USA > Indiana > Grant County > Fairmount > The making of a township, being an account of the early settlement and subsequent development of Fairmount Township, Grant County, Indiana, 1829 to 1917, based upon data secured by personal interviews, from numerous communications > Part 5
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"When the man that was on the lookout saw a deer, he would simply point towards it and the man who was working the canoe shaped its course accordingly, carefully avoiding noise, till the craft approached to within easy shooting distance before the old musket was turned loose.
"An old army musket was the style of gun used in this manner of hunting. They were wont to have the gun well charged with buckshot, as it was a random shot, not being able to see any sights. I remember to have seen one of these night expeditions on its return. in charge of Thomas Branson and Reuben Overman, with the canoe fairly loaded down with deer, lying on their backs with their legs up.
"It was claimed that the hotter the weather and the worse the flies the more the deer would be found in the river at night."
The coming of the pioneer for permanent settlement created the necessity for homes. The dwelling places took the form of log cabins. There could be no homes without shelter. As the cabins multiplied in number and the work of clearing the forest progressed, timber began to disappear.
Log rollings and house raisings were of frequent occurrence. Neigh- bors were, indeed, neighborly. Co-operation in the building of homes was the rule. The spirit of mutual helpfulness extended to quilting bees, corn huskings, spinning and weaving.
The main diversion for the boys was town ball and bull pen. while jumping the rope, hide and seek, and "William-a-trim-a-toc" were a few of the games in which both boys and girls participated.
63
Clothing, Food and Shelter.
Eye witnesses have touched upon the means of obtaining clothing and food. It is now appropriate to describe the methods of our ances- tors in providing shelter and preparing food for their families. Again we rely upon authority which cannot be called into question.
The following is from the pen of Asa T. Baldwin,* residing, when these lines were written, at 2311 South Meridian Street, Marion, Indi- ana. Being one of the few men then living who learned how this was done by his own personal experience, this detailed account will be read with interest :
"The log cabin was made by cutting poles or logs 16 to 24 feet in length and notching the ends with an ax by men selected to carry up the four corners of the building, so that they would fit closely together and make a solid wall not easily thrown down. The open spaces between the logs were chinked with wood and daubed with mud or mortar to keep out the wind, rain and snow.
"The roof was covered with clapboards, or strakes, as the Yankees call them. These were split three or four feet long with a frow, and put on as evenly as possible, lapping them and breaking the joints so as not to leak. They were held on by weights called ridge-poles, secured in their places by large wooden pins, as nails were too scarce and high- priced in those days for the average settler to think of affording such an expensive plan as that of nailing the boards on. The stick-and-clay chimney was built a little higher than the comb of the roof and well lined with mud from top to bottom, to prevent getting on fire. The large, open fireplaces had jambs and hearths made of clay, sprinkled with water and thoroughly pounded with a maul to make them firm and solid when dry. The cooking arrangements were nothing like they are now. Tin reflectors were sometimes used for baking and roasting. Ovens made of a clay mortar were common. They were built on a platform of heavy plank placed on four posts about three feet high and quite large, so that several loaves and a dozen or more pies could be baked at once. Johnny cakes were baked on smooth boards at the sides of the jambs, and venison was dried in the flue of the chimney. There were no large, convenient cook stoves and ranges with numerous ves- sels to go along with them.
"Corn bread or wheat bread was frequently baked in a skillet by placing live coals of fire under the skillet and on the lid. Pork was
* Asa T. Baldwin was a native of Fairmount Township. He was born. March 16, 1835, in a cabin which stood at the northeast corner of Mill and Jef- ferson Streets, in Fairmount. Mr. Baldwin taught several terms of school in his young manhood.
6.4
The Making of a Township.
boiled with cabbage or beans in a kettle, hung, in the absence of an iron crane, on a wooden hook over the fire. Squashes and potatoes were often roasted by covering them with hot ashes in the fireplace. As a matter of economy, pewter plates were used by the early settlers, since
ASA T. BALDWIN Who taught several terms of school in Fairmount Township from 1854 to 1864. His parents were Thomas and Lydia (Thomas) Baldwin. Thomas Baldwin entered land in Fairmount Township on October 7, 1833, less than two weeks after his marriage, at New Garden, in Wayne County, September 26. 1833. They traveled by wagon hitched to three horses. On the fourth day of their journey the wagon broke down. They had reached the Missis- sinewa River before the accident hap- pened. Next morning their goods were loaded on an Indian pirogue, which had been hired for the purpose. The boat was pushed out into the middle of the stream to float with the current. The landing was made that same evening at a point near the old McCormick Tav- ern, and thence they proceeded to their destination in the forest. Thomas Bald- win taught four terms of school near where William A. Beasley now lives. Asa Baldwin died at his home in Marion on October 13, 1913. Lydia Baldwin died May 21, 1899, at the age of eighty- four years. Thomas Baldwin died May 25, 1899, aged eighty-six. This venerable couple were buried in one grave in the I. O. O. F. Cemetery at Marion, after a double funeral, held on May 27, 1899, having lived together more than sixty-five years.
