USA > Indiana > The Indiana gazetteer, or topographical dictionary of the State of Indiana, 1849 > Part 27
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RAY, a south-west township in Morgan, population 950.
RAYSVILLE, a small town on the National road, west side of Blue river, in Henry county. It has fine and well improved water power in its vicinity ; population 200.
REDDING, a northern township in Jackson, population 1,700.
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REDDINGTON, a small town in Jackson county, 16 miles north-east of Brownstown, and nine south-west of Scipio.
REDWOOD, a mill stream in Warren county, that falls into the Wabash from the north, nine miles below Wil- liamsport.
REEVE, a south-east township in Daviess, population 750.
RENSSELLAER, the County Seat of Jasper, is situated at the rapids of the Iroquois, on the south-west side, in Sec. 30, T. 29, R. 6., being about 40 miles north north- west of Lafayette. It contains three stores, two physi- cians, one lawyer and 15 dwelling houses.
REPUBLICAN, a western township in Jefferson county.
RESERVE, a township in Parke, population 2,100.
RICHLAND, a western township in DeKalb, population 400.
RICHLAND, a northern township in Fountain, popula- tion 2,000.
RICHLAND, a township in Fulton.
RICHLAND, a north-west township in Grant, population 400.
RICHLAND, a township in Greene, population 1,600.
RICHLAND, a south-west township in Jay, first settled in 1835, by Josiah Wade, population 480.
RICHLAND, a township in Madison county.
RICHLAND, a township on Eel river, in Miami county, population 1,000.
RICHLAND, a western township in Monroe, population 1,350.
RICHLAND CREEK, a mill stream which rises in Mon- roe and runs south-west through Greene, and falls into White river below Bloomfield.
RICHLAND, a western township in Whitley, population 450.
RICHMOND, the principal town in Wayne county, is situated on the east bank of the east fork of White Wa- ter, on the National road, four miles from the Ohio line, 64 north-west of Cincinnati, six east of Centreville, and
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68 east of Indianapolis. It was first settled in IS16, and the proprietors were John Smith and Jeremiah Cox. In May, 1833, Richmond contained 236 families and a pop- ulation of 1,740. In 1840, the population amounted to 2,070; at this time it is about 3,000. In Wayne town- ship, which includes Richmond, and mostly in or near the town are 12 flouring mills, Il saw mills, three oil mills, three cotton factories, four do. for the manufacture of woollen goods, one paper mill doing a large business, six carding machines, all propelled by water, also two extensive foundries, and the manufacture of threshing machines, carriages of all descriptions, and various kinds of farming utensils is carried on extensively at Richmond, so as to supply all the wants of a large and well im- proved tract of country. No town in the State employs more mechanical and manufacturing labor. There are in the town two printing offices, two fire companies and engines, a branch of the State Bank, about 500 dwelling houses, two large meeting houses for the Friends, where they hold their annual meetings, two churches for the Presbyterians, one for Episcopalians, one Methodist, one Catholic, one Lutheran, and one for colored people.
The Friends' Boarding School in the vicinity, under the control of the Orthodox Friends, is a flourishing in- stitution, where all the branches of a collegiate education are taught. The late Dr. Ithamar Warner donated for public use a brick building 70 feet long, 21 wide, and three stories high, which is occupied by the moral and literary societies of the place, and John Smith, one of the proprietors, gave also, for public use, an acre of ground and a brick building.
RILEY, a township in Vigo, population 900.
