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CONTAINING THE
iliii
FROM ITS ORIGANIZATION TO THE PRESENT,
DELIVERED BY
y.
At Lebanon, Indiana, July 4r, 1876.
-AND
ON THE
^istoff and ^rowtli of ^[esbfterianism
IN BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA,
DELIVERED BY
^t m% «i
In the Presbyterian Church at Lebanon, Ind., July 2, 1876.
• LEBANON, IND.:
M. M. MANNER, PRINTER AND BINDER, I'ATRIOT HUILDING
1 876.
Boone County.
A BKIEF HISTORICAL COMPENDIUM OF ITS EARLY HISTORY
TO JULY 4, 1S76.
BY STI^PHEiSr NEAL.
Fellow Citizens : Bein^ assem-
bled here to commemorate the cen-
tennial anniversary of our National
Independence, let us hope, that with-
out regard to denominations, class,
party, or distinctive orders, you all
can cheerfully and heartily partici-
pate in tiO common a purpose.
Pursuent to the task to me as-
signed by your committee, and in
comformity to a resolution of Con-
gress and the recommendation of
the President of the United States
and the Governor of your State, it
has been made my duty, on this oc-
casion, to present you a brief histor-
ical sketch of Boone county.
The limits allotted for this, will
admit of nothing more than a mere
outline histoiical compendium. You
can hardly expect or desire any-
thing more. I shall be compelled to
omit many events and incidents and
much of the facts and details which
should properly be included in a
complete history of your county.
From the great amount of mater-
ials constituting the history of the
county, I shall aim to select such
portions only, as may seem most ap-
propriate for the occasion, expecting
you to make due allowance for the
omission of much that is of interest.
While the history of pioneer life,
the varied, rough hewed events at-
tending the first settlements, as well
as the growth and subsequent pros-
perity of any country, must ever be
attractive and entertaining, that of
our own county lies so near us, and
is so modern and homely, that around
it is thrown no false glory, calcula-
ted to lend any fanciful enchantment
to the view, or robe the story in ro-
mantic hue. Our theme bears us
over no unvoyagable space, nor yet .
does it lie within the star dust realm
of inventive imagination. It is real
and substantial, and as homely as
home itself. It pertains to a sub-
ject positively palpable, to real temt
^jirimi; or, if you object to that, we
"will say, it pertains ^o what was once
a humid wilderness of deep forests,
wild Indians, wild animals, and much
wet marshy land, which subsequent-
ly became the abode of civilization,
accompanied with great improve-
ments, and has been the scene of
much toil, great industry, many
hardships and great achievements.
Such is our theme ; it is a plain
unpathetic story, unadorned by any
foreign romance or brilliant fiction.
HITORY OF BOONE COUNTY,
You should, however, esteem it none
the less on this account. It is
worthy of being perpetuated among
the annals of your county. It is an
enduring monument to the industry,
the perseverance, and the labor of
yourselves and the hardy pioneers
who here first made settlement.
There are among us here to-day,
some, who if they were not the first,
were among the first, who made set-
tlement in this county, and who can
well remember the. early events and
incidents attendant thereupon, as
well as the then condition of the
country.
And although here, tliere blew no
"Sabean odors from the spicy shore
of Araby the blest." still this land
was more richly dowered than any
ancient and modern Arabian realm :
for there extend the arid, torrid
wastes of burning sand, where pass-
ing, blew the deadly Harmattan
winds, and scorch and consume all
vital force of vegetable life : but not
so here, where in rich luxur-
iance, grew the deep umbrageous
shades and shelterings cool ; nor
were there wanting scenes to attract
and engage the attention of the
comers among these piimeval groves,
where the undergrowth of shrubs
and tangling bushes perplexed all
path of man or beast that here would
pass.
The first immigrants can well re-
call their solitary journeyings
through the almo-t unbroken wilder-
ness, following as best they could,
the tree-marked ways, often en-
countering and passing through or
swamping down as the case might
be, in the soft yielding, porous
sloughs or marshy lands, meanwhile
encompassed on every hand, or rath-
er on every shore, by the almost im-
penetrable wild woods where many
of the trees grew an hundred feet in
height, and beneath and amorg all
these, the weeds, wild grass, and the
luxuriant wild pea vine, altogether
forming a growth so dense tha« it
was impervious to the sun's rays at
noon-day.
The scene was sad, the wilderness a wild
Aud mau no hermit then, for woman smiied.
Yes ; your industrious and econ-
omical mothers patiently and cheer-
fully endured their share of the toil,
the privations, and the hardships of
pioneer life, and side by side with
your fathers, con^tributed to build up
the cheerful and comfortable homes
which you to-day enjoy. But many
of them have ceased from their la-
bors and have passed awav. And
these awful groves have not been
without their solemn worship.
"Formercy, from her golden urn,"
Poured a rich stream to them that mourned ;
Behold, she bound, with tender care,
The bleeding l)03oms of despair."
Yet some of you who are here can
well remember those earlv hardships,
privations, toils aud discourage-
ments which you had to encounter ;
but in your determined resolutions,
you never seemed once to have an-
ticipated a failure. You pressed on-
ward in the line of duty, never ask-
ing, "Is the route practicable ?"
You took it for granted that it was
possible to make homes and a living
for yourselves and families, though
encompassed on every hand by such
a wilderness : and your determined
resolutions crowned your success ;
and you have lived to see the
glory of your hard earned achieve-
ments.
You have lived to see the wilder-
ness transformed into one of the fin-
est and most productive agricultural
counties in the State. The vast for-
ests have mostly been cleared away,
the lands nearly all enclosed with
fencing, drained and set in grass or
reduced to tillage ; towns and vil-
lages in many places, and fine or
comfortable homes and improve-
ments everywhere api)ear. As you
recall the condition of things here
fifty years ago, you must say, what a
change ! so much surpassing our ex-
pectations, that it seems almost like
romance.
But let us still recall the past ;
how that here amidst the once wild
woods and unbroken coverts, and
thickets overgrown, then grotesque
BY STEPHEN NEAL.
and wild, duriog many dreary un-
told ages gone, there had existed
"the original red men, the tameless
sons of the forest, occupied in their
primeval pursuits, the chase of the
deer, bear and the wild fowls of the
wilderness which was then also the
abode of numerous reptiles, snakes
frogs, lizards, wild '"varments," and
insects numerous, and clouds uj^on
clouds of predatory mosquitos, scarce
less numerous than the ancient lo-
custs which in Egypt's evil day, dar-
kened all the land of Nile. And
when the pioneer recalls these early
scenes, he well may have some sharp
reminiscences and afifectingtaoughts.
At early morn and dewy eve, his
camp fires were built to repell his
tierce assailants. He had to encoun-
ter many real and severe realities.
To make settlement in such a coun-
try : to clear away the heavy forests,
and build improvements amidst such
surroundings, required courage, per-
severance and immense labor, no less
than that which carried the first Na-
poleon and his unconquerable army
over the frowning, snow clad Alps.
