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 9
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LICK CREEK, a good mill stream in Madison coun- ty. Its source is near the line of Henry county, and it runs westwardly and unites with Fall creek about the line between Madison and Hamilton.
LICK CREEK, a small mill stream in Marion county. It has its source near the national road, six or seven miles east of Indianapolis, and after running about
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twelve miles in a south-westerly direction, it empties into White River on the cast side.
LICK CREEK, a considerable mill stream in Orange county. It takes its rise in the castern section of the county, runs a westerly course into Martin county, and uniting with Lost river, it falls into the East Fork of White River near to the southern boundary of Mar- tin county. It derives its name from the French Lick, a very noted spring of mineral water on one of its branches.
LITTLE BLUE, a small stream in Rush county. It rises in the north part of Rush county, and runs in a south-westerly direction into Shelby county, and unites with Big Blue near to Shelbyville. From the conflu- ence of these two branches the stream takes the gene- ral name of Blue River. Little Blue is a valuable mill stream, and the land through which it passes is of the best quality.
LITTLE FLATROCK, a mill stream in Rush county. Its source is near the line of Fayette county from whence it takes a south-westerly course, and passing into Decatur county, unites with Big Flatrock, near the line of Shelby county. From the junction of these two branches the stream is known by the general name of Flatrock.
LITTLE INDIAN CREEK, a small mill stream, which rises in Floyd county, and after running south-west- wardly into Harrison county, unites with Big Indian Creek at Corydon.
LITTLE INDIAN CREEK, a small mill stream in Ow- en county, which runs in a south-eastern direction, and .empties into White River above Spencer.
LITTLE PIGEON, a mill stream which rises in the south-west corner of Dubois county and passing south- wardly into Warrick, forms the dividing line between Spencer and Warrick, to the Ohio river.
LITTLE PINE CREEK, a small mill stream in War- ren county. It rises in the border of the Grand prai- rie in the northern section of the county, and runs south into the Wabash.
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LITTLE RACKOON, a small mill stream, which rises near to the north-east corner of Parke county, and takes a south course to its junction with Big Rackoou, in the southern part of the county.
LITTLE RIVER, a stream which rises in the south- western section of Allen county, and takes a south- westerly direction to its junction with the Wabash river, about thirty miles from Fort Wayne. This stream is navigable for the smaller sized keel boats. It also derives additional importance from the canal, which is now being opened, and the line of which is laid out along this stream.
LITTLE SANDY, a branch of Big Sandy in Spencer county. . It rises in the north-east part of Spencer and empties into Big Sandy on the east side.
LITTLE SHAWNEY, a small mill stream, which rises in the north-west corner of Montgomery county, and running westwardly through Fountain county, unites with Big Shawney a short distance from its mouth.
LITTLE VERMILLION, a good mill stream which ris- es in the Grand prairie in Illinois, and taking a south- easterly course, enters the Wabash near Newport.
LITTLE WALNUT FORK, a branch of Eel river in Putnam county.
LITTLE WHITE LICK, a small mill stream in the west side of Marion county, crossing the National Road at Bridgeport and then running into Whitelick in the south-east corner of Hendricks.
LIVONIA, a pleasant thriving village in Washing- ton county, about twelve miles west of Salem, contain- ing one hundred inhabitants.
LOGAN, a township in Dearborn county.
LOGANSPORT, a flourishing post town, and the seat of justice of Cass county. It is situated at the conflu- ence of the Wabash and Eel rivers, and surrounded by an extensive body of rich land. The site of the town is elevated about ten feet above high water, and rises gradually for the distance of a hundred poles from the rivers, until the eastern part of the town is from thirty to forty feet above the highest water mark;
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which is about the elevation of the highest bluffs along the Wabash river. This town is considered the head of steam boat navigation, and this part of the river has been selected as the lower extremity of the Wa- bash and' Erie canal. As soon as the canal comes in- to use, this will be one of the most important commer- cial towns on the Wabash. It contains, at this time, about five hundred inhabitants, amongst whom are three lawyers, one physician, three clergymen, and a number of mechanics of almost all trades. It also con- tains a brick seminary, attended by about forty-five students, five mercantile stores, three taverns, and a Sunday school well attended. It is about seventy miles north north-west from Indianapolis. N. lat. 40 deg. 43 min. W. lon. 9 deg. 6 min.
