USA > Indiana > Carroll County > Recollections of the early settlement of Carroll County, Indiana > Part 3
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participated. I have spent as many as four days in the week at log-rollings, and cabin-raisings ; havo -. walked at the end of a hand-spike from morning till night, with some of the stoutest men in the county, or 'shoved' up the end of a log, after carrying it on a spike; always trying which end could beat. The ' Hurrah, our end best !' or 'Up with your switch end !' would surely be heard at the pushing up of every log. " I have experienced more real satisfaction and pleasure at log-rollings and house-raisings, in the first settlement of the county, than I ever have at any social party or gathering, since. The social, friendly feeling which existed, caused the work to appear like play. Then the appetite which it created for the bountiful re- past, prepared by the no less industrious matrons and their blooming and rosy-cheeked daughters, was a feast good enough for a king.
"It is union of feeling and harmony of effort that form the basis of all true happiness. Such union and harmony then existed to a far greater extent than it has since; and there was more real happiness then than now. Then there was harmony in schools, harmony in churches, harmony in politics, harmony in all the social and domestic relations of society. But these fond recol- lections are among the things that were. That real friendly feeling which then manifested itself, in being interested in the welfare and prosperity of others, is now concentrated in a spirit of acquisitiveness and sel- fishness, prevented only from trespassing on the rights of others by legal restraints. Civil laws were then unnecessary ; now they are not sufficient to restrain the inordinate selfishness of society. Why this differ- ence in the primary and present condition of society ? Are the people any wiser or better now than they were then ? Or does the change in their social, civil, and
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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
political relations, render them any happier now than they were then ?
" In the Fall of each year, for a number of years, there was considerable sickness. My practice then em- braced the whole of the population north of the Wild- cat. I have often visited families, in which one was not able to give another a drink. In many instances I have cooked for them, and left their medicine so that each one could get it and take it without disturbing the others.
"I often visited and prescribed for as many as fifty patients in a day, riding day and night. I charged from five to ten dollars. For like services a physi- cian would now charge fifty dollars, and get his pay. I never calculated upon getting more than half what I charged, and in one-half the cases, I never charged any thing.
" In the first settlement of Carroll County, the people lived as well, and suffered as few privations and hardships, as any new country that has ever been settled. They had all the substantial necessaries and many of the luxuries of life; such as sugar, coffee, tea, etc. Though they were deprived for a few years of apples, peaches, and pears, they had plenty of wild fruit-crab-apples, plums, grapes, gooseberries, black- berries-and these were excellent. I have gathered many a mess of blackberries where the conrt-house, public square, churches, business houses, and residences now stand, in the town of Delphi.
" The first settlers of Carroll County possessed more intelligence and piety than is usual for new settlements, and the moral tone of their influence and example has left its impress on the present inhabitants. There is no town on the Wabash decorated with more churches and schools, in proportion to the inhabitants, than Delphi.
.
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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF
" In conclusion, I will just say, that no man labored more for Carroll County than Henry Robinson. He put up the first mill, at a time when it required more labor and capital than it would now, and the profits were not sufficient to keep up the repairs. His labor and money were appropriated more for the benefit of others than for himself.
" In establishing Churches and schools, he was ever foremost. In giving a correct tone to moral and re- ligious sentiment, the influence of his example was always on the side of virtue. He was a most indefati- gable opponent of idleness and vice of every descrip- tion, and hesitated not to reprove it whenever and wherever it came under his notice, regardless of the opinions and censures of man. Had all the old settlers labored as much for the benefit of Carroll County as did Father Robinson, Delphi would have been a different town to what it is now."
COLONEL JOHN B. MILROY said : That he had been a scholar of Miss Sarah B. Robinson, and that she whipped him with a goose-quill ! He went to school also to Mr. Crawford, Mr. Dewey, Mr. Simon, Mr. Gage, Judge Saunderson, and Mr. Odell.
