USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Sketches of prominent citizens of 1876 : with a few of the pioneers of the city and county who have passed away > Part 2
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Yours respectfully,
CYRUS WHETZEL.
P. S .- Your statement in the Sentinel, of the 25th ultimo, is correct. My father and. I came out in the spring of 1819, say about the 15th of March, cleared ground, raised a crop, and moved the family out in October following. c. W.
We think that this letter of Mr. Whetzel's establishes the fact beyond the shadow of a doubt, that John McCormack was the first white man who settled in Indianapolis or in Marion county.
John McCormack kept the first tavern or place of entertainment in the place. He provided for the commissioners a portion of the time- when they were here for the purpose of locating the capital.
His house stood on the east or left bank of the river, a few steps. below where the National road bridge now crosses that stream.
One bright, sunny Sunday morning, about the middle of March, my father and myself took a walk to the river. When within about fifty yards of the cabin of Mr. McCormack, we heard cries of " Help! murder .! " etc., coming from the house. We ran, and by the time we got there several men had arrived.
A well known and desperate Delaware, known as Big Bottle (from the fact that he generally carried a large bottle hung to his belt), had. come to the opposite side of the river and commanded Mrs. McCor- mack to bring the canoe over for him; this she refused to do, knowing that he wanted whisky, and when drinking was a dangerous Indian.
He set his gun against a tree, plunged into the river and swam over,. and when we reached the house was ascending the bank, tomahawk in hand, preparatory to cutting his way through the door, which Mrs. McCormack had barricaded. At the sight of the several men he desisted from his intentions, and said he only wished to "scare white squaw." He was taken back to his own side of the river in the canoe, and admonished that if he attempted to scare the "white squaw" again her husband would kill him. This rather irritated him, he flourished his scalping knife towards her, and intimated by signs from her head to. his belt that he would take her scalp.
The spring and summer brought with them many new settlers, viz : James M. Ray, Daniel Yandes, John Given, James Blake, Calvin- Fletcher, Daniel Shaffer, Robert Wilmot, Dr. Samuel G. Mitchell, Dr. Isaac Coe, Dr. Livingston Dunlap, Alexander W. Russell, and many-
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
others, who became valuable citizens in after years. The commissioners in their report to the Legislature, among other advantages of the loca- tion, spoke of the navigation of White river as paramount to all others. They selected 2,560 acres, equal to four entire sections, sections num- bered one and twelve, east and west fractional sections numbered two, east fractional section numbered eleven, and as much of the east part of west fractional section three, to be set off by a north and south line, as would complete the requisite number of acres, all in township fifteen, range three east. So it will be seen that the donation was made up of two entire, and the balance in fractional sections.
About the middle of April, agent of State, General John Carr, commissioner Christopher Harrison, and surveyor, Alexander Ralston, arrived at my father's cabin, to begin the work of laying out the town. I remember well the surveyor showing the diagram of the place to my father. The State House square and other reservations were marked most prominent, the streets and different avenues with their names most conspicuous.
I remember how the talented old Scotchman dilated most elo- quently upon the future of the "capital in the woods." His diagram for survey embraced one square mile near the center of the donation, from East to West, and North to South streets. The old man remarked that should ever half of the survey be improved, what a beautiful town it would make. The buildings seemed to rise in imagination before him. Could he awake to-day from his fifty years of the sleep of death, how he would be astonished to see the great change.
I will have to retrograde and notice more fully what has already been alluded to in regard to the occupation of the settlers during the early spring.
An old Indian sugar camp, situated where is now the southeast terminus of Virginia avenue, was opened about the first of March by Matthias R. Nowland. After making sugar about two weeks, the Indians came and claimed pre-emption right to the use of the camp, and told the occupant to puc-a-chee, which in English meant " clear out." This he did not consider a debatable question, and obeyed their man- date. They remained there during the most of the summer, and had several "big drunks" and fights among themselves, in which several were killed. During their frolics the whites were careful and kept a respectful distance from them.