Loa LICK CREEK, a small creek in Switzerland county, running southward into the Ohio river.
LONGLOY'S RESERVE, a section of land in Fountain county, on the stream called Shawney. It lies in the Shawney prairie, and is the'site on which once stood an Indian town, known by the name of the Shawney town, which is now in a state of dilapidation. It was so called, after Peter Longloy for whose benefit it was reserved at the treaty of 1818.
LOST RIVER, a considerable stream, which has its source in Washington county, whence it takes a west- erly course, winding through the north of Orange, and empties into the east fork of White river in the southern end of Martin county. This stream affords facilities for mills and other michinery in several pla- ces; but is not more notable for any thing else than for its sinking and running under ground for several miles, and then rising again some distance from its junction with White river. The same circumstance is found to attend many of the smaller branches tribu- tary to Lost river. -
LOUISVILLE, a village in Henry county, on the Na. tional Road, on the cast bank of Flatrock, about ten miles south of Newcastle. It contains a small popu-
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lation, and one store; but has a prospect of rapid in- crease.
LUCE, a southern township in Spencer county.
LYE CREEK, a branch of Sugar creek in Montgome- ry county.
LYNN, a township in Posey county.
MADISON, an interior county, bounded on the north by Grant county, on the west by Hamilton, on the south by Hancock, and on the east by Henry and Del- aware. It is about twenty seven miles in extent from north to south, and fifteen miles from east to west; con- taining an area of about 420 square miles or 268,800 acres. It was organized in 1823, and, in 1830, it con- tained 2,442 inhabitants. It is in general a level wood- land country, except some broken lands of no great ex- ! tent, near to the water courses, and a prairie, general- ly wet, about seven miles long and about three fourths of a mile wide, extending from a little below Anderson- town to Fall creek a short distance above the falls. The timber consists principally of beech, sugartree, poplar, walnut, cherry, ash, buckeye, and the different varieties of oak and hickory; with an undergrowth of spice, paupaw, plum, and thorn. The soil is a mixture of sand with clay or loam, and very productive. There is an abundance of rock about the falls of Fall creek, both limestone and freestone. There is also limestone rock on Pipe creek, and on White river. No coal or ore has yet been discovered, except some traces of iron ore the value and extent of which is not ascertained. Marble of a fine quality, and supposed to be of great extent, ha's lately been discovered near the falls of Fall creek in this county. It is found from ten to fifteen fect below the surface of the ground, and in order to obtain it, several feet of solid limestone have to be re- moved .. It bears an excellent polish, and, if it be as extensive as is supposed, will be of great utility .- The west fork of White river is the only navigable
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stream in the county. Its tributaries are Killbuck, Pipe creek, Lick creek, and Fall creek, On these creeks are a number of grist and saw mills now in op- eration, and many good sites yet unoccupied. The chief staple articles of the county are beef, pork, corn, flour, and live stock. Andersontown is the seat of jus- tice.
MADISON, a township in Jefferson county, bordering on the Ohio river, and including the town of Madison.
MADISON, a flourishing post town, and seat of jus- tice for Jefferson county. It is handsomely situated on a north bend of the Ohio river, and on that part of the river which is nearest to the centre of the state. It stands on a beautiful tract of land of the best quality, extending several miles along the river, and elevated above the highest freshets. The average number of houses annually erected in Madison during the last three or four years exceeds thirty six, mostly of brick, many of which are three stories high, and construct- ed in the best style. Three of the principal streets are paved, or are now being paved, and it is intended, in the course of the present season, to construct a wharf for the more convenient landing of steam boats. It is estimated that, within the months of March and April last, an amount not less than $120,000 in merchandise, was imported to this town, which was chiefly sold to country merchants at wholesale, on terms as fair as could be had at Cincinnati or Louisville. One mer- cantile house imported from the low country 300 bags of coffee, 100 hhds. sugar, 50 hhds. molasses, and other articles in large quantities. The corporation is about to make arrangements to have a supply of spring water brought into town by means of pipes from the neighbouring hills, which can be done at a small ex- pense. The eastern and western mails pass this town daily by steam boats, and there is also a mail convey- ance in stages thrice a week from Frankfort in Ken- tucky to Indianapolis. Property in Madison readily commands cash at fair prices. From the river, the passing traveller has but an imperfect view of the town;
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but on ascending the second bank the town presents a very handsome prospect; and from the heights near the town there is a delightful view both of the town and of the river above and below. A branch of the Mus- catatack is navigable from within eighteen miles of Madison to its junction with White river and thence to the Wabash and Ohio; and many flat boats annual- ly descend that river laden with the produce of the country. An insurance company was incorporated in Madison, in the winter of 1830-31, with a capital of $100,000, which has connected itself with the Farmer's and Mechanic's bank of Indiana, and is doing a profit- able business, and in good credit. This town contains about 2,500 inhabitants, forty mercantile stores, a steam mill in successful operation, a printing office from which is'issued a weekly journal, a book store, and me- chanics of almost every trade. The public buildings are a market house, a jail, a large.and commodious court house, and four houses of worship, one of which is for the Baptists, one for Episcopal Methodists, one for the Reformed Methodists, and one for the Presbyteri- ans. Madison is about eighty six miles south east from Indianapolis. N. lat. 38 deg. 40 min. W. lon. 8 deg. 7 min.
