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HISTORY 


DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  CODNTIES, 


INDIANA. 


FROM   THEIR    EARLIEST   SETTLEMENT. 


C01TT^I3Sri3SrC3- 


A   HISTORY   OF     THE     COUNTIES;   THEIR    CITIES,     TOWNSHIPS,   TOAVNS,   VILLAGES, 

SCHOOLS,    AND    CHURCHES;    REMINISCENCES,    EXTRACTS,     ETC.;     LOCAL 

STATISTICS;     PORTRAITS  OF  EARLY    SETTLERS  AND  PROMINENT 

men;   BIOGRAPHIES;     PRELIMINARY     CHAPTERS   ON    THE 

HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH-WEST  TERRITORY,  THE 

STATE  OF  INDIANA,  AND  THE  INDIANS. 


ILHiTTSTI^J^TEID. 


CHICAGO: 

F.  E.  WEAKLEY  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS. 

1885. 


Cu^  CHICAGO:  4     .) 

>^~^«  John  Morris  Company  *^^  * 
^  ^ printers. ^  j 


PREFACE. 


TT^HE  generation  of  hardy  men,  who  first  settled  the  region  comprising 
-L  the  counties  whose  history  is  given  in  this  vohime,  has  nearly  all  passed 
away.  The  names  and  deeds  of  those  who  encountered  the  perils  of  Indian 
warfare,  endured  the  privations  of  pioneer  life,  and,  with  rifles  by  their 
sides,  cleared  away  the  giants  of  the  forests,  rescuing  from  savages  and  wild 
beasts  the  lands  the  present  generation  possesses  in  peace,  should  not  be 
forgotten.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  volume  to  give  the  history  of  their 
achievements,  and  to  record  the  growth  and  development  of  these  counties, 
that  the  present  and  future  generations  may  know  something  of  what  it  cost 
to  give  them  this  fair  land,  and  who  were  the  brave  men  and  noble  women 
who  converted  a  wilderness  into  the  smiling  region  we  now  behold. 

More  than  a  year  has  elapsed  since  the  prospectus  of  this  work  was 
issued.  This  period  has  been  spent  in  its  preparation,  during  which  every 
township  and  neighborhood  have  been  visited  and  information  obtained  by 
conversation  with  old  residents  and  men  of  intelligence.  Several  hundred 
manuscript  pages  have  been  received  from  gentlemen  in  various  parts  of  the 
counties.  The  compilers  have  explored  the  original  records  of  the  counties 
and  availed  themselves  of  all  published  sources  of  information.  They  have 
searched  out  every  book,  pamphlet  and  document  relating  to  the  history  of 
southeast  Indiana  in  the  State  Library  at  Indianapolis,  the  library  of  the 
Ohio  Historical  and  Philosophical  Society  at  Cincinnati,  and  the  public 
libraries  at  Indianapolis  and  Cincinnati.  In  this  way  they  have  been  enabled 
to  present  a  larger  and  more  varied  amount  of  historical  matter  concerning 
the  region  along  the  Ohio  and  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  than  was  ever 
before  embodied  in  a  single  volume. 

The  five  preliminary  chapters  were  prepared  for  this  work,  and  will  be 
found  to  contain  facts  concerning  the  early  history  of  Indiana,  not  given 
in  any  history  of  the  State  yet  pu.blished. 

The  township  histories  are  designed  to  chronicle  annals  of  each  neigh- 
borhood, thus  rescuing  fi'om  oblivion  much  interesting  and  valuable  local 
history  that  would  otherwise  be  lost  through  the  death  of  early  settlers,  and 
the  ravages  of  time. 

The  biographies,  at  the  close  of  the  history  of  the  counties,  are  arranged 
in  alphabetical  order.  They  were  prepared,  for  the  most  part,  by  the  can- 
vassing agents  of  the  publishers.      These  sketches  may  be  found  in  succeed- 


vi  PREFACE. 

ing  years  to  possess  an  interest  and  value  which  will  cause  the  book  to  be 
much  sought  after  by  exploi-ers  in  genealogies  and  family  histories. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  chapters  on  "The  Miami  Purchase"  and 
'  'Indian  Depredations' '  the  writers  have  had  the  aid  of  the  valuable  papers 
of  the  late  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  whose  sketches  have  never 
been  published  in  book  form.  They  relate  chiefly  to  the  first  six  years  of 
the  settlement  between  the  Miami  Rivers.  It  is  believed  that  every  import- 
ant fact  contained  in  them  concerning  the  early  history  of  the  country  about 
the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  will  be  found  in  the  following  pages.  The 
printed  sketches  and  manuscripts  of  Geo.  W.  Lane,  who  has  long  taken 
a  deep  interest  in  the  pioneer  history  of  Dearborn  County,  have  been  freely 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  i^ublishers.  We  also  desire  to  express  bur 
obligations  to  the  venerable  Samuel  Morrison,  of  Indianapolis,  George  Sut- 
ton, M.  D. ,  of  Aurora,  and  Samuel  F.  Covington,  of  Cincinnati. 

The  writers  have  faithfully  aimed  at  accuracy,  but  he  who  expects  to  find 
the  work  entirely  free  from  errors  or  defects,  has  little  knowledge  of  the 
difficulties  attending  the  preparation  of  a  work  of  this  kind.  Some  errors 
ai*e  unavoidable.  The  publishers  trust  that  the  book  will  be  received  in  a 
generous  spirit,  which  is  gratified  at  honest  efForts,  and  not  in  a  captious 
spirit. 

To  county,  town,  and  township  officers,  editors,  members  of  the  bar, 
physicians  and  many  intelligent  citizens,  the  publishers  are  indebted  for 
favors  and  generous  assistance.  The  Publishers. 


CONTENTS. 


iz 


PAGE. 

Sketches  of  Some  Deceased  Physicians 165 

Dr.  Jabez  Pereival 165 

Dr.  Ezra  Ferris 168 

Dr.  Jeremiah  H.  Browor 167 

Dr.  David  Fisher 169 

Dr.  Mathias  Haines 170 

Dr.  Henry  J.  Bowers "  173 

Dr.  Nelson  Horatio  Torbet, 173 

Dr.  Basil  James 173 

Dr.  Robert  Gillespie 174 

Dr.  Hugh  T.Williams 174 

Dr.  Myron  H.  Harding 174 

CHAPTER  XL— Journalism. 

The  Dearborn  Gazette 176 

The  Indiana  Oracle 176 

The  Indiana  Palladium 177 

The  Western  Statesman 177 

The  Political  Beacon 179 

The  Indiana  Whig :; 180 

The  Democratic  Register 181 

The  Independent  Press 181 

The  Lawrenceburgh  Press 182 

The  Indiana  Signal 182 

The  Dearborn  Democrat 182 

The  Western  Republican 182 

The  Western  Commercial 182 

The  Aurora  Standard 183 

The  Independent  Banuer 183 

The  Aurora  Commercial 183 

The  People's  Advocate 183 

The  Dearborn  Independent 183 

The  Aurora  Spectator 183 

The  Rising  Sun 184 

The  Rising  Sun  Times  and  Farmer's  Journal  184 

The  Rising  Sun  Journal 184 

The  Indiana  Patriot 185 

The  Indiana  Blade 185 

The  Indiana  Whig 186 

The  Rising  Sun  Herald 187 

The  Rising  Sun  Mirror 187 

The  Hoosier  Patriot 187 

The  Indiana  Republican 187 

The  Neutral  Penant 187 

The  Indiana  Weekly  Visitor 187 

The  Hoosier  Paper 188 

The  Observer  and  Recorder 189 

The  Ohio  County  Recorder 190 

The  Saturday  News 190 

The  Rising  Sun  Local 190 

CHAPTER  XIL— Ohio  River  Floods. 

Climate  of  the  Ohio  Valley 191 

Effect  of  the  Removal  of  Forests  on  Floods...  191 

The  Flood  of  1788-89 192 

An  old  Memorandum 192 

The  Flood  of  1832 192 

The  Flood  of  1847 194 

The  Flood  of  1882 194 

The  Flood  of  1883 196 

The  Flood  of  1884 197 

Relief  of  Sufferers  at  Lawrenceburgh 198 

Table  of  High  Water  Marks 198 

CHAPTER  XIII.— Military  History. 

Revolutionary    Soldiers    in   Dearborn    and 

Ohio  Counties 199 

Dearborn  Countv  in  the  War  of  1812 200 

Namesot  Soldiers  of  the  War  of  1812 201 

The  Mexican  War 202 

The  Civil  War 203 

Dearborn  County  in  the  Civil  War 203 

Company  I,  Seventy-seventh  IndianaVolun- 

teer  Infantry  (three  months' service) 208 

The     Seventy-seventh     Regiment      (three 

months'  service) 208 

Company  C,  Seventh  Regiment  (three  yeans' 

service; '..  209 

The  Seventh  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer 

Infantry 210 

Company  C, Eighty-third  Indiana  Volunteer 

Infantry 211 

The  Eighty-third  Regiment  Infantry 212 


PAGE. 

The  Second  Battery  Light  Artillery 214 

Company  B,  Fourth  Cavalry 216 

The  Seventy-seventh  Regiment 216 

The  Morgan  Raid 219 

Unfortunate  Occurrence  During  the  Raid...  222 

Drafts  and  Bounties 223 

Tabular  Account  of  County  Expenditures...  224 

Aid  Societies 224 

Closing  Scenes  of  the  War 225 


'HAPTER  XIV.— List  of  Officers. 

Territorial  Judges  of  Dearborn  County 226 

Circuit  Judges 226 

tJommou  I'leas  Judges 227 

Associate  Judges 227 

Probate  Judges 227 

Members  of  Territoral  Legislature 227 

Members  of  Constitutional  Conventions 228 

Members  of  State  IjCgislature 228 

Board  of  Magistrates  and  County   (Commis- 
sioners   230 

Treasurers 231 

Clerks 232 

Recorders 232 

Sheriffs 233 

Auditors 233 

United  States  Officers 233 

State  Officers 234 

Ohio  County  Officers 234 

Circuit  Judges 234 

Common  Pleas  Judges 234 

Associate  Judges 235 

Probate  Judges 235 

.Sheriffs 235 

Recorders 235 

Clerks 236 

Auditors 236 

Treasurers 236 

County  Commissioners 236 

Members  of  the  State  Legislature 237 


CHAPTER  XV.— City  of  Lawrenceburgh. 

Lawrenceburgh  Laid  Out 

Origin  of  its  Name 

Capt.  Samuel  C.  Vance 

Newtown  Laid  Out 

Edenborough 

Early   History  and  Progress  ol    I    ^\lcnLC- 

burgb 

Principal  Citizens  in  1813 

The  Town  Described  in  1815 

Horse-thief  Hanged  near  Tannti  s  <  let  k 

The  Anderson  House 

Lawrenceburgh  Sunday-school  Socittv 

Daniel  Brown 

Celebration  of  the  Fourth  of  Julv  in  18') 

Business  Interests  in  1826 

Lawrenceburgh  in  1828  Deecribed 

The  Murder  of  Palmer  Warren 

Trial,  Conviction  and  Execution  o(    Vm  isa 

Fuller 

Progress  of  the  City  from  ISl'.o  to  ls4ii 

Independence  Day,  1831 

Lawrenceburgh  a  City 

Cirowth  and  Progress 

Odd  Fellows'  Building 

Business  of  the  City— 18.58-59 

Banks 

Great  Fire,  July  4,  iscc, 

Churches 

Methodist  Episcopal  <  hurch 

Baptist  Church 

First  Presbyterian  Church 

Henry  Ward  Beecher  in  Lawrenceburgh 

Catholic  Church 

German  Evangelical  Zion  Church 

Lutheran  St.  John's  Church 

German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

Christian  Church 

Trinity  Episcopal  Church 

Early  Schools 

Graded  Schools 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

High  School 281 

Leading  Manufacturing  Interests 283 

Gas  Works 297 

Fire  Department 297 

Societies 299 

""^^-^Old  Landmarks 301 

Centennial  Fourth  of  July 302 

CHAPTER  XVI.— OiTY  of  Aurora. 

Aurora  Laid  Out 303 

Aurora  Association  for  Internal  Improve- 
ments   304 

First  Sale  of  Lots 305 

Early  History  of  the  Village 306 

Reminiscences 309 

First  Magistrate  of  Aurora 311 

Mayors  of  the  City 314 

Telegraph  and  Telephone 315 

Business  Exhibit  in  18.58-59 315 

(jirowth  and  Progress 317 

Great  Fire  of  1882 320 

Floods 321 

Schools 324 

Fire  Department 327 

Churches 328 

Baptist  Church 328 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church 331 

Presbyterian  Church 332 

St.  John's  Lutheran  Church 333 

Catholic  Church 334 

German  Reformed  Church 335 

St.  Mark's  Episcopal  Church 335 

Christian  Church 336 

Leading  Jlanufacturing  Interests 338 

Grand  Opera  House 352 

Postmasters 353 

Societies 353 

CHAPTER  XVII.— City  of  Rising  Sitn. 

Location 355 

Origin 3.56 

Founders  of  Rising  Sun 357 

The  Early  Village 3.58 

First  Merchant 359 

Incorporation 360 

Independence  Day,  l.s34 360 

The  Town  in  183.5-36 361 

Main  and  Front  Streets  in  1833 363 

Pen  Picture  of  the  Town  in  1845 369 

Steam-boat  Building  and  Boating 374 

Early  Postmasters 370 

Telegraph 377 

Leading  Manufacturing  Interests 377 

National  Bank 382 

Churches  382 

Methodist  EpiscopaRhurch 382 

Presbyterian  Church 384 

Christian  Church 385 

TTuiversalist  Church 386 

Baptist  Church 386 

(German  Reformed  Church .• 386 

Shiloh  Baptist  Church 387 

Schools 387 

Rising  Sun  Seminary 389 

(iraded  Schools 396 

Great  Fire  of  1866 397 

Fire  of  1885 398 

Cemeteries 399 

Societies 400 

Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company 402 

Flat-boat  Insurance 405 

Centennial  1 'ourth  of  July 407 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— Lawrenceburgii  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 409 

First  Land  Sales 410 

Pioneers  and  Pioneer  Settlement.? 411 

Incidents  of  Pioneer  Times 418 

Antiquities 420 

Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards 421 

Mills  and  Distilleries.. '. 423 

Hardinsburgh  424 

Greendale 424 


CHAPTER  XIX.-Center  Township.  ^^^^' 

\     Organization  and  Boundaries 425 

^  First  Land  Sales [  496 

Early  Settlement '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.  427 

Pioneer  Reminiscences 428 

"Saw-mill,"  the  Indian 432 

Early  Religious  and  Educational  Notes 4.34 

Cochran 434 

River  View  Cemetery 4.36 

CHAPTER  XX.— Randolph  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 437 

^  ,    Land  Entries .' 437 

"-    Pioneers  and  PiuneiT  Settlmients 439 

The  Fultons 440 

The  Brown  Family  445 

North's  Landing...! 450 

ilillersburgh .'  452 

Mills  and  Distilleries 453 

Schools,  Churches  aud  (aaveyards 454 

CHAPTER  XXL— Miller  Township. 

Boundaries  aud  Organization 456 

Government  Land  Sales- 457 

V    Pioneer  Settlements 458 

-sj      Notes  on  the  Early  Settlers 461 

Mills '. 463 

Schools,  Churches,  Crraveyards 464 

CHAPTER  XXII.— Union  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 467 

Original  Land  Purchases 467 

Early  Settlements 468 

An  Indian  Story 470 

Mills  and  Distilleries 471 

First  Schools 471 

Churche.s  and  Graveyards 472 

Mounds 473 

Milton 474 

Hartford 476 

Miscellaneous 477 

CHAPTER  XXIIL— Hogan  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 478 

Original  Ljvnd  Sales 478 

Early  Settlements 479 

Notes  on  the  Early  Settlers  482 

Early  Schools  and  Industries 484 

Churches  and  Graveyards 485 

Wilmington 486 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— VVashington  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 489 

Land  Entries ." 489 

Early  Settlements 490 

Notes  on  Early  Settlers 491 

Early  Schools.. 493 

Churches  and  Graveyards 494 

CHAPTER  XXV.— Clay  Township. 

Organization  and  Boundaries 495 

First  Land  Sales 496 

Early  Settlement 498 

Reminiscences  of  Laughery 500 

Mills 503 

Schools,  Churches  aud  Graveyards 503 

DUlsborough 505 

CHAPTER  XXVI.— Cesar  Creek  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 507 

Original  Land  Sales 507 

Pioneer  Settlements 508 

Noteson  FirstSettlers 510 

First  Schools 511 

Early  Mills 512 

Churches  and  Graveyards 512 

Farmers'  Retreat 514 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER  XXVII.— Pike  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 514 

First  Land  Sales 515 

Early  Settlements 516 

Early  Industries 518 

Churches,  Schools  and  Graveyards 519 

Freedom,  or  Cole's  Corners 521 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.— Harrison  Township. 

Organization  and  Boundaries 522 

First  Land  Sales 522 

Early  Settlements 523 

Mills  and  Distilleries 527 

Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards 528 

Harrison 533 

Ancient  Remains  at  Harrison 534 

CHAPTER  XXIX.— Manchester  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 537 

First  Land  Sales 537 

Early  Settlements  and  Pioneer  Merchants...  541 

Churches,  Schools  and  Graveyards 549 

Mills  and  Other  Industries 552 

Hamlets 554 

CHAPTER  XXX.— Sparta  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 656 

Original  Land  Sales 556 

Early  Settlements  and  Events 559 

Industries 561 

Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards 561 

Moore's  Hill 564 

Moore's  Hill  College 567 

CHAPTER  \  XXL— York  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 569 

Government  Land  Sales 569 


PAGE. 

Early  Settlements 571 

Mills 573 

Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards 573 

Yorkville 576 

CHAPTER  XXXIL— Kelso  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 577 

(iovernment  Land  Sales 577 

Early  Settlement 579 

Dover 579 

New  Alsace 581 

St.  Leon 582 

CHAPTER  XXXIII.— Cass  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 584 

Government  Land  Sales 584 

Pioneer  Settlements,  Incidents  and  Tradi- 
tions  585 

Industries 589 

Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards 589 

Aberdeen 591 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.— Jackson  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 592 

Early  Settlements 595 

Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards 596 

Industries 598 

Hamlets 599 

CHAPTER  XXXV.— Logan  Township. 

Boundaries  and  Organization 600 

Government  Land  Sales 600 

Early  Settlers 602 

Mills 6C2 

Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards 603 

Logan  Cross  Roads 604 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.' 


Biographies  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties, 

Alphabetically  Arranged 605-987 


ies  out  of   place : 
bhn  Smith 


Vincenes  Frank. 


PORTRAITS. 


William  S.  Holman 

James  H.  Lane 

William  D.  H.  Hunter.. 
George  Sutton 


Myron  H.  Harding 171 

John  Hornberger Facing  296 

Shadrach  Hathaway Facing  355 


Lawrenceburgh  in  the  Flood. 


VIEWS. 

.Facing  191    |    Dearborn  County  Court  House 240 


*In  the  various  Township  Histories  under  the  head  of  Early  Settlers,  Pioneers  or  a  similar  heading 
appear  references  to,  and  short  sketches  of  many  of  the  early  residents  of  the  Counties  of  Dearborn  and 
Ohio  not  given  in  this  department  of  the  volume. 


PRELIMINARY  CHAPTERS, 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY. 

The  Title  of  Virginia  to  the  Territory  Northwest  of  the  Ohio-The 
French  IN  Indiana-Gen.  Clark's  Eeduction  of  the  British  Posts 
-Organization  of  the  Northwest  Territory-First  Counties  in 
Indiana-Knox  County-Gen.  Clark's  Expedition  Against  the 
Wabash  Indians-Gen.  Charles  Scott's  Expedition-Col.  James 
Wilkinson's  Expedition-Gen.  Josiah  Harmar's  Expedition-St. 
Clair's  Defeat— Wayne's  Victory. 

INDIANA,  as  a  civil  division  bearing  the  name,  dates  its  existence 
from  July  4,1800,  when  the  act  of  Congress  creating  Indiana  Terri- 
tory went  into  effect.  It  then  included  Michigan,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin. 
The  United  States  census  of  1800  found  in  Indiana  5,641  inhabitants. 
In  1805  Michigan  Territory  was  struck  off,  and,  in  1809,  Illinois;  from 
the  latter  year  Indiana  dates  its  present  limits.  December  11,  1816, 
the  Territory  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State.  From  its  first 
exploration  by  white  men  Indiana  constituted  a  part  of  New  France  until 
1763,  when  it  was  ceded  by  the  French  to  the  English.  In  the  treaty  of 
1783' Indiana  was  included  in  the  territory  yielded  by  Great  Britain  to 
the  United  States.  While  it  belonged  to  the  English  it  was  part  of  the 
colony  of  Virginia,  and  was  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  Virginia  in 
1784,  from  which  time  until  the  formation  of  Indiana  Territory,  it 
formed  a  part  of  the  Northwest  Territory. 

Virginia  acquired  title  to  the  great  territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  by 
its  several  charters  from  James  I,  and  especially  from  the  one  bearing 
date  of  May  23,1609,  in  which  were  granted  all  the  territory  along  the  coast 
for  400  miles,  and  extending  "up  into  the  land  throughout  from  sea  to 
sea."  Virginia  first  attempted  to  exercise  authority  over  this  vast  domain  in 
1769,  when  the  House  of  Burgesses  passed  an  act  establishing  the 
county  of  Botetourt,  with  the  Mississippi  River  as  its  western  boundary. 


20  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

Fincastle,  Va.,  was  the  seat  of  justice  of  this  extensive  county.  In 
October,  1788,  a  Virginia  statute  provided  that  "all  the  citizens  of  the 
Commonwealth  of  Virginia,  who  are  already  settled,  or  shall  hereafter 
settle  on  the  western  side  of  the  Ohio,  shall  be  included  in  a  distinct 
county,  which  shall  be  called  Illinois  County.''  Col.  John  Todd  served 
under  appointment  of  the  governor  of  Virginia  as  civil  commandant 
and  lieutenant  of  Illinois,  until  his  death  at  the  battle  of  Blue  Licks  in 
1782. 

THE    FKENCH    IN    INDIANA. 

The  first  explorations  and  settlements  of  the  whites  were  by  the 
French,  and  were  the  results  of  the  enterprise  of  La  Salle,  who  set  out 
from  Canada  in  1G79,  and  passing  across  the  lakes  descended  the  Illinois 
River.  The  Indians  inhabiting  the  country  at  that  time  seem  to  have 
made  little  or  no  opposition  to  its  occupancy  by  the  new-comers,  and 
several  important  French  towns  were  established  on  the  Illinois  and 
Wabash  before  the  eighteenth  century  was  far  advanced.  The  missions 
and  settlements  of  the  French  were  of  necessity  established  along  the 
routes  of  travel  from  Canada  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  The  only 
mode  of  travel  was  by  canoes.  Among  the  portages  over  which  the 
French  carried  their  canoes  from  one  navigable  river  to  another,  one 
was  of  three  miles'  length  in  St.  Joseph  County,  Ind.,  from  the  St. 
Joseph  River  to  the  Kankakee;  another  was  from  the  Maumee  near  Fort 
Wayne  to  the  Wabash. 

The  exact  period  of  the  first  French  settlements  cannot  be  ascer- 
tained. Early  in  the  eighteenth  century  a  party  of  French  Canadians 
descended  the  Wabash,  and  several  settlements  were  soon  established 
along  its  banks,  among  others  Vincennes.  Many  dates  have  been  given 
of  the  establishment  of  Vincennes,  some  of  which  are  mere  conjectures. 
Volney  conjectured  the  settlement  to  have  been  made  about  1735;  Bishop 
Brute  speaks  of  a  missionary  station  there  in  1700;  Bancroft  says  a 
military  post  was  formed  there  in  1716,  and  in  1742  a  settlement  of 
herdsmen  was  made;  Judge  Law  dates  the  post  back  to  1710  or  1711, 
and  the  New  American  Cyclopedia  says  the  party  of  French  Canadians 
descended  the  Wabash  in  1702  and  established  towns  along  the  river. 
At  one  time  the  French  settlements  were  represented  as  in  a  flourishing 
condition  and  this  part  of  New  France  was  described  as  a  new  paradise, 
but  the  settlers  degenerated,  became  ignorant  and  slothful,  and  but  little 
superior  to  the  Indians  among  whom  they  lived. 

GEN.  Clark's  reduction  of  the  British  posts. 
During  the  Revolution  most  of  the  Western  Indians  adhered   to  the 
British.     The  possession  by  the  British  of  the  posts    established    by  the 


THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY.  21 

French  at  Detroit,  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes  gave  them  easy  and  con- 
stant access  to  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Northwest.  The  bold  plan  of 
defeating  and  expelling  the  British  from  their  Western  posts  was  con- 
ceived and  brilliantly  executed  by  a  Kentucky  backwoodsman,  George 
Rogers  Clark.  By  spies  seut  for  the  purpose,  who  were  absent  from 
April  20  to  June  22,  1777,  Clark  satisfied  himself  that  an  enterprise 
against  the  Western  settlements  might  easily  be  successful.  He  went  to 
Virginia  and  submitted  his  plans  to  the  government  of  that  State.  Gov. 
Patrick  Henry  gave  him  written  instructions,  authorizing  him  to  enlist . 
seven  companies  to  serve  under  his  orders  for  three  months.  Clark's 
rank  at  this  time  was  lieutenant  colonel.  He  raised  three  companies 
at  Pittsburgh,  and  descended  the  Ohio  to  the  falls,  where  he  was  joined 
by  another  company  of  Kentucky  recruits.  He  left  the  falls  with  four 
companies  on  the  24th  of  June,  1778,  during  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun. 
He  descended  the  river  to  Fort  Massac,  and  thence  proceeded  by  land 
to  Kaskaskia,  a  distance  of  over  100  miles.  Heavy  rains  had  fallen,  and 
were  succeeded  by  hot,  sultry  weather.  Their  route  lay  through  a  wil- 
derness without  a  path.  On  the  prairies  a  July  sun  beat  upon  them. 
Their  guide  became  bewildered.  On  the  4th  of  July  this  party  of  in- 
vaders, with  torn  and  soiled  garments  and  beards  of  three  weeks'  growth, 
came  in  sight  of  Kaskaskia.  The  town  contained  about  250  houses,  and 
the  inhabitants  were  mostly  French.  Clark  sent  forward  some  of  his 
men  who  could  speak  French  to  pass  through  the  streets,  making  procla- 
mation that  all  the  inhabitants  must  keep  within  their  houses,  under 
penalty  of  being  shot  down  in  the  streets.  The  next  day  the  little  army 
of  invaders  marched  into  town  in  two  divisions,  and  in  two  hours  all  the 
inhabitants  surrendered  and  gave  up  their  arms.  Not  a  drop  of  blood 
was  shed,  but  the  victory  was  complete.  A  few  days  later  Clark  sent 
a  detachment  mounted  on  French  ponies  to  Cahokia,  thirty  miles  dis- 
tant, and  obtained  a  surrender  of  the  fort  and  garrison  at  that  point. 
An  embassy  was  sent  to  Vincennes,  and  in  a  few  days  the  American  flag 
was  floating  from  the  fort  and  the  French  inhabitants  brought  over  to 
the  United  States. 

Clark  was  compelled  to  leave  only  a  diminutive  force  to  hold  posses- 
sion of  Vincennes,  and  the  British  Lieutenant-Governor,  Henry  Hamilton, 
then  at  Detroit,  formed  the  plan  of  retaking  the|place,  in  which  he  suc- 
ceeded without  difficulty.  The  latter  had  a  considerable  force  of  British 
regulars,  French  volunteers  and  Indians.  Clark  with  his  main  force  was 
at  Kaskaskia,  and  his  position  one  of  great  peril.  His  number  of  men 
was  too  small  to  stand  a  siege  and  his  situation  too  remote  to  call  for  re- 
cruits. He  formed  the  bold  and  hazardous  scheme  of  capturing  Gov. 
Hamilton  and  retaking  Vincennes. 


22  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

February  7,  1779,  Col.  Clark  with  bis  little  army  commenced  its 
march  from  Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes.  Their  route  lay  through  prairies 
and  points  of  timber.  The  winter  was  unusually  wet,  and  the  streams 
all  hio-h.  On  the  13th  of  February  they  arrived  at  the  Little  Wabash 
and'Muddy  Rivers.  The  rains  fell  every  day,  and  here  the  men  were 
compelled  to  wade  to  their  waists,  and  sometimes  to  their  armpits  in  mud 
and  water.  On  the  18th,  eleven  days  after  their  departure,  they  heard 
the  morning  gun  of  the  fort  at  Vincennes.  On  the  evening  of  the  same 
day  they  were  at  the  Wabash,  below  the  mouth  of  the  Embarjrass.  The 
party  was  now  in  an  exhausted  condition;  the  river  was  out  of  its  banks, 
and  all  the  low  grounds  covered  with  water.  Again  making  their  way 
through  deep  waters  they  arrived  in  full  view  of  the  town  a  little  before 
sunset  on  the  21st.  In  order  to  make  his  force  appear  formidable,  Clark 
ordered  his  men  to  march  and  countermarch  in  such  a  manner  that  from 
the  intervening  ground  the  enemy  were  led  to  count  them  twice  or  thrice. 
Ten  or  twelve  pairs  of  colors  were  so  displayed  on  long  poles  as  to  be 
seen  above  the  intervening  high  land,  and  from  a  distance  made  no  des- 
picable appearance.  Gov.  Hamilton  was  awed  into  a  surrender,  which 
was  formally  made  on  the  24th. 

The  expedition  of  Col.  Clark  was  not  excelled  in  difficulty,  daring 
and  heroic  endurance  by  any  during  the  Revolution.  The  march  from 
Kaskaskia  to  Vincennes  was  one  of  extraordinary  hardship  and  enterprise. 
The  whole  expedition  resulted  in  the  successful  reduction  of  all  the 
British  military  posts  between  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  gave  tranquility 
to  the  frontier  settlements,  and  secured  to  the  United  States  the  whole  of 
this  vast  territory.  The'^Virginia  Legislature  passed  a  complimentary 
resolution  to  Clark  and  his  men  for  their  victorious  campaign,  "whereby 
great  advantages  may  accrue  to  the  common  cause  of  America,  as  well  as 
to  this  commonwealth  in  particular. " 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY. 

After  Virginia  and  other  States  had  ceded  to  the  United  States  their 
claims  of  jurisdiction  aad  soil  to  the  territory  lying  northwest  of  the 
Ohio,  it  became  necessary  for  Congress  to  establish  civil  government  in 
the  new  extensive  region.  Accordingly  in  the  summer  of  1787,  while 
the  convention  which  formed  the  constitution  was  in  session  at  Philadel- 
phia, Congress  at  New  York  passed  an  "Ordinance  for  the  government 
of  the  territory  of  the  United  States  northwest  of  the  River  Ohio," 
which  has  come  to  be  best  known  as  "The  Ordinance  of  '87."  This  was 
the  most  important  act  of  Congress  under  the  Articles  of  Confederation, 
For  nearly  twenty-nine  years  it  was  the  fundamental  law  of  Indiana,  S. 
P.  Chase   in   his   history  of  Ohio  said  of  it:     "Never,  probably,  in  the 


THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY. 


23 


history  of  the  world,  did  a  measure  of  legislation  so  accurately  fulfill, 
and  yet  so  mightily  exceed  the  anticipations  of  the  legislators."  Its 
object^  was  declared  to  be  to  "extend  the  fundamental  principles  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty  which  form  the  basis  whereon  these  republics,  their 
laws  and  constitutions  are  erected;  to  fix  and  establish  those  principles 
as  the  basis  of  all  laws,  constitutions  and  governments,  which  forever 
hereafter  shall  be  formed  in  the  said  territory;  to  provide  also  for  the 
establishment  of  States  and  permanent  government  therein,  and  for  their 
admission  to  a  share  in  the  federal  councils  on  an  equal  footing  with 
the  original  States  at  as  early  periods  as  may  be  consistent  with  the 
general  interest." 

The  territory  for  which  this  ordinance  provided  a  government  em- 
braced all  the  land  then  belonging  to  the  United  States  northwest  of 
the  Ohio.  It  extended  from  Pennsylvania  to  the  Mississippi,  and  from 
the  Ohio  to  the  great  lakes.  Five  States  have  been  organized  from  it: 
Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan  and  Wisconsin.  The  territorial  gov- 
ernment was  organized  soon  after  the  passage  of  the  ordinance  and  at 
first  was  vested  solely  in  a  governor  and  judges.  The  first  governor 
was  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair,  who  was  president  of  Congress  when 
appointed.  In  1788  he  entered  upon  his  duties  at  Marietta.  During 
the  continuance  of  the  first  grade  of  government,  there  was  no  capital  of 
the  territory  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term.  Laws  were  passed  by 
the  governor  and  judges  wherever  they  happened  to  be  assembled. 
Some  were   enacted  at  Marietta,  some  at  Cincinnati   and  a  few   at  Vm- 


cennes. 


CD. 

About  the  1st  of  January,  1790,  the  governor,  with  other  ofiScers, 
descended  the  Ohio  from  Marietta  to  Fort  Washington,  at  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  organized  Hamilton  County,  which  embraced  the  western 
part  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  On  the  8th  of  January,  the  governor  and 
secretary  arrived  at  Clarksville,  at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  on  their  way  to 
Vincennes.  From  the  falls  they  proceeded  by  land  along  an  Indian  trail 
to  Vincen  nes,  where  they  organized  the  county  of  Knox,  the  fourth  county 
organized  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  It  comprised  all  the  territory 
along  the  Ohio  between  the  Great  Miami  and  the  Wabash.  Vincennes 
was  made  the  seat  of  justice.  Thence  they  proceeded  to  Kaskaskia,  and 
there  esta  blished  the  county  of  St.  Clair,  comprising  all  the  territory  from 
the  Wabash  to  the  Mississippi,  and  named  by  the  secretary  Winthrop 
Sargent,  in  [honor  of  the  governor.  Knox  and  St.  Clair  Counties  were 
organized  for  the  protection  of  the  French  inhabitants,  and  to  carry  into 
efifect  the  agreement  in  the  ordinance  of  1787  with  reference  to  the  pres- 
ervation of  their  rights  under  the  laws  and  customs  already  existing 
among  them.     At  Kaskaskia  the  governor  issued  a  proclamation,  calling 


24  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

upon  tbe  French  inhabitants  to  exhibit  the  titles  to  their  lands,  in  order 
to  have  them  examined  and  confirmed  and  their  lands  surveyed. 

GEN.  Clark's  expedition  against  the  wabash  Indians. 
The  first  important  expedition  which  passed  over  the  Territory  of 
Indiana  against  the  Indians  was  the  unsuccessful  one  of  George  Rogers 
Clark  against  the  Wabash  Indians  in  1786.  Many  depredations  had 
been  committed  in  Kentucky  by  marauding  bands  crossing  the  Ohio, 
plundering,  burning  and  scalping.  The  bands  were  chiefly  from  the 
Miamis  and  the  Wabash.  Congress  having  failed  in  its  efforts  to  secure 
peace  with  the  Indians  by  the  treaty  at  Fort  Finney,  ordered  two  com- 
panies down  the  Ohio  to  the  falls,  and  on  June  30,  1786,  authorized  the 
raising  of  militia  in  Kentucky  for  the  invasion  of  the  country  of  the 
hostile  tribes.  The  expedition  was  organized  into  two  parties,  one  under 
Gen.  Clark  to  march  against  the  Upper  Wabash  country,  the  other,  under 
Col.  Benjamin  Logan,  was  to  proceed  against  the  villages  on  the  head- 
waters of  the  Great  Miami. 

Col.  Logan,  with  400  or  500  mounted  riflemen,  crossed  the  Ohio 
near  Maysville,  Ky.,  and  passing  northward  succeeded  in  destroying 
some  Indian  villages  in  what  is  now  Logan  County,  Ohio,  killing  about 
twenty  savages  and  taking  about  seventy  prisoners. 

Gen.  Clark  was  not  so  successful.  With  about  1,000  men  he  marched 
from  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  for  Vincennes,  and  arrived  near  that  place  in 
October.  His  supplies  were  to  be  forwarded  to  that  place  by  boats. 
Nine  boats  had  been  freighted  with  stores  to  descend  the  Ohio  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Wabash,  and  then  to  ascend  to  Vincennes.  The  low  state 
of  the  water  retarded  the  arrival  of  the  boats.  The  army  lay  encamped 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  provisions.  Day  after  day  passed.  One  thou- 
sand hungry  men  consume  much  food.  The  men  were  put  on  short  allow- 
ance. Many  became  restless  and  mutinous.  At  last,  after  waiting  nine 
days,  the  boats  arrived,  but  to  their  disappointment  the  meat  was  found 
to  be  spoiled  by  the  hot  weather.  There  ^were  sound  rations  for  only 
three  days,  and  there  was  a  march  before  them  of  200  miles.  The  mu- 
tinous spirit  became  more  apparent.  Gen.  Clark  urged  an  immediate 
and  rapid  advance.  The  Kentucky  Volunteers  were  re-enforced  by  a 
number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Vincennes,  and  the  army  started  on  its 
march  up  the  Wabash.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Vermillion,  it  was 
found  that  the  Indians  had  deserted  their  villages  on  that  stream.  Dis- 
appointment, hunger  and  fatigue  now  led  to  open  mutiny,  and  300  men, 
with  some  oflficers  of  high  I'ank,  mounted  their  horses  and  left  for  their 
homes.  Neither  the  commands,  the  entreaties,  nor  the  tears  of  the  com- 
manding general  could  avail.     Nothing  was  left  to  Clark  but  the  aban- 


THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY.  25 

donment  of  the  expedition.  With  the  remainder  of  his  half- starved  men, 
the  unfortunate  commander  ^worked  his  way  back  to  the  falls,  covered 
with  shame  and  confusion.  This  was  the  last  expedition  of  the  bril- 
liant military  genius,  George  Kogers  Clark,  and  the  first  one  which  re- 
sulted unfortunately. 

GEN.   CHARLES  SCOTt's  EXPEDITION. 

In  January,  1791,  President  Washington  laid  before  Congress  his 
views  of  the  proper  measures  for  protecting  the  Western  settlements  from 
Indian  depredations.  He  expressed  a  very  decided  opinion  that  another 
campaign  against  the  Wabash  Indians  was  indispensable.  These  tribes 
were  estimated  at  1,100  warriors,  to  which  were  to  be  added  1,000  be- 
longing to  more  distant  tribes.  The  President  held  that,  although  winter 
imposed  peace  at  that  time,  unless  the  attention  of  the  tribes  was  directed 
to  their  own  country,  they  would  spread  desolation  over  the  frontier  on  the 
opening  of  spring.  Congress  authorized  the  President  to  raise  an  army 
of  3,000  men,  to  be  placed  under  the  command  of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  who 
was  appointed  a  major-general,  and  also  a  corps  of  Kentucky  volunteers 
for  the  purpose  of  a  rapid  march  and  immediate  attack  on  the  Wabash. 
This  corps  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Charles  Scott. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1791,  Gen.  Scott,  with  a  force  of  about  800 
mounted  men,  crossed  the  Ohio  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  and  com- 
menced his  march  for  the  Wea  towns.  They  pressed  forward  with  the 
utmost  celerity,  but  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  wore  down  their  horses 
and  injured  their  provisions.  The  country  was  intersected  and  made 
rough  by  four  branches  of  the  White  River  and  other  smaller  streams, 
many  of  them  having  steep  and  muddy  banks.  On  the  Slst  of  May 
they  had  made  135  miles  from  the  Ohio.  June  1,  at  a  distance 
of  150  miles  from  the  Ohio,  they  came  in  sight  of  two  small  villages  on 
their  left,  at  a  distance  of  two  and  four  miles  respectively,  the  main  town 
being  about  five  miles  in  front.  The  General  sent  a  detachment  under 
Col.  Harding  to  attack  the  villages  on  the  left,  while  he  pressed  forward 
rapidly  toward  the  main  town  in  front.  When  the  main  army  arrived 
at  an  eminence  overlooking  the  villages  on  the  Wabash,  the  enemy  were 
discovered  in  great  confusion  crossing  the  river  in  canoes,  having  been 
apprised  of  the  approach  of  the  whites  by  one  of  their  warriors  who 
had  seen  them  on  the  preceding  day.  All  the  savages  in  five  canoes  were 
destroyed  by  a  well  directed  fire.  The  Wabash,  at  that  point,  was  too 
high  to  be  forded,  and  the  Indians  kept  up  a  vigorous  fire  from  the  Kick- 
apoo  towns  on  the  opposite  bank.  Two  companies  passed  down  the  river 
and  crossed  over  and  drove  the  enemy  from  the  Kickapoo  village.  In 
the  mean    time  Col.  Hardin   successfully  executed  the   order  to  take  the 


26  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

villages  on  the  left.  He  also  discovered  a  third  and  stronger  village 
which  he  also  captured,  and  joined  his  commander  before  sunset,  having 
killed  six  warriors  and  taken  lifty-two  prisoners.  The  next  day  Col. 
Wilkinson,  with  360  men,  mai'ched  to  the  Tippecanoe  village,  which  he 
took  and  destroyed,  together  with  a  large  quantity  of  corn,  peltry  and 
furniture.  On  the  same  day  the  Wea  and  Kickapoo  towns  were  burned, 
and  the  gallant  army  reached  the  Ohio  on  the  14:th  of  June,  having  ac- 
complished the  great  object  of  their  expedition  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  man  killed  and  only  four  wounded,  and  having  killed  thirty- two 
of  the  savages  and  taken  fifty-two  prisoners.  The  General  testified 
that  not  a  single  act  of  inhumanity  had  marked  the  conduct  of  his  men. 

COL.  JAMES  Wilkinson's  expedition. 
The  expedition  of  Gen.  Scott  having  been  successful,  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  Gen.  St.  Clair  the  Kentucky  Board  of  War  resolved  to 
organize  another  without  loss  of  time,  to  destroy  the  Eel  Kiver  towns, 
This  expedition  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Col.  James  Wilkinson. 
July  20  Col.  Wilkinson  reported  to  Gov.  St.  Clair,  at^  Fort  Washing- 
ton, with  525  men  well  mounted  and  equipped.  The  march  began  from 
Cincinnati  August  1.  They  took  with  them  provisions  for  thirty 
days.  Instead  of  taking  the  direct  course  toward  the  Eel  River  villages, 
in  order  to  mislead  the  enemy  the  army  directed  its  course  toward  the 
site  of  Fort  W^ayne.  The  hunting  grounds  of  the  Indians  in  the  south- 
east part  of  Indiana,  and  the  most  common  paths  traveled  by  them  were 
thus  avoided.  For  three  days  the  northwardly  course  was  pursued. 
After  about  seventy  miles  from  Cincinnati  had  been  made,  their  course 
was  turned  northwestward.  On  the  6th  they  captured  a  Delaware  living 
on  the  Maumee.  On  the  7th  the  army  reached  the  Wabash  near  the  mouth 
of  Eel  River.  The  troops  crossed  the  river  and  charged  upon  the  town. 
The  enemy  being  completely  surprised,  was  unable  to  make  the  least  re- 
sistance; six  of  their  warriors  were  killed  and  thirty-four  prisoners  taken. 
Unfortunately  in  the  hurry  and  confusion  of  the  charge  two  Indian 
women  and  one  child  were  killed.  A  white  captive  in  the  village  was 
released.  The  whites  lost  but  two  men  killed  and  one  wounded.  The 
next  day  the  corn  was  cat  down  and  the  cabins  burned.  Col.  Wilkinson 
then  took  up  his  march  toward  the  Kickapoo  towns  in  the  prairie,  by  way 
of  the  Tippecanoe  village.  Reaching  the  latter  place,  which  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  Gen.  Scott  in  the  preceding  June,  it  was  found  that  the 
Indians  had  replanted  their  corn  and  beans.  These  were  again  cut  down. 
While  at  this  place  the  commander  learned  of  some  murmuring  and  dis- 
content among  his  men,  growing  out  of  a  reluctance  to  proceed  further 
in  the  enemy's  country.     This  induced  him  to  examine  the  state  of  the 


THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY.  .        27 

horses  and  provisions,  when  he  ]earned  to  his  mortification  that  270  horses 
were  lame  and  jaded,  and  barely  five  days'  provisions  left  for  the  men. 
Most  reluctantly  was  the  Colonel  compelled  to  abandon  his  design  against 
the  Kickapoos  of  the  prairie.  He,  however,  marched  against  a  village  of 
the  same  tribe  about  three  leagues  west.  This  town,  consisting  of  about 
thirty  houses,  was  destroyed,  with  a  considerable  quantity  of  corn  in  the 
milk.  On  their  homeward  march  the  army  fell  into  Gen.  Scott's  home- 
ward trace,  and  arrived  at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  August  21.  The  men 
were  mostly  Kentucky  volunteers,  and  great  praise  was  awarded  by  the 
commander  to  the  whole  detachment.  Their  entire  march  from  Cincin- 
nati to  the  Indian  towns,  and  then  to  the  falls  was  by  accurate  computa- 
tion 451  miles,  and  was  accomplished  in  twenty-one  days.  Among  the 
prisoners  taken  by  Col.  Wilkinson  were  the  sons  and  sisters  of  the  king 
of  Ouiatenon  nation. 

GEN.    JOSIAH    HARMAk's    EXPEDITION. 

The  largest  and  most  important  expeditions  against  the  Indians  of 
the  Northwest  Territory  were  directed  against  the  Miami  towns  at  and 
near  the  junction  of  the  St.  Mary  and  St.  Joseph,  where  they  form  the 
Maumee.  The  region  about  the  site  of  Fort  Wayne  was  probably  more 
thickly  populated  with  savages  than  any  other  in  Indiana.  The  junction 
of  the  rivers  was  the  site  of  an  old  and  important  town  of  the  Miami 
tribe.  The  importance  as  a  strategic  point  of  the  site  of  Fort  Wayne 
struck  Washington's  sagacious  mind,  and  one  of  the  objects  of  the  cam- 
paigns on  the  Maumee  was  to  establish  here  a  fort  which  was  to  be  con- 
nected by  Intel-mediate  stations  with  Fort  Washington  at  Cincinnati. 

The  first  of  these  campaigns  was  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Josiah 
Harmar.  He  marched  from  Cincinnati,  in  September,  1790,  by  a  cir- 
cuitous route,  which  he  was  told  by  guides  was  the  shortest  and  best  to 
the  head  of  the  Maumee.  Ho  had,  in  all,  about  1,300  men,  three- 
fourths  of  whom  were  raw  militia,  badly  armed  and  equipped.  They 
were  badly  supplied  with  axes  and  camp-kettles;  their  arms  were  largely 
out  of  repair  and  almost  useless,  many  muskets  being  brought  in  with- 
out locks,  with  the  expectation  of  being  repaired  in  camp.  Many  of  the 
militia  were  substitutes  unused  to  fire-arms,  who  at  the  first  sight  of  the 
Indians  threw  down  their  arms  and  ran.  October  13,  the  army  be- 
ing within  about  thirty  miles  of  the  site  of  Fort  Wayne,  Col.  John 
Harding,  with  600  militiamen  and  one  company  of  regulars,  was  sent 
forward  to  surprise  the  enemy  and  keep  them  in  their  forts  until  the 
main  body  with  artillery  would  come  up.  On  reaching  the  villages, 
however,  they  were  found  deserted.  On  the  17th  the  main  body  arrived, 
and  five  or  six  towns  were  destroyed,  and  about  20,000  bushels  of  corn  in 


28  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

the  ear  cut  down.  On  the  21st  the  army  started  on  its  homeward 
march.  Unfortunately,  on  the  next  day  it  was  resolved  that  Col.  Hard- 
ing, with  a  detachment  of  340  militia  and  sixty  regulars,  should  return 
to  the  burned  villages  on  the  supposition  that  the  Indians  had  returned 
thither.  They  succeeded  in  finding  the  Indians  early  the  next  morning. 
A  severe  engagement  ensued;  the  savages  fought  with  bravery.  The 
troops  were  defeated,  many  of  the  militia  and  most  of  the  regulars  being 
killed.  Dispirited  by  this  misfortune  and  dissensions  among  his  officers, 
Harmar  returned  to  Cincinnati.  The  expedition  is  known  as  Harmar's 
defeat.  In  its  purpose  of  intimidating  the  Indians  it  was  entirely  un- 
successful, but  in  its  object  in  destroying  the  Miami  villages  it  was  com- 
pletely successful.  The  towns  were  taken  and  300  houses  and  wigwams 
barned  without  the  loss  of  an  American  soldier.  The  subsequent  efforts 
to  defeat  the  savages  in  battle  were  unsuccessful.  The  Indians  looked 
upon  the  expedition  as  a  failure  and  defeat,  and  it  was  followed  by  vig- 
orous efforts  on  their  part  to  harass  and  break  up  the  American  settle- 
ments. To  carry  out  their  purposes  more  effectually.  Little  Turtle,  chief 
of  the  Miamis,  Blue  Jacket,  chief  of  the  Shawnees,  and  Buckongahelas, 
chief  of  the  Delawares,  engaged  in  forming  a  confederacy  strong  enough 
to  drive  the  whites  beyond  the  Ohio. 


ST.    CLAIR  S    DEFEAT. 

The  unfortunate  expedition  of  Gen.  St.  Clair  was  organized  during 
the  year  1791.  He  was  instructed  by  the  War  Department  to  march  for 
the  village  at  the  head  of  the  Maumee,  in  order  to  establish  a  strong  and 
permanent  military  post  at  that  place,  and  to  establish  such  posts  of 
communication  between  that  place  and  Fort  Washington  as  he  should 
judge  proper.  "The  establishment  of  such  a  post,"  said  the  Secretary 
of  War,  "is  considered  as  an  important  object  of  the  campaign,  and  is 
to  take  place  at  all  events."  September  17,  St.  Clair,  with  about 
2,300  men,  marched  from  Ludlow's  Station,  near  Cincinnati.  No- 
vember 3,  the  army  arrived  at  a  creek  running  to  the  southwest,  and 
which  was  supposed  to  be  the  St.  Mary's,  one  of  the  principal  branches 
of  the  Maumee,  but  was  afterward  found  to  be  a  branch  of  the  Wabash. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  November  4,  the  army  was  surprised  and  met 
with  a  most  disastrous  defeat.  Of  the  1,500  men  engaged  in  the  battle, 
more  than  half  were  either  killed  or  wounded.  It  was  the  greatest  ca- 
lamity to  the  disheartened  and  greatly  harassed  pioneers  of  the  North- 
west Territory,  and  the  most  disastrous  defeat  of  the  Americans  by  the 
Indians.  The  battle  occurred  near  the  Indian  line  in  Mercer  County, 
Ohio,  the  battle-field  being  afterward  known  as  Fort  Recovery. 


INDIANA   TERRITORY.  29 

Wayne's  victory. 
IiD mediately  after  the  defeat  the  Federal  Government  took  steps  to 
raise  another  large  army  to  operate  against  the  hostile  tribes.  Nearly 
three  years  passed,  however,  before  the  confederated  hostile  tribes  were 
met  by  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  whose  army  numbered  more  than  3,000 
men,  well  disciplined  and  finely  ofl&cered,  1,600  being  mounted  volun- 
teer  troops  from  Kentucky,  commanded  by  Gen.  Charles  Scott,  of  that 
State.  Wayne's  decisive  victory  occurred  August  20,  1794,  near  the 
Maumee  Rapids,  in  Wood  County,  Ohio.  The  battle  is  known  as  the 
battle  of  the  Fallen  Timbers,  though  sometimes  called  the  battle  of  the 
Maumee.  Had  not  the  Indians,  apprised  of  the  approach  of  the  armies 
of  St.  Clair  and  Wayne,  gone  forth  from  their  principal  villages  to  meet 
them,  the  disastrous  defeat  of  the  one  and  the  decisive  victory  of  the 
other  would  have  taken  place  on  the  soil  of  Indiana,  and  not  Ohio. 
Cessation  of  the  long  and  bloody  Indian  war  followed  Wayne's  victory, 
and  a  peace  was  secured,  which  continued  unbroken  until  the  battle  of 
Tippecanoe,  sixteen  years  later. 


CHAPTER  II. 
INDIANA  TERRITORY. 

Division  of  the  Northwest  Territory— Organization  of  Indiana 
Territory— Condition  of  the  Territory  at  its  Organization— 
The  First  Governor— Tecumseh  and  the  Prophet— Fear  of  In- 
dian Hostilities— Battle  of  Tippecanoe— The  Slavery  Question 
IN  THE  Territory— The  War  of  1812— Indiana  Admitted  into 
the  Union— Progress  of  the  State. 

THE  vast  extent  of  the  Northwest  Territory  made  the  ordinary  opera- 
tions of  government  extremely  uncertain,  and  the  efficient  action 
of  courts  almost  impossible  in  the  western  parts  of  the  Territory.  In 
the  three  western  places  of  holding  courts,  Vincennes,  Cahokia  and  Kas- 
kaskia,  there  had  been  held  but  one  court  having  criminal  jurisdiction  in 
the  five  years  from  1795  to  1800.  Offenders  against  justice  having  no  fear 
of  punishment,  the  French  settlements  became  an  asylum  for  the  most 
vile  and  abandoned  criminals.  A  committee  of  Congress,  March  3, 
1800,  recommended  a  division  of  the  territory  into  two  distinct  and  sep- 
arate governments.  Accordingly,  May  7,  1800,  an  act  was  passed  by 
Congress  making  such  division  by  an  act  which  took  eifect  from  and 


30  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

after  the  succeeding  4th  day  of  July.       The  western  division  was  called 
Indiana  Territory. 

The  first  boundary  of  Indiana  Territory  on  the  east  was  not  the  same 
as  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State.  The  ordinance  of  1787  provided 
that  the  middle  State  which  should  be  formed  out  of  the  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory, should  be  bounded  on  the  east  by  a  line  drawn  due  north  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  and  the  committee  of  Congress 
which  proposed  the  division  of  the  territory  recommended  that  the  divis- 
ion should  be  made  by  this  line.  The  act  of  Congress,  however,  made 
the  Greenville  treaty  line,  as  far  as  Fort  Recovery,  the  boundary  line. 
The  line  of  division  was  described  as  "beginning  at  the  Ohio,  opposite 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  River,  and  running  thence  to  Fort  Re- 
covery, and  thence  north  until  it  shall  intersect  the  territorial  line  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Canada. "  The  Greenville  treaty  line  is  found 
marked  on  some  of  the  maps  of  Indiana.  Fort  Recovery  was  in  Darke 
County,  Ohio,  about  one  mile  east  of  the  State  line.  When  Ohio  was 
made  a  State  the  line  drawn  due  north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Miami  was  made  its  western  boundary,  and  the  lands  between  this  line 
and  the  Greenville  treaty  line  were  attached  to  Indiana  Territory. 

CONDITION  OF  THE  TERRITORY  AT  ITS  ORGANIZATION. 

At  the  time  of  its  organization  Indiana  Territory  comprised  a  vast 
region  almost  uninhabited  except  by  savages.  The  only  settlements  of 
white  men  were  so  widely  separated  that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
contribute  to  their  mutual  defense  or  encouragement.  These  settlements 
were  four^in  number.  The  first  was  at  Clark's  Grant,  at  the  falls  of  the 
Ohio  opposite  Louisville;  the  second  the  old  French  establishment  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash;  the  third  comprised  a  series  of  French  vil- 
lages, extending  from  Kaskaskia,  seventy-five  miles  below  the  site  of  St. 
Louis,  to  Cahokia,  five  miles  below  St.  Louis;  the  fourth  was  Detroit,  on 
the  Detroit  River.  The  capital  was  at  Vincennes,  at  this  time  often 
written  Post  Vincents.  Numerous  tribes  of  warlike  Indians  were  scat- 
tered throughout  the  northern  portion  of  the  Territory,  whose  hostility  to 
the  American  settlers  was  inflamed  by  the  intrigues  of  British  agents 
and  frequent  outrages  by  American  hunters  and  traders. 

Clark's  Grant  in  Indiana  was  a  reservation  by  Virginia  in  her  cession 
of  the  Northwest  Territory  to  satisfy  the  claims  of  Gen.  Clark  and  the 
ofiicers  and  soldiers  under  his  command  in  the  conquest  of  the  British 
posts  of  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes.  The  quantity  of  land  in  the  grant 
was  stipulated  not  to  exceed  100,000  acres,  to  be  laid  off  in  one  tract,  the 
length  of  which  was  not  to  exceed  double  the  breadth,  and  in  such  place 
on  the  northwest  side  of  the  Ohio,  as  a  majority  of  the  officers  should 


INDIANA   TERRITORY.  31 

choose.  The  tract  was  selected  and  located  about  the  falls  of  the  Ohio, 
and  distributed  among  the  claimants  according  to  the  laws  of  Virginia. 
An  act  of  the .  Legislature  of  that  State  was  passed  "to  establish  the 
town  of  Clarkesville,  at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  in  the  county  of  Illinois," 
by  which  a  board  of  trustees  in  whom  the  title  of  the  town  was  vested 
in  trust.  They  were  directed  to  sell  lots  of  half  an  acre  each  at  public 
auction,  subject  to  the  condition  that  the  purchaser  should  within  three 
years  from  the  date  of  sale  erect  a  dwelling-house  "twenty  feet  by  eight- 
een, with  a  brick  or  stone  chimney."  The  trustees  located  the  town  im- 
mediately at  the  foot  of  the  falls.  Its  position  at  the  head  of  keel-boat 
navigation  on  the  lower  Ohio  was  supposed  to  give  it  great  advantages, 
and  it  was  for  a  time  a  rival  of  Louisville.  Jefferson vi lie,  at  the  head 
of  the  falls,  occupied  the  site  of  Fort  Steuben.  Midway  between  these 
places  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  was  the  then  unhealthy  town 
of  Louisville,  which,  in  1800,  contained  a  population  of  359  souls,  and 
about  150  houses,  a  printing  office  and  a  postoffice. 

From  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  settlements  spread  over  Clark's  Grant. 
Vincennes,  the  capital  of  the  Territory,  is  described  by  contemporary 
writers  at  the  period  of  the  establishment  of  the  territorial  government, 
as  a  handsome  town  of  about  100  houses,  some  of  which  were  built  of 
freestone.  From  Cincinnati,  settlements  extended  up  the  Whitewater 
Valley.  On  the  first  Monday  in  April,^  1801,  the  first  sale  of  lands  west 
of  the  Great  Miami  was  held  at  Cincinnati.  In  the  closing  years  of 
the  last  century,  before  the  establishment  of  a  land  office  for  the  sale  of 
any  lands  in  Indiana,  squatters  had  begun  to  occupy  Government  lands 
in  the  southeastern  part.  Land  offices,  at  which, lands  in  Indiana  were 
sold,  were  established  by  the  United  States  as  follows:  At  Cincinnati, 
May  10,  1800;  at  Vincennes,  March  26,  1804;  at  Jeffersonville,  March 
3, 1807;  at  Indianapolis  and  Crawfordsville,  March  3,  1819;  Fort  Wayne, 
May  8,  1822. 

From  Cincinnati,  the  most  important  town  in  the  eastern  division  of 
the  Northwest  Territory,  to  Vincennes,  the  capital  of  Indiana  Territory, 
was  a  laborious  journey  through  the  wilderness.  A  common  method  of 
making  this  journey  was  to  embark  on  the  Ohio  in  a  Kentucky  boat, 
sometimes  called  an  ark,  with  horses  and  provisions,  proceed  as  far  as 
the  falls,  and  thence  by  horseback  to  the  post,  more  than  100  miles 
unmarked  by  a  vestige  of  civilization. 

THE    FIRST    GOVERNOR. 

The  first  governor  of  Indiana  Territory  was  Capt.  William  Henry 
Harrison,  afterward  major-general  and  President.  At  the  time  of  his 
appointment  he  was  twenty-seven  years  old,  yet  he  had   already  served 


32  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

under  "Wayne  against  the  Indians  as  lieutenant,  and  distinguished  him- 
self for  bravery;  had  been  the  first  delegate  in  Congress  from  the  North- 
west Territory,  and  had  served  as  secretary  of  the  Territory.  As  the 
secretary  was  ex  officio  lieutenant-governor,  he  had  for  a  considerable 
time  performed  the  duties  of  governor  of  the  Territory  before  its  divis- 
ion, Gen.  St.  Clair,  the  governor,  being  rarely  in  the  Territory  at  that 
time,  his  residence  being  in  Pennsylvania.  When  the  office  of  governor 
of  the  new  Territory  of  Indiana  was  first  proposed  to  young  Harrison, 
he  expressed  himself  as  much  adverse  to  accepting  it,  because  he  had 
reason  to  believe  that  Gov.  St.  Clair  would  soon  be  retired  from  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  more  populous  eastern  division  (now  Ohio),  and  that  he 
would  be  strongly  recommended  as  his  successor.  It  happened,  however, 
as  Gen.  Harrison  himself  has  narrated,  that  two  influential  supporters  of 
John  Adams'  administration  were  desirous  of  that  position,,  and  by  their 
management  he  became  the  governor  of  Indiana  Territory.  The  gov- 
ernors were  appointed  for  three  years.  Harrison  was  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent Adams  in  1800;  upon  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  was  reap- 
pointed in  1803  by  President  Jefferson;  in  1806  he  was  again  appointed 
by  Jefferson;  in  1809  he  was  reappointed  by  President  Madison,  and  in 
1812  again  appointed  by  Madison. 

The  territorial  governors  were  ex-officio  superintendents  of  Indian 
affairs  within  their  territories.  A  few  months  after  President  Jefferson 
came  into  office  he  nominated  Gov.  Harrison  a  commissioner  to  make 
treaties  with  the  Indians,  and  the  nomination  was  confirmed  by  the  Sen- 
ate. The  custom  of  the  Government  in  treating  with  the  Indians  had 
been  to  appoint  two  or  more  persons  to  represent  the  Government  as  com- 
missioners. The  reason  given  by  the  President  for  this  departure  from 
the  usual  course  in  the  case  of  Indiana  Territory,  was  that  Louisiana 
had  been  ceded  to  the  French,  and  the  French  understood  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Indians  better  than  any  other  nation;  that  to  guard  against 
their  intrigues  it  was  necessary  to  form  settlements  on  the  Mississippi, 
the  lower  Ohio,  the  Wabash  and  Illinois  Rivers,  which  could  only  be 
done  by  extinguishing  the  Indian  titles,  and  this  could  not  be  done  at 
once,  but  by  watching  opportunities.  The  President,  therefore,  did  not 
wish  to  embarrass  the  governor  with  a  colleague.  ^  Thus  it  was  that 
Harrison  was  the  sole  representative  of  the  United  States  in  the  nego- 
tiations with  the  Indians  by  which  the  Indian  title  to  most  of  the  lands 
of  Indiana  was  extinguished.  Gov.  Harrison  held  this  important 
commission  during  the  entire  period  of  his  government  of  the  Territory. 
He  negotiated  thirteen  treaties,  and  obtained  the  cession  of  over  50,000,- 
000  of  acres  in  the  Northwest,  more  than  double  the  land  now  included 
in  Indiana. 


INDIANA   TERRITORY.  33 

While  acting  as  commissioner,  Harrison  was  allowed,  in  addition  to 
his  pay  as  governor,  $6  per  day  and  his  expenses,  and  he  could  assume 
the  character  of  Indian  commissioner  whenever  he  thought  proper.  He 
was  indeed  necessarily  almost  constantly  acting  under  it.  The  charges 
he  made  for  pay  as  commissioner,  however,  were  only  for  the  time  actu- 
ally employed  in  specific  negotiation.  All  the  compensation  he  received 
for  these  services  during  the  twelve  years  he  held  the  commission  did  not 
exceed  13,000.  His  charge  for  one  important  treaty  was  $44.  It  is  said 
that  no  man  ever  disbursed  so  many  and  such  large  sums  of  public 
treasure  with  so  little  difficulty  in  adjusting  his  accounts  with  the  Gov- 
ernment as  Harrison  while  governor.  United  States  commissioner  and 
superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  in  Indiana  Territory.  He  wisely 
avoided  keeping  the  public  money  on  hand,  and  always  made  his  pay- 
ments by  drafts  on  Washington. 

Some  of  the  more  important  of  the  early  treaties  by  which  the  owner- 
ship of  Indiana  lands  was  transferred  to  the  United  States  Government, 
are  here  mentioned.  In  the  treaty  at  Greenville,  August  3,  1795,  only 
a  small  portion  of  the  lands  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State  was 
included.  Septenjber  17,  1802,  Gov.  Harrison  entered  into  an  agree- 
ment at  Vincennes  with  the  chiefs  of  various  tribes  by  which  the  bounds 
of  a  tract  at  that  place  said  to  have  been  given  to  its  founder  were  settled 
and  June  7,  1803,  at  Fort  Wayne,  the  same  chiefs  ceded  the  lands 
about  Vincennes  to  the  United  States. .  Other  treaties  were  concluded  at 
Vincennes  in  August,  1804;  at  Fort  Wayne  in  September,  1809;  at  St. 
Mary's  in  October,  1818,  and  Tippecanoe  in  1832. 

TECUMSEH  AND  THE  PROPHET. 

The  troubles  with  the  Indians  commenced  early  in  the  history  of  the 
Territory.  In  July,  1801,  the  governor,  referring  to  the  lawless  acts  of 
vagabond  whites,  wrote  to  the  United  States  Government:  "All  these 
injuries  the  Indians  have  hitherto  borne  with  astonishing  patience,  but 
though  they  discover  no  disposition  to  make  war  upon  the  United  States, 
I  am  confident  that  most  of  the  tribes  would  eagerly  seize  any  favorable 
.opportunity  for  that  purpose,  and  should  the  United  States  be  at  war 
with  any  European  nations  who  are  known  to  the  Indians,  there  would 
probably  be  a  combination  of  nine-tenths  of  the  northern  tribes  against 
us,  unless  some  means  are  made  use  of  to  conciliate  them."  President 
Jefferson  did  everything  in  his  power  to  protect  the  Indians  and  to 
induce  them  to  cultivate  the  soil  and  adopt  the  arts  of  civilized  life. 
Congress  was  powerless  to  prevent  the  atrocities  committed  by  the  worth- 
less white  men  who  are  ever  found  prowling  along  the  verge  of  civiliza- 
tion.    The  outrages  were  deplored  by  thousands  of  good  men. 


34  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

Early  in  the  history  of  the  Territory,  Tecuraseh  planned  his  scheme 
of  a  confederation  of  all  the  Indian  nations,  by  which  the  whites  were  to 
be  restrained  in  their  acquisitions  of  lands.  This  remarkable  man,  the 
most  bold  and  accomplished  warrior  and  diplomatist  the  tribes  of  red 
men  ever  produced,  was  for  much  of  his  active  life  a  resident  of  Indiana. 
He  was  born  not  far  from  the  site  of  Springfield,  Ohio,  and  belonged  to 
the  Shawnee  nation,  his  father  and  his  mother  being  members  of  differ- 
ent tribes  of  that  extensive  people.  In  1795  he  became  a  chief.  He 
resided  in  different  parts  of  the  Miami  country,  in  what  is  now  Ohio, 
until  1798,  when  he  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  Delawares,  then 
residing  in  part  on  White  River,  Ind.,  to  remove  to  that  region  with  his 
followers.  Here  he  resided  a  number  of  years,  and  gradually  extended 
his  influence  among  the  Indians. 

Tecumseh's  brother,  known  in  history  as  the  Prophet,  was  scarcely 
less  remarkable  a  man;  he  was  an  orator  of  great  power  and  a  religious 
teacher.  About  1804,  according  to  the  accounts  usually  given,  the 
brothers  began  to  work  in  unison  on  their  grand  project  of  uniting  all 
the  Western  Indians  in  one  confederacy.  Their  avowed  objects  were 
two-fold:  first,  the  reformation  of  the  savages,  whose  habits  unfitted 
them  for  continuous  and  heroic  efforts;  second,  a  union  which  would 
make  the  purchase  of  land  by  the  United  States  impossible  without  the 
consent  of  all  the  tribes,  and  would  give  the  Indians  a  strength  that 
would  be  dreaded.  In  case  of  war  with  the  whites  a  simultaneous  attack 
could  be  made  upon  all  the  frontier  settlements,  so  that  white  troops 
could  not  be  sent  from  one  to  the  aid  of  another.  In  1805,  through  the 
influence  of  the  Prophet,  a  large  number  of  Indians  collected  at  Green- 
ville. In  1806  both  Tecumseh  and  the  Prophet  were  at  Grreenville,  and 
were  visited  by  representatives  of  many  tribes. 

APPEEHENSION    OF     INDIAN    HOSTILITIES. 

In  the  spring  of  1808  the  brothers  removed  to  a  tract  of  land  on  the 
Tippecanoe,  a  tributary  of  the^W abash.  Here  on  a  spot  probably  never 
visited  by  white  men,  about  100  miles  northwest  from  Fort  Wayne,  was 
the  Prophet's  town,  containing  about  only  130  souls.  Representative 
Indians  from  remote  parts  here  visited  the  Prophet,  who  continued  his 
efforts  to  reform  his  brethren  by  preaching  temperance,  depicting  the  fear- 
ful evils  the  fire-water  of  the  white  men  had  brought  upon  them,  and 
announcing  his  commission  from  the  Great  Spirit  to  extricate  his  red 
children  from  the  utter  ruin  with  which  they  were  menaced. 

Tecumseh  traveled  from  tribe  to  tribe,  strengthening  his  influence 
and  organizing  his  league.  With  the  enthusiasm  of  Peter  the  Hermit 
he  journeyed  over  thousands  of  miles,  visiting  remote  nations  of  red 


li.^ 


^  lU^L^ 


INDIANA  TERRITORY.  37 

men.  He  visited  all  the  northern  tribes  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  upon  the  Lakes  Superior,  Huron  and  Michigan.  In  1807 
Gov.  Harrison,  alarmed  at  the  movements  of  the  two  brothers,  sent  a 
message  of  inquiry  and  remonstrance,  couched  in  severe  terms.  The 
Prophet  sent  a  reply,  denying  that  he  had  any  purpose  to  rouse  the 
tribes  to  another  war.  His  plan  of  saving  the  Indians,  he  constantly 
asserted,  was  by  reforming  them  from  intemperance,  uniting  them  and 
encouraging  industry.  In  July,  1808,  the  Prophet  went  from  Tippe- 
canoe to  Vincennes,  a  distance  of  hundreds  of  miles,  on  a  pacific  mes- 
sage to  the  governor.  He  came  with  a  large  number  of  followers,  whom 
he  frequently  harangued  in  the  presence  of  the  governor  on  the  evils  of 
war  and  intemperance.  No  persuasion  of  the  whites  could  induce  any 
of  them  to  touch  intoxicating  liquors.  The  Prophet  again  declared  that 
it  was  his  desire  to  live  in  peace  with  the  whites,  and  called  the  Great 
Spirit  to  witness  the  truth  of  his  declaration.  Whether  the  Prophet 
was  a  religious  fanatic  or  a  vile  impostor  can  never  be  settled. 

Throughout  the  year  1809  Tecumseh  and  the  Prophet  continued  to 
strengthen  themselves  both  openly  and  secretly.  Notwithstanding  these 
solemn  and  repeated  declarations  of  peaceful  intentions,  the  Governor 
suspected  their  ultimate  designs,  and  was  preparing  to  meet  any  emer- 
gency. In  June,  1809,  Tecumseh  with  about  forty  followers  again  vis- 
ited the  Governor.  The  Governor  wrote  to  the  Government  that  suspi 
cions  of  his  guilty  intentions  were  strengthened  rather  than  diminished 
by  every  interview  during  this  visit  of  the  chief.  In  September,  1809, 
the  Governor  met  the  chiefs  of  several  tribes  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  pur- 
chased of  them  moi'e  than  3,000,000  acres  of  land  on  the  Wabash. 
Tecumseh  refused  to  sign  the  treaty,  and  threatened  death  to  those  who 
did.  In  the  year  following  he  visited  the  tribes  as  far  south  as  Tennes- 
see, exhorting  them  to  lay  aside  sectional  jealousies  in  the  hope  of  pre- 
serving their  hunting  grounds. 

THE    BATTLE  OF    TIPPECANOE. 

The  Governor  stood  firm  and  sent  for  a  few  soldiers  and  organized 
the  militia.  In  July,  1811,  the  citizens  of  Vincennes  and  its  vicinity 
met  while  the  legislative  council  was  in  session  and  memorialized  the 
President  on  the  subject,  not  so  much  for  a  military  force  from  the  Gov- 
ernment as  for  permission  to  fight  the  Indians  in  their  own  way.  The 
Indians  began  to  prowl  through  the  Wabash  Valley.  Harrison  was 
promised  strong  re-enforcements,  with  orders,  however,  to  be  backward  in 
employing  them.  On  the  1st  of  August  he  advised  the  Secretary  of  War 
of  his  plans,  which  were  to  again  warn  the  Indians  to  obey  the  treaty  of 
Greenville,  but   at  the  same  time  to  prepare  to  break  up  the  Prophet's 


38  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

establishment,  if  necessary.  Having  received  his  re-enforcements,  the 
Governor,  as  commander,  advanced  from  Vincennes  up  the  Wabash.  On 
the  5th  of  October  he  was  at  Terre  Haute,  where  he  built  Fort  Harrison. 
Here  one  of  his  sentinels  was  fired  upon.  October  31  he  was  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Vermilion  River,  where  he  built  a  block- house.  He  then 
advanced  toward  the  Prophet's  town,  still,  however,  offering  peace  to 
the  Indians.  When  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Prophet's  town  Harrison 
was  met  by  the  Indian  embassadors,  who  expressed  surprise  at  his  ad- 
vancing upon  them  and  said  that  an  answer  to  the  Governor's  demands 
upon  the  Indians  had  been  despatched  to  him  by  a  Pottawattomie  who 
had  left  two  days  before  to  meet  him,  but  had  missed  him  by  taking  the 
road  on  the  south  side  of  the  Wabash.  Harrison  informed  them  that  he 
had  no  intention  of  attacking  them  until  he  found  that  they  would  not 
comply  with  his  demands.  It  was  agreed  that  the  army  should  encamp 
for  the  night  and  in  the  morning  an  interview  with  the  Prophet  and  his 
chiefs  should  take  place,  and  in  the  meantime  no  hostilities  should  be 
committed. 

Before  daybreak  of  the  morning  the  treacherous  savages  crept  upon 
the  camp,  burst  upon  the  sleeping  army  like  demons,  and  before  the 
light  of  day  was  far  advanced  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  was  fought. 
Harrison  had  risen  at  a  quarter  after  four  o'clock,  and  the  signal  for 
calling  the  men  would  have  been  given  in  two  minutes,  when  the  attack 
commenced.  Nineteen-twentieths  of  the  men  had  never  been  in  an 
action.  They  behaved  well,  took  their  places  without  confusion,  under 
an  exceedingly  severe  fire,  and  fonght  with  bravery.  The  camp  fires 
affording  the  enemy  the  means  of  taking  surer  aim,  were  extinguished. 
With  coolness  and  deliberate  valor  the  white  men  stood  their  ground  in 
darkness  against  the  ferocity  of  the  savages,  until  daylight,  and  then 
routed  the  red  men  in  vigorous  charges.  The  next  day  they  burned  the 
Prophet's  town  and  returned  victorious  to  Vincennes. 

The  battle  of  Tippecanoe  was  fought  on  the  7th  of  November,  18J 1. 
The  whites  had  in  this  action  not  more  than  700  efficient  men — non- 
commissioned officers  and  privates;  the  Indians  were  supposed  to  have 
had  from  700  to  1,000  men.  The  loss  of  the  whites  was  37  killed  on 
the  field,  25  mortally  wounded  and  126  wounded;  that  of  the  Indians 
about  40  killed  on  the  field,  the  number  of  wounded  not  being  known. 
Among  the  killed  were  two  Kentucky  officers,  Col.  Joseph  H.  Daviess 
and  Col.  Owen.  The  battle-ground  was  a  piece  of  dry  oak  land,  skirted 
on  the  west  by  Barnet  Creek,  with  marshy  prairies  covered  with  tall 
grass  on  the  east  and  west.  At  the  time  of  the  battle  Harrison  held  no 
rank  in  the  army,  but  as  governor  he  was  commander  of  the  Indiana 
militia,  and  under   the  authority  of  the  War  Department  he  took  com- 


INDIANA  TERRITORY.  39 

mand  of  the  whole  force.  The  victory  made  the  commander  famous, 
and  twice,  in  1836  and  1840,  Indiana  cast  her  electoral  vote  for  "the 
hero  of  Tippecanoe." 

At  the  time  of  the  battle  Tecumseh  was  among  the  southern  Indians. 
When  on  his  return  he  learned  that  his  brother  had  brought  on  the 
attack  and  had  been  defeated,  he  was  exceedingly  angry,  and  it  is 
said  reproached  the  Prophet  in  the  bitterest  terms.  The  defeat  had 
destroyed  the  power  of  the  brothers,  and  crushed  the  grand  confederacy 
before  it  was  completed.  Six  months^after  the  battle  the  United  States 
declared  war  with  England.  Tecumseh  left  Indiana  for  Fort  Maiden, 
in  Upper  Canada,  joined  the  British  standard,  participated  in  several 
engagements  against  the  Americans,  and  for  his  bravery  and  good  con- 
duct was  made  a  brigadier-general.  He  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  the 
Thames,  October  5,  1813,  in  the  forty- fourth  year  of  his  age.  Harrison, 
with  whom  he  had  so  often  conferred,  was  the  commander  of  the  enemy 
against  whom  he  fought  in  his  last  battle. 

THE  SLAVERY  QUESTION  IN  THE  TERRITORY. 

Before  the  formation  of  the  State  constitution  several  efforts  were 
made  to  introduce  African  slavery  in  a  modified  form  into  the  Territory 
of  Indiana.  Slavery  had  been  introduced  into  the  Illinois  country  by 
the  French  as  early  as  1720.  The  ordinance  of  1787  prohibiting  slavery 
in  the  Northwest  Territory  was  a  subject  of  complaint  by  some,  who,  by 
memorials  to  Congress  from  time  to  time,  made  efforts  to  obtain  a  sus- 
pension of  the  restriction  for  a  limited  period.  The  first  petition  to 
Congress  was  from  four  persons  in  Kaskaskia  in  1796,  asking  that  slav- 
ery might  be  tolerated  there.  Before  the  division  of  the  Northwest 
Territory,  and  while  the  first  territorial  Legislature  was  in  session  at  Cin- 
cinnati in  1799,  petitions  were  presented  by  Virgiaians,  who  owned  lands 
northwest  of  the  Ohio,  asking  that  they  might  settle  with  their  slaves 
on  their  own  lands.  These  petitions  were  promptly  rejected,  as  the  Leg- 
islature had  no  power  to  suspend  an  ordinance  of  Congress. 

Many  of  the  early  settlers  of  Indiana  were -from  Virginia,  Kentucky 
and  other  slave  States.  A  large  proportion  of  the  population  of  the 
Territory,  while  not  desiring  to  make  Indiana  a  slave  State,  believed 
that  a  temporary  employment  of  slave  labor  would  greatly  encourage 
immigration  and  promote  the  growth  and  improvement  of  the  country. 
Early  in  1803  a  territorial  convention  was  held  at  Vincennes  to  deliber- 
ate on  the  interests  of  the  Territory.  Gov.  Harrison  was  president  of 
the  convention.  A  memorial  was  sent  to  Congress,  together  with  a  letter 
of  the  pi-esident  of  the  convention,  declaring  the  assent  of  the  people 
of  Indiana  Territory  to  a  suspension  of  the  clause  of  the  ordinance  of 


40  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

1787,  forbidding  slavery.  John  Randolph,  from  the  committee  of  Con- 
gress to  which  this  letter  and  memorial  were  referred,  reported  as  fol- 
lows, March  2,  1803: 

"  That  the  rapid  population  of  the  State  of  Ohio  sufficiently  evinces, 
in  the  opinion  of  your  committee,  that  the  labor  of  slaves  is  not  necessary 
to  promote  the  growth  and  settlement  of  colonies  in  that  region.  That 
this  labor,  demonstrably  the  dearest  of  any,  can  only  be  employed  to 
advantage  in  the  cultivation  of  products  more  valuable  than  any  known 
to  that  quarter  of  the  United  States;  that  the  committee  deem  it  highly 
dangerous  and  inexpedient  to  impair  a  provision  wisely  calculated  to 
promote  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  the  northwestern  country,  and  to 
give  strength  and  security  to  that  extensive  frontier.  In  the  salutary 
operation  of  this  sagacious  and  benevolent  restraint,  it  is  believed  that 
the  people  of  Indiana  will,  at  no  very  distant  day,  find  ample  remuner- 
ation for  a  temporary  privation  of  labor  and  of  immigration." 

This  report  was  made  at  the  close  of  the  session,  and  the  subject  was 
brought  up  again  at  the  next  session.  The  report,  together  with  the  let- 
ter of  Gov.  Harrison,  and  the  memorial  of  the  inhabitants  of  Indiana, 
was  referred  to  a  new  committee,  of  which  Csesar  Rodney,  of  Delaware, 
was  chairman.  This  committee,  February  17,  1804,  made  a  report  in 
favor  of  the  prayer  of  the  memorial,  and  offered  the  following  resolution: 

"  Resolved,  that  the  sixth  article  of  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  which  pro- 
hibited slavery  within  the  said  Territory,  be  suspended  in  a  qualified 
manner  for  ten  years,  so  as  to  permit  the  introduction  of  slaves  born  in 
the  United  States,  from  any  of  the  individual  States;  provided  that  such 
individual  State  does  not  permit  the  importation  of  slaves  from  foreign 
countries.  And  provided,  further,  that  the  descendants  of  all  such 
slaves  shall,  if  males,  be  free  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  if 
females,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years." 

This  resolution  failed  to  pass,  and  the  subject  came  up  again  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1806,  when  another  report  was  made  in  Congress  in  favor  of  the  tem- 
porary suspension  of  the  prohibition  of  slavery,  on  the  ground  that  the 
people  of  Indiana  universally  desired  such  suspension.  At  the  session  of 
the  Legislature  of  Indiana  Territory,  in  the  winter  of  1806-07,  resolutions 
on  the  subject  were  adopted  and  presented  to  Congress.  Another  com- 
mittee of  Congress  reported  in  favor  of  the  suspension  of  the  slavery 
clause  of  the  ordinance  for  ten  years,  but  the  measure  was  again  lost. 
A  committee  of  the  United  States  Senate  reported,  November  13,  1807, 
that  it  was  not  expedient  to  grant  the  request  of  the  Indiana  Legislature. 

To  avoid  the  restriction  in  the  ordinance  against  slavery,  the  Terri- 
torial Legislature  passed  an  act,  September  17,  1807,  entitled  "An  Act 
concerning  the  introduction  of  negroes  and  mulattoes  into  this  Territory." 


INDIANA  TERRITORY.  41 

It  legalized  the  introduction  into  the  TeiTitory  of  persons  of  color,  who 
were  slaves  in  the  States  or  Territories,  by  requiring  the  owner  or  posses- 
sor to  enter  into  indentures  with  his  slave,  the  latter  stipulating  to  serve 
as  an  indentured  servant  for  a  certain  period,  at  the  end  of  which  he  was 
to  become  free.  A  record  of  the  indenture  was'required  to  be  made  in 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  within  thirty  days  after  the  introduction  of 
the  slave  or  slaves.  Children  under  fifteen  years  of  age  were  required  to 
serve  their  former  owner  or  possessor,  if  males,  until  the  age  of  thirty- 
five  years;  if  females,  until  the  age  of  thirty-two  years.  Many  slave- 
holders in  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  other  slave  States,  desiring  to  man- 
umit their  slaves,  migrated  to  Indiana  and  availed  themselves  of  the  priv- 
ileges of  this  law.  In  Indiana,  slaves  before  the  expiration  of  their  term 
of  servitude,  were  termed  under  the  law  "indentured  servants."^  This 
form  of  servitude  was  done  away  with  in  Indiana  by  judical  decisions, 
and  in  Illinois  by  a  clause  in  the  State  constitution.  Had  it  not  been  for 
the  firmness  of  Congress,  in  resisting  what  seemed  to  be  a  popular  demand, 
Indiana  might  have  been  a  slave  State.  The  demand  that  slave-holders, 
who  owned  land  in  Indiana,  should  be  permitted  to  employ  their  slaves 
in  clearing  the  forests  from  their  own  land,  seemed  just  and  reasonable 
to  many  persons  who  were  not  in  favor  of  the  extension  of  slavery. 

THE    WAR    OF    1812. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war  of  1812,  Indiana  Territory  had  a 
white  population  of  about  30,000  souls,  chiefly  in  the  southern  portions 
of  the  Territory.  All  the  settlements  in  Indiana,  as  well  as  those  in  Ohio, 
Kentucky,  Michigan  and  Illinois,  were  much  exposed  to  Indian  depreda- 
tions. The  Government  had  hesitated  to  employ  force  against  the  Indians 
in  Indiana,  lest  all  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest  should  be  combined 
against  the  United  States  in  case  of  a  war  with  England,  which  was 
imminent.  Although  Gov.  Harrison  wrote  a  few  months  after  the  battle 
of  Tippecanoe,  "  The  frontiers  never  enjoyed  more  perfect  security,"  yet 
as  soon  as  hostilities  between  the  United  States  and  England  commenced, 
there  were  gloomy  fears  of  the  Indians  all  along  the  western  frontiers, 
which  rose  to  universal  consternation  when  the  intelligence  was  spread 
abroad  that  the  whole  of  our  army  under  Hull,  with  Detroit  and  Michigan, 
had  been  surrendered  to  the  combined  British  forces,  commanded  by 
Brock  and  Tecumseh,  leaving  our  entire  outposts  in  the  Northwest  almost 
defenseless.  Three  points  needed  protection,  Fort  Wayne  and  the  Mau- 
mee,  the  Wabash,  and  the  Illinois.  The  troops  intended  for  Fort  Wayne 
were  to  be  put  under  Gen.  Winchester,  a  Revolutionary  ofiicer  residing 
in  Tennessee,  but  little  known  to  the  frontier  men;  those  for  the  Wabash 
were  to  be  under  Harrison,  whom  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  had  given  a 


42  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

military  reputation  in  the  West;  those  for  the  Illinois  were  to  be  under 
Edwards,  governor  of  Illinois  Territory.  Such  were  the  intentions  of 
the  Government,  but  the  action  of  the  authorities  of  Kentucky  frustrated 
them  and  fortunately  led  to  the  elevation  of  the  governor  of  Indiana  to 
the  post  of  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  forces  of  the  West  and  North- 
west. 

Gov.  Harrison  while  at  Cincinnati  received  from  Gov.  Scott  a  re- 
quest to  repair  without  delay  to  Frankfort.  Arriving  at  the  capital  of 
Kentucky,  he  found  a  large  number  of  influential  citizens  of  Kentucky 
assembled,  some  to  witness  the  inauguration  of  Gov.  Shelby,  and  others 
by  invitation  of  Gov.  Scott,  the  retiring  governor.  A  grand  council 
had  been  held  upon  the  course  to  be  adopted  for  the  defense  of  the 
Northwestern  frontier,  and  it  had  been  determined  to  request  Gov. 
Harrison  to  take  command  of  the  troops  on  the  march  and  to  appoint 
him  a  major-general  in  the  Kentucky  militia.  He  accepted  the  com- 
mission, took  the  oath  required  by  the  laws  of  Kentucky,  and  in  a  few 
hours  was  on  horseback  to  overtake  the  troops  and  assume  command. 
Gen.  Harrison  afterward  said  that  he  looked  upon  this  as  the  most  hon- 
orable appointment  he  had  ever  received.  A  great  State,  already 
distinguished  for  the  talents  of  her  sons,  some  of  whom  were  Rev- 
olutionary officers,  placed  the  governor  of  another  Territory  in  com- 
mand of  her  troops  for  a  difficult  and  dangerous  expedition.  Sep- 
tember 17,  1812,  Harrison  was  appointed  by  the  Government  com- 
mander of  the  Army  of  the  West, 

After  the  surrender  of  Detroit  and  Fort  Dearborn  on  the  site  of  Chi- 
cago, Forts  Wayne  and  Harrison,  in  Indiana,  were  the  only  military 
stations  on  the  Northwestern  frontier  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 
These  were  re- enforced.  The  defeat  of  Hull  and  the  victories  of  the 
British  and  Indians  in  the  Northwest  awakened  throughout  Indiana, 
Ohio  and  Kentucky  a  determination  to  wipe  out  the  disgrace  which  had 
stained  our  arms,  and  to  avert  the  desolation  that  threatened  the 
frontier.  In  August  several  regiments  which  had  been  raised  in  Ken- 
tucky were  directed  to  the  aid  of  Indiana  and  Illinois.  Vincennes  was 
made  the  principal  rendezvous,  and  Gen.  Hopkins  was  appointed  com- 
mander of  the  troops  on  the  Wabash.  It  was  arranged  that  Gen. 
Hopkins,  with  between  4,000  and  5,000  mounted  riflemen,  should 
move  up  the  Wabash  to  Fort  Harrison,  cross  over  to  the  Illinois  country, 
destroy  all  the  Indian  villages  on  the  Wabash,  march  across  the  prairies 
to  the  head-waters  of  the  Sangamon  and  Vermillion  Rivers,  and  then 
form  a  junction  with  the  Illinois  rangers  under  Gov.  Edwards,  and 
sweep  over  the  villages  on  the  Illinois  River.  September  29,  Hop- 
kins wrote  to  the  governor  of   Kentucky:     "My  present    intention  is  to 


INDIANA  TERRITORY.  43 

attack  every  Indian  settlement  on  the  Wabash,  and  to  destroy  their 
property,  then  fall  back  upon  the  Illinois,  and  I  trust,  in  all  the  next 
month,  to  perform  much  service.  Serious  opposition  I  hardly  appre- 
hend, although  I  intend  to  bo  prepared  for  it."  In  accordance  with  his 
determination,  Hopkins  set  out  from  Fort  Harrison  with  his  raw  militia- 
men October  15,  and  marched  some  eighty  or  ninety  miles  in  the 
Indian  country  without  obtaining  sight  of  the  enemy,  when  he  was  com- 
pelled to  return  on  account  of  insubordination  among  his  men  and  some 
of  the  officers. 

Deeply  chagrined  at  the  failure  of  his  expedition,  Gen.  Hopkins  did 
not  return  to  Kentucky,  but  remained  at  Fort  Harrison  to  await  the  rais- 
ing of  another  and  better  disciplined  army.  On  the  11th  of  November  he 
set  out  from  Fort  Harrison  with  about  1,200  men  on  an  expedition  against 
the  Indians  of  the  tipper  Wabash.  Lieut. -Col.  Butler,  with  seven  boats 
loaded  with  supplies  and  provisions,  at  the  same  time  ascended  the 
river.  On  the  19th  the  army  arrived  at  the  Prophet's  town,  and  300 
men  were  sent  to  surprise  the  Indian  towns  on  Ponce  Passu  Creek,  but 
the  villages  were  found  evacuated.  On  the  20th,  a  Kickapoo  town  con- 
taining 120  cabins  was  burned,  and  all  the  winter  provisions  of  corn  in 
the  vicinity  destroyed.  The  cold  weather  of  winter  was  rapidly  coming 
on,  many  of  the  men  were,  as  the  General  said,  "shoeless  and  shirtless," 
and  as  the  ice  in  the  river  began  to  obstruct  the  passage,  it  was  deemed 
prudent  to  return.  The  conduct  of  this  detachment  contrasts  favorably 
with  Hopkins'  first  army. 

The  military  system  under  which  the  war  of  1812  was  carried  on 
would  by  no  means  have  answered  the  purposes  of  the  Government  in 
the  greater  war  of  the  Rebellion.  The  terms  of  service  for  which  the 
men  were  called  out  were  generally  short,  not  exceeding  six  mouths. 
In  many  cases  the  raw  militiamen  had  scarcely  learned  to  drill  as  soldiers 
when  their  term  of  service  expired,  and  they  were  succeeded  by  fresh, 
untrained  recruits.  The  West,  and  especially  the  region  of  the  Maumee 
and  Lake  Erie,  was  the  principal  theater  of  the  war.  In  many  parts  of 
the  United  States  there  was  much  opposition  to  the  war,  but  the  pioneers 
of  Indiana  Territory  were  enthusiastically  in  favor  of  the  declaration  of 
war  and  its  vigorous  prosecution.  Although  the  population  was  Dot 
large,  in  every  vicissitude  of  the  contest  the  conduct  of  the  people  of 
Indiana  was  patriotic  and  honorable.  They  volunteered  with  alacrity, 
and  endured  the  hardships  of  the  campaigns  on  the  swamps  of  the  Mau- 
mee and  the  St.  Mary's  with  patience  and  cheerfulness. 

PEOGEESS  OF  THE  NEW  STATE. 

Peace  was  made  with  Great  Britain  by  the  treaty  at  Ghent,  December 
24,  1814.      The  Indians,  deprived  of  their  British  ally,  and   having  lost 


44  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

their  great  leader,  Tecumseli,  renounced  all  hope  of  arresting  the  advance 
of  the  white  man.  Tribe  after  tribe  during  the  year  1815  entered  into 
treaties  of  peace  with  the  United  States,  and  acknowledged  themselves 
under  the  protection  of  the  Government.  Confidence  was  restored  to  the 
frontier  settlements,  and  immigration  again  began  to  push  into  the  forests 
and  prairies.  The  campaigns  of  the  rangers  and  mounted  infantry,  who 
had  traversed  the  rich  and  delightful  lands  along  the  Wabash,  the  San- 
gamon and  the  Illinois, served  as  explorations  of  new  and  fertile  countries, 
and  opened  the  way  to  thousands  of  pioneers  and  the  formation  of  new 
settlements.  Although  large  numbers  passed  westward  to  the  prairies  of 
Illinois,  yet  Indiana  retained  a  large  share  of  the  rapid  immigration. 
Prom  1810  to  1820  Indiana  increased  in  population  from  24,520  to 
147,178,  an  increase  of  500  per  cent,  a  rate  of  growth  at  that  time  unex- 
ampled in  the  growth  of  American  States. 

In  December,  1815,  one  year  after  the  close  of  the  war,  the  Territorial 
Legislature  petitioned  Congress  for  the  privilege  of  forming  a  State  con- 
stitution and  admission  into  the  Union.  A  bill  for  these  purposes  was 
passed  in  April,  1816;  soon  after  a  convention  met  at  Corydon,  and 
June  29,  adopted  the  first  constitution  of  Indiana.  This  constitution 
was  formed  at  a  time  when  there  was  a  lull  of  party  violence,  and  when 
the  era  of  political  good  feeling  prevailed.  December  11,  1816,  the 
State  was  admitted  as  a  sovereign  member  of  the  Union.  Jonathan  Jen- 
nings, who  had  represented  the  Territory  as  delegate  in  Congress,  and 
had  presided  over  the  convention  which  formed  the  constitution,  was  the 
first  governor.  In  January,  1821,  the  Legislature  located  the  seat  of 
government  at  Indianapolis,  and  at  the  same  time  appointed  commis- 
sioners to  lay  out  a  town  at  the  site  selected,  and  gave  it  its  present 
name,  formed  by  adding  the  Greek  word  polls,  meaning  a  city,  to  the 
name  of  the  State. 

In  the  decade  from  1820  to  1830  the  sales  of  government  lands  in  the 
State  were  rapid,amounting  to  more  than  3,500,000  acres ;  and  the  population 
increased  133  per  cent.  From  1830  to  1840  the  population  was  doubled. 
In  1833  the  Wabash  &  Erie  Canal  was  commenced;  in  1834  the  State 
Bank,  with  ten  branches,  was  incorporated  The  result  of  these  under- 
takings,  and  others  into  which  the  State  entered,  was  a  debt  of  over 
$14,000,000  and  a  general  bankruptcy,  which  retarded  the  progress  and 
development  of  the  State.  In  1846  measures  were  taken  to  pay  the 
accumulated  interest  on  the  State  debt;  in  1850  a  new  constitution  was 
adopted,  and  soon  the  whole  economy  of  the  State  was  changed  and  pros- 
perity returned.  The  State  is  the  smallest  of  the  Western  States,  hav- 
ing an  area  of  33,809  square  miles,  but  in  population  it  ranks  sixth  in  the 
members  of  the  Union. 


THE  INDIANS. 


45 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  INDIANS. 


Location  of  Indian.Tribes  in  Indiana-Little  Turtle  Quoted-Thb 
Miami  Tribe— Indian  Villages— Indian  Agriculture— Moral  and 
Intellectual  Character  of  the  Indians-Antoine  Gamelin's 
Journey— Indians  Demand  the  Ohio  for    their  Boundary. 

THE  Indian  tribes  resident  within  the  bounds  of  Indiana  when  the 
first  settlements  by  the  whites  were  commenced  were  theMiamis,  the 
Shawnees,  the  Delawares,  the  Wyandq^j^d_Pottawatomies.     The  Weas, 
Eel   Eivers,   and   Piankashaws,    also    found   in   the    State,  were   really 
branches  of  the  Miamis.     In  the  treaty  at  Greenville  Gen.  Wayne  rec- 
ognized the  Weas  and  Eel  Rivers  as  distinct  tribes  from  the  Miamis  in 
order  that  they  might  receive  a  large  share  of  the  money  which  was  stip- 
ulated to  be  paid  by  the  United  States.     Gen.    Wayne  thought  it  just 
that  the  Miamis  and  thei/allied  tribes  should  receive  more  of  the  annui- 
ties promised  by  the  Government  than  they  would  be   entitled  to  as  a 
single  tribe,  because  he  recognized  it  as  a  fact  that  the  country  ceded  by 
the  treaty  was_really  their  property.     The  Indians  were  so  frequently  at 
war  with  each  other  and  so  often  moved  from  one  region  to  another  that 
it  is  difficult  to  locate  them  and  impossible  to  fix  definite  bounds  to  their 
possessions.     According  to  the  map  of  Indiana  giving  the  Indian  names 
of  rivers,   towns,   etc.,   prepared  by  the  late  Daniel   Hough,  of  Wayne 
County,  and  published  in  the  Indiana  geological   report  of  1882,  the 
northern  portion  of  the  State  is  assigned  to JhePottawattomies;  the  Wa- 
bash    and   Maumee  Valleys    to   the    Miamis;    the  head-waters  of    both 
branches  to  White  River  to  the  Delawares;  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
State  along  the  Ohio  to  the  Shawnees,  and  west  of  them  the  Wyandots. 
Of  these  tribes  the  Miamis  were  at  one  time  by  far  the  most  numer- 
ous and  powerful.     Their  territory  embraced  all  of  Ohio  west  of  the 
Scioto,  all  of  Indiana  and  part  of  Illinois.     They  had  numerous  villages 
on  the   Scioto,  the   head-waters    of    the  two   Miamis,  the   Maumee  and 
throughout  the  whole  course  of  the  Wabash  as  far  down  as  the  town  of 
Brushwood,  now  Vincennes.     Before  the  arrival  of  the  whites  west  of 
the  mountains,  it  is  believed  that    the  Miamis  could  assemble  a  larger 
number  of  warriors  than  any  other  aboriginal   nation  of  North  America. 


46  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

The  ravages  of  the  small-pox  liad  largely  reduced  their  numbers  before 
the  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Little  Turtle,  the  famous  Miami  chief,  during  the  negotiations  which 
preceded  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  spoke  with  pride  and  yet  with  sadness 
of  the  former  greatness  and  dominion  of  his  tribe.  His  words  are  pre- 
served in  the  American  State  Papers: 

"I  hope  you  will  pay  attention  to  what  I  now  say  to  you.  You  have 
pointed  out  to  us  the  boundary  line  between  the  Indians  and  the  United 
States;  but  I  now  take  the  liberty  to  inform  you,  that  that  line  cuts  off 
from  the  Indians  a  large  portion  of  country  which  has  been  enjoyed  by 
my  forefathers  time  immemorial,  without  molestation  or  dispute.  The 
prints  of  my  ancestors'  houses  are  everywhere  to  be  seen  in  this  portion. 
It  is  well  known  to  all  my  brothers  present  that  my  forefather  kindled  the 
first  fire  at  Detroit;  from  thence  he  extended  his  lines  to  the  head-waters 
of  the  Scioto;  from  thence  to  its  mouth;  from  thence  down  the  Ohio  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Wabash;  from  thence  to  Chicago  on  Lake  Michigan,  At 
this  place  I  first  saw  my  elder  brothers,  the  Shawnees.  I  have  now  in- 
formed you  of  the  boundaries  of  the  Miami  nation,  where  the  Great 
Spirit  placed  my  forefather  a  long  time  ago,  and  charged  him  not  to  sell 
or  part  with  his  lands,  but  to  preserve  them  for  his  posterity.  This 
charge  has  been  handed  down  to  me.  I  was  surprised  to  find  my  other 
brothers  differed  so  much  from  me  on  this  subject;  for  their  conduct 
would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  the  Great  Spirit  and  their  forefathers 
had  not  given  them  the  charge  that  was  given  tome;  but  on  the  contrary 
had  directed  them  to  sell  their  lands  to  any  white  man  who  wore  a  hat, 
as  soon  as  he  should  ask  it  of  them. " 

Little  Turtle  took  pride  in  the  antiquity  of  his  race,  as  well  as  in  the 
extent  of  territoiV controlled  by  his  ancestors.  In  1797  this  Miami 
chief  met  Volney  in  Philadelphia.  The  French  philosopher  explained 
to  the  savage  orator  the  theory  that  the  Indian  race  had  descended  from 
the  dark-skinned  Tartars,  and,  by  a  map,  showed  the  supposed  communi- 
cation between  Asia  and  America.  Little  Turtle  replied:  "Why  should 
not  these  Tartars,  who  resemble  us,  have  descended  from  the  Indians  ?" 

INDIAN  VILLAGES. 

Long  before  the  first  settlements  of  the  English-speaking  whites  in 
Indiana,  the  habits  of  the  Indians  had  been  modified  by  their  contact 
with  the  Europeans.  The  traders  had  supplied  them  with  firearms, 
scalping-knives  and  iron  tomahawks.  They  had  iron  pots  and  brass  ket- 
tles for  cooking  and  sugar  making.  They  had  learned  to  like  strong 
drink,  and  were  given  to  great  excesses  in  eating  and  drinking.  Many 
of  the  inhabitants  of  some  of  their  more  important  villages  were  French. 


THE  INDIANS.  '  47 

The  Wea  Prairie,  or  plains,  a  few  miles, below  the  mouth  of  Wea 
Creek,  and  not  far  from  the  site  of  Lafayette,  contained  some  of  the  most 
extensive  improvements  ever  made  by  the  Indians  within  the  limits  of 
the  State.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Wabash  was  the  Indian  town 
Ouiatenon,  or  Wah-wee-ah -tenon  in  the  Indian  tongue.  When  it  was 
destroyed  by  Col.  Wilkinson  in  1791,  he  found  there  a  number  of  French 
books,  letters  and  documents,  showing  that  the  place  was  in  close  con 
flection  with  Detroit.  For  richness  of  soil  and  beauty  of  natural  scenery, 
few  places  in  the  West  can  compare  with  the  Wea  Plains. 

The  town  of  Tippecanoe,  or  Kathtippacamunck,  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Wabash,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tippecanoe,  was  also  a  celebrated  Indi- 
an place.  In  1791  the  village  consisted  of  about  120  houses,  eighty  of 
which  were  shingle-roofed.  The  best  houses  belonged  to  the  French 
traders,  whose  gardens  and  improvements  around  the  town  are  described 
as  delightful,  and  indeed  not  a  little  wonderful.  There  was  a  tavern 
with  cellars,  bar  and  public  and  private  rooms;  the  whole  was  marked 
by  considerable  order,  and  evinced  a  small  degree  of  civilization.  The 
town  of  the  Eel  River  tribe  was  scattered  along  the  Eel  River  for  about 
three  miles,  on  an  uneven,  scrubby  oak  barren,  intersected  alternately 
with  bogs  almost  impenetrable,  and  impervious  thickets  of  plum,  hazel 
and  black-jack.  Col.  Wilkinson  found  the  head  chief  at  this  place  guard- 
ing a  number  of  prisoners,  and  families  at  work  digging  a  root  which  they 
substituted  in  place  of  the  potato. 

INDIAN    AGRICULTDEE. 

The  agriculture  of  the  Indians  in  Indiana,  as  well  as  in  most  other 
parts  of  North  America,  was  confined  chiefly  to  the  growing  of  corn  and 
beans,  to  which  potatoes  were  afterward  added.  The  extent  of  their 
corn-fields  on  the  Wabash  and  the  Maumeewas  greater  than  is  generally 
supposed.  A  journal  of  Gen.  Wayne's  campaign,  kept  by  George  Will, 
under  the  date  of  August  8,  1794,  says:  "We  have  marched  four  or  five 
miles  in  corn-fields  down  the  Auglaise,  and  there  are  not  less  than  1,000 
acres  of  corn  around  the  town."  The  same  journal  describes  the  im- 
mense corn-fields,  numerous  vegetable  patches  and  old  apple  trees  found 
along  the  banks  of  the  Maumee  from  its  mouth  to  Fort  Wayne,  and  dis- 
closes the  fact  that  the  army  obtained  its  bread  and  vegetables  for  eight 
days,  while  building  Fort  Defiance,  from  the  surrounding  corn  and  po- 
tato fields. 

One  of  the  chief  objects  of  the  military  expedition  against  the  Indian 
villages  was  the  destruction  of  their  corn,  which  would  compel  the  war- 
riors to  devote  more  of  their  time  to  hunting  as  a  means  of  subsistence, 
and  thus  prevent  marauding  expeditions  against  the  white  settlements. 


48  PEELIMINARY  CHAPTERS. 

Gen.  Harmar,  in  his  unsuccessful  expedition  in  1790,  burned  and  destroyed 
nearly  20,000  bushels  of  corn  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Wayne.  Gen. 
Charles  Scott,  in  his  expedition  against  the  Wabash  Indians,  destroyed 
a  considerable  amount  of  corn  about  the  1st  of  June,  1791.  In  August 
of  the  same  year,  Col.  Wilkinson,  who  marched  against  the  same  vil- 
lages, found  that  the  Indians  had  replanted  their  corn,  and  it  was  in  high 
cultivation,  several  fields  being  well  plowed,  Wilkinson  reported  that 
besides  burning  a  respectable  Kickapoo  village  he  had  cut  down  at  least 
430  acres  of  corn,  chiefly  in  the  milk,  and  that  the  Indians,  left  without 
houses,  home  or  provisions,  must  cease  to  war,  and  would  find  active  em- 
ployment in  subsisting  their  squaws  and  children  during  the  coming 
winter. 

MORAL  AND  INTELLECTUAL  CHAEACTER. 

Gen.  William  H.  Harrison  speaks  of  the  moral  and  .  intellectual 
qualities  of  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  in  his  discourse  before  the 
Ohio  Historical  and  Philosophical  Society  on  the  "Aborigines  of  the 
Ohio  Valley,"  as  follows: 

"The  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Shawn ees  and  Miamis  were  much  su- 
perior to  the  other  members  of  the  confederacy.  The  Little  Turtle,  of 
the  Miami  tribe,  was  one  of  this  description,  as  was  the  Blue  Jacket,  a 
Shawnee  chief.  I  think  it  probable  that  Tecumseh  possessed  more  in- 
tegrity than  any  other  of  the  chiefs  who  attained  to  much  distinction; 
but  he  violated  a  solemn  engagement,  which  he  had  freely  contracted, 
and  there  are  strong  suspicions  of  his  having  formed  a  treacherous  de- 
sign, which  an  accident  only  prevented  him  from  accomplishing.  Sim- 
ilar instances  are,  however,  to  be  found  in  the  conduct  of  great  men  in 
the  history  of  almost  all  civilized  nations.  But  these  instances  are 
more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  number  of  individuals  of  high  moral 
character  which  were  to  be  found  among  the  principal  and  secondary 
chiefs  of  the  four  tribes  above  mentioned.  This  was  particularly  the 
ease  with  Tarhe,  or  the  Crane,  the  great  sachem  of  the  Wyandots,  and 
Black  Hoof,  the  chief  of  the  Shawnees.  Many  instances  might  be  ad- 
duced to  show  the  possession  on  the  part  of  these  men  of  an  uncommon 
degree  of  disinterestedness  and  magnanimity,  and  strict  performance  of 
their  engagements  under  circumstances  which  would  be  considered  by 
many  as  justifying  evasion. 

"By  many  they  are  supposed  to  be  stoics,  who  willingly  encounter 
deprivations.  The  very  reverse  is  the  fact.  If  they  belong  to  either  of 
the  classes  of  philosophers  which  prevailed  in  the  declining  ages  of 
Greece  and  Rome,  it  is  to  that  of  the  Epicureans.  For  no  Indian  will 
forego  an  enjoyment  or  sufifer  an  inconvenience  if  he  can  avoid  it,  but 
under  peculiar  circumstances,    when,   for   instance,  he  is  stimulated  by 


THE  INDIANS. 


49 


Rome  strong  passion.  But  even  the  gratification  of  this  he  is  ready  to 
postpone  whenever  its  accomplishment  is  attended  with  unlooked-for 
danger  or  unexpected  hardships.  Hence  their  military  operations  were 
always  feeble,  their  expeditions  few  and  far  between,  and  much  the 
greater  number  abandoned  without  an  "efficient  stroke,  from  whim, 
caprice,  or  an  aversion  to  encounter  difficulties."  He  adds-.  "When, 
however,  evil  comes  which  he  cannot  avoid,  then  he  will  call  up  all  the 
spirit  of  the  man,  and  meet  his  fate,  however  hard,  like  the  best  Roman 
of  them  all." 

antoine'^'gamelin's  journey. 
While  Gov.  St.  Clair  was  engaged  in  organizing  the  western  counties 
of  the  Northwest  Territory,  in  1790,  he  made  a  praisworthy  efifort  to  con- 
ciliate the  hostile  tribes  on  the  Wabash.  Antoine  Gamelin,  an  intelli- 
gent French  merchant  of  Vincennes,  was  employed  to  carry  the 
messages  of  the  Government  to  the  Indians,  and  to  ascertain  their  dis- 
position and  sentiments.  Antoine  traveled  across  the  State  and  visited 
all  the  tribes  along  the  Wabash  and  as  far  east  as  the  junction  of  the 
St.  Joseph  and  St.  Mary's,  at  the  site  of  Fort  Wayne.  His  journal, 
which  fortunately  has  been  preserved,  gives  much  information  concern- 
ing the  Indians  of  Indiana  in  the  earlier  period  of  the  history  of  the 
Northwest  Territory. 

Setting  out  from  Vincennes,  April  5,  1790,  the  first  Indian  village 
he  arrived  at  was  called  Kickapougoi,  inhabited  by  a  tribe  then  peace- 
ably disposed  toward  the  whites.  The  second  village  he  found  was  at  the 
river  Vermillion,  and  inhabited  by  the  Piankeshaws,  who  looked  upon 
the  Mi  amis  as  their  elder  brethren,  and  could  not  give  an  answer  to  the 
message  until  they  had  consulted  that  nation.  On  the  lUh  of  April, 
Gamelin  arrived  at  a  tribe  of  the  Kickapoos,  who  also  regarded  the 
Miamis  as  their  elder  brethren.  On  the  18th  he  arrived  at  Eel  River. 
The  village  of  Eel  River  Indians  stood  about  six  miles  above  the  junc- 
tion of  that  stream  with  the  Wabash.  The  chief  of  this  tribe  was 
absent,  and  no  answer  to  the  message  could  be  obtained.  On  the  23d 
of  April  he  arrived  at  the  great  village  of  the  Miamis,  at  the  site  of 
Fort  Wayne.  The  chief  of  the  Miamis  at  this  time  was  called  LeGris. 
At  this  place  were  both  French  and  English  traders.  While  Gamelin 
remained  five  Pottawattomies  arrived  with  two  negro  men,  whom  they 
sold  to  the  English  traders.  Blue  Jacket,  the  great  warrior  chief  of  the 
Shawnees,  was  at  the  Miami  town.  Both  LeGris  and  Blue  Jacket  were 
disposed  to  insist  that  the  Ohio  River  should  be  made  the  Indian  bound- 
ary, and  the  report  of  Gamelin  was  unfavorable  for  the  maintenance  of 
peace. 


50  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 


INDIANS  DEMAND  THE  OHIO  FOK  THEIR  BOUNDARY. 

The  Indians  of  the  Wabash  and  Maumee  were  hostile  to  the  formation 
of  the  earlier  settlements  northwest  of  the  Ohio,  and  made  incursions 
upon  the  whites  along  the  Ohio  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Ohio,  and 
often  passed  into  Kentucky  on  expeditions  of  plunder  and  murder. 
These  Indians  were  united  in  claiming  that  the  whites  had  no  rights  to 
any  lands  northwest  of  the  Ohio;  that  the  treaty  of  Fort  Stanwix  in  1768 
made  the  Ohio  River  the  boundary,  and  they  refused  to  regard  the 
treaties  of  Fort  Mackintosh  in  1785,  and  Fort  Harmar  in  1789,  as  bind- 
ing, because  not  ratified  by  all  the  tribes. 

In  1793  President  Washington  instructed  the  commissioners  appointed 
by  him  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Northwestern  Indians,  to 
use  every  effort  to  obtain  a  confirmation  of  the  boundary  line  established 
at  Fort  Harmar,  and  to  offer  in  payment  $50,000  in  hand,  and  an  annuity 
of  $10,000  forever.  The  Indians  refused  the  money,  claimed  that  the 
treaties  already  made  were  void  because  not  sanctioned  by  all  the  tribes, 
demanded  that  the  Ohio  River  should  be  considered  the  boundary,  and 
that  every  white  settlement  should  be  removed  from  the  Northwest 
Territory.  The  paper  containing  these  views  of  the  Indians  was  signed 
by  the  chiefs  of  the  Wyandots,  Delawares,  Shawn ees,  Miamis,  Mingoes, 
Pottawattomies,  Ottawas,  Connoys,  Chippewas  and  Munsees. 

The  commissioners  explained  to  them  that  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment had  sold  large  tracts  of  land  northwest  of  the  Ohio,  and  that  the 
white  settlements  and  improvements  were  numerous,  and  had  cost  much 
money  and  labor,  and  could  not  be  given  up;  but  the  Government  was 
willing  to  pay  a  larger  sum  in  money  and  goods  than  had  been  given  at 
any  one  time  for  Indian  lands  since  the  whites  first  set  their  feet  on  this 
continent.     The  Indians  gave  as  their  final  reply: 

"Money  is  of  no  value  to  us,  and  to  most  of  us  is  unknown.  As  no 
consideration  whatever  can  induce  us  to  sell  the  lands  on  which  we  get 
sustenance  for  our  women  and  children,  we  hope  we  may  be  allowed  to 
point  out  a  mode  by  which  your  settlers  may  be  easily  removed,  and 
peace  thereby  obtained. 

"We  know  these  settlers  are  poor,  or  they  never  would  have  ventured 
to  live  in  a  country  which  has  been  in  continual  trouble  since  they  crossed 
the  Ohio.  Divide,  therefore,  this  large  sum  of  money  which  you  have 
offered  to  us  among  these  people.  Give  to  each,  also,  a  proportion  of 
what  you  say  you  will  give  to  us  annually  over  and  above  this  large  sum 
of  money,  and,  we  are  persuaded,  they  will  most  readily  accept  it  in  lieu 
of  the  land  you  sold  them.  If  you  add,  also,  the  great  sums  you  must 
expend  in  raising  and  paying  armies  with  a  view  to  force  us  to  yield  you 


THE  INDIANS.  51 

our  country,  you  will  certainly  have  more  than  sufficient  for  the  purpose 
of  repaying  these  settlers  for  all  their  labor  and  their  improvements. 

"We  shall  be  persuaded  that  you  mean  to  do  us  justice  if  you  agree 
that  the  Ohio  shall  remain  the  boundary  line  betw^een  us.  If  you  will 
not  consent  thereto,  our  further  meeting  will  be  altogether  unneces- 
sary. " 

The  ^commissioners  on  the  part  of  the  Government  said  "  That  they 
had  already  explicitly  declared  to  them  that  it  was  now  impossible  to 
make  the  Ohio  River  the  line  between  their  lands  and  the  lands  of  the 
United  States.  Your  answer  amounts  to  a  declaration  that  you  will 
agree  to  no  other  boundary  than  the  Ohio.  The  negotiation  is  therefore 
at  an  end." 

Nothing  remained  for  the  Government  but  a  vigorous  prosecution  of 
the  war.  The  Indians  were  defeated  by  Gen.  Wayne  in  August,  1794, 
and  in  August,  1795,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  ratified  by  all  the  tribes. 
The  treaty  of  Greenville  was  the  first  one  since  that  of  Fort  Stanwix, 
which  was  regarded  as  binding  upon  the  Indian  confederacy.  It  was 
observed  by  them  in  good  faith,  and  there  was  no  further  war  between 
the  red  men  and  the  whites  until  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  in  1811. 


52  PRELIMINARY  CHAPTERS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PREHISTORIC  REMAINS. 

Arch^ological  Work  >  IN  Southeast  Indiana— Purpose  of  Mounds— 
Their  Age— Gen.  Harrison  on  the  Ancient  Fort  at  the  Mouth  of 
THE  Great  Miami— Signal  Stations— Open-air  Work-shops— An- 
cient Fire-places— Stone  Utensils,  Weapons  and  Ornaments- 
Trade  OR  Traffic  Among  the  Pre-historic  Races. 

INTERESTING  archseological  remains  are  found  throughout  southeast 
Indiana.  They  are  the  traces  of  a  people  who  inhabited  the  basins 
of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio  in  the  distant  past.  Their  elaborate  and 
extensive  earthworks  prove  that  they  were  not  nomadic  tribes,  but  a 
numerous  people,  dwelling  in  fixed  communities,  probably  devoted  to 
agriculture,  and  having  certain  fixed  laws,  customs  and  religious  rites. 
Some  of  these  works  required  an  immense  amount  of  labor  and  consider- 
able engineering  skill.  What  race  of  people  built  these  remarkable 
works  we  shall  probably  never  know,  and  in  the  absence  of  positive 
knowledge,  there  origin  is  referred  to  a  people  called  the  Mound-Builders. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  any  law  governing  the  arrangement  of  either 
the  tumuli  or  fortifications  has  been  discovered.  Both  appear  to  be  more 
numerous  along  the  rivers  than  elsewhere.  It  has  been  thought  by  some 
writers  that  the  archaeology  of  the  Miamis  has  for  its  distinguishing 
feature  a  system  of  strong  fortifications  along  the  two  rivers,  and  that 
the  numerous  mounds  on  the  headlands  and  interior  points  may  have 
been  signal  stations,  commanding  the  whole  region  and  binding  the 
country  together  as  the  seat  of  one  united  nation.  A  more  common  view 
is  that  the  mounds  were  places  of  sepulture  and  memorials  raised  over 
the  dead,  the  largest  mounds  being  erected  in  honor  of  distinguished 
personages.  The  notion  that  they  contain  the  remains  of  vast  heaps  of 
dead  fallen  in  great  battles  is  wholly  unsupported  by  the  facts  obtained 
from  excavations  and  examinations.  But  one  or  two  skeletons  are  usually 
iound  in  these  mounds,  and  where  many  are  found  it  is  probable  that 
the  later  Indians,  and,  in  some  cases,  Europeans,  have  buried  their  dead 
in  them. 

The  New  American  Cyclopedia  assumes,  from  facts  and  circumstances 
deemed  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  arrive  at  approximate  conclusions  con- 
cerning the  antiquity  of  the  Mound-Builders'  records,  that  we  may  infer, 


PRE-HISTORIC  REMAINS.  53 

for  most  of  these  monuments  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  an  age  of  not  less 
than  two  thousand  years.  "By  whom  built,  whether  their  authors 
migrated  to  remote  lands  under  the  combined  attractions  of  a  more  fer- 
tile soil  and  more  genial  clime,  or  whether  they  disappeared  beneath  the 
victorious  arms  of  an  alien  race,  or  were  swept  out  of  existence  by  some 
direful  epidemic  or, universal  famine,  are  questions  probably  beyond  the 
power  of  human  investigations  to  answer.  History  is  silent  concerning 
them  and  their  very  name  is  lost  to  tradition  itself." 

Extensive  pre-historic  forts  and  mounds  are  found  on  both  sides  of 
the  Great  Miami,  near  its  mouth,  which  have  been  accurately  platted  by 
Samuel  Morrison.  Gen.  William  H.  Harrison  took  a  deep  interest  in 
these  works.  "The  work  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami,"  he  wrote, 
"was  a  citadel,  more  elevated  than  the  Acropolis  of  Athens,  although 
easier  of  access,  as  it  is  not  like  the  latter,  a  solid  rock,  but  on  three 
sides  as  nearly  perpendicular  as  could  be,  composed  of  earth.  A  large 
space  of  lower  ground  was,  however,  enclosed  by  walls  uniting  it  with 
the  Ohio.  The  foundation  of  that  (being  of  stone,  as  well  as  those  of 
the  citadel)  that  forms  the  western  defense,  is  still  very  visible  where 
it  crosses  the  Miami,  which,  at  the  period  of  its  erection,  must  have  dis- 
charged itself  into  the  Ohio  much  lower  down  than  it  now  does.  I  have 
never  been  able  to  discover  the  eastern  wall  of  this  enclosure,  but  if  its 
direction  from  the  citadel  to  the  Ohio  was  such  as  it  should  have  been, 
to  embrace  the  largest  space  with  the  least  labor,  there  would  not  have 
been  less  than  300  acres  enclosed.  The  same  land  at  this  day,  under 
the  best  cultivation,  will  produce  from  seventy  to  100  bushels  of  corn 
per  acre.  Under  such  as  was  then  probably  bestowed  upon  it,  there 
would  be  much  less,  but  still  enough  to  contribute  to  the  support  of  a 
considerable  settlement  of  people,  remarkable  beyond  all  others  for  ab- 
stemiousness in  their  diet. 

Gen.  Harrison  did  not  believe  the  work  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Miami  and  the  one  at  Circleville  could  have  been  erected  by  the  same 
people  if  both  were  intended  for  military  purposes.  "The  square  at 
Circleville,"  he  says,  "has  such  a  number  of  gateways  as  seem  intended 
to  facilitate  the  entrance  of  those  who  would  attack  it.  And  both  it  and 
the  circle  were  completely  commanded  by  the  mound,  rendering  it  an 
easier  matter  to  take  than  defend  it.  The  engineers,  on  the  contrary, 
who  directed  the  execution  of  the  Miami  works,  appear  to  have  known 
the  importance  of  flank  defenses.  If  their  bastions  are  not  as  perfect, 
as  to  form,  as  those  in  use  in  modern  engineering,  their  position,  as  well 
as  that  of  the  long  lines  of  curtains,  is  precisely  as  it  should  be." 

Dr.  J.  W.  Baxter,  of  Vevay,  gives  the  following  account  of  a  series 
of  mounds,  or  signal  stations,    occupying  prominent  points  along  the 


54  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

Ohio  River,  and  so  located  that  each  may  be  seen  from  the  next  above 
and  below.  These  command  nearly  the  whole  bottom.  From  the  sta- 
tion below  Patriot  the  observer  may  look  across  Gallatin  County,  Ky., 
and  the  valley  of  Eagle  Creek  to  the  height  of  land  in  Owen  County. 
Both  this  mound  and  one  near  Rising  Sun  exhibit  traces  of  fires  that 
may  have  been  used  as  telegraphic  signals  by  the  Mound-Bailders.  The 
mounds  at  the  following  pl-dces  form  a  complete  series,  though  others 
may  have  been  used  when  the  country  was  timbered:  Rising  Sun,  near 
Gunpowder  Creek,  Ky. ;  the  Dibble  Farm,  two  miles  south  of  Patriot; 
the  "North  Hill,"  below  Warsaw,  Ky. ;  the  Taylor  Farm,  below  Log 
Lick  Creek;  opposite  Carrollton,  Ky. ;  below  Carrollton. 

There  are  a  number  of  mounds  in  the  vicinity  of  Aurora,  and  quite  a 
large  mound  was  within  the  city  limits,  but  has  been  almost  entirely  re- 
moved by  cutting  a  street- way  through  it.  Dr.  George  Sutton,  of  Au- 
rora, has  a  large  and  interesting  collection  of  ancient  stone  implements, 
which  he  collected  from  this  county  and  from  Kentucky. 

J.  B.  Gerard,  M.  D.,  in  connection  with  others,  opened  a  mound 
near  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek,  in  Ohio  County,  which  was  about 
100  feet  in  diameter  and  fifteen  feet  high;  excavations  were  made  at 
several  places,  and  they  found  human  bones,  one  whole  earthen  pot,  and 
a  great  many  fragments  of  pottery.  Mr.  Stratton  also  found  a  whole  pofc 
in  this  mound,  and  still  another  was  found  by  H.  C.  Miller.  Dr.  Ge- 
rard has  noticed  from  twenty  to  thirty  mounds  along  the  bluffs  of 
Laughery  Creek,  and  has  opened  a  number  of  others,  but  found  nothing 
of  note  except  ashes,  which  lay  at  the  base  of  them  all. 

Dr.  George  W.  Homsher,  of  Fairfield,  Ind.,  in  a  paper  on  the 
"Ancient  Remains  on  Whitewater  River,"  in  the  Smithsonian  Report  of 
18S2,  describes  what  he  terms  "open-air  woi'kshops "  situated  in 
the  valleys  along  the  Whitewater.  Their  location  is  indicated  by  a  vast 
amount  of  broken  cobble-stones  or  chert.  From  the  fragments  it  is  easy 
to  determine  the  kind  of  implement  which  was  manufactured,  whether 
axe,  celt,  pestle,  hammer,  arrow  or  ornament.  These  workshops,  as  a 
general  rule,  are  located  on  the  second  terrace  formation  along  the  river 
or  the  larger  streams  flowing  into  the  river,  and  in  close  proximity  with 
each  shop  is  an  excellent  spring  of  water.  There  is  also  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  workshop  a  signal  mound  or  station,  located  on  the  highest 
hill  or  bluff  along  the  river.  One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  workshops 
is  situated  about  500  yards  northwest  of  Quakertown,  and  covers  about 
two  and  a  half  acres.  At  least  half  a  wagon  load  of  ancient  implements 
have  been  gathered  here,  and  yet  additional  ones  are  still  found.  Dr. 
Homsher  locates  about  a  dozen  open-air  work-shops  along  the  Whitewater. 
The  same  writer  maintains  that  sigfnal   mounds  in  some   instances 


PRE-HISTORIC  REMAINS.  55 

have  been  converted  into  burial  mounds,  probably  after  their  abandon- 
ment as  signal  stations.  "  In  signal  mounds,"  he  says,  "  there  is  only 
one  spot,  and  that  in  the  center,  that  shows  the  action  of  fire,  and 
when  it  has  served  its  purpose  it  is  built  up  in  a  cone  shape  and  aban- 
doned. In  case  it  is  converted  into  a  burial  mound  the  fire  has  been 
extinguished,  the  surface  leveled,  the  dead  deposited,  and  again  another 
layer  of  clay  or  whatever  material  is  used  in  its  construction,  is  symmet- 
rically laid  over  the  dead  to  the  depth  of  six  to  eighteen  inches. 
Over  the  whole  surface  a  fire  once  more  is  started,  the  object 
being  to  burn  the  clay  or  harden  it,  so  that  the  water  will  not  permeate 
it  so  readily  as  it  does  unburnt  clay.  In  doing  this  there  is  no  fear  of 
destroying  the  objects  deposited  below.  Sometimes  where  a  limb  has 
not  been  sufficiently  covered  it  has  been  charred,  which  accounts  for  that 
part  of  the  subject  we  oftentimes  find  in  these  tumuli  that  are  mutilated 
and  attributed  to  cremation." 

It  is  said  that  a  greater  number  of  wild  grapes,  plums,  crab-apples 
and  onions  are  found  growing  near  the  mounds  in  southeast  Indiana  than 
at  a  distance  from  them. 

In  the  Ohio  River  terraces  are  found  some  antiquarian  remains.  In 
the  bottom  below  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek,  are  the  remains  of 
what  are  called  ancient  fire-places,  which  are  disclosed  from  time  to  time 
as  the  river  wears  away  the  bank.  R.  H.  Warder  examined  one  which 
"  consisted  of  a  layer  of  boulders  thirteen  feet  from  the  surface.  The 
part  exposed  was  three  feet  across.  Pieces  of  charcoal,  soft  aud  crumb- 
ling, were  found  among  and  under  the  boulders,  while  other  pieces, 
that  had  fallen  out  and  dried  in  the  sunshine,  were  firm.  The  clay  under 
the  boulders  was  red  as  though  burnt.  No  one  could  examine  the  section 
without  being  convinced  of  human  agency  in  the  work." 

In  the  river  bank  opposite  Florence,  there  is  a  layer  of  decomposing 
mussel  shells,  thirty- two  inches  below  the  surface.  The  out-crop  now 
extends  forty  feet,  was  noticed  as  early  as  1847,  when  the  bank  stood 
two  or  three  rods  nearer  the  channel  than  it  now  does.  Similar 
deposits  have  been  observed  elsewhere  in  the  river  terraces. 

Among  the  most  interesting  archaeological  relics  are  the  utensils, 
implements,  weapons  and  personal  ornaments  of  pre-historic  times.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that,  while  most  writers  on  American  antiquities 
make  a  distinction  between  the  Mound -Builders  and  the  tribes  the  whites 
found  in  possession  of  the  country,  such  a  line  of  demarkation  cannot 
well  be  drawn  with  accuracy  with  respect  to  the  stone,  flint  and  copper 
relics.  Some  of  these  relics  may  belong  to  a  pre-historic  race  of  the 
distant  past,  some  to  the  earliest  Indian  tribes  inhabiting  the  country, 
and   others  to  later  Indians,  whose  mechanical  arts  may  have  been  modi- 


56  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

fied  by  contact  and  trade  with  the  whites.  It  is,  therefore,  impossible 
to  separate  the  relics  of  the  Mound-Builders  from  those  of  the  later 
races.  We  cannot  refer  the  copper  implements  to  any  particular  epoch, 
nor  can  we  determine  when  the  stone  age  began  or  ended.  Stone  imple- 
ments have  been  found  associated  with  the  remains  of  animals  long 
since  extinct,  yet  these  implements  are  not  different  from  those  known  to 
have  been  in  use  among  the  savage  tribes  when  first  seen  by  the  whites. 
With  respect  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  designed,  they  may 
be  divided  into  utensils  for  domestic  use,  implements  for  handicraft, 
weapons  and  ornaments.  With  respect  to  the  materials  from  which  they 
were  fabricated,  they  are  stone,  flint,  slate,  copper,  pottery,  bone,  horn 
and  shell. 

The  most  common  relics  are  the  flint  arrow-heads,  spear-heads  and 
daggers.  Other  flint  implements,  such  as  knives  and  cutting  tools, 
scrapers  and  borers  have  been  found.  Of  stone  relics,  the  most  common 
are  axes  and  hammers,  grooved  so  that  a  forked  branch  or  split  stick 
could  be  fastened  for  a  handle;  balls  more  or  less  round,  probably  used 
as  hand-hammers;  pestles  for  crushing  grain,  and  many  ornaments — 
among  them  flat,  perforated  tubes  of  highly  polished  slate,  and  various 
forms  of  flat  stones,  polished  and  perforated.  Stone  pipes  are  found  of 
various  sizes  and  construction.  Specimens  of  ancient  pottery  have  not 
been  often  found. 

Charles  Rau,  the  author  of  several  valuable  papers  on  American 
antiquities,  has  shown  that  there  was  an  extensive  trade  or  traffic  among 
the  pre-historic  races  of  America.  This  is  rendered  evident  from  the 
fact  that  their  manufactured  articles  consist  of  materials  which  must 
have  been  obtained  from  sources  in  far  distant  localities.  The  materials 
of  which  many  relics  found  in  Indiana  are  composed,  can  only  be  found 
at  a  distance  of  hundreds  of  miles.  The  term  "flint,"  used  to  describe 
the  material  of  which  various  chipped  implements  are  manufactured,  is 
used  to  include  various  kinds  of  hard  and  silicious  stones,  such  as  horn- 
stone,  jasper,  chalcedony  and  different  kinds  of  quartz.  There  have 
been  found  in  the  United  States  places  where  the  manufacture  of  flint 
implements  was  carried  on.  There  was  a  great  demand  for  arrow-beads 
among  the  primitive  tribes,  and  in  places  where  the  proper  kind  of 
material  could  be  found,  there  were  work  shops  for  their  manufacture. 
An  important  locality  to  which  the  aborigines  resorted  for  quarrying 
flint  is  now  called  Flint  Ridge,  and  extends  through  Muskingum  and 
Licking  Counties,  Ohio.  Dr,  Hildreth  says  of  this  ancient  flint  quarry: 
"  The  compact,  silicious  material  of  which  this  ridge  is  made  up 
seems  to  have  attracted  the  notice  of  the  aborigines,  who  have  manufac- 
tured it  largely  into  arrow  ar^  spear  heads,  if  we  may  be  allowed  to 


PHYSICAL  FEATURES.  57 

judge  from  the  numerous  circular  excavations,  which  have  been  made  in 
mining  the  rock,  and  the  piles  of  chipped  quartz  lying  on  the  surface. 
How  extensively  it  has  been  worked  for  these  purposes  may  be  imagined 
from  the  countless  number  of  the  pits,  experience  having  taught  them 
that  the  rock  recently  dug  from  the  earth  could  be  split  with  more  free- 
dom than  that  which  had  lain  exposed  to  the  weather.  These  excava- 
tions are  found  the  whole  length  of  the  outcrop,  but  more  abundantly 
at  'Flint  JElidge,'  where  it  is  most  compact  and  diversified  with  rich 
colors." 

The  greenish,  striped  slate,  of  which  variously  shaped  tablets  are 
made,  is  believed  to  occur  in  no  parts  of  the  Union  except  the  Atlantic 
coast  district,  and  to  have  been  transported,  either  in  a  rough  or  worked 
condition,  from  that  region  to  the  different  parts  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley  in  which  the  relics  are  found.  The  copper  used  by  the  aboriginal 
tribes  was  probably  obtained  chiefly  from  the  northern  part  of  Michigan. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PHYSICAL  FEATURES. 


Similarity  of  the  Surface  Features  of  Dearborn,  Ohio  and  Switzer- 
land Counties— Topography— Changes  made  along  the  Ohio- 
Table  OF  Elevations— Stratified  Rooks— Minerals— Drift— Gold- 
Bearing  Drift— Land-Slips— Sink-Holes— Soils. 