On the north side of the original town were about one hundred acres, the timber of which had been killed by caterpillars; the undergrowth
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EARLY HISTORY OF THE " NEW PURCHASE."
was cleared up by the settlers in common ; the south side (being the only part liable to trespass by stock) was fenced with brush. After being prepared for cultivation the ground was divided by turn-rows, giving to each settler a due portion for his own use, which was mostly planted by them with corn and pumpkins. This was called the "big field," and retained the name for several years afterwards. In addition to this field, each settler had cleared in the rear of his cabin a small piece of ground, called " the truck patch," in which all kinds of " gar- den sass" was produced, from a love apple (tomato) to a Virginia squash. It may be proper to add that at that early day the tomato was considered more ornamental than useful, and never used (as now) as a table luxury.
Those patches were most luxuriant in their production, and furnished vegetables and melons in great abundance, the free use of which, by some, was claimed as one of the prime causes of the great sickness that prevailed during the summer and early fall.
There has been some difference of opinion as to who preached the first sermon in Indianapolis. It has been attributed to the Rev. John McClung, a "New Light" preacher. If Mr. McClung did preach early in the spring of 1821, it is most likely it was at the house of Mr. Barnhill, who belonged to the same denomination, and lived entirely outside the donation on Fall creek. There were prayer and exhortation meetings frequently held at the cabin of Isaac Wilson, but no meetings by a regular preacher. About the first of May the Rev. Rezin Ham- mond, a Methodist minister of Charlestown, Clarke county,. Indiana, was traveling through the country taking the numbers of tracts of land, preparatory to purchasing at the sale which was to come off at Brook- ville in July. In passing through this place, he told the people that he would return and, if desired, preach to them the following Sabbath. The surveying party were then at work near the Circle. On Saturday evening they rolled some logs together and built a rude rostrum on the south side of the knoll that now forms the Circle. The rostrum was above the congregation, so the speaker faced toward what is now Wash- ington street. A few years since I met Mr. Hammond on the ferry boat, crossing the Ohio river between Louisville and Jeffersonville. Our conversation turned on the early days of Indianapolis. The reverened gentleman asked me if I remembered when he first preached in the woods at this place. The circumstance was fresh in my mind. He then related to me the passage of scripture that formed the foundation
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of his discourse, and where to be found. The language I retained in my mind, the book, chapter and verses I had forgotten; I referred the matter to a learned divine of this city; he at once told me I would find the exact words in the sixteenth chapter of Mark, fifteenth and sixteenth verses, where I found them.
"And he said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
"He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
In front of the speaker sat about twenty hardy pioneers with their families, in all not to exceed forty or fifty persons. Several times during the service a loud amen went up from the congregation, which might be considered out of place in some of the fashionable churches of the present time.
A few moments after the service commenced, an Indian and squaw came by on their ponies ; they halted but a moment, all seemed Greek to them ; they passed on toward the trading house of Rober Wilmot. Mr. Wilmot, who was in the congregation, arose and followed them, but before he was out of hearing the minister remarked that, "The pelts and furs of the Indians had more attraction for his Kentucky friend than the words of God." There can be but little doubt that this was the first sermon preached in Indianapolis; it was so regarded at the time.
Since this first sermon we have heard many learned and eloquent discourses, but have no recollection of any that was listened to with more profound attention, or seemed to make a deeper impression on the audience than this. Mr. Hammond was a man of more than ordinary ability, and possessed the faculty of enlisting his hearers in his subject. While on this tour he selected, and afterwards bought, some of the finest land in Marion county ; nearly, if not all, he retained or kept in his family until the time of his death, which occurred but a few years since. Since that time one piece adjoining the city has been sold by his admin- istrator, at modern prices.
After this visit of Mr. Hammond's there was no scarcity of preach- ers, for the woods were full of people selecting locations of land, among them many preachers, who kept the spiritual strength of the settlers pretty weli refreshed.
The land hunters generally traveled two or three together, each with a gun, tomahawk, and a portion of their camp equipage. They carried their provisions with them, their horses subsisting on grass and wild pea
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EARLY HISTORY OF THE " NEW PURCHASE."
vines, which grew most luxuriantly. The horses really fared better than their riders.
