USA > Indiana > Vigo County > Terre Haute > The history of early Terre Haute from 1816 to 1840 > Part 11
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once, however, by an uncle as clerk in a wholesale establish- ment in the South. He engaged in the same business in New York city before coming to Indiana in 1828. In 1831 he settled in Terre Haute with his family. Like others, his intention was to invest in broad acres, but the river trade to New Orleans was at its height, and hence his partnership with Mr. Thompson. The firm was very prosperous till the universal crash of 1837. After settling the business as best he might, he fell back upon his trade. For some time he resided with his family on a farm. Later in life he re- engaged in store keeping with his son, J. D. Condit. Mr. Condit was married to the half sister of Judge Blackford, February 3rd, 1824. He died January 24th, 1877. His remains were interred in Woodlawn Cemetery. J. D. Con- dit came with his parents in 1831. He was born in Hanover, New Jersey, Sept. 17th, 1825. He prepared for college at the Provost High School. He attended Wabash College, under the presidency of Dr. Charles White. He was engaged in the dry goods business for a number of years. In 1863 he removed to Indianapolis and afterwards to Chicago, Illinois. He died in Chicago March 31st, 1900, at the advanced age of seventy-five years. At his own request his remains were brought to Terre Haute for interment.
From the above extended list of prominent pork mer- chants and produce shippers we understand that Terre Haute in an early day had an outlet to market on floating boats that needed neither wheel or paddle to propel them. Add to this that corn would grow on our prairie for the planting, and hogs would fatten in the fields of corn with little or no care, so that very soon our river front was lined with slaughter and packing houses, and our streets in the fall and winter with droves of hogs; and we have some of the occasions of the prosperity of early Terre Haute.
This last scene of droves of hogs spoken of was common, and yet it was not a common scene. The unthinking surg- ing mass were driven, they knew not where, but the drovers knew, and took every precaution to carry out their purpose.
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The headsman, either on horseback, or on foot, led the way scattering corn, thus enticing the hogs to follow ; at the same time uttering a country call that the pigs understood, but a pencil cannot express in letters. Men were stationed on either side at the crossings of the streets, and alley-ways, to prevent the wayward from escaping. Then came the reg- ular drovers with sticks urging the mass forward. Still be- hind these, were two or more men, each having in charge a very fat porker, who notwithstanding the most patient urging, could not keep up with his fellows; and would sooner or later find a place in one of the wagons in the rear, provided for such tired out stragglers. There may be more excitement in witnessing the cowboys herding their cattle on our Western prairies, and more sympathy evoked in watching the California sheep herders driving their im- mense flocks across the country, but for downright business and scenic effect, our village street scene had its distinctive characteristic and local interest.
The prosperity of Terre Haute as a village, and for many years after it grew to be a city, was phenomenal; and was largely due to the pork trade. It is said for a time we were in danger of losing our beautiful and appropriate name, Prairie City ; and ever afterwards to be ridiculed under the name of Hogopolis. But the decline of the pork traffic, saved us from this ignominy. While railroads are chargeable with the destruction of our river trade, yet the era of railroads brought other elements of prosperity that com- pensated a thousand fold for our seeming loss.
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CHAPTER XXV
TRADES AND TRADESMEN
LAWYERS, merchants, doctors and preachers, are essen- tial personages in the make-up of a prosperous village, but they need to be preceded, or at least attended, by carpen- ters, masons, blacksmiths, shoemakers and all manufactur- ers, who make things with their own hands. Skilled work- men cannot be dispensed with in the building up of a village.
It is noticeable in the history of a village, that whatever there is of gradual growth, the blacksmith's shop comes first. It is the center of industry and life. So the blacksmith by common consent is the important man of the village. Clad in heavy leathern apron, with brown arms bared to the elbows, sturdy and strong, he is always a picturesque personage. Especially is this true when with his great tongs he snatches the burning iron from the forge, and places it on the anvil, where now with heavy and now with light blows, he fashions it at his will.