they were not easily broken. Glass tumblers were out of the question, hence gourds were in frequent demand for drinking vessels.
"Many a cabin had not a single sawed plank in it. The floors were made with heavy puncheons, split out of logs and hewed as smoothly as possible with a broad-axe, and the loft was floored with boards similar to those on the roof. The joists were the straightest poles that could be found in the forest, and sometimes the bark was peeled off so as to make them have a clean, beautiful appearance.
"The doors were hung on wooden hinges, and, when closed, were fastened by a simple latch, which could be lifted by a string from the outside, so a neighbor could open the door on hearing the welcome 'Come in!' At night the door could be locked, if desired, by pulling the string through on the inside.
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Clothing, Food and Shelter. 65
"Sometimes double cabins were constructed so as to have two rooms and a sort of open porch between them, but generally there was at first only one room, which served for many purposes. It was not an uncom- mon thing for a room of this kind to be occupied by a man and his wife, with eight or ten children, and sometimes nineteen, and they seemed to be perfectly happy."
Such were the camps that were built in the forest, and that served as shelter to the newcomers until such time as materials could be pro- cured and leisure found to build better houses. No doubt the convic- tion, springing from a lively faith and hope that these cabins were only camps that soon would give place to better comfort, helped to give the dash of frolic and romance that most unmistakably spices up the tales of pioneer days.
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CHAPTER VII.
DAVID AND NANCY LEWIS ARRIVE AT M'CORMICK'S TAVERN-SOLOMON THOMAS OPENS POSTOFFICE AT AL.
I TT WAS at the hospitable McCormick Tavern that David Lewis* and family stopped over night when they arrived in Fairmount Township, on November 18, 1834. This family came from Franklin County, Indiana. Their household goods were loaded in a two-horse wagon, drawn by a couple of bobtailed horses owned by a man named Johnson. They were seven days on the road, the same distance now being covered by automobile in as many hours. The route was by way of Connersville and Muncie.
An accident befell the Lewis family as they were traveling along on their journey between Muncie and Granville that caused a delay of one day. An axletree broke, and it was necessary to make a new one before they could proceed. The delay occurred close by the cabin of a man named Wilson. Wilson owned an old black sow. A bear had viciously attacked the hog and lacerated it, but was driven off, and the wounds were now about healed.
The next morning after their arrival at the McCormick Tavern they moved into a cabin owned by Charles Baldwin, and later went to the McCormick farm to reside.
While living there the bread stuff gave out. Lewis went to a man by the name of Griffin, who owned a mill over on the river. to buy meal. Mr. Griffin asked Lewis if he had the money to buy with. Lewis told him he had. He was then informed that he would have to go down below Lafayette to get his meal, as they had plenty to sell there for money, Mr. Griffin being unable to sell him meal on account of so many settlers in the neighborhood depending on him who had no money and would suffer for want of food if he could not supply them.
In the spring of 1837, David Lewis, Henry, Osborn, Thomas Osborn and John Weston hired a boat made of poplar logs, started from Wil- son's ford down the Mississinewa River, then on into the Wabash River, four miles below Lafayette, and bought twenty-eight bushels of meal, loaded the meal in the boat. pulled up stream, arriving home after an absence of fourteen days, during which time they endured many hardships.
* David Lewis was born in Hawkins County, Tennessee, April 28, 1804 He came with his parents to Franklin County, Indiana, and there he was mar- ried to Miss Nancy George, a first cousin to Daniel Boone.
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67
Arrival at McCormick's Tavern.
In his reminiscent moods Lewis had many thrilling stories to tell of his boyhood days. Being a cousin of Davy Crockett, one story, especially interesting to the children, was his visit with his father to the home of his uncle, John Crockett, during the absence of his cousin. Davy had run away from home to escape a whipping from his father and the schoolmaster.