THE  three  counties  of  Dearborn,  Ohio  and  Switzerland,  in  southeast 
Indiana,  all  bordering  on  the  majestic  Ohio,  present  such  simi- 
larities in  their  surface  as  to  form  a  district  whose  physical  features  are 
best  described  together.  These  three  counties  are  composed  of  the  same 
geological  formation,  and  indicate  substantially  the  same  geological  his- 
tory. A  description  of  the  topography  and  geology  of  one  would,  in  its 
general  statements,  apply  to  the  rest.  Robert  H.  Warder  grouped  the 
three  counties  together  in  his  report  on  the  geology  of  this  region,  pub- 
lished in  1872.  Free  use  will  be  made  in  this  chapter  of  Warder's. 
Report,  together  with  the  information  contained  in  the  writings  of  Prof. 
Edward  Orton,  of  Ohio.  In  treating  of  the  physical  features  of  this  dis- 
trict, only  the  leading  points  can  be  noticed.  The  attempt  will  be  made 
to  discard  the  technical  terms  of  science,  and  to  treat  the  subject  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  can  be  understood  by  any  reader  of  average  intelligence, 
although  wholly  unacquainted  with  geological  science. 

The  district  extends  forty-three  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  twen- 
ty-one and  one-half  miles  from  east  to  west. 


58  PRELIMINARY  CHAPTERS. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The  district  has  a  diversified  topography,  and  contains  a  great  variety 
of  soil.  Although  each  of  the  counties  has  an  extensive  front  on  the 
Ohio,  and  much  of  the  land  of  the  district  consists  of  Ohio  River  hills, 
yet  there  are  extensive  regions  of  upland  flats  which,  in  a  state  of  nature, 
retained  the  water  most  of  the  year.  In  each  of  the  counties  are  to  be 
found  bottom  lands,  river  terraces,  steep  hill -sides,  broken  uplands  and 
upland  flats.  The  district  contains  some  of  the  richest  and  some  of  the 
poorest  land  in  the  State.  Picturesque  scenery  is  to  be  found  in  the 
district  along  the  Ohio,  and  the  streams  which  fall  into  it,  and  on  the 
uplands  pleasant  vistas  of  four  or  five  miles  may  be  enjoyed  from  favored 
spots.  The  hills  along  the  Ohio  are  said,  perhaps  with  truth,  to  be 
unsurpassed  in  beauty  on  the  globe.  The  roads  leading  from  the  river 
to  the  higher  lands  pass  -along  the  beds  of  streams  between  hills 
which  are  often  beautifully  rounded,  while  the  ridges  slope  gracefully  to 
the  bottoms. 

The  Ohio  River  extends  for  more  than  fifty  miles  along  the  east  and 
south  of  the  district.  The  big  bottoms  of  the  Great  Miami  are  on  the 
eastern  side  of  Dearborn,  and  the  Whitewater  flows  through  the  north- 
east part  of  that  county.  Tanner's  Creek  empties  into  the  Ohio  below 
Lawrenceburgh.  North  and  South  Hogan  Creeks  unite  at  Aurora,  and 
flow  into  the  Ohio.  The  winding  Laughery  Creek  flows  south  in  Ripley 
County,then  turning  northeastward,  forms  the  boundary  between  Dearborn 
and  Ohio  Counties.  The  flood  of  the  Ohio  in  1847  backed  water  up  this 
stream  within  three  or  four  miles  of  the  Ripley  County  line.  The 
streams  of  Switzerland  County  are  all  comparatively  small,  the  principal 
are  Grant's,  Bryant's,  Log  Lick  and  Indian  Creeks.  Some  of  the  streams 
have  considerable  fall,  and  were  early  utililized  for  water-power,  but  as 
the  forests  have  been  cleared  away,  the  water  supply  has  become  less 
constant,  and  many  mills  have  been  abandoned. 

The  Ohio,  with  its  mighty  flood,  causes  many  changes  along  its 
banks,  in  one  place  washing  away  large  tracts,  in  another  extending  the 
land  into  the  river  channel.     On  this  subject  Warder's  Report  says: 

"A  few  examples  of  these  changes  will  be  given:  At  Rising  Sun  it  is 
estimated  that  no  less  than  300  feet  of  the  bank  has  been  washed  away 
within  twenty-five  years.  A  row  of  houses  has  disappeared  which  once 
stood  above  Main  Street,  with  road  and  play-ground  beyond.  The  well 
referred  to,  at  Hickman's  Landing,  was  dug  about  100  feet  from  the 
bank,  but  it  has  been  carried  away  and  much  of  the  bottom  behind  it. 
At  Florence  there  was  but  little  wear  twenty-five  years  ago,  the  bank 
being  protected  by  trees.  About  eighty  feet  of  the  bank  have  been  lost 
at  the  Main  street  within   a  few  years,   and  200  feet  a  short  distance 


PHYSICAL  FEATURES.  59 

below.  Repeated  changes  of  the  river  road  have  been  required  in  maoy 
places. 

The  process  of  land  making  is  also  very  common,  but  I  judge  that 
the  amount  of  material  deposited  will  by  no  means  equal  the  amount 
removed.  There  was  formerly  a  low  island  above  Vevay,  close  to  the 
Indiana  shore.  Steamboats  ascending  the  river  frequently  passed  through 
the  chute  twenty  years  ago.  The  steamer  Kentucky  went  through  as 
late  as  1859.  A  few  tow-heads  were  gradually  formed  about  the  upper 
end.  The  current  was  thus  arrested  and  the  tine  material  held  in  sus- 
pension was  deposited.  When  this  accumulation  had  so  filled  the  chute 
that  the  island  was  connected  with  the  main  land  at  low  water  it  became 
part  of  Indiana;  another  corn-field  has  been  added  to  the  agricultural 
wealth  of  the  State.  A  stump,  which  was  at  the  water's  edge  in  1850, 
to  which  the  fisherman  fastened  his  net,  is  now  several  rods  from  the 
bank.  Land  is  still  forming  among  the  trees  beyond  and  below  the 
island.  Similar  deposits  are  generally  forming  wherever  a  growth  of 
willows  or  other  trees  is  secured  sufficient  to  diminish  the  current  in  time 
of  overflows.  Sometimes,  however,  the  exposed  roots  of  trees  indicate 
that  they  are  not  a  certain  preventive  of  erosion.  The  current  may  be  even 
wearing  the  bottom  at  one  point  while  depositing  silt  immediately  beyond." 

A  table  of  elevations  has  been  prepared  from  various  sources,  and  is 
here  given.     The  figures  give  the  elevation  above  the  ocean: 

Feet. 

Lawrenceburgh 500 

Guilford  (C,  I.,  St.  L.  &  C.  R.  R) 520 

Harman's  (C,  I.,  St.  L.  &  C.  R.  R.) 759 

Weisberg  (C,  I.,  St.  L.  &  C.  R.  R.) 941 

Sunman's(C.,  I.,  St.  L.  &  C.  R.  R.) 1,037 

Summit,  near  Milan  (O.  &  M.  R.  R.) 1,000 

Moorefleld  (turnpike  level) 885 

Quercus  Grove  (turnpike  level) 870 

Dillsborough 785 

"Seminary  Hill,"  near  Vevay 700 

Ridge,  south  of  Guilford*(Aueroid  barometer) 875 

High  points,  southwest  part  of  Switzerland  County  (Aneroid 

barometer) 875 

General  level  of    high  ground  in  the   northwest    part    of 

Switzerland  County 950 

High  point,  near  schoolhouse,  one  mile  south  of  East  Enter- 
prise (turnpike  level) 910 

STRATIFIED    ROCKS    AND    MINERALS. 

'. "'  The  stratified  rocks  of  the  district  belong  to  the  series  formerly 
known  as  the  Blue  Limestone,  and  sometimes  called  the  Hudson  River 
Group.  The  modern  name  for  the  rock  is  the  Cincinnati  Group.  These 
rocks  belong  geologically  to  the  Hudson  River  Period,  the  Lower  Silu- 
rian Age  and  the  Paleozoic  Era.     They  are  found  in  the  southeast  part  of 


60  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

Indiana,  the  southwest  part  of  Ohio,  and  in  a  considerable  area  of  Ken- 
tucky. They  ax-e  exposed  in  bluffs  along  the  Ohio  from  Maysville,  Ky., 
to  the  mouth  of  Fourteen  Mile  Creek  in  Clark  County,  Ind.  The  strata 
of  the  Cincinnati  Gi'oup  foi'm  the  floor  of  nearly  the  whole  of  Dearborn, 
Ohio  and  Switzerland  Counties.  The  blueish  tinge  of  the  rocks  is  due 
to  the  presence  of  an  oxide  of  iron.  Exposure  often  changes  the  color 
to  a  light  gray  or  drab.  The  rocks  of  this  formation  abound  in  well- 
preserved  fossils,  often  of  great  beauty.  The  fossiliferous  remains  occur 
in  such  numbers  and  are  so  well  preserved,  that  the  attention  of  the 
most  careless  observer  is  directed  to  them  in  the  stones  by  the  wayside 
and  in  the  village  pavements.  There  are  a  few  exposures  of  Upper 
Silurian  rocks  in  the  district,  but  their  boundaries  have  not  yet  been 
accurately  mapped. 

The  limestone  seldom  occurs  in  layers  of  more  than  eight  inches. 
There  is  an  apparent  layer  of  sixteen  inches  in  the  Lawrenceburg  quarry, 
but  it  is  separated  into  two  or  three  by  partings  of  clay.  Neither  does 
the  marl  occur  in  uninterrupted  beds  of  any  great  thickness.  Near  Ris- 
ing Sun  there  is  an  exposure  of  twenty  feet,  or  more,  of  blue  clay,  with 
no  limestone  more  than  an  inch  or  two  thick;  but  even  here,  there  is  a 
very  thin  layer  of  solid  rock  at  every  foot  or  few  inches.  The  blue  lime- 
stone is  broken  by  vertical  joints  at  intervals  of  a  few  feet  or  less.  The 
largest  piece  observed  was  at  Vevay,  about  10x6  feet.  The  pieces  often 
approximate  to  the  parallelogram  in  shape;  sometimes  this  feature  is 
very  striking,  where  the  layer  is  divided  into  bits  by  two  sets  of  nearly 
parallel  joints,  not  running  at  right  angles.  A  weathered  stone  often 
exhibits  very  narrow  parallel  grooves  on  the  upper  surface.  By  breaking 
the  specimen  they  are  seen  to  extend  through  one  fourth,  more  or  less, 
of  its  thickness. 

At  the  quarries  near  St.  Leon,  Dearborn  County,  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  series,  the  rock  is  compact  and  bears  hammer  dressing  much  better 
than  the  average  rock  of  this  formation.  On  exposure  it  becomes  gray. 
This  change  begins  at  the  surface,  and  gradually  reaches  the  center. 
While  this  is  in  progress,  the  two  colors  are  not  blended,  but  the  gray 
and  the'  blue  remain  very  distinct. 

Among  the  lowest  Lower  Silurian  rocks  exposed  are  layers  of  compact 
stone  of  comparatively  dark  color  and  abounding  in  fossils.  This  rock 
crops  out  in  Millersburg,  one  mile  from  Florence,  and  at  other  points  on 
the  river.  The  stone  is  quarried  nearly  opposite  Rising  Sun,  at  low 
water,  and  used  for  tombstones  under  the  name  of  "Kentucky  marble." 
It  receives  a  beautiful  polish,  when  the  fossils  are  very  distinct;  some 
dull  spots  probably  indicate  the  position  of  concretions  through  the  rock. 
Small  cavities  lined  with  calc  spar  sometimes  occur  and  small  crystals  of 
iron  pyrites  are  frequent.      Slabs  are  quarried  as  large  as  desired. 


PHYSICAL  FEATURES. 


61 


Blue  limestone  for  building  purposes  is  everywhere  abundant.  Very 
little  of  it  will  bear  dressing.  Few  quarries  are  extensively  worked,  as 
this  stone  may  be  picked  up  from  the  beds  of  creeks. 

Lime  for  home  consumption  is  burned  from  the  blue  limestone. 
Hydraulic  cement  is  made  from  the  quarry  near  Bennington. 

Gravel  suitable  for  roads,  is  found  at  many  places  in  the  river  ter- 
races, including  those  of  the  Whitewater  and  Miami.  Deposits  are  not 
often  accessible  on  the  high  lands. 

Molding  sand  for  heavy  work  has  been  procured  from  the  railroad 
cut  near  Newton. 

The  manufacture  of  salt  was  carried  on  in  early  times  when  trans- 
portation was  difficult;  but  this  industry  was  long  ago  abandoned,  as 
there  are  no  salt  wells  or  springs  strong  enough  to  make  it  profitable. 
There  was  a  Government  salt  reservation  on  Section  25,  Township  6, 
Range  1  west.  Salt  is  said  to  have  been  made  by  the  Indians  on  Grant's 
Creek  at  the  Mineral  Springs. 

Good  bog  iron  ore  occurs  in  many  parts  of  the  broken  upland,  but  has 
not  been  seen  elsewhere.  In  each  spot  it  seems  confined  to  a  few  rods  or 
a  few  acres  near  the  hilltop,  but  several  outcrops  occur  near  one  locality, 
as  near  Quercus  Grove.  There  are  ledges  from  six  to  fourteen  inches 
thick,  but  the  stratum  is  seldom  continuous,  being  divided  into  pieces  a 
yard  or  less  in  diameter.  Drift  pebbles  occur  through  the  mass  in  many 
cases.  The  ore  is  most  frequently  noticed  at  the  surface,  or  where  struck 
by  the  plow,  but  it  has  been  seen  eight  or  nine  feet  deep. 

DRIFT. 

There  is  more  or  less  drift  on  nearly  all  the  high  land.  Northwest  of 
Manchester,  at  Fairview,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  upland  flats,  the  lime- 
stone is  overlaid  with  unstratitied  blue  clay,  containing  pebbles  and 
boulders,  many  of  which  bear  glacial  scratches.  The  impervious  nature 
of  this  clay  determines,  to  a  great  extent,  the  agricultural  character  of 
the  "crawfish  flats."  Much  of  the  drift  has  been  removed  by  erosion 
from  the  broken  upland,  but,  even  on  the  hills,  some  pebbles  are  found 
(occasionally  scratched)  which  must  be  referred  to  this  source.  Boulders 
are  common  in  each  of  the  counties,  some  of  them  three  or  four  feet  in 
diameter. 

An  interesting  specimen,  found  near  Tanner's  Creek  below  Weisburg, 
was  a  piece  of  native  copper,  weighing  twenty-six  ounces,  which  must 
have  been  brought  by  natural  agencies  from  the  Lake  Superior  region. 

An  unusual  amount  of  pebbly  drift  occurs  on  the  hills  near  Florence, 
and  at  the  base  is  a  mass  of  clay  mingled  with  pebbles,  on  which  no 
scratches  are  observed. 

At  Hartford  there  is  a  remarkable  accumulation  of  drift,  chiefly  rest- 


62  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

ing  against  the  north  face  of  the  native  hill.  Between  the  bottoms  of 
Laughery  Creek  and  the  hilltop,  the  deposit  is  about  200  feet  high,  with 
a  beautiful  grassy  surface,  divided  by  narrow  dells.  An  outcrop  through 
the  soil  shows  nothing  but  cemented  gravel.  Time  has  been  wasted  here 
in  searching  for  lead.  Sand,  with  some  cemented  layers,  was  found  near 
the  top.  At  the  base  are  slabs  of  blue  and  gray  limestone,  mingled  with 
clay,  a  variety  of  pebbles,  and  flattened  ferruginous  concretions,  which 
consist  of  concentric  layers  or  are  hollow.  A  trilobite  (Calymene),  with  the 
form  and  markings  uninjured,  was  here  associated  with  scratched  pebbles. 
In  one  of  the  prospect  holes  there  is  about  twelve  feet  of  quicksand  in  a 
basin  of  a  native  rock.  Large  crystalline  boulders  abound  south  and 
southwest  of  Hartford,  occupying  a  space  one  mile  east  and  west  by  one- 
fourth  mile  north  and  south,  ia  a  valley  that  opens  toward  Laughery 
Creek.  Two  or  three  small  streams  flow  northward  across  this  valley  to 
the  creek. 

GOLD    BEARING    DRIFT. 

In  the  drift  are  deposits  composed  of  crystalline  rocks  with  large 
quartz  and  granite  boulders,  magnetic  iron  ore  in  the  form  of  black  sand, 
and  gold  dust  and  nuggets.  George  Sutton,  M.  D.,  of  Aurora,  in  a 
paper  on  the  "  Gold  Bearing  Drift  of  Indiana"  read  before  the  American 
Association  for  the  Advancement  oE  Science  at  Cincinnati,  August, 
1881,  said  : 

"Along  the  valley  of  Laughery  Creek,  a  stream  which  enters  the 
Ohio  River  a  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Miami,  may  be  seen 
deposits  of  this  auriferous  drift.  They  are  not  stratified  like  the  terrace 
formations  seen  along  our  rivers,  but  lie  in  irregular  accumulations 
along  the  valley.  At  the  bottom  of  the  small  streams  that  have  cut 
across  this  drift  are  seen  deposits  of  black  sand  already  alluded  to,  which 
principally  consist  of  magnetic  iron  ore.  It  is  in  this  sand  that  gold  is 
found.  Seven  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Laughery  may  be  seen  a  deposit 
of  this  drift  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  nearly  half  a  mile  in 
width,  and  about  one  hundred  feet  in  thickness.  ***** 
Some  portions  of  the  Laughery  drift  are  so  rich  in  gold  that  it  is 
seen  with  the  unaided  eye,  and  almost  pays  a  fair  remuneration  washing 
for  it.  My  attention  was  directed  a  few  weeks  since,  by  the  owner  of  the 
farm  on  which  this  drift  is  found,  to  a  small  excavation  which  had  been 
made  in  washing  for  gold.  It  was  by  measurement  six  feet  long,  five  feet 
broad  and  about  two  feet  deep.  He  informed  me  that  from  this  place 
$8  worth  of  gold  had  been  obtained,  and  that  a  man  had  washed  from 
the  drift  on  his  farm  gold  to  the  value  of  $16.50.  The  gold  is  found  in 
the  form  of  dust,  flattened  scales,  and  small  nuggets.  Only  that  which 
could  be  seen  with  the  unaided  eye  was  saved." 


PHYSICAL   FEATURES.  63 

Dr.  Sutton  traced  the  gold-bearing  drift  in  a  line  across  the  State  of 
Indiana  northwestward  to  Illinois  and  argued  for  the  existence  of  rich 
veins  of  gold  north  of  the  great  lakes. 

LAND- SLIPS    AND    SINK-HOLES. 

A  common  phenomenon  is  the  land-slip,  especially  on  the  steep  river 
hills.  The  clay,  being  wet  with  spring  rains,  becomes  slippery  and  too 
soft  to  support  the  weight  above.  Part  of  the  hillside  slips  down  by  its 
own  weight,  forming  a  bench  where  the  material  accumulates.  A  greater 
depth  of  soil  is  retained  on  the  benches  than  on  the  steeper  part  of  the 
slope. 

Another  interesting  phenomenon  is  the  formation  of  sink-holes. 
These  are  most  abundant  in  the  soils  overlying  the  Upper  Silurian  rocks, 
or  the  upper  part  of  the  Lower  Silui'ian,  where  the  water,  sinking  through 
the  soil,  wears  away  a  channel  by  dissolving  the  rock,  and  the  soil,  no 
longer  supported,  falls  in.  A  very  common  form  is  that  of  an  inverted 
hollow  cone.  This  may  increase  if  the  water  is  allowed  to  wash  down 
more  and  more  of  the  soil  to  the  channel  below,  but  if  it  becomes  sodded 
over  (especially  when  filled  with  brush  or  rubbish),  the  wash  may  be  ar- 
rested, and  the  sink  be  converted  into  a  pond,  and  gradually  tilled  up. 

When  the  surface  soil  is  matted  together  by  the  roots  of  grass,  it  will 
keep  its  place  long  after  the  cavity  has  begun  to  form,  until  finally  some 
horse  puts  his  hoof  upon  the  fragile  roofing,  and  a  cavity  is  revealed 
large  enough  to  hide  the  whole  animal.  The  next  year  the  hole  may  be 
filled. 

A  series  of  sink-holes  sometimes  points  out  the  vein  of  water,  when  a 
well  is  to  be  sunk;  or  an  opening  in  a  layer  of  rock,  when  a  quarry  is  to 
be  opened. 

SOILS. 

The  typical  soil  of  the  upland  flats  is  derived  from  true  drift,  with 
which  it  is  underlaid.  It  consists  chiefly  of  stiff,  cold,  wet  clay,  of  ashen 
color.  Water  stands  on  the  surface  after  rain.  The  soil  is  shallow,  for 
it  is  too  stiff  and  close  to  let  the  roots  and  moisture  penetrate  readily. 
The  subsoil,  when  wet,  is  very  sticky;  it  adheres  to  the  spade  like  putty. 
When  dry,  it  is  very  hard;  the  spade  will  not  penetrate  it.  The  ground 
near  the  watersheds  is  called  crawfish  land,  from  the  abundance  of  these 
animals.  Their  holes  retain  water  all  summer.  Where  there  is  more 
natural  drainage  this  is  not  the  case.  Toward  the  broken  land,  in  all 
directions,  the  soil  is  more  yellow  and  mellow,  and  appears  to  have  a 
larger  proportion  of  sand. 

On  the  broken  upland  the  amount  of  drift  varies  according  to  the 
thickness  of  the  original  deposit,  and  the  amount  lost  by  erosion.  The 
limestone  and  marl  add  to  the  fertility  where  they  are  exposed  to  the  air 


64  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTERS. 

or  streams.  In  some  parts  the  rock  crops  out  at  the  surface,  in  others 
there  are  many  drift  pebbles,  the  clay  having  been  removed;  in  still  oth- 
ers, the  digging  of  wells  shows  the  true,  unmodified  drift.  These  soils 
are  yellow,  except  where  a  large  amount  of  organic  matter  has  accumulat- 
ed, as  in  the  native  forest,  or  by  the  use  of  green  manure.  Although 
the  vegetable  mold  is  generally  more  abundant  on  the  hillsides  than 
here,  yet  the  soil  has  the  advantage  of  retaining  the  moisture  better  than 
that  which  is  darker  and  more  mellow. 

The  still  more  broken  land,  including  the  hillsides,  contains  in  the 
blue  limestone  formation  all  the  mineral  ingredients  essential  to  perpet- 
ual fertility,  but  these  must  be  modified  by  disintegration  and  the  addi- 
tion of  organic  matter,  before  they  can  be  appropriated  by  the  plant. 
Some  steep,  barren  hillsides  are  practically  worthless.  Having  been 
cleared,  or  bearing  but  little  timber,  they  do  not  support  even  a  good 
crop  of  weeds.  The  soil  is  washed  ofif  as  fast  as  it  is  formed.  In  more 
favored  localities,  a  thin,  white  clay  soil  accumulates  sufficient  to  produce 
a  scanty  crop  of  wheat.  In  still  others  the  forest  leaves  are  mingled 
with  the  soil,  or  a  crop  of  clover  has  been  plowed  in,  furnishing  the  or- 
ganic matter  that  is  needed  to  make  the  rich,  "black  hillsides."  Note 
the  fertile  slopes  near  Rising  Sun,  where  the  hills  are  covered  with  a 
garland  of  trees.  A  farm  on  Grant's  Creek  produced  satisfactory  crops 
of  corn  and  wheat  for  fifty  years,  when  it  was  thought  necessary  to  re- 
store the  land  simply  by  raising  hay.  This  is  not  an  exceptional  in- 
stance, for  the  hillside  farmers  claim  that  a  proper  rotation  is  alone  nec- 
essary to  maintain  the  fertility  unimpaired. 

The  terrace  soils  remain  to  be  described.  They  are  derived  entirely 
from  modified  drift  and  material  washed  from  the  several  formations  of 
the  Ohio  Valley.  The  ingredients  are  so  varied  that  no  essential  mineral 
element  is  wanting.  The  creek  deposits  derived  from  the  blue  limestone 
resemble  the  hillside  soil,  in  being  stiff,  clayey  and  whitish  wherever 
the  organic  matter  'is  exhausted,  but  with  this  ingredient  the  creek  soil 
is  very  similar  to  the  rich,  black  hillsides. 

The  gravel  of  the  river  terraces  would  easily  admit  the  air  and  rain, 
and  quickly  yield  to  these  decomposing  agencies,  producing  good  land. 
Some  terraces  contain  gravel  only  a  foot  below  the  surface,  in  others  the 
soil  is  deep.  There  may  be  an  understratum  of  coarse  or  fine  gravel,  or 
even  of  fine  clay.  Some  river  terraces  are  very  sandy,  as  the  low  bottom 
above  Rising  Sun.  Some  are  stiff  and  clayey,  as  a  narrow  strip  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Sand  Run  ;  this  may  be  attributed  to  material  washed 
from  the  hill  sides.  The  recent  river  deposits  are  always  fertile,  and 
where  a  frequent  addition  of  river  mud  can  be  secured,  no  apprehension 
is  entertained  that  the  land  will  be  exhausted. 


HISTORY  OF 

DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES 


CHAPTER  I. 

LOCHRY'S  DISASTROUS  DEFEAT. 

George  Rogers  Clark  Proposes  an  Expedition  Against  the  North- 
west Indians— Col.  Lochry's  Force  in  Aid  of  That  Expedition— 
His  March  to  Wheeling— Misfortunes  of  His  Men— Want  of  Am- 
munition and  Provisions— Slow  Voyage  down  the  Ohio— Landing 
ON  the  Indiana  Shore  —  Surprise  —  Defeat— Massacre  of  the 
Colonel  and  Other  Prisoners— LiUut.  Anderson's  Journal— The 
Proper  Orthography  of  the  Name  of  the  Commander— List  of  the 
Killed  AND  Wounded. 

THE  surprise  and  defeat  of  Archibald  Lochry  and  the  massacre  of 
his  men  is  the  first  conflict  on  record  between  the  Indians  and  the 
whites  on  the  soil  of  Indiana.  It  took  place  in  the  last  year  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary war  and  was  really  one  of  the  battles  of  the  Revolution,  as  the 
Indians  engaged  in  it  were  allies  of  the  British.  The  winding  stream 
which  forms  the  boundary  between  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties,  at  the 
mouth  of  which  the  bloody  battle  was  fought,  bears  the  name  of  the  un- 
fortunate colonel  who  there  lost  his  life.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  chap- 
ter to  give  all  the  facts  now  known  concerning  Col.  Lochry's  expedition 
and  its  disastrous  termination. 

We  have  accounts  of  the  expedition  by  two  men  who  participated  in 
it — Capt.  Robert  Orr  and  Lieut.  Isaac  Anderson.  Capt.  Orr,  whose 
account  is  published  in  Western  Annals,  was  wounded  by  having  his  arm 
broken  in  the  engagement ;  he  was  carried  off  a  prisoner  to  Sandusky, 
where  he  remained  several  months;  at  length,  finding  that  they  could^not 
cure  his  wound,  the  Indians  took  him  to  the  hospital  at  Detroit,  whence 
he  was  transferred  to  Montreal  in  the  winter,  and  exchanged  with  other 
prisoners  at  the  end  of  the  war  ;  afterward  he  was  appointed  a  judge  of 
Armstrong  County,  Penn.,  which  position  he  held  at  his  death,  in  1833, 


66  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

in  his  eighty- ninth  year.  Lieut.  Anderson's  account  is  published  in  Mc- 
Bride's  Pioneer  Biographies  of  Butler  County,  Ohio.  The  date  of  the 
engagement,  as  given  by  Gapt.  Orr,  is  August  25,  1781,  by  Lieut.  Ander- 
son, Aucrust  24.  The  latter  is  probably  the  correct  date,  as  Anderson  kept 
a  journal  during  the  expedition. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1781,  Col.  Ai'chibald  Lochry,  who  was 
county  lieutenant  of  Westmoreland  County,  Penn,,  was  requested  by 
Col.  George  Rogers  Clark  to  raise  a  military  force  and  join  him  in  a 
contemplated  military  movement  against  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  North- 
west, Capt.  Orr,  by  his  own  exertions,  raised  a  company  of  volunteer 
riflemen.  Capts.  Stokely  and  Shannon  commanded  each  a  company  of 
rangers,  and  Capt.  Campbell  a  company  of  horse.  The  party  amounted 
to  107  men.  Col.  Lochry  was  the  only  field  oflficer  in  command.  It 
was  Col.Clark's  original  intention  to  rendezvous  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Miami,  and  to  proceed  up  that  river  with  his  expedition,  but  he  subse- 
quently changed  his  plan  and  ordered  Col.  Lochry  to  follow  him  to  the 
falls  of  the  Ohio. 

The  force  was  rendezvoused  at  Carnahan's  block-house,  eleven  miles 
west  of  Hannastown,  July  24,  and  on  the  next  day  they  set  out  for 
Fort  Henry  (Wheeling)  by  way  of  Pittsburgh,  where  it  was  arranged  that 
they  should  join  the  army  under  Clark.  On  arriving  there  it  was  found 
that  Clark  had  gone  twelve  miles  down  the  river,  leaving  for  them  some 
provisions  and  a  traveling  boat,  with  directions  to  follow  him.  After 
preparing  some  temporary  boats  for  the  transportation  of  the  men  and 
horses,  which  occupied  ten  days,  they  proceeded  to  join  Clark.  Arriving 
at  the  place  where  he  had  halted,  they  found  he  had  gone  down  the  river 
the  day  before,  leaving  Maj.  Creacroft  with  a  few  men  and  a  boat  for 
transportation  of  the  horses,  but  without  either  provisions  or  ammuni- 
tion, of  which  they  had  an  inadequate  supply.  Clark,  had,  however, 
promised  to  await  their  arrival  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha  River,  but 
on  reaching  that  point,  they  found  that  he  had  been  obliged,  in  order  to 
prevent  desertion  among  his  men,  to  proceed  down  the  river,  leaving 
only  a  letter  fixed  to  a  pole  directing  them  to  follow. 

Their  provisions  and  forage  were  nearly  exhausted;  there  was  no 
source  of  supply,  but  the  stores  conveyed  by  Clark;  the  river  was  low  and 
they  were  unacquainted  with  the  channel,  and  could  not  therefore  hope 
to  overtake  him.  Under  these  embarrassing  circumstances  Col.  Lochry 
dispatched  Capt.  Shannon  with  four  men  in  a  small  boat  with  the  hope 
of  overtaking  the  main  army  and  securing  supplies,  leaving  Capt.  Shan- 
non's company  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Isaac  Anderson.  Before 
Capt.  Shannon  and  his  men  had  proceeded  far  they  were  taken  prisoners 
by  the  Indians,  and  with  them  was  taken  a  letter  to  Clark,  detailing  the 


LOCHRY'S  DISASTROUS  DEFEAT.  67 

situation  of  Lochry's  party.  About  the  same  time  Col.  Lochry  arrested 
a  party  of  nineteen  deserters  from  Clark's  army,  whom  he  afterward 
released,  and  they  immediately  joined  the  Indians. 

The  savages  had  been  apprised  of  the  expedition,  but  had  previously 
supposed  that  Clark  and  Lochry  were  traveling  together,  and  through 
fear  of  the  cannon  which  Clark  carried  refrained  from  making  an  attack. 
Apprised  now  by  the  capture  of  Shannon  and  his  men  and  by  the  reports 
of  the  deserters,  of  the  weakness  of  Lochry's  party,  they  collected  in 
force  below  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  with  the  determination  to 
destroy  them.  They  placed  these  prisoners  in  a  conspicuous  position  on 
the  north  shore  of  the  Ohio,  near,  it  was  said,  the  head  of  an  island,  and 
promised  to  spare  their  lives  on  condition  that  they  would  hail  their 
companions  as  they  passed  and  induce  them  to  surrender.  This  island  is 
about  three  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  creek  named  after  the  Com- 
mander. 

Col.  Lochry  and  his  men  made  slow  progress  in  descending  the  Ohio, 
and  despairing  of  overtaking  Clark's  army,  they  landed,  August  24, 
about  10  o'clock  in  the  morning,  at  a  very  attractive  spot  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Ohio  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek,  about  ten  miles  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Great  Miami.  Here  they  removed  their  horses  ashore  and 
turned  them  loose  to  graze.  One  of  the  party  had  killed  a  buffalo,  and 
all,  except  a  few  set  to  guard  the  horses,  were  engaged  around  the  fires 
which  they  had  kindled  in  preparing  a  meal  from  it.  Suddenly  thev 
were  assailed  by  a  volley  of  rifle  balls  from  an  overhanging  bluff,  covered 
with  large  trees,  on  which  the  Indians  immediately  appeared  in  great 
force.  The  men  thus  surprised,  seized  their  arms  and  defended  them- 
selves as  long  as  their  ammunition  lasted,  and  then  attempted  to  escape  by 
means  of  their  boats.  But  the  boats  were  unwieldy,  the  water  was  low, 
and  the  force  too  much  weakened  to  make  them  available,  and  the  whole 
party,  unable  to  escape  or  defend  themselves,  were  compelled  to  surrender. 

Immediately  the  Indians  [fell  upon  and  massacred  Col.  Lochry  and 
several  other  prisoners,  but  were  restrained  by  the  arrival  of  the  chief 
who  commanded  them,  the  celebrated  Brant,  who  afterward  apologized 
for  the  massacre.  He  did  not  approve,  he  declared,  of  such  conduct, 
but  it  was  impossible  entirely  to  control  his  Indians.  The  murder  of  the 
prisoners  was  perpetrated  in  revenge  for  the  massacre  of  the  Indian 
prisoners  taken  by  Broadhead's  army  on  the  Muskingum  a  few  months 
before.  The  Indians  engaged  numbered  300  or  more,  and  consisted 
of  various  tribes,  among  whom  the  prisoners  and  plunder  were  divided 
in  proportion  to  the  number  of  warriors  of  each  tribe  engaged. 

The  next  day  they  set  out  on  their  return  to  the  Delaware  towns.  There 
they  were  met  by  a  party  of  British   and  Indians,    commanded  by  Col. 


68  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Caldwell  and  accompanied  by  the  two  Girty's  andMcKee,  who  professed 
to  be  on  their  way  to  the  falls  to  attack  George  Rogers  Clark.  They  re- 
mained there  two  days.  Brant,  with  the  greater  part  of  the  Indians,  re- 
turned with  Caldwell  toward  the  Ohio.  A  few  only  remained  to  take 
charge  of  the  prisoners  and  spoils.  These  they  separated  and  took  to 
the  towns  to  which  they  were  assigned.  The  prisoners  remained  in  cap- 
tivity until  the  next  year,]which  brought  the  Revolutionary  war  to  a  close. 
More  than  one-half  of  the  number  who  left  Pennsylvania  under  Col. 
Lochry  never  returned. 

The  foregoing*account  is  substantially  that  given  by  Capt.  Orr.  Some 
doubt  has  been  expressed  whether  Brant  was  the  leader  of  the  Indians  at 
the  time  referred  to,  there  being  no  other  evidence  that  he  was  then  in 
the  West.  James  McBride,  in  his  sketch  of  Isaac  Anderson,  says  that  the 
Indians  who  were  waiting  opposite  the  island  below  to  intercept  the  party, 
were  informed  of  the  landing  of  the  whites  by  runners.  According  both 
to  McBride  and  Anderson  there  were  two  attacking  parties  of  Indians, 
one  in  the  woods  and  the  other  in  canoes  on  the  river. 

Lieut.  Isaac  Anderson  kept  a  daily  journal  from  the  time  he  set  out 
on  the  expedition  until  his  return,  which  was  published  in  McBride's 
Pioneer  Biographies.  Although  the  events  are  briefly  recorded,  it  em- 
bodies, probably,  the  most  authentic  account  of  the  expedition  in  exist- 
ence. We  insert  without  abridgment  the  first  part  of  the  journal  cover- 
ing the  month  of  August,  preserving  the  original  spelling  of  proper 
names. 

JOURNAL. 

"August  1st,  1781. — We  met  at  Colonel  Carnahan's  in  order  to  form  a 
body  of  men  to  join  General  Clark  on  the  expedition  against  the  In- 
dians. 

"Aug.  2d. — Rendezvoused  at  said  place. 

"Aug.  3d. — Marched  under  command  of  Colonel  Lochry  to  Maracle's 
mill,  about  83  in  number. 

"Aug.  4th. — Crossed  Youghagani a  river. 

"Aug.  5th. — Marched  to  Devor's  ferry. 

"Aug.  6th. — To  Raccoon  settlement. 

"Aug.  7th. — To  Captain  Mason's. 

"Aug.  8th. — To  Wheeling  Fort,  and  found  Clark  was  started  down  the 
river  about  twelve  hours. 

"Aug.  9th. — Col.  Lochry  sent  a  quartermaster  and  officer  of  the  horse 
after  him,  which  overtook  him  at  Middle  Island  and  returned;  then 
started  all  our  foot  troops  on  seven  boats  and  our  horses  by  land  to 
Grave  Creek. 

"Aug.  13th. — Moved  down  to  Fishing  Creek;  we  took  up  Lieut.  Baker 


LOCHRY'S  DISASTROUS  DEFEAT.  71 

and  16  men,  deserting  from  Gen.  Clark,  and  went  that  day  to  middle  of 
Long  Reach,  where  we  stayed  that  night. 

"Aug.  15th. — To  the  Three  Islands,  where  we  found  Major  Creacroft 
waiting  on  us  with  a  horse-boat.  He,  with  his  guard,  six  men,  started 
that  night  after  Gen.  Clark. 

"Aug.  16th. — Colonel  Lochry  detailed  Capt.  Shannon  with  7  men  and 
letter  after  Gen.  Clark,  and  we  moved  that  day  to  the  Little  Connaway 
(Kanawha)  with  all  our  horses  on  board  the  boats. 

"Aug.  17th. — Two  men  went  out  to  hunt  who  never  returned  to  us. 
We  moved  that  day  to  Buffalo  Island. 

"Aug.  18th.— To  Cattish  Island. 

"Aug.  19th.— To  Bare  Banks. 

"Aug.  20th. — We  met  with  two  of  Shannon's  men,  who  told  us  they 
had  put  to  shore  to  cook,  below  the  mouth  of  the  Siotha  (Scioto)  where 
Shannon  sent  them  and  a  sergeant  out  to  hunt.  When  they  got  about 
half  a  mile  in  the  woods  they  heard  a  number  of  guns  fire  which  they 
supposed  to  be  Indians  firing  on  the  rest  of  the  party,  and  they  immedi- 
ately took  up  the  river  to  meet  us;  but,  unfortunately,  the  sergeant's 
knife  dropped  on  the  ground  and  it  ran  directly  through  his  foot  and  he 
died  of  the  wound  in  a  few  minutes.     We  sailed  all  night. 

"Aug.  21st. — We  moved  to  the  Two  Islands. 

"Aug.  22d. — To  the  Sassafras  Bottom. 

"Aug.  23d.— Went  all  day  and  all  night. 

"Aug.  24th. — Col.  Lochry  ordered  the  boats  to  land  on  the  Indian 
shore,  about  10  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  great  Meyamee  (Miami) 
river  to  cook  provisions  and  cut  grass  for  the  horses,  when  we  were  fired 
on  by  a  party  of  Indians  from  the  bank.  We  took  to  our  boats,  expect- 
ing to  cross  the  river,  and  was  fired  on  by  another  party  in  a  number  of 
canoes,  and  soon  we  became  a  prey  to  them.  They  killed  the  Col.  and  a 
number  more  after  they  were  prisoners.  The  number  of  our  killed  was 
about  forty.  They  marched  us  that  night  about  eight  miles  up  the  river 
and  encamped. 

"Aug.  25th. — We  marched  eight  miles  up  the  Meyamee  river  and  en- 
camped. 

"Aug.  26th. — Lay  in  camp. 

"Aug.  27th.  — The  party  that  took  us  was  joined  by  one  hundred  white 
men  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Thompson  and  three  hundred  Indians 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  McKee. 

"Aug.  28th.— The  whole  of  the  Indians  and  whites  went  down  against 
the  settlements  of  Kentucky,  excepting  a  sergeant  and  eighteen  men, 
which  were  left  to  take  care  of  sixteen  prisoners  and  stores  that  were 
left  there.      We  lay  there  until  the  fifteenth  of  Sept. 


72  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

"Sept.  15th,  1781. — We  started  toward  the  Shawna  towns  on  our  way 
to  Detroit." 

To  brietly  narrate  the  remainder  of  the  journal:  Lieut.  Anderson 
arrived  at  Detroit,  October  11,  and  was  confined  in  the  citadel;  was 
taken  in  a  sloop  to  Niagara  Fort;  thence  to  Montreal,  where  he  scaled 
the  pickets,  and  made  his  way  to  his  home  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
arrived  in  July,  1782. 

Eemembering  the  beautiful  and  fertile  bottom  of  the  Miami  River, 
which  he  had  traversed  when  a  captive,  in  after  years  he  resolved  to 
possess  a  portion  of  that  fertile  soil.  Accordingly  he  purchased  a  sec- 
tion of  land  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Great  Miami,  near  the  mouth  of 
Indian  Creek,  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1812  removed  thereon 
with  his  family,  and  there  resided  until  his  death  in  1839,  in  the  eighty- 
second  year  of  his  age. 

The  fate  of  Col.  Lochry  and  his  men  was  not  known  to  their  relatives 
and  friends  for  several  months  after  their  defeat.  In  a  letter  from  Gen. 
"William  Irvine  to  Gen.  Washington,  dated  Fort  Pitt,  December  29, 
1781,  an  account  of  the  disaster  is  communicated,  and  the  writer  adds: 
"  These  misfortunes  throw  the  people  of  this  country  into  the  greatest 
consternation  and  almost  despair,  particularly  Westmoreland  County, 
Lochry' s  party  being  all  the  best  men  of  their  frontier."  Lochry 's  mis- 
fortunes compelled  Col.  Clark  to  abandon  his  expedition. 

In  Howe's  Historical  Collections  of  Ohio  is  the  following  account  by 
Col.  John  Johnson,  of  one  of  the  prisoners,  who  was  living  with  the 
Indians  in  Logan  County,  Ohio,  at  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  of 
that  county:  "  James  McPherson,  or  Squa-la-kake,  'the  red-faced  man,' 
was  a  native  of  Carlisle,  Cumberland  Co.,  Penn.  He  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Indians  on  the  Ohio,  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Miami,  in 
Loughry's  defeat;  was  many  years  engaged  in  the  British  Indian  depart- 
ment under  Elliott  and  McKee;  married  a  fellow-prisoner;  came  into 
our  service  after  Wayne's  treaty  of  1795,  and  continued  in  charge  of  the 
Shawnese  and  Senecas  of  Lewistown  until  his  removal  from  office  in 
1830,  since  which  he  died." 

Some  of  the  accounts  of  this  disaster,  which  have  found  their  way 
into  valuable  historical  works,  are  inaccurate.  Some  of  them  say  the 
landing  was  on  the  Kentucky  side.  According  to  the  account  in  Col- 
lin's History  of  Kentucky,  one  of  the  boats  was  taken  to  the  Kentucky 
side,  and  Capt.  William  Campbell's  men  began  cooking  buifalo  meat. 
The  men  were  assailed  from  the  overhanging  Kentucky  bank,  and  as  soon 
as  the  boats  began  to  move  another  large  body  of  Indians  on  the  Indiana 
side  rushed  out  on  the  sand  bank. 

While  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  defeat  took   place   on  the  Indiana 


LOCHRY'S  DISASTROUS   DEFEAT.  73 

side,  it  is  not  certainly  known  whether  it  was  in  Dearborn  or  Ohio 
County.  None  of  those  who  participated  in  the  expedition  and  wrote 
accounts  of  the  disaster,  which  have  been  preserved,  state  whether  the 
landing  was  above  or  below  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  and  on  the  question 
whether  it  was  probably  above  or  below  the  descendants  of  the  old  pio- 
neers of  this  locality  now"  differ  in  opinion.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the 
most  intelligent  officers  of  the  expedition,  after  witnessing  the  terrible 
butchery  of  their  companions  and  then  marched  off  prisoners  with  the 
Indians,  would  not  be  clear  in  their  recollection  on  this  point,  and  per- 
haps would  not  have  been  able  to  settle  the  question  even  by  a  visit  to 
the  scene  of  the  disaster. 

The  name  of  this  unfortunate  commander  has  been  variously  written 
Lochry,  Lochrey,  Loughry,  Loughrey  and  Laughery.  In  Dillon's 
History  of  Indiana  it  is  written  Loughry;  in  Collin's  History  of  Ken- 
tucky, Loughrey,  although  in  the  Annals  of  Kentucky,  prefixed  to  the 
latter  work,  we  have  Lochry  and  Lochi-y's  Creek.  The  people  of  Dear- 
born County  seem  to  have  early  settled  upon  Laughery  as  the  correct  spell- 
ing of  the  name  of  the  creek  which  is^now  the  boundary  of  their  county, 
and  in  McBride's  biography  of  Isaac  Anderson,  as  published  by  Kobert 
Clarke  &  Co.,  the  same  orthography  is  followed,  although  Anderson 
himself  wrote  the  name  Lochry.  The  writer  of  this  chapter  has  satis- 
fied himself,  after  full  investigation,  that  Lochry  is  the  correct  way  of 
spelling  the  name  of  the  Colonel,  as  will  be  seen  in  his  published  letters 
in  the  Pennsylvania  Archives  of  the  period  of  1781.  Upon  this  point 
the  writer  addressed  a  note  to  Lyman  C.  Draper,  the  historian,  who  has 
in  preparation  a  full  history  of  the  campaigns  of  Gen.  George  Rogers 
Clark.  He  says  that  Lochry  is  the  correct  spelling,  and  that  he  has 
among  the  papers  of  Gen.  Clark  a  letter  of  Lochry's,  a  mere  formal, 
brief,  business  letter,  and  Lochry  is  the  way  he  signed  his  name.  It  is 
to  be  earnestly  hoped  that  the  people  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties 
may  yet  be  induced  to  write  Lochry's  Creek  and  Lochry's  Island. 

Return  of  the  men  killed  and  taken  August  24,  1781,  upon  the  Ohio 
River  under  the  command  of  Col.  Lochry. 

Killed:  Col.  Lochry,  Capt.  Campbell,  Ensigns  Ralph,  Maxwell  and 
Cahel. 

Prisoners:  Maj.  Creacroft,  Adjt.  Guthree,  Quartermaster  Wallace, 
Capts.  Thomas  Stokely,  Samuel  Shannon  and  Robert  Orr;  Lieuts. 
Isaac  Anderson,  Joseph  Robinson,  Samuel  Craig,  John  Scott,  Milr 
Baker;  Ensign  Hunter. 

Privates  killed  and  taken  prisoners  in  Capt.  Stokely's  company: 

Killed:  Hugh  Gallagher,  Isaac  Patton,  Douglass,  Pheasant,  Young, 
Gibson,  Smith,  Stratton,  Bailv  and  John  Burns. 


Y4  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Prisoners:  Jolin  Trimble,  William  Mars,  John  Seace,  Michael 
Miller,  Robert  Watson,  John  Allenton,  Richard  Fleman,  James  Cain, 
Patrick  Murphy,  Abraham  Anderson,  Michael  Haire. 

Capt.  Campbell's  company: 

Killed:     William  Allison.  James  McRight,  Jonathan  McKinley. 
Prisoners:     William  Husk,  Robert  Wilson,  James  Dunseth,  William 
(^ZM  Weatherington,  Keany  Quigley,  Ezekiel  Lewis. 

Capt.  Orr's  company:  -7^ 

Killed:     John  Forsyth,  William  Cain,  Adam  Erwin,    Peter  Maclin,  ^~ 

Archibald  Erskin,  John  Black,  John  Stewart,  Joseph  Crawford. 

Prisoners:  Adam  Owry,  Samuel  Lefaver,  John  Hunter,  Joseph 
Erwin,  Mans  Kite,  Hugh  Steer,  Hugh  Moore. 

Capt.  Shannon's  company: 

Killed:     Ebenezer  Burns,  killed  by  accident. 

Prisoners:  Solomon  Aikens,  John  Lever,  Jonas  Fisher,  George 
Hill,  John  Porter,  John  Smith. 

Lieut.  Baker's  company: 

Killed:  D'AUinger,  George  Butcher,  John  Rowe,  Peter  Brickman, 
Jonas  Peters,  Jonas  Brooks.^  ^ ;  .  .r~  ,'  .-., 

Prisoners:  John  Catt,  '"^Lawrence,  Jacob  Lawrence,  Christopher 
Tait,  Charles  Martlin,  William  Rourk,  Wnd.  Franks,  Abraham  Righley, 
V  George  Mason. 

Lieut.  Anderson's  company: 

Killed:  Samuel  Evans,  Sergt.  Zeanz  Harden,  Matthew  Lamb,  John 
Milegan,  John  Corn. 

Prisoners:  Norman  McLeod,  Sergt.  James  McFerson,  William 
Marshall,  Denis  McCarty,  Peter  Coneley,  John  Ferrel. 

Taken  prisoners  in  Maj.  Creacroft's  company: 

Thomas  James,  Thomas  Adkson,  John  Stakehouse,  William  Clark, 
Elihu  Risely,  Alexander  Burns. 

Forty-eight  privates  and  twelve  officers  taken;  five  officers  and  thirty- 
six  privates  killed. 


FORT  FINNEY.  75 


CHAPTER  II. 

FORT    FINNEY. 

Congress  Proposes  a  Treaty  with  the  Indians  at  Vincennes— Place 
Changed  to  the  Mouth  of  the  Great  Miami— Arrival  of  the  Com- 
missioners—Building THE  Port— Isaac  Zane— Hunting  Buffalo- 
Indians  Arrive  Slowly— Wyandot  Camp— Shawnees  Unfavorably 
Disposed— Coolness  of  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark— The  Treaty. 

/;■  /''>^ 

FORT  FINNEY  was  erected  in  the  autumn  of  1875  for  the  purpose  of 
protecting  the  United  States  commissioners  and  troops  during  the 
negotiations  with  the  Indians  preliminary  to  the  treaty  there  entered 
into  January  31,  1786.  The  fort  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  above 
the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami. 

Congress  resolved  in  March,  1785,  to  hold  a  treaty  with  the  Indians 
of  the  Wabash  and  other  parts  of  Indiana  at  Vincennes,  June  20, 
1785.  The  place  of  meeting  was  afterward  changed  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Great  Miami.  The  representatives  of  the  United  States  were  George 
Rogers  Clark,  Richard  Butler  and  Samael  H.  Parsons.  Various  circum- 
stances caused  the  time  of  the  negotiations  to  be  changed  to  the  winter 
of  1785-86.  The  Wabash  Indians  refused  to  attend  on  account  of  a 
growing  spirit  of  hostility.  Some  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  Shawnees 
and  a  few  Delawares  and  Wyandots  finally  met  the^commissioners. 

A  detailed  account  of  the  movements  of  the  commissioners  and  the 
troops  accompanying  them,  the  erection  of  the  fort  and  the  slow  assem- 
bling of  the  Indians  is  given  in  the  journal  of  Maj.  Ebenezer  Danny, 
published  in  1860  by  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania.  In  October, 
1785,  Lieut.  Denny  was  ordered'  to  embark  for  the  Great  Miami  in 
company  with  Gens.  Butler  and  Parsons,  commissioners  instructed  to 
treat  with  the  Wyandot,  Delaware  and  Shawnee  Indians.  The  treaty 
contemplated  was  saplementary  to  one  made  at  Fort  Mcintosh,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1785,  concerning  which  there  had  been  complaints  among  the 
Indians,  and  was  principally  intended  to  include  the  Shawnees  who  had 
failed  to  appear  at  Fort  Mcintosh.  The  company  to  which  Lieut.  Denny 
was  attached  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Finney,  and  contained  about 
seventy  men. 

The  fleet  bearing  the  commissioners  and  troops  left  Fort  Pitt  early  in 
October,  and  consisted  of  twelve  small  keel-boats  and  batteaux,  bearing 


76  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  troops  and  goods  for  the  ladiaos,  with  two  large  Kentucky  flats  to 
carry  horses,  cattle,  etc.  The  arrival  at  North  Bend  and  the  erection  of 
Fort  Finney  are_,given  in  the  following  extract. 

32:1  [Oct.]— Arrive  at  mouth  of  Great  Miami.  Best  ground  for  our  station 
about  a  mile  above  the  mouth,  where  the  boats  were  brought,  and  everything  un- 
loaded. All  hands  set  to  work  chopping,  clearing,  etc.,  and  preparing  timber  for 
block-houses  and  pickets,  and  on  the  8th  inst.  [November]  had  ourselves  inclosed; 
hoisted  the  United  Stales  flag,  and  christened  the  place  Fort  Finney,  in  compliment 
to  Lieut.  Finney,  the  commanding  officer.  Our  work  is  a  square  stockade  fort,  sub- 
stantial block-houses,  two  stories,  twenty  four  by  eighteen  feet  in  each  angle,  con- 
tains one  hundred  feet  of  stout  pickets,  four  feet  in  tlie  ground,  and  nine  feet  above, 
situated  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  river  on  a  rising  second  bank.  A 
building  eighteen  by  twenty  feet,  within  the  east  and  west  curtains,  for  the  accom- 
modation and  reception  of  contractors'  stores  and  Indian  goods;  and  one  small  but 
strong  building,  center  of  north  curtain,  for  magazine.  A  councilrhouse,  twenty  by 
sixty,  detached,  but  within  gun-shot.  Commissioners  and  their  followers  pitch  their 
tents  within  the  fort,  and  erect  wooden  chimneys. 

The  .season  was  very  favorable  but  cool,  and  the  men  were  employed  for  some 
time  finishing  the  block-houses  and  clearing  off  the  timber  and  brush  for  some  dis- 
tance outside.  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark  came  up  from  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  (Louis- 
ville) and  joined  the  other  commissioners  a  few  days  later.  On  the  34th  of  Novem- 
ber Maj.  Denny  notes  the  arrival  of  messengers,  who  set  out  from  Pittsburgh  to  the 
Indian  town  to  invite  the  Indians  to  a  treaty  at  Fort  Finney,  accompanied  by  six 
chiefs  of  the  Shawnees,  Wyandot  and  Delaware  nations,  namely:  Captain  Johnny, 
or  Red  Pole,  Half  King,  Crane,  Pipe,  Wingman  and  White-Eyes— "all  glad  to  see 
us,  brothers;  some  grog  and  smoke  produced."  On  the  37th  "about  one  hundred 
Indians  assemble  and  are  camped  a  couple  of  miles  from  U3;  the  greatest  part  Wy- 
andots;  afewDelawares."  On  the  5th  of  December  Maj.  Denny  makes  entry;  Gens. 
Clark,  Butler  and  Parsons']  leave  us  on  a  visit  to  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  below.  Capt.  Finney  and  myself,  with  a  party  of  soldiers 
in  boats,  go  to  Big  Bone  Liclv,  thirty  miles  down;  dig  up  and  collect  some  astonish- 
ing large  bones. 

Danny  was  occasionally  in  company  with  Isaac  Zane,  a  man  who  had 
been  brought  up  among  the  Wyandots.  On  the  12th  of  December, 
Denny,  Zane  and  two  Indians  went  up  the  river  seven  miles  to  hunt 
buffalo.  The  Jouraal  records  that  the  bunting  party  returned  on  the 
fourth  day  and  brought  the'meat  of  three  buffalos,  two  bears  and  parts 
of  a  number  of  deer.  Oa  the  20th  of  December  the  commissioners  re- 
turned from  the  falls,  disappointed  at  not  finding  more  Indians  assembled. 
Those  who  had  come  in  were  principally  Wyandots  and  Delawares,  with 
whom  the  treaty  at  Fort  Mcintosh  was  made.  The  Shawnees  were  the 
ones  for  whom  the  proposed  treaty  was  intended,  but  they  hung  back.  It 
has  since  been  developed  that  the  notorious  Simon  Girty  and  Robert 
Suphlet,  a  cousin  of  the  British  agent,  Alex  McKee,  were  with  the 
Shawnees,  endeavoring  to  prevent  their  attendance  at  the  treaty. 

At  length,  January  14,  1786,  about  150  Shawnee  men  and  eighty 
women  visited  the  fort  and  were  received  with  high  honors.     The   com- 


FORT  FINNEY. 


77 


missioaers  directt^d  that  a  party  of  soldiers  should  cook  and  serve  out 
provisions  for  them  in  the  council-house.  As  the  Shawnees  selected  al- 
ways their  old  and  decrepid  women  to  do  the  cooking,  when  they  saw 
United  States'  soldiers  carrying  kettles  of  provisions  to  them  they  laughed 
and  shouted  at  them  in  derision.  They  approached  the  fort  in  a  stately 
manner  with  Indian  music  beat  on  a  keg  drum  and  singing.  During  the 
negotiations  the  Wyandot  camp  was  on  the  bank  of  the  Great  Miami, 
about  three  miles  north  of  Fort  Finney. 

Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark  understood  the  Indian  character  thoroughly. 
He  was  a  short,  stout,  square  man  with  a  high  forehead,  sandy 
hair,  blue  eyes  and  heavy,  shaggy  eyebrows.  He  kept  aloof  from  his 
colleagues  of  the  commission,  and  there  seems  to  have  been  some  jealousy 
between  them.  With  Lieut.  Denny  he  was  on  familiar  terms  and  in- 
vited him  to  pass  his  evenings  with  him  at  his  tent,  where  he  talked 
freely  about  his  adventures  and  victories. 

The  Shawnees  came  to  the  fort  in  no  friendly  spirit,  and  but  for  the 
profound  knowledge  possessed  by  Gen.  Clark  of  their  character,  one 
conference  might  have  resulted  in  the  murder  of  the  commissioners. 
Three  hundred  of  their  warriors,  with  their  paint  and  feathers,  Janu- 
ary 14,  filed  into  the  council-house.  Their  demeanor  was  sullen  and 
suspicious.  The  commissioners  sat  at  a  table  in  the  center  of  the  cham- 
ber. The  scene  is  thus  described  in  the  "Encyclopedia  Americana,"  by 
an  officer  who  was  present: 

"On  the  part  of  the  Indians,  an  old  council  sachem,  and  a  war  chief 
took  the  lead.  The  latter,  a  tall,  raw-boned  fellow  with  an  impudent  and 
villainous  look,  made  a  boisterous  and  threatening  speech,  which  oper- 
ated effectually  on  the  passions  of  the  Indians,  who  set  up  a  prodigious 
whoop  at  every  pause.  He  concluded  by  presenting  a  black  and  a  white 
wampum,  to  signify  that  they  were  prepared  for  either  event,  peace  or 
war.  Clark  exhibited  the  same  unaltered  and  careless  countenance  he 
had  shown  during  the  whole  scene,  his  head  leaning  on  his  hand  and  his 
elbow  resting  on  the  table.  He  raised  his  little  cane  and  pushed  the 
sacred  wampum  off  the  table  with  little  ceremony.  Every  Indian  at  the 
same  time  started  from  his  seat  with  one  of  those  sudden,  simultaneous 
and  peculiar  savage  sounds,  which  startle  and  disconcert  the  stoutest 
heart  and  can  neither  be  described  nor  forgotten. 

"At  this  juncture  Clark  arose.  The  scrutinizing  eye  lowered  at  his 
glance.  He  stamped  his  foot  on  the  prostrate  and  insulted  symbol  and 
ordered  them  to  leave  the  hall.  They  did  so,  apparently  involuntarily. 
They  were  heard  all  night  debating  in  ^the  bushes  near  the  fort.  The 
raw-boned  chief  was  for  war;  the  old  sachem  for  peace.  The  latter  pre- 
vailed and  the  next  morning  they  came  back  and  sued  for  peace." 


78  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  troops  remained  at  Fort  Finney  for  several  months  after  the 
signing  of  the]  treaty  on  January  31.  A  majority  of  the  men  in  the 
garrison  were  Irish,  and  celebrated  St.  Patrick's  day  by  getting  drunk, 
in  the  evening  only  six  men  being  fit  for  duty.  One  of  the  men  died  the 
next  day  from  the  effects  of  too  much  liquor.  On  the  25th  of  March  a 
block-house,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  was  completed  to  guard  the  boats. 
The  4th  of  July  was  celebrated  with  three  rounds  from  small  arms  and 
three  from  the  field  piece.  Lieut.  Denny's  diary  at  the  fort  closes  in 
July,  1786,  when  he  was  ordered  to  Fort  Harm ar.  At  what  time  Fort 
Finney  was  abandoned  is  not  known,  but  it  was  before  the  settlement  at 
North  Bend  by  Judge  Symmes. 

By  the  treaty  of  Fort  Finney  the  United  States  were  acknowledged  to 
be  the  sole  and  absolute  sovereigns  of  all  the  territory  ceded  to  them  by 
the  treaty  with  Great  Britain  in  1784.  Hunting  grounds,  lying  chiefly 
in  Indiana,  were  allotted  the  Shawnees  as  follows: 

"The  United  States  do  allot  to  the  Shawnee  nation  lands  within  said 
territory  to  live  and  hunt  upon,  beginning  at  the  south  line  of  the  lands 
allotted  to  the  Wyandot  and  Delaware  nations,  at  the  place  where  the 
main  branch  of  the  Great  Miami,  which  falls  into  the  Ohio,  intersects 
said  line;  thence  down  the  river  Miami  to  the  fort  of  that  river  next  below 
the  [old  fort,  which  was  taken  by  the  French  in  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  fifty-two;  thence  due  west  to  the  river  De  La  Pause;  thence 
down  that  river  to  the  river  Wabash;  beyond  which  lines  none  of  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States  shall  settle,-  nor  disturb  the  Shawnees  in 
their  settlement  possession." 

The  treaty  failed  entirely  in  securing  peace,  as  the  tribes  more  distant 
than  the  Shawnees  were  in  no  way  disposed  to  cease  their  incursions. 


THE  MIAMI  PURCHASE.  79 


/t, 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  MIAMI  PURCHASE. 

First  Exploration  of  the  Miami  Country— Christopher  Gist— Benja- 
min Stites— John  Cleves  Symmes— Columbia— Cincinnati — North 
Bend— Troops  at  the  Mouth  of  the  Great  Miami— Their  Kemoval 
TO  Cincinnati— Flat-Bottomed  Water  Craft— Judge  Symmes's 
Policy  with  the  Indians— Failure  of  his  Efforts  to  Maintain 
Peace— The  Indian  War  Begins. 

A  NUMBER  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties 
first  settled,  after  their  immigration  to  the  West,  in  the  tract  be- 
t^een  the  Miami  Rivers,  known  as  Symmes's  Purchase,  or  the  Miami 
Purchase.  This  tract  was  settled  several  years  before  any  of  the  lands 
below  the  Great  Miami.  Some  account  of  the  Miami  Purchase  is 
necessary  to  a  correct  understanding  of  the  history  of  the  counties  with 
which  we  are  dealing. 

The  first  white  man  on  record  who  explored  the  Miami  region,  and 
probably  passed  within  or  near  the  present  limits  of  Dearborn  County, 
was  Christopher  Gist,  agent  and  explorer  for  the  Ohio  Land  Company  of 
Virginia.  Traveling  with  horses  and  accompanied  by  one  or  two  wood- 
'nen,  Gist  passed  into  the  interior  of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Ohio,  in 
the  winter  of  1750-51.  He  had  a  conference  with  the  Miami  Indians  at 
Piqua,  their  chief  town,  and  thence  passed  down  the  Mijuni  Valley  to  the 
Ohio.  At  that  time  the  buffalo,  whose  original  range  seems  to  have  been 
nearly  the  whole  of  North  America,  was  an  inhabitant  of  the  Miami 
country,  and  was  seen  by  Gist  in  droves  of  thirty  or  forty.  "Nothing  is 
wanted,"  he  wrote,  "but  cultivation  to  make  this  a  moa^^ delightful  coun- 
try." This  journey  was  made  eighteen  years  before^aniel  Boone  first 
saw  the  valley  of  the  Kentucky. 

Not  long  after  the  treaty  of  Fort  Finney,  Maj.  Benjamin  Stites,  then 
of  Red  Stone,  Penn. ,  explored  the  region  between  the  Miamis,  and 
through  infonination  obtained  from  him  Judge  John  Cleves  Symmes,  of 
New  Jersey,  made  a  contract  with  the  treasury  board  of  the  United  States 
for  the  purchase  of  the  lands. 

Three  parties  were  formed  to  occupy  and  improve  separate  portions 
of  Symmes's  Purchase.  The  first,  led  by  Benjamin  Stites,  consisted  of 
twenty-two    male  persons,    with   the  families    of  some  of  them,    who, 


80  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

November  18,  1788,  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami,  and 
founded  Columbia,  within  the  limits  of  a  tract  of  10,000  acres,  deeded  by 
Symmes  to  Stites.  The  second  party  was  formed  at  Limestone  under 
Matthias  Denman  and  Robert  Patterson,  amounting  to  twelve  or  fifteen 
persons,  and  landed  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Licking  near  the  close  of 
December,  1788,  and  founded  Cincinnati,  first  called  Losanteville.  The 
third  party  was  under  the  immediate  direction  and  care  of  Judge  Symmes, 
and  left  Limestone  January  29,  1789,  and  on  their  passage  down  the 
river  were  delayed  and  obstructed  by  floating  ice,  which  covered  the 
river.  Early  in  February  they  reached  North  Bend,  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Great  Miami,  where  the  Judge  proposed  to  found  a  city.  North 
Bend  received  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  most  northern  bend 
of  the  Ohio  below  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Kanawha. 

Judge  Symmes  laid  out  a  village  at  this  bend,  and  every  individ- 
ual settler  of  the  party  accompanying  him  received  a  donation  lot,  which 
he  was  required  to  improve  on  condition  of  obtaining  a  title.  At  Cleves, 
Ohio,  the  Great  Miami  approaches  within  a  mile  of  the  Ohio  River,  but 
instead  of  flowing  into  the  great  stream  at  this  place,  it  makes  an  abrupt 
detour  to  the  west  and  south,  and  only  reaches  its  destination  after  a  cir- 
cuit of  ten  miles.  Its  approach  to  the  Ohio  is  blocked  by  a  ridge  150 
feet  in  height,  through  which  a  railroad  tunnel  is  constructed.  On  the 
peninsula  between  the  two  rivers  Judge  Symmes  laid  out  a  city  on  a  mag- 
nificent scale,  extending  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Great  Miami.  He  named 
it  Symmes  City,  and  he  intended  it  to  be  the  great  metropolis  of  his  pur- 
chase. His  project,  however,  failed,  and  even  the  name  of  the  projected 
city  was  forgotten.     The  settlement  continued  to  be  called  North    Bend. 

After  returning  from  his  purchase, the  Judge  was  so  highly  delighted 
with  the  fertility  of  his  lands  that,  on  September  22,  1789,  he  wrote 
from  Maysville  to  his  associate,  Gen.  Jonathan  Dayton,  that  he  thought 
some  of  the  land  near  the  Great  Miami  "positively  worth  a  silver  dollar 
to  the  acre  in  its  present  state." 

Gen.  Harmar,  in  a  letter  from  Fort  Washington,  dated  January  14, 
1790,  one  year  after  the  commencement  of  the  settlements  between  the 
Mi  amis,  thus  describes  them:  "The  distance  between  the  Little  and 
Great  Miami  is  twenty-eight  measured^  miles.  Near  the  Little  Miami 
there  is  a  settlement  called  Columbia;  here,  some  miles  distant  from 
Columbia,  there  is  another  named  Losanteville,  but  changed  lately  to 
Cincinnati,  and  Judge  Symmes  himself  resides  at  the  other,  about 
fifteen  miles  from  hence,  called  the  Miami  City,  at  the  north  bend  of  the 
Ohio  River.  They  are  in  general  but  small  cabins,  and  the  inhabitants 
of  the  poorer  class  of  people." 

At  the  solicitation  of  Judge  Symmes,  Gen.  Harmar  sent  Capt,  Kearsey 


THE  MIAMI  PURCHASE.  81 

with  forty-eight  rank  and  file,  to  protect  the  settlements  commenced  in 
the  Miami  country.  A  part  of  the  men  were  for  a  short  time  at  Columbia, 
aa  a  guard  to  the  pioneers,  under  Maj.  Stites,  but  through  the  influence 
of  Judge  Symmes,  the  entire  command  proceeded  to  North  Bend,  and 
landed  there  about  the  1st  of  February,  1789.  Capt.Kearsey  intended  to 
occupy  Fort  Finuey,  built  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  three  years  be- 
fore, but  this  purpose  was  defeated  by  the  high  water,  which  spread  over  the 
high  grounds,  and  rendered  it  difficult  to  reach  the  fort.  He  was  much 
disappointed,  as  he  expected  to  find  a  fort  ready  built  for  him,  and  was  not 
provided  with  the  implements  ready  to  construct  one.  He  was  so  much 
displeased  that,  according  to  Judge  Burnet,  he  resolved  not  to  attempt  to 
construct  a  new  fort,  but  to  leave  North  Bend  and  join  the  garrison  at 
Louisville,  and  early  in  March  embarked  for  the  falls  of  the  Ohio  with 
his  command. 

Judge  Symmes  wrote  to  Maj.  Willis,  commandant  of  the  garrison  at 
Louisville,  complaining  of  the  conduct  of  Capt.  Kearsey,  representing 
the  exposed  situation  of  the  Miami  settlements,  and  requesting  a  guard 
to  be  sent  to  North  Bend.  This  request  was  promptly  complied  with, 
and  before  the  close  of  the  month  of  March,  Ensign  Luce,  with  seven- 
teen or  eighteen  soldiers,  arrived  and  were  stationed  for  a  time  at  the  Bend. 
It  was  not  long  before  an  attack  upon  them  was  made  by  the  Indians,^ 
in  which  one  soldier  was  killed  and  four  or  five  others  were  wounded, 
including  a  surveyor  from  New  Jersey,  Maj.  J.  E.  Mills.  Although  he 
recovered  from  his  wounds,  he  felt  their  disabling  effects  until  his  death. 

The  presence  of  troops  for  a  while  gave  North  Bend  a  decided  advan- 
tage over  its  two  rival  settlements.  Many  of  the  first  adventurers 
planted  themselves  at  the  Bend,  believing  it  to  be  the  place  of  greatest 
safety.  Ensign  Luce,  however, only  erected  a  temporary  work  of  defense 
at  that  place,  regardless  of  the  earnest  entreaties  of  the  Judge  to  proceed 
at  once  to  the  erection  of  a  permanent  fort.  September  16;  1789,  Maj. 
Doughty  arrived  in  the  Miami  country  with  instructions  to  erect  a  strong 
fortification  at  the  most  suitable  point.  After  reconnoitering  three  days, 
he  fixed  upon  Cincinnati  "as  high  and  healthy,  and  abounding  with 
never-failing  springs,  and  the  most  proper  position."  The  soldiers  were 
removed  from  the  Bend  to  Cincinnati,  and  many  of  the  settlers  followed. 
The  latter  place  became  the  great  commercial  metropolis  of  the  Miami 
country. 

The  fiat  bottomed  water-craft  called  arks  or  Kentucky  boats,  in 
which  the  early  emigrants  descended  the  Ohio,  were  often  immense 
structures  and  made  in  a  most  substantial  manner.  These  boats  were 
built  of  stout  oak  plank,  fastened  by  wooden  pins  to  frames  of  timber. 
The  cabin  was   well  protected  and  placed  in  the  stern.     From   it  the 


82  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

/ 
smoke  curled  up  gracefully.  The  fire  within  gave  warmth  and  comfort 
for  the  women  and  children  when  the  wind  was  chill  or  the  rain  was 
falling.  When  the  weather  was  pleasant,  picturesque  groups  of  men, 
women  and  children  could  be  seen  in  the  middle  part  of  the  boat,  noise- 
lessly floating  along — the  only  motive  power  the  current  of  the  stream. 
The  cattle,  provisions  and  furniture  were  placed  in  the  bows.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  dangers  from  murderous  savages  lurking  along  the 
shore  it  was  a  pleasant  enough  mode  of  traveling.  When  the  boat 
reached  its  destination  it  was  broken  up,  and  the  materials  of  which  it 
was  constructed  served  a  useful  purpose  in  building  the  new  homes  of 
the  emigrants. 

Judge  Symmes,  the  projector  of  the  Miami  Purchase,  had  his  resi- 
dence at  North  Bend  until  his  death. "  His  tomb  is  about  thirty  rods 
west  from  that  of  Gen.  Harrison.  On  a  tablet  covering  his  grave  is  the 
following  inscription:  "Here  rest  the  remains  of  John  Cleves  Symmes, 
who,  at  the  foot  of  these  hills,  made  the  first  settlement  between  the 
Miami  Elvers.  Born  on  Long  Island,  State  of  New  York,  July  21, 
1742;  died  at  Cincinnati,  February  26,  A.  D.,  1814."  Judge  Symmes 
had  been  chief  justice  of  New  Jersey,  and  at  the  time  he  embarked  in 
his  land  speculation  in  the  West,  was  a  member  of  the  Colonial  Con- 
gress. He  was  the  father-in-law  of  President  Harrison.  The  name  of 
Judge  Symmes  should  not  be  confounded  with  that  of  Capt.  John 
Cleves  Symmes,  of  Hamilton,  Ohio,  author  of  the  theory  that  "the  earth 
is  hollow,  habitable  within  and  widely  open  about  the  poles."  The 
author  of  this  theory  which  has  been  ridicaled  in  the  expression 
"Symmes'  Hole,"  was  a  nephew  of  the  land  speculatoi*.  Although 
Judge  Symmes  contracted  with  Congress  to  pay  only  66|  cents  per  acre 
for  the  land  between  the  Miami  Rivers,  and  his  purchase  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  and  fertile  tracts  in  the  United  States,  yet  he  was  not 
financially  successful  in  his  project.  Indian  hostilities  so  long  delayed 
the  settlement  of  his  purchase  that  he  was  unable  to  meet  his  obligations 
to  the  Government.  ^ 

Judge  Symmes  proposed  to  treat  the  Indians  kindly  and  justly,  and 
thus  to  prevent  an  outbreak  between  them  and  his  settlements.  There 
were  no  Indian  towns  in  the  lower  part  of  the  country  between  the 
Miamis  or  on  the  west  side  of  the  Great  Miami  in  the  region  now  in- 
cluded in  Dearborn,  Ohio  and  Switzerland  Counties.  This  is  contrary 
to  the  general  impression,  but  Gen.  Harrison,  who  came  to  the  Miami 
country  when  a  mere  boy,  and  was  familiar  with  Indian  history  and  tradi- 
tions, was  emphatic  in  denying  that  this  portion  of  the  Ohio  Valley  had 
been  occupied  as  a  place  of  residence  by  the  Indians  for  centuries  before 
the  first  arrival  of  the  whites.     But  while  there  were  no  Indian  towns 


THE  MIAMI  PURCHASE.  88 

in  this  region,  the  red  men  claimed  thecountry  as  their  hunting  ground, 
and  were  frequently  found  encamped  in  the  valleys  in  considerable 
numbers. 

As  the  number  of  white  emigrants  increased,  the  Indians  con- 
templated the  movements  of  the  whites  with  much  jealousy.  They 
denied  the  binding  obligation  of  the  treaty  under  which  the  United 
States  claimed  to  have  obtained  the  lands.  They  not  only  saw  that  the 
rapidly  forming  settlements  would  deprive  them  of  their  hunting 
grounds,  but  they  also  suffered  many  outrages  from  lawless  and  cruel 
white  men  who  were  controlled  by  no  sense  of  justice  or  humanity. 

In  one  of  his  earliest  exploring  expeditions  up  the  Great  Miami, 
Judge  Symmes,  who  was  in  company  with  a  considerable  body  of  Ken- 
tuckians,  came  across  a  small  and  defenseless  body  of  Indians.  The 
Kentuckians,  incensed  at  depredations  by  savage  hordes,  in  their  State,  and 
hating  even  the  name  of  Indian,  wished  to  shoot  them  at  sight.  Symmes 
interposed  for  their  protection,  which  proceeding,  he  says,  the  Kentuck- 
ians thought  unpardonable. 

Not  long  after/the  commencement  of  the  settlement  at  North  Bend, 
as  Judge  Burnet  relates,  Symmes  was  visited  by  a  number  of  Indians 
from  a  camp  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Columbia  settlement.  One  of 
them,  a  Shawnee  chief,  had  many  complaints  to  make  of  frauds  practiced 
upon  them  by  white  traders,  who,  however,  had  no  connection  with  the 
pioneers.  After  several  conversations  and  some  small  presents,  he  pro- 
fessed to  be  satisfied  with  the  explanation  he  had  received,  and  gave 
assurances  that  the  Indians  would  trade  with  the  white  men  as  friends. 

In  one  of  their  interviews  the  Judge  told  him  he  had  been  com- 
missioned and  sent  out  by  the  thirteen  fires  in  the  spirit  of  friendship 
and  kindness,  and  that  he  was  instructed  to  treat  them  as  friends  and 
brothers.  In  proof  of  this,  he  showed  them  the  flag  of  the  Union,  with 
its  stars  and  stripes,  and  also  his  commission,  having  the  great  seal  of  the 
United  States  attached  to  it;  exhibiting  the  American  eagle,  with  olive 
branch  in  one  claw,  emblematic  of  peace,  and  the  instrument  of  war  and 
death  in  the  other.  He  explained  the  meaning  of  these  symbols.  At 
first  the  chief  did  not  think  them  very  striking  emblems  either  of  peace 
or  war,  but  before  he  departed  from  the  Bend  he  gave  assurances  of  the 
most  friendly  character. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  when  the  Indians  left  the  settlements  for 
their  own  towns  they  stole,  as  the  whites  would  say,  but  as  they  said, 
took,  a  number  of  horses  from  the  Columbia  settlement  in  compensation 
for  the  injuries  they  had  received  from  the  white  traders.  These  thefts 
were  repeated  and  a  party  of  whites  was  sent  out  in  pursuit.  As  they 
approached  the  Indian  camp,  Capt.  Flinn   was  sent  forward  cautiously 


84  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


to  reconnoiter.  He  was  surprised,  taken  captive  and  carried  into  the 
Indian  camp.  Not  being  very  closely  watched,  and  having  great  confi- 
dence in  his  activity  and  fleetness,  at  a  favorable  moment  he  sprang  from 
the  camp  and  made  his  way  in  safety  to  his  friends.  There  were  a  num- 
ber of  horses  belonging  to  the  Indians  near  their  camp.  Not  finding 
their  own,  the  whites  took  the  Indians'  horses  and  returned  to  their  set- 
tlement. In  a  few  days  the  Indians  came  back  to  Columbia,  returned 
Capt.  Flinn's  rifle  and  complained  of  the  loss  of  their  horses.  The 
matter  was  finally  amicably  arranged. 

Notwithstanding  the  peaceful  policy  of  Judge  Symmes,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  prevent  the  outbreak  of  hostilities.  Before  many  months  elapsed 
two  boys  at  Columbia  were  shockingly  murdered,  and  the  head  of  one  of 
them  was  found  fixed  on  a  pole.  Doubtless,  in  some  cases,  lone  Indians 
were  shot  down  in  the  woods  by  roving  bands  of  worthless  white  men. 
The  long  war,  which  continued  for  nearly  seven  years,  was  commenced. 
All  peaceful  intercommunication  between  the  white  and  red  men  ceased. 
Orders  were  given  that  every  white  man  enrolled  in  the  militia  should 
carry  his  gun  and  be  equipped  ready  for  fight  at  all  gatherings,  whether 
on  Sunday  or  other  days.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  a  dark  cloud  early 
hovered  over  the  new  settlements  between  the  Miamis,  and  eclipsed  for 
a  time  the  bright  hopes  indulged  in  at  the  commencement  of  Judge 
Symmes' s  enterprise. 

The  Indian  war  was  a  most  unfortunate  one  for  the  Miami  settle- 
ment. Many  persons  bought  lands  from  Judge  Symmes,  immigrated  to 
the  Miami  country,  but  could  not  live  upon  their  lands  for  fear  of  the 
Indians.  Many  of  the  pioneers,  who  afterward  settled  on  both  sides  of 
the  Great  Miami,  were  for  years  compelled  to  remain  within  the  protec- 
tion of  block- houses  and  forts.  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris  estimated  the  number  of 
male  persons  capable  of  bearing  arms  at  the  principal  settlements  in 
1791  as  follows:  Columbia,  150;  Cincinnati,  100;  North  Bend,  80; 
Dunlap's  Station,  15;  Cavalt's  Station,  20. 

The  unhappy  condition  of  many  of  these  adventurers  who  were 
prevented  from  occupying  their  lands,  and  the  methods  adopted  of 
building  stations  of  defense,  are  described  by  Judge  Burnet  in  the 
following  extract  from  his  notes: 

"  A  large  number  of  the  original  adventurers  to  the  Miami  Purchase 
had  exhausted  their  means  by  paying  for  their  land  and  removing  their 
families  to  the  country.  Others  were  wholly  destitute  of  pi'operty,  and 
came  out  as  volunteers,  under  the  expectation  of  obtaining,  gratuitously, 
such  small  tracts  of  land  as  might  be  forfeited  by  the  purchasers,  under 
Judge  Symmes,  for  not  making  the  improvements  required  by  the 
conditions  stipulated  in  the  terms  of  sale  and  settlement  of  Miami  lands, 


THE  MIAMI  PURCHASE.  85 

published  by  the  Judge  in  1787.  The  class  of  adventurers  first  named 
was  comparatively  numerous,  and  had  come  out  under  an  expectation  of 
taking  immediate  possession  of  their  lands,  and  of  commencing  the  cul- 
tivation of  them  for  subsistence.  Their  situation,  therefore,  was  distress- 
ing. To  go  out  into  the  wilderness  to  till  the  soil  appeared  to  be  certain 
death;  to  remain  in  the_j  settlements  threatened  them  with  starvation. 
The  best  provided  of  the  pioneers  found  it  difficult  to  obtain  subsistence, 
and,  of  course,  the  class  now  spoken  of  were  not  far  from  total  destitu- 
tion. They  depended  on  game,  fish,  and  such  products  of  the  earth  as 
could  be  raised  on  small  patches  of  ground  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  settlements. 

"  Occasionally,  small  lots  of  provisions  were  brought  down  the  river 
by  emigrants,  and  sometimes  were  transported  on  pack-horses  from 
Lexington,  at  heavy  expense,  and  not  without  danger.  But  supplies 
thus  procured  were  beyond  the  reach  of  those  destitute  persons  now 
referred  to. 

"  Having  endured  these  privations  as  long  as  they  could  be  borne,  the 
more  resolute  of  them  determined  to  brave  the  consequences  of  moving 
on  to  their  lands.  To  accomplish  the  object  with  the  least  exposure, 
those  whose  lands  were  in  the  same  neighborhood  united  as  one  family; 
and,  on  that  principle,  a  number  of  associations  were  formed  amounting 
to  a  dozen  or  more,  who  went  out  resolved  to  maintain'  their 
positions. 

"  Each  party  erected  a  strong  block-house,  near  to  which  their  cabins 
were  put  up,  and  the  whole  was  enclosed  by  strong  log  pickets.  This  being 
done,  they  commenced  clearing  their  lands  and  preparing  for  planting 
their  crops.  During  the  day,  while  they  were  at  work,  one  person  was 
placed  as  a  sentinel  to  warn  them  of  approaching  danger.  At  sunset 
they  retired  to  the  block-house  and  their  cabins,  taking  everything  of 
value  within  the  pickets.  In  this  manner  they  proceeded  from  day  to 
day  and  week  to  week,  till  their  improvements  were  sufficiently  extensive 
to  support  their  families.  During  this  time  they  depended  for  subsis- 
tence on  wild  game,  obtained  at  some  hazard,  more  than  on  the  scanty 
supplies  they  were  able  to  procure  from  the  settlements  on  the  river. 

"  In  a  short  time,  the  stations  gave  protection  and  food  to  a  large 
number  of  destitute  families.  After  they  were  established  the  Indians 
became  less  annoying  to  the  settlements  on  the  Ohio,  as  part  of  their 
time  was  employed  in  watching  the  stations.  The  former,  however,  did 
not  escape,  bat  endured  their  share  of  the  fruits  of  savage  hostility.  In 
fact  no  place  or  situation  was  exempt  from  danger.  The  safety  of  the 
pioneer  depended  on  his  means  of  defense,  and  on  perpetual 
vigilance. 


86  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"  The  Indians  viewed  those  stations  with  great  jealousy,  as  they  had 
the  appearance  of  permanent  military  establishments,  intended  to  retain 
possession  of  their  country.  In  that  view  they  were  correct;  and  it  was 
fortunate  for  the  settlers  that  the  Indians  wanted  either  the  skill  or  means 
of  demolishing  them. 

"  The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  their  great  error  consisted  in  permiting 
those  works  to  be  constructed  at  all.  They  oiight  have  prevented  it  with 
great  ease,  but  they  appeared  not  to  be  aware  of  the  serious  consequences 
which  were  to  result  until  it  was  too  late  to  act  with  effect.  Several 
attacks  were,  however,  made  at  different  times,  with  an  apparent  deter- 
mination to  destroy  them;  but  they  failed  in  every  instance." 


CHAPTER  IV. 
INDIAN  DEPREDATIONS. 

Hostility  of  the  Indians  Against  thk  Settlements  in  Kentucky- 
Attacks  on  Tanner's  Station— Killing  of  John  Filson  and  Abner 
Hunt— Attack  on  Dunlap's  Station— Capture  of  Young  Fuller 
—The  Murder  of  De  Moss— Murder  of  Benjamin  Cox  and  Thomas 
Walters— Premiums  for  Indian  Scalps— Indian  Depredations 
Checked  by  Wayne's  Victory— Indians  Continue  to  Steal  Horses. 

THE  hostility  of  the  Indians  against  the  whites  was  displayed  before 
the  commencement  of  the  settlements  between  the  Miamis,  They 
intercepted  boats  passing  up  and  down  the  Ohio,  and  attempted  to  break 
up  the  white  stations  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Large  numbers  of 
the  savages  frequently  encamped  and  hunted  in  the  region  embracing 
Dearborn,  Ohio  and  Switzerland  Counties,  and  passed  over  into  Ken- 
tucky for  the  purpose  of  stealing  horses  and  annoying  the  settlements  in 
that  State.  There  were  extensive  hunting  grounds  of  the  tribes  of  the 
Wabash  and  Maumee  in  the  southeast  part  of  Indiana. 

While  Fort  Finney  was  occupied,  Lieut.  Denny  recorded  in  his  jour- 
nal that  a  station,  consisting  of  a  few  families  with  a  stockade  for 
defense,  had  been  erected  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  Ohio,  about  six 
miles  below  Fort  Finney.  On  the  morning  of  March  20,  1786,  an 
express  from  the  station  informed  the  garrison  at  the  fort  that  the 
Indians  had  attacked  two  of  their  people  a  short  distance  from  the  sta- 
tion, killed  one  and  wounded  the  other.  The  wounded  person  escaped 
into  the  cabins  at  the  stockade.     Lieut.  Denny  took   a  light  boat  with  a 


INDIAN  DEPREDATIONS.  87 

sergeant  and  twelve  men,  and  hastened  to  the  station.  He  found  the 
dead  man  scalped  and  cut  in  several  places;  he  buried  him,  assisted  in 
rendering  the  stockade  more  secure  and  returned  home.  This  station 
was  probably  Tanner's,  at  what  is  now  Petersburg,  Ky. 

Four  years  later,  John  Garnet,  in  a  deposition  taken  before  a  magis- 
trate, for  the  use  of  the  Kentucky  authorities,  stated  that  he  was  at  Tan- 
ner's Station  on  the  Ohio,  about  five  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Miami,  in  the  latter  part  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May,  1790,  when 
five  Indians  placed  themselves  in  ambush  between  the  cabin  of  Mr.  Tan- 
ner and  his  field,  and  captured  his  son,  a  lad  about  nine  years  of  age, 
with  whom  they  crossed  the  Ohio.  It  appears  also  from  other  deposi- 
tions that  in  the  fall  preceding  two  men  had  been  killed  at  or  near  the 
station. 

After  the  commencement  of  the  settlements  between  the  Miamis,  a 
number  of  persons  were  killed  along  the  Great  Miami.  John  Filson, 
one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  Cincianati,  having  gone  up  the  Great 
Miami,  on  an  exploring  expedition  in  company  with  Judge  Symmes, 
became  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  company,  and,  as  is  believed,  was 
killed.      The  date  of  this  event  is  given  as  October  1,  1788. 

In  January,  1791,  a  large  band  of  Indians  led,  it  was  afterward 
reported,  by  the  notorious  Simon  Girty,  were  roving  in  the  woods  west  of 
the  Great  Miami.  Abner  Hunt,  one  of  Judge  Symmes'  surveyors,  John 
S.  Wallace,  John  Sloan  and  a  Mr.  Cunningham  had  been  exploring  the 
country  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  and  on  the  morning  of  January  8, 
after  roasting  their  venison  and  taking  breakfast  at  the  camp,  set  out  on 
further  explorations.  About  100  yards  from  their  camp  they  were  beset 
by  the  savages  in  the  rear,  who  fired  a  volley  of  eight  or  ten  guns.  Cun- 
ningham was  killed  on  the  spot;  Hunt,  being  thrown  from  his  horse, 
was  made  prisoner;  Sloan,  although  shot  through  the  body,  kept  on  his 
horse  and  made  his  escape,  Hunt's  loose  horse  following  him.  Wallace 
was  on  foot  at  the  time,  and  took  to  the  woods  pursued  by  two  Indians, 
and  being  uncommonly  active  out-ran  them.  In  about  two  miles  he 
overtook  Sloan,  with  Hunt's  horse  following  him,  which  he  caught  and 
mounted.  They  made  their  way  to  Danlap's  Station  on  the  Great  Miami. 
On  the  morning  of  January  10,  Danlap's  Station  was  attacked  by  a  very 
large  body  of  Indians,  probably  numbering  400  or  500.  The  block- 
house at  that  time  was  occupied  by  a  small  detachment  oE  United  States 
troops,  of  about  eighteen  soldiers,  commanded  _^by  Lieut.  Kingsbury. 
The  Indians  compelled  Abner  Hunt  to  mount  a  stump  and  to  demand  the 
surrender  of  the  station.  This  was  refused,  and  the  Indians  made  a  des- 
perate effort  to  take  the  block-hoase,  but  it  was  bravely  and  successfully 
defended.  Abner  Hunt  was  cruelly  tortured,  and  put  to  death  in  sight 
of  the  garrison.  5 


88  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

CAPTURE    OF    TOUNG    FULLER. 

Mr.  William  McGlure,  of  Franklin  County,  Ind.,  whose  father  came 
from  Kentucky  and  settled  near  Cleves  in  1804,  gave  the  following  nar- 
rative in  1879: 

"I  learned  from  Capt.  Isaac  Fuller,  of  this  county  (Franklin),  that 
his  father  lived  as  early  as  1794  or  1795  at  North  Bend  and  in  the  Big 
Bottom,  and  that  he  helped  to  raise  the  first  patch  of  corn  that  was  ever 
raised  by  white  men  in  the  Big  Bottom.  He  also  told  me  he  had  a 
brother  about  sixteen  years  of  age  taken  by  the  Indians  from  North 
Bend,  about  1795.  He  had  been  sent  after  the  cows.  The  Indians  de- 
coyed him  by  using  a  bell.  His  father,  alone,  followed  them  to  near 
Brookville,  and  stayed  all  night  on  the  place  on  which  I  now  live,  and 
watched  the  movements  of  the  Indians,  but  was  unable  to  effect  his 
son's  release.  The  Indians  took  him  to  the  Upper  Wabash  country,  and 
he  remained  with  them  about  two  years.  He  was  left  by  his  master  at 
the  camp  with  the  squaws,  with  directions  what  to  do,  but  after  the  In- 
dians left,  one  of  the  squaws,  a  half-sister  of  the  celebrated  Tecumseh, 
ordered  him  to  work  at  something  else,  which  he  refused  to  do,  when  she 
tried  to  kill  him.  He  kept  out  of  her  way  for  the  time,  believing  she 
would  kill  him  if  she  had  an  opportunity.  Soon  after  he  went  with  her 
fishing,  and  watching  an  opportunity,  he  struck  her  with  a  club  on  the 
back  of  the  head,  and  knocked  her  into  a  deep  hole  of  water,  where  he 
supposed  she  was  drowned.  Then  he  struck  out  for  Detroit,  where  he 
arrived  in  about  a  week,  subsisting  himself  as  best  he  could,  being  fol- 
lowed by  the  Indians  all  the  way,  whom  he  succeeded  in  eluding.  After 
he  arrived  in  Detroit  he  found  a  friend,  who  secreted  him  for  a  day  or 
two  until  the  Indians  ceased  hunting  for  him,  when  he  conveyed  him 
over  to  Maldon,  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  Detroit  Biver,  from  which 
place  he  went  to  Bufifalo,  N.  Y.,  and  from  there  he  went  home  through 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  down  the  Ohio  Kiver." 

THE    MURDER    OF    DE  MOSS.* 

In  the  spring  of  1793  a  number  of  families  from  Cohambia,  Cincin- 
nati and  North  Bend,  made  a  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Miami, 
which  was  called  the  Point.  Among  the  families  from  Columbia,  I 
recollect  those  of  Hugh  Dunn,  Benjamin  Randolph  and  Isaac  Mills. 
The  arrival  of  Gen.  Wayne's  army,  in  the  spring,  increased  the  confi- 
dence of  the  new  settlers,  and  caused  other  families  to  join  them.  They 
argued  that  the  presence  of  so  large  an  army  at  Cincinnati  would  deter 
the  Indians  and  keep  them  quiet.  But  some  who  thought  they  under- 
stood the  Indian  character  better,  said  they  would  constantly  keep  small 

*Dr.  Ezra  Ferris. 


INDIAN  DEPREDATIONS.  89 

parties  of  their  most  daring  warriors  hovering  about  our  frontiers  to 
watch  the  movements  of  the  ai-my,  and  that  the  exposed  settlements 
would  be  more  liable  to  attack.  With  the  last  opinion  Mr.  William 
Smalley,  who  had  escaped  from  Indian  captivity,  agreed.  Mr.  Smalley 
warned  the  people  that  they  would  have  no  abatement  of  hostilities  until 
the  Indians  were  whipped.  He  said  they  as  much  expected  to  defeat 
Wayne  as  they  were  certain  they  had  defeated  Harmar  and  St.  Clair. 

During  the  summer  of  1793-94,  a  Mr.  Rittenhouse  built  a  mill  to 
grind  corn  on  a  small  stream  passing  down  from  the  hill  to  the  Miami, 
through  where  the  town  of  Cleves  now  stands.  The  mill  was  a  wet- 
weather  concern,  the,stream  being  small,  but  it  was  a  great  accommoda- 
tion to  the  people  at  that  time.  In  the  after  part  of  the  winter  or  begin- 
ning of  spring,  after  a  rain  sufficient  to  supply  the  mill  with  water,  Mr. 
DeMoss,  with  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Micajah  Dunn,  and  another 
named  Thomas  Fuller,  went  from  the  settlement  before  named  (Goose 
Pond)  to  Rittenhouse's  Mill,  with  each  a  bag  of  corn  to  have  ground. 
They  were  detained  so  as  not  to  start  home  until  after  dark;  that,  how- 
ever, produced  but  little  inconvenience  as  there  was  very  bright  moon- 
light. A  short  distance  after  leaving  the  mill,  they  came  to  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Wheeling,  and  seeing  several  persons  there,  Mr.  Dunn  and  the 
other  young  man  rode  up  to  the  door  to  make  some  inquiry,  but  Mr. 
DeMoss  rode  on  expecting  soon  to  be  overtaken  by  them. 

Whilst  sitting  on  their  horses  talking  about  twenty  minutes,  they 
heard  the  firing  of  guns  in  the  direction  DeMoss  had  gone;  that  did 
not  create  much  alarm,  however,  as  the  people  were  in  the  habit  of  going 
out  on  moonlight  nights  to  kill  game.  They  started  immediately  after 
hearing  the  guns,  and  rode  as  briskly  as  their  horses  could  travel  with 
the  load  they  had.  They  found  DeMoss  lying  across  the  path  dead,  and 
the  bag  of  meal  by  his  side.  It  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  describe 
their  feelings  in  that  trying  moment,  following  a  narrow  path  in  the 
woods,  surrounded  by  a  large  growth  of  trees,  behind  which  they  might 
easily  imagine  their  enemies  wei'e  concealed.  They  reached  their  homes, 
gave  the  alarm,  and  a  party  was  raised  to  go  after  and  carry  the  corpse 
of  DeMoss  to  his  family. 

This  bloody  scene  took  place  almost  within  hearing  of  Lawrence- 
burgh,  had  there  been  any  person  there  to  hear.  The  Mr.  Dunn  here 
alluded  to,  was  the  eldest  brother  of  Judge  Isaac  Dunn,  and  the  father 
of  Gersham  Dunn  and  others  of  Lawrenceburgh. 

MURDER    OF    BENJAMIN    COX    AND    THOMAS   WALTER. 

In  the  winter  of  1794-95,  Benjamin  Cox  and  Thomas  Walter  were 
killed  by  the  Indians  on  the  bank  of  Double  Lick  Run,  one-fourth  of  a 


90  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

mile  southwest  of  the  stone  which  marks  the  Hue  between  Ohio  and  Indi- 
ana on  the  road  leading  from  Lawrenceburg  to  Elizabethtown.  Dr. 
Ezra  Ferris  thus  describes  this  act  of  savage  barbarity. 

"When  in  the  state  nature  had  formed  it,  and  before  it  had  been  sub- 
dued by  the  hand  of  man,  the  Big  Bottom  had,  in  addition  to  the  com- 
mon trees  of  the  forest,  including  thickets  of  plum  and  haw  trees,  a 
luxuriant  vegetable,  sometimes  called  hog-weed,  but  commonly  called 
horse-weed.  This  weed  was  thick  on  the  ground,  and  in  a  few  weeks  in 
summer  would  grow  to  the  height  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet,  bearing  a 
seed,  which,  when  ripe,  was  eaten  by  hogs.  Soon  after  the  settlement 
was  formed  by  the  white  people  on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Miami  (near 
the  Point),  some  of  their  hogs  crossed  over  the  river  to  graze  and  feed  in 
these  thickets,  and  some  of  them  remained  so  long  that  no  one  continued 
to  exercise  ownership  over  them  or  their  increase,  until,^like  the  deer  in 
the  woods,  they  became  the  property  of  any  person  who  could  find  and 
take  them. 

"  Late  in  the  fall  of  1794  several  persons  from  the  settlement  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  crossed  over  into  the  bottom  in  search  of  hogs  to 
use  as  meat  for  the  ensuing  season.  Among  them  were  Isaac  Mills, 
Isaac  Dunn,  Benjamin  Cox,  Thomas  Walters,  Josej)h  Randolph,  Joseph 
Kitchel  and  Isaac  Vanness.  After  an  unsuccessful  search  for  the  most 
of  the  day  it  was  proposed  by  some  of  them  to  return  home  for  the  night 
and  renew  the  search  the  next  morning,  but  Cox  and  Walters  thought  it 
would  be  best  to  encamp  on  the  ground,  so  as  to  have  the  advantage  of  an 
early  start  in  the  morning;  the  balance  disagreeing  with  them  returned 
home,  and  they  remained  in  the  woods.  Indications  made  it  appear 
that  after  the  others  left  they  followed  down  Doable  Lick  Run,  about  100 
yards  below  the  place  where  the  road  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Elizabeth - 
town  crosses  it,  where  they  selected  a  place  to  stay  for  the  night,  and 
made  a  fire  to  sleep  by  on  the  ground.  Toward  midnight  the  people  at 
the  settlement  were  very  much  alarmed  at  the  report  of  several  guns 
heard  in  the  direction  that  Cox  and  Walters  were  left  by  the  company, 
and  fears  were  entertained  of  their  safety. 

"  Early  the  next  morning  a  number  of  persons  started  to  ascertain  the 
fate  of  the  two  men.  They  repaired  to  the  place  where  the  company  left 
them  the  previous  evening,  but  not  finding  them,  they  scattered  through 
the  woods  in  search  of  them,  and  after  a  short  time  Mr.  Garrett  Vanness 
and  Isaac  Dunn,  who  were  following  down  the  creek,  came  upon  the  body 
of  Mr.  Cox  near  the  place  where  they  had  built  a  fire.  He  had  been 
shot  and  scalped  and  otherwise  mangled.  The  balance  of  the  company 
were  called  together,  and  after  a  little  search  found  Mr.  Walters 
dead  in  the  woods,  seventy  or  eighty  yards  from  where  he  was  first  shot. 


INDIAN  DEPREDATIONS.  91 

and  from  appearance  of  things  it  was  concluded  that  he  had  been  first 
wounded  and  m  ade  an  attempt  to  escape,  but  was  followed,  killed  and 
scalped. 

"These  bodies  presented  a  horrible  appearance,  and  they  were  the  last 
killed  in  the  Miami  country.  The  barbarity  the  savages  exercised  on 
them  gave  little  evidence  of  a  disposition  on  their  part  to  make  peace. 
The  traveler  passing  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Elizabethtown,  as  he 
crosses  the  run  near  the  stone  building,  lately  the  residence  of  Thomas 
Miller,  may  at  any  time,  by  turning  his  head  to  the  right,  glance  his 
eye  over  the  spot  where  Benjamin  Cox  and  Thomas  Walters,  the  last  vic- 
tims of  savage  barbarity  in  the  war  closing  with  "Wayne's  treaty,  were 
cruelly,  murdered. " 

The  time  at  which  this  atrocity  was  committed  was  later  than  that 
stated  by  Dr.  Ferris.  Since  commencing  the  work  of  compiling  this 
history  we  have  been  enabled  to  tix  the  date  from  the  tile  of  the  Centinel 
of  the  Northicestern  Territovy.  In  its  issue  of  February  7,  1795,  that 
journal  contained  the  following  item:  "Arrived  here  yesterday  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Great  Miami,  Mr.  Isaac  Mills  who  informs  us  that  on  Monday 
evening  last  the  Indians  killed  two  men  by  the  names  of  Benjamin  Cox 
and  Thomas  Walter,  about  one  mile  and  a  half  from  that  place."  Accord- 
ing to  this  the  date  of  the  murder  was  February  2,  1795. 

PREMIUMS    FOR     INDIAN    SCALPS. 

The  long  war  which  was  ended  with  Wayne's  treaty  at  Greenville 
was  a  cruel  one.  The  Miami  country  was  known  as  the  "Miami  Slaugh- 
ter House."  The  bloody  depredations  of  the  savages  so  incensed  the 
settlers  that  they  were  induced  to  take  measures  for  their  protection 
which  it  is  not  pleasant  to  record.  It  is  not  perhaps  generally  known  that 
men  of  high  standing  formed  a  committee  to  publish  a  notice  offering 
premiums  for  Indian  scalps  and  to  keep  the  scalp  money  subscribed  by 
"many  good  citizens  with  a  design  to  check  the  incursions  of  the  hostile 
Indians."  A  portion  of  Dearborn  County  was  included  in  the  district 
within  which  young  men  were  offered  inducements  to  range  the  woods 
"to  prevent  savages  from  committing  depredations  on  defenseless  citi- 
zens." Early  in  the  spring  of  1794,  a  subscription  paper  was  in  circu- 
lation at  Columbia  to  provide  premiums  for  scalps  of  Indians.  And  in 
the  Centinel  of  the  Northwest  Territory  of  May  17,  1794,  a  committee 
consisting  of  L.  Woodward,  Darius  C.  Orcutt  and  James  Lyons,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, and  William  Brown,  Ignatius  Ross  and  John  Reily,  of  Colum- 
bia, publish  a  notice  offering  rewards  for  Indian  scalps  taken  between 
the  18th  of  April  and  the  25th  of  December,  1794,  in  a  district  begin- 
ning on  the  Ohio  ten  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami,  extend- 


92  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ing  ten  miles  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  and  twenty-five  back  into  the 
country,  above  where  Harmar's  trace  crosses  the  Little  Miami,  and  in  a 
direct  line  west.      Rewards  were  offered  as  follows: 

"That  for  every  scalp  having  the  right  ear  appendant,  for  the  first 
ten  Indians  who  shall  be  killed  within  the  time  and  limits  aforesaid,  by 
those  who  are  subscribers  to  the  said  articles,  shall,  whenever  collected, 
be  paid  the  sum  of  $136;  and  for  every  scalp  of  the  like  number  of  Indians, 
having  the  right  ear  appendant,  who  shall  be  killed  within  the  time  and 
limits  aforesaid  by  those  who  are  not  subscribers,  the  Federal  troops  ex 
cepted,  shall,  whenever  collected,  be  paid  the  sum  of  $100;  and  for 
every  scalp  having  the  right  ear  appendant  of  the  second  ten  Indians 
who  shall  be  killed  within  the  time  and  limits  aforesaid,  by  those  who 
are  subscribers  to  the  said  articles,  shall,  whenever  collected  as  afore- 
said, be  paid  the  sum  of  $117;  and  for  every  scalp  having  the  right  ear 
appendant  of  the  second  ten  Indians  who  shall  be  killed  within  the  time 
and  limits  aforesaid  by  those  who  are  not  subscribers  to  the  said  articles 
shall,  whenever  collected,  be  paid  the  sum  of  $95." 

Wayne's  decisive  victory  in  August,  1794,  put  a  check  to  the  depre- 
dations, but  it  did  not  at  once  reduce  them  to  absolute  submission.  De 
Moss,  Cox  and  Walters  were  all  killed  several  months  after  the  victory 
at  Fallen  Timbers.  According  to  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris  the  Indians  continued 
their  hostilities  on  the  settlers  at  Columbia  for  some  months  after 
Wayne's  victory.  Robert  Griffin  and  a  young  Paul  and  David  Jennings 
were  killed,  and  Reason  Bailey  was  captured  by  the  Indians  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Columbia,  all  in  the  fall  of  1794. 

The  Centinel  of  the  Northu-'est  Territory  of  March  14,  1795,  an- 
nounced that  on  Saturday  evening,  March  6,  the  Indians  stole  eight 
horses  from  North  Bend;  the  next  morning  Lieut.  Aladon  Symmes  with 
a  party  of  twenty-seven  men  pursued  them  about  sixty  miles  and  retook 
the  horses;  but  unfortunately  the  Indians  discovering  his  party  made 
their  escape.  As  late  as  May  9,  1795,  the  Indians  stole  nine  horses 
from  Ludlow's  Station,  only  five  miles  from  Cincinnati,  and  though  pur- 
sued made  their  escape. 

The  treaty  of  peace  at  Greenville,  concluded  August  3,  1795,  put  an 
end  to  the  murder  of  white  men  by  Indians  in  the  Miami  settlements, 
but  horses  continued  to  be  stolen  by  them.  Judge  Symmes  thought  that 
white  men  who  bought  horses  from  the  Indians  were  to  blame,  as  the 
Indians  would  steal  horses  to  take  the  place  of  those  they  had  sold. 
The  judge  wrote  to  Gen.  Dayton,  in  1796,  that  he  wished  Congress  would 
make  it  a  penal  offense  for  a  white  man  to  buy  a  horse  from  an  Indian,  as 
no  Indian  would  walk  when  he  could  steal  a  horse. 

Sometimes,  however,  a  white  man  would   steal   a  horse   from  the  In- 


PIONEER    HISTORY.  93 

dians,  and  we  have  the  record  of  the  conviction  of  at  least  one  man  for 
this  offense.  In  March,  1796,  at  Cincinnati,  the  seat  of  justice  for  the 
whole  Miami  region,  Daniel  McKean,  lately  arrived  from  New  Jersey, 
was  found  guilty  of  stealing  a  horse  from  an  Indian.  He  was  sentenced 
to  pay  the  red  man  $1,  and  receive  thirty-nine  lashes  in  the  most  public 
streets  of  the  town,  and  bear  on  the  front  of  his  hat,  during  the  inflic- 
tion of  the  punishment,  a  paper,  with  the  inscription  in  large  letters: 
"I  stole  a  horse  from  the  Indians." 


CHAPTER  V. 

PIONEER  HISTORY. 

Some  Very  Early  Settlements  Attempted  Northwest  of  the  Ohio- 
Important  Dates— Tanner's  Station— Ma j.  Byrd's  Stockade  Near 
THE  Site  or  Lawrenceburgh— Pioneer  Adventures  at  the  Mouth 
OF  the  Great  Miami— The  Story  of  Benjamin  Walker— Progress 
OF  THE  Early  Settlements— Early  Surveys  and  Sales  of  Land- 
Indian  Bands  Encamp  Near  the  Settlements— Early  Commercial 
Intercourse  and  Prices  —  Pioneer  Life— Log-Cabins  and  Their 
Furniture— The  Primitive  Forests  and  Wild  Beasts— Character 
of  the  Early  Emigrants. 

THE  question  who  were  the  first  white  men  to  build  their  cabins  in 
Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties,  is  an  interesting  one,  but  it  can 
now  never  be  satisfactorily  answered.  One  cause  of  the  uncertainty  in 
this  matter  is  the  fact  that  settlements  were  attempted  on  the  northwest 
side  of  the  Ohio  at  a  very  early  period,  some  of  them  being  commenced 
not  long  after  the  treaty  of  Fort  Mcintosh,  in  January,  1785.  Settle- 
ments were  attempted  at  various  places  along  the  Ohio,  but  were  pre- 
vented by  the  authorities  of  the  United  States.  Proclamations  by  Con- 
gress were  issued  against  settling  upon  the  public  domain  as  early  as 
1785.  Hundreds  of  families  had  built  their  cabins  on  the  Indian  side 
of  'the  Ohio,  previous  to  the  settlement  at  Marietta,  in  April,  1788,  and 
were  driven  away  by  the  military  power  of  the  United  States.  Jan- 
uary 24,  1785,  the  commissioner  of  Indian  affairs  instructed  Col.  Har- 
mar  "  to  employ  such  force  as  he  may  judge  necessary  in  driving  off 
persons  attempting  to  settle  on  the  lands  of  the  United  States." 

From  the  correspondence  published  in  the  St.  Clair  papers,  it  appears 
that  the  number  of  persons  who  had  established  themselves  on  the 
northwest  side  of  the  Ohio  as  intruders  on  the  government  lands  before 


94  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  settlements  at  Marietta  and  Cincinnati,  was  mucli  larger  than  is 
usually  supposed.  John  Emerson,  March  12,  1785,  took  upon  him- 
self the  authority  to  issue  a  proclamation  for  elections  by  the  inhabitants 
of  the  west  side  of  the  Ohio  for  the  choosing  of  members  of  a  conven- 
tion for  forming  a  constitution,  the  elections  to  take  place  April  10, 
1785;  one  at  the  mouth  of  the  Miami,  one  at  the  mouth  of  the  Scioto, 
one  on  the  Muskingum,  and  one  at  the  house  of  Jonas  Menzous,  the  loca- 
tion of  which  was  not  given.  Ensign  John  Armstrong  reported  early 
in  1785,  that  from  the  best  information  he  could  obtain,  there  were 
1,500  persons  on  the  Miami  and  Scioto  and  upward  of  300  families  on 
the  Hockhocking  and  Muskingum,  and  down  the  Ohio  for  a  great  dis- 
tance there  was  scarcely  one  bottom  without  one  or  more  families.  It 
is  not  improbable  that  some  of  these  early  settlements  were  attempted 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  and  within  the  limits  of  Dearborn 
and  Ohio  Counties.  These  early  intruders  on  the  government  lands 
were  dispossessed  by  the  authorities. 

To  those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  bloody  character  of  the  war 
waged  by  the  Indians  against  the  white  settlements  northwest  of  the  Ohio, 
it  will  appear  highly  improbable  that  there  could  have  been  any  white  set 
tiers  below  the  Great  Miami  from  the  commencement  of  that  war  in  1789 
until  Wayne's  treaty  of  peace  in  1795.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
during  this  savage  war  there  was  scarcely  any  military  protection  for  the 
Miami  settlements.  Judge  Burnett  says:  "  It  is  a  perversion  of  language 
to  apply  the  phrase  'military  protection  '  to  anything  enjoyed  by  the 
Miami  people  at  the  time  when  protection  was  most  wanted.  If  it  be 
asked  what  protection  they  really  did  receive  during  the  period  of  great 
est  exposure,  the  answer  may  be  given  in  a  few  words.  Eighteen  sol- 
diers were  stationed  at  Columbia  in  the  fall  of  1 788 ;  one  company 
halted  at  North  Bend  thirty-four  days  in  the  winter  of  1788-89;  after 
which  a  detachment  of  eighteen,  rank  and  file,  landed  at  the  same  place, 
where  they  remained  a  few  days,  and  then  proceeded  to  Cincinnati."  If 
we  add  to  these  Maj.  Byrd's  battalion  at  the  stockade  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Great  Miami  during  the  last  months  of  the  Indian  war,  we  have  the 
entire  military  protection  afforded  to  three  infant  settlements  extending 
nearly  thirty  miles  in  an  enemy's  country. 

With  these  facts  before  us  it  would  seem  highly  improbable  that 
any  families  with  women  and  childi-en  were  permanently  settled  in  Dear- 
born or  Ohio  Counties  much  before  the  ratification. of  the  treaty  at  Green- 
ville, although  some  of  the  more  daring  woodmen  may  have  ventured  to 
build  huts  north  of  the  Ohio  and  below  the  Great  Miami  soon  after 
Wayne's  victory.  If  so,  they  were  willing  not  only  to  brave  dangers 
from  savage  foes,  but  to  endure  privations  of  a  lonely  life  in  the  wilder- 


PIONEER   HISTORY.  95 

ness.  Family  traditions  concerning  early  settlements  often  confound 
the  date  of  the  first  visit  of  a  pioneer  to  his  future  home  with  that  of  his 
first  settlement.  Some  of  the  early  settlers  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Coun- 
ties came  f I'om  Kentucky,  and  some  of  them  may  have  remained  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  awaiting  the  time  when  they  could  safely  remove 
north  of  the  Ohio.  Doubtless  in  some  cases  crops  of  corn  were  grown 
north  of  the  river  by  those  who  still  lived  in  the  more  secure  settlements 
on  the  Kentucky  side. 

IMPORTANT    DATES. 

The  following  dates  exhibit  the  progress  of   the  white  man's  domin- 
ion'along  the  Great  Miami: 
\/    First  settlement  at  North  Bend,  February,  1789. 

Dunlap's  Station,  protected  by  a  strong  fortification,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Great  Miami,  seventeen  miles  above  Cincinnati,  established  early 
in  the  spring  of  1790. 

Maj.  Byrd's  stockade  on  the  west  side  of  the  Great  Miami,  erected 
in  the  winter  of  1793-94. 

Wayne's  victory,  August  20,  1794. 
V  Hamilton  laid  out  on  the  east  side  of   the   Great  Miami,    December 
17,  1794. 

Wayne's  treaty  of  peace,  August  3,  1795. 

Government  survey  of  lands,  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  commenced 
in  1798. 

Act  of  Congress  providing  for  sale  of  lands  west  of  the  Great  Miami, 
May  10,  1800. 

First  sale  of  lands  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  first  Mondav  in  April, 
1801. 

tanner's    STATION. 

This  station  gave  name  to  Tanner's  Creek,  and  was  situated  opposite 
the  mouth  of  the  creek  on  the  site  of  Petersburg.  The  following  account 
of  the  station  is  from  Collins'  History  of  Kentucky:  "Tanner's  Station,  on 
the  Ohio  River,  twenty-two  miles  below  Cincinnati,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  town  of  Petei'sburg,  was  settled  by  and  named  after  Rev.  John 
Tanner,  the  first  Baptist  preacher  in  this  part  of  Kentucky,  certainly 
before  1790.  In  April,  1785,  a  company  from  Pennsylvania,  composed 
of  John  Hindman,  William  West,  John  Simmons,  John  Seft,  old  Mr. 
Carlin  and  their  families  cleared  thirty  or  forty  acres  on  the  claim  of  Mr. 
Tanner — the  first  clearing  in  Boone  County,  Ky.  They  remained  there 
a  month  or  six  weeks,  then  went  to  Ohio  to  make  improvements,  but  did 
not  remain  there.  In  1790  John  Tanner,  a  little  boy  of  nine  years,  was 
made  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  and   in   1791,  an   elder  brother,  Edward, 


96  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

« 

nearly  fifteen  (both  sons  of  Rev.  John  Tannei').  Edward  made  his  escape 
two  days  after  his  capture  and  returned  home.  Except  that  the  Indians 
told  Edward  of  their  having  taken  John  the  year  before,  the  latter  was 
not  heard  of  by  his  friends  for  twenty-four  years.  He  spent  his  life 
among  the  Indians,  and,  in  1818,  was  employed  by  the  United  States 
authorities  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie  as  an  interpreter.  The  father  removed  in 
1798  to  New  Madrid,  Mo.,  and  died  there  a  few  years  after." 

A  confirmation  of  the  very  early  date  of  the  establishment  of  this 
station  is  found  in  the  journal  of  Maj.  Denny  at  Fort  Finney,  who 
records  that  on  March  20,  1786,  two  of  the  people  at  "a  station  six  miles 
below  us  on  the  Kentucky  side,"  had  been  attacked  by  the  Indians,  one  of 
them  killed,  and  the  other  wounded. 

MAJ.   BYRd's  stockade  NEAR  LAWRENCEBURGH. 

Early  in  1794  Maj.  Byrd,  with  a  battalion  of  troops  of  Gren. 
Wayne's  army  erected  a  stockade  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Great  Miami, 
two  miles  above  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  I'emained  until  the  treaty  of 
Greenville  in  August,  1795.  The  purpose  of  the  stockade  was  to  pi'otect 
keel -boats  with  supplies  for  Wayne's  army,  which  might  descend  the 
Ohio  and  ascend  the  Great  Miami  as  far  as  Fort  Hamilton,  and  to  pro- 
tect the  settlements  on  the  east  side  of  the  Great  Miami.  It  was  in  De- 
cember, 1793,  that  Gen.  Wayne  built  Fort  Greenville.  He  detailed  a 
strong  guard  for  the  defense  of  Fort  Hamilton,  and  when  the  army 
went  into  winter  quai'ters  at  Fort  Greenville,  he  directed  a  force  under 
Maj.  Byrd,  known  as  the^Rowdy  Regiment,  to  encamp  on  the  fii-st  high 
ground  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Great  Miami,  above  its  mouth,  for  the 
purpose  before  mentioned.  The  site  of  the  stockade  is  known  as  Rowdy 
Camp  to  this  day  in  the  neighborhood  of  Lawrenceburgh.  The  trans- 
portation of  supplies  for  the  army  at  Greenville  from  Cincinnati  was  a 
business  which  made  the  track  up  the  Mill  Creek  Valley,  first  opened  by 
Gen.  St.  Clair,  a  great  thoroughfare  for  teams,  citizens  and  soldiers. 
Both  citizens  and  soldiers  were  sometimes  waylaid  by  the  Indians,  killed 
and  plundered.  When  there  was  sufficient  stage  of  water  in  the  Great 
Miami  the  best  way  of  transporting  heavy  articles  to  Fort  Hamilton  was 
by  keel  boats. 

PIONEER  ADVENTURES  AT  THE  MOUTH  OF    THE  GREAT  MIAMI.* 

On  Judge  Symmes'  second  tour  West,  in  the  spring  of  1790,  among 
other  families  accompanying  him  were  three  families  of  Guards — Alex- 
ander, Gersham  and Guard,  cousins.     Alexander,  his  wife,  Hannah, 

and  their  four  children,  settled  at  North  Bend;  and  Gersham  Guard  and 

*By  Samuel  Morriaoii. 


PIONEER    HISTORY.  97 

family  and  his  brother  and  family,  settled  some  five  miles  east.  Alex- 
ander's children  were  Timothy,  David  and  Bailey.  At  this  period  there 
was  one  company  of  troops  stationed  at  the  Bend  to  guard  the  settle- 
ments. The  latter  part  of  this  year  (1790)  was  spent  in  rearing  cabins 
and  hunting  to  keep  the  family  in  venison.  The  next  spring,  1791,  their 
colony  was  increased  by  the  arrival  of  Capt.  Joseph  Hayes  and  family; 
his  two  married  sons,  Job  and  Joseph  Hayes,  Jr.,  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren; his  two  Bons-in-law;  Thomas  Miller,  Sr.,  wife  and  'five  children; 
James  Bennett  and  wife;  Benjamin  Walker,  wife  and  three  children; 
Samuel,  John,  Joseph  and  their  sister,  Jane  Walker,  Isaac  Polk,  Garrett 
Van  Ness  and  Joseph  Kitchell.  This  added  thirteen  effective  men  to 
their  colony.  This  entire  colony  remained  as  best  they  could  upon  their 
scanty  means,  hunting,  farming  a  little,  while  some  of  them  had  to  go 
to  Big  Bone  Licks  to  manufacture  salt. 

In  1793  Capt.  Joseph  Hayes  took  a  lease  at  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Miami  River,  and  nearly  the  whole  colony  removed  after  having  been 
driven  out  of  their  cabins  by  the  great  flood  of  that  year.  At  this  place 
they  had  previously  erected  their  log-cabins,  in  the  form  of  block- 
bouses.  Here  they  were  joined  by  several  other  families,  among  them, 
William  Gerard,  wife  and  two  sons,  Eli  and  Elias,  and  their  daughter 
(Mrs.  John  Crist),  John  White  and  wife.  Alexander  Gaard  and  family 
packed  up  all  their  goods  in  a  pirogue  for  the  purpose  of  removing  down 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami.  Here  they  landed  the  pirogue  and 
Mrs.  Guard  and  the  children  got  out  to  walk,  while  Mr.  Guard  and 
Capt.  Hayes  undertook  to  take  the  pirogue's  load  of  goods  around  into 
the  Miami.  The  Miami  being  a  little  swollen,  ran  out  with  a  strong 
current.  This  bore  the  boat  against  the  root  of  a  sunken  tree,  upsetting 
the  boat  and  thereby  losing  all  their  goods,  and  came  near  drowning  the 
two  men.  They,  however,  succeeded  in  getting  out.  Thus  Mr.  Guard 
and  family  were  left  without  anything  except  what  they  had  upon  their 
backs.  Among  other  things  they  lost  all  of  their  money,  which  was  in 
silver.  Mr.  Guard  procured  a  cabin  and  moved  into  it.  In  1796  Mr. 
Guard  and  family  moved  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  and  settled  in  that 
beautiful  bottom  west  of  Elizabethtown,  and  from  thence  into  Dearborn 
County. 

From  1793  to  1795  a  battalion  of  troops  under  command  of  Maj. 
Byrd  were  stationed  at  a  stockade  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Great  Miami 
River  one  and  one-half  miles  from  its  mouth  to  guard  these  exposed  settle- 
ments. But  notwithstanding  this  garrison  and  troops,  the  Indians  occa- 
sionally stepped  in  and  murdered  the  whites  and  stole  horses.  In  the 
summer  of  1794,  John  Tanner  ran  a  keel- boat  from  his  station  to  Fort 
Hamilton   for  the   purpose  of    supplying  the   troops  at  that  place  with 


98  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

provisions;  while  rounding  the  island  in  the  Great  Miami,  near  the 
mouth  of  Whitewater,  the  Indians  in  ambush  fired  on  his  canoe,  killing 
a  colored  man,  his  bowsman.  That  island  ever  since  goes  by  the  name 
of  Negro  Island.  Not  long  after  the  above  occurrence,  Eli  Gerard,  of 
the  Hayes  Station,  was  sent  over  west  of  the  Miami  River  to  hunt  their 
horses,  which  had  strayed  off.  Three  Indians  gave  chase  to  him  and 
pursued  him  to  the  Miami  River.  Gerard  plunged  into  the  river  and 
swam  across;  when  the  Indians  came  upon  the  bank  he  was  two-thirds 
of  the  way  over,  and  a  tomahawk  was  thrown  at  him.  Alexander  Guard 
died  about  1810. 

THE    STORY    OF    BENJAMIN    WALKER.* 

From  the  earliest  recollections  of  the  writer  he  has  heard  various 
reasons  given  for  the  removal  of  Mr.  Walker  to  this  county,  and  the  se- 
cluded life  he  led  for  a  number  of  years  in  this  unbounded  wilderness. 
These  stories  were  so  different  that  it  left  the  mind  in  doubt  as  to  the 
truth  of  any,  but  all  so  far  agreed  that  he  had  done  some  deed  of  daring 
that  required  him  to  leave  his  home  and  native  State,  and  after  wander 
ing  hundreds  of  miles  through  an  unknown  country  he  found  a  stopping 
place  near  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek,  where  he  lived  alone,  hunting 
for  food,  and  on  the  constant  lookout  to  avoid  the  dangers  that  surround- 
ed him.  All  these,  being  told  over  at  the  winter  fireside,  surrounded  his 
name  with  a  kind  of  romance  that  mystery  aided  to  impress  on  our 
youthful  mind. 

And  while  we  would  gladly  have  removed  this  impression  of  mystery, 
we  never  took  the  liberty  of  referring  to  the  subject  in  presence  of  any 
of  the  family,  but  since  we  commenced  writing  these  reminiscences  of 
pioneer  life  we  have  been  assisted  by  the  memoiy  of  others  with  interest- 
ing facts  that  may  be  presented  to  the  reader,  and,  among  others,  with  a 
reliable  history  of  Benjamin  Walker,  and  the  occurrence  that  drove  him 
from  wife  and  children. 

As  stated  above,  Mr.  Walker  lived  alone,  but  in  a  few  years  others 
came  to  the  neighborhood,  and,  having  decided  to  make  this  his  home, 
he  got  word  to  his  wife  to  join  him,  which  she  did,  with  their  three  chil- 
dren. 

While  living  in  this  forest  home  they  were  often  visited  by  an  Indian 
chief,  called  Captain  Green.  One  day  this  Indian  came  into  the  cabin 
with  such  an  expression  of  rage  on  his  countenance,  and  tomahawk  in 
hand,  that  the  relator,  then  a  little  boy,  hid  behind  his  mother's  chair. 
The  chief,  addressing  himself  to  Walker,  said:  "You  kill  Indian!" 
Walker  instantly  sprang  to  his  feet  at   this  unexpected  arraignment,  and 

*By  George  W.  Lane. 


PIONEER   HISTORY.  99 

bravely  replied:  "Yes,  kill  Indian — me  kill  two  Indians!  "  and  stopping 
for  a  moment,  as  if  to  weigh  the  effect,  added:  "They  killed  my  father!" 
The  chief  threw  down  his  tomahawk,  and  held  out  his  hand — "  Right, 
right! — me  kill,  too!" 

This  led  to  an  explanation  of  the  affair,  and  the  boy,  who  had  quailed 
before  the  savage  eye  of  the  wild  man  of  the  wilderness,  heard  the  story 
from  his  father's  lips,  and  told  it  to  John  Cobb,  Esq.,  a  few  years  since, 
while  on  a  visit  to  Mr.  James  Walker,  in  Illinois,  and  Mr.  Cobb  to  the 
writer,  who,  with  the  assistance  of  George  W.  Chesman,  will  try  and 
place  it  in  shape  for  the  reader. 

More  than  eighty  years  ago  (1876)  two  Indians  visited  a  village  in 
Pennsylvania,  and,  among  other  things,  got  to  bragging  how  many 
whites  they  had  killed  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  showing  a 
stick  with  notches  cut,  they  pointed  to  it,  and  said  "so  many."  A  bystander 
noticed  a  few  long  marks,  as  a  boy  tallying  a  game,  and  wished  to  know 
what  they  meant,  and  was  told  that  the  long  marks  were  for  officers,  and 
one  of  the  longest  was  for  Col.  Walker.  The  mention  of  this  name  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  three  young  men,  who  had  been  left  orphans 
years  before.  The  Indian  continued:  "Col.  Walker  no  brave — he  beg — 
wanted  to  come  home, "  and  with  many  taunts,  and  many  particulars  of 
his  death,  these  fatherleys  boys  listened  in  silence,  but  after  the  Indians 
had  gotten  through  and  left  town,  these  three  held  a  council,  and  decided 
that  these  Indians  should  never  brag  again  of  killing  their  father,  and 
started  in  pursuit. 

After  they  had  gone  some  distance  one  of  the  brothers  hesitated  and 
advised  them  not  to  go  any  farther,  but  the  two  elder  were  determined 
to  go  on  and^  drove  this  one  back.  They  went  on  and  overtook  the 
Indians  near  a  stream.  Ben  had  with  him  a  short  sword,  John  a  gun. 
They  had  agreed  upon  a  plan  of  attack  when  they  got  near  enough. 
The  one  with  the  gun  was  to  shoot  the  Indian  in  advance,  and  Benja- 
min was  to  attack  the  other  with  his  sword.  At  the  signal  the  gun  did 
its  work,  but  not  effectually;  the  Indian  fell,  but  only  wounded.  Ben 
raised  his  sword  to  strike,  but  as  it  came  down  it  struck  a  limb  and  the 
Indian  started  to  ran.  Walker  after  him.  The  Indian  plunged  into  a 
stream,  but  not  alone.  They  struggled  in  the  water  for  some  time,  un- 
til the  Indian  drew  a  knife,  which  Walker  wrenched  from  him  and 
killed  him.  By  this  time  the  wounded  Indian  had  found  his  feet,  and 
seeing  the  contest  in  the  water,  tried  to  get  there  in  time  to  assist  his 
friend,  but  his  speed  did  not  serve  him,  for  when  he  got  there  Walker 
had  killed  the  first  and  soon  dispatched  the  second.  This  over,  a  new 
trouble  met  him,  some  of  the  citizens  of  the  village,  suspecting  some- 
thing might  be  on  hand  of  the  character  related,  had  also  sought  the 


100  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

lonely  woods,  and  before  young  Walker  had  left  the  stream,  came  in 
sight  and  spoke  of  arresting  him.  He  told  them  not  to  undertake  it, 
as  enough  blood  had  been  spilled  that  day,  and  they  might  take  his 
word  for  it  that  he  would  not  be  taken  alive.  They  did  take  his  word. 
The  young  Walkers  avoided  the  officers  by  hiding  in  a  cellar  for 
nine  days,  when  they  took  advantage  of  a  storm  and  reached  the  woods, 
then  the  mountains,  then  the  Ohio  Valley,  the  3'ounger  (John)  stopping 
in  the  western  part  of  Ohio,  and  the  hero  of  our  story  coming  on  to 
Dearborn  County,  where  he  resided  a  number  of  years,  improved  a 
valuable  farm  and  was  blessed  with  a  large,  worthy  and  respectable 
family. 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  EARLY  SETTLEMENTS. 

The  details  of  the  history  of  the  early  settlements  will  be  found  in 
the  chapters  of  this  work  devoted  to  the  township  histories.  A  brief 
resume  of  some  of  the  very  earliest  settlements  is  here  given.  Some 
of  the  dates  here  given  are  taken  from  the  historical  sketch  prepared  for 
deposit  in  the  corner-stone  of  the  court  house  at  Lawrenceburgh  and 
others  from  the  best  attainable  sources  of  information. 

Early  in  January,  1796,  Adam  Flake  and  family  settled  on  South 
Hogan  Creek. 

In  February,  1796,  Ephraim  Morrison,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution, 
built  the  first  log-cabin  and  cut  away  the  first  trees  on  the  bank  of  the 
Ohio,  just  above  the  mouth  of  Hogan    Creek,  where  Aurora  now  stands. 

Early  in  May,  1796,  Capt.  Joseph  Hayes  and  family  and  Thomas 
Miller  and  family  settled  in  the  big  bottom  three  and  one  half  miles 
north  of  Lawrenceburgh. 

Sometime  in  1798  Henry  Hardin  and  family  settled  on  the  site  of 
Hardinsburgh ;  William  Gerard  and  family  and  George  Crist  settled  one 
mile  above  Hardinsburgh;  Daniel  Lynn,  William  Blue,  David  Blue  and 
Benjamin  Walker  settled  on  Laughery  Creek;  and  William  Allensworth, 
Isaac  Allen,  Judge  John  Livingston,  John  Dawson  and  John  White 
made  settlements.  In  the  same  year  William  Ross  settled  at  the  mouth 
of  Laughery  Creek,  but  afterward  moved  further  up  that  creek. 

In  1797  Daniel  Perrin  and  several  persons  named  Cherry  made 
settlements. 

^j  In  1798  John  Fulton  and  his  son  Samuel,  with  their  families,  arrived 
at  the  site  of  Rising  Sun;  Robert  and  Jesse  Drake  settled  on  Grant's 
Creek;  Absalom  Gray  and  family  settled  between  Hogan  and  Laughery 
Creeks;  Amos,  Henry  and  James  Bruce  settled  on  North  Hogan  Creek; 
George  Glen  and  George  Grove  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Hogan 
Creek;  Ebenezer  Foot  and  family  and  Francis  and  Nicholas  Cheek  made 
their  settlements. 


PIONEER   HISTORY. 


101 


October  11,  1798,  Israel  Ludlow  commenced  to  run  ^and  mark 
out  the  first  principal  meridian,  now  the  State  line  between  Ohio  and 
Indiana.  Benjamin  Chambers  and  William  Ludlow  were  the  United 
States  surveyors  who  surveyed  most  of  the  land  in  Dearborn   and  Ohio 

Counties. 

In  the  spring  of  1799,  Benjamin  Chambers  carried  the  surveyor's 
compass  and  measuring  chain  over  the  land  on  which  Rising  Sun  is  sit- 
uated. 

In  1799  Benjamin  Avery  located  on  land  in  Randolph  Township 
adjoining  the  northern  limits  of  Rising  Sun. 

The  foregoing  does  not  purport  to  be  a  complete  list  of  those  who 
settled  in  the  two  counties  before  the  year  1800.  The  pioneers,  however, 
whose  settlements  date  back  to  the  last  century,  were  comparatively  few 
in  number.  Those  who  located  in  the  two  counties  before  the  first  Gov- 
ernment sale  of  lands,  generally  expected  to  secure  their  titles  and  save 
the  improvements  they  had  made  by  purchasing  of  the  Government  the 
tracts  on  which  they  had  settled  as  soon  as  it  was  possible  so  to  do.  Yet 
but  few  tracts  were  purchased  in  1801,  the  first  year  in  which  sales  were 
made  by  the  Government  of  lands  west  of  the  Great  Miami.  The  earli- 
est settlers  usually  established  themselves  near  the  Ohio  or  the  larger 
streams  flowing  into  that  river. 