Conrad Brussell, a Pennsylvania Dutchman, had established a bakery on the north bank of the ravine, about one hundred yards east of where the waterworks are now located. Conrad found ready sale for all the rusks, ginger-cakes and jerked venison he could prepare. His cakes were a compound of musty flour, saleratus, maple molasses and ginger, and were considered a great treat to the hungry traveler.
Although every cabin was a tavern, and every tavern a cabin, there was not sufficient room to accommodate one-fourth of the strangers who were traversing the country.
During the spring and summer several keel-boats arrived, laden with flour and other provisions, which were in a damaged condition, owing to the fact of their being on the water so long. The flour was musty and almost worthless, although the people were compelled to use it. This was considered another cause of the great sickness.
Amos Hanway, Sen., had ascended the river in an "Olean Point" flatboat. He had come in this boat the year before, from Marietta, Ohio, to Vincennes, thence to this place. On the boat was brought to this place the first barrel of whisky, although large quantities had been brought in smaller packages. The fact becoming known that Mr. Han- way had so large a quantity of whisky, made him hosts of friends, and for a while, at least, he was the most popular personage in the settle- ment, and found no difficulty in getting assistance to build his house, which was located near the bakery of Conrad Brussell. Mr. Hanway's house was of hewed logs, with a shingle roof, being the first of the kind built in the place.
During the summer great preparations were being made for the sale of lots, which it was understood would come off so soon as the survey of the town was completed. In view of this, and at the solicitation of the agent of State, Matthias R. Nowland had built an additional cabin to be used for the office and sleeping apartment of the officials of the town during the sale. About the last of July sickness began in the most violent form, which delayed the survey as well as all other busi- ness; there was scarcely a well person in the whole settlement. Com- missioner Harrison seeing the situation stopped the survey and returned to his home until the sickness should subside.
Before leaving he authorized Daniel Shaffer, James Blake and Mat- thias R. Nowland to select a piece of ground for a burial place. One Sunday morning early in August they selected the place now known as
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
the "old graveyard." Just one week from that day Mr. Shaffer was buried there, being the first white man to die in Indianapolis and the first buried in that yard. Mr. Shaffer was a Pennsylvania German, but direct from Cincinnati to this place in January, 1821. He was the first merchant; his dwelling and store were on the high ground where is now the junction of Madison avenue with Meridian street. His sudden and untimely death was most discouraging to the people, as he was an active and energetic man and a kind neighbor. His loss was felt most severely.
Early in September the sickness began to abate and the usual voca- tions of the settlers were resumed. Although several had died their places were soon filled by others ; the surveyors had resumed their work, and the sale of lots advertised by posters to commence on the 9th of October. New life seemed to be infused into the people ; every cabin was bustle and confusion ; people seemed to look forward to the 9th of October as the day for which all days were made, and that and the few succeeding days as those when their fondest earthly hopes were to be realized. The male portion of the settlers were busy building sheds and fencing pounds for the horses during the sale ; the female part baking bread, frying doughnuts and jerking venison, and making prepar- ations to accommodate as many of the strangers as possible. Several days previous to the day of sale people began to arrive, first two or three together, then perhaps a dozen at a time, then by scores, until all out- doors was scarcely sufficient to accommodate them. Some came well prepared for camping out ; others slept under trees, using their saddles for pillows and saddle-blankets for covering, and a great many depend- ing on the meager accommodations the settlers would afford. Wagons came from the Whitewater country laden with ginger cakes, spruce beer, cider, dried meats and such other edibles as they thought would sell. There was no scarcity of provisions. The keen, cunning Yankee was here, the brawny Dutchman, the high-sounding, hifalutin Kentuck- jan was here ; the staid old Quaker from Wayne county also entered an appearance ; indeed, nearly every section of the West was well repre- sented. Those who could not attend were generally represented by their cousins or nephews ; so every one had a fair show to make their election sure for a fortune in property in the "capital in the woods." At last the 9th of October arrived, which was a bleak, desolate day, not at all calculated to inspire good feeling or love of speculation. At the appointed time the one-horse wagon of Mr. James Blake was backed up against the window of the cabin to be used as an office. Old Tommy Carter, a good old-time Baptist, soon mounted the wagon as the auc-
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REMOVAL TO THE NEW PURCHASE.