Their labor, their achievements were
greater than his, and far more
worthy of historic celebrity. He
wrought in the interest of an unhal-
lowed ambition and in the pursuit of
an empty fame ; while our immi-
grants here labored to subdue and
remove a wilderness, and develop
and build up an empire of wealth ;
and what they have accomplished is
greater than the achievement of lev-
eling down the Alpine heights. And
shall not history accord these noble
toilers a just meed of praise ?
It has been only 46 years since
the Territory now included within
Boone county, was in the posses-
sion and the home and hunting
groiind of roving Indian bands.
The Eel River tribe of the Miami
Indians, which was one of the many
tribes that constituted the powerful
Confederacy of the Miami's, whose
capital was at or near the site of
Post Miami, (since Fort Wayne) had
Held and occupied the country now
included within the limits of this
county, as their special huntingf
ground. Here before them, their
fathers had pursued the chase, had
died and been buried on the banks
of the many silent streams, with no
other requiem but the soft music of
the soughing winds and rustling
leaves.
In the year 1828, the United
States govern 'Tient by purchase and
by treaty, extinguished forever the
Miami Reservation, in which the
limits of Boone county had been in-
cluded. In the year 1819, these In-
dians and a few French traders had
a town with a population of about
400 inhabitant at the location where
Thorntown now stands. Yet, not-
withstanding, the Indian reservation
was extinguished in 1828, many of
these Indians loth to give up and
leave the home and hunting grounds
of their fathers, remained here,
following their old pursuit, the
chase, up to the year 1835, some five
years after the organization of the
county.
In their various wanderings, they
encamped within the limits of the
town of Lebanon as late as 1833»
But that mighty Indian Confederacy
has vanished ; even the graves of
their chieftans are unknown ; you
look in vain for the monumental col-
umn ; there remains no enduring
monument to tell that here they ever
had an existence : the rude bark
huts and the grove-encompassed
wigwams are no more ; they have
disappeared, and like the baseless
fabric of a vision, left no trace to
tell that they ever existed, save some
rude marks on the old forest trees
of their encampment.
And now after the lapse of forty-
six years, what a grand transforma
tion appears ; transcending in real-
ities the inventions of the imagina-
tion in the storj of the Arabian
Nights.
The story seems like an old day
dream. Oar children can scarcely
believe it true; it seems bo passing
strange; such a great change m so
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY,
short a time. We ^vbo have been
here all the while, can hardly realize
the wonderful transforniation ; little
by little, day after day, and year af
ter year, the changes have been pro-
duced.
During the winter of the year
1829. the State Legislature enacted
a law providing for the organization
of Boone county, and naming it in
honor of Daniel Boone, one of the
celebrated pioneer settlers of Ken-
tucky; and in pursuence to the law
aforesaid, the county was organized
in the year 1830, at which time the
population of the county, Indians ex-
cepted, was only G22 persons.
Up to this time there had been
but little improvement made. A few
log cabins had been built, and a few
small "patches" partly cleared. The
interior portion of the county con
tained numerous sloughs and much
swampy land, varying in size from
one to live hundred acres, each. The
sloughs were overgrown with a tall
growth of rough grass and flags,
upon which the water during the
wet seasons of the year, stood vary-
ing from one inch to three feet in
depth. The soil in these sloughs
consists of a decomposed vegetable
mould, the result of vegetable de-
composition during, untold ages,
which soil is a dark loam very fer-
tile. Such was the condition of the
county at the time of its organiza-
tion. It was a wilderness.
The southeastern portion of the
county, through which flows Eagle
creek and its tributaries, has an un-
dulating surface more or less rolling.
The northern part of the county,
through which flows Sugar Creek,
from east to west, also has an une-
ven surface though not hilly. The
western part of the county has part-
ly an uneven surface.
The interior or central portions of
the county contain the highest land
between the "Wabash and White riv-
er, and is what might be called the
summit level — and though it is such
it is very level land, with not suf-
ricient slope for the water to run oflf,
without artificial drains.
Considering the levelness of the
surface, the unparalleled fertility of
the soil and the humidity of the cli-
mate, supplied by frequent and co-
pious rains at all reasons of the year,
and also the fact that everywhere be-
neath the surface at a depth varying
from ten to eighteen feet, can be
found an abundai.t supply of excel-
lent water for all purposes during
the year, it is not surprising that the
first settlers found her^ such a deep
wilderness of timber, undergrowth,
flags, weeds, wild grasses, and wild
vines. And although from the cen-
tral part of the county the streams
flow thence to nearly every point of
the compass, still in many respects
this land was unlike the Eden, which
"stretched her line from Auran east-
ward to tbe royal tow.ers of great
Seleucia ;" nevertheless its groves
were as deep and dense as those of
old, that overshadowed Vallambro-
sia's ancient vale. The forest trees
were sugar maple, oak, ash, walnut,
poplar, Cottonwood, elm, beech, lin-
den, and many other kinds. And in
fertility of soil end in capacity for
productiveness, it might well be
compared to that of the famous land
of the Nile, which in the days of
Rome, was said to have been the
granary of that great city and from
which it obtained its supply of
bread.
Such would seem to be naturally
the productive capacity of the soil of
this county, jn'ovided it should be
thoroughly drained by artificial drain-
age and improved to its highest de-
gree of tillage.
And here amidst the advantages
and disadvantages, scarcely fifty- six
years ago, came the first settlers, who
were, however, soon followed by
others, who after having selected
their locations, cleared away the
brush and logs, and erected their
log cabins ; and year after year, little
by little, they chopped away the un-
derbrush and felled the heavy forest
trees, chopped them into logs and
BY STEPHEN NEAL.
rolled and burned them. Sueb weie
the small bef>-innings in the building'
up and d'evelopinf? of what is now
Boone county. But who can esti-
mate the" amount of labor that
presented itself and lay before these
determined immi'^rants. We shall
aim to take a giance at what has
been accomplished. But if these pi
oneers had their cares and toils, they
also had their enjoyments amidst
these primeval scenes.
"They saw bv the smoke that so gracefully
curled
Above the green elms, that a cottage w.is near.
And they thought, if there is peace to be found in
the world,
A heart that is humble might hope for it here."
Here they found in the forests an
abundant supply of wild honey, and
the most delicious venison.
The first settlement by our people
was commenced in what is now Ea-
gle township, in the year 1823.
EAriLE TOWNSHIP.
In this township was made (so far
as we have learned) the first settle-
ment in the county, by our people ;
though the Indians and a few French
traders, prior to this, had an Indian
town and trading post at the site
where Thorntown now stands. In
the year 1823, Patrick H. Sullivan,
who is still living and who is here
to-day, and who yet resides in Eagle
township, came, he being the first
pioneer settler in this township, and
probably the first in the county. He
came seven years before the county
was org-anized, while it was a part of
the Miami Indian Reservation. But
soon after he settled here other im-
migrants came : among whom were
David Hoover. Jacob Sheets, John
Sheets and William Smith. We can
fancy that we see their small rough
log cabins, surrounded by the thick
tall forests, near the place where Zi-
onsville now stands.
