USA > Indiana > Sullivan County > Jackson in Sullivan County > The history of Jackson Township, Sullivan County, Indiana > Part 3
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Mr. and Mrs, James M. Boston.
James M. Boston, son of Jesse Boston and Mary Boston, was born Sept. 17, 1848, in Spencer county, Kentucky. He later came to Indiana where he grew to manhood. He at- tended school at old Mt. Pleasant
15
School House. At the age of eigh- teen he was married to Burnette Foreman. She was born Nov. 4, 1850 in Bullet county, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. James Foreman and second daughter of eleven children. At the age of six she came to Indiana and, until her marriage, lived on a farm one and one half miles east of Lewis. Mr. Boston received from his father one hundred and sixty acres of land southeast of Lewis and it was here that they went to house- keeping. There were born to them twelve children, who are all living. They are Tessa Charles- Lizzie, "Hat- tie, Jim, John, Ben, Noel, Gladys, "Raymond, Jesse and> Hester. Boston died Sept. 16, 1902.
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse M. Boston
Jesse M. Boston was born in 1817 in Worcester county, Maryland, on the Pokonoke river. At six years of age he went with his father to Spencer county, Kentucky, where he grew to manhood. In 1842 he was married to M. J. Stout. Eight years later Mr. and Mrs. Boston moved to Sullivan county, Indiana. There were born to them two sons, John and James. At one time Mr. Boston owned four hundred acres of land which he divided between his two sons. His wife died in 1862. He lived with his sons until 1878 when he was married to Margaret (Mc- Gill) Woodrow, who was the widow of Joseph Woodrow. Mr. Boston died in 1899. Mrs. Boston lived with her brother John McGill and her sister, Mary McGill until their death. She now lives in Lewis.
Henry T. Pierson.
Henry T. Pierson was born Dec. 8, 1825, on a farm near Lewis. In- diana. When he was twenty-one years old there was a call for volun- teers for the war with Mexico, and he enlisted in Company H of the Fourth Regiment of Indiana Volun- teers, under Captain Cochran, who
carried a silver medal that was pre- sented to him by the governor of Pennsylvania for bravery in the battle of Lake Erie under Commo- dore Perry. Mr. Pierson was in the regiment commanded by Col. Willis A. Garman and took part in the bat- tle of Amente. He was honorably discharged from the service in the latter part of June, 1848 at Madison, Indiana. He then returned to his home in Jackson township and en- gaged in the peaceful pursuits of a farmer until the outbreak of the Civil War when he again responded to the call of his country and enlis- ted in Company H of the; Eighty- fifth Regiment of Indiana" ada Volunteer Infantry, which was led by "Captain, afterwards Major William T. Craw- ford of Sullivan. He went with his regiment in the army of the Ten- nessee and was in the battle of Dal- of las. Lookout Mountain, Resaca, and Thompson's Station, the last which was the bloodiest battle in which Mr. Pierson ever participated. The rebel forces outnumbered the Union forces ten to one: the fight lasted four hours, when the Union soldiers were overcome and taken prisoners and placed in Libby prison. The rebel loss in this battle was fourteen hundred and there were eleven hundred Union soldiers taken prisoners. Mr. Pierson being one of this number. He was shot in the head by a minie ball during this bat- tle
He was married three times, his last wife, who survived him, being Sarah Emeline Bastain, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett Bastain. She was born March 23, 1850, ten miles northeast of Bloomington, in Mon- roe county, Indiana. In 1891 she was married to H. T. Pierson. . Mr. and Mrs. Pierson lived on the Pier- son farm until 1907 when they moved to Lewis, Indiana, in District No. 1. It was here that Mr. Pierson died in October, 1913. Mrs. Pier- son still lives in Lewis.
16
Chapter 3. District No. 2.
Arthur Allen
C. Richey 3490
REBECCA
Claro Allen 45.70
21
Robert Granam 85.58
H. Shumaker 98.55
MOR
Scott 89.67
1
1
40
40
Te acOVE Brunker 41.79
Gia BRUNNEN 41.79
=
Anno + Steve Brown Nancy Curry .7.09
41.74
J.W Halberstadt
40
A. E + N. Curry 80
ALro Marts.