General Samuel Milroy (the father of Colonel M.) re- moved with his family to this county late in the Fall of 1826. The succeeding Winter was very cold; they had three head of cattle frozen to death ! Upon the first arrival of the Milroy family, they settled on the land, one mile above Delphi, now known as the " Milroy farm."
For the first and second Winters, they used hominy for bread, and his brother Robert and himself took turns, and pounded hominy each day, alternately.
When Robinson's mill was frozen up, the neighbors would meet together, and heat water to thaw it loose.
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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
When we first arrived here, the nearest mill was on the Wea Plains.
MR. GEORGE ROYSTER remarked : That his father, Robert D. Royster, and family, including himself, re- moved from Fayette County, in this state, and settled three and a half miles above Delphi, in June, 1830. Mr. R. remembered that the first Winter was extremely cold.
Mr. JAMES M'DOWELL said : That he removed from Vigo County, in this state, and came here in August, 1826. David Lucas and Alexander Chamberlain came at the same time. The present location of Mr. M'Dow- ell was the one chosen in that early day.
Very heavy rains visited this section of country shortly after his arrival, and at the house of Mr. Lucas the water came through the roof, and poured upon a bed where a sick boy was lying, causing him great distress.
When Mr. M'Dowell raised his cabin, he was assisted by John Ballard, Jeremiah Ballard, David Lucas, and another young man. The first night after getting into the cabin, Mrs. M'Dowell was taken sick, and was severely afflicted for thirteen weeks. They would gladly have sent for a physician, but there was none in the county, and as yet they had never called one.
The old settlers in this county were in the habit of digging ginseng, and Mr. M'D. made sixty dollars, the second Fall after his arrival, in this way.
Previous to his removal to Carroll County, he resided three years in Vigo County. Before that, lived in Darke County, Ohio. When they left Ohio, they had seven children-three born in Vigo, and five were born in this county. Out of sixteen children, they raised fourteen to be men and women. Never had a doctor prior to nine years ago. My son Alfred then had the
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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF
" white swelling," and then for the first time they em- ployed a physician.
On the second Fall after coming here, the black- birds destroyed half the corn. Many persons who had made up their minds to remove to this county, aban- doned the idea, and were deterred from coming, on account of the birds !
In the Summer of 1827, Alexander Chamberlain raised a double log-house, below Logansport, nearly opposite the mouth of Eel River. Persons from this distance went up to assist him.
I was offered eighty acres of land where Delphi now stands, for $125.
After his wife recovered, she gathered a large quan- tity of nettles, cured or dried them, broke the stalks, leaving a kind of flax, from which she wove and made clothing.
DANIEL BAUM, SR .- Mr. Baum was not present, but sent a paper to be read to the meeting, of which the following is a copy :
"I was born on the 7th day of October, 1780, in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. Married in the same county, on the 20th day of February, 1801, to Assenath Rotrock .. We have had twelve children; six of them are now living.
" I removed from Mifflin County on the 8th day of October, 1805, and settled in Ross County, Ohio. The county was afterward divided, and I fell in Pickaway County. Remained in Pickaway County twenty years. Started to remove to the Wabash on the 7th day of March, 1825, on a flat-boat, in company with four other families, consisting of Robert Mitchell, Sr., Robert Mitchell, Jr., John Kestler, and Jacob Baum.
"On the river, sold the flat-boat, and purchased a keel-boat. With this keel-boat the company entered
41
CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
the Wabash River, and cordelled and polled it to the mouth of Deer Creek, without making a stop. The boat was run up Deer Creek about half a mile where it was tied, at a point about one hundred yards below How- litt's old slaughter-house. The boat lay tied to the shore till the Spring of 1826, at which time the ice- flood sunk it, and doubtless its bottom still lies embedded in the mud and sand of Deer Creek, at the point where it was first landed.
