USA > Indiana > The Indiana gazetteer, or topographical dictionary of the State of Indiana, 1849 > Part 21
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KNOB CREEK, a small stream in Floyd county, running south into the Ohio.
KNOX COUNTY, named in honor of Gen. Henry Knox, of the Revolution, and the first Secretary of War, was organized in 1802. It is bounded north by Sullivan and Greene, east by the West Fork of White river, which separates it from Daviess, south by White river, which separates it from Pike and Gibson, and west by the Wa- bash, which separates it from Illinois. Its average length from north to south is twenty-seven miles, and its aver- age breadth is nineteen miles, making the contents about 513 square miles. Knox county is divided into ten civil townships, viz: Bussero, Decker, Harrison, Hunot, John- son, Palmyra, Vigo, Vincennes, Washington and Wide- ner. The population in 1830 was 6,557, in IS40, 10,657, and at this time about 12,000. Most of the county is either level or gently rolling, though there are some ridges of low hills. There are several prairies, mostly near the Wabash, which are very rich and productive; the timbered lands, too, which cover the largest part of the county, are generally rich, but intermixed with them are sandy barrens, and swamps, of little value, except that some of the latter are well timbered. The bottoms are extensive and very fertile, but they suffer occasion- ally from being overflowed.
Of the surplus products of OLD Knox, the corn and pork equal in amount, probably, those of any other
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county in the State, and they both may and will be largely increased. Here was the first settlement in the State, and in many places there are appearances of wealth and improvement much beyond those parts more recently settled. In the neighborhood of Vincennes are monuments heretofore described, which show that at some indefinite period there must have been a large pop- ulation here.
The taxable land in the county amounts to 233,964 acres.
KNox, a western township in Jay county, settled in IS32, population 700.
KOKOMO, the County Seat of Howard county, located on the site of an Indian village of the same name, was first settled in the autumn of 1844, by N. R. Lindsey, J. Bohan, C. Richmond, J. L. Barritt, J. T. McClintock, B. Newhouse, and others. It contains five stores, one grocery, fifty dwelling houses, and 250 inhabitants. It is fifty miles north of Indianapolis, twenty south of Peru and forty-five east of Lafayette.
KOKOMO CREEK, a mill stream in Howard county, a tributary of Wild Cat.
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, named after the Polish soldier and patriot, who had served in the American army in the war of the Revolution, was organized in the year 1836. It is bounded on the north by Elkhart, east by Noble and Whitley, south by Wabash and Miami, and west by Fulton and Marshall counties, being twenty-seven miles from north to south, and twenty-one from east to west, and containing 567 square miles. The civil divisions into townships are as follows: Scott, Jefferson, Van Buren, Turkey Creek, Tippecanoe, Prairie, Plain, Wash- ington, Harrison, Wayne, Franklin, Clay and Jackson. The population in 1840 was 4,170, at this time it exceeds 11,000. The face of the country is, for the most part, gently undulating. About two-thirds of the county are covered with good timber, and it has generally a very rich soil. One half of the balance is oak openings, with- out underbrush, easily cleared, and perhaps half of it
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good for wheat, the remainder less productive. The re- maining one-sixth is dry and wet prairie, of which the Turkey Creek prairie, comprising an area of ten sections, is among the most fertile and beautiful land in the State, all in a high state of cultivation. The soil is best adapt- ed to wheat, oats and corn, in the order named. There were sent to market last year about 1,500 hogs, 40,000 bushels of wheat, and other articles to the value of about $5,000. When properly improved, Kosciusko must be- come one of the best counties in the State. Hitherto, its recent settlement and distance from markets, has pre- vented the production of much surplus. If the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad should be extended north, or one of the eastern lines pass through this county in coming west, the benefits would be felt at once. Near the head of Tippecanoe, Turkey creek, and other streams, there are quite a number of beautiful lakes, covering, in all, probably 25,000 acres. They abound in fish, and sup- ply abundant and constant water power on the streams that run from them. There are in the county eight grist mills, fifteen saw mills, six lawyers, sixteen physicians, and preachers either of the Baptist, Methodist, or Pres- byterians in most of the neighborhoods.
The taxable land in the county amounts to 278,038 acres.
LACONIA, a small town in Harrison county, with a population of 150. It is situated in Boone township, thirteen miles south of Corydon, and two from the Ohio river.
LADOGA, a small town in Clark township, Montgom- ery county, ten miles south-east of Crawfordsville.