Eagle township and Boone county
were not then known in /tii>i>e. The
widow Cross, who is a daughter of
David Hoover, is yet living and
is a I'esidenfc in Eagle township at
Zionsville. They came in 1824. The
Lane and Lowe families came in the
year 1826. In this township, in a
rough log house, was held the first
Circuit Court ever held in the couu-
tv. David Hoover was the first clerk
of the Circuit Court. So far as the
population was concerned, the peo-
ple of Eagle township was then the
county or nearly so. When P. H.
Sullivan came, and for some time af-
ter, there was neither a white nor a
black man between where he lived
and Thorntown. Austin Davenport
was the first sheriff of the county,
and Jacob Sheets was the first jus-
tice of the peace; and William
Smith was the first constable. These
were all of Old Efigle ! But from
then till now what a change ! To-
day, Eagle township has a popula-
tion of about three thousand per-
sons. The wilderness has disap-
peared. Zionsville is the largest
town in the township ; it has a pop-
ulation of about 1,200. It has one
graded school. All the land in the
township has been enclosed with
fencing and mostly well improved.
J.ICKSOX TOWNSHIP.
John Gibson, Jacob Tipton, John
Galvin and Samuel Hughes were
among the first settlers in this town-
ship. John Gibson settled there in
the j-ear 1829, and John Galvin in
the year 1831. They located at or
near the present site of Jamestown.
Jamestown is the principal town in
the township ; it has a population of
about 1,000 persons. The whole
population of the township is about
3,650 persons. There are ten school
houses in this township ; one of
these is occupied by the graded
school in Jamestown.
The I. B. & W. railway passes
through Jamestown and a part of
the township. The southern portion
of the township is much the best im-
proved, containing many desirable,
nicely undulating farms. One branch
of Eel Piiver and Raccoon Creek
passes through this township.
SUG.^R CREEK TOWNSHIP.
The names of the.first settlers in this
township were George Harness, who
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY,
was the first, afterwards, James
Scott, James VaneatoB, Joshua Burn-
ham, Nehemiah and George McKin-
sey, Isaac Morgan, David Daily,
Zachariah Gapen, William Ken-
worty and Cornelius Westlall.
George Harness lived to the ripe old
age of 108 years, and departed this
life on the 27th day of February.
1876, in Deer Creek township, in the
county ©f Cass, m this State. The
aforsesaid Cornelius Westfall was
the original proprietor of the town of
Thorntown, which town was laid off
and platted in 1830.
The settlers above named settled
in said township during the year
1827, and thence forward to the
year 1831. The first child born in
said township was Mary Sweeney,
in the year 1827 ; the first marriage
was John Pauley and Emily Sween-
ey, in the year 1828 ; the first death
was that of Mary Ann Westfall, in
the year 1829.
The first school house was built
in 1833, the first church (Presbyter-
ian) was set in order in the year 1831,
Claiborn Young, minister, including
twelve members ; the first Sunday
School was organized in April, 1834,
with fifteen scholars, Linsey McCon-
nel, superintendent ; the first church
edifice was erected by the Presby-
terians in 1836.
The first merchant who set up
in 'ihorntown was C. H. Baldridge;
he exchanged his goods for money,
furs, veni.<-on and ginseng. The
first postoflfice was held by Robert
Hammil, the first justice of the peace
was Benjamin Sweeney, the first
minister of tie gci-pel was Robert
Hall, the first lawyer was Eufus A.
Lockwood. the first tavern keeper
was Isaac Morgan, the fii-st physi-
cian was Dr. Farmer, and first hatter
was Sam Daily.
This township now has a popula-
tion of about 4.400 persons. Thorn-
tow n is its capital ; it has a popula-
tion of al out 2.* 00 : it has one grad-
ed school, and eleven school houses
in the township. Formerly the
town was the most business town in
the county.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
The first settlers in this township
so far as we know, were John
Whitchel, in the year 1829, and also
John Slocum, Thomas McCann and
others about the year 1830. The
town of Mechanicsburg was survey-
ed and platted in the year 1835,
Isaac Snow being the original pro-
prietor of the same.
This township has a population of
2.430 inhabitants ; it has ten school
houses. The farms in this toTUship
are mostly well improved : the land
IS mcstlj' rolling. Sugar Creek runs
through this township-
PEKEY TOWNSHIP.
I learn of no settlement in this town-
ship earlier than the year 1835 or
1836. Among the first setlers were
William Turner, Eli Smith, Edmond
Shirley, John Doyle, Phillip Neal,
Isaac Smith, Isaac Pennington, Sen.
and John Howard.
The population of this township is
2,200 : it has seven school houses.
Fayette, or White Lick post office,
is the principal village ; the land is
level and the soil very fertile. White
Lick creek rises in this township and
flows south.
WORTH TOWNSHIP.
This township was the last civil
township organized in the county: it
has a population of 2.200: it has eight
school houses. Whitestown is the
principal village.
CLINTON TOW'NSHIP.
The first settlement in this town-
ship was made in the northwest cor-
ner thereof, in the year 1832-33.
The names of the first settlers were
William Xelson, Isacc Cassiday and
James Downing. In the year 1834
and 1835, Robert Stephenson. A. B.
Clark, James H. Sami>le and Hugh
Wiley, Sen. and John Evans settled
on the banks of Mnd Creek in said'
township. The first church set iit
order was in 1837. under the name
of Associate Reformed, now as the
BY STEPHEN NEAL.
United Presbyterians.
This township has a population of
about 1,552 inhabitants, with ten
school houses. Elizaville is the
principal vallage. Sugar Creek,
Mud Creek and Brown's Wonder
flow through the township. Hugh
Wilev, Sr.. was the original proprie-
tor of Elizaville.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIH.
This township has a population of
2,200 : it has twelve school houses.
Wolf Creek heads in this township,
and flows northwardly into Sugar
Creek ; the land is mostly level or
slightly undulating.
UNION T0\YNSHIP.
This township has a population of
1.180; it has eight school houses.
Eagle Creek flows southwardly
through the township. Northfield
is its principal village ; a portion of
its lands are undulating, but not too
much so for farming purposes.
MARION TOWNSHIP.
This township has 12 school houses;
its population is 2.750. Eat^le Creek
heads in this township ; and also the
south bi-anch of Sugar Creek heads
in the north part of the township and
flows northwardly.
HARRISON TOWNSHIP.
The population of this township is
1,403; it has eight school houses. Its
villages are New Brunswick and Mil-
ledgeville. The head waters of Eel
River flow south-westwardly through
this township; the surface is mostly
level, and the soil rich.
CENTER TOWNSHIP.
This township includes the central
portion of the county ; it has now a
population of near G.GOO inhabitants.
