USA > Indiana > The Indiana gazetteer, or, Topographical dictionary : containing a description of the several counties, towns, villages, settlements, roads, lakes, rivers, creeks, and springs, in the state of Indiana > Part 3
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Justices of the Peace are elected by the qualified voters in each township in the several counties, for the term of five years; and have jurisdiction, in crimi- nal matters, co-extensive with the limits of the county in which they are respectively elected; and in civil cases, co-extensive with the limits of the township in which they are respectively elected and reside; ex- tending, with some limitations, to all sums in debt and assumpsit, not exceeding one hundred dollars; in all other actions founded on contract, to sums not ex- ceeding fifty dollars; and in actions founded on tort, to any sum not exceeding twenty dollars.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
All elections are by ballot, and every white male citizen, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who has resided in the state one year immediately preceding the election, is entitled to vote in the coun- ty where he resides.
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TOPOGRAPHICAL
DESCRIPTION OF COUNTIES, TOWNS, RIVERS, &e.
IN THE
TATE OF INDIANA,
ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED.
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ABINGTON, a village on the west bank of the east fork of Whitewater, in Wayne county, six miles S. E. of Centreville. It contains about sixty inhabitants, two taverns, a fulling mill, a carding machine, and several mechanics' shops.
ADAMS, a township in Allen county. : "It lies on the Maumee, and contains about three hundred inhabi- tants.
ADAMS, a north-western township in the county of Carroll., It lies between the Wabash and Tippecanoe. rivers.
ADAMS, a township in the northern part of Deca- tar county.
ADAMS, a township in the south-east part of Madi- son county.
ADAMS, a township in Morgan county.
ADAMS, a south-eastern township in Parke county. ADAMS, a northern township in Ripley county.
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ADISON, an interior township in Shelby county, in- cluding the town of Shelbyville.
AIKMAN'S CREEK, a stream which rises in the east- ern part of Daviess county, and running in a southern direction, empties into the east branch of White river. There are mills on this creek, but the current being somewhat sluggish, and the banks low and sandy, it affords no great facilities for machinery.
ALBANY, a township in the county of Floyd, lying on Silver creek and the Ohio river, and including the flourishing town of New-Albany.
ALLEN, a large and flourishing county in the. north- eastern division of the state. It is bounded on the east by the state of Ohio, and on the north, west, and south, by unorganized territory. It is thirty miles in extent from east to west, and twenty-four miles from north to south ; containing seven hundred and twenty * square miles. . Its principal streams are Little river, which rises in the western section of the county, and runs south-westwardly into the Wabash; and the St. Joseph and St. Marys, both of which rise in Ohio, and run, the St. Joseph south-west, and the St. Marys north-west, till they unite at Fort Wayne, and form the Maumee, which takes a north-eastwardly course through the north-west corner of Ohio, into lake Erie. These rivers are navigable for small keel boats .- There are also numerous creeks running into all these rivers, which will be described under their proper names.
Allen county was organized in the year 1823. In 1825 it contained 150 voters, at which time the whole population was estimated to be about 750. The po- pulation in 1830 was 1,000, and is still increasing .- Fort Wayne.is the seat of justice. The country is generally level and well timbered with almost all the varieties of timber in the state. The soil is clayey, and somewhat sandy near the rivers; and is excellent for the production of grain, grass, and . esculent roots. The principal staples are cattle, wheat, corn, pork, and potatoes.
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ÅLLENSVILLE, a post town in Switzerland county, about ten miles north-east of Vevay, on a branch of Laughery creek. .
ALLISONVILLE, a new town, recently laid out, about ten miles north of Indianapolis, on the state road lead- ing to Fort Wayne.
AMSTERDAM, a village on the Ohio river, near the mouth of Indian creek, in Harrison county, about six- teen miles south-west of Corydon. It has a popula- tion of about sixty souls, contains two stores, a black- smith shop, a tailor shop, and a boat yard.
ANDERSON, a river, which rises in the south-east . part of Dubois county, and running southward, forms the division line between the counties of Spencer and Perry, and empties into the Ohio a short distance below Troy. It affords several good mill seats, and is navigable for flat boats thirty miles from its mouth,
ANDERSON, a centre township in Madison county, including the seat of justice.
ANDERSON, a township in Rush county.
ANDERSON, a southern township in Warrick county.
ANDERSONTOWN, a post town, and seat of justice of Madison county, on the south bank of the west branch of White river, about thirty miles north east of Indi- anapolis, in N. lat. 40 deg. 4 min. W. lon. 8 deg. 30 min. It contains a population of about 100 souls, two stores, two taverns, a physician, and several mecha- nics.