For  some  years  after  the  whites  made  their  homes  in  southeast  Indiana 
parties  of  Indians  encamped  occasionally  near  the  settlements.  They 
usually  behaved  civilly,  though  they  were  much  inclined  toward  horse 
stealing.  When  Ephraim  Morrison  first  settled  here  in  1796,  the  notori- 
ous white  savage,  Simon  Girty,  was  sometimes  in  this  region.  On  one 
occasion  Blue  Jacket  borrowed  a  saddle  from  Morrison  in  order  to 
accompany  Girty  to  Detroit.  The  saddle  was  brought  back  according  to 
promise.  "  During  the  Indian  troubles  which  preceded  the  battle  of 
Tippecanoe,  and  continued  throughout  the  last  war  with  England,  much 
alarm  was  frequently  caused  by  the  movements  of  the  Indians  through- 
out all  the  settlements  in  Indiana,  and  indeed  at  Cincinnati.  Block- 
houses were  built  in  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties  for  protection,  and  in 
some  cases  families  removed  to  more  secure  localities.  The  population 
of  Dearborn  County  did  not  increase  rapidly  until  after  the  close  of  the 
war  of  1812. 

February  2,  1798,  Oliver  Wolcott,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  reported 
to  the  United  States  Senate  that  no  contracts  had  yet  been  made  for  sur- 
veying  the  public  lands  below  the  Great  Miami,  but  that  surveys  were 
expected  to  be  commenced  during  the  coming  season;  and  it  appears  that 
surveys  were  commenced  below  the  Great  Miami  before  the  close  of  that 
year. 


102  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

These  lands  were  first  offered  for  sale  at  Cincinnati  on  the  first 
Monday  in  April,  1801,  under  the  direction  of  the  register  of  the  land 
office  and  either  the  governor  or  secretary  of  the  Northwest  Territory, 
The  sales  were  to  be  made  at  public  auction  for  three  weeks,  but  no  lands 
were  to  be  sold  for  less  than  $2  per  acre.  All  lands  remaining  unsold  at 
the  close  of  the  three  weeks  of  public  sales,  might  be  disposed  of  at 
private  sale  at  not  less  than  $2  per  acre.  The  lands  were  offered  in 
sections  and  half  sections. 

The  public  lands  at  first  were  sold  on  credit,  the  deferred  payments 
bearing  interest.  This  system  was  a  disastrous  one.  A  great  debt  due 
the  Government  accumulated  to  such  proportions  that  it  far  exceeded  the 
ability  of  the  people  to  pay.  In  1820  the  system  was  changed;  all 
lands  were  thenceforth  sold  for  cash;  the  price  was  reduced  to  $1.25  per 
acre,  and  lands  could  be  bought  in  small  tracts  of  eighty  acres. 

EARLY  COMMERCIAL  INTERCOURSE  AND  PRICES. 

In  the  Centinel  of  the  Northwest  Territory  for  January  17,  1795, 
Elijah  Craig,  Jr.,  advertised  from  the  "Mouth  of  the  Kentucky"  that  he 
would  have  boats  ready  by  the  1st  of  February  at  that  point  to  transfer 
goods.  Freight  of  goods  to  Frankfort  would  be  50  cents  per  100;  to 
Sluke's  warehouse,  75  cents,  and  Dick's  River,  $1.25. 

The  rates  of  freight  on  public  property  carried  by  private  boats  from 
Fort  Washington  to  Fort  Hamilton  up  the  Great  Miami,  were — for  flour 
per  barrel  $1.10;  whisky,  $1.33;  corn,  26|  cents  per  bushel,  and  all 
other  property  50  cents  per  100  pounds.  From  Fort  Washington  to  the 
mouth  of  Stillwater,  $3.30  for  flour,  $4  for  whisky,  83^  cents  for  corn 
and  $1.60  per  100  for  other  articles. 

At  the  time  of  the  first  settlements  in  Dearborn  County,  Cincinnati 
was  the  principle  market  for  the  whole  Miami  country.  It  was  then  a 
little  village,  shown  by  a  census  taken  in  1795  to  contain  a  population 
of  500  persons,  living  in  ninety-four  log-cabins  and  ten  frame  houses. 
A  voyage  to  New  Orleans  was  then  made  by  flat-'boats  in  100  days.  For 
the  journey  eastward,  the  primitive  pack-horses  were  beginning  to  be 
exchanged  for  the  large  and  heavy  old-time  Pennsylvania  wagons  with 
four  and  six  horse  bell  teams.  As  a  consequence  of  the  difficulty  attend- 
ing commercial  intercourse,  every  article  the  Miami  farmer  could  produce 
was  low;  every  foreign  article  he  was  compelled  to  buy  was  relatively 
high.  Corn  and  oats  were  10  or  12  cents  a  bushel,  sometimes  8  cents; 
wheat,  30  or  40  cents;  beef,  $1.50  to  $2,  and  pork,  $1  to  $2  per  100. 
On  the  other  hand,  here  are  some  of  the  prices  for  foreign  articles  our 
fathers  paid  at  Cincinnati  in  1799:  coffee,  50  cents  per  pound;  tea,  80 
cents;  pins,  25  cents  a  paper;  ginghams,  50  cents  per  yard;  fine   linen, 


PIONEER  HISTORY.  105 

$1  per  yard;  brown  calico,  7  shillings  6  pence  to  10  shillings;  goslin 
green  and  gray  cotton  velvet,  7  shillings  6  pence  to  11  shillings  6  pence; 
cassimere,  $3  per  yard;  cotton  stockings,  6  shillings  to  15  shillings; 
bonnet  ribbon,  $1  per  yai'd;  "thin  linen  for  flour- sifters,"  10  shillings 
per  yard;   "  small  piece  of  ribbon  for  tying  cues,"  11  pence. 

There  was  little  encouragement  for  the  furmer  to  raise  more  than  he 
could  use  at  home.  In  1806,  a  traveler  wrcte  that  he  had  no  conception 
how  the  farmers  can  maintain  themselves  with  flour  at  $3.50  per  barrel, 
and  pork  $2.50  per  100.  The  merchants,  however,  he  said,  made  an 
exorbitant  profit.  In  four  years,  those  who  came  from  Baltimore  or 
Philadelphia  with  goods  obtained  on  credit,  had  paid  their  debts  and 
lived  at  their  ease.  There  was  little  use  for  corn  even  for  cattle  or  hogs, 
as  the  cattle  found  subsistence  on  the  wild  grasses  of  the  woods,  and 
hogs  lived  and  fattened  on  the  mast  of  hickory  nuts,  acorns  and  beech 
nuts. 

PIONEER     LIFE. 

A  truthful  account  of  the  mode  of  life  among  the  early  settlers  of 
the  Ohio  forests  cannot  fail  to  interest  and  instruct.  As  the  backwoods 
period  recedes,  its  interest  increases.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  more  of 
the  traditions  of  the  pioneers,  giving  homely  but  faithful  pictures  of  the 
every-day  life  of  the  early  settlers  have  not  been  preserved.  Their  rec- 
ollections of  their  journeys  from  the  older  States  over  the  Alleghany 
Mountains,  the  Hat-boat  voyage  down  the  Ohio,  the  clearing  in  the  wil- 
derness, the  f.L-st  winter  in  the  rude  cabin  and  the  scanty  stores  of  provis- 
ions, the  cultivation  of  corn  among  the  roots  and  stumps,  the  cabin- 
raisings  and  log-rollings,  the  home  manufacturing  of  furniture  and 
clothing,  the  hunting  parties  and  corn-huskings,  their  social  customs 
and  the  thousand  scenes  and  novel  incidents  of  life  in  the  woods,  would 
form  a  more  entertaining  and  instructive  chapter  than  their  wars  with 
the  Indians  or  their  government  annals.  .Far  different  was  the  life  of 
the  settler  on  the  Ohio  from  that  of  the  frontiersman  of  to-day.  The 
railroad,  the  telegraph  and  the  daily  newspaper  did  not  then  bring  the 
comforts  and  luxuries  of  civilization  to  the  cabin-door  of  the  settler;  nor 
was  the  farm  marked  out  with  a  furrow  and  made  ready  for  cultivation 
by  turning  over  the  sod. 

The  labor  of  opening  a  farm  in  a  forest  of  large  oaks,  maples  and 
hickories,  was  very  great,  and  the  difficulty  was  increased  by  the  thick 
growing  spice  bushes.  Not  only  were  tx'ees  to  be  cut  down;  the  branch- 
es were  to  be  cut  off  from  the  trunk,  and,  with  the  undergrowth  of 
bushes,  gathered  together  for  burning.  The  trunks  of  the  large  trees 
were  to  be  divided  and  rolled  into  heaps  and  reduced  to  ashes.  With 
hard  labor  the  unaided  settlor  could  clear   and   burn  an  acre  of  land  in 

6 


106  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

three  weeks.  It  usually  required  six  or  seven  years  for  the  pioneer  to 
open  a  small  farm  and  build  a  better  house  than  his  first  cabin  of  round 
logs.  The  boys  had  work  to  do  in  gathering  the  brush  into  heaps.  A 
common  mode  of  clearing  was  to  cut  down  all  the  trees  of  the  diameter 
of  eighteen  inches  or  less,  clear  off  the  undergrowth  and  deaden  the 
larger  trees  by  girdling  them  with  the  ax,  and  allowing  them  to  stand 
until  they  decayed  and  fell.  This  method  delayed  the  final  clearing  of 
the  land  for  eight  or  ten  years,  but  when  the  trunks  fell  they  were 
usually  dry  enough  to  be  burned  into  such  lengths  as  to  be  rolled  to- 
gether. 

The  first  dwellings  of  the  settlers  were  cabins  made  of  round  logs 
notched  at  the  ends,  the  spaces  between  the  logs  filled  in  with  sticks  of 
wood  and  daubed  with  clay.  The  roof  was  of  clapboards  held  to  their 
places  by  poles  reaching  across  the  roof  called  weight-poles.  The  floor 
was  of  puncheons,  or  planks  split  from  logs,  two  or  three  inches  in 
thickness,  hewed  on  the  upper  side.  The  fire-place  was  made  of  logs 
lined  with  clay  or  with  undressed  stone,  and  was  at  least  six  feet  wide. 
The  chimney  was  often  made  of  split  sticks  plastered  with  clay.  The  door 
was  of  clapboards  hung  on  wooden  hinges  and  fastened  with  a  wooden 
latch.  The  opening  for  the  window  was  not  unfrequently  covered  with 
paper  made  more  translucent  with  oil  or  lard.  Such  a  house  was  built 
by  a  neighborhood  gathering  with  no  tools  but  the  ax  and  the  frow,  and 
often  was  finished  in  a  single  day. 

The  furniture  of  the  first  rude  dwellings  was  made  of  puncheons. 
Cupboards,  seats  and  tables  were  thus  made  by  the  settler  himself. 
Over  the  door  was  placed  the  trusty  flint-lock  rifle,  next  to  the  ax  in  use- 
fulness to  the  pioneer,  and  near  it  the  powder-horn  and  bullet-pouch. 
Almost  every  family  had  its  little  spinning-wheel  for  flax  and  big 
spinning-wheel  for  wool.  The  cooking  utensils  were  few  and  simple, 
and  the  cooking  was  all  done  at  the  fireplace.  The  long  winter 
evenings  were  spent  in  contentment,  but  not  in  idleness.  There  was 
corn  to  shell  and  tow  to  spin  at  home,  and  the  corn-huskings  to  attend 
at  the  neighbors'.  There  were  a  few  books  to  read,  but  newspapers  were 
rare.  The  buckeye  log,  because  of  its  incombustibility,  was  valuable  as 
a  back-log,  and  hickory-bark  cast  into  the  fire-place  threw  a  pleasing 
light  over  a  scene  of  domestic  industry  and  contentment. 

Rev.  William  C.  Smith,  in  his  "Indiana  Miscellanies,"  thus  speaks 
of  the  way  of  lighting  these  primitive  homes:  "During  the  day  the  door 
of  the  cabin  was  kept  open  to  afford  light,  and  at  night,  through  the 
winter  season,  light  was  emitted  from  the  fire-place,  where  huge  logs 
were  kept  burning.  Candles  and  lamps  were  out  of  the  question  for  a 
few  years.      When  these  came  into  use  they  were  purely  domestic  in  their 


PIONEER  HISTORY.  107 

manufacture.  Candles  were  prepared  by  taking  a  wooden  rod  some  ten 
or  twelve  inches  in  length,  wrapping  a  strip  of  cotton  or  linen  around  it, 
then  covering  it  with  tallow  pressed  on  with  the  hand.  These  'sluts,' 
as  they  were  sometimes  called,  answered  the  purpose  of  a  very  large  can- 
dle, and  afforded  light  for  several  nights.  Lamps  were  prepared  by 
dividing  a  large  turnip  in  the  middle,  scraping  out  the  inside  quite  down 
to  the  rind,  then  inserting  a  stick,  say  three  inches  in  length,  in  the  cen- 
ter, so  that  it  would  stand  upright.  A  strip  of  cotton  or  linen  cloth  was 
then  wrapped  around  it,  and  melted  lard  or  deer's  tallow  was  poured  in 
till  the  turnip  rind  was  full,  when  the  lamp  was  ready  for  use.  By  the 
light  of  these  during  the  long  winter  evenings  the  women  spun  and 
sewed,  and  the  men  read  when  books  could  be  obtained.  When  neither 
lard  nor  tallow  could  be  had,  the  large  blazing  fire  supplied  the  needed 
light.  By  these  great  fire  places  many  cuts  of  thread  have  been  spun, 
many  a  yard  of  linsey  woven,  and  many  a  frock  and  buckskin  pantaloons 
made." 

The  cabin-raising  and  the  log-rolling  were  labors  of  the  settlers,  in 
which  the  assistance  of  neighbors  was  essential  and  cheerfully  given. 
When  a  large  cabin  was  to  be  raised,  preparations  would  be  made  before 
the  appointed  day,  the  trees  would  be  cut  down,  the  logs  dragged  in  and 
the  foundation  laid  and  the  skids  and  forks  made  ready.  Early  in  the 
morning  of  the  day  fixed,  the  neighbors  gathered  from  miles  around;  the 
captain  and  corner-men  were  selected,  and  the  work  went  on  with  bois- 
terous hilarity  until  the  walls  were  up  and  the  roof  weighted  down. 

The  cabin  of  round  logs  was  generally  succeeded  by  a  hewed  log- 
house  more  elegant  in  appearance  and  more  comfortable.  Indeed,  houses 
could  be  made  of  logs  as  comfortable  as  any  other  kind  of  building,  and 
were  erected  in  such  manner  as  to  conform  to  the  taste  and  means  of  all 
descriptions  of  persons.  For  large  families,  a  double  cabin  was  common; 
that  is,  two  houses,  ten  or  twelve  feet  apart,  with  one  roof  covering  the 
whole,  the  space  between  serving  as  a  hall  for  various  uses.  Henry  Clay, 
in  an  early  speech  on  the  public  lands,  referred  to  the  different  kinds  of 
dwellings  sometimes  to  be  seen  standing  together,  as  a  gratifying  evidence 
of  the  progress  of  the  new  States.  "I  have,"  said  he,  ''often  witnessed 
this  gratifying  progress.  On  the  same  farm  you  may  sometimes  behold, 
standing  together,  the  first  rude  cabin  of  round  and  unhewn  logs,  and 
wooden  chimneys;  the  hewed  log-house  chinked  and  shingled,  with  stone 
or  brick  chimneys;  and  lastly,  the  comfortable  stone  or  brick  dwelling, 
each  denoting  the  different  occupants  of  the  farm  or  the  several  stages  of 
the  condition  of  the  same  occupant.  What  other  nation  can  boast  of 
such  an  outlet  for  its  increasing  population,  such  bountiful  means  of  pro- 
moting their  prosperity  and  securing  their  independence?" 


108  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  wearing  apparel  was  chiefly  of  home  manufacture,  The  flax  and 
wool  necessary  for  clothing  were  prepared  and  spun  in  the  family,  cotton 
being  comparatively  scarce.  Cax'ding  wool  by  hand  was  common. 
Weaving,  spinning,  dyeing,  tailoring  for  the  family  were  not  unfre- 
quently  all  carried  on  in  the  household.  Not  a  few  of  the  early  settlers 
made  their  own  shoes.  Wool  dyed  with  walnut  bark  received  the  name 
of  butternut.  Cloth  made  of  mixed  linen  and  wool,  called  linsej,  or 
linsey-woolsey,  of  a  light  indigo  blue  color,  was  common  for  men's  wear. 
A  full  suit  of  buckskin,  with  moccasins,  was  sometimes  worn  by  a  hunter, 
but  it  was  not  common. 

With  the  early  settlers,  almost  the  only  modes  of  locomotion  were  on 
foot  and  on  horseback.  The  farmer  took  his  corn  and  wheat  to  mill  on 
horseback;  the  wife  went  to  market  or  visited  her  distant  friends  on 
horseback.  Salt,  hardware  and  merchandise  were  brought  to  the  new 
settlements  on  pack-horses.  The  immigrant  came  to  his  new  home  not 
unfx'equently  with  provisions,  cooking  utensils  and  beds  packed  on  horses, 
his  wife  and  small  children  on  another  horse.  Lawyers  made  the  circuit 
of  their  courts,  doctors  visited  their  patients,  and  preachers  attended 
their  preaching  stations  on  horseback. 

The  country  was  infested  with  horse-thieves.  The  unsettled  condi- 
tion of  the  country  made  the  recovery  of  stolen  horses  very  difficult.  The 
horse-stealing  proclivity  of  the  Indians  was  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the 
hatred  of  the  early  settlers  toward  the  red  men;  but  after  all  depredations 
by  the  Indians  had  ceased,  the  farmers  continued  to  suffer  much  from  horse- 
thieves,  who  were  believed  to  be  often  organized  into  gangs.  The  great 
value  of  the  horse,  and  the  difficulty  of  recovering  one  when  run  away, 
caused  the  pioneer  to  look  with  naalignant  hatred  upon  the  horse-thief. 
The  early  legislatures  were  composed  almost  entirely  of  farmers,  and  they 
endeavored  to  break  up  this  kind  of  larceny  by  laws  inflicting  severe  pen- 
alties. 

The  little  copper  distillery  was  to  be  found  in  most  neighborhoods. 
Rye  and  corn  whisky  was  a  common  drink.  It  was  kept  in  the  cupboard 
or  on  the  shelf  of  almost  every^family,  and  sold  at  all  the  licensed  tav- 
erns, both  in  the  town  and  country.  The  earh^  merchants  advertised 
that  good  rye  whisky,  at  40  cents  a  gallon,  would  be  taken  in  exchange 
for  goods.  Houses  and  lots  were  offered  for  sale,  flour  or  whisky  taken  in 
full  payment.  It  was  a  part  of  hospitality  to  offer  the  bottle  to  the  vis- 
itor. Whisky  in  a  tin  cup  was  passed  around  at  the  house-raising,  the 
log  rolling,  and  in  the  harvest  field.  It  is  a  mooted  question  not  easily 
settled  whether  intemperance  was  more  common  then  than  now.  That 
the  spirituous  liquors  of  those  days  were  purer  is  admitted,  but  the  notion 
that  they  were  less  intoxicating  seems  not  to  have   been   well   founded. 


PIONEER  HISTORY.  109 

Excess  in  drinking  then  as  now  brought  poverty,  want  and  death.  The 
early  settler  with  the  purest  of  liquors  could  drink  himself  to  death. 

The  breaking  up  of  ground  and  cultivation  of  crops  was  attended 
with  difficulty.  The  bar  share  and  shovel  plows,  and  later  the  bull-plow 
with  wooden  moldboard,  husk  collars  and  tugs,  and  rope  traces  and 
withes;  the  sickle  first,  then  the  cradle  and  scythe,  and  threshing  with  a 
flail,  or  treading  out  with  horses,  and  cleaned  by  uieans  of  a  sheet  by  the 
aid  of  several  persons,  characterized  the  implements  of  farming. 

It  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  forest  as  it  appeared  in  its  primitive 
luxuriance  to  the  eyes  of  the  pioneers.  No  woodland  to-day,  even  in  the 
most  unfrequented  spot,  wears  the  rich  and  exuberant  garb  which  nature 
gave  it.  Under  the  transforming  power  of  civilization,  the  earth  assumes 
a  new  aspect.  Even  the  woods  and  the  streams  are  changed.  Herbage 
and  shrubs  which  once  grew  luxuriantly  in  our  forests  have  been  eaten 
out  by  cattle,  until  they  can  only  be  found  in  the  most  secluded  and  in- 
accessible places.  Trees  cut  down  are  succeeded  by  others  of  a  different 
growth. 

The  buffalo  and  elk,  probably  never  numeroiis  in  this  vicinity,  had 
disappeared  before  the  approach  of  the  white  man,  but  the  bear,  the  deer, 
the  wolf,  the  panther,  the  wildcat,  the  otter,  the  beaver,  the  porcupine, 
the  wild  turkey,  the  rattlesnake,  racer,  moccasin  and  copperhead  of  the 
fauna,  which  have  now  disappeared,  remained  in  greater  or  less  numbers 
for  some  years  after  the  occupancy  by  the  whites.  The  streams  were  in- 
fested with  leeches.  Swine  were  the  chief  means  of  the  destruction  of 
poisonous  snakes. 

Wolves  were  so  numerous  and  destructive  to  sheep  that  premiums 
were  provided  for  killing  them.  Countless  numbers  of  squirrels  were  to 
be  found  in  the  woods,  and  unceasing  vigilance  was  required  on  the  part 
of  the  settler  to  protect  his  corn-fields  from  their  ravages.  They  some- 
times passed  over  the  country  in  droves,  traveling  in  the  same  direction. 
These  animals  were  a  nuisance,  and  were  too  common  to  be  regarded  as 
valuable  for  food. 

Other  kinds  of  game  wei-e  abundant.  For  some  years  the  red  deer 
were  as  numerous  as  cattle  to  day.  Wild  turkeys  could  be  shot  or  en- 
trapped in  great  numbers.  When  mast  was  abundant,  a  drove  of  more 
than  100  wild  turkeys,  all  large  and  fat,  might  be  found  in  the  near 
vicinity  of  the  settlements,  and  when  mast  was  scarce  large  numbers 
would  sometimes  come  to  the  barn-yards  for  grain.  The  rivers  abounded 
with  fish. 

The  early  immigrants  may  be  described  as  a  bold  and  resolute,  rather 
than  a  cultivated  people.  It  has  been  laid  down  as  a  general  truth  that 
a  population  made  up  of  immigrants  will  contain  the  hardy  and  vigorous 


110  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

elements  of  character  in  a  far  greater  proportion  than  the  same  number 
of  persons  born  upon  the  soil  and  accustomed  to  tread  in  the  footsteps  of 
their  fathers.  It  required  enterprise  and  resolution  to  sever  the  ties  which 
bound  them  to  the  place  of  their  birth,  and,  upon  their  arrival  in  the 
new  country,  the  stern  face  of  nature  and  the  necessities  of  their  condi- 
tion made  them  bold  and  energetic.  Individuality  was  fostered  by  the 
absence  of  old  familiar  customs,  family  alliances  and  the  restraints  of  old 
social  organizations.  The  early  settlers  were  plain  men  and  women  of 
good  sense,  without  the  refinements  which  luxury  brings  and  with  great 
contempt  for  all  shams  and  mere  pretense. 

A  majority  of  the  early  settlers  belonged  to  the  middle  class.  Few 
were,  by  affluence,  placed  above  the  necessity  of  labor  with  their  hands, 
and  few  were  so  poor  that  they  could  not  become  the  owners  of  small 
farms.  The  mass  of  the  settlers  were  the  owners  in  fee  simple  of  at  least' 
a  quarter  of  a  section  of  land,  or  160  acres.  Many  possessed  a  half  sec- 
tion or  a  section.  After  the  settlements  were  begun,  few  persons  owned 
land  in  large  tracts  of  two  or  more  thousand  of  acres;  while  the  poorest 
immigrant,  if  industrious  and  thrifty,  could  lease  land  on  such  terms  that 
he  would  soon  become  the  owner  of  a  small  farm  in  five  or  six  years. 

The  backwoods  age  was  not  a  golden  age.  However  pleasing  it  may 
be  to  contemplate  the  industry  and  frugality,  the  hospitality  and  general 
sociability  of  the  pioneer  times,  it  would  be  improper  to  overlook  the  less 
pleasing  features  of  the  pictui-e.  Hard  toil  made  men  old  before  their 
time.  The  means  of  culture  and  intellectual  improvement  were  inferior. 
In  the  absence  of  the  refinements  of  literature,  music  and  the  drama,  men 
engaged  in  rude,  coarse  and  sometimes  brutal  amusements.  Public 
gatherings  were  often  mari-ed  by  scenes  of  drunken  disorder  and  fighting. 
The  dockets  of  the  courts  show  a  large  proportion  of  cases  of  assault  and 
battery  and  afi'ray.  While  some  of  the  settlers  had  books  and  studied 
them,  the  mass  of  the  people  had  little  time  for  study.  Post  roads  and 
postoffices  were  few,  and  the  scattered  inhabitants  rarely  saw  a  news  paper 
or  read  a  letter  from  their  former  homes.  Their  knowledge  of  politics 
was  obtained  from  the  bitter  discussions  of  opposing  aspirants  for  office. 
The  traveling  preacher  was  their  most  cultivated  teacher.  The  traveler 
from  a  foreign  country  or  from  one  of  the  older  States  was  compelled  to 
admit  that  life  in  the  backwoods  was  not  favorable  to  amenity  of  manners. 
One  of  these  travelers  wrote  of  the  Western  people  in  1802:  "Their  gen- 
erals distill  whisky,  their  colonels  keep  taverns  and  their  statesmen  feed 
pigs." 


CIVIL  ORGANIZATION.  Ill 


CHAPTER  VI. 
CIVIL  ORGANIZATION. 

Organization  of  Dearborn  County— The  Older  Counties  of  which  it 
Formed  a  Part— Virginia  Counties— Changes  of  Boundaries- 
First  Officers  and  First  Courts— Curious  Court  Incident— Early 
Administration  of  Justice— Division  ok  Dearborn  and  Formation 
OF  Ohio  County— First  Officers  and  First  Courts  of  Ohio  County 
—Dearborn  County  Buildings— Ohio  County  Buildings. 

DEARBORN  COUNTY  was  formed  by  proclamation  of  William  Henry 
Harrison,  governor  of  Indiana  Territory,  March  7,  1803,  and  was 
named  in  honor  of  Maj.-Gen.  Henry  Dearborn,  at  that  time  Secretary  of 
War  under  President  Jefferson.  As  originally  formed,  it  embraced  all 
the  territory  bounded  by  the  Ohio  State  line  on  the  east,  the  old  Indian 
bouodary  line  on  the  west  and  north,  and  the  Ohio  River  on  the  south, 
and  included  all  of  Ohio  County,  nearly  all  of  Switzerland,  and  por- 
tions  of  several  counties  along  the  State  line  up  to  Fort  Recovery. 

The  reader  who  desires  to  know  the  full  history  of  his  county,  will  be 
interested  in  knowing  the  older  counties,  of  which  Dearborn  and  Ohio 
were  a  part.  From  1790  until  1798  these  two  counties  formed  a  part  of 
Knox  County,  with  the  seat  of  justice  at  Vincennes.  June  22,  1798, 
Gov.  St.  Clair  issued  a  proclamation,  changing  the  western  boundary  of 
Hamilton  County  from  the  Great  Miami  River  to  the  Indian  boundary 
line,  running  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  River  to  Fort  Recovery; 
from  that  date  these  counties  were  a  part  of  Hamilton  County,  with  the 
seat  of  justice  at  Cincinnati  until  April  30,  1802,  when  Congress  estab- 
lished the  present  western  boundary  line  of  Ohio.  From  April  30,1802, 
until  January  24,  1803,  they  were  under  no  county  organization  what- 
ever. From  January  24,  1803,  to  March  7,  1803,  a  part  of  Clark  County, 
with  the  seat  of    justice  at  Jeffersouville. 

But  at  still  earlier  dates,  this  territory  had  been  made  a  part  of  polit- 
ical divisions  called  counties.  During  the  Revolution,  this  region  would 
have  been  marked  on  a  map  of  the  North  American  Colonies  as  a  part  of 
Virginia,  whose  extensive  domain,  making  her  the  mother  of  States  as 
well  as  of  Presidents,  reached  to  the  Mississippi.  Out  of  this  broad  ter- 
ritory vast  counties  were  formed.  The  county  of  Kentucky  included  the 
whole  of  the  present  State  of  that  name.     In  October,  1778,  Virginia,  by 


112  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

statute,  declared  that:  "All  the  citizens  of  the  commonwealth  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  are  already  settled  or  who  shall  hereafter  settle  on  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  Ohio,  shall  be  included  in  a  distinct  county,  which  shall 
be  called  Illinois  County."  This  territory,  then,  once  formed  a  part  of 
the  vast  western  county  of  Virginia  called  Illinois. 

But,  going  back  a  few  years  further,  we  find  this  region  included  in 
a  county  of  still  more  vast  extent.  South  of  the  Natural  Bridge,  between 
the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  Alleghanies,  and  intersected  by  the  James  River, 
is  a  county  of  Virginia,  with  Fincastle  as  its  seat  of  justice,  named 
Botetourt,  in  honor  of  Norborne  Rerkeley,  Lord  Botetourt,  a  conspic- 
uous actor  in  American  colonial  history,  and  governor  of  Vir- 
ginia. That  county  was  established  in  1769,  and  was  bounded  on 
the  east  by  the  Blue  Ridge,  on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi,  and  com- 
prised Western  Virginia,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Wisconsin 
and  Minnesota.     Fincastle  then,  as  now,  was  the  county  seat. 

The  following  curious  provision  is  fou.nd  in  the  act  of  Virginia, 
creating  Botetourt  County: 

And  whereas,  the  people  situated  on  the  Mississippi,  in  the  said  county  of 
Botetourt,  will  be  very  remote  from  the  court  liouse,  and  must  necessarily  become  a 
separate  county  as  soon  as  their  numbers  are  sufficient — which  probably  will  happen 
in  a  short  time:  Be  it  therefore  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid  (House  of  Bur- 
gesses) that  the  inhabitants  of  that  part  of  the  said  county  of  Botetourt,  which  lies 
on  the  said  waters,  shall  be  exempted  from  the  payment  of  any  levies  to  be  laid  by 
the  said  county  court,  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  court  house  and  prison  for  said 
county. 

The  boundary  between  Jefferson  and  Dearborn  Counties,  established 
by  act  of  November  23,  1810,  commenced  on  the  Ohio  River  at  the  mouth 
of  Log  Lick,  now  in  Switzerland  County;  thence  to  the  old  Indian 
boundary;  and  thence  with  said  boundary  to  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
Grousland  Purchase. 

A  portion  of  the  above  territory  was  stricken  from  Jefferson  and 
attached  to  Dearborn  by  act  of  September  7,  1814,  viz.:  All  that  portion 
of  Jefferson  County  which  lies  east  of  the  old  Indian  boundary  and  north 
of  the  line  dividing  Sections  19  and  30,  Town  4,  Range  3  west.  Also 
from  a  point  beginning  where  the  line  between  Townships  Nos.  6  and  7 
north.  Range  13  east,  intersects  the  old  Indian  boundary;  thence  with 
said  line  west  to  the  corner  of  Sections  32  and  33,  Town  7,  Range 
12  east;  thence  north  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  21,  Town  10,Range 
12;  thence  east  on  what  is  now  the  line  between  Franklin  and  Ripley 
Counties  to  the  old  Indian  boundary  line;  thence  southwardly  with  said 
line  to  the  point  of  beginning. 

The  above  last  described  tract  was  taken  from  Dearborn  to  form  a 
part  of  Ripley  County  by  the  act  of  December  27,  1816. 


CIVIL  ORGANIZATION.  113 

In  1814  the  line  between  Sections  19  and  30,  Town  4,  Range  3  west 
was  extended  east  to  the  Ohio  River  and  now  forms  the  north  boundary 
of  Switzerland  County. 

By  aot  of  January  7,  1845,  all  that  part  of  Dearborn  County  which 
lies  south  of  Laughery  Greek  was  attached  to  Ohio  County, leaving  Dear- 
born with  its  present  boundary  lines,  viz. :  Beginning  at  the  confluence 
of  Laughery  Creek  with  the  Ohio  River;  thence  up  said  creek  with  its 
meanders  to  the  old  Indian  boundary  line;  thence  with  said  line  north- 
wardly to  the  line  dividing  fractional  townships  Nos.  8  and  9;  thence 
east  to  the  first  principal  meridian,  being  the  Ohio  State  line;  thence 
south  to  the  Ohio  River;  thence  down  said  river  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

FIRST    OFFICERS    AND    COURTS. 

On  the  same  day  that  Dearborn  County  was  organized,.  Gov.  William 
Henry  Harrison  appointed  the  following  named  persons  justices,  to  hold 
the  courts  of  common  pleas,  the^  courts  of  general  quarter  sessions  of 
the  peace,  and  the  orphan's  court  under  the  ordinance  and  laws  for  the 
government  of  the  Territory,  viz. :  Benjamin  Chambers,  Jabez  Percival, 
Barnet  Hulick,  John  Brownson,  Jeremiah  Hunt,  Richard  Stevens,  Will- 
iam Major  and  James  McCarty.  Other  civil  officers  appointed  at  the 
same  time  were  Samuel  C.Vance,  clerk  of  courts,  and  James  Dill, recorder. 
The  commissions  of  all  the  officers  dated  from  March  7,  1803. 

^  August  15,  1803,  the  following  persons  were  appointed  officers  of 
the  militia  of  Dearborn  Cointy,  viz.:  William  Hall,  Samuel  Fulton, 
Daniel  Lynn,  Barnet  Hulick  and  Jeremiah  Johnston,  captains;  William 
Standiford,  William  Spencer,  William  Cheek,  James  Hamilton  and 
William  AUensworth,  lieutenants;  Gersham  Lee,  Thomas  Fulton, 
Michael  Flake,  William  Thompson  and  Ja,m£is  Buchanan,  ensigns. 
August  23,  1808,  David  Lamphere  was  commissioned  sheriff,  James 
Hamilton,  recorder,  vice  James  Dill,  resigned,  and  Jonathan  White, 
coroner. 

Tl;ie  first  session  of  the  court  of  general  quarter  sessions  of  the 
peace  is  believed  to  have  commenced  oq  the  first  Monday  of  September, 
1803.  In  the  proclamation  of  the  governor  establishing  the  county,  the 
courts  were  directed  to  be  held  in  the  town  of  Lawrenceburgh,  which  had 
been  laiJ  out  in  the  spring  of  1802.  Dr.  Jabez  Percival,  one  of  the 
judges,  had  built  a  double  log-cabin,  and  in  it  the  first  courts  were  held. 

A  curious  incident,  illustrative  of  the  primitive  mode  of  administer- 
ing justice,  is  related  on  the  highest  authority  as  having  occurred  in  an 
early  court  of  this  county.  An  altercation  arising  between  an  unman- 
ageable and  contemptuous  witness  and  one  of  the  judges,  the  witness 
sustained  his  side  of  the  argument  by  seizing  a  clapboard  and  striking  at 


114  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  judge.  The  judge  fended  off  the  lick  which  was  aimed  at  his  head 
with  his  arm.  Both  clapboard  and  the  judge's  arm  were  broken  by  the 
sudden  and  violent  contact  of  the  two.  This  was  considered  a  contempt 
of  court,  and  the  witness  was  ordered  to  jail,  but  there  was  no  jail,  and 
as  the  most  feasible  means  of  carrying  out  the  sentence  of  imprisonment, 
his  feet  and  hands  were  tied,  he  was  laid  along  the  ground  and  a  section 
of  worm  fence  was  built  up  over  him,  the  lower  rail  just  touching  his 
neck.  In  this  position  he  was  kept  for  some  hours,  by  which  time  it  is 
fair  to  conclude  he  was  possessed  by  a  realizing  sense  of  the  inconven- 
ience attending  a  disrespectful  treatment  of  the  court. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  EARLY  COURTS. 

Hon.  Oliver  H.  Smith,  who  practiced  extensively  in  all  the  counties 
of  southeastern  Indiana,  beginning  in  1820,  thus  describes  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice: 

"  The  county  was  new,  sparsely  settled,  and  being  on  the  Western 
frontier,  the  towns  and  villages  were  filled  with  Indians  trading  their 
peltries,  wild  game  and  moccasins  ornamented  with  the  quills  of  the  por- 
cupine, with  the  settlers,  for  calicoes,  whisky,  powder,  lead,  beads  and 
such  other  articles  as  met  their  fancy.  The  population  of  the  country 
embraced  by  the  circuit  was  a  hardy,  fearless  and  generally  honest  but 
more  or  less  reckless  people,  such  as  are  usually  to  be  found  advancing 
upon  the  frontiers  from  more  civilized  life,  and  consequently  there  were 
more  collisions  among  them,  more  crimes  committed  calling  for  the  action 
of  the  criminal  courts  than  is  common  in  older  settled  and  more  civil  - 
ized  parts  of  the  older  States. 

"The  judiciary  system  at  the  time  referred  to,  was,  like  the  country, 
in  its  infancy.  The  circuit  court  was  composed  of  a  presiding  judge, 
elected  by  the  Legistature,  who  presided  in  all  the  courts  in  the  circuit, 
and  two  associate  judges,  elected  in  each  county  by  the  people.  These 
'side  judges,'  as  they  were  then  called,  made  no  pretensions  to  any  par- 
ticular knowledge  of  the  law,  but  still  they  had  the  power  to  overrule  the 
presiding  judge  and  give  the  opinion  of  the  court,  and  sometimes  they 
even  'outguessed'  the  president,  giving  the  most  preposterous  reasons 
imaginable  for  their  decisions,  as,  in  one  instance,  that  of  a  writ  of 
sciy^e  facias  to  revive  a  judgment,  would  not  lie  unless  it  was  sued  out 
within  a  year  and  a  day.  The  decision  oE  the  associates  was  affirmed  in 
the  supreme  court,  for  other  reasons,  of  course.  The  court  houses  were 
either  frame  or  log  buildings,  arranged  to  hold  the  court  in  one  end  and 
the  grand  jury  in  the  other,  the  petit  jury  being  accommodated  in  some 
neighboring  outbuildings.  The  clerks  had  very  little  qualification  for 
their  duties;  still  they  were  honest,  and  the  most  of  them   could  write 


CIVIL  ORGANIZATION.  115 

more  legibly  than  Rufus  Choate,  United  States  Senator.  The  sheriffs 
were  elected  by  the  people  as  they  are  now,  and  seem  to  have  been  se- 
lected as  candidates  on  account  of  their  fine  voices  to  call  the  jurors  and 
witnesses  from  the  woods  from  the  doors  of  the  court  house,  and  their 
ability  to  run  down  and  catch  offenders.  The  most  important  personages 
in  the  country,  however,  were  the  young  lawyers,  universally  called 
'squires'  by  the  old  and  young,  male  and  female.  Queues  were  much  in 
fashion,  and  nothing  was  more  common  than  to  see  one  of  these  young 
'squires'  with  a  wilted  rorum  hat,  that  had  once  been  stiffened  with  glue 
in  its  better  days,  upon  his  head,  from  the  back  part  of  which  hung  a 
cue  three  feet  long,  tied  from  head  to  tip  with  an  eel  skin,  walking  in 
evident  superiority,  in  his  own  estimation,  among  the  people  in  the  court 
yard,  sounding  the  public  mind  as  to  his  prospects  as  a  candidate  for  the 
Legislature.  There  were  no  caucuses  or  conventions  then.  Every  can- 
didate brought  himself  out  and  ran  upon  his  own  hook.  If  he  got  beat, 
as  the  most  of  them  did,  he  had  nobody  to  blame  but  himself  for  becom- 
ing a  candidate;,  still,  he  generally  charged  it  upon  his  friends  for  not 
voting  for  him,  and  the  next  season  found  him  once  more  upon  the  track, 
sounding  his  own  praises. 

"  The  court  rooms  in  those  days  were  prepared  and  furnished  with 
much  simplicity,  and  yet  they  seemed  to  answer  all  the  purposes  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  the  due  administration  of  justice.  The  building  gen- 
erally contained  two  rooms,  the  court  room  being  the  larger,  at  one  end 
of  which  there  was  a  platform  elevated  some  three  feet  for  the  judges, 
with  a  long  bench  to  seat  them.  These  benches  were  very  substantial  in 
general,  sufficient  to  sustain  the  most  weighty  judges,  yet  on  one  occa- 
sion the  bench  gave  way,  and  down  came  three  fat,  aldermanly  judges  on 
the  floor.  One  of  them,  qaite  a  wag,  seeing  the  'squires'  laughing,  re- 
marked: 'Gentlemen,  this  is  a  mighty  weak  bench.'  The  bar  had  their 
benches  near  the  table  of  the  clerk,  and  the  crowd  was  kept  back  by  a 
long  pole  fastened  with  withes  at  the  ends.  The  crowds  at  that  day 
thought  the  holding  of  a  court  a  great  affair;  the  people  came  hundreds 
of  miles  to  see  the  judges  and  hear  the  lawyers  'plead,'  as  they  called  it. 
On  one  occasion  there  came  on  to  be  tried  before  the  jury  an  indictment  for 
an  assault  and  battery  against  a  man  for  pulling  the  nose  of  another  who 
had  insulted  him.  The  court  room  was  filled  to  suffocation,  the  two  as- 
sociate judges  were  on  the  bench;  the  evidence  had  been  heard  and  pub- 
lic expectation  was  on  tiptoe.  All  was  silent  as  death,  when  the  young 
'squire,'  afterward  Judge  Charles  H.  Test,  arose  and  addressed  the  court: 
'If  the  court  please — . '  He  was  here  interrupted  by  Judge  Mitchell  from 
the  bench,  'Yes,  we  do  please.  Go  to  the  bottom  of  the  case,  young 
man;  the  people  have  come  in  to  hear  the  lawyers  plead.'     The  young 


116  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Squire,  encouraged  by  the  kind  response  of  the  judge,  proceeded  to  ad- 
dress the  jury  some  three  hours,  in  excited  eloquence,  upon  the  great 
provocation  his  client  had  received  to  induce  his  docile  nature  to  bound 
over  all  legal  barriers  and  take  the  prosecutor  by  the  nose.  All  eyes  were 
upon  him,  and  as  he  closed  Judge  Winchall  roared  out,  'Capital!  I  did 
not  think  it  was  in  him!'  The  jury  returned  a  verdict  of  'not  guilty' 
amid  the  rapturous  applause  of  the  audience.  Court  adjourned,  and 
the  people  returned  home  to  tell  their  children  that  they  had  heard  the 
lawyers  'plead.'  " 

DIVISION  or  DEARBORN  AND  FORMATION  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

The  question  of  the  division  of  Dearborn  County  was  agitated  from 
an  early  period.'  Eising  Sun,  laid  out  in  1814,  was  ambitious  to  be  a 
county  seat  from  the  first,  and  worked  faithfully  and  earnestly  with  that 
end  in  view,  until  success  crowned  its  efforts.  As  early  as  1817,  before 
the  State  of  Indiana  was  a  year  old,  Col.  A.  C.  Pepper,  it  is  said,  went 
to  Corydon,  the  capital  of  the  State,  to  obtain  an  act  from  the  Legislature 
organizing  a  new  county  with  Rising  Sun  its  seat  of  justice,  but  he  was 
unsuccessful. 

Lawrenceburgh  was  the  seat  of  justice  of  Dearborn  County  from  the 
organization  of  the  county,  and  being  situated  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
county  about  midway  between  the  northern  and  southern  boundaries,  was 
unwilling  to  have  the  shape  of  the  county  changed,  lest  the  county  seat 
should  be  removed.  The  friends  of  a  new  county,  finding  they  were  not 
strong  enough  to  effect  a  division  of  Dearborn,  resorted  to  strategy  and 
advocated  a  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  a  point  nearer  the  geographical 
center,  and  September  26,  1836,  Wilmington  became  the  seat  of  justice. 
Lawrenceburgh  having  lost  the  county  seat  was  now  not  so  much  opposed 
to  the  formation  of  a  new  county,  provided  the  county  seat  could  be 
brought  back  to  her. 

An  alliance  was  formed  between  the  friends  of  division  and  the  relo- 
cation of  the  county  seat,  and  in  1843  members  of  the  Legislature  were 
chosen  from  the  county  favorable  to  both  these  projects.  As  an  indica- 
tion of  the  unanimity  of  sentiment  on  the  part  of  the  voters  of  Randolph 
Township  it  may  be  stated  that  George  P.  Buell,  the  candidate  for  senator 
in  favor  of  division  and  relocation,  received  in  that  township  501  votes, 
while  Charles  Dashiell,  the  candidate  opposed  to  these  measures,  received 
five  votes. 

The  act  organizing  Ohio  County  and  removing  the  seat  of  justice  of 
Dearborn  County  from  Wilmington  to  Lawrenceburgh  pasi^ed  the  House 
by  a  vote  of  sixty-six  to  twenty-three,  December  31,  1843;  it  passed  the 
Senate,  January  3,  1844,  and  was  approved  by  the  governor  January  4, 


CIVIL  ORGANIZATION.  117 

1844.     The  act  is  a  long  one,  but  on  aceount  of  its  importance  we  give 
its  most  important  sections: 

AN  ACT  TO    ORGANIZE   A  NEW  COUNTY    OUT    OF    THE    COUNTY    OP    DEARBORN,    AND 
RELOCATE  THE   COUNTY   SEAT  THEREOF.      APPROTED  JANUARY  4,  1844. 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Qeneral  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana, 
That  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  March  next,  all  that  part  of  Dearborn  County, 
within  the  following  bounds,  to-wit:  Beginning  on  the  Ohio  River  on  the  section 
line  between  fractional  sections  number  twenty-five  and  thirty-six,  in  Town  four. 
Range  one  west,  thence  west  with  said  line  to  the  northwest  corner  of  section  num- 
ber thirty-two;  thence  south  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  number  five,  Town 
three,  Range  one;  thence  west  to  the  range  line  between  Range  one  and  Range 
two;  thence  south  to  the  line  dividing  Switzerland  and  Dearborn  Counties;  thence 
with  said  line  east  to  the  Ohio  River;  thence  up  said  river  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning, shall  constitute  the  county  of  Ohio. 

Sec.  2.  That  Martin  R.  Green,  of  the  county  of  Switzerland,  Joseph  Bennet, 
of  the  county  of  Franklin,  and  James  Myers,  of  the  county  of  Ripley,  be  and 
they  are  hereby  constituted  and  appointed  commissioners  to  permanently  locate  the 
seat  of  justice  of  said  county.  The  commissioners,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall 
convene  in  the  town  of  Rising  Sun,  in  said  county  of  Ohio,  on  the  second  Monday 
in  April  next,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  a  majority  of  them  shall  agree. 

Sec.  5.  That  the  circuit  and  other  courts  of  said  county  of  Ohio  shall  be 
held  at  Rising  Sun  until  suitable  buildings  can  be  erected  at  the  county  seat,  after 
which  the  courts  shall  be  held  at  the  county  seat  of  said  county. 

Sec.  13.  That  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  April  next  the  seat  of  justice  of 
the  county  of  Dearborn  shall  be,  and  the  same  is,  hereby  removed  and  permanently 
located  in  the  town  of  Lawrenceburgh,  in  said  county  of  Dearborn. 

Sec.  15.  That  all  officers  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  keep  their  said  offices  at  the 
seat  of  justice  in  said  county  of  Dearborn  shall  be,  and  are  hereby  required  to 
remove  and  keep  their  said  offices  at  the  town  of  Lawrenceburgh  on  or  before  the 
said  first  day  of  April  next;  that  from  and  after  the  said  first  day  of  April  (1844)  all 
public  business,  which  shall  be  required  by  law  to  be  transacted  at  the  seat  of  jus- 
tice in  said  county  of  Dearborn,  shall  be  performed  and  transacted  at  the  court 
house  in  said  town  of  Lawrenceburgh. 

Sec.  16.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  corporation  of  the  said  town  of  Lawrence- 
burgh to  give  bond  with  good  and  sufficient  security,  to  be  approved  of  by  the 
county  commissioners  of  said  county,  or  any  one  of  them,  in  a  penalty  of  any 
amount  lie  or  they  may  require,  not  exceeding,  however,  the  penalty  of  ten  thou- 
sand dollars,  payable  to  the  State  of  Indiana,  conditioned  that  the  corporation  of 
said  town  of  Lawrenceburgh  shall,  within  one  year  from  and  after  the  said  first  day 
of  April,  1844,  fit  up  and  repair  the  court  house  and  jail  in  said  town  of  Lawrence- 
burgh, and  build  a  clerk's  office,  recorder's  office,  and  auditor's  office  in  said  town, 
all  of  which  shall  be  equal  in  point  of  convenience  and  durability  to  those  already 
erected  and  built  in  the  town  of  Wilmington;  and  that  said  corporation  will  furnish 
suitable  rooms  for  holding  said  offices  in  said  county  at  the  expense  of  the  same, 
until  said  public  buildings  shall  be  erected  and  refitted  as  aforesaid. 

Sec.  17.     This  act  to  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

An  examination  of  the  first  section  of  the  foregoing  act  will  show 
that  the  original  boundaries  of  the  county  were  not  the  same  as  at  pres- 
ent.    Ohio  County  is  now  the  smallest  county  in  Indiana,  containing  a 


118  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

little  over  eighty-five  acd  one-half  square  miles.  As  originally  formed 
it  comprised  only  a  portion  of  Eandolph  Township,  and  contained  less 
than  eighteen  square  miles.  Probably  a  smaller  county  was  never 
formed  in  the  United  States.  It  remained  thus,  however,  only  for  one 
year  and  three  days.  January  7,  1845,  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  all 
of  Dearborn  County  lying  south  of  Laughery  Creek  was  attached  to  Ohio 
County,  leaving  both  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties  with  their  present 
boundaries. 

The  old  constitution  of  Indiana  provided  that  "  the  General  Assem- 
bly, when  they  lay  off  any  new  county,  shall  not  reduce  the  old  county  or 
counties  from  which  the  same  shall  be  taken  to  a  less  extent  than  400 
square  miles."  It  was  thought  that  Dearborn  had  been  reduced  to  400 
square  miles  of  territory,  and  that  this  would  effectually  bar  any  divis- 
ion of  the  county,  but  a  close  survey  made  at  a  time  of  low  water  in 
the  Ohio  showed  a  surplus.  Out  of  that  surplus  Ohio  County  was  first 
formed.  It  was  out  of  the  power  of  the  Legislature  in  the  act  creating 
the  new  county  to  have  made  it  any  larger.  As  the  constitution  did  not 
forbid  the  changing  of  the  boundaries  of  counties  already  established,  at 
the  next  session  Laughery  Creek  was  made  the  boundary  between  Ohio 
and  Dearborn. 

Thus  after  a  long  and  hard  fought  contest,  Rising  Sun  became  a  seat 
of  justice.  The  people  of  that  village  built  the  county  buildings  free  of 
expense  to  the  county.  They  obligated  themselves  that  if  Rising  Sun 
was  made  the  seat  of  justice  of  the  proposed  new  county,  the  cost  of 
erecting  the  public  buildings  should  not  fall  upon  the  tax  payers  of  the 
county.  The  commissioners  appointed  to  locate  the  seat  of  justice  met 
at  Rising  Sun  on  Monday,  April  8,  1844,  and  selected  the  site  upon  which 
the  public  buildings  now  stand,  the  ground  having  been  donated  for  that 
purpose  by  Col.  A.  C.  Pepper.  The  occasion  was  one  of  public  rejoic- 
ing, and  a  dinner  was  given  to  the  commissioners  at  which  a  number  of 
citizens  were  present. 

The  first  election  of  county  offices  in  Ohio  County  was  held  May  1, 
1844,  when  the  following  named  persons  were  chosen:  Probate  judge, 
Samuel  Jelly;  associate  judges,  Samuel  Fulton  and  Thomas  H.  Gilmore; 
county  clerk,  James  H.  Pepper;  recorder,  William  T.  Lambdin;  treas- 
urer, John  B.  Craft;  auditor,  Samuel  F.  Covington;  commissioners,  John 
Bennett,  William  H.  Powell  and  Morris  Merrill;  coroner,  Alexander  C. 
Campbell.  As  the  constitution  provided  for  the  election  of  coroner  at 
the  regular  election  held  in  August  and  at  no  other  time,  Mr.  Campbell 
was  not  legally  elected,  nor  was  ho  commissioned.  Another  special  elec- 
tion was  ordered  to  be  held  June  1,  for  the  purpose  of  choosing  an 
assessor    and  school  commissioner,  on  which  day  Martin  Stewart  was 


CIVIL  ORGANIZATION.  119 

elected  assessor,  and  Nathan  R.  Steadman,  school  commissioner.  William 
Lanius  had  been  commissioned  sheriff  by  the  governor  for  the  purpose 
of  organizing  the  county,  but  in  his  absence  Ohio  County  was  organized 
by  his  deputy,  Samuel  F.  Covington.  At  the  annual  election,  vv^hich  took 
place  on  the  first  Monday  of  August,  the  following  officers  were  chosen: 
Sheriff,  James  B.  Smith;  coroner,  Theophilus  Jones.  The  board  of 
commissioners  at  their  first  session  made  the  following  appointments: 
County  surveyor,  Henry  James;  inspector  of  elections,  Charles  W. 
Mountz. 

The  first  court  held  in  Ohio  County  was  the  probate  court,  which 
commenced  its  sitting  in  the  then  Old  School  Presbyterian  Church  on 
Second  Street,  Monday,  August  12,  1844.  Samuel  Jelley  was  probate 
judge,  and  James  H.  Pepper,  clerk. 

On  the  same  day  a  special  session  of  the  commissioners  was  held  in  the 
county  clerk's  office,  in  a  building  then  standing  on  the  east  corner  of 
Main  Street  and  the  alley  between  First  and  Market  Streets. 

The  first  term  of  the  circuit  court  was  held  in  the  church  already 
mentioned  on  Second  Street,  beginning  on  Monday,  December  4,  1844, 
and  continuing  two  days.  Miles  C.  Eggleston  was  president  judge,  and 
Samuel  Fulton  and  Thomas  H.  Gilmore,  associate  judges;  John  Dumont, 
prosecuting  attorney;  James  H.  Pepper,  clerk,  and  James  B.  Smith, 
sheriff. 

DEAKBOKN    COUNTY    BUILDINGS. 

First  Jail. — The  first  jail  of  the  county,  erected  in  1804,  was  built 
of  logs,  and  was  located  on  the  public  square.  In  1806  William  Cook 
was  the  jailor,  and  resided  in  the  jail  building. 

First  Court  House. — The  first  court  house  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
present  temple  of  justice,  and  was  built  in  1810.  It  was  a  two-story 
brick  building,  the  court  room  being  on  the  ground  floor,  with  jury  room 
above.     This  building  was  destroyed  by  fire,  March  5,  1826. 

Second  Court  House. — The  interior  only  of  the  first  court  house  hav- 
ing been  consumed  by  fire,  the  second  building,  for  the  use  of  the  courts, 
was  constructed  on  the  same  foundation  and  with  the  same  walls.  In 
May,  1827,  the  county  commissioners  appointed  Jesse  Hunt,  James  W. 
Hunter  and  George  H.  Dunn  commissioners  to  superintend  the  construc- 
tion of  the  building,  which  it  appears  was  not  ready  for  occupancy  until 
the  fall  or  winter  of  1828. 

Second  Jail. — The  second  county  prison  must  have  been  built  at  the 
same  time  that  the  second  court  house  was  constructed,  although  there  is 
no  separate  mention  made  of  it  in  the  commissioners'  proceedings.  The 
men  named  above  as  commissioners  appointed  to  superintend  the  erec- 
tion of  the  second  court  house  were  to  superintend  the  erection  of  two 


120  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

public  buildings.  No  description  of  the  building  is  given  or  mention 
made  of  its  builders  in  the  records  that  we  were  able  to  find.  In  the 
State  Gazetteer  of  1833  it  is  referred  to  as  a  stone  jail.  It  was  two 
stories  high,  and  occupied  a  position  nearly  on  the  site  of  the  present 
jail. 

Third  Court  House. — On  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  from  Law- 
renceburgh  to  Wilmington,  in  1835,  the  public  buildings — a  court  house 
and  jail — were  erected  in  that  village  by  the  citizens  thereof  and  vicinity 
at  a  cost  of  about  $4,000.  The  court  house,  still  standing,  is  a  two-story 
brick,  in  size  about  42x48  feet,  and  is  the  property  of  the  lodge  of 
Masons  of  that  village. 

Third  Jail. — The  third  jail,  as  stated  above,  was  erected  at  Wilming- 
ton. It  was  a  substantial  building,  and  stood  upon  the  public  square; 
both  it  and  court  house  were  donations,  and  were  accepted  by  the 
county  commissioners,  March  9,  1836.  The  jail  was  occupied  only  a 
few  years  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

Fourth  Jail.— In  March,  1840,  a  contract  was  let,  for  the  erection  of 
the  second  jail  at  Wilmington,  by  the  county  commissioners  to  Timothy 
Kimball  for  $1,700.  At  the  final  settlement  made  with  Mr.  Kimball, 
he  was  allowed  $1,939.77. 

Fifth  Jail.  — The  fifth  county  prison  was  erected  on  the  public  square 
at  Lawrenceburgh  in  1848,  the  contract  having  been  let  to  Timothy 
Kimball  in  December,  1847,  for  $2,600.  In  August,  1848,  the  build- 
ing was  received  and  accepted  by  the  commissioners,  at  which  time  they 
allowed  Mr.  Kimball  $210  extra  "  for  the  building  of  a  wall  above  the 
high  water  mark  of  1832." 

Sixth  Jail  and  Sheriff's  Residence. — The  sixth  and  present  jail  was 
built  in  1858-59.  The  sheriff's  residence — a  two-story  brick  building — 
fronts  on  High  Street,  with  jail  to  the  rear,  and  stands  in  the  south  cor- 
ner of  the  public  square.  The  work  was  let  by  departments  to  various 
persons,  and  cost  in  round  number.s  $8,600. 

Fourth  Qdurt  House. — The  order  for  the  erection  of  the  present 
magnificent/court  house  of  Dearborn  County  was  passed  by  the  board  of 
county  commissioners,  March  16,  1870,  and  George  Kyle,  of  Vevay,  in 
Switzerland  County,  Ind. ,  was  selected  as  architect,  April  13,  1870,  to 
prepare  plans  and  specifications,  and  June  15,  1870,  the  plans  were  sub- 
mitted by  the  architect  and  adopted  by  the  board.  An  order  was  passed 
for  the  removal  of  the  old  building,  and  the  work  of  demolition 
commenced  June  16,  1870,  the  board  having  accepted  the  proposition  of 
the  commou  council  of  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh,  tendering  the  use  of 
Odd  Fellows'  Hall  free  of  charge  for  the  use  of  a  court  house  during  the 
erection  of  the  new  building,  the  same  was  designated  as  the  place  of 
holding  courts. 


CIVIL  ORGANIZATION.  121 

Proposals  for  the  erection  of  this  building  were  advertised  to  be 
received  until  July  15,  and  July  16,  1870,  the  contract  was  awarded 
for  the  cut  stonewoi'k  to  Francis  L.  Farman,  of  Indianapolis,  and  the 
remainder  of  the  work  to  T.  J.  Shannon,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  July 
17,  the  work  of  excavation  was  commenced. 

The  stone  used  in  the  construction  of  the  building  was  quarried  at 
Elliottsville,  Monroe  Co.,  Ind. ,  and  is  a  pearl-gray  limestone  of  fine 
grain,  giving  forth  a  distiact,  ringing,  metallic  sound,  when  struck  by 
by  another  hard  substance.  The  style  of  architecture  is  the  Corinthian — 
having  a  portico  in  front  of  the  Corinthian  order;  the  flank  and  rear  are 
also  embeliahed  by  projections  and  pediments  upon  which  the  same  order 
is  developed. 

The  dimensions  are  seventy-three  feet  three  inches  fronting  on  High 
Street,  and  running  back  one  hundred  and  one  feet  three  inches,  exclusive 
of  projections.  The  portico  is  thirteen  feet  three  inches  by  forty-six  feet 
eight  inches.  The  perpendicular  height  from  the  base  line  to  the 
comb  of  the  roof  is  sixty-seven  feet.  The  building  was  completed  at  a 
cost  of  about  $100,000  and  stands  to-day  one  of  the  finest  court  houses 
in  Indiana. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  court  house  in  Lawrenceburgh  was 
laid  with  imposing  ceremonies  April,  13,  1871  in  the  presence  of  fully 
5,000  spectators.  The  various  orders  of  Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  Druids, 
Good  Templars  and  other  benevolent  and  religious  societies  of  the  county 
were  fully  represented.  Louis  Jordan,  Esq.,  of  Indianapolis,  was  the 
orator  of  the  occasion.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  articles  deposited 
in  the  corner-stone: 

Histories  of  Masonic  Lodges — Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158;  Law- 
renceburgh Chapter;  Lawrenceburgh  Lodge;  Burns  Lodge  No.  55;  Har- 
rison Lodge  No.  17;  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51;  Hansellman  Commandeiy, 
of  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Histories  of  Odd  Fellows — Advance  Lodge;  Allemania  Lodge  No. 
334,  of  Aurora;  Teutonia  Lodge  No.  289,  of  Lawrenceburgh;  Bethlehem 
Encampment  No.  3,  of  Aurora;  Union  Lodge  No.  8,  of  Lawrenceburgh; 
Chosen  Friends  Lodge    No.  13,  of  Aurora. 

Histories  of  Druids — Aurora  Grove;  Grand  Grove  of  Indiana;  Grand 
Grove  of  the  United  States;  Columbia  and  Teutonia  Chapters  No.  2,  of 
Lawrenceburgh;  Order  of  Harugari    No.  223,  of  Lawrenceburgh. 

Histories  of  Keligious  Societies — American  Protestant  Association,  of 
Lawrenceburgh;  St.  Lawrence  Roman  Catholic  Aid  Society,  of  Lawrence- 
burgh; Presbyterian  Church  of  Lawrenceburgh;  Lawrenceburgh  Baptist 
Church  of  Christ;  German  Evangelical  Zion's  Church,  of  Walnut 
Street,  Lawrenceburgh;  Aid  Society  to  Indigent  Sick  of  G.  E.  Z. 
Church,  of  Lawrenceburgh.  7 


122  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Histories  of  Corporations,  Associations,  etc.  — Deutschen  Bau  Verein, 
No.  1,  of  Lawrenceburgh;  Lawrenceburgb  Liedertafel;  City  of  Aurora; 
City  of  Lawrenceburgb;  Dearborn  County  Agricultural  Society;  Dear- 
born County;  First  National  Bank,  of  Lawrenceburgb;  Cocbran  Forum; 
Dearborn  County  Medical  Society. 

Publications  —  Democratic  Register,  six  copies,  including  dates 
of  April  7  and  14,  1871;  Lawrenceburgb  Press,  April  13,  1871; 
Dearborn  Independent,  April  13,  1871;  Rising  Sun  Recorder,  April  8, 
1871;  Political  Beacon,  October  7,  1837;  Cbillicothe  Advertiser,  1850; 
Dearborn  Democrat,  1838,  and  otber  old  papers  relating  to  Dearborn 
County,  contributed  by  Dr.  George  Sutton,  of  Aurora;  Milliner's  Pam- 
phlet of  Fashion  Plates,  for  April,  1871,  deposited  by  Mrs.  Margaret 
Beggs,  of  Lawrenceburgb. 

Miscellaneous — Samples  of  United  States  Postage  Stamps  in  use 
in  1871;  25  cent  note  of  Petersburgb,  Ky.,  Milling  Company,  1817; 
$1  note  of  second  municipality  of  New  Orleans,  1839;  One  one- 
ninth  of  $1  continental  currency,  issued  by  the  colony  of  Maryland, 
1775;  1  cent  coin,  1786;  1  cent  coin,  1777;  L  C.  &  L.  R.  R.  switch 
key,  deposited  by  Peter  Martenstein;  photograph  of  commission 
of  Azel  Fitch,  as  captain  in  Colonial  Army,  dated  March  24,  1760, 
issued  by  Thomas  Fitch,  captain  general  and  governor  of  the  colony  of 
Connecticut,  deposited  by  D.  W.  C.  Fitch;  samples  of  copper  and  silver 
coins  of  United  States,  1871 ;  biographical  sketch  of  the  late  J.  H. 
Brower,  M.  D. 

The  Asylum  for  the  Poor. — About  twelve  miles  northwest  of  Law- 
renceburgb is  located  the  County  Infirmary.  The  building  is  in  crucial 
form,  104  feet  in  width  and  150  feet  in  length,  and  two-stories  high, 
having  sixty-four  rooms.  The  building  is  neat  and  substantial,  well 
arranged  for  the  convenience  of  the  inmates,  is  heated  by  steam, 
and  makes  a  pleasant  home  for  the  unfortunate  of  the  county.  Its 
kitchen  and  dining  room  arrangements,  together  with  the  offices  and 
airy  sitting  rooms,  give  it  a  home  like  appearance  and  it  may  be  truly 
said  that  the  county  has  secured  a  valuable  home  for  those  depending  for 
their  support  upon  the  county.  The  building  was  completed  in  the  fall 
of  1882,  costing  $21,754.  The  original  contract  price  was  $15,840,  to 
which  was  added  $500  for  extras.  In  1881  the  farm  comprised  about 
300  acres  of  land,  the  proceeds  of  which  for  the  year  1880  amounted  to 
about  $2,000.  The  architect  of  the  building  was  Capt.  Alex  Pattison, 
and  the  contractor  and  builder  was  Seth  Piatt,  both  of  Dearborn  County. 
At  the  time  of  the  completion  of  the  building,  the  asylum  and  farm 
were  under  the  management  of  Thomas  Duncan,  who  had  had  charge 
of   it  for  several  years.     The  inmates  then  numbered  forty. 


CIVIL  ORGANIZATION.  123 

The  asylum  was  first  established  in  1835,  in  July  of  which  year  the 
contract  was  let  to  William  Brown  for  the  carpenter  work  for  $920. 
The  stone  and  mason  work  was  to  cost  $650. 

About  fifty  acres  of  ground  had  been  purchased  in  the  spring  of  1833 
of  Phoebe  Pate,  lying  in  Section  10,  Township  5,  Range  2,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  an  asylum.  The  amount  paid  for  it  was  $220.  That 
farm  was  sold  in  1883,  for  $2,600  and  the  present  farm  purchased  in  the 
spring  of  the  same  year  of  C.  F.  Wood  for  $3,840. 

COUNTY  BUILDINGS  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

The  court  house  square  on  which  the  temple  of  justice  and  jail  of 
Ohio  County  are  located  is  situated  well  up  in  the  city  from  the  river, 
and  is  bounded  by  Mulberry  Street,  Broad  Street,  Main  Street  and  an 
alley.  The  ground  was  donated  to  the  county  by  Col.  Abel  C.  Pepper, 
the  deed  of  conveyance  being  made  by  Col.  Pepper  and  wife  to  the 
county  commissioners,  with  the  provision  that  should  the  town  of  Rising 
Sun  cease  to  be  a  county  seat,  the  lot  should  become  the  property  of  the 
president  and  trustees  of  Rising  Sun.  This  deed  of  conveyance  bears 
date  of  December  11,  1845. 

The  Court  House. — This,  a  substantial  two-story  brick  building, 
stands  on  the  center  part  of  the  square  facing  Main  Street,  amid  a 
grove  of  beautiful  shade  trees;  the  building  is  fifty  feet  deep,  with  a 
portico  of  twelve  feet  in  front  supported  by  large  round  pillars, 
making  in  all  60x40  feet  wide.  The  first  story  is  arranged  for  ofiices 
and  jury  rooms,  and  is  nine  feet  high;  the  court  room  is  on  the  second 
floor.  The  building  stands  on  the  highest  ground  in  the  corporation, 
and  was  erected  in  1845.          * 

F'irst  Jail. — The  first  county  prison  was  a  wood  structure  of  one 
apartment  located  on  the  square  above  described,  and  was  received  and 
accepted  by  the  county  commissioners,  and  the  key  given  to  the  sherifif 
on  the  24th  of  November,  1846. 

Second  Jail. — This  consisted  of  an  addition  of  one  apartment  (con- 
structed of  wood,  12x16  feet  in  size),  to  the  old  jail,  the  two  wooden 
apartments  being  enclosed  by  a  brick  wall  twelve  inches  thick.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1848,  the  board  of  county  commissioners  accepted  the  proposition  of 
George  G.  Brown  and  Washington  H.  Hall  to  build  this  jail  for  $900, 
to  be  completed  on  or  before  June  1,  1849.  After  twenty  years'  service 
this  prison  passed  into  history  with  this  comment  from  the  grand  Jury 
made  in  August,  1869:  "Is  utterly  insuflficient  for  the  safe  keeping  of  pris- 
oners, and  is  deficient  in  every  requisite  ordinarily  deemed  to  be 
required  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  human  beings.  As  to  the  manner 
in  which  the  same  has  been  kept  they  believe  that  the  jailer  has  per- 


124  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

formed  his  duties  in  that  regard  as  well  as  circumstances  would  permit. 
They  would  suggest  that  the  jail  building  might  possibly  be  used  for 
stabling  purposes,  but  all  of  the  jury  being  farmers  and  having  a  kindly 
feeling  for  animals  of  the  horse  kind,  would  not  recommend  that  it  be 
put  to  that  use. " 

Third  Jail  and  Sheriff^s  Residence. — The  two-story  substantial  brick 
residence  of  the  sheriif,  and  jail,  is  located  in  the  western  corner  of  the 
court  house  square,  facing  Mulberry  Street,  and  was  erected  in  1870  at 
a  cost  in  round  numbers  of  $5,000;  the  contract  being  let  by  the 
county  commissioners  at  a  special  session  held  in  February,  1870,  to 
John  M.  Reister  and  to  Charles  Williams  and  Oliver  English. 

The  Asylum  for  the  Poor. — In  1853  steps  were  taken  by  the  county 
commissioners  for  the  establishment  in  the  county  of  an  asylum  for  the 
poor,  and  September  9  of  that  year  they  bought  of  F.  L.  and  S.  C.  Gas- 
kill  fifty  acres  of  land  in  Section  31,  Township  4,  Range  1,  for  which 
they  paid  $1,700;  the  deed  of  conveyance,  however,  was  not  made  until 
March  8,  1854.  Suitable  buildings  were  soon  erected,  and  in  March, 
1854,  John  Wallace  was  appointed  the  first  superintendent  of  the  insti- 
tution at  a  salary  of  |200  for  the  year.  In  September,  1881,  two  tracts 
of  land  were  added  to  the  farm,  one  of  nineteen  acres  oflf  of  the  O'Neal 
place,  and  the  other  of  thirty- three  acres  off  of  the  S.  H.  Stewart  place, 
for  which  were  paid  $570  and  $990  respectively.  Among  the  superin- 
tendents have  been  Stephen  Booth,  G.  W.  Sink,  Lewis  Lotton,  William 
Buchanan,  Ed  E.  Lyon,  Erastus  Downey,  N.  Leggitt.  The  latter  died 
in  the  summer  of  1882,  while  in  office,  and  his  unexpired  time  was 
served  out  by  Jacob  Cooper,  who  that  fall  was  appointed  for  a  term  of 
five  years.  Mr.  Cooper  has  managed  the  institution  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  the  inmates  and  the  county  in  general. 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS.  125 


CHAPTEK   VII. 

INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS. 

First  Roads— Road  from  Vincennesto  Cincinnati— Stage  Coaches- 
Turnpikes— The  Whitewater  Valley  Canal— Railroads— Ohio 
River  Navigation  — Flat-boats— Keel-boats— First  Steamboats. 

THE  first  roads  were  mere  traces  or  paths  for  horses.  After. the  first 
public  highways  were  established  they  remained  for  years  little 
more  than  mere  tracks  through  the  woods  cleared  of  timber,  without 
bridges,  and,  in  the  fresh  conditioo  of  the  ^soil,  almost  impassable  in 
the  wet  season.  Wagoning,  however,  was  an  important  business  before 
the  construction  of  cauals  and  railroads. 

The  first  effort  to  establish  a  permanent  road  through  either  Dearborn 
or  Ohio  Counties,  of  which  we  have  any  account,  was  in  1799,  when 
Capt.  Ephraim  Kibbey,  then  of  Cincinnati,  surveyed  the  route  for  a  road 
from  Vincennes  to  Cincinnati.  The  route  is  not  given,  but  it  is  stated 
that  he  found  the  distance  from  Vincennes  to  the  Great  Miami  to  be  155 
miles  and  forty-eight  poles.  The  Western  Spy,  published  in  Cincinnati, 
July  23,  1799,  contained  the  following:  "Capt.  E.  Kibbey,  who,  some  time 
since,  undertook  to  cut  a  road  from  Fort  Vincennes  to  this  place,  returned 
on  Monday  reduced  to  a  perfect  skeleton.  He  had  cut  the  road  seventy 
miles,  when,  by  some  means,  he.  was  separated  from  his  men.  After 
hunting  them  some  days  without  success,  he  steered  his  course  this  way. 
He  has  undergone  great  hardships,  and  was  obliged  to  subsist  on  roots, 
etc.,  which  he  picked  up  in  the  woods." 

About  1820  the  road  from  Cincinnati  to  Vincennes  was  described  in 
almanacs  of  that  date  as  follows:  "From  Cincinnati  to  Vincennes — 
Burlington,  15  milesj  Rising  Sun,  10;  Judge  Cotton's,  20;  Madison,  20; 
New  Lexington,  17;  Salem,  32;  French  Lick,  34;  East  Fork  White 
River  (Shoat's),  17;  North  Fork  White  River  (Hawkins')  20;  Vincennes, 
16;  total,  201  miles." 

As  early  as  1820  commissioners  were  appointed  to  lay  out  "State 
roads."  An  important  State  road  was  laid  out  from  Lawrenceburgh 
through  Brookville,  by  way  of  Southgate  and  Tanner's  Creek,  Conners- 
ville,  Waterloo,  Ceutreville  and  Winchester.  It  was  long  familiarly 
known  as  the  Connersville  State  road. 


126  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

^  Stage  coaches  began  to  be  important  means  of  carrying  passengers 
anci  mails  over  the  principal  thoroughfares  of  Indiana  between  1825  and 
1830.  In  1831  a  post-coach  was  run  between  Cincinnati  and  Lawrence- 
burgh,  via  Elizabethtown  and  Cleves.  Leaving  Lawrenceburgh  Mon- 
days, Wednesdays  and  Fridays,  at  6  A.  M.,  it  arrived  at  Cincinnati  at 
12  noon;  and  leaving  Cincinnati  on  Tuesdays,  Thursdays  and  Saturdays, 
at  6  A.  M.,  it  arrived  at  Lawenceburgh  at  noon.  The  coach  connected 
at  Lawrenceburgh  with  the  Indianapolis  stage  on  Tuesdays.  The  pro- 
prietor informed  the  public  that  he  had  purchased  a  new  and  elegant 
four-horse  coach,  of  sufficient  capacity  to  accommodate  eight  passengers, 
and  that  he  intended  to  superintend  the  driving  in  person.  In  1838  the 
stage  route  from  Indianapolis  to  Cincinnati,  via  Lawrenceburgh  and 
Napoleon,  was  through  New  Bethel,  Wrightsdale,  Brandywine,  Shelby- 
ville,  Middletown,  St.  Omer,  Greensburg,  Napoleon,  Laughery,  Man- 
chester, Lawrenceburgh,  Elizabethtown  and  Cheviot. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1835,  there  were  only  two  macadamized 
roads  leading  into  Cincinnati,  one  of  which  was  twelve,  and  the  other 
sixteen  miles  long.  Several  years  elapsed  before  there  were  any  turn- 
pikes in  Dearborn  County.  In  1840,  an  editorial  article  in  the  Beacon, 
published  at  Lawrenceburgh,  urged  the  necessity  of  improving  the  roads 
of  Dearborn  County,  which  then  included  Ohio  County.  "Nothing," 
wrote  the  editor,  "will  aid  so  much  in  bringing  capital  and  business  to 
the  place  as  good  roads,  and  in  this  particular  our  county  is  lamentably 
deficient.  It  is  idle  to  wait  for  the  State  or  the  county  to  do  anything; 
this  township  should  take  the  lead.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  whole 
wealth  of  the  county  is  in  this  township,  and  there  are  not  more  than 
twenty  or  twenty-five  miles  of  leading  roads  in  it.  That  it  would  take 
but  a  short  time  to  turnpike  the  whole  of  them,  by  a  judicious  and  equi- 
table system,  must  be  evident,  and  such  an  example  would  unquestiona- 
bly be  followed  by  the  other  large  townships,  and  most  of  the  leading 
roads  would  be  made  good." 

Aurora,  in  its  early  history,  labored  under  great  disadvantages,  on 
account  of  the  expense  and  difficulty  of  crossing  the  different  streams 
emptying  into  the  Ohio  above  and  below  that  place.  Wilmington  mo- 
nopolized most  of  the  business  in  that  region.  There  was  little  trade 
brought  to  Aurora  by  the  river  road.  In  1836,  George  W.  Lane  built  a 
bridge  across  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek,  which  opened  the  way  of  com- 
munication through  Aurora  to  Lawrenceburgh.  The  road  up  the  valley 
of  South  Hogan  Creek  was  relocated,  and  a  bridge  was  built  across 
South  Hogan  Creek,  on  the  road  from  Aurora  to  AVilmington.  The  next 
important  step  for  the  benefit  of  Aurora  was  the  relocating  the  road  from 
Aurora  to  Manchester,  to  go  up  the  hill  where  there  was  an   easy  grade 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS.  127 

obtained,  instead  of  following  the  ridge  to  a  point  just  above  Cheek's 
house. 

The  constant  use  of  these  dirt  roads,  as  business  began  to  increase  at 
Aurora,  made  them  almost  impassable  during  the  winter  and  spring  of 
the  year,  which  made  it  necessary  that  the  main  roads  to  Aurora  should 
be  made  turnpikes.  At  the  session  of  the  Legislature  in  1847,  Mr.  Lane 
being  a  member,  a  charter  was  obtained  authorizing  a  company  to  build 
a  turnpike  road  from  Aurora  to  Dillsborough,  and  Hart' a  Mill  in  Ripley 
County.  Also  a  charter  for  the  building  of  a  turnpike  from  Aurora  to 
Moore's  Hill  by  way  of  Wilmington.  These  roads  were  soon  after  con- 
structed, and  added  greatly  to  the  commercial  trade  of  Aurora. 

About  this  time  a  law  was  passed  authorizing  the  trustees  of  Canton 
Township  to  improve  the  roads  in  that  township,  and  they  graded  and 
macadamized  the  road  up  the  hill  toward  Manchester,  and  the  road  down 
the  river  to  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek. 

The  third  improvement  was  made  by  the  township  (Center)  in  chang- 
ing the  road  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  in  conjunction  with  Lawrenceburgh 
Township  building  the  macadamized  road  now  in  use. 

The  next  important  turnpike  constructed  was  from  Lawrenceburgh  to 
Manchester.  The  company  for  the  construction  of  this  road  was  char- 
tered February  18,  1840,  and  known  as  the  Lawrenceburgh  &  Napo- 
leon Turnpike  Company,  but  the  road  was  never  built  to  Napoleon.  The 
company  was  organized  in  February,  1841,  and  books  for  the  subscrip- 
tion of  stock  were  opened  the  following  month. 

The  townships  of  Lawrencebm-gh  and  Miller  projected  and  built  the 
turnpike  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  the  State  line  near  Elizabethtown. 

The  Aurora  &  Johnston's  Mill  Turnpike,  eight  miles  in  length,  was 
built  by  a  stock  company. 

About  the  year  1850  the  system  of  township  roads  was  attracting 
much  attention.  Four  miles  of  the  Tanner's  Creek  Turnpike  were 
announced  as  completed  in  May,  1851. 

There  was  much  improvement  made  in  the  roads  in  three  years  from 
1867  to  1870. 

April  1,  1869,  it  was  announced  that  subscription  books  were  opened 
and  canvassing  commenced  for  the  construction  of  the  Rising  Sun  & 
Laughery  Turnpike;  the  amount  of  stock  solicited  was  $20,000,  in  shares 
of  $25. 

In  June,  1868,  the  directors  of  the  Rising  Sun  &  Milton  Turnpike 
Company  contracted  for  the  construction  of  the  road  at  a  cost  of 
$1,375.89  per  mile.  Four  miles  were  completed  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year. 

May  28,  1870,  the  contract  for  the  construction  of  the  North  Landing 


128  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

&  Quercus  Grove  Turnpike,  was  let  at  an  average  rate  of  $3,100  per 
mile. 

The  Kising  Sun  &  North  Landing  Turnpike  Company  was  organ- 
ized in  September,  1870. 

June  4,  1878,  the  wood  and  iron  bridge  across  Laughery  Creek  on 
the  road  from  Aurora  to  Rising  Sun  fell  into  the  creek.  It  had  been 
built  in  1869.  A  new  bridge  at  this  place  was  completed  in  the  autumn 
of  1879,  at  a  cost  of  $17,458,  Ohio  County  paying  the  sum  of  $2,931. 

WHITEWATER  VALLEY  CANAL. 

One  of  the  early  demands  of  the  people  of  a  new  country  is  for  means 
of  intercommunication.  So  soon  as  the  Western  country  began  to  be  set- 
tled there  began  the  cry  for  national  aid  in  opening  up  all  sorts  of  aven- 
ues for  ingress  and  egress  to  and  from  the  frontier  lands.  New  York, 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  had  given  great  attention  to  the  subject  of  canals, 
and  Indiana  early  in  its  history  turned  its  attention  to  the  same  subject. 

The  project  of  a  canal  thi-ough  the  Whitewater  Valley  was  agitated 
as  early  as  1822  or  1823,  by  Alvin  Joselyn,  then  connected  with  the 
Brookville  press;  subsequently  there  was  held  at  Harrison,  Ohio,  a  con- 
vention of  delegates  from  Franklin,  Wayne,  Union,  Randolph,  Fayette 
and  Dearborn  Counties.  A  survey  was  soon  made  under  the  supervision 
of  Col.  Shriver's  Brigade  of  United  States  Engineers.  Col.  Shriver 
died  before  the  survey  was  completed,  and  after  his  death  the  work  was 
continued  by  Col.  Stansbury,  who  began  at  the  mouth  of  Garrison's 
Creek,  but  discontinued  his  labor  on  the  approach  of  winter. 

Nothing  further  seems  to  have  been  done  until  1834,  when  from  the 
Connersville  Watchman  it  appears  that  "a  corps  of  engineers  are  survey- 
ing the  route  of  the  contemplated  canal  down  the  valley  of  the  White- 
water." / 

In  January,  1836,  was  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Indiana  the 
celebrated  act  to  provide  for  a  general  system  of  internal  improvements 
under  which  were  commenced  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal,  the  Madison 
&  Indianapolis  Railroad,  Indiana  Central  Canal  and  the  Whitewater 
Valley  Canal.  The  last  named  work  was  to  extend  from  Hagerstown  to 
Lawrenceburgh.  The  State  of  Ohio,  or  a  company  chartered  by  the  State? 
afterward  constructed  a  branch  from  Harrison,  Ohio,  to  Cincinnati. 

The  survey  and  location  of  the  Whitewater  Valley  Canal  were  com- 
pleted and  the  contracts  for  building  the  various  sections  were  let  at 
Brookville,  September  13,1836,  which  event  was  there  the  occasion  of  a 
celebration,  and  that  day  made  a  general  gala  day.  The  orator  on  the 
occasion  was  Hon.  David  Wallace.  Gov.  Noble,  ex-Gov.  James  B.  Ray, 
Dr.  Drake,  of  Cincinnati,  and  George  H.  Dunn,  Esq.,  of  Lawrenceburgh, 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS.  129 

were  chosen  as  representative  characters  to  perform  the  ceremony  of 
"breaking  ground"  for  the  new  canal. 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  State,  the  canal  was  completed  from  the 
Ohio  River  to  Brookville,  as  well  as  about  half  the  work  from  Brook- 
ville  to  Cambridge  City.  The  cost  of  work  to  Brookville  was  $664,665. 
At  this  time  (1839)  the  State  found  itself  in  debt  some  $14,000,000,  and 
was  compelled  to  abandon  all  public  works. 

The  first  boat  to  reach  Brookville  was  the  "Ben  Franklin."  This  was 
Saturday,  June  8,  1839.  The  citizens  gave  vent  to  their  joy  by  the 
firing  of  cannon  and  other  demonstrations. 

At  the  session  of  1841-42  the  Legislature  chartered  the  Whitewater 
Valley  Company  with  a  capital  stock  of  $400,000.  In  October,  1843, 
the  canal  was  extended  from  Brookville  fifteen  miles  to  Laurel;  to  Con- 
nersville,  twelve  miles  further,  in  June,  1845;  and  in  October,  the 
same  year,  it  was  completed  to  Cambridge  City,  the  entire  cost  to  the 
company  being  $473,000. 

The  first  boat  that  arrived  at  Connersville  was  in  the  fall  of  1845. 
It  was  called  the  "Patriot,"  and  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Gayle  Ford. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1847,  a  tremendous  freshet  damaged  the 
canal  so  badly  that  it  cost  upward  of  $100,000  to  repair  it;  by  the  flood 
was  carried  off  the  aqueduct  across  Symon's  Creek,  near  Cambridge,  and 
that  across  the  West  Fork  of  Whitewater,  at  Laurel,  besides  washing 
immense  channels  around  the  feeder  dams  at  Cambridge,  Connersville, 
Laurel,  Brookville,  the  one  four  miles  below,  and  that  at  Harrison,  and 
also  doing  much  damage  along  the  whole  line.  A  second  flood  in  No- 
vember, 1848,  only  a  few  weeks  after  repairs  had  been  completed,  dam- 
aged it  to  the  amount  of  $80,000.  It  was,  however,  again  repaired  and 
operated,  to  some  extent,  for  several  years,  until  superseded  by  rail- 
roads, one  the  Whitewater  Valley  Eailroad,  constructed  along  the  tow- 
path,  and  part  of  the  way  in  the  bed  of  the  canal,  which  had  been  pre- 
viously placed  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  and  the  right-of-way  trans- 
ferred to  the  railroad  company  for  that  purpose. 

The  canal  constructed  by  the  company  extended  north  only  to  Cam- 
bridge City.  (The  length  of  the  canal  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Cam- 
bridge City  was  seventy  miles.)  Subsequently,  in  or  about  the  year 
1846,  the  Hagerstown  Canal  Company  was  organized  and  the  canal  com- 
pleted to  that  place  in  1847.  But  a  small  number  of  boats,  however, 
ever  reached  that  place,  and  the  canal  soon  fell  into  disuse,  except  as  a 
source  of  water-power. 

RAILKOADS. 

As  early  as  1834-35,  when  steam- car  ti-ansportation  was  in  its  in- 
fancy and  before  a  single  mile  of  railroad  had  been  constructed  in  Indi- 


130  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ana,  George  H.  Dunn  was  the  advocate  of  a  railroad  from  Lawrence- 
burgh  to  Indianapolis.  The  project  then  failed.  In  1847,  the  Legisla- 
ture chartered  a  company  of  which  Judge  Dunn  was  the  first  president, 
authorized  to  construct  a  railroad  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Rushville, 
but  the  president  failed  to  meet  with  the  encouragement  he  had  hoped 
for  in  Rush  County.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  northwest. 
Finally  the  friends  of  a  railroad'settled  down  upon  the  old  project  of  a 
road  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Indianapolis.  The  contract  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  division  of  this  road — twenty  miles  up  the  Tanner 
Creek  valley — was  let  in  July  or  August,  1849;  the  second  division 
reaching  to  Greensburgh  a  few  months  later,  and  the  third  division, 
from  Greensburgh  to  Indianapolis,  in  1851.  In  September,  1853,  the 
whole  line,  except  five  miles  between  Greensburgh  and  Shelbyville,  was 
reported  completed,  and  the  cars  running  regularly  thereon. 

The  history  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  involves  legislation  of 
three  States — Indiana,  Ohio  and  Illinois.  The  first  act  of  incorporation 
of  this  road  was  granted  by  Indiana,  February  14,  1848,  incorporating 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  Company  and  authorizing  the  construc- 
tion of  a  railroad  on  the  most  practicable  route  "between  Lawrenceburgh 
on  the  Ohio  River,  and  Vincennes  on  the  Wabash  River,  and  extending 
eastwardly  to  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  westwardly  through  the 
State  of  Illinois  to  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  in  the  State  of  Missouri." 
March  15,  1849,  the  State  of  Ohio  recognized  the  corporate  powers 
granted  by  Indiana,  and  authorized  the  extension  of  the  road  to  Cincin- 
nati. February  12,  1851,  the  State  of  Illinois  authorized  the  com- 
pany to  construct  a  railroad  through  that  State.  In  1854  there  were 
completed  twenty-nine  miles  of  the  road;  in  1855,  233  miles;  and  in 
1857  the  whole  line  of  337  miles  of  six  feet  guage  was  open  for  traffic. 

The  articles  of  association  of  the  Whitewater  Valley  Railroad  Company 
were  filed  with  the  Secretary  of  State,  June  8,  1865.  In  1866  there  were 
constructed  eighteen  miles  of  the  road;  in  1867,  fifty-four  miles;  and  in 
1868  the  entire  line  of  sixty-two  miles  was  completed. 

In  Dearborn  County  there  are  forty-nine  miles  of  main  track  of  rail 
road  divided  among  three  companies  as  follows:  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis, 
St.  Louis  &  Chicago  (including  the  Lawrenceburgh  branch  of  two  and 
one-half  miles),  twenty-two;  the  Ohio  &  jMississippi,  twenty-one,  and  the 
Whitewater,  six.  The  total  value  of  railroad  property  in  the  county,  as 
assessed  by  the  State  board  of  equalization  in  1883,  was  $550,562.  There 
is  no  railroad  in  Ohio  County. 

OHIO    RIVER    NAVIGATION. 

The  navigation  of  the  Ohio  has  always  been  of  vast  importance  to  the 


INTERNAL  IMPROVEMENTS.  181 

counties  bordering  upon  it.  The  first  boats  employed  upon  its  waters 
were  canoes  and  flat-boats,  the  latter  made  of  stout  green  oak  timber.  In 
the  early  history  of  the  country  the  broad  and  gentle  surface  of  the  Ohio, 
called  the  beautiful  river,  often  presented  an  animated  and  joyous  spec- 
tacle, with  its  large  and  commodious  boats  of  emigrants  quietly  floating 
down  the -stream.  Each  boat  would  contain  one  or  more  families  of  men, 
women  and  children,  with  their  domestic  animals  and  furniture.  A 
little  hut  at  one  end  of  the  boat  was  the  cabin,  and  furnished  protection 
from  the  rain,  being  parlor,  bed-room  and  kitchen  for  the  household. 

Sometimes  a  large  raft  of  pine  boards  would  float  down  from  the  Al- 
legheny, containing  a  neat  log- hut,  and  present  a  novel  aspect,  the  emi- 
grants bringing  with  them  their  all — their  wives,  children,  horses,  cattle, 
sheep,  fowls,  the  dog,  wagon  and  household  furniture  of  all  sorts.  There 
was  no  toil  in  the  journey  down  the  stream.  Two  oars  appropriately 
placed  very  easily  kept  the  raft  in  the  center  of  the  stream.  With  corn 
meal  on  board,  milk  from  the  cow,  and  abundance  of  game  from  the  shore, 
the  emigrant  fared  sumptuously  on  his  voyage.  Not  unfrequently 
several  of  these  rafts  would  join  together, and  form  a  floating  village  of 
six  or  seven  families,  and  their  live  stock. 

At  an  early  period  regular  lines  of  keel-boats  were  established  be- 
tween Cincinnati  and  Pittsburgh,  each  boat  making  a  trip  in  fom'  weeks. 
These  boats  had  separate  cabins  for  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The  pro- 
prietor of  one  of  these  lines  announced  that  "passengers  will  be  supplied 
with  provisions  and  liquors  of  all  kinds,  of  the  finest  quality,  and  at  the 
most  reasonable  rates  possible.  Persons  desiring  to  work  their  passage 
will  be  admitted  on  finding  themselves,  subject,  however,  to  the  same 
order  and  directions  from  the  master  of  the  boat  as  the  rest  of  the  work- 
ing hands  of  the  boat's  crew."  These  boats,  as  well  as  the  flat-boats, 
were  propelled  by  oars  and  setting  poles.  Their  cargoes  were  necessarily 
light,  especially  in  going  up  stream. 

The  first  improvement  in  the  navigation  of  the  Ohio,  according  to 
Judge  Burnet,  was  the  introduction  of  barges  moved  by  sails,  when  the 
wind  permitted,  and  at  other  times  by  oars  and  poles,  as  the  state  of  the 
water  might  require.  These  vessels  were  constructed  to  carry  from  fifty 
to  100  tons.  In  wet  seasons,  if  properly  manned,  they  could  make  two 
trips  between  Cincinnati  and  New  Orleans  in  a  year.  The  increased 
quantity  of  cargo  they  carried  reduced  the  price  of  freight,  and  enabled 
them  to  transport  from  New  Orleans  to  Cincinnati  at  from  $5  to  $6 
per  100,  which  was  below  the  average  charge  of  carriage  across  the 
mountains.  From  that  time  most  of  the  groceries  used  in  the  Territory 
were  brought  up  the  river  by  these  barges;  as  the  price  of  freight  was 
diminished,   the  quantity   of  produce   shipped   was   proportionately   in* 


132  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

creased.  The  introduction  of  this  mode  of  navigating  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  was  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  West.  The  barges  were 
well  adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  designed,  and  continued 
in  use  until  navigation  by  steamboats  became  common. 

But  for  some  time  after  the  introduction  of  keel-boats,  flat-boating 
down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  was  an  important  business.  About  the 
year  1820  building  flat-boats  at  and  near  Hartford  assumed  importance. 
Sometimes  as  many  as  forty  or  fifty,  or  even  sixty,  would  be  loading  at 
one  time  in  that  vicinity.  These  boats  were  usually  from  sixty  to  eighty 
feet  long  by  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  wide,  and  drew  from  thirty  to 
thirty-six  inches  of  water.  Starting  upon  the  Ohio,  usually  in  March, 
on  reaching  the  Mississippi  these  boats  would  form  fleets  of  as  many  as 
twenty.'  Landing  every  night,  the  crew  would  remain  ashore  until  after 
breakfast.  Many  boats  were  loaded  at  Rising  Sun.  The  flat-boat  busi- 
ness began  to  decline  subsequent  to  1830. 

The  lirst  steamboat  which  made  a  voyage  down  the  Ohio  left  Pitts- 
burgh in  October,  1811,  and  in  four  days  arrived  at  Louisville.  This 
boat  was  called  the  "  New  Orleans,"  and  on  its  first  voyage  carried  no 
freight  or  passengers.  In  consequence  of  the  small  depth  of  water  in 
the  rapids,  the  boat  was  detained  at  Louisville  for  three  weeks.  It 
improved  the  time  in  making  several  trips  between  Louisville  and  Cin- 
cinnati. The  comparatively  few  and  scattered  inhabitants  on  the  Indi- 
ana side  of  the  river,  whom  even  the  rumor  of  such  an  invention  had 
never  reached,  when  they  gazed  upon  the  novel  appearance  of  the  vessel, 
saw  the  rapidity  with  which  it  made  its  way  over  the  waters  and  heard 
the  strange  noise  caused  by  the  stream  rushing  from  the  valves,  were 
excited  with  a  mixture  of  surprise  and  terror. 

Several  small  steamboats  were  constructed  at  Pittsburgh,  Brownsville 
and  Wheeling  within  the  next  five  years,  but  it  was  not  until  the  suc- 
cessful voyage  of  the  "  Washington"  between  Louisville  and  New  Orleans 
in  1817  that  the  general  public  were  convinced  that  steamboat  navigation 
of  the  western  rivers  would  succeed.  The  "  General  Pike,"  built  at  Cincin- 
nati in  1818,  to  ply  between  Louisville,  Cincinnati  and  Maysville,  is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  steamboat  on  the  Ohio  for  the  exclusive  accommo- 
dation of  passengers.  This  vessel  measured  100  feet  keel,  twenty -five 
beam,  and  drew  three  feet  three  inches  of  water.  The  cabin  was  forty 
feet  long  and  twenty-five  broad. 


AGRICULTURE.  133 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

AGRICULTURE. 

PiONEEK  Farming— Early  Implements— Pioneer  Plowing— Reaping 
WITH  THE  Sickle— Horses— Cattle— Swine— Principal  Crops- The 
Floating  Barn— A.gricultural  Societies— Ohio  and  Switzerland 
County  Agricultural  Society— Dearborn  County  Agricultural 
Society— Southeast  Indiana  ^agricultural  Society— Lawrence- 
burgh  xVgricultural  Association. 

lyj'OTWITHSTANDING  the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  rich,  virgin  soil 
JL N|  when  the  old  forests  were  cut  away,  and  the  genial  and  vivifying  rays 
of  the  sun  shone  upon  the  first  crops  planted  by  the  hand  of  man,  agricul- 
ture was  not  the  road  to  wealth  with  the  early  settlers.  The  great  embar- 
rassment under  which  the  pioneer  farmer- labored  was  the  difficulty  of  get- 
ting the  products  of  his  soil  to  a  market.  In  spite  of  roots  and  stumps, 
sprouts  and  bushes,  the  newly  cleared  land  brought  forth  bountiful  har 
vests;  but  the  wagon  roads  were  imperfect,  canals  and  railroads  un- 
thought  of,  and  the  distance  by  the  Ohio  River  to  the  principal  markets 
so  great,  the  navigation  so  difficult,  tedious  and  hazardous,  that  the  early 
farmer  had  little  encouragement  to  increase  the  products  of  his  fields 
beyond  the  wants  of  his  family,  and  the  supply  of  the  limited  home  mar- 
ket created  by  the  wants  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighboring  towns 
and  the  newly-arrived  immigrants.  The  average  time  required  for  a  jour- 
ney by  a  flat-boat  propelled  by  oars  and  poles,  from  Lawrenceburgh  to 
New  Orleans  and  return,  was  six  months.  The  cargoes  taken  in  these 
boats  were  necessarily  light;  the  boats  could  not  be  easily  brought  back, 
and  were  generally  abandoned  at  New  Orleans  and  the  crew  returned  by 
land,  sometimes  on  foot  through  a  wilderness  of  hundreds  of  miles.  A 
large  part  of  the  proceeds  of  the  cargo  was  necessarily  consumed  in  the 
cost  of  taking  it  to  market. 

Hogs  and  cattle  were  driven  afoot  over  the  mountains,  and,  after  a 
journey  of  a  month  or  six  weeks,  fouad  an  uncertain  market  in  Baltimore. 
Corn  rarely  commanded  more  than  10  or  12  cents  per  bushel;  wheat,  30 
or  40  cents;  hay  was  from  $3  to  $4  per  ton;  flour  from  $1.50  to  $2  per 
hundred;  pork  from  $1  to  $2  per  hundred;  the  average  price  of  good 
beef  was  $1.50  per  hundred,  while  oats,  potatoes,  butter  and  eggs 
scarcely  had  a  market  value,    and  the  sale  of  cabbage  and  turnips  was 


134  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

almost  unlieard  of.  But  the  early  farmers  supplied  tLeir  homes  liberally 
with  the  comforts  of  pioneer  life;  they  lived  independently,  and,  perhaps, 
were  as  happy  and  contented  as  those  who  have  the  luxuries  brought  by 
wealth  and  commence. 

The  proximity  of  a  spring,  rather  than  the  claims  of  taste  or  sanitary 
considerations,  usually  determined  the  location  of  the  first  residence  of 
the  pioneer  farmer;  and  the  log  stable  and  the  corn-crib,  made  of  rails 
or  poles,  were  apt  to  be  in  close  proximity  to  the  residence.  The  first 
fences,  both  for  the  fields  and  the  door-yard,  were  made  of  rails  in  the 
form  of  the  Virginia,  or  worm  fence.  This,  in  a  new  country,  where 
timber,  readily  split  with  the  wedge  and  maul,  was  abundant,  was  the 
cheapest  and  the  most  durable  fence.  Unsightly  as  it  is,  it  is  yet  super- 
seded to  a  limited  extent  only  by  post  and  rail,  board  or  wire  fences,  or 
hedges. 

IMPLEMENTS. 

The  agricultural  implements  of  the  pioneers  were  necessarily  few  in 
number  and  made  simple  in  construction — often  made  on  the  farm  with 
some  assistance  from  the  noir^hboring  blacksmiths.  The  plows  used  were 
the  bar- share  and  the  shovel.  The  iron  part  of  the  former  consisted  of 
a  bar  of  iron  about  two  feet  long,  and  a  broad  share  of  iron  welded  to 
it.  At  the  extreme  point  was  a  coulter  that  passed  through  a  beam  six 
or  seven  feet  long,  to  which  were  attached  handles  of  corresponding 
length.  The  mold  board  was  a  wooden  one  split  out  of  winding  tim- 
ber, or  hewed  into  a  winding  shape  in  order  to  turn  the  soil  over.  The 
whole  length  of  the  plow,  from  the  fore  end  of  the  beam  to  the  ends  of 
the  handles,  was  eight  or  ten  feet.  Newly  cleared  ground  was  with  this 
plow  broken  up  with  great  difficulty.  On  this  subject  a  pioneer  says: 
"The  old  bar-share  plow,  with  a  coulter  and  wooden  mold  board,  was 
the  best  plow  then  in  use,  though  by  far  the  greatest  number  used  only 
the  shovel  plow,  which  answered  an  excellent  purpose  in  the  loose  rich 
alluvium  soil  in  its  virgin  purity,  free  from  weeds  and  grass.  The  shovel 
was  all  the  iron  connected  with  the  plow,  and  not  unlike  those  in  use  at 
the  present  day.  The  gearing  or  harness  used  by  a  majority  of  our  pio- 
neers was  so  novel  in  its  construction  that  I  must  describe  it.  The  bridle 
for  the  horse  was  an  iron  bit,  the  balance  being  of  small  rope.  The  col- 
lar was  made  of  shucks  (the  husks  of  the  corn).  The  hames  were  shaped 
out  of  a  crooked  oak  or  a  hickory  root,  fastened  at  the  top  with  a  cord 
and  at  the  bottom  in  the  same  way.  The  traces  were  of  rope,  the  back- 
band  being  of  tow  cloth.  The  whiffle-tree  or  single-tree  was  of  wood, 
with  a  notch  on  each  end;  the  trace  hitched  by  a  loop  over  the  whiffle- 
tree,  and  to  the  hame  through  a  hole.  The  whiffle  tree  was  attached  to 
the  double-tree  by  a  hickory  withe,   and  sometimes  by  a  wooden  clevis 


AGRICULTURE.  135 

made  of  two  pieces  of  some  tough  wood,  with  wooden  pin:  the  double- 
tree fastened  to  the  end  of  the  plow  beam  by  the  same  form  of 
clevis  and  sometimes  an  iron  one.  To  the  rope  bridle  was  attached  a 
cord,  called  a  single-line,  by  which  the  horse  was  driven.  By  far  the 
largest  number  of  plow-teams  was  only  a  single  horse,  geared  as  before 
described,  and  hitched  to  the  shovel-plow,  the  ground  broken  up,  crossed 
oflf  and  tended  by  the  same  plow  and  horse." 

The  cast-iron  plow  was  slowly  introduced.  The  early  harrows  were 
made  of  bars  of  wood  and  wooden  teeth,  and  were  rude  and  homely  in 
construction.  Sometimes,  in  place  of  the  harrow,  a  brush,  weighted 
down  with  a  piece  of  timber,  was  dragged  over  the  ground.  The  sickle 
was  in  universal  use  for  harvesting  grain  until  about  1825,  when  it  was 
gradually  superseded  by  the  cradle.  The  sickle  is  one  of  the  most  an- 
cient of  farming  implements;  but  reaping  with  the  sickle  was  always  slow 
and  laborious.  For  the  twenty  years  succeeding  1830,  there  were  few 
farmers  who  did  not  know  how  to  swing  the  cradle  and  scythe,  but  dur- 
ing the  next  twenty  years  reapers  and  mowers,  drawn  by  horses,  became 
almost  the  only  harvesters  of  grain  and  grass.  The  first  reaping  ma- 
chines merely  cut  the  grain;  a  raker  was  necessary  to  gather  the  grain 
into  sheaves  ready  for  the  binders.  Self-raking  reaping  machines  soon 
followed,  and,  about  1878,  self-binding  machines  were  introduced.  Of 
the  two  old-fashioned  methods  of  separating  the  grain  from  the  straw — 
the  flail  and  the  tramping  with  horses — the  latter  was  the  most  common 
in  this  region.  To-day,  instead  of  this  slow  and  wasteful  method,  a 
horse  or  steam-power  thresher  not  only  separates  the  grain,  but  winnows 
it  and  carries  the  straw  to  the  stack,  all  at  the  same  time. 

HARVESTING    WITH    THE    SICKLE. 

A  newspaper  writer  thus  describes  the  harvesting  of  the  pioneers: 
"  My  first  experience  in  harvesting  was  about  1825.  Then  about 
twenty-five  or  more  men  would  work  together.  The  reapers  went  to  the 
farm-house  where  they  were  to  harvest,  and  there  they  would  find  a  lunch 
set  out,  consisting  of  milk,  bread  and  butter,  cold  ham  sliced,  onions, 
etc.,  then  a  tanzy  bitters,  after  which  they  get  to  the  field.  There  a 
leader  was  chosen,  generally  by  the  owner  of  the  field.  The  leader  com- 
mences; he  cuts  a  space  about  four  feet  wide  and  two  feet  deep;  the 
second  falls  in,  and  cuts  the  same  space,  and  so  on  until  all  are  cutting. 
They  cut  to  the  middle  of  the  field,  and  then  if  the  leader  is  acquainted 
with  all  his  men  he  will  stand  and  rest  for  from  one  to  five  minutes;  if 
not,  he  will  inspect  the  work  of  every  one  thoroughly,  and  commend  or 
reprimand  as  he  thinks  the  reapers  deserve.  After  the  brief  rest  is  over, 
the  leader  gives  the  word  to  go  ahead,  and  they  cut  to  the  end.     If  the 


136  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

grain  should  be  very  wet  they  let  it  lie  in  grips  until  it  is  dry  enough  to 
bind.  They  keep  on  cutting  until  about  8  o'clock,  when  they  breakfast. 
About  9  o'clock  they  commence  again.  Dinner  is  served  at  12.  About  4 
o'clock  a  piece  with  coffee,  some  of  the  reapers  putting  a  good  dram  in 
their  coffee.  Early  in  the  morning  the  boys  were  allowed  to  take  their 
sickles  and  gouge  for  their  fathers;  that  is,  to  go  to  the  far  end  of  their 
through  and  reap  till  they  would  meet  them,  but  as  soon  as  the  dew  was 
off  they  had  to  hang  up  their  sickles.  Some  would  be  detailed  to  carry 
water,  others  placed  under  some  old  man  and  made  to  gather  sheaves. 
All  this  seems  very  slow  work  compared  with  that  of  the  reaping 
machine,  but  the  modern  reaper  could  have  done  nothing  in  the  fields 
then,  for  the  stumps  stood  as  thick  as  the  shocks. 

"About  1827  there  were  two  cradles  in  our  fields,  but  they  never  cut 
as  clean  as  the  sickle  or  the  reaping  machine.  But  the  cradles  soon 
caused  the  sickles  to  be  hung  up  in  the  barn,  seldom  to  be  taken  down 
except  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  a  patch  of  grain  blown  down.  Wages 
for  reapers  were  50  cents  per  day." 


The  capital  invested  in  domestic  animals  constitutes  a  large  item  in 
the  wealth  of  the  counties.  Improvements  in  breeds  of  all  the  farm  ani- 
mals have  kept  pace  with  the  improvements  in  agricultural  implements 
and  methods  of  tilling  the  soil.  After  the  land  had  been  generally 
cleared  of  the  forests,  the  necessity  of  oxen  ceased,  and  interest  in  the 
improvement  of  the  horse  commenced.  The  possession  of  good  horses — 
elegant,  strong  and  speedy — became  a  matter  of  pride  with  the  farmer. 
Speed  was  not  considered  of  special  value  in  the  horse  until  the  improve- 
ments in  the  public  roads  rendered  possible  the  use  of  the  modern  light 
carriage. 

The  beneficial  effect  of  agricultural  fairs  was  soon  seen  in  the 
improvement  of  live  stock,  and  especially  of  horses.  Before  the  estab- 
lishment of  fairs  the  horses  of  this  region  were  of  a  most  uncertain 
and  inferior  breed.  Soon  after  the  Morgan  horses,  Tom  Crowders, 
Hio-hlanders  and  other  good  horses  were  introduced.  The  Morgans 
came  first,  and  a  number  of  fine  horses  of  the  breed  were  exhibited  at 
early  fairs,  and  were  much  admired.  Whenever  a  new  breed  has  been 
introduced  the  tendency  has  always  been  to  amalgamate  it  with  stock 
already  in  use.  The  strains  of  blood  have  not  therefore  been  kept  dis- 
tinct. The  farm  horses  or  horses  for  general  purposes  found  throughout 
the  counties  are  of  mixed  and  uncertain  blood,  but  it  is  certain  that  they 
have  been  greatly  improved  within  thirty  years  in  style,  action,  form, 
temper  and  endurance. 


^J^n^jTA^ 


■2/'tlf?L  Ji  ^ 


AGRICULTURE.  139 


The  cattle  of  the  early  settlers  were  introduced  from  various  quarters, 
eraigrants  from  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  Kentucky  bringing  many 
with  them;  and  it  is  believed  by  some  that  cattle  raised  by  the  Indians 
previous  to  the  first  settlement  by  the  whites,  were  an  element  in  the 
original  or  common  herds  in  the  West.  Of  course  they  were  a  heteroge- 
neous collection,  yet  in  process  of  time,  the  stock  was  assimilated  to  the 
locality,  acquiring  local  characteristics,  by  which  the  experienced  cattle- 
dealer  determined  from  their  general  appearance  the  region  in  which 
they  were  reared. 

The  early  farmers  suffered  their  cattle  to  wander  through  the  woods 
and  uncultivated  grounds,  browsing  for  their  living,  and  thus  some  of 
the  native  grasses  or  shrubs  were  extirpated  by  being  cropped  off  early 
in  the  spring  before  the  flowers  and  seeds  were  formed.  In  winter  the 
cows  were  not  housed  nor  sheltered,  but  found  their  subsistence  at  a 
stack  of  wheat-straw,  or  in  the  corn-field,  after  husking  time;  or,  at  best, 
were  fed  twice  a  day  in  an  open  lot  with  fodder  and  unhusked  corn. 
The  practice,  which  is  still  common,  of  securing  the  corn  before  it  is 
fully  matured,  by  cutting  off  the  stalks  near  the  ground,  and  stacking  it 
in  the  field,  is  said  to  have  originated  with  the  cattle-feeders  of  Virginia. 

The  Patton  stock  of  cattle,  introduced  into  Kentucky  early  in  this 
century,  doubtless  found  their  way  across  the  Ohio,  and  were  crossed 
with  the  cattle  on  the  north  side.  The  Kentucky  importation  of  1817 
also  probably  influenced,  to  some  extent,  the  cattle  of  this  region.  Excel- 
lent short-horn  cattle  continued  to  be  introduced  from  time  to  time, until 
there  is  scarcely  a  neighhorhood  in  which  more  or  less  of  their  cross  is 
not  found.  Of  lale  years  the  Jerseys  and  other  breeds  are  finding  their 
way  into  favor. 

SWINE. 

A  writer  on  the  subject  of  the  swine  of  the  early  settlers,  gives  this 
description  of  them:  "They  were  long  and  slim,  long-suouted  and  long- 
legged,  with  an  arched  back,  and  bristles  erect  from  the  back  of  the  head 
to  the  tail,  slab-sided,  active  and  healthy.  The  'sapling-splitter'  and 
'razor-back,'  as  he  was  called,  was  ever  in  the  search  for  food, and  quick 
to  take  alarm.  He  was  capable  of  making  a  heavy  hog,  but  required  two 
years  or  more  to  mature,  and.  until  a  short  time  before  butchering  or 
marketing,  was  suffered  to  run  at  large,  subsisting  mainly  as  a  forager, 
and  in  the  fall  fattening  on  the  'mast.'  " 

What  a  contrast  between  the  bogs  of  that  period  and  those  of  1885! 
Probably  no  change  wrought  in  the  stock  of  the  farmer  is  so  marked  as 
in  this  animal.  Those  of  to-day  mature  early  and  are  almost  the  reverse 
of   the   razor-back,  having  a  small  head,  small   ear,  short  neck,  with  a 


140  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

long  body  and  hams,  and  in  general   shape  are   almost   square,  and  are 
capable  of  taking  on  250  pounds  of  flesh  in  eight  or  ten  months. 

Of  the  improved  breeds  of  swine,  the  Suffolks,  Chester  Whites, 
Berkshires  and  Poland  Chinas  are  foremost. 

PKINCIPAL    CROPS. 

Corn  is  especially  adapted  to  the  rich  bottoms  which  receive  frequent 
additions  of  rich  alluvium  from  the  overflowing  river  and  creeks.  The 
crop,  however,  is  sometimes  destroyed  by  late  floods.  In  what  is  known 
as  the  "big  bottom,"  a  large  tract  in  Dearborn  County  extending  from 
the  junction  of  the  Whitewater  and  Miami  Rivers  to  their  mouth,  and 
thence  along  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  Tanner's  Creek  at  Aurora,  a  dis- 
tance of  ten  miles,  corn  is  almost  the  exclusive  crop.  Fields  on  these 
bottoms  which  have  been  planted  in  corn  for  forty  years  in  succession, 
will  produce  without  manure  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  bushels  per 
acre.  The  average  is  about  seventy  five  bushels.  These  bottoms  are 
valued  very  highly  on  account  of  their  productiveness,  and  being  subject 
to  occasional  inundations  from  back-water  from  the  Ohio,  no  fears  are 
entertained  of  an  exhaustion  of  their  fertility.  In  Ohio  County  there 
are  extensive  tracts  of  fertile  bottom  lands  along  Laughery  Creek  and 
the  Ohio,  and  Indian  corn  is  perhaps  the  most  important  crop  in  Ohio 
and  Switzerland  Counties. 

Wheat  is  an  important  crop  in  this  region;  oats,  rye  and  barley  are 
also  grown  to  some  extent.  Potatoes  form  an  important  crop  in  Ohio 
County,  it  being  nothing  unusual  for  a  farmer  to  cultivate  forty  acres  in 
potatoes,  producing  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  bushels  per  acre.  Grass 
is  the  principal  crop  on  the  uplands.  Two  tons  of  hay  from  one  acre 
are  not  uncommon,  but  the  average  yield  is  about  one  ton  per  acre, 
Switzerland  County  has  been  noted  for  the  amount  of  timothy  hay 
shipped  to  the  Southern  market.  The  hay  is  pressed  into  bales  by  what 
is  generally  called  the  "Morman  Hay  Press."  Some  years  ago  there 
were  reported  to  be  about  two  hundred  of  these  presses  in  Switzerland 
County  and  about  fifty  in  Ohio  County.  In  Cotton  Township,  in  the 
former  county,  where  this  press  was  invented  and  the  first  one  erected, 
there  were  said  to  be  fifty  in  operation.  In  recent  years  tobacco  grow- 
ing has  become  an  important  industry  in  southeast  Indiana. 

THE  FLOATING  BARN.* 

Mr.  Jesse  Hunt,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
that  place,  and  about  the  year  1819  erected  "Hunt's  Hotel,"  which,  by 
nhe  way,  was  considered  the  "star"  hotel  of  this  country  as  long  as  Mr. 

*By  George  W.  Lane. 


AGRICULTURE.  141 

Hunt  kept  it.  As  he  had  to  raise  his  own  hay,  he  cleared  a  piecje  of 
ground  (upon  which  the  Methodist  Church  was  afterward  built),  and 
seeded  it  down  to  grass,  every  year  clearing  a  little  more  land,  and  rais- 
ing yearly  more  than  was  necessary  for  home  consumption,  until  he 
found  a  surplus  of  hay  upon  his  hands  which  he  knew  not  how  to  dis- 
pose of.  After  thinking  over  the  matter  for  some  time,  he  concluded 
that  there  must  be  a  market  for  hay  somewhere  down  the  river,  and  made 
up  his  mind  to  put  his  hay  afloat  and  try  to  find  that  market.  But  there 
was  one  great  difficulty  which  stood  in  the  way  of  this  project:  the  bulk 
of  the  hay  would  prevent  its  being  compact  enough  to  make  the  trans- 
portation of  it  profitable.  Here  indeed  was  a  dilemma;  but  ever  fertile 
in  expedients,  Mr.  Hunt  conceived  the  idea  of  pressing  his  hay.  But 
how  to  construct  a  machine  for  doing  this  puzzled  him  worse  than  ever, 
and  brought  his  speculation  to  a  stand.  At  this  stage  of  the  proceed- 
ings he  bethought  him  of  a  Mr.  Morrison,  an  "universal  genius,"  and  a 
man  of  great  inventive  propensities,  who  lived  at  Hardintown,  and 
who,  he  thought,  if  any  one,  could  aid  him  in  the  construction  of  his 
machine.  So,  posting  up  to  Hardintown,  he  sought  Mr.  Morrison,  and 
laid  his  plans  before  him.  Mr.  M.  entered  heartily  into  the  scheme,  and 
setting  to  work  in  a  few  days  turned  out  the  first  hay  press  ever  invented 
— an  old-fashioned,  wooden  screw  press.  When  it  was  completed  Mr. 
M.  went  on  to  Washington  and  procured  a  patent  for  his  invention. 
Meanwhile  Mr.  Hunt  had  the  press  put  up,  and  set  to  work  baling  his 
hay.  The  neighbors  gathered  around  to  witness  the  operations  of  the 
new  "hay-mil],"  which  was  the  object  of  as  much  curiosity  as  would 
have  been  a  traveling  menagerie  to  the  denizens  of  this  then  sparsely 
settled  country.  Some  shook  their  heads,  others  laughed  outright,  and 
all  persisted  in  assuring  Mr.  Hunt  that  they  would  soon  see  in  him  a 
walking  illustration  that  "a  fool  and  his  money  are  soon  parted."  But 
Mr.  H.  "reckoned  he  knew  a  thing  or  two,"  and  kept  on  about  his  busi- 
ness, despite  their  taunts  and  jeers.  The  hay  baled,  the  next  thing  to 
be  done  was  to  build  a  boat  to  put  it  in.  This  was  accomplished  in  due 
time,  and  the  first  hay  boat  that  ever  floated  down  the  Ohio  received  its 
load  preparatory  to  starting  for  a  market.  From  his  inexperience  in 
the  business,  Mr.  Hunt  had  some  difficulty  in  constructing  sweeps,  etc., 
to  suit  him,  but  having  the  whole  forest  to  go  to,  he  at  last  got  his  boat 
rigged  out,  and  everything  ready  for  a  start.  On  the  day  of  his  depar- 
ture the  whole  settlement  turned  out  to  see  the  "floating  barn"  fairly 
under  way,  and  amid  the  not  very  complimentary  remarks  of  the  more 
knowing  ones,  and  the  ridicule  of  the  whole  crowd,  the  moorings  were 
cast  off,  and  the  boat  floated  along  with  the  current,  and  was  soon  lost  to 
their  sight  as  it  swept  around  the  nearest  bend. 


142  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"The  crowd,  with  fingers  in  their  mouths, 
"Went  homeward,  one  by  one." 

Mr.  Hunt's  hay  speculation  furnished  material  for  gossip  for  a  few 
days,  and  was  then  almost  entirely  forgotten. 

In  those  days  the  arrival  of  a  steamboat  at  the  wharf  was  not  a  mat- 
ter of  such  comparative  indifference  as  at  present.  There  were  then  but 
very  few  boats  navigating  the  Western  rivers,  and  the  stoppage  of  a  boat 
at  a  river  town  brought  all  the  inhabitants  to  the  bank  to  see  who  was 
going  to  land,  learn  the  news,  etc.  Steamboat  whistles  had  not  then 
come  into  use,  and  each  boat  carried  a  small  cannon,  which  was  fired  off 
to  announce  its  approach  to  town.  One  day,  it  may  have  been  three  or 
four  weeks  after  Mr.  Hunt's  departure,  the  booming  of  a  cannon  an- 
nounced to  the  citizens  of  Lawrenceburgh  that  a  steamboat  was  ap- 
proaching their  village.  Instantly  all  work  was  stopped;  the  blacksmith 
dropped  his  sledge,  the  carpenter  his  plane,  the  merchant  his  yardstick, 
and  all  repaired  to  the  bank  of  the  river  to  watch  the  approaching  boat. 
On  she  came,  and  when  she  had  arrived  sufficiently  near  to  enable  the 
people  on  the  shore  to  distinguish  one  individual  from  another,  they  saw 
Jesse  Hunt  standing  erect  upon  the  prow.  The  boat  landed,  and  the 
eager  crowd  gathered  around  Mr.  Hunt,  with,  "Well,  Jesse,  how  far 
down  did  you  get  with  your  'floating  barn'  before  you  stove  her?" 
"What's  hay  worth  in  New  Orleans?"  "Where's  the  wreck  of  your 
boat?"  etc.,  etc.  As  soon  as  he  could  get  an  opportunity,  Mr.  Hunt  told 
them  that  he  had  got  along  very  well  until  he  arrived  at  the  mouth  of 
White  River,  where  they  were  lying  one  day,  when  a  steamboat  came 
up,  and  a  stranger,  hailing  Mr.  Hunt,  asked  him  what  he  would  take  a 
ton  for  his  hay.  He  replied  $30.  The  stranger  accepted  the  offer,  the 
hay  changed  hands,  and  IMr.  Hunt  returned  home.  The  crowd  which 
had  gathered  around  him,  expecting  to  have  some  rare  sport  at  his 
expense,  felt  rather  cheap  at  this  (to  them)  unexpected  result  of  his  spec- 
•ulation,  and  quietly  dispersed. 

As  it  was  when  Columbus  made  the  egg  stand  upon  its  end,  so  it  was 
in  this  case.  The  ice  having  been  broken,  others  built  boats  and  sent 
their  hay  down  the  river,  from  which  they  realized  handsome  profits. 
Thus  was  a  trade  commenced  which  has  increased  from  year  to  year  as 
the  county  became  more  thickly  settled,  until  hay  has  become  a  leading 
article  of  export,  affording  employment  to  a  large  number  of  our  citi- 
zens in  preparing  it  and  getting  it  to  market,  and  returning  a  handsome 
profit  to  those  who  invest  their  money  in  speculating  upon  it.  We  can 
hardly  pass  a  farm  in  a  ride  of  ten  miles  into  the  country  but  what  has 
a  hay  press,  and  whenever  we  see  one  it  reminds  us  of  the  "hay  mill" 
that  was  so  universally  ridiculed  by  the  good  people  of  Lawrenceburgh 
in  1819. 


AGRICULTURE.  143 

AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETIES  AND  FAIRS. 

The  Ohio  and  Switzerland  County  Agricultural  Society  was  organized 
October  11, 1851.  The  first  annual  fair  of  the  society  was  held  at  Rising 
Sun,  October  6  and  7,  1852,  at  which  the  attendance  was  reported  unex- 
pectedly large,  numbering  about  3,000  people.  The  exhibit  of  agricult- 
ural and  mechanical  articles  was  commendable.  The  number  of  pre- 
miums awarded  was  sixty- seven,  and  the  amount  paid  for  premiums  was 
$101  besides  a  number  of  copies  of  the  report  of  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture.  At  this  time  John  Hall  was  president  and  W.  M.  French, 
secretary.  For  four  or  five  years  the  exhibitions  of  the  society  were  held 
alternately  between  Rising  Sun  and  Vevay,  the  citizens  of  those  places 
contributing  the  funds  necessary  to  fit  up  the  grounds.  In  1857,  a  per- 
manent site  for  a  fair  ground  was  secured  near  Enterprize,  in  Switzer- 
land County,  since  which  time  the  exhibitions  have  been  held  there.  In 
1877  the  association  had  twenty-five  acres.  Success  has  almost  invari- 
ably attended  the  fairs  of  the  society.  In  1880,  the  secretary  reported 
1,080  entries,  $1,700  paid  out  in  premiums;  $400  expended  in  sub- 
stantial improvements;  all  claims  against  the  society  paid  and  a  balance 
in  the  treasury  of  $891.60. 

The  Dearborn  County  Agricultural  Society  was  organized  April  10, 
1852.  The  first  officers  were  Seth  Piatt,  president;  Gersham  Dunn  and 
John  D.  Johnson,  vice-presidents,  and  Francis  Worley,  secretary.  The 
first  annual  fair  was  held  at  Manchester,  October  27,  28,  and  29,  1852. 
In  that  year  the  society  numbered  125  members.  The  receipts  and  ex- 
penditures of  the  society  the  first  year  were  as  follows: 

From  fees  of  members •. $117.00 

"      county 60.00 

"      premium  donated 13.00 

"      proceeds  of  fair 71.75 

$261.75 

Paid  amount  of  premiums $83.00 

"    printing 8.00 

"    contingent  expenses  of  fair 11.45 

"    books  and  stationery 11.08 

$113.53 

Balance  in  treasury $148.22 

In  1856,  the  Dearborn  County  Fairs  began  to  be  held  at  Aurora. 
The  society  had  there  enclosed  nine  acres  of  ground  leased  for  five  years. 
In  1858  the  society  had  600  members. 

The  Southeastern  Indiana  Agricultural  Society  was  organized  as  a 
stock  company  in  1869,  and  was  a  reorganization  of  the  Aurora   society. 


144  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

March  4,  1869,  the  Dearborn  County  Agricultural  Society  met  and 
resolved  to  abandon  their  organization,  and  to  organize  a  new  society 
under  the  laws  of  Indiana  to  be  known  as  the  Southeastern  Indiana  Agri- 
cultural, Horticultural  and  Mechanical  Association.  The  first  fair  of  the 
new  organization  was  held  September  7,  8,  9,  10  and  11,  1869.  The 
receipts  were  $2,210.10;  the  amount  paid  for  premiums  was  |1,656,  and 
$557  were  expended  on  the  grounds.  The  fair  ground  is  located  one- 
half  mile  northwest  of  Aurora  in  a  beautiful  grove  of  maple-trees.  The 
ground  is  held  in  trust  by  the  city  for  the  use  of  the  society;  the  im- 
provements are  owned  by  the  society. 

The  Lawrenceburgh  Agricultural  Association  held  its  first  fair  in 
1879.  The  association  has  splendid  fair  grounds,  with  a  half-mile  track, 
and  a  covered  stand  with  a  seating  capacity  of  2,500.  The  grounds  are 
beautifully  situated,  and  the  appointments  complete.  The  city  has  been 
liberal  to  the  society  in  donations.  The  secretary,  in  his  report  for 
1882,  said:  "The  past  has  been  very  unlucky  in  some  respects.  Fire 
has  twice  destroyed  forty-eight  box  stalls  and  a  barn.  The  first  time  the 
loss  was  $1,800,  but  the  second  time,  luckily,  we  were  insured  for  $1,200, 
about  two-thirds  of  the  damage  sustained.  In  the  winter  of  1882  the 
Miami  and  Ohio  Rivers  broke  over  their  banks,  and  went  rushing  through 
the  fair  grounds  at  a  lively  rate,  carying  desolation  in  their  wake,  and 
playing  sad  havoc  with  the  grounds  generally.  The  association  was 
damaged  fully  $1,000  by  this  catastrophe.  Notwithstanding  these  dis- 
couragements, the  directors  went  to  work,  built  new  box  stalls  and  barn, 
a  large  and  fine  art  hall  costing  $2,000,  and  made  other  improvements. 
The  success  of  the  fair  of  1882  was  phenomenal.  It  rained  every  day 
during  the  fair,  and  by  looking  at  the  gate  receipts  you  find  that  the  at- 
tendance was  astonishingly  large." 


THE  LEGAL   PROFESSION.  145 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  LEGAL  PROFESSION. 

The  Legal  Business  of  the  Pioneers— The  Practice  of  Law  in  the 
Territorial  Courts— The  Lawyers  and  practice  in  the  Early 
State  Courts— The  Pioneer  Lawyers  of  Dearborn  County  — 
Sketches  of  Some  Deceased  Members  of  the  Bar. 

IT  is  probable  that  the  legal  business  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  south 
east  Indiana  was  transacted  at  Cincinnati,  which  was  the  most  im-' 
portant  town  northwest  of  the  Ohio.  The  first  courts  in  Indiana  were 
held  at  Vincennes,  and  that  place  was  the  first  seat  of  justice  of  the  re- 
gion comprising  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties,  but  its  distance,  and  the 
fact  that  at  that  time  there  had  been  no  sales  of  land  by  the  United 
States,  make  it  doubtful  if  any  legal  business  for  this  region  was  trans- 
acted at  that  ancient  town.  Cincinnati  was  accessible;  was  the  seat  of 
justice  for  this  region  from  1798  to  1802,  and  the  United  States  land 
office  was  located  there.  In  1796,  when  the  first  settlements  were  com- 
menced in  Dearborn  County,  there  were  nine  practicing  attorneys  in  the 
little  village  of  Cincinnati,  all  of  whom,  except  two,  says  Judge  Burnet, 
became  confirmed  drunkards,  and  descended  to  premature  graves.  The 
same  writer  says  of  the  early  lawyers  and  the  practice  of  law  in  the  ter- 
ritory northwest  of  the  Ohio: 

"It  was  always  my  opinion  that  there  was  a  fair  proportion  of  genius 
and  talent  among  the  early  members  of  the  bar.  Some  of  them,  it  is 
true,  were  uneducated,  and  had  to  acquire  their  legal  knowledge  after 
they  assumed  the  profession.  These  were  not  numerous,  but  were  noisy 
and  officious,  and,  for  some  time,  were  able  to  procure  a  considerable 
amount  of  practice.  This  may  be  accounted  for,  in  part,  by  the  fact 
that  the  docket  contained  a  large  number  of  actions  for  slander  and  as- 
sault and  battery,  and  indictments  for  larceny,  libels  and  the  like,  which 
generally  originated  among  the  followers  of  the  army,  who  were  numer- 
ous, consisting  of  pack-horsemen,  bullock-drivers,  boatmen  and  artificers, 
who  were  not  always  very  discriminating  in  the  selection  of  counsel. 

"In  1796  our  circuit  was  a  very  extended  one,  though  it  included  but 
three  counties — Washington,  Hamilton  and  Wayne.  Nevertheless,  in  De- 
cember, 1799  Mr.  St.  Clair  and  myself  attended  the  court  at  Vincennes, 
in  the  county  of  Knox,  with  a  view  of  engaging  in  the  practice.      But 


146  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  distance,  connected  with  the  fact  that  the  docket  did  not  present  a 
prospect  of  much  lucrative  business,  induced  us  to  abandon  the  project. 

"When  it  is  recollected  that  the  country  at  that  time,  and  for  some 
years  thereafter,  was  destitute  of  roads,  bridges  and  ferries,  and  even  of 
white  inhabitants,  after  traveling  thirty  or  forty  miles  from  the  county 
towns,  it  might  naturally  be  concluded  that  our  journeys  through  the 
wilderness,  from  court  to  court,  were  irksome  and  unpleasant.  Such, 
however,  was  not  the  fact.  We  took  care  to  provide  comfortable  stores, 
which  we  were  enabled  to  transport  on  our  horses,  with  the  aid  of  a 
pack-horse,  and  our  minds  were  made  up  to  endure  anything  that  might 
occur.  The  want  of  bridges  and  ferries  rendered  the  art  of  swimming 
an  indispensable  qualification  of  a  good  hackney.  No  man  purchased  a 
horse  for  the  saddle  without  being  first  assured  that  he  was  a  safe  swim- 
mer, and  when  mounted  on  such  a  steed  he  felt  himself  secure.  Gener- 
ally, our  parties  consisted  of  four  or  five,  and  were,  in  reality,  more  like 
excursions  for  amusement  than  journeys  of  fatigue  and  distress." 

Oliver  H.  Smith,  in  speaking  of  the  lawyers  of  early  Indiana,  says:  "Our 
lawyers  were  what  the  world  calls  self  made  men,  meaning  men  who  have 
not  had  the  advantages  of  rich  fathers  and  early  education,  to  whom  the 
higher  seminaries  and  colleges  were  sealed  books;  men  gifted  by  nature 
with  strong,  vigorous,  clear  intellects,  fine  health  and  sound  constitutions; 
men  who,  like  the  newly  hatched  swan,  were  directed  by  nature  to  their 
proper  elements,  their  proper  professions.  Few  of  them  failed  of  success. 
Necessity  urged  to  action.  With  most  of  them  it  was  'root  or  die.'  In 
ninety-nine  cases  out  of  every  hundred  of  the  failures  in  the  dif- 
ferent professions  and  avocations  in  life,  charged  by  the  world  to  '  bad 
luck,'  it  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  selection  of  a  profession, 
avocation  or  business  that  nature  never  intended  you  for.  The  smallest 
teal  or  duck,  that  swims  on  the  bosom  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  would  sink 
and  drown,  in  that  element,  the  best  blooded  and  finest  game-cock  that 
ever  old  Virginia  produced  in  her  most  chivalric  days;  while  in  the  cock- 
pit the  teal  or  duck  would  be  nowhere  in  the  fight. 

"Our  counties  furnished  too  little  business  for  the  resident  attorneys; 
we  all  looked  to  a  circuit  practice.  Some  rode  the  whole  circuit,  and 
others  over  but  few  counties.  We  sometimes  had  a  little  sparring  in  our 
cases  in  trials,  but  it  ended  there,  and  we  stood  banded  together  like 
brothers.  At  the  Rush  Circuit  Court  my  friend  Judge  Perry  bargained 
for  a  pony  for  $25,  to  be  delivered  the  next  day,  on  a  credit  of  six  months. 
The  man  came  with  the  pony,  but  required  security  of  the  Judge  for  the 
$25.  The  Judge  drew  the  note  at  the  top  of  a  sheet  of  foolscap  and 
signed  it.  I  signed  it;  James  Rariden  signed  and  passed  it  on,  and  on 
it  went  from  lawyer  to  lawyer  around  the  bar,  till  some  twenty  of  us  had 


THE  LEGAL   PROFESSION.  147 

signed  it.  I  then  handed  it  up  to  the  court,  and  the  three  judges  put 
their  names  to  it.  Judge  Perry  presented  it  to  the  man  he  had  bought 
the  pony  of,  but  he  promptly  refused  to  receive  it.  'Do  you  think  I  am 
a  fool,  to  let  you  get  the  court  and  all  the  lawyers  on  your  side  ?  I  see 
you  intend  to  cheat  me  out  of  my  pony.'  Up  he  jumped  and  ran  out  of 
the  court  house  on  full  gallop. 