: no ? School HOUSE
97
40
David Mehan 25
D. Stark 39.70
E.Prather
E. Baldriage
F. Everly 39.40
Gus Burton 40
C. Mener 15
JW. Brown 114
18 94
D.C. Brown
Fire Prather 14ยช
Ellen Wambaugh 40
80
WINT Cummins so
M.Strawn + 84
Sugar Grove
0 8
Wm Brown 90
T.D Strawn 41.97
Geo. Grition
Kenneth Self 100
7. D. Strown Tom Plew
60
Hamilton
District No. 2 is composed of land that is rather broken, with the ex- ception of the northeastern part which was formerly part of a prairie and is level. The people of this district are engaged principally in farming.
The district is throught to have been settled about 1835. Some of the old settlers were James Brown, William Brown, Brookford Wash- ington, Mr. Baker, Chesley Crist, Lyman Boone,, Dave Bledsoe, John Coplan, Benjamin B. Mahan and
Charles Mahan.
The first school house in this dis- trict was situated on the farm now owned by T. D. Strawn, and at that time owned by. George Crist, who was instrumental in getting the first
Elige
PraTI Prathey up 16
Jon Sills m BASTON
COPAS
J.W. Biggs 39
John Wambaugh
J.W. Halberstadt 100
BuenoT2
Franko Grille Mahon 71.12 -
Earnest Brown 40
20
JE Denton 37.50
10660HROU
D. BOST A 4 2.
1
J.C. Brown . 78.38
school building erected. The men of the district cleared the ground and built the rude log house. The logs were not hewed as they were in later times, but were merely notched at the ends. The floor was not difficult to make, for it was nothing more than earth made leve! and smooth. There were no black- boards and the seats were puncheon with no backs. The fire was built in the middle of the room. The chim- ney was placed upon two logs which were fastened in each side of the room. high enough to allow the children to walk beneath them. The boys had to cut wood for fuel. On one occasion when four of the lar- ger boys were out cutting a tree for fuel they felled it in front of a hole
17
in the side of a hill. Immediately after the tree had fallen a large bear came plunging through the trees. One of the boys had a pistol in his pocket which he tried to use. When the bear came close he fired, in its face and fled with the other boys to the school house, fearing his aim had not been true. That night they found the bear's dead body near the hole.
There were no windows in this first school house but on the south side two logs had been left out in' the building of the house and over this opening was placed greased paper. Enough light came through the paper to enable the pupils to see to study their spelling lessons. The branch of the C. T. H. & S. E. rail- road now runs near the spot where this building stood. There was and is yet a spring near the place which furnished the school with drinking water. The first teacher who taught here was Mr. Baker, from New York. Besides teaching school Mr. Baker made felt hats. Some of the first students were John Brown, James Brown and a Mr. Briley.
The second school house was built on what is now Mrs. Ellen Wam- baugh's farm. . It was built very much like the first except it had a floor in it. The first teacher in this school house was Mr. Garven. He lived at that time where Gus Bur- :ton now lives. He later founded at Terre Haute what is now Brown's Business College. Some of the pupils who attended school here at this time were the Stocks, Bakers. Crists and Mahans. At these earlier schools the teachers were often locked out by the pupils until they promised to treat. This, however. was taken in good spirits by both the teacher and the students. Some other teachers who taught in this building were Clint Sills, Clabron Wood, and Miss Mahan. Miss Ma- han was the first woman to teach in this idstrict. Mr. Kenneth Self taught the last term that was ever taught in this building. It was dur- , ing his term that he hired Mr. Samuel Flowers to make the first blackboard that was ever used in this
school. It was made of poplar and was well soaked with oil and then painted. It could scarcely be marked upon but it was thought very good at that time. On Monday after Mr. Self had closed his term of school on Friday, the building burned. This was in 1870.
The third school house was built just a little north of where Mr. Ben Mahan's house now stands. It was built by subscription and the teach- er was paid in the same way. It was only used two terms and the teacher of both terms was Dr. L. K. Stock.
