History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 46

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680

USA > Ohio > History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II > Part 46

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If any of the earliest preachers succeeded in organizing a permanent society, the fact does not appear at present.

THE DISCIPLE CHURCH.

Jacob and John Wright were also among the first ministers of the Gospel through this part of the county, and left permanent foot-prints behind them by organizing a church, which has at least a nominal existence to-day. The Wrights were known in those days as "Campbellites." They lived in Washington county, and came through here preaching, generally in the cabins of the settlers, as early as 1825. They established the church at Mooresville, and probably exerted the strongest influence in the establishment of the Disciple church in this township, which is located at present on section sixty-three.

The first regular preacher to this society, how- ever, and one who did more, perhaps, than any other person to infuse life into the infant society, was Absalom Little, one of the first settlers of Clarke county. He was a man of fair ability, it is said, and drew large crowds to his preaching during the summer, when he was in the habit of preaching in the woods near the old Very mill, on Slate run.

The church was organized about 1832, but has had a hard struggle for existence, and may be said to be practically dead at present. Among its earliest converts were Mr. Mulliken, Thomas Hutchison, William Stites, and others of the neighborhood. The building of the church edi- fice, a frame building, was coeval with the or- ganization of the society, and was largely ac- complished by voluntary labor, with the help of about $500 in cash, raised in exceedingly small amounts among the settlers. The society has apparently perished several times, and has gener- ally led a sickly existence. A Sabbath-school has been held here at various times, but had also a fickle existence. They have had no preaching in the church for several years, except occasional- ly. The Rev. Dr. Fields, of Jeffersonville, was the last regular minister. The church has a lone, deserted appearance, answering only the purpose of a monument to the inconstancy and fickleness of humanity.

THE METHODIST CHURCH.

One of the earliest churches in this part of the township was the old Methodist Episcopal church, known as "Jacobs chapel," from its chief promoter, Nelson Jacobs, long since dead. There were living in this neighborhood (now sec-

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tion eighty-six) at that time Nelson Jacobs, two brothers named Leech-Bowman and Joshua -- James Walker, the Youngs, Joseph Ashabraner, John Smith, and perhaps some others, who de- termined to unite their capital and labor, and build up a church. Joshua Leech is yet living, a very old man; all the others are dead. His brother Bowman gave the ground upon which the church edifice was erected about 1840. The old building, a frame, is yet standing.

Rev. Messrs. Snyder, Kinnear, and .Sinex were among the early ministers here. They first or- ganized in a school-house about 1835, where services were continued some years. The church flourished more than a generation, and probably exerted considerable influence in shaping the. character of the people of the neighborhood; but finally, like its neighbor, the Disciple church, broke down, and no regular preaching is now maintained. The Sunday-school, however, which was organized here soon after the church was erected, yet has a healthy existence, the membership at present being sixty or more.

THE PRESBYTERIANS

early succeeded in organizing a church in the northern part of the township, and have main- tained it to the present time. It was first brought into existence, probably, through the zeal and ministerial labors of the Rev. Mr. Snead, a gen- tleman whose name will be found connected with the early Presbyterian organizations of New Al- bany. The Mount Tabor Presbyterian church was organized by Mr. Snead about 1830, and the church edifice erected, on what is now section sixty-two, a year or so later.

The place was at that time surrounded by a dense forest. A few Presbyterian families had moved into this neighborhood; among them the Hands were prominent and were among the founders of this church. Lewis Mann, Jacob and Thomas Hand, and Jacob Straw and their families, with a few others, constituted the first membership of this church. It has had a con- tinued existence, with very little interruption, for more than half a century, and now numbers about `twenty members. A Sunday-school has been maintained almost uninterruptedly during the summer months from the organization of the church to the present time.

THE UNITED BRETHREN.

Probably the last church organized in the township is known as "Friendship," a United Brethren church, which stands on section eleven, in the northern part of the township. Quite a number of people of this faith were scattered through the northern part of the township and in Lafayette township adjoining on the west; and among them was a local preacher, Mr. Abraham A-habraner, who was the principal promoter and organizer of the church. The first organization was effected in 1870, in a school-house near the present church edifice; and the building was erected two or three years later, at a cost of $500, exclusive of the voluntary labor bestowed upon it by the members. The ground was donated by Mr. John Smith, one of the prominent mem- bers. Joseph Smith, a brother of John, Mr. John Waite, with their families and many others, were members of the first organization.