"  The  great  variety  of  trials  and  incidents  on  the  circuit  gave  to  the 
life  of  a  traveling  attorney  an  interest  that  we  all  relished  exceedingly. 
There  was  none  of  the  Green  Bay  City  monotony,  no  dyspepsia,  no  gout, 
no  ennui,  rheumatism  or  neuralgia;  consumption  was  a  stranger  among 
us.  An  occasional  jump  of  the  ^toothache,  relieved  by  the  turnkey  of 
the  first  doctor  we  came  to,  was  the  worst.  All  was  fun,  good  humor, 
fine  jokes  well  received,  good  appetites  and  sound  sleeping,  cheerful 
landlords  and  good-natured  landladies  at  the  head  of  the  table.  We 
rode  first-class  hoi'ses:  Gen.  Noble  on  'Wrangler,'  for  which  he  gave 
$60;  Drew  on  '  Drew  Gray,'  cost  $70;  Caswell  on  'Blue  Dick,'  cost  $65; 
Rariden  on  'Old  Gray,'  cost  $80;  John  Test  on  'Bay  Filly,'  cost  $50; 
Gen.  McKinney  on  'McKinney  Roan,'  cost  $45;  David  Wallace  on 
'Ball,'  cost  $40;  Amos  Lane  on  '  Big  Sorrel,'  cost  $60;  Judge  Eggleston 
on  'Indian  pony,'  cost  $35;  George  H.  Dunn  on  'Dancing  Rabbit,'  cost 
$40;  James  B.  Ray  on  'Red  Jacket,'  cost  $60;  Martin  M.  Ray  on 
'John,'  cost  $35;  William  R.  Morrison  'Jacob,'  cost  $50;  Charles  H. 
Test  on  'Archie,'  cost  $40;  John  S.  Newman  on  'Clay  Bank,'  cost  $60; 
and  I  rode  'Grey  Fox,'  that  cost  me  $90.  These  were  the  highest  prices 
at  that  day  for  the  very  best  traveling  horses  in  the  country.  They  were 
trained  to  the  cross-pole  mud  roads,  and  to  swimming. 

"  Our  attorneys  were  ready,  off-hand  practitioners,  seldom  at  fault  for 
the  occasion.  Sometimes  we  had  to  meet  attorneys  from  other  States, 
who  would  tire  the  Latin  and  technical  terms  with  a  triumphant  air,  but 
in  most  cases  they  were  foiled  by  the  quick  retorts  of  our  bar." 

The  following  named  persons  were  members  of  the  bar  of  Dearborn 
County  and  practiced  before  the  courts  of  the  county  prior  to  1820: 
James  Dill,  J.  B.  Thomas,  Thomas  Wardell,  John  Lawrence,  Elijah 
Sparks,  Amos  Lane,  Jesse  L.  Holman,  James  Noble,  Stephen  C. 
Stevens,  William  Hendricks,  Daniel  J.  Caswell,  Moses  Hitchcock. 

Subsequent  to  1820  appear  the  names  of  John  Test,  Sr.,  George  H. 
Dunn,  Edwin  Pratt,  Ezekiel  Walker,  Arthur  St.  Clair  Vance,  Philip  L. 
Spooner,  Horace  Bassett,  Henry  Cunlifife,  D.  S.  Major,  James  T.  Brown, 
Theodore  and  Carter  Gazlay. 

The  following  list  of  the  members  of  the  bar  of  Dearborn  County  in 
1871  was  prepared  by  W.  W.  Tilley  in  an  historical  address  deposited 
in   the  corner-stone  of  the  court  house:     Daniel   S.  Major,  William  S. 


148  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Holman,  -John  D.  Haynes,  John  Schwartz,  John  K.  Thompson,  William 
Wirt  Tilley,  George  B.  Fitch,  Noah  S.  Givan,  Francis  Adkinson,  Will- 
iam H.  Bainbridge,  Omar  F.  Roberts,  George  W.  Roberts,  E.  W.  Adkin- 
son, Hamilton  Conaway,  William  H.  Mathews,  Isaac  M.  Dunn,  Charles 
S.  Dunn,  Hugh  D.  McMullen,  O.  B.  Liddell,  Richard  Gregg  and  George 
R.  Brumblay. 

When  the  first  term  of  court  in  Ohio  County  convened  on  the  second 
Monday  of  December,  1844,  the  resident  bar  of  that  county  consisted  of 
one  member  only,  Asaph  Buck,  who  soon  after  removed  to  Wilmington 
in  Dearborn  County.  On  the  second  day  of  the  term,  Daniel  Kelso, 
James  Brown,  Theodore  Gazley,  Daniel  S.  Major,  A.  C.  Downey,  J.  S. 
Jelley  and  P.  L.  Spooner  were  admitted  as  attorneys  of  the  court.  Of 
these  Hon.  A.  C.  Downey  and  James  S.  Jelley,  located  in  Rising  Sun, 
where  they  continued  to  reside.  A.  C.  Downey  became  circuit  judge  in 
1850  and  filled  that  office  until  1858,  and  in  1870  was  elected  to  the 
supreme  bench.  In  1846  Samuel  Dibble  and  John  W.  Spencer  were  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  located  in  Rising  Sun;  the  former  died  soon  after 
and  the  latter  continued  in  the  practice  until  his  death  in  1859.  Henry 
A.  Downey  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1849  and  practiced  at  Rising  Sun 
until  1858,  when  he  removed  to  Vevay.  John  J.  Hayden  was  admitted 
in  1850,  and,  in  1858,  was  elected  common  pleas  judge,  which  office  he 
resigned  in  1860  and  moved  to  Indiaaapolis. 

GEN.  JAMES  DILL,  an  Irish  barrister,  who  immigrated  to  America 
and  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  He  was  the  friend  and  associate 
of  Gen.  Harrison  and  Gen.  St.  Clair,  and  married  the  daughter  of  the 
latter.  Senator  Oliver  H.  Smith,  who  studied  law  with  him,  thus  de- 
scribes his  preceptor:  "He  was  frank  and  open  in  his  intercourse  with 
others,  about  the  common  height,  wore  a  long  cue,  dressed  with  taste, 
features  good,  eyelids  heavy,  hair  thrown  back  in  front."  Judge  Will- 
iam S.  Holman  says:  "Gen.  James  Dill  is  a  grand  character  in  the 
history  of  Dearborn  County.  He  was  the  last  of  our  gentlemen  of  the 
old  school.  Forty  years  ago  the  spirit  of  Westminster  pervaded  our 
jurisprudence.  It  appeared  even  in  our  forms  of  procedure.  There  was 
infinitely  more  of  the  pomp  and  show  of  judicial  authority  then  than 
now.  When  Gen.  Dill  appeared  in  court,  it  was  in  the  full  costume  of 
the  gentlemen  of  the  last  century — his  knee  breeches  and  silver  buckles 
and  venerable  cue  neatly  plaited  and  flowing  over  his  shoulders, 
seemed  a  mild  protest  against  the  leveling  tendencies  of  the  age;  but 
nothing  could  impair  the  hold  which  the  gallant  soldier  and  courtly  and 
witty  Irishman  had  on  the  friendship  of  the  people  of  this  county.  He 
remained  clerk  for  many  years,  and  until  his  death."  Gen.  Dill  was  a 
member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature,  and  served  as  speaker  of  the  House 


THE  LEGAL  PROFESSION.  149 

in  that  body.  He  was  a  member  of  the  convention  which  formed  the 
first  constitution  of  Indiana,  and  was  chairman  of  the  committees  on 
impeachments  and  the  militia. 

JESSE  B.  THOMAS,  one  of  the  first  lawyers  of  Dearborn  County,  was 
born  in  Hagerstown,  Md.,  in  the  year  1777,  and  came  west  in  1799,  and 
studied  law  with  his  brother,  Richard  Symmes  Thomas,  of  Bracken 
County,  Ky.  On  the  organization  of  Dearborn  County,  Indiana 
Territory,  March  7,  1803,  he  located  in  Lawrenceburgh  as  a  practicing 
lawyer.  The  first  election  of  members  to  the  Territorial  Legislature,  was 
held  January  3,  1805.  Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  elected  a  member  for 
Dearborn  County,  and  served  in  that  body  as  speaker  of  the  House,  Ben- 
jamin Chambers,  of  the  same  county,  being  president  of  the  council. 
Mr.  Thomas  served  as  speaker  of  House  at  the  first  and  second  session  of 
the  Territorial  Legislature,  when  he  was  elected  a  delegate  from  the 
Territory  to  Congress.  On  the  organization  of  Illinois  Territory,  he  was 
appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States  one  of  the  judges  of 
that  Territory,  and  removed  to  Kaskaskia;  thence  to  Cahokia  and  thence 
to  Edwardsville.  On  the  formation  of  a  constitution  and  State  govern- 
ment of  Illinois  in  1818,  he  was  a  delegate  to,  and  president  of,  the 
convention  that  formed  the  constitution  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Thomas  was 
elected  by  the  first  State  Legislature  as  United  States  Senator,  and  served 
in  that  body  ten  years.  He  then  removed  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  where 
he  died  in  1853. 

JUDGE  ELIJAH  SPARKS  was  born  in  Queen  Anne  County,  Va., 
about  1770.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  or  twenty  he  became  a  professor  of  re- 
ligion and,  in  1792,  he  engaged  as  a  traveling  preacher.  After  one  or  two 
changes  he  went  to  Kentucky  and  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and,  in 
the  fall  of  1800,  commenced  practice  in  Campbell  County,  Ky.  He  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Bank  Lick  (now  Covington)  in  the  same  State,  and, 
in  the  spring  of  1806,  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  at  which  time  John 
Weaver,  at  one  time  sheriff  of  Dearborn  County  and  a  brother  to  Mrs. 
Sparks,  was  then  a  United  States  oflScer,  and  with  a  small  command  occu- 
pied one  of  the  block-houses  in  what  is  now  Dearborn  County.  On  the 
16th  of  January,  1814,  Mr.  Sparks  was  made  one  of  the  Territorial 
judges  of  Dearborn  County,  which  office  he  filled  until  his  death  in  May, 
1815,  presiding  with  great  credit.  The  Rev.  Allen  Wiley  alludes  to  him 
as  "one  of  the  prominent  instruments  of  the  planting,  spread,  and  sym- 
metry of  Methodism  in  this  part  of  Indiana." 

HORACE  BASSETT  was  born  in  Mansfield,  Conn.,  January  18,1782; 
in  early  life  he  immigrated  to  Vermont;  he  there  studied  law  with  Col. 
Mattox,  and  followed  his  profession  successfully — for  some  time  filling 
the  office  of  State's  attorney.     He  removed  to  Indiana  in   1820,  and  set- 


150  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

tied  at  Aurora.  In  1822  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  which  met  at 
Corydon,  and  continued  to  represent  the  district  in  which  he  lived  for 
six  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Legislature  that  assembled  at 
Indianapolis.  It  was  through  his  instrumentality,  in  about  the  year 
1822,  that  the  township  system  was  adopted  as  a  system  local  to  Dear- 
born County.  Twenty  years  later,  when,  by  the  adoption  of  the  new 
■constitution  of  the  State,  legislation  concerning  townships,  county 
business  was  required  to  be  uniform,  impressed  with  the  value  of 
the  system,  William  S.  Holman,  another  member  from  Dearborn  County 
in  the  State  Legislature,  introduced  the  bill  extending  the  system  to  all 
the  counties  of  the  State.  This  bill  passed,  and  the  township  system, 
although  since  greatly  modified,  became  the  permanent  policy  of  Indiana. 
In  1832  he  was  one  of  the  commissioners  who  removed  the  Indians  from 
tbis  State  to  the  far  West,  beyond  the  Mississippi.  Two  years  afterward 
he  was  appointed  by  Judge  Holman  clerk  of  the  United  States  Circuit 
and  District  Courts,  which  office  he  held  till  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
became  a  resident  of  Indianapolis  in  1840,  and  died  in  that  city  Decem- 
ber 18,  1860.  Mr.  Bassett  was  universally  respected  and  loved  by  those 
who  knew  him.  His  natural  intelligence,  united  with  extensive  reading, 
in  which  much  of  his  time  was  spent,  rendered  him  a  favorite  compan- 
ion in  the  social  circle.  At  his  death  the  committee  appointed  to  draft 
and  adopt  resolutions  expressive  of  the  feelings  of  the  membei's  of  the  bar 
and  officers  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court  said:  "Inasmuch  as  it  has 
pleased  our  Heavenly  Father  to  call  to  Himself  our  friend  and  brother, 
Horace  Bassett,  Esq.,  who  for  so  many  years  past  has  been  clerk  of  the 
Circuit  Court  of  the  United  States,  we  his  friends  and  associates  have 
met  to  pay  our  tribute  of  respect  to  and  veneration  for  his  memory.  It 
is  not  so  much  his  long  and  useful  life  as  a  lawyer,  a  legislator  and  an 
officer  of  court,  as  his  high  merits  as  a  man  and  Christian,  which  we  de- 
sire to  commemorate."     *     *     * 

AMOS  LANE,  born  March  1,  1778,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  at 
the  time  he  left  that  State  for  the  West,  resided  at  Aurora,  not  far  from 
New  York  City.  Arriving  at  Cincinnati  he  halted  there  a  few  months, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1808  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.  Mr.  Lane 
being  a  lawyer  by  profession  sought  admission  to  the  bar,  but  was  refused 
license  for  the  sole  reason,  as  he  frequently  declared,  that  he  was  an 
ardent  friend  of  Thomas  Jefi"erson.  This  was  in  the  summer  of  1808, 
and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  crossed  the  Ohio  River  with  his  family 
and  located  on  Judge  Piatt's  fariu.  Not  satisfied  with  his  location,  he 
constructed  a  huge  canoe,  and  loading  his  few  household  goods  and 
family  into  it,  he  floated  down  the  Ohio  River  to  Carrollton,  Ky., 
but  he  was  so  much  dissatisfied,  with  the  first  sight  he  had  of  the  town, 


THE  LEGAL  PROFESSION.  151 

that  he  returned  to  Boone  County,  and  located  directly  opposite 
Lawrenceburgh  on  the  bank  of  the  river  at  a  place  than  called  Tousey- 
town.  Here  he  remained  for  two  years,  turning  his  hand  to  anything 
that  would  enable  him  to  make  bread  for  his  family.  In  1811  he  located 
in  Burlington  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Kentucky.  In  1814  he 
returned  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  had  then  no  trouble  in  being  admitted 
to  th^  bar  of  Indiana.  He  soon  gained  a  high  place  in  his  profession, 
especially  as  a  criminal  lawyer.  He  distinguished  himself  in  the  case  of 
the  State  vs.  Amasa  Fuller,  indicted  for  murder,  appearing  as 
counsel  for  the  prosecution.  In  1816  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
first  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Indiana  and  was  chosen  speaker.  He 
was  re  elected  in  1817,  and  was  again  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in 
1839.  At  this  time  he  was  a  leadings  pirit  in  southern  Indiana.  In 
1833  he  was  elected  to  Congress  over'  John  Test,  an  able  and  popular 
Whig.  He  was  re-elected  in  1835,  defeating  Judge  George  H.  Dunn. 
In  Congress  Mr.  Lane  was  an  ardent  champion  of  Gen.  Jackson,  and 
won  the  title  of  "  The  "Wheel  Horse,"  so  ardently  and  zealously  did  he 
defend  the  hero  of  the  Hermitage.  As  a  popular  orator  Amos  Lane  had 
but  few,  if  any,  equals  in  the  West — Corwin  and  Clay  only  excepted.  He 
was  fully  six  feet  high,  of  erect  and  commanding  stature,  and  possessed  a 
voice  of  remarkable  force  and  power,  deep  and  full,  over  which  he  had 
complete  control.  His  language  was  ready  and  fluent,  and  being  master  of 
invective  in  a  marked  degree,  woe  unto  the  man  who  incurred  his  dis- 
pleasure. He  had  full  blue  eyes,  which  were  very  expressive  under 
all  circumstances,  but  when  he  was  aroused  by  feelings  of  emotion 
they  were  positively  piercing.  Frequently  he  would  close  his  teeth 
together,  and  talk  through  them  with  a  hissing  sound  that  would  almost 
make  one's  flesh  crawl.  Instantly  changing  his  manner,  his  voice  would 
become  soft  and  mellow,  coupled  with  the  most  touching  tones,  that 
would  draw  teai's  from  many  of  his  hearers.  Amos  Lane  was  abstemious 
in  his  habits,  so  far  as  the  use  of  alcoholic  liquors  were  concerned.  He 
was  never  known  to  be  intoxicated,  and  men  who  were  intimate  with 
him  say  he  did  not  drink  liquor  at  all.  Smoking  and  chewing  tobacco 
he  detested  all  through  his  life,  as  two  tine  rows  of  white  teeth  afiorded 
proof.  He  was  equally  abstemious  in  the  use  of  objectionable  language, 
never  indulging  in  either  profanity  or  vulgarity.  As  a  lawyer,  without 
being  the  most  learned  or  profound,  he  achieved  remarkable  success. 
Judge  W.  S.  Holman  said  of  him,  "He  was  a  man  of  strong  will;  at 
the  forum  or  on  the  stump,  he  neither  asked  nor  gave  quarter,  but  he 
commanded  an  eloquence  that  could  raise  a  hurricane  or  melt  his 
audience  to  tears."  He  died  September  2,  1849,  aged  seventy-one  years, 
and  was  buried  at  Lawrenceburgh. 


152  HISTORY  OF  DEAHBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

JUDGE  JESSE  L.  HOLMAN  was  born  at  Danville,  Ky. ,  October  24, 
1784.  During  his  infancy  his  father  was  killed  while  seeking  to  relieve 
a  block-house  beleaguered  by  hostile  Indians.  "With  few  opportunities 
for  instruction,  Jesse  L.,  by  persistent  efforts  obtained  an  English 
education,  and  in  later  life  became  accomplished  in  the  higher  mathe 
matics  and  in  general  literature.  Before  he  attained  his  majority,  under 
the  encouragement  of  Henry  Clay,  he  published  a  novel  in  two  volumes, 
entitled  "The  Errors  of  Education,"  which  obtained  a  large  circulation 
for  that  period.  He  studied  law  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  the  office  of 
Henry  Clay,  and  when  scarcely  of  age  commenced  its  practice  at  Port 
William,  now  Carrollton,  Ky.,  where  he  married  Elizabeth  Masterson, 
an  estimable  lady  of  superior  accomplishments.  In  1810  he  removed  to 
Indiana  Territory  and  built  a  cabin  on  the  range  of  hills  that  rise 
abruptly  from  the  Ohio  Kiver  south  of  Aurora,  and  to  this  new  home, 
which  he  called  "Veraestan,"  he  removed  his  family  in  the  same  year. 
They  brought  with  them  and  emancipated  a  large  family  of  slaves  which 
had  descended  to  Mrs.  Holman  from  her  father.  Here  he  cleared  his 
farm,  and  the  embellishment  of  his  beautiful  rural  home  was  to  him  a 
labor  of  love.  From  the  time  he  settled  in  Indiana  Territory  until  his 
death,  his  life  was  almost  uninterruptedly  devoted  to  the  public  service. 
In  1811  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Harrison,  prosecuting  attorney  of 
Dearborn  County.  In  1814  he  represented  that  county  in  the  Territorial 
Lecrislature  and  was  president  of  the  Legislative  Council,  and  in  the  same 
year  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Posey,  judge  of  the  Second  Judicial  Cir- 
cuit of  the  Territory.  In  1816,  on  the  admission  of  Indiana  into  the 
Union,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  three  supreme  judges  of  Indiana 
by  Gov.  Jennings,  and  remained  on  the  supreme  bench  fourteen  years. 
In  1831  he  was  defeated  in  the  Legislature  for  United  States  Senator  by 
only  one  vote,  although  the  Legislature  was,  politically,  strongly  against 
him.  In  1832  he  was  elected  superintendent  of  common  schools  of 
Dearborn  County.  In  1834  he  was  appointed  by  President  Jackson, 
United  States  Judge  for  the  District  of  Indiana,  and  held  that  office  un- 
til his  death,  March  28,  1842.  Justice  John  McLean  said  of  Judge 
Holman:  "Of  his  legal  research  and  acumen  he  has  left  enduring 
evidence,  but  what  most  excited  my  admiration  was  his  singleness  of 
purpose;  he  had  no  motive  but  to  discharge  his  public  duty  uprightly." 
Judge  Holman  was  a  Baptist  preacher,  and  for  years  was  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  Church  at  Aurora,  preaching  regularly  when  not  away  on  public 
duty.  He  organized  a  Union  Sunday-school,  believed  to  be  the  first  in 
the  State,  and  was  its  superintendent  up  to  his  death.  He  laid  out  the 
city  of  Aurora  and  was  active  in  the  establishment  of  Indiana  College, 
and  was  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  devoted  friends  of  Franklin  Col- 


THE  LEGAL   PROFESSION.  153 

lege.  No  man,  in  the  early  history  of  Indiana,  was  more  highly  respect- 
ed and  beloved  than  Jiidge  Jesse  L.  Holman.  One  who  knew  him  well, 
says:  "AVe  have  often  been  amused  when  traveling  through  the  coun- 
try, to  hear  honest-minded  farmers  speak  of  Judge  Holman,  and  with 
what  lively  recollections  they  would  refer  to  his  visits,  giving  day  and 
date;  and  often  have  we  heard  the  remark  that  this  (referring  to  some 
accident  or  occurrence)  took  place  the  fall  after  Judge  Holman  was  here, 
or  that  that  happened  a  year  or  two  years  after  Judge  Holman  visited  us 
and  stopped  over  night — making  his  visits  an  era  or  important  period  in 
the  history  of  the  family." 

JAMES  T.  BROWN  was  born  in  Mercer  County,  Ky.,  in  1795,  of  a 
Maryland  family.  He  came  bo  Indiana  Territory  with  his  father's 
family  about  1814,  and  grew  to  manhood  near  Madison,  receiving  the 
best  educational  advantages  then  ofifered.  AUer  being  admitted  to  the 
bar  he  practiced  in  Decatur  County,  and  soon  took  a  leading  position 
at  the  bar  of  southeastern  Indiana.  About  1838  he  came  to  Wilming- 
ton, and  practiced  with  success  in  Dearborn  County  until  his  death.  He 
was  a  man  of  extraordinary  intellectual  endowments  and  a  fine  lawyer, 
with  keen  wit,  inexhaustible  humor  and  great  vigor  and  terseness  of  ex- 
pression. There  are  those  yet  living  who  knew  him  well,  and  are  well 
qualified  to  give  a  just  estimate  of  his  abilities  and  learning,  who  do  not 
hesitate  to  rank  James  T.  Brown  as  a  great  lawyer  and  without  a  super- 
ior in  the  bar  of  his  time  in  the  State  of  Indiana.  He  was  a  very- 
eccentric  man  and  had  little  regard  for  the  customs  of  polished  society. 
A  fellow  member  of  the  bar  said  of  him  soon  after  his  death:  "He 
came  to  Dearborn  County  thirty  years  ago,  with  a  piercing  black  eye, 
a  great  bald  head,  an  old  coat,  and  no  «linen  exposed  to  view;  and  so  he 
remained  to  the  last;  yet  he  would  have  been  a  very  bold  or  a  very  reck- 
less man  who  would  have  dared  to  joke  the  old  gentleman  on  his  antique 
garments  or  his  contempt  for  ordinary  fashions."  He  never  married. 
He  died  at  Lawrenceburgh  in  1867. 

GEORGE  H.  DUNN  was  a  native  of  the  city  of  New  York  and  came 
to  Dearborn  County  about  1817,  an  active  young  man  of  pleasant  manners 
and  good  appearance.  He  possessed  the  qualities  which  enabled  him  to 
secure  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people.  As  a  lawyer  he  was 
faithful  to  his  clients;  his  pleadings  were  exact;  his  language  chaste, 
and  his  manner  in  argument  kindly  and  conciliating,  but  his  well- 
rounded  sentences  were  less  effective  before  a  jury  of  plain  men  than 
the  sledge-hammer  manners  of  some  of  his  opponents,  yet  he  was  a 
lawyer  of  influence  and  few  men  had  sti'onger  and  more  lasting  friends. 
He  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1828,  1832  and  1833;  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from    1837  to  1839    and    State  treasurer   from   1841   to 


154  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1844.  He  and  Gov.  Bigger  revised  the  code  of  Indiana,  and  at  a  later 
period  he  served  as  judge  of  the  circuit  court.  While  he  was  in  the 
Legislature  the  charter  of  the  State  bank  and  its  branches  and  of  the 
railroad  from  Indianapolis  to  Lawrenceburgh  were  passed,  both  of  which 
were  principally  the  work  of  Mr.  Dunn.  July  4,  1833,  the  com- 
pletion of  the  first  mile  of  railroad  in  Indiana  was  celebrated  at  Shelby- 
ville  by  thousands  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  and  George  H.  Dunn  was 
the  hero  of  the  day.  Though  disappointment  followed  disappointment 
he  never  gave  up  the  enterprise  of  a  railroad  from  Lawrenceburgh  to 
the  State  capital.  To  his  untiring  zeal  under  every  possible  discourage- 
ment is  to  be  attributed  the  final  success  of  that  road.  To  him  alone 
belongs  the  credit  of  projecting  and  carrying  on  to  final  completion  that 
great  enterprise,  which  he  did  not  see  fully  accomplished  until  his  locks 
were  silvered  with  the  labors  of  many  years.  On  the  monument  over 
his  grave  is  appropriately  placed  the  representation  of  a  railroad  train. 
He  died  at  Lawrenceburgh,  January  12,  1854,  aged  fifty-seven  years. 

DANIEL  S.  MAJOR  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  near  Harrison, 
September  6,  1808.  His  father,  Judge  William  Major,  was  one  of  the 
earliest  pioneers  of  the  West.  At  that  early  period  in  the  valley  of  the 
Ohio,  facilities  for  education  were  limited.  But  the  youth,  inspired 
by  a  manly  and  just  ambition  and  thirsting  for  knowledge,  will  sel- 
dom fail.  The  plough-boy  snatching  the  elements  of  learning  from  the 
school  books,  while  the  horse  rested  at  the  end  of  the  furrow,  or  spelling 
out,  with  unwearied  patience,  the  rudiments  by  the  blaze  of  the  hickory 
bark  on  the  winter  fire,  is  a  familiar  picture  to  the  land  blessed  with 
liberty. 

At  an  early  age  young  Major  entered  the  Miami  University  at  Oxford, 
Ohio.  A  vigilant  student,  displaying  in  early  life  the  patient  industry 
which  gave  so  marked  a  character  to  his  long  professional  career,  he 
graduated  with  the  full  honors  of  that  university  in  September,  1831, 
and  in  the  same  month,  buoyant  with  youth  and  hope,  he  entered  the 
clerk's  office  of  Dearborn  County,  as  a  deputy  clerk  and  student  of  law 
with  Gen.  Dill. 

He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  September  24,  1832.  In  a  few  years  he 
reached  the  front  rank  of  his  profession;  and  as  early  as  the  year  1842, 
in  commercial  law,  the  branch  of  jurisprudence  to  which  he  especially 
devoted  his  attention,  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar.  At  this  early  day 
his  practice  extended  into  the  supreme  and  federal  courts  of  the  State; 
and  for  thirty  years  he  has  been  in  every  leading  case  tried  in  the  courts 
of  this  county. 

In  his  long  professional  life  Mr.  Major  was  a  model  of  patient  indus- 
try.    In    term   time    a    case  was  seldom  called,  where  he  appeared  for 


THE  LEGAL  PROFESSION.  155 

either  the  prosecution  or  defense,  without   finding   him    fully  prepared 
upon  the  law  and  the  facts. 

Mr.  Major  had  the  bearing  of  a  gentleman  trained  in  the  universi- 
ties. He  was  scrupulously  precise  and  formal  in  his  personal  bearing 
and  address,  dignified,  yet  courteous  and  aflfable;  his  mind  singularly 
well  balanced,  and  capable  of  long  and  intense  application — displaying 
more  strength  than  activity.  He  could  not  jump  at  conclusions,  or 
seize  them  intuitively,  but  reached  them  by  patient  and  persistent  mental 
effort.  He  would  not  be  hurried  in  the  conduct  of  a  cause,  but  brought 
out  patiently  and  persistently  every  fact;  and  pressed  every  consideration 
upon  the  court  or  jury  that  justice  to  his  client  required. 

As  an  advocate  Mr.  Major  was  strong,  clear  and  logical;  not  eloquent 
in  the  usual  sense  of  the  term,  seldom  embellishing  with  ornament  his 
speeches  to  court  or  jury;  but  generally  content  with  a  clean  and  forci- 
ble presentation  of  his  case.  His  utterance  was  clear  and  distinct.  He 
spoke  with  coolness  and  determination;  yet,  when  the  occasion  required, 
he  displayed  some  of  the  highest  powers  of  the  advocate. 

In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  and  afterward  a  Republican.  In  private 
life  he  was  a  man  of  spotless  reputation.  He  was  a  Christian  gentleman 
and  an  earnest  supporter  'of  the  benevolent  and  educational  enterprises 
of  his  age.  He  died  at  his  home  near  Lawrenceburgh,  on  a  beautiful 
spot  overlooking  the  Ohio,  just  forty  years  after  his  admission  to  the 
bar,  September  23,  1872.  An  elegant  and  beautiful  tribute  to  his  mem- 
ory was  given  in  an  address  at  the  coart  house  by  Judge  William  S. 
Holman,  from  which  most  of  the  foregoing  sketch  has  been  obtained. 

EBENEZER  DUMONT  was  the  son  of  John  and  Julia  L.  Dumont, 
and  was  born  in  Vevay  in  1814.  At  about  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  came 
to  Dearborn  County,  and  established  himself  in  the  practice  of  law.  In 
1838  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and 
subsequently  held  the  office  of  county  treasurer.  At  the  breaking-out  of 
the  Mexican  war,  he  was  commissioned  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Fourth 
Indiana  Volunteers,  and  served  with  distinction  for  one  year,  participat- 
ing in  the  capture  of  Huamantla,  the  seige  of  Puebla,  and  numerous 
other  engagements.  Resuming  the  practice  of  law,  in  1851  he  was 
again  elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  was  chosen  speaker. 
In  1852  he  was  elected  president  of  the  State  Bank  of  Indiana,  which 
position  he  filled  until  the  expiration  of  the  charter  of  the  bank  in  1858 
or  1859.  In  connection  with  this  office  he  was  president  of  the  board 
of  sinking  fund  commissioners,  which  office  he  held  at  the  breaking-out 
of  the  late  war.  On  the  organization  of  the  Seventh  Indiana  Regiment 
he  was  appointed  colonel,  served  with  distinction  during  the  three 
months'  campaign,  and  upon  the  reorganization  of  the  regiment  for  three 

9 


156  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

years'  service,  was  again  selected  for  the  satiie  position.  Soon  after  the 
battle  of  Greenbriar,  he  was  commissioned  brigadier-general,  and  assigned 
to  Kentucky.  His  health  being  so  poor  as  to  disqualify  him  for  service 
in  the  field,  in  1862  he  accepted  the  nomination  of  the  Republican  party 
of  the  Indianapolis  District  for  Congress,  and  served  two  terms.  A  short 
time  before  his  death  he  was  appointed  governor  of  Idaho.  He  died  at 
his  residence  in  Indianapolis,  April  17,  1871.  Gen.  Dumont,  as  a  law- 
yer, had  few  peers.  Before  a  jury  he  was  irresistible;  happy  in  illus- 
trations, he  brought  the  most  elaborate  arguments  to  the  comprehension 
of  the  dullest  mind.  "  With  organizing  genius,  fertility  of  expedient 
and  sleepless  mental  activity,  Ebenezer  Dumont  was  a  lawyer,  soldier 
and  gentleman,  whose  fame  will  never  equal  the  measure  of  his  merit." 
GEN.  BENJAMIN  J.  SPOONER  was  born  at  Mansfield,  Ohio,  October 
27,  1823,  his  parents  coming  from  New  Bedford,  Mass.  He  was  educated 
at  public  and  private  schools,  and  when  eighteen  years  old  apprenticed 
himself  to  learn  the  tanner's  trade.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican 
war  he  enlisted  for  a  year  in  Col.  Lane's  Indiana  Regiment,  and  was  a 
second  lieutenant.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  but  at  the  expi- 
ration of  his  term  of  service  left  the  army,  and  returning  to  Indiana  read 
law,  and  began  its  practice  in  Lawrenceburgh.  He  was  made  prosecu- 
ting attorney  of  the  circuit,  and  took  an  active  interest  in  politics  as  a 
Whig,  and  afterward  as  a  Republican.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil 
war  he  was  among  the  earliest  volunteers,  raising  the  first  company  in 
Dearborn  County,  and  as  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Seventh  Indiana  Reg- 
iment, he  took  part  in  the  West  Virginia  campaign  under  Gen.  Morris, 
where  the  first  battles  of  the  war  were  fought.  He  re- enlisted  at  the  end 
of  his  three  mouths'  service,  and  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Fifty- first 
Indiana  under  Col.  Streight.  His  regiment,  attached  to  the  Twentieth 
brigade,  was  in  winter  quarters  in  Kentucky  in  1861-62,  and  in  the  spring 
was  attached  to  the  Sixth  Division  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  and  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Pittsburgh  Landing.  Col.  Spooner  was  with  the 
army  in  the  movements  around  Corinth,  and  after  that  resigned  and 
came  home.  He  then  recruited  the  Eighty-third  Regiment  and  was 
placed  in  command,  taking  part  in  all  the  engagements  in  and  around 
Vicksburg,  until  the  fall  of  that  place  in  the  summer  of  1863,  when, 
assigned  to  Gen.  Sherman's  army,  he  was  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Moun- 
tain, Resaca,  Dallas,  Dalton  and  Kenesaw  Mountain.  At  the  last  named 
place,  June  27,  1864,  Gen.  Spooner  was  wounded  in  the  left  arm  so  severely 
by  sharpshooters  that  amputation  was  necessaiy.  His  wound  unfitted 
him  for  active  service,  and  in  April,  1865,  he  resigned.  He  was  imme- 
diately appointed  United  States  Marshal  for  Indiana  by  President  Lin- 
coln, the  last  appointment  Mr.  Lincoln  made,  and  held  that  ofiice  until 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  157 

1879,  when  he  resigned.  In  the  railroad  strike  of  1877,  he  was  Urm  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duty,  and  aided  much  in  restoring  order.  During 
the  war  he  was  a  brave  soldier,  and  after  the  battle  of  Mission  Eidge  he 
was  presented  a  handsome  sword  by  the  non-commissioned  officers  and 
privates  of  his  regiment,  in  testimony  of  his  services  there  and  on  other 
fields.     He  died  at  Lawrenceburgh  April  8,  1881. 

JOHN  SCHWAETZ  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1831  and  received  a  classi- 
cal education.  He  participated  in  the  Revolution  of  1848  and  was  com- 
pelled to  flee  from  his  native  land.  He  landed  in  New  York  in  1850,  and 
on  June  7,  1853,  arrived  at  Lawrenceburgh.  He  first  served  as  a  clerk  and 
book-keeper,  and  later  studied  law  under  James  T.  Brown.  About  1858 
he  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Benjamin  J.  Spooner.  For  four  years 
he  was  mayor,  and  for  the  same  length  of  time  city  attorney.  He  enlisted 
in  the  civil  war  and  served  as  captain  one  year.  He  was  an  extensive 
reader,  and  had  a  large  and  well  assorted  library  of  miscellaneous  works, 
and  the  largest  law  library  in  the  county.  He  possessed  a  fine  legal 
mind  of  wonderful  analytical  power  and  scope,  and  was  able  to  unravel 
the  intricacies  of  the  law  with  a  facility  seldom  seen.  He  died  at  Law- 
renceburgh in  1881. 


CHAPTER  X. 
THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION. 


Practice  of  Medicine  in  Pioneer  Times— The  Materia  Medic  a  of  the 
Early  Doctors— Early  Charges  for  Medical  Services— District 
Medical  Societies— Review  of  Epidemics— Character  of  the  Pio- 
neer Physicians— Sketches  of  Some  Deceased  Physicians. 

OWING  to  a  variety  of  causes  we  have  found  it  a  task  of  no  small 
difficulty  to  prepare  a  history  of  the  medical  profession  in  Dear- 
born and  Ohio  Counties.  We  have  not  the  data  to  be  derived  from  the 
records  of  a  medical  society  whose  existence  was  continued  through  a 
long  series  of  years.  It  is  to  be  regi-etted  that  some  one  of  the  early 
physicians  has  not  undertaken  to  give  us  an  account  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  medical  profession  in  Dearborn  County  when  that  county 
embraced  a  large  area  of  southeast  Indiana.  The  pioneers  of  this  pro- 
fession were  worthy  of  a  prominent  place  in  the  history  of  their  county, 
and  such  sketches  of  these  men  as  we  have  collected  from  many  sources 


158  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  here  present  in  a  permanent  form,  will  be  prized  not  only  by  the 
intellif^ent  members  of  the  medical  profession  but  by  others  as  well.  If 
the  pioneer  physicians  of  this  part  of  the  Ohio  Valley  have  left  no  rec- 
ords of  their  practice  and  experience,  the  failure  should  not  surprise 
us.  Generally  they  were  not  men  of  scientific  attainmeots  or  even  of 
liberal  education.  The  state  of  society  in  which  they  lived  could  not  be 
favorable  to  the  cultivation  of  science  or  the  literature  of  their  profes- 
sion. 

In  order  to  realize  the 'difficulties  and  disadvantages  the  early  physi- 
cians labored  under,  it  is  necessary  to  cousider  the  times  in  which  they 
lived.  Dr.  Daniel  Drake,  of^Cincinnati,  in  an  address  on  "Early  Medi- 
cal Times,"  delivered  in  1852,  has  given  a  striking  picture  of  the  every- 
day life  of  the  pioneer  physician: 

"Every  physician  was  then  a  country  practitioner,  and  often  rode 
twelve  or  fifteen  miles  on  bridle  paths  to  some  isolated  cabin.  Occa- 
sional rides  of  twenty  or  even  thirty  miles  were  performed  on  horseback, 
over  roads  which  no  kind  of  carriage  could  travel  over.  The  ordinary 
charc^e  was  25  cents  a  mile,  one  half  being  deducted,  and  the  other  paid 
in  provender  for  his  horse  or  produce  for  his  family.  These  pioneer 
physicians  were  moreover  their  own  bleeders  aud  cuppers,  and  practiced 
dentistry,  not  less,  certainly,  than  physic;  charged  a  quarter  of  a  dol- 
lar for  extracting  a  single  tooth,  with  an  understood  deduction  if  two  or 
more  were  drawn  at  the  same  time.  In  plugging  teeth  tin-foil  was  used 
instead  of  gold-leaf,  which  had  the  advantage  of  not  showing  so  con- 
spicuously. Still  further,  every  physician  for  the  first  twelve  or  fifteen 
years  was  his  own  apothecary,  and  ordered  little  importations  of  cheap 
and  inferior  medicines  by  the  dry  goods  merchants  once  a  year,  taking 
care  to  move  in  the  matter  long  before  they  were  needed.  From  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  days  was  the  required'time  of  transportation  from  Philadel- 
phia to  Brownsville,  and  as  much  more  by  river  to  Cincinnati.  Thus 
from  four  to  five  months  were  required  for  the  importation  of  a  medicine 
which,  at  this  time,  being  ordered  by  telegraph  and  sent  by  express,  may 
be  received  in  two  days,  or  a  sixtieth  part  of  the  time.  Thus  science 
has  lengthened  seconds  into  minutes.  The  prices  at  which  these  medi- 
cines were  sold  difi'ered  widely  from  those  of  the  present  day.  Thus  an 
emetic,  a  Dover's  powder,  a  dose  of  Glauber's  salt  or  a  night  draught  of 
Pareo-oric  and  Antimonial  Wine,  haustus  anodymis,  as  it  was  learnedly 
called,  was  put  at  25  cents,  a  vermifuge  or  blister  at  50,  and  an  ounce  of 
Peruvian  bark  at  75  cents  for  pale,  and  $1  for  the  best  red  or  yellow.  On 
the  other  hand  personal  services  were  valued  very  low.  For  a  bleeding, 
25  cents;  for  a  sitting  up  all  night,  $1,  and  for  a  visit,  from  25  to  50 
cents,  according  to  circumstances  or  character  of  the  patient. 


THE  iMEDICAL  PEUFESSION.  159 

Many  articles  in  common  use  then  have,  in  half  a  century,  been 
superseded  or  fallen  more  or  less  into  neglect.  I  can  recollect  balsam  of 
sulphur,  balsam  of  Peru,  Glauber's  salt,  flowers  of  benzoin,  Huxham's 
tincture,  spermaceti  (for  internal  use),  melampodium,  flowers  of  zinc, 
ammoniaret  of  copper,  dragon's  blood,  elemi,  gamboge,  bitter  apple,  nux 
vomica,  and  red,  pale  and  yellow  bark.  On  the  other  hand,  we  have 
.  gained  since  that  day  the  various  salts  of  quinine  and  morphine,  strich- 
nine,  creosote,  iodine  and  its  preparations,  hydi'ocyanic  acid,  ergot,  col- 
lodion, sulphate  ot  magnesia  and  chloroform. 

Indeed,  in  half  a  century  our  materia  medica  has  undergone  a  decided 
change,  partly  by  the  discovery  of  new  articles  and  partly  by  the  extrac- 
tion of  the  active  principles  of  the  old.  The  physician  often  carried 
medicines  in  his  pocket  and  dealt  them  out  in  the  sick  room;  but  the 
common  practice  was  to  return  home,  compound  and  send  them  out.  But 
few  of  you  have  seen  the  genuine  old  doctor's  shop  of  the  last  century, 
or  regaled  your  olfactory  nerves  in  the  mingled  odors  which,  like  incense 
to  the  god  of  physic,  rose  from  brown  paper  bundles,  bottles  stopped 
with  worm-eaten  corks,  and  open  jars  of  ointment,  not  a  whit  behind 
those  of  the  apothecary  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  Yet  such  a  place  is 
very  well  for  a  student ;  however  idle  he  will  be  always  absorbing  a  little 
medicine,  especially  if  he  sleeps  beneath  the  greasy  counter." 

EARLY    CHAKGES    FOR    MEDICAL    SERVICES. 

The  first  Legislature  of  the  State  of  Indiana  undertook  to  regulate 
the  compensation  of  physicians  for  professional  services,  and  to  prevent 
over-charging.  An  act  approved  December  24,  1816,  provides:  "It 
shall  not  be  lawful  for  any  physician  or  surgeon  to  charge  or  receive 
more  than  12^  cents  per  mile  for  every  mile  he  shall  travel  in  going  to, 
and  returning  home  from,  the  place  of  residence  (for  the  time  being)  of 
his  patient,  with  an  addition  of  100  per  cent  for  traveling  in  the  night." 

The  following  is  a  list  of  charges  recommended  by  the  Indiana  State 
Medical  Society  held  at  Cory  don  December  11,   1822: 

Visit 25    cents  toll  00 

Mileage ^  25 

Venesection 25    cents  to       50 


Pulv.  Febr. 


6i     "        m 


Emetics 12|        -  25 

Attendance  through  the  day $2  50  to  5  00 

night 5  00 

Obstetrics 5  qq 

Extracting  tooth 25 

Reducing  luxation 5  qO  to  10  00 

Amputation 30  00  to  50  00 


160  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


DISTRICT    MEDICAL    SOCIETIES. 

An  effort  to  establish  medical  societies  in  the  State  by  legislative 
enactment  was  made  at  an  early  period.  Section  1  of  act  approved  by 
Gov.  Jennings  December  24,  1816,  reads:  "Be  it  enacted  by  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  that  for  the  purpose  of  regulat- 
ing the  practice  of  physic  and  surgery  in  this  State,  each  circuit  as  laid  ' 
off  for  holding  circuit  courts  shall  compose  one  medical  district,  to  be 
known  as  first,  second  and  third  medical  districts  in  the  State  of 
Indiana,  according  to  the  name  of  the  circuit."  It  was  further  provided 
in  this  act  that  in  each  district  there  should  be  a  board  of  medical  cen- 
sors, who  were  required  to  admit  to  merabftrship  every  physician  or  sur- 
geon residing  or  wishing  to  practice  in  the  district,  who  should,  "  on 
examination  before  them,  give  proof  of  their  qualification  to  practice 
either  profession  and  reasonable  evidence  of  their  moral  character." 

An  act  approved  January  18,  1820,  organized  four  medical  districts, 
and  gave  the  State  Medical  Society  authority  to  establish  as  many  addi- 
tional as  it  might  deem  expedient. 

The  State  Medical  Society  was  first  organized  in  1820,  and  held  its 
meetings  at  Corydon.  then  capital  of  the  State,  until  1826,  when  it  met 
at  Indianapolis. 

The  act  of  1816,  above  referred  to,  named  as  censors  for  the  third 
district,-  in  which  Dearborn  County  was  included,  Drs.  Jabez  Percival, 
D.  F.  Sackett,  D.  Oliver,  John  Howe  and  Ezra  Ferris,  and  authorized 
them  to  meet  at  the  house  of  Walter  Armstrong,  in  the  town  of  Law- 
renceburgh,  on  the  fii'st  Monday  in  June,  in  the  year  1817,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  licensing  physicians.  Dr.  Sackett,  who  was  appointed  a  member 
of  this  board,  then  resided  at  Salisbury.  No  evidence  has  been  found 
to  show  that  this  board  of  censors  ever  met  to  carry  out  the  purposes  for 
which  they  were  appointed. 

An  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  January  30, 1830,  says  in  its  pre- 
amble, that  owing  to  defects  in  the  previous  law,  the  medical  societies 
existing  have  never  been  legally  organized,  and  that  the  provisions  of  the 
law  have  not  induced  a  large  portion  of  qualified  men  to  become  mem- 
bers of  any  medical  society,  or  been  sufficient  to  guard  against  the 
licensing  of  unqualified  persons.  The  new  act  provided  that  district 
medical  societies  may  be  composed  of  all  persons  of  good  moral  character 
residing  in  their  respective  districts,  who  have  been  regularly  licensed  to 
practice  medicine  in  the  State,  or  have  been  reputable  practitioners  in 
the  State  for  two  years  next  preceding  the  passage  of  the  act,  or  who  have 
graduated  at  any  regular  medical  college  in  the  United  States. 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  161 

HISTORY     OF     EPIDEMICS.* 

"The  object  of  this  paper  is  to  put  on  record  a  brief  review  of  the 
epidemics  that  have  prevailed  in  southeastern  Indiana,  or  more  partic- 
ularly in  Dearborn,  Ripley  and  Ohio  Counties,  during  the  last  fifty  years, 
and  also  to  direct  your  attention  to  the  changes  which  have  taken  place 
in  our  endemic  malarial  diseases.  Of  several  of  the  epidemics  we  allude 
to  no  notice  has  yet  been  published. 

"The  first  epidemic  we  direct  your  attention  to  was  an  epidemic  of 
cholera  in  Dearborn  County,  which  occurred  in  1833.  This  was  before 
I  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine,  but  as  the  facts  have  never  yet 
been  published,  and  I  have  obtained  them  from  a  reliable  source,  and 
they  are  still  remembered  by  many  of  our  old  citizens,  I  take  the  liberty 
of  presenting  them. 

"A  steamboat  ascending  the  Ohio  River  in  the  month  of  May,  1833, 
landed  near  the  mouth  of  Tanner's  Creek  to  bury  one  of  the  deck  hands 
who  had  died  of  cholera.  Two  men,  one  an  old  citizen  of  Dearborn 
County,  by  the  name  of  Page  Cheek,  were  fishing  near  the  place  this 
boat  landed.  The  officers  of  the  boat,  seeing  these  men,  employed  them 
to  bury  this  body,  which  they  did.  All  the  next  day  Cheek,  who  lived 
near  the  mouth  of  Wilson's  Creek,  about  a  mile  from  Tanner's  Creek, 
plowed  in  the  corn-field,  apparently  well,  but  during  the  night  he  was 
suddenly  attacked  with  cholera,  and  died  after  a  short  illness.  His 
brother-in-law,  Eli  Green,  went  with  his  wife  to  the  funeral.  They  re- 
sided near  Hartford,  about  six  miles  from  Cheek's  residence.  Within  a 
week  both  Green  and  his  wife  died  with  cholera,  and  in  a  few  days  after 
their  deaths  three  of  their  children  also  died,  making  five  deaths  out  of 
this  family  of  seven  persons.  The  disease  spread  through  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  soon  appeared  at  Aurora,  where  a  large  number  of  deaths  oc- 
curred, among  the  number  some  of  the  most  prominent  citizens.  It  is 
impossible  now  to  ascertain  the  number  of  deaths  which  occurred,  as  no 
account  of  this  epidemic  in  Dearborn  County  was  ever  published.  The 
disease  was  regarded  at  that  time  as  being  new,  and  the  epidemic  as  be- 
ing the  most  fatal  that  had  ever  visited  this  part  of  the  country. 

"In  1838  the  Laughery  Valley  was  visited  by  a  malignant  form  of 
malarial  fever,  different  from  anything  that  I  have  seen  since,  with  the 
exception  probably  of  a  few  sporadic  cases.  Intermittents  were  prevalent 
that  autumn  over  the  whole  country,  but  along  this  valley  we  had  a 
modification  of  remittent,  with  what  we  regarded  at  that  time  as  con- 
gestive fever.  The  patient  would  be  seized  by  a  slight  chill,  followed 
almost  immediately  by  profound  coma  or  congestion  of  some  organ,  and 


162  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

very  frequently  died  before  a  physician  could  be  procured.  In  other 
cases  the  chill  was  followed  by  fever,  delirium  and  great  irritability  of 
the  stomach.  There  was  generally  in  such  cases  a  remission,  but  no  well- 
marked  intermission.  The  skin  and  conjunctiva  assumed  in  a  few  days 
a  yellowish  or  jaundiced  appearance.  These  cases  we  regarded  at  that 
time  as  bilious  remittent  fever,  but  we  probably  had  every  form  and  type 
of  malarial  fever  in  this  locality,  such  as  simple  intermittent  fever,  re- 
mittent fever,  bilious  fever,  and  pernicious  or  congestive  fever  ip  various 
forms,  and  I  think  I  can  safely  say  that  every  family  residing  along  this 
valley  for  eight  miles  from  the  Ohio  River  were  more  or  less  unwell,  and 
in  many  families  all  were  bedfast. 

"We  have  annually,  at  the  present  time,  autumnal  and  intermittent 
fevers  in  various  forms,  but  I  never  see  now  cases  of  pernicious  con- 
gestive fever,  or  even  bilious  fever,  similar  to  what  we  had  at  that  period 
along  the  Laughery  Valley.  The  country  was  then  new,  the  land  was 
exceedingly  rich,  there  were  extensive  swamps  and  a  dense  forest,  except 
around  the  log-cabins  of  the  inhabitants.  Since  then  the  valley  has  been 
cleared,  the  swamps  drained,  and  the  land  cultivated,  and  the  congestive 
fevers,  which  were  occasionally  seen  fifty  years  ago,  have  disappeared. 

"In  1842  and  1843  epidemic  erysipelas  prevailed  indifferent  parts  of 
the  United  States.  It  made  its  appearance  in  southeastern  Indiana  in 
the  winter  of  1842  and  1843.  It  was  known  by  the  popular  names  of 
black  tongue,  sore  throat,  swelled  head,  etc.  We  heard  of  it  prevailing 
in  Ripley  County  as  a  malignant  disease,  and  before  it  reached  Aurora, 
in  Dearborn  County,  we  heard  that  a  physician,  who  resided  toward  the 
western  portion  of  the  county,  had  died  of  the  black  tongue,  The  phy- 
sician residing  at  Wilmington  had  a  severe  attack.  I  was  called  to  attend 
him,  which  placed  at  once  a  large  number  of  his  patients  under  my  care, 
and  I  soon  had  extensive  experience  with  the  disease,  which  gave  me  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  it  in  all  its  varieties. 

"  In  the  month  of  July,  1843,  after  we*had  seen  notices  in  the  news- 
papers that  influenza  was  prevailing  as  an  epidemic  in  Pennsylvania, 
New  York,  Massachusetts  and  other  Eastern  States,  it  suddenly  made  its 
appearance  in  southeastern  Indiana,  and  within  a  few  days  after  it  first 
appeared  a  very  large  proportion  of  our  inhabitants  were  under  its  influ- 
ence. The  disease  itself  was  seldom  fatal,  but  it  occasionally  gave  rise  to 
other  diseases  which  were  attended  with  danger,  and  the  origin  of  a 
number  of  cases  of  phthisis  pulmonalis  was  attributed  to  this  epidemic. 

"In  1848  we  had  a  remarkable  epidemic  of  scarlet  fever.  During  the 
time  that  I  had  been  practicing  medicine  I  had  had  considerable  exper- 
ience with  scarlatina;  the  cases  were  generally  mild  with  a  few  exceptions. 
This  year,  however,  we  saw  the  disease  in  a  new  form.      We  heard  of  its 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  163 

prevalence  in  Switzerland  County,  and  were  informed  that  a  large  num- 
ber of  children  had  died  from  the  disease.  It  was  supposed  to  have  been 
brought  to  Aurora  by  the  boy  who  carried  the  mail,  as  he  had  but 
recently  recovered  from  an  attack  of  scarlatina.  Two  children  were  taken 
unwell  on  the  same  day;  they  resided  in  the  same  part  of  the  town,  but 
in  different  houses.  They  both  died  within  a  short  time  of  each  other, 
and  the  disease  spread  through  the  city.  It  presented  a  variety  of 
symptoms.  In  some  instances  the  violence  of  the  disease  was  concen- 
trated upon  the  throat,  in  others  upon  the  brain,  producing  convulsions 
or  coma;  in  other  cases  the  patient  seemed  to  sink  as  if  from  a  shock, 
and  in  other  cases  there  was  violent  gastro-enteric  irritation — vomiting 
aud  purging,  with  but  little  rash.  An  account  of  this  epidemic  was  pub- 
lished in  the  North  American  Medico- Chirurgical  Review. 

"  In  1856  scarlet  fever  again  prevailed  in  southeastern  Indiana  and 
at  Aurora  as  an  epidemic,  but  this  time  in  so  mild  a  form  as  scarcely  to 
require  medical  treatment.  AVhy  should  the  disease  appear  at  the  same 
place,  apparently  under  the  same  circumstances,  at  one  time  in  so 
malignant  a  type,  and  at  another  in  so  mild  a  form? 

"In  the  spring  of  1849  cholera,  which  was  prevailing  as  an  epidemic 
in  the  United  States,  made  its  appearance  in  Aurora,  and  assumed  its 
most  malignant  form.  It  for  a  time  was  principally  confined  to  a  small 
section  of  our  town,  including  the  portion  in  which  I  resided,  which  was 
the  most  dry  and  elevated,  and  was  regarded  as  the  most  healthy  part  of 
our  city.  In  this  section  of  the  town  there  seemed  to  be  an  accumulation 
of  infection,  for  more  than  half  the  inhabitants  died.  I  was  suddenly 
attacked  with  the  disease  while  attending  patients  in  the  night,  and  my 
whole  family,  one  after  another,  was  taken  down.  My  eldest  son  died 
after  only  a  few  hours'  illness,  and  my  youngest  child  sank  to  what 
appeared  the  lowest  stage  of  collapse  from  which  a  patient  could  recover. 
In  watching  the  progress  of  this  epidemic,  it  appeared  to  me  that  chol- 
era, like  other  diseases,  presented  a  diversity  of  symptoms,  and  that  the 
diarrhoea  that  generally  accompanies  this  disease,  and  at  that  time  was 
regarded  as  only  a  premonitory  symptom,  was  in  reality  a  form  of  chol- 
era, which  occasionally  gave  rise  to  the  most  malignant  cases. 

"  Following  the  cholera  a  malignant  form  of  dysentery  prevailed  as  an 
epidemic.  As  it  appeared  in  some  instances  to  be  intimately  associated 
with  cholera,  appearing  among  our  rural  population  immediately  after 
the  introduction  of  well-marked  cases  of  cholera,  I  regarded  it  as  but  one 
of  the  modifications  of  this  disease.  We  have  never  had  an  epidemic  of 
contagious  malignant  dysentery  similar  to  what  we  had  at  that  time, 
except  during  or  immediately  after  the  prevalence  of  cholera. 

"Cholera  pi'evailed  as  an   epidemic  in   southeastern  Indiana  in  1854, 


164  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1866  and  1873.  There  were  not  as  many  cases  in  these  visitations  as  there 
were  in  1849,  which  we  thought  was  due  to  the  rigid  system  of  disinfec- 
tion which  was  adopted,  particularly  so  in  1866  and  1873,  and  also  to 
the  patients  being  more  isolated. 

"  From  1836  to  1856  we  occasionally  had  epidemics  of  a  disease 
which  was  known  in  those  days  as  milk  sickness.  This  disease  was  con- 
fined to  a  section  of  Dearborn  County,  between  six  and  seven  miles  in 
length  and  three  or  four  in  breadth,  extending  from  what  is  known  as 
King's  Ridge  in  a  southerly  direction  to  near  Hartford.  This  was  prob- 
ably the  most  dry  and  elevated  portion  of  Dearborn  County,  and  that 
portion  of  the  county  most  free  from  intermittent,  remittent  or  malarial 
fevers.  During  these  epidemics  the  cattle  died  in  this  [^locality  with  a 
disease  known  by  the  name  of  'trembles.'  Some  farmers  lost  nearly  all 
their  stock.  This  sickness  and  loss  of  cattle  caused  a  depreciation  in  the 
value  of  the  farms  in  this  section  of  the  county.  The  premonitory 
symptoms  of  this  disease  were  a  remarkable  feeling  of  lassitude,  loss  of 
appetite,  headache,  coated  tongue,  and  a  burning  sensation  in  the  epi- 
gastric region.  After  a  variable  period  these  symptoms  were  followed 
by  nausea  and  frequent  vomiting  and  a  low  grade  of  fever  of  a  continuous 
type,  and  in  all  cases  there  was  obstinate  constipation.  The  fluid  vom- 
ited was  generally  mucous,  'tinged  of  a  dark  or  greenish  color.  There 
was  seldom  a  well-marked  chill,  neither  was  there  a  well-marked 
intermission  in  the  fever.  The  fever  was  nearly  always  of  a  low 
grade.  I  am  well  aware  that  writers  have  regarded  milk  sickness 
as  only  a  modification  of  our  malarial  fevers,  but  it  appears  to 
me  that  this  disease  must  arise  from  some  cause  entirely  different 
from  the  malaria  that  produces  our  intermittent  fevers,  for  in 
southeastern  Indiana  milk  sickness  occurred  in  that'  portion  of  the 
country  where  malarial  diseases  were  not  known,  while  along  the  valley  of 
the  Laughery,  where  malarial  diseases  were  the  most  malignant,  milk 
sickness  never  occurred  and  the  cattle  did  not  die  with  the  'trembles.' 

"  For  the  last  twenty  years  I  have  not  heard  of  a  well-marked  case  of 
milk  sickness  in  this  section  of  the  country  where  the  disease  was  at  one 
time  so  common,  neither  have  I  heard  of  cattle  dying  of  the  '  trembles.' 
The  country  has  since  been  cleared,  the  ground  cultivated,  and  milk 
sickness  and  the  disease  amongst  the  cattle  known  as  '  trembles '  have 
entirely  disappeared.  The  land  which  was  once  depreciated  in  value  on 
account  of  these  diseases,  is  now  ranked  amongst  the  most  valuable  in 
Dearborn  County.  This  is  additional  evidence  that  the  removal  of  the 
forests  in  many  localities,  so  far  from  being  an  evil,  is  conducive  to 
health. 

"  It  was  many  years  after  I  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  before 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  165 

I  saw  a  case  of  cerebro-spinal  meningitis.  Now  we  occasionally  have 
cases,  and  the  disease  is  probably  on  the  increase.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  diphtheria. 

"In  1862  we  had  an  epidemic  of  purpura,  generally  known  by  the 
name  of  spotted  fever,  in  which  there  were  a  number  of  deaths.  Some 
of  the  patients  died  within  twenty-four  hours  from  the  first  symptoms  of 
the  attack. 

"Within  the  last  forty  years  we  have  had  very  remarkable  diseases 
amongst  the  inferior  animals.  The  epizootic  amongst  the  swine,  known 
as  hog  cholera,  has  destroyed  thousands  upon  thousands  of  these  animals. 
The  epizootic  amongst  the  horses  in  1873,  is  so  recent  as  to  be  familiar 
to  all 

"Looking  back  then  over  a  period  of  nearly  fifty  years,  we  have  seen 
in  southeastern  Indiana  a  number  of  epidemics,  and  have  seen  our 
malarial  diseases  assume  different  forms  and  undergo  very  marked 
changes." 

THE  PIONEER  PHYSICIANS. 

The  earlier  physicians  who  practiced  in  Dearborn  County  when  it 
included  several  counties  of  the  present  time,  were  of  the  heroic  school 
and  made  liberal  use  of  the  lancet  and  calomel.  In  their  treatment  they 
relied  largely  on  purging,  bleeding,  blistering  and  salivation.  The 
quantities  of  calomel  used  by  some  of  the  old  physicians  are  sufficient  to 
startle  the  modern  scientific  practitioner. 

While  some  of  these  earlier  physicians  were  men  of  good  natural 
abilities  and  were  leading  men  in  their  communities,  few  of  them  had 
received  a  degree  from  a  medical  school  or  from  any  institution  of 
learning.  In  their  youth  medical  instruction  was  chiefly  given  in  the 
irregular  form  of  medical  pupilage.  In  some  sections  a  system  of 
apprenticeship  existed,  the  young  medical  pupil  being  indentured  for  a 
period  from  three  to  seven  years.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  pupilage, 
the  preceptor  signed  a  certificate  which  supplied  the  place  of  a  diploma 
As  late  as  1825  there  were  but  two  medical  colleges  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies.  During  his  pupilage  the  young  medical  student  learned  to 
compound  medicines  for  his  preceptor  and  to  grind  quicksilver  into 
unguentum  mercuriale,  but  the  facilities  for  instruction  were  meager 
compared  with  those  of  the  present  day.  There  were  few  good  medical 
libraries;  periodical  medical  literature  was  in  its  infancy;  work  in  the 
chemical  laboratory  was  not  expected  of  the  student,  and  practical 
anatomy  was  made  a  felony  by  statute,  the  populace  being  inimical  to 
dissection,  a  mob  rising  against  it  as  late  as  1820. 

DR.  JABEZ  PERCIVAL  was  born  in  1759  and  died  in  1841.  His 
former  residence  was  near  New  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.     Just  what  his    early 


166  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

advantages  were  in  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  his  profession,  the  writer 
is  not  informed.  He  practiced  medicine  for  some  time  previous  to 
removing  West.  He  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  in  1801.  The  connty  being 
new  and  sparsely  settled,  he  practiced  over  a  large  extent  of  country. 
He  was  favored  with  an  iron  constitution  and  will.  These  sustained 
him  in  great  exposure  and  labor,  incident  to  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
that  day.  It  is  believed  he  did  not  refuse  to  attend  to  calls  from  any 
class  of  persons,  night  or  day.  He  thought  little  of  the  ornate  in  his 
profession;  the  tastes  of  the  fastidious  were  not  much  consulted  in  the 
administration  of  medicines.  Adjuvants  as  placebos  to  remedies,  in 
heroic  practice,  were  not  very  numerous.  Notwithstanding  he  was 
thought  to  be  skillful;  to  have  real  merit  as  a  physician  and  surgeon. 
He  seemed  to  be  quite  at  home' in  surgery,  if  he  did  call  the  dura-mater 
the  striffin  of  the  brain,  and,  when  he  thought  necessary,  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  perform  even  capital  operations.  He  possessed  many  pe- 
culiar traits  of  character,  and  was  a  man  of  great  courage  as  well  as 
endurance.  We  here  give  several  incidents  as  illustrations:  At  one 
time  he  was  thrown  from  his  horse,  resulting  in  the  dislocation  of  one 
hip-joint.  Several  persons  gathered  around,  offering  their  assistance. 
He  refused  their  help,  crept  to  a  fence  and  got  upon  his  horse  and  rode 
home,  without  the  reduction  of  the  head  of  the  femur.  He  was  chosen, 
and  for  a  time  acted  as  magistrate.  A  Mr. ,  a  man  of  great  phys- 
ical power,  often  exhibited  it  in  fighting  with  such  as  he  supposed 
thought  themselves  his  equal.  Having  broken  the  peace,  the  constable 
an3  by-standers  were  commanded  to  arrest  him.  They  feared  to  take 
hold  of  the  desperado.  This  did  not  suit  the  doctor-squire.  He  com- 
menced upon  the  refractory  man,  but  as  the  Doctor  advanced,  he  received 
a  lick  with  a  bludgeon  that  broke  his  right  arm.  Nothing  daunted, 
though  much  the  smaller  man,  he  seized  the  culprit  with  his  left  hand, 
and  held  him  until  the  sight  of  his  heroism  brought  sufHcient  assistance 
to  secure  him.  Another  incident:  In  the  days  when  there  were  fugi- 
tives from  labor,  there  were  also  cases  of  kidnapping.  Several  persons 
of  African  descent  had  been  arrested  and  taken  on  a  boat.  Those  who 
held  them  threatened  to  shoot  any  person  who  attempted  their  rescue. 
No  one  seemed  willing  to  take  the  risk  of  interfering.  The  Doctor 
believed  they  were  kidnapped,  entered  upon  the  boat  and  took  them  from 
their  claimants.  Another  case  of  a  different  character,  in  the  exercise  of 
his  official  functions:  At  a  time  when  engaged  in  driving  oxen,  a  gen- 
tleman and  lady  rode  up  and  informed  the  Squire  that  they  desired  to 
be  married.  He  asked  to  see  the  license.  Looking  up,  he  inquired: 
"Do  you  promise  to  live  together  till  death  shall  part  you?"  Answer, 
"Yes."     "I  pronounce  you  husband  and  wife.  Gee,  Buck;  get  up!"  Dr. 


THE  MEDICAL  PEOFESSION.  167 

John  Percival,  son  of  Jabez  Percival,  had  probably  better  opportunities 
for  thorough  medical  education  than  his  father.  We  are  unable  to  say 
whether  he  was  a  graduate  or  not.  One  of  his  nephews,  with  whom  we 
have  spoken  on  the  subject,  thinks  he  was.  He  is  said  to  have  attended 
lectures  at  Troy,  N.  Y.  He  practiced  medicine  for  some  time  in  con- 
nection with  Dr.  Grubbs,  at  Burlington,  Ky.  He  afterward  moved  to 
Lawrenceburgh  in  1825.  He  continued  here  in  reputable  practice  till 
about  1837.  He  moved  to  Missouri,  and  probably  died  about  1841, 
from  injury  to  the  spine,  the  efifects  of  a  fall. 

DR.  EZRA  FERRIS  was  born  at  Stanwich, Conn.,  April  26,1783.  His 
father,  who  was  also  a  native  of  that  village,  six  years  after  the  birth  of 
Ezra,  determined  to  emigrate  to  the  far  West.  The  enterprise  at  that 
time  was  so  novel  and  daring  that  it  drew  together  a  number  of  people 
to  witness  the  departure.  Dr.  Ferris,  in  his  old  age,  wrote  that  although 
he  was  only  six  years  old  at  the  time,  he  had  a  distinct  and  vivid  recol- 
lection of  the  occasion.  His  father,  September  20,  1789,  with  his 
family,  and  accompanied  by  two  other  families,  took  their  departure.  As 
the  little  party  of  emigrants  took  their  seats  in  wagons  and  moved  down 
the  road,  they  were  surrounded  by  a  crowd  on  every  side  ready  to  pre- 
dict that  they  would  either  fall  a  sacrifice  to  savage  cruelty  or  be 
drowned  in  descending  the  Western  rivers.  But  nothing  could  overcome 
the  courage  of  the  little  company.  Their  route  was  along  the  road  on 
the  north  side  of  Long  Island  Sound  to  New  York  City,  thence  through 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  and  over  the  Allegheny  Mountains  to  the 
Monongahela  River;  thence,  by  boats  to  Fort  Miami,  about  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  below  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami,  where  they  arrived 
December  12,  1789,  having  been  two  months  and  twenty  days  on  the 
journey.  There  were,  at  that  time,  some  thirty  or  forty  families  living 
in  the  fort,  without  the  restraints  of  civil  law  and  destitute  of  almost 
all  kinds  of  provisions  except  such  as  could  be  obtained  from  the  woods, 
in  which  hovered  the  hostile  savages.  An  apartment  in  the  fort,  about 
sixteen  feet  square,  was  assigned  to  the  family,  in  which  they  resided 
for  a  time.  The  first  five  years  Ezra  Ferris  spent  at  Columbia  were 
during  the  horrors  of  an  Indian  war.  He  saw  the  dejection  of  the 
spirits  of  the  pioneers  when  Harmar's  expedition  failed  and  St.  Clair 
was  disastrously  defeated,  and  participated  in  the  rejoicing  over  Wayne's 
victory.  He  has  given  a  vivid  picture  of  the  hardships  and  deprivations 
the  settlers  at  Columbia  were  compelled  to  undergo  during  this  period. 
"Many  of  them,"  he  says,  "had  been  raised  in  opulence  and  had  in- 
dulged in  luxuries  and  enjoyed  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  now  removed 
far  from  their  former  homes,  where  nothing  but  the  most  common  fare 
could  be  had,  and  that  often  in  stinted  measure,  were  cast  down  though 


168  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

not  forsaken.  Add  to  the  want  of  bread,  the  mortification  an  Ameri- 
can mother  (who  had  been  at  all  times  in  the  habit  of  clothing  her  chil- 
dren comfortably,  and  sometimes  ornamenting  them  to  please  her  fancy), 
must  feel  to  see  them  clad  in  rags  and  dirt,  for  the  want  of  materials  to 
make  new  clothes  of,  or  soap  to  wash  them  when  dirty,  and  you  will  see 
enough  to  discourage  and  distress  them." 

Ezra  Ferris  had  the  benefit  of  such  schools  as  could  be  supported  at 
Columbia  during  the  Indian  war,  and  after  the  return  of  peace,  ob- 
tained  a  good  education.  When  a  young  man  he  studied  in  a  good 
school  in  one  of  the  Eastern  States,  and  his  education  was  quite  a  liberal 
one  for  the  son  of  an  early  western  emigrant.  When  quite  a  young  man 
he  was  licensed  as  a  Baptist  preacher  at  the  Duck  Creek  Baptist  Church 
and  was  afterward  ordained.  He  also  studied  medicine.  For  some 
years  he  taught  a  school  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  when  he  removed  to  Law- 
renceburgh  and  there  practiced  medicine  and  also  preached  to  the  desti- 
tute Baptist  churches  of  that  vicinity.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
convention  which  formed  the  first  constitution  of  Indiana,  and  in  that 
body  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  the  elective  franchise  and  elec- 
tions. He  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature.  On  the 
organization  of  the  State  Government  he  was  appointed  by  the  Legisla- 
ture one  of  the  censors  for  licensing  physicians  in  the  third  medical 
district.  Before  he  became  an  old  man  he  retired  from  the  active  prac- 
tice of  medicine,  but  continued  his  drug  store.  He  also  continued  to 
preach  at  Lawrenceburgh  and  at  Salera. 

Dr.  Ferris  was  a  most  useful  man.  He  was  modest  and  retiring,  but 
highly  respected  by  all.  He  was  sti-ongly  attached  to  his  own  branch  of 
the  church  and  was  a  sincere  and  deeply  pious  man.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Whig.  He  was  a  man  of  fixed  principles  and  his  friends  always  knew 
where  to  find  him.  In  1851  he  published  a  series  of  articles  on  the 
early  settlement  of  the  Miami  Valley.  A.  H.  Dunlevy,  in  his  History  of 
the  Miami  Baptist  Association,  wrote:  "Elder  Ferris  knew  more  of  the 
early  history  of  the  Miami  country  than  any  man  living  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was  not  a  man  to  be  prejudiced,  as  is  too  often  the  case, 
so  as  to  form  unjust  opinions  or  give  undue  coloring  to  any  transactions 
related  by  him."  The  reader  will  find  in  this  work  copious  selections 
from  his  writings.  Dr.  Ferris  was  twice  married.  He  died  at  Lawrence- 
burgh, April  19,  1857. 

DR.  JEREMIAH  H.  BROWER  was  born  in  New  York  City  in  1798. 
He  was  descended  from  one  of  those  Dutch  families  that  immigrated  to  the 
colony  in  an  early  period  of  its  history,  and  aided  in  laying  the  founda- 
tions of  its  present  greatness.  His  father  was  a  physician,  and  educated 
his  son  for  the  profession  of  his  choice.     It  is  believed  that  for  a  year  or 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  169 

more  he  enjoyed  the  superior  advantages  of  the  private  tutelage  of  that 
eminent  surgeon  and  physician,  the  elder  Mot.  In  the  year  1819  the 
family  immigrated  to  the  West,  and  settled  in  Indiana;  the  father,  Abra- 
ham Brower,  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  the  son  at  Elizabethtown,  Ohio, 
where  they  were  respectively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  their  profession. 
Dr.  Jeremiah  H. Brower  assumed  his  field  of  labor,  in  which  he  continued 
in  an  active  and  exclusive  practice  until  within  a  year  or  two  of  his 
death.  The  above  dates  show  that  Dr.  Brower,  for  a  period  of  thirty- 
five  years,  was  in  active  and  extensive  practice  in  the  city  in  which  he 
died.  To  the  practice  of  this  profession  he  brought  #more  than  an  ordi- 
nary share  of  learning,  zeal  and  native  ability.  As  a  man,  a  citizen,  as  a 
physician,  in  line,  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  discharged  his  varied 
obligations  to  society  in  a  manner  creditable  to  himself  and  useful  to  the 
community  in  which  he  lived,  so  that  himself  and  his  friends  could  say 
without  ostentation,  that  the  world  was  better  and  wiser  for  his  having 
lived  in  it.  Commencing  his  professional  life  as  early  as  1819,  he  was 
closely  identified  in  interest  and  community  of  feeling  in  all  of  the  so- 
cial, moral  and  educational  enterprises  of  the  community,  always  a  prom- 
inent and  self-sacrificing  laborer  for  their  advancement,  and  his  name 
and  memory  will  be  long  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  the  trusting 
and  confiding  community  in  which  he  lived  and  labored.  His  ardent 
patriotism  and  characteristic  benevolence  were  illustrated  in  his  readi- 
ness to  abandon  the  comforts  of  home  and  a  lucrative  practice  to  hasten 
to  the  bloody  battle-field,  to  the  reeking  and  malarious  hospital  ship,  to 
aid  and  comfort  the  brave  and  dying  defenders  of  an  imperiled  country. 
Among  the  medical  men  of  Indiana,  with  whom  he  had  a  large  and  inti- 
mate acquaintance,  his  abilities  early  pointed  him  out  as  a  fit  person  to 
be  honored  with  the  presidency  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society,  a 
trust  that  he  discharged  with  credit  to  himself  and  usefulness  to  the  pro- 
fession. Dr.  Brower's  naturally  feeble  constitution  at  this  period  of  life, 
was  impaired  by  his  visit  and  exposures  in  the  South  in  1865.  He  re- 
turned with  greatly  impaired  health  and  strength  to  the  duties  of  his 
practice,  but  his  constitution  had  received  a  shock  from  which  he  never 
fully  recovered.  He  died  August  1,  1866,  aged  sixty-eight  years,  and 
was  buried  at  Lawrenceburgh. 

DR.  DAVID  FISHEH  was  born  in  the  State  of  Vermont  about  the 
year  1780.  But  little  is  known  of  his  early  education,  or  at  what  time  he 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  or  whether  he  was  a  graduate  of  any 
medical  college,  but  he  acquired  a  good  medical  education  and  obtained 
a  certificate  of  qualification  from  a  medical  board  of  examiners  in  Ver- 
mont and  practiced  his  profession  in  that  State  until  1812.  He  then  im- 
migrated to  Peru,  N.  Y.,  and  practiced  his  profession  at  that  place  until 


170  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1818.  He  then  removed  to  Coshocton,  Ohio,  and  remained  there  a  little 
over  a  year.  He  next  immigrated  to  Wilmington,  Jnd.,  and,  a  few  years 
afterward,  to  Aurora.  He  was  one  of  the  company  that  purchased  the 
ground  and  assisted  in  laying  out  the  plat  of  the  town  of  Aurora.  He 
purchased  Lots  153  and  154,  on  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Water  Streets; 
here  he  erected  what  was  considered  in  those  days  a  large  building,  and 
kept  a  hotel.  This  was  carried  on  in  connection  with  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  which  often  extended  for  ten  or  twenty  miles  into  the  country. 
He  resided  in  Aurora  until  about  1826  or  1828,  when  he  removed  to  a 
farm  back  of  Rising  Sun.  On  this  farm  he  resided,  occasionally  chang- 
ing his  residence  to  Rising  Sun,  until  1845,  when  he  was  disabled  by  a 
stroke  of  apoplexy,  which  incapacitated  him  for  the  active  duties  of  his 
profession.  In  January,  1851,  he  received  another  stroke  of  apoplexy, 
and  died  quietly  at  his  home  in  Rising  Sun.  As  a  physician  he  was 
faithful;  neither  bad  roads  nor  stormy  weather  kept  him  from  visiting  his 
patients.  He  was  remarkable  for  the  correctness  of  his  diagnosis  and 
was  opposed  to  active  depletion  in  the  treatment  of  disease.  As  a  man 
he  was  noted  rather  for  strong  natural  sense  than  culture,  yet  he  was 
always  a  diligent  reader  of  standard  medical  books.  He  was  a  zealous 
member  of  a  district  medical  society  which  had  been  organized  in  this 
portion  of  the  State,  and  which  continued  in  existence  until  about  1825. 
DR.  MATHIAS  HAINES  was  born  in  Raymond,  N.  H.,  Decem- 
ber 30,  1786.  His  earlier  years  were  spent  on  a  farm,  during  the 
summer  months  assisting  his  father.  In  the  winter  he  attended  the 
common  schools.  When  near  the  age  of  manhood  he  obtained,  by  his 
own  efforts,  the  advantages  of  a  year  or  two  at  the  academy  in  Peacham, 
Vt,  after  which  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Sheed,  of 
Peacham,  Vt.  On  completing  the  prescribed  course  of  study,  he  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  northern  part  of  Vermont. 
In  1816,  in  company  with  his  twin  brother,  he  came  West,  riding  all  the 
way  on  horseback,  and  located  in  Rising  Sun,  which  at  that  time  was 
within  the  bounds  of  Dearborn  County.  Dr.  Haines  was  a  member  of 
the  society  of  Free  Masons,  and  as  early  as  1819,  in  company  with  others, 
organized  a  lodge  in  Rising  Sun,  and  continued  an  active  member  during 
his  life.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Brower,  at  Lkwrenceburgh,  October 
22,  1822.  In  the  winter  of  1845-46,  he  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Rising  Sun,  and  soon  after  was  elected  an  elder,  and  as  such 
frequently  represented  the  church  in  the  Presbyteries,  and  also  as  dele- 
gate of  the  Presbytery  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  United  States.  In 
the  spring  of  1846  from  failing  health  and  repeated  and  severe  attacks 
of  illness,  he  gave  up  the  active  duties  of  his  profession  and  removed  to 
a  farm  about  two  miles  from  the  city,  where  he  lived    for   six    or  seven 


S:S^^Sg5*?««*i^ 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  173 

years;  he  then  sold  his  farm  and  removed  back  to  Rising  Sun,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  January  21,  1863,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven  years  and  twenty-one  days.  Dr.  Haines  was  active  and 
liberal  in  promoting  the  intellectual  improvement  of  the  community. 
His  efforts,  in  common  with  others,  to  advance  the  educational  interests  of 
the  city,  resulted  in  building  a  house  for  an  academy  which  was  popular 
and  very  successful  for  many  years  until  superseded  by  our  present  system 
of  common  schools.  Dr.  Haines  was  an  affable  and  courteous  gentleman, 
a  true  Christian  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  for  forty  years  enjoyed 
the  confidence  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  as  a  safe  and  able 
physician. 

DR.  HENRY  J.  BOWERS  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1801.  His 
father  was  an  Episcopal  minister  and  gave  his  son  a  good  English  educa- 
tion. At  the  age  of  twenty  he  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  settled  at 
Lawrenceburgh,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine.  In  1822  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Rispah  Morgan,  at  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1824  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Moore' s_Hill,  and  soon  after  bought  a  farm 
near  this  place,  portions  of  which  were  in  Dearborn  and  Ripley  Counties, 
the  farm  being  on  the  dividing  line.  His  residence  was  in  Ripley 
County  and  office  in  Dearborn.  In  1856  he  built  a  large  residence  near 
Moore'sHill,  in  Dearbord  County,  and  resided  at  this  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  January,  1866,  aged  sixty-five.  He  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature  in  Ripley  County  in  1840,  andre-elected  twice,  and 
was  also  elected  twice  to  the  Senate.  In  1850  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  convention  to  revise  the  State  constitution.  He  took  great  inter- 
est in  the  erection  of  the  Moore's  Hill  College  and  was  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal stockholders  in  the  building.  Dr.  Bowers  was  remarkable  for  his 
energy.  He  was  a  good  political  speaker,  popular  in  his  manners,  and 
had  an  extensive  practice  both  in  Dearborn  and  Ripley  Counties. 

DR.  NELSON  HORATIO  TORBET  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  the 
year  1800.  He  studied  the  profession  of  medicine  in  Philadelphia  and  mi- 
grated directly  from  that  city  to  Wilmington,  Dearborn  Co.,Ind.  At  this 
place  he  practiced  his  profession  for  more  than  forty  years.  He  was  pop- 
ular in  his  manners  and  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1834 — also  was 
elected  treasurer  of  the  county  in  1844.  While  on  a  visit  to  Kansas,  in 
1873,  he  contracted  diseases  which  terminated  his  life  at  the  age  of 
seventy- three.  At  one  period  he  had  an  extensive  practice,  embracing  a 
circuit  of  many  miles  over  the  rough  country  around  Wilmington.  He 
was  a  jovial  companion  and  was  always  regarded  as  an  honest  man. 

DR.  BASIL  JAMES  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  in  1797,canie 
to  the  West  with  his  father's  family  in  1807,  first  stopping  at  Lawrence- 
burgh, but  for  educational  purposes  the   family  removed  to  Cincinnati 


174  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  remained  two  years.  In  1812,  on  account  of  Indian  troubles,  the 
family,  excepting  the  father  and  his  eldest  sou,  Pinkney,  were  taken  to 
Louisville,  Ky.,  for  security,  whore  they  remained  until  the  fall  of  1813, 
when  all  the  family  finally  settled  in  Ohio  County.  Dr.  James  was 
identified  with  Rising  Sun  from  its  foundation,  his  father  being  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  place.  He  practiced  medicine  here  during  all  the 
active  years  of  his  life,  giving  up  the  profession  only  a  few  years  before 
his  death  on  account  of  age  and  feebleness.  Paralysis  came  upon  him 
about  1875,  and  although  he  recovered  to  some  extent,  yet  he  continued 
comparatively  helpless,  and  died  August  8,  1877. 

DR.  ROBERT  GILLESPIE  was  a  native  of  Leith,  Scotland,  where  he 
was  born  in  1793.  He  graduated  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  receiv- 
ing the  degree  of  Ch.  M.  (Master  of  Surgery).  In  1819  he  immigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in  Cass  Township,  Ohio  County,  then  in  Dearborn 
County,  where  he  practiced  medicine  with  success  until  his  death.  Dr. 
Gillespie's  opportunities  for  medical  instruction  were  much  superior  to 
those  enjoyed  by  most  of  his  associates.  He  was  considered  a  leading 
physician  and  surgeon  in  Ohio  and  adjoining  counties,  and  he  enjoyed  an 
enviable  reputation  both  professionally  and  socially.  He  died  in  1846. 
Dr.  William  Gillespie,  of  Rising  Sun,  is  his  son. 

DR.  HUGH  T.  WILLIAMS  was  born  in  Breckinridge  County,  Ky., 
May  27,  1812,  and  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Otho  Williams.  He  graduated  at 
the  Louisville  Medical  Institute  in  1842.  He  practiced  medicine  at 
Helena,  Ark.,  until  1845,  when  he  removed  to  Rising  Sun,  where  he  re- 
sided until  his  death,  most  of  the  time  engaged  in  the  active  practice  of 
medicine.  His  practice  was  large  and  lucrative.  In  the  last  years  of  his 
life  he  practiced  his  profession  in  connection  with  his  son.  Dr.  Hugh 
D.  Williams.  He  was  largely  identified  with  the  growth  and  enterprise 
of  Rising  Sun,  and  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  council  and 
school  board.  He  represented  Ohio  and  Switzerland  Counties  one  term 
in  the  Legislature,  and  during  the  war  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Morton 
draft  commissioner  and  enrolling  officer  of  Ohio  County.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  Dr.  Williams  was  possessed  of  a  strong  mind  and  was  a 
well-informed  man.  He  died  December  22,  1879,  leaving  an  only  son 
and  a  large  number  of  relatives  to  mourn  their  loss. 

DR.  MYRON  H.  HARDING  was  born  August  7,  1810,  in  the  town  of 
Williamson,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  was  the  second  son  of  David  Hard- 
ing, who  in  1820  emigrated  from  New  York  to  Ripley  Couhty,  Ind. 
Myron  Holly  Harding  attended  the  pioneer  schools  of  Ripley  County, 
and  worked  at  chopping,  piling  brush  and  burning  log  and  brush  piles, 
sometimes,  on  moonlight  nights,  working  with  his  brothers  in  the  clear- 


THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION.  175 

ing  until  a  late  hour.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  became  a  school 
teacher  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine 
under  the  tuition  of  Dr.  Cornett,-  of  Versailles.  After  studying  one 
year  he  successfully  stood  the  examination  before  the  Medical  Society  of 
Dearborn  County.  He  then  practiced  as  a  licentiate  until  the  year  1837, 
when  he  graduated  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College.  He  subsequently 
located  at  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  continued  in  the  successful  practice 
of  his  profession  until  his  last  sickness.  His  practice  was  extensive, 
and  his  skill  and  learning _in  his  profession  were  never  questioned. 
He  was  the  author  of  some  valuable  articles  in  the  medical  journals. 
He  served  as  president  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  and  of  the 
Dearborn  County  Medical  Society.  He  took  a  warm  interest  in  the 
progress  of  medical  science  and  was  a  member  of  the  American  Medical 
Association  and  an  honorary  member  of  the  California  State  Medical 
Society.  Dr.  Harding  was  a  remarkable  man.  First  he  was  a  man  of 
one  work,  a  faithful  servant  of  the  community  in  his  profession.  He 
was  a  most  devout  man,  and  faithful  husband  and  father.  His  wife  and 
children  occupied  the  tenderest  place  in  his  affection,  their  adversity  his 
sorrow,  their  prosperity  his  delight.  He  was  a  true  citizen  and  unhesi- 
tatingly identified  himself  upon  the  side  he  thought  best  and  right.  A 
defender  of  all  moral  principles,  you  knew  just  where  you  would  find 
him,  because  he  was  a  man  of  clear  convictions  and  had  the  courage  of 
them.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  activities  of  a  courageous  manhood,  on 
the  5th  of  June,  1885,  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis.  He  lingered  on 
through  the  passing  months  until  September  18,  1885,  when  his 
death  occurred.  His  remains  were  interred  in  Greendale  Cemetery  at 
Lawrenceburgh.  Such  are  the  mere  outlines  of  the  life  of  a  self-made 
and  self-educated  physician,  whose  indomitable  will  and  unblemished 
moral  character  deserved  the  high  success  which  crowned  the  career  of 
Myron  Holly  Harding,  M.  D.  In  1838  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Lucy  S.  Plummer,  who  died  in  1864  In  1865  he  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage to  Mary  A.  Hill.  To  him,  by  his  first  marriage,  were  born  six 
children,  three  now  living — Isadora  H. ,  Laura  F.  and  David  Arthur. 


176  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

JOURNALISM. 

Dearborn  Gazette— Indiana  Oracle— Indiana  Oracle  and  'Dearborn 
Gazette— Indiana  Palladium— The  Western  Statesman— Politi- 
cal Beacon— Remarks  on  Milton  Gregg  and  David  V.  Culley— 
Indiana  Whig— Indiana  Patriot— Dearborn  County  Register- 
Indiana  Whig— Indiana  Register— Democratic  Register— Inde- 
pendent Press— Union  Press— Lawrenceburgh  Press— Remarks 
on  0.  B.  ToRBETT— The  Rising  Sun— Rising  Sun  Times— Rising  Sun 
Times  and  Journal- Remarks  on  Isaac  Stevens— Remarks  on 
Alex  E  Glenn— Rising  Sun  Journal— Indiana  Patriot— Dear- 
born County  Register— Remarks  on  Elder  William  P.  Stratton— 
Indiana  Blade— Remarks  on  the  Co vingtons— Indiana  Whig- 
Remarks  ON  Robert  T.  Moore— Rising  Sun  Herald— Rising  Sun 
Mirror- Hoosier  Patriot— Indiana  Republican— Xeutral  Pen- 
ant— Weekly  News— Indiana  Weekly  Visitor— The  Hoosier 
Paper— Observer  and  Recorder- Recorder— Ohio  County  Re- 
corder—Rising SunRecorder— Saturday  News— Rising  Sun  Local  • 
—General  Remarks. 

THE  first  newspaper  published  in  Dearborn  Connty  was  styled  the 
Dearborn  Gazette,\>\ih\\shed  at  Lawrenceburgh  in  1817,  by  B.  Brown, 
a  Yankee;  the  office  was  in  a  little  brick  building  owned  by  James 
Hamilton,  located  on  the  rear  end  of  the  lot  on  which  is  now  known  as 
the  residence  of  Mr.  John  B.  Vail.  The  motto  of  the  paper  was  "Equal 
and  exact  justice."  The  printer  of  the  establishment  is  remembered  to 
have  been  Steele  Sampson. 

We  have  before  us  Vol.  I,  No.  5,  of  the  Indiana  Oracle,  which  bears 
date  of  September  29,  1819,  "printed  and  published  every  Wednesday 
morning  by  Dunn  &  Russell."  The  Oracle  was  a  four  column  folio  and 
in  size  about  18x10  inches.  Just  how  long  the  Indiana  Oracle  vfas  pub- 
lished by  Messrs.  Dunn  &  Russell  we  cannot  say,  but  it  was  under  their 
management  at  the  close  of  the  first  volume,  which  was  with  the  issue  of 
October  3,  1820,  when  there  was  no  indication  of  their  withdrawal.  The 
next  record  evidence  we  have  is  that  No.  119,  Vol.  Ill  of  the  Oracle  appeai-s 
under  date  of  September  21,  1822,  "printed  and  published  weekly  by 
Dunn  &  M'Pike,  which  with  issue  of  July  19,  1823,  came  out  under  the 
title  of  the  Indiana  Oracle  and  Dearborn  Gazette,  so  it  is  likely  that  the 
Dearborn  Gazette  had  been  in  existence  during  these  years  and  at  this 
time  was  consolidated  with  the  Oracle. 


JOURNALISM.  177 

The  successor  to  the  Oracle  and  Gazette  was  the  Indiana  Palladium, 
the  first  number  of  which  was  issued  Friday,  January  7,  1825, 
printed  and  published  by  M.  Gregg  and  D.  V.  Culley,  being  of  the  same 
size  as  all  of  its  predecessors.  The  Palladium  flew  the  motto  "Equality 
of  rights  is  nature's  plan — And  following  nature  is  the  March  of  Man." 
In  the  salutatory  it  was  stated  "We  profess  ourselves  Republicans, 
warmly  attached  to  the  best  interests  of  our  country;  and  pledge  our- 
selves to  publish  a  paper  founded  upon  purely  Republican  principles, 
uncontrolled  by  faction,  and  unbiased  by  party  spirit.  Divesting  ourselves 
of  everything  like  sectional  partialities  and  local  predjudices — our  paper 
shall  be  devoted  exclusively  to  the  benefit  of  ourselves  and  the  public  in 
general. "  *  * 

Of  the  Palladium  and  the  men  connected  with  it,  C.  F.  Clarkson 
wrote  in  1883: 

•*  The  first  permanent  newspaper,  from  which  there  has  been  contin- 
uously a  live  paper  issued,  was  started  January  10,  1825,  by  Milton 
Gregg  and  David  V.  Culley,  called  the  Indiana  Palladium.  They  were 
both  able  writers  and  practical  printers.  The  office  was  originally  located 
in  the  second  story  of  what  was  called  fifty-five  years  ago  the  '  bank 
building,'  being  west  of  and  adjoining  the  old  residence  of  father  Isaac 
Dunn.  In  the  summer  of  1829,  the  proprietors  built  a  one-story  office 
further  east  on  the  continuation  of  High  Street,  opposite  the  residence  of 
that  sturdy  old  citizen  William  Tate.  They  continued  to  publish  the 
Palladium,  making  it  a  spirited  and  interesting  paper,  until  September 
12,  1829,  when  owing  to  some  unfortunate  difficulties  Mr.  Gregg  sold 
out  to  Mr.  Culley,  who  continued  to  publish  it  until  he  was  appointed  to  a 
position  in  the  land  office  at  Indianapolis,  by  President  Jackson.  Mr. 
Culley  was  a  decided  Democrat,  while  Milton  Gregg  was  a  National 
Republican,  which  was  pi-evious  to  the  day  when,  at  the  suggestion  of 
James  Watson  Webb,  the  party  took  the  name  of  W^hig. 

"  The  writer  went  into  the  Palladium  office,  September  21.  1828,  as  an 
apprentice,  but  retired  from  it  with  Mr.  Gregg.  So  long  as  Gregg  & 
Culley  published  the  Palladium,  it  was  independent  in  politics,  but  when 
Culley  assumed  entire  control,  it  espoused  the^cause  of  Jackson  and  De- 
mocracy. Mr.  Gregg  at  once  commenced  preparations  to  start  a  National 
Republican  paper,  which  he  did  in  the  second  story  over  the  old  Ferris 
drug  store,  corner  of  High  and  Short  Streets,  then  occupied  by  Prichard 
&  Noble,  for  drugs.  The  paper  was  commenced  March  10,  1830,  and 
was  called  The  Western  Statesman.  Previous  to  this  time,  there  had 
been  various  vicissitudes  with  papers  at  Brookville,  Ind.,  the  last  by  Au- 
gustus Jocelyn.  Gregg  purchased  of  Mr.  Joeelyn  the  Brookville  printing 
materials.      They  were  old  and  badly  broken  in  sorts.     Mr.  Gregg  sent  a 


178  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

wild  Hoosier  teamster  for  the  printing  establishmjent,  who  laid  a  quilt  on 
the  floor  and  emptied  all  the  cases  on  it — all  sizes  and  varieties  of  types 
in  one  inglorious  'pi.'  John  W.  Holland,  who  lived  and  flourished  at 
Indianapolis  long  after,  and  if  living  yet,  will  vividly  recollect  aiding 
the  writer  in  distributing  the  'pi.'  It  took  three  weeks.  C.  F.  Clark- 
son,  who  had  commenced  his  apprenticeship  with  Gregg  &  Culley,  finished 
it  in  the  office  of  the  Statesman.  That  was  a  hard  time  for  newspapers. 
The  people  were  poor,  just  opening  their  farms,  and  mail  routes  and  post- 
offices  scarce.  A  part  of  our  apprenticeship  was  to  ride  horseback  Friday 
and  Saturday  every  week  to  distribute  the  papers  to  subscribers.  The 
route  was  down  by  Aurora,  Rising  Sun,  then  north  to  Watts'  Mill,  then 
up  by  old  Charles  Dashiel's,  around  by  Manchester,  etc.,  home — leaving 
packages  of  papers  in  twenty  or  thirty  places.  Mr.  Gregg  continued  to 
publish  the  Statesman  but  a  few  weeks  by  himself.  He  sold  out  a  half 
interest  on  the  28th  of  April,  1830,  to  Thomas  Dowling,  an  able  writer 
and  shrewd  politican  from  Washington  City,  who  had  learned  his  trade 
and  politics  in  the  old  National  Intelligencer  office.  Dowling  i  became  a 
prominent  man  in  Indiana  politics— standing  high  socially  and  finan- 
cially. He  died  a  few  years  ago  at  Terre  Haute.  He  Tylerized  in  1842, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  got  a  fat  Indian  contract,  which  made  him  finan- 
cially comfortable  for  life. 

"Gregg  &  Dowling  continued  in  partnership  only  till  November  2, 
1830,  when  the  latter  retired  and  bought  the  Greensburg  paper.  At  that 
time  one  A.  F.  Morrison  was  editor  of  the  Democratic  paper  at  Indian- 
apolis. He  was  considered  the  strongest  political  writer  in  the  State,  and 
the  small  fry  of  all  parties,  though  not  respecting,  feared  him.  Dowling 
fearlessly  bearded  him.  It  was  one  of  the  fiercest  and  probably  the 
ablest  newspaper  warfare  ever  waged  in  Indiana. 

"Mr.  Gregg  continued  to  publish  the  Statesman  until  the  spring  of  1831. 
John  Spencer,  who  was  then  sheriff  of  Dearborn  County,  having  been 
appointed  receiver  of  public  moneys  at  the  land  office  at  Fort  Wayne, 
resigned  the  sheriff's  office.  At  that  time  Noah  Noble  was  governor  of 
Indiana,  and  he  appointed  Milton  Gregg  sheriff.  At  that  day  public 
officers  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  in  person,  instead  of  doing  as 
now,  having  deputies  to  transact  the  business,  while  they  smoke  cigars, 
talk  politics,  and  prepare  for  re-election,  or  to  succeed  to  a  better  office. 
"  Mr.  Gregg  being  engrossed  with  the  sheriff's  office,  in  which  there 
was  more  money  than  publishing  a  paper,  abandoned  the  office  entirely, 
yet  in  his  name.  He  gave  the  editorial  and  mechanical  department  over 
to  the  writer  hereof,  then  only  twenty  years  of  age.  During  the  year  I 
purchased  it  of  Mr.  Gregg,  with  the  understanding  that  possession  was 
to  be  given  at  the  close  of  the  newspaper  year,  which  was  March  8,  1832. 


JOURNALISM.  179 

I  published  the  paper  by  myself  until  March  8,  1833,  when  I  sold  one- 
half  to  D.  S.  Major.  In  July,  of  the  same  year,  the  other  half  was  sold 
to  J.  R.  Smith,  who  was  a  worthless  vagabond,  and  soon  left  for  parts 
unknown.  The  paper  then  had  a  precarious  existence  for  some  time 
under  Major's  administration,  who,  as  a  lawyer,  had  enough  to  do  without 
a  newspaper." 

No.  1,  Vol.  II,  of  the  Statesman  was  a  five  column  folio  and  flew 
this  motto,  "The  Constitution,  Wisdom,  Justice,  Moderation,"  and  was 
issued  March  18,  1831,  by  Milton  Gregg. 

Mr.  Clax'kson,  on  assuming  the  management  of  the  paper,  in  the  pros  ■ 
pectus  said:  "The  great  principles  which  this  press  shall  maintain  will 
be  those  of  the  Union,  of  the  American  system,  and  of  internal  improve- 
ments. *  *  *  *  It  will  support  for  the  next  Presi- 
dency, Henry  Clay,  of  Kentucky,  and  for  Vice-President  John  Sergeant, 
of  Pennsylvania.''  For  a  time,  in  1832,  while  Mr.  Gregg  was  serving  as 
sheriff,  Judge  Test  edited  the  Statesman,  and  in  an  editorial  said:  "I 
have  ever  been,  and  always  expect  to  be,  the  devoted  (perhaps  some  will 
say  the  enthusiastic)  advocate  of  those  great  national  principles,  sound 
principles  of  Union,  of  the  American  system,  and  of  internal  improve- 
ments, until  maintained."  Under  date  of  March  15,  1833,  Mr.  Major 
set  forth  that  he  was  opposed  to  the  rights  of  secession.  "That  a  State 
has  a  right  to  withdraw  from  the  Union  whenever  she  becomes  dissatis- 
fied with  any  of  the  measures  of  the  general  Government,  I  cannot  ad- 
mit. *  *  *  J  1jq1(J  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  State  sov- 
ereignty, nor  a  sovereignty  in  the  general  Government.  *  *  * 
For  let  the  doctrine  of  nullification  and  secession  once  prevail,  and  all 
the  wisdom,  talent,  zeal  and  patriotism  in  our  government  cannot  save 
the  Union.  Like  the  pestilential  blast,  it  will  sweep  over  our  land,  and 
leave  the  dilapidated  walls  of  the  once-fair  fabric  of  our  Republican 
Government  the  blasted  monumeirt  of  our  folly."           *  *  * 

With  the  issue  of  October  9,  1833,  Mr.  Major  withdrew  from  the 
Statesman,  leaving  Mr.  Smith  the  sole  publisher  until  the  following 
spring. 

After  the  expiration  of  Mr.  Gregg's  term  of  oflfice  as  sherifi",  he  en- 
gaged for  a  time  in  flat-boating  and  trading  on  the  river,  but  again  re- 
turned to  his  profession,  and,  it  is  said,  in  1837  began  the  publication 
in  Lawrenceburgh  of  a  paper  entitled  the  Political  Beacon.  No.  1,  of 
Volume  III,  bears  the  date  of  October  26,  1839.  This  paper  he  published 
until  1844,  when  he  sold  to  Messrs.  Dunn  &  Watts.  On  the  25th  of 
January,  1840,  said  the  editor  of  the  Beacon:  "Our  banner  is  thrown 
to  the  breeze,  on  whose  broad  folds  are  inscribed  the  names  of  Harrison 
and  Tyler,  and  in  their  cause,  and  for  the  interest  of  our  common  country, 


180  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

we  shall  expect  to  do  battle  in  such  a  manaer  as  to  prove  to  the 
world  that  we  are  no  lukewarm  politiciansi"  Still  later,  in  the  cam- 
paign of  1840,  appeared  the  following  extract:  "That  we  are  zealous 
in  politics,  and  ardently  devoted  to  the  success  of  Whig  principles,  we 
admit;  but  that  we  would  attempt  to  carry  our  point  by  misi'epresenting 
facts  to  the  prejudice  of  our  political  opponents,  is  a  charge  which  we 
desire,  at  all  times,  indignantly  to  repel! — and  no  man  shall  lay  it  at 
our  door  with  impunity.  Our  cause  is  founded  upon  the  immutable 
principles  of  justice  and  truth;  and  upon  this  broad  basis,  and  this  alone, 
we  desire  to  see  it  stand  or  fall,  'Truth  is  mighty  and  will  prevail.'  " 
From  Lawrenceburgh  Mr.  G-regg  went  to  Madison,  and  finally  to  New 
Albany,  Ind.,  where  he  died  some  twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago.  "He  mar- 
ried, December  25,  1828,  Miss  Lucy  B.  Dennis,  then  one  of  the  prettiest 
women  I  ever  saw.  They  raised  a  model  family  of  children,  but  parents 
and  children  are  all  dead,  except  the  youngest  daughter,  who  now  lives 
in  Des  Moines,  Iowa." 

David  V.  Culley  died  in  Indianapolis  in  1869;  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1804,  receiving  the  greatest  part  of  his  schooling  at  or  in  the 
vicinity  of  Franklinton,  where  he  also  acquired  the  rudiments  of  his 
trade — printing.  About  1821,  he  removed  to  Elizabethtown,  Ky.,  where 
his  father  was  residing,  and  where  he  finished  his  trade.  Subsequently 
he  was  at  Corydon  and  at  Brookville,  and  in  1824  removed  to  Lawrence- 
burgh. Here  he  was  married  to  a  Miss  Brown,  and  in  1825,  in  connec- 
tion with  Milton  Gregg,  established  the  Indiana  Palladium,  but  in  time 
political  differences  separated  them.  Mr.  Culley  served  in  both  branches 
of  the  General  Assembly  from  Dearborn  County,  and  in  1836  was  made 
register  of  the  land  ofi&ce  by  Van  Buren,  removed  to  Indianapolis,  and 
in  1851  served  as  president  of  the  gas  company. 

A  paper  styled  the  Indiana  Whig  was  started  in  Lawrenceburgh  in 
1834.  No.  6  of  Vol.  I  appeared  under  date  of  May  24,  edited  by  John 
McPike.  Nothing  further  that  is  definite  of  this  paper  have  we  been 
able  to  learn. 

John  B.  Hall,  in  September,  1839,  succeeded  Elder  W.  P.  Stratton 
in  the  publication  of  the  Rising  Sun  Journal,  which  paper,  under  date 
of  October  10,  1840,  appeared  as  the  Indiana  Patriot,  in  which  Mr. 
Hall  stated  that  he  had  sold  the  office  to  Mr.  G.  M.  Childs,  and  discon- 
tinued the  publication  of  the  Journal.  The  Patriot  was  to  be  Whig  in 
politics.  December  5,  1840,  Mr.  Childs  withdrew  from  the  publication 
of  the  Patriot,  and  was  succeeded  by  J.  B.  Kent.  This  office  was 
removed  to  W^ilmington,  and  under  date  of  March  27,  1841,  appeared  at 
Wilmington,  Vol.  I,  No.  1,  of  the  Dearborn  County  Register,  neutral  in 
politics,  published  by  J.  B.  Kent.     It  has  been  stated  in  print  that  the 


JUURNALISM.  181 

Dearborn  County  Register  was  suspended  at  the  end  of  the  first  year, 
and  the  office  and  fixtures  sold  to  B.  B.  Root,  who  continued  the  publi- 
cation at  Wilmington,  of  a  paper  styled  the  Indiana  Whig,  until  1844, 
when  the  office  was  removed  to  Lawrencebui'gh,  where  it  was  continued 
by  B.  B.  Root  and  James  S.  Jelley  until  the  close  of  that  year,  when  it  was 
suspended,  and^the  office  and  fixtures  bought  by  John  B.  Hall,  who,  for 
the  second  time,  began  the  publication  of  the  Register.  Again  it  has 
been  stated  that,  in  the  fall  of  1844,  Mr.  Root  sold  the  Whig  to  Mr. 
John  B.  Hall. who  changed  the  name  to  the  Indiana  Register,  and  in  the 
following  year  moved  the  paper  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and,  purchasing  the 
Political  Beacon,  consolidated  the  papers  under  the  name  of  the  Demo- 
cratic Register.  In  1850  Mr.  Hall  sold  the  Register  to  George  W.  Lane, 
who,  in  1851,  sold  it  to  Messrs.  Oliver  B.  Tarbett  and  Charles  C.  Scott. 
These  gentlemen  continued  to  publish  it  two  years,  and,  in  1853,  sold  it 
to  Addison  Bookwalter,  who  published  it  until  in  1871 — his  valedictory 
appearing  in  issue  of  January  6.  Mr.  Bookwalter's  successor  was 
Edward  F.  Sibley,  who  continued  its  publication  until  in  1877 — his  val- 
edictory appearing  under  date  of  Max'ch  8.  In  the  same  issue  ap- 
peared the  salutatory  of  the  Democratic  Register  Printing  Company. 
On  the  29th  of  March,  of  the  same  year,  appeared  the  valedictory  of 
J.  H.  Burkam  and  the  salutatory  of  W.  D.  H.  Hunter  and  W.  H. 
O'Brien,  who  have  since  conducted  the  paper.  From  the  foregoing  it  is 
seen  that  the  Democratic  Register  is  the  lineal  successor  of  the  Dear- 
born County  Register,  established  at  Wilmington  in  1841.  Mr.  Ben- 
jamin V.  Gould,  now  foreman  in  the  printing  department  of  the  Register 
office,  seems  almost  a  part  of  the  establishment,  in  as  much  as  he  entered 
the  office  as  an  apprentice  in  1856,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  short 
period,  has  been  identified  with  the  printing  of  the  Register  as  foreman 
through  that  long  period  of  years. 

October  18,  1850,  was  issued  the  first  number  of  a  newspaper  in  Law- 
renceburgh, styled  the  Independent  Press,  published  by  H.  L.  Brown 
and  James  E,  Goble,  and  edited  by  O.  B.  Torbett.  The  Press  was  a 
seven  column  folio.  August  22,  1851,  the  Press  was  sold  to  Rev.  W.  W. 
Hibben,  who,  on  the  9th  of  |June,  1852,  associated  with  him  J.  P. 
Chew,  a  pi-actical  printer  and  foreman  of  the  office,  as  assistant  editor. 
On  the  20th  of  October  following,  Mr.  Chew  became  the  proprietor  and 
editor  of  the  paper,  and  conducted  t  until  April  12,  1856,  when  he  sold 
to  E.  F.  Sibley,  then  publishing  the  Aurora  Standard,  who  combined 
the  two  papers,  which  were  suspended  in  1857. 

For  several  years  following  1857,  with,  perhaps,  a  short  interim,  a 
Republican  paper  continued  to  be  issued  at  Lawrenceburgh,  with  differ- 
ent persons  at  its  head,  among  whom  were  R.  D.  Brown,  and  Thompson 


182  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Brothers.  Within  a  period  of  five  years  subsequent  to  1856,  the  paper 
had  five  different  publishers,  and  was  suspended  as  many  times.  June 
8,  1864,  appeared  the  first  issue  of  the  Union  Press,  a  six-column  folio, 
published  by  Lyman  Knapp.  The  Press  firmly  adhered  to  the  cause  of 
the  North  and  supported  the  Union,  urging  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the 
war  and  the  abolition  of  slavery.  July  4,  1867,  the  name  of  the  paper 
was  changed  to  the  Lawrenceburgh  Press.  Mr.  Knapp  in  a  short  time 
was  succeeded  by  J.  P.  Chew,  in  the  publication  of  the  Press,  who  had 
been,  with  the  exception  of  about  five  years,  identified  with  the  Repub- 
lican organ  of  the  county  as  publisher  and  editor,  since  1852.  Mr.  Chew 
continued  to  conduct  the  Press  until  June  27,  1878,  when  he  sold  the 
paper  to  James  E.  Larimer,  who  has  since  published  and  edited  the 
same.  Mr.  Samuel  Chapman,  now  a  job  printer  of  the  city,  was,  for 
some  eighteen  years  prior  to  Mi*.  Chew's  withdrawal  from  the  Press,  asso- 
ciated with  the  printing  department  of  the  office  in  the  relation  of  fore- 
man and  manager.  The  Press  is  the  Republican  organ  of  the  county, 
and,  as  will  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  above,  is  the  direct  succes- 
sor of  the  Independent  Press  established  in  1850.  Mr.  Torbett,  whose 
name  is  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Press,  died  in  Indianapolis  in 
1864.  He  commenced  the  practice  of  the  law  in  Lawrenceburgh  about 
1848;  was  for  a  time  connected  with  the  Press,  and  subsequently  with 
the  Register.  Iq  1849-50,  he  served  from  this  county  in  the  State  Leg- 
islature, and  was  speaker  of  the  House;  was  a  talented  man,  the  young- 
est in  that  body. 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  Aurora  was  the  Indiana  Signal, 
the  first  number  of  which  made  its  appearance  in  August,  1836,  edited 
by  L.  C.  Hastings.  In  politics  the  Signal  was  Democratic,  and  was  dis- 
continued after  the  presidential  campaign  of  that  year. 

In  1839  a  paper  was  established  at  Aurora  entitled  the  Dearborn 
Democrat,  by  the  Aurora  Printing  Company,  edited  by  Alexander  E. 
Glenn,  which  was  continued  during  the  exciting  canvass  of  1840,  then 
removed  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  published  by  C.  W.  Hutchins.  For  sev- 
eral years  following  the  removal  of  the  Democrat,  Aurora  was  without  a 
paper. 

The  Western  Republican  was  started  at  Lawrenceburgh  by  Nimrod 
Lancaster  in  1846,  and  in  the  fall  of  1847  it  was  removed  to  Aurora.  It 
was  started  as  an  independent  paper,  Vol.  II,  No.  32,  appeared  under  date 
of  November  22,  1847,  published  at  Aurora  by  John  B.  Hall  and  Nimrod 
Lancaster,  supporting  Taylor.  In  1848,  the  Republican  became  the 
property  of  Folbre  &  Co.  The  Wester7i  Commercial  was  started  in  Aurora 
in  1848,  by  N.  W.  Folbre  and  W.  H.  Murphy,  Vol.  I,  No.  11,  bearing  date 
of    February    10,    1849.     The  Commercial  was  neutral    in   politics   and 


JOURNALISM.  183 

religion,  and  continued  to  be  published  and  edited  by  Mr.  Folbre  until 
on  the  22d  of  May,  1851,  when  he  retired  and  was  succeeded  by  Messrs. 
Root  &  Bowers.  That  year  (1851)  these  gentlemen  established  the  Aurora 
Standard,  a  Whig  paper.  These  gentlemen  continued  the  publication 
six  months,  and  for  six  months  longer  the  Standard  was  published  by 
Mr.  Bowers  alone,  when,  in  1852,  E.  F.  Sibley,  then  foreman  in  the 
office,  purchased  an  interest  in  the  paper,  and  continued  in  its  publica- 
tion until  the  paper  was  suspended  in  1857. 

The  Independent  Banner  was  started  at  Aurora,  in  1852,  by  N.  D. 
Folbre,  the  first  issue  appearing  August  12.  Mr.  Folbre  remained  the 
editor  and  publisher  of  the  Banner  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
March  3,  1854.  The  publication  ceased  with  the  paper  of  March  8, 
1854.  Mr.  Folbre  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1824,  and,  with  his  parents, 
located  in  Aui'ora  in  1826.  In  1836  he  entered  the  Signal  office  in  Aurora 
to  learn  his  trade.  From  1838  until  1845  he  was  employed  in  the  office 
of  the  Political  Beacon  at  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  remained  until 
1845,  when  the  press  changed  hands,  and  our  subject  controlled  the 
printing  department.  Later  he  was  in  the  office  of  the  Western  Repub- 
lican, printed  at  Lawrenceburgh  by  Mr.  Lancaster,  and  when  the  office 
was  moved  to  Aurora  in  1847,  Mr.  F.  returned  with  it. 

In  1859  W.  H.  Nelson  established  a  paper  at  Aurora  called  the  Aurora 
Commercial,  which  continued  to  be  published  by  him  until  some  time  in 
the  early  part  of  1861,  when  it  was  suspended.  That  fall  the  paper  was 
revived  by  E.  F.  Sibley,  and  successfully  conducted  by  him  until  1868, 
when  the  establishment  was  sold  to  John  Cobb. 

September  13,  1868,  appeared  the  first  number  of  a  paper  styled  the 
Peoples'  Advocate,  published  at  Aurora  by  E.  F.  Sibley,  which  was  con- 
tinued by  that  gentleman  until  1871. 

July,  1868,  there  was  established  at  Aurora  by  a  joint  stock  company 
of  twenty-four  members,  who  had  pui'chased  the  press  and  printing 
material  of  the  Auroi-a  Commercial,  a  paper  called  the  Dearborn  Inde- 
pendent, an  independent  Republican  newspaper.  Up  to  February,  1869, 
this  paper  was  edited  and  published  by  J.  W.  McDonald  &  T.  J.  Cobb. 
At  this  time  Mr.'McDonald  retired  and  left  the  management  and  editing  of 
the  paper  to  Mr.  Cobb,  who,  in  April,  1873,  sold  the  Independent  to  L. 
W.  Cobb,  who  has  since  conducted  the  paper  as  proprietor  and  editor. 
Under  the  present  management  the  paper  has  been  conducted  as  independ- 
ent in  politics. 

The  Aurora  Spectator,  a  neat  and  newsy  weekly  newspaper,  was 
started  some  years  since  by  James  Everett,  a  native  of  Illinois,  but  for 
ten  years  past  a  resident  of  Aurora.  In  1882  he  accepted,  as  a  partner, 
Frank  Gregory,   a  native  'of  Rising  Sun.     Messrs.  Everett  &  Gregory 


184  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

have  both  been  connected  with  the  printing  business  from  boyhood,  and 
are  achieving  an  encouraging  success  with  their  enterprise  in  Aurora. 

Two  and  fifty  years  ago  occurred  the  birth  of  the  first  newspaper 
published  in  Rising  Sun,  then  a  village  of  Dearborn  County.  The 
paper  was  styled  the  Rising  Surij  the  first  issue  of  which  appeared  under 
date  of  November  16,  1833,  printed  and  published  by  Isaac  Stevens  & 
Co.,  the  Company  being  Eldridge  G.  Brown,  a  steamboat  captain.  In 
size,  the  Rising  Sun  was  18x11^  inches,  a  five  column  folio.  It  was  not 
designed  as  a  political  paper,  "reserving  to  our  individual  self  the  right 
to  speak  and  think,  we  shall  ever  in  our  editorial  capacity  avoid  all 
partyism  and  political  controversies,  while  at  the  same  time,  in  regard 
to  the  general  movements  of  the  Government  we  shall  endeavor  to  give 
a  plain  and  unvarnished  tale,  and  leave  our  readers  upon  this  subject  to 
ponder  and  determine  for  themselves.''  With  the  issue  of  May  17, 
1834,  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the  Rising  Swn  Times, 
published  by  Stevens  &  Glenn.  The  Times  was  neutral  in  politics  and 
continued  to  be  published  by  Stevens  &  Glenn  until  November  8,  1834, 
when  Mr.  Stevens  sold  to  Mr.  Glenn  who  continued  its  publication  until 
1837  or  1838;  the  last  number  we  were  able  to  find  appeared  under  date 
of  September  16,  1837.  On  the  18th  of  February,  1837  or  some  time 
prior  thereto,  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the  Rising  Sun 
Times  and  Farmers*  Journal,  and  with  that  issue  began  the  paper,  a 
political  one,  pledging  itself  to  support  the  administration  of  Martin 
Van  Buren. 

Isaac  Stevens  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  1811,  and  in 
1815  with  his  parents  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where,  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  printing  business,  serving  six  years, 
thence  coming  from  the  ofiice  of  the  Cincinnati  Gazette  in  1833,  to 
Rising  Sun.  In  the  fall  of  1836  he  removed  to  Vevay,  and  there  com- 
menced the  publication  of  a  weekly  newspaper,  which  business  he 
continued  in  with  the  intermission  of  about  two  years,  until  1857,  tnen 
engaged  in  different  branches  of  mercantile  business  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1877. 

Alexander  E.  Glenn  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  and  after 
leaving  Rising  Sun  went  to  Aurora,  where  he  was  connected  with  the 
publication  of  a  paper.  In  1836  he  represented  Dearborn  County  in  the 
Legislature,  and  in  1841  he  returned  to  the  city  of  Columbus,  Ohio, 
taking  the  foremanship  of  the  State  Journal  office.  In  1853  he  com- 
menced the  publication  of  the  Ark,  an  Odd  Fellows'  Journal,  which  he 
edited  for  fifteen  years.  His  death  occurred  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in 
1872. 

Vol.  I,  No.  1,  of  the  Rising  Sun   Journal,  a  five  column  folio  sheet, 


JOURNALISM.  185 

neutral  in  politics,  was  issued  September  12,  1838,  edited  and  published 
by  William  P.  Stratton,  who  retired  from  the  paper  September  7,  1839, 
and  was  succeeded  by  John  B.  Hall,  whose  name  appeared  in  connection 
with  the  paper  September  21st  of  that  year.  The  paper  appeared  under 
date  of  October  10,  1840,  as  the  Indiana  Patriot,  being  a  six  column 
folio,  stamped  as  Vol  I,  No.  1,  in  which  issue  Mr.  Hall  stated  that  he 
had  sold  his  printing  office  to  G.  M.  Child,  and  discontinued  the  publi- 
cation of  the  Rising  Sun  Journal.  The  Patriot  was  to  be  Whig  in  poli- 
tics. With  the  issue  of  December  5,  1840,  Mr.  Childs  withdrew  and  J. 
B.  Kent  became  the  proprietor.  The  last  issue  of  this  paper  at  our 
command  appeared  October  9,  1841.  The  office  was  removed  to  Wil- 
mington, and  under  date  of  March  27,  1841,  appeared  at  Wilmington, 
Vol.  I,  No.  1,  of  the  Dearborn  County  Register,  neutral  in  politics, 
published  by  J.  B.  Kent.  At  the  end  of  two  years  Mr.  Hall  again 
bought  the  office  and  published  the  first  Cass  paper  in  Indiana.  After 
the  division  of  Dearborn  County  and  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to 
Lawrenceburgh,  Mr.  Hall  removed  the  office  to  that  place,  carrying  it  on 
until  he  sold  out  to  George  W.  Lane  in  1852,  after  which  Mr.  Hall 
went  to  Evansville,  where  he  published  for  several  years  the  Evansville 
Enquirer.     In  1876  he  was  still  connected  with  the  press  of  that  city. 

Elder  William  P.  Stratton,  whose  name  is  mentioned  above  in  con- 
nection with  the  press  of  the  county,  was,  while  publishing  the  paper, 
pastor  of  the  Christian  Churches  at  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  Petersburgh  and 
Burlington,  Ky.  He  was  a  practical  printer,  and  though  for  forty  years 
a  preacher,  had  by  secular  pursuits  supported  himself  and  family.  His 
death  occurred  in  Cincinnati,  in  1883,  aged  seventy-five  years.  In  that 
city  he  held  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  baptized  over  1,000 
persons,  officiated  at  over  2,000  funerals  and  married  over  2.000  couples. 

March  25,  1843,  S.  F.  Covington  issued  the  first  number  of  a  paper, 
styled  the  Indiana  Blade,  which  was  established  for  the  purpose  of  se- 
curing the  division  of  Dearborn  County,  and  the  location  of  a  county 
seat  at  Rising  Sun.  An  effort  of  this  kind  had  been  made  at  regular  in- 
tervals for  a  number  of  years,  but  had  always  proven  unsuccessful.  On 
this  occasion,  however,  the  friends  of  the  measure  succeeded  in  electing 
George  P.  Buell  to  the  Senate,  and  Col.  Pinkney  James,  David  Macy  and 
Richard  Spicknell  to  the  House,  who  procured  the  passage  of  a  law  di- 
viding Dearboru  County,  and  creating  the  new  county  of  Ohio.  Febru- 
ary 22,  1845,  Mr.  Covington  associated  with  him  his  brother,  John  B. , 
and  August  23  of  that  year,  S.  F.  Covington  transferred  the  paper  to 
hisjbrother,  John  B.  Covington,  and  took  charge  of  the  Madison  Courier. 
In  1846  he  returned  and  united  with  his  bi'other  in  the  publication,  and 
continued  until  January,  1848.  when  he  purchased  the  Madison  Courier 


186  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  again  took  charge  of  that  paper.  John  B.  Covington  continued  in 
charge  at  Rising  Sun.  March  11,  1848,  John  B.  Covington  sold  the 
Blade  to  Amor  &  Jennison,  and  joined  his  brother  at  Madison  in  the 
Courier.     In  July,  1849,  they  sold  the  Courier  to  M.  C.  Garber. 

S.  F.  Covington  went  into  the  insurance  business,  and  for  many  years 
was  connected  with  the  Indianapolis  and  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Companies, 
having  charge  of  the  office  of  the  Indianapolis  company  in  that  city.  After- 
ward he  went  to  Cincinnati  and  became  secretary  of  the  Globe  Insurance 
Company,  and  is  now  its  president.  He  has  served  as  president  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  is  one  of  the  best  posted  and  most 
reliable  and  trustworthy  commercial  men  in  that  city.  John  B.  Coving- 
ton became  secretary  of  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company,  and  acted 
in  that  capacity  for  several  years;  was  engaged  also  in  trading  in  produce, 
and  has  now  retired  to  a  rural  home  half  a  mile  below  Rising  Sun. 

With  the  issue  of  June  3,  1848,  George  Amor  was  succeeded  in  the 
publication  of  the  Blade  by  R.  P.  Moore,  the  paper  to  be  conducted  in 
the  future  under  the  title  of  the  Indiana  Whig,  by  Messrs  Moore  &  Jen- 
nison; Vol.  I,  No.  1,  of  which  appeared  June  17,  1848.  In  the  salu- 
tatory it  was  stated  that  the  Wliig  would  support  Taylor  and  Filmore. 
"  Fully  persuaded  of  the  importance  of  the  approaching  campaign,  the 
interest  already  manifested  by  the  Whigs  of  this  representative  district, 
and  the  importance  of  a  Whig  paper  at  this  point,  has  alone  induced  the 
proprietors  to  embark  in  this  new  enterprise.  With  no  encouragement 
but  the  efficacy  of  our  principles,  and  the  ultimate  good  which  must  nec- 
essarily flow  from  a  proper  promulgation  of  those  principles,  has  in- 
duced us  to  launch  our  frail  bark  on  the  broad  and  boundless  ocean  of 
political  warfare,  and  meet  the  enemy  'face  to  face'  in  open  combat. 

"  The  Democratic  nominations  are  already  made;  the  party  drill  of 
the  'opposition'  has  commenced;  the  tocsin  has  been  sounded,  and  they 
are  daily  girding  on  their  armor  preparing  for  the  conflict.  It  behooves 
us,  then,  as  W^higs,  to  meet  them.  Therefore  it  is  necessary  we  should 
have  some  medium  through  which  to  defend  ourselves.  We  intend  the 
Whig  to  be  that  medium;  and  in  order  to  more  fully  disseminate  the 
Republican  principles  of  the  great  Whig  party,  we  ask  the  Whigs  of  the 
district  to  aid  us,  and  we  will  spare  no  pains  to  render  the  Whig  worthy 
of  their  support.  In  fact,  we  intend  making  the  Whig  a  political  paper, 
giving  'measures,  not  men,'  our  preference. 

"  We  are  now  on  the  eve  of  an  important  political  campaign,  one, 
too,  fraught  with  more  interest  and  magnitude  than  any  preceding  one. 
The  trying  issue  has  come.  One  more  universal  rally  is  necessary.  With 
the  spirit  of  1840  breathing  in  every  patriotic  Whig  breast,  and  the  inter- 
ests of  our  common  country  at  stake,  we  can,  by  a  strong  pull,  and  a  long 


JOURNALISM.  187 

pull,  and  a  pull  altogether,  redeem  the  Whig  party^from  the  thraldom  in 
which  it  was  so  unexpectedly  thrown  in  1844. "        *         *         *        * 

Mr  Jennison  was  associated  with  the  publication  of  the  Whig  but  a 
short  time,  when  the  paper  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Moore  (Robert  T.) 
alone.  The  latter  was  a  sharp  writer,  a  little  rough  and  decidedly  pur- 
sonal,  and  had  several  street  difficulties.  In  point  of  ability  the  Whig 
ranked  among  the  first  papers  of  the  State.  Its  editor  defended  and  sup- 
ported with  noted  talent  the  cause  he  espoused,  doing  himself  credit  and 
exercising  no  little  influence  by  the  bold  and  independent  course  he  pur- 
sued. Under  Taylor  Mr.  Moore  became  postmaster  of  Rising  Sun;  sub- 
sequently read  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar;  served  as  prosecuting 
attorney  over  this  judicial  district;  removed  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  died 
September  13,  1854,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-eight  years. 

The  office  of  the  Whig  was  sold  to  W.  T.  Pepper,  who  issued  under 
date  of  August  24,  1850,  No.  1,  Vol.  I,  of  a  paper  styled  the  Rising  Sun 
Herald,  to  be  neutral  in  politics. 

Vol.  I,  No.  1,  of  the  Rising  Sun  Mirror  was  issued  November  24, 
1849,  by  John  H  Scott,  which  March  13,  1851,  was  consolidated  with  the 
Herald,  to  be  neutral  in  politics,  as  each  of  those  papers  had  been;  the  new 
paper  to  be  edited  by  Mr.  Pepper  and  published  by  Charles  Scott.  This  pa- 
per was  shortlived,  we  judge,  for  in  September,  1852,  Mr.  Pepper  issued  No. 
1,  Vol.  I,  of  a  paper  under  the  title  of  the  Hoosier  Patriot,  Democratic 
in  politics.      The  Patriot  was  published  but  a  short  time. 

Vol.  I,  No.  1  of  the  Indiana  Repahlican  appeared  in  Risino-  Sun 
August  30,  1851,  under  the  proprietorship  of  Hayden  &  Gregory.  It 
claimed  to  be  Republican  in  politics,  of  the  same  school  of  Adams,  Clay 
and  Webster,  and  supported  Fillmore  for  the  presidency.  September  20, 
1851,  Mr.  Hayden  withdrew  from  the  paper  and  was  succeeded  by  Will- 
iam French,  who  in  connection  with  Mr.  Gregory  published  the  paper 
until  December  11,  1852,  when  Mr.  French  became  sole  pi'oprietor.  Jan- 
uary 1,  1853,  H.  C.  Craft  became  associated  with  Mr.  French  in  the 
publication  of  ih.Q  Republican,  the  last  number  of  which  was  issued  April 
22,  1854,  and  the  paper  was  then  removed  to  Jeflfersonville,  Ind. 

The  Neutral  Penant  made  its  appearance  in  Rising  Sun,  October  13, 
1853,  published  by  H.  C.  Craft;  and  the  Weekly  News,  Vol.  I,  No.  2,  ap- 
peai'ed  under  date  of  March  3,  1854,  by  Charles  Scott.  The  latter  not 
long  after  this  removed  his  office  to  Vevay. 

May  6,  1854,  was  issued  No.  1,  Vol.  I,  of  the  Indiana  Weekly  Visi- 
tor, published  by  William  H.  Gregory,  in  the  publication  of  which  he 
continued  until  in  1859.  Under  date  of  November  7,  1857,  under  the 
head  "  Last  of  Republicanism,"  the  editor  observed: 

"  The  career  of  Republicanism    has   been  run — the  yearling  is  dead. 


188  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

The  coup  de  grace  has  been  administered  in  the  State  of  Ohio— its  only 
western  stronghold — and  it  now  lives  only  on  its  death  bed  in  New  York 
and  New  England.  During  its  life  it  was,  without  intending  it,  a  great 
ally  to  "the  Democracy,"  for  it  elected  Buchanan,  when  Fillmore  alone 
could  have  defeated  him;  and  a  Congress,  elected  two  years  ago  "Ameri- 
can," it  converted  afterward  into  "  Republican,"  to  be  succeeded,  as  it 
was  certain  to  be,  under  such  a  wrongful  conversion,  by  a  Congress 
Democratic. 

"We  were  accustomed  a  year  since  to  speak  of  the  Freemont  movement 
as  a  passion,  an  excitement  and  a  fever,  which  was  as  certain  to  die  out 
in  a  twelvemonth,  as  night  and  day  were  certain  to  succeed  each  other. 
We  were  very  much  abused  then  for  the  prediction,  but  time  has  proved 
it  true."         *  *  *         How  soon  the  resurrection,  and  what  a 

grand  life! 

Under  the  head  "Obituary"  appeared  the  following  notice  of  this  paper 
in  the  Hoosier  Paper  oi.  March  5,  1864:  "Died  on  Saturday  morning,  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1864,  after  an  illness  of  several  months,  the  Aurora  Rising  Sun 
Visitor,  in  the  ninth  year  of  its  age.     Requiescat  in  pace. 

"Little  did  we  imagine,  when  we  came  to  Rising  Sun  to  publish  the 
Hoosier  Paper,  that  we  would  so  soon  be  called  upon  to  record  the 
detnise  of  this  time-honored  and  valuable  institution,  which,  with  an 
intermission  of  a  few  months,  continued  to  exist  for  nearly  nine  years. 
The  publication  of  the  Visitor  was  commenced  by  the  late  William  H. 
Gregory,  in  the  year  1855,  if  we  recollect  aright,  and  continued  by  him 
several  years.  During  his  administration,  the  Visitor  was  looked  upon 
as  one  of  the  ablest  papers  in  the  State;  but,  after  continuing  the  publi- 
cation of  the  paper  for  about  four  years,  he  was  compelled,  on  account 
of  bad  health,  to  retire  from  business.  Mr.  Gregory  disposed  of  the 
office  to  Judge  J.  J.  Hayden,  then  residing  in  this  city,  who  published 
the  paper  about  twelve  months  and  then  sold  out  to  Mr.  D.  G.  Rabb, 
and  Mr.  John  W.  Rabb  took  hold  of  the  paper  and  published  it  through 
the  presidential  campaign ]of  1860,  and^  up  to  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion.  In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Rabb  recruited  a  company  of  troops 
under  the  call  of  the  President  for  75,000  men  for  three  months'  service, 
and  went  with  the  Seventh  Indiana  Regiment,  leaving  the  Visitor  in 
charge  of  a  publisher.  When  the  call  was  made  for  three  years'  troops, 
the  said  publisher  left  it  in  the  hands  of  another  'publisher,'  who  'run' 
it  about  one  month,  and  then  let  it  fizzle.  After  a  lapse  of  several 
months,  the  concern  was  revived  by  Messrs.  Frank  Gregory  &  Co.  (Mr. 
Ed  F.  Sibley),  of  the  Aurora  Commercial.  For  about  a  year  the  paper 
was  published  regularly  'every  Saturday  morning,'  the  first  and  fourth 
pages  being  printed  at  Aurora.     Finally,  Messrs.  F.  G.  &  Co.  sold  the 


JOURNALISM.  189 

material,  with  which  the  second  and  third  pages  had  been  printed,  to  a 
firm  in  Ripley  County,  and  thereafter  the  arduous  task  of  printing  the 
Visitor  was  performed  at  the  Commercial  office  in  Aurora,  the  work  being 
expedited  by  transferring  matter  from  the  columns  of  the  Commercial 
to  those  of  the  Visitor,  and  filling  the  fourth  page,  and  a  large  portion 
of  the  other  three  pages  with  Aurora  advertisements.  From  the  time  of 
the  transfer  of  the  concern  from  Rising  Sun  to  Aurora,  the  people  lost 
interest  in  it,  and  the  aforesaid  valuable(?)  institution  continued  to 
grow  gradually  weaker  and  to  struggle  hard  for  existence;  but  finally, 
without  a  cry  or  a  groan— it  being  so  weak  it  couldn't  groan — it  suc- 
cumbed and  went  'the  way  of  all  flesh.'  Such  is  the  short  but  brilliant 
history  of  the  Aurora  Rising  Sun  Visitor.  Again  we  exclaim,  'Peace  to 
its  ashes.'" 

