USA > Indiana > Henry County > The People's guide, a business, political, and religious directory of Henry Co., Ind. : together with a collection of very important documents and statistics connected with our moral, political and scientific history : also, a historical sketch of Henry County > Part 11
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For Distemper in Horses .- Ground ginger, two ounces; flour of sulphur, two ounces; copperas, two ounces; Spanish brown, two ounces; saltpeter, one-half ounce; mix thoroughly. Give a tablespoonful once a day in bran mash. Keep the ani- mal warm and dry, with light exercise.
Whitewash for Out Doors .- Take good white unslacked lime, one peck; salt, one quart; two pounds Spanish whiting; one gallon good flour paste ; first slack the line in hot water ; be sure to put enough on to keep the lime from burning ; then add while warm the salt and Spanish white, and then the paste; let stand over night. It is better to have it warm while applying it.
For Removing Paint From Glass .- Baking soda and warm water.
Antidote for Poison .- Give sweet oil in large doses.
For Worms in Children .- Santenine, nine grains; calomel, six grains; white sugur, eighteen grains; mix well; make in six powders for a child two years old, and give one before each meal for two days; work off with oil.
For Removing Grease Spots From Cloth .- Soda, two drachms; borax, one drachm ; dissolve it together in one ounce of hot water, then add one ounce of alcohol. Shake it well and apply with woolen rag or brush, rubbing briskly.
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VALUABLE RECIPES.
To Get Rid of Little Ants .- Use salt and water freely where they infest.
Washing Fluid .- Borax, one pound; soda, one pound ; dis- solve in two gallons of hot water. Put the clothes in the tub, cover them with water containing a half gallon of the fluid, and let stand over night.
For Toothache, Headache, Neuralgia, and Rheumatic Pains .- Make a liniment of the following preparations : One ounce of tincture of Amonia, one ounce tincture of cam- phor, one ounce oil of organum, one-half ounce oil of cedar, one ounce oil of hemlock, and one quart linseed oil ; mix all together, put it in a bottle and shake well. Directions for using. Apply the liniment freely to the affected parts, and rub and bathe it as often as three or four times daily. For the toothache, put a little on a piece of cotton, and put it in the tooth, and rub it on the jaw of the patient. I have found this to be one of the best liniments in use.
For Cuts and Bruises on Man or Beast .- Take two ounces tincture of camphor, two ounces linseed oil, one ounce of tur- pentine ; mix all together, and apply to the affected parts.
For Pickling Beef .- To 100 pounds of beef take one gal- lon of salt, three-fourths of a pound of sugar, three ounces black pepper ground; add together, put all in a kettle con- taining three gallons of water; boil slowly, and skim occa- sionally. Pack the beef in tight tubs, and cover with the brine.
DIRECTORY
HENRY COUNTY OF
FOR 1874.
9
PREFACE.
ACCORDING to promise, we pen the following sketch of the past and present history of Henry county. Although the facts and items of information that we have collected are limited and hurriedly compiled, yet we hope that they will give satisfaction to our patrons, and help to preserve the memory of the old pioneer settlers, who withstood the privations and hardships of a pioneer life in the first settling of this county, whose memory should be retained in the minds and hearts of this people.
The majority of the first settlers have long since passed off this stage of action, and now there are but few left as monu- ments of the past ; some of whom it has been our privilege to question in regard to the first settlement of this county, and to whom we return our thanks for the information that we have received from them.
We also feel ourselves under many obligations to the present clever county officials, through whose kindness and assistance we were permitted to make an examination of the records, from which we have obtained many of the facts which are to be found in the following pages.
We also feel ourselves indebted to Elwood Please, the author of a History of Henry county, for information received from said history; and, by the way, said history is from the pen of an able and worthy writer, finished in good style, devoted en-
132
PREFACE.
tirely to the history of the county, and should be in the hands of every citizen.
And to the citizens of the county in general we return our thanks for the social manner in which they received our can- vassers, and for their liberal patronage for this book, hoping that it may give them satisfaction and prove worthy of their patronage.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF
HENRY COUNTY.