The man of to-day may congratulate himself, if in his boy- hood, he was familiar with the night scenes at the village blacksmith's shop. There was the lurid glare, the shower of sparks, the sound of the anvil, which combined made a lasting impression upon the imagination. There was action, harmony, and a veritable chorus, when the attendant with sledge in hand dealt alternate strokes in perfect time, now heavy, now light, and now desisting; all under the magic leadership of the village smith. The music always the same, but never twice alike by reason of the abounding variety. Old as the most ancient forge and new as the modern smithy, it had in it more of nature than of art. This scene appealed to the genius of a Verdi, who by a some-
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what successful imitation, has given to us his interpretation of what he rightly calls : " The Anvil Chorus."
Our village possessed not a few of these smiters, or rather smoothers of iron, as the original word means. They were skilled workers, making with their own hands the horseshoe, the plowshare ; also bolts, bands, chains, rings, hooks, plates, and skeins, in a word all irons needful for a well finished wagon ; besides any useful article in iron or steel could be manufactured to order by this ingenious smith. Among the many who had shops in the village I will mention only one. The name of William Mars will be readily recalled by our oldest citizens. He would hardly answer to the portraiture as drawn by our poet Longfellow ; and yet he was a verita- ble Village blacksmith. He was one of the first settlers in the village. His log shop was the first of its kind in the town. It was built on the northeast corner of First and Poplar streets. Mr. Mars was short, heavy set, brusk, honest and capable. In later life he always carried a walking stick, an emblem of authority, as he was elected to the office of mar- shal when the town was first incorporated in 1832. It is re- corded that " Uncle Billy had a great contempt for writs, summonses and mayor's courts, and did the whole of that kind of business himself. He fined the man wherever he found him; and what was remarkable, there never was an appeal taken from his judgment."
The wagon maker, as well as the blacksmith, was literally a manufacturer. The wheels and gearings of a wagon throughout, he fashioned by hand from the raw material. It was a trade to which the candidate had to serve a regular apprenticeship, beside having a natural tact in that direction. To put up a wagon constructed in every part by hand, whose wheels should have the right dish, and should play easily on the arms of the axles, under the heaviest loads, required knowledge and skill. This also may be said of the carpenter. He must make his own doors, sash, blinds, and mantels. True the rude cabin required no skill in the builder ; but soon better houses were called for; and some of the oldest resi-
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dences still standing in our city will show the skilled work of the village carpenter. The palatial residence, as it was called at the time of its construction, built by Mr. David Linton, is a good example. As to the names of some of our earliest carpenters the public records of 1818 show that " Elisha Hovey, and John Bronklebank were allowed $300.00 part payment for building the Court House." The Court House, however, was of brick, and there were residences as well as business blocks of the same material soon to follow ; and from whence were the brick to come? The answer is at hand; as it is a well authenticated fact, that in an early day the Ross Brothers made the brick of the town. There were six of these brothers, who entered at once upon the manufac- ture of brick. They continued together in the business for some twenty years, when the partnership was dissolved, and part of them engaged in merchandizing. The family came from the State of New York. They were of Scotch descent, and of Presbyterian birth. They came to Terre Haute in 1824, when there were about forty or fifty houses in the place.
In early days the brick yard was a place of activity and en- terprise as well as of curiosity to the small boy. The process of brick making was comparatively primitive and for that reason more interesting. The work of tramping the clay by horses in the long pits; the moulding in the well soaked and sanded boxes, which were divided into six sections corresponding to the size of the brick intended ; the carrying off and depositing the contents of these boxes on the sanded yard, to be dried in the sun ; the careful placing the now sun- dried brick in the kiln for burning; and the opening up of these kilns after fifteen or twenty days, and loading the brick into wagons for delivery in the town; constituted a unique scene of early enterprise and industry. For the above particulars I am indebted to my friend, Mr. John Ross, a veteran brickmaker of our city.
There was a very early call for brick masons in the village, as the Court House was begun in 1818. From the old records
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we learn that on " May 13, 1818, William Durham was al- lowed $400.00 in part payment for building the walls of the Court House." The building was not completed till 1822. In 1827, Lucius H. Scott erected the first brick building in Terre Haute.