Lebanon, the capital of the county,
is situated- near the center of the
township, and very near the exact
center of the county. The original
plat of the town, (now city) was laid
out by Messrs. Drake & Kinnard,
"who were the original pvoprie.tor'' of
the same. They donated to the
county one third of the town lots,
and 40 acres of land near the town,
and also brick and shingles to be ap-
plied in building the former court
bouse. The town was laid out by
them in 1830, soon after the location
had been selected. Col. Kinnard
had been chosen one of the commis-
sioners to select a site for the county
seat. The rival points claiming this
honor were Thorntown, Eagle Vil-
lage and Northlield, The commis-
sioners examined and considered the
different localities, and after passing
from place to place, they fovmd them-
selves at the spot where Lebanon
now stands. Col. Kinnard drove a
stake into the ground and announced
to the other commissioners that here
should be the county seat. For a
while the otlaers objected, but being
defeated in argument by the Colonel,
they finally yielded, and here the
capital of Boone county was fixed.
The town as yet was no town — that
is, there was not a man to till the
ground or to erect a shanty. The
first settler in the original town plat
of the town of Lebanon, was Abner
H. Longley. He says in his first
visit here in 1832, his wagon became
'■swamped" south east of Lebanon,
and he had to leave it to seek assist-
ance. That a man by the name of
Benjamin Dun who then resided
about 3 miles north-west from Leba-
non, yoked "Buck" and "Bright,"
and accompanied him, and that they
bi'ought the wagon into the "port of
Lebanon, without steam or sail."
(See appendix No. 1.) This first log
cabin was erected on the corner lot
at south-west corner of the public
square, where the marble front build-
ing now stands. In that rough log
house was held the first Circuit
Court in Lebanon ; present. Judge
Morris, Wm. Quarles and Calvin
Fletcher, Esqs. The court was held
partly underneath an arbor in front
of it, which had been made of green
forest brushes. This court house
was also used for kitchen, dining
room and parlor. It is said that
when the judge and the two attor-
neys first came to Lebanon, they re-
marked, "Here is Lebanon, but
HISTORY OF BOOXE COUNTY,
where are the houses ?" As the loj?
tavern had a sufficient supply of
boarders, one of the side or associ-
ate judges, who had to come many
tniles, brought feed for his horse and
his own dinner with him, and at noon
ate his dinner under the shade of
the trees. John Patterson was the
second settler, and built the second
log cabin in Lebanon. In the year
1833, Wm. M. Smith and family
came and erected the third log cabin
in the town. He made the first log
rolling on the town plat, in 1833.
He relates that the Indians en-
camped on the town plat after he
settled here ; and it surely was a
rather favorable place to camp, since
Mr. Smith says that he killed twenty-
two deer within the limits of the
town plat, during the first year,
j^.mong the other early settlers were
S. S. Brown, J. S. Forsythe, J. C.
Lane and others of the Lane family,
also Jonathan H. Rose. During the
winter of 1835, the trees on the pub
lie square were felled, and in the
spring of the year of 1836, the logs |
were rolled and burned. Lebanon ;
now contains a population of near ;
3,000 people. It lias a fine court
house, to build which cost about j
$40,000. Besides, it has numerous
manufacturing establishments, fine
church edifices, and one excellent
graded school. It has also two
banks; and though it has made no
rapid growth at any time, it has been
steadily on the increase both in num-
bers and in improvements.
As it may be of some interest, we
here give you a list of the names of
those who have been elected in the
county to the more important offices:
Members of the Lower House of
the State Legislature — Austin Dav-
enport, elected iu 1832 and in 1833,
being the first. Robert H. Hanna-
man in 1834 and 1835. Abner H.
Louo-ley in 1836. Joseph E, Hacker
in 1837. John H. Nelson in 1838
and 1839. John Christman in 1840
and 1841. John Christman and
Jonathan H. Rose in 1842. Benja-
min Boone in 1843. John Dazan
and H. G. Hazelrigg in 1844. H. G.
Hazelrigg in 1845. Stephen Neal in
1846. Stephen Neal and Hiram
Blackstoue in 1847. L. C. Dough-
erty in 1S48 and 1849. John H.
Nelson and H. M. Marvin in 1850.
Wm. B. Beach in 1851. Up to this
time the sessions of the lesfislature
had been held annually ; afterward
every two years. Wm. P. Jones in
1853. NVm. G. Gordon in 1855. E.
D. Herod and H. M. Marvin in 1857.
Clark Devol in 1859, Nelson For-
dice in 1861. Sherman Hostetter in
1863. Thomas M. Stringer in 1865.
T. J. Cason in 1865, Joint Repre-
sentative. A. E. Gordon in 1867,
1869 and 1871. O. S. Hamilton,
1859, Joint Representative. C. S.
Wesner in 1873, for Boone county
alone. John Higgins in 3873, Joint
Representative. H. M. Marvin in
1875.
Senators of State Legislature from
Boone county — L. C. Dougherty in
1850. Thomas J. Cason in 1864.
A. J. Boone in 1873.
Sheriffs — Austin Davenport in
1830. Jacob Tipton in 1832 and
1834. Wm. Zion in 1836 and 1838.
John Forsythe in 1840 and 1842.
Samuel Daily in 1844. Fielding Ut-
terback in 1846. Wm. Staton in
1848. John Hazlett in 1850. A.
W. Larimore in 1852 and 1854.
John H. Rodman in 1856. "Riley
Colgrove in 1858 and 1860. John
Kenworthy in 1862 and 1864. L. B.
Edwards in 1866. Wm. R. Simp-
kins in 1868. R. S. Camplin in 1870.
Wm. R. Simpkins in 1872 : he died,
and R. S. Camplin held over. Ed-
ward Reynolds in 1874.
Delegates to revise the constitu-
tion — M. Duzau and Wm. McLean,
in 1851.
Treasurers — The first Treasurer
after it was made a separate office,
was J. T. McLaughHn in 1841, and
he held the office 9 years. J. J.
Nesbit in 1850. J. C Daily in 1852
and 1854. A. H. Shephard in 1856.
David Kenworthy in 1857 and 1860.
F. M. Busbv in 1862 and 1804. J.
H. Dooley inl866 and 1808. Sam-
BY STEPHEN NRAL.
9
uel S. Daily in 1870 and 1872. Wm.
D. Hudson in 1874.
Clerks of Circuit Court David
Hoover, the first, S. S. Brown, John
Christman, Levi Lane, Wm. C. Kise,
two terms, H. Shannon, A. C. Daily,
S. A. Lee, A. O. Miller, and Jesse
Neff.
Auditors — A. J. Boone, S. A. Gil-
more, J, A. Nunn, -Toseph B. Pitzer,
A. C. Daily, R. W. Matthews, J. M.
Ball, and J. W. Hedges.
Recorders of the county — James
McCann, Thomas P. Miller, Sanford
Peters, John Thomas, F. M. Davis,
J. W. Kise, and Wm. Morgan.
Judges elected in this county — L.
C Dougherty, Common Pleas. T.
J. Cason, Common Pleas. W. B.
Beach was elected of Supreme
Court ; T. J. Cason to Congress two
terms.