MADISON, a township in Morgan county.
1 MADISON, a township in Pike county.
MADISON, a township in Putnam county. .
: MANCHESTER, a township in Dearborn county, ly- ing between Tanner's creek and Hogan, and extend- ing to the western border of the county.
MANCHESTER, a small post town in Dearborn county.
: MANHATTAN, a post town in Putnam county on the National Road, forty three miles west from Indianapo- lis, and about eight miles south west from Greencas- tle. It stands on the dividing ridge between Deer creek and the Walnut fork. ' This place was first selected as the seat of justice ; but in consequence of an altera- tion in the boundaries of the county, it became neces- sary to change the location. The first improvement in Manhattan was made in 1830, and it contains at
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present about a hundred inhabitants; including two merchants, one inn-keeper, one physician, and about twenty craftsmen of different trades. There is also a house of worship in this town, and two schools, with about fifty scholars.
MARIA, a small mill stream which has its source in Sullivan county and runs in a south-westerly direction into the Wabash above Vincennes.
MARION, a centre county, bounded on the north by Hamilton and Boon counties, on the west by Hen- dricks, on the south by Morgan and Johnson, and on the cast by Shelby and Hancock. It was organized in 1821, and extends from north to south about twenty two miles, and from east to west twenty miles, contain- ing an area of about 440 square miles, or 281,600 acres. . The population of this county in 1830 was 7,181 souls. In 1824, at the presidential election, 324 votes were given; at the election in 1828 about 973 were given; and in 1832 the number given was 1588-showing an average increase of about 158 votes a year. This county consists chiefly of level forest land of the rich- est quality. The soil is a dark deep loam with a mix- ture of sand. The timber consists principally of beech, buckeye, walnut, sugartree, honey locust, cherry, ash, poplar and various kinds of oak and hickory; with an undergrowth of spice, paupaw, and hawthorn. No quarries of any kind of rock have been found in this county. Large solitary blocks of granite are frequent- ly met with in all parts of the county, which have been broken and used in the coarser kinds of architecture. The West fork of White river passes centrally through this county in a south-westerly direction, receiving Fall creek near the centre of the county. This branch is navigable for steam boats of small size, up to the town of Indianapolis at the time of the ordinary spring fresh- ets; and might, at a moderate expense, be made navi- gable much further up. White river and Fall creek are the most noted streams within the county. They have many tributaries which afford facilities for mills and other machinery, and which are noticed under their
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proper names. The staple articles of the county are corn, pork, beef, flour, oats, potatoes, and various kinds of live stock. Although the county is yet new, a great surplus of produce is annually transported to the south- ern market, and the quantity is annually increasing with the rapidly growing population and improvement of the country. Indianapolis is the seat of justice, and also the seat of government of the state.
MARION, a post town and seat of justice of Grant county. It is situated on the Mississinewa river, a- bout 25 miles above its junction with the Wabash. It is a new town, containing one store, a tavern, and a- bout 40 inhabitants. The public buildings have not yet been erected. It is situated about sixty miles north north-east from Indianapolis. N. lat. 40 deg. 28 min. W. lon. 8 deg. 24 min.
MARION, a southern township in Decatur county.