WILLIAM G. LEWIS Came to Fairmount Township with his parents, David and Nancy (George) Lewis. He was born in Franklin County, Indiana, May 13, 1825. He was nine years old when he came to this Township. William G. Lewis taught eighteen terms of school, served as Justice of the Peace and was for thirty-five years a minister in the. Methodist Episcopal Church, later be- coming connected with the Methodist Protestant Church, serving for fifteen years as local minister in this denomi- nation. During his work in the min- istry Mr. Lewis performed the mar- riage ceremony for more than a thou- sand couples. In early life he was a Whig, joining the Republican party when that organization was
first formed. He was the original local advocate and agitator from a public platform of the abolition of the liquor traffic. As a young man of twenty- five, in the old Sugar Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, which stood on the land now owned by Daniel Johnson, Mr. Lewis made his first address at- tacking the liquor business. He was kind and hospitable, generous to a fault, aggressive in the right as he saw it, dealing justly by his fellow- man, living a modest life, full of use- fulness and good deeds, leaving the world better for his having lived in it. He died January 13, 1907. Funeral services were conducted in the Con gregational Church, Fairmount, the Masonic order being in charge. His remains were interred in Park Cemetery.
In the same year, and after the eventful journey, down the Wabash, Lewis went to Ft. Wayne and entered land located southeast of Fair- mount. He became a pioneer resident of that community. He and his wife were charter members of the first Methodist Episcopal Church, of Fairmount Township, Lewis being chosen class leader.
His home was one of hospitality, where many ministers found a wel- come. He was a man of medium size, and, like other pioneers of that day, a man of great endurance, plain of dress, and a Whig in politics.
68
The Making of a Township.
His children were Wesley B., William G., Mary, James W., Morgan O., Evelyn, John S. D., Sarah, Rebecca J. and Elizabeth.
During the first years of his residence in Fairmount Township, David Lewis was ever ready to assist the new comers in selecting the best piece of land and securing the same of the Government for their future home. On several occa- sions he took them into his own home until a cabin could be built on their land. Being a thorough woodsman, he assisted the survey- ors many times in establishing the lines which became some of the permanent roads of today in Fair- mount Township. His death oc- curred November 13, 1855, at the age of eighty years.
MRS. EMELINE LEWIS
Wife of William G. Lewis, and a daughter of Henry Osborn, who en- tered land southeast of Fairmount, near the Lewis home, August 27, 1833. Mrs. Lewis was born Janu- ary 12. 1835, in Fairmount Town- ship. She was the first of a family of six children, others being Louisa. Jonathan, William P., Zimri C. and Rachel Ann. Although in poor health, enfeebled by the infirmities of old age, this noble woman in the latter months of her life, was men- tally bright and alert, enjoyed com- pany when strength permitted, and eagerly related interesting stories ' and incidents about first settlers and described the trials and joys of frontier life in the wilderness.
For a few years after he set- tled here, Solomon Thomas owned what was known as the Lake Gala- tia farm. In 1835 he sold this land and entered a tract about three miles southeast of Fair- mount, the farm now owned by David L. Payne.
Here a postoffice, called AI, was established by Thomas, and he became postmaster. In that day the postage rate was twenty- five cents for a letter going out of the State and twelve and one-half cents for a letter addressed to a person within the limits of In- diana. The person receiving the letter paid the postage.
Previous to the opening of the postoffice at AI, mail was re- ceived and sent out from McCor- mick's Tavern. This was known as Greenberry Postoffice. Upon the death of McCormick and the beginning of a settlement at Jones- boro, in 1837. Greenberry Postoffice was discontinued, and moved to
69
Arrival at McCormick's Tavern.
Jonesboro. Joseph Jones, whose wife was a daughter of Robert Mc- Cormick ; John Heavilin, Robert Wilson and a man named Furry were among the postmasters who handled mail at Greenberry.
Somewhat later, and before the town of Fairmount was laid out. Grant Postoffice was established in a frame house built by William Hall, in 1856, at the southwest corner of Adams and Main Streets. Here William Hall served as the first postmaster of the town.
The first public improvement recalled by the late William G. Lewis was a horse mill, erected about the year 1840 by Solomon Thomas. This mill was headquarters for farmers who wanted their corn ground. In that day it was a stroke of enterprise which was highly commended by the pioneer and liberally patronized.
A farmer would go on horse- back to the mill with his corn, and by hitching his horse to the beam, together with Thomas's horse, the pioneer could get a grist ground out "in less than half a day." "It was a fine makeshift," com- ments Mr. Lewis in his reminis- cences, now in possession of Trustee David G. Lewis, his nephew.
