robbins, on the 17th day of April, 1829. After remaining at the house of Mr. Robbins three or four days, he removed into the town of Delphi, and lived in a log house belonging to Joe Dunham, on the lot afterward occupied by Robertson, Wood, and Eichhold. He resided in Delphi until February, 1830, and then
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removed about five miles below town, on the farm owned by the Waller's family ; here he remained ten months, and about Christmas, 1830, returned to Delphi, and moved into a house he had erected on the " Wig- wam Lot." He remained in that location two or three years, and then removed to his farm, about two miles below Delphi, on the railroad.
Mr. Cox was married on the 28th day of August, 1810, in Mason County, Kentucky, to Isabella Logan.
At the time Mr. Cox came to Delphi, in 1829, he remembers that the following families were residing here : Aaron Dewey, William George, Joseph Dunham, Rev. James Crawford, Dr. Anthony, and William Wilson.
SAMUEL WAGONER.
SAMUEL WAGONER settled in Clay Township, in this county, in October, 1828. He came from Montgomery County, Ohio. He was a member of the " German Baptist Church," or "Dunkers." This Church was organ- ized in Clay Township in the latter part of 1828, and meetings were held at the houses of the different mem- bers. Mr. Imon (Eyman) was the first preacher. John Shively and Samuel Ullery were next, and David Ul- lery visiting minister. John Shively also officiated.
The following families composed the first Church : - David Ullery, John Wagoner, Joel Fouts, John Shivley, Samuel Ullery, Christian Replogel, Lawrence Fouts, and Samuel Wagoner.
ADAM PORTER.
ADAM PORTER was born in Bath County, Virginia, in the year 1805. In October, 1815, his father and his family started from Virginia for Indiana, and settled in Franklin County (now Fayette), near Connersville, on the 15th day of December, 1815.
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In March, 1825, in company with Moses and Aaron Alldridge, Adam came to Indianapolis, then a small vil- lage. He worked there between one and two years, at eight dollars per month, and cleared off a tract of land for James Blake, for nine dollars an acre. He purchased eighty acres of land near Indianapolis, made a " dead- ening" on it, and afterward sold out.
In April, 1827, he came to Carroll County, and pur- chased eighty acres of Government land, a part of his present farm, worked a few months in the neighborhood, made another "deadening " on his land, and boarded with Thomas Stirlin and John Odell. At that time, John Little, Thomas Stirlin, and John Odell were the only persons who resided above Henry Robinson's, on Deer Creek.
It so happened that five single men had purchased land in Mr. Porter's neighborhood, and were making improvements on the same, to-wit: Elisha Brown, John Ballard, Jeremiah Ballard, Moses Alldridge, and Adam Porter. One day John Little remarked that they ought to give the name of "Bachelor's Run" to the little creek near which these bachelors had settled, and pretty soon the Register of the Land-office wrote the name on his plats, and thus that stream will be known in all coming time as "Bachelor's Run."
About the 1st of June, 1837, he returned to Indian- apolis, and thence to Rush County. The same Fall, he visited Virginia, and remained there until January, 1828; returned on horseback to Rush County, and from there he walked to this county, and purchased another eighty- acre lot of land, adjoining the first track. On this trip he came near perishing in the woods between Crawfords- ville and Indianapolis ; he and his companion lost their way, and were compelled to walk the whole night to keep themselves from freezing. During this visit he made some more " deadenings" on his land, and again
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returned to Rush County, where he remained until after the Presidential election in 1828. He then started to Tennssee, where he remained all Winter, with a half- brother. In March, 1829, he went to Lebanon, Ohio, remained there till October, 1829, and then returned here-driving a six-horse team for Cornelius Williams. Enoch Alldridge and family accompanied them.
About the 10th day of November, 1829, he again settled on his land, boarding with James Alldridge. He " worked around," and the following Winter cleared land for John Odell. He married Catharine Holeman on the 1st day of April, 1830.
Rattlesnakes were very plenty. Mr. Porter stated that, at one time, Moses Alldridge and the two Ballards killed twenty-two at a den on the land lately owned by William Halsey, then belonging to Isaac Griffith.
Mr. Porter resides on his farm, about seven miles from Delphi, and is known as one of the most ener- getic of the citizens. He owns a fine flouring-mill on Deer Creek, about one mile below Camden.
He is the father of a numerous family, fifteen hav- ing been born under his roof. He accumulated a large property, and affords a striking proof of what may be accomplished by industry and perseverance.
JOHN R. BALLARD.
JOHN R. BALLARD was born in Cayuga County, New York, on the 30th day of April, 1805. When six years of age, his father removed to the West, and arrived at Cincinnati in the Fall of 1810, and settled eight miles from that village on Mill Creek. The family resided in Hamilton and Butler Counties, until about the year 1814, at which time his mother died with the " cold plague." The family then (nine children) broke up, and scat- tered among relatives. John and a younger brother were taken to a married sister's in Wayne County,
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Indiana. He was then about eight years old. At the end of two years, his father married again, in Wabash County, Illinois, and the younger children were gathered under the paternal roof. He resided with his father until he arrived at about the age of nineteen, near which time his father died. He then returned to Wayne County, where he remained about eighteen months.
In March, 1825, in company with his brother, Jere- miah Ballard, he came to Wea, Tippecanoe County, and remained there until the 5th day of May, on which day the two brothers came to this territory, afterward or- ganized into Carroll County. On the 6th day of May, John commenced work for Benjamin D. Angell, at ten dollars per month, and continued with him four months, Angell having departed this life on the 16th day of September, 1825. He took a fifty-dollar job from the widow of clearing land.