The  Hoosier  Paper  was  started  in  Rising  Sun  February  20,  1864,  by 
John  P.  Lemon  and  D.  B.  Hall  (the  latter  is  now  the  publisher  of  the 
Rising  Sun  Local),  which  gentlemen  continued  its  publication  until  in 
the  following  August,  when  Mr.  Hall  went  into  the  United  States  serv- 
ice, and  Mr.  Lemon  continued  the  publication  of  the  Hoosier  until  the 
February  following,  when  he  sold  to  Mr.  J.  E.  D.  Ward.  The  follow- 
ing is  extracted  from  the  salutatory  of  the  Hoosier:  "Politically,  our 
paper  will  support  the  present  administration  in  all  its  acts  in  the  con- 
duct of  the  war.  *  *  *  "VVe  know  no  difference  between  a  traitor  in 
arms  and  a  traitor  at  heart,  and  think  they  should  be  served  the  same 
way — hanged  as  high  as  Haman.  While  our  brave  soldiers  are  fighting 
the  enemy,  we  deem  it  our  duty  to  fight  them  at  home  and  we  shall  do 
so  to  the  last  extremity.  We  do  not  want  to  see  this  war  end  unless  it 
be  with  honor  to  the  North.  Just  so  soon  as  Jeff  Davis  &  Co.  come  to 
see  'the  error  of  their  ways,'  and  come  back  under  the  shadow  of  the 
old  stars  and  stripes,  in  obedience  to  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  the 
country,  or  the  whole  race  of  rebels  is  exterminated  and  our  armies  and 
navies  have  encompassed  their  territory,  then  we  are  for  peace — not  be- 
fore." 

On  the  11th  of  March,  1865,  Mr.  J.  Edwin  Donelson  Ward  issued 
No.  1,  Vol.  I,'  of  the  Observer  and  Recorder,  whose  political  complexion 
was  purely  loyal,  conforming  to  the  views  and  doctrines  of  the  Repub- 
lican or  Union  party,  "to  support  the  Government  in  all  of  its  measures 
to  put  down  the  Rebellion."  Mr.  Ward  continued  to  publish  the  paper 
until  in  1866,  retiring  July  14,  and  on  the  21st  of  that  month  and 
year  Messrs.  Frank  Gregory  and  Charles  Beat}'^  took  possession  and 
issued  the  Recorder,  which  gentlemen  set  forth  in  their  salutatory  that  it 
was  their  intention  to  publish  an  independent  newspaper,  devoted  to 
the  interests  of  Ohio  County  and  Rising  Sun.      On  the  12th  of  January, 

1 1 


190  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1867,  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  the  Ohio  Comity  Recorder. 
With  the  issue  of  the  paper  bearing  date  of  September  26,  1868.  Mr, 
Beaty  retires  and  the  Recorder  is  published  by  Mr.  Gregory  until  June 
2,  1873,  when  the  paper  was  sold  to  the  present  proprietor,  Frederick  J. 
Waldo,  who  June  7,  1873,  seat  the  paper  out  a  quarto,  six  columns, 
independent  in  politics  but  not  neutral.  The  paper  is  now  published 
under  the  name  of  the  Rising  Sun  Recorder,  and  is  Republican  in 
politics. 

October  17,  1874,  D.  W.  Calvert  commenced  the  publication  of  a 
paper  in  Rising  Sun  styled  the  Saturday  News,  independent  in  politics. 
The  News  was  continued  in  Rising  Sun  under  the  same  proprietorship 
uutil  in  the  spring  of  1878,  when  the  office  was  removed  to  Aurora  and 
the  paper  there  published  under  the  same  management,  though  changed 
in  politics  to  a  Democratic  paper  until  the  spring  of  1881,  when  its  pub- 
lication was  discontinued. 

Vol.  I,  No.  1,  of  a  weekly  paper  styled  the  Rising  Sun  Local,  a  six 
column  folio  independent  in  politics,  published  by  Banner  Hall,  made 
its  appearance  in  Rising  Sun  July  26,  1879,  with  Murray  T.  Williams 
as  local  editor.  The  Local  has  continued  under  the  same  name  and 
proprietorship,  though  several  times  enlarged  and  otherwise  improved 
from  the  beginning.  It  is  now  Republican  in  politics,  and  Mr.  Hall, 
the  editor,  is  still  assisted  by  Mr.  Williams.  The  LocaZ,  since  November 
13,  1880  an  eight  column  folio,  is  a  live  and  interesting  sheet. 

The  Rising  Sun  Herald  is  the  name  oE  a  weekly  penny  paper  estab- 
lished in  the  city  in  1884,  by  Master  Frank  Downey,  who  is  both  editor 
and  publisher.  The  Herald  is  printed  on  a  sheet  about  7x10  inches,  and 
is  a  spicy  little  paper  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  general  public. 
Vol.  I,  No.  46,  of  the  Herald  bears  date  of  February  20,  1885.  Giving 
our  prediction  for  what  it  is  worth,  founded  on  our  observations  of  the 
conduct  of  the  "  Liliputian,"  we  judge  our  young  friend  (if  he  contin- 
ues to  see  in  person  to  the  prompt  delivery  of  the  Herald  of  a  February 
morning,  with  the  mercury  ranging  from  15°  to  20°  below  zero,  the  Ohio 
River  almost  frozen  over,  with  the  city  itself  frozen  up,  before  one  has  a 
fire  or  his  breakfast,  as  the  writer  experienced  last  winter),  will  rise  to  the 
foremost  rank  of  his  profession. 

The  printing  offices  of  to-day  throughout  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties 
are  well  equipped  with  presses  of  modern  make  and  with  improved  facil- 
ities for  the  dispatch  of  all  kinds  of  job  work,  and  the  men  engaged  in 
the  conduct  of  the  several  newspapers  are  men  of  ability  and  well  quali- 
fied for  the  profession,  and  are  endeavoring  to  advocate  such  measures 
as  are  in  the  line  of  progress  and  advancement  ennobling  to  man,  and 
are  for  the  best  interests  of  the  public  generally.     The  men  conducting 


OHIO  RIVER  FLOODS.  191 

party  papers  are,  generally,  of  strong  political  convictions,  and  are  not 
silent  on  political  questions,  but  are  ever  on  the  alert  in  the  furtherance 
of  the  principles  of  the  party  to  which  they  are  attached.  Biographies 
of  the  members  of  the  press  will  be  found  in  the  biographical  depart- 
ment of  this  work. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
OHIO  RIVEK  FLOODS. 


Climate  of  the  Ohio  Valley— Conditions  Favorable  to  a  Great 
Flood— The  Flood  of  1788-89— 1832— 184?— 1882— 1883— 1884— Disas- 
trous Effects  at  Lawrenceburgh— Relief  for  Sufferers- 
Table  of  High-water  Marks  at  Cincinnatl 

AN  account  of  the  most  disastrous  floods  of  the  Ohio  River  will   be 
given  in  this  chapter  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence. 

The  Ohio  Valley  is  subject  to  greater  vicissitudes  of  climate,  perhaps, 
than  any  other  part  of  the  world  of  like  proportions.  A  change  within 
forty  days  has  been  experienced  from  a  temperature  20°  below  zero  to 
65°  above— the  cold  of  Canada  and  the  warmth  of  the  Gulf  in  the  same 
winter.  The  conditions  favorable  for  a  destructive  flood  in  the  Ohio  are 
a  frozen  ground  throughout  the  immense  region  drained  by  the  river,  a 
thick  covering  of  snow  spread  over  fields  and  forests  and  accumulated  in 
immense  snow-banks  in  the  mountains,  lastly  warm  winds  from  the  Gulf 
and  the  Southwest  superabundantly  laden  with  rain,  and  day  after  day 
pouring  out  many  inches  of  water.  The  ground  being  frozen  is 
impervious  to  the  water  from  the  rain  and  melted  snow,  and  the  torrents 
from  four  States  are  poured  into  the  mighty  river. 

The  agency  of  the  removal  of  forests  and  the  cultivation  of  the  soil 
in  increasing  the  number  and  destructiveness  of  floods  had  been  much 
discussed.  Forests  with  their  roots,  fallen  leaves  and  branches,  act  as 
sponges,  and  to  some  extent  hold  back  the  water.  The  clearing  and  cul- 
tivation of  the  land  and  the  increase  of  tile  and  ditch-drains,  facilitate 
the  discharge  of  the  rain-fall  into  the  streams;  but  it  would  seem  that 
the  effects  of  these  changes  from  a  state  of  nature  in  causing  floods  have 
been  exaggerated.  Certainly  the  destruction  of  forests  cannot  be  the 
cause  of  floods,  for  there  were  disastrous  high  waters  at  the  very  earliest 
settlements.  Dr.  George  Sutton,  of  Aurora,  has  vigorously  attacked  the 
theory  that  the  removal  of  forests  produces  our  great  floods.      He  says: 

"The  advocates  of  this  theory  seem  to  have  forgotten  that  there  have 


192  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

been  fluctuations  not  only  in  temperature  but  in  the  amount  of  rain-fall 
over  different  parts  of  the  globe  in  all  ages,  and  that  the  vast  amount  of 
moisture  accompanying  our  continental  storms  is  brought  from  the  ocean 
by  great  atmospheric  currents,  and  that  this  moisture  is  deposited  over 
the  country  and  along  the  valleys  of  our  rivers  independent  of  local 
influences. 

"A  combination  of  circumstances  may  produce  a  flood  similar  to  what 
we  had  in  1884,  forests  or  no  forests.  It  is  known  that  the  fall  of  one 
inch  of  rain  is  equivalent  to  2,000,000  of  cubic  feet  of  water  to  the 
square  mile.  If  five  inches  of  rain  fall  suddenly  upon  a  deep  snow  lying 
upon  frozen  ground  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio  Biver,  the  forests  would 
certainly  have  but  little  influence  in  preventing  a  disastrous  flood. 
From  alluvial  deposits  we  have  conclusive  evidence  that  great  floods  have 
occurred  in  the  Ohio  River  long  before  the  country  was  settled  by  the 
white  man." 

1788-89. — There  was  a  great  flood  in  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  in 
which  the  Miami  country  was  first  settled.  The  troops  arriving  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  were  prevented  by  the  high  water  from  occu- 
pying Fort  Finney.  The  new  settlement  at  Columbia  in  January  was 
under  water;  "but  one  house  escaped  the  deluge."  The  soldiers  were 
driven  from  the  ground  floor  of  the  block-house  into  the  loft  and  from 
the  loft  into  the  solitary  boat  which  the  ice  had  spared  them.  John 
Cleves  Symmes  in  a  letter  to  Col.  Dayton,  dated  North  Bend,  May,  1789, 
says  that  the  whole  country  thereabout  had  been  inundated,  and  that  "the 
season  was  remarkable  for  the  amazing  height  of  the  water  in  the  Ohio, 
beino"  many  feet  higher  than  had  been  known  since  the  white  people  had 
come  into  Kentucky." 

A  memorandum  by  Judge  Goforth  reads  thus:  "September  25,  1789, 
Maj.  Stites,  old  Mr.  Bealer  and  myself  took  the  depth  of  the  Ohio  River, 
and  found  there  was  fifty-seven  feet  of  water  in  the  channel,  and  that 
the  water  was  fifty-five  feet  lower  at  that  time  than  it  was  at  that 
uncommonly  high  freshet  last  winter.  The  water  at  the  high  flood  was 
112  feet."   ' 

It  is  evident  that  there  is  an  error  in  these  figures.  If  they  were  cor- 
rect no  house  in  Columbia  would  have  escaped  the  deluge.  It  is  prob- 
able that  these  early  observers  made  a  mistake  in  measuring  the  height 
of  the  marks  of  the  flood  or  that  they  struck  a  hole  in  the  river. 

1832. — Passing  over  the  high  waters  of  more  than  forty  years  we 
come  to  the  first  great  flood  of  which  a  correct  record  exists,  that  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1832.  On  the  1st  of  February,  the  ground  was  covered  with  snow, 
but  the  weather  was  warm  and  pleasant.  The  snow  melted  rapidly  until 
the  6th,  when  the  rain  set  in.     On  the  8th  and  9th  it  rained  continuously; 


OHIO  RIVER  FLOODS.  193 

on  the  10th  the  rising  of  the  waters  in  the  Ohio  began  to  attract  attention 
at  Cincinnati  and  Lawrenceburgh;  on  the  14th  many  merchants  at  Cin- 
cinnati were  compelled  to  remove  their  goods  to  the  second  story  of  their 
houses;  the  river  continued  to  rise  rapidly  until  Saturday  morning, 
February  18,  when  it  came  to  a  stand. 

The  flood  was  of  a  most  distressing  character;  the  Ohio  did  more 
damage  by  overflowing  its  banks  than  had  ever  before  been  done  since  the 
first  settlement  of  the  country.  Nearly  all  the  towns  on  the  Ohio  were 
inundated  in  whole  or  in  part.  Fences  and  movable  property  were 
swept  from  all  the  farms  on  the  river  bottom  from  Pittsburgh  to  Louis- 
ville. Houses,  barns,  grain  and  haystacks  were  seen  floating  down  the 
river  in  great  numbers.  Hundreds  of  families  were  turned  houseless 
upon  the  community.  At^Cincinnati  the  water  covered  between  thirty 
and  forty  squares  of  the  city  which  was  then  nearly  all  crowded  into  the 
bottoms. 

The  flood  reached  its  highest  point  on  the  18th;  two  days  later  it 
had  declined  two  feet  four  inches;  on  the  24th  the  river  was  within  its 
banks.  The  bottoms^^about  Cincinnati  and  Lawrenceburgh  may  be  said 
to  have  been  inundated  for  about  twelve  days — six  days  while  the  flood 
was  advancing  and  six  days  after  the  decline  began.  The  Lawrence- 
burgh Palladium,  published  by  David  V.  Culley,  in  its  issue  of  March 
3,  1832,  said  of  this  flood: 

"The  late  great  flood  in  the  Ohio  and  its  disastrous  effects  being  sub- 
jects of  painful  interest  to  all,  we  have  collected  in  our  paper  to-day 
statements  from  the  different  towns  on  the  river.  From  Pittsburgh  and 
as  far  down  as  we  have  been  able  to  learn;  the  destruction  of  property 
has  been  great  beyond  a  parallel  in  the  West.  The  height  of  the  water 
in  this  place,  over  the  great  flood  of  1815,  was  five  feet  nine  inches, 
and  over  that  of  1825  about  eight  feet.  High  Street,  the  most  elevated 
part  of  the  town,  was  covered  with  from  four  to  six  feet  of  water  its 
whole  extent.  On  some  of  the  cross  streets  the  water  was  still  higher, 
and  the  inhabitants  were  compelled  to  seek  refuge  in  the  buildings 
along  High  and  Walnut  Streets.  All  the  two  story  buildings  on  these 
streets  were  filled  to  overflowing — some  having  three,  four  and  five 
families  in  them." 

Although  Lawrenceburgh  suffered  much  from  this  flood,  some  of  the 
statements  concerning  the  condition  of  the  town  at  the  time  of  high 
waters  were  gross  exaggerations.  A  Cincinnati  newspaper  stated  that 
"the  town  of  Lawrenceburgh  is  wholly  inundated,  so  that  there  is 
scarcely  a  house  to  be  seen  but  the  spire  of  the  church."  To  this  the 
Statesmen  replied:  "Now  the  truth  of  the  matter  is,  the  flood  was 
perhaps  about    six  or  seven  feet  higher   than  it  has  ever    been  known; 


194  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

two  small  frame  or  log  dwellings  on  the  low  ground  were  floated  away, 
and  some  light,  empty  frames  removed  from  their  foundations,  but  no 
lives  were  lost  and  no  very  serious  injury  sustained,  indeed  not  nearly 
so  much  as  was  expected  while  the  flood  was  up  and  before  it  subsided. 
The  whole  of  the  old  part  of  the  town  was  inundated,  but  the  principal 
part  of  the  new  town  was  not  touched  with  the  flood.  *         *         * 

*  *  *  *  No  white  man  can  recollect  when  the  water  has 
been  of  sufficient  height  to  overflow  the  principal  street  in  our  village, 
and  except  the  small  cupola  on  the  court  house  there  is  not  a  spire,  dome 
or  sky-light  on  a  church  or  any  other  building  in  the  town." 

1847. — The  flood  of  this  year  is  the  only  destructive  one  in  the  Ohio 
of  which  we  have  any  record,  occurring  in  the  month  of  December.  The 
rise  was  from  streams  on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio  emptying'their  waters  into 
the  Ohio  above  Lawrenceburgh.  The  Ohio  began  to  swell  December 
10,  1847.  December  15,  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow.  On  the 
17th  the  waters  reached  their  highest  point,  when  there  were  sixty-three 
feet  and  seven  inches  of  water  at  Cincinnati. 

1882. — The  flood  of  February,  1882,  although  the  waters  were  not  so 
high  as  in  1832  and  1847,  was  disastrous  and  appalling  at  Lawrence- 
burgh.     We  copy  from  the  newspapers  of  that  city: 

"For  several  weeks  the  Ohio  River,  at  this  city,  had  been  rising  grad- 
ually, until  Monday  evening,  February  20,  it  had  reached  a  point  at  the 
junction  of  the  till  in  the  fair  grounds  and  the  "Big  Four"  Railroad, 
when  it  became  necessary,  on  account  of  the  depression  in  the  fair 
ground  embankment,  to  raise  the  bank  at  least  two  feet  in  order  to  keep 
the  waters  which  had  been  accumulating  from  flowing  over  the  bank  into 
the  city.  Mayor  Roberts  promptly  secured  a  force  and  went  to  work 
with  energy  and  determination  to  do  all  that  could  be  done  to  keep  back 
if  possible  the  waters,  and  up  to  midnight  Monday  had  succeeded  ad- 
mirably in  holding  them  in  check.  But  the  continued  rains  for  the  past 
few  days  had  swollen  the  White  Water  and  Miami  Rivers  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  it  was  soon  evident  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  keep  up  the 
embankment  of  the  "Big  Four"  Railroad  from  this  city  to  Hardintown, 
and  the  most  that  could  be  expected  was  to  hold  the  waters  back  until 
morning  or  daylight.  But  at  about  4  o'clock  Tuesday  morning,  the  2l8t, 
the  waters  from  the  Miami  were  thrown  against  the  "Big  Four''  Rail- 
road track  with  excessive  pressure,  on  account  of  the  barrier  formed  by 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  which  would  not  permit  the  accumu- 
lated waters  to  pass  into  the  Ohio  River,  when  at  a  point  just  below  the 
locks,  at  Hardintown,  and  a  point  opposite  the  Trough  Pond,  near 
Nicholas  Fox's,  the  water  broke  through,  and  it  was  not  long  until  it  was 
rushing  with  fearful  velocity,  and  in  vast  volumes  through  the  upper 


OHIO  RIVER  FLOODS.  195 

end  of  the  city,  carrying  terrible  destruction  in  its  wide  and  rapidly  ex- 
tending pathway.  The  screams  of  the  people  in  the  lower  parts  of  the 
town,  when  they  were  aroused  to  the  fact  that  they  were  surrounded  by 
the  flood  of  waters,  were  distressing  in  the  extreme.  The  Mayor  had 
arranged  for  giving  a  signal  of  alarm  by  the  ringing  of  the  church  bells, 
and  when  it  was  known  that  the  flood  was  coming  the  bells  pealed  out 
their  terrible  warning,  and  at  the  same  time  the  flood  gates  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  city  were  opened,  and  the  torrent  of  waters  came  rushing  from 
both  directions  with  equal  destructive  force  until  they  met  at  Walnut 
Street,  like  two  mighty  giant  monsters  of  the  deep  amid  its  angry  waves 
struggling  for  the  supremacy  of  the  sea,  until  both  ended  their  existence 
in  death,  and  thus  the  waters  ceased  their  angry  flow. 

"Although  it  was  generally  known  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
keep  the  waters  out  of  the  city,  and  that  many  of  the  houses  were  ten 
feet  or  more  below  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the  river,  yet  compara- 
tively few  persons  were  prepared  when  the  rush  of  waters  came.  The 
result  was  the  loss  of  individual  property  has  been  very  gi-eat.  Not  so 
much  in  the  aggregate  of  dollars  and  cents,  however,  as  that  it  came  to  a 
class  of  people  not  able  to  lose  anything — yet  in  many  cases  it  took  all 
they  had,  even  to  their  houses.  Both  in  the  upper  and  lower  end  of  the 
city  quite  a  number  of  small  houses  could  be  ween  overturned,  while 
others  had  floated  away  from  their  foundations.  It  is  surprising  how 
many  families  were  driven  so  hastily  from  their  homes,  on  account  of  the 
sudden  rise  of  the  water  within  the  city  limits,  which  in  its  mad  career 
seemed  to  wash,  upturn  and  drive  everything  before  it.  Hardly  two 
hours  had  elapsed  from  the  time  the  water  broke  its  barriers  until  it 
was  in  every  part  of  the  city  doing  its  work  of  devastation,  and  yet  we 
have  heard  of  but  one  death. 

"The  men  employed  in  their  skifi"s  and  hastily  provided  boats  did 
noble  work  in  rescuing  the  people  from  the  great  peril  in  which  they 
were  so  suddenly  found.  Large  numbers  of  families  took  shelter  in  the 
public  school  buildings,  in  the  court  house,  in  the  stove  works,  in  the 
lodge  rooms  and  other  large  rooms  on  High  Street,  as  well  as  with  pri- 
vate families,  and  it  may  be  said  that  over  a  thousand  persons  were  made 
homeless  for  the  night  at  least.  It  was  but  a  short  time  after  getting 
housed  until  they  were  provided  with  food  and  made  as  comfortable  as  it 
was  possible  to  make  them  under  such  unforeseen  circumstances  and  the 
short  time  which  was  given  to  work. 

"The  waters  continued  to  rise  until  about  4  o'clock  Tuesday  after 
noon,  and  from  that  time  until  midnight  there  was  but  little  change, 
when  it  began  to  fall.  In  the  afternoon  it  had  covered  High  Street, 
with  the  exception  of  here  and  there  a  small  portion  of  the  center  of  the 


196  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

street  could  be  seen  as  dark  spots  above  the  water.  High  Street  being 
the  highest  street  in  old  Lawrenceburgh,  this  part  of  the  city  therefore 
was  entirely  submerged.  The  store  houses,  with  floors  even  with  the 
pavements,  had  a  few  inches  of  water  on  their  first  floor.  On  all  streets 
besides  High  the  buildings  were  more  or  less  filled  with  water,  ranging 
from  one  foot  to  fifteen  feet." 

1883. — Early  in  February  of  this  year  the  continued  rains  and 
gradual  rising  of  the  river  had  been  a  topic  of  conversation  at  Law- 
renceburgh, but  notwithstanding  the  Ohio  and  Miami  Elvers  had  been 
making  encroachments  on  the  high  lands,  hopes  were  entertained  that  the 
river  would  not  exceed  that  of  1882,  and  that  the  levee,  though  known  to 
be  weak  at  the  points  filled  after  the  washout  of  the  preceding  Feb- 
ruary, would  be  sufficient  to  hold  the  waters  in  check,  but  the  people  were 
doomed  to  bitter  disappointment.  The  whole  city  was  completely  sub- 
merged except  a  few  squares  in  Newtown.  High  Street,  the  highest 
street  in  what  is  termed  Oldtown,  or  the  principal  part  of  the  city  was 
under  water  on  an  average  of  about  six  feet,  and  there  was  not,  in  the 
main  part  of  the  city,  a  single  house  of  which  the  first  floor  was  not 
under  water.  The  stores  all  along  High  Street  had  an  average  of  about  five 
and  one-half  feet  of  water  in  them,  and  along  Elm,  Short,  Walnut  and 
other  streets  leading  from  the  river,  the  depth  of  water  increased, 
and  in  many  cases  the  water  reached  the  second  story.  In  1882  the 
waters  were  enabled  to  flow  over  High  Street  by  the  aid  of  a  boom  from 
the  Miami,  but  the  Ohio  failed  to  reach  this  street,  the  highest  street  in 
the  city,  only  at  the  extreme  upper  end.  In  1888,  however,  the  Ohio 
Eiver  became  the  ruling  master,  and  took  complete  possession  of  the  city, 
and  covered  its  highest  street  to  the  depth  of  six  feet. 

With  such  a  depth  of  water  running  with  rapid  current  through  the 
city,  it  was  to  be  expected  that  the  loss  of  property  would  be  enormous. 
Aside  from  the  loss  of  merchants,  grocery  men  and  business  men,  the 
destruction  of  houshold  goods  and  personal  property  was  enormous. 
The  loss  of  buildings  also  was  great.  Eight  manufacturing  establish- 
ments, 2  business  houses,  40  dwellings,  and  3  stables  were  entirely 
destroyed,  and  179  dwelling  houses,  133  barns  and  stables,  19  shops, 
6  business  houses,  removed  from  their  foundations.  Graham  &  Marshall 
lost  heavily  in  lumber  and  had  their  saw-mill  swept  away,  while  Henry 
Fitch's  losses  were  nearly  as  large,  although  his  mill  stood  firm. 

As  the  water  disappeared  the  destruction  of  property  became  more 
apparent.  The  houses  generally  presented  a  very  shattered  appearance; 
the  windows  were  broken  out,  doors  and  sash  smashed,  and  where  the  fur- 
niture had  not  been  removed,  bureaus,  bedsteads,  tables,  and  safes  were 
tm-ned  upside  down,  mirrors  smashed,  carpets,  bed-clothing   and    wear- 


OHIO  RIVER   FLOODS.  197 

ing  apparel  covered  with  slimy  mud,  and  pianos  injured  beyond 
rep  air. 

1884. — The  flood  of  February,  1884,  was  by  far  the  greatest  and 
most  destructive  known  since  white  men  took  possession  of  the  Ohio 
Valley.  In  December,  of  the  winter  of  1883-84,  a  great  amount  of 
snow  fell;  over  this  was  spread  several  inches  of  fine  hail,  so  that  the 
amount  of  frozen  water  spread  over  the  Ohio  Valley  was  very  great. 
Throughout  January  more  snow  fell,  only  a  portion  of  which  melted. 
Three  feet  of  snow  had  fallen,  and  much  of  it  was  spread  over  the 
valley,  or  accumulated  in  drifts.  At  last  came  the  warm  storms  from  the 
southwest,  and  day  after  day  there  were  heavy  rains.  All  the  conditions 
existed  for  a  disastrous  flood.  Nowhere  was  it  more  destructive  and 
frightful  than  at  Lawrenceburgh.  On  Wednesday,  Februai-y  6,  1884  at 
about  noon  of  that  day,  the  levee  was  still  holding  back  the  water 
between  old  Lawrenceburgh  and  Newtown  and  Hardintown;  but  along 
High  Street,  between  Elm  and  St.  Clair  Streets,  the  waters  from  the  Ohio 
began  to  pour  into  the  city.  Up  to  10  o'clock  at  night  but  a  very  small 
part  of  the  city  had  been  visited  by  the  waters,  but  at  about  this  hour  the 
levee  at  the  locks,  just  below  Hardintown,  gave  way,  and  the  rushing 
element  came  with  all  its  fury,  spreading  in  wild  confusion  over  the 
fields  beyond,  and  in  a  few  hours  extending  with  rapidity  all  over  the 
city,  but,  unlike  1882,  it  met  the  water  from  the  Ohio,  and  thus  the 
force  of  the  current  was  broken,  and  but  little  damage  was  done  to 
property  on  account  of  the  rush  of  waters. 

By  1  o'clock  Thursday  morning,  the  waters  covered  High  Street,  with 
the  exception  of  that  part  of  the  street  between  Charlotte  Street  and  the 
railroad  crossing  at  the  Miami  Valley  Furniture  Factory.  This  point, 
the  highest  on  High  Street,  was  the  last  to  become  submerged.  From 
this  hour  (Thursday  morning  at  6  o'clock)  at  which  time  there  was  about 
twelve  inches  on  High  Street,  the  rise  was  gradual  until  Thursday,  the 
14th;  at  5:45  P.  M.,  it  came  to  a  stand-still,  and  then  remained  appar- 
ently stationary  for  nearly  five'  hours,  when  it  began  slowly  to  recede, 
until  on  Thursday  morning,  21st  inst.,  the  most  of  High  Street  was  again 
visible,  after  being  beneath  the  flood  of  waters  for  two  weeks. 

The  water  rose  to  such  height  that  the  force  of  its  lifting  power  alone 
was  sufficient  to  upturn  buildings  and  break  them  in  two;  but  to  this 
force  was  added  a  boisterous  wind-stoi'm  that  shook  the  buildings  to  their 
bases  and  lashed  them  with  the  furious  waves  until  hundreds  of  build- 
ings of  various  kinds  left  their  foundations  to  be  tossed  upon  the  waters, 
broken  to  pieces  or  carried  bodily  into  the  river  and  lost  forever  to  their 
owners. 

On  Thursday  morning,  February  15th,  at  6  o'clock,  the  waters  reached 


198  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

their  highest  point,  being  two  feet  eight  inches  higher  at  Lawrenceburgh 
than  ever  before  known.  The  heights  at  various  places  in  the  city  are 
here  given: 

Ferris'  drug  store,  8  feet  4  inches;  Jordan's  drug  store,  8  feet  7  inches; 
Indiana  House,  22  inches  on  second  floor;  Hilhnan's  store,  lOfeet  5  inches; 
Kieflfer's  store,  5  inches  on  second  floor;  postoffice.  9  feet  5  inches;  court 
house,  4  feet  6  inches;  People's  Bank,  8  feet  10  inches;  Methodist 
Church,  1  inch  on  second  floor.  • 

The  entire  village  of  Hardintown   was   under  waterfor  twelve  days, 
and  its  inhabitants  took  refuge  in  the  Bellview  Church  and  with  friends. 
Relief  committees  were  organized  and  contributions  were   promptly 
sent  from  all  parts  of  the  country.     The  Lawrenceburgh  Relief  Commit- 
tee received  and  disbursed  over  S20,000. 

Large  quantities  of  provisions  were  bought,  and  liberal  donations  of 
bedding,  clothing,  food  and  coal  were  received  from  various  parts  of  the 
country  to  relieve  the  distresses  of  the  3,000  persons  driven  from  their 
homes  by  the  flood.  When  the  waters  subsided  many  houses  were  found 
wrecked,  which  the  owners  were  unable  to  repair.  A  blank  form  of  ap- 
plication for  relief  was  prepared  and  the  owner  was  required  to  show, 
under  oath,  his  or  her  inability  to  repair  the  damages.  One  hundred 
and  eighty -seven  of  these  were  tiled,  of  which  160  were  granted. 

Eleven  houses  were  completely  swept  away,  tifty-four  were  off  the 
foundation,  some  of  them  several  hundred  feet,  and  fourteen  of  them 
turned  over.  An  efficient  force  of  movers,  carpenters,  stone  and  brick 
masons,  plasterers,  and  laborers  were  engaged  to  repair  the  damages. 

The  executive  committee  compromised  a  large  number  of  cases, 
allowing  the  owners  to  do  the  work  themselves,  or  have  it  done,  and  the 
amount  was  paid  on  certificate  that  it  was  completed. 

The  following  is  a  table  of  the  highest  water  marks,  as  kept  on  record 
at  Cincinnati,  for  the  years  mentioned  below: 

1833,  February  18 64  feet  3  in. 

1847,  December  17 63  feet  7  in. 

1859,  February  22 55  feet  5  in. 

1862,  January  24 57  feet  4  in. 

1865,  March  7 56  feet  3  in. 

1867,  March  14 55  feet  8  in. 

1870,  January  19 55  feet  3  in. 

1875,  August  6 55  feet  5  in. 

1882,  February  21 58  feet  7  in. 

1883,  February  15 66  feet  4  in. 

1884,  February  14 71  feet  f  in. 

The  river  gauge  at  Cincinnati  is  at  the  water  works.  The  zero  of  the 
guage  corresponds,  as  nearly  as  it  was  possible  to  make  it  at  the  time  it 
was  established,  with  the  Four-mile  Bar  above  the  city.     The  figures 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  199 

above  given  show  the  depth  of  the  water  on  that  bar,  and  are  not  a  true 
guide  to  water  in  the  river  channel.  When  there  is  twenty-three  inches 
of  water  on  the  Four-mile  Bar  there  is  fifteen  feet  in  the  channel  oppo- 
site the  water- works.  If  thirteen  feet,  therefore,  be  added  to  the  above 
figures,  it  will  approximate  the  depth  of  water  in  the  channel  at 
Cincinnati, 

On  account  of  the  greater  quantities  of  water  poured  out  from  the 
Great  Miami  at  some  floods  than  others,  the  relative  heights  at  Cincinnati 
and  Lawrenceburgh  are  not  the  same;  thus,  in  1884,  the  waters  at  Cin- 
cinnati were  four  feet  eight  and  three-fourths  inches  higher  than  in  1883, 
while  at  Lawrenceburgh  they  were  but  three  feet  four  inches  higher. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
MILITARY    HISTORY. 

Revolutionary  Soldiers— The  War  of  1812— The  Mexican  War— 
The  Civil  War— The  Honorable  Record  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio 
Counties  in  the  Struggle  for  the  Union— The  Morgan  Raid- 
Drafts  and  Bounties— War  Expenditures  of  the  Counties— Aid 
Societies — Rejoicing  at  the  Surrender  of  Lee. 

AMONG  the  pioneers  who  settled   in  Dearborn  County  were  a  num- 
ber who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  the  following  is  a 
list  prepared  by  George  W.  Lane  of  the  soldiers  of  that  great  struggle 
for  freedom  whose  remains  are  buried  within  the  limits  of  the  county: 
Capt.  Joseph  Hayes.  Winthrop  Robinson.  Joseph  Barlow.         ' 

Col.  Zebulon  Pike.  Enoch  Sackett.  William  Kerr. 

Capt.  Isaac  Cannon.  Jacob  Toothman.  James  Skeets. 

Maj.  John  Calhoun.  William  White.  James  Dykman. 

Ephraim  Morrison.  James  Scott.  Henry  Raymer. 

Peter  Carbaugh.  Jabez  Percival.  John  Sackett. 

John  Baker.  Capt.  John  Crandon.  Baylis  Cloud. 

Samuel  Marsh.  Capt.  Hugh  Dunn.  Job  Judd. 

Samuel  Richardson.  John  DeMcss.  Elijah  Rich. 

Joseph  Hannegan.  Isaac  Way.  Jonas  Frazier. 

Jacob  Taylor.  John  Day.  Mr.  Burroug. 

The  following  is  an  incomplete  list  of  the  pioneers  of  Ohio  County 
who  were  Revolutionary  soldiers: 

Noah  Miller,  from  New  Jersey,  served  in  the  "Jersey  Line,"  partici- 
pated in  many  skirmishes  and  in  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Monmouth, 
N.  J.,  suffering  severely  in  the  latter  engagement. 


200  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Hannaniah  Rollins  served  in  the  "Jersey  Line,"  entering  the  service 
in  his  sixteenth  year.  About  1777  he  was  attached  to  the  band,  or  to  the 
"music,"  as  it  was  termed,  as  fifer,  was  promoted  to  iife-major,  and 
served  his  country  to  the  end  of  the  war. 

Ephraim  Bobbins,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  served  in  the  war,  partici- 
pating in  several  skirmishes,  and  was  wounded  in  a  skirmish  which  took 
place  in  Rhode  Island. 

John  Fulton  (a  soldier)  and  wife  were  made  prisoners  by  the  Indians 
in  1780,  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  remained  captives  one  year. 

Benjamin  Chambers  was  commissioned  by  the  Continental  Congress 
an  ensign  in  the  First  Pennsylvania  Regiment  in  1778,  when  not  fifteen 
years  of  age,  and  in  the  following  year  was  made  a  lieutenant.  He  was 
in  active  service  several  years,  and  was  distinguished  for  gallant  bearing 
on  the  field  of  battle. 

James  Stewart,  who  died  near  Rising  Sun  in  1833,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years,  was  a  Revolutionary  patriot. 

N 

THE    WAK    OF    1812. 

Dearborn  County,  we  believe,  furnished  no  organizations  that  were 
engaged  in  the  Indian  campaigns,  but  she  did,  under  the  direction  of 
Gen.  Harrison,  organize  a  company  under  Gen.  James  Dill,  commanded 
by  Capt.  James  McGuire,  which  max'ched  from  Lawrenceburgh  to 
Lebanon,  Ohio,  then  the  place  of  rendezvous  of  the  troops  raised  in  the 
counties  of  southwestern  Ohio,  and,  it  appears  from  what  follows,  thence 
marched  to  Piqua,  Ohio,  but  were  there  met  with  the  information  that  the 
Indians  were  advancing  on  the  frontier,  and  were  ordered  back  to 
Lawrenceburgh  to  protect  the  frontier  settlements. 

The  part  the  county  played  in  this  war  is  set  forth  in  the  following 
article,  written  in  1862,  and  published  in  the  Aurora  Comriiercial  over 
the  signature  of  E.  Chafin: 

'^Soldiering  in  1812. — Mr.  Editor,  I  will  give  you  a  little  of  our  ex- 
perience of  camp  life  in  1812-13.  We  first  volunteered  in  a  company 
under  Capt.  James  McGuire,  in  the  fall  of  1811,  to  join  Gen.  Harrison's 
army,  but  before  we  were  organized  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  was  fought, 
and  we  stood  as  minute  men  until  after  the  declaration  of  war  with 
Great  Britain,  June  18,  1812.  On  the  1st  of  August  following  we  or- 
ganized again  under  Capt.  McGuire,  were  attached  to  Maj.  Shatter's  Bri" 
gade,  and  marched  to  Piqua,  on  the  Mad  River,  in  Ohio,  where  we  joined 
Gen.  Harrison's  army.  We  were  there  some  two  weeks,  when  an  ex- 
press arrived  from  old  Dearborn  to  Gen.  Harrison,  who  ordered  us  to 
countermarch  to  Indiana  Territory  to  protect  the  frontier. 

"Our  company  built  a  block-house  at  Brookville,  commanded  by  Lieut. 


MILITARY  HISTORY. 


201 


Breckinridge;  one  on  Tanner's  Creek,  commanded  by  Capt.  Blasdell, 
and  a  third  on  Laughery,  where  Capt.  McGuire  afterward  lived.  We 
scouted  from  one  of  these  block-houses  to  the  other  until  April  1,  1813, 
when  we  were  mustered  out,  and  returned  to  our  homes.  With  all  our 
scouting,  the  Indians  were  watching  iis,  as  the  sequel  proved.  The 
block- houses  were  not  filled  for  nearly  a  week,  and  during  that  time  the 
Indians  stole  eight  horses  and  a  large  quantity  of  tobacco  from  Isaac 
Allen,  on  South  Hogan,  and  two  horses  from  Nicholas  Lindsay,  who 
lived  where  George  Lane  now  lives.  They  also  spoiled  three  or  four 
yoke  of  cattle  by  cutting  their  ham-strings.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  then 
moved  over  into  Kentucky  for  fear  of  the  Indians,  but  'old  Kentuck'  sent 
us  Capt.  Seabury,  with  his  company,  who  chased  the  Indians  across 
White  River;  they  found  the  river  so  swollen  that  they  had  to  give  up 
the  chase  and  return.  Maj.  Nichols,  of  Wilmington,  and  Conrad  Huff- 
man were  both  in  the  chase.  They  are  both  dead.  I  have  been 
acquainted  with  them  both  for  fifty  years." 


NAMES    OF    SOLDIEES    OF    THE    WAR    OF 


1812. 


The  following  list  of  citizens  of  Dearborn  County  who  served  in  the 
second  war  with  England  was  prepared  by  Greorge  W.  Lane: 


Samuel  C.  Vance. 
James  Dill. 
John  Weaver. 
James  W.  Weaver. 
Justice  Sortwell. 
Decker  Crozier. 
James  McGuire. 
Samuel  Ewan. 
George  Greer. 
Joseph  Morgan. 
Samuel  Frazier. 
William  Randall. 
Dr.  Samuel  Martin. 
Obediah  Priest. 
Thomas  Annis. 
Ephraim  Hollister. 
Jesse  Sacket. 
John  Greenfield. 
Warren  Tebbs. 
Johnson  Watts. 
Aaron  Bonham. 
Joshua  Yerkees. 
James  Salmon. 
Casper  Johnson. 
George  Lewis.       — 
Maston  Isgrigg. 
Willobv  Tebbs. 
Enoch  Blasdell. 
Abijah  Decker. 
William  Majors 
Stephen  Thorn. 
William  King. 
Jonathan  Lewis. 
Timothy  Kimble. 


James  Bruce. 
Elial  Chafin. 
Thomas  Kyle. 
Jonathan  AUee. 
Isaac  Randall 
Garret  Swallow. 
T.  N.  Burroughs. 
Joseph  Daniels. 
Samuel  Perry. 
Thomas  Porter. 
Maj.  John  Lewis. 
Ellis  Williamson. 
Israel  Bonham. 
Nathan  Lewis. 
Obediah  Voshell. 
Thomas  Johnson.  - 
James  Dart. 
Isaac  Taylor. 
William  Webb. 
James  Cloud. 
Thomas  Ehler. 
William  Maserve. 
James  King. 
Joshua  Staples. 
Ferdinand  Turner. 
George  Rudisal. 
Thomas  Covington 
John  Durham. 
-George  Mason. 
Levi  Garrison. 
Jesse  Calaway. 
Job  Judd,  Jr. 
Joseph  Judd. 
Jacob  Rudisal. 


Maj.  Jeremiah  John-Alex  Roseberry. 
son,  Sr.  Nathaniel  Tucke 

James  C.  Cornelius,  ©aleb  Roseberry. 


Ira  Cloud. 

Thomas  Dart. 

Michael  Farran. 

Richard  Pippin. 

John  Lilly. 

Caleb  Johnson. 

Capt.  Robert  Brack- 
enridge. 

Spencer  Wyley. 

Job  Hayes. 

William  Ashby. 

Capt.  Charles  Stev- 
ens. 

John  White. 

J.  Brackenidge. 

Nicholas  Mason. 

John  Majors. 

James  Eads. 

Samuel  Johnson. 

Robert  Gullett. 

John  Durham. 

William  Green. 

Stephen  Green. 

Philip  Mason. 


John  Burk. 
Daniel  Mason. 
Aquilla  Cross. 
John  Mason. 
Matthew  Lamdon. 
Samuel  Thornton. 
John  Tanner. 
Baylcss  Ashby. 
William  Lake. 
James  Ofield. 
Robert  Majors. 
Elijah  Eads. 
Thomas  Hackelman. 
Noyes  Canfield. 
James  Withrow. 
James  Boyd. 
Capt.  StepheaWood. 
James  Powell. 
Joseph  Plummer. 
Daniel  Salmon. 
Samuel  Roberts. 
Charles  Clements. 
Enoch  Pugh. 
Col.  Henry  Miller. 


/-'Valentine  Lawrence.  James  Holmes,  Sr 
/  Finlev  Judd. 


Michael  Rudisal. 
Jerry  Johnson,  Jr. 
Maj.  Thomas  Brac- 

kenridge. 
John  Hall. 


Joseph  Huston. 
William  Caldwell. 
Jacob  Fielding. 
Edwards  Clements. 
Luther  Plummer. 


202  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

We  have  been  unable  to  obtain  a  complete  list  of  the  soldiers  of  the 
war  of  1812,  who  resided  in  Dearborn  County,  south  of  Laughery  Creek. 
The  following  is  a  partial  list  and  includes  the  names  of  those  buried  in 
the  Rising  Sun  (Graveyard: 

Henry  Palmer,  Morris  Merrill,  Nathaniel  L.  Squibb  (entered  the 
army  as  a  drummer  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years),  Capt.  John  I.  French 
William  Goldson,  Sooter  McAdams,  Benjamin  Moulton  (Kanger) 
Mathew  Cadwell,  Abel  C.  Pepper,  Thomas  Lindsay,  George  Hewett 
Thomas  Jones,  Robert  McGuffin,  William  Padgett,  James  B.  Smith,  Jere 
miah  Clore,  Andrew  Y.  McComb,  Thomas ,  Bradley,  Mr.  Ricketts,  Levi 
Winters,  Rev.  James  Jones,  Martin  Mitchell,  William  O'Neal,  William 
Tilton,  Gilbert  Hall,  Daniel  Taber,  Robert  E.  Covington. 

THE    MEXICAN    WAR. 

Immediately  on  the  proclamation  of  President  Polk  calling  for  three 
regiments  from  Indiana,  James  H.  Lane,  then  a  merchant  of  Lawrence- 
burgh,  organized  a  company  (  F  )  of  volunteers  for  the  Mexican  War, 
and  was  the  first  to  report  to  the  governor  the  organization  of  a  company. 
Jefiersonville  was  made  the  place  of  rendezvous,  where,  on  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Third  Indiana  Volunteer  Regiment,  James  H.  Lane  was 
elected  its  colonel,  and  George  Dunn,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  succeeded  Lane 
in  the  captaincy  ^of  the  company.  The  regiment  went  immediately  to 
Mexico,  and  participated  in  the  battle  at  Buena  Vista.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  battle  the  Third  Regiment  was  placed  in  the  reserve; 
during  the  progress  of  the  battle  a  number  of  brigades  were  forced  back, 
and  the  Third  Regiment  was  ordered  to  the  front  and  maintained  its 
position  during  the  entire  battle,  and  was  the  only  regiment  that  did  not 
retreat  in  the  face  of  the  enemy  during  the  entire  engagement,  thereby 
redeeming  the  honor  and  credit  of  the  State  of  Indiana. 

A  second  call  was  made  upon  Indiana  the  following  year  for  soldiers, 
and  Ebenezer  Dumont,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  organized  and  reported  a  com- 
pany ready  for  service;  and  under  the  same  call,  Capt.  William  Bald- 
ridge,  of  Lawrenceburgh  (late  of  Pennsylvania),  organized  a  company 
and  was  chosen  its  captain.  On  the  organization  of  the  regiment— the 
Fourth  Indiana  Volunteers — Ebenezer  Dumont  was  elected  lieutenant- 
colonel,  and  Thomas  J.  Lucas,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  chosen  captain  of 
the  company,  succeeding  Dumont. 

The  Fourth  Regiment  was  ordered  to  Vera  Cruz,  and  was  assigned  to 
the  main  army  under  Gen.  Scott.  On  their  march  they  learned  that 
Santa  Anna  was  at  a  certain  point,  and  a  portion  of  one  of  the  Law- 
renceburgh companies  was  detached,  under  Capt.  Thomas  J.  Lucas,  who 
advanced  so  rapdily  that  he  came  near  taking  Santa  Anna  himself,  reach- 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  203 

ing  the  house  in  which  he  had  slept  the  night  previously,  while  the  bed 
he  had  occupied  was  yet  warm,  Anna  having  left  in  such  haste  that  his 
wooden  leg  was  left  behind. 

The  term  of  enlistment  of  the  Third  Regiment  having  expired,  it, 
with  the  colonel,  returned  to  Indiana.  Col.  Lane  by  the  authority  of  the 
President  then  organized  from  all  parts  of  the  State  the  Fifth  Regiment 
Indiana  Volunteers,  one  company  of  which  was  from  Dearborn  County. 
The  place  of  rendezvous  of  the  regiment  was  at  Madison,  where  James 
H.  Lane  was  elected^colonel  of  the  regiment.  The  regiment  was  at  once 
ordered  to  the  front,  and  joined  the  main  army  of  Gen.  Scott  at  the  City 
of  Mexico.  The  regiment,  together  with^  the  Fourth,  remained  in  the 
service  until  peace  was  declared. 

The  Fifth  Regiment,  while  yet  in  Mexico,  held  a  meeting  of  its  officers 
and  men,  and  voted  their  colonel,  James  H.  Lane,  a  sword  to  cost  |1,000. 
The  funds  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  committee,  which  purchased 
the  sword  and  presented  it  to  Lane  on  ,hi8  return  from  the  war.  This 
sword  was  in  his  house  at  Lawrence,  Kas.,  when  Quantrell  made  his 
murderous  attack  on  that  city,  and  before  leaving  Lane's  house  stole  it, 
with  many  other  valuables  in  the  house.  During  the  pursuit  of  the 
retreating  rebels,  Col.  Lane  found  the  sword,  took  it  home  and  it  has 
since  remained  in  the  family  as  an  heirloom. 

THE    CIVIL    WAR. 

The  people  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties  may  well  cherish  with 
pride  their  record  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  When  the  national  flag 
was  fired  on  the  people  were  prompt  and  thorough  in  response  to  the  call 
to  arms,  and  men  of  all  parties  exhibited  alacrity  and  patriotism  in 
bearing  their  share  of  the  burdens  of  the  momentous  struggle. 

On  the  receipt  of  the  intelligence  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  the 
excitement  throughout  both  counties  was  intense.  Ordinary  occupations 
and  pursuits  were  almost  forgotten.  Lawrenceburgh,  Aurora  and  Ris- 
ing Sun  were  thronged  with  an  excited  populace,  asking  for  the  latest 
news  from  the  seat  of  hostilities.  The  people's  patriotism  ran  high,  and 
the  loyal  men  of  all  parties,  forgetting  past  differences,  announced  their 
readiness  to  follow  their  country's  call. 

The  following  history  of  Dearborn  County  in  the  war  of  1861-65, 
under  this  head^  was  prepared  by  Capt.  Alexander  B.  Pattison,of  Aurora: 

The  record  of  Dearborn  County  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  shows  it 
to  have  been  second  to  no  other  county  of  equal  population  in  the  State. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  to  respond  to  the  call  for  troops,  and  within  twen- 
ty-four hours  after  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter,  three  companies  had  of- 
fered their  services,  and  were  soon  under  way  to  the  State  capital  for 
muster  into  the    Seventh  Regiment  for  three  months.     These  three  com- 


204  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

panies  were  Company  D,  of  Lawrenceburgb,  with  Benjamin  J.  Spooner 
as  captain,  who,  after  being  mustered  in,  was  succeeded  by  John  F. 
Cheek  (Capt.  Spooner  being  promoted  to  lieutenant-colonel),  David  E. 
Sparks,  first  lieutenant,  and  Jesse  Armstrong,  second  lieutenant,  with  75 
enlisted  men;  Company  Gr,  of  Lawrenceburgb,  with  Nathan  Lord  as 
captain,  L.  H.  Stephens,  first  lieutenant,  William  Francis,  second  lieu- 
tenant, with  75  enlisted  men;  Company  E,  of  Aurora,  with  John  H. 
Ferry  as  captain,  Henry  Waller  as  first  lieutenant,  and  Alexander  B. 
Pattison  as  second  lieutenant.  These  three  companies  formed  the  van 
guard  of  what  afterward  proved  almost  ^n  army  of  itself  that  went  from 
Dearborn  County.  They  were  followed  next  by  two  companies  for  the 
Sixteenth  Regiment,  of  one  year  troops — Company  G,  with  Albert  G. 
Dennis  as  captain,  William  J.  Fitch,  first  lieutenant,  and  Philip  Dex- 
heimer,  second  lieutenant,  with  78  enlisted  men,  and  Company  I,  from 
Aurora,  with  John  A.  Platter  as  captain;  William  Copeland,  first  lieuten- 
ant; Israel  Phalin,  second  lieutenant,  .with  84  enlisted  men.  The  Six- 
teenth organized  with  Thomas  J.  Lucas  as  lieutenant-colonel,  and  Ed- 
ward Jones  as  chaplain  from  the  county.  Later  the  Seventh  Regiment 
reorganized  for  the  three  years'  service  with  one  company,  A,  from  Aurora^ 
John  H.  Ferry,  captain;  Alexander  B.  Pattison,  first  lieutenant,  and  Ben- 
jamin F.  Burlingame  as  second  lieutenant,  with  108  enlisted  men,  in- 
cluding recruits;  served  three  years;  lost  by  death  while  in  the  service, 
24;  mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  33.  Company  K, of  Lawrenceburgh, 
with  Jesse  Armstrong  as  captain;  Homer  Chismar,  first  lieutenant,  and 
James  F.Vaughn,  second  lieutenant,  with  111  enlisted  men;  lost  by  death 
during  service,  19;  mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  31. 

In  the  Eighteenth  Regiment  was  Thomas  Pattison,  colonel,  and  A. 
P.  Daughters,  surgeon.  With  Company  A — captain,  Jesse  L.  Holman; 
first  lieutenant,  Robert  G.  Cunningham;  second  lieutenant,  Judson  B. 
Tyler,  and  108  enlisted  men;  lost  by  death,  6;  mustered  out  at  end  of  the 
service  of  three  years,  21. 

Enlisted  in  tbe  Thirty-second  Regiment  was  Company  C,  with  John 
L.  Giegoldt  as  captain ;  Max  Sachs,  first  lieutenant,  and  Henry  Bellman 
second  lieutenant,  with  130  enlisted  men;  lost  by  death  during  service, 
22;  mustered  out  at  end  of  enlistment,  32  men.  Company  D,  with  John 
Schwartz  as  captain;  Frank  Knorr,  first  lieutenant;  Emanuel  Eller,  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  with  122  enlisted  men;  lost  by  death  during  service,  19; 
mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  50  men. 

Enlisted  in  the  Thirty- seventh  regiment  from  Dearborn  County, 
Company  F,  with  Wesley  G.  Markland  as  captain;  John  B.  Hodges, 
first  lieutenant,  and  Joseph  P.  Stoops,  second  lieutenant,  with  101  en- 
listed men;  lost  by  death,  24;  mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  43. 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  207 

For  the  Forty-fifth  (Third  Cavalry)  Regiment,  Dearborn  County  fur- 
nished Company  D,  with  Daniel  B.  Kiester  as  captain;  Mathew  B.  Ma- 
son, first  lieutenant;  Henry  F.  Wright  as  second  lieutenant,  with  84 
enlisted  men;  lost  by  death,  10;  mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  36. 
The  county  furnished  to  the  Fifty-second  Regiment,  Company  C,  with 
George  W.  Tyer  as  captain;  William  Francis,  first  lieutenant  and  Eli 
Mattox,  second  lieutenant,  with  100  enlisted  men;  lost  by  death  during 
service,  11;  mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  41. 

To  the  Eighty-third  Regiment  there  was  sent  Benjamin  J.  Spooner, 
as  colonel;  George  H.  Scott,  as  lieutenant-colonel;  Henry  C.  Vincent 
and  Samuel  M.  VVeaver,  assistant  surgeons.  Company  B,  with  Jacob 
W.  Eggleston,  as  captain;  Henry  Gerkin,  first  lieutenant;  Dandridge  E. 
Kelsey,  second  lieutenant,  with  113  enlisted  men;  lost  by  death  during 
service,  30;  mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  37. 

Company  H,  with  James  M.  Crawford,  as  captain;  John  Rawling, 
first  lieutenant,  and  Ferris  J.  Nowlin,  second  lieutenant;  with  92  enlist- 
ed men;  lost  daring  enlistment,  20;  mustered  out  at  end  of  enlistment, 
42.  Company  I,  with  Henry  J.  Bradford,  as  captain;  William  N.  Craw, 
first  lieutenant,  and  George  W.  Lowe,  second  lieutenant;  with  91  en- 
listed men;  deaths  during  term  of  service,  18;  mustered  out  at  end  of 
enlistment,  37  men;  while  in  the  same  regiment  there  were  75  more  men 
from  Dearborn  County  distributed  to  the  other  companies. 

To  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Regiment,  Company  I,  with 
George  W.  Shockley,  as  captain;  Edwin  T.  Gibson,  first  lieutenant,  and 
George  W.  Wood,  as  second  lieutenant,  with  95  enlisted  men;  all  mus- 
tered out  at  end  of  100  days,  the  term  of  enlistment. 

To  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Regiment,  Company  G,  with 
Josiah  Dorn,  as  captain;  Sanford  Briddle,  first  lieutenant,  and  Enoch  Al- 
len, second  lieutenant,  with  100  enlisted  men;  lost  by  death,  4;  mus- 
tered out  at  end  of  enlistment,  82. 

Dearborn  County  also  furnished  one  company  to  the  Eleventh   Ken 
lucky  Volunteers,  with  F.  Slater,  captain,  afterward  promoted  to  colonel 
of  the  regiment;  Edward  H.  Green,   first  lieutenant,    with  80  enlisted 
men;  lost  by  death   during  service,  8;  mustered   out  at  end  of  enlist- 
ment,  46. 

The  foregoing  shows  a  grand  total  of  1,946  men  enlisted  in  the 
county,  while,  undoubtedly,  a  large  number  more  enlisted  in  different 
regiments  in  and  without  the  State  that  we  have  no  account  of,  and  as 
far  as  we  have  the  i-ecord  it  also  shows  that  there  were  killed,  and  died 
while  in  the  field,  224,  and  that  there  were  mustered  out  with  the  regi- 
ments at  the  expiration  of  their  term  of  service,  661,  the  others  having 
been  discharged,  deserted,  transferred  to  other  regiments,  taken  prison- 


208 


HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES 


ers,  etc.  Such  is  a  brief  statement  of  the  number  of  men  furnished  by 
Dearborn  County  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  while  there  was 
scarcely  a  battle  fought  during  the  war  in  which  the  county  was  not 
represented. 

The  Indiana  Regiments  which  contained  the  greatest  number  of  men 
from  Ohio  County  were  the  Seventh,  Eighty-third,  Second  Battery  and 
Fourth  Cavalry. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  the  officers  and  men  of  Company  I,  of 
tlie  Seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  (three  months'  service): 


COMMISSIONED    AND    NON-COMMISSIONED    OFFICERS. 


Capt.  John  W.  Rabb. 

First  Lieut.  Solomon  Wixterman. 

Second  Lieut.  David  Loslutter. 

All  of  Rising  Sun. 
First  Sergt.  Frank  Gregory 
Sergt.  Joseph  G.  Bell. 
Sergt.  Hugh  Jameson. 


Sergt.  Joseph  S.  Thompson. 
Corp.  Samuel  S.  Lynn. 
Corp.  Silas  P.  Richmond.* 
Corp.  Jerry  McElvay. 
Corp.  Hudson  Campbell. 
Musician,  Fred  Garlinghouse. 
Musician,  William  P.  Ammen. 


Adkins,  Thomas  J.  Fortner,  Jesse 

Adkinson,  James  Fowler,  Frank 

Burgess,  Levi  H.  Gockle,  Wm.  P. 

Brunley,  Riley  Hunt,  A.  D. 

Bennett,  John  Hardin,  Allen 
Bradshaw,  Marion 

Barker,  Philip  B.  Hardy,  John  E. 

Colley,  John  Husseman,  John 
Connell,  George 


PRIVATES. 

Moore,  Richard 
McNutt,  John  P. 
Pink,  Samuel 
Pink,  Archibald 
Piersou,  Julius  C. 


Hourigan,  Michael    Neal,  John 

Neal,  Charles 
Richmond,  Peter 


Hayman,  Henry  T.  Scoggin,  Elisha 
Smith,  Joseph  H. 
Smith,  James 


Stelink,  Henry 
Tinker,  James  M. 
Tinker,  Wesley 
Terrill,  William 
Van  Antwert,  Wm. 
Vehouse,     Frederick 
Walker,  M.  C. 
Walker,  George 
Walker,  Edward 
Wade,  Harvey  J. 
Williams,   Oliver  D. 
Williams,  Orville  G. 
Williams,  Jerome  B. 
Yarnell,  Daniel 
Yonker,  Hartley 


Cunningham,  Martin  Harrison,  Ellis 

Dodd,  John  W.  Jennings,  D.  A. 

Dodd,  Thomas  M.     Lemons,  Geo.  W.  Smith,  Henry  H. 

Degner,  Charles         Loslutter,  Chris  Smith,  Ephraim 

Eastman,  William  C.Lakin,  Frank  Summers,  Jesse 

Elias,  Hamilton         McQuithey,  J.  B.  Stout,  John  W. 

Elstar,  Levi  H.  Maloue,  Joseph  Stephenson,  Geo.  W. 

The  Seventh  Regiment  was  organized  and  mustered  into  service  for 
three  months,  at  Indianapolis,  April  25,  1861,  with  Ebeuezer  Dumont 
(who  bad  served  with  distinction  in  the  Mexican  war)  as  colonel.  On 
the  29th  of  May  it  was  ordered  to  West  Virginia  and  proceeded  at  once 
by  rail  to  Grafton.  On  the  2d  of  June  it  proceeded  by  rail  to  Webster, 
where  it  was  joined  by  other  regiments.  The  entire  force  was  then 
divided  into  two  columns  under  the  immediate  command  of  Col.  Kelley, 
and  was  marched  to  Philippi,  the  Seventh  being  in  advance.  The 
advance  guard  under  Lieut.  Benjamin  Ricketts,  of  Company  B,  Avhen 
within  a  mile  of  the  town,  engaged  the  enemy's  pickets  and  drove  them 
back.     The  Seventh,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  column,  crossed  a  bridge 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  209 

and  entered  the  town  at  double-quick,  driving  the  rebels  before  them 
out  of  the  town  and  two  miles  beyond.  The  regiment  remained  in  camp 
•at  this  place  for  six  weeks,  and  then  marched  to  Bealington,  as  part  of 
Gen.  Morris'  command.  Here  some  skirmishing  was  had  with  the 
enemy's  pickets,  and  a  reconnoissanee  to  the  right  and  rear  of  their  line 
'  made  by  a  force  of  500  men  of  the  Seventh  and  Ninth  Indiana,  under 
Col.  Dumont.  On  the  night  of  July  11,  the  rebels  retreated  from  the 
front  of  our  troops,  and  in  the  morning  the  pursuit  commenced— the 
Seventh  being  in  the  rear— and  was  continued  until  2  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  our  forces  halting  at  Leedsville.  While  here  Capt.  Blair  and 
Lieut.  Tucker  captured  three  rebel  prisoners.  The  next  morning  the 
march  was  resumed  to  St.  George-Cheat  River  being  forded  on  the 
way.  At  Carrick's  Ford  the  crossing  was  resisted  by  Gen.  Garnett, 
which  was  promptly  met  by  the  tire  of  the  Fourteenth  Ohio,  Col' 
Steadman,  stationed  on  the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  the  enemy.'  The 
Seventh  Indiana  then  advanced  and  charged  down  the  banks  of  the 
river,  crossed  over,  captured  the  enemy's  baggage,  and  hiirried  on  in 
pursuit  of  the  retreating  rebels.  At  the  next  ford,  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  from  Carrick's  Ford,  the  enemy  made  another  stand,  under  the 
personal  command  of  Gen.  Garnett.  The  resistance  was  brief,  the 
rebels  flying  and  leaving  their  commander  dead  on  the  field.  Col.'  Du- 
mont continued  the  pursuit  for  two  miles  and  then  halted  for  the  night. 
The  next  day  the  Seventh  took  up  the  line  of  march  to  St.  George  and 
from  thence  to  Bealington.  After  a  few  days'  rest  it  was  ordered  to 
Indianapolis,  where  it  was  mustered  out  of  service. 

Company  C,  of  the  Seventh  Regiment  Indiana  Infantry  (threel  years' 
service)  had  for  its  successive  commissioned  officers  from  "ohioj  County: 

OFFICERS. 

Capt.  Solomon  Waterman.  First  Lieut.  Jerome  B.  Williams  ^ 

Capt.  David  Lostutter,  Jr.  First  Lieut.  Orville  W.  Williams  v 

Capt.  Hugh  Jamison.  First  Lieut.  Robert  E.  Hall. 

Capt.  Orville  D.  Williams.  First  Lieut.  Thomas  M  Dodd 

Capt.  Robert  E.  Hall.  Second  Lieut.  SamueJ  S.  Lynn 

First  Lieut.  David  Lostutter,  Jr.  Second  Lieut.  Hugh  Jamison 

First  Lieut.  Samuel  S.  Lynn.  Second  Lieut.  Jerome  B.  Williams   ^ 

First  Lieut.  Hugh  Jamison.  Second  Lieut.  John  W.  Dodd. 

The  enlisted  men  were: 

First  Sergt.  Hugh  Jamison.  Corp.  Henry  Stealing. 

Sergt.  Jerome  B.  Williams.  Corp.  Marcus  C.  Wallier. 

Sergt.  Julius  C.  Pearson.  Corp.  Abel  C.  Pepper  French 

Sergt.  Orville  D.  Williams.  Corp.  Henry  T.  Hayman. 

Sergt.  Thomas  M.  Dodd.  Corp.  Jacob  J.  Burnett. 

Corp.  Calvin  F.  Monroe.  Musician  James  F.  Lemon. 

Corp.  John  W.  Dodd.  Musician  George  W.  Righter 

Corp.  George  W.  Lemon.  Wagoner  William  Abbott. 


210 


HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


PRIVATES. 


Allen,  Isaac  M. 
Allen,  Nath'l  M.  C. 
Bennett,  George  W. 
Burns,  Richard 
Bradshaw,  Mason  B. 
Campbell,  Sam.  M. 
Carpenter,  Dan.  T. 
Clark,  George 
Clark,  William  H. 
Collins,  John 
Collins,  Armstrong 
Conaway,  Joseph 
Conradd,  John 
Craft,  Israel  Loriny 
Crandall,  Reed  N. 
Delph,  Jonas  T. 
Delph,  Willis  M. 
Dugle,  William  H. 
Dugle,  Samuel 
Eastman,  Philip 
Eggleston,  Aaron  D. 


Fisher,  Charles 
Fox,  James  M. 
Gibbous,  Oliver  P. 
Grace,  Richard  D. 
Hall,  Robert  Elwood 
Hare,  William 
Hodges,  John 
Holcraft,  Jeremiah 
Holden,  William  G. 
Huston,  James  C. 
Huston,  Isaac  M. 
Israel,  Elijah 
Jones,  David 
Kelley,  John  M. 
Kittle,  William  H. 
Lambert,  William 
Lemon,  Henry  Clay 
Lewis,  Robert  B. 
Loder,  James  W. 
Longwood,  Mort.  S. 
Majors,  John 


Marker,  Harmon  H. 
McCullough,  H.  H. 
McKnight,  John 
Miller,  Benj.  Jr. 
Mitchell,  Robert  B. 
Monroe,  William 
Mullen,  William 
Nieman,  Martin  F. 
Oatman,  William 
Otenchultz,  H. 
Pate,  Charles  E. 
Pate,  Jackson  I. 
Pearce,  William  H. 
Pink,  Archibald  I. 
Powell,  John  H. 
Randall,  Alex.,  Sr. 
Randall,  Alex.,  Jr. 
Reinhardt,  Herman 
Richmond,  Peter  S. 
Rieman,  William 


Schwertzfezer,  F. 
Simons,  Theodore  L. 
Stewart,  Charles  L. 
Sterling,  Charles  W. 
Stopher,  Andrew  J. 
Summers,  Frank 
Tinker,  James  M. 
Tinker,  James 
Thompson,  Martin 
Tuttle,  Sanford 
Tyler,  Nathan 
W^alton,  William  H. 
Walker,  William 
Welch,  Benjamin  F. 
Williams,  Alex.  B. 
Williamson,  J. 
Williamson,  Albert 
Wilson.  James  S. 
Winn,  Peter 
Yonge,  Robert  G. 


Armstrong,  G.  M. 
Courtney.  M.  H. 
Gibbins,  William 
Hewitt,  George 
Keller,  Jacob  S. 


Kelly,  Oliver  P. 
Lee,  John  C. 
Longwood,  Theo. 
Miles,  Thomas  L. 


Mier,  William  F. 
North,  Pinkney  A. 
Pugh,  Sampson  M. 
Sink,  William  F. 


Williams,  Charles 
Williams,  Oliver  G. 
Wilson,  James 
Williamson,  J. 


The  regiment  was  reorganized  at  Indianapolis,  and  was  mustered  in 
for  three  years'  service,  September  13,  1861,  with  Ebenezer  Dumont  as 
colonel.  It  moved  at  once  into  Western  Virginia  and  joined  Gen.  Key- 
nolds'  command  at  Cheat  Mountain.  On  the  3d  of  October,  it  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Green  Brier,  and  soon  after  moved  up  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  camping  near  Green  Spring  Run.  At  Winchester  it  was  engaged 
in  the  battle  of  Winchester  Heights,  March  23,  1862,  and  also  in  the  en- 
gagements at  Port  Republic  on  the  9th  of  June,  and  at  Front  Royal  on 
the  12th  of  the  same  month.  It  then  marched  to  Fredericksburgh  and 
back  again  to  the  Shenandoah,  under  Gen.  Shields,  after  which  it  was 
assigned  to  Gen.  McDowell's  command.  The  regiment  was  with  Gen. 
Pope's  forces  in  the  campaign  of  the  Army  of  Virginia,  participating  in 
the  tight  at  Slaughter  Mountain,  August  9,  1862,  and  the  second  battle  of 
Bull  Run  on  the  30th  of  August.  The  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  pur- 
suit of  Lee  during  the  invasion  of  Maryland,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  on  the  17th  of  September,  losing  two  killed  and  eight  wounded. 
It  was  next  engaged  at  Ashby's  Gap,  or  Union,  on  the  2d  of  November, 
suifering  a  loss  of  four  killed  and  six  wounded.     It  participated   in  the 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  211 

battle  of  Fredei'icksburgh,  under  Gen.  Burnside,  on  the  13th  of  Decem- 
ber. During  the  next  year's  campaign  the  Seventh  was  engaged  in  the 
great  battles  at  Chancellorsville,  on  the  2d,  3d,  4th  and  5th  of  May,  and 
at  Gettysburg  on  the  1st,  2d,  3d  and  4th  of  July,  losing  heavily  in  both  en- 
gagements. At  the  close  of  the  campaign  of  1863,  it  participated  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Mine  Run,  November  30.  The  spring  of  1864  found  the  Seventh 
in  camp  at  Culpepper,  from  whence  it  moved  with  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac in  Grant's  last  great  campaign,  participating  in  the  following 
battles:  in  the  Wilderness,  on  the  5th  and  6th  of  May;  at  Laurel  Hill,  on 
the  8th  of  May;  at  Spottsylvania,  on  the  10th  and  12th  of  May;  at  Po 
River,,  at  North  Anna  River,  on  the  25th  of  May;  at  Bethesda  Church,  on 
30th  and  31st  of  May  and  1st  of  June,  and  at  Cold  Harbor,  on  the  3d  of 
June.  In  these  engagements  the  regiment  was  under  fire  for  eighteen 
days  and  suffered  severely.  On  the  16th  of  June  it  crossed  the  James 
River  to  join  the  assault  on  Petersburgh,  and  was  engaged  the  day  follow- 
ing in  the  desperate  but  unsuccessful  attempt  to  carry  the  rebel  works  at 
that  place.  Here  the  regiment  remained,  participating  in  the  siege  of 
Petersburgh  until  the  18th  of  August,  when  it  moved  with  that  portion 
of  the  army,  selected  for  the  purpose,  on  the  Weldon  Railroad,  with  the 
view  of  cutting  the  same,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battle  near  Yellow 
House,  on  the  19th  of  August.  On  the  23d  of  September,  in  pursuance 
of  orders  from  the  general  commanding  the  corps  to  which  it  was 
attached,  the  Seventh  Regiment  was  consolidated  with  the  Nineteenth 
regiment  of  Indiana  Volunteers,  and  afterward,  on  the  18th  6t  October, 
this  new  oi'ganization  was  again  consolidated  with  the  Twentieth  Regi- 
ment Indiana  Volunteers.  Upon  the  final  discharge  of  the  Twentieth, 
July  12,  1865,  the  veterans  and  recruits  that  had  been  transferred  to 
it  from  the  Seventh  Regiment,  were  also  mustered  out,  and  on  the 
same  day  returned  to  Indianapolis  with  it  for  final  payment. 

Company  C,  of  the  Eighty- third  Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, had  for  its  successive  commissioned  officers: 
Capt.Metellus  Calver?,  Rising  Sun.  First  Lieut.  Wm.  H.  Smith. 

Capt.  Benj.  North,  Grant's  Greek.  First  Lieut.  E.G.  North,  Grant's  Creek. 

Capt.  Wra.  H.  Smith,  Rising  Sun.  Second  Lieut.  T.  Shehane,  Fairwiew. 

First  Lieut.  Benj.  North.  Second  Lieut.  Eli  Harrison,  Rising  Sun. 

The  enlisted  men  were: 
First  Sergt.  Wm.  H.  Smith.  Corp.  John  J.  Douglass.* 

Sergt.  Ernest  C.  North.*  Corp.  John  Monroe. 

Sergt.  Edmund  Miller.*  Corp.  Wm.  P.  Conner. 

Sergt.  Riley  Brumly.  Corp.  John  D.  Sams.* 

Sergt.  Eli  Harrison.  Corp.  Pleasant  M.  Shafer. 

Corp.  John  Bennett.  Musician-David  C.  Thorn. 

Corp.  James  Kay.  Musician  Jacob  Hess.* 

Corp.  Wm.  H.  North.*  Wagoner  Daniel  K.  Crandall. 


212 


HISTORY  OP  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


PRIVATES. 


Douglass,  Wm.  B.*  Kyle,  Robert* 


Drake,  Jonathan* 
Drake,  Lemuel* 
Englehart,  H.  D. 
Facemire,  J.    W.* 
Fish,  Martin* 
Fisher,  Wm.  H. 
Gregorj^  John  W. 
Hamilton,  M.  T.* 
Harman,  Jacob* 
Harris,  Hosier  J.* 
Hatfield,  Abner* 
Hess,  Frederick* 
Hewitt,  Joseph  M. 


Lare,  John  C. 
Lewis,  Samuel  J. 
Long,  Peter 
Mead,  Edwin  R.* 
Miller,  James  E. 
Miller,  Benj.  F. 
Monroe,  Henry 

Moore,  George 
Moreland,  James 

Myers,  Jonathan 

Neal.  Chris  C. 

Nettle,  Geo.  W. 

Korth,  James  M.'^ 


Hewitt,   Henry       VPalmer,  Henry  W. 
House,  James*  Parker,  Oscar 

House,  Michael*       Pocock,  Reuben* 
Hutchinson,  R.  D.*  Rains,  Franklin 
James,  Ernest*  Read,  Wm.  H. 

Koons,  John  D.        Reed,  John  A. 


Rex.  Wm. 
Rice,  John  W. 
Robinson,  C* 
Rodgers,  John  T. 
Rollins,  Benj.  F. 
Rusk.  James  W.* 
Sedam,  Charles 
Shafer,  C.  B.* 
Shafer,  Thos.  J. 
Shelley,  Silas* 
Shelley,  Joseph* 
Shipman,  James  O. 
Smith,  John* 
Steele,  John  A. 
^  Tarbox,  Nelson* 
Theas,  Ernest  H. 
Waldon.  Wm.* 
Ward,  John 
Weathers,  John  S. 
Winters,  Jeremiah. 


RECRUITS. 

Herrick,  Joseph        Hummel,  E. 
Howard,  John  Pryor,  Wm. 


W. 


Scott,  Theodore* 
Ward,  Joseph. 


Bailey,  Wm.  G.* 
Bailey,  Daniel  J.* 
Beaty,  John  W.* 
Brey,  Orrin  O.* 
Bruner,  John  F. 
Bruner,  Marion 
Callahan  John  M. 
Clark,  Jacob 
Cloud,  Wm. 
Cloud,  Daniel 
Cochran,  Oliver  P. 
Conaway,  John  W. 
Conrad,  Neal. 
Coary,  Samuel  H. 
Crouch,  Joshua  R. 
Davis,  Lanson* 
Dodson,  Joseph* 
Dodson,  Wm. 
Dorman,  Edward 
Douglass,  Geo.  K.'* 
Douglass,  Arthur* 

Davis,  Aaron  S 
Fabian,  John 
Qaskill,  Owen  S. 

The  above  company  was  not  made  up  entirely  of  men  from  Ohio 
County,  a  number  being  from  adjoining  territory,  principally  from 
Switzerland  County.  Sixty-two  men  and  officers  are  claimed  from  Ohio 
County  in  the  company.  Those  marked  with  a  star  are  from  adjoining 
territory.  Of  the  recruits,  only  the  residence  of  Scott  and  Ward  are 
given. 

The  Eighty-third  Regiment  was  organized  at  Lawrenceburgh,in  Sep- 
tember, 1862,  with  Benjamin  J.  Spooner  as  colonel,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
after  left  the  State  for  the  Mississippi  River.  The  organization  was 
composed  of  nine  companies  of  volunteers  for  three  years,  and  one  com- 
pany of  drafted  men.  The  latter  was  discharged  from  service  at  the 
expiration  of  nine  months  from  the  15th  of  November,  1862.  Upon 
reaching  Memphis  the  regiment  was  assigned  to  duty  with  the  army  then 
operating  in  west  Tennessee,  and  participated  in  the  march  to  the  Talla- 
hatchie, and  the  first  campaign  against  Vicksburg  in  December.  In 
the  latter  campaign  it  was  actively  engaged  in  the  assault  upon  the 
enemy's  works  at  Chickasaw  Bayou. 

In  January,  1863,  it  proceeded  up  the  Mississippi  with  the  expedi- 
tionary force  sent  into  Arkansas,  and  was  engaged  in  the  storming  and 
capture  of  Arkansas  Post,  on  the  Uth  of  January.     After  this  it   joined 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  213 

Gen.  Grant's  army,  then  occupying  Milliken's  Bend  and  Young's  Point, 
and  took  part  in  the  preliminary  operations  that  opened  the  campaign 
against  Vicksburg.  In  the  latter  part  of  March  it  moved  with  the  army 
in  its  march  to  the  rear  of  Vicksburg,  and  after  crossing  to  the  east  side 
of  the  Mississippi,  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Champion  Hills,  on  the  16th 
of  May.  The  regiment  then  went  into  the  entrenched  works,  fronting 
those  of  the  enemy  at  Vicksburg,  and  remained  therein,  almost  con- 
stantly on  duty,  until  the  capitulation  of  the  enemy  on  the  4th  of 
July.  While  there  it  took  part  in  the  assaults  upon  the  rebel  works  on 
the  19th  and  22d  of  May.  The  regiment  next  marched  to  Jackson,  and 
participated  in  the  siege  and  capture  of  that  place. 

Upon  the  termination  of  the  Vicksburg  campaign,  the  Eighty-third 
proceeded  up  the  Mississippi,  with  Sherman's  army,  to  Memphis,  and 
from  thence  marched  across  the  country  to  Chattanooga,  where,  on  the 
25th  of  November,  it  participated  in  the  great  victory  over  the  enemy  at 
Mission  Ridge.  During  the  winter  of  1863  the  regiment  remained  in 
camp  in  the  vicinity  of  Cleveland,  Tenn.,  and  in  the  spring  following, 
engaged  in  the  Atlanta  campaign.  Marching  with  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  southward  to  Atlanta,  it  was  actively  engaged  in  all  the 
movements  of  that  successful  campaign,  engaging  in  the  battles  at 
Resaca,  Dallas,  New  Hope  Church,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  the  repulse  of 
Hood's  army  on  the  22d  and  28th  of  July,  near  Atlanta,  and  the  battle 
of  Jonesboro.  After  the  occupation  of  Atlanta,  the  Eighty-third  moved 
northward  in  pursuit  of  Hood's  army,  and  after  aiding  in  driving  the 
enemy  into  northern  Alabama,  returned  to  Atlanta. 

In  November  Sherman's  army  commenced  its  march  through  Georgia 
to  Savannah,  and  the  Eighty-third  moved  with  it,  reaching  Savannah  on 
the  21st  of  December.  In  the  assault  upon  and  capture  of  Fort  Mc- 
Allister, near  Savannah,  the  regiment  was  engaged,  thus  opening  Sher- 
man's communications  with  the  sea.  It  next  proceeded  to  Beaufort, 
from  whence  it  marched  through  the  Carolinas  to  Goldsboro,  engaging 
the  enemy  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  and  Bentonville,  N.  C. 

Upon  the  conclusion  of  active  military  operations  in  those  States,  the 
regiment  moved  to  Washington  City,  marching  through  Raleigh,  Peters- 
burgh,  Richmond  and  Fredericksburgh.  At  Washington  it  formed  a 
portion  of  the  marching  column  at  the  grand  review  of  Sherman's 
heroes,  and  on  the  3d  of  June,  1865,  was  mustered  out  of  service,  and 
proceeded  homeward.  Reaching  Indianapolis,  it  was  present  at  a  grand 
reception  given  to  returned  soldiers  in  the  capitol  grounds  on  the  9th  of 
June.  On  this  occasion  addresses  were  made  by  Gov.  Morton,  Gen, 
Hovey  and  Col.  Ben  Spooner. 

The  remaining  recruits,  upon  the  muster  out  of  the  organization  at 


214 


HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


Washington,  was  transferred  to  the  Forty-eighth  Indiana,  and  continued 
to  serve  with  that  regiment  until  its  miigter  out  at  Louisville,  Ky., 
July  15,  1865. 

The  Eighty-third  has  traveled  over  4,000  miles  by  land,  1,800  upon 
steamboats  and  485  by  rail,  making  a  total  of  6,285  miles  traveled 
during  its  term  of  service.  It  has  been  engaged  in  several  minor  battles 
and  skirmishes  in  addition  to  those  mentioned  in  this  sketch,  and  has 
been  under  tire  for  over  200  days. 

The  Second  Battery  Light  Artillery,  Indiana  Volunteers,  was  organ- 
ized at  Indianapolis,  on  the  5th  of  August,  and  mustered  into  service 
August  9,  1861,  with  David  G.  Rabb,  Rising  Sun,  as  captain.  Its  suc- 
cessive commissioned  officers  were: 

Capt.  David  G.  Rabb. 

Capt.  Johu  W.  Rabb,  Rising  Sun. 

Capt.  Hugh  Espey,  Jr.,  Rising  Sun. 

First  Lieut.  John  W.  Rabb. 

First  Lieut.  M.  K.  Haines,  Rising  Sun. 

First  Lieut.  Hugh  Espey,  Jr. 

First  Lieut.  M.  H.  Masterson,  Salem. 

First  Lieut.  Wm.W.  Haines,  Rising  Sun. 

On  the  reorganization  of  the  battery  the  successive  commissioned 
officers  were: 

Capt.  James  S.  Whicher.  Second  Lieut.  John  Stewart. 

First  Lieut.  George  B.  Sink.  Second  Lieut.  John  Heardon,  Huntsville. 

First  Lieut.  John  Stewart,  Lewisville.  Second  Lieut.C.W.  Johnson,  Indianapolis. 

The  enlisted  men  from  Ohio  County,  as  nearly  as  can  be  obtained 
(the  place  of  residence  of  probably  one  half  of  the  battery  not  given  in 
the  adjutant-general's  report)  were  as  follows: 


First  Lieut.  J.  S.  Whicher,  Indianapolis. 
Second  Lieut.  Hugh  Espey,  Jr. 
Second  Lieut.  Mathew  H.  Masterson. 
Second  Lieut.  William  W.  Haines. 
Second  Lieut.  James  S.  Whicher. 
Second  Lieut.  John  L.  Miles,  Rising  Sun. 
Second  Lieut.  George  B.  Sink,  Rising  Sun. 


First  Sergt.  William  W.  Haines. 
Q.  M.-Sergt.  John  L.  Miles. 
Sergt.  Abner  McFarland. 
Sergt.  George  B.  Sink. 
Sergt.  William  P.  Harris. 
Corp.  James  Buchanan. 

PRIVATES. 

Barricklow,  George  Knollman,  Henry      Ammen,  Wm.  P 


Corp.  DeWitt  C.  Bonnell. 
Corp.  Jesse  H.  Jones. 
Corp.  Samuel  Mullen. 
Bugler  Benjamin  F.  Pepper. 
Artificer  James  M.  Long. 


Barricklow,  Fred  McArthur,  Jerome  Arford,  James  R 

Buchanan,  Perry  Mitcliell,  John 

Carlisle,  Wm.  H.  Peaslee,  Abraham 

Carpenter,  John  S.  Reed,  James  S. 

Downey,  Rufus  K.  Rupker,  Frederick  Clore,  James 

Eastman,  Wm.  E.  Scott,  Samuel  E.  Conner,  Robert  C 

Fowler.  Henry  Scoggin,  Elisha  Craft,  George  A. 

Hall,  Peter  Summers,  Henry  Corson,  Eli 

Hasbough,  L.  Vehouse,  Frederick  Dugal,  Samuel 

Hunt,  Martin  V.  Volkman,  Henry  Gillis,  William  H. 


Hewitt,  William 
Mapes,  George 
Burgas,  Levi  H.         Pate,  Smith 
Campbell,  Sam.  M.    Ricketts,  Robert 
Campbell,  Hudson     Rabb,  George  J. 


Steele,  William  A. 
Spore,  Isaac 
Spore,  George  W. 
Todd,  Thomas  E. 
Todd,  James. 


MILITARY   HISTORY.  215 

Fifty-five  men  are  claimed  to  have  served  from  the  county  in  the 
above  battery. 

On  the  5th  of  September  the  battery  left  Indianapolis  by  rail  for  St. 
Louis,  where  it  went  into  camp  until  the  25th  of  September,  when  it 
embarked  on  a  steamer  and  proceeded  up  the  Missouri  River  to  Jefferson 
City.  Disembarking  at  that  place,  it  encamped  in  the  vicinity  until  the 
4th  of  October,  and  then  marched  with  part  of  Gen.  Hunter's  division  to 
Tipton.  Remaining  there  until  the  17th,  it  moved  southward,  passing 
near  Versailles  and  through  Warsaw  to  Mount  View,  and  thence  to  Spring- 
field, Mo. 

From  Springfield  it  moved  into  Kansas,  going  into  quarters  at  Fort 
Leavenworth  daring  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  of  1862  moving  to 
Fort  Scott.  On  the  28d  of  May,  the  battery  marched  from  Fort  Scott 
to  lola,  Kas.,  where  it  remained  in  camp  until  the  1st  of  June,  and  then 
marched  to  Baxter's  Springs,  on  Spring  River,  in  the  Indian  Territory. 
On  the  5th,  with  four  pieces  of  the  battery,  a  detachment  marched  with 
an  expedition  from  Baxter's  Springs  to  Round  Grove,  on  Cow  Skin  Prai- 
rie, in  Cherokee  Nation,  where,  coming  upon  the  enemy's  force,  under 
Col.  Coffee,  a  fight  ensued  about  dark  on  the  5th.  The  enemy  was 
routed,  after  the  firing  of  six  rounds  of  shot  and  shell,  and  a  large 
amount  of  live  stock,  equipage  and  munitions  of  war  captured.  On  the 
28th  of  June,  the  battery  marched  from  Baxter's  Springs  with  Col.  Sol- 
omon's brigade,  upon  an  expedition  against  the  rebel  Indians.  Moving 
southward  into  the  Cherokee  Nation,  the  enemy  under  Gen.  Rains  was 
encountered  at  Round  Grove,  and  before  our  forces  could  attack  them, 
the  enemy  fled.  Returning  to  Fort  Scott,  the  battery  took  part  in  sev- 
eral expeditions  sent  out  from  that  place.  It  engaged  the  enemy  at  Lone 
Jack,  Mo.,  on  the  9th  of  September,  and  at  Newtonia,  Mo.,  October  10. 

Moving  into  Arkansas,  it  participated  in  engagements  with  the  ene- 
my at  Fort  Wayne,  on  the  28th  of  October;  at  Cane  Hill,  on  the  27th  of 
November;  at  Prairie  Grove,  on  the  7th  to  9th  of  December,  and  at  Van 
Buren  on  the  29th  of  December.  During  the  following  spring  the  bat- 
tery was  stationed  at  Springfield,  Mo.,  from  whence,  in  July,  1863,  the 
greater  portion  was  detached  and  sent  to  the  field  in  Arkansas  and 
Indian  Territory.  On  the  28th  of  August  this  detachment  took  part  in 
the  battle  at  Perryville,  in  the  Choctaw  Nation,  and  on  the  1st  of  Sep- 
tember it  was  engaged  in  the  fight  at  Cotton  Gap,  Ark.  The  battery 
again  united,  participated  in  the  battle  of  Buffalo  Mountain,  on  the  25th 
of  October,  ^fter  which  it  moved  to  Waldron  and  Fort  Smith,  Ark.  In 
January,  1864,  a  small  portion  of  men  re-enlisted  as  veteran  volunteers. 
The  battery  continued  to  operate  in  western  Arkansas  during  the  winter, 
spring  and  summer  of  1864.      On  the  11th  and  12th  of  April  it  engaged 


■216  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUxNTIES. 

the  enemy  at  Prairie  de  Ann,  Ark,  and  on  the  13th  at  Moscow,  Ark.  On 
the  18th  of  the  same  month  it  participated  in  the  battle  of  Poisoned 
Spring,  Ark.,  in  which  it  lost  two  guns,  and  on  the  28th  it  fought  the 
enemy  at  Mark's  Mills,  Ark.  On  the  29th  and  30th  of  April,  it  again 
engaged  the  enemy  at  Jenkins'  Ferry  on  Saline  River,  after  which  it 
moved  to  Fort  Smith.  At  this  place  on  the  29fch,  30th  and  31st  of  July, 
it  took  part  in  the  battles  fought  in  defense  of  the  fort,  and  assisted  in 
defeating  the  enemy.  In  September  it  returned  to  Indianapolis,  where 
the  non-veterans  were  mustered  out  of  service,  and  the  organization 
broken  up. 

The  battery  was  reorganized  at  Indianapolis,  on  the  18th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1864,  with  James  S.  Whicher  (first  lieutenant  of  the  old  organiza- 
tion) as  captain.  In  December  it  proceeded  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where 
it  remained  until  the  latter  part  of  June,  1865.  While  there  it  took 
part  in  the  battle  at  Nashville  on  the  15th  and  16th  of  December,  1864. 
Returning  to  Indianapolis,  with  113  men  for  muster  out,  it  was  present 
at  a  reception  given  to  the  returned  soldiers  in  the  capitol  grounds  on 
the  30th  of  June,  at  which  speeches  were  made  by  Lieut. -Gov.  Baker, 
Gen.  Hovey  and  others.  On  the  3d  of  July,  1865,  the  battery  was  mus- 
tered out,  and  the  officers  and  men  finally  discharged.  During  the  term 
of  service  of  the  two  organizations,  the  Second  Battery  marched  11,500 
miles  and  lost  one  officer  and  twenty  seven  men  killed. 

Company  B,  Fourth   Cavalry  (Seventy- seventh  Indiana  Volunteers) 
had  for  its  successive  commissioned  officers  as  follows: 
Capt.  .John  A.  Platter.  Second  Lieut.  William  T.  Pepper. 

Capt.William  T.  Pepper  (of  Rising  Sun).       Second  Lieut.  .John  H.  Thompson. 
Capt.  John  H.  Thompson.  Second  Lieut.  William  H.  H.  Isgri^a;g. 

First  Lieut.  William  H.  Bracken. 

The  enlisted  men  from  Ohio  County  as  nearly  as  can  be  obtained 
(the  place  of  residence  and  the  company  not  given  in  the  adjutant-gen- 
eral's report)  were: 

Williams,  Oliver  H.  Clark,  Joseph  M.        Harryman,  Samuel    Shoup,  George 
Barker,  Philip  B.       French,  George  W.  Jameison,  Robert  A.  Smith,  George  W. 
Hall,  D.  B.  Fox,  Frank  Lambdin,WilliamT.  Smith,  William  F. 

Newman,  George  W.  Harris,  James  Myers,  James  Whitlock,  John  T. 

Scoggin,  Elijah  Harris,  Charles  M.     Miles,  James  Youge,  William 

Barman, Marmaduke  Hoover,  Robert  McAlister,  Edward 

Bedgood, Alfred         Hayman,  GeorgeW.  Spore,  Isaac 

RECRUITS : 

Bowman,  Isaac  Lemon.  George  W.      Parker,  Oscar  Spore,  Samuel 

Jackson,  Albion        Neal,  Jacob  Richmond,  Eli  S.       St.  Clair,  Henry. 

The  Seventy-seventh  Regiment  was  organized  at  Indianapolis  on  the 
22d  of  August,  1862,  with  Isaac  P.  Gray  as   colonel.      On    the    comple- 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  217 

tion  of  its  organization  the  aspect  of  affairs  in  Kentucky  was  so  threat- 
ening that  the  regiment  was  divided,  four  companies  being  sent  under 
command  of  Maj.  John  A.  Platter  to  Henderson,  Ky.,  and  the  remain- 
ing companies  to  Louisville,  from  whence  they  were  ordered  into  the  in- 
terior, where  they  were  joined  by  Col.  Gray. 

The  battalion  under  command  of  Maj.  Platter  had  a  skirmish  with 
the  enemy  at  Madisonville,  Ky.,  on  the  26th  of  August,  and  again  at 
Mount  Washington,  on  the  1st  of  October,  in  which  a  number  were 
killed  and  wounded.  On  the  5th  of  October  it  engaged  the  rebels  at 
Madisonville,  suffering  some  loss.  In  the  spring  of  1863  this  battalion 
joined  the  other  companies,  and  after  this  the  regiment  served  together, 
with  the  exception  of  Company  C,  which  became  the  escort  for  Gen.  A. 
J.  Smith,  and  followed  the  fortunes  of  that  officer's  command. 

During  the  invasion  of  Bragg,'a  portion  of  the  battalion  under  the 
command  of  Col.  Gray,  went  into  camp  for  a  brief  period  near  Madi- 
son, Ind. ,  and  moved  from  thence  to  Vevay,  near  which  place  it  crossed 
the  Ohio  River  and  moved,  on  a  tour  of  duty,  through  Owen,  Henry  and 
adjoining  Counties,  Kentucky,  reaching  Frankfort  about  the  24th  of  Oc- 
tober. Soon  after  the  companies  of  this  battalion  were  stationed  at  Gal- 
latin, from  whence  they  moved  after  John  H.  Morgan's  forces  toward  Green 
River.  On  the  25th  of  December  the  battalion  fought  Morgan  near 
Mumfordsville  and  defeated  him,  suffering  a  slight  loss.  Moving  into 
Tennessee  in  January,  1863,  it  reached  Murfreesboro  in  February,  in 
which  vicinity  it  operated  for  some  months,  fighting  the  enemy  at  Ruther- 
ford's Creek,  on  the  10th  of  March.  On  the  28th  of  March  it  was  act- 
ively engaged  in  feeling  the  enemy  near  Murfreesboro.  At  this  time 
the  battalion  was  commanded  by  Col.  L.  S.  Shuler.  The  regiment,  now 
united,  moved  with  Rosecrans  in  the  campaign  toward  Tullahoma  and 
Chattanooga,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga  on  the  19th 
and  20th  of  September,  and  again  engaging  the  enemy  on  the  23d  of 
September.  Crossing  the  Tennessee,  it  fought  the  rebels  at  Fay ettevi lie, 
Tenn.,  on  the  1st  of  November,  losing  a  few  of  its  members. 

The  regiment  marched  into  east  Tennessee  early  in  December,  where 
it  remained  during  the  winter  of  1863-64.  During  this  campaign  it 
held  the  advanced  position  in  all  the  cavalry  movements,  and  was  con- 
spicuously engaged  in  the  battles  of  Mossy  Creek,  Talbott's  and  Dund 
ridge,  for  which  it  was  highly  complimented  in  the  reports  of  brigade 
and  division  commanders.  On  the  27th  of  January,  1864,  a  severe  fight 
occurred  at  Fair  Garden  between  the  division  to  which  it  was  attached 
and  two  rebel  divisions,  the  latter  having  been  driven  during  the  day 
eight  miles.  Capt.  Rosecrans,  with  the  second  battalion  of  the  Fourth 
Cavalry,  dismounted  as  skirmishers,  charged  with  the  Second  Indiana 


218  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  First  Wisconsin  Cavalry  (also  dismounted)  on  the  enemy's  skirmish- 
ers. Maj.  Purdy,  with  the  first  battalion  supported  by  Lilly's  Eighteenth 
Indiana  Battery,  and  the  remaining  four  companies  of  the  Fourth  Cav- 
alry, were  ordered  to  a  "sabre  charge"  on  a  rebel  battery.  This  charge 
was  led  by  Lieut. -Col.  Leslie,  and  resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  battery, 
one  battle  flag  and  more  prisoners  than  the  charging  party  had  men 
engaged.  The  enemy  were  completely  routed,  and  fled  in  disorder  to 
the  mountains.  Lieut. -Col.  Leslie  fell  while  gallantly  leading  his  men 
on  to  victory,  pierced  through  the  breast  with  a  rebel  bullet.  The  other 
losses  to  the  regiment  were  but  few. 

In  March  the  regiment  arrived  at  Cleveland,  Tenn.,  and  in  May 
moved  with  the  cavalry  of  Sherman's  army  in '  the  campaign  against 
Atlanta.  On  the  9th  of  May,  it  fought  the  enemy  at  Varnell's  Station, 
Ga. ,  and  on  the  2d  of  June  it  had  a  skirmish  near  Burnt  Chiirch.  It 
next  moved  on  the  McCook  raid,  participating  in  the  tight  at  Newnan  on 
the  31st  of  July,  and  in  all  the  movements  of  that  expedition. 

After  the  capture  of  Atlanta  it  marched  into  Tennessee,  and  engaged 
the  enemy  at  Columbia,  Tenn.,  in  Octobei*.  In  November  it  was  sta- 
tioned near  Louisville,  serving  with  the  Second  Brigade  of  the  First 
Cavalry  Division  of  the  Cavalry  Corps  of  the  Military  Division  of  the 
Mississippi.  In  January,  1865,  it  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Nashville,  and 
in  the  following  month  at  Waterloo,  Ala.  Moving  into  Alabama  with 
Gen.  Wilson's  forces,  it  participated  in  the  active  campaign  in  that  State 
and  Georgia,  engaging  in  the  battles  of  Plantersviile  and  Selma.  Leav- 
ing Macon,  Ga.,  in  May,  it  reached  Nashville  and  went  into  the  Provis- 
ional Cavalry  Camp  at  Edgefield,  where  it  remained  until  mustered  out 
of  service  on  the  29th  of  June,  1865.  After  its  muster  out  the  regiment 
remained  at  Nashville  a  few  days  until  it  was  finally  discharged  and  paid, 
when  the  organization  was  broken  up,  and  the  officers  and  men  returned 
to  their  respective  homes  without  coming  to  the  State  capital  in  a  body. 

Company  C  was  detailed  to  serve  as  escort  to  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith,  and 
engaged  in  all  the  operations  of  the  command  of  that  ofiicer,  including 
the  campaign  and  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  Red  River  expedition.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1864  it  returned  to  the  regiment,  aud  served  with  it  until  its 
final  discharge. 

In  addition  to  the  above-named  companies,  Ohio  County  was  repre- 
sented in  various  other  organizations  in  both  the  army  and  navy  to  the 
number  of  twenty-five  men,  making  a  grand  total  of  382  enlistments  in 
the  service  from  Ohio  County.  The  organizations  to  which  the  men 
belonged  participated  in  eighty- four  engagements,  while  the  loss  of  life 
from  wounds  and  disease  exceeded  100.  The  county  sustained  an  hon- 
orable part,  and  claims  a  full  share  of  the  glory  on  the  records  of  the  reg- 
iments in  which  its  men  fought  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  219 

THE  MOKGAN  RAID. 

The  following  account  of  Morgan's  Raid  is  from  the  Centennial 
address  of  George  W.  Morse,  delivered  at  Rising  Sun,  July  4,  1878: 

"July  7,  1863,  Gen.  John  H.  Morgan,  of  the  Confederate  army,  with 
a  mounted  force  of  3,000  or  4,000  men,  and  six  pieces  of  artillery,  captured 
two  steamers,  the  "J.  T.  McCoombs"  and  "Alice  Dean,"  at  Brandy  wine, 
Ky.  Information  was  sent  to  Corydon,  and  Capt.  G.  W.  Lyon,  of  the 
Indiana  Legion,  with  one  gun  and  thirty  men  arrived  at  Mauckport,  the 
night  of  the  8th,  when  Col.  Timberlake  took  command,  having  100  men 
of  the  legion  additional.  He  proceeded  to  a  point  opposite  Branden- 
burg, and  placed  the  gun  in  position  by  7  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
As  soon  as  the  fog  lifted  Capt.  Lyon  sent  a  shot  through  the  "McCombs", 
and  several  at  the  rebels  who  retreated  from  her.  But  Morgan's  guns 
were  soon  returning  the  tire,  killing  two  men.  The  forces  of  the  legion 
fell  back,  and  two  regiments  of  rebel  soldiers  crossed,  formed  under  the 
bank,  advanced  and  charged,  taking  the  gun  and  several  prisoners.  Col. 
Timberlake  fell  back  toward  Corydon,  where  all  the  forces  available  at 
so  short  a  notice  had  taken  post;  these  were  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Lewis  Jordan,  of  the  Sixth  Legion,  and  numbered  about  400  men.  In 
the  meantime  Morgan  crossed  his  forces,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  9th, 
advanced  upon  Col.  Jordan's,  which  fell  back  to  within  one  mile  of 
Corydon.  Here  the  tight  was  maintained  for  half  an  hour.  When  his 
little  band  was  flanked,  and  in  danger  of  total  destruction,  he  surren- 
dered, loss  three  men  killed,  and  one  fatally  and  one  badly  wounded. 
Morgan's  loss  was  eight  killed,  and  thirty-three  badly  wounded.  The 
prisoners  were  robbed  and  then  paroled. 

"  We  will  not  stop  to  describe  the  progress  of  Morgan's  forces  further, 
but  simply  relate  the  incidents  connected  with  Col.  Williams'  command, 
composed  in  part  of  three  companies  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment,  Fourth 
Brigade  of  the  Indiana  Legion. 

"On  the  8th  of  September,  Brig.-Gen.  A.  C.  Downey  received  orders 
from  Gov.  Morton  to  send  as  many  companies  of  the  legion  as  possible 
to  Seymour,  as  Morgan  had  entered  Indiana.  Col.  H.  T.  Williams 
ordered  Capt.  J.  C.  Wells,  Jackson  Barricklow  and  John  R.  Cole,  to  be 
ready  to  proceed  the  next  morning.  They  did  so,  going  by  wagon  to 
Aurora,  and  thence  by  rail  to  Seymour,  where  they  arrived  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  9th.  They  numbered  about  185  men,  all  told.  On  the  next 
day  (July  10)  Col.  Williams  received  orders  to  proceed  with  all  haste 
to  Madison.  The  cars  were  soon  got  ready  and  the  command  was  con- 
veyed back  to  North  Vernon,  where  information  was  soon  received  that 
Morgan's  forces  were  approaching  South  Vernon.  Col.  Burkam,  with 
several  companies  of  the  legion   from  Dearborn  County,  remained  while 


220  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Col.  Williams,  with  the  companies  from  Ohio  County,  and  a  battery  of 
two  six- pound  guns  and  three  rounds  of  ammunition  marched  to  South 
Vernon.  Some  difference  of  opinion  on  the  management  of  the  defense 
seems  to  have  led  to  this  result;  the  two  colonels  named,  being  the  high- 
est officers  present,  adopted  separate  modes  of  action.  The  command 
was  halted  in  a  grove  of  small  trees  about  one- quarter  of  a  mile  from 
North  Vernon,  the  men  stacking  arms  and  falling  out  of  line.  In  a  few 
minutes  a  scout  came  riding  swiftly  from  the  direction  of  the  enemy, 
and  told  the  officers: 

"  'Moro-an  is  coming,  is  only  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  east  of 
town.' 

"  'Can  yoa  tell  how  many  men  he  has.^'  asked  the  colonel. 

"  'As  near  as  1  can  guess  about  6,000,"  replied  the  scout. 

"  'I  don't  care  a  d — n  if  there  are  60,000,  do  you 'f'  said  Oapt.  W., 
turning  to  his  orderly. 

"  'Well,  no,'  replied  the  latter,  'only  it  would  take  longer  to  kill 
60,000  than  it  would  6,000.' 

"  'The  march  was  resumed,  and  in  about  half  an  hour,  on  a  bluff 
high  bank,  the  crest  of  a  hill  rising  suddenly  from  the  margin  of  the 
Muscatatac  River,  the  company  of  Capt.  Wells  stacked  arms  and  fell  out 
of  line,  hard  by  a  stone  church  or  schoolhouse.  In  a  few  minutes  a 
rapid  discharge  of  musketry  was  heard,  back  on  the  road  they  had  come, 
the  line  was  reformed,  the  firing  ceased,  the  men  standing  in  momentary 
expectation  of  an  attack.  They  afterward  learned  that  the  tiring  they 
had  heard  was  the  result  of  an  engagement  between  a  small  company  of 
movinted  citizens  and  a  detachment  of  Morgan's  men  sent  to  destroy  the 
telegraph  wires,  depots,  etc.,  which  was  in  part  prevented. 

"Across  the  Muscatatac,  on  the  crest  of  a  densely  wooded  hill,  not  more 
than  4,000  yards  from  the  schoolhouse  mentioned,  was  a  battery  of  four 
pieces  Morgan  had  just  planted;  it  was  entirely  concealed  by  the  thick 
undergrowth.  Capt.  Barricklow's  company  was  under  the  bluff,  a  little 
further  up  the  creek,  and  Capt.  Cole's  lying  on  the  railroad  near  the 
bridge  which  spans  the  creek.  Soon  after  a  man  with  a  white  flag  was 
seen  coming  across  the  creek  toward  the  main  road  leading  into  the 
town.  He  was  met  and  escorted  to  the  colonel  commanding  (H.  T. 
Williams),  of  whom  he  demanded  in  the  name  of  Gen.  Morgan,  an  un- 
conditional surrender  of  the  town  and  the  forces  under  his  command. 
Col.  Williams'  reply  was:  'No,  you  can't  take  my  men,  nor  the  town, 
without  a  hard  fight.'  The  bearer  of  the  flag  returned  to  Morgan  with 
that  answer.  Soon  after  another  flag  was  conducted  to  Col.  Williams, 
who  ordered  its  carrier  under  arrest,  he  being  found  within  the  lines 
without  proper  escort.     Col.  Williams  immediately  sent  over  to  North 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  ♦   221 

Vernon  for  aid,  in  the  hope  that  re- enforcements  had  arrived.  The  mes- 
senger met  Gen.  Love,  who  had  arrived  with  1,000  men,  who  were  then 
disembarking  from  the  cars.  On  arriving  at  the  front,  Gen.  Love 
ordered  the  flag  set  at  liberty,  at  the  same  time  sending  the  colonel  to 
Morgan  asking  '  two  hours  time  to  remove  women  and  children.'  In 
reply  to  this  demand  Col.  Williams  was  given  fifteen  minutes  to  return 
and  thirty  minutes  additional  to  remove  the  women  and  children  when 
the  battle  Avill  commence.  Capt.  Wells'  company  was  placed  on  the 
railroad  track,  the  high  embankment  of  which  was  a  good  breast- work, 
and  as  night  settled  over  the  scene  a  solemn  silence  came  with  it. 

"All  of  Col.  Williams'  men  and  Col.  Burkams',  they  having  come 
from  North  Vernon,  now  lay  along  the  railroad  track,  and  as  the  time 
approached  for  the  struggle  to  begin,  it  would  be  idle  to  say  there  was 
no  anxiety,  no  apprehension.  Suddenly,  on  the  hill  where  the  masked 
battery  had  been  planted  by  Morgan,  there  were  two  explosions  heard, 
following  each  other  so  rapidly  they  nearly  blended  in  one — a  shell  had 
been  tired  from  a  cannon;  this  was  supposed  to  be  the  signal  to  begin 
the  battle.  Soon  the  regular  tread  of  a  column  of  infantry  was  heard 
(for  it  was  too  dark  to  see),  tramp — tramp— it  passed,  and  word  was 
brought  that  it  was  a  Michigan  regiment — 800  strong. 

"The  sky  had  been  getting  red,  and  now  began  to  cast  back  to  the 
earth  the  glare  of  the  many  tires  in  the  camp  of  the  enemy.  It  should 
have  been  stated  that  there  was  a  mistake  with  one  of  the  Dearborn 
County  companies,  at  about  the  time  the  attack  was  expected.  Some  of 
the  inhabitants  had  collected  the  cattle  and  horses  in  the  town  and  drove 
them  furiously  to  the  ford  of  the  Muscatatae,  intending  to  drive  them 
across  and  save  them.  The  company  stationed  at  this  ford  imagined  it 
was  the  onset  of  the  enemy,  and  in  the  darkness  and  confusion  of  this 
night  attack,  went  over  the  bank,  falling  a  distance  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet,  badly  injuring  a  number  of  them.  The  night  wore  away  without 
any  further  alarms,  save  the  explosion  of  a  caisson  on  the  hill  mentioned 
before;  morning  came— forty  pieces  of  artillery  were  then  ready  to 
belch  death  and  destruction,  on  many  regiments  of  men  eager  for  the 
fray — but  Morgan— where  was  he?  In  the  foremost  ranks  of  his  flying 
columns,  miles  eastward,  near  Versailles — they  hardly  knew  of  his  de- 
parture— he  could  not  delay  to  call  in  the  pickets,  the  lines  were  tight- 
ening around  him — a  great  many  horses  were  also  taken.  The  next 
day  the  advance  was  made  on  foot  to  Sunman  Station,  where  it  was 
found  that  Morgan  had  already  crossed  the  line  into  Ohio,  The  regi- 
ment proceeded  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  thence  home  to  Ohio  County. 

"We  close  the  account  of  the  raid  by  7naking  one  extract  from  Gen. 
Love's  report  to  Gov.    Morton,    dated  July  20,  1863.     He  says:   '  It  is 


222  '  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

due  to  Col.  Williams  and  his  gallant  regiment  from  Ohio  County  to  say, 
with  only  200  men  of  his  regiment,  and  the  armed  citizens  of  Jennings 
County  he  refused  to  surrender  Vernon  to  Morgan's  force  of  4,500  with 
five  pieces  of  artillery.  *  *  *  The  failure  to  take  Vernon  was  the 
first  check  he  had  received  since  entering  our  State.'  " 

In  the  report  of  W.  H.  H.  Terrell,  adjutant-general  of  Indiana,  of 
the  Morgan  raid  in  the  State  in  July,  1863,  it  is  stated  that  "  at  5  o'clock 
July  13,  Morgan  moved  eastwardly  from  his  bivouac  a  few  miles  from 
Sunman's,  in  the  direction  of  the  Ohio  line,  crossing  the  railroad  at 
three  stations— Harmon's,  Van  Weddon's  and  Weisburg.  The  bridges 
and  track  at  all  three  places  were  destroyed,  and  a  water  tank  at  Van 
Weddon's  burned.  Passing  rapidly  on  by  Hubbell's  Corner,  New  Alsace, 
Dover  and  Logan,  the  rebel  advance  reached  Harrison,  Ohio,  a  little 
after  12  o'clock  noon." 

Concerning  the  action  and  behavior  of  the  raiders  as  they  passed 
through  Harrison,  says  the  author  of  the  History  of  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  "about  1  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  13th  (July),  the  advance 
of  the  rebel  command  was  seen  streaming  down  the  hillsides  on  the  west 
side  of  the  valley,  and  the  alarm  was  at  once  given  in  the  streets  of 
Harrison.  Citizens  hastened  at  once  to  secrete  valuables  and  run  off 
their  horses,  but  in  a  very  few  moments  the  enemy  was  swarming  all 
over  the  town.  The  raiders  generally  behaved  pretty  well,  offering  few 
insults  to  the  people  and  maltreating  no  woman  or  other  person.  They 
secured  what  horses  they  could,  thronged  the  stores,  taking  whatever 
they  fancied.  One  gentleman,  who  kept  a  drug  store,  was  despoiled  of 
nothing  but  soap  and  perfumery.  Similar  incidents  were  related  of 
other  shops  in  the  village,  and  from  one  and  another  a  large  amount  of 
goods  in  the  aggregate  was  taken,  but  there  was  no  robbery  from  house 
to  house  or  from  the  person;  and  after-a  few  hours'  stay,  having  refreshed 
themselves  and  their  horses  and  gained  all  desired  information,  the  head 
of  the  column  began  to  tile  out  of  the  village  in  the  direction  of  Cincin- 
nati on  the  Harrison  turnpike. ' ' 

The  accident  that  occurred  at  Lawrenceburgh  during  the  "  raid"  was 
thus  described  by  the  late  adjutant-general  above  referred  to: 

"The  resistance  and  pursuit  of  the  rebels  was  as  nearly  bloodless  as 
any  hostile  movement  on  so  large  a  scale  could  be,  but  it  was  destined  to 
cause  more  bloodshed  after  its  departure  than  it  did  by  its  presence. 
On  the  evening  of  the  13th,  Col.  Gavin,  in  command  at  Lawrenceburgh, 
havino-  been  informed  that  Morgan  had  taken  Harrison  and  had  turned 
back  and  was  advancing  upon  Lawrenceburgh,  took  prompt  measures  to 
meet  him.  He  sent  out  his  own  regiment,  the  One  Hundred  and  Fourth, 
half  a  mile  beyond  Hardintown, on  the  turnpike,  where  a  strong  barricade 


*  MILITARY  HISTORY.  223 

was  constructed,  and  a  line  of  battle  was  formed  along  the  towpath  of 
the  canal  so  as  to  use  the  canal  bank  as  a  defense.  Col.  Shryock's  reg- 
iment, the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth,  was  ordered  to  take  position  half  a 
mile  in  the  rear.  About  9  o'clock  at  night,  while  marching  to  the 
assigned  position  through  a  very  short  curve  in  the  road  at  Hardintown, 
the  rear  of  the  column  seeing  the  head  indistinctly  in  the  darkness,  and 
unaware  of  the  curve  which  threw  the  men  in  front  on  a  line  parallel 
with  those  in  the  rear,  mistook  it  for  a  portion  of  the  expected  enemy's 
force,  and  a  shot  accidentally  fired  at  the  moment  made  the  impression  so 
strong,  that  they  fired  into  thg  advance.  The  advance,  of  course,  mis- 
took the  fire  for  that  of  the  enemy  and  returned  it.  Col.  Shryock 
instantly  rode  down  the  line  to  stop  the  firing,  telling  the  men  that  they 
were  killing  their  comrades,  but  though  promptly  obeyed  he  was  too  late 
to  prevent  a  serious  catastrophe.  Five  men  were  killed,  one  mortally 
and  eighteen  more  or  less  wounded,  the  following  is  a  list  of  the  casual- 
ties caused  by  this  sad  mistake: 

Killed. — Sergeant,  John  Gordon;  privates,  Oliver  P.  Jones,  William 
Faulkner,  Ferdinand  Hefner  and  John  Porter. 

Wounded. — Captains,  A.  K.  Branham  and  William  Nicholson; 
lieutenants,  William  E.  Hart  (mortally),  Samuel  Bewsey  and  Joel  New- 
man; sergeants,  Richard  M.  Baker,  John  Pyle  and  James  E.  Bates; 
privates,  Samuel  E.  Duncan,  Edmund  Bloomfield,  Martin  Hoover,  Will- 
iam Flint,  David  S.  Gooding,  W.  G.  Johnson,  D.  W.  Parish,  R.  T. 
Raines,  Jabez  Wilson,  Allen  R.  Bates  and Hart." 


DRAFTS,    BOUNTIES,   ETC. 

The  war  called  for  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  entire  male  popula- 
tion that  the  quota  was  not  in  all  cases  filled  without  difiiculty.  Drafts 
and  the  offer  of  large  bounties  to  volunteers  were  found  necessary,  hence 
many  of  the  recruits  on  being  mustered  into  service  received  considera- 
ble bounty. 

The  draft  assignment  of  October  6,  1862,  to  Dearborn  County  was  as 
follows:  Harrison  Township,  22;  Logan  Township,  22;  Kelso  Township, 
44;  Jackson  Township,  14;  Cesar  Creek  Township,  6. 

The  men  who  filled  the  quota  of  Dearborn  County  were,  with  the 
exception  of  an  inconsiderable  fraction,  volunteers.  The  county,  with  a 
total  militia  enrollment,  in  September,  1862,  of  3,252  had  1,753  volun- 
teers, 1,528  of  whom  were  then  in  the  field,  requiring  the  following 
month  the  draft  only  of  108  men. 

Ohio  County,  with  a  total  militia  enrollment,  in  September,  1862,  of 
796  had  387  volunteers,  299  of  whom  were   in  the  field,  requiring   the 


224 


HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


following  month  the  draft  of  only  15  men,  the  draft  assignment  being 
to  Cass  Township. 

COUNTY    EXPENDITURES. 

Exhibit  showing  the  amounts  expended  for  local  bounties,  for  relief 
of  soldiers'  families,  and  for  miscellaneous  military  purposes  by  the 
county  and  townships  during  the  war: 

DEARBORN  COUNTY. 


County,  City  or  Township. 


Dearborn  County 

Harrison  Township 

Logan  Township 

Miller  Township 

Lawrenceburgh  Township. 

Center  Township 

Hogan  Township 

Manchester  Township 

York  Township 

Kelso  Township 

Jackson  Township 

Sparta  Township 

Cesar  Creek  Township  . .  . . 

Clay  Township 

Washington  Township 

Lawrenceburgh  City 

Aurora   Citj^ 


Dearborn  County  total. 
Grand  total 


Bounty. 


$201, 

11, 

9, 

3, 

10, 

21 


623  00 
750  00 
350  00 
100  00 
000  00 
833  00 


500  00 
090  00 
920  00 
950  00 
336  10 
230  00 


600  00 
,600  00 
,423  00 


$38,283  21 

400  00 

150  00 

1,150  00 

15.000  00 

17,250  00 

1,078  00 

3,500  00 

300  00 

325  00 

1,126  85 

2,732  00 

125  00 

425  00 

136  50 

54  86 

11,300  00 


$295,305  10    $93,335  45 


Miscellaneous. 


$396,016  17 


375  62 

7,000  00 


$7,375  62 


OHIO  COUNTY. 


County,  City  or  Township. 

Bounty. 

Relief 

Miscellaneous. 

Alii  A  Pnnntv                         

$37,000  00 

11,800  00 

4,800  00 

9,375  00 

5,600  00 

$4,769  78 

$424  95 

Pace  Tnwzn'shin                      

54  95 
333  64 

75  00 

Ohio  County  total 

$68,575  00  1        $5,158  37 

$499  95 

S^74.2,33  32 

AID    SOCIETIES,     DONATIONS,     ETC. 

Various  aid  societies  were  organized  throughout  the  counties  during 
the  war,  and  through  the  efforts  of  the  ladies,  many  delicacies  and  com- 
forts were  sent  to  the  field.  The  Aurora  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  as  a  branch  of 
the  Cincinnati  Sanitary  Commission  was  organized  in  March,  1862.  The 
Moore's  Hill  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  was  organized  by  the  ladies  soon  after 


MILITARY  HISTORY.  225 

the  intelligence  of  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson,  was  received,  in  the  spring 
of  1862.  In  April,  1862,  the  ladies  on  Ebenezer  Ridge,  and  on  Wilson 
Creek  and  vicinity,  met  and  organized  a  Ladies'  Sanitary  Association 
The  Soldiers'  Relief  Society  of  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was  organized 
December  22,  1864  Similar  societies  were  formed  elsewhere,  and  all  did  a 
noble  work.  The  report  of  the  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  of  Lawrenceburgh 
Township  made  in  July,  1865,  showed  receipts  of  $556.48. 

CLOSING  Scenes. 

The  following  extract  from  the  Aurora  Commercial  oi  April  13,  1865, 
will  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  the  news  of  the  sur- 
render of  Gen.  Lee  and  his  army  was  received  by  the  people  of  Aurora: 
"Last  Monday  was  a  day  of  wild  excitement  in  this  city.  The  news  of 
Lee's  surrender,  following  so  quickly  upon  the  capture  of  Richmond,  was 
almost  too  much  of  a  good  thing,  and  produced  demonstrations  on  the 
part  of  some  of  our  patriotic  citizens,  that  would  under  other  circum- 
stances, be  disproportionate  to  their  years.  The  cannons  were  brought 
out,  the  bells  were  rung,  houses  illuminated,  and  the  town  poured  its 
population  into  the  streets,  to  witness  the  display  and  exchange  cono-rat- 
ulations.  Songs,  speeches,  and  shouts  of  joy  and  praise,  were  indulged 
in  until  a  late  hour,  when  all  retired  to  their  homes  to  dream  of  the  peace 
and  prosperity  in  store  for  our  beloved  country." 

The  Commercial  of  April  20,  1865,  referring  to  the  assassination  of 
President  Abraham  Lincoln,  remarked:  "  The  news  of  the  assassination 
of  President  Lincoln  has  produced  a  deep  impression  in  this  community; 
every  person  seems  to  feel  as  if  he  had  met  with  a  severe  and  irreparable 
loss.  Last  Sabbath|was  one  of  the  most  mournful  and  solemn  days  we 
have  ever  passed  in  Aurora.  Wherever  we  would  turn,  our  eyes  would 
rest  on  troubled  countenances,  which  bore  the  impress  of  a  deep  and 
abiding  affliction.  Men  conversed  with  each  other  in  undertones,  and 
even  the  spirits  of  the  children,  too  young  to  know  sorrow,  seemed  to  be 
oppi'essed  with  the  universal  sadness.  We  hope  we  may  never  see  such 
another  day. 

"Yesterday  nearly  our  whole  population  attended  the  public  exercises 
at  the  Methodist  and  Lutheran  Churches,  to  pay  their  last  sad  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  our  late  Pi'esident.  While  eloquent  speakers  discoursed 
of  the  virtues  of  the  deceased,  and  of  the  loss  the  country  has  sustained 
in  his  death,  the  sobs  of  women,  and  the  silent  tears  trickling  down  the 
cheeks  of  brave  men,  told  how  heavily  the  blow  had  fallen  upon  our 
patriotic  people.  God  grant  that  they  may  never  again  suffer  such  an 
affliction." 


226  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

LIST.  OF  OFFICERS. 

Territorial  Judges  of  Dearborn  County— Circuit  Judges  of  Dear- 
born County— Common  Pleas  Judges  of  Dearborn  County— Asso 
ciATE  Judges  of  Dearborn  County— Probate  Judges  of  Dearborn 
County— Members  of  the  Territorial  Legislature— Members 
OF  Constitutional  Conventions— Members  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture from  Dearborn  County— Board  of  Magistrates  and  County 
Commissioners  of  Dearborn  County— Treasurers  of  Dearborn 
County — Clerks  of  Dearborn  County— Sheriffs  of  Dearborn 
County— Auditors  of  Dearborn  County— United  States  Officers 
—Circuit  Judges  of  Ohio  County— Commion  Pleas  Judges  of  Ohio 
County  —  Associate  Judges  of  Ohio  County*  —  Sheriffs  of  Ohio 
County— Recorders  of  Ohio  County— Clerks  of  Ohio  County- 
Auditors  OF  Ohio  County— Treasurers  of  Ohio  County— County 
Commissioners  of  Ohio  County— Members  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly FROM  Ohio  and  Switzerland  Counties. 

territorial  judges  of  dearborn  county. 

BENJAMIN  CHAMBERS,  March  7,  1803  to  December  14,  1810. 
Jabez  Percival,  March  8,  1803  to  January  6,  1814 
Barnet  Hulick,  March  7,  1803  to  December  14,  1809. 
John  Brownson,  March  7,  1803  to  January  6,  1814. 
Jeremiah  Hunt,  March  7,  1803. 
Richard  Stevens,  March  7,  1803. 
William  Major,  March  7,  1803  to  January  6,  1814. 
James  McCarty,  March  7,  1803. 
Isaac  Dunn,  March  17,  1812  to  February  14,  1817. 
Elijah  Sparks,  January  16,  1814  (died  in  May  1815). 
James  Noble,  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  and  served  until  1816. 
Jesse  L.  Holman  was  also  a  Territorial  judge  at  the  time  of  the  ad- 
mission of  Indiana  into  the  Union. 

circuit  judges  of   dearborn  county. 
John  Test,  of  Franklin  County,  1818-19. 
John  Watts,  of  Dearborn  County,  1819-20. 
Miles  C.  Eggleston,  of  Jefferson  County,  1820-45. 
Courtland  Cushing,  of  Jefferson  County,  1845-47. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS.  227 

George  H.  Diinn,  of  Dearborn  County,  1847-50. 

William  M.  McCarty,  1850-53. 

Keuben  D.  Logan,  1853-65. 

Jeremiah  M.  Wilson,  of  Fayette  County,  1865-69. 

Robert  N.  Lamb,  1869-71. 

Henry  C.  Hanna,  1871-73. 

Omar  F.  Roberts,  of  Dearborn  County,  1873-79. 

Noah  S.  Givan,  of  Dearborn  County,  1879-85. 

W.  H.  Bainbridge,  of  Dearborn  County,  1885. 

COMMON  PLEAS  JUDGES  OF  DEAEBOEN  COUNTY. 

William  S.  Holman,  of  Dearborn  County,  1853-56. 
Charles  N.  Shook,  1856-61. 
Francis  Adkinson,  1861-65, 
Robert  N.  Lamb,  1865-69. 
Scott  Carter,  1869-72. 

ASSOCIATE  JUDGES  OF  DEARBORN  COUNTY. 

Solomon  Manwarring,  1816-30. 
John  Livingston. 
Isaac  Dunn,  1830-38. 
JohnM'Pike,  1830-35. 
Samuel  H.  Dowden,  1835-38. 
John  Livingston,  1838-45. 
Alfred  J.  Cotton,  1838-45. 
David  Conger,  1845-51. 
John  A.  Emrie,  1845-51. 

PROBATE  JUDGES  OF  DEARBORN  COUNTY. 

George  H.  Dunn,  1829-31. 
John  Livingston,  1831-37. 
John  M'Pike,   1837. 
John  Palmer,  1837-43. 
Theodore  Gazlay,  1843. 
William  S.  Holman,  1843-47. 
Alfred  J.  Cotton,  1847-52. 

MEMBERS    OF    THE    TERRITORIAL    LEGISLATURE. 

The  first  Territorial  Legislature  met  at  Vincennes  July  29,  1805. 
Benjamin  Chambers,  of  Dearborn  County,  was  president  of  the  Legisla- 
tive Council,  and  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  of  the  same  county,  speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives. 


228  HISTOItY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  Second  Territorial  Legislature  met  September  26,  1808.  Jesse 
B.  Thomas,  of  Dearborn  County,  was  again  speaker  of  the  House. 

The  Third  Territorial  Legislature  met  November  10,  1810. 

The  Fourth  Territorial  Legislature  met  February  1,  1813,  James 
Dill,  of  Dearborn  County,  was  speaker  of  the  House  at  the  first  session, 
and  Isaac  Dunn,  of  the  same  county,  was  speaker  during  the  last  seven 
days  of  the  second  session. 

The  fifth  and  last  Territorial  Legislature  of  Indiana  met  at  Corydon, 
August  14,  1814  Jesse  L.  Holman,  of  Dearborn,  was  elected  president 
of  the  Legislative  Council. 

MEMBERS    or    CONSTITUTIONAL    CONVENTIONS. 

Convention  of  1816:  James  Dill,  Solomon  Manwarring  and  Ezra 
Ferris. 

Convention  of  1851:  William  S.  Holman,  John  D.  Johnson  and 
Johnson  Watts, 

MEMBERS    OF    THE    STATE    LEGISLATURE,    DEARBORN    COUNTY, 
SENATORS. 

1816-18.— Ezra  Ferris,  at  Corydon. 

1821-22,— John  Grey,  at  Corydon. 

1825-30. — John  Watts,  at  Indianapolis. 

1831-32,— James  T.  Pollock. 

1833.— D.  V.  CuUey, 

1834-35,— Daniel  Plummer. 

1838-43.— Johnson  Watts. 

1844-45.— George  P.  Buell. 

1849-51. — James  H.  Lane,  president  of  the  Senate, 

1846-51,— James  P.  Milliken. 

1852-57.— Richard  D.  Slater. 

1859-61.— Cornelius  O'Brien, 

1863-65.— James  W.  Gaff. 

1867-69.  -Elijah  Huffman. 

1871-73.— Richard  Gregg. 

1875.— Noah  S.  Givan. 

REPRESENTATIVES . 

1816. — Amos  Lane,  Erasmus  Powell. 

1817. — Amos  Lane. 

1818, — Erasmus  Powell,  John  Watts, 

1820, — Ezra  Ferris,  Erasmus  Powell. 

1822, — Pinkney  James,  Horace  Bassett,  Ezekiel  Jackson, 

1823. — Samuel  Jelley,  Benjamin  J.  Blythe,  David  Bowers. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS.  229 

1825. — Abel  C.  Pepper,  Horace  Bassett,  Ezekiel  Jackson. 

1825. — Ezekiel  Jackson,  Abel  C.  Pepper,  Thomas  Guion. 

1826. — Ezra  Ferris,  Ezekiel  Jackson,  Horace  Bassett. 

1827. — Horace  Bassett,  Ezekiel  Jackson,  Joel  Decoursey,  James  T. 
Pollock. 

1828. — Horace  Bassett,  James  T.  Pollock,  Arthur  St.  Clair,  George 
H.  Dunn. 

1829-30.— Horace  Bassett,  James  T.  Pollock,  Thomas  Guion,  Walter 
Armstrong. 

1830. — James  T.  Pollock,  Walter  Armstrong,  Ezra  Ferris,  Samuel  H. 
Dowden. 

1831.— David  V.  Culley,  William  Flake,  Warren  Tebbs. 

1832.— George  H.  Dunn,  David  V.  Culley,  Oliver  Heustis. 

1833. — George  H.  Dunn,  Thomas  Guion,  David  Guard. 

1834. — Nelson  H.  Torbett,  James  Walker,  Thomas  Howard. 

1835. — Henry  W^alker,  Thomas  Howard,  Milton  Gregg. 

1836. — David  Guard,  Pinkney  James,  John  P.  Dunn,  Abel  C.  Pepper. 

1837.  — George  Arnold,  Abram  Ferris,  Enoch  W.  Jackson,  Alexander 
E.  Glenn. 

1838-39. — George  Arnold,  Jacob  W.  Eggleston,  William  Conaway, 
Ebenezer  Dumont. 

1839-40. — Amos  Lane,  William  Lanius,  William  Conaway,  William 
Perry. 

1840-41.— Abij ah  North,  John  B.  Clark,  Isaac  Dunn,  William  R.  Cole. 

1841. — Ethan  A.  Brown,  James  P.  Milliken,  James  Rand. 

1842-43. — Ethan  A.  Brown,  John  Lewis,  James  P.  Milliken. 

1843-44. — Pinkney  James,  David  Macy. 

1844. — Oliver  Huestis,  John  Lewis,  William  Lanius. 

1845-46. — George  Cornelius,  Richard  D.  Slater. 

1846-47.— A.  G.  Tebbs,  John  D.  Johnson. 

1847.— George  W.  Lane,  Richard  D.  Slater. 

1848. — John  D.  Johnson,  Alvin  J.  Alden,  George  M.  Lozier. 

1849-50. — Daniel  Conaway,  Joseph  A.  Watkins. 

1850. — Ebenezer  Dumont  (speaker  of  the  House),  John  B.  Clark, 

1850. — (Special  session)  Oliver  B.  Torbett,  William  S.  Holman. 

1853. — Oliver  B.  Torbett  (speaker  of  the  House),  Noah  C.  Durham, 

1855. — Alvin  J.  Alden,  John  Crozier. 

1857. — John  Lewis,  George  W.  Lane. 

1858.— Noah  C.  Durham,  Warren  Tebbs. 

1859.— Warren  Tebbs,  Noah  C.  Durham. 

1861. — Omer  F.  Roberts,  Charles  Lods. 

1863. — Omer  F,  Roberts,  Alfred  Brogan. 


230  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1865. — John  C.  Stenger,  Richard  Gregg. 
1867.— Edward  H.  Green,  Warren  Tebbs,  Jr. 
1869-71.  — Warren  Tebbs,  Jr. 
1872-73.— (Special)  Noah  S.  Givan. 
1875. — Columbus  Johnston. 

BOARD  OF  MAGISTRATES  AND  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS  OF  DEARBORN  COUNTY. 

From  1826  to  1831  the  business  of  the  county  was  controlled  by  a 
board  of  magistrates  from  the  several  townships,  one  of  whom  was 
elected  president.  The  old  records  having  been  burnt,  the  first  meeting 
of  which  any  record  exists  was  held  in  1826  with  James  Dill,  clerk.  The 
following  names  appear. 

1826. — Mark  McCracken,  president;  John  Porter,  James  Lewis,  Will- 
iam Brundye  and  Laban  Bramble. 

1827.— Mark  McCracken,  Cornelius  S.  Falkner  and  Job  A.  Beach. 

1828. — Philip  Eastman,  James  Murry,  Delia  Elder,  Isaac  Colwell, 
John    Godley,  James  W.  Hunter,  Martin    Stewart   and  William    Flake. 

1829. — David  Bowers,  John  Glass  and  Israel  W.  Bonham. 

1830. — Joseph  Wood,  Ulysses  Cook,  John  Columbia  and  John  Neal. 

The  law  was  changed  in  1831  and  the  county  was  divided  into  three 
districts,  and  one  man  was  elected  from  each  district  to  compose  a  board 
of  county  commissioners.  The  following  persons  have  been  elected  and 
served  on  this  board. 

1831. — District  No.  1,  Joseph  Wood,  elected  for  one  year;  District 
No.  2,  Mark  McCracken,  elected  for  twQ  years;  District  No.  3,  George 
Arnold,  elected  for  three  years — all  serving  from  the  first  Monday  in 
August,  1831.  From  this  date  one  county  commissioner  was  elected 
annually  as  follows: 

1832.— William  Conway. 

1833.  -  Charles  Dashiell. 

1834— George  Arnold. 

1835.— John  Neal. 

1836. — Benjamin  Sylvester. 

1837. — David  Nevitt  and  William  Conway. 

1838.— David  Walser. 

1839.— Aaron  B.  Henry. 

1840.— William  S.  Ward. 

1841.— Charles  Dashiell. 

1842.— John  Columbia. 

1843.— William  S.  Ward. 

1844.— David  Walser. 

1845. — James  Grubbs. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS.  231 

1846.  —Daniel  Taylor. 

1847.  —Martin  Trester. 
1848.— Jonathan  Hollowell. 
1849.— William  S.  Ward. 
1850.— Zera  Vinson. 
1851. — Jonathan  Hollowell. 
1852. — John  Heinberger. 
1853. — Benjamin  Biirlingame. 
1854.— Mason  J.  McCloud. 
1855.— Asahel  Tyrrel. 

1856. — Benjamin  Burlingame. 

1857. — John  Anderegg. 

1858.— Asahel  Tyrrel. 

1859.— Francis  Buffington. 

1860. — John  Anderegg. 

1861. — Charles  Briggs. 

1862.— Francis  Buffington. 

1863. — Charles  Briggs. 

1864.  — John  Anderegg. 

1865. — Francis  Buffington. 

1866. — Frederick  Sonders. 

1867.— Smith  Piatt. 

1868.— Asahel  Tyrrel. 

1869. — Frederick   Sonders. 

3870.— John  C.  Stenger. 

1871.— Asahel  Tyrrel. 

1872.— Frederick  Sonders. 

1873. — James  Grubbs,  Smith  Piatt. 

1874.— Frederick  Slater. 