LAFAYETTE, the Seat of Justice of Tippecanoe county, is situated near the centre of the county, on the east bank of the Wabash, and on the Wabash and ErieCanal, in latitude 40 deg. 25 min. north, and longitude 9 deg. 47 min. west. It was first laid out in 1825, by William Digby, and among the first settlers were Reuben Kelsey, Samuel Sargent, J. Davidson, S. Richardson, Wm. Smith, J. Stansbury, H. Haydon, R. Mason and Dr. J. Hamilton.
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In the fall of 1826, in addition to the above, there were J. Brockman, Mrs. Wyman and Dr. O. L. Clark. Digby had bought the town site at the United States land sale, at a little more than Congress price, but after the town was laid off, and before the county seat was located, he sold the entire plat to Messrs. Elston, Wilson, Powers and Sargent, the three former residing at Crawfordsville. Since that time the progress of improvement in the town has been steady and rapid, and it is now reckoned the fourth city in the State, in regard to population, and as to the wheat and flour business, the first. In 1840 it contained 1,700, in 1843, 2,600, in 1846, 4,500, and at this time about 6,000 inhabitants. There are in Lafay- ette twenty-seven dry goods stores, nine clothing stores, one millinery and fancy store, four hat stores, six drug stores, four book stores, nineteen grocery and provision stores, three grocery and liquor stores, two boot, shoe and leather stores, and twelve ware-houses. There are also three printing offices, two paper mills, two packing houses, two slaughter houses, two foundries, one tan- nery, 1,085 houses, of which ISS are brick and 897 of wood. The means for education are a County Seminary, in which there are usually 130 students, four select schools with 317 scholars, and one district school with 50 scholars. The other public buildings are a Court House, which cost $20,000, a Banking house for the Branch of the State Bank, cost, $15,000, and Churches, mostly very fine buildings, for the Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, Christians, Old and New School Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and the Associate Reformed. The situa- tion of Lafayette is a very fine one, the ground rising gradually from the river, and affording a good view of it both above and below, and the neighboring hills present- ing much delightful scenery. It is also surrounded by an extensive body of land, which is not excelled in fer- tility by any part of the western country, and it abounds with streams of water which afford much valuable water power. For further particulars see Tippecanoe county. Lafayette is 61 miles north-west of Indianapolis, forty- 19
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two east of Logansport, twenty-eight north of Craw- fordsville, ninety south of Michigan City, 123 south-east of Chicago, and 200 east north-east of Springfield, Illi- nois.
LAFAYETTE, a south-west township in Allen county, population 260.
- LAFAYETTE, a north-east township in Floyd county, population 1,200.
LAFAYETTE, an interior township in Owen county, population 1,000; first settled in 1818, by J. and W. Latta. It contains thirty square miles.
LAGRANGE COUNTY, named after the residence of Gen. Lafayette in France, was organized in 1832. It is bound- ed north by the State of Michigan, east by Steuben, south by Noble, and west by Elkhart, being twenty-four miles from east to west, and sixteen and a-half from north to south, and containing 396 square miles. It is divided into eleven townships, viz: named from the east north tier Greenfield, Lima, Van Buren; middle tier, Springfield, Bloomfield, Clay, Newbury; south tier, Mil- ford, Johnson, Clear Spring, Eden. The population in 1840 was 3,664; at this time it is about 8,600. About two-thirds of the county is barrens, or oak openings, one-tenth is prairie, and the balance thick timber. The face of the country is mostly level, though in some places it is broken or gently undulating. The soil in the open- ings is a sandy loam, in the timber there is a large inter- mixture of clay. The former is well adapted to wheat, the latter to wheat, corn, grass and oats, and the prai- ries to wheat and corn. The surplus products consist of wheat, corn and oats; and hogs, cattle and horses are driven to Michigan or northern Ohio, for the eastern markets, the value of all which is estimated at about $200,000 annually. There are in the county six flouring mills, twenty saw mills, one woollen factory, four tanne- ries, three distilleries, one cupola and one blast furnace, two printing offices, each publishing weekly newspapers, fifteen stores, two groceries, five lawyers, ten physicians, seven preachers, twenty carpenters, five cabinet makers,
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four chair makers, fifteen blacksmiths, ten shoemakers, six wagon makers, twenty coopers and five harness makers.
There are 207,757 acres of taxable land in the county, and about 15,000 acres still belonging to the United States.
LAGRANGE, the present County seat of the county of the same name, in Bloomfield township, the geographical centre of the county, was first settled in the year 1842. It contains three stores, seventy-five dwelling houses, and 300 inhabitants.