ARMSTRONG, a township in Vanderburgh county.
ATTICA, a town on the south-east bank of the Wa- bash, in Fountain county, opposite to the mouth of Pine creek, fourteen miles north-cast of Covington. It contains about 100 inhabitants, three stores, a ta- vern, a tanner, and several other mechanics of various descriptions.
AURORA,. a post town' on the Ohio river, below the mouth of Hogan in the county of Dearborn, about four miles from Lawrenceburgh. It contains about six hundred inhabitants, three stores, one tavern, a phy- sician, a lawyer, a preacher of. the Gospel, several
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mechanics of different professions, a seminary, a. church, and a large and prosperous Sunday school .- Aurora is situated on a bend of the river, having a beautiful view for five or six miles, both above and be- low, and affords one of the best harbours on the river, from Pittsburgh to its mouth .. .
AZALIA, a small village on the east side of the east: fork of White river, about ten miles south of Colum- bus, in the county of Bartholomew. It has been but recently established, and contains but few inhabitants.
BAINBRIDGE, a small village in Putnam county, on ... the state road leading from Danville, in the county of Hendricks, to Rockville in Parke county, about ten miles from Greencastle, a little east of north. It is not much improved, and contains but a small population.
BAINBRIDGE, a township in Dubois county. It is in general level, and, contains some, bodies of rich fer. tile land, covered with heavy timber of various kinds, and also some valuable coal mines.
BALTIMORE, a village on the west bank of the Wa- bash river, in Warren county, about ten miles south- west of Williamsport. It is located on elevated ground, and commands a delightful view of the river and adjacent country. Baltimore contains about 100 inhabitants, two stores, and mechanies' shops for vari- ous branches of mechanism.
BARR, an interior township in Daviess county.
BARTHOLOMEW, an interior county, bounded on the east by Decatur, on the south by Jennings and Jack; son, on the west by Monroe, and on the north by John. son and Shelby. It is, in the longest part, twenty- nine miles from east to west, and in the broadest part, twenty-one miles from south to north. It contains 588 square miles. Its population in 1830 was 5,480 .. Driftwood, Flat Rock, and. Clifty are its principal streams. Columbus is the seat of justice. The east- ern and middle parts of the county are generally lev- el. The soil is a rich loam, mixed with sand and:
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gravel, sustaining a growth of hickory, walnut, sugar- trèe, ash, beech, and elm; with a luxuriant under- growth of hawthorn, spice, and paupaw. The west- ern part of the county is hilly, with rich but narrow bottoms, formed by Salt creek and its numerous branches. The soil in that part is clayey, and the timber chiefly oak, hickory, beech, and sugartree.
Few countries are to be found better watered, or , possessing greater facilities for manufacturing, than Bartholomew county. The east fork of White river, which is navigable for flat boats, flows through the county from north to south, and receives, on its way, Flat Rock, Clifty, and Sand creek, each of which fur- nishes water sufficient to propel any kind of machinery the greater part of the year. In the western parts of the county there is an abundance of sand rock, suita- ble for grindstones of an excellent quality, and iron ore abounds near White river. . In the eastern parts there are inexhaustible quarries of limestone, and an extensive bed of red ocher; it is said also that gold has been found, but it requires the skill of some per- son acquainted with the process of separating it, to as- certain how far the business can be rendered profita- ble. Coal mines are supposed to exist in the county, but no examination has yet been made sufficient to as- certain their extent. The staple commodities are corn, pork, flour, lumber and potatoes; large cargoes of which are transported, every year, to the southern market. There are, in the county, four Baptist churches, one of Methodists, one of Presbyterians, two of United Brethren, and one society of Friends. The schools in the county vary according to the seasons of the year, from nine to eighteen; but may, on an aver- age, be safely estimated at an amount equal to four- teen the' whole year. . The county was organized in 1821, and has, ever since that time, been increasing in population, and growing in wealth and importance.
BATAVIA, a village .in Shelby county, about nine miles south of Shelbyville, on the road leading from Edinburgh to Brookville.
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BATH, a north-western township in Franklin county ;.
· BEANBLOSSOM, a considerable mill stream, which rises in the eastern side of Monroe county, and running west and north-west, discharges itself into the west fork of White river, near to the north-west corner of Monroe county. This stream affords facilities for dif- ferent kinds of machinery; some valuable mills are now in operation; and it is navigable for flat boats from Mount Tabor to its mouth.