1876.— Michael  Hoff,  Abraham  Briggs. 

] 877.— Frederick  Slater. 

1879.— Abraham  Briggs,  Michael  Hoff. 

1880.— Garrett  Bosse. 

1882. — Charles  Lods  (by  appointment  to  till  vacancy  caused  by  the 
death  of  Hoff ),  Henry  Bulthaup  (by  appointment  to  fill  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  Bosse),   T.  T.  Annis,  John  Buchert — Bulthaup  (elected). 

1883. — Charles  Fisk,  John  Feist  (by  appointment  to  fill  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  Buchert. 

1885. — Nicholas  Vogelgesang. 

TREASUKEES  OF  DEABORN  COUNTY. 

Daniel  Hagerman,  died  1829. 
Thomas  Palmer,  1829-31. 


232  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Walter  Armstrong,  1831-36. 
Robert  Moore,  1837-38. 
William  G.  Monroe,  1838-40. 
Ebenezer  Dumont,  1840-45. 
Nelson  S.  Torbet,  1845-47. 
Cornelius  O'Brien,  1847-50. 
Noble  Hamilton,  1850-53. 
Strange  S.  Dunn,  1853-55. 
Thomas  Johnson,  1855-57. 
Francis  M.  Jackson,  1857-61. 
Marcus  Levy,  1861-63. 
William  F.  Crocker,  1863-65. 
Thomas  Kilner,  1865-70. 
Francis  Lang,  1870-74. 
Charles  Lods,  1874-78. 
William  H.  Kyle,  1878-80. 
Dr.  James  D.  Gatch,  1882. 

CLEKKS  OF  DEARBORN  COUNTY. 

Samuel  C.  Vance,  March  7,  1803,  to  September  6,  1813. 
James  Dill,   September  6,  1813  until  his  death,  in  1838,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Alexander  Dill,  appointed  clerk  pro  tern. 
William  V.  Cheek,  1839-51. 
Cornelius  O'Brien,  1851-56. 
Samuel  L.  Jones,  1856-61. 
John  F.  Cheek,  1864-68. 
John  A.  Conwell,  1868-78. 
Warren  Tebbs,  1878. 

RECORDERS  OF  DEARBORN  COUNTY. 

James  Dill,  March  7,  1803  to  August  30,  1803. 
James  Hamilton,  August  30,  1803  to  February  14,  1817. 
■   James  Dill,  1817-31. 
Thomas  Porter,  1831-34. 
Asa  Smith,  1834. 
Thomas  Palmer,  1835-55. 
Tobias  Finkbine,  1855. 
John  Heinberger,  1855-63. 
Alvin  J.  Alden,  1863-67. 
Alfred  Brogan,  1867-71. 
Francis  M.  Johnson,  1871-79. 
George  C.  Columbia,  1879-85. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS.  233 

SHERIFFS    OF    DEARBORN    COUNTY. 

David  Lamphere,  August  23,  1803,  to  November  23,  1804. 

James  Hamilton,  November  23,  1804,  to  December  30,  1816. 

John  Hamilton,  February  14,  1817,  died  May,  1818. 

William  Hamilton,  May  29,  1818,  to  August  18,  1818. 

Thomas  Longley,  August  18,  1818  to  August  18,  1822. 

John  Spencer,  August,  1822,  to  August,  1826. 

Thomas  Longley,  August,  1826,  to  August,  1828. 

John  Spencer,  1828-32. 

Milton  Gregg,  1832. 

William  Dils,  1832-37. 

John  Weaver. 

Samuel  Osgood.  "^ 

Thomas  Roberts. 

Frank  M.  Riddle. 

John  Brumblay. 

John  Boyd,  1858-60. 

Edward  A.  Conger,  1860-64. 

Richard  C.  Arnold,  1864-68. 

Frank  R.  Dorman,  1868-72. 

Lewis  Weitzel,  1872-76. 

Elijah  Christopher,  1876-80. 

John  C.  Sims,  1880-84. 

Daniel  M.  Guard,  1884. 

AUDITORS    OF    DEARBORN    COUNTT. 

George  W.  Lane  (first  auditor),  1841-46. 
Reuben  Rogers,  1846-55. 
Elias  T.  Crosby,  1855-64. 
Richard  D.  Slater,  Sr.,  1864-68. 
Richard  D.  Slater,  Jr.,  1868-75. 
Myron  Haynes,  1875-79. 
Alexander  Pattison,  1879-83. 
Julius  Severin,  1883. 

UNITED     STATES    OFFICERS. 

The  following  named  citizens  of  Dearborn  County  have  held  offices 
under  and  by  authority  of  the  General  Government: 

Jesse  L.  Holman,  Judge  of  the  United  States  Court  for  the  District 
of  Indiana. 

Horace  Bassett,  clerk  of  the  District  Court,  Indiana. 

Abel  C.  Pepper,  United  States  marshal  for  State  of  Indiana. 

Thomas  Porter,  receiver  United  States  land  office,  Fort  Wayne. 


234  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Arthur  St.  Clair,  register  United  States  land  office,  Indianapolis. 
John  Spencer,  receiver  United  States  land  office.  Fort  Wayne. 
Abel  C.  Pepper,  Indian  agent. 

David  V.  Culley,  register  United  States  land  office,  Indianapolis. 
B.  T.  W.  S.  Anderson,  United  States  mail  agent. 

D.  M.  Skinner,  United  States  mail  agent. 

Servetus  Tufts,  assistant  door-keeper  United  States  Congress. 
Samuel  J.  Johnson,  assistant  door-keeper  United  States  Congress. 

E.  D.  Slater,  Sr.,  assistant  door-keeper  United  States  Congress. 
Geo.  W.Lane, superintendent  United  States  branch  mint,Denver,  Col. 
Benjamin  F.  Spooner,  United  States  marshal  for  the  State  of  Indiana, 
R.  DeLoss  Brown,  assistant  door-keeper  United  States  Congress. 
James  I.  McConnell,  assistant  door-keeper.   United   States  Congress. 
Jason  D.  Brown,  secretary  of  Wyoming  Territory. 

Henry  W.  Blasdal, "governor  of  Nevada  Territory. 

STATE  OFFICEES. 

Jesse  L.  Holman,  judge  of  the  supreme  court. 

George  H.  Dunn,  treasurer  of  State. 

John  P.  Dunn,  auditor  of  State. 

James  H.  Lane,  lieutenant-governor. 

B.   DeLoss  Brown,  librarian. 

E.  G.  Collins,  secretary  of  State. 

James  DeSano,-  librarian. 

Ebenezer  Dumont,  president  of  the  State  bank. 

CIECUIT    JUDGES  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

Miles  C.  Eggleston,  of  Jefferson  County,  1844. 

Courtland  Cushing,  of  Jefferson  County,  1845-50. 

Alexander  C.  Downey,  of  Ohio  County,  1850-58. 

Joseph  W.  Chapman,  1858-64. 

John  G.  Berkshire,  of  Ripley  County,  1864-69. 

Robert  N.  Lamb,  1869-70. 

Henry  C.  Hanna,  1870-73. 

Omar  F.  Roberts,  of  Dearborn  County,  1873-79. 

Noah  S.  Givan,  of  Dearborn  County,  1879-85. 

W.  H.  Bainbridge,  of  Dearborn  County,  1885. 

COMMON  PLEAS  JUDGES  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

Robert  Drummond,  1852-58. 

John  J.  Hayden,  of  Ohio  County,  1858-60. 

Francis  Adkinson,  1860-64. 

Robert  N.  Lamb,  1864-68. 

Scott  Carter,  1868-72. 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS.  235 


ASSOCIATE    JUDGES    OF     OHIO    COUNTY, 

Samuel  Fulton,  1844-47. 
Thomas  H.  Gilmore,  1844-47. 
John  Hall,  1847-51. 
Martin  Stewart,  1847-51. 

PROBATE  JUDGES  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

Samuel  Jelley,   1844-51. 
Thomas  W.  Pate,  1851-52. 

SHERIFFS    OF    OHIO    COUNTY. 

William  Lanius,  1844,  by  appointment. 

James  B.  Smith,  1844-46. 

William  W.  Pate,  1846-51. 

Thomas  H.  Gilmore,  1851-55. 

John  J.  Works,    1855-57. 

John  M.  Ginnings,  1857-59. 

Thomas  H.  Gilmore,  1859-61. 

Harvey  Green,  1861-65. 

Moses  T.  McMurray,  1865-67. 

B.  F.  Miller,  1867-69. 

William  H.  Clark,  1869-73. 

John  McGuire,  1873-75. 

Rufus  K.  Downey,  1875-77. 

David  H.  Durbin,  1877-79. 

John  Monroe,  1879-81. 

John  McGuire,  1881-85. 

Thomas  A.  Bennett,  1885. 

RECORDERS  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

William  T.  Lambdin,  1844-50. 
John  R.  Ross,  1850-51. 
Henry  B.  Newman,  1851-55. 
J.  J.  Hay  den,  1855. 
John  Downey,  1855. 
William  Elliott,  1855-63 . 
John  B.  Covington,  1863-71. 
Joseph  B.  Pepper,  1871-75. 
John  W.  Facemire,  1875-79. 
George  B.  Hall,  1879-80. 
Wallace  P.  Hall,  1880-82. 
Reuel  W.  Fugit,  1882. 


236  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

CLERKS    OF    OHIO    COUNTY. 

James  H.  Pepper,  1844. 
John  R.  Ross,  1850. 
John  B.  Covington,  1861. 
Oliver  H.  Miller,  1864. 
Solomon  K.  Kittle,  1872. 
John  H.  Jones  {ad  interim),  1876. 
William  W.  Williams,  1876. 
George  B.  Hall,  1880. 

AUDIT0E8  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

Samuel  F.  Covington,  1844-45. 
Joseph  M.  Vance,  1845. 
Lot  North,  1851. 
John  D.  Bush,  1855. 
Oliver  H.  Miller,  1859. 
Solomon  K.  Kittle,  1863. 
Oliver  H.  Miller,  1871. 
Joseph  P.  Hemphill,  1879. 

TREASURERS    OF    OHIO    COUNTY. 

John  B.  Craft,  1844. 
James  B.  Smith,  1855. 
Robert  W.  Jones,  1859. 
Hugh  S.  Espey,  1865. 
John  T.  Whitlock,  1867. 
AVilliam  H.  Clark,  1875. 
John  C.  Miller,  1878. 
John  W.  Facemire,  1883. 
Michael  McGuire,  1885. 

COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS  OF  OHIO  COUNTY. 

1844. — John  Bennett,  William  H.  Powell  and  Morris  Merrill. 

1845. — John  Bennett,  for  three  years;  George  Pate,  for  two  years, 
and  James  Hemphill,  for  one  year. 

1846.  — James  M.  Shepherd. 

1847.— George  Pate,  re-elected  for  three  years,  and  Cornelius  Miller 
succeeded  John  Bennett,  deceased. 

1848. — Thomas  Summers. 

1849.— Allen  B.  Wilber,  Marshall  Elliott. 

1851.     George  Pate  (died  in  1852)  and  John  Hall,  appointed  to  the 


LIST  OF  OFFICERS.  237 

1852. — Charles  E.  Hamilton,  James  W.  Gibbens. 

1853.— Benjamin  Hall. 

1854. — George  Buchanan. 

1855. — James  Johnson,  Nathan  Vanosdol,  Joseph  L.  Pate. 

1857.— Calvin  Marble. 

1858. — Hiram  Barricklow. 

1859. — Hugh  Anderson. 

I860.— Henry  Brown. 

1861.— William  Wooden. 

1862.— Hugh  Anderson. 

1863.— Henry  Brown. 

1864.— Ezra  Kemp. 

1865.— Scott  Billings. 

1866.— William  Hemphill. 

1867.  — Ezra  Lampkin. 

1868. — James  Buchanan,  by  appointment,  to  succeed  Ezra  Lampkin, 
removed  from  the  county;  then  elected.     Scott  Billings. 

1869.— William  Hemphill. 

1870. — James  Buchanan. 

1871.— Scott  Billings. 

1872.— William  Hemphill. 

1873. — James  Buchanan. 

1874.— Scott  Billings. 

1875. ^William  Hemphill. 

1876.— John  Hanna,   John  W.  Cofield. 

1877.— Scott  Billings. 

1878. — Christian  Marlman. 

1879. — James  North,  Henry  F.  Potterbaum.. 

1881. — James  Buchanan,  by  appointment  to  succeed  Henry  F.  Potter- 
baum, removed  from  the  county.     Christian  Marlman. 

1882.— F.  M.  Miller,  J.  F.  Schroeder. 

1884. — Christian  Marlman. 

MEMBERS     OF    THE     GENERAL  ASSEMBLE    FROM    OHIO    AND    SWITZERLAND  COUNTIES. 

The  following  list  contains  the  names  of  men  who  have  been  honored 
with  a  seat  in  the  General  Assembly  of  Indiana  from  the  senatorial  and 
legislative  districts  of  which  Ohio  County  has  constituted  a  part  since 
the  organization  of  the  county  until  1869  and  1875,  respectively; 

Senate. — Ohio  and  Switzerland  Counties  were  made  a  senatorial  dis- 
trict in  1845.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution,  the  sessions 
of  the  Legislature  have  been  held  biennially,  the  senators  being  elected 
for  four  years. 


238  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1846-47-48,  Martin  R.  Green;  1849-50-51,  John  Woods;  1852-53. 
William  Powell;  in  the  sessions  commencing  1855  and  1857,  Philander 
S.  Page;  in  the  sessions  commencing  1859  and  1861,  Benjamin  L.  Rob- 
inson; in  the  sessions  commencing  in  1863  and  1865,  Alexander  C- 
Downey;  in  the  sessions  commencing  in  1867  and  1879,  Flavins  J.  Bell- 
aney. 

House. — Since  1845  Ohio  and  Switzerland  Counties  have  composed  a 
representative  district.  1846,  John  Tait,  Jr.;  1847,  Samuel  F.  Cov- 
ington and  Charles  T.  Jones;  1848,  Daniel  Kelso;  1849,  John  W.Wright 
and  John  W.  Spencer;  1850,  Thomas  Armstrong;  1851,  Samuel  Porter 
and  John  W.  Spencer  (after  this  session  the  Legislature  met  biennially, 
and  convened  in  January  instead  of  December,  as  under  the  old  consti- 
tution); 1853,  Oliver  Dufour,  Hazlett  E.  Dodd;  in  1855,  George  W. 
Harryman  and  David  Cain;  1857,  John  W.  and  John  J.  Hayden;  1858- 
59,  William  H.  Gregory  (session  of  1858  a  special  one);  1861,  Hugh  T. 
Williams;  1863,  Robert  N.  Lamb;  1865,  Augustus  Welch;  1867,  James 
North;  1869,  Stephen  H.  Stewart;  1871,  William  G,  Holland;  1873; 
Benjamin  North;  1875,  William  T.  Pate. 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  241 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH. 

Location  and  Origin— The  Early  Village  and  Its  Progress— The 
Warren  Murder— The  Decade  Betaveen  1830  and  1840— Observ- 
ance of  Independence  Day,  1831— Laavrenceburgh  a  City— Growth 
AND  Progress— Odd  Fellows  Building  and  City  Hall— The  City 
1858-59— The  Banking  Business— The  Fire  of  July  4, 1866— Ecclesi- 
astical History— Schools— Leading  Manufacturing  Interests- 
Gas  Works— Fire  Department— Societies— Old  Land  Marks  and 
Relics— The  Centennial  Fourth. 

LAWRENCEBURGH  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio 
River,  occupying  a  position  on  a  broad  expanse  of  most  fertile 
bottom  lauds,  back  of  which  there  arises  a  ridge  and  range  of  hills,  tow- 
ering, perhaps,  100  feet  above  the  valley,  from  which  is  presented  a  pic- 
ture most  grand  to  behold— the  broad  and  extended  bottoms  coursed  by 
the  Great  Miami,  the  city  with  its  many  and  graceful  church  spires 
pointing  heavenward,  its  huge  and  tall  chimneys  from  the  numerous  fac- 
tories, the  majestic  Ohio  flowing  beneath  the  chivalrous  Kentucky  hills. 
The  city  is  located  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  and  is  distant 
by  rail  eighty-six  miles  southeast  of  Indianapolis,  and  twenty-one  miles 
a  little  west  of  south  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  by  river  twenty-two 
miles,  lying  in  latitude  39°  5'  north,  and  longitude  7°  35'  west. 

The  city  was  laid  out  in  April,  1802,  the  plat  being  recorded  on  the 
8th  by  Samuel  C.  Vance,  who  was  the  original  proprietor  of  the  land  on 
which  the  original  plat  was  made — fractional  Section  14,  Township  5, 
Range  1  west— which  Mr.  Vance  entered  July  23,  1801.  In  addition  to 
this  tract  of  land  Mr.  Vance  entered  a  number  of  others  and,  it  is  said, 
could  not  pay  for  them,  and  the  tract  on  which  the  city  was  laid  out  was 
re-entered,  December  3,  by  Col.  Benjamin  Chambers,  who  was  the  pat- 
entee. The  surveying  vs^as  performed  by  Benjamin  Chambers  and  James 
Hamilton.  The  original  plat  we  failed  to  find,  but  in  the  records  of  this 
county  over  the  date  of  May  29,  1812,  at  which  time  Mr.  Vance  as  pro- 
prietor acknowledged  the  plan  of  Lawrenceburgh  as  enlarged  and  altered 
from  the  original  plan  on  record  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio  (the  place 
being  laid  out  when  its  site  was  a  part  of  that  county  and  State).  The 
plat  comprised  196  in-lots,  bounded  about  as  follows:     On  the  north  by 


242  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Elm  Street,  on  the  south  by  Mulberry  Row,  on  the  east  by  Front  Street, 
which  bordered  on  a  common  lying  between  it  and  the  river,  and  on  the 
west  by  Partition  Lane.  In  addition  to  the  above  number  of  lots  there 
were  fifty-five  out-lots.  The  public  square,  on  which  is  now  situated  the 
court  house  and  jail  was  bounded  by  High,  Catharine,  Charlotte  and 
Mary  Streets.  As  compared  with  the  original  plat  it  was  stated  that  the 
front  tier  of  lots  was  brought  one  pole  nigher  to  the  river;  the  lots  on 
Front  and  Second  Streets  were  reduced  in  size,  and  New  Street  estab- 
lished between  the  front  and  second  tier  of  lots;  five  lots  that  were  orig- 
inally appropriated  to  the  future  enlargement  of  the  town  were  in  the 
meantime  laid  out  and  disposed  of  as  out-lots,  the  town  having  been 
enlarged  to  a  much  greater  extent  on  more  suitable  ground. 

Early  additions  to  the  town  were  made  as  follows:  In  1814  by  Sam- 
uel Ludlow,  six  lots  out  of  his  meadow  lot  fronting  on  Elm  Street,  and 
on  the  east  of  that  street;  by  John  Elliott,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1831,  five 
lots  between  New  Street  and  River,  and  Elm  and  Short  Streets;  and 
thirty-six  lots,  half  on  either  side  of  Short  Street  and  adjoining  Parti- 
tion Lane,  in  1839,  by  William  T.  Cbafi'ee. 

The  town  was  named  by  Capt.  Vance  in  honor  of  his  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Lawrence. 

Samuel  Morrison  is  the  authority  for  saying  that  in  the  autumn  of 
1802,  Dr.  Jabez  Percival-  erected  the  first  house  on  the  site  of  the  town 
and  occupied  it;  it  was  a  double  log-cabin. 

"  Mr.  Vance  was  a  United  States  government  surveyor,  residing  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  having  ascertained  the  good  quality  of  the  soil,  and 
the  most  eligible  location,  on  account  of  the  high  ground  upon  these  bot- 
tom lands,  naturally  took  advantage  of  his  discovery,  and  bought  all  the 
land  on  which  the  original  town  is  situated;  and  also  the  balance  of  the 
bottom  up  the  river  to  a  point  where  a  line  from  the  river  north  and 
south  struck  the  old  channel  of  the  Big  Miami  River,  and  afterward  upon 
the  highest  point  of  ground  erected  his  residence,  known  to  most  of  our 
residents  as  the  Omer  Tousey  property,  in  1818,  now  owned  by  Col.  Willis. 
The  whole  river  front  of  the  original  town  is  a  public  common,  with  the 
reservation  on  the  part  of  the  layer  out  of  the  town  and  his  successors, 
heirs  and  assigns  of  maintaining  the  right  to  the  land  at  the  ferry,  and  a 
ferry  and  warehouse.  The  balance  belongs  to  the  town,  although  many 
persons  have  encroached  upon  it.  It  was  trespass,  though  done  through 
ignorance  of  the  fight  of  the  town  to  the  common.  In  the  year  1809, 
or  thereabouts  (the  records  having  been  destroyed  by  fire,  we  are  unable 
to  give  the  exact  date),  Pinkney  James  laid  out  what  is  now  called  New- 
town, by  the  name  of  Edenborough;  not  prospering  in  the  selling  of  lots, 
he  followed   his  father,  who   laid  out  that  town,  to  Rising  Sun,  in  this 


CITY  OF  LAWKENCEBURGH.  243 

State,  and  in  the  year  1811,  sold  out  the  town  of  Edenborough.to  Stephen 
Ludlow,  George  Weaver.  John  Weaver  and  Thomas  Porter, including  the  old 
pond  and  embracing  the  property  upon  -which  George  Huschart's  marble 
works  are  now  situated  ;  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  the  raeanderino-  of 
Tanner's  Creek,  to  a  point  where  the  north  line  of  the  old  graveyard  in 
Newtown  struck  it,  and  thence  east  to  where  the  old  fence  north  and 
south  used  to  divide  the  new  addition  from  the  city  dirt  lot.  Isaac  Dunn 
being  elected  to  the  Legislature,  sitting  at  Corydon,  then  the  capital  of 
the  State,  got  the  town  of  Edenborough  vacated,  but  some  years  after- 
ward, an  opportunity  offering  for  the  sale  of  building  lots,  in  connection 
with  Stephen  Ludlow,  who  already  owned  a  number  of  the  lots  of  the  old 
town,  had  the  old  map,  with  the  exception  of  the  two  southern  tier  of  lots, 
re-recorded  and  reinstated  as  a  town  under  the  statute,  and  it  then  was 
incorporated  with  the  old  town  of  Lawrenceburgh  as  a  part  of  the  town." 
— Centennial  History. 

Over  the  date  of  April  6,  1819,  Isaac  Dunn,  a  proprietor  of  New  Law- 
renceburgh, acknowledged  a  plat  entered  and  laid  off  by  him  from  the 
town  formely  called  Edenborough,  to  be  an  addition  to  Lawrenceburgh  f 
this  consisted  of  125  lots.  Next  to  Tanner's  Creek,  ground  was  desig- 
nated as  a  graveyard,  and  running  parallel  with  that  stream  were  desig- 
nated Shipping,  Main,  Front  and  Water  Streets,  which  were  intersected 
by  First,  High,  Third  and  Fourth  Streets. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  in  the  year  1846,  Old  and  Newtown  were 
incorporated  as  a  city.  Since  that  date  the  town  of  Rossville  has  been 
annexed  to  the  city^  besides  Eichelberger  and  Lewis  added  a  large 
addition,  by  the  subdivision  of  high  adjoining  grounds  into  building  lots 
which  have  been  sold,  and  are  already  greatly  improved  by  fine  residences 
shops  and  manufactories.  As  a  suburb,  we  have  the  beautiful  town  of 
Greendale,  with  her  large  manufactories,  many  cozy  cottages  and  palatial 
residences. 

"In  former  days,  rival  towns  attempted  to  give  our  city  bad  repute  on 
account  of  an  occasional  overflow  from  the  Ohio  River,  but  owing  to  the 
energy  of  the  citizens,  and  the  liberal  expenditure  of  over $400,000  pub- 
lic and  private,  and  at  least  $200,000  by  the  respective  railroads  passing 
through  our  city,  we  have  succeeded  in  making  fills  and  embankments  to 
that  extent,  that  places  us  above  the  reach  of  high  water.  Time  with 
its  destroying  power  has  made  sad  havoc  with  the  early  landmarks  of  our 
city's  existence;  the  little  log-cabins  and  houses  have  long  since  dis- 
appeared and  been  forgotten.  Death,  the  insatiable  reaper,  has  been 
busily  at  work  during  those  days,  and  one  by  one  has  gathered  home  the 
old  pioneers,  until  at  the  time  we  write,  there  remains  not  one  who  viewed 
the  dawn  of  its  existence.     Those  men  of   iron   will  and  courage  have 


244  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

passed  away,  and  the  toils,  suffering  and  dangers  they  encountered  in 
beating  back  the  savage  occupants,  and  reclaiming  this  magnificent 
country  from  an  unbroken  wilderness,  can  never  be  realized  by  the  gen- 
erations that  shall  succeed  them.  At  the  present  time  Mr.  Norval  Sparks 
is  the  oldest  resident  in  our  city,  having  settled  here  with  his  father's 
family  in  the  year  1806,  and  to  him  are  we  indebted  for  many  of  the 
names,  dates  and  incidents  of  those  early  times." — Centennial  History. 

THE  EARLY  VILLAGE  AND  ITS  PROGRESS. 

"  In  the  year  1806,  the    principal    buildings    were  the  ferry  house 
on  the  bank  of  the  river  above  Walnut  Street   and  the  warehouse  below 
Walnut  Street,      The  residences  were  those  of  Benjamin  Chambers  and 
Gen.   James    Dill    on    the    bank    of    the    river;  James  Hamilton  and 
Michael   Jones   lived  on  what   is  known  to-day  as  Vail's  Alley;  what  is 
now  known  as  New  Street,  was  then  called  Second  Street,  and  on  it  lived 
Dr.  Jabez  Percival,  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Capt.  Samuel  C.  Vance  and  Elijah 
Sparks.     On    High   Street,  below   the   railroad,    lived   Rev.   Baldridge. 
William  Cook  was  jailer,  and  lived  in  the   old  log-jail;   James    Foster, 
on  the  corner  of  Vine  and  High  Streets,  and    carried  on   the  business  of 
making  chairs.     Owing  to  the  disadvantages   James   labored  under,  he 
was  not  prepared  to  manufacture  cushioned    spring   bottoms.      William 
Morgan  lived  on  the  corner  of  High  and  Walnut  Streets;  on  the  opposite 
corner,  known  now  as  Burk's  Corner,  John  Horner  carried  on  a  blacksmith 
shop.      Mr.    John  Gray   kept  store  on  the  corner  of    Short   and  High 
Streets.     Jacob  Horner  kept  tavern  in  a  log-house,  where  the   Anderson 
House  is,  and  Judge  Isaac  Dunn  lived  on  the  corner  of  New  and  High 
Streets.     Those  embraced  principally  all  the   houses  that  were  at  that 
time;  the  most  of  them  were  log.     It  is  evident  that  the  first  house  erected 
on  the  site  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  built  by  Dr.  Jabez  Percival,  who  had 
imoiigrated  here  some  years  before.      For  a  number  of   years  there  was 
little  growth  to  the  city;  here  and  there    were    erected    the    small    log- 
cabins  by  the  new  comers,  and  one  peculiarily  of  the  log-cabins  of  those 
days  was,  the  majority  of  the  logs  used  in  their  erection  were  of  Buck- 
eye; it  grew  very  plentifully,  and  was  no  doubt  selected  by   the  sturdy 
old  fellows  on  account  of  it  being  soft  wood  and  easy  to  cut.      The  little 
log- cabins  would  present  quite  a  picturesque  appearance  during  the  first 
year  of  their  erection,  young  shoots  would  put  forth  from  every  log,  and 
give  them  the  appearance  of  a  large  mass  of  green  bushes. 

"  The  courts  at  that  date  were  held  in  the  house  of  William  Morgan, 
on  the  corner  of  Walnut  and  High  Streets;  Judge  Benjamin  Park  was  the 
district  judge,  and  resided  at  Vincennes.  Benjamin  Chambei's  was 
associate  judge;  Samuel  C.  Vance  was  clerk;  David   Lamphere,  sheriff, 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  245 

and  William  Cook,  jailer.  The  attorneys  were  Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Michael 
Jones,  Elijah  Sparks,  and  James  Noble.  The  business  was  dispatched 
promptly  without  the  aid  of  professional  jurors,  and  there  were  no 
changes  of  venue  granted.  Upon  the  public  square  was  erected  the  first 
log-schoolhouse,  which  was  also  used  as  a  meeting-house;  the  first  teachers 
were  the  Rev.  Baldridge  and  a  Mr.  Fulton  (house  was  removed  in  1831). 
Mr.  Elijah  Sparks  preached  for  the  Methodists;  Rev.  Baldridge,  for  the 
Presbyterians,  and  Mr.  John  Watts  who  lived  across  the  river  in  Ken- 
tucky, for  the  Baptists.  In  the  year  1810  the  old  brick  court  house, 
(burned  in  1826),  was  built." — Centennial  History. 

In  1818,  the  principal  citizens  of  the  village  were  Samuel  C.  Vance, 
Benjamin  Chambers,  James  Dill,  Stephen  Ludlow,  Isaac  Dunn,  Benja- 
min Piatt,  Dr.  Jabez  Percival;  Jacob  Horner,  proprietor  of  hotel;  John 
Horner,  blacksmith;  Walter  Armstrong,  inn-keeper;  Samuel  Fauncher, 
constable;Timothy  Davis;  James  McLeaster,  shoe-maker;  Charles  Lee  Brai- 
ser,  hatter;  William  Cook,  jailor;  old  Mr.  Kimball,  wheelwright;  John 
Cox;  William  Cumberlain,  proprietor  of  horse-mill;  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris;  Cham- 
bers Foster;  Zenas  Hill,  school  teacher;  Mr.  Shaw;  Mr.  Thornbury; 
James  Hamilton;  William  Caldwell,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  David  Ger- 
ard. At  this  period  there  were  but  two  brick  houses,  one  stone,  besides 
the  court  house,  and  five  frame  houses,  those  of  Vance,  Chambers,  Dill, 
Ludlow  and  Dunn:  all  the  others  were  log-houses.  Of  the  young  men 
Andrew  Morgan,  Walter  Hayes,  Davis  and  John  Weaver,  and  Samuel  H. 
Dowden  are  all  that  can  be  recollected  after  a  lapse  of  seventy-two  years. 

In  Daniel  Drake's  picture  of  Cincinnati  and  Miami  Country,  published 
in  1815,  it  is  stated  that  "Lawrenceburgh  having  occasionally  suffered 
inundation,  has  grown  but  little,  and  a  new  village  called  Edinborough 
has  been  lately  laid  out  on  higher  ground,  about  one-half  mile  from  the 
river,  but  this  is  not  a  place  of  much  promise.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
counties  of  Dearborn,  Franklin  and  Wayne,  received  their  supplies  of 
foreign  goods  almost  exclusively  from  Cincinnati,  but  little,  mercantile 
capital  being  employed  at  Lawrenceburgh,  and  there  being  on  the  Great 
Miami  no  depot  of  merchandise  for  that  region."  Two  years  later  the 
author  of  an  emigrants'  directory  says,  "In  traveling  seven  miles  through 
the  woods  of  Dearborn  County,  I  counted  two  bears,  three  deer,  and  up- 
ward of  100  turkeys.  In  the  course  of  the  day  I  missed  my  way  and 
wandered  several  miles  in  the  wilderness." 

"From  the  year  1812  to  1820,  the  town  grew  rapidly,  and  became  the 
business  point  for  all  the  surrounding  country,  which  had  been  rapidly 
taken  up  and  settled  upon  by  immigrants  from  the  older  States.  Many 
substantial  buildings  were  erected  during  this  period.  The  principal 
business  men  of  this  date  were  David    P.  Shook  &  Co.,  Samuel  Vance, 


246  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

John  Gray,  John  H.  &  Benjamin  M.  Piatt,  David  Guard,  Isaac  Dunn, 
John  Eads  &  Co.,  William  Pyne  (tailor),  Stephen  Ludlow,'  John  Gibson, 
Israel  J.  Canby,  A.  Morgan,  Frederick  Lucas,  James  W.  Weaver,  David 
Rees,  William  Ewing,  Joseph  H.  Coburn,  Jacob  Brasher,  C.  Fitch,  E. 
Hollister,  James  Hallowell,  Harris  Fitch,  Jesse  Hunt,  W.  Tate,  Benja- 
min Stockman,  W.  Armstrong,  Thomas  Shaw,  John  Bates,  Noah  Noble 
&  Co.,  Mary  Brooks  (milliner),  Jared  Evans,  J.  P.,  and  David  Bruner 
was  the  barber.  Dennis  Duskey  ran  a  trading  boat  from  here  to 
Cincinnati,  leaving  every  Monday  morning,  wind  and  weather  permitting. 
Every  attention  was  given  to  goods  committed  to  his  care,  and  every  ac- 
commodation possible  afforded  to  passengers.  There  was  no  bar  on  this 
boat,  and  smoking  was  positively  forbidden,  and  the  first  person  caught 
playing  cards  was  at  once  set  ashore.  The  captain  reserving  the  right 
to  indulge  in  profanity  whenever  the  occasion  required  it.  In  1817 
the  first  paper  was  published  by  B.  Brown,  called  the  Dearborn  Gazette: 
the  office  was  located  in  a  building  on  what  is  now  known  as  Vail's  Alley 
the  motto  of  the  paper  was  "Equal  and  exact  justice."  During  his  ed- 
itorial career  the  following  incident  occurred:  Mr.  John  Jackson  was 
the  mail  carrier.  His  rout  was  from  Cincinnati  to  Madison.  He  lived 
at  Georgetown,  and  made  Lawrenceburgh  a  way-station,  and  would  bring 
the  mail  matter  down  tied  up  in  his  handkerchief.  Brown  took  him  to 
task  for  his  seeming  carelessness,  which  irritated  the  courageous  carrier, 
who  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  physical  strength,  and  as  brave  as  he 
was  powerful,  and  he  determined  to  chastise  the  impertinent  editor. 
Brown  was  a  small  man,  but  lacked  no  courage;  when  Jackson  entered 
the  office  to  chastise  him  for  his  impertinence,  he  was  busily  engaged, 
inking  balls  in  hand,  printing  his  paper,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  come  in 
striking  distance  of  him.  Brown  struck  him  in  the  eye  with  the  ink  balls, 
and  succeeding  in  making  a  good  impression.  Jackson  was  so  aston- 
ished at  the  mode  of  defense,  and  the  weapons  used  by  the  Yankee 
printer,  blinded  and  blackened,  he  retired  from  the  contest,  proclaiming 
he  could  whip  his  weight  in  "wild  cats,"  but  always  preferred  to  pass 
by  the  small  odoriferous  animal  whose  defense  was  more  effectual  than  a 
Chinese  stink  pot. 

"  Early  in  the  spring  of  1813,  a  horse  thief  was  captured  near  Tan- 
ner's Creek,  who  had  in  his  possession  a  very  fine  horse,  which  he  had 
stolen  from  some  honest  pioneer.  He  died  very  suddenly  with  his  boots 
on.  A  few  nights  after  his  death  it  is  reported  that  Dr.  Jabez  Percival, 
the  leading  physician  of  the  town,  and  Ezra  Pugh,  held  a  most  thorough 
post  mortem  examination  xipon  the  body,  and  unfortunately  for  the  ben- 
efit of  the  medical  society  of  the  county  of  to-day,  the  old  rough  and 
ready  doctor  and  his  able  assistant,  neglected  to  transmit  the  result  of 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  247 

that  examination.  But  the  records  prove  that  it  did  not  cost  the  tax- 
payers anything,  as  there  was  no  charge  made  for  coroner  or  juror's 
fees.  At  this  time,  The  Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank  was  in  existence. 
Isaac  Dunn  was  president,  and  Thomas  Porter  was  cashier.  The  list  of 
physicians  were  Dr.  Jabez  Percival,  Ezra  Ferris,  -John  S.  Percival,  Mar- 
maduke  E.  Ferris,  Dr.  Finch,  Dr.  Brower  and  Dr.  Easton.  The  attor- 
neys that  practiced  in  the  courts,  were  James  Dill,  Jesse  B.  Thomas, 
Elijah  Sparks,  Thomas  Wardell,  John  Lawrence,  Amos  Lane,  James 
Noble,  Jesse  L.  Holman,  Stephen  C.  Stephens,  William  Hendricks,  Daniel 
J.  Caswell,  Moses  Hitchcock,  Isaac  S.  Brower  and  George  H.  Dunn. 

"Business  was  brisk,  and  the  following  was  the  price  list  as  reported 
to  us  by  the  chief  clerk  of  the  firm  of  Dunn  &  Ludlow:  India  muslin, 
75  cents  per  yard;  calico,  62|  cents  per  yard;  coffee,  75  cents  per  pound; 
tea,  $2.50  per  pound;  sugar,  50  cents  per  pound;  indigo,  $4  per  pound; 
madder,  50  cents;  copperas,  25  cents;  salt,  $4.50  per  barrel;  iron,  12| 
cents  per  pound;  castings,  10  cents;  flour,  $5  per  hundred;  corn,  15 
cents  per  bushel;  potatoes,  15  cents;  pork,  $1.50  per  hundred;  beef, 
$1.50  per  hundred;  eggs,  6^  cents  per  dozen;  butter,  12|  cents  per 
pound.  In  those  days  when  a  young  sprig  put  on  one  of  those  muslin 
shirts,  he  felt  as  exalted  as  the  wearer  of  a  ruffled  shirt  of  to-day  does 
at  a  'Centennial  tea  party,'  and  the  fair  Miss  robed  in  one  of  those  62|- 
cent  calicoes  made  from  five  or  six  yards,  as  grand  as  the  young  Miss  of 
to-day  does  when  she  appears  before  the  mirror  to  behold  herself  cos- 
tumed for  a  'Martha  Washington  reception.'  In  1816  George  Weaver 
erected  and  operated  a  saw-mill  in  Newtown.  The  motive  power  was 
supplied  by  two  sturdy  oxen;  the  number  of  feet  sawed  per  day  we  are 
unable  to  give,  as  there  was  no  city  measurer  at  that  time.  In  1820 
Jesse  Hunt  erected  the  hotel  on  the  corner  of  High  and  Walnut  Streets, 
known  as  the  Anderson  House,  which  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  three- 
story  brick  house  erected  in  the  State.  Benjamin  Stockman  did  the 
brick  work. 

"The  Lawrenceburgh  Sunday-school  Society  was  organized  December 
24,  1819,  with  Dr.  Jabez  Percival,  president;  George  H.  Dunn,  secretary; 
David  P.  Shook,  treasurer;  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris  and  Dr.  Abram  Brower, 
superintendents.  The  directors  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Library  Company, 
for  the  year  1820,  were  John  Porter,  John  ^Veaver,  Joseph  H.  Coburn, 
Isaac  S.  Brower,  Jabez  Percival,  James  Dill  and  George  H.  Dunn.  At 
the  annual  election,  January  3,  1820,  to  elect  directors  of  the  Farmers' 
and  Mechanics'  Bank  for  the  ensuing  year,  the  following  persons  were 
elected:  Isaac  Dunn,  Ezra  Ferris,  Isaac  Morgan,  Walter  Armstrong, 
John^  Weaver,  David  Guard,  Lazarus  Noble,  Stephen  Ludlow,  Levi 
Miller,  Moses  Schott,  George  Weaver,  Samuel  Bond  and  Amos  Lane. 


248  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"  January  10,  1820,  the  first  murder  in  the  city  occurred,  by  Amasa 
Fuller  killing  Palmer  Warren.  January  6,  1820,  the  ladies  of  the  city 
met  at  the  house  of  David  Guard,  and  organized  a  female  Sunday- 
school.  Mrs.  Frances  Dunn  was  president,  and  Polly  Lane,  secretary. 
Miss  Elizabeth  Brower,  Miss  Mary  Brooks  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Percival 
were  the  committee  on  constitution  and  rules.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Percival, 
Frances  Dunn,  Polly  Lane,  Rebecca  Wright,  Elizabeth  Rice,  Elizabeth 
Brower,  Anna  Eads  and  Huldah  Gardner  were  appointed  superintend- 
ents. Mrs.  Mercy  Porter,  Misses  Mary  Brooks,  Elizabeth  Brower,  Mary 
Ann  Brower,  Lucretia  Earl  and  Electa  Wright  volunteered  as  teachers. 
Mrs,  Bulah  Guard  was  elected  treasurer,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Brower, 
secretary. 

"  As  an  indication  of  the  energy  and  enterprise  of  those  days,  it  ap- 
pears that  the  city  fathers  had  the  courage  to  assume  an  indebtedness  of 
$3,500  for  the  purpose  of  digging  wells  and  filling  up  High  Street.  The 
city  grew  quite  rapidly,  and  became  the  business  town  of  the  State,  and 
the  market  point  for  all  the  adjoining  counties  extending  as  far  west  as 
Indianapolis.  The  produce  was  all  brought  here  in  wagons,  and  this 
was  the  shipping  point  for  the  southern  markets.  Great  numbers  of 
trading  and  flat-boats  were  annually  sent  down  the  river,  and  a  large 
number  of  the  citizens  were  engaged  in  that  hazardous  trade,  and  it  is 
claimed  that  there  was  more  business  done  here  in  those  days  than  at 
the  present  time.  And  there  were  many  noted  characters  here  in  the  ze- 
nith of  their  glory,  many  whose  names  have  come  down  to  us, brilliant  with 
the  memory  of  their  many  good  deeds  and  acts,  and  whose  reputation  was 
co-extensive  with  their  young  and  rising  State,  and  who  did  much  in  laying 
the  solid  foundations  upon  which  we  have  builded,while  there  were  some, 
as  in  this  day,  noted  for  their  dark  and  infamous  deeds;  of  the  latter  class 
we  will  mention  one  Daniel  Brown,  and  there  are  quite  a  number  of  our  old 
citizens  living  to-day  who  remember  him  well.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
one  of  the  most  powerful  men  of  that  time,  nearly  six  feet  in  height, 
straight  as  an  arrow,  and  very  active,  at  all  times  appearing  in  a  smiling 
mood,  subtle  and  courageous  as  a  lion.  He  was  an  active  business  man 
and  county  commissioner.  He  kept  a  store  on  High  Street,  in  the  build- 
ing where  Mr.  Moore's  book- store  is  at  the  present  time,  and  in  addition 
traded  on  the  river.  He  was  a  noted  counterfeiter  and  gambler,  and  in 
one  of  his  trips  south  he  got  into  difficulty  with  gamblers  at  a  noted 
place  known  in  those  days  to  all  river  travelers  as  "Natchez  Under  the 
Hill,"  and  killed  one  of  them.  He  succeeded  in  making  his  escape,  and 
proceeded  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  at  once  entered  largely  upon 
counterfeiting,  and  was  very  successful,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he 
was  detected.     He  was  placed  in  jail,  with  others  of  the  gang,  and  some 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  249 

reports  say  he  died,  while  others  claim  he  succeeded  in  making  his  es- 
cape; be  that  as  it  may,  the  citizens  of  this  city  never  heard  of  him  after 
that  time. 

"March  13,  1826,  the  court  house  was  burned,  and  all  the  records  de- 
stroyed— it  was  dui'ing  the  freshet  of  that  year,  the  water  was  up  around 
the  building  at  the  time,  and  it  was  so  cold  that  the  next  morning  after 
the  fire  it  had  frozen  ice  all  around  it.  There  is  no  doubt  but  it  was  the 
work  of  an  incendiary.  The  citizens  of  our  city  at  that  date  were  largely 
imbued  with  the  patriotic  spirit  that  was  transmitted  by  their  Revolution- 
ary sires,  and  the  commemoration  of  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  never  permitted  to  pass  by  without  a  grand  celebration 
and  jubilee,  a  day  of  rejoicing  and  good  feeling.  And  to  give  our  citi- 
zens (whom  we  regret  to  say  are  fast  forgetting  the  memories  that  clus- 
tered around  that  day),  an  idea  of  how  they  celebrated,  we  give  the 
program  of  July  4,  1825:  Maj.  Langley,  marshal;  Maj.  Spencer, 
assistant  marshal;  the  procession  proceeded  to  the  Methodist  Church. 
Beading  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  by  Capt.  Samuel  C.  Vance; 
address  by  George  H.  Dunn,  Esq.,  after  which  the  procession  was  formed 
and  proceeded  to  the  hotel  of  John  Gray  for  dinner.  After  the  ladies 
had  retired,  the  patriotic  old  gentlemen  proceeded  to  drink  twenty- four 
toasts,  and  acquitted  themselves  heroically,  as  they  did  every  task 
imposed,  and  with  unfaltering  courage  never  shrank  from  any  undertak- 
ing, and  the  record  of  that  day  no  doubt  did  no  discredit  to  their  valor, 
and  with  patriotism  swelling  every  bosom,  they  closed  the  scene  amidst 
many  cheers  in  response  to  the  following  toast:  O.  H.  Perry,  the  hero  of 

Lake  Erie. 

'  May  the  British  lion  lie  and  wheeze, 

While  swift  the  eagle  flies, 
Spreads  her  broad  pinions  o'er  the  seas, 
And  picks  out  both  his  eyes.' 

"In  those  early  times,  in  addition  to  the  4th  of  July,  the  general 
election  and  muster  days  were  times  looked  forward  to  with  great  inter- 
est by  the  early  pioneers.  On  election  day  they  would  gather  for  miles 
and  miles  around  at  the  voting  precinct.  Those  of  the  more  peacefully 
and  good  naturedly  inclined,  would  devote  the  day  to  fun  and  pleasure, 
and  in  a  jovial  and  enthusiastic  manner  would  champion  the  interest  of 
their  respective  candidates,  while  the  more  pugilistically  inclined,  would 
embrace  the  opportunity  to  display  their  physical  powers,  and  on  those 
days  many  and  bloody  were  the  encounters  that  would  occur  between  the 
neighborhood  champions,  as  their  friends  would  gather  around  them  to 
see  that  there  was  fair  play,  as  it  was  termed,  and  at  it  they  would  go, 
regardless  of  the  more  Christianized  rules  of  the  London  prize  ring,  and 


250  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

many  were  the  cheers  that  would  greet  the  champion  of  Hogan,  Wilson 
of  Tanner's  Creek,  as  he  was  declared  victor  over  the  town  champion, 
who  bleeding  and  discomfited  would  appease  his  wounded  spirit  by  the 
fond  hope  that  he  might  be  more  successful  the  next  time.  Politics  ran 
high;  they  entered  into  it  as  in  everything  else,  with  all  the  vim  and 
energy  of  their  enthusiastic  natures;  in  championing  their  respective 
candidates  for  the  various  oJB&ces,  they  rendered  to  them  that  devotion 
and  fidelity  that  would  have  done  honor  to  the  soldiers  of  Napoleon's  Old 
Guard.  The  papers  of  those  times  teemed  with  articles  of  a  personal 
nature,  filled  with  the  severest  invectives,  attacking  both  the  public  and 
private  characters  of  the  politicians  of  the  day.  There  seems  to  have 
been  one  person  who  wrote  under  the  nom  deplume  of  the  "Old  Man 
of  the  Mountain,"  said  to  have  been  James  M.  Bay,  who  had  been  drawn 
into  the  battle  with  a  number  of  the  gallants,  but  from  his  mountain 
fastness,  up  Tanner's  Creek,  hurled  forth  his  poisoned  javelins  with  an 
energy  that  must  have  discomfited  his  opponents." — Centennial  History. 

From  1812  to  1834,  there  were  no  banks  of  much  value  in  Dearborn 
County,  and  consequently  no  place  to  dispose  of  the  surplus  produce 
raised  in  the  '  Big  Bottom  '  and  Lawrenceburgh,  and  no  way  of  pro- 
curing money  (which  was  silver)  for  the  needs  of  the  country.  Conse- 
quently, there  were  thirteen  men  of  enterprise  who  began  the  New 
Orleans  trade;  their  names  are  Col.  Benjamin  Chambers,  Andrew  Mor- 
gan, David,  Ezra  and  Bailey  Guard,  Job  Miller,  Joseph,  Walter  and 
Jacob  Hayes,  Abiah  Hayes,  Jacob  Dennis,  Isaac  Dunn  and  Stephen 
Ludlow.  Among  these  traders,  Jacob  Hayes  acted  a  prominent  part. 
These  thirteen  men  were  vastly  of  more  importance  to  Lawi'enceburgh 
and  the  surrounding  country  than  any  bank  ever  established  here.  They 
bought  up  all  of  the  surplus  produce,  paying  for  it  in  silver  money,  and 
that  too  when  the  people  needed  it  most.  Jacob  Hayes  was  a  very  active 
and  prominent  trader  on  the  river  from  1820  to  1848,  having  from  two 
to  five  flat-boats  loaded  with  produce  on  the  river  at  one  time.  The 
writer  heard  him  say,  that  frequently  he  had  all  that  he  was  worth  afloat 
on  the  river.  Mr.  Hayes  was  prominent  in  establishing  the  Lawrence- 
burgh Insurance  Company,  and  one  among  its  largest  stockholders.  He 
was  also  a  large  stockholder  in  the  Lawrenceburgh  Branch  of  the  State 
Bank  of  Indiana. 

Quite  an  extensive  business  was  done  at  Lawrenceburgh  in  1826, 
something  that  astonished  the  people.  Its  great  business  interest  and 
commercial  supremacy  is  thus  set  forth  by  Mr.  John  Scott: 

"Some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  commerce  and  growing  importance 
of  this  town  and  county  by  the  following  statement  of  produce  shipped 
at  the  river,  for  the  Mississippi  and  lower  country  market,  from  the  1st 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  251 

of  January  to  the  Ist  of  May,  1826,  a  period  of  four  months.  In  giv- 
ing this  statement  we  have  confined  ourselves  almost  exclusively  to  the 
produce  of  the  neighborhood  of  the  town,  not  having  it  in  our  power  to 
give  the  whole  amount  of  produce  exported  from  the  county,  which 
would,  it  is  believed,  swell  the  sum  to  $80,000  or  $100,000. 

SHIPMENT. 

14,140  bushels  corn  @  50  cents  per  bushel I  7,070  00 

51  horses  @  $75  each 3,825^00 

136toasof  hay;@  |30  per  ton 2,720  00 

45  head  of  cattle  @  $25  each 1,125  00 

2,131  barrels  pork  @  $6 12,786  00 

1,393  kegs  lard  @  $3 4,179  00 

493  live  hogs  @  |5 2,465  00 

66  hogsheads  of  hams  @  $32  per  hogshead 2,112  00 

10  tons  hams  @  |5  per  cwt 1,000  00 

11  barrels  hams  @  fSJper  barrel 88  00 

80  bushels  of  potatoes  @  50  cents  per  bushel 40  00 

186  barrels  flour  @  $3  per  barrel 558  00 

500  gallons  whisky  @  25  cents  per  gallon 125  00 

453  kegs  tobacco  @  $10.50  a  keg 4,756  00 

74  dozen  chickens  @  $2  per  dozen 148  00 

12,250  lbs.  pork,  in  bulk  @  4  cents 490  00 

$41,467  50" 

The  writer  said  he  made  no  mention  of  small  ai'tieles,  such  as  oats, 
hoop-poles,  flax  seed,  etc.,  which  he  thought  would  run  up  to  $6,000  or 
$7,000,  yet  it  had  amounted  to  the  above  large  sum.  He  also  informed 
us  that  to  carry  this  enormous  amount  of  produce  to  market  it  required 
twenty  flat-boats,  which  cost  an  average  each  of  $100.  He  places  the 
population  of  Lawrenceburgh  at  700.  It  had  150  handsome  brick  and 
frame  dwellings,  nine  stores,  five  taverns,  six  lawyers  and  three  physi- 
cians, with  a  vast  number  of  mechanics  of  various  professions. 

There  was  a  storehouse  five  stories  high,  which  was  considered  the 
best  from  Cincinnati  to  the  Falls  (at  Louisville).  "There  is  also,"  says 
the  writer,  "an  extensive  silk  lace  factory  established  in  the  town,  which 
supplies  a  large  district  of  country  with  the  article,  and  the  only  one  of 
the  kind  west  of  the  mountains  (referring  to  the  Alleghanies),  also  a 
printing  office  and  a  Masonic  lodge." 

The  following  description  of  Lawrenceburgh  is  taken  from  a  geogra- 
phy and  history  of  the  Western  States  published  in  1828: 

"It  stands  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio,  twenty-three  miles  below 
Cincinnati,  and  two  below  the  Big  Miami,  which  is  the  eastern  limit  of 
the  State.  This  town  is  in  the  center  of  a  rich  and  deep  bottom.  The 
ancient  village  was   built   on  the  first    bottom,   which    was    frequently 


252  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

exposed  to  inuadation.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  the  water  to  rise  four  or 
five  feet  above  the  foundations  of  the  houses  and  stores,  in  which  case 
the  inhabitants  remove  to  the  upper  story,  and  drive  their  domestic  ani- 
mals to  the  hills.  Visits  and  tea  parties  are  projected  in  the  inundated 
town,  and  the  vehicles  of  transport  are  skiffs  and  pirogues.  The  period 
of  the  flood,  from  ancient  custom,  and  from  the  suspension  of  all  the 
customary  pursuits,  has  become  a  time  of  carnival.  The  floods,  instead 
of  creating  disease,  wash  the  surface  of  the  earth,  carry  off  vegetable 
and  animal  matter  that  would  otherwise  putrify,  and  are  supposed  to  be 
rather  conducive  to  health  than  otherwise.  The  old  town,  built  on  the 
first  bank,  has  been  stationary  for  many  years.  New  Lawrenceburgh 
has  been  recently  built  on  the  second  bank,  and  on  elevated  ground, 
formed  by  the  bank  of  Tanner's  Creek.  Since  the  commencement  of 
this  town,  few  places  have  made  more  rapid  progress.  Many  of  the  new 
houses  are  handsome,  and  some  of  them  make  a  splendid  show  from  the 
river.  Its  position  in  relation  to  the  river,  and  the  rich  adjacent  coun- 
try, and  the  Big  Miami  is  highly  eligible.  It  has  a  number  of  commenc- 
ing manufactories,  and  promises  to  be  a  large  town." 

THE    WARREN    MURDER. 

The  following  account  of  the  murder  of  Palmer  Warren  by  Amasa 
Fuller  at  Lawrenceburgh,  in  1820,  and  the  trial  and  execution  of  the 
latter,  is  taken  from  the  Indiana  Oracle  of  May  7,  and  August  15,  1820: 

"  The  Circuit  Court  for  Dearborn  County  closed  its  session  on  Satur- 
day last.  The  whole  of  the  term  was  consumed  by  the  trial  of  Amasa 
Fuller,  on  an  indictment  for  the  murder  of  Palmer  Warren.  Few  trials 
have  excited  more  general  interest,  as  well  from  the  character  and  appear- 
ance of  the  prisoner,  as  from  the  circumstances  which  led  to  the  atrocious 
deed.  The  circumstances  are  briefly  these:  Fuller  had  for  some  consid- 
erable time  prior  to  the  murder  of  Warren,  been  attentive  to  a  young 
lady  who  was  residing  with  her  uncle  in  Lawrenceburgh.  About  the  last 
of  November,  1819,  Fuller  left  this  place  for  Brookville;  while  there,  the 
unfortunate  deceased  commenced  an  intimacy  with  the  young  lady  to 
whom  Fuller  had  been  before  attached;  their  intimacy  resulted  in  an 
engagement  of  marriage,  which  was  to  have  been  consummated  on  the 
fatal  10th  of  January,  1820. 

"It  appeared  in  evidence,  that  about  the  middle  or  last  of  December, 
Fuller,  then  at  Brookville,  received  a  letter  in  the  handwriting  of  War- 
ren, and  signed  by  the  young  lady,  inclosing  a  ring,  in  which  she 
renounced  all  feelings  of  attachment  toward  him,  and  returned  him  the 
ring  which  she  had  received  from  him  in  pledge;  that  after  the  receipt 
of  this  letter.  Fuller  appeared  gloomy  and  melancholy,  and  on  Friday, 


CITY  OF  LAAVRENCEBURGH.  253 

January  7,  he  left  Brookville  on  foot,  and  arrived  at  Lawreneeburgh  in 
the  evening  of  that  day;  after  changing  his  wet  clothes  (it  having  rained) 
he  went  into  the  house  of  the  young  lady's  uncle,  next  to  Mr.  Coburn's 
hotel,  where  he  put  up,  and  was  there  frequently  between  the  time  of  his 
arrival  from  Brookville  and  the  day  of  the  murder;  meeting  Warren  at 
the  house  he  several  times  attempted  to  quarrel  with  him,  which  Warren 
as  often  declined.  On  Saturday,  the  5th  of  January,  it  appeared  that 
Fuller  borrowed  a  pair  of  pistols  with  the  avowed  design  of  shooting  at 
a  mark,  in  which  amusement  he  requested  several  young  men  to  partici- 
pate. On  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  he  asked  a  Mr.  Hitchcock  if  he  would 
go  out  and  hunt  with  him;  he  replied  that  he  would,  and  would  go  for 
his  gun;  Fuller  answered,  '  I  do  not  hunt  with  guns,  but  with  pistols.' 
On  Sunday,  January  9,  Fuller  seemed  cool  and  collected,  talked  on  vari- 
ous subjects  with  his  fellow  boarders,  and  declared  he  had  no  pretensions 
to  the  young  lady  in  question.  On  Monday  morning,  January  10,  he 
asked  Mr.  Hitchcock,  when  up  in  his  room  at  the  hotel,  which  was  the 
best  way  to  load  a  pistol  and  the  surest  way  to  kill;  and  observed,  '  I  am 
afraid  that  this  pistol  has  not  enough  powder  in  it;  how  shall  I  shoot  it 
off  so  as  not  to  be  heard  ?  (it  must  be  observed  that  Warren's  office  is 
under  the  same  roof  with  Coburn's  Hotel.)  Fuller  went  down  stairs, 
and  shortly  after  came  up,  saying,  '  I  have  shot  it  off  and  no  person  heard 
me.'  Fuller  then  loaded  the  pistols  with  powder  and  four  slugs  each. 
Hitchcock  told  him  he  hoped  he  had  no  evil  design.  Fuller  replied,  'I 
have  Dot,  but  will  show  you  some  fun.'  Fuller  then  put  on  a  great  coat, 
which  he  had  borrowed  from  Mr.  Coburn,  and  feeling  it  had  pockets,  he 
put  one  pistol  in  each  pocket  of  the  coat,  and  walked  down  stairs,  having 
previously  asked  Hitchcock  if  he  could  discover  that  he  had  pistols.  It 
appeared  further  in  evidence,  that  Fuller  left  the  house,  came  back  and 
went  out  again;  he  was  seen  by  Mr.  Farrar  (who  was  standing  in  the 
door  of  his  house,  next  but  one  to  Warren's  office),  to  come  out  of  Coburn's 
bar-room  about  a  yard  behind  Warren,  who  unlocked  the  door  of  his 
office  and  entered,  followed  by  Fuller;  in  about  three- fourths  of  a  minute 
Mr.  Farrar  heard  the  report  of  a  pistol  in  Warren's  office,  instantly  ran 
there,  and  attempting  to  open  the  door,  it  was  stopped  by  something,  and 
looking  down  he  discovered  the  body  of  Warren  lying  crosswise  the  door; 
he  pushed  open  the  door,  and  upon  entering  the  office  discovered  Fuller 
standing  beside  the  body,  and  the  room  tilled  with  smoke  and  the  smell 
of  powder.  Warren  was  not  yet  dead,  but  struggling  in  the  last  agonies. 
Mr.  Farrar  seized  hold  of  Fuller,  exclaiming!  'Good  heavens!  Fuller,  is 
it  possible  you  have  done  this?'  Fuller  replied,  *I  am  a  man,  and  have 
acted  the  part  of  a  man;  I  have  been  ridding  the  earth  of  a  vile  reptile; 
I  glory  in   the  deed! '     The  pistols  were  found   lying  on  the  counter  in 


254  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  office,  one  discharged  of  its  contents,  the  other  still  charged;  a  writ- 
ing was  found  on  the  iioov,  the  substance  of  which  was,  that  Warren,  in 
the  presence  of  Almighty  God,  swore  to  renounce  all  pretensions  to  the 
young  lady,  and  acknowledged  himself  to  be  a  base  liar  and  a  scoundrel. 
Fuller  said,  after  his  arrest,  that  he  had  presented  this  paper  to  Warren^ 
desiring  him  to  sign  it;  he  refused;  he  then  offered  him  a  pistol,  bidding 
him  defend  ^himself  like  a  man;  this  Warren  also  refused,  and  that  he 
then  shot  the  cowardly  rascal.  The  body  of  Warren  was  pierced  with  a 
wound  just  below  the  pap  of  the  left  breast.  It  does  not  appear  that 
Warren  had  ever  taken  any  undue  advantages  of  Fuller,  or  even  spoke 
a  disrepectful  word  of  him  to  the  young  lady  or  any  other  person. 

"The  prosecution  was  conducted  by  Amos  Lane  and  John  Test,  Esqs. , 
the  prisoner  was  ably  defended  by  Charles  Dewey,  Joseph  S.  Benham, 
Daniel  J  Caswell,  William  C.  Drew,  Samuel  Q.  Richardson,  and  Merrit 
S.  Craig,  Esqs.  The  counsel  for  the  prisoner  moved  to  continue  the 
trial  until  the  next  term  of  this  court,  on  an  affidavit  of  the  absence  of 
two  material  witnesses.  This  motion  was  overruled  by  the  court  because 
not  stating  the  facts  to^be  proved  by  those  two  witnesses.  Another 
motion  was  then  made  for  continuance  by  the  counsel  for  the  prisoner, 
on  affidavit  that  popular  prejudice  ran  so  high,  that  the  prisoner  could 
not  have  a  fair  trial.  The  opinion  of  the  Court  was:  That  if  the  fact 
thus  stated  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  prisoner  subsequent  to  the 
former  motion  for  a  continuance,  he  would  listen  to  it;  but  as  it  does 
not  appear  that  it  did,  the  motion  was  overruled.  The  defense  set  up 
on  the  trial  was  insanity.  It,  however,  appeared  in  evidence  that  the 
prisoner  had  been  thought  by  those  witnesses  who  had  seen  him,  to  be 
more  gloomy  and  melanchoUy  than  usual,  and  as  if  something  disturbed 
his  mind;  but  nothing  like  insanity  was  made  out.  After  a  long  and 
patient  hearing  of  the  testimony,  which  was  very  consistent  and  positive, 
and  after  an  able  defense  by  the  prisoner's  counsel,  the  jury  retired, 
and  in  about  two  hours  returned  into  the  court  with  a  verdict  of  guilty. 
On  Saturday  morning  the  sentence  of  the  court  was  passed  by  his  honor, 
Judge  Eggleston,  that  the  prisoner  at  the  bar  be  remanded  to  his  place 
of  confinement,  and  be  thence  conducted  on  Friday,  the  31st  of  March? 
inst.,  to  the  place  of  execution,  and  be  there  hanged  by  the  neck  until  he 
be  dead!  Fuller  preserved  throughout  his  trial,  and  at  the  time  the 
Judge  pronounced  to  him  his  awful  doom  that  his  days  were  numbered, 
a  stern,  inflexible  countenance. 

"Yesterday  (Tuesday,  August  14,  1820)  being  the  day  appointed  for 
the  execution  of  Amasa  Fuller,  who  was  condemned  for  the  murder  of 
Palmer  Warren,  thousands  of  men,  women  and  children,  from  all  quarters^ 
assembled  to  witness  the  awful  spectacle.     At  about  11:30  o'clock  A.  M., 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  255 

the  prisoner  was  conducted  from  the  jail,  accompanied^by  several  minis- 
ters of  the  gospel,  and  under  a  strong  military  guard;  on  reaching  the 
scaffold  he  ascended  the  ladder  with  a  firm  and  steady[step;  a^  psalm 
was  then  sung;  the  throne  of  Grace  was  addressed  by  the  Eev.  Mr. 
Lambden  (who  had  attended  him  for  several  days),  a  short  address  was 
then  made  to  the  multitude  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Plummer,  after  which  the 
ordinance  of  baptism  was  administered  to  him  by  Mr.  Lambden.  After 
taking  an  affectionate  leave  of  the  ministers,  sheriff,  and  a  few  others, 
the  cap  was  drawn  over  his  face,  and  at  about  12:30  the  drop  fell — here 
let  us  pavise — the  rope  broke,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground.  He  was  imme- 
diately again  suspended,  and  after  a  few  struggles  his  spirit  took  its 
flight,  we  trust,  to  take  a  seat  in  that  mansion  above,  'not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.'  The  body  hung  about  forty  minutes, 
when  it  was  cut  down  and  given  to  his  friends  for  interment. 

"This  unfortunate  man  had  long  been  one  of  the  strongest  advocates 
for  infidelity,  but,  oh,  with  what  rapture  do  we  proclaim  to  his  friends, 
to  the  world  of  mankind,  that  he  gave  the  blessed  assurance  that  it 
pleased  the  Almighty  to  open  his  eyes  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel.  He 
publicly  renounced  all  his  former  opinions  and  relied  wholly  upon  the 
merits  of  the  Redeemer  for  a  blessed  immortality. " 

THE  DECADE  BETWEEN  1830  AND  1840. 

From  the  year  1820  to  1830  the  town  increased  beyond  the  expecta- 
tions of  the  incorporators;  the  future  prospects  were  indeed  gratifying; 
everything  indicated  that  the  town  was  destined  to  become  one  of  the 
largest  in  our  State,  all  the  various  kinds  of  manufactories'^  were  being 
established.  Substantial  buildings  were  rapidly  being  erected,  and  a 
spirit  of  energy  and  enterprise  seemed  to  pervade  all  the  citizens,  who 
ever  took  a  just  pride  in  a  town  of  their  creation.  Substantial  churches 
and  schoolhouses  were  being  built,  good  and  wholesome  laws  were  being 
adopted  for  the  government  of  the  corporation,  and  all  was  prosperous 
until  the  year  1832,  when  the  great  floods  of  that  year  seemed  to  crush 
for  a  time  its  growth,  and  dampened  the  energy  of  its  citizens.  The 
flood  occurred  in  February  of  that  year,  and  rose  to  a  greater  height 
than  any  that  had  preceded  it  since  the  settlement  of  this  town,  or  any 
that  has  occurred  since  that  date.  It  was  between  two  and  three  feet 
above  the  present  level  of  High  Street.  It  was  quite  disastrous,  destroy- 
ing a  great  deal  of  property,  and  carrying  off  a  number  of  small  frame 
and  log-houses.  The  town  presented  a  novel  appearance  for  nearly  two 
weeks;  the  entire  business  was  carried  on  by  the  citizens  floating  around 
on  rudely  constructed  rafts.  There  were  no  promenade  concerts,  and 
the  old-fashioned,  quilting  parties  our  early   dames   delighted  in,  were 


256  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

unavoidably  postponed.  Everybody  was  on  a  common  level,  and  the 
cattle  and  hogs  had  rights  that  were  respected,  and  after  the  waters  had 
subsided,  it  was  discovered  that  an  old  sow  had  taken  posession  of  the 
pulpit  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  Walnut  street;  and  dur- 
ing the  entire  time  remained  secure  in  her  devotions  from  the  interference 
of  the  outside  rabble. 

Near  this  time  there  occurred  an  accident  that  cast  a  gloom  over 
the  town.  The  little  log-house  erected  on  the  southwest  corner  of  High 
and  Walnut  Streets,  by  William  Morgan,  was  still  standing,  and  in  it 
was  kept  a  store  by  Darragh  &  Askew;  adjoining  on  High  Street,  Mv. 
John  L.  Bishop  had  erected  a  brick  building  for  a  saddler  shop,  and  run 
up  a  fire  wall  next  to  the  log  building.  One  evening  during  a  storm,  the 
fire  wall  was  blown  over  upon  the  log  building.  There  were  in  it  at  the 
time  Mr.  Askew  Darragh,  John  Mason,  James  M.  Brasher  and  Thomas 
Longley.  Mr.  Askew  was  instantly  killed.  Mason  was  so  severely  hurt 
that  he  died  in  a  short  time  afterward.  Darragh,  Brasher  and  Longley 
escaped  with  very  slight  injuries. 

For  a  few  years,  the  improvement  of  the  city  was  very  slack,  but 
upon  the  passage  of  the  Internal  Improvement  Bill  by  the  Legislature, 
and  the  town  being  made  the  terminus  of  the  White  Water  Canal,  a  fresh 
impetus  was  given,  and  buildings  and  manufactories  were  erected  rapidly. 
The  most  of  the  three- story  blocks  of  business  houses  in  the  city  at  pres- 
ent, were  built  during  this  period,  including  the  old  bank  building.  A. 
P.  Hobb's  distillery  was  built  in  1836.  E.  D.  Johns'  flour-mill,  known 
now  as  the  Old  Water  Mill,  in  1837.  Brown  &  Lamping  were  manufact- 
uring furniture  where  Burkam's  planing-mills  are.  Edwin  G.  Pratt  had 
a  foundry  in  Newtown.  John  B.  Carrington,  a  man  of  extraordinary 
mechanical  genins,  was  engaged  in  making  steam  engines.  George  H. 
Dunn  and  John  Test  were  engaged  in  testing  the  capacity  of  the  town  to 
support  a  cotton  factory,  between  the  vacation  of  their  courts,  as  they 
were  both  very  prominent  lawyers,  but  men  of  great  energy,  and  devoted 
to  building  up  the  town  of  their  pride.  The  report  comes  down  to  us 
that  the  project  succeeded  in  the  same  degree  that  our  magnificent  woolen 
mills  of  to-day  has.  Very  soon  the  spindles  remained  idle.  Cooperage 
was  manufactured  to  a  large  extent,  and  a  great  deal  of  pork  was  an- 
nually packed  here.  Hon.  George  H.  Dunn  had  commenced  his  project 
to  build  a  railroad  from  here  to  Indianapolis,  and  urged  it  forward  with 
his  usual  characteristic  energy,  the  citizens  of  the  town  rendering  their 
iiniversal  support,  and  contributing  liberally  of  their  means,  but  was 
ultimately  forced  to  abandon  it,  Mr.  Vandegraflf,  the  chief  engineer 
having  died  near  Greensburgh,  while  engaged  in  making  the  survey, 
which  caused  the  suspension  of  the  work  for  some  time.     Afterward  the 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  257 

survey  was  completed,  estimates  made,  and  contracts  for  work  entered 
into,  and  commenced  in  many  places  along  the  line,  when  on  account  of 
the  financial  difficulties  of  1838  and  1839,  the  company  was  forced  to 
abandon  the  undertaking,  resulting  in  a  heavy  loss  to  many  uf  the 
stockholders,  and  a  great  detriment  to  the  growth  of  the  city." 

OBSEKVANCE  OF  INDEPENDENCE  DAY,   1831. 

The  anniversary  of  American  Independence  in  1831  was  celebrated  in 
Lawrenceburgh  by  the  different  Sabbath-schools  in  the  neighborhood. 
About  11  o'clock  a  procession  was  forrned  on  High  Street,  under  the 
direction  of  the  marshals  of  the  day,  and  proceeded  to  a  grove  about  one- 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  town,  where  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
read,  and  a  very  appropriate  and  eloquent  address  delivered  by  Judge 
Holman.  After  which  suitable  refreshments  were  distributed  among  the 
children,  and  they  were  then  marched  back  to  town  and  dismissed;  pres- 
ent 1,000  persons. 

On  the  same  day  a  number  of  citizens  convened  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
H.  Fitch,  and  partook  of  an  excellent  dinner  prepared  by  him.  The 
company  then  removed  to  another  table,  prepared  for  drinking  toasts, 
where  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read  by  Judge  Test,  and  a 
variety  of  patriotic  toasts  disposed  of  with  the  utmost  harmony  and  good 
feeling.      Capt.  Thomas  Porter  presided  on  this  occasion. 

LAWRENCEBURan    A    CITY. 

Old  and  New  Lawrenceburgh  were  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1846, 
under  "  an  act  granting  the  citizens  of  Madison  and  Lawrenceburgh  a 
City  Charter. "  The  first  election  was  held  at  Lawrenceburgh  April  6, 
1846,  at  which  were  elected  David  Macy  and  Milton  Beach,  councilmen 
for  the  First  Ward,  and  Gardner  Elliott  for  the  Second  Ward.  By  the 
"Indiana  Register,"  a  State  work  published  in  1846,  Lawrenceburgh  then 
contained  a  population  of  3,000.  The  names  of  the  attorneys,  physi- 
cians and  business  men  given  in  that  publication  were  as  follows:  Attor- 
neys— George  H.  Dunn,  Amos  Lane,  P.  L.  Spooner,  John  Ryman,  D.  S. 
Major,  Abram  Brower,  D.  Macy,  William  S.  Holman,  James  T.  Brown, 
James  H.  Lane,  J.  S.  Jelley  and  T.  Gazley  ;  physicians — Ezra  Ferris, 
Jeremiah  H.  Brown,  Elisha  Morgan,  M.  H.  Harding,  E.  P.  Bond,  Milo 
Black  and  William  Starm  ;  principal  merchants — George  Tonsey,  C.  G. 
W.  Comegys,  John  Gray,  Craft  &  Co.,  Lemly  &  Dunn,  Wymond  &  Ferris, 
Houck  &  Wedelstaldt,  J.  Gyse  &  Co. ,  R.  &  A.  Parry,  L.  B.  Lewis,  James 
S.  Heath,  John  Ferris  &  Co. 

GROWTH  AND  PROGRESS. 

Important  eras  in  the  city's  history,  which  greatly  contributed  to  its 

15 


258  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

growth  and  progress,  were  in  the  decade  between  1830  and  1840,  when 
was  agitated  the  question  of  internal  improvements;  the  bill  passing  in 
1836,  which  led  to  the  construction  of  the  Whitewater  Canal  soon  after, 
the  terminus  of  which  was  at  Lawi-enceburgh;  the  agitation  and  build- 
ing of  the  railroads  through  the  city,  which  were  soon  thereafter  begun, 
though  not  completed  until  early  in  the  decade  between  1850  and  1860, 
and  the  introduction  and  building  of  the  macadamized  roads  and  pikes, 
which  were  begun  late  in  the  decade  between  1830  and  1840,  and  were 
gradually  completed  and  extended  in  succeeding  decades.  In  the  year 
1850  Mr.  George  H.  Dunn,  the  leading  spirit  in  the  building  of  the 
Lawrenceburgh  &  Indiannpolis  Railroad,  succeeded  in  reviving  the  com- 
pany, which  on  account  of  the  fijiancial  difficulties  of  1838  and  1839 
had  been  forced  to  abandon  the  undertaking,  and  the  road  was  complet- 
ed. From  that  date  to  the  present  time,  the  city  has  continued  to  enjoy 
a  slow  and  sure  growth,  and  has  become  noted  for  its  various  manufacto- 
ries, and  the  enterprise  of  its  citizens. 

The  census  of  1830  gave  Lawrenceburgh  a  population  of  895;  the 
estimated  population  of  1833  was  1,000,  when  the  place  presented  9 
mercantile  stores,  1  drug  store,  3  taverns,  eight  lawyers,  4  physi- 
cians, 3  schools,  2  brick  churches,  a  brick  court  house,  a  stone  jail, 
a  market  house,  and  2  printing  offices,  each  of  which  issued  a  weekly 
newspaper;  and  since  1840,  as  given  by  the  United  States  census, 
at  each  decade  (except  1860)  it  has  been  as  follows:  1840,  1,450;  1850, 
2,651;  1870,  3,159;  1880,  4,700.  The  population  is  now  (1885)  estimat- 
ed at  upward  of  5,000.  Of  the  population  of  1880,4,700,  1,075  were 
of  foreign  birth.  During  the  decade  between  1870  and  1880  the  city  was 
in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  ranked  among  the  first  manufacturing 
cities  in  the  State.  At  this  writing  (1885)  though  having  escajDed  but 
one  year  out  of  four,  during  which  the  city  was  submerged  throughout 
by  the  floods  of  the  Ohio  River,  causing  a  great  destruction  of  property, 
besides  a  suspension  of  business  for  days  and  weeks  at  a  time,  the  citi- 
zens ai'e  evincing  a  determination  to  maintain  the  high  position  the 
city  has  gained  as  a  manufacturing  point,  and  a  spirit  of  enterprise  and 
public  improvement  is  exhibited  by  them  never  excelled  under  like  cir- 
cumstances. During  the  building  season  of  1883,  after  the  second  flood, 
in  addition  to  reconstructing  houses  wrecked  by  the  flood,  over  fifty  new 
buildings  were  erected,  costing  from  $500  to  83,000  each.  The  previous 
season  (1882)  there  were  fifty- one  buildings  erected.  In  1880  the  city 
presented  sixteen  productive  establishments  of  industry,  with  a  capital 
of  $1,350,000  invested,  and  a  total  value  of  manufactured  products  of 
$1,895,952  during  the  census  year,  for  which  was  paid  for  wages  $290,- 
967.  This  included  only  those  factories  that  produced  over  $500  annu- 
ally. 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  259 

ODD    FELLOWS     BUILDING    AND  CITY    HALL. 

On  the  southeast  corner  of  Walnut  and  High  Streets  is  located  a 
graceful  three- story  brick  building,  44x75  feet,  the  first  floor  of  which  is 
used  as  store  rooms,  the  second  as  a  public  or  city  hall,  and  the  third 
floor  is  the  Odd  Fellows  Hall,  for  which  purpose  the  building  was  erected 
in  1853  at  U  cost  of  about  $8,000  in  round  numbers,  the  greater  portion 
of  which  was  subscribed  by  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  of  the  city.  The 
building  was  completed  in  1855,  and  Oddl  Fellows  Hall  dedicated  June 
6  of  that  year.  The  completion  of  this  edifice  was  the  occasion  of  some 
demonstration  on  the  part  of  the  citizens  of  the  city.  On  the  morning 
of  its  dedication.  Grand  Representative  Daniel  Moss,  of  Grreensburg, 
Ind.,  officiated  as  Grand  Master  at  the  ceremonies  held  in  the  hall.  In 
the  afternoon  the  order,  attired  in  their  rich  regalia,  formed  in  a  proces- 
sion attended  by  the  Newport  Brass  Band,  paraded  the  streets  and 
assembled  at  the  depot  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad,  where  an  address  was 
delivered  by  Rev.  I.  D.  Williamson,  of  Cincinnati.  During  the  after- 
noon and  evening  the  ladies  held  a  strawberry  festival  at  the  hall. 

THE  CITY,    1858-59. 

From  a  business  standpoint  Lawrenceburgh  made  the  following 
exhibit  in  1858-59:  1  steam  flouring-mill,  1  water  flouring-mill,  3  dis- 
tilleries, 2  breweries,  5  hotels,  2  newspaper  offices,  6  churches  and  10 
schools,  with  an  estimated  population  of  4,000  inhabitants. 

Adler,  L.,  milliner. 

Adler,  H.,  dealer  in  dry  goods. 

Armstrong,  C ,  manufacturer  of  chairs  and  furniture. 

Anderson,  B.  T.  W.  S.,  proprietor  eating  saloon. 

Bartholomew,  Joseph,  proprietor  Lawrenceburgh  House. 

Barkdall,  D.  S.,  cooper. 

Beckenholdt,  John,  brewer. 

Beckman,  Alexander,  proprietor  wharf  boat  and  commission  merchant, 

Boese,  H,  confectioner  and  dealer  in  fancy  goods. 

Bolander,  Amos,  proprietor  Bolander  House. 

Bookwalter,  A.,  editor  and  proprietor  Democratic  Register. 

Brodbeck,  George,  ice  cream  saloon. 

Brown,  William,  manufacturer  of  furniture. 

Brown,  James  T.,  attorney  at  law. 

Browneller,  F.,  tanner  and  currier. 

Bryant  &  Lord,  manufacturers  steam  engines  and  boilers,  saw  and 
grist-mi  ir  machinery,  etc. 

Buel,  G.  P.,  produce  and  commission  merchant. 

Carbaugh  &  Braun,  grocers. 


260  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

Chapman  &  Sons,  grocers. 

Chew,  J.    P.,  dealer   in   books,  stationery,    etc.,   and  agent   Adams 
Express  Co. 

Crist  &  Bell,  dealers  in  hardware. 

Crontz,  J.  D.,  blacksmith. 

Crooker,  Mrs.  E.  A.,  milliner  and  dress-maker. 

Dexheimer,  Philip,  blacksmith. 

Dorr,  v.,  blacksmith. 

Dorr,  J.,  wagon- maker. 

Dowden,  O.  W.,  saddler  and  harness-maker. 

Drake  &  Merrill,  wagon-makers. 

Dunn,  Mrs.   S.  E.,  ambrotypist. 

Eckert,  M.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Edwards,  Miss  Annie,  milliner. 

Ferguson,  G.  W.,  house  and  sign  painter. 

Ferris  &  Abbott,  druggists. 

Ferris,  J.,  insurance  agent. 

Fichter,  M.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Finney,  Gr.  B.,  pump-maker. 

Fitch,  D.  C,  grocer. 

Fitch,  H,,  proprietor  Fitch  House. 

Focal,  Peter,  proprietor  Railroad  House. 

Frances,  J.  &  T.,  carpenters. 

Frederick,  P.,  brick- maker. 

Prein,  P.,  boot  and  shoe- maker. 

Gaff  &  Marshall,  millers  and  distillers. 

Gurnier  &  Ebert,  brewers. 

Guzley,  T.  &  C,  attorneys. 

Grojf,  R.,  dealer  in  hats  and  caps. 

Gysie,  J.,  grocer  and  dealer  in  liquors. 

Harding  &  Tate,  physicians  and  surgeons. 

Hanbold,  N. ,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Hauck,  J.  J.,  hardware  dealer. 

Heifer  &  Woodward,  carriage  manufacturers. 

Helmuth,  H.  R.,  dealer  in  dry  goods. 

Henry,  J.  W.,  saddles  and  harness. 

Herrold,  H.,  daguerrean  artist. 

Hirsch,  H.,  tobacconist. 

Hitzfield,  A.,  dealer  in  wines  and  liquors. 

Hitzfield,  A.,  attorney. 

Hobbs,  H.  K.,  cashier  Branch  Bank. 

Hommer,  J.,  grocer. 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  261 

Hornberger,  John,  dealer  in  wines  and  liquors. 

Huschart,  G.,  dealer  in  marble. 

Johnson,  F.  S.,  stoves  and  tinware. 

Junker,  J.  M. ,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Junker,  A.,  barber. 

Kalen,  B.,  tailor. 

Kauffman,  I.  C,   cooper. 

Kestner,  G.  A.,  proprietor  Rossville  Exchange. 

Kraas,  William,  grocer  and  baker. 

Kramer,  F.,  grocer  and  liquor  dealer. 

Krastner,  A.  grocer. 

Luke,  Miss  Martha,  milliner. 

Lewis  &  Eichelberger,'*^millers. 

Lewis  &  Moore,  dealers  in  dry  goods. 

Lewis,  L.  B.  &  Bro.,  dry  goods  dealers. 

Loge,  J.  P.,  clothier. 

Lominel,  H.,   grocer. 

Lommel,  P.,  resturantand  grocer, 

Lucas,  T.  J.,  watchmaker  and  jeweler. 

Ludlow  &  Tate,  lumber  dealers  and  manufacturers. 

Lutman,  H.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Lyons,  M.,  tobacconist. 

Mass,  M. ,  merchant  tailor. 

McCormick,  J.,  merchant  tailor. 

McGrath,  T.,  blacksmith. 

Major,  D.  S.,  attorney. 

Martin,  S.  A.,  editor  and  proprietor  Republican  Banner. 

Martin,  S.,  cooper. 

Moody,  A.,  barber. 

Moody,  I.,  barber. 

Mooney,  J.,  clothier. 

Moore  &  Spooner,  grocers. 

Moore,  Mrs.  L.  A.,  milliner. 

Moore,  Reuben,  cooper. 

Morgan  &  Son,  distillers. 

Morgan,  A.,  dry  goods  and  groceries. 

Morgan,  F.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Nevitt,  Major  &  Co.,  commission  merchants. 

Puny,  R.  H.,  dealer  in  dry  goods. 

Pfeister,  F.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Ret j  en,  C,  barber. 

Richards,  J.  F.,  justice  of  the  peace. 


262  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Eiddell,  F.,  postmaster. 

Rittenhouse  &  Williams,  millers  and  distillers. 
Rodgers,  R.,  livery  stable. 
Roth,  Michael,  grocer. 
Schmidt,  J.  F.,  boarding  house  and  saloon. 
Schmitt,  A.,  physician  and  surgeon. 
Schneider,  W.  boot  and  shoe-maker. 
Schwartz,  John,  attorney  (mayor). 
Schwartz,  Alex,  dealer  in  wines  and  liquors. 
Schwartz,  Alex,  clothier. 
Siemandel,  J.  cooper. 
Sheldon,  G.  B.,  stoves  and  timware. 
Smith,  H.  F.,  grocer. 
Smith.  H.  F.,  coal  dealer. 
Sparks,  D.  E.,  dealer  in  dry  goods. 
Sparks,  N.,  grocer. 
Spooner,  P.  L.,  attorney. 
Spoon er,  B.  J.,  attorney. 
Stum,  Andrew,  cooper. 
Swope,  J.  H.,  cooper. 
Temple,  C.  W.,  insurance  agent. 
Ulrey,  J.  P.,  dentist. 
Walter,  R.,  druggist. 
Wipple,  A.,  proprietor  Washington  Hall. 
Water,  P.,  blacksmith. 
Werneke  &  Muerman,  tobacconists. 
Wert,  W.,  cooper. 
White,  Mrs.  E.,  dressmaker. 
Wuest,  P.  H.,  baker. 
^Wymond,  John,  grocer, 
Zimmerman,  P.,  tailor. 

THE    BANKING    BUSINESS. 

The  first  banking  institution!  of  the  early  village  was  known  as  the 
Farmers  and  Mechanics  Bank,  which  had  an  existence,  probably,  of  not 
more  than  a  decade  at  the  furthest.  Its  business  was  carried  on  in  the 
brick  building  adjoining  the  residence  of  W.  D.  H.  Hunter,  on  High 
Street,  a  date  on  the  building  indicating  that  it  was  erected  in  1817. 
Isaac  Dunn  was  president,  and  Thomas  Porter  was  cashier  of  this  bank 
at  about  this  time.  In  1820  the  directors  of  this  bank  were  Isaac  Dunn, 
Ezra  Ferris,  Isaac  Morgan,  Walter  Armstrong,  John  Weaver,  David 
Guard,  Lazarus  Noble,  Stephen  Ludlow,  Levi  Miller,  Moses  Schott, 
George  Weaver,  Samuel  Bond  and  Amos  Lane. 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  263 

The  State  Bank  of  Indiana  was  chartered  January  13,  1834,  and  com- 
menced operations  November  19,  of  that  year,  with  ten  branches,  having 
a  capital  stock  of  11,760,000.  A  branch  was  established  at  Lawrence- 
burgh,  November  15,  of  that  year.  The  first  board  of  directors  were 
Omar  Tousey,  William  Tait,  Norval  Sparks,  J.  P.  Dunn,  Walter  Hayes, 
George  Tousey,  D.  S.  Major  and  Richard  Tyner,  of  Brookville.  The 
directors  on  the  part  of  the  State  were  Pinkney  James  and  Jesse  Hunt. 
The  first  president  of  the  bank  was  Omar  Tousey,  and  the  first  cashier 
Enoch  D.  John.  The  institution  was  to  have  commenced  operations  in 
the  latter  part  of  November,  1834,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $80,000.  The 
branch  at  Lawrenceburgh  erected  the  elegant  and  substantial  banking 
house  on  the  northeast  side  of  Short  Street  between  High  and  the  Ohio 
&  Mississippi  Railroad,  now  occupied  by  the  Peoples  National  Bank. 
This  bank,  on  the  expiration  of  its  charter,  was  succeeded  by  the  Bank 
of  the  State  of  Indiana,  a  branch  of  which  was  established  at  Lawrence- 
buro-h,  the  business  of  which  was  carried  on  in  the  same  building  above 
referred  to,  and  under  the  same  regime,  the  latter  being  officered  for 
some  years  by  E.  G.  Burkam  as  president,  and  H.  K.  Hobbs,  cashier. 

August  5,  1863,  was  organized  the  First  National  Bank  of  Lawrence- 
burgh by  Walter  Hayes,  Joseph  Hayes,  Jr.,  Anson  Marshall,  Theodore 
Gazlay,  Carter  Gazlay,  DeWitt  C.  Fitch,  Ezra  G.  Hayes,  Samuel  Morri- 
son, Isaac  Dunn,  Thomas  Sunman,  Samuel  L.  Jones,  James  C.  Hayes  and 
James  C.  Martin,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $55,000.  The  directors  were 
Walter  Hayes,  Samuel  Morrison,  Samuel  L.  Jones,  DeWitt  C.  Fitch, 
Carter  Gazlay,  E^J.  Hayes  and  Joseph  Hayes,  Sr. ;  president,  DeWitt 
C.  Fitch;  Isaac  Dunn,  cashier.  The  bank  was  carried  on  in  the  building 
located  on  Short  Street,  nearly  opposite  the  Peoples'  National  Bank,  is 
built  of  brick  and  two  stories  high,  24x64  feet,  fire  proof, 
with  the  Masonic  Lodge]in  the  upper  story.  It  is  fitted  up  in  fine 
style  for  the  business,  with  a  fire  proof  vault,  and  one  of  Hall's  latest  im- 
proved burglar  safes.  At  different  times  the  capital  stock  was  increased 
until  it  reached  $100,000.  Mr.  Fitch  was  annually  elected  its  president 
from  its  organization  to  its  close.  This  bank,  on  the  expiration  of  its 
charter,  merged  into  the  City  National  Bank  of  Lawrenceburgh,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1883,  which  suspended  business  in  August,  1883. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1865,  the  old  branch  of  the  bank  of  the 
State  was  transferred  into  a  national  bank  with  a  paid  up  capital  of 
$200,000.  The  directors  were]  Joseph  H.  Burkam,  Joseph  Hayes,  Sr., 
Ezra,  G.  Hayes,  L.  B.  Lewis,  K.  M.  Lewis,  E.  S.  Blasdell,  Warren 
West,  W.  H.  Baker,  Samuel  Morrison.  Ezra  G.  Hayes  was  chosen 
president  and  L.  B.  Lewis  cashier.  The  county  press  at  this  time  thus 
commented  on  this  organization:     "The  large  wealth,  high  moral  stand- 


264  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ing  and  business  qualifications  of  the  owners,  directors  and  officers  is 
an  ample  and  sufficient  guarantee  to  the  public  for  any  confidence  that 
may  be  reposed  in  the  institution."  The  business  of  the  bank  was 
transacted  under  the  name  off  the  Lawrenceburgh  National  Bank.  In 
1872,  this  bank  was  succeeded  by  a  private  bank  styled  the  Lawrence- 
burgh Banking  Company,  owned  and  managed  by  E.  G.  and  J.  H. 
Burkam,  which  in  February,  1875,  was  succeeded  by  a  private  bank 
styled  the  Peoples  Bank  under  the  firm  name  of  William  Probasco, 
Braun  &  Co.,  with  a  capital  of  from  $50,000  to  $100,000.  January  1, 
1882,  the  Peoples  Bank  merged  into  the  Peoples  National  Bank,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  $100,000,  conducted  under  the  same  management  and  offi- 
cered by  William  Probasco,  president;  Henry  Probasco,  vice-president; 
Peter  Braun,  cashier;  and  Will  Braun,  assistant  cashier;  all  men  whose 
business  qualifications  are  well  known  and  appreciated,  and  who  have  the 
entire  confidence  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country.  Mr.  Braun 
(who  has  had  many  years'experience  in  the  banking  business),  and  his  son 
are  courteous  and  affable  men  to  transact  bu.siness  with.  This,  the  only 
living  bank  of  the  city,  is  carried  on  in  the  building  erected  by  the 
branch  of  the  State  bank. 


THE    FIRE    OF    JULY    4,     1866. 

Probably  the  greatest  fire  that  ever  visited  the  city,  which  in  two 
hours  laid  waste  fifteen  or  twenty  buildings  and  stables  in  the  central 
portion  of  the  place,  destroying  property  to  the  value  of  $60,000,  oc- 
curred July  4,  1866.  The  fire  originated  in  a  shed  in  the  rear  of  the  prop- 
erty formerly  owned  by  William  Kraas,  on  High  Street,  between  Short 
and  Elm.  The  heaviest  loss  was  by  Lewis  &  Eichelberger,  who  had  over 
1,000  barrels  of  dour  and  15,000  empty  barrels  burned  in  their  ware- 
house; total  including  building  $20,000,  fully  covered  by  insurance.  The 
next  heaviest  loss  was  by  Bryant  &  Lord,  of  their  foundry  buildings, 
some  machinery,  and  a  large  number  of  valuable  patterns,  also  their 
dwelling  on  Elm  Street;  loss  $15,000,  insured  for  $3,000.  John  H. 
Ross'  dwelling;  loss  $2,500,  insurance  $1,000.  Isaac  Dunn's  loss, 
dwelling  occupied  by  Mrs.  Strange  Dunn,  $1,000,  barn  and  contents 
$2,000,  insurance  $700.  Nevitt  &  Major's  warehouse,  loss  $5,000.  Jas. 
Wyman  &  Co.,  500  oil  barrels  stored  in  warehouse,  $1,000.  Mr,  Van- 
horn,  100  tons  of  hay,  insurance  $1,000.  Lawrenceburgh  woolen  factory, 
machinery  stored  in  warehouse,  value  $1,000,  insurance  $850.  M, 
Zimmer  two-story  brick  bake  shop  and  out-buildings,  loss  $1,000.  There 
were  a  number  of  minor  losses. 


CITY  OF   LA.WRENCEBURGH.  265 

ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Laivrenceburgh. — Since  its  first 
planting  in  this  country  a  little  over  100  years  ago,  Methodism  has 
always  kept  even  pace  with  Western  immigration.  Scarcely  has  the  rude 
cabin  of  the  forest  been  completed,  and  the  first  fire  kindled  upon  the 
earthen  hearth  by  the  venturesome  immigi-ant,  till  the  Methodist  preacher, 
blazing  his  way  through  the  almost  unbroken  forest  in  search  of  the  lost 
sheep  of  Israel,  has  knocked  at  his  door  and  shared  the  hospitality  of  his 
home. 

Literally  was  this  true  with  regard  to  the  present  site  and  adjacent 
vicinity  of  Lawrenceburgh.  When  but  few  trees  had  yet  been  felled, 
and  few  cabins  reared,  when  there  was  no  nucleus  of  a  town  here,  per- 
haps even  before  Jabez  Percival,  Hamilton,  and  Oapt.  Vance  had  erected 
their  log-houses  at  this  place  along  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  the  Methodist 
preacher,  with  saddle  bags  and  umbrella  (necessary  companions  of  the 
early  pioneer  ministers),  visited  this  place,  collected  the  widely  scattered 
settlers  to  a  private  house,  broke  to  them  the  bread  of  life,  aud  organ- 
ized the  believers  into  a  society. 

As  early  as  the  year  1802,  the  present  site  and  adjacent  vicinity  of 
Lawrenceburgh,  being  included  in  what  was  known  as  the  Miami  circuit, 
had  the  pastoral  care  of  Elisha  W.  Bowman,  with  quarterly  visitations  of 
William  Burk,  a  man  of  sterling  qualities,  as  presiding  elder,  who  served 
in  this  capacity  for  the  disciplinary  limit  of  four  years.  During  the  years 
1802  and  1803,  while  Mr.  Hamilton,  Jabez  Percival  and  Capt. 
Vance  were  building  their  rude  dwellings  and  searching  through  the  cat- 
alogue of  cities  to  find  a  name  for  the  coming  town — in  which  the  latter 
succeeded,  calling  it  Lawrence,  after  his  wife's  maiden  name — Revs. 
John  Sales  and  Joseph  Oglesby,  having  been  appointed  to  this  circuit, 
were  here  prospecting  as  to  the  probable  future  of  the  town,  and  laying 
down  the  foundation  principles  of  a  spiritual  city.  These  two  heroic 
men  of  precious  memory  were  succeeded  the  following  conference  year, 
which  embraced  a  part  of  1805  and  1806,  by  Revs.  Banjamin  Lakin  and 
Joshua  Riggin.  At  the  close  of  their  term  of  service,  which  during  this 
period  of  the  church  was  practically  limited  to  one  year,  the  name  of  this 
circuit  was  changed  from  Miami  to  Whitewater  Circuit,  and  Thomas 
Heliums  and  Sela  Paine  were  the  preachers,  with  John  Sale  as  presiding 
elder,  who  continued  on  the  district  four  years.  To  these  two  good  men 
succeeded,  in  1807,  Joseph  Williams  and  Hezekiah  Shaw,  who  were  fol- 
lowed, in  1808,  by  Hector  Sanford  and  Moses  Grume;  and  on  the  expira- 
tion of  their  term  of  service,  Samuel  H.  Thomson  and  Thomas  Nelson 
were  appointed  to  the  charge,  and  served  one  conference  year,  it  being 
a  part  of  1809  and  1810. 


266  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

At  this  time  there  seeais  to  have  been  a  general  i-eorganization  of  the 
work.  The  name  of  the  district  was  changed  from  the  Ohio,  by  which 
it  had  been  called  from  the  beginning,  except  the  first  year,  to  the  Miami 
District,  and  Solomon  Langdon,  was  appointed  presiding  elder,  his 
predecessor  retiring  by  limitation  of  office;  and  the  circuit  appears  to 
have  been  so  diminished  in  number  of  appointments  that  one  man  could 
supply  it,  and  accordingly  Moses  Grume  was  reappointed  to  the  circuit 
without  an  assistant,  only  one  year  having  intervened  between  this  and 
his  former  appointments  to  this  work. 

At  the  close  of  his  pastorate,  which  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1811,  the 
name  of  the  circuit  was  again  changed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  Walter 
Griffith  appointed  to  it.  He  was  succeeded  by  William  Dixon.  And 
then  again,  Moses  Grume — as  if  he  were  peculiarly  adapted  to  this 
charge — was  reappointed  to  the  circuit,  with  Samuel  Parker  as  presid- 
ing elder.  In  the  fall  of  1814,  at  the  close  of  Mr.  Grume's  third  pastor- 
ate, the  eloquent  John  Strange  was  appointed  to  the  circuit,  and  John 
Sale  to  the  district.  These  two  Johns  of  remarkable  talent  were  suc- 
ceeded by  David  Sharpe  as  pastor,  and  Moses  Grume  as  presiding  elder. 

The  next  year  Russell  Bigelow  and  Allen  Wiley  (two  sons  of  thunder, 
whose  names  will  not  soon  be  forgotton),  were  appointed  to  the  circuit, 
and  the  following  year  Allen  Wiley  was  returned  to  the  circuit,  with 
Samuel  West  as  preacher  in  charge,  this  being  the  first  time  in  which  a 
preacher  was  sent  to  this  charge  for  the  second  year.  John  Sale  was  re- 
appointed to  tJie  district  in  place  of  Moses  Grume,  who  retired  in  the 
fall  of  1817,  and  who  appears  no  more  in  the  list  of  appointments  for 
this  section  of  the  church.  Twice  was  he  presiding  elder  on  the  Miami 
District,  and  at  three  different  times  was  he  the  pastor  of  the  Meth- 
odist people  of  this  town  and  vicinity.  The  next  conference  year,  which 
embraced  a  part  of  1818  and  1819,  Benjamin  Lawrence  traveled  the  cir- 
cuit alone,  and  the  following  year  he  was  reappointed,  with  Henry  F. 
Fernandes,  junior  preacher,  John  Sales  continuing  on  the  district. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Methodists  of  Lawrenceburgh  were  unable  to 
own  a  church  building,  and  had  been  obliged  to  hold  their  meetings  at 
first  in  private  dwellings  and  afterward  in  a  log-schoolhouse  that  stood 
on  the  court  house  common.  But  now  that  their  members  and  financial 
ability  had  attained  to  considerable  strength  it  was  proposed  to  build  a 
house  of  worship,  and,  accordingly,  in  the  year  1821  the  now  old  brick 
church  on  Walnut  Street,  still  standing,  was  founded,  built  and  dedicated 
to  the  worship  of  God.  At  ihls  time  the  eloquent  John  P.  Durbin,  now 
ex-missionary  secretary  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Ghurch,  and  James 
Gollard  were  the  preachers  on  the  circuit,  and  Walter  Griffith  was  pre- 
siding elder.      This  was  a  time  of  joy  and  gladness  to  the  Methodists  of 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  267 

Lawrenceburgh.  Though  this  house  was  long  since  abandoned  for  a 
more  commodious  one,  to  many  who  are  yet  living  there  are  precious 
memories  clustering  about  this  spot.  Besides  the  blessings  attending 
the  regular  services  of  the  place,  this  church  was  visited  with  many 
extraordinary  "  refreshings  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord."  In  this 
church  was  held  the  memorable  revival  of  John  Newland  Moffatt. 

In  1822  Henry  Baker  having  been  appointed  to  Lawrenceburgh  Cir- 
cuit, of  course  had  charge  of  this  church.  In  1823  the  memorable  Will- 
iam H.  Raper,  of  Ohio,  was  appointed  to  the  charge,  and  in  1824  re- 
appointed, with  John  Jayne  as  junior  preacher,  Alexander  Cummins 
serving  as  presiding  elder  for  these  two  years. 

The  name  of  the  district  was  again  changed  in  the  fall  of  1824,  and 
was  now  called  the  Madison  District,  and  John  Strange  was  appointed 
presiding  elder,  and  James  Jones  and  Thomas  S.  Hitt  to  the  circuit. 
The  following  two  years  James  L.  Thompson  was  the  preacher  in  charge, 
and  George  Ransdell  assistant  for  the  second  year;  and  these  two  were 
succeeded  by  Allen  Wiley  and  Daniel  Newton.  Allen  Wiley  was  now 
placed  upon  the  district,  where  he  remained  four  years,  and  Nehemiah 
B.  Griffith  and  Enoch  G.  Wood  were  appointed,  in  the  fall  of  1828,  to 
the  circuit,  the  latter  of  whom  has  once  since  been  the  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  is  now  (this  centennial  year)  presiding 
elder  of  Moore's  Hill  District,  of  which  a  prominent  appointment  is 
Lawrenceburgh.  How  marvelously  has  the  Lord  preserved  this  veteran 
of  the  cross!  Since  his  first  appointment  to  this  charge  to  the  present 
time — a  period  of  foi'ty-eight  years — he  has  stood  in  the  front  ranks  of 
the  hottest  of  the  battle,  and  still  is  fresh  and  strong,  bidding  fair  for 
years  of  active  service.  In  1829  N.  B.  Griffith  was  appointed  to  the  cir- 
cuit, with  Richard  S.  Robinson,  assistant.  John  W.  McReynolds  and 
Alfred  J.  Arrington  were  next  appointed,  and  their  successors  were  Joseph 
Oglesby  and  John  C.  Smith.  With  this  year  (1832),  Allen  Wiley's 
time  on  this  district  having  expired,  James  Havens,  the  fearless  pioneer  of 
Western  Methodism,  was  appointed  presiding  elder,  and  Joseph  Oglesby 
and  his  colleague  were  returned  to  the  circuit.  After  one  year  we  find 
Allen  Wiley  again  on  the  district,  where  he  remained  three  years;  and 
the  former  pastors  were  succeeded  in  1833  by  William  M.  Daily  and 
John  Daniels,  followed  in  1834  by  C.  M.  Holliday  and  Silas  Rawson, 
and  these  again  in  1835  by  Rodman,  David  Stiver  and  James  V.  Watson. 

In  1836  Enoch  G.  Wood  was  reappointed  to  the  district,  and  James 
Jones  and  William  B.  Ross  to  Lawrenceburgh  Circuit,  and  the  following 
year  Mr.  Jones  was  returned  as  preacher  in  charge,  with  Samuel  T.Gillett 
and  Silas  Rawson,  assistants.  This  was  the  last  year  of  Lawrenceburgh 
Circuit,  Lawrenceburofh  having  been  ir  the  fall  of  1838  constituted  into 


268     _  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

a  separate  and  independent  charge,  and  distinguished  as  Lawrencebnrgh 
Station.  The  first  pastor  under  this  arrangement  was  Joseph  TarJiiugton, 
now  venerable  with  age  but  fresh  and  cheerful  as  in  his  youth.  Brother 
Tarkington  was  succeeded  in  1839  bj^  Mr.  B.  Hibben,  and  in  1840  by 
John  C.  Smith,  and  in  1841  and  1842  by  Samuel  T.  Gillett. 

In  1843  the  name  of  the  district  was  changed  from  Madison  to  Ris- 
ing Sun  District,  and  James  Jones  made  presiding  elder,  and  Rich- 
ard S.  Robinson  pastor  of  Lawrencebnrgh  Station.  He  was  followed  in 
1844  by  James  Hill  and  in  1845  by  A-ugustus  Eddy.  The  district  in 
1846  was  again  called  Lawrenceburgh,  and  Enoch  G.  Wood  was 
appointed  to  it,  and  Mr.  Eddy  was  returned  to  Lawrenceburgh  Church. 
During  the  years  of  1847  and  1848  this  church  was  under  the  pastorate 
of  C.  B.  Davidson.  The  last  two  years  marked  a  neW  epoch  in  the 
Methodism  of  Lawrenceburgh.  Like  the  prophet's  house,  the  old  church 
had  become  "  too  straight "  for  them,  and  the  question  of  a  more  com- 
modious one  was  forced  upon  the  congregation. 

The  present  church  was  built  in  1847,  and  dedicated  the  same  year 
by  Bishop  Hamline,  after  whom  it  was  named.  Its  first  board  of  trustees 
was  composed  of  the  following  persons:  Omer  Tousey,  George  Tousey, 
Levin  B.  Lewis,  Jacob  P.  Dunn,  Edward  Tate,  John  Callahan  and  Will- 
iam S.  Durbin,  and  these  being  transferred  from  the  trusteeship  of  the 
old  church  on  Walnut  Street.  The  board  of  stewards  regularly 
appointed  for  this  church  were  George  Tousey,  John  Callahan,  Wexham 
West,  J.  H.  Brower,  Jacob  P.  Dunn  and  John  Binegar.  The  class  lead- 
ers were  Isaac  Dunn,  William  S.  Durbin,  L.  B.  Lewis,  E.  G.  Brown  and 
George  Tousey.  The  succession  of  pastors  and  presiding  elders  since 
the  erection  of  the  present  church  is  as  follows:  In  the  fall  of  1849, 
Thomas  H.  Rucker  was  made  pastor  of  Hamline  Chapel,  and  John  A. 
Brouse,  presiding  elder.  Mr.  Rucker  was  succeeded  the  next  two  years 
by  F.  C.  Holliday,  who  is  still  in  the  effective  work.  In  1852  the  latter 
was  appointed  to  the  district,  and  James  Crawford  to  Lawrenceburgh 
Station,  who  was  returned  for  the  second  year.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Hiram  Gilmore  in  1854,  and  he  in  1855  and  1856  by  Enoch  G.  Wood; 
Giles  C.  Smith  being  made  presiding  elder  at  the  last  date  mentioned, 
Enoch  G.  Wood  was  succeeded  in  1857  and  1858  by  Elijah  D.  Long. 
During  these  two  years  under  the  ministry  of  Brother  Long,  the  church 
was  blessed  with  an  almost  unbroken  revival,  of  which  much  fruit 
remains  at  the  present  day.  For  true  piety  and  devotion  to  the  work  of 
saving  souls  the  church  is  seldom  blessed  with  the  equal  of  Brother 
Long.  His  memory  is  precious.  Thomas  H.  Lynch  was  appointed  to 
the  district  in  1859,  and  Francis  A.  Hester  to  the  Lawrenceburgh  Sta- 
tion, and  the  following   year  Elijah  D.  Long  was  appointed  to  the  dis- 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  269 

trict,  and  F.  A.  Hester  was  returned  to  this  charge.  During  the  years 
1861-62  the  church  had  the  pastoral  care  of  John  S.  Tevis,  and  Sampson 
Tincher  was  appointed  to  the  district  in  the  last  year  mentioned.  In 
1863  and  1864  William  C.  Ransdell  was  appointed  to  Hamline  Chapel; 
and  it  will  be  remembered  that  this  was  the  last  charge  upon  earth  for 
this  young  and  promising  minister  of  the  gospel,  for  the  Great  Bishop, 
that  is  above  all  bishops  had  appointed  him  to  a  higher  service.  Though 
this  beloved  pastor  died  in  the  early  part,  of  his  second  year,  it  may  be 
said  to  the  credit  of  the  church  they  continued  to  pay  his  salary  in  full 
for  the  rest  of  the  year,  and  meanwhile  employed  the  ministerial  services 
of  John  Lewis  to  fill  out  his  unexpired  term.  Francis  A.  Hester  was  again 
appointed  to  this  charge  in  1865,  and  in  1866  reappointed,  with  Fer- 
nandez C.  Holliday,  presiding  elder.  Brother  Hester  was  succeeded  the 
following  two  years  by  John  G.  Chafee;    James  Lathrop  on  the  district. 

During  the  last  year  of  Mr.  Chafee's  pastorate  the  present  parson- 
age property  on  High  Street  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $2,500.  The 
raising  of  this  money  was  mostly  due  to  the  ladies  of  the  church,  to 
whom,  ever  since,  has  been  committed  the  necessary  repairs  and  general 
oversight  of  the  parsonage.  George  P.  Jenkins  was  appointed  at  Law- 
renceburgh  Station  in  1869,  and  was  reappointed  in  1870  and  in 
1871.  This  was  the  first  instance  since  'the  extension  of  the  pastoral 
term  to  three  years  in  which  any  minister  had  been  returned  to  this 
charge  for  the  third  year.  During  the  last  date  F.  C.  Holliday  was 
presiding  elder  of  the  district.  To  Mr.  Jenkins  the  church  of  Lawrence- 
burgh  is  indebted  for  the  valuable  historical  matters  which  he  has  writ- 
ten up  and  neatly  recorded  in  the  church  record,  and  without  which  the 
present  history  could  scarcely  have  be'en  written.  This  cost  him 
no  inconsiderable  amount  of  time  and  labor,  for  which  the  church  owes 
him  a  debt  of  gratitude.  In  the  fall  of  1872,  R.  D.  Robinson  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  presiding  eldership  of  the  district,  and  Sampson  Tincher 
was  appointed  to  the  Lawrenceburgh  Station,  and  by  reappointment  was 
continued  in  the  charge  for  three  years.  These  were  three  years  of  gen- 
eral quiet  in  the  church,  but  nothing  of  very  special  interest  is  recorded. 
In  1878  the  venerable  Enoch  G.  Wood  was  appointed  to  the  Moore's 
Hill  District,  as  it  is  now  called,  and  reappointed  in  1874-75;  and  in 
the  last  year  S.  S.  McMahan  was  appointed  to  the  pastorate  of  Lawrence- 
burgh Station. 

Thus  we  have  traced  the  ministerial  appointments  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Lawrenceburgh  and  vicinity,  including  the  general 
history  of  its  progress  through  a  period  of  seventy-five  years — from  the 
beginning  to  the  present  centenial  year.  It  will  be  observed  that  the 
Methodist  Church  of  this  place  has  been  blessed  with  the  varied  minis- 


270  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

try  of  very  able  men,  some  of  whom  were  or  have  become  representative 
men  of  the  denomination.  During  the  long  period  of  seventy  years, 
with  slight  exception,  the  church  has  not  been  called  to  suffer  from  the 
defection  of  any  of  its  pastors;  neither  for  the  same  length  of  time  have 
they  suffered  the  loss  of  but  one — William  G.  Ransdell — by  death  while 
serving  them.  This  we  think  worthy  of  recording  as  matter  of  gratitude 
to  God  who  preserveth  the  integrity  of  his  workmen  and  in  whose  sight 
their  lives  have  been  precious. 

Precisely  what  iniliience  this  individual  church  has  had  on  the  sev- 
eral generations  of  the  people  of  the  city  and  vicinity  since  its  organi- 
tion,  and  on  the  Methodism  of  the  State,  it  is,  of  course,  impossible  to 
say;  but  we  may  fairly  presume  that  it  has  been  very  considerable. 
Many  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  have  been  converted  to  God  at  its 
altars,  and  many  of  these  have  been  men  of  mark,  not  only  as  examples 
of  strong  religious  character  and  workmen  in  the  church,  but  in  business 
circles  as  well.  Some  of  them  have  gone  out  over  the  State  and  influenced 
Methodism  abroad,  not  a  few  of  them  being  enrolled  in  the  Methodist 
Churches  of  Indianapolis.  A  few — and  we  are  sorry  to  say  so  few — 
have  gone  out  from  this  church  into  the  ministry.  HoseaDurbin,  whose 
ministry  was  short,  and  perhaps  two  brothei's  Mulfinger,  are  all  that  can 
be  remembered.  While  many  who  have  been  converted  in  this  church 
have  not  kept  the  faith,  the  great  body  of  the  membership  have  lived  to 
adorn  Christian  religion,  and  have  died  in  the  very  gateways  of  Heaven. 
Among  the  deceased  standard  bearers  of  the  church  who  are  still  fresh 
in  the  memories  of  the  living  may  be  mentioned  Omer  Tousey,  Judge 
Dunn,  James  Thomson,  George  Sheldon,  William  Brown,  Ellis  Brown, 
Benjamin  Stockman,  Hamlet  Sf)arks,  Oliver  Tousey,  James  Jones,  D.  S. 
Major,  Dr.  William  Tate,  and  many  others  whose  names  will  long  be 
cherished  for  their  exemplary  lives  and  devotion  to  the  church.  And 
here  it  would  be\injust  to  omit  reference  to  another  large  class  of  per- 
sons to  whom  the  church  in  Lawrenceburgh  has  been  at  all  times  deeply 
indebted  for  both  its  temporal  and  spiritual  prosperity.  We  refer  to  those 
women  who  labored  in  the  gospel,  elect  ladies  who  have  been  ready  to 
second  and  carry  forward  every  good  work.  Many  of  this  class  whose 
lives  were  eminently  useful  to  the  church  on  earth,  are  now  serving  in  the 
heavenly  mansions;  but  there  still  remains  a  goodly  number  on  whom 
the  spirit  of  the  Lord  rests,  and  who  have  a  mind  to  work. 

Though  the  Lawrenceburgh  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  still  main- 
tains its  spirituality,  it  is  at  the  present  time,  owing  to  the  very  large 
emigx'ation  of  the  English  speaking  population  from  this  place,  neither 
so  strong  financially  nor  nvimerically  as  formerly,  still  it  has  a  fair  mem- 
bership and  congregation,  and  possesses  financial  ability  equal  to  all  its 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  271 

necessities.  As  to  the  value  of  the  Methodist  Church  property  in  Law- 
renceburgh,  the  substantial  church  building  on  the  corner  of  High  and 
Vine  Streets  is  estimated  at  |12,000;  and  the  parsonage  on  High  Street 
— a  very  good  and  commodious  house — is  estimated  at  $2,000.  Upon 
the  whole  perhaps  no  individual  church  in  the  State  has  enjoyed  more 
continued  peace  and  prosperity,  and  exerted  a  deeper  and  wider  influence 
upon  Christianity  than  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Lawrence- 
burgh. 

The  Regular  Baptist  Church  of  Lawrencebwgh. — The  con- 
stitution of  this  church  is  said  to  have  taken  place  in  1807.  In  the 
absence  of  records  only  a  brief  sketch  of  it  can  be  given.  Dr.  Ezra 
Ferris  located  in  the  village  in  1804.  He  was  a  young  married  man  of 
quite  a  liberal  education  for  that  time,  and  had  been  identified  with  the 
Old  Duck  Creek  Baptist  Church  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, where  he  had, 
as  was  generally  termed,  "exercised  his  gifts"  in  speaking.  He  was 
zealous  in  the  sect  of  religion  he  espoused,  and  was  instrumental  in  the 
organization  into  a  church  the  several  families  in  and  about  Lawrence- 
burgh  of  the  same  denomination,  among  whom  were  several  of  the 
Blasdells,  who  resided  on  Tanner's  Creek,  Timothy  Davis,  Charles 
Brasher,  and  the  Ferrises  at  Lawrenceburgh,  Henry  Hardin  and  wife,  Ja- 
cob Froman  and  wife,  of  Hardinsburgh,  and  a  Mrs.  Bonham,  from  near 
Elizabethtown.  These  may  not  all  have  been  members  at  the  time  of  the 
constitution  of  the  church,  but  all  were  early  and  active  members. 
Thomas  Townsend  and  wife,  and  a  Mr.  Foster  were  also  early  members. 
Services  were  held  at  private  residences  at  the  various  localities  named 
until  about  1830,  when  Lawrenceburgh  became  the  settled  place  for 
holding  services.  That  year  the  Presbyterian  denomination  completed 
their  church,  toward  the  building  of  which  the  Baptists  contributed 
$300,  and  were  to  have  the  use  of  the  building  alternately  or  when  the 
Presbyterians  were  not  using  it.  Subsequently  the  appropriation  was 
refunded,  and  the  use  of  the  church  by  the  denomination  under  consid- 
eration was  discontinued.  In  1845  the  little  brick  house  of  worship  lo- 
cated on  Center  Street  was  erected.  From  the  beginning  up  to  the  time 
of  Dr.  Ferris'  death  in  ]  857,  he  was  regarded  as  the  senior  pastor  of 
the  church  and  also  frequently  preached  elsewhere  in  the  county.  Elder 
Mathews  and  William  Steele  from  Kentucky  were  for  a  period  assistant 
pastors  to  the  Doctor.  The  venerable  Dr.  Bond  occasionally  officiated 
prior  to  1840,  and  in  the  latter  year  was  made  assistant  pastor,  and  for 
the  succeeding  decade  occupied  the  pulpit  for  about  one-half  of  the 
time.  From  1850  to  1857  he  was  away  from  the  city,  and  in  1857,  on 
the  death  of  Dr.  Ferris,  he  became  pastor  of  the  church  and  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  since  which  time  the  following  named  minis- 


272  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ters  have  occupied  the  pulpit:  Dr.  Bond  (occasionally),  Degarmore, 
Meeks,  Clancy,  Earl,  Hamline,  Swaim,  Loving,  and  Tinker.  The  mem- 
bership of  the  church  is  now  about  seventy. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Lawrenceburgh  was  organized 
September  27,  1829,  by  Rev.  Sylvester  Scoville,  with  the  following  mem- 
bership: Duncan  Carmichael,  Catherine  Carmichael,  William  Archibald, 
Betsey  Archibald,  Jacob  Piatt,  Mrs.  Ann  Runyan,  Miss  Margaret  John- 
son, Mrs.  Jane  E.  Sparks,  Mrs.  Sarah  Darragh,  Mrs.  Catherine  L. 
Pinckard,  Mrs.  Jane  Clark  Hageman,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hamilton,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Rice,  the  first  nine  being  received  on  letter  from  other 
churches,  the  remaining  four  on  profession  of  their  faith.  The  church 
was  reported  to  the  Presbytery  of  Oxford,  Ohio,  and  received  under  their 
care  October  2,  1829.  The  board  of  trustees  was  composed  of  Duncan 
Carmichael,  William  B.  Ewing,  William  Archibald,  George  H.  Dunn  and 
Stephen  Ludlow.  In  tlje  early  existence  of  the  society,  it  had  no  church 
building.  Sometimes  the  congregation  met  at  the  court  house,  some- 
times the  doors  of  the  old  Methodist  Chapel  on  Walnut  Street  were 
opened  to  them.  Another  preaching  place  for  this  denomination  was  in  a 
building  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Short  Streets.  During  the  pastorate 
of  Mr,  Scoville  a  church  building  was  erected  on  the  southwest  side  of 
Short  Street  between  William  and  Center,  which  was  completed  in  1830. 
The  Baptist  congregation  furnished  a  portion  of  the  money  ($300),  to- 
ward its  building,  for  which  they  had  certain  rights  and  privileges — 
the  venerable  Dr.  Ferris  occupying  the  pulpit  one-half  of  the  time,  or 
when  the  Presbyterians  did  not  use  it.  Subsequently  the  appropriation, 
made  by  the  Baptists  was  refunded  and  their  use  of  the  building  was 
discontinued.  September  26,  1838,  the  church  resolved  to  be  an  inde- 
pendent Presbyterian  Church  and  remained  disconnected  with  any  Pres- 
bytery until  in  1841,  when  for  a  time  it  was  in  the  Presbytery  of  Madi- 
son (New  School).  It  was  again  connected  with  the  Presbytery  of 
Oxford,  Ohio  (Old  School).  Subsequently  the  Presbytery  of  White 
Water  was  formed,  with  which  it  was  placed.  In  1846  a  parsonage  was 
provided  for  the  pastor.  The  following  named  ministers,  and  in  the 
order  given,  have  been  pastors  of  the  church:  Sylvester  Scoville,  1829  to 
February,  1832  (died  in  1849);  Alexander  McFarlans,  November,  1832, 
one  year  (died  in  1838);  Charles  Sturdevent,  October,  1834,  one  year 
and  a  half;  Henry  Ward  Beech er.  May,  1837,  two  and  a  quarter  years; 
J.  A.  Tiffany,  December  26,  1839,  one  year;  W.  A.  Smith,  January  1, 
1841,  to  May  24,  1848;  W.  H.  Moore,  July  1,  1849,  one  year;  S.  S. 
Potter,  November,  1850,  a  number  of  years;  Geoi*ge  I.  Taylor,  Augustus 
Taylor,  Joshua  R.  Mitchell,  Charles  H.  Little,  Samuel  N.  Wilson  (up- 
ward of  ten  years)  and  Mr.    Thomas,   the  present  incumbent.     On  the 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  273 

site  of  the  old  church  on  Short  Street  stands  a  beautiful  brick  edifice, 
which  is  ornamental  and  beautiful  in  style  of  architecture,  and  elegantly 
furnished  within,  erected  in  1882  and  dedicated  September  24,  1883, 
with  a  sermon  by  Rev.  Dr.  Heckman,  the  Rev.  Charles  Little  ofiSciating 
in  the  evening.     The  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $10,768. 

The  following  article  appeared  in  the  New  York  World  of  May  22, 
1882  : 

"Mr.  Beecher  baptized  nineteen  babies  yesterday  morning,  the  little 
Christians  behaving,  with  few  exceptions,  most  admirably.  In  asking 
for  a  collection  for  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  he 
said  that  it  was  the  church  over  which  he  was  first  settled  as  pastor. 
'When  I  was  twenty-three  years  old,'  said  Mr.  Beecher,  'I  went  forth 
knowing  but  very  little,  and  having  no  grace  of  that  knowledge  except 
that  I  knew  I  knew  very  little.  My  first  stop  was  across  the  Ohio  River, 
opposite  Cincinnati,  where  a  hall  had  been  opened  with  a  view  of  forming 
a  New  School  Presbyterian  Church,  for  I  was  then  a  Presbyterian,  and 
am  still  in  everything  except  their  Confession  of  Faith.  I  began  to 
preach  there,  however,  and  after  preaching  about  a  half-dozen  Sundays 
I  was  visited  by  a  young  woman  about  twenty-one  or  twenty-two  years 
old,  named  Martha  Sawyer  (that's  not  her  name  now,  so  you  won't  know 
who  it  is),  and  I  was  invited  to  take  charge  of  another  church  at  Law- 
renceburgh, Ind.  She  was,  I  believe,  trusteee,  deacon  and  treasurer  of 
the  church;  at  any  rate  they  had  no  other.  She  collected  all  the  money 
that  was  collected  and  they  paid  me  about  $150  a  year  and  the  American 
Missionary  Society  made  up  the  rest,  [so  that  I  had  the  munificent  salary 
of  $450  a  year.  There  I  began  my  ministerial  and  pastoral  life.  There 
was  but  one  man  in  the  church,  and  that  was  one  too  many.  However, 
here  I  began  to  learn.  I  don't  know  how,  but  here  I  learned  for  two 
years  and  a  little  more,  and  then  I  was  called  to  Indianapolis,  where  I 
was  for  the  two  years  preceding  the  time  of  my  coming  here.  That  lit- 
tle brick  church  which  would  seat  100  or  150  persons  was  where  I 
preached  my  earliest  sermons.  When  we  had  a  communion  I  had  to 
go  out  and  borrow  a  deacon  and  elder.  That  church  remains.  A  photo- 
graph has  been  taken  of  it  and  has  been  sent  to  me.  I  recognize  every 
brick  in  it.  I  was  sexton  of  it  as  well  as  pastor.  I  swept  it  twice  a 
week;  got  lamps  from  the  adjoining  town  and  hung  them  upon  the  walls, 
and  bought  oil  and  filled  and  trimmed  them,  and  kept  them  trimmed;  for 
previous  to  that  there  had  been  no  evening  service.  The  church  has 
existed  ever  since,  with  various  degrees  of  prosperity,  but  now  they  have 
undertaken  to  baild  for  themselves  a  new  church  and  I  come  to  ask  you 
what  you  are  going  to  do  to  help  them.'  The  baskets  were  passed  and 
returned  well  filled." 


274  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

The    St.   Lawrence    Roman    Catholic    Church   of    Laivrenceburgh. — 
The    first    Roman    Catholic     congregation,     of     Lawrenceburgh,    was 
oro-anized  in  the  year  18-40^  consisting  of  about  fifteen  families,  among 
which  the  following  names  take  precedence,  viz. :     George  Huschart,  Peter 
Werst,  John   Kimmel,  Jacob  Meier,  Lewis  Crusart,  Anthony  Schwartz 
and   Michael   Long.     At  this   time   divine    services    were    held    in   a 
house  in  Newtown,  belonging  to  Jesse  Hunt,  and  occupied  by  a  Catholic 
family;  about  a  year  later  in  the  house  of  George  Huschart,  and  at  times, 
also,  in  the  bouse  of  Michael  Lang.     The  corner-stone  of  the  first  Catho- 
lic Church  was  laid^on  Walnut  Street  in  184:L      The  church  was  built  of 
rock,  40x60  feet  in  length,  but  was  not  completed  until    1847,    when   it 
was   dedicated.     During    these    years  Lawrenceburgh  was  attended  by 
priests  from  the  neighboring  congregations,  the  first  of  whom  was  Eev. 
Joseph  Ferneding,  who  attended  but  a  short  time;  it  was  next  visited  by 
Rev.  F.  O'Eourke,  and  after  him  by  Rev.  A.  Bennett  till   1851,  also  by 
Rev.  M.  Stahl  and  Rev.  A.  Carius.     In  1851  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  M.  De 
St.  Palais,  D.  D.,  of  Vincennes,   gave   it  in   charge   of   the  Franciscan 
Fathers   of  the    St.  John's    Church,   Cincinnati.     Rev.   G.  Unterthiner, 
Sigismund  and  Anselm  Koch,  O.  S.  F.,  who  attended  till  the  year  1859, 
when  it  was  transferred  to  the  charge  of  Rev.  Ig.  Klein,  resident  pastor 
of  St.  Nicholas  (Pipe  Creek),  who  regularly  attended  till  the  year  1866, 
when  by  the  appointment  of  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop,    Rev.    Clement 
Sheve  became  the  first  resident  pastor  of  the  place.     Owing  to  the  increase 
of  Catholic  population.  Father  Sheve  saw  that  a  more  spacious  edifice  was 
required,  and  the  present  beautiful  church  of  St.  Lawrence,  50x115  feet, 
erected  on  Walnut  Street,  near  the  place  of  the  old  church,  is  the  result 
of  his  ministry,  and  the  fruit  of  his  zeal  and  labors;  he  also  built  a  fine 
residency    for  the  pastor,  and  a  large  schoolhouse.      Compelled    by    loss 
of  health,  he  resigned  in  1870  and   left  for  Minnesota,  where  he  died  in 
the  spring  of  1875.     Rev.  C.  Sheve  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  J.  Dudden- 
hausen,  who  remained  until  May  15,  1875,   when  he  was  transferred  to 
Trinity  Church,  Evansville,  Ind.,  and  with  sincere  feelings  of  regret  his 
parishioners   saw    him    depart  for  his  new  scene  of  labor.     He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  J.  F.  Souderman,  the  present  incumbent.     In  connection 
with  the  church  are  also  several  church  societies.     The  membership  of 
the    ladies'    society  is  205,  and  that  of  St.  Lawrence  Roman  Catholic 
Benevolent    Society,    125.     The   parochial    school    is  in  charge  of    the 
sisters  of  St.  Francis;  the  number  of  children  in  attendance  is  about  200, 
and  the  number  of  teachers,  five. 

The  German  Evangelical  Zion  Church  of  Laivrenceburgh  was  first 
constituted  October  3,  1847,  under  the  name  of  German  Evangelical  Re- 
formed Church   of   Lawrenceburgh,  belonging  to  the   Evangelical   Re- 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  275 

formed  Synod  of  the  United  States.  The  constitution  was  signed  by  five 
trustees,  to-wit:  Johann  David  Hauck,  George  Ross,  Johann  Reimer, 
Lorenz  Winter  and  Johann  Siemantel.  The  small  congregation  held  its 
meetings  at  first  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  on  Short  Street,  in  1848. 
The  members  built  a  brick  church  on  Walnut  Street,  54x28.  The  upper 
part  of  it  was  consecrated  for  divine  service,  and  the  basement  was  used 
as  a  day  school  and  parsonage.  In  1862  a  new  constitution  was  voted. 
In  1867  the  congregation  dissolved  its  connection  with  the  Evangelical 
Reformed  Synod,  and  changed  the  name  to  German  Evangelical  Zion 
Congregation  of  Lawrenceburgh,  In  1867  a  new  and  larger  brick  build- 
ing, 75x42  feet,  was  erected.  A  steeple  was  raised  100  feet  high,  and  a 
bell  hung  in  it.  While  the  foundation  was  being  laid,  a  number  of  the 
members  left  the  congregation,  and  established  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  at  Newtown.  November  24,  1867,  the  building  was  ready  to  be 
consecrated,  and  was  named  Evangelical  Zion  Church.  In  the  same 
year  a  parsonage  was  built  by  the  side  of  the  new  and  in  front  of  the 
old  church,  which  was  fitted  up  for  a  school-room  and  for  weekly  meet- 
ings. All  these  buildings,  costing  about  $14,000,  are  still  used  for  the 
same  purpose.  The  congregation  consists  at  present  of  72  families. 
Ever  since  the  formation,  the  congregation  generally  had  its  own  German 
day  school,  which  now  numbers  110  scholars.  The  Sunday-school  was 
established  in  1851,  by  Rev.  Friedel  and  Mr.  Johann  David  Hauck,  and 
numbers  at  present  160  scholars  and  20  teachers.  Associations  in  con- 
nection with  the  church  are:  An  association  of  the  ladies,  established 
in  1858  with  63  members,  numbers  at  present  81;  the  singing  choir, 
established  in  1867  with  19  members,  now  numbers  45;  an  association 
of  men  for  church  building,  in  1867,  with  21  members,  now  numbers 
39;  an  association  of  young  ladies,  established  in  1867  with  21  members, 
numbers  at  present  27;  an  association  of  young  men,  established  in  1871 
with  11  members,  now  numbers  14;  a  sick  aid  society,  established  in 
1862,  which  at  present  numbers  only  14  members.  The  names  of  the 
pastors  of  the  congregation  since  1847  are  Revs.  P.  B.  Madonlet,  1847-50; 
A.  H.  Friedel,  1850-51;  H.  Straeter,  1851-52;  A.  Carrol,  1852-53;  Casp. 
Pluess,  1854-59;  H.  Lienstaedt,  1859-62;  C.  Betz,  1862-71;  C.  F. 
Warth,  1871  to  the  present  time. 

The  Evangelical  Lutheran  St.  John's  Chtwch  of  Neiv  Laivrenceburgh. 
— Until  1867  this  religious  body  formed  a  part  of  the  society  now 
known  as  the  German  Evangelical  Zion  Church  of  the  city  whose  history 
is  given  above.  At  this  time  a  number  of  the  members  withdrew  and 
established  the  congregation  under  consideration.  The  corner-stone  of 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  St.  John's  Church  was  laid  in  the  year  1867, 
and  finished  in  1869.     The  church  is  a  brick  building,  40x80  feet,  has  a 


276  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

stone  basement,  and  a  tower  120  feet  high,  and  cost  upward  of  $16,000, 
of  which  sum  an  outside  debt  remains.  The  building  is  located  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Fourth  Streets.  The  church  has  a  membership  of 
34  families,  a  Sunday  school  with  70  children,  a  singing  choir,  with  24 
members,  a  day  school  with  34  children  at  present.  Its  pastor,  Thomas 
H.  Jaeger,  who  has  served  the  congregation  since  October,  1875,  is  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  of  Ohio  and  other  States. 

The  German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Laiorenceburgh  had  its 
origin  in  this  wise:  April  11,  1839,  Rev.  Adam  Miller,  pastor  of  Race 
Street  Church,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  preached  to  a  congregation  in  Law- 
renceburgh,  for  the  first  time,  and,  on  the  following  months'  services  were 
held  every  two  weeks,  by  Rev.  Dr.  W.  Nast,  who,  June  16  of  that  year, 
ordained  a  class  of  10  members,  which  was  increased  to  20  members 
in  the  following  two  weeks.  Of  this  class  J.  M.  Hofer  was  appoint- 
ed  leader.  Shortly  after  this  a  Sabbath-school  of  from  20  to  30 
members  was  organized  with  8  teachers.  Services  were  held  for  a 
time,  until  a  church  building  was  erected,  in  private  houses,  frequently 
in  the  dwelling  of  J.  M.  Mul finger.  In  1842  the  first  house  of  worship 
was  built,  located  on  Market  Street.  In  1860  the  present  church  edifice, 
a  substantial  and  commodious  brick,  located  on  Center  Street  near  Wal- 
nut, was  erected,  which  is  valued  at  $8,000.  At  first  this  charge  was 
connected  with  a  circuit  over  which  presided  Rev.  Juhn  Kisling,  preach- 
er in  charge.  The  first  quarterly  conference  was  held  in  1843,  by  Rev. 
C.  W.  Ruter,  presiding  elder.  In  1845  the  Lawrenceburgh  charge  be- 
came a  station,  having  then  a  membership  of  40.  The  following 
named  ministers  have  been  pastors  of  the  church:  John  Kisling,  G.\A. 
Brennig,  John  Zwahlen,  C.  Wyttenbach,  John  Phetzing,  John  Geyer, 
L.  Heiss,  John  Bier,  Jacob  Rothweiler,  Adolph  Kartter,  F.  Schroeck, 
C.  Dierking,  John  Kisling,  J.  H.  Koch,  C.  Schelper,  F.  Miller,  L.  C. 
Lurker,  A.  Gerlach,  C.  Helwig,  J.  C.  Wurster,  J.  Scheveinfurth,  C. 
Bertram,  D.  Volz,  John  Phetzing. 