In the year 1821 the Legislature of the State of Indiana de- scribed the boundaries, named the county, and declared it to be from and after the 21st day of June, 1821, a separate and inde- pendent county, subject only to the State of Indiana. They gave it the name of Henry, in honor of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence-a patriot and statesman- PATRICK HENRY.
Henry county is near the east line of the State, not far from the center from north to south, and is bounded as follows: On the east by Randolph and Wayne counties; on the south by Fayette and Rush; on the west by Hancock and Madison, and on the north by Delaware; and contains about three hundred and ninety square miles, or two hundred and forty-nine thousand six hundred acres of land (249,600), and is watered by Blue River, Duck Creek, Flatrock Creek, Sugar Creek, Stony Creek, Fall Creek, and many other small streams and spring branches. This county being so well supplied with stock water, in connec- tion with its great amount of fine rolling farming lands, has made this a great resort for the stock raiser and model farmer. The surface of most parts of this county is rolling, with a few small breaks along the streams ; yet there is but very little waste land in the county but what can be cultivated or made profitable for grazing. The soil of this county, with very little exception, is
I34
HENRY COUNTY.
rich and productive. Wheat, rye, oats, barley, Indian corn and all kinds of grain and vegetables do well here, while blue grass, timothy and other grasses seem to be a spontaneous growth of the county. Apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and in fact all kinds of fruit, large or small, that are grown in this kind of a cli- mate, are to a considerable extent cultivated here, and I think that the horticulturist can receive as profitable returns for his labor here as in any other part of Indiana. The timber of the county is of fine quality, consisting of maple, walnut, poplar, oak, and other varieties. From the first settling of the county up to the present time there has been great waste of timber, but still there is enough, if taken care of, to last the county for a great many years for all necessary purposes. The gravel and sand beds of this county are numerous, and almost inexhaust- ible; and in some parts of the county there is a considerable supply of limestone rock.
THE FIRST SETTLERS.
The settlement of this county began in the year 1819; prior to this time all the territory of this county was in possession of the Indians ; but in 1818 the United States Government nego- tiated a treaty with the Indians, purchased their lands and made this county, along with other portions of Central Indiana, sub- ject to settlement by the whites. Some of the first settlers of this county we will make mention of, hoping that they will be held in remembrance as pioneers who withstood the toil and privations incident to the pioneer life. It being impossible to give them in the order of their coming, I well pen them down as follows :
Andrew Shannon, George Hobson, Asel Woodard, Allen Shepherd, Wm. Shannon, Benjamin Harvey, George and Charles See, Moses Keens, Josiah Morris, J. R. Leakey, Daniel Paul, Jonathan Bundy, Daniel Jackson, Thos. Greenstreet, Samuel Carr, Allen Hunt, A. Heaton, John Huff, W. M. Carey, Jacob Woods, Roderick Craig, Wm. Owen, John Hart,
135
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
William Harvey, Samuel Howard, Uriah Bulla, J. P. Johnson Joseph Corey, Jonathan Bedwell, Samuel Furgason, Danie Heaton, Eli Stafford, Joseph Ratliff, John Koons, A. E. Konn, Samuel Goble, Jacob Elliott, T. R. Stanford.
COUNTY OFFICERS.
The first County Commissioners were appointed by the Leg- islature, in the year 1821, and, by the way, were all citizens of other counties, namely: Richard Biern, of Jackson ; John Sample, of Fayette, and J. W. Scott, of Union. Said Commis- sioners met at the house of Joseph Hobson, which was located about two miles south of where Newcastle now stands. They located the county seat and made all the necessary arrangements for holding an election to elect the first county officers. The first elected County Commissioners were Wm. Shannon, Samuel Goble and Allen Shepherd. The first Clerk of the county was Rene Julian, who did the business of both Clerk and Recorder, besides having considerable time to spare from his office to work in the cornfield or clearing. The first Sheriff of the county was J. H. Healy, by appointment ; he was also the first elected Sheriff. The first Associate Judges of the county were Elisha Long, and T. R. Stanford. The first Court held in the county was held at the house of Joseph Hobson. The first Treasurer of the county was Wm. Shannon, and the first Prosecuting Attorney was Lot Bloomfield. The office of Auditor, for this county, was not called into existence, as a separate office, until the year 1840. The first Auditor elected was James Iliff. The first County Surveyor was Thomas R. Stanford, who held the position for twenty years. The first Judge of the Common Pleas Court was M. L. Bundy.