BEAR CREEK, a small mill stream, which rises in Fayette county and empties into the west branch of: Whitewater, on the east side.
BEAR CREEK, a small stream, which rises in the south-east corner of Washington county, and passing westwardly through the north side of Floyd, falls into Blue river, in Washington.
BEAR CREEK, a small mill stream which rises in Perry county, and runs southwardly into the Ohio river.
BEAR LAKE, a beautiful small lake in the unset- tled lands between Allen and Elkhart counties. It is about seven miles in circumference, and is the source of the principal branch of the Tippecanoe river.
BEAVER CREEK, a considerable mill stream, which rises in Lawrence and Orange counties, and running westwardly falls into the east fork of White river, in Martin county.
BEDFORD, a post town and seat of justice of Law- rence county. It is located in T: 5 N. of R. 1 W. on the waters of Leatherwood. It is about seventy-five miles south of Indianapolis, in N. lat. 38 deg. 48 min. and W. lon. 9 deg. 14 min. It was laid out in 1825, and contains about 400 inhabitants, a brick court house and seminary, five stores, two tanneries, two card- ing machines, a saw mill propelled by oxen, three. blacksmiths, two hatters, three cabinet makers, four house joiners, three bricklayers, four saddlers, three tailors, three shoemakers, two coopers, two taverns, three physicians, and three lawyers. It is situated in a:rich and fertile country, rapidly increasing in wealth
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and population, and must soon become a town of con- siderable importance.
BELL CREEK, a mill stream, which rises in Henry county, and running north-west falls into Buck creek, in Delaware county.
BELLVILLE, a flourishing village in Hendricks coun- ty, on the national road, seven miles south of Danville. It contains about 100 inhabitants, 2 stores, a black- smith, a bricklayer, a tailor, a shoemaker, and a cabi- net maker.
BEN DAVIS, a small mill stream in Rush county, which empties into Flatrock, on the east side, about" two miles above Rushville. It took its name from a celebrated Indian who made it his hunting ground.
BETHEL, a north-westerly township in Posey county.
BETHLEHEM, a pleasant village on the bank of the Ohio river, in the county of Clark, about fifteen miles north-east of Charlestown. . It contains about 300 in- habitants, amongst whom are mechanics of various kinds.
BETHLEHEM, a north-eastern township in Clark county.
BIG . BLUE, a large mill stream, which rises in the north-eastern part of Henry county, and taking a. south-west course, passes through the north-west cor- ner of Rush, and the south-east corner of Hancock, runs nearly central through Shelby, and unites with Sugar creek, in the south-east corner of Johnson, where the two together form Driftwood, or the east branch of White river.
BIG CEDAR GROVE, a considerable mill stream which rises in the north-east quarter of Franklin coun- ty, and running in a south-western direction, falls into Whitewater about six miles below Brookville.
BIG CREEK, a mill stream which rises in the north- ern part of Jefferson county, and runs westwardly in- to Graham's fork of Muscatatack.
BIG CREEK, a mill stream which rises near the north east corner of Posey county, and runs south- . westwardly into the Wabash.
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BIG FLATROCK, a large. mill stream, which rises) near the northern boundary of Henry county, and, passing southwardly through Rush, turns westwardly, and passing through the north-west corner of Decatur, . and the south-east corner of Shelby, enters the north part of Bartholomew, and empties into the Driftwood or east fork of White river about half a mile above Columbus. It is an excellent mill stream, and passes through one of the most beautiful tracts of rich and fertile land in the state.
BIG INDIAN, a large creek , which rises in Floyd county, and runs a south-west course through Harri- son, to the Ohio river, where it discharges itself, near to the town of Amsterdam. The country through. which it passes is hilly, and the land in some places thin and abounding with sinks, so as to render it in- convenient for cultivation ; but in other parts it is very fertile.
BIG INDIAN, a mill stream, which rises in Owen county, and running in a south-eastern direction, en- ters the west fork of White river above Spencer.