The Rev. Henry Jackson, from Jackson county, was the first regular preacher. Jacob White was also among the first who ministered to the church. Mr. Ashabraner preaches fre- quently, in the absence of the regular pastor. The church building is beautifully located on a rise of ground, in the midst of a fine grove of young oaks near the railroad, and with the pic- turesque Silver hills immediately in its rear as a back-ground.

The corner-stone of this denomination seems to be, in this county at least, the suppression of secret societies. It wages a ceaseless war upon Masons, Odd Fellows, and kindred societies.

THE M'KINDRY CHAPEL.

In the southern part of the township there is but one church outside the city of New Albany; this is the Methodist Episcopal church, known as McKindry chapel, located two miles south of the city, on the river road. Religious matters received considerable attention in this neighbor- hood from a very early date. From the time of the advent of the Oatmans, Nances, Sniders, and other settlers, some kind of religious worship has been conducted in the neighborhood; at first in the cabins of these settlers, afterwards in the old log school-house, and then in the church. Sev- eral religious societies flourished in the neighbor- hood at an early day, but went down in the pro- gress of time, except the Methodists, who, though

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

failing occasionally, have regained their foothold, and now own and occupy the only church build- ing in the neighborhood.

The first church building erected was of logs, and being put up by the voluntary labor of all the citizens of the neighborhood without regard to creed, it was known as the Union church, and was used as occasion required by all denomina- tions-at first, however, mostly by the Baptists and New Lights.

There were for a long time two Baptist socie- ties in the neighborhood, differing somewhat in matters of minor importance, and holding meet- ings at different times in the old church. These two societies finally ceased to exist; but the Meth- odists held their organization intact, and erected the present church building just prior to the war on the site of the old log structure. A colored man named Wilson, one of the early settlers in the neighborhood, was one of the first members of this church, and made a gift of the land upon which the old building stood. Samuel Angel was also among the prominent early members.

This church is well sustained at the present time, the membership being about fifty. A Sun- day-school has been maintained here since the early days of the church, and still continues in a flourishing condition.

VALEDICTORY.

Much that is interesting regarding the early set- tlement and other matters connected with the growth and development of this township, will be found in the chapter on the city of New Albany.

CHAPTER XIV. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

ORGANIZATION.

At the first meeting of the county commission- ers, February 8, 1819, that body divided the county into townships, and after designating the boundaries of New Albany and Greenville town- ships, the record reads as follows:

Ordered, That the residue or remainder of said county, which has not been heretofore laid off, form one other town- ship, to be known and designated as Franklin township; and that the elections for sald township be and the same are here-

by ordered to be held at the house of Mr. John Bowman, in ' said township.

The territory embraced in this township, and also that in Greenville township, prior to the formation of this county, had belonged to Harri- son county, the east line of the latter county then extending along the knobs, beginning at the mouth of Falling run. That part of Floyd county west of the knobs was divided into two townships, Greenville and Franklin.

At a special meeting of the commissioners, held April 19, 1819, the boundaries of this town- ship were changed somewhat, and were more specially defined as follows:

Ordered, that all that part of Floyd county beginning on the line which divides the counties of Harrison and Floyd, at 'the corners of sections numbered fifteen, sixteen, twenty-one, and twenty two, in township No. 2, south of range No. 5 east, thence east with the sectional line to the corners of sec- tions numbered seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, and twenty, in township No. 2, south of range No. 6 east; thence south with the sectional line to the corners of sections numbered twenty- nine, thirty, thirty-one, and thirty-two, in township No. 2, south of range No. 6 east; thence with the sectional line to the corners of sections numbered twenty-nine, thirty, thirty- one, and thirty-two, in Town 2, Range 6 east; thence east to the Ohio river; thence with the meanders of said river to the line which divides the counties of Harrison and Floyd, thence with said line to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby made one township, to be known and designated by the name of Franklin township.