The first newspaper published in the county was published at Knightstown. The Newcastle Banner was the first paper published at Newcastle, which was established by J. B. Swayze in 1836. The first church built in the county was
-
I 36
HENRY COUNTY.
the Friend's meeting house, erected, according to the best information I am in possession of, in the year 1824.
Prior to the year 1818 this county was in possession of the Indians ; its inhabitants were the savage red man and the wild beasts of the forests. No white man had as yet settled on her soil ; no trace of civilization could here be found ; no vestige of a cabin or dwelling, save now and then an Indian wigwam. Not a tree had been felled by the settler's ax; the underbrush was matted with thorns, briars and brambles, and the streams were choked with driftwood to overflowing ; green ponds stood full of stagnant water, the home of the bull frog, mud turtle and water snake; all things, then, in a state of nature, it surely was a gloomy prospect to the first settlers of this county.
In the year 1819 a few settlements were made, and gradually the tide of emigration kept coming until in 1821 she had sufficient population to form a county organization. After the organiza- tion of the county, emigration from the State of North Carolina and other States of the Union became more general, and in less than nine years after the organization she had grown in popula- tion to six thousand four hundred and ninety-seven, as shown by the census report for 1830; in 1840, her population was fifteen thousand one hundred and twenty-eight; in 1850, seventeen thousand six hundred and five; in 1860, twenty thousand one hundred and nineteen; in 1870, twenty-two thousand nine hun- dred and eighty-six ; and to-day at least twenty-four thousand inhabitants people this county. Her vote has increased in the same ratio as her population; while her increase in wealth, im- provements and enterprise have more than kept pace with her numbers. Education, morality and temperance have been on the increase. Her old log school-houses and churches have gone to decay and are things of the past. She now has fine academies, seminaries, school-houses, churches, and temples of worship, dotted all over the county; in the place of her first two hundred and fifty dollar court house, she now has one of
137
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
the finest and most beautiful court houses in the State, which has cost the county one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, which is an ornament to the county and a credit to her citizens. The first jail of the county was built at a cost of forty dollars ; the present jail cost forty thousand dollars ; while all other pub- lic improvements of the county are in unison and harmonize with the present court house and jail.
ROADS AND MARKETS.
The first settlers of the county kept track of their roads prin- cipally by blazing the timber as a guide to direct them on their course. Wagons were very seldom brought into use, the princi- pal part of the travel being done on foot ; and the only markets needed in that day were for the fur traders, who bought their pelts and fur skins, and sold them a few articles of dry goods, tobacco and whisky; but the gradual improvement of the county and the extension of their fields made it necessary that they should have a market for their surplus produce, and consequently they had to hunt a more distant market, thereby causing them to open better roads that could be traveled with wagons. Their markets for several years were Cincinnati and Lawrenceburg ; but now almost every road in the county is graveled or turn- piked, and every farmer in the county has a market at his own door-yard, and instead of traveling at the rate of from one to three miles an hour by the old process, we now travel at the rate of thirty miles an hour by steam, and instead of waiting six or eight days to get an answer to a letter from Cincinnati or Indi- anapolis, we now get it the same day, and in case we are in a hurry we communicate by telegraph at lightning speed. There are now in the county four railroads, making a total of near seventy miles of road.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
For several years the first settlers of this county could not depend altogether on the agricultural products of the county for support. The amount of cleared land was not sufficient to sup-
I38
HENRY COUNTY.
ply their demands ; therefore they had to resort to the trap and the gun to supply the meat for their tables; but this state of affairs did not last long. They kept clearing the land and cul- tivating the fields until they had a sufficient supply, and of some articles a great surplus ; and she now has one hundred and fifty thousand acres of improved land, valued at thirteen million dol- lars, and she raises annually over six hundred thousand bushels of winter wheat; near two thousand bushels of rye ; over one million bushels of Indian corn ; one hundred thousand bushels of oats ; five thousand seven hundred bushels of barley ; sixty- five thousand pounds of wool ; fifty-three thousand bushels of Irish potatoes ; three hundred and eighty-five thousand pounds of butter, and over ten thousand tons of hay ; besides thousands of dollars worth of vegetables.
DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
The total estimated value of all the domestic animals of the county, in the year 1824, would have reached but a very few thousand dollars. The estimate can not be had, as the pa- pers and records of the county were burned with the court house that was burned down in the year 1864; but to-day the total estimate of live stock will reach near two millions of dol- lars.
The estimate for 1870 was one million six hundred and forty- five thousand seven hundred and one dollars. The number of horses in the county the same year was 7, 550 ; number of mules and asses, 1, 176; number of milch cows, 5,492; number of work oxen, 221; number of sheep, 21,460; number of swine, 30, 380.
MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS.
The only manufacturing establishments of any note that could be found in this county, until about the year 1830, was the old- fashioned horse mill for grinding corn, and now and then a water mill for the same purpose. Steam power was not known to the citizens of this county ; the noise of a steam whistle then
139
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
would have created more excitement than the scream of the panther or the howl of a dozen wolves. But the age of steam power soon changed the scene; manufacturing shops soon sprang up all over this land, and Henry county now has over two hundred establishments, consisting of woolen mills, grist mills, saw mills, sash and door factories, planing mills, furniture establishments and other manufactories too tedious to mention. She has thirty-eight steam engines in operation, and twenty-two water wheels ; said establishments employ six hundred hands, and consume over four hundred thousand dollars' worth of raw material annually, and produce about one million dollars' worth of manufactured articles.
TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
Since the year 1822 the towns and villages of this county have sprung up like mushrooms, and some of them have disappeared almost as soon, and now live only in name ; but the majority of them have grown up to be prosperous towns and villages. I will give the population of the most important, according to the census of 1870, and extra reports. Newcastle population, 1,556; Knightstown, 1,528; Lewisville, 416; Spiceland, 370. Bluntsville, 178; Mechanicsburg, 133; Middletown, 711; Honey Creek, 100; Sulphur Springs, 246; Summit, 108 ; Hills- boro, 95 ; Luray, 65; Raysville, 460; Greensboro, 360; Mill- ville, about 166; Dunrieth, 180; Grant City, about 86; Ash- land, 70; Elizabeth City, 100; Rogersville, 75; Cadiz, 305 ; New Lisbon, about 220 and Ogden, 320. As a sketch of the townships will be shown up in another part of this work and the towns and villages located, I consider it unnecessary to locate them in this connection or to say anything in regard to the townships, except to give their number in the county, and the name, vote and population of each.
The present number of townships in the county is thirteen the name, vote and population as follows:
₫ 40
HENRY COUNTY.
Township Vote.
Population.
Blue River,
169
862
Dudley,
316
1,339
Fall Creek,
427
2,005
Franklin,
372
1,579
Greensboro,
.
325
1,488
Harrison,
390
1,888
Henry,
709
2,818
Jefferson,
244
1,234
Liberty,
390
1,884
Prairie,
383
1,625
Spiceland,
.
445
2,014
Stony Creek,
175
934
Wayne,
784
3,318
Total,
5,129
22,986
TAXATION OF HENRY COUNTY.
An exhibit of the assessed value of all the taxable property at decimal periods, as shown by the records and statistics, ap- proximately correct, commencing at the year 1,830. Prior to this we are not in possession of the statistics. The assessed value of all taxable property, personal and real, is as follows :
For 1830, less than
$2,000,000
Total taxes near
10,000
For 1840, taxable property,
2,250,000
Total taxes same year,
13,000
For 1850, taxable property,
4,000,000
Total taxes same year,
27,000
For 1869, taxable property, -
8,000,000
Total taxes same year,
50,000
For 1870, taxable property, -
1 1, 000,000
Total taxes same year,
195,000
.
-
141
BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP.
BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP.
BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP is located in the northeast part, near the corner of Henry county, and is bounded as follows. On the north by Stony Creek township, on the east by Randolph and Wayne counties, on the south by Liberty township, and on the west by Prairie, and contains an area of about twenty-two square miles. The surface is more or less broken, especially along the streams, yet it can all be cultivated or made profitable for grazing. It is watered by the two branches of Blue River, from which it derived its name. The timber, of several varities, is abundant; gravel and sand beds plentiful, and in the north part of the township considerable quantities of glazier or travel- ing stones are visible. The population of the township is about 900. The value of taxable property is $350,000. Some of the first settlers were Joseph Carey, Reuben Willson, John Koons, J. P. johnson, R. Willson, and Michael Conway.
Township Trustee, John Wrightman.
Number of school houses, 6; value of school property, $2,460.
CHURCHES.
German Baptist Church, White Branch, five miles northwest of Hagerstown ; pastor in charge, Daniel Bowman; value of church property, $800.
Blue River Christian Church ; pastor in charge, Moses M. Guin ; membership, 82; organized January 9, 1850.
GRANGES.
Locust Grove Grange, No. 457; membership, 40; organized January 23, 1874 ; John Wrightman, Master; Abraham Wright- man, Secretary.
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HENRY COUNTY.
DIRECTORY OF BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP.
Adams, A. D .; farmer ; 312 m n e Ashland. Born in H. C. 1833. Rep. Friend.
Bales, L .; farmer ; 4 m n w Millville. Born in H. C. 1843. Rep. Newlight.
BALES, BENJAMIN ; farmer ; 5 m w Nettle Creek. Born in East Tenn. 1814; settled in H. C. 1839. Rep. Christ.
BALES, B. L .; farmer ; 5 m w Nettle Creek. Born in H. C. 1853. Rep. Protestant.
BALES, JAMES ; farmer ; 5 m w Nettle Creek. Born in H. C. 1846. Rep. Protestant.
Bales, Wm .; farmer ; 1} m n w Nettle Creek. Born in East Tenn. 1827. Kep. Christian.
BROWN, JOHN; farmer; 32 m n Millville. Born in N. C. 1852; settled in H. C. 1869. Protestant.
Bales, A .; farmer ; 2 m n w Nettle Creek. Born in H. C. 1840. Rep. Protestant.
Bales, S .; farmer ; 2 m n w Nettle Creek. Born in H. C. 1834. Rep. Protestant.
Bouslog, D. W .; farmer ; 7 m n e Newcastle. Born in H. C. 1848. Protestant.
Bouslog, J. T .; farmer ; 8 m n e Newcastle. Born in Va. 1818 ; settled in H. C. 1834. Dem. Christian.
Brown, H .; farmer ; 3 m w Dalton. Born in N. C. 1841 ; set- tled in H. C. 1859. Rep. Protestant. Bales, Joseph ; 31/2 m n e Ashland.
Cory, S .; farmer; 4 m n w Dalton. Born in Ohio ISII; set- tled in H. C. 1841. Rep. R. Baptist.
Cory, I .; farmer ; 4 m n w Dalton. Born in Ohio 1833 ; settled in H. C. 1841. Rep. Baptist.
Covolt, A .; farmer and stock trader ; 4 m n e Millville. Born in H. C. 1851. Rep. Protestant.
143
BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP.
Covolt, C., sen .; farmer ; 4 m n e Millville. Born in Ohio 1810 ; settled in H. C. 1844. Rep. Protestant.
CLAPPER, JACOB, jr .; farmer 5 mn w Hagerstown. Born in H. C. 1852. Rep. Protestant.
Clapper, David ; farmer ; 5 m n w Hagerstown. Born in H. C. 1838. Rep. Protestant.
CLAPPER, JACOB; farmer ; 5 m n w Hagerstown. Born in Pa. 1822; settled in H. C. 1847. Rep. German Baptist.
Cox, J. H .; farmer ; 134 m s w Nettle Creek. Born in Ohio 1843 ; settled in H. C. 1874. Rep. Protestant.
Cory, D. T .; farmer ; 114 m w Nettle Creek. Born in H. C. 1839. Dem. Protestant.