BIG PIGEON, a considerable water course, which. has its source near Princeton, in Gibson county, and running southwardly through. the western border of Warrick, it enters Vanderburgh on the east side, and. . falls into the Ohio river just below Evansville. It is about fifty miles in length, and on it several mills have. been erected, which are still in operation and prove- a great benefit to the country. It was thought some. years ago that salt water could be obtained, and salt, manufactured in the vicinity of this stream; and two enterprising citizens made the attempt. They perfo -. rated a solid rock about five hundred and twenty-eight feet, and obtained a tolerable supply of salt water, from which they made from twenty-five to thirty bush- els of salt per day ; but being anxious to improve their works by obtaining water in greater quantities, and of a better quality, they attempted to penetrate the rock yet further, and in doing so they came in contact with. a vein of some kind of mineral water which destroyed ;
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the value of what they had obtained, and quite blast- ed all their prospects. The water still continues to boil up to the surface and run like a spring. It has .. been analyzed by a chemical professor, who says it pos -. sesses valuable medical, qualities.
BIG PINE CREEK, a creek which rises in the Grand prairie, and runs south-east to the Wabash, opposite the town of Attica, two miles above Williamsport. It. is a bold stream affording a sufficiency of water for the heaviest machinery, and its rapids and falls are so numerous as to furnish sites for water works in close proximity, from its mouth almost to its source. Along its high bluffs covered with pine and cedar, several - banks of stone coal are found, and unmeasured quan- tities of sand rock suitable for all kinds of buildings,. and easily wrought with the chisel. . There are now on. this creek three flouring mills, five saw mills, and. a carding machine.
BIG RACKOON, a beautiful mill stream, which takes .. its rise in the northern part of Boon county, and makes its way by a serpentine southwesterly direction, through the counties of Montgomery, Putnam, and Parke, to the Wabash, where it discharges its waters, about two : miles below Montezuma. This stream and its tribu- . taries water a very fertile part of the state, which is generally covered with a heavy growth of timber ; such as walnut, poplar, ash, oak, and sugartrec. The soil : is rich and productive of almost all the necessaries of life. The country is healthy and abounds with springs- of pure and never failing water, with almost every .. thing calculated to induce emigration.
BIG SANDY, a creek which rises in the north part of Spencer county, and taking a southern direction, empties into the Ohio river eight miles above Rock -.. port.
BIG VERMILLION, a beautiful river, the source of which is in the Grand prairie, in the state of Illinois,. from whence it winds in a south-easterly direction .. about eighty miles, and empties into the Wabash in N. lat. 39 deg. 53 min. W. lon. 10 deg. 7 min. It is .
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about eighty yards wide, and navigable for steam boats for several miles from its mouth.
BIG WALNUT FORK, a branch of Eel river. It ri- ses in Hendricks county, and runs in a south-westerly course through Putnam county ; and connecting with the other branches forms the main river, and winding through Clay county, turns south-eastwardly, and passing through part of Owen and. Greene, falls into the west fork of White river, near the town of Fair- play, in Greene county.
BLACK, an interior township in Posey county.
BLACK CREEK, a small stream in the south-west corner of Greene county. . It falls into the west fork of White river, near the south line of the county.
BLACK CREEK, a branch of Sugar creek, in Mont- gomery county.
BLACKFORD. A village was laid out some years since called Blackford, in Posey county, seven miles north- east of Mount Vernon, and appeared for some time to be acquiring importance, but is now nearly evacuated.
BLAKESBURGHI,: a small village in the northern part of Putnam county, twelve miles north of Greencastle.
BLOOMFIELD, a post town, and the seat of justice of Greene county. ] It stands on an elevated ground on the east side of the west fork of White river, and about three miles distant from that stream. It contains a population of about 200 souls, amongst whom are me- chanics of various kinds, one tavern and three stores. It is about seventy miles south-west of Indianapolis. N. lat. 39 deg. 3 min. W. lon. 9 deg. 35 min.
BLOOMING GROVE, a northern township in Frank- lin county.
BLOOMINGSPORT, a small village in Randolph coun- ty, ten miles south of Winchester, near to the county line.
BLOOMINGTON, a post town, and seat of justice of Monroe county, fifty-one miles south of Indianapolis. It is pleasantly situated on an elevated and command- ing ground, on the ridge dividing between the waters of Clear creek and those of Beanblossom, and . con -..
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tains a population of about six hundred souls; amongst whom are four clergymen, three physicians, two law- yers, five teachers of common schools, eight merchants, and about thirty artisans and mechanics of different descriptions. The situation is healthy, and surround- ed by an extensive tract of rich fertile land, abound- ing with never failing springs of pure water; but it derivesits importance principally from its propinquity to the Indiana college, which is located on the north side of township eight, in range one west, and separa- ted from the town only by the line dividing that from township nine, in the same range, on the south side of which Bloomington is located. The lots which have been laid out and sold, in the college township, and have been improved, together with the public build- ings for the use of that institution, add much to the appearance of the town; and to the eye of a stranger, are not distinguishable from the original plan. This circumstance gives importance to the town as a place of business, and tends in a great degree to form its cha- racter, in point of morality, taste, and literature. It is situated in N. lat. 39 deg. Il min. W. lon. 9 deg. 16 min.