tioneer, or "crier" as they were called at that time. Our venerable cit- izen James M. Ray was officiating inside as clerk of the sale. Mr. Car- ter, in the good old style of the Baptist preacher of that day, drawling his words through his nasal organ, announced that he was about to lav- ish upon every man, woman and child present a fortune, whether they wished it or not. The terms of the sale were then stated by General Carr, agent of State : One-fifth of the purchase money when certificate of sale was given, the residue in four annual installments. The first lot offered, and I believe sold, was the second lot east of West street, on the south side of Washington. The front part of the lot is now vacant, and never had any improvement of much value on it. Many of the lots bid off at the sale were forfeited to the State, and for the first twenty-five years in the history of the city could not have been sold for the original purchase money. Very few of the lots purchased at this sale were re- tained by the purchasers or their heirs to the present time; those who did have realized fortunes from them.
This sale continued one week, during which time there was not the least disturbance of any kind. Although the woods were filled with moneyed people, there was no robbery or attempt at the same, nor was there the least apprehension or fear. There were no confidence men to prey upon the credulity of the people ; although strangers, they looked upon each other as their neighbor and friend. Their money was almost entirely gold and silver, and was left in their leather bags where best they could procure a shelter, and was considered as safe as it now would be in the vaults of our banks. What a change fifty-seven years have wrought ! Is it in human nature, or where else is it ?
REMOVAL TO THE NEW PURCHASE.
Perhaps it would not be improper to give an account of our trip from Frankfort, Ky., to this place.
My father immediately set about making preparations for removing. He had no difficulty in selling his suburban residence of ten or twelve acres, and realized quite a handsome amount to begin with in a new country. He disposed of every article of wood or iron furniture that was not indispensable, or that could possibly be done without. He then loaded a large six-horse wagon with heavy necessary furniture and pro- visions sufficient for the winter use.
The beds and bedding, and most of the clothing, were so arranged and packed as to be carried on the backs of horses. Feather beds were
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
rolled up and tied together in such a way that one would rest on each side of the horse, forming a platform on the back of the animal, where one or two children could ride. My mother and grandmother were pro- vided with single horses and side saddles, and when the whole caravan was in motion, would remind a person of a cavalcade of Bedouins or Arabs. In this way, about the middle of October, 1820, we left our home in Frankfort, Kentucky, to seek our fortune among strangers, in a wilderness whose population was almost entirely savage.
As a start in a journey is the main point, and when started half ac- complished, my father only intended to go seven miles the first day and stop at the house of an old friend, at the Sulphur Springs, to which point we were accompanied by several of his friends, who held high carnival during the evening. In parting with friends, all of whom were there to see us start, there was none more deeply affected or showed more heart- felt sorrow than the old negro woman who had nursed all my father's children. When parting with my mother, she fell on her knees, and prayed that God would watch over and protect her old mistress, and her children, from the tomahawk of the wild "Injuns," which brought tears to the eyes of all present. This good old woman would have come with us, but was deterred only by the fear of the Indians. My sister, now Mrs. S. H. Patterson, of Jeffersonville, and myself, were placed on the platform made by feather beds, on the back of one of the horses. In descending a steep hill the first day we started, the horse stumbled, landing her and myself on the rocky road, with beds on top of us.
In about four days we reached the Ohio, at the mouth of the Ken- tucky river. Here we encountered the first difficulty of any moment. The ferry-boat had left the spring before for parts unknown. Fortu- nately the river was quite low, and the only possible way of getting across was to unload the wagon and take it to pieces, and ferry over in a skiff a portion at a time. The running gear was taken over in this way and put together; then the large body or bed was floated over; then the furniture was taken over and reloaded, and the horses swam across ; and last the family were ferried over the evening of the second day, and camped for the first time in Indiana, on the north bank of the Ohio river.