The fourth school house was a frame building, erected in 1872, while Mr. James Plew was trustee. This building stood where the pres- ent school house now stands. In this year the first library books were bought, which consisted of two vol- umes of Civil War History. These books contained a record of all the Civil War soldiers from this state. This building contained a black board which extended the. whole north end of the building. A little later, when Squire Wallace was trus- tee, two unabridged dictionaries were placed in the library. These books cost fifteen dollars each. Mr. Self was the first teacher in this building. Following him was Mr. Samuel Hamill. who afterwards be : came a famous lawyer and only a few years ago defended John R. Walsh in his trial. Later there came George Dutton, Jabes Asbury, Syl- vester Baldridge, Thomas Scott, Thomas Strawn, Flora Brown and Clabe Boston.
In 1900 the present brick building was erected. The history of . the school from that time is SO well known that it need not be recorded here.
In 1883, District No. 2 secured a post office. It was located in the store managed by Mr. Alexander Buchanan, who was also postmaster. There was no special mail carrier but any one who had occasion to be in Farmersburg would bring back the mail and leave it at the store. Later Mr. Self became postmaster and the post office was moved to his
18
home. His sons carried the mail to and from Farmersburg twice each week. They took care of the mail until the Rural Free Delivery was established, and received for thelr work sixty-eight dollars a year.
Some of the men from this dis- trict who enlisted for service in the Civil War were Chesley Crist, John R. Mahan, John E. Smith, Jackson Criss, John Nelson and William Nel- son. These are all dead. Those yet living are Curtis Stewart, Chester Stewart, Willlam J. Smith, John Baldridge and Monroe Canan.
In 1892 Mr. William Mahan owned and operated the first grist mill that was ever in the district. It was run by steam power. In 1854 Mr. Ma- han's father owned and operated the first brick kiln, which supplied the neighborhood trade only. Brick was also made the following year, 1855, by Mr. Chesley Crist.
It is thought that the first frame house of the district was James Brown's, built in 1855. The house is still standing but is no longer used as a dwelling. The second frame honse was built by William Smith for his own use. This is still standing on Frank Mahan's farm.
This district has been rather fa- mous for sugar camps. The first one operated on a large scale was owned by Billy Brown. The work at that time was done with rude imple- ments. There was, however, a large comfortable boiling shed. In this shed was a tank made from a very large beech tree. It held about twenty-five barrels of sap. The camp contained about three hundred trees from which they secured sap. The rude troughs in which they collected the sugar water were made from the trees of the forest. They had to have over three hundred of them. so it took considerable time to make them. These troughs did not hold a great deal, so when the sap was running well the men had to haul all night. They hauled the sap to the camp in barrels on a sled drawn by oxen. The sugar made here brought about fifteen cents a pound.
One night some boys were out coon hunting and stopped at Mr.
Brown's camp. He was just "stirr- ing off a batch" and the boys decid- ed they would wait until it became cool and help Mr. Brown dispose of some of the sugar. When it was cooled a little and in the form of taffy, Mr. Brown rolled some of it into a ball and threw it to the dog. He grabbed .it and commenced to chew it but his teeth stuck fast. He stood there looking stupefied for a few seconds and then started for home. The "hunt" was over for that night so they stayed and "got even" with Mr. Brown by eating all the sugar they could.
At a later period there were other sugar camps in this district, owned by Jimmie Brown, Thomas Strawn, and Mr. Baldridge.
Sugar Grove Church.
The Sugar Grove Presbyterian Church was organized in 1887. The church house was built soon after. The charter members were Jess Bur- ton, Nancy Brown, Kate Brown, Ann Brown, Nancy Curry, Mrs. Mary Baldridge and W. S. Baldridge. Some later additions to the church were James Brown, Pearl Brown, Flora Brown, Lizzie Burton, John Halberstadt, Linnie Halberstadt,
Calvin Brown, Nancy Brown and
Mrs. Margaret Boston. The first
preacher at this church was Rev.
John Fox. Some who came later were the Rev. Bates, Engler, Taylor, Condiff, Parrott and Griffin. The auxiliary organizations of the church are the Sunday school, which is as old as the church; the Christian En- deavor, organized in 1906; and the Ladies Aid Society, organized in 1914. The building was remodeled in 1910.