And it is further ordered, that the bounds of the township called Franklin township, which was made an order at the session in February last, be and the same is hereby made void and of no effect.

The next month, at the regular meeting (May 17, 1819), the following appears on the rec- ord :

Ordered, That fractional sections number twenty-eight · and twenty-nine, in township No. 3 south of range num- ber Six east, now in New Albany township, be attached to Franklin township.

At the May session of the commissioners, in 1821, it was further

Ordered, That the west half of section five, of township No. 3 (New Albany township), south of range Six east, be and the same is hereby attached to Franklin township.

At the same session it was still further

Ordered, That the north half of section twenty-two, town- ship No. 2 (Franklin), south of range Five east, and the northwest quarter of section twenty-three, in said town, be taken from Franklin township and attached to Greenville township.

Other but unimportant changes in the boun- dary lines of this township occurred from time to time until 1837, when Georgetown township was created from its northern part, thus reducing it to its present dimensions,

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

TOPOGRAPHY.

This township forms the southern part of the county, and touches the Ohio river below New Albany township. The surface is generally broken and hilly, in places the hills assuming the altitude of small mountains; it is therefore not good farming land, except along the Ohio river and the narrow bottoms of Knob creek, where may be found some of the finest farming tracts in the county, or even in the State. These valleys are, however, comparatively narrow, that along the Ohio being from half a mile to a mile wide, though opening out in places and extend- ing back among the knobs for a mile and a half or more, while the valley of Knob creek is very narrow and enclosed by lofty, precipitous hills. Six miles' front of the township is washed by the waters of the Ohio; and here gardening and farming are carried on extensively and success- fully. This beautiful bottom is enclosed by the knobs on the northeast and the river on the southwest, the former extending in all their wild and rugged beauty from northeast to southwest across the township. Nature seems to have taken special delight here in presenting to the astonished gaze her most rugged aspects. But these hills do not appear as one continuous chain, as they do further north, along the borders of New Albany township; but are much broken by little streams that find their way into the Ohio, and by deep, dark gorges and canyons, making them appear sometimes in groups. It is

Where the hills huddle up in disorder, Like a fold in mortal fear,

And the mountains are out at the elbow. .

Some of these groups or hills have received distinct names, such as "Rock House hill," "Sampson's hill," " Blunk knob," etc.

When the first settler crossed the Ohio and landed in this township, he found along the river bank a dense jungle, such as might be met with in the wilds of Africa. Along the immedi- ate bank of the river was a heavy growth of canebrake that could only be penetrated with difficulty, and in the rear of this a rank growth of the heaviest of timber-all hard wood of many varieties, though sycamore, the different varieties of ash, black walnut, and sugar-tree probably predominated. The undergrowth was so dense as to be almost impenetrable to man until the axe was brought into requisition. Great

tree-trunks which a man could not see over, were lying upon the ground, and 'smaller trees were piled promiscuously in every direction, while still smaller ones and bushes growing up among them made of this beautiful bottom one vast thicket, which was filled with wild animals and venomous reptiles. Beyond this bottom the character of the soil and timber suddenly changed ; the knobs sprang suddenly out of this level, and some of them reached away up into the clouds, as if saying to the beautiful river that once, no doubt, washed their very feet, "Thus far and no farther." These hills were then, as they are to day, covered principally with the different varieties of oak, together with much chestnut, and a few of the evergreen varieties of wood. In places the rock formation comes to the surface, and the face of the hills is rugged and bare. To the north and northwest beyond this line of hills, the country stretched away in hills and valleys, often broken and abrupt, and at other times undulating ; but the soil was thin, clayey, and not particularly desirable for agricul- tural purposes, while the timber was of smaller growth, and consisted of scrub oak and bitter hickory, with some beech, sugar and other varie- ties of hard wood.