RIPLEY COUNTY, organized in ISIS, was named in honor of Gen. E. W. Ripley, a distingushed officer of the war of 1812. It is bounded north by Decatur and Franklin, east by Dearborn and Ohio, south by Switzer- land and Jefferson, and west by Jennings, and it con- tains about 440 square miles. It is divided into the fol- lowing townships, Adams, Laughery, Jackson, Otter
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Creek, Delaware, Franklin, Washington, Johnson, Shel- by and Brown. The population in 1830 was 3,957, in 1840, 10,392, and at this time about 13,000. The gene- ral surface of the country may be called level, except in the vicinity of the water courses, where the hills are abrupt and high. The bottom lands along Laughery and other streams are rich, but they are generally small; the uplands, when dry, usually produce well, and much of them is based on beds of blue lime-stone, but large tracts incline to be wet, and are adapted to grass only. The surplus products are wheat, hay, hops, &c., which are taken to the river towns for a market, and hogs, cattle, sheep and horses, which are either sold at home or driven to Cincinnati or Madison.
There are in the county 14 grist mills, five of which are propelled by steam, the others by water, 29 saw mills, 11 of which are propelled by steam, 30 stores, 17 groce- ries, two printing offices, 12 lawyers, five botanical and 12 other physicians, 21 ministers of the gospel, one Uni- versalist, 13 Methodist, 11 Baptist and three Christian churches.
The taxable land amounts to 252,202 acres, and about 2,500 acres still belong to the United States.
RIPLEY CREEK, a mill stream in Ripley county, which runs into Laughery 10 miles north of Versailles.
RIPLEY, a township in Montgomery, population 1,050. RIPLEY, a north-west township in Rush, population 1,600.
RISING SUN, the Seat of Justice of Ohio county, is beautifully situated on a high bank of the Ohio, 14 miles by water below Lawrenceburgh, 50 above Madison, and 96 south-east of Indianapolis. It was first settled in 1814, by C. A. Craft, John James, A. C. Pepper, Henry Wiest, J. A. Walton, N. Clark, P. Athearn, S. Hatha- way, Samuel Jelley, Hugh Espey, &c. Rising Sun con- tains about 400 dwelling houses, of which one half are brick, the others frame, and 2,500 inhabitants. The pub- lic buildings are spacious and convenient churches, one each for the Methodists, New and Old School Presbyte- rians, Reformed Baptists and Universalists, good county
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buildings, market house, and an incorporated Academy in which 100 students usually attend. The manufactures of Rising Sun are carried on to an extent highly creditable to the enterprise of its citizens. They consist of a large cotton factory, usually employing 100 hands, one wool- len factory, one iron foundry and finishing shop, and one large distillery. The value of the manufactured ar- ticles is estimated at $90,000 annually.
ROBB, a northern township in Posey county.
ROBINSON, an eastern township in Posey.
ROB ROY, a small town in Fountain county, 12 miles north-east of Covington, on the south bank of Shawanee creek. It is pleasantly situated and has very valuable water power in its vicinity.
ROCHESTER, the Seat of Justice of Fulton county, is situated on the Michigan road, on the south bank of Mill creek, 22 miles north of Logansport and 44 south of South Bend. It was laid out in 1835, by A. Cham- berlin and L. N. Bozarth. It contains three stores, two taverns, two neat churches, an Odd Fellows' Hall, ex- cellent county buildings, 60 dwelling houses and 300 in- habitants. The situation is fine, the land near it is good, and Mill creek affords valuable water power, both in and adjoining the town, and Rochester must become an im- portant point.
ROCHESTER, a small town in Highland township, Frank- lin county.
ROCHESTER, a small town in the north-west corner of Noble county, on Elkhart river. It has excellent water power, a large manufactory of iron, at which about three tons per day are made; population 100.
ROCK CREEK, a south-east township in Bartholomew, population 900.
ROCK CREEK, a fine mill stream in Carroll, which rises in Cass, and runs north-west into the Wabash ten miles above Delphi.
ROCK CREEK, a mill stream in Huntington county.
ROCK CREEK, a south-east township in Huntington, population 400.
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ROCK CREEK, a mill stream in Warren, runs south into the Wabash, six miles below Williamsport.
ROCK CREEK, a western township in Wells county.
ROCK RUN, a mill stream which falls into the Elkhart from the east, near Goshen.