Sugar Grove Cemetery.
Sugar Grove Cemetery is much older than the church, the first grave, that of a Cuppy, having been made in 1851. Some of the people buried here are Zibah Foot, M. D., 1907. Esther Sills Phipps, : . 1912, Mary McGill, 1907, Achsah Self, 1900, Rosena Wambaugh, 1896, E. D. Wambaugh, 1896, Charlotte Ber- lien. 1905, Ida May Halberstadt. 1898, Cecil Halberstadt, 1901, Sarah Montgomery Wood, 1892, - William
19
MeClary, 1841, Abner Crist, 1894,
Mary R. Brown, 1889, James S. Brown. 1887, Samnel Brown, 1859,
Nancy Brown, 1852, William H. Brown, 1871, Nancy A. Brown, 1880, Eunice Brown, 1896, Herman Brown 1913, Catherine Shoemaker, 1911, Harrison Shoemaker, 1904, Effie Shoemaker, 1888, Hazel Burton. 1892, John K. Brown, 1895, Susan Mahan, 1890, Margaret E. Brown. 1873, Ona Mahan, 1895, Nora Ma- han, 1893, Charles W. Mahan, 1890, Orlando Mahan, 1884, Charles Mil- ler, 1905, Jacob Cuppy, 1876, James Russell Brunker, 1913, and Sarah Cuppy, 1914.
Some of the oldest residents of the district are Mr. Kenneth Self, Mrs. John Wood, Mrs. William Scott, Mr. and Mrs. William Mahan, whose bi- ographies appear below:
Kenneth Self.
Mr. Kenneth Self was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, Dec. 21. 1823. His father was Presley Self who was born in Culpepper county, Virginia, in 1787, and was buried at Greensburg. Indiana, in 1864 His mother was Helen Wil- son Self, who was also born in Vir- ginia in 1787. Mr. Self is the young- est of six children and the only one living. Mr. Self received most of his education in the old fashioned sub- scription schools but he attended an "academy for a short time. When he was seventeen years old he taught school for fifteen months, after which he attended college at what is now the State University. He then resumed his teaching and fol- lowed that profession until 1850. On July 19, 1850, he was married to Achsah Wood, who was born in 1825, in Mason county, Kentucky. Previous to 1863 Mr. Self lived in Decatur county, but during that year he moved to Coles county, Illinois. where he continued teaching and farming until 1869, when he came to Jackson township, where he now resides. When he first settled in Sullivan county. he purchased eighty acres of land and added to it until he had a well improved farmi of one hundred acres but later he sold forty acres of it to his son.
There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Self eight children, all of whom are living except one child that died at the age of eight months. They are Samuel, Mrs. C. G. Stock. Mrs. S. B. Brown, Morton, Lincoln, Claborn, and William. Mr. Self is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is one of the oldest men in the town- ship and a great friend of "Uncle Jim" McCammon.
Mr. and Mrs. JJohn Wood.
John Oliver Wood, son of Noah and Comfort Wood, was born May 24. 1835, in Decatur county. Indi- ana. He moved to Illinois in 1853. From there he moved to Jackson township, Sullivan county. Indiana. He was a merchant while in Illinois, but after returning to Indiana he became a farmer. He was married to Sarah A. Montgomery. Dec. 11, 1855. There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wood seven children. three of whom died in infancy. The others are Achsah Jane, William. Ida. and Linnie. Mr& Wood died Jan. 9, 1892. Mrs. Wood is now seventy- nine years old but still in good health.
correction fx
R.C. Halberstadt pandion
Mr. and Mrs. William Scott.