Having now passed in rapid review
the several townships of the county,
and given the primitive condition of
the county, together with a list of
the names of those who have been
elected in the county to the more im-
portant officeS; let us now take a
general view of the county and its
resources.
The county is 24 miles long from
east to west, and 17^ miles wide,
containing 420- square miles or
268,800 square acres. The total as-
sessed valuation of all the real estate
in the county is about .|10.000,000 ;
this is far less than its actual value.
The total taxable valuation of all the
personal property is !ir3,257,720.
total actual value of all the property,
both real and personal, is not less
than .'^20,000,000. The total annual
value of all farm products is placed
at $4,000,000. The county has with-
in its limits not less than 150 manu-
facturing establishments, such as
grist mills, woolen mills, saw mills,
stave and heading factories, wagon
and carriage shops, hub and spoke
factories, tile factories and many
others. There are about sixty steam
engines and about six water wheels
in the county. The manufacturing
interest affords employment for more
than 1,000 persons ; which work up
annually near S^GOO.OOO worth of raw
material, producing annually about
$1,000,000 worth of manufactured
goods. About 40 miles of railway
traverses the county from south-east
to north-west, besides another rail-
way running from east to west is
nearly completed, thus affording the
county the facilities of three railways.
The county contains in the aggregate
about 30,000 people. There are now
about 6,000 voters in the county.
Owing to heavy timber, thick under-
brush, level surface, and wet, swampy
porous soil, this county was not
very attractive to the agriculturist at
its first settlement, and hence the
pursuit of wild game and the collec-
tion of the skins of wild animals,
wild honey, ginseng and furs were
considered far more remunerative
than the pursuit of farming. These
articles of trafic supplied in great
measure the place of a currency. At
that early period of the county's his-
tory, the only real necessaries for
the support of a family, were consid-
ered to be two rifle guns, a supply
of lead and powder, a barrel of salt,
a camp kettle, and a couple of dogs.
The deer, bears, wild turkeys and
wolves were abundant. The people
then had need for but little money ;
they could pay most of their taxes
in the pelts of the 'coon, the deer
and the mink.
The first election held in the coun-
ty, was on the first Monday of Au-
gust, 1832, at which the whole vote
polled in the county, was only 3(>5,
being the exact number of days in a
year, a singular coincidence.
In an early day, this county had
the unenviable reputation of being
afflicted with ague, chills, and mala-
rial fever, as well as with corduroy
roads, swamps, frogs, mosquitoes,
and other odious proclivities. Some
outside "barbarians" called it the
"State of Boone." and reported that
some of the inhabitants were "web-
footed," moss-legged," and even "am-
phil)ious." But those same babari-
aus have lived long euougn to see
10
HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY,
the county take her place as the 13th
county m the State in population,
and excluding the large cities in the
other 12 counties, and but very few
counties in the State to-daj-, will
equal this, either in population oi in
agricultural resources. There are
but few acres of waste land in the
county, and there is no quarter sec-
tion wanting in the capacity to make
a good farm. And yet more than
half remains untold. Look at the
thriving towns and villages in differ-
ent parts of the county. Look at
the well -improved farms.farm houses,
fruit orchards, and the graveled and
ungraveled public highways ; and in
some places fine iron bridges span-
ning the larger streams. Look at
your public buildings — 113 school
houses, either brick or frame ; also
many fine church edifices, ard be-
sides, many excellent lodge buildings
for the different charitable or benev-
olent orders. And then consider the
vast amount of artificial ditching and
draining that has been made. There
are to-day not less than 300 miles
of large artificial drains, open ditches
cut in the county, much of this aver-
aging ten feet in depth, and from ten
to fifteen feet in width. Besides
these larger drains, there are proba-
bl}' not less than 2.000 miles of
smaller artificial drains, made of
wood or burnt tile. Some may con-
sider this an o"oer estimate. Let us
see. There are about 4,000 farms,
large and small, in the county : sup-
pose 2,000 of these are more or lessf
ditched, so as to have one mile of
ditching on each, this would give
2,000 miles of. artificial drainage in
the county. The lands of the county
now rate at the price ranging from
$20 to .*100 per acre. I know of no
tract of land in the county, rating
below S20 per acre. If j-ou will en-
compass in one view the whole coun-
ty including the 4,000 farms, the
farm buildings and other improve-
ments on these farms, and the public
highways — giaveled and ungraveled
— and ijIso the three railways, and
the towns and villages, und the many
manufacturing establishments, and
also the vast quantity of artificial
drainage which has been made, and
then tiT to estimate the amount of
labor which has been required in the
accomplishment of all this, I think
you aaIII agree with me that the same
amount of labor and toil would have
leveled the Alpine heights, and that
it IS greater than the labor endured
by the army of Darius of Persia, in
its campaign, when it crossed the
Danube, and invaded the cold, bar-
ren country of the invincible Scythi-
ans. And who will say that the pio-
neer army of this country, who have
cleared away a wilderness, and im-
proved it to what it is, are entitled
to less praise, or deserve less
fame than that mighty Persian army ?
But your pioneer army needs no
sculptured marble column or storied
urn to perpetuate their peace achieve-
ments. They have constructed a
more valuable and enduring monu-
ment than that erected by the Am-
pnion builders of old, who in their
day, through the ages of aacient
Theban story, toiled well and fast.
They wrought in the interest of an
empty vanity ; while the work of
5^our hands has been for the practi-
cal and the useful ; and yet not de-
void of the Beautiful, for in its many
excellencies, your coiint}' to-day sur-
passes old Sharon's rose-clad vale in
all its ancient gloi'y ; though its
beauties have been painted by mas-
terly skill. Yet notwithstanding all
that these our industrious pioneers
and their co-workers have achieved,
the county may be said yet to be only
in its infancv, compared to what it
should be fifty years hence, when it
shall all be thoroughly drained with
sufficient artificial drainage, and
tilled to its highest capacity.
The little republic of San Marino,
containing a superficial area of only
21 square miles, has a population of
8,100 ; while the kingdom of Saxony
with a superficial area of 5,705 square
miles, has a population of 1,757,800
persons ; and according to the same
ratio per square mile, our county
BY STEPHEN NEAL.
11
wonld have a population of 135,215
inhabitants. It can be rendered ca-
pable of furnishing the needful sup-
plies of life for this number of peo-
This is no extravagant predic-
ple.
tion.
The view of the yast lends a niystieal lore,
"And couaing events cast their shadows before."
Presbyterianism.
THE GERM AND GROWTH OF THE CHURCH IN LEBANON.
BY EEV. J. M. BISHOP.
Isaiah ix-7— "Of tlie increase of His governtuent
and peace there shall be no end."
John iii-30-
crease."
'He must increase, but I mubt de-
I select these passages as a motto for
a discourse on Presbyterianism in Leba-
non, Boone county, Indiana.