Chamness, I .; farmer ; 2 m n w Dalton. Born in N. C. 1829; settled in H. C. 1853. Rep. Friend.
Chamness, W .; farmer ; 2 m n w Dalton. Born in Ind. 1822; settled in H. C. 1830. Rep. Friend.
Chamness, R .; farmer ; 2 m n w Dalton. Born in Ind. 1826. Rep. Christian.
Chamness, H .; farmer ; 21% m n w Dalton. Born in Ind. 1835; settled in H. C. 1857. Rep. Christian.
Cory, M .; farmer ; 3 m s e Blountsville. Born in H. C. 1846. Rep. Protestant.
Cory, D .; farmer ; 3 m s Blountsville. Born in Ohio 1819; settled in H. C. 1844. Rep. Christian.
Cory, E .; farmer ; 4 m s e Rogersville. Born in H. C. 182 7 R. Baptist.
Covalt, W .; farmer ; 5 1/2 m n w Millville. Born in Ohio 1 835 ; settled in H. C. 1844. Protestant.
Downing, D .; farmer ; 33 m s e Blountsville.
Davis, R. H .; farmer ; 33 m n Millville. Born in H. C. 1843 ; Rep. Protestant.
Davis, A .; farmer ; 5} m n e Ashland. Born in H. C. 1842. Rep. Friend.
144
HENRY COUNTY.
Dakins, A. J .; farmer ; 3 m s e Rogersville. Born in Ohio 1839; settled in H. C. 1857. Protestant.
Downing, F .; farmer ; 4 m s Blountsville. Born in Ky. 1805 ; settled in H. C. 1826. Christian.
Downing, F. M .; farmer ; 4 m s Blountsville. Born in H. C. 1845. Rep.
Davis, N. B .; farmer ; 4 m n Millville. Born in H. C. 1838. Protestant.
Fouts, D .; farmer ; 3 m n w Nettle Creek. Born in Ohio 1814; settled in H. C. 1829. Protestant.
Freaizer, J. H .; farmer; 7 m n e Newcastle. Born in H. C. 1843. Rep. Christian.
HUSTON, JOEL B .; farmer ; 612 m n e Newcastle. Born in H. C. 1838. Rep. Methodist.
Holaday, O .; farmer and grocer ; 412 m n w Millville. Born N. C. 1823 ; settled in H. C. 1826. Rep. Christian.
HOBSON, JESSE; farmer; 10 m n e Newcastle. Born in Tenn. 1813; settled in H. C. 1846. Rep. Christian.
Hobson, T .; engineer ; 10 m n e Newcastle. Born in H. C. Rep. Christian.
Hobson, Lewis; saw milling ; 10 m n e Newcastle.
HOBSON, JOHN; inventor of band-saw stave machine, and machinist; 10 m n e Newcastle. Born in H. C. 1847. Rep. Protestant.
Houck, M .; farmer ; 3 m s e Rogersville. Born in Ohio 1818; settled in H. C. 1831. Protestant.
Howard, C .; farmer; 134 m s w Nettle Creek. Born in Va. 1810; settled in H. C. 1874. Dem. Protestant.
Howard, A .; farmer; 134 m s w Nettle Creek. Born in Ohio 1850; settled in H. C. 1874. Dem. Protestant.
Hill, B. J .; farmer ; 5 m n e Ashland. Born in Ind. 1823 ; set- tled in H. C. 1823. Rep. Friend.
145
BLUE RIVER TOWNSHIP.
HOBSON, WILLIAM; farmer; 2 m n e Newcastle. Born in Ind. 1820; settled in H. C. 1834. Rep. Christian.
Hill, J .; farmer ; 6 m n e Newcastle. Born in H. C. 1842. Rep. Protestant.
JONES, JACOB; farmer and soldier of 1812; mustered out at Norfolk, Va., Feb. 22, 1815 ; 412 m n w Millville. Born in N. C. 1783; settled in H. C. 1831. Rep. Protestant.
Jester, I .; farmer; 412 m n w Millville. Born in N. C. 1829 ; settled in H. C. 1859. Rep. Methodist.
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