"The five families landed on the 30th day of April, 1825. It was too late in the season to lose any time, and all erected tents on the bank of Deer Creek, near the old Baum buildings, in the bottom, just below the railroad bridge. Immediately broke up some land, and put in four acres of corn. Robert Mitchell, Sr., put up a cabin on the bank of Deer Creek. Pretty soon I built the house, still standing, in which I resided so many years. Mr. Kestler removed to the farm now owned by Spears, Case & Co., adjoining ' Bondis's Re- serve.' Robert Mitchell, Jr., returned the ensuing Fall to Ohio. Jacob Baum removed to the land now owned by Peter Toughman. I had visited the Wabash in the Fall of 1824, attended the land-sales at Crawfordsville, and purchased my land. None of the others purchased until after their removal here.
"In October, 1825, we moved into our new house ; and from that time till after the location of Delphi, were crowded with travelers, land-hunters, and others, as the old 'Lafayette trail' crossed the creek just below my house.
" Old Robert Mitchell died in the Fall of 1826. He was buried at the foot of Front Street, in Delphi, at the section corner. Mr. William Sims, who was a new- comer, living near where Logansport was afterward located, got sick up there, and having no one to take care of him, except his brother-in-law, Mr. Young, he
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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF
was brought to my house to be cared for. After re- maining sick about two weeks, he died, and was buried at the section corner, near the same place where Mr. Mitchell was buried. This was probably in the Fall of 1826.
"Hugh Manary, Sr., settled in the bottom, on what is now known as 'Manary's Addition,' in the Fall of 1825. He sold a mill-seat off from his land to Philip Starr, and removed across the creek, on the hill, above the old slaughter-house.
" In the Spring of 1827, Dr. Daniel F. Vandeventer, who was a partner with Mr. Graham, brought a little stock of goods. I built a log store-house for him in the yard. Dr. V. was elected clerk and recorder in the Spring of 1828, and kept his office in that same store- room ; and, until the log school-house was built in Delphi, on the lot adjoining the present residence of William Barnett, the courts were held in the same building. That old store-room, clerk's office, and court- room is still standing. In January, 1828, there was a great flood; the water came into my kitchen. Once since that time, when my son, Daniel, was living in the same house, the flood was about one foot higher than in 1828."
Miss ELIZABETH ROBINSON, daughter of the late Henry Robinson, having kept a register of the deaths, from the first settlement of the county up to 1830, the same was read to the meeting, as follows :
Name.
Date of Death.
James Gilbreth, September 8, 1825.
Benjamin D. Angell September 16, 1825.
John Nelson Newman July 11, 1826.
Robert Mitchell
August 27, 1826.
William Sims
September 5, 1826.
Henry Alex. Robinson January 20, 1827.
Mrs. Merriman February, 1827.
Sarah Odell May 20, 1827.
Elizabeth Odell June 11, 1827.
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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
Name.
Date of Death.
Mrs. Hamilton
1827.
George Baum
November, 1827.
Mary Baum
December 5, 1827.
T. Hughes May 20, 1828.
Andrew Forbes
September 11, 1828.
John Bean.
September 20, 1828.
Malinda Bozarth
September 23, 1828.
Sarah Clister
October 3, 1828.
Wm. Waugh Griffith
October 5, 1828.
Rebecca Lowther
October 6, 1828.
James M'Cain. January 7, 1829.
Emanuel M Combs
January 17, 1829.
Infant of Jno. Adams
January 27, 1829.
Benjamin Lowther
March 30, 1829.
Mrs. Metcalf.
May 26, 1829.
Margaret Adams
June 12, 1829.
Infant of Mr. Thornberry.
June 30, 1829.
Hervey Dewey ..
August 19, 1829.
Infant of Mr. Bross
August 24, 1829.
James M'Clellan
August 26, 1829.
Mr. Bross
August 31, 1829.
Rebecca George
September 25, 1829.
Margaret Black
October 2, 1829.
Sam'l Wise
October 21, 1829.
Daniel Kuns.
November 1, 1829.
James Briggs
December 1, 1829.
William Wilson. January 22, 1830.
Mrs. Adkison
February 10, 1830.
Hugh Manary February 16, 1830.
M. Kennon
March, 1830.