I. On the texts. Isaiah here gives
one of the most minutely accurate de-
scriptions of Christ to be found in the
Old Testament, and because of its mi-
nute accuracy it surely was hard to be
understood before its wonderful fulfill-
ment. We may imagine the perplexed
prophet "searching what, or what man-
ner of time, the spirit of Christ which
was in him did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ and
the glory which should follow." But if
perplexing to the writer B. C. 740, how
plain to the reader A. D. 187fi.
The text from the Evangelist is an ut-
terance from John the Baptist, the last
and the chief of the O. T. forerunners of
the Savior. As he was less than the
least in the kingdom of the new dispen-
sation, we may suppose he, too, very im-
perfectly comprehended the character of
the <-)ne he was introducing. But we
now understand in the light of history,
what could not in the nature of the case,
be understood as it existed only in
prophecy. From the combined passages
I would draw this theme:
THE GROWTH OF OHRIST'S KINGDOM ON
THE EARTH,
And will consider the subject under
three heads ; First, The fact of growth;
Second, Its elements ; Third, the agents.
1. The Fact OF Growth. — Some have
very despondent views on this point. —
Does the kingdom advance ? Some in-
variably say, it does not ; all occasional-
ly feel that the cause is at a standstill,
or going backward. Let us consider
this question.
There is a God who is the Creator of
all existences, not sinful, besides Him-
self. All beings, sinful as well as holy,
are under impulses of development, ac-
cording to the respective nature and
circumstances of each. To be, is to de--
velo»^ ; to develop is to grow.
Now, the church is not an exception,
but the most wonderful of all illustra-
tions of this law. In all pertaining to it
we see the unfolding of the vital germ.
The new nature divinely given in re-
generation grows, and complete sancti-
ification in heaven gives a more suitable
field for growth than can be found on
earth. You may trace the growth of the
Bible. How little it was once ! Only a
few verses; then a few chapters; then
the Old Testament stood, as some think
finished, for 400 years, from Malachi to
Matthew. But what would the Old
Testament have been as the Bikle with-
12
PRESBYTERIANISM IX LEBANON,
out the growth of the New Testament?
So with reference to the formulated the-
ology as it comes forth from the word of
Godj as pious aud profound students
bring fortli from these pages things new
and old, placing them in a better ad-
justed system. What progress!
If there is this vital growth in and
out of God's word, much more so, both
in constancy and value is there growth
in and out "of God's people. There is no
gap here between Malachi and Matthew,
f'rom Abel until now every regenerated
soul is growing and helping on the king-
dom. In members the kingdom gr(;ws,
and in methods of wprk there is develop-
ment. Of the increase of His govern-
ment and peace there shall be no end.
2, The ELEMENTS ot growth. We are
limited by the text to two, viz: govern-
ment and peace. Other par.softhe
Bible much enlarge this elemental cata-
logue — (t?ee Gal. v-22, Eph. v-9.) But
it is in harmony with a practical and
philosophical study of Presbyterianism,
local or general, to emphasize these two,
or, uniting them, to notice the growth
of Christ's kingdom in peaceful govern-
ment. Uncomplaining — nay, hearty
submission to law ; noi merely submis-
sion, but co-operative obedience. Peace-
lul government implies social life,almost
as different from individual life as in-
stinct is different from reason. And yet
in the individual Christian we see the
germ of this peaceful government. An
unrenewed man or woman is a rebel. The
will has never yielded to God. In re-
generation Christ begins to rule in and
over us.
But a Christian after the manner of a
conveited Saul "assays to join himself to
the disciples." He no longer lives to or
for himself. He weeps with those that
■weep, rejoicing with those that rejoice.
He enters with fellow workers the vine-
yard ; he returns with his sheaves to the
common garner. The will of the church,
looking at it from the human stand-
point, is the result of a fair majority
vote. Secession is sin, and should be con-
quered at immense cost. This is our one
chief glory as Presbyterians, as compared
with other evangelical denominations,
peaceful governuient. The grandest
Epluribub unumthe world has ever seen.
Our own national unity, is largely an
outgrowth of Presbyterianism.
3 The Agents of Geons'th. — Here
our Calvinislic doctrine is prominent, as
under the head just considered our dis-
cipline was prominent. There are two
agents of church growth, the Divine and
i the human. Each of them is most dis-
i tinctly brought out in the Bible. We
believe in God, the Father, Almighty,
and in Jesus Christ, his only son, and in
the Holy Ghost. And this one God is
the supreme and essential agent ot
church lirowth. Our religion has God
in it. One like the Son of man, sent
from the Father, abides, by tbe Holy
Ghost, with the elect in their trials and
triumphs. Hence the church grows. —
"Goil ordinarily making use of means,
is yet free to work without, above, and
against them, at His pleasure." As He
appears in providi nee and grace, the
human instrument disappears. The
lantern is not needed after sunrise. —
•'None but God is great." And yet it is
the practical excellency of our theology
that the instrumental agent merely
takes a subordinate place in church
growth, compared and contrasted with
the Head. It is not annihilated or ab-
sorbed. Our agency, after regeneration,
becomes more and more parallel with
God's activity — never under-valued. A
cup of cold water is of use, and its giver
remembered and rewarded. Nor are
these human agents in each other's way,
if they could but know it. (1 Cor. 12). —
\\ hen John the Baptist decreased until
he suffered martyrdom, the disciples took
up the body and buried it, and went and
told Jesus.
II. Under the inflaence of these princi,
pies pertaining to the great fact, the ele-
ments and the agents of church growth,
I would put in order the history of this
church. Only one-third of a century do
we go backward, and yet the wave of
oblivion makes it difficult to satisfy cu-
riosity. Our predecessors were modest
men. Perhaps they under-valued the
field they were cultivating. They could
no more see the moral, than the first
settlers could see the natural, value of
Boone county, especially of this site of
Lebanon.
This Presbyterian Church was organ-
ized January 3, 1840, by Rev. William
F. Furgerson,D.D. Of this worthy man I
have been able to obtain few statistics.
He was educated at Miami University,
Oxford, Ohio, aud for several years he
was Principal of the Gram-i^ar School in
that institution. He served the O. S,
Presbyterian Church of Thornto>vn from
1838 to 1847, a longer time than any
Pre.sbyterian minister, of either branch
of the church, lias been able to live in
Thorntown. I have the names of 23
ministers who have served that churcU
since 1833,
BY REV. J. M. BISHOP
13
Dr. Furgerson removed from Indiana
to Illinois, and died a number of years
ago, in the office of Presideui of Ma-
comb College. Rev. t?. X. Evans assist-
ed Dr. Furgerson at the organization of
this church.
Our church records are minute and
unquestionable as to the date of our or-
ganization, and yet several living wit-
nesses testify to the existence of a Pres-
byterian Church several years previous
to 1840, and much faithful labor had
been given to this field by ministers and
laymen not mentioned on our records.
Probably, the first Presbyterian
preacher officiating in Lebanon was Rev.
Moody Chase, then residing at Danville,
Hendricks county. His visit was in the
year 1834 or '5. His special object, he
says, was to visit a sick man, "Mr.