The township is well watered by numerous run- ning streams and springs. Middle creek, coming out of New Albany township, crosses a small por- tion of this township before it reaches the Ohio. Knob creek is the principal stream in the town- ship, and has its source in a little spring that bursts from the side of the hill, so near to the little village of Edwardsville that the people there resort to it for water when their wells and cisterns fail, as was the case during the great drouth of the summer of 1881. From a little rivulet at this spring Knob creek goes along, gathering strength from the numerous springs and brooks among the hills, until it becomes a considerable stream by the time it gets through Franklin town- ship and reaches the Ohio. It tumbles down in a winding, tortuous course through a wild and rugged country, passing through the central and eastern part of the township. The hills hug it pretty closely until it nears the knobs, where there is a comparatively wide, free opening to the river. The Ohio river bottom here spreads out to its greatest width, and extends some distance up Knob creek. After passing the knobs and

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

entering the river bottom, Knob creek seems to be undecided whether to lose its identity imme- diately in the Ohio or cling to its native hills, and pursues a tortuous course in a very tantaliz- ing manner between the two until it passes be- yond the boundaries of this township into Har- rison county, where it soon joins la Belle Riviere. The hills of Knob creek form a distinct range by themselves, running directly north, and unit- ing again at Edwardsville with the main range of knobs, thus leaving a beautiful and fertile little val- ley to the east of them, and between them and the main range that follows the Ohio. This val- ley, however, is mostly in New Albany township, though extending occasionally for short distances into this township. Beyond the range of hills that bound Knob creek on the west there is a ridge extending parallel with these hills, beyond which the waters fall off to the westward; and here are found the headwaters of Buck creek and some of the numerous tributaries of Indian creek that quickly pass into Harrison county.

Nearly one-half of this township yet remains in timber, and probably will so remain for many years to come as a great part of it is untillable. Much that is now in timber may, however, in the distant future be utilized for vineyards and past- urage. The whole number of acres in the town- ship is 14,469, and the products are principally the same as those of other counties in the State, viz: wheat, oats, barley, rye, corn, potatoes, and fruit of different varieties.

ARCHÆOLOGY.

No traces of the mound builders at this time appear in this township. If they ever occupied its soil, as most likely they did, temporarily at least, they disappeared without leaving behind them monuments sufficiently enduring to with- stand the ravages of time during the centuries that have intervened since their occupancy. Very few evidences of the red men also appear; but they were upon this soil, as is well remem- bered by the oldest inhabitant, and many of their implements of war and the chase, in the shape of stone-hatchets and arrow-heads have been found, and even yet the plow now and then turns up a curious stone that had long years ago been deftly fashioned by the red-handed warrior.

The Indians were known to have occupied thisterritory for hunting purposes, having tem-

porary camps along Knob creek and near the many beautiful springs that burst from the hill- sides. They came from further north, along the Wabash, where their principal villages were situ- ated, and where they engaged in raising corn; at least this was the occupation of the female por- tion and the prisoners, while the young warriors were absent hunting or marauding. They do not appear to have encamped even temporarily along the Ohio, but kept well back among the knobs. This is probably accounted for by the malarious and marshy condition of the Ohio bottoms at that time. These bottoms, however, formed an excellent retreat for 'wild game, and were no doubt much visited by the Indians while temporarily encamped on Knob creek.

No murders are known to have been com- mitted by them within the limits of this town- ship, but the earliest settlers lived in continual fear and dread of them, and some of these settlers are known to have fled to Kentucky for safety on one or two occasions when an Indian raid was feared. The raid never came, however, and the settlers lived to see their red neighbors all disappear toward the setting sun.

FIRST WHITE OCCUPATION.

The following list embraces most of the early settlers in what is now Franklin township: Robert LaFollette, Clement Nance, Thomas Gwin, Thomas Smith, Gilbert Budd, Caleb New- man, Michael Swartz, Frederick Mosar, John Merriwether, Jolın Flickner, John Welch, Cap- tain William Wright, George Lidikay, Frederick Hanger, Joseph Walden, Joseph Decker, David Gunn, John Bowman, John Snider, James Tabler, William and Jerry Clark, Joseph Blunk, William Sampson, and no doubt others whose names are not recalled.

A few of these early settlers squatted on the river bank in what is now New Albany towhship, near Oatman's ferry, but subsequently became settlers of Franklin.