MARION, a western township in Hendricks county. MARION, a southern township in Lawrence county. MARION, a township in Putnam county.
MARION, a village in Shelby county, situated on Blue river, four miles north from Shelbyville.
MARRS, a township in Posey county.
MARTIN, an interior county, bounded on the north by Greene, on the west by Daviess, on the south by Dubois, and on the east by Orange and Lawrence. extends about thirty miles from north to south, and thir- teen miles from east to west .- It was organized in 1818, and contains about 340 square miles, or 216,600 acres; and had, in 1830, a population of two thousand and ten souls. The lands on the east side of White river are broken and hilly, except the river bottoms, and cover- ed by almost all the varieties of timber found in the state. The soil is chiefly clay or loam. On the west side the country is level or gently rolling and contains a great portion of barrens or prairie land. The soil on the. west side is clay and loam mixed with sand .-- The prevailing timber is hickory, oak, and sugartree, and the barrens abound with oak and hickory grubs and sumach. Some parts of the county afford land:
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of the best quality, on which there is a heavy growth of walnut, poplar, ash, cherry and such other timber as is usually found on the richest lands. Large 1
quantities of stone coal of a good quality are found in the neighborhood of Mount Pleasant. This coal is used almost exclusively by the blacksmiths, and will, no doubt, at some future day, be found useful for culi- nary purposes. The east branch of White river winds in a serpentine south-westerly direction through the county, receiving Lost river on the east, and Indian creek and First creek on the west; and is navigable in this county, for flat boats and keel boats, on an ave- rage about half the year; and a large portion of that time, for steam boats of the ordinary size. The great- est obstruction to the navigation of this river is the falls at Hindostan; below which light boats can ascend the river near the centre of the county, and flat boats can carry the surplus produce, from that point to the south- ern market, with a very moderate swell of the river. There is not much rock of any kind on the west side, except some cliffs near the river; but on the broken and hilly lands. on the east side, there is rock of dif- ferent kinds. One particular rock on the west side, which from its form has been denominated the Jug rock, is spoken of as a great curiosity. This curious rock stands on the declivity of a hill, half a mile from the river and about a mile north-west from Dougher- ty's shoals. It is about six feet in diameter at the base, twenty feet from the base its diameter is eighteen feet, and thirty feet from the base its diameter is a- gain diminished to six feet; on the top of which is a rock twenty feet broad and about three feet thick co- vered with shrubs and herbage. There are three Methodist and two Baptist churches in the county, and schools in every neighborhood where the popula- tion is sufficiently dense to support them. There are also in the county three horse mills, and a saw mill propelled by water power. Mountpleasant is the seat of justice.
MARTINDALE'S CREEK, a mill stream in Wayne
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county. Its source is in Randolph county, whence it takes a south-westerly direction into Wayne county and empties into the West Fork of Whitewater.
MARTINSBURGH, a village in Washington county. It is situated about thirteen miles south-east from Sa- lem, and contains about a hundred inhabitants.
MARTINSVILLE, a post town and seat of justice of Morgan county. It is situated about half a mile east of the west branch of White River, on a beautiful rich plain, and surrounded by a large body of excel- lent land. A state road from Rockport, and one from Vincennes to Indianapolis, pass through it. It con- tains about a hundred inhabitants, three mercantile stores, two taverns, one lawyer, and two physicians. The public buildings are a log court house and a brick jail. It is about thirty miles south west from In- dianapolis. N. lat. 39 deg. 27 min. W. lon. 9 deg. 9 m.
MAUKSPORT, a post town on the Ohio river, in Har- rison county, about thirteen miles south from Cory- don. It contains about a hundred inhabitants, two stores, a grist and saw mill propelled by steam, and a number of tradesmen of various occupations.
MAUMEE, a beautiful river in Allen county. It is formed by the junction of the St. Mary's and St. Jo- seph's rivers at Fort Wayne, whence it takes a north- easterly direction and empties into lake Erie in the state of Ohio. This river is navigable for small boats at all seasons of the year, when clear of ice. It has a gentle current and flows through a body of very rich land. The line of the Wabash and Erie canal is lo- cated along this stream; which will, at some time not far distant, very much increase its importance for.com- mercial purposes.
M'CAMMON, a township in Martin county.
MECHANICSBURGII, a small post village in Vander- burgh county, four miles north of Evansville, on the state road leading to Vincennes.