Burns, a former acquaintance at Orleans,
Orange county, and perhaps a member
of that church." He remained over the
Sabbath and preached in the old log
court house (lot 7, block 8) to a congre-
gation "respectable in size and appear-
ance." Some months after he again
came to Lebanon, at an urgent call of a
former Danville friend, then living here,
He speaks of the difficulty of finding his
way to this place — riding seven miles
without seeing a house.
Rev. Moody Chase was born in Cor-
nish, New Hampshire, February 25,LS02;
fitted for college at Kimbal Union Aca-
demy ; graduated at Dartmouth Col-
lege in 1829; was in Andover Theological
Seminary three years ; was licensed by
the Andover Congregational Associa-
tion ; removed immediately to Indiana,
and was ordained by Salem Presbytery,
June 7, 1833. He has labored faithfully
and successfully in Orange, Hendricks
and Montgomery counties, and now re-
sides in comfortable circumstances near
Parkersbugh, Indiana.
Elder J. H. Benefiel, of Crawfords-
ville,is about a cotemporaneous witness.
He came to Lebanon in the winter of
1835-0, a young man not a professor of
of religion, but of Presbyterian parents
and baptism, He came here, as a clerk,
in a dry goods store, opened by Rose &
Harris. He says, "the Rey. Claiborn
Young preached a number of times in
the old log court house in 1835. Mr.
Benefiel led the singing of that early
congregation. He says, "there wa.s a
very small amount of the Presbyterian
element here, and little prospect for sev-
eral years of any increase, but since the
waters have abated, and the dry land
appeared, (of excellent quality) things
have here greatly changed."
Rev. Claiborn Young was born in
Hawkins county, Tennessee, October 27,
1800; received his literary educational
Maryville College, and was a student of
theology under Isaac Anderson, D. D. ;
ordained by the Presbytery of Union in
1828; the same year he removed to Ed-
gar county, Illinois. In 1829 he removed
to Vigo county, Indiana. He came to
Boone county in 1830. His is the first
name on the long list of Pre.sbyteriaa
preachers at Thorn town, where he was
supply 1833-4835. He died at his farm
near Thorntown September 9. 186G. —
Mr. Young or the Rev. Samuel G. Dow-
ry, or perhaps both of them, probably
organized the first Presbyterian Church
in Lebanon, before the division in 1837.
Rev. Samuel Gardener Lowry was
born in Wasnington county, Tennessee,
March 26, 1800. His mother's father
was the Rev. Samuel Doak, D. D. —
Young Lowry was educated in Dr.
Doak's school, first called Martin Aca-
demy, afterwards Washington College.
He was taken under the care of West
Lexington Presbytery in 1819. My
father was received at the .ame meeting
into the Presbyterian Church as a min-
ister, from the Associate Reformed
Church. Mr. Lowry was licensed by
Ebenezer Presbytery, October, 1821,
and ordained in December, the same
year ; preached at Cabin Creek, Ky ;
was settled 1822-1825 in Richmond, O.
Removed to Indiana in 1825 ; was in-
stalled in. Decatur county 1825-1832. —
John Finley Crowe, D, D , preached the
sermon. In 1832 he united with the
C rawfordsvilie Presbytery, and labored
faithfully in Parke, Montiromery and
Hendricks counties. In 1847 he moved
to Sumner, Minue-ota.
Elder T. J. McCorkle, of Thorntown,
writes: "There was a New School Pres-
byterian Church in Jjebanon before the
Old fchool was organized." He men-
tions the names of the Elders and mem-
bers. Samuel Craig and Jeremiah Cory
were Elders — the wives of the Elders
and a son and two daughters of Craig,
Robert Olive, Mrs. Elizabeth Brown and
one other lady were the members — ten
persons in all.
Rev. Daniel Jones, the .second named
minister on the Thorntown list, 1839-40
— and of whom I learn nothing addi-
tional — preached a few times in Leba-
non, and possibly had a part in the or-
ganization of the first church.
Rev. Thompson Bird, who was settled
14
PRESBYTERIANISM IN LEBANON
as stated supply of the Thorntown Pres-
byterian Church (Xew School) from
1840 to 1847 ; did considerable ministe-
rial work in Lebanon. He was born in
Caswell county, North Carolina, Janu-
ary 7, 1804; was graduated at the Uni-
versity of North Carolina in 1S27 : was
a tutor in the University; studied the-
ology in the full course at Andover,
Massachusetts, After a few years of
service in his native State and Virginia,
he settled in Thorntown, through the
intluence of his class-mate, Prof. C.
Mills. He removed frona. Indiana to
Iowa and settled in Des Moines at its
first location as a town, where he died
January 5, 1869. His funeral sermon
was preached by Eev. J. A, Nash, of the
Baptist Church. This was at the re-
quest of Mr. Bird. Mr. Nash says:
"January 3, 1851, 1 came to Des Moines,
and hence for eighteen years our work
has crossed and overlaopea all the time."
The last name which I will mention, as
connected with this period and organiza-
tion, is Elder Isaac Cory. He was born in
Hamilton county, Ohio, May 1796 — now
is an old man of SO, living near Bloom-
ington, in this State, He moved to
this caunty in August, 1841. He, his
"Wife and three daughters connected
with the New School Presbyterian
Church in Lebanon. His brother, Jere-
miah Cory, was the oniy Elder fit the
time. Shortly after he came to this
county, Mr. Bird held a communion
meeting here, and Isaac Cory and Rob-
ert Olive were chosen and ordained El-
aers. In the fall of 1852 Mr. Cory re-
moved from the county ; the Presbytery
of Indianapolis disbanded the church,
and dismissed the remaining members
to connect with the church in Thorn-
town, rather than with the O S. Church
in Lebanon. That was the fashion in
those days. Thank God, the fashion
has chanj^ed.
We turn now to our own records. On
the 3rd of January, 1840, this church
was organized with twelve members,
whose names you have on our printed
roll.
1. Eev. Jno. C. Eastman is the first
minister mentio .ed as serving the
church. It could only have been an oc-
casional supply rendered, as he was in
charge of the first church of Crawford'*-
ville from 1840 to 1849. He was born
March 17, 1813, in Bradford, Massachu-
setts, was educated at Phillips Academy,
and Amherst College, studied theology,
and was licensed by Chillicothe Presby-
tery September 19, 1834. He was first
settled in Ohio, His last earthly labor
was as financial agent for Hanoyer Col-
lege.
2. Of Rev. N. P. Chariot I only
learn that he was a member of Craw-
fordsville Presbytery, and removed many
years ago to Texas, leaving the Presby-
terian Church. He united with the
Episcopal Church, and returning to In-
diana, was for a short time Rector of
the Episcopal Church in Crawfordsville.
He and Eastman were at ihe same meet-
ings in Lebanon.