The ferryman at that time was George Ash, well known in frontier history, having, when a child, been taken prisoner and raised entirely by the Indians. He lived on the Indiana side, could scarcely speak a word of English, wore rings in his ears and nose, and dressed in Indian style. Although he had a very good house, he had not a chair or bed- stead in it, and lived in every way like a savage.
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REMOVAL TO THE NEW PURCHASE.
From Ash's Ferry, as it was then called, we went by way of Ver- sailles to Napoleon, in Ripley county ; this occupied two days. Although we had an open road, it was quite hilly and rough. At Napoleon we camped near the house of William Wilson, son of Isaac Wilson, living at that time in this place, of whom I will speak in another sketch. Here we bought corn, and had it ground into meal on a small hand-mill be- longing to Mr. W. This occupied one day. Here ended the road, and commenced Berry's trace, which had to be cut out before the large wagon could get along.
The first house from Napoleon was that of Montgomery, on "Flat Rock," about nine miles above where Columbus now stands. Here we were detained one day in consequence of the wagoner having foundered one of his horses. While here we were overtaken by Henry Bradley, his brother William, and Bob Sacre, who had agreed to meet us at the mouth of the Kentucky river. This acquisition in numbers and strength, with three additional trusty rifles, was truly encouraging, and gave confidence to the whole party, especially two young men, James Graves and Nathaniel Jones, who had begun to show signs of fear soon after we crossed the Ohio river, so much so that my father was afraid they would take the back track.
From Montgomery's the next house was that of Captain John Berry, father of Colonel Nineveh Berry, now of Madison county. Mr. Berry lived at the mouth of Sugar creek, on Blue river, about three miles from where Edinburg now is. There also we stopped one day and replen- ished our stock of fresh meat by the purchase of a hog, and one of the party, I think Mr. Henry Bradley, killing a fine buck. My father had stopped at Mr. Berry's in the summer, and formed quite an attachment for him.
About the time we were there, a circumstance happened that gave name to a creek in that vicinity, which it now bears, and will, I suppose, as long as water runs in its bed. Nineveh Berry, then quite young, had killed a deer; with the deer on his shoulder and gun in his hand, he at- tempted to cross the creek on a log; the bark of the log slipped, throw- ing Mr. B., deer and gun into the water. When he went home he told his father the circumstances, who immediately named the creek Nineveh.
The next day we reached the house of Loper, which was where Berry's trace crossed that of Whetzel's, about three miles southwest of Greenwood. This place is now owned by William Law. It may be proper here to say there are two places in Johnson county known as where Loper's cabin stood. This point is where his first house was. He
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
afterwards sold this place, and built another cabin about five miles east of it, on a creek now known as Hurricane. We staid at Loper's on the night of the third of November. The next morning set in a violent snow storm. Mr. Bradley proposed to my father to take the family on horseback, and go on and have them a warm dinner by the time they would arrive with the wagon. This he did, and we arrived about twelve o'clock, the fourth day of November, at the house of that good old Sa- maritan, Isaac Wilson, which was on the northwest corner of the State House square. About four o'clock Mr. B. and friends came in with the wagon.
It was on this evening my little eyes (as old Johnny Ewing would say) first opened upon a live "Injun," of which I had heard so much. I had gone to the river with the teamster to help him water his horses. At the river one of the Hardings detained me to ask questions about the "new comers," what their names were, and where from. By the time I had answered the various questions, the teamster had reached the wagon; the horse I was riding was very restive, and finally threw me. I jumped up, and followed along the path; when about where Meikel's brewery stands I met a "big Injun." I don't know which was the worst scared, he or I; but I suppose I was. I did not stop to ask him any foolish questions, or compliment him upon his warrior-like appearance; but I think I made about as good time between that and the wagon as there is on record. One yelp and a few jumps took me to the wagon. What became of him I did not look back to see. And here commences what I know and have seen of Indianapolis.
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