MELLINA, a northern township in Warren county.
MEROM, a post town and the seat of justice of Sul- livan county. It is situated on a high bluff on the east
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bank of the Wabash river, and commands a beautiful and extensive view of the champain country on the west. The surrounding country is generally level and in a high state of cultivation. The town contains about one hundred and fifty inhabitants, three mercan- tile stores, one tavern, a steam mill, and a variety of mechanics. It is about 105 miles south-west from In- dianapolis. N. lat. 39 deg. 4 min. W. lon. 10 deg. 17 min.
M'FADDEN'S CREEK, a small mill stream in Posey county. It runs a southerly course and empties into the Ohio river a short distance above Mount Vernon. Its mouth affords a good harbour, where boats are se- cure from floating ice, or timber on the river, in time's of high water.
MIAMI, an interior county, lying on both sides of the Wabash river. It is bounded on the north by un- organized territory, on the west by Cass county, on the south by part of the Miami reserve, and on the cast by the counties of Grant and Wabash. Its greatest extent from north to south is about thirty miles, and from cast to west fifteen miles; comprehending an a- rea of about 330 square miles, or 211,200 acres. It was organized in 1832 with a sparse white popula- tion, perhaps not exceeding five hundred souls, and those chiefly either very recently settled, or residing at the different Indian villages, and engaged in the In- dian trade; but the peculiar advantages to be enjoyed by the citizens of this part of the state cannot fail to draw to it an immense population. A considerable portion of Miami county lies within the bounds of the Miami reservation, and the Indian population, at pre- sent within the limits of this county, is estimated ac six or seven hundred. The face of the country is ve- ry beautiful, chiefly forest, but interspersed with small prairies. The soil is said to be excelled in richness by none in the state. It consists of loam and clay with a mixture of sand, and exceedingly fertile. It is ge- nerally level or gently undulating. The prevailing timber is walnut, ash, elm, sugartree, buckeye, poplar,
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beech, and oak, with an undergrowth of paupaw, spice, plum, and hawthorn. The Wabash and Eel rivers pass through this county from east to west; and the Mississinewa enters it on the east and empties into the Wabash near the centre of the county; these ri- vers are all navigable for light boats and canoes. The line of the Wabash and Erie canal also passes along the Wabash near the centre of this county ; which will, when completed, afford to the agriculturist addition- al facilities for the transportation of the surplus pro- duce of the country. No seat of justice has yet been established.
MIAMI, a township in Cass county.
MIAMI RESERVE, a tract of land lying on the south side of the Wabash river, containing about five hun- dred and seventy-six thousand acres, which is still claimed and occupied by the Miami Indians. It is bounded on the north by the Wabash river, and is watered in the interior by the Mississinewa, and other tributaries of the Wabash; and is for richness of soil and local advantages, one of the most desirable tracts of land in the state. Several attempts have been made to extinguish the Indian title to this very desira- ble district, and liberal propositions have been made by the government to effect that object; but all at- tempts to purchase have hitherto proved abortive, and the Indians still remain in possession. The coun- ties of Cass, Miami, Wabash, and Grant, include a part of the reserve within their boundaries, and there is still a part of it which is not included within the prescribed limits of any county.
MIAMISPORT, a post town in Miami county, situated on the Wabash river, about a mile and a half below the mouth of the Mississinewa. It has a store, a ta- Fern, and mechanics of various kinds. The number of inhabitants is about fifty. The line of the Wa- bash and Erie Canal passes through this place.
MICHIGAN CITY, a town recently established in La ' Porte county, on the shore of lake Michigan, and at
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the mouth of Trail creek, in township thirty eight north, of range four west. This point was selected, by the commissioners appointed to locate the Michi- gan road, as the most eligible site for a town; and at this place they made the commencement of the road. This town was laid out in the fall of 1832; several fa- milies have already settled here; improvements are rapidly progressing; and it is believed that the ad- vantages of the situation, the salubrity of the climate, and the fertility of the adjacent lands, must insure its rapid improvement. It affords the best harbour on the lake within the bounds of this state, and it is under- stood that a survey of this harbour will be made this year by a United States' Engineer. It is about twelve miles north-west from the town of Laporte. N. lat. 41 deg. 42 min. W. lon. 9 deg. 36 min.
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