The  Christian  Church  of  Lawrenceburgh. — In  the  spring  of  1876  the 
Christian  Church  of  Lawrenceburgh  was  organized  by  Rev.  A.  Elmore, 
the  outgrowth  of  an  extensive  revival  at  which  upward  of  100  were 
taken  into  membership.  The  first  officers  of  the  church  were  J.  R.Trisler, 
James  D.  Willis,  elders;  Spencer  West,  Christopher  Dailey,  George 
Morris  and  Boone  Rice,  deacons.  A  call  was  extended  to  Mr.  Elmore 
to  become  the  pastor  of  the  church,  which  was  accepted. 

On  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Center  Streets  is  located  a  beautiful  and 
substantial  brick  church  edifice,  the  property  of  this  society,  which  was 
completed  and  dedicated  August  7,  1884,  the  sermon  being  preached  by 
elder  F.  D.  Power  of  Washington,  D.  C. 


\/ 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBUllGH.  277 

Trinity  (Protestant)  Episcopal  Church  of  Laivrenceburgh. — 
Services  of  the  church  were  first  held  in  Lawrenceburgh  on  the  feast  of 
Epiphany,  January  6,  1840,  when  the  Trinity  parish  was  duly  organ- 
ized with  but  three  commuaicants  and  but  few  others  who  knew  any- 
thing about  the  church.  The  first  rector  of  the  parish  was  the  Rev.  T. 
C.  Pitkin,  who  served  one  year  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Charles 
Prindle,  who  died  at  the  close  of  the  first  year  of  his  rectorship.  About 
this  time  the  most  active  layman  of  the  little  band  died,  and  two  others 
removed  from  the  city,  which  caused  a  suspension  of  services  until  in 
the  fall  of  1844,  when  services  were  resumed  under  the  rectorship  of  Rev. 
A.  C.  Treadway.  Services  were  continued  at  different  intervals  until 
June,  1856,  when  the  last  service  by  a  clergyman  of  the  church,  of 
which  we  have  any  account,  was  held.  The  present  modest  little  brick 
church^edifice  on  Walnut  Street  was  erected  and  consecrated  to  the  serv- 
ice 'of  God  in  1854.  Of  the  rectors  serving  the  parish  from  the 
time'Rev.  Mr.  Treadway  severed  his  connection  with  it  until  1856,  the 
records  do  not  definitely  treat,  but  among  those  officiating  at  baptisms 
were  Revs.  T.  B.  Fairchild,  John  Trimble  and  E.  C.  Pattison.  In  1874 
services  were  again  resumed  by  Rev.  William  H.  Troop,  who  was  sent  a 
missionary  to  the  cities  of  Lawrenceburgh  and  Aurora.  The  meetings  of 
the  parish  at  Lawrenceburgh  were  for  a  time  held  in  the  court  house,  the 
church  building  having  been  occupied  as  a  place  of  business.  The 
church  was  restored,  and  the  first  service  held  in  it  was  on  the  sixteenth 
Sunday  after  Trinity — September  20,  1874 — since  which  time  services 
have  been  continued  and  conducted  by  the  following  named  rectors,  who 
have  had  charge  of  the  two  parishes:  Revs.  William  H.  Troop,  1874-75; 
Thomas  W.  McLean,  1875  to  1878;  Curtis  P.  Jones,  Thomas  K.  Cole- 
man, Benjamin  T.  Hall,  David  B.  Ramsey,  the  latter  (present  rector) 
taking  charge  July  15,  1884. 


The  first  schoolhouse  of  the  village  was  erected  on  the  public  or 
court  house  square  very  early  in  its  history.  It  was  a  log-building  and 
the  first  teachers  in  it  were  the  Rev.  Samuel  Baldridge  (a  Presbyterian 
minister,  who  was  residing  at  Lawrenceburgh,  and  who  from  1810  to 
1814  worked  as  an  itinerant  missionary  in  the  Whitewater  Valley),  and  a 
Mr.  Fulton.  In  1808,  Mrs.  Mary  Lane,  the  wife  of  Hon.  Amos  Lane,  a 
woman  of  high  culture  and  refinement,  kept  a  school  in  Kentucky  nearly 
opposite  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1809  the  Lane  family  moved  to  what  was 
called  Tousytown  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river,  just  opposite  the 
city.  At  this  point  she  opened  a  school,  which  increased  to  seventy 
scholars,  being  patronized  by  the  people  of  the  surrounding  country.   In 


2  ( 8  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1814  the  Lane  family  settled  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  Mrs  Lane  for  a 
short  time  only  taught  in  the  log-building  above  mentioned.  In 
1813,  Zenas  Hill  is  remembered  as  the  school  teacher  of  the  village. 
The  late  Henry  James,  of  Rising  Sun,  whose  father  settled  at  Lawrence- 
burgh in  1808,  said:  "  We  remained  there  about  two  years,  ditring 
which  time  I  attended  school,  which  was  taught  by  Dr.  Ferris,  an  Irish- 
man. He  was  an  excellent  teacher,  and  was  afterward  engaged  to  teach 
in  Rising  Sun.  Under  his  instruction  my  brothers  and  I  studied  Latin 
and  Gi'eek. "  School  was  kept  for  a  time  in  an  old  frame  building  that 
stood  on  High  Street,  between  Mary  and  Vine,  nearly  opposite  the 
Stevenson  House;  also  in  another  house  on  the  same  side  of  High  Street 
just  below  AValnut.  Samuel  H.  Dowden,  a  Virginian  of  intelligence. 
and  a  Mrs.  Stevenson,  who  afterward  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Tou- 
sey,  are  remembered  as  early  teachers.  The  first  schoolhouse  erected  in 
New  Lawrenceburgh  was  built  prior  to  1820,  and  stood  on  the  same  lot 
on  which  the  present  one  is  located.  After  the  completion  of  the  old 
Presbyterian  Church  in  1830,  that  stood  on  Short  Street,  the  basement 
story  was  a  favorite  place  for  holding  school.  In  1833,  what  was  termed 
through  the  newspapers  as  the  "Lawrenceburgh  High  School,"  was 
opened  by  Z.  Casterline  in  this  house  of  worship. 

In  1841,  the  school  trustees  advertised  in  the  city  papers  that  the  free 
school  of  District  No.  Nine  (including  all  that  part  of  the  township  lying 
east  of  Gray's  Alley)  would  be  open  May  10.  The  school  under  the  charge 
of  Mr.  Bundy  was  to  be  kept  in  a  room  in  Ferris'  row  on  High  Street, 
and  that  under  the  care  of  Mrs.  C.  Morehouse,  in  the  basement  story  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  trustees  then  were  J.  H.  Brown,  William 
Brown  and  John  P.  Dunn. 

In  1851  there  were  two  high  schools  in  the  city,  namely:  the 'Law- 
renceburgh Academy,  established  by  J.  M.  Rail,  assisted  by  Miss  Parme- 
lia  Fahr,  and  the  Lawrenceburgh  Institute,  established  under  the  super- 
vision of  trustees,  with  Edward  Cooper,  A.  M.,  principal.  In  addition  to 
these  there  were  in  the  city  a  select  school  held  in  the  basement  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  under  the  direction  of  Miss  and  Mrs.  Potter  ;  a 
middle  district  school  taught  by  Mrs.  Wardell;  the  Newtown  District, 
Elmerdorf  and  District  No.  Ten,  Germantown,  taught  by  John  D.  White; 
there  were  also  two  German  schools  on  Walnut  Street,  one  German 
Catholic  taught  by  John  F.  Herwig,  and  the  other  both  Catholic  and 
Protestant,  taught  by  Jacob  Behmar.  From  1840  to  1856  the  following 
named  were  among  those  who  taught  in  the  basement  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church:  John  M.  Wilson,  Dr.  Potter,  John  D.  White  and  J.  M.Olcott. 

The  following  sketch  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  public  schools  appeared 
in  one  of  the  county  papers  in  1876: 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  279 

"  The  Lawreuceburgh  graded  schools  were  organized  and  established 
the  15th  day  of  November,  1856,  by  Omer  Tousey,  John  Anderegg  and 
Samuel  Morrison,  board  of  school  trustees,  and  Norval  Sparks,  clerk; 
J.  M.  Olcott.  superintendent;  D.  H.  Pennewell,  assistant  superintendent; 
Mrs.  Hubbel,  Mrs.  Brasher,  Miss  Yeatman  and  Miss  Brower,  teachers. 
Number  of  children  attending  public  schools  in  the  city,  250;  number  of 
children  between  the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years  in  the  township, 
1,294.  The  high  school  building  was  erected  in  the  year  1859,  by  the 
township  trustee,  Mr.  William  Tate,  and  completed  by  his  successor  in 
office,  Mr.  John  Ferris.  In  the  year  1865,  by  and  in  pursuance  of  an 
act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  the  control  and 
management  of  the  city  schools  was  transferred  from  the  township  trus- 
tee to  a  school  board  of  trustees  consisting  of  three  persons,  president, 
secretary  and  treasurer,  to  be  elected  by  the  council  of  the  city  of 
Lawrenceburgh.  The  following  named  persons  have  been  elected  and 
acted  in  that  capacity:  Levin  B.  Lewis,  John  H.  Gaff,  Andrew  A.  Heifer, 
Andrew  J.  Pusey,  William  M.  James,  Noah  S.  Givan  and  John  K. 
Thompson.  The  present  board  is  George  Otto,  president;  Dr.  Charles 
B.  Miller,  treasurer;  Thomas  Kilner,  secretary.  At  no  time  in  the 
history  of  the  schools  have  they  been  in  as  good  condition  financially  as 
at  the  present  time.  At  the  expiration  of  the  present  school  year,  there 
will  remain,  and  unexpended,  the  sum  of  $4,979.84.  It  is  the  desire  of 
the  present  board  of  trustees,  with  the  consent  and  approval  of  the 
patrons  of  the  schools,  to  make  some  radical  changes  therein,  whereby 
they  may  become  more  efficient  and  beneficial.  There  is  annually 
expended  by  the  board  for  school  purposes,  $10,000.  The  school  prop- 
erty consists  of  two  large  brick  buildings;  one  situated  on  the  corner  of 
Short  and  Market  Streets,  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  park  with  fine  play 
ground  for  the  children,  and  the  other  on  the  corner  of  Shipping  and 
Fourth  Streets,  a  building  erected  in  1870 — the  grounds  have  been 
ornamented  during  the  present  year  by  shade  trees.  The  buildings  are 
supplied  with  charts,  globes,  chemical  and  philosophical  apparatus, 
skeleton,  etc.,  to  which  additions  are  being  constantly  made,  and  every 
facility  afforded  to  make  the  school  efficient  and  the  equal  of  any  in  the 
State.  The  real  estate  and  buildings  are  valued  at  $30,000;  value  of 
scientific  apparatus,  $550;  value  of  library,  $100.  Corps  of  instructors 
at  the  present  time:  John  R.  Trisler,  superintendent;  William  F.  Gil- 
christ, principal;  Miss  Josie  M.  Brand,  Miss  Sallie  B.  Marsh,  Miss 
Emma  C.  Hauck,  Miss  Emma  L.  Pusey,  Miss  Mary  Hopping,  Miss 
Carrie  H.  Rowe,  Miss  Fannie  Pierce,  Miss  Katie  Ferris,  Miss  Annie  S. 
Hayes,  Miss  Esther  L.  Avery,  teachers;  Mr.  A.  S.  Teutschel  and  F.  J. 
Kalmerten,    German    teachers;    Prof.    Emil    A.    Roehrig,   vocal    music: 


280  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Joseph  White,  janitor;  Margaret  Brown,  janitresg.  The  average  monthly 
salary  of  teachers,  exclusive  of  superintendent,  is  $50.60.  Number  of 
pupils  enrolled  in  the  school,  650;  number  of  children  enumerated  in 
the  city  between  six  arid  twenty-one  years,  1,951." 

In  1883  the  enumeration  of  children  in  the  schools  was  1,749.  Now 
the  Lawrenceburgh  Public  Schools  embrace  five  departments,  viz.:  I,  En- 
glish primary;  II,  English  grammar;  III,  German  primary;  IV,  German 
grammar;  V,  High  School. 

The  English  primary  department  includes  the  first  four  years  of 
school  training.  It  takes  pupils  at  the  beginning,  and  leaves  them  fair 
spellers,  readers  and  writers,  and  gives  them  a  knowledge  of  the  four 
fundamental  principles  of  arithmetic.  In  this  department  lessons  also 
are  given  in  language,  physiology,  geography,  music  and  drawing — thus 
making  it  the  aim  of  this  department  to  thoroughly  prepare  the  pupil  to 
advance  to  the  grammar  department,  and  at  the  same  time  to  furnish  him 
with  that  training  that  will  be  most  useful  in  life,  should  his  training 
end  with  this  department. 

The  English  grammar  department  includes  the  next  four  years  of  the 
course,  or  from  fifth  year  to  the  eighth  inclusive.  Its  object  is  to  receive 
pupils  who  have  completed  the  foregoing  department,  or  its  equivalent, 
and  to  give  them  such  drill  as  shall  make  them  proficient  in  spelling, 
reading,  penmanship,  arithmetic,  geography,  grammar,  physiology. 
United  States  history,  vocal  music,  drawing  and  composition,  and  to  best 
fit  the  pupil  to  enter  the  high  school,  or  to  discontinue  school  life,  if 
compelled  to  do  so. 

The  German  department,  as  created  by  the  liberality  of  the  school 
board,  and  provided  with  the  proper  teachers  in  the  years  from  1878- 
1881,  proved  to  be  a  success.  The  floods  of  1882,  1883  and  1884,  and 
the  subsequent  diminution  of  population,  as  well  as  a  certain  indiffer- 
ence and  shortsightedness  of  a  number  of  parents,  preferring  rather  to 
withdraw  their  children  from  the  advanced  classes  of  this  department 
than  to  let  them  have  the  benefit  of  a  better  education,  caused  the  dis- 
continuance, in  1884,  of  the  seventh  and  eighth  year,  corresponding  with 
the  advanced  classes  of  A  and  B,  grammar  grade.  For  the  benefit  of 
this  department  and  its  further  progress,  the  restoration  of  these  grades 
will  be  essentially  necessary.  Parents  should,  under  no  circumstances, 
allow  children  to  quit  school  until  at  least  the  ninth  school  year  is 
reached,  and  thus  help  to  fill  up  this  grade  again  with  as  many  pupils 
as  are  necessary  to  justify  the  board  in  sustaining  and  paying  another 
teacher.  The  departments  comprise  as  complete  a  course  in  the  German 
language  and  literatiire  as  is  practicable,  and  at  the  same  time  the  same 
instructions  that  are  given  in  English,  in  the  corresponding  English  de- 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  281 

partments,  are  given  in  these  departments.  The  fact  that  the  teachers 
in  the  German  grades  are  native  German,  or  are  of  immediate  German 
descent,  greatly  facilitates  the  work.  The  entire  German  work  is  also 
placed  under  the  supervision  of  a  skillful  teacher,  trained  in  the  best 
German  schools. 

High  School. — The  general  public  recognize  the  High  School  as  an 
indispensable  part  of  the  public  school  system,  and  hence  not  only  cheer- 
fully support  it,  but  demand  its  existence.  Without  the  high  school  aa 
a  goal  for  the  brighter  or  more  ambitious  pupils  of  the  lower  departments, 
our  school  system  would  lose  much  of  its  valuable  influence  upon  the 
community.  The  greatest  good  derived  from  the  schools  is  their  influ- 
ence upon  the  character  of  the  pupil.  The  cultivation  of  will  power,  or 
that  which  determines  character,  begun  in  the  lower  grades,  is  carried  on 
more  effectively  in  the  high  school;  for  the  pupil  is  more  mature,  and 
can  be  led  to  see  the  neccessity  of  the  power  of  self  control.  That  it  is 
one  of  the  duties  of  the  State  to  provide  the  means  for  higher  culture  must 
be  recognized  by  all  who  have  any  adequate  knowledge  of  the  State  and 
its  relation  to  the  individual;  the  branches  taught  have  already  been 
enumerated,  and  are  such,  if  completed,  to  qualify  the  pupil  to  enter  the 
freshman  class  of  the  State  University  or  Purdue  University.  And  in 
view  of  this  fact  the  State  board  of  education  has  commissioned  the  Law- 
renceburgh  High  School  to  pass  its  graduates,  without  further  examination, 
to  the  freshman  class  of  either  Purdue  or  the  State  University. 

School  Board. — R.  Walter,  president. 

F.  R.  Dorman,  secretary. 

Dr.  C.  M.  Miller,  treasurer. 

Instructors. — T.  V.  Dodd,  superintendent,  and  teacher  of  the  senior 
class. 

W.  H.  Rucker,  principal  of  the  high  school — ninth  and  tenth  years. 

Julia  W.  Rabb,  special  teacher  of  grammar  in  grammar  department, 
and  principal  of  eighth  year. 

Emma  Brogan,  special  teacher  of  reading  in  grammar  department, 
and  principal  of  seventh  year. 

Mary  E.  Pusey,  special  teacher  of  geography  in  grammar  department, 
and  principal  of  sixth  year. 

Nettie  Van  Ness,  special  teacher  of  arithmetic  in  grammar  depart- 
ment, and  principal  of  fifth  year. 

,  teacher  in  A  primary  grade,  fourth  year. 

Pauline  Berkshire,  teacher  in  B  primary  grade,  third  year. 

Retta  Brodbeck,  teacher  in  C  primary  grade,   second  year. 

Nettie  Akers,  teacher  in  D  primary  grade,  first  year. 

Carrie  Goyer,  teacher  in  C  and  D  primary  grades  first  and  second 
years. 


282  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Jennie  Huff,  assistant  teacher  in  D  primary  grade. 

J.  R.  Kuhlman,  superintendent  of  German;  teacher  in  German  gram- 
mar department. 

Alice  Schleicher,  teacher  in  German  primary  department,  third  and 
fourth  years. 

Anna  Sembach,  teacher  in  German  primary  department,  first  and 
second  years. 

Matilda  Hoffrogge,  teacher  in  German  primary  department,  first  and 
second  years. 

E.  A.  Roehrig,  teacher  of  music  and  penmanship. 

Wash  Howard,  Oldtown,  and  Mrs.  Flush,  Newtown,  janitors. 

BOLL    OF    ALLUMNI. 

1872— Fannie  Pierce,  Mary  E.  Banyard,  Emma  C.  Hauck,  E.  D. 
Freeman,  Carrie  H,  (Rowe)  McCormick. 

1876 — Mary  (Jones)  Ross,  Mary  Pusey,  Lizzie  (Savage)  Brenkert, 
Edward  T.  Mader. 

1877— Tina  Pusey,*  Emma  Blair,  Robert  Colt,  Fred  Ferger. 

1878 — Tillie  Israel,  Alice  Schleicher,  Lewis  B.  Danniel,  H.  Lee 
Early,  Collins  Fitch,  Warren  Hauck,  George  Schroeder. 

1879 — Mary  Akers,*  Olivia  Broadwell,  Emma  Brogan,  Julia  Stock- 
man, Cora  Bainbridge,  Fred  Everhart. 

1880 — Bessie  Hunter,  Edward  S.  Smashea,  Rell  M.  Woodward, 

1881 — Tecumseh  Meek,  Joshua  Terrill,  George  Terrill,  Nettie  Akers, 
May  Stockman,  Retta  Brodbeck,  Kora  Thomas,  Pauline^  Berkshire,  Al- 
lie  Snider,  Nannie  Terrill. 

1882— Ritta  Dunlevy,  Nettie  A.  Duck,*  Belle  Garner,  Emma 
Schleicher,  Lizzie  Pusey,  George  L.  Gatch,  Mary  Emmert. 

1883— Ada  Fitch,  Anna  A.  Sembach,  Flora  M.  Walter,  Carrie  D. 
Schleicher,  Lillie  St.  C.  Rooke,  Lillie  M.  Fichter. 

1884 — Lulu  Smashea,  Julia  Akers,  Mattie  Freeman,  Tillie  Schwartz, 
Louisa  Howard,  Mary  Murnan,  J.  F.  Tilley. 

1885— Ella  Squibb,  Martin  Givan,  William  Miller,  Jennie  Huff, 
Nettie  Burk,  Stella  Fisher,  Louisa  Decker,  Curtie  Hodell,  Albert  Geisert. 

LEADING    MANUFACTURING    INTERESTS,  f 

In  the  foregoing  sketch  of  the  earlier  village  and  town,  the  business 
interests  and  lesser  industries  have  been  referred  to  in  a  general  way, 

•Deceased 

tThe  census  of  1880  showed  that  the  sixteen  productive  establishments  of  industries  of  the  city, 
with  a  capital  of  $1,350,000  invested,  produced  manufactured  articles  to  the  value  of  SI, 895,952  during 
the  census  year,  for  which  8290,967  was  paid  for  wages.  In  this  calculation  only  those  tactories  that 
produced  articles  over  the  value  of  8500  were  considered. 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBUKGH.  283 

and  it  is  our  purpose  here  to  treat  more  specifically  of  the  various 
manufacturing  interests  which  have  been  the  means  of  developing  the 
slow  and  quiet  village  and  town  of  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  into 
the  bustling  manufacturing  center  of  the  past  decade,  with  its  numerous 
distilleries,  immense  furniture  factories,  cigar  factories,  cooper  shops, 
flouring-mills,  saw  and  planing-mills,  breweries,  woolen-mill,  stove 
foundry,  coffin  factory,  with  the  cluster  of  minor  mills  and  factories 
which  have  been  dotted  over  its  surface  and  given  employment  to  thous- 
ands of  men,  women  and  children. 

Flouring  Mills. — The  first  merchant  flouring-mill  in  Lawrenceburgh 
was  built  in  1837,  by  Mr.  E.  D.  John.  The  building  is  still  in  exist- 
ence, and  is  situated  on  the  canal  basin,  and  now  used  by  Mr.  R.  Duck 
for  a  saw-mill.  Mr.  John  erected  the  building  for  a  pork  house,  but 
when  completed  concluded  to  convert  it  into  a  flouring-mill,  with  four 
pairs  of  buhrs,  or  stones,  and  all  other  requisite  machinery  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  flour.  When  completed  he  sold  one-half  the  mill,  in  1838, 
to  Dr.  C.  G.  W.  Comegys,  now  of  Cincinnati,  who  soon  afterward  added 
four  more  pairs  of  buhrs  and  a  corresponding  amount  of  other  machinery, 
so  that  they  then  had  a  capacity  for  the  daily  manufacture  of  300  bar- 
rels of  flour.  These  mills  were  called  the  Miami  Mills,  and  in  a  few 
years  this  brand  of  flour  became  noted  for  its  excellence,  not  only  in 
the  United  States,  but  in  the  West  India  Islands  and  South  American 
ports.  It  was  said  of  it  that  it  would  remain  sweet  for  months  in  trop- 
ical climates  while  other  brands  would  sour.  In  1840  Dr.  Comegys  pur- 
chased Mr.  John's  interest  in  the  mills,  and  subsequently  added  a  dis- 
tillery, placing  it  in  the  same  building  with  the  flouring  business.  The 
Doctor  connected  both  the  flouring  and  whisky  business  for  a  season  or 
two,  when  he  sold  out  to  Messrs.  Bar  &  Febiger,  two  gentlemen  from 
W^ilmington,  Del.,  who  prosecuted  the  business  until  1848.  In  1847 
Milton  Gregg  erected  a  large  building  a  few  feet  south  of  the  above- 
named  mills,  in  one  end  of  which  he  placed  machinery  for  crushing  flax 
seed;  in  other  words,  an  oil-mill.  In  the  other  part  of  the  building  he 
placed  a  flouring-mill  and  machinery,  with  three  run  of  stones,  with  a  ca- 
pacity for  manufacturing  100  barrels  of  flour  daily.  This  flouring-mill 
and  machinery  he  leased  to  Lewis  &  Eichelberger  for  ten  years,  at  a 
rental  of  $1,000  per  year,  but  before  the  termination  of  one  year  he  sold 
the  mill  to  Lewis  &  Eichelberger,  and  in  a  few  months  after  the  sale 
both  oil-mill  and  flour-mill  were  consumed  by  fire.  This  occurred  in 
the  spring  of  1848.  Lewis  &  Eichelberger  did  not  rebuild,  but  at  once 
purchased  the  Miami  Mills  and  distillery.  The  latter  they  sold  to  the 
Messrs.  Gaflf,  who  removed  the  machinery  to  Aurora.  Lewis  &  Eichel- 
berger continued  to  operate  the  Miami  Mills  till    1852,  when  the  floods 


28-4  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

of  that  year  swept  off  the  great  dam  at  Harrison,  and  otherwise  dam- 
aged the  canal  so  that  it  was  confidently  asserted  and  believed  it  would 
never  be  repaired.  Lewis  &  Eichelberger,  despairing  of  ever  obtaining 
water  to  propel  their  machinery,  set  to  work  to  build  the  large  steam 
mill  on  High  Street,  which  they  completed  in  1853,  at  a  cost  exceeding 
$25,000.  The  architects,  or  millwrights,  were  resident  citizens — Messrs. 
A.  J.  Pusey  and  William  Probasco.  In  the  meantime,  the  canal  company 
had  made  a  loan  of  money  and  repaired  the  canal,  so  that  now  Lewis  & 
Eichelberger  had  a  steam-mill  with  a  capacity  of  350  barrels,  and  water- 
mills  of  300  barrels  per  day.  They  continued  to  operate  the  water-mills 
until  the  canal  was  utterly  destroyed  and  abandoned,  and  continued  to 
operate  the  steam-mill,  which  they  afterward  called  the  Miami  Mills,  up 
to  the  winter  of  1870,  when  they  were  sold  to  Messrs.  Roots  &  Co.,  of 
Cincinnati.  The  firm  of  Lewis  &  Eichelberger  was  formed  in  the  spring 
of  1847,  and  dissolved  in  the  month  of  December,  1870,  nearly  twenty- 
three  years,  in  which  time,  it  is  estimated,  over  2,000,000  barrels  of  flour 
were  manufactured  by  them,  and  the  money  paid  out  by  the  firm  for 
grain,  cooperage  and  labor  exceeds  $8,000,000.  The  mill,  under  the  pres- 
ent management  of  Messrs.  Roots  &  Co.,  has  been  enlarged  and  furnished 
with  latest  improved  machinery  for  manufacturing  purposes.  It  is  a 
model  mill  in  every  respect,  with  a  capacity  of  annually  manufacturing 
90,000  barrels.  The  firm  manufacture  the  finest  grade  of  flour,  that  has 
an  established  reputation  throughout  the  various  States. 

The  large  frame  grist-mill  known  as  the  Walnut  Street  Mills,  located 
at  the  end  of  that  street  going  to  Newtown,  was  built  in  1882,  by  Snyder 
Brothers  &  Co.,  but  now  operated  by  John  Snyder  &  Sons.  The  mill  is 
the  property  of  George  Beckenholdt.  It  has  a  capacity  of  225  bushels 
per  day  (twelve  hours).  It  is  equipped  with  improved  machinery  and  is 
valued  at  $10,000. 

The  Manufacture  of  Distilled  Liquors. — For  half  a  century  the  city, 
in  this  branch  of  industry,  has  been  famous,  not  only  the  city  but  the 
county.  This  city  is  the  headquarters  of  the  district,  the  office  having 
been  again  located  here  in  June,  1885,  the  collector  being  W.  D.  H.  Hun- 
ter. The  district  in  1880  comprised  the  counties  of  Dearborn,  Decatur, 
Franklin,  Jefferson,  Ohio,  Jennings,  Ripley  and  Switzerland.  The  total 
amount  of  revenue  collected  in  the  district  for  the  fiscal  year  ending 
April  30,  1880,  was  $3,283,991.01  of  which  $3,259,771.87  was  collected 
at  the  offices  in  Dearborn  County,  more  than  twenty-four  twenty-fifths  of 
the  entire  revenue  collected  in  the  district.  There  are  located  in  the 
county  seven  distilleries,  namely:  four  at  Lawrenceburgh,  two  at  Harri- 
son, and  one  at  Aurora.  It  is  stated  that  the  firm  of  T.  &  J.  W\  Gaff  & 
Co.,  of  Aurora,  during  fifteen  days  in  February,  1875,  paid  as  revenue 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  285 

tax  the  sura  of  $120,000.  From  the  13th  to  the  20th  of  that  month  their 
orders  for  whisky  amounted  to  2,820  barrels  at  an  average  price  of  $50 
per  barrel,  or  $141,000  for  the  entire  amount  ordered.  A  gentleman  who 
for  years  was  connected  with  the  internal  revenue  office  at  this  point,  in 
speaking  of  the  distilleries  of  the  city, remarked  that  "it  is  impossible  to 
give  the  varying  capacity  of  the  distilleries  during  all  their  histories,  but 
it  may  be  safely  said  they  have  made  enough  whisky  to  float  a  navy  or 
flood  a  city.  Since  the  tax  went  on  they  have  paid  over  $30,000,000  to 
the  government."  Two  principal  causes  make  this  a  good  distilling 
point.  The  transportation  facilities  are  good,  and  the  water  is  clear,  in- 
exhaustable  and  cold,  a  very  important  matter  in  the  business. 

The  first  distillery  for  the  manufacture  of  distilled  liquors  was  estab- 
lished by  Dann  &  Ludlow,  in  the  year  1809,  and  was  located  near  the 
present  site  of  the  Squibb  &  Co.'s  distillery.  The  motive  power  was  fur- 
nished by  an  unfortunate  blind  horse,  and  if  there  was  no  unavoidable 
delay,  they  succeeded  in  manufacturing  two  barrels  per  week,  without 
the  aid  of  lynx-eyed  revenue  officials,  and  when  it  was  finished  it  was 
straight,  nothing  crooked  there;  whisky  rings  with  their  corruptions  and 
perjuries  were  unknown  to  the  honest  pioneer.  The  next  one  was 
established  in  1821  by  Harris  Fitch  &  Co.,  on  Wilson  Creek,  on  the  land 
of  Page  Cheek,  and  for  a  number  of  years  there  was  not  a  great  deal 
done  in  this  branch  of  manufacturing,  that  of  later  years  has  grown  so 
extensive,  and  given  to  our  city  and  county  a  world  wide  reputation  for  the 
quantity  and  quality  manufactured.  In  the  year  1836,  Mr.  Amaziah  P.  Hobbs 
erected  the  first  distillery  run  by  steam-power,  with  a  capacity  of  mashing 
600  bushels  per  day.  In  the  year  1839,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and 
rebuilt  by  Hobbs  &  Craft,  and  was  again  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  year 
1850,  and  was  never  rebuilt.  Its  location  was  just  below  the  present 
Glenwood  malthouse,  the  frame  part  of  which  was  a  part  of  their  malt- 
house.  In  1847,  Peter  Robbins  erected  what  was  known  as  the  "Little 
Dinkey,"  with  a  capacity  of  150  bushels  per  day.  Mr.  Robbins  sold  to 
Andy  Morgan,  who  during  the  war  was  joined  by  E.  G.  Hayes  and  they 
operated  it  until  about  1864.  In  1847  or  1848,  George  Ross,  Antony 
Swartz  and  Gid  Benner  built  the  Rossville  distillery,  subsequently  owned 
by  John  B.  Garnier  and  E.  B.  Dobell,  with  a  capacity  of  600  bashels  per 
day.  Since  that  date  there  have  been  several  erected  which  will  appear 
in  their  regular  order;  and  there  is  no  interest  that  has  done  more  to 
build  up  the  trade  of  the  city  and  county  than  this  one. 

The  John  H.  Gaff  &  Co.  Distillery.— lu  the  year  1851  Jabez  L. 
Owenby,  J.  Anson  Marshall  and  Jacob  B.  Shepperd,  erected  the  buildings 
subsequently  owned  by  John  H.  Gaff  &  Co. ,  for  the  purpose  of  the  man- 
ufacture of  high  wines,  alchohol  and  Bourbon  whiskies.      One  year  later 


286  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

this  firm  changed  to  Bradley,  Marshall  &  Blasdel,  who  ran  it  two  years 
and  sold  to  James  Gaflf,  Marshall  still  retaining  an  interest.  Gaff  & 
Marshall  added  thereto  the  manufacture  of  flour,  and  the  business  was 
continued  under  that  firm  name  until  the  year  1863,  when  Mr.  Marshall 
retired,  and  the  firm  was  changed  to  Gaff  &  Co.  la  the  year  1869, 
another  change  occurred,  and  the  firm  was  John  H.  Gaff  &  Co.,  who 
operated  it  until  1879,  when  it  was  sold  to  N.  J.  Walsh. 

The  building  for  manufacturing  purposes  was  located  in  New  Law- 
renceburgh,  fronting  on  Shipping  Street,  and  extending  back  to  Tanner's 
Creek.  It  was  built  of  frame,  with  a  capacity  of  mashing  900  bushels 
of  grain  per  day,  producing  3,500  gallons  of  proof  spirits.  There  is  a 
brick  fire-proof  bonded  warehouse,  100x40  feet,  two  stories  high;  also  a 
malt-house  70x50  feet,  with  a  capacity  of  malting  sixty  bushels  of  grain 
per  day.  They  had  cattle  pens  with  a  capacity  of  stalling  1,200  head  of 
cattle,  and  hog  pens  for  3,000  head.  This  firm  gave  employment  to 
over  thirty  persons,  and  paid  out  annually  for  labor  over  $16,000,  and 
when  the  distillery  was  run  at  its  full  capacity,  the  General  Government 
would  realize  a  revenue  tax  upon  the  goods  manufactured,  of  nearly 
$1,000,000.  This  firm  manufactured  cologne  and  French  spirits,  alco- 
hol, high  wines  and  Bourbon  whiskies.  The  principal  points  of  trade 
for  the  sale  of  goods  manufactured  were  Cincinnati,  New  York,  Balti- 
more, Boston,  San  Francisco  and  Marseilles,  France. 

The  distillery  burned  on  the  night  of  August  27,  1885 — the  property 
of  N.  J.  Walsh.     It  had  been  idle  for  several  years. 

William  P.  Squibb  &  Co.,  Registered  Distillery,  No.  8. — In  the  year 
1868,  Mr.  Kosmos  Frederick  purchased  grounds  and  proceeded  to  erect 
buildings  for  the  purpose  of  distilling  Bourbon  whiskies  and  high  wines» 
The  same  are  situated  in  what  is  known  as  the  town  of  Greendale,  front- 
ing on  the  Indianapolis,  Cincinnati  &  Lafayette  Railroad,  and  extend- 
ing back  to  Tanner's  Creek.  Before  the  completion  of  the  building  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Messrs.  William  P.  and  George  W.  Squibb, 
and  in  January  1869,  they  commenced  operations.  September  1,- 
1871,  Mr.  Frederick  sold  out  his  interest  to  the  Squibb  Brothers,  who 
proceeded  to  enlarge  the  buildings  and  the  capacity  for  manufacturing 
purposes.  The  buildings  are  built  of  brick,  20x200  feet  in  length,  with 
an  L  extending  back  forty  feet,  three  stories  in  height,  with  a  capacity 
of  mashing  330  bushels  of  grain  per  day,  producing  1,260  proof  gallons 
of  spirits.  There  is  a  brick  warehouse,  fire-proof,  40x100  feet,  and 
they  have  recently  erected  a  brick  building  for  the  purpose  of  continuous 
distillation,  to  be  used  in  the  manufacture  of  alcohol,  cologne  spirits  and 
Bourbon  whiskies,  with  cattle  and  hog  pens  sufficient  for  all  the  stock. 
The  value  of  the  buildings  and  real  estate  is  $30,000.     This  firm  gives 


CITi'  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  287 

employment  to  fifteen  persons  and  pays  out  annually  for  labor  over 
$6,000,  and  for  articles  to  be  used  in  the  process  of  manufacturing 
$71,000,  and  pays  annually  to  the  General  Government  for  revenue  tax 
over  $300,000.  The  value  of  the  manufactured  goods,  exclusive  of  tax,  is 
over  $75,000,  and  the  value  of  the  stock  fattened  on  the  slop,  $40,000. 
The  principal  points  for  the  sale  of  the  goods  of  this  firm  are  Cincinnati, 
Louisville  and  St.  Louis.  The  members  of  the  firm  are  active  business 
men,  and  are  known  in  business  circles  for  their  promptness  and  relia- 
bility. 

N.  J.  Walshes  Registered  Distillery,  No.  7. — The  old  Rossville  dis 
tillery  was  built  in  1847  by  George  Ross,  Gid  Renner  and  Antony 
Swartz,  and  they  ran  it  till  Ross'  death.  Rittenhouse  &  Shroyer  after- 
wai-d  operated  it,  and  E.  G.  Hayes  and  William  Probasco  were  operating 
it  during  the  war,  when  the  tax  was  put  on  and  made  them  rich.  About 
1868  E.  B.  Bradford  ran  it  for  about  a  year  or  so,  and  afterward  Smith 
Fowler  ran  it  in  the  name  of  J.  S.  Smith,  and  Alf  Phillips  succeeded 
them.  In  1877  N.  J.  Walsh  bought  it  and  retains  it,  though  it  has  been 
entirely  rebuilt  and  is  perhaps  the  finest  distillery  property  in  the 
country — the  great  warehouses  and  all  the  buildings  being  of  the  beet 
brick,  and  the  machinery  the  latest  and  best  improved.  It  has  a  capacity 
of  mashing  2,100  bushels  of  grain  per  day.  The  feeding  pens  for 
cattle  will  accommodate  1,500  head,  and  the  warerooms  have  a  capacity 
of  storing  25,000  barrels  of  liquor. 

The  Nicholas  Oester  Registered  Distilling,  No.  9. — In  the  year  1875, 
Mr.  Kosmus  Frederick,  purchased  grounds  and  erected  buildings  for 
the  purpose  of  manufacturing  high  wines  and  Bourbon  whiskies.  After 
a  year  or  two,^he  sold  out  to  the  present  proprietor.  The  buildings  front 
on  Ridge  Avenue,  Greendale,  103x53  feet,  four  stories  high,  built  of  frame, 
with  a  brick  warehouse  20x20  feet,  and  three  stories  high;  a  fermenting 
house  25x72  feet,  and  cattle  and  hog  pens  sufficient  for  all  stock.  The 
capacity  of  the  building  is  for  mashing  400  bushels  of  grain  per  day,  pro- 
ducing 1,600  proof  gallons  of  spirits.  The  value  of  the  building  and  real 
estate  is  $30,000.  When  run  to  its  full  capacity,  it  will  give  employment 
to  twelve  persons,  and  require  an  annual  expenditure  for  labor  of  over  $7,- 
000,  and  for  materials  to  be  used  in  the  process  of  manufacture  of  over 
$80,000,  and  will  pay  a  revenue  tax  to  the  General  Government  of  $400,- 
000.  The  value  of  the  manufactured  goods,  exclusive  of  the  tax,  is  over 
$100,000,  and  the  value  of  stock  fattened  on  slop  $50,000. 

The  Frederick  Rodenhurg  &  Co.  Registered  Distillery,  No.  12  is  located 
on  Tanner's  Creek  near  the  bridge,  the  main  building  being  a  large  frame 
three  stories  high.  The  business  was  established  in  1880,  by  Fred 
Rodenburg,  at  a  cost  of  about  $15,000.     Other  members  of  the  firm  are 


288  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Christ  Rodenburg  and  Charles  Aring.  Eight  men  are  employed,  and 
the  distillery  has  a  capacity  of  mashing  310  bushels  of  grain  per  day. 
High  wines  and  Boarbon  whisky  are  distilled  here. 

The  Brewery  Business. — The  first  brewery  for  the  manufacture  of 
beer  was  established  by  George  Ross,  in  the  year  1845,  in  the  building 
known  as  the  Old  Cotton  Mill,  on  the  ground  where  the  Wheel  Company 
is  at  the  present  time,  with  a  capacity  of  manufacturing  twenty  barrels 
per  day.  In  the  year  1850,  Kosmos  Frederick  built  the  brewery  now 
owned  by  J.  J.  Hauck,  which  remains  unemployed.  In  the  year  1855, 
Mr.  John  B.  Gamier  erected  a  small  brewery  fronting  on  Shipping  Street, 
with  a  capacity  for  manufacturing  ten  barrels  per  day,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  operate  for  nearly  two  years,  when  the  business  had  increased  to 
such  an  extent,  that  he  was  compelled  to  have  larger  capacity,  and  he 
purchased  the  brewery  erected  by  Cosmos  Frederick,  and  continued 
there  until  1866,  then  sold  to  Hauck  &  Gebhard.  He  at  once  commenced 
to  erect  the  large  building  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Shipping  Streets. 
The  building  for  manufacturing  purposes  is  100x100  feet,  two  and  a  half 
stories  high,  with  three  lager  beer  cellars,  100x17  feet,  and  sixteen  feet 
high,  with  malting  rooms,  with  a  capacity  for  malting  150  bushels  of 
grain  per  day.  The  capacity  of  the  brewery  is  fifty  barrels  per  day.  The 
brewery  gives  employment  to  twelve  or  fifteen  persons,  and  pays  out 
annually  for  labor  $10,000,  and  for  materials  to  be  used  in  the  process  of 
manufacturing,  the  sum  of  $70,000,  and  if  run  at  its  full  capacity,  the 
General  Government  would  realize  a  revenue  tax  of  over  $15,000.  The 
trade  is  confined  to  the  State  of  Indiana.  The  value  of  real  estate  and 
surrounding  property  is  $50,000.  Mr.  John  B.  Garnier  is  a  native  of 
France.  When  he  arrived  in  this  country  he  was  without  any  means,  and 
commenced  without  any  capital,  but  by  his  industry  and  economy,  has 
become  one  of  our  wealthiest  citizens. 

The  Edwin  B.  Dobell  Furniture  Factory. — In  the  year  1863,  Mr.  E. 
B.  Dobell,  who  had  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fur- 
niture in  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  and  his  factory  having  been  destroyed 
by  fire,  purchased  from  Elzy  G.  Burkam  and  Joseph  H.  Burkam,  the 
furniture  factory  located  in  Greendale,  which  was  built  by  Brown  & 
Tate,  the  original  pioneers  of  the  manufacturing  of  furniture  for  the 
wholesale  trade  in  our  city.  He  paid  for  said  property  the  sum  of 
$22,000,  and  proceeded  to  the  manufacture  of  a  general  line  of  furni- 
ture, making  a  specialty  of  bureaus,  washstands,  extension  tables  and 
bedroom  suites.  By  strict  attention  to  business,  he  soon  succeeded  in 
building  up  an  extensive  trade  throughout  the  various  States. 

During  the  month  of  May,  1873,  his  extensive  manufactory  was 
destroyed  by  fire,   whereby  he'sustained  a  loss  of   $45,000.     With  his 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  289 

usual  energy  he  at  once  proceeded  to  repair  the  damage,  and  in  less  than 
three  months  the  buildings  were  erected,  stocked  with  machinery  and  in 
working  order.  The  building  is  60x100  feet,  four  stories  high,  built  of 
brick,  with  an  iron  roof.  Surrounded  by  his  extensive  lumber  yards,  the 
factory  building,  residence  and  real  estate  are  valued  at  $30,000.  He 
employs  from  seventy  to  seventy-five  persons  in  the  various  departments, 
and  expends  annually  for  labor  over  $35,000,  and  for  material  to  be  used 
in  the  manufacture  the  sum  of  125,000;  the  value  of  the  goods  manu- 
factured is  over  $100,000.  There  is  constantly  on  hand  a  large  stock  of 
manufactured  goods,  and  in  his  yard  a  stock -of  seasoned  lumber,  from 
500,000  to  750,000  feet.  The  principal  points  of  the  trade  of  this  firm 
ai*e  in  the  South  and  West,  extending  as  far  south  as  Florida,  and  west 
as  California,  and  embracing  all  the  territories.  The  entire  management 
of  the  business  in  all  its  departments  is  under  the  supervision  and  con- 
trol of  Mr.  E.  B.  Dobell,  who  is  known  as  one  of  our  most  enterprising 
and  upright  business  men. 

The  Lawrencehurgh  Furniture  Manufacturing  Company  was  organ- 
ized February  13,  1868,  by  Christ  Lommel,  Charles  Schnell,  Conrad 
Sander,  John  C.  Brand,  Fred  Klienhans,  George  Fi-eyn,  Adam  Kastner 
and  Fred.  Rodenberg,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $7,000.  At  the  annual 
meeting  of  stockholders,  February  13,  1869,  was  increased  to  $13,000; 
March  5,  1870,  to  $15,000;  April  1,  1871,  to  $22,700;  February  21, 
1872,  to  $33,100;  December  31,  1872,  to  $43,300;  January  13, 
1874,  to  $58,150;  in  January,  1875,  to  $59,400;  and  in  January,  1876, 
it  was  increased  lo  $63,250,  which  is  the  capital  stock  at  this  date. 
The  establishment  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State,  with  C. 
Sander,  as  president;  C.  Lommel,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  F.  Klein- 
hans,  as  foreman  of  the  factory.  The  management  has  not  materially 
changed.  The  building  for  manufacturing  purposes,  corner  Main  and 
Second  Streets,  New  Lawrencehurgh,  is  built  partly  of  brick  and  frame; 
is  40x100  feet,  two  stories  high,  with  a  basement,  supplied  with  the 
most  improved  machinery,  and  run  by  steam-power. 

The  warerooms  "are  situated  on  the  corner  of  Short  and  Centre  Streets, 
Lawrencehurgh,  are  built  of  brick,  41x118,  three  stories  high  and  a 
basement.  The  buildings,  real  estate  and  machinery  ai-e  valued  at 
$28,000.  The  firm  gives  employment  to  from  seventy  fo  eighty  persons, 
and  pays  out  annually  for  labor  $40,000,  and  expends  for  materials 
$45,000,  and  the  value  of  the  manufactured  goods  are  over  $100,000, 
and  carry  a  stock  of  seasoned  lumber  from  800,000  to  900,000  feet,  and 
have  constantly  on  hand  a  large  stock  of  manufactured  goods.  The 
specialty  of  the  firm  are  bureaus,  washstands,  bedsteads,  dressing-case 
suites,  and  bedroom  suites.    The  principal  points  of  trade  are  in  the  West- 

17 


290  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ern  and  Southern  States,  with  some  sales  in  the  Eastern  States.  The 
business  of  the  firm  is  constantly  on  the  increase,  and  their  goods  manu- 
factured have  a  reputation  the  equal  of  any  in  the  West,  and  the  busi- 
ness characters  of  the  members  of  the  firm  are  well  established  for  prompt 
and  correct  dealing. 

The  Miami  Valley  Furniture  Manufacturing  Company. — On  the  24th 
day  of  March,  1868,  George  Hodel,  Jr.,  John  Christena,  Henry  F. 
Wencke,  Adam  Schleicher,  George  Schleicher,  Gustave  Schoenberger,  Her- 
man H.  Woehle,  John  F.  Sembach,  Philip  Dexheimer,  George  Hodel,  Sr., 
Johann  J.  Haack,  Samuel  Dickenson,  John  Bookster,  Levin  B.  Lewis 
and  Alexander  Beckman,  formed  themselves  into  an  association  to  be  gov- 
erned in  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  the  State  of  Indiana,  approved  May  20,  1852,  and  the  acts  amendatory 
thereof;  the  association  to  be  known  by  the  title  of  the  Miami  Valley 
Furniture  Manufacturing  Company;  the  capital  stock  $20,000.  The 
existence  of  the  company  was  to  be  for  fifty  years  ;  the  object  of  the  com- 
pany was  the  manufacturing  of  a  general  line  of  furniture. 

The  officers  of  the  company  were  as  follows:  George  Hodel,  Jr.,  pres- 
ident; Harris  Bateman,  secretary;  Levin  B.  Lewis,  treasurer.  Directors: 
George  Hodel,  Jr.,  John  Christena,  Henry  F.  Wenke,  Adam  Schlicher, 
Levin  B.  Lewis,  Johann  J.  Hauck  and  Gustave  Shoenberger.  The  com- 
pany proceeded  at  once  to  erect  their  buildings  on  their  grounds,  situated 
on  High  Street,  between  Charlotte  and  Maple  Streets.  The  building  for 
manufacturing  purposes  is  70x80  feet,  four  stories  high,  stocked  with  all 
the  latest  improved  machinery  and  run  by  steam  power.  The  warehouse 
is  34x150  feet  and  four  stories  high.  At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  stock- 
holders, January  4,  1870.  on  account  of  the  increase  of  the  business,  it 
was  ordered  that  the  capital  stock  be  increased  to  $40,000;  at  the  annual 
meeting  on  the  3d  day  of  January,  1871,  it  was  increased  to  $60,000;  at 
the  annual  meeting,  January  8,  1872,  it  was  increased  to  $75,000;  at  the 
an  Dual  meeting,  January  6,  1873,  it  was  increased  to  $82  500;  at  the 
annual  meeting,  January  6,  1874,  it  was  increased  to  $100,000,  which  is 
the  capital  at  the  present  time.  The  company  gives  employment  to  about 
sixty-five  persons,  and  pays  out  annually,  for  labor,  the  sum  of  $42,000.  The 
real  estate  is  valued  at  $25,000,  and  carries  a  stock  of  lumber  from  750,- 
000  to  1,000,000  feet;  and  annually  pays  out  for  material  for  manufac- 
turing pui'poses  over  $40,000.  The  annual  sales  of  manufactured  articles 
is  over  $100,000.  The  increase  and  extent  of  the  business  has  exceeded 
the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  incorporators,  owing  to  the  admir- 
able management  of  its  officers.  During  its  existence  it  has  paid  to  the 
stockholders  over  150  per  cent  of  dividends. 

The  quality  of  the  furniture  manufactured  by  this  firm  defies  competi- 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBDRGH.  291 

tion;  its  trade  extends  over  the  Eastern,  Western  and  Southern  States,  and 
large  quantities  are  shipped  direct  to  the  Canadas.  And  owing  to  the 
safe  and  prudent  management  of  its  financial  department  by  its  young 
and  enterprising  president,  Mr.  George  Hodel,  Jr.,  who  has  annually 
been  elected  to  that  position  from  its  organization,  the  company  has 
never  been  compelled  to  ask  an  extension  of  time,  but  at  all  times  was 
prepared  to  promptly  meet  its  liabilities.  The  management  has  not 
materially  changed  since  the  beginning;  the  former  secretary,  Harris 
Bateman,  died  in  1873,  when  C.  M.  Pritchard  succeeded  him  to  that  oflfice. 
The  Ohio  Valley  Coffin  Company. — January  27,  1872,  Timothy  E. 
Scobey,  George  Hodel,  Jr.,  Israel  Crist,  Charles  Decker,  James  C.  Mar- 
tin, Joseph  McGranahan,  Charles  B.  Burkam,  Charles  Lommel,  James 
E.  Larimer,  John  Dorr,  Henry  Fritz,  Thomas  Freeman,  Washington 
Howard,  Julius  Israel,  Loyd  S.  Isdell,  Christian  Knoebel,  John  Knoebel,. 
Henry  Leindecker,  James  J.  McConnell,  William  Pound,  Peter  Roller, 
George  M.  Roberts,  Louis  Kohlerman,  James  E.  Smashea,  William 
Seekatz,  Thomas  H.  Tyson,  Mathias  Miller,  Joseph  White,  August 
Wencke,  organized  under  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of 
Indiana,  to  be  known  as  the  Ohio  Valley  Coffin  Company,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $30,000.  Existence  of  the  organization  to  be  fifty  years; 
object,  for  the  purpose  of    manufacturing  wooden   burial  caskets  and 


The  officers  of  the  company  were  as  follows:  Timothy  E.  Scobey, 
president;  George  T.  Bateman,  secretary;  Israel  Crist,  treasurer;  T.  E. 
Scobey,  George  Hodel,  Jr.,  Israel  Crist,  Henry  Leindecker,  Charles 
Decker,  James  C.  Martin,  Joseph  McGranahan,  Charles  B.  Burkam  and 
Charles  Lommel,  directors.  The  company  erected  their  buildings  on 
High  Street,  between  Ash  and  Maple  Streets.  The  building  for  manu- 
facturing purposes  is  40x100  feet,  three  stories  high.  The  warehouse  is 
35x70,  three  stories  high. 

For  some  years  the  enterprise  languished  and  there  was  a  frequent 
change  in  officers.  The  present  management,  consisting  of  L.  S.  Isdell, 
president;  Charles  Decker,  superintendent  and  manager;  Samuel 
McElfresh,  secretary  and  treasurer,  have  conducted  the  business  since 
in  1875,  and  under  their  management  the  trade  has  steadily  revived 
until  the  institution  now  occupies  an  enviable  position.  In  1873 
the  capital  stock  was  increased  to  $39,000,  and  at  present  its  capital 
stock  is  $58,500.  This  is  one  of  the  leading  factories  of  the  city,  and  is 
doing  an  extensive  business.  They  manufacture  all  kinds  of  coffins, 
caskets,  and  all  kinds  of  trimmings  are  kept  on  hand.  The  capacity  of 
the  factory  is  600  coffins  and  caskets  per  week,  and  the  annual  business 
of  the  concern  amounts  to  upward  of  $100,000.     Employment  is  given 


292  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

to  about  seveuty-five  workmen.  The  real  estate  of  the  company  in  1876, 
was  valued  at  $19,000;  stock  of  manufactured  articles,  $15,000;  lumber 
and  materials,  $7,000. 

Similar  Factories  That  Were. — In  the  line  of  manufactories,  of 
which  we  have  just  been  treating,  there  have  been  others  of  considerable 
proportions  to  which  the  city  pointed  with  pride,  but  which  are  now 
numbered  with  the  things  that  were.  The  large  four-story  brick  build- 
ing, forty  feet  deep  located  in  New  Lawrenceburgh,  facing  Front  Street, 
is  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  of  the  Dearborn  Furniture  Company,  by 
whom  it  was  built  in  1873,  it  and  the  ground  costing  about  $18,000. 
This  company,  composed  of  George  Otto,  C.  J.  B.  Ratjen,  J.  C.  Keitel, 
J.  Gabriel,  L.  Bock,  George  Kaffenberger,  A.  Menken,  Christ.  Lommel, 
Charles  Kepper,  Joseph  Zengel,  G.  Baumgartner,  Conrad  Kepper,  B. 
Burkhardt,  Rev.  C.  F.  Worth,  C.  Kleyer,  J.  Hunnefield,  F.  Schneider, 
F.  Schlosser,  P.  Jacquot,  A.  Dietrich,  J.  W.  Roth,  J.  H.  Leindecker,  J. 
A.  Schwartz,  A.  Gass,  J.  W.  Loew,  Herman  Saager,  L.  Kupperschmidt, 
J.  Lose,  P.  L.  Matheus,  George  Seekatz,  C.  Israel,  J.  Duerr,  C.  Fitterer, 
J.  Jack,  F.  Lang,  C.  Kress,  A.  Stienback,  H.  Knude,  Joseph  Pallizcino, 
F.  J.  Messang,  F.  Kreider,  J.  Israel,  F.  Winter,  B.  Margileth,  A. 
Kiefer,  M.  H.  Kiefer,  H.  Eberharfc,  T.  W.  Kestner,  Christopher 
Scherger,  Fred  Schnider,  A.  Kanter,  W.  Panze,  John  Walser,  John 
Smith,  John  Ott,  Fred  Petershagen,  Frank  Federle,  William  Schoepflen, 
Ed  Seekatz  and  L.  Arnold,  was  organized  and'incorpovated  in  accord- 
ance with  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State 
of  Indiana,  a  company  to  be  known  as  the  Dearborn  Furniture  Company. 
The  capital  stock  of  the  company  was  $40,000.  They  did  business  sev- 
eral years  only.  Subsequent  to  the  termination  of  their  business  the 
McLain  Chair  Factory  was  established  in  the  same  building,  which  was 
carried  on  only  a  year  or  so,  when  it  too  passed  into  history. 

In  1875  a  firm  under  the  title  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Chair  Company, 
composed  of  Matthew  Bresbo  and  other  practical  mechanics,  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  chairs,  making  a  specialty  of  cane  bottom  chairs,  did 
business  on  Walnut  Street. 

March  17,  1873,  the  firm  of  Marsh  &  Ewbank  entered  into  a  partner- 
ship for  the  manufacture  of  a  general  line  of  wooden  burial  cases  and 
caskets.  Their  manufactory  was  situated  on  Elm  Street  and  was  well 
equipped  with  improved  machinery,  run  by  steam  power.  Their  ware 
rooms  were  on  Third  Street.  This  enterprise  lasted  but  a  few  years 
when  it  ceased. 

The  Bauer  Cooperage  Company. — One  of  the  leading  industries  of 
the  city  was  established  in  1880  by  James  Walsh,  who  conducted  the 
business  two  years,  when  in  1882  it  became  the  property  of  the  present 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  293 

firm,  with  a  capital  stock  of  1100,000.  The  members  of  the  company 
and  officers  are  James  Walsh,  N.  J.  "Walsh,  secretary;  D.  F.  Walsh, 
Jacob  N.  Bauer,  vice-president;  John  G.  Bauer,  president  and  treasurer. 
The  buildings  and  yard  of  this  mammoth  enterprise  are  located  in  New 
Lawrenceburgh,  on  the  corner  of  Third  Street  and  the  railroad  (opposite 
the  brewery)  and  cover  nearly  half  of  the  block,  the  main  building 
being  a  large  two-story  brick.  The  establishment  is  equipped  with  the 
most  modern  and  improved  machinery,  giving  it  a  capacity  of  turning 
out  600  casks  per  day.  It  gives  employment  to  from  150  to  200  persons. 
The  establishment  was  burned  on  the  night  of  December  2,  1884,  but 
was  immediately  rebuilt.      Whisky  casks  only  are  here  manufactured. 

The  Miami  Stove  TForAvs,  located  on  the  up]  er  end  of  High  Street  be- 
between  the  tracks  of  the  Big  Four  and  Ohio&  Mississippi  Railroad,  were 
established  in  1877  by  S.  L.  Yourtee  &  Co.,  of  Cincinnati, Ohio.  In  consid- 
eration, on  the  part  of  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh,  of  $27,000  and  the 
grounds,  the  company  was  induced  to  locate  the  works  at  this  place.  Messrs. 
Frank  R.  Dorman,  James  D.  Willis,  Dr.  Harding,  George  W.  Preston, 
H.  C.  Kidd  and  Col.  Burkam  were  instrumental  in  securing  the  same. 
Iq  1880,  Yourtee  &  Co.  assigned,  and  the  establishment  became  the 
property  of  a  stock  company,  of  which  the  present  capital  stock  is  $50.- 
000,  and  the  officers,  Fred  Naeher,  president;  J.  E.  Warneford,  vice- 
president,  and  Benjamin  Ruthman,  secretary.  The  buildings  are  of 
brick  and  cover  a  large  area  of  ground;  the  main  building  is  three  stories 
high,  35x125  feet.  The  cost  of  the  foundry,  ready  for  operation,  was 
$35,000.  The  full  capacity  of  the  establishment  is  150  men.  They 
manufacture  various  kinds  of  cooking  and  heating  stoves,  of  which  the 
Miamis  and  May-Flowers  have  gained  a  large  reputation. 

The  George  Huschart  &  Co.^s  Marble  Works.— In  the  year  1841  George 
Huschart  and  Jacob  Meyer,  Si\,  entered  into  a  co-partnership  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  on  the  business  of  marble  and  freestone  works. 
Their  place  of  business  was  located  on  the  lot  where  the  Odd  Fellows 
Hall  is  now  built;  the  co-partnership  existed  until  1842.  Mr.  Meyer 
disposed  of  his  interest  and  moved  to  Connersville,  Ind.  There  were 
several  changes  in  the  firm  from  that  time  to  the  present,  Mr.  Huschart 
always  retaining  a  large  interest.  During  that  period,  by  the  excellent 
workmanship  of  the  firm,  they  have  built  up  an  extensive  trade.  The 
firm  at  present  consists  of  George  Huschart  and  Michael  M.  Huschart,  his 
son.  Their  place  of  business  is  located  at  Nos.  131,  133  and  135  Walnut 
Street.  They  are  prepared  to  fill  all  orders  for  monuments,  tombstones, 
tomb- tables,  etc.,  of  American  and  Italian  marble,  red  and  gray  Scotch 
granite,  in  the  neatest  and  most  tasteful  styles.  Mr.  George  Huschart, 
senior  member  of  the  firm,  is  one  of  the  oldest  business  men,  with  a 
reputation  for  upright  dealing  in  his  business  unquestioned. 


294  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  Carriage  and  Spring  Wagon  Manufactory  of  William  Fike. — In 
1850,  A.  A.  Heifer  and  John  Mower  commenced  the  business  of  manu- 
facturing carriages  in  the  "old  pork  house  building,"  on  Walnut  Street. 
Their  partnership  continued  about  four  years;  they  were  succeeded  by 
Heifer  &  Woodward,  who  erected  the  large  building  now  known  as  the 
New  York  Store,  in  1855,  and  carried  on  a  very  prosperous  business, 
manufacturing  carriages  mainly  for  the  Southern  market.  In  1861  Mr. 
Woodward  retired  from  the  business,  and  Mr.  Heifer  sold  the  building 
and  constructed  another  on  Short  Street,  where  he  continued  the  business 
until  1873,  when  he  sold  out  to  George  Pfalzgraf  6l  Bro.,who  were  the 
proprietors  of  the  manufactory  up  to  1881,  when  succeeded  by  the  pres- 
ent proprietor,  whose  place  of  business  is  designated  as  Nos.  23  &  25 
Short  Street,  where  he  manufactures  all  kinds  of  buggies,  phaetons, 
spring-wagons,  etc.      He  employs  eight  men. 

The  A.  D.  Cook  Pump  and  Tube  Well  Manufactory. — These  works 
and  light  machine  shops  are  located  on  the  south  side  of  Walnut,  be- 
tween Centre  and  Tate  Streets,  where  are  manufactured  improved  tube 
wells,  tube  well  strainers,  the  latter  of  which  he  makes  a  specialty  of, 
and  on  which  he  has  established  a  good  trade.  All  kinds  of  repairing 
is  also  done  by  Mr.  Cook,  who  is  a  live  and  enterprising  man.  The  es- 
tablishment was  founded  in  1882  and  now  gives  employment  to  fifteen 
men. 

The  Burkam  Lumber  Company  was  established  in  1865  by  J.  H. 
Burkam,  with  an  investment  of  $20,000.  In  1883  it  was  transferred  to 
a  stock  company,  known  under  the  above  title.  The  firm  is  now  com- 
posed of  J.  H.,  W.  T.  and  F.  M.  Burkam.  The  planing-mill,  door, 
flooring  and  sash  factory  and  lumber  yards  are  located  on  the  corner  of 
Short  and  William  Streets,  where  the  business  has  been  continuously 
and  extensively  carried  on. 

P.  Walter  &  Son,  Dealer  in  Agricultural  Implements,  Feed  Store  and 
Manufacturers  of  Wagons,  Farming  Tools  and  General  Blacksmithing. — 
This  establishment  is  located  on  Walnut  Street,  and  was  founded,  the 
wagon  and  blacksmith  department  in  1879,  and  the  implement  business 
added  in  1882.  These  gentlemen  are  enterprising  and  public-spirited 
business  men,  and  deserving  of  the  patronage  of  the  country  at  large. 

The  Manufacture  of  Cigars. — For  a  period  in  this  city's  history  and 
that  of  the  county.  Dearborn  was  also  famous  for  this  branch  of  indus- 
try. In  the  year  1873  it  was  said  that  there  were  more  cigars  manu- 
factured in  this  county  than  in  any  other  county  in  the  United  States 
west  of  Cincinnati.  The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  number  of 
cigars  sold  by  each  manufacturer  in  the  county  during  the  year  1873; 


CITY  OF  LAAVRENCEBURGH.  295 

C.  H.  Werneke  (Lawrenceburgh) 2,145,300 

J.  Rief  &  Bro.  (Lawrenceburgh) 1,859,550 

William  Huber  (Lawrenceburgh) 700,000 

George  Ritter  (Aurora) 63,000 

C.  F.  Cless  (Aurora) 71,000 

J.  P.  Arnold  (Aurora) 118,000 

Abeles  &  Jaehing  (Aurora),  eight  months 63,000 

H.  Danimyer  (Manchester) 183,000 

H.  Maune  (St.  Leon) 52,000 

V.  Hoff  (Lawrenceville) 29,000 

Total 5,303,050 

Of  the  three  Lawrenceburgh  factories  referred  to,  the  one  of  Clamor 
H.  W.  Werneke  was  established  by  that  gentleman  on  a  small  scale  in 
1853.  His  business  constantly  increased,  and  from  the  first  year's  labor 
of  two  hands  and  100,000  cigars  manufactured,  it  grew  to  that  extent 
that  for  a  number  of  years  there  were  employed  from  sixty  to  eighty 
hands,  manufacturing  annually  from  2,000,000  to  3,000,000  cigars,  and 
expending  for  labor  over  $30,000,  requiring  an  outlay  for  material  to  be 
used  in  the  process  of  manufacturing  of  over  $35,000,  and  paying  an- 
nually to  the  General  Government  for  revenue  stamps  over  $16,000.  In 
1876  the  county  press  thus  alluded  to  him:  "His  manufactory  is  located 
on  High  Street,  built  of  brick,  three  stories  high,  and  complete  in  all  its 
departments.  Mr.  "Werneke,  with  all  his  enterprise  and  energy,  has 
proven  a  benefactor  to  the  interests  of  the  laboring  masses  of  our  city. 
He  has  taught  hundreds  the  trade  and  ever  acted  generously  with  them; 
and  to-day,  many  of  the  first-class  business  men  of  the  trade  throughout 
the  various  cities  and  towns  of  the  "West  learned  the  business  with  him. 
Upright  and  prompt  in  all  his  dealings,  he  is  known  and  appreciated  in 
all  bubiness  circles.  May  the  pioneer  of  this  great  manufacturing  inter- 
est of  our  city  live  many  years  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  energy  and 
enterprise." 

In  the  centennial  issue  of  the  Register  the  factories  of  Jacob  Rief  & 
Bro.,  and  that  of  William  Huber  were  thus  referred  to:  "On  the  1st 
day  of  September,  1869,  Jacob  Rief  &  Bro.,  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facturing of  a  general  line  of  cigars.  Their  manufactory  was  first  located 
on  the  corner  of  Walnut  and  William  Streets,  with  a  capital  of  less  than 
$100.  Mr.  Jacob  Rief  being  a  practical  cigar  maker,  purchased  the 
materials  and  sold  in  a  retail  way  at  his  shop  the  manufactured  goods. 
In  time  the  business  increased,  and  he  employed  one  journeyman;  dur- 
ing the  year  1869,  there  were  manufactin'edJ39, 100  cigars;  in  the  year 
1870  the  business  still  inc7"eased,  and  there  were  manufactured  119,200 
cigars,  which  were  principally  sold  in  a  retail  way  to  the  the  trade  in  the 
city.     In  the  year  1871,  was  the  commencement  of  the   wholesale  busi- 


296  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ness  of  the  firm.  A  wholesale  jobber  in  the  trade  at  Indianapolis  having 
seen  a  sample  of  the  goods  being  manufactured,  called  at  the  shop,  and 
astonished  Mr.  Rief  by  proposing  to  contract  for  the  delivery  of  10,000 
cigars  per  week.  He  laid  down  his  knife  and  the  unfinished  cigar,  and 
accepted  the  offer.  At  once  with  his  usual  energy  he  proceeded  to  ar- 
range for  the  fulfillment  of  his  contract.  Closing  out  the  retail  depart- 
ment he  moved  to  more  commodious  rooms  on  the  corner  of  New  and 
Walnut  Streets;  during  that  year  he  gave  employment  to  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  persons;  manufactured  and  sold  359,000  cigars.  In  the  year 
following  the  business  was  extended  beyond  the  limits  of  the  State,  and 
there  were  manufactured  and  sold  638,100  cigars.  During  the  year  fol- 
lowing Mr.  Rief  facilitated  the  manufacturing  of  cigars  by  adopting 
and  using  the  Oberhelm  patent  molds;  and  having  enlarged  the  manu- 
factory buildings,  employed  a  traveling  agent  to  assist  in  introducing 
his  goods  and  making  sales;  the  success  and  extent  of  the  business  of 
that  year  far  exceeded  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  firm,  and 
there  were  manufactured  and  sold  2,161,750  cigars,  giving  employment 
to  from  fifty  to  sixty  persons.  The  business  continually  increased,  and 
there  are  annually  manufactured  over  3,000,000  cigars,  giving  employ- 
ment to  over  eighty  persons,  and  paying  annually  for  labor  the  sum  of 
$31,000,  and  for  materials  in  the  manufacture  of  goods  over  $42,000, 
and  paying  annually  to  the  General  Government  for  revenue  stamps  over 
$16,000.  Their  manufactory  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Walnut  and 
New  Streets,  65x132  feet,  and  two  stories  high.  The  real  estate  and 
buildings  are  valued  at  $10,000.  The  rapid  growth  and  success  of  this 
enterprise  has  been  mainly  attributed  to  the  indomitable  energy  and 
business  qualifications  of  Mr.  Jacob  Rief.  He  is  yet  a  young  man,  raised 
in  our  midst;  he  has  done  a  great  deal  in  building  up  the  manufactur- 
ing interests  of  his  native  city. 

"  William  Huber  commenced  the  manufactui-e  of  cigars  in  the  year 
1866,  being  a  practical  cigar-maker,  decided  that  he  would  commence 
business  for  himself.  Purchasing  twenty-five  pounds  of  tobacco,  he 
manufactured  it,  sold  his  cigars,  purchased  more  stock,  and  by  his  in- 
dustry and  economy  and  honorable  attention  to  business,  he  has  in  a  few 
years  succeeded  in  establishing  and  building  up  a  lucrative  business. 
He  gives  employment  to  from  twelve  to  fifteen  persons,  and  annually 
manufactures  from  500,000  to  700,000  cigars.  His  manufactory  is 
located  on  the  corner  of  Walnut  and  William  Streets.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  good  business  qualifications,  prompt  and  reliable,  and  of  in- 
dustrious habits,  and  ranks  among  our  men  of  enterprise  and  energy." 

Mr.  Huber  is  still  carrying  on  the  business,  but  now  located  on  High 
Street  between  Walnut  and  Short.  Neither  of  the  other  two  factories 
are  in  existence  in  the  city  at  this  time. 


^y^?^^    /4^t:>o- *-i^^^  c^i^ 


CITY  OF  LAWRExXCEBURGH.  297 

Other  Past  Manufacturies. — On  High  Street,  opposite  the  courthouse 
is  a  large  brick  building  in  which  was  formerly  carried  on  the.  business 
of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Woolen  Mills.  The  building  is  90x54  feet  and 
four  stories  high,  in  which  were  erected  six  machines  called  "Jacks,"  of 
264  spindles  each,  or  1,584  in  the  aggregate.  The  Lawrenceburgh  Woolen 
Manufacturing  Company  was  organized  February,  1866,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $50,000  .  Its  president  was  E.  S.  Blasdel  and  the  secre- 
tary was  E.  D.  Moore.  The  board  of  directors  were  E.  G.  Hayes,  W. 
Hayes,  John  H.  Ga£f,  Isaac  Dunn,  E.  S.  Blasdel,  L.  B.  Lewis  and  C.  B. 
Burkam.  That  spring  they  purchased  of  Col.  J.  H.  Burkam  the  site 
upon  which  this  building  was  erected.  The  machinery  for  the  factory 
cost  $35,000.     Late  in  the  year  1870  the  mills  suspended. 

Along  the  river  bank  about  opposite  St.  Clair  Street  several  years  ago 
the  firm  of  Henry  Fitch  &  Co.  built  one  of  the  largest  and  most  com- 
plete saw-mills  in  the  State,  having  a  capacity  of  sawing  80,000  feet  of 
lumber  per  day.  The  machinery  was  of  the  most  improved  order  and 
was  put  in  the  mill  to  get  out  rough  and  finished  lumber  with  the  great- 
est speed  possible.  The  mill  was  supplied  with  electric  lights,  and  was 
operated  most  of  the  time  both  day  and  night,  and  manuf  actm-ed  every, 
thing  from  lath  to  the  largest  building  material,  and  without  doubt  the 
enterprise  was  the  most  gigantic  ever  attempted  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

GAS    WORKS. 

The  gas  works  of  this  city  are  located  in  New  Lawrenceburgh,  along 
the  track  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad.  They  were  established  in  1868  by 
a  stock  company  with  a  capital  stock  of  $28,600,  and  built  by  Messrs. 
Barringer  &  Ewing.  The  first  board  of  directors  were  J.  H.  Gaff,  Theo- 
dore Gazlay,  O.  T.  Stockman,  Zeph  Heustis,  A.  A.  Heifer,  J.  Giphard,  J. 
B.  Shephard  and  John  Hornberger.  The  first  officers  were  J.  H.  Gaff, 
president;  Theodore  Gazlay,  vice-president;  O.  T.  Stockman,  secretary, 
and  J.  H.  Lewis,  treasurer. 

The  works  were  completed  and  the  city  lighted  with  gas  for  the  first 
time  on  the  night  of  Monday  October  12,  1868. 

FIRE     DEPARTMENT. 

The  first  thoroughly  organized  and  equipped  fire  department  of  the 
city  was  established  in  1882.  This  year  a  committee  appointed  by  the 
council  purchased  two  steam  fire  engines  manufactured  by  the  Ahrens 
Company  of  Cincinnati,  the  cost  of  the  engines  complete  with  reel  cart 
and  2,000  feet  of  hose  to  be  $10,800.  January  25,  1883,  the  engines 
name  "Miami"  and  "Edenburg"  put  in  their  appearance.  The  Miami 
was  at  once  given  a  test  trial  in  the  presence  of  a  large  crowd  of  citizens 


298  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

In  about  three  and  a  half  minutes  after  the  match  was  applied  to  the 
engine  she  was  throwing  a  full  stream  of  water  as  high  as  any  house  in 
the  city.  The  trial  was  satisfactory.  Both  engines  are  alike,  and  were 
much  admired  on  their  first  appearance  on  the  street.  "The  fire  laddies 
acquitted  themselves  with  credit  in  handling  the  hose,  considering  it  was 
their  first  experience  in  this  line.  They  found  the  hose  a  rather  tough 
customer  to  handle  at  first  and  not  a  few  of  them  were  sprinkled  in  their 
efiforts  to  manage  when  a  full  stream  was  being  thrown."  Both  the  New- 
town and  Oldtown  companies  are  well  officered  and  there  is  no  reason  why 
they  should  not  prove  to  be  one  of  the  best  volunteer  fire  departments 
in  the  State.  The  companies  are  composed  of  men  of  energy  and  pluck, 
and  if  they  manifest  the  interest  and  enthusiasm  that  their  friends  ex- 
pect, they  will  soon  become  the  pride  of  our  city. 

Two  engine  houses,  both  substantial  and  ornamental  brick  buildings, 
located  on  the  north  side  of  Short,  between  High  and  William  Streets, 
and  on  Third,  near  Shipping  Street  (Newtown),  were  at  once  built,  and 
have  since  been  the  quarters  of  the  two  companies,  which  are  styled 
Lawrenceburgh  Fire  Company  No.  1  and  Lawrenceburgh  Fire  Com- 
pany No.  2.  On  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  and  by-laws  in  Janu- 
ary, 1883,  the  companies  were  given  as  follows: 

Fire  Company  No.  2. — Chief  of  Fire  Department,  August  D.  Cook; 
assistant  chief,  J.  H.  Menke,  Sr. ;  captain,  John  T.  Tittel;  lieutenant, 
Gustav  H.  Donk;  secretary,  Charles  Spanagel;  assistant  secretary, 
Henry  G-ambor;  treasurer,  J.  H.  Menke,  Sr. ;  hose  directors — Jacob 
Schimpf,  Jr.,  Henry  A.  Menke,  Jr.,  Andrew  J,  Pusey,  Jr.,  John  Spana- 
gel, Henry  Stahla,"John  B.  Garnier,  Jr.;  messengers — Charles  Miller, 
Frank  Lipps,  John  Gambor;  police — Jacob  A.  Lamason,  Peter  Zins, 
John  Weaver,  John  Gardner,  August  Yerger;  standing  committee — 
Harry  F.  Leuchtenburg,  Harry  Vest,  Al  Sherrod;  engineers — George 
W.  Ward,  Albert  Sherrod;  stokers — George  W.  Foster,  Edward  Leien- 
decker;  ax  men — William  Kaffenberger,  Henry  Gambor;  additional 
members — George  Bechtel,  Barney  Niemeyer,  William  Hardley,  Edward 
Heaton;  Asa  Dillon,  William  Bush,  Andrew  Gross. 

Fire  Company  No.  1. — Chief  of  Fire  Department,  August  D.  Cook; 
assistant  chief,  Hugh  S.  Miller;  captain,  James  Brannon;  lieutenant, 
Theodore  Wade;  secretary,  John  G.  King;  treasurer,  Mathias  Hansel 
man;  engineers — J.  W.  Fawcett,  Robert  Killough,  Wilson  F.  Gaff; 
stokers — Charles  E.  Crontz,  Perry  A.  Skinner,  George  Schrader, 
John  C.  Ratjen;  pipemen — James  Isherwood,  Charles  F.  Kohr,  John 
O'Toole,  William  Lannigan;  police — John  Sicking,  Henry  Schrader, 
William  Henn,  P.  W.  Jackson,  Hanson  Freeman;  messengers — A.  J. 
Huffman,  Ralph  Fisher,   F.   Ferguson.     Hook   and    ladder    company — 


CITY  OF  LAAVRENCEBURGH.  299 

foreman,  William  Sparks;  James  Walker,  Louis  Hitzfield,  Gustavo 
AV^ehrlinof,  Frank  Mason,  Isaac  Squires,  William  Standrifif,  Frank  Bar- 
tholome,  Charles  Schrader,  Edward  Barrett,  Albert  Bartholome,  R,  Kro- 
nenberg,  James  Haney,  Samuel  Grififith.  The  fire  plugs  and  cisterns  are 
set  forth  in  the  following  list:  Plugs — At  Miami  Stove  Foundi'y,  west 
end  of  Columbus,  Indianopolis,  St.  Louis  &  Cincinnati  depot,  Miami 
Valley  Furniture  Factory,  Lawrenceburgh  Flour-Mill,  McLean  Chair 
Factory, Lawrenceburgh  furniture  company, Rossville  Distillery,  Squibb's 
Distillery.  Cisterns — Corner  St.  Clair  and  Center  Streets,  corner  Elm 
and  Margaret  Streets,  corner  High  and  Short  Streets,  corner  Walnut  and 
Centre  Streets,  corner  High  and  Charlotte  Streets,  in  front  of  Catholic 
school  building,  in  front  of  Catholic  Church,  corner  First  and  Front 
Streets,  Newtown;  corner  Third  and  Main  Streets,  Newtown;  corner 
Main  and  New  Streets,  Newtown. 

SOCIETIES. 

Union  Lodge  No.  8,  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  at  Lawrence- 
burgh on  the  1st  day  of  February,  1841,  in  the  building  on  High  Street 
several  years  ago,  occupied  by  Werneke's  cigar  manufactory,  by  Grand 
Master  Christian  Bucher,  and  assistants.  The  charter  members  were 
N.  N.  John,  Benjamin  Mayhew,  John  Wymond,  William  Eichelberger 
and  Willis  Miles.  The  first  officers  were  William  Eichelberger,  N.  G.  ; 
Benjamin  Mayhew,  V.  G. ;  N.  N.  John,  secretary;  John  Wymond,  treas- 
urer. Nearly  all  the  other  charter  members  (in  1876)  had  passed  away. 
Brother  John  then  resided  in  Galveston,  Texas;  Brother  Wymond  in 
Indianopolis.  Brother  Mayhew  died  in  this  city,  and  the  members  of  the 
order,  true  to  their  sacred  principles,  assisted  and  educated  his  orphans. 
Brother  Eichelberger  died  June  2,  1871.  He  was  a  true  and  noble 
man,  an  honor  to  his  lodge,  and  a  faithful  exponent  of  its  charitable 
teachings.  He  lived  respected  by  his  fellow  men,  and  died  lamented  by 
all  who  knew  him.  The  first  initiations  were  George  Dunn,  John  Gill, 
David  Gibson,  J.  S.  Lemly,  John  Kyle,  Jesse  Hippie  and  Martin  H. 
Oflfutt.  The  oldest  member  of  the  lodge  (in  1876)  was  Samuel  Craft,  of 
Atchison,  Kas.,  who  had  been  a  member  since  February  24,  1841. 
January  18,  1845,  Brothers  George  Dunn,  P.  Ewing,  Jason  Piei'ce, 
H.  R.  Hall,  George  Chandler,  William  Davidson,  John  Medrus,  O.  T. 
Stockman,  O.  P.  Gray,  George  Morton  and  E.  Bateman  withdrew  by 
card  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  Vigilance  Lodge  No.  16.  Said  lodge 
has  since  surrendered  its  charter.  The  lodge  now  numbers  sixty- five, 
and  it  is  officered  as  follows:  Stephen  H.  Heustis,  noble  grand;  D.  C. 
Huffman,  vice  grand;  J.  R.  Kuhlman,  permanent  secretary;  William 
Fagaly,  recording  secretary;  Peter  Braun,  treasurer;  John  D.  Bostic, 
conductor;  George  Wood,  warden;  John  M.  Roehm,  I.  Guardian. 


300  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

December  9,  1850,  Brothers  H.  Dawson,  R.  Greenfield,  Robert 
Lancaster  and  E.  Jackson,  withdrew  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a 
lodge  at  Guilford.  In  the  year  1853,  the  present  hall  building  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $11,500. 

From  the  organization  of  the  lodge  up  to  1876,  there  were  received 
as  members  375  persons.  The  financial  condition  of  the  lodge  was  then: 
General  fund,  $9,509.75;  orphan  fund,  $2,172.43. 

Foriuna  Lodge  No.  289,  I.  O.  O.  i^.— July  29,  1867,  C.  J.  B. 
Ratjen,  L.  Adler,  George  P.  Vogel,  George  Myers,  William  Young, 
Anton  Schneider,  William  Linkenbach,  John  Eisel,  Frederick  Klein- 
hans  and  A.  Probsel,  withdrew  from  Union  Lodge,  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  Fortuna  Lodge  No.  289,  which  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Lawrenceburgh  Chajjter  No.  56,  R.  A.  M. — Dispensation  granted 
December  20,  1865,  signed  by  Thomas  Pattison,  G.  H.  P.,  and  William 
Hacker,  G.  Sec.  The  petitioners  were  James  M.  Brashei',  E.  G.  Hayes, 
J.  W.  Mills,  William  Smith,  Leon  Adler,  J.  H.  Gafif,  Alex  Beckman, 
George  Mather,  E.  S.  Blasdell.  The  charter  was  granted  May  24,  1866. 
Comp.  Pattison  installed  Comp.  J.  M.  Brasher  as  M.  E. ;  H.  P.  Beck- 
man,  King,  and  J.  H.  Gaff,  Scribe.  The  joint  election  of  officers,  June 
27,  1867,  resulted  as  follows:  Alexander  Beckman,  H.  P;  B.  S.  Blasdell, 
K;  J.  H.  Gaflf,  secretary;  Leon  Adler,  C.  H. ;  J.  M.  Brasher,  P.  S.;  S.  Hor- 
ton,  R.  A.  C. ;  J.  C.  Hibbets,  secretary;  George  Decker,  treasurer;  E.  G. 
Haynes,  Capt.  third  vail;  J.  H.  Burkam,  second  vail;  R.  R.  Benham, 
first  vail;  William  F.  Crocker,  guard.  The  present  membership  is 
thirty-two.  The  present  officers  are  as  follows:  S.  H.  Collins,  H.  P.; 
N.  S.  Givan,  K;  L.  S.  Isdell,  Scribe;  S.  Dickinson,  C.  H. ;  J.  C.  Hibbets, 
P.  S.;  J.  F.  Rolf,  R.  A.  C;  R.  R.  Benham,  Capt.  third  vail;  J.  M.  Pal- 
mer, Capt.  second  vail;  J.  R.  Trisler,  Capt.  first  vail;  Louis  Adler, 
treasurer;  George  Decker,  secretary. 

Dearborn  Lodge  No.  49,  K.  of  P.,  was  instituted  at  Lawrenceburgh 
by  W.  G.  Wheeler,  D.  D.  G.  C,  with  other  members  of  Aurora,  July  2, 
1874,  with  the  following  named  thirteen  charter  members:  John  E. 
Ammel,  P.  C. :  Martin-  L.  Rouse,  0.  C. ;  Joseph  R.  Kuhlman,  V.  C. ; 
John  H.  Russe,  P. ;  Samuel  M.  Shephard,  K.  of  R.  and  S. ;  Boone  Rice, 
M.  of  F. ;  Joseph  Mooney,  M.  of  E. ;  R.  J.  Wood,  M.  at  A. ;  Charles 
Shephard,  I.  G. ;  George  W.  Johnson,  O.  G. ;  Hugh  S.  Miller,  Robert 
Killough,  Edward  Dobell.     Present  membership,  ninety. 

The  Lawrenceburgh  Liedertafel  was  organized  in  October,  1858,  with 
eight  members.  Rules  and  by-laws  were  made  and  adopted  September  8, 
1859,  and  the  first  regular  election  of  officers  occurred  October  13,  of 
that  year,  Prof.  Meyer  and  Frederick  Haas  acting  as  president  and 
secretary,  respectively,  in  the  meantime.     The  first  officers  elected  were 


CITY  OF  LAWRENCEBURGH.  301 

Charles  J.  B.  Ratgen,  president;  Dr.  August  Schmitt,  secretary,  and 
Michael  Lang,  treasurer.  The  society,  though  experiencing  di'awbacks, 
has  been  continuous  since  the  organization,  and  is  now  in  a  prosperous 
condition,  with  a  membership  of  about  eighty  persons.  The  present  offi- 
cers are  Charles  Decker,  president;  James  R.  Kuhlman,  vice-president; 
Charles  Ratgen,  Jr.,  secretary;  Frank  Federle,  treasurer;  Emil  A. 
Roehing,  director  of  singing. 

Germania  Lodge  No.  223,  D.  O.  H.,  was  instituted  February  22,  1871, 
by  officers  of  the  State  Lodge  of  Indianapolis  with  a  membership  of 
twelve.  The  present  officers  are  Jacob  Decker,  O.  B. ;  Frederick  Krieg, 
XJ.  B.;  Herman  Hoefer,  secretary;  Charles  J.  B.  Ratgen,  treasurer. 
Lodge  room  in  the  third  story  of  building  on  the  corner  of  Short  and 
Centre  Streets. 

Columbia  Grove  No.  2,  U.  A.  O.  D.,  was  instituted  November  1,  1858, 
with  thirteen  members,  by  a  gentleman  from  Louisville,  Ky.  The 
present  officers  are  Adam  Proebsel,  E.  E. ;  Anton  Kiefer,  U.  E. ;  Charles 
J.  B.  Ratgen,  secretary,  and  John  Albrecht,  treasurer.  The  society 
meets  in  hall  in  third  story  of  building  on  the  corner  of  Short  and 
Centre  Streets. 

OLD  LANDMAKKS  AND  BELICS. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  brick  house  erected  in  Lawrenceburgh  was 
built  by  Dr.  Jabez  Percival,  in  the  very  beginning  of  the  present  centu- 
ry. The  building  is  still  standing  and  is  in  a  good  state  of  preserva- 
tion. It  is  located  in  the  rear  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
faces  the  river,  and  is  now  known  as  the  "Bee  Hive."  It  is  a  substantial, 
two-story  structure,  quite  large;  the  lower  windows  in  front  are  square; 
the  walls  are  about  three  feet  thick,  and  in  which  were  used  what  is 
called  "slop  brick,"  an  article  of  brick  made  by  hand,  but  dipped,  while 
raw,  in  water  instead  of  sand.  It  seems  bricklayers  in  that  day  were 
not  adepts  in  mechanics,  and  did  not  know  how  to  construct  the  modern 
arch  with  brick,  with  its  key,  etc.  In  this  building,  wherever  an  arch 
occurs,  the  key,  or  center  brick,  is  of  mammoth  proportions,  formino- 
about  one-third  of  the  arch.  An  ordinary  sized  man  could  easily  go  to 
sleep  on  its  walls,  and  even  if  disturbed  by  a  bad  dream,  could  roll  and 
still  retain  his  position  on  the  outer  wall. 

What  is  known  by  the  older  residents  of  Lawrenceburgh  as  the  Hunt 
Hotel,  a  large,  three-story  brick  building  on  the  corner  of  Walnut  and 
High  Streets,  was  erected  in  1819  or  1820,  by  Jesse  Hunt,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  the  first  three-story  brick  structure  erected  in  the  State.  This 
three-story  house,  it  is  stated  by  old  settlers,  struck  the  then  primitive 
citizens  with  a  kind  of  awe  of  curiosity  and  wonder.  While  the  third 
tory  was  being  added,  frequent  remarks  were  made,  like  "  What  in  the 
s 


302  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

world  is  Jesse  Hunt  going  to  do  with  them  rooms  way  up  there?     A  fel- 
low would  break  his  neck  looking  out  of  them  windows,"  etc. 

Until  within  recent  years  there  were  several  old  territorial  relics  in 
possession  of  Maj.  Anderson,  formerly  proprietor  of  the  Anderson  House 
(old  Hunt  Hotel,  above  referred  to),  which  consisted  of  an  antiquated- 
looking,  high  desk,  and  a  common  table  (both  very  solidly  and  honestly 
made),  both  of  which  formed  part  of  the  furniture  of  the  first  land  office 
established  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  These  articles  did  their  duty 
both  at  Vincennes  and  Cincinnati,  the  late  Peyton  Symmes  being  their 
last  user  in  Cincinnati  ere  the  land  office  was  removed  to  Chillicothe. 
The  old  desk  and  table  then  became  the  property  of  Gen.  Harrison,  and 
were  saved  out  of  the  destruction  by  fire  of  the  Harrison  homestead  at 
North  Bend. 

THE    CENTENNIAL    FOURTH. 

The  4:th  of  July,  1876,  was  appropriately  observed  at  Lawrencebnrgh. 
The  city  was  pretty  profusely  and  extensively  decorated,  large  flags  be- 
ing suspended  from  the  principal  buildings  and  across  the  streets.  On 
the  night  of  the  3d  Capt.  Shrader's  company  camped  in  the  fair  ground, 
and  at  midnight  began  a  march  through  the  city,  on  their  way  firing  sa- 
lutes in  front  of  the  houses  of  the  mayor,  councilmen,  and  other  prom- 
inent citizens.  The  procession  formed  on  Walnut  Street  under  Grand 
Marshal  F.  R.  Doi'man,  composed  of  the  Continental  Guards  and  differ- 
ent societies  of  citizens;  two  decorated  cars,  each  containing  a  young 
lady  representing  the  Goddess  of  Liberty,  surrounded  by  others  repre- 
senting different  States;  the  ship  of  state  manned  by  youths  in  sailor's 
costume,  and  bearing  a  young  lady  representing  Columbia,  and  two  dec- 
orated cars  containing  little  girls  in  costumes  displaying  the  national 
colors. 

The  procession  marched  through  the  principal  streets,  thence  to  the 
fair  grounds,  where  the  exercises  of  the  day  took  place.  The  latter  con- 
sisted of  music  by  the  band,  prayer  by  William  Chapman,  reading  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  in  English  by  E.  F.  Sibley,  addresses 
by  Capt.  J.  D.  Willis,  reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  in 
German  by  Charles  J.  B.  Ratgen,  and  addresses  by  R.  E.  Slater  and  J. 
E.  Larimer. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  303 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CITY  OF  AURORA. 

Location  and  Origin— Incorporation  and  the  Early  Village— Rem- 
iniscences—Acts  OF  Aurora's  First  Magistrate— Aurora  a  City 
ITS  Mayors— The  Electric  Telegraph  and  Telephone— The  City, 
1858-59— Groavtii  and  Progress— Fire  of  1882- Floods  of  1882-83-84— 
Educational  Fire  Department— Ecclesiastical  History— Lead- 
ing Manufacturing  Interests— Banking  Houses—The  Grand  Op- 
era House— Postmasters— Societies. 

AURORA  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio  River,  four 
miles  below  Lawrenceburgh  and  twenty-six  below  the  city  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio.  The  natural  beauty  of  the  site  of  the  city  is  rarely  sur- 
passed, the  river  at  this  point  making  a  graceful  curve  or  bend,  and 
thereby  is  given  the  city  one  of  the  finest  harbors  on  the  river  from 
Pittsburgh  to  its  mouth.  Partially  built  on  and  surrounded  by  towering 
hills,  with  both  branches  of  Hogan  Creek  gently  wending  their  way 
through  her  limits,  it  possesses  that  picturesque  and  romantic  air  seldom 
bestowed  on  any  city.  In  the  growth  of  the  city  these  hills  have  been 
climbed,  and  many  are  the  beautiful  homes  here  located  from  which  the 
lover  of  nature  can  feast  his  eyes  upon  a  grand  and  most  beautiful  pic- 
ture. 

The  original  plat  of  the  village  contained  about  206  lots,  besides  six 
public  squares  or  tracts  of  ground  equal  to  twelve  lots,  and  extended 
from  the  Ohio  River — Water  Street — to  Ridgeway,  a  street  parallel  with 
Water,  and  from  Importing  Street  to  Library  Street.  It  was  laid  out  in 
1819,  by  Jesse  L.  Holman,  trustee  for  the  "Aurora  Association  for  Inter- 
nal Improvements,  on  fractional  Sections  32  and  33,  Town  5,  Range  1 
west.  These  fractional  sections  bordering  on  the  Ohio  River,  were 
entered  by  Charles  Vattier,  then  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  on  the  18th  day  of 
September,  1804,  and  were  purchased  in  1819  by  an  association  of  gen- 
tlemen residing  in  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  Indiana,  for  the  purpose  of 
laying  out  a  town.  The  association  was  called  "The  Aurora  Association 
for  Internal  Improvements."  The  two  fractional  sections,  except  a 
small  reservation  at  Hogan  Creek,  were  conveyed  to  Jesse  L.  Holman,  in 
trust  for  the  association,  on  the  14th  day  of  January,  1819,  and  the 
original  plat  of  the  town  was  acknowledged  by  Mr.   Holman  as  trustee, 


304  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

before  James  Dill,  recorder  of  the  county,  on  the  30th  day  of  January, 
1819,  and  recorded  the  same  day,  when  Judge  Holman  gave  the  pros- 
pective city  the  name  of  "Aurora.'' 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  original  article  of  agreement 
between  Vattier  and  the  purchasers: 

"Articles  of  agreement  and  association  entered  into  this  day,  Jan- 
uary, 14,  1819,  between  Charles  Vattier,  of  Cincinnati,  in  the  State 
of  Ohio,  of  the  first  part,  and  Jesse  L.  Holman,  Richard  Norris, 
Martin  Cozine,  Samuel  Moore,  Erasmus  Powell,  David  Fisher,  Jehi- 
el  Buffington,  and  James  Powell,  of  Indiana;  Elijah  Horsley,  Will- 
iam Scandrett,  Philip  Craig  and  Ebenezer  GrifiSng,  of  Kentucky; 
John  W.  Langdon,  Daniel  Dudley,  Benjamin  Mudge,  Charles  Farren 
Watson  Lewis  and  Jesse  L.  Langdon,  of  Ohio,  parties  of  the  second  part, 
are  as  follows,  viz.:  Charles  Vattier,  party  of  the  first  part,  for  and  in 
consideration  of  the  covenants  and  agreements  herein  and  after  ex- 
pressed, to  be  performed  on  the  part  of  the  said  parties  of  the  second 
part,  has  this  day  and  hereby  does  grant,  bargain  and  sell  to  them,  the 
said  parties  of  the  second  part,  nineteen -twentieths  of  two  portions 
of  land  in  Dearborn  County,  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  situate  at 
the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek,  viz. :  fractions  thirty-two  and  thirty- 
three,  containing  516  35-100  acres,  more  or  less."  By  the  terms  of  the 
instrument,  Vattier  reserved  that  part  of  Section  32  which  lies  on 
the  upper  side  of  Hogan  Creek.  The  association  was  to  pay  $19,000 
for  the  property  in  ten  equal  annual  installments.  The  first  installment 
was  paid  one  year  from  the  date  of  transfer,  and  one  each  year  there- 
after until  all  were  paid. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  on  the  20th  of  January, 
1819,  with  all  the  members  present.  Judge  Jesse  L.  Holman,  father  of 
Hon.  W.  S.  Holman,  was  chosen  president  of  the  meeting,  and  Benjamin 
Mudge,  clerk.  At  this  meeting  a  constitution  governing  the  association, 
which  had  been  previously  drafted,  was  accepted.  The  constitution  pro- 
vided that  the  regular  meetings  of  the  association  be  held  twice  a  year, 
on  the  second  Monday  in  January  and  July.  Jesse  L.  Holman  was 
appointed  trustee  of  the  association,  in  whom  the  legal  title  of  the  land 
was  ■  invested.  The  constitution  was  acknowledged  before  Charles  B. 
Cannon,  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  Dearborn  County, on  the  25th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1819,  and  placed  on  record  in  the  books  of  James  Dill,  county 
recorder,  on  the  30th.  At  the  first  meeting  it  was  decided  that  "the 
company  proceed  by  themselves  or  their  directors  to  lay  out  a  town,  to 
build  an  ox  saw-mill  and  grist-mill,  a  bridge  across  Hogan  Creek,  a 
warehouse  or  such  other  improvements  as  they  may  judge  proper."  On 
the  1st  of  February,  1819,  it  was  ordered  that  the  directors  receive  sealed 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  305 

proposals  for  the  building  of  a  bridge  across  Hogan  Creek,  at  the  end  of 
Bridgeway  Street.  One  of  the  conditions  of  the  contract  was  that  the 
"proprietors  and  their  families  pass  toll  free."  The  bridge  was  not 
built  until  1836.  At  a  meeting  held  April  13,  1819,  Richard  Norris,  as 
agent  of  the  company,  was  required  to  give  bonds  in  the  sum  of  $40,000; 
as  treasurer  Philip  Craig  gave  bonds  to  the  extent  of  $30,000. 

The  first  sale  of  lots  took  place  April   28,  1819,  with  the  terms  of 
sale  as  follows: 

"  One  per  cent  in  hand;  one-fifth,  including  the  1  per  cent,  in  eight 
weeks;  one-fourth  of  the  balance  every  year  thereafter  until  paid.  If 
not  paid  punctually  interest  to  be  added  from  the  time  of  contract." 
At  this  sale  206  lots  were  disposed  of,  including  those  donated  to  persons 
who  agreed  to  commence  improvements  at  once.  The  lowest  price  paid 
for  a  single  lot  was  $60,  the  highest  $486.  The  entire  sale  amounted  to 
$28,553.  On  the  11th  of  July,  1820,  Elias  Conwell^was  admitted  as  a 
member  of  the  association,  he  having  purchased  the  shares  owned  by 
Erasmus  Powell.  Other  transfers  of  stock  were  afterward  made.  About 
this  time  the  company  commenced  drilling  wells  for  salt  water,  near 
where  the  Crescent  Brewing  Company's  brewery  now  stands,  and  Horace 
Bassett  and  Conwell  were  appointed  a  committee  to  superintend  the  work. 
In  January,  1820,  an  entire  square  was  donated  to  Samuel  Harris,  on  con- 
dition that  he  would  make  improvements  on  the  same  equal  to  four  sub- 
stantial buildings  within  eighteen  months.  At  the  same  meeting  of  the 
company  it  was  ordered  as  follows:  "  That  four  lots  be  donated  to  the 
friends  of  Samuel  Harris,  and  ground  suflScient  to  establish  a  cotton-mill 
or  woolen-mill,  provided  the  same  be  established  thereon  within  four 
years."  January  10,  1821,  the  ferries  across  the  Ohio  River  and  Hogan 
Creek  were  leased  to  Edward  Fairchild  for  a  term  of  two  years. 

October  24,  1822,  Jesse  L.  Holman  resigned  his  position  as  director, 
trustee  and  treasurer,  his  duties  as  one  of  the  three  judges  of  the 
supreme  court,  to  which  place  he  had  been  appointed  by  Gov.  Jennings, 
demanding  all  his  attention.  The  thanks  of  the  association  were  ten- 
dered him  for  the  "  ability,  wisdom,  impartiality  and  integrity  with 
which  he  managed  the  concerns  of  the  company."  The  trust  property 
was  then  conveyed  to  Richard  Norris,  afterward  to  Horace  Basset,  and 
finally  to  Isaiah  Wing.  The  proceedings  of  a  meeting  of  the  company 
held  April  27,  1820,  are  so  brief,  and  withal  so  unique,  that  they  deserve 
to  be  reproduced: 

Resolved.  That  when  any  member  wishes  to  speak  he  shall  rise  and  respectfullv 
address  Mr.  President. 

Resolved,  That  when  two  or  more  rise  to  speak  at  the  same  time,  the  president 
shall  decide  which  shall  proceed. 

Adjourned  to  attend  the  sale  of  lots. 

18 


306  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  deed  from  Charles  Vattier  and  Camila,  his  wife,  conveying  the 
property  to  the  Aurora  Association,  was  acknowledged  before  Isaac  G. 
Burnett,  who  was  the  mayor  of  Cincinnati. 

The  lots  were  sold  mostly  on  credit,  and  at  very  high  prices,  and 
for  three  or  four  years  a  great  deal  of  public  attention  was  given  to  the 
enterprise  and  quite  a  flourishing  little  village  was  built  up,  but  at  that 
time  there  was  but  little  immigration  Westward,  great  scarcity  of  money, 
and  few  of  the  lots  were  paid  for,  and  many  of  them  forfeited  to  the 
association,  Charles  Vattier  became  the  owner  of  a  large  number  of  the 
lots  and  most  of  the  reserved  lands,  and  afterward  transferred  the  same 
to  William  Israel,  attorney  in  trust,  and  he  to  Buchanan,  Buell  and  Lane, 
which  became  the  property,  by  transfer,  of  George  W.  Lane  about  the 
year   1835. 

Mr.  Holman,  as  trustee  of  the  association,  acknowledged  an  addition 
to  the  village  in  the  spring  of  1820  to  be  correct.  In  1837  twenty  out- 
lots,  containing  a  fraction  over  forty-eight  acres  of  land,  were  added. 
Later  additions  were  made  in  1844  by  George  W.  Lane;  in  1845  by 
George  W.  Chrisman;  and  in  1846  by  Henry  Walker. 

The  following  lots  were  designated  and  set  apart  by  the  association  for 
special  purposes,  January  18,  1820:  on  Literary,  now  Fifth  Street,  lot 
No.  208,  for  Library  Association;  two  lots  east  of  the  old  Baptist  Church 
building,  lot  No.  209,  to  the  Aurora  Baptist  Church;  one  lot  east  of  the 
present  old  church  building,  lot  No.  210,  for  school  purposes;  the  lot 
on  which  now  stands  the  old  meeting-house,  a  public  square  at  the  head 
of  Judiciary  Street;  lot  No.  216,  to  the  Masonic  Order;  on  the  site  of  the 
residence  of  Rev.  Mr.  Freeman,  lot  No.  221,  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church;  on  the  site  of  the  residence  of  Joseph  MeCreary,  lot  No.  221, 
for  school  purposes;  adjoining  lots  mentioned  one,  lot  No.  227,  to 
Presbyterian  Church;  one  lot  west  of  the  Mrs.  James Wymond's  residence, 
lot  No.  228,  for  school  purposes. 

INCORPORATION    AND    THE    EARLY    VILLAGE. 

In  September,  1822,  an  election  was  held  to  choose  a  board  of 
trustees  for  the  corporation  of  Aurora,  when  the  following  named  persons 
were  elected:  Edward  Fairchild,  Timothy  Brown,  Elias  Con  well,  Abraham 
St.  John  and  Ebenezer  B.  Mudge.  Horace  Bassett  was  chosen  clerk  of 
the  board.  Up  to  this  date  improvements  in  the  town  had  gone  forward 
slowly,  and  many  of  the  lots  were  forfeited  to  the  association,  owing  to 
the  inability  of  the  purchasers  to  meet  payments.  It  was  necessary,  in 
many  cases,  to  grant  further  time  to  those  who  were  improving  the  donation 
lots.  One  of  the  first  houses  built  in  the  town  was  erected  on  a  donation 
vt,  by  Henry  Van  Middlesworth.     It  was  finished  in  1822,  and  occupied 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  307 

for  several  years  as  a  hotel  and  store,  being,  probably,  the  first  public 
house  in  the  place.  It  was  known  as  the  "Aurora  Hotel,"  and  was  kept 
by  Van  Middlesworth.  The  house  still  remains,  and  is  now  the  residence 
of  Ira  Hill,  corner  of  Front  and  Second  Streets.  Conwell  and  Vattier 
became  the  owners  of  many  of  the  lots,  and  among  the  first  buildings 
erected  may  also  be  mentioned  the  frame  house  which  yet  stands  at  the 
south  end  of  Hogan  Creek  bridge,  corner  of  Main  and  Importing  Streets, 
and  the  frame  part  of  the  Eagle  Hotel,  on  Front  Street.  The  former  was 
built  by  Conwell,  who  occupied  it  as  a  store  and  dwelling  for  many 
years,  and  the  latter  by  Vattier.  In  this  building  Vattier  kept  the  first 
saloon  that  was  opened  in  Aurora.  Among  the  first  brick  houses  erected 
is  the  one  at  present  occupied  by  Mrs.  Cochran  and  daughters,  corner  of 
Main  and  Second  Streets.  It  was  built  by  Aaron  Foulk,  father  of  L.  N. 
Foulk,  who  had  a  store  there  for  some  time.  One  or  two  stores  besides 
those  mentioned,  were  kept  in  Aurora  at  that  period,  while  Wilmington 
had  about  three  places  where  merchandise  was  bought  and  sold.  Takino- 
the  extent  of  the  population  into  consideration  the  community  was  quite 
as  well  supplied  with  places  of  business  in  those  early  times  as  now. 
But  few  steam-boats  were  running,  and  the  merchants  brought  their  goods 
from  Cincinnati  in  small  flat-boats.  Previous  to  the  flat-boat  the  pirogue, 
a  craft  of  the  canoe  kind,  was  used  for  the  transportation  of  goods.  The 
first  ferries  across  the  river  and  creek  at  this  point  consisted  of  these 
pirogues. 

The  fertile  lands  of  southeastern  Indiana  were  attracting  emigrants 
from  the  country  East,  and  from  1820  to  1825  the  population  of  Dear- 
born County  increased  with  wonderful  rapidity.  Center  Township  (then 
Laughery  Township)  and  the  new  town  of  Aurora  received  a  fair  share 
of  this  population.  Many  new  houses  were  erected  in  the  town  and  con- 
siderable business  activity  was  manifested.  The  panic  was  brought  on 
about  this  period  by  the  failure  of  banks  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  and 
Aurora  suffered  with  every  other  town  and  city  in  the  West.  A  check 
was  put  upon  improvements,  and  but  little  progress  was  made  for  some 
time.  Money  was  scarce  and  the  products  of  the  country  lower  than  evei- 
before  or  since.  Prime  corn  would  bring  but  7  cents  a  bushel;  eggs 
were  sold  for  2  cents  a  dozen,  and  butter  for  3  cents  a  pound.  Other 
things  were  proportionately  low. 

In  1823-24  Pinkney  James,  of  Cincinnati,  built  a  small  steam-boat 
on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  in  front  of  the  Eagle  Hotel  property,  and  on  the 
4th  day  of  July,  1824,  it  was  launched,  and  the  event  celebrated  by  the 
firing  of  cannon,  etc.  The  boat  was  named  the  "Clinton."  Hundreds 
of  persons  came  in  from  the  surrounding  country  to  witness  the  demon- 
strations and  pass  the  Fourth  in  town.     During   the    festivities,    Henry 


308  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Van  Middlesworth  was  killed.  He  was  assisting  in  the  loading  and 
managing  at  the  caonon,  when  a  premature  explosion  took  place,  killing 
him  instantly.  He  was  standing  in  front  of  the  gun  ramming  the  charge 
with  an  iron  bar.  The  top  of  his  head  was  carried  away,  and  the  body 
hurled  over  the  bank,  a  distance  of  several  feet.  Old  citizens  speak  of 
this  day  as  exceeding  all  others  in  the  history  of  the  town  in  the  amount 
of  drunkenness,  fighting  and  general  lawlessness  indulged  in.  The  town 
was  filled  with  people,  and  whisky  was  sold  and  drank  without  stint. 
Two  roughs  had  a  desperate  fight  in  the  blood  where  Van  Middlesworth 
fell,  and  immediately  after  the  body  was  removed,  while  scores  of  people 
looked  on  and  applauded  the  beastly  spectacle.  Dozens  of  tights  occurred 
during  the  day,  and  for  the  time  being  law  and  order  were  accounted 
as  naught.  Among  other  incidents  a  notorious  rough  named  Kilgour, 
who  had  been  drinking  heavily,  drew  a  pistol  on  David  Milburn,  against 
whom  he  had  a  fancied  grudge,  and  was  only  prevented  from  firing  by  a 
cool-headed  bystander  striking  the  weapon  from  his  hand. 

The  first  house  in  this  locality,  in  the  building  of  which  any 
pretensions  were  made  to  appearance  or  convenience,  was  erected  by 
Clayborn  Morrison,  at  a  very  early  date,  on  the  site  of  Strawder  Cheek's 
residence.  It  was  built  of  logs  (a  decided  improvement  on  poles,  willows 
and  bark),  was  higher  than  the  architect  of  the  period  seemed  to  require, 
and  contained  three  rooms.  History  is  silent  as  to  the  way  in  which  this 
residence  was  furnished,  but  as  Mr.  Morrison  was  probably  a  gentleman  of 
advanced  ideas,  it  is  safe  to  presume  that  he  had  his  forest  home  fixed 
up  in  a  manner  closely  akin  to  "style. "  The  second  house  of  this  character 
was  built  and  occupied  by  Page  Cheek,  and  was  located  somewhere 
on  the  present  Billingsley  farm. 

Referring  again  to  Mr.  Conwell,  it  was  stated  at  his  death  that  he,  in 
1819,  erected  the  building  at  the  corner  of  First  and  Main  Streets,  and 
in  it  established  the  first  mercantile  store  in  the  village,  and  in  connec- 
tion therewith  kept  the  postoflfice  for  eight  years.  His  house  was  the 
resort  of  politicians  and  others,  and  his  estimable  lady,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  Tatem,  of  Cincinnati,  made  their  abode  the  seat  of  refined 
hospitality. 

In  1828  the  author  of  a  geography  and  history  of  the  Western  States 
thus  spoke  of  Aurora:  "Aurora  is  a  new  village  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan 
Creek,  four  miles  below  Lawrenceburgh  on  the  Ohio.  It  contains  between 
sixty  and  seventy  dwelliugs." 

Five  years  later  (1833).  The  Indiana  Gazateer  thus  described  the 
village :  "  It  contained  about  600  inhabitants,  3  stores,  1  tavern,  a 
physician,  a  lawyer,  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  several  mechanics  of 
different  professions,  a  seminary,  a  church,  and  a  large  and  prosperous 
Sunday-school." 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  309 

REMINISCENCES. 

The  following  article  containing  reminiscences  of  early  Aurora  was 
published  in  the  Independent  Banner  in  1852,  then  edited  by  N.  D, 
Folbre  : 

"We  are  no  stranger  in  Aux'ora.  Our  earliest  recollections  in  life 
had  their  existence  here.  Our  days,  from  our  infancy,  have  been  mostly 
spent  in  this  place  ;  and  we  profess  to  know  something  of  its  early  his- 
tory. 

"All  that  territory  now  covered  with  neat  houses,  and  known  as  the 
Fifth  Ward  of  the  town,  we  knew  when  it  was  overspread  with  Indian 
corn,  yielding  annually  a  bountiful  harvest.  Beneath  Chambers'  store 
once  run  a  deep  ravine,  from  the  hills  west  of  the  town,  and  emptied 
into  the  Ohio.  So  deep  was  that  ravine,  that  a  tolerably  sized  wooden 
bridge  was  thrown  across  it,  for  the  benefit  of  the  citizens  and  travelers. 
In  summer  we  have  played  in  its  waters  ;  in  winter  have  skated  upon  its 
frozen  surface.  Our  playmates,  who  sported  with  us  then,  are  now 
nearly  all  gone  ;  some  are  in  California,  a  few  yet  reside  here,  but  most 
of  them  are  dead. 

"Remember  well  the  old  grist-mill  which  stood  on  the  bank  of  South 
Hogan  Creek,  about  fifty  yards  to  the  right  of  the  walnut  tree  at  the  head 
of  Third  Street  ;  saw  the  oxen  when  they  tramped  the  wheel  that  turned 
the  mill,  and  the  miller  when  he  took  his  toll.  Recollect  when  Hogan 
Creek  at  its  mouth  was  sixty  feet  deep  (when  the  Ohio  was  low),  and  the 
old  Frenchman,  Vattier,  when  he  kept  the  ferry  across  it,  and  took  his 
'eleven -penny  bit.'     In  those  days  this  • 

'  Town  was  all  covered  over 
With  bramble  and  with  clover.' 

and  some  dog- fennel  and  a  few  Jamestown  (Jimpson)  weeds.     Oh!  those 
were  brave  old  days. 

"At  a  still  earlier  date,  about  the  year  1828,  when  four  years  of  age 
we  attended  school,  held  in  a  log- cabin,  which  stood  on  what  was  then  a 
grassy  common,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  Streets,  west  of  Squire  Harris' 
dwelling.  This  was  also  used  as  a  place  of  worship  for  Methodists,  a 
sect  at  that  time  few  in  number  here.  Twenty-five  or  thirty  frame  and 
log-houses  composed  the  village.  A  few  years  later,  the  brick  house  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Second,  occupied  by  O.  P.  Cobb,  as  a  dwelling, 
was  built  by  Aaron  Foulk,  in  the  east  part  of  which  he  resided,  in  the 
west  he  opened  a  diy  goods  store.  This  house  was  considered  a  vast  im- 
provement to  the  town,  and  was  universally  styled  the  'big  brick.' 
Above  the  door  of  the  store-room  was  posted  a  sign  of  dark  green  ground 
with  bright  yellow  letters  which  read  'A.  Foulks'  New  Store,'  much  to 
the  delight  of  the  good  people  of  the  neighborhood.      In  1835,  where 


310  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

our  office  now  stands,  there  stood  a  frame  house,  occupied  by  Daniel 
Bartholomew,  Esq.  (deceased),  as  a  drug  and  dry  goods  store.  The  Squire 
was  one  of  the  oldest  inhabitants,  and  filled  the  various  posts  of  mer- 
chant, magistrate  and  doctor — there  being  no  regular  physician  in  the 
village.  His  store-house  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  day  it  was  burned 
we  were  in  school  taught  by  one  Gauf  Wilson  (who  will  be  remembered 
by  all  wbo  were  so  unlucky  as  to  have  been  his  pupils,  for  his  peculiar 
propensity  for  applying  the  birchen  rod).  A  fire  those  days  in  town  was 
a  remarkable  event,  and  the  school  was  dismissed  and  teacher  and 
scholars  hastened,  en  masse,  to  the  scene  of  disaster,  where  all  the  vil- 
lagers old  and  young,  male  and  female,  had  assembled  to  render  their 
aid  to  the  sufferer. 

"At  that  time  there  were  few  steamers  plying  upon  our  beautiful  Ohio. 
Some  of  them  were  hard -looking  crafts,  compared  with  the  splendid  boats 
of  the  present  day.  When  a  passenger  wished  to  take  passage,  if  in  the 
night,  the  boat  was  brought  to  shore  by  the  discharge  of  a  rifle  or  other 
small  gun.  Freights  and  passage  were  dear,  and  many  of  the  people  of 
the  village  and  neighborhood  preferred  traveling  on  the  old  'Fearnot,'  a 
keel-boat,  greatly  celebrated  as  a  fast  traveler,  making  one  trip  every  two 
weeks  to  Cincinnati,  freighted,  generally,  with  barrels,  hoop-poles  and 
staves;  and,  returning,  brought  goods  of  all  kinds  for  our  small  shop- 
keepers and  the  neighboring  villages.  This  unparalleled  speed  was 
eclipsed,  however,  by  a  smaller  keel-boat,  under  the  command  of  a  gentle- 
man who  was  determined  to  outdo  time  itself,  and  a  brag  trip  to  Cincin- 
nati (including  the  taking  in  and  discharging  of  the  freight)  was  conse- 
quently made  in  eight  days.  Thereafter,  when  this  swift  craft  came  in 
sight  of  our  port,  and  blew  her  famous  boat-horn,  the  villagers  assembled 
on  the  river  bank  to  greet  her  and  hear  the  latest  news. 

"The  year  1836,  almost  seventeen  years  since,  was  a  great  era  in  the  his- 
tory  of  Aurora— a  printing  office  was  established  in  the  town.  It  was 
called  the  Indiana  Signal,  and  was  owned  by  George  W.  Lane,  and 
several  others,  and  edited  by  S.  C.  Hastings,  now  a  supreme  judge  in 
California.  The  Signal  was  devoted  to  the  election  of  Martin  Van  Buren 
to  the  presidency.  John  K.  Wilcox,^who  yet  resides  here,  had  the  control 
of  the  mechanical  department;  in  that  office,  and  under  his  direction,  we 
set  our  first  type.  William  Webber,  was  also  an  apprentice  in  the  office, 
and  many  a  boyish  fracas  had  we  there  together.  The  office  was  in  the 
upper  story  of  the  house  now  occupied  by  Judge  Kumel  as  a  tavern,  on 
Main  Street,  near  the  creek.  But  the  6'i^na/ was  short  lived:  it  rendered 
all  its  strength  to  Van  Buren's  election,  for  which  purpose  it  was  estab- 
lished, and  shortly  after  that  event,  its  Democratic  fires  ceased  to  burn. 
A  paper  printed  with  the  same  type  and  press,  called  the  Dearborn  Dem- 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  311 

ocrat,  was  started  shortly  after  the  decease  of  the  Signal,  by  one  J.  C. 
Whitilsey,  but  died  in  a  very  short  time,  for  lack  of  support.  In  the 
latter  part  of  1838,  or  early  in  1839,  a  newspaper,  entitled  The  Dear- 
born County  Democrat,  was  started  in  town,  in  the  room  we  now  occupy, 
by  Alexander  E.  Glenn.  The  paper  was  Democratic,  and  advocated,  in 
1840,  the  re-election  of  Van  Buren.  The  election  of  Gen.  Harrison  was 
too  much  for  Mr.  Glenn,  and  his  paper  shortly  after  that  event  went  by 
the  board. 

"At  this  period  the  census  of  the  United  States  was  taken,  and  Au- 
rora was  found  to  contain  only  490  inhabitants!  And  not  till  about  1844 
did  the  place  give  evidence  of  ever  being  anything  more  than  a  small 
village.  But  the  country  for  many  miles  around  the  town,  being  exceed- 
ingly rich  and  productive,  whose  trade,  if  proper  inducements  were  held 
out  could  be  secured,  and  the  locality  of  the  place  being  one  of  the  best 
on  the  Ohio,  possessing  the  finest  harbor  and  landing  on  the  river  for 
the  largest  class  of  boats  in  the  lowest  stage  of  water,  were  advantages 
no  longer  to  be  overlooked.  Strangers  commenced  coming  in,  build- 
ing and  locating.  Business  and  dwelling  houses  were  in  demand;  prop- 
erty increased  in  Value.  The  old  citizens  holding  property,  put  up  sub- 
stantial houses.  Real  estate  was  in  constant  demand.  Men  of  capital 
were  attracted  to  the  town;  and  soon  Aurora  contained  a  number  of  val- 
uable houses.  From  year  to  year  the  place  continued  to  prosper.  Now, 
in  the  year  1852,  Aurora  numbers  over  3,000  inhabitants,  supports  two 
newspapers,  and  contains  some  of  the  most  elegant  and  costly  houses  in 
the  State — several  of  them  erected  at  an  expense  of  $9,000,  $14,000 
and  $15,000  each. 

Several  hundred  flat-boats,  freighted  with  produce,  every  season  leave 
our  port  for  Southern  markets.  A  superior  steamer  plys  as  a  regular 
daily  packet  between  this  place  and  Cincinnati.  A  considerable  busi- 
ness is  also  picked  up  here  by  the  mail  and  Madison  boats.  No  steamer 
fails  to  land  at  our  wharves  as  she  passes.  In  our  midst,  and  around 
us,  are  signs  of  active  business.  Our  landings  are  crowded  with  freight, 
our  streets  filled  with  wagons  from  the  country,our  mechanics  busy 
in  their  shops,  our  merchants  engaged  at  their  counters — all  denoting  a 
flourishing  little  city  and  prosperous  community.  What  a  change  in  a 
few  years!  At  this  point  the  great  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  first 
strikes  the  Ohio  River;  the  machine  shops  for  which,  are  to  be  located 
near  the  west  part  of  the  city.  These  shops  will  occupy  twenty  acres, 
including  the  dwellings  of  the  workmen,  and  will  bring  to  our  place,  it 
is  estimated,  400  families." 

ACTS  OF  aurora's  FIRST  MAGISTRATE. 

Daniel  Bartholomew  was   the   first  magistrate  of    Aurora.     He    was 


312  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  the  year  1822,  and  from  a  docket  left  by 
him  it  would  appear  that  he  served  in  that  capacity  for  about  eleven 
years.  In  this  ancient  record,  which  is  yet  in  the  possession  of  Richard 
Hubbartt,  Esq.,  of  Aurora,  the  earliest  entry  was  made  January  9,  1822, 
in  a  case  entitled  "Ebenezer  Lange  vs.  Noah  and  James  Lambert." 
It  was  a  plea  of  debt  to  recover  $10.  On  that  date  the  plaintiff  ap- 
peared and  withdrew  the  suit,  when  the  case  was  dismissed  by  the  justice. 
The  last  record  bears  date  of  July  6,  1832,  showing  that  Squire  Bartholo- 
mew's term  of  office  was  somewhat  extended. 

Daniel  Bartholomew  came  to  Aurora  in  1819  or  1820,  from  Vermont. 
During  a  freshet  in  the  river  he  landed  his  family  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan 
Creek,  in  a  small  boat,  in  which  they  had  probably  floated  from  Pitts- 
burgh. His  family  consisted  of  a  wife  and  two  daughters.  One  of  the 
daughters  afterward  became  the  wife  of  George  W.  Cochxan,  a  man 
well  known  by  the  older  citizens  of  Aurora  and  prominently  connected 
with  the  early  history  of  the  town.  "When  the  water  fell  Bartholomew 
allowed  his  boat  to  "beach,"  and  continued  to  live  in  it  for  about  one 
year.  He  then  built  a  small  house  on  the  bank  of  the  river  a  short  dis- 
tance below  where  the  Eagle  House  stands.  In  this  house  he  lived  with 
his  family  and  kept  a  small  store.  After  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace, 
he  also  used  it  as  an  office.  Aurora  was  then  in  embryo.  The  building 
now  occupied  as  a  residence  by  Mr.  Ira  Hill,  corner  of  Second  and  Front 
Streets,  and  the  one  built  by  Bartholomew,  were  the  only  houses  on  the 
bank  of  the  river.  Charles  Vattier,  the  original  land  owner,  was  pro- 
prietor of  a  ferry  to  convey  persons  across  the  river.  The  ferry  consisted 
of  a  small  flat  and  a  large  canoe.  Elijah  Horsley  was  employed  by 
Yattier  to  manage  it.  Hogan  Creek  was  crossed  by  the  same  means,  no 
bridge  having  been  built  until  fifteen  years  later,  when  Mr.  George  W. 
Lane,  as  an  individual  enterprise,  constructed  a  toll  bridge  across  the 
mouth  of  the  creek.  His  bridge  was  of  great  importance  to  the  young 
town.  Mr.  Lane  afterward  sold  it  out  to  Dearborn  County,  and  when 
the    old    structure    became    insecure    the    present  bridge  was  erected. 

Going  back  to  Squire  Bartholomew's  docket,  a  brief  review  of  its 
contents  may  be  of  interest,  as  showing  how  and  to  whom  justice  was  ad- 
ministered in  Aurora  fifty  years  ago.  The  following  record  appears  on 
page  4,  and  is  among  the  first  cases  entered:  "State  of  Indiana  vs. 
John  Hiffi  In  a  charge  of  abuse  and  insult  to  the  wife  of  Ebenezer 
Lange;  warrant  issued  February  18,  1822;  the  defendant  came  and  the 
jury  summoned,  empaneled  and  sworn.  After  a  proper  and  full  in- 
vestigation of  all  things  ajDpertaining  to  the  charge,  the  jury  retired, 
and  soon  agreed  upon  a  verdict  of  eight  dollars  fine  for  the  State  of 
Indiana.  Daniel  Baetholomew,  J,  P." 


CITY  OF  .AURORA.  313 

On  the  20th  day  of  March,  1822,  for  breach  of  peace  and  swearing, 
Thomas  Longley  was  fined  95  cents;  same  date,  for  "abuse  and 
threatening  to  his  wife,  who  prayed  surety  of  the  peace,"  Thomas  Daily  was 
found  guilty  and  committed  to  jail.  May  31,  1822,  Axey  Wilson  was 
tried  by  a  jury  for  an  assault  upon  a  child.  He  was  adjudged  guilty  and 
fined  1  cent,  to  be  applied  to  the  State  of  Indiana.  Samuel  Roof  ap- 
pears on  the  22d  of  July,  1822,  and  acknowledges  himself  indebted  to 
Henry  Benson  in  the  sum  of  50  cents,  together  with  interest  thereon 
nntil  paid.  On  the  2l8t  of  August  an  execution  was  issued,  by  order  of 
the  plaintiflf,  and  in  default  of  payment  the  body  of  defendant  was  com- 
mitted to  jail  ;  Samuel  Doolittle,  constable.  State  of  Indiana  vs.  Amasa 
Ball.  This  was  an  action  of  assault  and  battery  on  the  body  of  George 
W.  Thornton  ;  warrant  issued  September  2,  1822  ;  returned  the  same 
day  with  the  body  present.  The  jury  was  unable  to  agree.  To  quote, 
from  the  docket,  "  The  foreman  retired  and  the  balance  was  discharged, 
and  the  defendant  made  his  escape  into  Kentucky  to  those  people  whose 
countenance  favored  his  character."  George  W.  Thornton  then  comes 
forward  as  the  defendant  in  an  assault  and  battery  case,  but  no  witnesses 
being  presented  against  him  he  was  discharged.  "  State  of  Indiana  vs. 
Samuel  Eoof.  The  defendant  was  legally  summoned  and  empaneled  as 
a  juror  November  2,  1822,  when  he  retired  from  the  room  after  the  case 
was  submitted  to  the  jury,  and  was  absent  some  time;  after  which,  with- 
out permission,  he  went  home  and  returned  not  again.  It  is  therefore 
considered  that  the  State  of  Indiana  recover  of  the  defendant  the  sum 
of  $2,  this  the  2d  day  of  November,  1822. 

Daniel  Bartholomew,  J.  P." 
On  the  1st  day  of  October,  1822,  James  Green  brought  suit  against 
Torrence  Curry  to  recover  37|  cents.  On  the  same  day  the 
claim  was  paid,  and  Green's  receipt  appears  on  the  docket. 
Isaac  Cannon  vs.  Jehial  Buffington.  An  action  for  neglect  of  duty  as 
constable.  No  cause.  Case  dismissed  at  plaintiff's  cost.  Ebenezer 
Grifiing  for  "contempt  and  abuse  and  trespassing  on  the  rules  of  com- 
mon decency  and  good  order"  was  fined  $1,  November  10,  1822. 
November  4,  1822,  it  required  three  juries  to  find  John  W.  Ledbitter 
guilty  of  assault  and  battery.  Ledbitter  was  fined  |5,  and  sat- 
isfied the  Court  by  note  on  the  agent  of.^  "Aurora  Association." 

Elias  Conwell  and  Horace  Bassett  were  prominent  and  influential  men 
in  the  days  of  which  we  write.  Both  were  leading  spirits  in  the  or- 
ganization and  building  up  of  the  town.  But  they  had  their  little 
personal  misunderstanding,  as  appears  by  the  record  of  February  24, 
1823.  On  that  day  Conwell  committed  an  assault  and  battery  on  the 
person  of  Bassett.  and  was  arraigned   for  trial  by  jury.     He  was  found 


314  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

guilty  and  fined  $2  and  costs.  Elijah  Wbitten,  in  an  action  "for 
profane  swearing  for  seven  different  oaths,  taken  before  me  on  the 
6th  day  of  March,  1824,  at  Aurora,  for  which  the  said  Whitten  was  fined 
one  dollar  for  each  oath."  On  the  7th  of  June,  1824,  Michael  Trester 
brought  suit  against  Isaac  Miller  on  account  of  the  freight  on  one  barrel 
of  salt  from  Cincinnati  to  Aurora.  Execution  issued  and  placed  in 
hands  of  Robert  Criswell,  constable.  Edmund  Cheesman  for  an  assault 
upon  Caleb  Woods-worth,  constable,  while  in  the  performance'of  his  duty 
as  constable,  was  adjudged  guilty,  and  for  want  of  bail  committed. 

In  a  suit  for  forcible  entry  and  detainer,  between  Luke  Erill,  plain- 
tiff, and  Elias  Conwell,  defendant,  March  19,  1825,  wherein  it  was 
alleged  that  Conwell  took  unlawful  possession  of  abiailding  belonging  to 
Erill,  and  in  which  considerable  public  interest  was  probably  manifested, 
the  "Court  adjourned  to  the  meeting  house."  The  following  named 
persons  comprised  the  ^jury:  David  Boardman,  John  B.  Chisman, 
Noyes  Canfield,  Peter  Carbaugh,  John  Vinson,  Walter  Kerr,  William 
Hancock,  Jonathan  Parks,  David  Walser,  Conrad  Huffman,  Asa  Shattuck 
and  Stephen  J.  Paine.  Verdict  for  plaintiff.  Thomas  Sparks,  for 
swearing  in  open  court,  August  23,  1825.  was  fined  $1.  "The  defendant 
left  the  State  and  died,"  says  the  record,  "but  did  not  satisfy  the 
judgment."  For  assault  and  battery,  April  29,  1826,  John  Brown  was 
fined  $3.  His  fine  was  not  paid,  and  Robert  Criswell,  constable,  was 
directed  by  the  court  to  convey  the  defendant  to  the  county  jail  for  im- 
prisonment. John  Lasine  for  an  assault  upon  his  wife,  Sunday, 
October  7,  1827,  was  arrested  on  complaint  of  J.  Wing,  and  brought 
before  the  court  in  a  state  of  intoxication.  When  sober  he  was 
fined  $1. 

Charles  Vattier,  the  land  owner  and  enterprising  business  man,  found 
time,  it  would  seem,  to  occasionally  partake  of  the  pleasures  and  pas- 
times of  social  life,  as  witness  this:  On  the  8th  of  December,  1830,  he 
was  arraigned  for  assault  and  battery  on  the  body  of  Peleg  Bartlett,  and 
fined  $3  and  costs. 

AURORA  A  CITY ITS  MAYORS. 

The  city  government  commenced'in  1848,  with  John  D.  Haynes  as 
mayor.  He  was  succeeded  in  1851  by  Solomon  P.  Tumy,  who  officiated 
until  1859,  with  the  exception  of  1856,  during  which  year  Washington 
Stark  occupied  the  chair.  John  Gaff  was  elected  in  1859,  Frederick 
Slater  in  1861,  Dr.  George  Sutton,  1863;  R.  Criswell,  1867;  Frederick 
Huckery,  1869;  J.  A.  Emerie,  1871;  Dr.  Frederick  Rectanus,  1873; 
Edward  H.  Green,  1877,  and  Louis  E.  Beinkamp,  the  present  incumbent, 
was  first  elected  in  1881,  having  since  administered  the  affairs  of  the 
office  with  commendable  zeal. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  315 

THE  ELECTRIC  TELEGRAPH  AND  TELEPHONE. 

In  the  fall  of  1852  a  company  was  formed  under  the  name  of  ' '  The 
Eising  Snn,  Aurora  &  Lawrenceburgh  Telegraph  Company"  for  the 
purpose  of  running  the  wires  from  the  Lawi-enceburgh  office  to  Aurora 
and  Rising  Sun,  establishing  an  office  at  each  place.  The  office  at  Aurora 
was  located  at  the  grocery^of  |  W.  Webber  &  Co.,  on  Third  Street  with 
William  Webber  in  charge. 

In  1854  a  new  line  of  telegraph  (the  Wade  patent)  was  built  through 
Aurora  to  run  with  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  to  St.  Louis. 

In  the  spring  of  1879,  the  office  of  T.  &  J.  W.  Gaff  &  Co.,  of  Aurora 
and  that  of  H.  W.  Smith  &  Co.,  of  Cincinnati  were  connected  by  tele- 
phone, messages  being  sent  and  received  over  the  line  on  Friday,  March 
14,   1870. 

THE  CITY,  1858-59. 

From  a  business  standpoint,  Aurora  made  the  following  exhibit  in 
1858-59,  as  shown  by  a  State  compilation  published  at  that  time: 

Allen,  W.,  carpenter. 

Allen,  E.  B.,  blacksmith. 

Andrews,  A.,  grocer. 

Beettner,  H.,  barber. 

Beerger,  W.,  gunsmith. 

Bess,  F.  M. ,  proprietor  hotel. 

Bloom,  A.,  merchant  tailor. 

Bond,  R.  C,  physician  and  surgeon./ 

Burns,  F.  A.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Bush,  B.  M.,  agent  Adams  Express. 

Campbell  &  York,  saddlers. 

Carbough,  J.  H.,  attorney. 

Chambers,  Stevens  &  Co.,  dry  goods,  groceries,  etc. 

Cheek,  George,  dealer  in  bay. 

Clark,  Mrs.  A.  P.,  postmistress. 

Cobb,  John,  coal  dealer. 

Cobb,  O.  P.  &  Co.,  pork  packers,  grocers,  etc. 

Cooper,  C.  H,  «fe  A.  J.,  jewelers. 

Crane,  A.  G.  &  Co. ,  manufacturers  of  bai'rels. 

Cunningham,  William,  dealer  in  liquors. 

Devons,  J.,  woolen  factory. 

Dines,  G.,  barber. 

Dyke,  N.  tin-smith. 

Ebersale  &  Haines,  druggists. 

Ebersale  —  physician  and  surgeon.  ' 

Edwards,  W.  J.  &  Co.,  carriagfe- makers. 


316  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Fehling,  C,  grocer. 

Fisher,  P.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Gaff,  T.  &  J.  \V.,  millers,  distillers,  dry  goods,  groceries,  etc. 