Perhaps in the early settlement of our town no State con- tributed to the list of our tradesmen so liberally, as the little State of New Jersey. This was true, in almost every line of industry ; and especially in brick laying, and plastering. There are several names deserving of mention, and all hailing from New Jersey; but perhaps Mr. Zenas Smithi was the earliest on the ground. He was born in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1796. He came to Terre Haute in the spring of 1831. He died at the advanced age of eighty-one years. It has been well said of Mr. Smith that " his reputation for honesty and integrity was unquestioned." He was a man of positive convictions, and bore the stigma of being a cold water man. But to his credit be it said, not a few of his workmen bore testimony of his helpfulness in this regard.
Like every cunning artificer in iron, wood, or clay the mill- wright was a necessity in the very beginning of the building of the village. Before his coming the corn and wheat were pounded in mortars, or taken to some distant mill to be ground. Sometimes the millwright was called a wheel- wright, for while the ordinary carpenter could construct the building for the mill, there must needs be the skill of the wheelwright, to make and put in machinery. The man and his wooden wheels are things of the past; but in those days they were an absolute necessity. The word wheelwright is quite obsolete. It once meant a wagon maker or any worker in wood, who manufactured wheels ; but in pioneer days, it was limited to the building of mills. And now though su- perseded by the machinist, this primitive man as a promoter of power once had his place. There were millwrights and mill builders, but among the very earliest was Mr. Joshua Olds, who came in 1816. He was a native of Massachusetts. but came with his family from the State of New York. He
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built the first mill in this region known as Markle's mill, on Otter creek; also the Rose mill at Roseville. The Olds's family did not reside in the limits of the village, yet his skill and work were of the utmost importance to the well being of the town and country. He died at Montezuma in 1848.
The shoemaker's shop, though small, with its little tin sign, was a representative of one of the chief industries of the town. But before the shoemaker there must be the leather maker, that is the tanner. Hides and pelts abound in the greatest variety ; and the oak trees in our forests, with their thick bark stood ready to furnish the required tannin. In a word the raw materials awaited the coming of the man, who should possess the requisite knowledge and skill to produce soft and pliable leather. As I remember there were two tan yards in the village, in an early day, one of which was in the north, and the other in the south part of the town, owned re- spectively by Mr. Hussey and Mr. McMurrain.
Among our first shoemakers, there were doubtless cobblers, who were adapted to the task of making and repairing the coarse stogy boot ; so there were skillful craftsmen, who could make the delicate slipper, and a boot of the latest style. His shop was small, but it stood as a representative of one of the leading industries of the town. Early and late he sat on his bench plying his waxed ends with their bristle tips ; or rapidly driving the little shoe peg home by a single stroke. Wedded to his trade, happy and contented with his work, respected by his neighbors, he was a useful man in society, and his lot was an enviable one. I remember one such man at least, and his name was Thomas Desart. He came from the State of New Jersey ; and was among our oldest citizens. He was one of the first deacons in the Congregational Church. He lived to the advanced age of seventy-six years; and was always held in the highest esteem by his friends for integrity of character. Mr. Desart died at Brazil, Indiana, in 1875, having removed thither a few years before his death.
One of the most enterprising and noisy trades in the village was the coopering business. For large shop room, piles of
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staves, and hoop poles, great heaps of shavings, and day and night poundings, the coopershop could scarcely be excelled. If the workman is known by his chips, then the cooper was a grand worker, for the heaps of shavings, especially when fired at night, bore unexampled testimony. The enterprising pork trade, and, shall I add, whisky trade also, created large demands for oaken kegs and barrels of the best workmanship. Jabez Casto was one among our village coopers. He was a tall, well proportioned, broad shouldered man, with an un- sullied reputation for honest and upright dealing. He came from Pennsylvania by the way of Ohio to this country in 1829. He was of Scotch-Irish descent. After 1852 he en- gaged in the farming and milling business. " He died here in 1879."