LAGRANGE, a small town on the west side of the Wa- bash, near the Tippecanoe and Warren line, eleven miles south-west of Lafayette.
LAGRO, a flourishing town on the north side of the Wabash, opposite the mouth of the Salamonie and six miles east of the county seat, first settled in 1835. It was named after an Indian Chief who formerly resided there.
LAGRO, a central eastern township in Wabash county, population 1,600.
LAKE COUNTY, organized in IS37, derives its name from its local situation, being bounded north by Lake Michigan, east by Porter county, south by the Kankakee river, and west by the State of Illinois. Its average length from north to south is thirty miles, the width six- teen miles, and it contains about 480 square miles. The civil divisions into townships are, north, Centre, Win- field, West Creek, Cedar Creek and Eagle Creek. The population in 1840 was 1,468; at this time it exceeds 3,000. The north part of the county adjoining the lake, for four or five miles inland, appears to be merely sand thrown up from the bed of the lake. It is mostly covered with dwarf pine and cedar, and the soil is of but little value. South of Turkey creek the soil is rich and allu- vial, but the central part of the county is better adapted to grazing than grain, the soil being a mixture of clay, marl and black muck. Farther south there is more sand, with a mixture of black loam, easy of cultivation, and
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the various kinds of grain raised in the west are produced in abundance; and still farther south, adjoining the Kan- kakee, are extensive marshes.
There are six saw mills in operation in the county, and three good flouring mills, with two run of stones each, in successful operation on Deep river. About one- half the surface of the county is prairie, interspersed with groves of various kinds of timber.
The taxable land in the county amounts to 59,692 acres.
LAKE, a western township in Allen county, with a population of 300.
LAKE DRAIN, or the Lake so called, is merely an im- mense pond, six miles north-west of Rockport, in Spen- cer county, which goes dry in dry seasons.
LAKETON, a small town on Eel river, in Wabash county.
LAMASCO, named from the first letters of the names of Messrs. Law, MacCall and Scott, who were the proprie- tors. This town adjoins Evansville, and as the business and population of that city increase, Lamasco must also rise in importance. See Evansville.
LAMB'S CREEK rises in the north part of Morgan coun- ty, and falls into White river three miles below Martins- ville.
LANCASTER, a northern township in Jefferson county. LANCASTER, an eastern township in Wells county.
LANESVILLE, a small town, with a population of 150, on the road from New Albany to Corydon, ten miles from each. It has a Methodist Church, and there is in progress a new Catholic Chapel there.
LANESVILLE, a small town on the Pendleton road, eight miles north-east of Indianapolis.
LAPORTE COUNTY, so called from the French name of the large and beautiful prairie which it includes, was or- ganized in 1832. It is bounded north by the State of Michigan, east by St. Joseph, south by Stark, and west by Porter, and it contains 562 square miles. It is divid- ed into the following townships, to-wit: Michigan, Spring-
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field, Galena and Hudson, on the north; Cool Spring, Centre, Kankakee and Wills, second tier; New Durham, Scipio and Pleasant, third tier; Clinton, Noble and Union, fourth tier, and Cass and Van Buren in the south-west corner. The population in 1840 was S,184, and at this time it is about 12,500.
The range of country east and west, from eight to twelve miles south-east of Lake Michigan, is timbered land and parts of it are somewhat hilly, and the soil is mostly thin. The timber there is oak and hickory. The level part is covered with beech, poplar, sugar, &c., and in the vicinity of the Lake and Michigan City are sand hills, covered mostly with pine. The country south of the above, for six.or eight miles in width, is gently undu- lating prairie, interspersed with groves of timber and small lakes, which has a very rich soil; still farther south, are burr oak barrens, a few dry prairies, and the Kanka- kee marshes, of which portions are better for grazing than for grain. It is estimated that ISS sections of land lie in the different prairies in the county, the principal of which are Rolling, Door or Laporte, Stillwell, Domain and Hog Prairies, which, with the exception of a few wet places, are well adapted to wheat, oats, corn, barley, hemp and vines, and garden vegetables of every descrip- tion. Fruit succeeds well, and the wet prairies, when drained, are well adapted to grass. The burr oak bar- rens are very little inferior to the prairies in respect to soil. The surplus articles exported are wheat, flour, corn, oats, pork, beef, &c., of which there have been at least $500,000 annually taken from Michigan City, prin- cipally the products of the county. Stock, horses, &c., are also driven to Chicago and Detroit. The completion of the Railroad between these two points, which will pass through this part of the State, will add largely to its wealth and prosperity.