William Liston Scott, son of Levi and Mahala Liston Scott. was born . in Monroe county, Indiana, Dec. 5. 1834. When a child he moved with his parents to Vigo county. He at- tended school at what was known as the Scott school house in Linton township, Vigo county. On Oct. 25, he was married to Rebecca Thomp- son. She was born in Fairbanks township, Sullivan county. April 30. 1843, the youngest of a family of eight children. A few years af- ter their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Scott moved to Nemaha county, Kas., lived there for about five years and then returned to Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Scott were born seven chil- dren. Thompson. Mary. Mrs. Izzie Barnes, Levi. deceased. John. Oscar, and Henry. Mr. Scott died Sept. 6. 1906, and was buried in Friendship cemetery, of which chureb be was a member. Mrs. Scott is still living with her daughter Mary, on her farm in district No. 2.
20
1
1 1
Mr. and Mrs. William Mahan.
William Mahan was born in 1843 in Sullivan county, Indiana. His father moved to district No. 2 when William was a small boy. Here Mr. Mahan grew up and has since resid- ed. His occupation has been that of a miller and blacksmith. He oper-
ated the first grist mill in the dis- triet in 1892. He established the first Sunday school in the district. Ile was married to Elizabeth Sills. who was born Sept. 2, 1843 in Vigo county, Indiana. There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mahan three chil- dren. Eveline, James, deceased and Charles.
Chapter 4. District No. 3.
Lucie Lombert WF Reed 36 34 2944
G. W. Huntwork 59 13
David Sharp 17
18
Goo. A Hopewell 73 34
Acramer 7
Chas Sharp 32
H Akers 31
Eliza lambert 22.54
Jos A. Forod ChasR Sharp 42 35.57
Mary G. Roberts 100
M. Huntword 1950
Allan Forod Ellen Forbes 3719
COO. W. Huntwork 40
C.Show 40
AJAKers 6303
FM Everty 19 14 John Taylor 16
ChasShow 35 52
Geo Brown 40
Jona Hack 27
Cowg .
EA Forbes
135
JR Sharp 40
Ed. Burton 40
6 !!
Hack 13.25
Basket
L B. Forbes 1618
4, 40
Chas Show SS58
C. Ridgeway 40
Ellen A Forbes 60
Steve Brown 20
Z C. Holdson
60
Drake 40
CD Ridgeway 35 75
MetrinRisinga 23
WR
24
14
JB Everly 20
WH Halberstam 20
M. Bionay 10
CaraOsborn 12.10
WW Barces 40
I. B Everty 40
S.R Brown 40
Wm Brown 40
ChasShan 15 56
W H.
Halberstadt Wa Brodwell 12 39
1
JF Halberstadt 71.12
Wm. A.Show 39
Halberstadt 39.25
Ama Palton 40
40
Earnest Brown 40
.
Some of the land of District No. 3 is rough and some of it is prairie land. A branch of Busseron Creek flows through the northeast corner of the district. It comes down through a ravine which is about forty rods at the bottom. Many slope mines have been sunk in each bank of the ravine. These, however, are all abandoned and many of them
caved in, and are now the home of some red foxes that were imported a few years ago.
Some of the early settlers were: Mr. Albert Plew, who came here about 1829, and Mr. McClarey. who came here in 1838. Mr. McClarey operated some coke ovens in the dis- trict. He employed several men - who lived in log cabins along the
21
.
1. mardy 40
S.R. Brown 40
Emma Richaron 10
Richardson
JN Bridwell
.
Lousiaschaffe 16 ,
John Heck 23
Gee Heck. 15
J.C. Brown 40
6
Sollicturner
Rod
J.HOCK.
J.W. Halberstadt 41.50
Dearing CoulC. 211A
John R Shand Monon Coalco 20.29
ravine. He hanled the coke to
Terre Haute and received for it about forty cents a ton. Some other settlers who came later were Justice Heck. Calhoun Ridgeway, Samuel Brown and Mr. Johnns. The land in this district was once rich but is now rather worn. The principal in- dustry of this district is farming, although from 1902 to 1909 it was mining. The mines are all closed at present. The farmers are look- ing more and more to the scientific side of farming and are getting re- sults. There are two hundred peo- ple in the district and some forty families. Mr. Dills has the largest, numbering an even dozen.