The butcher's trade was early represented in our town. Doubtless at first the butcher peddled his wares ; but a mar- ket house was among our first public buildings. The build- ing was located at the intersection of Ohio and Market streets. Each butcher in clean white apron had his stall, with its long bench for a counter, and a big round block for cutting and chopping his meat. On market mornings the interior of the building and especially the stalls were well lighted with great lamps with their reflectors. Market mornings came three times a week; and began even before the break- ing of the day ; so that the villager with his market basket on his arm, could be seen winding his way in the early gray of the morning to the town market, where the best cut was served to the first comer. Farmers improved these market days by being present with vegetables and fruits. Before returning home therefore each villager had his basket well stored with provisions as fresh as the crisp air of the early morning.
I will mention but one other leading industry of the town which is that of the hat maker. It must have been a prom- ising business, as several hat shops were opened very early in the history of the town. Robert S. McCabe was a promi- nent hatter ; so was Robert Brasher. As head gear, a hat
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once out of style, is simply comic. Whether the crown is high or low, the brim broad or narrow; or whether the hat is of the stove pipe, or slouch variety; the effect is the same. The thing is sufferable only on the ground that it is fashiona- ble, or at least not altogether out of style. A copy of the Western Register, dated 1835, lies before me, with a hatter's illustrated advertisement. The hat of that day as here rep- resented, is bell shaped as to the crown; and broad as to the brim. Another picture of a hat worn a few years later, shows an extra tall small crown, straight as a stove pipe, with a very narrow brim. But suffer an excerpt from a descrip- tion written by one who had been in these shops, and was ac- quainted with the proprietors. With this I close this chap- ter. From the style, the author will be recognized as Capt. Earle. "Mr. Robert Brasher was a hatter by trade, and was one of those good, pious quiet Christians inside and out, that we read of, but seldom see. He was a tall, spare man, and the veins on the back of his hands were very large. He made excellent hats with three trifling faults, viz. : uncouth in shape, too soft in body, and altogether too durable. I used to delight in the snap, snap, snapping, and in the twang, twang, twanging, of that long bow of his, as he beat up his fur."
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CHAPTER XXVI
MONEY, BANKS AND BANKERS
BY money we understand legally authorized coin, or paper, to be used as a medium of exchange. In general it may mean any article adopted by legal authority, as a convenient substitute for coin or bank notes. It is said before the Revo- lutionary war, in Virginia, and in Maryland, tobacco was used as such a substitute. Salaries of public officers, and taxes also were made payable in tobacco. Without any legal authority, but by mutual consent, coon, muskrat, and other fur skins ; also corn, wheat flour, whiskey, tallow, and other like articles were taken in payment of debts, and used in the absence of coin or bank notes. By way of confirmation, and as a matter of curiosity, I insert the following notice from the Western Register, dated February 18th, 1830, it is signed by the editor, and by way of emphasis he does not spare capi- tals. It reads : "Good Flour, Whiskey, Corn, Wheat, Tallow, Beeswax, Clean Linen and Cotton Rags will be received for debts due this office, until the first day of April. After that cash will be expected from all whom subscriptions com- menced with, or before the first No. of the Sixth Vol. of the Register." In the same issue, salt is advertised for sale at cash prices, for which pork and whiskey will be accepted in exchange. Again a dry goods merchant says: for all debts due him, he will accept in payment deer skins, feathers, tal- low, besides other such like articles. In small traffic this mode of exchange as mutually convenient could be managed, but for larger transactions money was a matter of necessity. We are not surprised therefore to learn, that while as yet Indiana was a territory, there was a loud demand for the organization of banks.
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Brief mention only can be made here of the first banks es- tablished. The story is a sad one and constitutes a long chapter in the early struggles of our State. It would seen that mismanagement and abuse, financial folly and madness, unlimited inflation, and reckless speculation joined hands, and each strengthened the hands of the other. It was busi- ness for the banks to print, sign, and loan their notes. It was business for the speculator to borrow and invest his money in enterprises great and small. The risk of going beyond one's depth, and the certainty of a day of reckoning, did not seemingly enter into the mind of either the one or the other.