ROCKFORD, a flourishing village in Jackson county, on the east bank of White river, 11 miles north-east of Brownstown. The rapids of the river at this place af- ford valuable water power, and the land in the vicinity being among the most fertile in the State, an immense amount of produce is shipped from this place. The completion of the Jeffersonville Railroad to this point will vastly increase its importance; population at this time 200.
ROCKPORT, the Seat of Justice of Spencer county, is situated on a high bluff on the Ohio river, 140 miles south south-west of .Indianapolis, 50 by water above Evansville, and 150 below Louisville. It derived its name from the hanging rock, known to boatmen as the "Lady Washington Rock." It contains good county buildings, a County Seminary, in which there are usually 30 students, a Methodist Church 80 feet by 40, 200 houses, only seven of which are brick, and 600 inhabit- ants.
ROCKVILLE, the County Seat of Parke, is situated on elevated ground near the centre of the county, eight miles from the Wabash and 60 directly west of Indian- apolis. It is surrounded by an extensive tract of rich and beautifully rolling land, now generally in a high state of improvement, and some of the best farms in the State are in this vicinity. Rockville was first settled in 1823, by Gen. Patterson and Judge McCall. It contains a flourishing County Seminary, a Female Seminary, two printing offices, publishing weekly newspapers, five churches, one each for the New School Presbyterians, Old do., Methodists, Baptists, and Christians and 1,000 inhabitants.
ROLLING PRAIRIE, a beautiful tract of land containing
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near 30 sections, in the east part of Laporte county. The name was derived from its undulating surface.
ROME, the Seat of Justice of Perry county, is situated on the Ohio river, 126 miles south and 20 west of Indianapolis, and about 100 miles below Louisville, and the same distance above Evansville. It was first settled in ISI1, and con- tains in all 170 houses, of which only 20 are brick. The public buildings are a Court House, Jail, and County Seminary.
Roor, a northern township in Adams, population 1,100.
ROSEVILLE, a small town in Parke county, on Rackoon creek, 10 miles south-west of Rockville. It has a fine flouring mill and saw mill.
Ross, a north-west township in Clinton, population 1,100.
ROSSBURGHI, a small town in Decatur county, nine miles east of Greensburgh.
ROSSVILLE. a small town in Clinton, 103 miles north- west of Frankfort.
ROYAL CENTRE, a small town in Boone township, Cass county.
ROYALTON, a small town near the south line of Boone, on the Indianapolis and Lafayette State road, 14 miles from the former and 48 from the latter.
RUSH COUNTY, organized in 1822, was named in honor of Dr. Benjamin Rush, at the suggestion of Dr. Laugh- lin. It is bounded north by Hancock and Henry, east by Fayette and Franklin, south by Decatur, and west by Shelby and Hancock, It is 23 miles in length from north to south, and 18 in breadth, and contains 414 square miles. The civil townships are Ripley, Posey, Walker, Orange, Anderson, Rushville, Jackson, Centre, Washington, Union, Noble and Richland. The popula- tion in 1830 was 9,918, in 1840, 16,456, and at this time it is about 21,000.