Susan Wilson
March 31, 1830.
Mabala Clark
April 5, 1830.
Harrison Blackburn
June 2, 1830.
William Roberts
July 26, 1830.
Elizabeth Pike
August 15, 1830.
John Baum August 27, 1830.
Infant of Mr. Pike September 8, 1830.
Martha Humrickhouse .September 2, 1830.
William Seeley.
September 10, 1830.
Mr. Silvers
September 12, 1830.
Mrs. Gideon
September -, 1830.
Mr. Clark
September 24, 1830.
Mrs. Long.
September 26, 1830.
Mrs. Olinger September -, 1830.
Mrs. Hulry September 30, 1830.
Mat. Henry Ewing
October 6, 1830.
Sophia Bricker
October 26, 1830.
Mary M'Combs. 1830.
Mr. Merriman 1830.
Two children of Mr. Thomas 1830.
Mrs. Bell
1830.
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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF
MR. THOMAS SMITH, who settled on the west side of the Wabash River, one or two miles above where Pitts- burg, Indiana, now stands, was not at the meeting, but his statement was read as follows : Thomas Smith, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania, July 5, 1776 ; arrived in Car- roll County, April 4, 1830. He lived in a camp some time ; broke up twenty acres of land on Deer-creek Prairie, and raised one crop; afterward built a cabin. His family then consisted of James, Thomas, Jr., Cath- erine (now Mrs. Gibson), and Eliza. His son John (removed to California) was married before coming to Carroll County.
JAMES H. STEWART, the secretary of the Society, said he had started from Clarke County, in this state, to remove to the Wabash, on the 27th day of March, 1830, the day he arrived at the age of twenty-one years; and arrived in Delphi the 10th day of April, 1830.
A few nights after his arrival here, some young men, who had become offended at an old lady residing in the village, took her out, and " tarred and feathered" her ! The occurrence created a great deal of excite- ment for a long time.
It seems that an old lady by the name of S. had given offense to five or six of the young men who lived in the village, and they determined to have revenge. She resided, at the time, on the lot now occupied by the " Knight House." On the night in question, after Mrs. S. had retired to bed, some one knocked at the door, and told Mrs. S. that Mrs. Thornbury, who resided on the lower end of Front Street, was sick, and wanted to see her immediately. She hurried on her clothes, and started across the Public Square in the direction of the residence of Mrs. T., and when she got about one hun- dred yards from her house, she was seized by the young men, who were lying in ambush, and a coat of tar and
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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
feathers applied. I never could ascertain what she had said or done, that offended the young men.
The next morning, upon the facts becoming known, the little community was greatly stirred. The perpe- trators were arrested, and taken before Esquire Robin- son, who resided on his farm above town (same place now owned and occupied by General R. H. Milroy). Nearly every body attended the trial. The young men were defended by Colonel T. J. Evans, at that time re- siding in Logansport. Every one was satisfied that the young men arrested were the guilty ones; but very little direct proof could be obtained. Colonel Evans fought hard for his clients; but the justice was so fully satisfied that the defendants were guilty, that he bound them over to court.
When court came on, the prosecuting attorney be- came satisfied that he would be unable to procure suf- ficient proof to conviet. He therefore dismissed the indictment as to Jesse Fleming (one of the defendants), and made a witness of him against the balance. Flem- ing, upon being placed on the witness stand, swore that he didn't know any thing about it! Of course the boys were cleared.
It was known that Fleming had perjured himself. In fact, I myself saw the tar on his pantaloons the next morning after the occurrence !
Poor Jess. Fleming! He was assisting Ex-sheriff Hopkinson a few years afterward to dig a well on his farm below town (the same now owned by Henry Lyon), and lost his life by the caving-in of the walls. It required twenty-four hours to dig his body out.
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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF
CHAPTER IV.
OLD SETTLERS' THIRD MEETING.