The beginning of this condition of affairs was in 1817, when in accordance with the act of the First Constitutional Convention, the bank of Vincennes was adopted by the leg- islature of Indiana as a State bank. Several branches were also established. It was not long however before serious charges of fraud and mismanagement were brought, and the result was that the notes of the State bank and its branches, " except those of the Bank of Madison became wholly worthless." On account of these financial troubles as well as others, the years 1821, 1822 and 1823 are pointed out as bad years for Indiana.
The State however weathered the storm, and in 1832, by reason of internal improvements and the flow of population, bright prospects were opened up for the immediate future. Consequently there was a pressing demand for a legal cur- rency which was possible only through the organization of a State bank. In 1834 therefore the legislature chartered the State Bank of Indiana. The charter was to run twenty-five years. Branches of the Bank were established and " were to be mutually responsible for the redemption of all bills issued ; but each bank was to have its own profits." Among other wise provisions of the charter, " the bank was not at any time to suspend specie payment." Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the prime movers of this charter, neither upon the State bank officials for their carefulness and financial ability in the management of the affairs of the Bank.
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By such management the Bank became a blessing and an honor to Indiana, giving her a reputation throughout the country and even abroad ; as it is stated that Indiana bonds at this time sold at a premium in London. It is a familiar fact and one that should be generally known that " no bank in the country was ever more carefully conducted or more uniformly successful in its operations than the State Bank of
OLD STATE BANK, 1834
Indiana." I quote this the more readily, as it literally applies to the standing, conduct and management of our own Terre Haute Branch Bank.
In 1834 the Terre Haute Branch Bank was organized with the following directors: Demas Deming, Chauncey Rose,
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Curtis Gilbert, J. Sunderland, J. D. Early, James B. McCall, David Linton, and Samuel Crawford. Demas Deming was chosen president, and James Farrington cashier. In due time the bank was comfortably ensconced in a stately building erected for its accommodation on the south side of Ohio, be- tween Second and Third streets. Its tall massive columns supporting a plain entablature, made an imposing front porch, which at that early day gave to the building quite an architectural appearance. Mr. Edwin J. Peck, who was after- wards president of what is now the Vandalia R. R., superin- tended the construction of the building, as he did also the bank buildings at Madison, Lafayette and South Bend.
It was a period of almost unexampled prosperity through- out the whole country. There was no end to the building of railroads, canals, plank roads ; but by a gross perversion this prosperity stimulated reckless speculation. Eastern banks were soon in the throes of convulsions, and closed their doors. As banks could not meet their financial obligations, neither could business firms, nor individuals. This was the crash of 1837 that wrought wreck and ruin throughout the land. Though on a firm and safe basis the State bank and our Branch bank suspended for over a year, and then re- sumed specie payment. To the honor of the management, when our Branch bank wound up its business, it met every demand by paying dollar for dollar. The same was true of the Mother bank; and yet the storm continued. The State could not borrow money to meet its obligations. In 1839, the legislature in seeking temporary relief authorized the issue of State scrip. This made bad worse. These were days of Red-dog, Blue-pup, Wild cat and Shin plaster currency. Notwithstanding the fearful mixing of politics and finances, and the chartering of a new bank, to be called the Bank of the State, all of which in the eyes of many, threatened the absolute ruin of the commonwealth; yet through the level heads of a few financiers, the newly organized bank under the special control of Hon. Hugh McCulloch " entered upon a career of high honor."
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As a matter of personal gratification I would gladly speak at length of some of the men, who have nobly sustained the solid reputation of our city banks, but our limit forbids. I refer to such life long Terre Haute bankers as Mr. Preston Hussey, whose career began very early in the Old State bank, and who occupies to-day a position held for years, as presi- dent of the Terre Haute National State Bank; Mr. W. R. McKeen, who also began his career in the Old State bank, and after some years organized what has been known since 1855, as the McKeen Bros. Bank; and Demas Deming, whose father was the first president of the Old State bank, and from whom he inherited the taste and gift for banking business, has been a bank president from almost his youth up, and enjoys a well earned reputation as an able financier.
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