The surface of the country is either nearly level, or moderately rolling, though there are hills along the prin- cipal streams, which in general are neither high nor ab-
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rupt. There are no prairies or barrens, or in fact any poor land in the county; about one-twentieth is river and creek bottoms. The soil is principally loam bedded on clay, with a mixture of sand, and it produces abun- dantly all the kinds of grain, grass and vegetables com- mon to the climate, and no part of the State, of equal extent, is superior in quality of soil, to the county of Rush. The land was originally heavily timbered with poplar, walnut, oak, ash, sugar, beech and hickory. The surplus products taken to market are 35,000 hogs, 6,000 cattle, 1,200 horses, 500 mules, 30,000 barrels of flour, 100,000 bushels of wheat, and oats, corn and various other articles, estimated to be of the annual value of $600,000. The canal in the valley of Whitewater, run- ning eight miles east of the county, has done much to increase improvements, but there are now in progress two railroads, one from Shelbyville to Rushville, the other from Shelbyville to Knightstown, both which will be completed in a few months, and will add largely to the wealth and prosperity of this part of the State. There are in Rush county 15 grist mills, 20 saw mills, five carding machines, two printing offices, 41 stores, four groceries, three flourishing Academies, one the County Seminary at Rushville, one at Farmington, four miles east, and one at Richland, eight miles south-east, and schools are kept up in nearly every district from three to twelve months in the year. There are eight Presbyterian chucrhes, eight Methodist Episcopal, five Baptist, 7 Reformers, one True Wesleyan, and one Radi- cal Methodist church. There are also in the county 10 lawyers, 21 physicians, 20 preachers, 200 carpenters, 50 brick and stone masons, 20 plasterers, 25 saddlers, 50 tailors, 20 painters, 100 blacksmiths, 50 cabinet makers, 40 wagon makers, 10 coach makers, 20 millwrights, 100 weavers, 25 carders, 50 millers, 25 sawyers, 50 coopers, 15 wheelwrights, 20 chair makers, 60 shoe and boot makers, 10 printers, three potters, 20 pump makers, five gunsmiths, four silversmiths, three tinners, 25 tanners, 15 hatters, 20 engineers, and 35 milliners and mantuamakers,
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about 1,100 in all. Excellent county buildings to cost $12,000 are now in progress. The taxable land amounts to 251,645 acres.
RUSH CREEK, a small mill stream in the northwest part of Washington county.
RUSHVILLE, the county seat of Rush, is situated near the centre of the county on the northwest bank of Flat Rock, forty miles southeast of Indianapolis, seventeen west of Connersville, and seventy north-west of Cincin- nati. It was settled in 1821, by Drs. H. G. Sexton and W. Laughlin, Joseph Nicholas, Stephen Sims and others. It contains twenty-one stores, twenty-two mechanics' shops, in addition to thirty carpenters and masons, eigh- teen professional gentlemen, one merchant mill, two saw mills, large and convenient churches for the Presby- terians, Baptists and Methodists, 222 dwelling houses, and about 1,000 inhabitants.
RUSHVILLE, an interior township in Rush, population 2,900.
RUSSEL, a north-west township in Putnam, six miles square.
RUSSELVILLE, a small town in the north-west corner of Putnam, seventeen miles from Greencastle.
RUSSIAVILLE, a small town in Clinton, nine miles north of Frankfort.
RUTHERFORD, a south-west township in Martin, popu- lation 425.
SALAMONIE RIVER rises in the south-east corner of Jay county, and runs north-west through Blackford, Wells, Huntington and Wabash, and falls into the Wabash River opposite to Lagro. Though at the junction it is only about half the length of the Wabash, it is about as wide and usually discharges about the same quantity of water. It is an excellent mill stream but is not naviga- ble.
SALEM, a township in Delaware county.
SALEM, a township in Pulaski.
SALEM, the seat of justice of Washington county, is beautifully situated in the centre of the county, on roll-
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ing ground near the head waters of Blue River, ninety miles south of Indianapolis, forty miles west and eight south of Madison, and thirty-four north-west of New Albany, with which a Railroad, to connect it, is about being completed. This town suffered severely with the cholera in 1832, and for several years it did not improve, but the moral, literary and enterprising character of its citizens has been such as to make it one of the most pleasant residences in the State, and important improve- ments have again commenced. The population is now about 1,500. Salem was the residence of Judge Parke, Christopher Harrison, J. H. Farnham and Gen. Depauw, who during their lives possessed a large share of public confidence, and contributed much to the promotion of beneficial influences.
SALT CREEK rises in the east part of Brown, runs west into Monroe, then south-west through Lawrence, into the East Fork of White River. It is navigable in high water near thirty miles. It has several good mill seats, and near it are salt springs, which have been worked to advantage.