3. Rev. Samuel Newel Evans was
born in Pulaski county, K'entueky, No-
vember 12, 1812, was removed by his pa-
rents to Owen county, Indiana. He
was educated in his college course at
Bloomington and Hanover, graduating
at the latter college, studied theology at
New Albany, was licensed and ordained
by Salem Presbytery, labored in Mis-
souri and Mississippi, returned to Indi-
ana, supplied at Bedford, came to Thorn-
town in 1847, removed to Waveland la
1855, then awhile in Minnesota, which
he left with the intention of returning
to Lebanon, but was providenMally led
to Lane, Illinois, (now Rochelle) where
on the day after a meeting of Presby-
tery in his church (a new building
wa* dedicated on the previous Sabbath)
he was killed by lightning as he was
walking in a field,
4. Rev, Joseph Piatt preached in
Lebanon in 1853, and now lives in Bar-
dolph, Illinois,
5. Rev, Henry W. Bigga was born in
Frankford, Pennsylvania, March 15,
1828. He was graduated from Cincin-
nati College, of which his father, Rev,
Thomas J. Biggs, D. D., was President
in 1845. He spent three years in theo-
logical study at Princeton, New Jersey,
and was licensed in 1851, and came to
Lebanon in the summer of that year.
He was ordained by Crawfordsville,
Presbytery in 1852. In March, 1853, he
settled in Princeton, Gibson county,
Indiana. His next field of labor waa
Morgantown, Virginia, from 1855 to
1864, when he removed to Chillicothe,
Ohio, where he has labored since as pas-
tor of the 1st Church,
6. Rev, Peter Rulfson Vanata was
born April 10. 1814, near Fiemington,
New Jersey, graduated at Princeton in
the college in 1840, and from the semi-
nary in 1843, was licensed by the Pres-
bytery of Newton in 1842, ordained by
the Presbytery of jStarion in 1845, and
was pastor at Marion, Ohio, and in 1847,
was pastor at Logansport, For sixteen
BY REV. J. M. BISHOP.
15
years he bas been employed by the Amer-
ican Bible bociety, very successfully. He
only preached occasionally in Lebanon.
7. Rev. J. L. Hawkins, was in Leba-
non in 1S57, and this is all I can learn
of him.
8. Rev. John B. Logan was corn in
Washington county, Virginia, of Scotch-
Irish parents, July 23. 181S. He re-
ceived his education mainly in the com-
mon schools, with one year in the High
School at Abingdom, Virginia, and his
theological course wa« pursued private-
ly. He has labored in the ministry
eight years in Virginia, ten years in
Tennessee, and fifteen years in Indiana.
He supplied this pulpit from Januaay 2,
1859, to March 13, 1859. At this time
he is pastor in Seymour.
9. Rev. Charles K. Thompson was
born six miles north-east from Vin-
cennes, Indiana, January 31, 1811. He
was graduated at Hanover College in
1834, in the first graduating cl.ass, was a
student of theology under Dr. Tohu
Mathews at the Hanover Seminary, was
licensed by the Presbytery of Madison,
April, 1837. His first settlement was at
Carlisle, Sullivan county, Indiana, where
be was ordained and installed pastor
Septembei 1839. He remained there
Dine years, and removed to Covington
March 1848, to Crawfordsville, in 1850,
to Darlington October 1354, to Thorn-
town, April, 1859, supplied Lebanon
two years while living in Thorntown ;
removing here " January 1, 1362.
In November 18(57 he moved to Eliza-
bethtown, which wss uis home until his
death, which occurred at Carlisle, Feb-
ruary 8, 1872. His labors in Boone
county were of inestimable value. And
his life, as a whole, was one of remarka-
ble success. His last labors were the
most fruithful.
10. Francis Marion Symmes was born
November 18, 1827, graduated at Hano-
Ter College in 1852, and at Princeton
Theological Seminary in 1855. His
ministry has been entirely in Indiana.
First in the Presbytery of Madison 1835
to 1864, in the Presbytery of New Alba-
ny 1865 to 1867, in the Presbytery of
Crawfordsville from 1867 to the present
time.
11. John Mason Bishop was born in
Lexington, Kentucky, April 2, 1819,
graduated at ^liami University in 1841,
was licensed by Cincinnati Presbytery
in 1843, and ordained by La Porte'Pres-
bytery in 1845.
Many other ministers, some of them
of national reputation have yiaited this
congregation, and are affectionately re-
membered for their work's sake. Jno.
S. Craig, son of the first Elder, has
preached here, John Mitchell, R. H. Al-
len. D. D., Levi Hughes, D. R. Coltnery,
L W. Monfort, Daniei Rice, D. D., A. C.
Allen, H. Little, D. D., VV. T. Allen,
J. L. Witherow, D. D.. J. T. Tuttle, D.
D., and many others, who, giving valu-
able aid to the regular supplies, have
ministered to this congregation, for
which privilege the hearers, I trust, will
give account with joy and not with
grief.
These regular ministers, with di-
verse gift-* or Lick of gifts, have
each contributed somewhat to the pres-
ent position of this church — each as the
General for the lime being, of thi« little
detachment of the sacramental army,
has been praised or blamed for apparent
victory or defeat. This is the law of so-
cial life and organization that can not
be avoided. "Like priest-like people,"
is the inspired expression. But, while
we reverence the Divine appointment of
the ministry, most emphatically do we
say, the general is for the army, and the
army for the country and the cause. A
history of this church fully and suita-
bly given, wowld add to these
ministers many names of men and
women and children, elders, deacons,
trustees, building committees, Sabbath
School superintendents and teachers,
and working and praying women, not a
few. Among these were Craig and Cory
Richey and James Hamilton, and others
who have gone from us to their final
rest and reward. There are also men
now living, such as J. M. Coyner, who
with the dead, were, or are, the peers of
any ministers on our roll in piety and
usefulness. Especially do I wish to
mention with honor the names of loyal
ladies, living and dead, who have been
faithful in times of trial, and modest in
times of triumph ; who in the various
circles for work and prayer have encour-
aged the minister a»id pleased the Master.
But the list is ton long and our informa-
tion and power of discription too small
for the tash. This is all I can say :
Their record is on high, and the founda-
tion of the Lord standeth sure, having
this seal . The Lord kuoweth them that
are his — we do not forget them. These
forty odd years since the germ of Pres-
byterianism appeared in Lebanon may
be studied in chnpters and epochs. As
e. g. when Presbyteries met here,
when protracted meetings were held
and revivals were enjoyed. There were
16
PKESBYTEKIANISM IN LEBANON.
days of discipline— dark: and trying
day^ enough, we hope, for many years
to come. The educational work of Pres-
hyteriani:5m in this community, as initi-
ated and directed "by C K. Thompson
and J. M. Covner, is worthy of grateful
study. And house builaing, our present
task, has pressed us hard on other shoul-
ders. The 132 psalms, 4 and 5, has been
the motto of other hearts than ours.
How the past would instruct and en-
courage, could we only learn and profit
by its lesions! But this church has
grown and will grow, in peaceful gov-
ernment, by the Divinely appointed
agerit. If we decrease, He will increase,
j and to Him be the glory, now and ever^
Amen !
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