The following, regarding the first settlement of this township, and also of this county, is taken from a Directory of New Albany, pub- lished by Bailey & Co. in 1868:

The first white settler in what is now Floyd county was Robert Lafollette, father of Judge D. W. Lafollette, of New Albany. Robert Lafollette was a Kentuckian, and on the 4th day of November, 1804, was married in that State. On the next day after his marriage, accompanied by his young wife, he crossed the Ohio river into the then Indiana Terri-

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

tory, and the same night pitched his camp about three-quar- ters of a mile east of the mouth of Knob creek, a location he had selected prior to his marriage.

Here he remained, living in his camp until he had chopped down the trees, cut the logs into proper lengths, cleared off a small spot of ground, and erected his humble log cabin- the first house built within the present limits of Floyd county -and then removed from this temporary tent into the cabin.

This house was built in the most primitive style. It was one story high, and contained but one room. The cracks between the logs were " chinked " with small slabs of wood split from logs, and then daubed with mortar made of clay and water. There was no window in it, for at that time a pane of eight-by-ten window glass, that now sells at five cents could not be bought for less than seventy-five cents, and the early settlers were too poor to indulge in so costly a luxury. A large fire-place, extending half the width of one end of the house, and from which a chimney made of sticks and daubed with mud conducted the smoke, supplied the place now usurped by our modern health-destroying stoves, and answered the double purpose of furnishing heat by day and heat and light by night. Even tallow candles could not be afforded, except hy a few, in those early days. The roof was of clapboards, split from the oak timber that composed the principal growth with which our hardy pioneers were surrounded; and as nails were then worth sixty-two and a half cents per pound, their purchase was impossible, and heavy poles were laid upon the clapboards and pinned with wooden pins into the house-log, at either end. This made an excellent roof.

In the way of furniture Mr. Lafollette had nothing besides some bedding, a few rude cooking utensils, and a scanty sup- ply of cupboard-ware. For a bedstead holes were bored in- to the logs on the inside of the house, and long wooden pins driven into them. Upon these pins were placed two or three puncheons hewn out by Mr. Lafollette, and on these pun- cheons the bed was placed. This rude bedstead, thus impro- vised, was quite common among the early settlers of Indiana, and upon such bedsteads have our fathers and mothers passed hundreds of nights in the sweetest and most invigorating repose after a hard day's labor. Thus slept Robert Lafol- lette and his wife many a time and oft; and on such a bed their first-born was ushered into existence, and though his birthplace was so humble, he now lives honored and respected by all who know him. For a table plain boards were fastened upon wooden legs with wooden pins. No leaves were re- quired, and but two or three narrow and short boards were necessary for a top, and the table was complete. Wooden benches supplied the place of chairs, and a few wooden shelves placed upon wooden pins driven in the logs answered for cupboard, bureau, and clothes-press. The floor was ol puncheons. This was the home and furnishings of the first settler within the present limits of Floyd county. It was fin- ished and first occupied in December, 1804.

Mr. Lafollette's nearest neighbors at this time lived about ten miles below him in Harrison county, and twelve miles above him at Clarksville, opposite the Falls. He brought with him from Kentucky a few sacks of corn, and getting out of meal about Christmas he took a small sack of the grain in a canoe and paddled his little vessel and grist up to Tarascon's mill at the falls. But a few hours after arriving at the mill, and before his corn could be ground an im- mense field of ice from above began moving down the river over the falls. The ice continued to increase in amount, and for twelve days completely blockaded the river and rendered it

impossible to cross. All this time Mr. Lafollette was de. tained at the mill.

During his absence Mrs. Lafollette's scanty store of provis- ions gave out and for five or six days the only food she had to subsist upon was parched corn. In those days the only meats used were what was afforded by the wild game, and this was generally easily killed as it was required. Mr. Lafollette has frequently stated that he could almost any morning kill all the game he needed in half an hour, within fifty yards of his house. Bears, deer, wolves, panthers, and wild-cats were numerous in the woods around him, and the hills back of Knob creek seemed to be a favorite resort for these wild animals. Bears and wolves not unfrequently came within his enclosure and close up to his cabin door; and so plenty were wild turkeys, and so tame, that he often shot them from his own door-yard.

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History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 46

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co. Number of Pages: 680

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680