SALT CREEK, a tributary of White Water from the west, running through a part of Decatur and. Franklin counties.
SALT CREEK, an eastern township in Decatur, popu- lation 1,050.
SALT CREEK, a western township in Franklin, popula- tion 750.
SALT CREEK, a north-west township in Jackson, pop- ulation 940.
SALT CREEK, an eastern township in Monroe, popu- lation 900.
SALT CREEK, a tributary of White River from the south in Randolph county.
SALUDA, a western township in Jefferson county and the name of a Creek in the same quarter, that falls into the Ohio.
SAND CREEK in Indian, Laque-ka-ou-e-nek, which means "water running through sand," rises in the centre of De-
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TOPOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS.
catur, runs south-west through Jennings, and falls into the East Fork of White River, forming for the last four miles the boundary between Bartholomew and Jackson. It is about fifty miles in length, and for more than half the distance is a good mill stream.
SAND CREEK, a southern township in Bartholomew, population 750.
SAND CREEK, a southern township in Decatur, popu- lation 2,100.
SAND CREEK, a northern township in Jennings, popu- lation 650.
SANDERSVILLE, a small town in Vanderburgh, ten miles north of Evansville.
SCIPIO, a north east township in Allen, population 140.
SCIPIO, a small town in Franklin county, eleven miles east of Brookville,
SCIPIO, an interior township in Laporte, population S15.
SCIPIO, on the east bank of Sand Creek, on the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, in Jennings county, nine miles north-west of Vernon, contains about 200 inhabi- tants. It has a neat Catholic church, and much produce is exported from this point.
SCOTLAND, a small town in Greene county, ten miles south of Bloomfield, population 100.
SCOTT COUNTY, organized in 1820, was named in honor of Gen. Charles Scott, a distinguished officer in the army of the Revolution, then in the Indian wars, and afterwards Governor of Kentucky. It is bounded north by Jackson and Jennings, east by Jefferson, south by Clark, and west by Washington, and the contents are about 200 square miles.
The civil townships are Lexington, Vienna and Jen- nings. The population in 1830, was 3,097; in 1840, 4,242, and at this time about 5,500. The eastern part of the county has the best soil and is either undulating or rolling ; farther west there are beech and oak flats, which are adapted only to grass; a small part of the west lies in the KNOBS and is very hilly. The prevailing
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timber is beech, oak, hickory and gum. The surplus products are wheat, oats, corn, hay, beef, pork, and vari- ous kinds of marketing, which are sent either to the Ohio River or to Louisville, and the agricultural im- provements are such as to be creditable, to the citizens. There are in the county eight grist mills, ten saw mills, two carding machines, ten stores, three groceries, four lawyers, five physicians, and six preachers of the gospel, and there is a sufficient number of mechanics for the or- dinary wants of the people. Good building materials are abundant. In the vicinity of Lexington are numerous salt springs, which supply small quantities of very salt water. At one of them a well was bored thirty years since to the depth of 700 feet, but a sufficient quantity of water could not be obtained to manufacture salt to ad- vantage.
The taxable land amounts to 92,255 acres. There are about 30,000 acres of land in the county of very little value, which still belongs to the United States, though the Railroad will now create a demand for its timber.
Scorr, a north-west township in Kosciusko.
SCOTT, a southern township in Montgomery, popula- tion 1,100.
ScorT, an eastern township in Vanderburgh, popula- tion 750.
SHANKYTANK, a small stream in Rush county.
SHAPPEL'S CREEK, a mill stream in Wabash county.
SHAVETAIL, a mill stream in Delaware county.
SHAWANEE CREEK, rises in the north-east corner of Montgomery county, and runs west through Fountain into the Wabash, 10 miles above Covington. It is an excellent and unfailing mill stream, running rapidly and never rising very high, and the mills erected on it, and water power that may still be used, will compare favor- ably with any part of the State.