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BLUE CREEK, a small stream which 'rises in Dear- born county, and runs in a north-easterly direction into Franklin county, and falls into Whitewater, on the west side, about a mile below Brookville.
BLUE RIVER, a township in Hancock county.
BLUE RIVER, a stream which rises in Washington county, and winding in a southern direction passes be- tween Harrison and Crawford, forming the dividing line between those counties for the distance of about ten miles, thence taking a south-eastern course through the western part of Harrison, some distance, it turns westward, and again dividing between Crawford and Harrison, it takes a southern course and falls into the Ohio river about two miles above the town of Leven- worth. It furnishes some good sites for water works, and has at this time several valuable mills in opera- tion, The country through which it passes is general-
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ly healthy, but in some places very hilly and broken.
BOBANGO, a creek which rises in the south-western part of St. Joseph, and falls into St. Joseph's river near to where that river enters the county of St. Joseph.
BOGARD, a northern township in Daviess county.
BOGG's CREEK, a mill stream which rises in the ¿northern part of Martin county, on the west side of White river, into which it empties about a mile above Mount Pleasant. It affords several good mill seats, but one of which is occupied.
BOWLINGGREEN, a post town, and seat of justice of Clay county. It is situated in T. 11, R. 5 W. on Eel river, about sixty miles west south-west from Indian- ·apolis, N. lat. 39 deg. 21 min. W. lon. 9. 50 min. It contains a population of about sixty souls, amongst whom are a merchant, a physician and several me- chanics of different crafts.
BONO, a post village in Lawrence county, on a high bluff on the east side of White river. It is situ- ated about fifteen miles south-east of Bedford, in a healthy part of the state, and contains about two hun- dred inhabitants, with a number of stores, taverns and mechanics.
BOON, a southern township in Harrison county. BOON, a centre township in Warrick county.
BOON, an interior county, bounded on the north by Clinton, on the west by Montgomery, on the south by Hendricks, and on the east by Hamilton. It was or- ganized in 1830, contains about 400 square miles, and 622 inhabitants. It is about twenty-five miles in ex- tent from east to west, and sixteen from north to south. It is generally forest land, but contains some prairie, both wet and dry, in various parts of the county. The face of the country is generally level and the soil rich. The forests are principally composed of walnut, ash, elm, cherry, buckeye, and the different varieties of oak; and the undergrowth chiefly spice. Its princi- pal streams are the various branches of Rackoon and Sugar creeks. Lebanon is the seat of justice.
BOONVILLE, a post town and seat of justice of War-
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"rick county. It is situated on an elevated table land, about eleven miles from the Ohio river, and about one hundred and thirty-five miles south south-west from Indianapolis, in N. lat. 38 deg. 2 min. W. lon. 9 deg. 58 min. It contains about 100 inhabitants, three stores, two taverns, two physicians, one lawyer, and a num- ber of mechanics of various descriptions.
BRANDYWINE, a beautiful mill stream, which has its source in Hancock county, and winding southwardly, empties into Blue river in Shelby county.
BRANDYWINE, a township in Hancock county.
BRENTONSVIELE, a village in Owen county, four miles north of Spencer. It was laid off in 1829, and contains about thirty inhabitants, and one tavern.
'BREWET'S CREEK, a small mill stream which rises in the state of Illinois, and passes in a south-westerly direction into the Wabash, in the south part of Ver- million county.
BRIDGEPORT, a village on the National Road, in Ma- rion county, about ten miles west of Indianapolis. It has been-but recently established, and has but few in- habitants at present, but has the prospect of becoming a populous town.
BROOKVILLE, a post town, and the seat of justice of Franklin county. It is situated in the forks of White- water, sixty-nine miles south-east of Indianapolis, and about forty miles north-west of the city of Cincinnati, in Ohio. Brookville was established in k808, and now contains about six hundred inhabitants, two grinding mills, a saw mill, a cotton factory, and a carding ma- chine, five stores, three taverns, four lawyers, three doctors, and a large number of artisans, industriously engaged in pursuit of the various mechanical arts .- The surrounding country is healthy and well watercd. N. lat. 39 deg. 26 min. W. lon. 7 deg. 48 min.
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