The first school of this district was held in an old log school house about forty rods east of the Nye's Chapel church. It still stands to- day in the form of an old barn. Some of the teachers who taught here were Mr. Johnns in 1862, Mr. Bill Denny, Mr. Ed. Ford, Dr. Bal- dridge and Mr. Selt. This school was known by the name of Califor- nia. In 1880 a new school house was built where the present house now stands. Mr. Ed. Ford was the first teacher. Some of the other teachers . here were Sally Canan. Miss M. Barnes, Dr. J. H. Bennett and Tom Kennel. The present school house was built in 1905.
The Rood Mine.
In 1903 Mr. G. L. Rood bought eighty-five aeres of land of Mr. Al Forbus and sunk the Rood Mine. It is one-quarter of a mile northwest of No. 3 school house. It was the most prosperous mine of the three mines of the district but having no solid bottom, it was very hard to hold the roof, therefore there was great danger of its caving in. : Four men met death as a result of this bad bottom. They were Mr. George Hayworth, Mr. George Hardy, Mr. Frank Grover and Mr. Frank Deane. The output of the mine was from seven to eight hundred tons per day. There was one hundred acres of coal mined from this mine. There was at one time one hundred and twen- ty-five men employed here. The work was machine and pick work.
There were about twenty-five mules
used here for pulling cars. Mr. G. 1 .. Rood built the little town known as the Rood Blocks, consisting of twenty houses. In 1907 Mr. Rood sold the mine to a company from Chicago. These people operated the mine until 1911 when they failed. The men employed struck and had to sue for their wages. Part of these men were never paid. The mine then went into the hands of a re- ceiver and was bought by Mr. J. R. Sharp and Mr. Manden Drake of Farmersburg. At the present time the property is in bad condition and part of it has been hauled away. Mr. D. Kemp of Lewis bought the old mule barn and moved it over near Lewis. Mr. Charles Sharp bought the old blacksmith shop and now has a modern barn made of it. The rest of the mine lies in ruin. Superior Mine.
In 1903 the Brittle Creek Coal Company sank the Superior Mine. It was later called the Shirkey mine in honor of the Superintendent. It is one and three-quarter miles east of Farmersburg. It is of the same' character as the Rood Mine. The company owned five hundred acres of coal and ten acres of surface. It had an average output of five hun- dred tons per `day. There were eighty acres worked out when the mine was closed. There were one hundred men and twenty mules em- ployed there. On the last day of work a Mr. Henman was killed. In 1907 this mine passed into the hands of the Dering Coal Company. This company immediately shut the mine down and set a watch over it and everything is as it was left the day it shut down in 1907. This is a good indication that the company will develop this coal field in the future.
Cummins Mine.
Mr. D. M. Cummins of Chicago, purchased of David Sharp. Sr., twenty acres of surface land located in Jackson Township, District No. 3. three and three-quarters miles west of Lewis on the Sullivan and Vigo County Road. ' At the same time he purchased seventy-three acres in
22
Vigo County. In 1902 he sunk a mine on the twenty acres, which was later known as the Cummins Mine. It was a slope mine and was run by steam power. The old boil- ors and parts of the old engines are still to be seen on the spot, half eaton with rust. This mine in its prime produced on the average from five to six hundred tons of coal per day, and gave employment to one hundred and thirty men. Mr. Cum- mins at one time owned two hun- dred acres of No. 7 coal. For the benefit of some of the miners he built a number of houses just across the line in Vigo County. There was aso a small store at this cross-road village. The mining here was done by pick and shovel. At times there were as many as twenty mules used here to pull the coal to the main hosting track. Mr. Cummins sold this mine to the Lyons Coal Com- pany who operated it for a while and then sold it to the Monon Coal Company who shut it down in 1909. They own it at the present time.
Nye's Chapel.
The United Brethren Church known as Nye's Chapel was organ- ized in 1864. The charter members were Mr. and. Mrs. Ben Bridwell, Mr. and Mrs. John Heck, Mr. and Mrs. William Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Bridwell, Mr. and Mrs. John Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. John Sills, Miss Lusettie Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. Sim Carpenter, Mary Richard- son, Sallie Carpenter, Harry Brid- well, Jane Cummins and Mr. and Mrs. George Barcus. The first build- ing was made of logs and stood just east of the present building. The
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