The first election held in the Township was that at the McCor- mick Tavern, soon after the or- ganization of the County, in 1831. Charles Baldwin served as in- spector. Ichabod Dille was the first Justice of the Peace. Elijah Lucas served next, and after him came Solomon Parsons.
SOLOMON THOMAS
Solomon Thomas was born in South Carolina in 1796. He entered land in Fairmount Township, August 9, 1830. The accompanying picture was copied from a tintype made of Thomas during the period of his residence in Iowa. This tintype was loaned by William R. Lewis, a great-grandson. The picture shows Thomas wearing a beard. Fair- mount people remember him as a smooth-faced man.
Solomon and Anna (Morris) Thomas were parents of Mary Ann. Hannah, Edna, Sophronia, Isaac, Martha, Anna, Solomon, Jr., Nelson, John, Nathan and Rachel. "In physique," remarks a well known man
70
The Making of a Township.
JOHN SMITH
Who for many years lived on the farm south of Fairmount at present owned by his grandson, Curtis W. Smith. John Smith was the son of Judge Caleb Smith, prominent in the early days of Grant County. John and Mary Ann ( Thomas) Smith were the first young ยท couple to secure a marriage license in Grant County. The wedding occurred in 1831 at the cabin home of the bride near Lake Galatia. John Smith died September 30, 1888, aged seventy-nine years, nine months and eight days.
who was intimately acquainted with him, "Solomon Thomas was rather corpulent. He would weigh near 200 pounds, was five feet, eight or nine inches tall, with a large, well proportioned head, nearly bald, with an abundance of good, natural ability. I do not know where he grew to manhood or his facilities for an education. That he had some education I
know from the fact that he had a diversity of knowledge in general above the average pioneer. He had some knowledge of medicine and did some practice in Grant County, but when he saw there was much he did not know he gave up the practice. It could not be said of Solomon Thomas that he was not industrious and progressive, for he opened up a good farm in the wilderness and erected the first horse mill to grind corn in the Township. He loved to be in the woods with his gun, and was a good shot. He kept his large fam- ily supplied with wild meat while
MARY ANN SMITH
Daughter of Solomon Thomas and the wife of John Smith. Mrs. Smith died February 16, 1890, at her home south of Fairmount, aged seventy-six years, seven months and seventeen days.
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Arrival at McCormick's Tavern.
it was in the country. He was honest, kind, sympathetic, generous, ready to assist when called upon, and active in promoting the best inter- ests in the organization of the new country. He was religiously inclined, being a member of the United Brethren Church from choice. He was a good conversationalist and enjoyed the visits of his neigh- bors. In dress, he was very plain, wearing home-made, brown jeans blouse and pants, with knit cap of same color while it was customary for the women to spin and weave and make the cloth for home con- sumption. He was a man without pride or ostentation. He was tem- perate in his habits, detesting profanity, but always used home-grown tobacco. He was classed among the good citizens of the country." He served as County Commissioner at one time from the First Dis- trict. He died in Fairmount at the age of seventy-seven years and was buried at Back Creek Graveyard.
apood
THE OLD POSTOFFICE AT Al
Above is a picture of the cabin owned and occupied by Solomon Thomas and family at the time mail was received and distributed by Thomas while serving as postmaster in the early part of the '40's. The cabin, no longer in existence. was located on the farm now owned by David L. Payne, who lives about three miles southeast of Fairmount. At this cabin Samuel C. Wilson, when a boy, got mail for his father. John Wilson, and other members of his father's family and for other neighbors. Wilson formerly received mail at Summit, but when the postoffice at AI was opened the Wilson family found it more convenient to go to the Thomas cabin for their letters. Not a great distance from AI, Thomas built a horse mill, and a little farther away, some years later, the United Breth- ren denomination built old Union Church and laid out a graveyard.
CHAPTER VIII.
BUILDING ROADS AND CONSTRUCTING DRAINAGE.
T HE ROADS were the most serious handicap to the early settlers in getting their surplus grain to market," remarks T. B. McDonald. "Some time in the early '50's the Wabash & Erie Canal was constructed. This canal followed the course of the Wabash River for many miles. At this time the settlers along Back Creek had succeeded in clearing considerable land, and raised grain in excess of their needs. This they would haul in wagons to some point on the canal, usually Wabash town or Lagro, where a market could be found. This was the begin- ning of better times ; but the wagon-road problem continued to be fore- most, as only a short time in the year was it possible to haul any kind of a load.