0 N the 14th day of June, 1856, the Society met again in the grove above Delphi. Rev. E. W. Wright addressed the Throne of Grace. The roll was then called, and the following persons answered to their names : Abner Robinson, William M'Cord, James Odell, Thomas Stirlin, Aaron Gregg, William M'Cain, John W. Gillam, Isaac Robbins, Henry M. Graham, John B. Milroy, Joseph Cox, Isaac Jackson, James F. Givins, George Royster, James H. Stewart, Andrew Burntrager, Isaac Wilson.
The following persons then came forward, and en- rolled their names as members of the Society :
Names.
Where Born.
Age.
Date of Settlement.
Michael Kite
Tennessee.
49
October 1, 1831.
Vine Holt
Kentucky.
42
October, 1829.
Samuel Holmes
Ireland.
80
1833.
Robert D. Royster.
Virginia ..
68
July 8, 1830.
Enoch Cox.
NewJersey
72
April 17, 1829.
Solomon Hoffman
Virginia ..
38 October, 1830.
John Beckner.
Virginia ..
63
February, 1829.
Daniel Baum, Jr.
Ohio
41
April 30, 1825.
Samuel More.
Virginia ..
56
January, 1832,
William Crooks.
Kentucky.
Cornelius Williams
Virginia.
68 January 28, 1830.
Dan. F. Vandeventer
New York.
59
August, 1827.
Hamilton Thompson
Kentucky.
48
November, 1827.
Daniel Baker
Virginia.
76
1834,
Amos Ball
Ohio
31 October, 1830.
Christopher Vandeventer ..
New York
51
December, 1829.
Dan. V. Thayer.
New York
36
April, 1831.
Joshua Thayer.
Indiana
31
April, 1831.
47
CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
Names.
Where Born.
Age.
Date of Settlement.
Noah Sandifer
South Carolina
58
September, 1832.
John M. C. Hanna
South Carolina
55 September, 1832,
Jacob Ball ..
Ohio
36 October, 1830.
James Ball
Ohio
42
October, 1830.
Archibald Slane.
Virginia
..
William M. Young
Ohio
38 July 13, 1829.
Jonas Elston
Kentucky.
55 November, 1832.
William Allen
Ohio
32
October, 1829.
Martha Milroy.
Pennsylvania ..
70 December, 1826.
Nancy Ann Ball
Pennsylvania ..
66
October, 1830.
Phenia Royster
Kentucky
57
July 1, 1830.
Fanny Stirlin,
Ohio
52
February, 1826.
Isam Adkinson.
Virginia
77
November, 1826.
The Hon. ANDREW INGRAHAM, of Lafayette, having been appointed by the Executive Committee to address the meeting, was now introduced, and read an excel- lent address.
The following letter from Judge Milroy was read to the meeting, and ordered to be spread upon our Minutes :
" RENSSELAER, INDIANA, June 11, 1856.
" GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE :
" Dear Sirs,-Your kind invitation to be present and address the 'old settlers" meeting at Delphi, on the 14th inst., came to hand, or rather to this place, during my absence at New York, from which place I returned a short time since. Your letter was unfortunately mis- laid, and I did not get it till this morning. I hope, therefore, you will not think me guilty of negligence or disrespect, as nothing is farther from me. It would afford me great pleasure to be present at your meeting to talk of 'auld lang syne,' and to take by the hand old friends with whom I associated in 'life's morning march, when my bosom was young.'
"I am just forty years old this day. My father moved to the territory now composing the county of Carroll, on the place where he lived and died, in the
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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF
Fall of 1826, now more than thirty years ago. How brief that period seems, to look back; and yet what changes have taken place ! The 'old settlers' of Car- roll of thirty years ago, where are they ? A few still remain; but the greater part of them have gone to join that 'old settlers' meeting' which will have no end !
" But business imperiously forbids my absence from home. I must therefore deny myself the honor and the pleasure of accepting your invitation.
" Please accept my sincerest wishes for your health and happiness, and that of all the 'old settlers' of Carroll.
R. H. MILROY.
"TO JAMES H. STEWART, JAMES ODELL, ABNER ROBINSON, THOS. STIRLIN, AND I. M. EWING."