Mr. Ballard, having worked around by the job and month, finally accumulated enough money to purchase eighty acres of land, lately owned by the Hon. Thomas Thompson, and he was one of the young men who gave the name " Bachelor" to the little creek. He boarded with Jediah Johnson three years.
Seven years after his arrival here, he married Lu- einda, daughter of John Robbins, who survived the marriage about ten years, leaving four children. He removed to the west side of the Wabash River, about three miles above Pittsburg, in August, 1832.
Mr. Ballard's second wife was Miss Nancy Jane Ham- ilton, by whom he had four children. He was married to his third wife, Mrs. Terese Wolf, about the year 1848.
The first wedding Mr. B. attended after his arrival here was that of Geo. I. Baum and Miss Manary. One of the first weddings was his brother Jeremiah, to a danghter of Daniel Baum. The first sermon he heard preached was by Rev. James Crawford, at the house of Henry Robinson.
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The first Winter after his arrival here, his brother Jeremiah and himself built a wolf-den, near Angell's house, in which they caught six wolves.
James Odell, Sr., James Odell, Jr., John and Jere- miah Ballard, watched the snake-den below Odell's house, and killed one hundred and ninety-four rattle- snakes.
JOSEPH COX.
JOSEPH Cox is the son of Enoch Cox, a short sketch of whom is given on a preceding page. Joseph was nine or ten years old at the time his father settled in Delphi, April, 1829. His father kept a little store on the ground on which the drug-store of W. H. Calvert was located. Mr. Cox remembers that Dr. Anthony was in the habit of getting on his mare (being a Marylander, he pronounced the word "mar"), and riding up to Wilson's spring, near A. H. Bowen's house, with a little tin bucket, for water for his family, five or six times a day. Dr. A. became disgusted with the place, and soon left.
Mr. Cox long resided on his farm, two miles below Delphi. He was one of the active and prominent men in the fraternity of Odd-fellows, and a member of the Grand Lodge of that Order. He was an honest man, without guile, and above reproach. Every one spoke well of him, and if the whole world was made up of such men, hatred, envy, strife, revenge, wars, malice, and evil-speaking, would be banished from human society.
JOSEPH JACKSON. -
MR. JACKSON was born on the 4th day of June, 1782, in the state of Pennsylvania. At the age of three or four years, his father, Isaac Jackson, removed to Frank- lin County, Virginia. Upon arriving at the age of twenty-one years, he apprenticed himself to a stone-
18
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mason, and learned that trade. On the 15th of June, 1814, he married Rebecca Burk ; he then resided in Giles County, Virginia. In the Fall of 1823, he emi- grated to the West, and settled in Union County, Indiana. He remained there (except one year in Preble County, Ohio,) until October, 1827, at which time he came to the Deer Creek settlement, arriving here in November. He settled in the woods, having secured a lease on the school section above Delphi, on which land he opened up a small farm. He remained on this farm until March, 1831, when he again broke up, and settled on his own land in the green woods, two and a half miles south of Delphi.
He died on his farm, on the 24th day of January, 1851, leaving a numerous and respectable family.
JAMES M'DOWELL.
ON Satuday, the 16th day of February, 1861, the writer was called upon to visit his old friend, James M'Dowell, on what proved to be his death-bed. Mr. M'D. said at the time that he would never get up again. He was suffering so much that the writer declined entering into any extended conversation, and therefore failed to elicit from him many particulars of his life.
He was born in March, 1789, in the town of New- bern, North Carolina; left that state in his tenth year, and removed to Bourbon County, Kentucky. He after- ward lived in Nicholas County. At the age of eighteen, he left Kentucky, and settled in Preble County, Ohio, in which county he married. He came to Vigo County, Indiana, where he resided three years ncar Terre Haute, and, in 1826, removed to this territory.
From a statement made by Mr. M'Dowell at the "old settlers' " meeting, in August, 1855, we learn that he came here in August, 1826. David Lucas, and Alexander Chamberlain, also with him, the former
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locating in this county, and the latter a mile below the mouth of Eel River (Logansport).
He died on the 13th day of March, 1861.
As a husband, father, neighbor, and citizen, our old friend has left a character without blemish. A more correctly honest man never lived than James M'Dowell. He was literally a man without guile.
WILLIAM M'CAIN.
THIS gentleman was born in Warren County, Ohio, on the 27th day of January, 1804. He was married to Abigail Little, on the 4th day of February, 1825. In November, 1826, in company with his brother Dan- iel and family, and his brothers Joseph and Thomas Ramsey, he started for the Deer Creek settlement on the Wabash. Daniel was the only one of the brothers who brought his family along. Joseph and Thomas Ramsey already owned land in the settlement, and both went to work on their land, neither being then married.
The brothers arrived on the Daniel M' Cain land on the 28th day of November, 1826 (see the interest- ing statement of Mrs. Magdalena M'Cain), and camped west of the hollow, back of the present orchard. The male part of the emigrants immediately commenced cutting logs for a house; some cut down the timber, others split boards for a roof. This was on Wednes- day. The cabin was up and covered by Friday night, and a hard, cold rain set in very soon afterward.
- Mr. M'C. then cut logs, and erected a cabin on his own land. As soon as his cabin was completed, he started back to Ohio, on the 10th day of Decem- ber, 1826.
While M'C. was building his cabin, an Indian came along, and it required the whole party to keep their dog from biting the son of the forest. A funny circum- stance occurred during his stay. One day he started
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