There are in Laporte county thirteen grist mills, many of them merchant mills and among the best in the State, twenty-seven saw mills, four carding machines, two fulling mills, one large furnace, two printing offices, sixty
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stores and groceries, sixteen lawyers, twenty-two physi- cians and forty-five preachers, and good mechanics of the trades most in demand, are found in sufficient num- bers.
The taxable land amounts to 257,000 acres, and in- cluding the small lakes, there are 100,000 acres not tax- able.
The writer, who has travelled extensively in the flat woods of Indiana, could never pass over the fine scenery and beautiful prospects presented by the prairies, groves and lakes of Laporte county, without feelings of wonder and admiration; and he has repeatedly, in his excursions, encountered entire strangers, who, it seemed, were invol- untarily forced to pause and express the pleasure and de- light with which they concurred in his sentiments.
LAPORTE, the Seat of Justice of the county of the same name, is beautifully situated near several small lakes on the north and west, and on the borders of the Door or Laporte prairie on the south and east. It was first settled in 1832, by R. Harris, J. M. Wilson, William Hawkins, Geo. Thomas, and others. Gen. W. Wilson was the proprietor. It contains a flourishing Medical College, (as to which see first part,) an Academy and several High Schools, about 350 houses, mostly frame, and 2,000 inhabitants. Both the public and private buildings are in good taste, and few towns in the west have more advantages for a pleasant residence.
LAUGHERY, a large and valuable mill stream, naviga- ble in high water for flat boats near forty miles, rises in the south-east corner of Decatur, and running through Ripley, Ohio and Dearborn, falls into the Ohio river two miles below Aurora. It derives its name from the mas- sacre of Capt. Laughery's company by the Indians, as stated in the first part of this volume.
LAUGHERY, a township in Dearborn county, popula- tion 1,050.
LAUGHERY, a northern township in Ripley county, population 650.
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LAURAMIE, a tributary of the south fork of Wild Cat, in the south-east of Tippecanoe county.
LAURAMIE, a south-east township in Tippecanoe coun- ty, population 1,400.
LAUREL, a north-west township in Franklin county, with a population of 2,700.
LAUREL CITY, a flourishing village on the White Wa- ter Canal, in the north-west corner of Franklin county, laid out by James Conwell. It contains a population of 600, and is fourteen miles north-west of Brookville, ten south of Connersville, and seventeen south-east of Rush- ville.
LAWRENCE COUNTY, named in honor of Capt. James Lawrence, of the Frigate Chesapeake, who was killed in the battle with the Frigate Shannon, was organized in 1818. It is bounded on the north by Monroe, east by Jackson and Washington, south by Orange, and west by Martin and Greene, and it contains 438 square miles. The civil townships are Shawswick, Pleasant Run, Per- ry, Indian Creek, Spice Valley, Marion, Bono and Flinn. The population in 1830 was 9,237, in 1840, 11,782, and at this time about 13,000.
There is very little level land, except the bottoms on the river and creeks, which comprise about one-tenth part of the whole county. The rest of the country is either rolling, hilly, or very much broken; but the soil is mostly of a very good quality, the timber probably not surpassed in any part of the State. Lime-stone and ex- cellent springs of water are found in abundance. The surplus products are corn, wheat, oats, and about 15,000 hogs, 1,000 fat cattle, and 500 horses and mules are exported annually, the value of which is estimated at $175,000.
There are in the county twenty-one grist mills, eigh- teen saw mills, one woollen factory, six carding ma- chines, forty stores and groceries, one printing office, six lawyers, twenty-two physicians, twenty-four preachers, and about 400 mechanics of the trades most in demand. The extension of the Railroad from New Albany through
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this county, will do much to develope its resources. The taxable land amounts to 222,606 acres, and about 30,000 acres still belong to the United States, while about 25,000 acres have been purchased, but not yet taxable.
LAWRENCE, a north-east township in Marion county, population 1,950.
LAWRENCEBURGH, the Seat of Justice of Dearborn county, is situated on the Ohio river, twenty-two miles below Cincinnati, two miles west of the east line of the State, and eighty-seven south-east of Indianapolis. It contains about 3,000 inhabitants. The large and fertile bottoms on the Ohio and Miami, in the vicinity, and the rich and well cultivated lands in the interior, and its be- ing the outlet of the White Water Canal, furnish an im- mense amount of produce for exportation. See Dear- born county.
LAWRENCEPORT, a small town in Lawrence county, on the road from Salem to Bedford, nineteen miles from the former and eleven from the latter. It contains a popu- lation of 200.