The following sketch, written by Mrs. Magdalina M'Cain, the wife of Daniel M'Cain, was read to the meeting :
"June, 1855.
"My husband and myself were both born and raised near Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio, our parents hav- ing settled there in early times, and stemmed the hard- ships of a new settlement; and when we turned out to seek our fortunes in the world, we thought it best, while we were young, to emigrate still farther West. My husband having been out, selected and secured a home. We accordingly made preparations, and on the 9th day of November, 1826, we bade adieu to weeping friends and relatives, and to our native country, and, with two ox-teams, slowly wended our way for Indiana, which at that time was almost an unbroken wilderness, where the sound of the white man's ax was seldom heard; but in the place of it the chirping of birds, or the oc- casional howl of the wolf, the dismal hoot of the owl, or the shrill screaming of the wild-cat. On the 28th
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CARROLL COUNTY, INDIANA.
-
day of the same month. we landed here on Deer Creek, where we still reside.
" I have not many particular incidents to relate during our journey, except the road, if such it could be called, was very muddy, and difficult to pass in many places, on account of the trees and gulleys. We had some cold, disagreeable weather, and some snow, the night before we reached our forest home. We camped near what is called ' Little Sugar Creek.' Here a dismal night we passed. It had been snowing occa- sionally for two days, and after dark the wind began to blow, and it blew almost a hurricane. It is now more than twenty-eight years; but the tall trees bending over our heads, are still fresh before my eyes. It appeared as if every tree would be leveled with the ground by the contending elements. And yet, though there were seven of us in number, there was not even a hair on our heads injured; for He who feeds the young ravens, is able to save us through the greatest dangers. So, we being spared through that stormy night, soon ar- ranged every thing in the morning, and started again with fresh vigor for our destination, which we reached about the middle of the day. We then pitched a tent, and having every thing arranged, I prepared dinner, and we ate a hearty meal, for the first time, at our new home. Kings in their palaces, and with all their dain- ties, never ate with better relish and with more pleasure than we did, with the hind-gate of the wagon for a table, and nothing but the blue heavens over our heads. After we had finished a hearty repast, the men began the work of erecting a cabin-there being five in num- ber-three of them being my brothers in-law, Joseph, William, and Ramsey M'Cain, and a cousin, John M'Cain, having accompanied us. In just three days they had our cabin so that it was barely possible to live in it, the roof being on, a door cut out, and one side and
5
50
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF
end chunked, which afterward received a partial sup- ply of mortar. It then commenced raining, and we put what little we had into our new abode. Right happy were we to have at last, poor as it was, a shelter from the storms The next morning, two of the men took their guns, and went out to try their luck at shoot- ing deer, and they had the good fortune to bring one in. It required but a few minutes to dress it; and then the men all went about a mile distant, to erect a cabin for William M'Cain ; for it was his intention to move out the ensuing Fall. I was left alone with my son, then a little over two years old. We were, of course, very lonely; but being busily engaged, I got along very well, except one little fright. Toward noon, I saw, some distance from the house-for I was continually on the watch-two animals, which I knew could be none other than the hungry wolf, smelling along the trail of the deer that had been brought in. As one would natur- ally suppose, I was very much frightened, and for a few moments cast in my mind what I should do. But on consideration, I thought if they attempted to come near, or to attack us, I would try to scald them, as I had plenty of hot water. But I suppose they deemed it prudent to keep at a tolerable distance, for women are danger- ous; they generally fight with formidable weapons, such as scalding water or the broom. At length they dis- appeared, and I saw no more of them. This was on Saturday. The first of the next week, the men finished their cabin, and William and John M'Cain left for their respective homes, in Ohio, leaving the other two with us .. The provisions we were unable to bring with us, such as corn and pork, were to be provided for the Winter; and by the time they were hauled up from Wild-cat, for they could not be had any nearer, cold weather set in so severe, that we were forced' to live in our house all Winter, just as we first went into it. But we did not
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