SHAWANEE, a large and rich prairie, now mostly under cultivation, near the creek before named. The soil is favorable for wheat, corn and grass.
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SHAWANEE, a township in Fountain county, popula- tion 1,370.
SHAWSWICK, a central township in Lawrence, popula- tion 2,700.
SHEFFIELD, an eastern township in Tippecanoe, popu- lation 1,900.
SHELBY COUNTY, organized in 1822, was named in honor of Isaac Shelby, an officer of distinction in the Revolutionary war and in that of 1812, and also Gover- nor of Kentucky. It is bounded north by Hancock, east by Rush and Decatur, south by Decatur and Bar- tholomew, and west by Johnson and Marion. It is 24 miles in length from north to south, and 17 wide, and contains 408 square miles. It is divided into the follow- ing townships, viz: Jackson, Washington, Noble, Liberty, Addison, Hendricks, Sugar Creek, Brandywine, Marion, Union, Hanover, Van Buren and Moral. The popula- tion in 1830 was 6,294, in 1840, 12,004, and at this time about 16,000. The county was originally level forest land, with bottoms along the streams from half a mile to two miles in width, where there is generally an elevation of from 20 to 40 feet. The soil in the bottoms is a rich, dark loam, with a mixture of sand. On the upland there is more clay, covered with a dark muck, and mostly requiring to be drained before it can be cultivated to ad- vantage. The timber most common in the bottoms is walnut, ash, hackberry, &c .; on the uplands, beech, oak and hickory are predominant. Shelby is becoming a first rate farming county. It has an abundance of water power, and the Railroads now in progress through it must make it one of the best counties in the State. The taxable land amounts to 254,541 acres.
SHELBY, a north-east township in Jefferson.
SHELBY, a southern township in Ripley, population 2,000.
SHELBY, a north-west township in Tippecanoe, popu- lation 700.
SHELBYVILLE, the Seat of Justice of Shelby county, is pleasantly situated on the south-east bank of Blue river,
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26 miles south-east of Indianapolis and 63 north-west of Lawrenceburgh, 65 north north-west of Madison and 16 north north-east of Edinburgh. It has 182 dwelling houses, of which 166 are frame, and 16 of brick; there are 134 one story houses, 46 two story, and two three story houses, Il stores and groceries, 22 mechanics' shops, two churches and two mills. The population is now about 900, but the completion of the Railroad to Edin- burgh, and its extension to Rushville and Knightstown, which is now in progress, give assurance that the town will now increase rapidly in business and population.
SILVER CREEK, a mill stream which rises in the north part of Clark county, and runs south into the Ohio one mile above New Albany. It is the dividing line between Clark and Floyd for about seven miles from its mouth.
SILVER CREEK, a western township in Clark, popula- tion 800.
SILVER CREEK, an excellent mill stream in Union coun- ty, which falls into the east fork of White Water from the north-east, opposite to Dunlapsville.
SILVER CREEK, a tributary of Eel river from the north- west, in Wabash county.
SILVER LAKE is situated on the north side of Eel river, in Wabash county. It is a beautful sheet of water, and at its outlet there is an excellent mill privilege, on which a good saw mill is in operation, and a flouring mill in progress.
SIXMILE CREEK, a tributary of the Muscackituck from the north, in the west part of Jennings county.
SLATE CREEK falls into the east fork of White river in the south-east corner of Daviess.
SLINKARD'S CREEK, a mill stream in the south part of Greene county, falls into the west fork of White river from the east.
SMITH, a north-west township in Greene, population 700.
SMITH, a north-east township of Posey.
SMITH, a north-east township in Whitley, population 450.
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TOPOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS.
SMITHFIELD, a northern township in DeKalb, popula- tion 365.
SMITHFIELD is in Delaware county, on the north bank of White river, six miles east of Muncie. It contains a grist and saw mill, a Methodist church, a store, several mechanics' shops, and a population of about 100.
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