LEATHERWOOD, a good mill stream, rising in the north- cast corner of Lawrence, runs south-west into White river three miles south of Bedford.
LEATHERWOOD, a mill stream in Parke county, falls into Big Rackoon from the north-east, two miles from its mouth.
LEBANON, the County Seat of Boone, is situated on the State road from Indianapolis to Lafayette, twenty-six miles from the former and thirty-five from the latter. The Railroad between the two points will pass near the same route. Lebanon was laid out in 1832, and the first settler was A. H. Longley. It now contains eighty dwel- ling houses, four of brick and 76 frame, and a population of 500. The public buildings in Lebanon are a good Court House, a County Seminary, nearly finished, and Methodist and Christian Churches.
LEESBURGHI, a small but beautifully situated town, on the borders of Turkey Creek prairie, in Kosciusko coun-
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ty, six miles north of Warsaw. It contains 250 inha- bitants.
LEESVILLE, a small town in Lawrence county, twelve miles east of Bedford, first settled in 1810, by William Flinn, Jr., and John Guthrie. It contains a population of 200.
LEOPOLD, a central township in Perry county, popula- tion 500.
LEOPOLD, a small town in the centre of Perry county, first settled by French emigrants in 1843, population 100.
LEVENWORTH, the Seat of Justice of Crawford county, is situated on the Ohio, at the Horse Shoe Bend, the most northerly point on the river for 60 miles above and 200 below, in the State. It contains twenty-five brick and seventy-five frame dwelling houses, and about 600 inhabitants. The situation is favorable for business, hav- ing a good landing for boats, and commanding the trade of an extensive and productive territory in the interior. The coal region commences but a little below this place, and better timber for a ship yard or manufactories can- not be found in the State. The name of the town is derived from the proprietors, Messrs. S. M. and Z. Lev- enworth.
LEWIS'S CREEK, a tributary of Flat Rock, in Shelby county.
LEWIS'S BRANCH, a small stream in Noble county.
LEWIS, a south-west township in Clay county, popula- tion 650.
LEWISBURGH, named from the proprietor, Lewis Boyer, is a small town in Cass county, on the canal, eight miles east of Logansport.
LEWISBURGII, a small town on Sugar creek, Hancock county, eight miles north of Greenfield.
LEXINGTON, the Seat of Justice of Scott county, is a pleasantly situated town, eighteen miles south-west of Madison, twenty-nine east of Salem, sixteen north of Charleston, and eighty-five south south-east of Indian-
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apolis. It contains 100 houses, one-half of which are brick, the others frame.
LEXINGTON, a south-east township in Scott county, population 2,100.
LIBERTY, a northern township in Crawford county.
LIBERTY, an eastern township in Delaware county.
LIBERTY, a township in Fulton county.
LIBERTY, a southern township in Grant county, popu- lation 500.
LIBERTY, a southern township in Hendricks county, population 2,100.
LIBERTY, an eastern township in Henry county.
LIBERTY, a township in Parke county, with a popula- tion of 1,500.
LIBERTY, a northern township in Porter county, popu- lation 225.
LIBERTY, a township in Shelby county.
LIBERTY, a south-west township in St. Joseph county.
LIBERTY, a western township in Union county, popu- lation 1,235.
LIBERTY, the Seat of Justice of Union county, is situ- ated in the centre of the county, sixty-eight miles east of Indianapolis, fourteen south of Richmond, sixteen north north-east of Brookville, and forty-six north-west of Cincinnati. It contains 110 houses, seventeen of which are brick and ninety-three frame, and a population of 370. The public buildings are a Court House, Jail, Pub- lic Offices, a County Seminary, a Market House, a Methodist and a Christian Church. There are in the town five dry goods stores, one drug store, and twenty- one shops for various mechanics. Liberty was first set- tled in 1822, by S. Jennings, C. Burkhalter and E. Burn- side.
LIBERTY, a central township in Warren county.
LIBERTY, a western township in Wells county.
LIBERTY, a north-east township in White county, pop- ulation 450.
LIBERTY MILLS, a small village on Eel river, in the north-west corner of Wabash county.
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LICK CREEK, a tributary of the Mississinewa, in Black- ford county.
LICK CREEK, a mill stream in the south part of Madi- son county, which runs west and empties into Fall creek near the line of Hamilton and Madison.
LICK CREEK, a mill stream in Marion county, which runs south-west and falls into White river four miles be- low Indianapolis.
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