"It was then that a few public-spirited men conceived the idea of building a plank road from Jonesboro to Wabash town by the way of Marion and Jalapa. This road was constructed by first leveling the roadway, then placing heavy oak planks two or three inches thick and fourteen feet long, which were laid across the road. This was a great improvement and worked fine when the road was new, but it was not long till it was found that this kind of road was not practical, as the boards could not be fastened in place. The effect of the sun would cause the boards to warp and get out of place. Hauling of heavy loads would occasionally break a plank or drag many planks out of place. The toll collected would not keep up the road repairs, say nothing of paying a dividend to the owners of the road. It was over this road that the farmers of Fairmount Township hauled their grain to market.
"No doubt the good old farmers along Back Creek saw where their neighbors failed. for they at once commenced to build a gravel road from Jonesboro to the Madison County line. This road is good to this day. It was practical, as time has shown. The plank road was replaced by the gravel road. So it was that the Back Creek farmer had a good road to market until the railroads came and brought the market to his very door.
"We have told how the farmers got their grain to market. Now we will tell how the hogs were disposed of. In those days the hog was a sturdy animal, capable of going a long distance, as we have previously stated. They were fattened on mast in the fall of the year and finished
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Building Roads.
on corn. Hogs were marketed once a year, as a rule. I doubt there being a public scale in Grant County as late as 1854. Buyers went to the farmers and bought their hogs by the head. A time and a place were set for the same. After all the hogs had been delivered at the agreed point, then they were driven to the nearest shipping point. Some- times there would be as many as five hundred hogs in a drove. It is my impression that Cincinnati was the market up to 1856, when Ander- son became the market. It was no little task to drive so many hogs thirty miles. The weaker ones gave out and were hauled in the wagons that always followed the drove."
As the forest was cleared and acreage for crop purposes enlarged, the efforts of early settlers were quickened, and the making of farms progressed rapidly. As the yield of farm products increased from year to year, pioneers began to think about better facilities for reaching the markets with their surplus grain and live stock.
The first important step taken after corduroy roads had outlived their usefulness was the formation of an organization for the purpose of building a gravel road extending from Jonesboro to the Madison County line, to connect the settlement with markets at Wabash and Lagro. The Jonesboro & Fairmount Turnpike Company was the out- growth of a strong sentiment, then practically unanimous, for improve- ments in this direction.
The old records of this company show that the shares were sold at twenty-five dollars each. The first officers of the new organization were Henry Winslow, President, and Thomas Baldwin, Secretary. Certificate No. I was issued on December 21, 1860, to Solomon T. Dailey, who bought two shares of stock.
Other shares were taken as follows :
Shares Shares
Ahira Baldwin
4 Seth Winslow 2
Santford Baldwin 2 Exii Morris 2
Thomas Baldwin 6 Nathan Morris 6
Thomas Winslow
2 Thomas W. Newby 4
John Winslow
2 Isaiah Pemberton 3
William R. Pierce 12 Daniel Winslow 6
Micajah B. Winslow 4 E. M. Tracy I
Nathan Hill
2 Thomas Harvey 2
Benoni Hill
6 Henry Winslow 1
Aaron Hill S Jesse Dillon IO
Joseph W. Hill
4 Noah Harris 8
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The Making of a Township.
Shares
Shares
Thomas Knight 2
Josiah Bradway 3
Joseph Knight 4
James Lytle 4
John Russell 6
Nathan D. Wilson 4
Allen Winslow
2
Jonathan P. Winslow 4
Micajah Wilson 2
Elizabeth Rush
I
Harvey & Wilson 12
James R. Smith
I
David Smithson 4
Samuel H. Pierce
I
William Cox I
Noah Brooks
I
Jesse E. Wilson
0
Jesse Reece
I
John T. Morris
I
Carter Hasting 4
Margaret Puckett IO
William R. Wright 2
Morris Payne
1
Samuel Dillon II
G. H. Puckett
2
Henry Harvey 4
Eli Neal
I
Micah Baldwin 4
Lindsey Wilson 2
William Hall
I
Evan Benbow 4
Samuel Jay
I
Henry Wilson
1
Abraham Music I
Samuel C. Wilson 1
David Jones
1
Barkley Hockett
William Macy 6
Henry Winslow, Jr. 1/5
Jacob Becht
2
Francis Lytle
4 Thomas Knight
2
David Stanfield 1 David Winslow 4
Eli and Adeline Haisley .32
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