Garmhausen,  B.,  grocer. 

Giedgold,  J.,  meat  market. 

Giedgold,  J.  L.  &  M.,  livery  stable. 

Goldsmith,  M.,  boots,  shoes,  etc. 

Green,  Ed  H. ,  attorney, 

Hamilton,  J.,  hotel. 

Harris,  W.  T.,  justice  of  the  peace. 

Hauck,  L.,  barber. 

Held,  P.  H.,  merchant  tailor. 

Hettenbergh,  S.,  exchange. 

Hill,  S.  P.  &  Co.,  druggists. 

Holman  &  Haynes,  attorneys 

Holz,  Dr.,  physician  &  surgeon. 

Hubbartt,  R.,  grocer. 

Hubbartt,  A.  B.,  carpenter. 

Huckery,  F. ,  justice  of  the  peace. 

Hurlbert,  L.  G.,  lumber  dealer  and  mill  factory. 

Ittner,  J.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Kasner,  P.,  bakery. 

Kelsey,  J.  A.  &  Co.,  wharf -boat. 

Kemp,  M.,  grocer,  baker  and  liquor  dealer. 

Kreitlein,  A.,  grocer. 

Lamkin,  H.,  tailor. 

Johnson,  A.,  baker. 

Laupus,  J.  G.,  tobacconist. 

Lansberry,  A.  B.,  wagon-maker. 

Latimore,  T.,  carpenter. 

Lozier,  Abram,  dry  goods  and  groceries. 

McCreary,  R.  E.,  dry  goods  and  groceries! 

McHenry,  B.  N.,  blacksmith. 

Malony,  J.,  grocer. 

Marron,  H.,  furniture. 

Mayer,  Cohn  &  Co.,  clothiers. 

Milburo,  J.  N.,  jewelry  and  book  store. 

Miles,   I.,  attorney. 

Parker,  S. ,  fruit  and  vegetables. 

Phalin,  I.,  grocer. 

Pierce,  S.  R.,  dry  goods  and  groceries. 

Pyle,  J.,  ambrotypist. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  317 

Radspiner,  J.  F.,  grocer. 

Rider,  J.,  boot  and  shoe-maker. 

Rothirt,  F.,  grocer. 

Sadlei',  Mrs.  C. ,  milliner. 

Schultze,  A.,  hotel. 

Sherrod,  W.,  barber. 

Sherwood,  Mrs.  Mary.,  milliner. 

Shipper,  B.,  coal  dealer. 

Siemontel,  M.,  bakery  and  confectionery. 

Siemontel,  brewery. 

Siemontel,  M.  &  C,  millers. 

Slater,  F.,  grocer. 

Small,  E.,  dealer  in  hay. 

Squibb,  W.  P.  &  Co.,  dealers  in  liquors  and  groceries. 

Stafford,  J.,  grocer. 

Stark,  Mrs.  M.,  milliner. 
/Stedman  &  Co.,  foundry. 

Stevens,  J.,  blacksmith. 

Stevens,  W.  F.,  insurance. 

Stratter,  L.  S.,  dry  goods. 

Taylor,  G.  W.,  livery  stable. 

Terrill,  R.  Q.,  attorney. 

Tuck,  N.  H.,  ambrotypist. 

Tumy,  S.  P.,  mayor  and  dealer  in  stoves  and  tinware. 

Twyman,  B.  W.,  attorney. 

Veiht,  F.  L.,  physician  and  surgeon. 

Weaver,  J.  W.,  commission  merchant. 

Wehe,  A.,  saddler. 

Wilke,  J.  H.,  grocer. 

Worth,  F.  D.,  hotel. 
^Wymond  &  Gibson,  coopers. 

Young  &  Miller,  boots  and  shoes. 

GKOWTH    AND    PROGRESS. 

Important  eras  in  the  city's  history  may  be  said  to  have  commenced, 
first,  with  the  construction  of  the  bridge  across  the  mouth  of  Hogan 
Creek  by  George  W.  Lane  in  1836;  at  which  time  another  was  built 
west  of  the  city,  the  completion  of  which  was  of  the  first  importance  to 
the  place.  That  summer  a  number  of  young  men  of  energy  settled  in 
Aurora,  who  assisted  in  different  ways  in  diffusing  life  and  energy  to  the 
old  inhabitants  of  the  town.  L.  G.  Hurlbert  as  a  merchant;  Dr.  George 
Sutton  as  a  physician;  L.  C.  Hastings  as  editor  of  the  Indiana  Signal; 


318  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

A.  C.  Cole,  a  young  lawyer,  who  died  at  an  early  age;  Charles  and 
Thomas  Folbre,  George  W.  Cochran,  Isaac  Hancock,  all  young  men  of 
energy  and  also  extensive  river  traders.  About  this  time  Thomas  Folbre 
commenced  the  erection  of  a  large  brick  building,  which  stands  on 
Second  Street,  at  that  time  the  largest  and  finest  building  in  the  town. 
Second,  with  the  establishment  of  the  distillery  and  mills  of  Thomas 
and  J.  W.  Gaff  in  1843.  Third,  with  the  completion  of  the  Ohio  &  Mis- 
sissippi Railroad,  to  the  town  in  1854,  the  location  here  of  the  extensive 
car  shops  of  that  road  and  the  construction  of  the  turnpikes  about  that 
time.  Fourth,  with  the  location  of  the  Great  Crescent  Brewery  in  1873, 
and  the  establishing  of  the  mammoth  industry  the  rolling-mill,  by 
the  Aurora  Iron  Company  in  1873,  which  finally  became  the  nail  and 
iron  works  of  O.  P.  Cobb  &  Co. 

The  census  of  1840  gave  Aurora  a  population  of  490;  of  1850,  2,051; 
of  1860,  2,990;  of  1870,  3,304;  of  1880,  4,435. 

The  post  office  was  established  in  Aurora  in  1819. 

The  printing  press  was  introduced  into  the  village  in  1836. 

The  first  steamboat  was  built  at  and  launched  from  Aurora  in  1824. 

The  electro-magnetic  telegraph  was  put  in  operation  in  1852. 

The  railroad  was  completed  to  the  city  in  1854. 

Street  lamps  were  introduced  into  the  city  in  1861  and  a  portion  of 
the  streets  were  then  lighted. 

The  streets  were  lighted  by  gas  in  1874. 

A  steam  fire  engine  was  brought  to  the  city  in  1876. 

The  city  was  connected  by  telephone  with  Cincinnati  in  1879. 

In  the  Western  Republican  of  October  5,  1847,  it  was  stated  that 
"Notwithstanding  high  water  and  hard  times,  our  city  marches  straight 
onward.  The  cause  is  obvious.  Capital,  enterprise  and  industry  are  a 
part  of  the  secret  of  its  success — these  combined  must  overcome  every 
obstacle.  A  friend  has  taken  the  pains  to  give  us  the  number  of  houses 
which  have  been  built  since  the  first  of  March,  and  under  contract  to  be 
completed  this  season,  to-wit:  brick,  18;  frame  60;  additions,  12;  total, 
90." 

The  total  number  of  buildings  erected  in  Aurora  in  1850  was  123; 
100  of  which  were  dwellings,  2  churches,  1  mill  and  distillery,  10  ware- 
houses, 2  livery  stables,  4  blacksmith  shops  and  4  cooper  shops,  costing 
$120,000. 

Below  is  given  the  names  of  such  builders  of  houses  wherein  the  cost 
of  the  building  amounts  to  $1,000. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  319 

Henry   Walker : .  |13,000 

T.  &  J.  W.  Gaff(raill  and  distillery) 30,000 

Joseph  W.  Gaflf g'ooo 

Presbyterian  Church 8  000 

Dr.  Sutton 5^000 

J.  &  0.  P.  Cobb  (store  room  and  pork  house) 5  000 

P-  B.  Vail 3;000 

Levi  Stevens 3  000 

John  Shattuck 2  000 

Henry  Blasdell 2  000 

B-  M.  Bush ;.";;   1^300 

Bierman 1000 

Samuel  Lewis 1  000 

$83,000 
'  'About  1850,  Aurora  had  grown  up  to  the  business  increase  caused 
by  distilling,  milling,  etc.  Next  came  the  railroad,  the  shops  were 
established  close  by,  and  another  rapid  growth  followed.  Again 
aboat  five  years  ago  we  had  caught  up  in  population  with  our  business, 
and  a  temporary  stoppage  ensued.  Lately  added  a  brewery,  a  furniture 
factory,  a  chair  factory,  and  an  immense  rolling-mill  to  our  industries." 
— Dearborn  Independent,  1873. 

In  November  of  the  following  year,  the  same  paper  said,  "Improve- 
ment on  every  hand  is  going  on,  our  streets  are  being  improved,  busi- 
ness houses  are  being  erected,  dwellings  are  fairly  springing  up,  and 
new  branches  of  business  are  opening  up  constantly.  Our  population  is 
increasing,  rapidly,  business  men,  professional  men  and  capitalists  are 
locating  here,  and  Aurora  is  becoming  noted  for  her  business  energy  and 
enterprise." 

A  writer  for  one  of  the  city  papers  in  1879,  speaking  of  forty  years 
ago,  said,  '  'Then  what  is  now  the  heart  of  the  city,  was  a  common,  multis 
generous  of  ravines,  mud  holes,  jimson  and  dog-fennel  patches.  The 
Third  Ward  of  Sunnyside  and  West  Side,  were  either  cornfields  or  heavy 
forests,  while  our  lively  suburb,  Cochran,  was  the  elegant  hay  farm  of 
the  gentleman  after  whom  it  is  named.  The  roads  leading  to  the  interior 
were  of  such  a  character  that  the  best  one  ascended  the  hills  at  such  a 
grade  as  to  require  a  good  team  and  light  wagon  to  haul  a  barrel  of  salt, 
or  whisky  and  keg  of  dog- leg  tobacco  to  Wilmington,  then  the  county 
seat,  and  seat  of  learning  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties;  but  now  only 
the  decayed  remains  of  its  former  self.  Whilst  the  roads  leading  both 
up  and  down  the  river  were  in  such  a  condition,  without  bridges,  and 
the  streams  ferried  in  such  a  manner  that  no  prudent  life  insurance  com- 
pany could  afi"ord  to  take  risks  on  persons  who  traveled  them.  Ten 
years  later  we  find  Aiirora  incorporated  and  improving  her  streets,  which 
together  with  the  liberal  use  of  her  influence  and  means  in   relocating, 


320  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

grading  aud  mettling  all  her  roads,  inlets  and  outlets,  soon  marked 
a  progress  that  has  continued  until  Aurora,  solid  Aurora  has  expand- 
ed clear  across  the  valley  and  above  the  confluence  of  the  two  Hogans, 
and  is  rapidly  climbing  the  surrounding  hills,  which  aflford  the  most 
delightful  views  to  be  found  in  the  Ohio  Valley." 

Concerning  the  city's  improvements  we  quote  from  the  Independent 
of  January  10,  1878:  "Our  city  has  come  out  wonderfully  in  the  last 
seven  months,  as  the  following  summary  will  show:  Beginning  on  Fifth 
Street,  we  have  J.  J.  Metcalfe,  a  fine  two-story  dwelling;  Crescent  Brew- 
ery, two-story  bottling  establishment.  On  Fourth  Street,  John  Stark, 
dwelling;  James  R.  Hayes,  two-story  dwelling;  H.  J.  Marshall,  renova- 
tion of  house;  Prof.  Tufts  and  Charles  Stevens,  each  a  two- story  dwell- 
ing. Third  Street,  Episcopal  Church  and  Nees'  new  hotel.  Second 
Street,  Johnson's  two-story  brick  business  house.  Bridgway  Street, 
Martin  Scheuerman,  two-story  brick  dwelling;  Romstein,  one-story  busi- 
ness house.  Mechanic  Street,  Al  Bloom,  dwelling;  Main  Street,  Small's 
and  Wilke's  buildings,  both  large,  two-story  business  houses.  On  Judi- 
ciary, the  complete  overhauling  and  repairing  of  the  old  Weaver  and 
Groves  property;  also  dwellings  of  P.  Garrity,  destroyed  by  fire,  and 
York's  large  livery  stable.  In  the  Third  Ward  the  building  has 
been  confined  exclusively  to  dwellings,  as  follows:  Johnson  Street,  John 
Twentyman,  E.  Cole  and  Pardee  Bench;  Broadway,  Charles  Glass  and 
P.  Garrity;  Moore  Street,  Dent  Wymond;  Manchester  Street,  W.  H. 
Cobb;  Sunnyside,  E.  D.  Haynes,  B.  F.  Trester,  Jr.,  Thomas  Tan- 
ner; Eastside,  William  Block;  in  Westside,  Frank  Briddell,  Charles 
Shepard,  Rev.  I.  B.  Grundy,  John  Gifiin  and  George  Lamb  have 
erected  handsome  dwellings.  Never,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of  the  city, 
has  so  much  building  been  done  in  so  short  a  time.  Next  season  many 
more  buildings  will  go  up.  The  foundation  for  the  Nutshell  &  Cunning- 
ham ,  and  the  Mabin  Brothers'  buildings,  on  Second  Street,  have  been 
laid,  and  the  erection  of  large  business  houses  thereon,  will  begin  early 
in  the  spring.  We  venture  the  assertion  that  no  town  of  its  size  in  this 
part  of  the  country  has  made  the  advancement  that  our  city  has  during 
the  past  year." 

FIRE  OF  1882. 

September  4.  1882,  occurred  the  greatest  fire  at  Aurora,  that  the  city 
ever  experienced,  by  which  was  consumed  nearly  a  whole  block  of  build- 
ings. The  fire  originated  in  the  chair  factory  of  John  Cobb  &  Co.,  on 
Bridgeway  Street,  nearly  opposite  the  Indiana  House.  The  wind  was 
blowing  a  sweeping  gale  from  the  burning  building  right  into  the  heart 
of  the  city,  and  most  of  the  surrounding  buildings  were  wooden  struct- 
ures.    The  tire  extended  in  every  direction,  except   to   the   north.       The 


CITY  OF   AURORA.  321 

Indiana  House  burned,  everything  east  of  it  on  Fourth  Street,  John 
Siemantel's  buildings  on  Third  Street,  also  Adolph  Mann's  saloon,  and 
ail  the  out-houses  between  Third  and  Fourth  Streets,  and  the  first  alley 
east  of  Bridgeway,  burned.  On  the  west  side  of  Bridgeway  Street  the  chair 
factory,  engine-house,  dry  house  and  ware-house,  a  carpenter  shop  and  brick 
dwelling,  and  all  buildings  there  between  Third  and  Fourth  and  First, 
were  burned.  Seventy-five  thousand  dollars  worth  of  property,  covering 
a  whole  square,  was  nearly  wiped  out.  The  steam  fire  engine  from  the 
Walsh  &  Kellogg  Distillery,  of  Luwrenceburgh,  was  sent  down,  and  one 
telegraphed  for  from  Cincinnati,  but  did  not  come,a8  the  fire  was  got  under 
control.  The  principal  losses  were  as  follows:  John  Cobb  &  Co., 
$30,000,  insurance  to  the  amount  of  $8,000;  Mrs.  Brewington,  $5.000, no 
insurance;  John  H.  Siemantel,  $7,000,  insurance  $3,000;  Adolph  Stamm, 
$6,000,  insurance  $3,000;  M.  Giegoldt,  $15,000,  insurance  $6,000. 

FLOODS— 1882— 1883— 1884. 

During  the  great  floods  in  the  Ohio  River,  occurring  in  February, 
1882.  1883  and  1884,  Aurora  shared  the  same  fate  as  did  her  sister 
Ohio  River  cities  that  were  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  have  been  built  on 
elevations. 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  one  of  the  city  papers  of  those 
years,  as  showing  the  rise,  progress  and  receding  of  the  waters,  and 
the  general  aspect  of  things:  On  Tuesday  morning  the  weather  was 
quite  cold  and  snow  fell  in  fitful  gusts,  yet  the  rise  continued  slowly  but 
surely.  The  water  flooded  Main  Street  from  the  bridge  half  way  to 
Second  Street,  and  from  the  foot  of  Second  Street  to  Chambers  & 
Stevens'  corner.  The  people  living  on  these  streets  were  forced  to  move 
into  the  upper  stories  of  their  houses.  On  third  Street  the  water  came 
half  way  up  to  Main,  on  Fourth  Street  nearly  to  Judiciary,  while  it 
reached  Peter  Koehler's  corner  at  the  foot  of  Fifth  Street,  shutting  off 
communication,  except  by  boats  to  "Texas."  In  the  afternoon  the  rise 
was  about  half  an  inch  per  hour.  The  floor  of  the  Main  Street  bridge 
was  covered  before  5  o'clock,  and  the  water  worked  up  in  the  gutter 
opposite  Riddell's  drug  store,  and  up  on  Main  to  McClellan's  blacksmith 
shop.  At  8  o'clock  Tuesday  evening  the  river  came  to  a  stand,  the 
Big  Miami  having  subsided,  and  between  11  and  12  o'clock  it  began  to 
recede,  falling  by  morning  about  eleven  inches,  which  was  a  great  relief 
to  everybody. — Independent,  February  23,  1882. 

While  only  two  or  three  small  dwelling  houses  are  turned  over  at 
this  writing  (Wednesday  evening)  nearly  half  the  houses  in  Aurora  have 
water  in  them,  varying  in  depth  from  the  eave  of  the  roof  of  those 
houses  in  the  low  lands  to  more  than  a  foot  on  the    floor  of  Leive  Bros 

10 


322  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

jewelry  store,  in  the  opera  bouse  building.  Hundreds  of  dwelling 
houses  will  suffer  more  or  less  damages,  and  will  require  thorough  reno- 
vating when  the  water  goes  down. — Independent,  February  15,  1883. 

"As  we  went  to  press  last  week  the  Ohio  River  was  still  rising  here 
and,  although  it  was  the  last  day  of  its  climbing  up  and  up  to  a  height 
beyond  man's  memory,  the  strangest  thing  was  that  on  that  last  day, 
Wednesday,  February  14,  1883.  it  rose  at  a  rate  equal  to  any  day  after 
it  had  overflown  its  banks.  The  water  continued  to  rise  during  all  of 
Wednesday  and  until  6  o'clock  Thursday  the  loth  inst.,  at  which  time  it 
came  to  a  stand  at  a  point  thirty-three  and  one  half  inches  above  the 
mark  of  the  famous  flood  of  1832." 

The  height  of  the  water  here  as  given  in  last  week's  Independent 
was  good  enough  when  it  was  written  but  was  considerably  surpassed 
before  that  issue  of  the  paper  was  ^read.  Last  Thursday  morning  the 
climax  was  reached.  The  Ohio  Kiver  was  on  the  floor  of  our  postoflSce; 
it  was  five  feet  and  eight  inches  deep  in  O.  P.  Cobb  &  Co.'s  store,  was 
about  two  feet  deep  in  the  First  Baptist  Church,  lacked  only  one  inch  of 
being  in  Schaeffer's  store  on  Third  and  Main  Streets,  was  rippling  in 
Dr.  Bond's  house  on  George  Street,  was  within  two  and  one-half  feet 
of  the  second  floor  of  Gaff's  building  at  the  foot  of  Second  Street;  finally 
was  two  feet  nine  and  one-half  inches  higher  than  anybody  ever  saw  it 
in  Aurora  and  we  have  plenty  of  the  proverbial  "oldest  inhabitants"  too. 
The  water  came  to  a  stand  at  6  A.  M.  Thursday  and  many  a  high  water 
mark  for  February  15,  1883,  was  cut  to  record  the  flood  height  for 
future  generations  to  swim  over.  A  good  mark  is  cut  deep  in  the  second 
step  adjacent  to  the  First  National  Bank;  another  is  chiseled  in  the  iron 
column  of  Mitchell's  building  opposite  the  bank  and  in  innumerable  places 
all  over  town  the  mark  of  this  highest  flood  of  them  all  is  'chalked 
down.'  The  water  was  on  a  stand  for  about  four  hours  when  it  began  to 
recede  &\ovi\^ .—  Independent,  February  22,  1883. 

"We  started  out  to  get  an  estimate  of  individual  losses  of  our  citizens 
by  the  flood,  but  the  work  was  too  great  for  us.  Our  citizens,  both  rich 
and  poor  alike,  have  lost  heavily,  probably,  in  all,  not  much  less  than 
U^O,Om:'— Independent,  February  22,  1883. 

"As  a  result  of  their  precautions,  the  citizens  of  Aurora  will  not 
suffer  nearly  as  much  as  they  did  in  1882  or  in  1883,  and  the  de- 
struction of  property  will  not  be  one-third  as  much  as  in  either  of  those 
years.  W^arning  came  over  the  wires:  'Prepare  for  seventy  feet.' 
That  would  be  three  feet  and  six  inches  more  than  we  had  in  1883,  and 
the  people  lost  no  time  in  preparing.  All  the  people  living  in  houses 
likely  to  be  submerged  moved  into  their  second  stories,  where  they  were 
high  enough,  and  where  this  was  not  the  case  they  abandoned  the  houses 


CITY  OF  AUKORA.  323 

and  moved  to  higher  ground.  All  of  our  merchants  moved  their  goods 
and  perishable  property  beyond  the  possible  reach  of  the  water,  and  thus 
saved  everything,  many  of  them  vsrorking  night  and  day  to  accomplish 
their  object.  Of  course  Cobb's  Iron  &  Nail  Company,  the  Sutton  Mill 
Company,  Aurora  Distilling  Company,  and  the  Aurora  Valley  Furniture 
Company  were  drowned  out  and  stopped  operations,  but,  aside  from  loss 
of  time,  trouble  and  inconvenience,  their  losses  will  not  amount  to  much. 
With  the  river  already  bank  full  (and  over  its  banks  in  many  places),  the 
rain  commenced  Monday  night,  February  4,  and  poured  down  almost  in- 
cessantly till  Thursday  morning,  February  7.  Tuesday,  February  5,  the 
water  was  over  the  sidewalk  from  the  Eagle  Hotel  to  the  Crescent 
Brewery,  and  in  all  that  portion  of  town  north  of  Hogan  Creek,  and  be- 
tween George  Street  and  the  river.  Then  the  rise  was  rapid,  and  the 
water  extended  up  Second  Street  to  Mechanic  Street,  up  Third  to  Main 
up  Mill  Street  to  the  office  of  the  Aurora  Distilling  Company,  and  up 
Main  Street  to  its  intersection  with  Third. 

"The  above  part  of  this  article  was  written  Monday  morning,  when 
we  had  the  faintest  hope  that  there  would  not  be  much  more  to  tell,  but 
the  rains  kept  coming  up  till  last  night,  when  they  finished  early  in  the 
night  with  a  heavy  climax,  and  then  the  wind  changed,  and  the  most 
welcome  cold  snap  that  ever  visited  any  community  fell  upon  us  and  put 
a  check  to  the  rain,  and  gave  us  hope  that  the  river  would  not  overflow 
the  hilltops,  at  least.  But  the  rainfall  had  been  general  through  the 
whole  valley  of  the  Ohio,  and  the  greatest  of  all  floods  was  inevitable. 
Up  and  up  and  up  it  climbed,  driving  people  from  one  refuge  to  another, 
until  4  o'clock  this  Thursday  afternoon,  February  14,  1884,  it  had 
reached  a  point  six  feet  above  the  once  legendary  flood  of  1832.  It  stood 
at  this  height  for  some  time,  as  if  meditating  whether  to  burst  itself  in 
one  final  effort  to  do  yet  greater  things,  and  then  it  began  very  slowly  to 
recede. 

"In  order  that  those  of  our  readers  who  are  away  from  Aurora  may 
understand  the  height  of  the  flood,  we  will  give  them  a  few  old  land 
marks  to  go  by.  The  water  was  just  to  the  top  of  the  door  of  the  old 
yellow  brick  house  on  Cobb's  corner,  which  house  has  stood  in  all  the 
great  floods  since  1832.  It  was  eight  feet  and  ten  inches  deep  on  the 
floor  in  Cobb's  store;  it  stood  in  the  gutter  in  front  of  Dr.  Sutton's  office, 
on  Third  Street;  it  was  about  eight  inches  deep  on  the  inside  corner  of 
the  pavement  at  the  Catholic  Church,  on  Fourth  Street;  it  went  up  Sec- 
ond Street  as  far  as  the  front  door  of  Tuck's  building,  at  the  corner  of 
Bridgeway;  it  backed  up  Broadway  nearly  to  Hogan  Creek,  six  inches 
more  would  have  sent  it  through  the  whole  length  of  Broadway;  it  stood 
several  inches  deep  in  Stedman  &  Co. 's    foundry;  it  backed  up  Main 


324  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Street  beyond  Third,  so  that  by  stepping  across  the  pavement  from  the 
front  door  of  the  old  Asa  Shattuck  residence,  oner  would  step  into  the 
river;  it  vpas  over  the  door  knob  of  Dr.  Bond's /residence,  on  George 
Street,  and  was  up  into  the  yard  at  John  Cobb's  residence;  it  was  in  some 
places  over  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  between  Aurora  and  Law- 
renceburgh;  over  the  tops  of  the  telegi'aph  poles,  and  was  over  the  roofs  of 
freight  cars  loaded  with  stone  that  were  placed  on  the  Wilson  Creek 
bridge.  Those  of  you  who  have  only  seen  the  high  water  of  1832  and 
1847,  in  Aurora,  have  no  idea  of  what  a  real  high  water  in  the  Ohio  is. 

"The  highest  point  of  the  present  flood  stands  within  half  an  inch  of 
being  six  feet  above  the  once  famous  flood  of  1832,  and  is  three  feet  and 
two  inches  above  the  flood  of  last  year." — Independent,  February  14, 
1884. 

"In  other  words,  we  don't  believe  Aurora's  loss  will  foot  up  more  than 
$20,000,  unless  you  count  the  loss  of  time  to  factories  being  idle; 
and  how  often  are  they  shut  down  to  reduce  stock,  or  by  reason  of 
a  strike,  for  a  longer  period  than  the  flood  closed  them  ?  True,  Aurora 
has  lost  more  houses  than  she  did  last  year,  and  more  are  off  of  their 
foundations,  but  the  loss  of  household  goods  is  not  nearly  so  great  this 
year,  and  the  loss  of  mercantile  stock  is  actually  nothing  worth  nam- 
ing, while  last  year  it  was  very  great,  because  people  would  not  then 
believe  that  the  flood  would  surpass  every  previous  one,  and  did  not  get 
out  of  the  way.  *  *  *  *  Taking  all  things  into  consideration,  we 
cannot  help  but  believe  that  Aurora  has  suffered  less  loss  this  year  than 
she  did  last,  although  this  flood  has  been  with  us,  and  upon  us,  more 
than  twice  as  long  as  that  of  1883." — Independent,  February  21,  1884. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

Public  Schools. — The  founders  of  Aurora  in  the  very  beginning  made 
provisions  for  schools,  as  evidenced  in  the  setting  apart  of  Lots  No.  222 
and  288  on  the  original  plat  of  the  village  for  school  purposes.  These 
were  adjoining  lots  given  for  the  Methodist  Episcopal  and  Presbyterian 
Churches.  Lot  No.  210  was  also  set  apart  for  school  purposes.  In  the 
very  beginning  of  the  village  Mrs.  Joanna  Fox  erected  a  log-cabin 
on  Fifth  Street,  the  site  of  the  William  Brewington  residence,  subse- 
quently this  building  was  vacated  by  Mrs.  Fox,  when  it  was  used  for 
some  years  as  a  schoolhouse,  and  by  all  denominations  of  Christians  for 
church  purposes.  A  large  and  liberal  donation  was  made,  including 
"Seminary  Square,"  to  found  a  seminary  of  learning,  and  among  the  first 
educational  institutions  incorporated  in  the  State  was  the  Aurora  Semi- 
nary. In  1826,  upon  the  earnest  solicitations  of  Judge  Jesse  Holman,  the 
Rev.  Lucius  Alden,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman  and  a  gentleman  of  high 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  325 

scholastic  accomplishments,  was  iDduced  to  emigrate  from  Boston 
Mass.,  and  take  charge  of  the  institution,  at  a  salary  of  $300  per  year, 
which  he  successfully  conducted  for  several  years.  The  assistant  to 
Prof.  Alden  was  Stephen  S.  Harding,  who  received  $13  per  month  for 
his  services.  Mr.  Harding  was  afterward  governor  of  Utah  and  judge 
of  Colorado.     At  present  he  resides  in  the   adjoining  county  of  Ripley. 

For  the  next  twenty  years  the  school  of  Aurora  passed  through  the 
vicissitudes  to  which  subjected,  under  the  passage  of  the  various 
laws  governing  educational  matters  and  the  times  rendered  necessary, 
without  making  much  progress.  In  the  winter  of  1852-53,  Mr.  L.  A. 
Nine  of  Cincinnati,  delivered  a  lecture  in  Aurora  on  the  graded  school 
system.  He  presented  the  subject  in  so  clear  and  forcible  a  manner  as 
to  convince  his  hearers  that  this  system  was  in  advance  of  the  old 
method  of  teaching.  Efforts  were  then  made  by  the  citizens  of  Aurora 
to  establish  the  system  in  the  Aurora  schools.  The  school  board  was  com- 
posed of  Dr.  A.  B.  Haines,  Thomas  Gaff,  Dr.  Bond,  James  M.  Miller,  I. 
H.  Carbaugh,  R.  R.  Baker  and  George  W.  Lane,  which  gentlemen  em- 
ployed a  superintendent,  who  unfortunately,  it  afterward  was  discovered, 
had  no  practical  knowledge  of  the  graded  system,  and  the  system  not 
proving  a  success  under  his  management  was  not  continued.  Two  years 
later  (1854)  another  effort  was  made  with  the  same  view  under  the  fol- 
lowing board  of  trustees:  George  Smith,  George  Sutton,  N.  R.  Sted- 
man,  B.  M.  McHenry  and  Daniel  Armei  and  the  graded  system  was 
adopted.  A  Mr.  Bronson  who  had  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  system 
in  Kentucky  was  employed  to  take  charge  of  the  Aurora  schools,  power 
being  given  him  to  select  his  assistants.  The  schools  were  opened  and 
grade  into  the  primary,  the  secondary  and  the  high  school  departments, 
each  grade  having  a  course  of  study  assigned  to  it,  which  prepared  the 
scholars  for  the  next  higher  grade,  establishing  a  system  of  promotion  by 
transfer  depending  upon  the  industry  and  advancement  of  the  pupil. 

August  30,  1855 i  the  following  notice  appeared  in  the  Aurora  Stand- 
ard : 

"  The  trustees  of  the  school  district  for  the  city  of  Aurora  inform  the 
public  that  the  graded  schools  commence  their  second  session  Monday, 
September  3,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  same  teachers  employed 
last  session.  They  earnestly  entreat  all  who  feel  desirous  of  sending  to 
those  schools  to  commence  with  the  session,  so  as  to  enable  the  teachers 
to  ai'range  the  scholara  as  soon  as  possible  in  their  proper  classes.  As 
there  is  no  public  money  in  the  treasury  the  trustees  have  put  the 
terms  of  tuition  as  follows :  Primary  Department  per  month,  75 
cents  ;  Secondary  Department,  $1.00  ;  High  School,  $1.25.  To  be  paid 
at  the  expiration  of  each  month  to  the  trustees.      Since  the   last  session 


326  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  superintendent  has  pi'ocured  philosophical  apparatus,  maps,  ana- 
tomical plates,  which  will  enable  him  more  closely  to  illustrate  the 
different  branches  taught  in  the  department.  From  the  success  and  popu- 
larity of  the  schools  during  the  past  session,  we  anticipate  a  continuance 
of  public  favor,  and  hope  the  terms  of  tuition  will  be  promptly  paid  at 
the  end  of  each  month. 

George  Sutton, 
N.  R.  Stedman 
B.  N.  McHenry, 
George  Smith, 
Daniel  Armel,     . 

Trustees. ' ' 
Some  of  the  above  mentioned  trustees  were  continued  in  office  for   a 
long  succession  of   years,  becoming  closely  identified  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  excellent  schools  and  splendid  school  buildings  of  Aurora. 

From  1859  to  1863,  during  the  progress  of  the  construction  of  the 
large  school  building  located  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  the  city 
was  without  the  benefit  of  public  schools,  but  her  citizens  had  waited  pa  - 
tiently  until  the  completion  of  the  house  in  the  fall  of  1863,  when  school 
was  opened  in  it  under  the  superintendence  of  Rev.  A.  W.  Freeman,  a 
Presbyterian  clergyman,  who  in  that,  or  the  following  year,  organized 
the  schools  as  they  have,  with  perhaps  little  variation  been  conducted. 
Mr.  Freeman,  after  thoroughly  organizing  the  schools  and  conducting 
them  several  years  retired,  and  his  successors  were  Messrs.  Davidson, 
Temple  and  Clark  in  the  order  given,  the  latter  remaining  as  superin- 
tendent for  a  period  of  upward  of  ten  years,  longer  by  far  than  served 
any  of  his  predecessors  or  successors.  Mr.  Clark  (Ed.)  is  a  man  of  fine 
attainments  and  remarkably  well  adapted  for  his  high  calling,  and  to  his 
ability  and  thoroughness  are  the  people  of  Aurora  largely  indebted  for 
the  high  excellence  of  their  public  schools.  The  course  of  study  as  laid 
down  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing  occupied  a  period  of  seven 
years.  Until  1870,  at  the  close  of  each  year,  there  were  annual  exhibi- 
tions at  the  school  building,  or  at  some  public  hall,  and  the  pupils  who 
had  finished  the  course  of  study  received  a  certificate  to  that  effect  upon 
their  leaving  the  schools.  The  class  of  1868  included  two  persons,  and 
that  of  1869  three.  In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1870,  occurred  the  first  an- 
nual commencement,  which  was  made  an  event  in  the  history  of  the  schools. 
The  exercises  were  held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  there  being 
present  the  mayor  of  the  city  and  the  council  and  a  large  assembly  of 
citizens.  The  graduating  class  consisted  of  eleven  persons.  The  diplo- 
mas were'  presented  to  them  by  Prof.  Clark,  and  to  the  classes  of 
1868  and  1869  were  given  diplomas  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Freeman,  then  chair- 
man of  the  school  board. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  327 

The  growth  of  the  city  made  it  necessary  for  more  commodious 
quarters,  or  additional  accommodations,  so  in  1880  another  large  and 
substantial  brick  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
city  at  a  cost  of  $18,000,  which  was  completed  and  school  opened  in  it 
that  fall.  Each  year  has  shown  a  marked  increase  in  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  the  schools  of  Aurora,  and  it  is  a  great  source  of  pride  to 
her  citizens  to  be  able  to  say  that  no  city  in  the  State  can  boast  of  better 
schools.  The  present  superintendent  and  principal  of  the  schools  are 
F.  D.  Churchill  and  Charles  N.  Peak,  respectively.  In  addition  to  the 
superintendent  and  principal,  one  gentleman  is  employed  in  teaching 
Oerman,  ajid  fifteen  female  teachers,  the  latter  receive  for  their  services 
from  $40  to  $50  per  month.     School  enrollment,  850. 

Catholic  Schools. — The  St.  Mary's  congregation  numbers  some  220 
families  and  the  school  is  under  charge  of  four  Sisters  of  St.  Francis. 
The  rooms  are  on  Fourth  Street,  near  their  church  and  are  comfortably 
arranged  for  school  purposes.  Sister  Bonnie,  the  principal,  graduated 
at  the  public  schools,  since  which  she  has  taken  an  academic  course  in 
Baltimore,  and  is  thoroughly  competent  in  algebra,  history  and  philos- 
ophy, as  well  as  the  more  common  branches.  The  school  is  under  the 
superintendency  of  Rev.  J.  J.  Schoentrup,  who  was  raised  in  this 
county,  and  after  leaving  the  common  schools,  spent  three  years  at  the 
Bardstown,  Ky.,  college,  then  five  years  at  St.  Meinrad's  College,  of 
Spencer  County,  Ind.,  after  which  he  completed  his  course  at  the 
St.  Joseph's''Theological  Seminary  at  Indianapolis.  After  leaving  col- 
lege Father  Schoentrup  was  in  charge  of  a  parish  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Posey 
County,  this  State,  for  six  years,  when  he  was  called  to  accept  the 
spiritual  supervision  of  the  St.  Mary's  congregation  in  this  city.  School 
enrollment,  176. 

German  {Lutheran)  School. — This  school  is  patronized  by  about  100 
families,  the  enrollment  at  present  consisting  of  about  eighty  scholars. 
It  includes  in  its  curriculum,  German  and  the  common  branches.  Until 
December  last  it  was  under  the  personal  charge  of  Mr.  August  Maletzky,  \^ 
who  was  at  that  date  prostrated  with  a  serious  illness  resulting  in  his 
death  the  following  February.  The  congregation  have  called  and  ex- 
pecst  to  secure  a  competent  teacher  for  the  fall  opening.  Since  the  death 
of  Mr.  Maletzky,  Rev.  Henkel  has  officiated  as  tutor,  but  as  his  ordinary 
labors  as  pastor  of  the  church  and  superintendent  of  secular  schools,  are 
sufficiently  arduous  as  to  require  his  whole  attention,  the  ari'angement 
will  be  at  once  made  to  secure  the  services  of  another  teacher. 

FIKE  DEPARTMENT. 

Prior  to  1876  the  citizens  of  Aurora  protected  property  from  fire  as 


328  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

best  they  could  without  the  aid  of  a  lire  engine,  the  old  bucket  line 
system  continuing  in  vogue.  In  the  year  above  named  the  city  author- 
ities purchased  a  steam  fire  engine  of  Messrs.  Ahrens  &  Co.,  of  Cincin- 
nati and  a  fix'st-class  fire  company  was  organized.  September  8,  1876, 
this  engine  was  tested  in  the  afternoon  at  the  fair  grounds,  the  fire  was 
lighted  and  in  three  minutes  and  forty-two  seconds  from  the  time  the 
test  was  applied  the  engine  was  throwing  water  from  the  hose.  In  a 
minute  after  water  was  being  thrown  over  200  feet  high.  Two  line  of 
hose  were  attached  to  the  engine  and  it  threw  two  steady  streams  at  an 
estimated  height  of  nearly  200  feet.  In  the  evening  the  fire  company 
took  the  engine  over  to  the  city  to  give  it  another  test  and  get  practice 
in  handling  the  machine  and  managing  the  hose.  Steam  was  raised 
quicker  than  at  the  fair  ground  and  through  200  feet  of  hose  water  was 
thrown  to  a  distance  of  258  feet.  The  company  consists  of  a  member- 
ship of  about  fifty  volunteers,  officered  at  present  by  Capt.  Mort  Steele 
and  Lieut.  W.  W.  Brison,  and  is  well  equipped  and  supplied  with  all 
necessary  accompaniments. 

ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY. 

The  Baptist  Church. — Saturday, Feburary  26,  1820,  a  council  of  elders 
and  brethren  convened  at  Aurora  for  the  purpose  of  consulting  as  to  the 
propriety  of  constituting  a  Baptist  Church  at  that  place.  The  council 
was  organized  by  choosing  Elder  A.  Graves  as  moderator,  and  Jesse  L. 
Holman,  clerk.  The  following  brethren  and  sisters  were  constituted  a 
church  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  the  name  of  the  church  at  Aurora,  to  wit: 
Timothy  Brown,  William  Hancock,  Jesse  L.  Holman,  Sophia  Brown, 
Lydia  St.  Johns  and  Sallie  Brown.  The  first  services  were  held  in  a 
log-house  located  on  the  lot  where  William  Brewington  now  resides,  on 
Fifth  Street.  It  was  built  originally  for  a  private  residence,  by  Mrs. 
Joanna  Fox,  but  was  afterward  used  as  a  schoolhouse,  and  by  all  denom- 
inations of  Christians  for  church  purposes,  as  occasion  might  require. 
Somewhere  between  the  years  1825  and  1828  the  Baptists  built  a  meeting 
house  on  their  lot,  one  lot  east  of  the  present  site  of  the  old  house,  and 
was  the  first  meeting  house  built  in  the  town.  It  was  a  brick  structure, 
the  bricks  of  which  were  made  on  the  lot  where  now  stands  Hurlber.t's 
machine  shop.  It  was  surmounted  by  a  small  belfry,  and  for  a  time  the 
people  were  summoned  to  church  by  a  triangle.  Afterward  this  was 
supplanted  by  a  bell,  which  is  the  present  ferry  bell  on  this  side  of  the 
river.  Some  of  the  seats  which  were  in  the  old^  meeting  house  are  now 
in  use  in  Council  Hall.  This  old  building  has  some  special  reminiscences 
connected  with  it,  one  of  which  is  that  the  world-renowned  Lorenzo  Dow 
once  preached  in  it;  and,  second,  that  the  first  session  of  the  first  United 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  329 

States  Bankrupt  Court  was  held  within  its  walls,  pi'esided  over  by  Jesse 
L.  Holman.  The  reason  for  this  court  being  held  here  was  owing  to  the 
fact  that  Judge  Holman  was  sick,  and  unable  to  go  to  the  capital  of  the 
State  to  transact  the  business  absolutely  necessary  to  be  done.  The 
church  worshiped  in  this  house  until,1848.  Elder  James  Dickens,  of  the 
Bullettsburgh,  Ky.  church,  became  the  iirst  pastor,  and  under  his  min- 
istry the  church  entered  upon  its  career  of  usefulness  and  prosperity. 
Frequent  accessions  were  had  by  letter  up  to  October,  when  the  first 
convert  was  baptized.  At  the  close  of  the  year  the  church  numbered 
seventeen  members.  Elder  Dickens  served  the  church  until  1824,  when, 
having  declined  further  services,  Elder  Samuel  Harris  was  called  to  the 
pastorate,  and  served  the  church,  excepting  at  short  intervals,  until  1832. 
During  his  ministry,  members  were  received  at  almost  every  meeting. 
He  died  of  cholera  while  on  a  visit  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1832.  Elder 
Thomas  Curtis,  a  minister  of  great  usefulness,  and  beloved  by  all  the 
churches,  was  chosen  as  the  next  pastor.  He  served  the  church  for  two 
years,  during  which  time  great  prosperity  and  pleasure  attended  his 
labors.  Elder  Curtis,  on  account  of  other  engagements,  much  to  the 
regret  and  sorrow  of  the  brethren,  relinquished  the  charge  in  1834, 
when  the  church  voted  unanimously  to  invite  a  council  to  consider  the 
propriety  of  setting  apart  to  the  ministry  Jesse  L.  Holman.  The 
council  met  July  12,  1834,  the  following  being  the  officiating  ministers: 
Elders  William  Morgan,  William  Bruce,  Thomas  Curtis,  Robert  Kirtley, 
Ezra  Ferris  and  Daniel  Palmer.  Brother  Holman  was,  according  to  the 
desire  of  the  church,  solemnly  set  apart  to  the  work  of  a  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ.  As  pastor  of  the  church  Brother  Holman  more  than  met 
the  expectations  of  his  brethren,  and  received  large  accessions  to  the 
church.  Brother  William  Johnson  was  Brother  Holman' s  successor;  he 
also  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  brethren,  and  during  his 
pastorate  the  church  was  largely  blessed  by  the  presence  and  power  of 
the  Holy  Sj)irit,  and  large  numbers  were  added  to  its  membership.  Dur- 
ing the  year  1845  the  church  was  supplied  with  preaching  by  Elders  Roe 
and  E.  P.  Bond.  June  13,  1846,  Elder  Hamilton  Robb  was  called  to  the 
pastorate.  He  was  very  popular  as  a  preacher,  and  his  ministry  was 
attended  by  large  congregations.  Brother  Robb  served  the  church  until 
February,  1849,  when  he  resigned.  Elder  Jeremiah  Cell  succeeded  Elder 
Robb  as  pastor,  and  served  the  church  for  one  year  with  great  acceptance. 
After  which  Brother  R.C.  Bond  was  called  into  the  ministry  and  ordained, 
April  14,  1850.  Elder  William  Leet  was  next  called  as  pastor  of  the 
church,  and  remained  as  such  for  one  year.  Elder  Leet  resigned  in 
1852,  and  was  succeeded  by  Elder  E.  P.  Bond,  who  continued  as  pastor 
for  four  years.     He  was  succeeded  by  Elder  R.  C.  Bond,  who  served  the 


330  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

churcla  for  two  years  with  great  acceptance,  and  during  his  pastorate  re- 
ceived into  the  church  some  forty-five   members,  which  greatly  strength- 
ened it.     In  1859  Elder  R.  C.  Bond  declined  further   service,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Elder  J.  H.  Smith,  who  served    the    church  for    one    year. 
Elder  Edward  Jones  was  the'next  pastor,  serving  the  church  little  more 
than  one  year,  when  he  resigned,  and  the  church  solicited  Elder  Jeremiah 
Cell  to  become   their    pastor,  which  he    did    and   served  for    two    years. 
After  Brother  Cell  left,  the  church  maintained  public  worship  every  Sab- 
bath for  over  six  months,  calling  in  such  ministerial  aid  as  could  be  pro- 
cured.    June  1,  1866,  Elder  Charles  Ager,  of  South  Bend,  accepted  the 
pastoral    charge,  whose   labors  were   blessed  to  the  good  of    the   church 
and  the  conversion  of    souls.     His  successful    labors  with   and  for  the 
church  were  dissolved  early  in  1879,  and  Elder  C.  C.  Davidson  succeeded 
him  in  February  1879,  who  labored  zealously  in  the  building  up  of  Zion 
until   October  1,  1884,  after  which,  for  a  short    season,    the   church  was 
without    a   pastor,    but  on  December  1,  1884,  Rev.  Francis  M.  Huckle- 
bery  accepted  a  call,  and  became    the  pastor.     He  is  highly  esteemed  by 
his  brethren   and  the  community  in  general,  and  is  a  bright  and  shining 
light  in  the  vineyard.    Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  Baptist  Church 
at  Aurora.      Space  forbids  the  notice  of  many  of   the  brethren,  who  in 
their  sphere  of    duty  performed    services  in  the    cause  of   Christ,  which 
will  give  them  a  place  for  all  time  to  come  in  the  record  of  the  good  and 
the  true.     Such  were  Aaron   Foulk,  Alexander  Steele,  Newton  M.  Rags- 
dale,  John  N.  Cochran.  Robert  K.  Baker.  Peter  B.Vail,  John  Briddell 
and  others  of  equally  precious  memory.     Likewise  the  sisterhood  of  the 
church  have  contributed  their  full  share  toward   its  prosperity.     The 
records  of   no  church   can   present  a  more    faithful,  pious    and    earnest 
band  of  Christian  women  than  the  Aurora  Church  has  ever  been  blessed 
with,  and, when  the  final  account  shall  be  made  up,  we  expect  to  see  them 
wear  their   crowns   of    rejoicing  in   glory.     Throughout    the   history  of 
this  church   it  has   ever  taken  a  lively  interest,  and  contributed  liberally 
toward   missionary   and    benevolent    enterprises.      It   has  always  faith- 
fully maintained  the   purity  of   the  gospel  of    Christ,  and  never  in  any 
instance  faltered  in  its  fidelity  to  truth.      The  church  has  also,  from  the 
year  1824,  maintained  the  cause  of   Sabbath-school   instruction,  and  has 
always  had  in  successful  operation  an  interesting    school.     The   average 
attendance  of  present  school  is  230,  the  officers  of  which  are  William  S. 
Holman,  Jr.,   superintendent;  James  R.  Vail,  assistant;   Miss  Margaret 
Kaster,    secretary;    Miss  Flora    Siementel,    treasurer.      Present    church 
officials,  Rev.  Francis  M.  Hucklebery,  pastor;  William  Webber.   George 
C.   Dale,  A.  B.  Lansberry,    deacons;  James  R.  Vail,  clerk;  William  V. 
Webber,  treasuer;  William  Webber,  L.  M.  Foulk,  George  C.  Dale,  trus- 
tees.     Present  membership  is  350. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  331 

In  1848  the  Fifth  Street  meeting-house  was  built.  The  bell  hung  in 
the  new  church  building  was  purchased  by  the  citizens,  exclusive  of  all 
church  members.  The  bell  weighs  1,800  pounds,  and  on  the  evening  of 
the  day  on  which  it  was  hung,  a  feast  was  made  in  honor  of  the  donors. 
This  was  in  the  year  1852.  The  building  at  present  owned  by  the  Bap- 
tists of  Aurora,  and  in  which  they  now  worship,  is  one  of  the  finest  church 
edifices  in  southern  Indiana.  It  is  a  brick  structure,  48x95  feet,  of 
handsome  architecture,  finished  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  upward  of  $20,000. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Awrora.— Daniel  Bartholomew 
and  wife,  Olivia  B.,  floated  down  the  Ohio  River  from  Cincinnati  to 
Aurora  on  a  flat-boat  in  the  spring  of  1816,  and  settled  on  the  bank  of  the 
Ohio,  near  where  Mrs.  Hill's  house  stands.  They  lived  in  their  boat  till 
a  log-house  was  built  for  them;  it  consisted  of  two  rooms,  one  of  which 
was  their  store-room.  In  the  other  they  lived,  and  there  William  Lamb- 
den  preached  the  first  sermon  on  the  site  of  Aurora,  and  organized  the 
first  class,  consisting  of  Martin  Cosine  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife;  Richard 
Norris,  Joseph  Norris  and  wife;  Ira  Wright  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife; 
and  Daniel  and  Olivfa  Bartholomew — nine  persons  in  all.  In  1823 
William  H.  Raper  preached  as  circuit  preacher,  and  may  have  been  the 
first  regular  pastor.  Alfred  Cotton  and  Daniel  Plummer  held  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  in  a  log-schoolhouse  which  stood  near  the  present  site  of 
the  Catholic  Schoolhouse.  The  first  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
Aurora  was  built  in  1830,  and  stood  not  far  from  the  site  of  the  foundry 
of  Mr.  Nathan  Stedman.  The  building  was  of  brick,  a  plain  structure; 
its  probable  dimensions  were  30x40  feet,  with  a  small  cupola,  but  lacking 
a  bell,  as  such  adornments  and  conveniences  were  rare  in  those  days.  The 
furniture  was  of  plain  character,  with  no  rests  or  backs  at  first,  but  added 
later,  a  good  high  pulpit  some  four  feet  from  main  floor,  but  cut  down 
by  the  influence  of  some  preacher  of  more  modern  ideas.  This  church  was 
finished  in  1838,  James  Jones  then  being  preacher  in  charge.  In  1839  a 
revival  of  religion  broke  out  under  the  pastoral  labors  of  Charles  Bonner 
and  S.  T.  Gillett,  extending  over  the  entire  circuit.  One  hundred  and  forty 
persons  were  added  to  the  struggling  church  at  Aurora.  The  first  church 
was  completed  under  great  difficulties,  and  when  finished  there  was  a  mort- 
gage on  it,  and  it  was  finally  sold  in  1842.  The  second  church,  still 
standing  and  now  known  as  Siementel's  Mill,  was  built  "in  1845.  In 
1849  the  Aurora  charge  became  a  station.  Some  dissension  in  the  church 
was  caused  by  the  doctrine  of  the  coming  of  Christ  known  as  Millerism; 
a  division  was  created  and  thirty  persons  withdrew  from  the  church, 
and  others  stood  aloof  from  active  participation  in  its  affairs.  But  pros- 
perity returned,  and  in  1851  the  trustees  reported  that  a  new  and  larger 
house  was  needed.     The  present  church  was  dedicated  in  1862  by  Bishop 


332  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

E.  R.  Ames,  and  there  was  doubtless  a  day  of  rejoicing  among  the 
Methodists  of  Aurora.  The  iirst  Sunday-school  was  probably  held  about 
1817  or  1818.  The  following  named  pastors  have  served  the  church 
since  it  became  a  station:  1849,  John  Miller;  1850-51,  Samuel  P. 
Crawford;  1852-53,  John  W.  Sullivan;  1854-55,  Joseph  Cotton;  1856-57, 
J.  T.  R.  Miller;  1858-59,  S.  Tincher;  1860,  J.  B.  Lathrop;  1861-62, 
William  G.  Ransdall;  1863-64,  John  A.  Chafee;  1865-66,  William  W. 
Snyder;  1867-68-69,  Charles  Tinsley;  1870,  John  S.Tevis;  l871-72,Abram 
N.  Marlatt;  1873-74,  Charles  Tinsley;  1875-76-77,  R.  R.  Baldwin;  1878- 
79,  D.  A.  Robertson;  1880-81-82,  M.  L.  Wells;  1883-84-85,  E.  H. 
Wood  (present  incumbent). 

The  Presbyterian  Church. — The  first  Presbyterian  minister  who  re- 
sided in  Aurora  was  Rev.  Lucius  Alden,  who,  in  1826,  at  the  earnest  so- 
licitation of  Judge  Jesse  Holman,  opened  a  seminary  in  the  village, 
which  he  successfully  conducted  for  two  years,  preaching  every  fortnight 
in  the  Hopewell  Presbyterian  Church,  near  Dillsborough,  and  on  alter- 
nate Sabbaths  at  other  points  in  the  vicinity.  The  germ  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  was  a  Sabbath-school,  composed  of  vchildren  not  attending 
other  schools.  It  assembled  first  in  a  room  of  the  house  now  occupied 
by  Ml-.  Adam  Weke,  but  afterward  in  the  schoolhouse  (in  1869  the  site 
of  the  Indejjendent  printing  oflice).  Neighboring  ministers  heard  of  it, 
and  visited  it.  To  this  measure,  when  proposed,  the  little  number  of 
ten  consented,  and  April  14,  1844,  by  a  committee  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Madison,  consisting  of  Rev.  John  M.  Dicky,  Harvey  Estes  and  W.  N. 
Smith,  was  duly  organized.  Brother  Smith,  who  was  the  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Lawrenceburgh,  took  charge  of  the  little  flock 
and  administered  to  them  for  eighteen  months,  when  he  left  the  neigh- 
borhood. It  was  then,  and  during  its  successive  vacancies,  visited  fre- 
quently and  cared  for  by  Rev.  B.  F.  Morris,  of  Rising  Sun.  During 
the  summer  of  1846  it  enjoyed  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Abraham  Blakely. 
All  these  ministers  are  now  deceased.  In  August,  1848,  Rev.  Levi  R. 
Booth  was  called  to  its  pastorate.  During  his  stay  the  congregation 
rapidly  increased,  and  after  having  worshiped  in  the  Baptist  and  Meth- 
odist meeting  houses,  and  in  the  second  story  of  the  Masonic  building 
(now  Council  Hall),  which  was  fitted  up  for  the  purpose,  at  length  ac- 
quired for  itself  a  fixed  habitation,  and  the  basement  story  of  the  pres- 
ent house  of  worship  was  finished.  JVIr.  Booth  resigned  his  charge  De- 
cember 31,  1851.  Rev.  John  H.  Ziveley,  of  Kentucky,  succeeded  Mr. 
Booth  in  the  autumu  of  1852,  but  remained  only  three  months.  Rev.  John 
Stewart,  of  Walnut  Hills,  Ohio,  began  his  labors  as  stated  supply,  Janu- 
ary 1,  1853,  and  continued  therein  fifteen  months.  Rev.  A.  W.  Free- 
man,  its   present   pastor,   succeeded   Mr.  Stewart   July    1,   1854.     The 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  333 

church  edifice  was  completed  and  dedicated  in  January,  1856.  During 
Mr.  Freeman's  absence  from  the  country,  in  1861-62,  the  pulpit  was 
supplied  fifteen  months  by  Rev.  John  P.  Haire.  The  following  persons 
have  served  as  elders,  the  last  four  being  still  in  ofiice.  Those  having  a 
*  prefixed  to  their  names  are  deceased:  Charles  B.  Canon,  A.  B.  Haines, 
M.  D.,  Elnathan  Horr,  *George  Greer,  *Philip  Gould,  H.  W.  Smith, 
James  A.  De  LaVergne,  *Peter  E.  Trim,  *Loui8  G.  Hulburt,  James 
Lamb,  M.  D.,  John  Mitchell,  Henry  Fisher,  W.  C.  Henry,  M.  D.  The 
following  persons  have  served  as  deacons,  the  last  four  being  still  in 
office  (1876):  *L.  G.  Hurlburt,  *John  McConnell,  Daniel  Armel,  John 
H.  Gaff,  H.  W.  Hurlburt,  Seth  Stedman,  A.  O.  Gould,  H.  B.  Shutts, 
Robert  Lytle. 

St.  John's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  — The  first  effort  for  organiz- 
ing a  Lutheran  congregation  in  Aurora  was  made  in  1856,  by  a  very 
small  number  of  settlers  who  were  convinced  that  it  was  a  necessity,  as 
well  as  their  Christian  duty,  to  assemble  on  the  Lord's  day  for  divine 
worship.  They  were  occasionally  ministered  to  by  different  ministers, 
among  whom,  as  the  most  prominent  and  successful  in  their  labors, 
Revs.  Koening,  then  of  Cincinnati,  and  Wichmann,  of  Farmer's  Retreat, 
are  mentioned  with  kind  remembrance  and  gratitude.  The  first  mem- 
bers were  Fred  Schmidt,  E.  H.  Niebaum,  J.  H.  Bower,  John  E.  Bair, 
John  Friberger,  Herman  Schumacher,  John  Schumacher,  Henry  Hartker, 
H.  Davider,  George  Sciller,  George  Ritter,  Charles  Huxall,  George  Drex- 
ler,  John  Steig,  Floran  M.  Frank,  Mrs.  Catharine  Siementel,  Mrs.  Barbara 
Braunnegel,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Siementel,  Mrs.  Rothert,  Mrs.  Herdegen  and 
Mrs.  Kreitlein.  First  officers:  Fred  Schmidt,  president;  E,  H.  Niebaum, 
secretary;  John  E.  Bair,  treasurer;  Herman  Schumacher,  John  E.  Bair  and 
John  Frybarger,  trustees.  In  1859  a  resident  minister  took  charge  of 
the  congregation  which,  meanwhile,  had  increased,  numbering  about 
fifteen  or  sixteen  families.  Rev.  Mr.  Hartley  also  provided  for  a  paro- 
chial school.  Two  years  later  he  resigned,  when  the  congregation  agreed 
to  apply  to  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  of  Missouri,  Ohio  and  other 
States,  for  a  pastoi*.  Their  call  and  request  was  answered,  and  the  work 
of  the  Lord  prospered  among  them.  In  1857  they  rented  from  the 
Baptists  the  church  "over  the  creek"  which,  some  time  after,  was  acquired 
by  purchase. 

The  congregation  continued  growing  until  their  house  of  worship  be- 
came too  small  for  them,  and  they  were  compelled  to  secure  a  proper  lot 
for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  more  commodious  church.  In  May,  1873, 
ground  was  purchased  from  the  Baptist  congregation  located  on  Me- 
chanic Street,  when  they  at  once  commenced  building  their  present  beau- 
tiful church  edifice.      The  same  is  constructed  in   the  Gothic  stvle,  with 


334  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

a  spire  105  feet  in  height,  and  adorned  with  the  cross  as' an  emblem  and 
visible  testimony  that  Christ  crucified  is  to  be  preached  and  worshiped 
in  that  church.  The  interior  is  of  a  pleasant  impression,  its  walls  being 
white,  the  pews  oil-finish,  the  pulpit — on  the  right  side  of  the  altar  niche, 
from  the  entrance — of  oak  grain  color,  and  the  baptismal  font,  on  the 
lift  side  of  the  altar  niche,  resembling  marble.  The  altar  itself ,  notwith- 
standing its  simplicity,  is  an  ornament  indeed.  The  audience  room  is 
38x71,  containing  forty  pews — twenty  in  each  row — sitting  for  400. 
The  gallery  has  twenty- seven  pews,  seating  about  200.  The  entire 
length,  including  steeple  and  alter  niche,  is  ninety  feet,  the  width  forty. 
The  foundation  was  built  by  Messrs.  Gerlach  &  Horr,  of  Aurora;  the 
water  table  and  the  balance  of  the  freestone  work  by  Mr.  Huschart,  of 
Lawrenceburgh.  The  contract  for  the  church  edifice  was  awarded  to  Mr. 
M.  Barker.  The  structure  gives  credit  and  the  best  recommendation  to 
the  contractor.  The  building  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  over  $13,000 
and  dedicated  February  8,  1874.  Since  then  the  congregation  has  built 
a  brick  schoolhouse  and  frame  parsonage.  Eev.  Mr.  Hartley,  as  pastor, 
was  followed  by  Rev.  J.  C.  Schneider,  and  he  by  Rev.  George  Runkle, 
under  whose  instructions  the  church  was  exceptionally  successful.  Then 
followed  Rev.  H.  Henkel,  the  present  incumbent. 

The  Boman  Catholic  Church,  ^^  Immaculate  Conception." — The  first 
mass  celebrated  in  Aurora  was  read  in  O'Brien's  house  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Purcell,  of  Cincinnati.  At  this  date  the  bishop,  by  invitation,  delivered 
the  first  Catholic  lecture  in  Aurora  in  the  old  schoolhouse.  In  the 
spring  of  1849  the  first  meeting  of  the  church  under  consideration  was 
held  in  Kemp's  bakery,  the  membership  being  composed  of  the  following 
named  German  and  English  speaking  people:  Barney  Shippei',  Henry 
Cleaver,  John  Cleaver,  Anthony  Cleaver,  Frank  Cleaver,  John  Miller, 
Valentine  Hahn,  Mike  Maloney,  Sr.,  John  Maloney,  Pat  Maloney,  Pat 
Garrety,  Mike  Moran.  After  this  the  congregation  met  at  Anthony 
Cleaver's,  and  various  other  houses,  the  town  hall  and  schoolhouse  until 
December  25,  1857,  at  which  time  the  first  church  was  erected  upon 
"Hog  Back"  by  Father  Koch.  Father  Unterdiener,  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  was  the  first  overseer.  He  was  succeeded  by  Father  Kreisch, 
from  Madison.  Then  came  Father  Sigmund  Koch,  after  which 
his  brother,  Ansom  Koch,  both  from  St.  John's  Church,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  Rev.  Father  Klein  became  the  first  resident  priest.  Octo- 
ber 12,  1863,  he  purchased  the  present  site,  Lots  Nos.  168,  164,  165 
and  166,  corner  of  Judiciary  and  Fourth  Streets,  agreeing  to  pay 
$4,500  for  the  same.  Father  Klein  advanced  $1,500  upon  the  pur- 
chase, and  proceeded  to  erect  a  church  106x52,  thirty-two  feet  high, 
at  a  cost  of  $24,000.     He  acted  as  architect  and  superintendent,  and  com. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  335 

pleted  the  building  m  the  falJ  of  1864:,  excepting  the  steeple,  which  was 
finished  in  the  fall  of  1876.  The  membership  being  poor,  after  per- 
forming their  daily  labor,  would  gather  in  after  supper  and  place  the  stone 
and  brick  upon  the  ground  and  scaffold  for  the  masons  to  work  upon  during 
the  day,  thereby  dispensing  with  the  usual  attendants.  The  church  is 
built  of  stone  and  brick,  and  is  a  grand  structure,  and  has  a  seating  capac- 
ity of  about  1,500.  The  brick  schoolhouse  was  built  in  1866.  It  is  70x30, 
and  at  present  there  are  186  pupils,  and  four  teachers  are  employed. 
The  priest's  residence  was  built  and  completed  in  1873,  after  which 
Father  Klein,  was  succeeded  by  Father  Ferdinand  Hunt,  who  made  mea- 
ger improvements,  and  increased  the  liabilities  over  $5,000.  In  June, 
1883,  Father  Hunt  was  succeeded  by  Father  Schoenthrup,  under  whose 
careful  and  prudent  management  the  indebtedness  is  gradually  being 
liquidated.  The  present  membership  is  over  1,000  souls.  In  this 
charge  there  are  five  sisters,  who  devote  their  time  and  talents  to  the 
church. 

The  German  Reformed  Church. — The  first  meeting  to  organize  this 
church  was  held  in  the  basement  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  December 
3,  1873.  The  noble  band  consisted  of  twenty-one  members,  and  G. 
Reiche  was  their  first  preacher.  Jacob  Peters  was  president,  Frederick 
Smith,  secretary,  A.  H.  Merkle,  Frederick  Smith,  George  Meyer,  H. 
Gier,  and  Jacob  Peters  were  trustees.  Frederick  Smith  and  Herman 
Lievey,  elders;  Jacob  Peters,  George  Meyer  and  George  Rieman  were 
stewards.  September  3,  1874,  they  dedicated  the  present  church  on 
Fifth  Street,  which  is  30x60  feet,  brick,  and  cost  $2,000,  and  has  a  seating 
capacity  of  about  500.  The  church  has  had  its  trials  and  losses  by  death 
and  removals  from  the  city.  The  present  membership  is  about  thirty,  and 
since  their  organization  have  had  only  three  pastors.  Rev.  H.  Ruster- 
holz  succeeded  Rev.  G.  Reiche;  and  Rev.  F.  Saure,  their  present  minis- 
ter, who  succeeded  Rev.  Rusterholz. 

St.  Mark's  Episcopal  Church. — April  7,  1874,  Bishop  Talbot  held 
service  in  the  Young  Men's  Christiaa  Association's  rooms — the  first 
Episcopal  service  ever  held  in  Aurora.  At  the  earnestly  expressed 
desire  of  a  number  of  persons,  immediate  steps  were  taken  to  organize  an 
Episcopal  Church,  and  to  secure  the  regular  services  of  a  clergyman.  In 
June,  1874,  an  organization  was  effected  under  the  laws  governing  the 
establishing  of  a  mission.  The  Rev.  W.  H.  Throop,  then  just  ordained 
to  the  ministry,  was  appointed  by  the  bishop  to  take  charge.  He  entered 
at  once  upon  the  earnest  discharge  of  his  duties,  and  during  the  time  of 
his  ministry  at  Aurora  succeeded  in  bringing  fourteen  persons  to  con- 
firmation— the  nucleus  of  a  congregation.  The  first  confirmation  took 
place  September  20,  1874,  when  nine  received  the  rite.     In  April,  1875, 


336  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

five  persons  were  confirmed.  Rev.  Mr.  Throop  resigned  his  charge  on  the 
29th  of  September,  1875,  to  enter  upon  a  larger  field  of  labor.  In 
October,  1875,  Rev.  Thomas  W.  McLean,  formerly  assistant  minister  in 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  Indianapolis,  succeeded  Rev.  Mr.  Throop.  From 
this  time  on,  for  a  period,  the  parish  services  were  held  in  the  German 
Methodist  house  of  worship,  located  at  the  foot  of  Fifth  Street.  Subse- 
quently the  parish  erected  a  neat  little  frame  church  edifice,  in  which 
their  services  have  since  been  held.  December  1,  1877,  Rev.  McLean 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Curtis  P.  Jones,  who  officiated  as  rector  until 
1878,  when  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  K.  Coleman. 
The  next  rector  was  Rev.  Benjamin  T.  Hall,  who  entered  uponhis  duties 
April  1,  1880,  and  remained  with  the  charge  until  1881,  after  which 
services  consisted  in  lay  reading  by   Mr.  F.  M.  Munson   until  January, 

1883.  From  this  date  only  occasional  meetings  were  held  Until  July  15, 

1884,  when  Rev.  David  B.  Ramsey  took  charge  of  the  church.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1884,  under  his  supervision,  the  church  was  moved  and  a  rectory 
for  the  pastor  was  at  once  erected.  The  present  number  of  communi- 
cants is  twenty-five.  The  parish  warden  is  F.  G.  Appleton;  vestryman, 
George  B.  Maltby. 

The  Christian  Church. — Through  the  instrumentality  of  J.  N.  Wal- 
ton, the  first  meeting  of  this  organization  was  held  in  the  German 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  on  Fifth  Street,  on  the  first  Sunday  in 
Octobei',  1879,  with  the  following  members  present:  James  N.  Wal- 
ton, R.  H.  Davis  and  wife,  and  visiting  members  from  Lawrenceburgh 
and  Petersburg.  Elder  A.  Elmore  presided.  Elder  Rowe,  editor  of 
the  Christian  Revietv,  was  present.  The  meetings  continued  for  one 
week,  and  closed  with  the  two  last  services  on  Sunday  in  the  Opera 
House,  Elder  A.  Elmore  preaching  at  3  P.  M.  Sunday  afternoon,  sub- 
ject, "  Hell;  "  and  at  7:30  in  the  evening,  subject,  "Heaven."  There 
were  over  1,000  persons  present  at  each  service.  At  this  time  originated 
the  sending  of  a  challenge  by  Rev.  Merrill,  pastor  of  the  Universalist 
Chui-ch,  to  Elder  A.  Elmore  to  discuss  the  question  "  Do  the  Scriptures 
teach  that  all  who  die  in  willful  disobedience,  will  be  finally  holy  and 
happy  in  the  life  to  come?  "  The  matter  was  turned  over  to  H.  B. 
Sherman,  who  concluded  to  continue  the  meeting  in  the  Opera  House 
for  three  evenings,  and  in  the  course  of  two  months  perfected  arrange- 
ments with  William  Holt,  of  Indianapolis,  Christian,  and  Rev.  Carlton, 
of  Ohio,  Universalist,  to  discuss  the  above  question.  The  debate 
took  place  in  the  Opera  Hoiise,  which  lasted  three  evenings  and  closed 
the  fourth  evening  at  the  Universalist  Church  (which  the  Christian 
Church  now  owns).  Great  interest  was  manifested,  and  all  denomina- 
tions turned  out  en  masse.     The  result  of  the  debate  was  satisfactory  to 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  337 

the  Christian  people.  During  the  debate  many  persons  were  present 
from  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Petersburg,  Ky.,  Pleasant  Ridge,  Rising  Sun 
and  Chesterville.  About  live  weeks  after  the  debate  took  place,  Elder 
William  Holt  returned  and  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Opera  House, 

at  which  Mrs.  Fannie  Walton  and  Miss   Lina  Davis  made  confession 

the  first  fruits    of  the  preaching  of  the  Christian  Church  of  this  city. 
This  closed  the  meetings  until  the  third  Sunday  in  January,  1880,  when 
Elder  I.  G.  Tomlinson,    of  Indianapolis,  held  services   at  3  P.  M.,   in 
Council  Hall,  Criswill's  Block,  with  about  sixty  persons  present.     Again 
on  the  28th  day  of  February,  1880,  at  the  same  place  on  Saturday  eve- 
ning, L.   L.   Carpenter,   State  Sunday-school  evangelist,   presided  with 
only  fifteen  present.      The  first  communion  services  were  held   in  the 
same  hall  on   Sunday,  at  10:30  A.  M,,  L.  L.  Carpenter  presiding,  with 
thirty- seven  present,  at  which  time  H.  H.  J.  F.  Muller,  German  Luth- 
eran preacher  of  twelve  years'   experience   in   the  ministry,  applied  for 
baptism  by  immersion,  having  changed  his  views  upon  baptism  and  other 
teachings  of  the  Lutheran  Church.      The  next  service  was  held  at  3  P. 
M.,    Elder    Carjjenter   preaching.      His    text   was    on    the    "Christian's 
Hope."     Members  of  the  Petersburg  Church  chartered  steamer  "  Min- 
nie, "  and  attended  this  service,  sixty  strong.     Monday  and  Tuesday  eve- 
nings following,  services  were  held  in  an  old  dingy  store-room  in  Cris- 
will's Block,  much  interest  being    manifested.     L.  L.  Carpenter  being 
unable  to  remain   loDger  on  account    of    previous  appointments,    J.   N. 
Walton   telegraphed    T.   G.   Tomlinson,    of    Indianapolis,  to    come    and 
continue  the  meeting.     The   meetings    were   conducted   until    Sunday, 
March  14,  at  which  time  L  G.  Tomlinson  affected  an  organization  with 
fourteen  charter  members,  to  wit:     James   N.  Walton,  Fannie  Walton 
Miss  Lina  Daris,  R.  H.  Davis  and   wife,  Mary  A.  Lindsay,  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Lamar,  George  Hood  and  wife.  Miss  Frankie  Hood,  H.  H.  J.  F.  Muller, 
Mrs.  Lizzie  Given,  Mrs.  Lou   Marshall   and  Mrs.    Ellen  Keerney.     The 
first  officers  were  James  N.  Walton  andH.  H.  J.  F.  Muller,  elders;  R.  H. 
Davis  and  George  Hood,  deacons;  Mrs.  Walton  and  Mrs.  Given,  deacon- 
esses; James  N.  Walton,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Sunday-school  was  organized  at  the  same  time,  and  officered  as  follows: 
H.  H.  J.  F.  Muller,  superintendent;  Richard  Ashworth  (Baptist)  assistant 
superintendent;  Miss  Lina  Davis,  secretary;  Miss  Carrie  Stevens,  treas- 
urer; Miss  Nettie  Bussell,  librarian.  The  happy  band  continued  to  meet 
in  the  room  for  a  year  and  a  half.  T.  D.  Garvin,  of  Eaton,  Ohio,  held  a 
series  of  meetings,  lasting  one  month.  Great  interest  was  manifested, 
and  eight  persons  were  added  to  the  church,  when  a  room  was  secured  in 
the  Opera  House.  The  most  important  meetings  wei'e  held  by  H.  W. 
Elliott,  when  some  thirty-three  were  added  to  the  church.       In  Septem- 


338  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ber,  1882,  the  congregation  rented  the  Universalist  Church,  and 
January  8,  1884,  purchased  the  same  for  $1,000.  In  June,  1884,  the 
church  was  thoroughly  remodeled  by  inserting  new  seats  and  windows, 
applying  paint,  paper,  carpet,  and  hanging  a  new  bell,  which  makes  it  a 
neat  and  attractive  house  of  worship. 

During  the  floods  of  1883  and  1884,  while  the  church  was  occupied 
by  the  flood- sufferers.  Good  Templars'  Hall  was  secured,  where  church 
services  and  Sunday-school  were  held.  The  church  has  never  failed  to 
meet  for  worship  on  Sunday  since  its  organization.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  about  forty,  having  been  somewhat  reduced  by  the  removal  of 
several  families  to  other  places.  The  church  is  in  a  very  prosperous  con- 
dition. Present  officers  are  James  N.  Walton,  elder, 'secretary  and  treas- 
urer; R.  H.  Davis  and  James  Williamson,  deacons. 

The  Sunday-school  is  in  a  very  prosperous  condition;  average  attend- 
ance about  140.  The  present  officers  are  James  N.  Walton,  superintend- 
ent and  treasurer;  James  Williamson,  assistant  superintendent;  Miss 
Lina  Davis,  secretary;  Miss  Daisey  Williamson  and  Miss  Cora  Bleasdell, 
librarians,  including  fourteen  teachers;  Mrs.  Fannie  W^alton,  organist. 

LEADING    MANUFACTURING    INTERESTS. 

Aurora  is  not  devoid  of  manufacturing  interests,  there  being  several 
important  establishments  within  the  corporation,  but  her  nearness  to  the 
great  markets,  facilities  for  shipment  by  rail  and  water,  valuable  timber 
in  the  surrounding  counties,  and  other  natural  advantages,  should  rapidly 
and  permanently  add  to  the  number. 

The  early  history  of  the  distilling  business  in  this  neighborhood,  in. 
which  so  much  capital  is  now  employed,  ought  to  furnish  an  interesting 
chapter.  Unfortunately  but  little  information  can  now  be  obtained  of 
the  pioneer  distillers,  and  the  means  employed  by  them  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  whisky.  »^The  first  distillery — allowing  that  it  can  be  called  by 
such  a  dignified  name — of  which  we  have  any  account,  was  built  some- 
where on  Tanner's  Creek  in  1809.  The  first  in  this  immediate  neigh- 
borhood was  situated  on  the  Worley  farm,  and  was  owned  by  Nathan 
Worley.  Probably  the  entire  cost  of  the  mill  and  machinery  did  not  ex- 
ceed $50.  Its  capacity  was  about  one  barrel  a  week.  It  was  run  by 
horse  power,  and  required  the  labor  of  one  man  to  attend  to  it.  This 
distillery  was  probably  in  operation  about  the  time  Aiirora  was  laid  out. 
Even  at  that  early  day  it  could  not  manufacture  enough  whisky  to  supply 
the  demand,  and  in  consequence  the  product  of  the  mill  was  not  allowed 
a  chance  to  improve  by  age,  but  was  put  on  the  market  at  once.  An  in- 
cident, related  substantially  as  it  was  given  to  the  writer,  may  serve  to 
show  how  quickly  this  stock  passed  from  the  manufacturer's  hands  to  the 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  339 

consumer.  Our  authority  is  an  old  and  respected  citizen,  whose  grand- 
father was  one  of  the  men  interested.  One  day  a  party  composed  of 
seven  old  settlers,  concluded  they  would  take  a  walk  out  to  the  distillery. 
Their  object  in  going  there  does  not  appear,  nor  is  it  essential'  to  the 
story.  They  arrived  on  the  ground  at  an  early  hour,  before  any  of  the 
neighbors  had  congregated— it  being  a  place  of  resort— and  just  as  the 
distilleryman  was  hitching  his  horse^to  the  beam  to  commence  operations. 
In  those  pioneer  times  liquor  was  taken  occasionally  for  the  stomach's 
sake,  as  it  is  to-day,  and  being  then  the  honest  extraction  of  the  grain, 
its  effects  were  less  disastrous  than  at  present.  The  seven  forefathers 
were  of  the  opinion  that  a  moderate  indulgence  would  not  be  amiss  after 
the  morning  walk,  and  each  prepared  himself  with  a  drinking  cup. 
There  was  no  stock  on  hand,  and  as  the  horse  walked  slowly  around,  and 
the  new  liquor  Howed  in  a  gentle  stream  from  a  wooden  spout,  our  seven 
caught  it  in  their  cups,  each  in  his  turn,  and  drank  it  on  the  spot.  On 
this  occasion  the  distillery  was  made  to  run  above  its  capacity,  as  those 
whose  turn  seemed  long  in  coming  followed  after  the  horse,  and,  to  in- 
crease the  production  of  the  mill,  urged  the  animal  beyond  his  usual 
speed.  This  enterprise  continued  about  an  hour  or  more,  and  every 
spoonful  of  whisky  produced  was  drank  then  and  there.  Such  incidents 
as  the  above  were  of  frequent  occurrence — at  all  events  they  were  not 
rare — and  this  one  only  differs  from  them  in  what  follows.  About  the 
time  our  party  felt  that  they  were  invigorated  sufficiently  for  all  imme- 
diate requirements,  another  squad  came  along  and  relieved  them  of  their 
drinking  cups.  This  proved  to  be  a  thirsty  squad  also,  and  for  another 
hour  the  propelling  power  was  kept  on  a  trot.  To  the  writer  this  seems 
bordering  on  the  shadowy  and  unreal,  and  he  is  almost  persuaded  to  fol- 
low the  incident  no  further.  But  his  authority  being  the  grandson  of  one 
of  those  very  men,  he  is  compelled  to  sacrifice  his  own  feelings  for  the 
sake  of  history,  and  continue  with  it  to  the  end.  One  squad  succeeded 
another  throughout  the  entire  day,  and  the  production  was  consumed 
without  sugar  as  fast  as  it  fell  from  the  spout.  Not  a  drop  reached  the 
receiving  tub,  nor  was  a  drop  wasted.  At  nightfall  these  convivial  spir- 
its took  a  final  "here's-looking-at-you,"  remunerated  the  proprietor,  and 
departed  for  their  homes. 

The  Aurora  Distilling  Company. — Manufacturers  of  rye  and  Bourbon 
whiskies,  located  on  Importing  Street,  had  its  incipiency  here  over  forty 
years  ago,  having  been  started  in  1843  by  T.  and  J.  W.  Gaff  &  Co.,  and 
successfully  operated  by  them  until  December  1,  1881.  At  that  date  a 
joint  stock  company  was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $300,000,  which 
assumed  control  of  the  concern,  greatly  extending  their  productive  capac. 
ity,  and  materially  adding  to  the  reputation  of  their  product.    Charles  L. 


340  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Howe  is  president  of  the  new  coi'poration,  John  McGuire,  vice-president 
and  superintendent, and  Henry  W.  Smith,  secretary  and  treasurer.  About 
five  acres  of  ground  are  occupied  by  their  buildings  and  cattle  sheds,  the 
distillery  and  warehouses  alone  covering  one-half  the  space.  The  dimen- 
sions of  the  distillery  proper  are  260  feet  in  length  by  eighty  feet  in 
width  and  two  stories  high.  A  few  statistics  in  regard  to  its  extensive 
operations,  would,  no  doubt,  be  interesting,  and  we  accordingly  give 
them.  Some  450,000  bushels  of  grain  are  yearly  consumed,  producing 
from  60,000  to  65,000  barrels  of  whisky,  arid  requiring  in  the  manufact- 
ure and  distribution  of  this  enormous  product  the  services  of  over  fifty 
men.  The  capacity  of  the  still  is  150  to  200  barrels  per  day,  necessitat- 
ing the  consumption  of  2,000  bushels  of  corn,  malt  and  rye,  which,  after 
the  distilling  process,  possesses  a  secondary  value  as  food  for  cattle. 
About  1,600  or  1,700  head  of  fat  cattle  are  thrown  upon  the  market  every 
spring  by  this  means,  thus  yielding  a  gross  income  of  nearly  $75,000. 
The  mash  of  almost  half  a  million  bushels  of  grain  is  thus  made  to  serve 
the  double  purpose  of  manufacturing  and  cattle  food.  It  would  no 
doubt  be  a  subject  of  interest  to  detail  the  process  of  manufacturing  from 
the  beginning  to  the  last  important  operation — the  attachment  of  the  in- 
ternal revenue  stamps;  but  this  our  limited  space  will  not  allow.  When 
it  is  remembered  that  the  revenue  tax  is  90centspergallon,it  will  be  seen 
that  the  United  States  Government  realizes  annually  over  $1,500,000 
from  the  operations  of  this  establishment.  It  may  not  be  usually  known 
that  the  product  of  the  still  is  rarely  put  upon  the  general  market  for 
several  years  after  being  stored.  As  its  value  increases  with  age  it  is 
allowed  to  remain  in  the  warerooms  until  it  can  be  disposed  of  profitably 
to  the  retail  dealer.  To  enable  the  manufacturer  or  wholesaler  to  hold 
his  product  without  loss  in  interest,  or  by  accident,  the  United  States 
Government  has  established  tbe  "bonded  warehouse,"  in  which  the  man- 
ufacturer stores  his  liquors,  receives  the  bond  of  "Uncle  Sam"  for  the 
same,  and  pays  the  revenue  tax  at  the  end  of  three  years.  The  company 
at  present  have  16,000  barrels  of  whisky  in  their  storage  room  and  in 
the  four  bonded  warehouses,  and  4,400  more  in  their  warehouse  at 
Bremen,  Germany.  The  product  of  the  Aurora  distillery  is  handled  by 
dealers  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  has  won  a  high  reputation 
wherever  sent.  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties  furnish  all  the  grain  used 
here,  as  well  as  a  large  per  cent  of  the  cattle.  In  the  operation  of  a 
business  like  this,  costly  and  extensive  machinery  is  of  course  required; 
we  can  not,  however,  describe  in  detail  this  feature  of  the  establishment, 
but  can  furnish  some  idea  of  the  completeness  of  its  facilities  in  this 
respect  by  saying  that  four  boilers  thirty  feet  in  length  by  four  feet  in 
diameter,  and  a  seventy-two  horse-power  engine,  with  eight  other  engines, 
are  required  to  furnish  the  necessary  propelling  force. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  341 

Samuel  Wyviond  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  barrels,  half  barrels  and 
kegs,  and  dealers  in  puncheon  stock.  The  shops  were  originally  estab- 
lished twenty  years  ago  by  Samuel  and  Philip  Wymond,  who  continued 
their  successful  operation  until  late  in  the  year  1879,  at  which  time  they 
were  completely  destroyed  by  the  ravages  of  the  tire  tiend.  Following 
the  fire  Mr.  P.  Wymond  retired,  and  with  indomitable  pluck,  which  sub- 
mits to  no  discouragement  in  consequence  of  disaster,  more  commodious 
buildings  were'at  once  erected  by  Samuel  Wymond,  and  work  resumed 
on  an  extended  scale.  He  continued  the  business  alone  for  several  years, 
but  his  growing  demands  requiring  more  capital  and  more  attention,  he 
accepted  as  partners  James  Wymond  and  William  E.  Gibson.  This 
partnership  was  formed  in  1874,  and  continued  till  1877,  when  Samuel 
Wymond  was  again  left  alone  by  the  retirement  of  the  aforesaid  part- 
ners, but  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  G.  H.  Wymond  at  once  formed  the 
present  firm,  purchasing  at  the  same  time  the  cooperage  works  formerly 
owned  by  W.  E.  Gibson  &  Co.  The  works  of  Wymond  &  Co.  occupy 
the  square  bounded  by  Exporting,  Importing,  Bridgeway  and  Second 
Streets,  and  have  a  capacity  of  600  whisky  barrels  per  day.  Although  a 
very  large  per  cent  of  their  manufacture  is  whisky  barrels,  they  turn  out 
annually  large  quantities  of  pork  barrels,  kegs  and  lard  tierces.  Their 
surplus  product,  after  supplying  the  local  demand,  is  shipped  to  Cincin- 
nati, St.  Louis,  Louisville  and  the  Pacific  coast,  and  wherever  used 
have  been  regarded  with  high  favor.  The  perfection  to  which  American 
wood  working  machinery  has  been  brought  within  the  last  few  years,  has 
materially  changed  the  process  of  barrel  making,  so  that  now  in  every 
cooper- shop  of  considerable  size  a  very  large  per  cent  of  the  labor  is 
performed  by  machinery.  With  all  their  labor-saving  appliances,  Wy- 
mond &  Co.,  furnish  employment  to  over  100  men,  and  disburse  every 
month  $4,000  to  $5,000  in  wages.  A  large  sixty  horse-power  engine 
and  boiler  is  used  in  operating  the  various  machines,  and  these  together 
with  the  manual  force  employed,  turn  off  an  annual  product  valued  at 
nearly  1300,000.  Three  million  pieces  of  raw  material  are  constantly 
kept  on  hand,  and  altogether  this  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  institu- 
tions in  the  city. 

The  Aurora  Flour  Mills,  located  on  Third  Street  and  Bridgeway  had 
their  origin  in  a  mill  that  was  started  at  above  site  some  twenty-five 
years  ago,  having  been  in  several  hands,  the  last  before  the  present  firm 
being  Michael  and  Leonard  Siemantel.  Droge  &  Donselman  became 
proprietors  in  1876,  and  have  since  continued  the  business.  Additions 
have  from  time  to  time  been  made  to  the  mill,  and  about  a  year  since  the 
building  was  completely  overhauled  and  refitted,  better  machinery  added, 
and    the    mill   supplied  with  a  new  outfit  for  making  flour  by  the  roller 


342  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

process,  and  no  pains  or  money  was  spared  to  make  it  the  best  mill  in 
this  section  of  country.  There  are  now  in  full  operation  four  double 
sets  of  E.  P.  Allis  &  Co.'s  rolls,  planted  on  firm  foundations  and  doing 
their  work  in  a  very  noiseless  and  satisfactoiy  manner,  they  also  have 
four  run  of  buhrs  in  operation.  Their  brands  of  Hour  are  rapidly  taking 
precedence  over  all  others,  and  their  work  in  general  is  giving  excellent 
satisfaction.  The  establishment  is  now  run  strictly  as  a  merchant  mill, 
as  the  proprietors  think  an  evener  and  better  grade  of  flour  can  be  produced 
in  this  manner  than  by  doing  custom  work;  but  flour  is  exchanged  with 
farmers  for  grain,  and  they  can  bring  their  grist  to  mill,  receive  the  cash 
or  flour  in  exchange,  and  carry  the  products  home  without  further  delay. 
The  capacity  of  the  mills  is  now  200  barrels  for  a  full  day,  which  re- 
quires for  the  same  over  1,000  bushels  of  wheat.  Grain  is  principally 
obtained  from  the  surrounding  country,  by  which  a  local  market  is  pro- 
vided for  nearly  all  the  farmers'  surplus  ])roduct.  The  building  occupied 
is  a  four  story  brick,  40x50  feet,  with  a  boiler  room  in  addition.  The 
propelling  power  is  furnished  by  two  twenty-two  feet  boilers  and  a  mas- 
sive eighty  horse-power  engine  of  Steadman  &  Co.  's  make.  Ten  men 
are  employed  in  its  operation,  and  the  product  is  disposed  of  in  this  vic- 
inity, Cincinnati  and  the  Southern  trade.  In  addition  to  the  main  build- 
ings, they  have  numerous  sheds,  and  the  mill  is  equipped  with  purifiers, 
dusters,  wheat-cleaners,  bolting-reels,  flour  packers  and  all  the  late  in- 
ventions. 

Stedman  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  engines,  car  wheels,  hay  and  cot- 
ton presses  and  general  machinery.  In  detailing  the  industries  of  this 
city  we  cannot  fail  to  give  due  prominence  to  this  long-established  and 
well-conducted  institution,  occupying,  as  it  does,  an  important  position 
among  the  industries  of  Aurora.  Started  in  Rising  Sun  by  N.  R.  Sted- 
man and  others,  it  was  operated  there  for  two  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Aurora,  having  now  been  in  uninterrupted  operation  here  for  thirty- 
six  years  without  a  single  stop  on  account  of  strikes  or  financial  panics. 
On  the  death  of  Lamdin,  two  yeai's  after  removing  to  this  city,  T.  &  J. 
W.  Gaff  purchased  his  interest,  when  the  firm  name  was  changed  to 
Stedman  &  Co.,  which  it  still  continues,  although  the  elder  Stedman  has 
been  deceased  since  April  last,  leaving  the  entire  control  of  the  works  in 
the  hands  of  his  son,  Nathan,  who  came  in  as  a  partner  in  1867.  The 
recent  decease  of  the  Gaffs  leaves  Mr.  Stedman  the  only  surviving  mem- 
ber of  the  co-partnership  of  1867.  The  premises  of  the  company  at 
present  include  ten  town  lots,  mostly  covered  with  buildings,  and  pre- 
senting the  evidence  of  an  extensive  and  thrifty  enterprise.  Experienced 
foremen,  who  have  been  employed  from  twenty  to  twenty-six  years  here, 
are  placed  in   the  different  departments,   and  nothing    is    omitted  that 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  343 

would  in  any  way  add  to  the  excellence  of  their  work.  The  finishing 
department  is  superintended  by  Mr.  Joseph  Miller,  the  cotton-press  fac- 
tory by  R.  B.  Fowler,  the  foundry  by  R.  T.  Hubbard,  and  the  pattern 
making  by  M.  R.  Lukens.  Mr.  Stedman  himself,  who  has  been  the 
practical  manager  of  the  enterprise  since  1867,  was  actively  employed  in 
the  shops  from  the  time  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  so  that  long  before 
he  ceased  to  be  manually  engaged  in  them  he  had  become  an  expert  in 
the  business,  and  was  intimately  familiar  with  every  branch  of  their 
manufacture.  The  Stedmans,  although  judicious  in  business,  were  at 
the  same  time  full  of  push,  and  always  kept  their  institution  well  abreast 
of  the  times.  Many  important  inventions  in  machinery  have  been  added 
from  time  to  time  to  their  facilities,  and  it  is  difficult  to  find  an  estab- 
lishment more  thoroughly  prepared  to  do  promptly  and  satisfactorily  all 
kinds  of  work.  They  are  conveniently  located  for  the  delivery  of  goods 
to  the  boat  landing  or  the  railroad  freight  offices,  and  their  accumula- 
tion of  thirty-six  years  of  patterns  gives  them  facilities  for  a  wide  range 
of  work.  Some  eighty  to  100  men  find  employment  in  their  various  de- 
partments of  labor,  and  the  range  of  work  embraces  car-wheels,  hay  and 
cotton  presses,  circle  saw-mills,  brick  machines,  drag-saws,  mill  machin- 
ery, corn-shellers  and  all  kinds  of  castings.  Engine  building  is  their 
leading  specialty,  and  the  Stedman  Engines  are  a  favorite  all  over  the 
West  and  South,  as  well  as  in  the  leading  manufactories  of  this  city  and 
section.  Two  hundred  thousand  dollars  are  said  to  be  invested  in  this 
establishment. 

Fisk  Brothers  Carriage  Manufactory. — The  first  carriage  manufactory 
in  Aurora  was  owned  by  Edwards  &  Smith,  and  was  started  in  1853.  In 
1855  Charles  Fisk  was  admitted  as  a  partner  in  the  firm,  and  continued 
as  such  until  March,  1864,  when  the  manufactory  was  purchased  by  him- 
self and  three  brothers,  Henry  Fisk,  Harry  Fisk  and  Hiram  Fisk.  The 
new  firm,  under  the  title  of  Fisk  Bros.,  commenced  at  once  the  man- 
ufacture of  carriages,  buggies  and  spring  wagons,  on  a  more  extensive 
scale.  The  Messrs.  Fisk  were  all  practical  carriage-makers,  as  well  as 
enterprising  business  men,  and  they  were  not  long  in  building  up  a  large 
trade.  After  the  close  of  the  war  they  found  a  large  market  in  the 
South,  and  for  several  years  their  shipments  to  that  country  were  quite 
extensive.  Marion  Fisk,  another  brother,  was  their  Southern  agent,  with 
headquarters  at  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  and  Shreveport,  La.  In  consequence 
of  the  unsettled  condition  of  the  country  at  that  time,  they  were  finally 
compelled  to  abandon  their  trade  South.  At  the  present  time  their  trade 
is  principally  in  Indiana  and  Kentucky.  The  work  turned  out  by  this 
firm  takes  rank  among  the  best  in  the  country. 


344     .  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  Door,  Sash  and  Lumber  Factory  and  Yards  of  L.  G.  Hitrlberf, 
office  located  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Mechanic  Streets.  — The  father, 
L.  G.  Hurlbert,  Sr.,  began  business  as  a  lumber  dealer  here  a  great 
many  years  ago,  and  in  1866  L.  G.  Hurlbert,  Jr.,  was  taken  in  as  a  part- 
ner. Soon  after  the  death  of  the  senior  Hurlbert  the  son  became  solo 
proprietor  of  the  business,  which  he  has  continued  to  control  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  His  yard  is  well  supplied  with  all  kinds  of  rough  and  dressed 
pine  lumber,  which  is  obtained  principally  from  the  forests  of  northern 
Michigan,  besides  a  large  quantity  of  sawed  shingles,  sash  and  doors. 
Of  lumber  alone  Mr.  Hurlbert  handles  annually  upward  of  1,000,000 
feet,  while  his  operations  in  shingles  amounts  to  almost  1,500,000 
yearly.  The  annual  cost  of  these  supplies  must  reach  a  large  sum  of 
money,  and  when  it  is  remembered  that  this  is  the  pioneer  yard  of  the 
county,  having  had  an  uninterrupted  existence  of  thirty-five  or  forty 
years,  it  will  be  seen  that  since  beginning  trade  this  firm  has  handled 
capital  aggregating  many  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  premises 
occupied  consist  of  a  half-dozen  lots,  the  old  planing-mill  and  other 
buildings.  Mr.  Hurlbert's  success  is  the  result  of  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  the  business  and  careful  attention  to  the  wants  of  his  customers,  who 
are  distributed  throughout  every  part  of  this  and  adjoining  counties. 

John  Cobb  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  wood  and  cane-seated  chairs, 
factory  located  on  the  corner  of  Third  Street  and  Bridgeway.  This  old- 
established  institution  has  for  many  years  been  the^main  stay  of  the 
chair-making  industry  in  this  section,  having  been  founded  by  the  Au- 
rora Chair  and  Furniture  Manufacturing  Company,  as  long  ago  as  1868. 
Two  years  after  the  business  was  started  here,  it  was  purchased  by  John 
Cobb  &  Co.,  and  has  since  been  continued  under  their  management,  and 
exerting  a  beneficial  effect  upon  the  town  in  which  it  is  located  by  pro- 
viding remunerative  employment  to  a  large  force  of  workmen.  It  at  the 
same  time  demonstrates  the  advantages  of  this  place  as  a  manufacturing 
point  by  the  success  it  has  achieved,  and  provides  a  convenient  market 
for  the  costly  grades  of  timber  in  this  and  surrounding  counties.  la 
September,  1882,  the  entire  factory  and  a  large  amount  of  the  stock 
were  destroyed  by  lire,  entailing  a  heavy  loss  on  the  company,  one-third 
of  which  only  was  covered  by  insurance;  but  with  an  energy  that  defied 
even  the  fii'e  fiend  they  at  once  began  the  reconstruction  of  their  works, 
and  within  100  days  were  again  in  full  operation.  The  new  buildings 
are  much  more  substantial  than  the  destroyed  ones  were,  being  built 
principally  of  brick,  and  having  a  superior  outlay  of  machinery.  The 
factory,  at  present,  covers  about  a  quarter  of  a  square,  is  located  at  the 
corner  of  Third  and  Bridgeway  Streets,  and  is  well  supplied  with  plan- 
ers, band  saws,  turning  lathes,  boring,  mortising   and  tenant  machines, 


CITY  OF  AURORA. 


Ui 


circle  saws,  and  many  other  appliances  necessary  for  the  skillful  and 
effective  employment  of  labor.  About  130  workmen  are  employed  in  the 
various  departments,  who  turn  off  about  200  dozen  chairs  of  different 
grades  every  week.  These  goods  are  marketed  almost  entirely  in  the 
northern  half  of  the  Union,  being  shipped  to  various  points  from  New 
York  City  to  San  Francisco.  A  portion  of  the  force  and  machinery  is  at 
present  employed  in  constructing  chairs  for  the  use  of  the  United  States 
Government.  These  chairs  are  marvels  of  beauty,  and  so,  in  fact,  are 
all  the  chairs  made  here.  Cobb  &  Co.  are  also  operating  alai-ge  branch 
factory  at  Butlerville,  Ind.,  where  another  quality  of  goods  are  pro- 
duced, such  as  maple  chairs,  rawhide  frames  and  other  cheaper  kinds. 
The  operations  of  the  Aui'ora  establishment  is  almost  entirely  in  the  line 
of  line  walnut  chairs,  and  embraces  a  gi'eat  variety  of  styles.  Almost 
three-fifths  of  the  annual  disbui'sements  of  this  firm  for  material  and 
labor  is  left  in  this  vicinity,  thus  adding  largely  to  the  general  welfare 
of  our  people.  In  the  manufacture  of  every  article  at  this  establish- 
ment nothing  but  the  best  stock  is  used,  and  hence  the  trade  can  always 
rely  on  the  superiority  of  its  production.  Of  the  value  of  the  annual 
output  we  are  not  informed,  but  that  it  amounts  to  a  large  sum  can  be 
readily  understood  from  the  fact  that  the  company  distributes  among  its 
employes  alone  over  §30,000  yearly.  The  company,  as  at  present  organ- 
ized, consists  of  John  Cobb,  J.  A.  Cobb,  T.  J.  Cobb  and  Stedman  &  Co. 
John  Cobb  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  Aurora  as 
early  as  1819.  He  was  engaged  in  the  boating  business  for  many  years, 
and  has  been  connected  with  mercantile,  manufacturing,  and  other 
business  undertakings  from  the  earliest  history  of  the  city. 

The  Crescent  Brewing  Company. — Beer  brewing  and  bottling  estab- 
lishment, Decatur  and  Market  Streets.  The  increasing  popularity  of 
lager  as  a  drink  has  made  beer  brewing  an  industry  of  vast  proportions, 
involving  the  employment  of  immense  capital  and  labor.  The  beer  busi- 
ness was  begun  in  Aurora  about  eleven  years  ago  by  Gaff  &  Co.,  at 
which  time  the  Crescent  Breweiy  was  erected,  and  by  whom  it  was 
operated  for  five  years,  then  passing  into  the  hands  of  the  present  joint 
stock  company.  This  company  was  organised  in  1S78  with  a  paid  in 
capital  of  §250,000,  and  is  officered  as  follows:  President,  J.  TT.  Gaff; 
vice-president,  G.  L.  Howe;  treasurer,  J.  D.  Parker;  secretary,  J.  K. 
Vail;  superintendent,  S.  D.  Langtree.  The  foreman,  Mr.  M.  Butz,  is 
a  gentleman  with  few  superiors  as  an  experienced  brewer.  From  the 
organization  of  the  Crescent  Brewing  Company  these  works  have  had  a 
remarkably  prosperous  career,  and  the  excellent  reputation  of  their  prod- 
uct has  been  steadily  extended.  As  an  evidence  o^  the  high  quality 
of  their  manufacture  mav  be  mentioned  the  fact,  that  they  have  secured 


346  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

first  premiums  at  a  number  of  State  fairs  in  the  South,  among  which 
were  those  of  North  Carolina  and  Atlanta,  Ga.  The  company  em  - 
ploy  sixty  to  seventy  workmen  in  the  various  departments  of  manufact- 
ure, running  both  night  and  day;  do  their  own  malting,  require  a 
great  amount  of  barley  and  hops  in  their  operations,  and  have  an  ex- 
pensive Arctic  ice  machine  for  keeping  the  finished  product  cool,  it  be- 
ing necessary  to  hold  the  temperature  to  about  thirty -five  degrees.  The 
brine  used  in  the  cooling  process  is  impelled  through  eight  miles  of 
pipe.  In  addition  to  their  own  requirements  the  company  have  facilities 
for  producing  thirty -five  tons  of  ice  daily,  and  are  just  putting  in  an 
expensive  Ballantine  ice  machine,  capable  of  producing  twenty-five  tons 
more  each  day.  A  large  supply  of  malt  is  kept  in  their  storage  rooms. 
Some  800  casks,  with  a  capacity  of  1,500  gallons  each,  are  kept  full  of 
beer,  ready  to  be  drawn  for  shipment.  It  can  readily  be  comprehended 
that  the  equipment  of  such  an  institution  requires  a  vast  expenditure 
of  capital  in  machinery  and  other  necessities.  The  establisment  is 
fitted  up  with  all  the  necessary  appliances  for  the  successful  prosecution 
of  the  business,  being  supplied  with  a  large  outfit  of  the  best  steam 
machinery,  bottling  equipments  and  malting  facilities.  The  boiler 
room,  30x50,  is  provided  with  four  massive  boilers,  while  in  different 
parts  of  the  several  buildings  are  nine  engines  of  various  sizes, one  being 
sixty  horse-power,  besides  a  number  of  force  pumps  and  many  miles  of 
copper  and  iron  pipes.  The  main  building  is  300  feet  long  by  180  a 
part  of  the  distance,  and  90  the  remainder.  It  contains  two  malt 
kilns  30x30,  four  fermenting  cellars  each  25x100,  four  ice  storage  rooms 
each  40  feet  deep  and  30x60  feet,  eleven  cask  rooms  for  storing  the 
finished  product,  an  engine  room,  30x60,  besides  numberless  other 
rooms  for  difi'erent  purposes.  There  are  many  other  items  and  facts 
connected  with  this  institution  that  would  be  of  interest  to  the  wor- 
shipers of  Gambrinus,  but  we  have  not  the  space  to  further  extend  this 
article.  We  will  conclude  by  saying  that  the  product  of  the  Crescent 
Brewery  is,  after  supplying  the  local  demand,  shipped  to  all  parts  of 
the  Southern  States,"  and  wherever  used  has  been  regarded  as  the  best 
lager  made.  A  very  large  amount  of  money  is  expended  in  this  section 
for  barley  and  wages,  while  the  annual  output  of  the  institution  aggre- 
gates about  $500,000,  thus  adding  materially  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
city. 

Cobb^s  Iron  and  Nail  Factory,  located  along  the  river  and  the  railroad 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city,  had  its  origin  in  the  rolling-mill, 
established  in  1873,  and  operated  by  the  Aurora  Iron  Company,  In 
September,  of  the  year  above  mentioned,  J.  B.  Evans,  a  gentleman  of 
large  experience  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  desiring  a  location  for  a  roll- 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  347 

ing-mill,  received  a  proposition  from  the  citizens  of  Aurora,  the  latter 
giving  him  ten  acres  of  ground  and  $16,000  in  money,  which  proposition 
was  accepted.  Mr.  Evans  associated  with  him  other  men  under  the  firm 
name  of  Evans  &  Co.,  to  erect  in  this  city  a  rolling-mill  and  tube  works. 
In  November  the  firm  merged  into  the  Aurora  Iron  Company,  which  was 
regularly  organized  on  the  15th  of  that  month,  and  went  into  operation 
with  the  following  named  officers:  President,  J.  B.  Evans;  vice-president, 
Levi  C.  Goodale  ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  F.  M.  Munson.  The  main 
building  of  the  works  first  erected  was  200x160  feet,  in  which  were 
placed  five  heating  furnaces  and  eight  boilers  supplying  steam,  the 
largest  engine  being  of  350  horse-power.  The  building  and  equipping 
of  the  works,  cost  between  $100,000  and  $200,000.  In  1875,  the  Aurora 
Iron  &  Nail  Company,  composed  of  the  Aurora  Iron  Company  (rolling- 
mill)  and  the  Haddock  Nail  Machine  &  Nail  Manufacturing  Company, 
of  Cincinnati,  consolidated  for  the  manufacture  of  iron  and  nails  and  nail 
machines,  and  was  incorporated.  In  the  fall  of  1881  the  Aurora  Iron  & 
Nail  Company  merged  into  and  was  reorganized  as  the  Cobb  Iron  &  Nail 
Company.  In  the  spring  of  1885  the  company  disposed  of  the  sheet  and 
barr  mill  and  the  right  to  use  Cobb's  patent  process  for  manufacturing 
nails  on  fifty  machines  to  another  company.  Both  companies  have  since 
increased  the  capacity  of  their  respective  branches  of  manufacturing,  and 
the  new  company  are  manufacturing  from  400  to  600  kegs  of  nails  per 
day.  The  old  company  still  owns  the  nail  plate  mill  and  the  nail  fac- 
tory, which  have  no  equal  in  the  United  States  for  making  good  nails  at 
so  small  a  cost.  It  is  said  that  the  first  sheet  iron  manufactured  in  the 
State  of  Indiana  was  made  here  in  1874. 

Sutton  Mill  Company,  manufacturers  of  rough  and  dressed  lum- 
ber, south  of  rolling-mills.  The  saw  mill  operated  by  the  above  com- 
pany was  first  built  by  John  Graham  and  came  into  the  present  firm's 
hands  in  1882.  By  the  floods  of  February,  1884,  the  building  and  much 
of  its  lighter  machinery  was  carried  down  the  raging  Ohio;  but,  not  to 
be  baffled  by  disaster,  the  proprietors  at  once  began  the  construction  of  a 
more  substantial  building,  taking  the  precaution  to  anchor  the  sills  six 
feet  under  ground,  thus  securing  themselves  against  a  similar  misfortune 
in  case  of  another  flood.  Improved  machinery  has  taken  the  place  of 
what  was  lost  in  the  freshet,  so  that  at  present  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Co.  can 
boast  of  having  the  best  equipped  saw  and  planing-mill  in  this  entire 
region.  Its  sawing  department  has  recently  added  a  new  carriage  way, 
which  enables  them  to  saw  timber  forty  feet  in  length.  The  capacity  is 
18,000  or  20,000  feet  of  lumber  per  day,  while  in  the  planing  and  dress- 
ing department  they  have  ample  facilities  for  doing  a  large  amount  of 
work  in  the  best  possible  manner.     An  average  of  15,000  feet  of  lumber 


348  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

is  daily  produced,  which,  after  supplying  the  local  trade,  is  shipped  to 
Cincinnati.  They  make  a  specialty  of  filling  contract  bills,  having  re- 
cently furnished  the  new  Petersburg  Distillery  with  125,000  feet.  Logs 
from  the  Big  Sandy  region  are  rafted  from  Catlettsburg  on  the  Ohio, 
although  considerable  quantities  of  walnut  and  other  timbers  are  ob- 
tained in  this  vicinity.  Additional  machinery  for  the  manufacture  of 
doors,  sash,  etc.,  is  to  be  introduced  next  year,  which  will  make  what  is 
already  a  creditable  establishment  one  of  still  greater  importance.  Some 
fifteen  men  are  given  employment  about  the  mills,  and,  taken  altogether, 
the  institution  is  of  the  greatest  convenience  to  this  whole  section. 
In  fact  it  is  absolutely  indispensable  to  a  community  like  this,  where  there 
is  such  an  active  demand  for  the  different  varieties  of  plain  and  dressed 
lumber.  In  its  annual  operations  this  firm  uses  about  $30,000  worth  of 
logs,  and  turns  out  $60,000  to  $75,000  worth  of  product. 

Walker^s  Brick  Manufactory,  plain,  ornamental  and  pressed  brick, 
Walker's  west  side  addition. — John  Walker,  for  eight  years  past,  has 
been  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick.  A  visit  to  his 
yards  during  the  working  season  would  disclose  a  busy  and  interesting 
scene,  as  thirty  hands  are  constantly  employed  in  the  operation  of  the 
various  machinery  and  other  departments  of  the  work.  The  first  thing 
of  importance  noticed  in  a  hurried  perambulation  of  the  premises  was  a 
pug-mill,  in  which  the  material  is  saturated  with  water  and  thoroughly 
mixed  by  machinery,  thus  dispensing  with  the  labor  of  four  extra  hands 
in  the  mud  pits,  where  a  very  laborious  and  disagreeable  portion  of  the 
work  was  formerly  performed.  From  this  pug-mill  the  mud  is  forced 
into  a  brick  machine  and  by  it  pressed  into  the  moulds,  thence  passing 
into  the  hand  of  the  striker.  This  machine  is  of  the  famous  Martin 
patent,  since  greatly  improved  by  J.  Creager,  and  has  a  capacity  of  over 
5,000  bricks  per  hour,  if  sufficient  force  and  material  could  be  furnished 
for  such  rapid  operation,  the  average  capacity  of  the  yard,  however,  is 
25,000  bricks  per  day.  The  newly  molded  product  is  dried  principally  in 
sheds,  as  sun-dried  bricks  are  considered  far  inferior  to  them,  in  point  of 
strength  and  smoothness  of  surface.  Although  the  ordinary  product  of 
this  yard  is  practically  a  perfect  brick,  Mr.  Walker  has  facilities  for 
repressing,  by  which  he  is  enabled  to  produce  a  brick  almost  as  smooth  as 
polished  marble,  and  with  corners  as  perfect  as  those  of  a  parallelogram. 
!Phe  Miller  &  Cornell  machines  are  used  in  the  repressing  process,  which 
is  something  that  requires  skillful  and  careful  management.  Large 
quantities  of  the  repressed  product  are  sent  to  leading  architects  of  Cin- 
cinnati, which  are  used  in  the  erection  of  handsome  suburban  residences 
on  Walnut  Hills,  Avoudale,  and  other  places,  bringing  remunerative 
prices.     Another  specialty  of  this  yard  is  an  ornainentai  brick,  of  several 


y  CITY  OF  AURORA. 


349 


very  pretty  and  unique  designs,  valuable  as  a  finishing  material  and  in 
the  construction  of  chimneys.  Three  kilns,  with  a  capacity  of  300,000 
pieces  each,  are  in  operation,  producing  annually  2,500,000, 
the  prospect  being  that  the  product  of  1885  will  reach  over  3,000,000. 
These,  if  laid  end  to  end,  would  make  an  unbroken  line  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco,  and  back  as  far  as  Denver.  »-.Mr.  Walker  uses 
slack  for  fuel,  which  he  considers  superior  for  brick  burning  to  anything 
else.  He  employs  the  calorific  (i.  e.,  hot  air)  process  in  burning,  by 
which,  with  other  careful  manipulations  in  laying,  etc.,  the  arch  bricks 
are  left  equal  in  all  respects  to  any  other,  and  are  wholly  free  from  the 
cracked  and  smoky  appearance  which  they  usually  present.  From  three 
to  four  car  loads  are  shipped  daily,  going  principally  to  Cincinnati  and 
its  suburbs,  where  Mr.  Walker  has  established  a  reputation  as  a  brick- 
maker  equal  to  the  best  in  the  country,  not  excepting  Zanesville  pro- 
ducers. In  every  quality  excepting  color,  the  product  of  the  Walker  yards 
is  actually  superior  to  that  of  Zanesville,  and  with  the  aid  of  Zanesville 
sand  and  other  improved  methods,  Mr.  W.  will  no  doubt  equal  them  even 
in  that  respect.  Having  already  devised  many  valuable  improvements 
in  brick-making,  among  which  is  the  employment  of  truck  mules  in  trans- 
ferring the  unfinished  product  to  different  parts  of  the  yard  and  another 
convenient  arrangement  called  the  return  mud  belt,  by  which  the  mortar 
accumulating  upon  the  striker  is  returned  to  the  pug-mill,  he  can  not 
fail  to  still  further  improve  his  facilities.  In  this  way  Mr.  Walker  has 
so  perfected  his  work  as  to  be  able  to  compete  with  the  most  reputed 
manufacturers  in  the  country. 

The  Wymond  Brick  Yard.— Phillip  Wymond  was  born  in  Cornwall, 
England,  and  in  1829,  while  still  quite  young,  removed  to  this  county.  In 
1859  he  located  at  Aurora,  and  has  been  in  business  here  continu- 
ously since  that  time,  principally  in  the  cooperage  manufacture.  He  is 
at  present  operating  a  brick  yard  at  the  upper  end  of  Broadway,  and 
seems  to  be  conducting  a  prosperous  business.  Rather  extensive  im- 
provements in  machinery  and  other  appliances  are  contemplated  for  the 
coming  year,  and  if  these  are  added,  which  they  no  doubt  will  be,  this 
yard  bids  fair  to  become  an  important  rival  in  the  brick-making  indus- 
try. At  present  the  Wymond  yard  is  producing  bricks  at  the  rate  of 
10,000  per  day.  Two  kilns  are  required  for  burning  purposes,  in  which 
the  calorific  process  is  employed,  and  in  the  various  departments  of  the 
work  the  services  of  something  near  a  dozen  men  are  required. 

Mitchell  (&  Langtree's  Brick  Yard,  located  near  the  rolling-mills,  first 
began  operation  here  over  sixteen  years  ago  under  the  management  of 
Mitchell  &  Harbaugh.  It  was  conducted  by  them  very  successfully  un- 
til about  three  years  ago,  when  the  old  partnership  was  dissolved  and  the 


350  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

present  firm  assumed  control.  This  yard  is  located  east  of  the  rolling- 
mill,  with  convenient  facilities  for  shipping  either  by  water  or  rail,  and 
has  a  capacity  of  1,000,000  to  1,200,000  brick  per  annum.  No  mold- 
incr  machinery  is  used  here  for  the  reason  that  the  managers  think  hand- 
made brick  of  superior  firmness,  and  say  that  many  of  their  customers  in 
Cincinnati  prefer  them.  The  process  of  burning  is  essentially  the  same 
here  as  at  the  other  yards  in  this  place,  two  kilns  being  used  for  this 
purpose,  having  a  capacity  of  over  300,000  each.  Much  of  the  product 
was  formerly  used  in  this  vicinity,  but  it  is  now  almost  entirely  mar- 
keted in  Cincinnati. 

The  Carriage  Factory  of  H.  Fritz,  located'on  the  corner  of  Third  and 
Mechanic  Streets.  Mr.  Fritz  confines  himself  to  no  special  vehicle,  but 
builds  to  the  order  of  customers,  carriages,  buggies,  phaetons,  buck- 
boards,  farm  and  spring  wagons,  and  attends  to  repairing  in  a  skillful 
manner.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dilate  upon  the  merits  of  the  work  done  at 
this  shop,  as  the  large  patronage  and  long  term  of  the  service  is  the  best 
attestation  of  its  good  character.  Mr,  Fritz  is  a  native  of  Ohio  and 
came  to  Aurora  in  1855.  He  was  employed  for  many  years  by  the  Fisk 
Bros.,  and  others  in  the  wagon-building  business,  served  three  years  in 
the  army  as  a  private  and  ten  years  ago  established  in  business  as  above, 
having  made  it  a  gratifying  success. 

The  Aurora  Valley  Furniture  and  Upholstering  Company  is  located 
on  Decatur  Sti'eet,  in  that  part  of  the  city  designated  as  Texas,  with  sale 
and  packing  rooms  on  Second  and  Judiciary  Streets.  The  company  was 
formed  in  the  fall  of  1872,  by  William  Willman,  H.  J.  Probst,  Freder- 
ick Bosse,  Garrett  Bosse,  H.  Droge,  William  Bosse,  C.  Westmyre  and 
Wallace  Mead.  In  1876  Frederick  Bosse,  William  Bosse  and  Wallace 
Mead  sold  out,  and  Gr.  C.  Probst  and  George  Hafl'erkamp  came  in,  which 
constitutes  the  present  firm.  Their  factory  is  50x75  feet,  two-story 
brick  and  frame  structure.  Their  propelling  power  is  a  forty  horse- 
power engine  which  drives  all  kinds  of  machinery,  giving  employment  to 
fifty  hands.  Their  sales  and  packing  rooms  are  60x85  feet,  part  two  and 
three  stories  high,  with  cellar  under  all.  This  firm  manufactures  me- 
dium and  fine  goods,  and  have  five  salesmen  on  the  road,  the  South 
and  West  being  their  best  Territory,  but  have  a  general  trade  throughout 
the  States  and  Territories.  The  same  firm  opened  up  a  branch  factory  at 
Seymour,  Ind.,  January  1,  1885  ;  their  shops  being  60x100  feet,  three- 
story  brick,  with  engine  and  dry  house  attached,  in  which  have  been  placed 
a  forty  horse-power  engine  and  all  necessary  new  and  improved  machinery, 
where  will  work  fifty  or  more  men,  and  manufacture  only  a  fine  grade  of 
furniture,  and  common  in  Aurora.  The  city  of  Seymour  donated  the 
ground  and  buildings  as  an  inducement  to  the  company  to  locate  there. 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  351 

The  company  is  composed  of  sober,  industrious,  enterprising  men;  and 
iD  those  times  of  close  competition  and  business  emulation,  few  succeed 
who  do  not  by  solid  merit  and  earnest  industry  deserve  success.  Judg- 
ing of  the  future  of  this  firm  by  their  past  record,  they  will  continue  to 
occupy  a  commanding  position  in  both  citiefi.  George  C.  Probst  is  the 
superintendent,  secretary,  and  treasurer  of  the  Aurora  branch.  He  is  a 
native  of  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  and  assumed  the  responsibitity  of  his 
present- position  in  1881. 

BANKING  HOUSES. 

Of  these  institutions  there  are  two  in  Aurora,  The  First  National  and 
the  Aurora  National. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Aurora  was  authorized  to  commence 
business  December  9,  1864,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  which  afterward, 
was  increased  to  $200,000.  The  first  board  of  directors  consisted  of 
Thomas  Gaff,  James  W.  Gaff,  Henry  W.  Smith,  \V.  E.  Gibson,  John  J. 
Backman,  Louis  G.  Hurlbert  and  Abram  Lozier,  Thomas  Gaff  was 
elected  president,  and  Henry  W.  Smith,  cashier.  Mr.  Smith,  on  account 
of  other  pressing  business  engagements,  held  the  office  but  a  short  time, 
and  was  succeeded  by  John  G.  Kennedy,  who  held  his  position  until 
November,  1868,  when  Elam  H.  Davis  was  elected  cashier,  and  has  held 
the  office  until  the  present  time,  a  period  of  sixteen  years.  President 
Gaff  continued  to  act  as  such  until  April  25,  1884,  the  date  of  his  death, 
when  Henry  W.  Smith  was  elected  his  successor.  Of  the  original  direc- 
tors, four,  Messrs.  Thomas  Gaff,  James  W.  Gaff,  John  J.  Bachman  and 
L.  G.  Hurlbert  have  died.  The  present  board  consists  of  the  following 
named  gentlemen:  Henry  W.  Smith,  president;  William  E.  Gibson, 
vice-president;  James  W.  Gaff,  John  A.  Conwell,  Abram  Lozier  and 
John  McQuire.  The  history  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Aurora  is  one 
of  unexampled  prosperity.  The  high  character  of  its  projectors,  their 
eminent  financial  abilities  and  their  large  resources  gave  the  bank  a 
prominent  place  among  the  strongest  and  most  solid  financial  corpora- 
tions in  the  country,  and  during  its  long  histoi'y  nothing  has  occurred 
to  shake  or  weaken  it  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  public.  Con- 
servative and  prudent  in  all  its  business,  and  yet  liberal  so  far  as  com- 
patible with  perfect  safety  in  meeting  all  the  wants  of  the  public.  Dur- 
ing the  great  panic  of  1873,  when  the  banks  all  over  the  country  were 
forced  to  suspend  payment,  the  First  National  Bank  of  Aurora  paid 
every  check  that  was  presented.  The  original  organizers  have  mostly 
passed  away,  but  the  bank  is  still  strong  and  safe  in  its  resources  and  in 
the  character  of  its  officers.  The  bank  was  opened  in  a  room  on  the 
second  floor  of  what  was  known  as  the  Kemp  Building,    and  issued   its 


852  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

first  bills  March  6,  1865.  The  present  banking  house  is  located  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  Second  and  Mechanic  Streets,  and  is  a  substantial 
building,  constructed  of  brick  in  1870,  at  a  cost  of  about  $10,000. 

The  Aurora  National  i?a?i/c. —Early  in  1883  several  citizens  of 
Aurora  discussed  the  feasibility  of  opening  a  second  bank  in  the  city, 
and  meeting  with  prompt  encouragement  the  matter  soon  took  definite 
shape.  Capt.  Alex  B.  Pattison  received  a  letter  from  the  comptroller 
at  Washington  the  first  week  in  April,  authorizing  himself  and  associ- 
ates to  organize  the  Auroz-a  National  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000 
and  privilege  to  increase  the  same  to  three  times  that  amount.  The  stock 
was  rapidly  taken  up,  and  the  organization  was  completed  April  14, 
1883,  by  the  election  of  Francis  Wymond  as  president,  W.  F.  Stevens, 
vice-president,  and  Alex  B.  Pattison,  cashier.  The  president,  who  has 
long  been  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Aurora,  and  was 
closely  identified  with  many  leading  enterprises,  was  taken  sick  and  died 
shortly  after  the  opening  of  the  bank.  The  present  officers  are  Will- 
iam F.  Stevens,  president;  George  W.  Mitchell,  vice-president;  Alex  B. 
Pattison,  cashier;  J.  C.  Wymond,  assistant  cashier;  W.  F.  Stevens, 
Robert  Maybin,  Thomas  Johnson,  T.  W.  Kestner,  S.  D.  Langtree, 
George  W.  Mitchell,  and  J.  C.  Wymond,  directors.  There  are  thirty- 
three  stockholders,  largely  composed  of  business  men  of  this  city.  The 
banking  house  is  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Second  and  Mechanic 
Streets. 

THE  GRAND  OPERA  HOUSE. 

This  substantial  and  elegant  building  is  located  in  the  center  of  the 
city,  on  the  south  side  of  Second  Street,  in  the  middle  of  the  square, 
between  Main  and  Mechanic  Streets.  The  building  is  constructed  of 
brick,  and  is  three  stories  high,  and  has  a  frontage  of  53  feet,  with  a 
depth  of  106  feet.  The  auditorium  is  on  the  second  floor,  having  a 
seating  capacity  of  950  persons;  it  is  furnished  with  opera  chairs, 
of  a  neat  and  comfortable  pattern,  arranged  upon  platforms  of 
a  graduated  elevation,  so  that  they  will  appear  sloped  from  the 
rear  of  the  hall,  toward  the  stage.  The  aisle  floors  are  covered  with 
heavy  matting.  The  stage  has  a  front  of  about  thirty  feet,  and  a 
depth  of  twenty,  and  its  appointments  are  comprehensive,  and  com- 
pletely in  harmony  with  the  rest  of  the  building.  It  is  supplied 
with  a  complement  of  scenery  necessary  to  meet  the  demands  of  a 
first  class  theater  or  opera,  two  elegant  and  cosy  little  proscenium 
boxes,  one  on  either  side,  and  is  altogether  exceedingly  well  arranged, 
and  properly  lighted.  The  scene  painting  and  frescoing  is  beautiful  in 
design,  and  skillfully  executed  by  some  of  Cincinnati's  best  artists.  It 
is  lighted  with  gas — a  forty-four  jet  reflector  in  the  center  of  the  ceiling, 


CITY  OF  AURORA.  353 

together  with  the  proscenium  chandeliers  and  bracket  lights,  besides  the 
ample  foot  lights  and  numerous  burners  on  the  stage,  well  supply  the 
light.  It  is  heated  by  two  immense  hot  air  furnaces.  To  the  hall  there 
is  both  a  front  and  rear  entrance,  the  former  entrance  being  by  means  of 
a  fire-proof  stairway  eight  feet  wide.  The  means  of  exit  in  case  of  an 
accident,  or  in  any  emergency,  is  certainly  ample.  The  building  is  an 
ornament  to  the  city,  and  stands  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  of  its 
builders.  It  was  built  in  1878,  by  Messrs.  Leive,  Parks  &  Stapp,  and 
opened  in  the  evening  of  November  28  (Thanksgiving  evening)  of  that 
year,  by  a  lecture  delivered  by  "Bob''  Burdette,  on  the  subject  of 
•'Home." 

POSTMASTERS. 

The  following  list  of  postmasters  of  Aurora,  was  prepared  by  George 
W.  Lane: 

Edward  Fairchilds,  Elias  Conwell,    Daniel   Bartholomew,  Benjamin 

F.  Ferris,  Peter  B.  Vail,  Samuel  C.  Reed,  William  Webber,  Hiram  L. 
Dean,  Josephus  Clark,  Mrs.  A.  P.  Clark,  Henry  Walker,  John  Walker, 
Harry  Fisk. 

SOCIETIES. 

Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  instituted  April  11,  1844, 
by  Grand  Master  Abel  C.  Pepper,  with  sixteen  charter  members.  The  first 
officers  were  Michael  D.  Gear,  W.  M.;  Asa  Shattuck,  S.  W.;  William 
Morrison,  J.  W. ;  J.  W.  Weaver,  secretary;  John  Langley,  treasurer;  R. 
Sopris,  S.  D. ;  Joseph  Buukey,  J.  D. ;  Thomas  J.  Baily,  Tyler. 

The  present  membership  is  sixty -three.  The  present  officers  are 
Robert  McDowell,  W.  M. ;  W.  C.  Henry,  S.  W. ;  G.  W.  Trester,  J.  W. ; 
George  Schaefer,  treasurer;  .F.  A.  Slater,  secretary;  Thomas  H.  Mc- 
Connell,  S.  D. ;  F.  W.  Kassebaum,  J.  D. ;  Romanus  Roach,  T. 

Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  R.  A.  M.,  was  instituted  by  Abel  C.  Pepper, 

G.  H.  P.  with  nine  charter  members,  September,  5,  1849.  First  offi- 
cers: R.  Sopris,  H.  P.;  J.  W.  Weaver,  K. ;  A.  L.  Bailey,  S.;  J.  G.  Hun- 
ter, C.  N. ;  Samuel  Reed,  P.  S. ;  J.  F.  Crider,  R.  A.  C. ;  William  Green, 
Third  Vail;  A.  B.  Adams,  Second  Vail;  J.  B.  Hall,  First  Vail;  J.  M. 
Hays,  Guard.  The  present  membership  is  sixty-two.  The  present 
officers  are,  A.  N.  Bradley,  H.  P. ;  John  Black,  S. ;  Robert  Lyttle,  P.  S. ; 
M.  J.  Meyer  G.  M.  Third  Vail;  L.  B.  Brown,  G.  M.  First  Vail;  F.  A. 
Slater,  secretary;  James  M.  Wheeler,  K. ;  J.  C.  Green,  C.  H. ;  Robert 
Mayvin,  R.  A.  C. ;  James  P.  Coulter,  G.  M.  Second  Vail;  W.  C. 
Henry,  treasurer;  J.  M.  Newell,  Guard. 

Aurora  Commander ij  No.  17,  K.  T.,- charter  granted  April  7,  1869. 
First  officers:  Thomas  Pattison,  E.  C;  W.  Allen,  — ;  John  A.  Harpham, 
Captain  of  Guard;  E.  K.  Long,  E.  P.;  Hosea  Harden,  S.  W.;  James  De 


354  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Sanno,  J,  W. ;  S.  Paramore,  treasurer;  E.  Hubbartt,  recorder;  T.  J.  Bai- 
ley, Warder. 

Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized  July  1,  1871, 
with  twenty-five  charter  members,  the  charter  being  granted  on  the  29th 
day  of  May,  1872.  The  first  officers  were '  Charles  Ager,  W.  M. ;  John 
Walker,  S.  W.;  H.  W.  Hurlbert,  J.  W.;  S.  Paramore,  treasurer;  Harry 
Pisk,  secretary;  John  Sargent,  S.  D. ;  William  Kyle,  J.  D. ;  Thomas  J. 
Bailey,  Tyler.  The  present  membership  is  seventy-eight,  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers  now  serving:  Charles  W,  Loudon,  P.  W.  M. ;  James  A. 
Riddell,  S.  W.;  Hubert  J.  Marshall,  J.  W.;  Robert  Maybin,  treasurer^ 
R.  C.  Mattox,  secretary;  Emil  Severin,  S.  D. ;  Charles  M.  Beinkamp,  J. 
D. ;  James  M.  Steele,  R.  W.  Rees,  Stewarts;  James  R.  Miller,  Tyler. 
The  lodge  room  is  located  in  the  Mitchell  Building,  corner  Second  and 
Mechanic  Streets,  and  owned  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Michell.  Aurora  Chapter 
R.  A.  M.,  and  Aurora  commandery,  K.  T.,  also  meet  in  one  hall. 

John  A.  Piatt  Post  No.  82,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organized  at  the  K.  of  P, 
Hall  July  7,  1882,  with  twenty-five  charter  members.  The  first  officers 
were  Capt.  Alex  B.  Pattison,  P.  C;  Capt.  H.  P.  Spoeth,  S.  V.  P.  C. ;  L.  E. 
Beincamp,  Jr.,  V,  P.  C. ;  C.  K.  Emrie,  Q.  M.;  Dr.  R.  C.Bond,  Surgeon; 
Rev.  G.  I.  Reiche,  Chap.;  Robert  Walsh,  Officer  of  the  Day;  A.  B.  Hub- 
bartt, Officer  of  the  Guard;  Harry  Fisk,  Adjutant. 

Union  Lodge  No.  34,  K.  of  P. ,  was  organized  June  4,  1873,  by 
Charles  P.  Carty,  G.  K.  of  R.  &  S.,  and  Charles  Laner,  P.  C,  of  No. 
6,  of  Indianapolis,  with  W.  G.  Wheeler,  P.  C. ;  R.  B.  Fowler,  C.  C. ; 
George  W.  Lamb,  V.  C. ;  James  Faulkner,  P. ;  B.  F.  Trester,  Jr. ,  R. 
&  S.;  W.  H.  Trester,  M.  of  F.;  C.  C.  Trester,  M.  of  E. ;  H.  G.  Lam- 
kin,  M.  at  A. ;  George  W,  Trester,  I.  G.,  and  John  W.  Lowe,  O.  G.,  as 
officers.  C.  C.  Wheeler,  James  L.  Marsh,  William  M.  McCullum,  Elias 
Frazier,  Jacob  Goenawein,  R.  W.  Curtiss,  and  Charles  Louden  were  the 
other  members.      Present  membership  sixty- four. 

Harmonia  Lodge  No.  69,  K.  of  P.,  was  instituted  by  Joseph  Kuhl- 
man,  D.  D.  G.  C,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  assisted  by  P.  C.  Henry  Russe, 
and  the  members  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  49,  on  the  15th  of  March, 
1876.  The  officers  and  charter  members  were  as  follows:  John  Burk- 
hardt,  P.  C. ;  August  Frank,  C.  C. ;  John  Abeles,  V.  C. ;  Charles  Martin, 
P.;  William  Uley,  K.  of  R.  &  S.;  John  Dennerline,  M.  of  F. ; 
George  Dennerline,  M.  of  E. ;  A.  Himelricker,  M.  at  A. ;  John  Buttner^ 
I.  G. ;  John  Renner,  O.  G. ;  George  Trester,  George  W.  Taylor. 


^X?; 


-^^c^  ^^^^  J^ac^, 


2 /2.^^3J<, 


:7' 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  355 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
CITY  OF  RISING  SUN. 

Location  and  Description— Origin— Its  Founders- The  Early  Vil- 
lage—Its Progress— Incorporation— Independence  Day,  1834— 
Status  of  the  Town  in  1835-36— Picture  of  Main  and  Front 
Streets,  1833— Pen  Picture  of  the  Town  in  1845— Steamboat  Build- 
ing AND  Boating— Early  Postmasters— The  Electro  Magnetic 
Telegraph— Leading  Manufacturing  Interests— The  National 
Bank— Churches— Schools— The  Fire  of  1866— The  Fire  of  1885— 
Cemeteries— Societies— The  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company— The 
Centennial  Fourth. 

RISING  SUN  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio 
River,  ninety- six  miles  southeast  of  Indianapolis,  and  thirty-five 
miles  a  little  west  of  south  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  It  is  located  on  what 
might  be  termed  high  bottom  land,  the  ground  gradually  rising  from  the 
river  bank  to  a  distance  of  some  400  yards,  and  then  gradually  descend- 
ing to  a  small  stream  (dry  branch  of  Arnold's  Creek  that  nearly  one-half 
surrounds  the  city;,  at  a  distancejof  at  least  two- thirds  of  a  mile  from  the 
river;  the  ground  then  again  gradually  rises  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile 
to  the  foot  of  a  range  of  hills  which  rise  several  hundred  feet  above  low 
water  in  the  Ohio  at  this  place.  As  might  be  expected  from  such  a  situ- 
ation, the  city  is  very  healthy.  This  may,  no  doubt,  be  attributed  to  the 
fact  that  during  the  wet  seasons  the  streets  are  almost  invariably  dry  and 
clean,  they  being  so  situated  that  the  water  runs  off  immediately  after  it 
has  fallen.  The  channel  of  the  river  at  this  point  is  close  to  the  city, 
and  boats  of  every  class  can  land  at  any  stage  of  water.  In  this  respect 
the  city  possesses  advantages  over  almost  every  other  city  along  the  river. 
The  city  is  one  mile  square  and  is  laid  out  in  regular  squares,  the  streets 
crossing  each  other  at  right  angles;  it  is  far  above  high  water  mark;  has 
wide  graveled  streets  and  sidewalks,  beautiful  shady  promenades,  and  its 
inhabitants  are  intelligent,  industrious,  and  sociable.  Its  general  ap- 
I^earance  is  favorable  to  all  who  visit  it.  A  stroll  throughout  the  city 
discloses  the  fact  that  there  are  but  few  reminders  of  the  olden  time  in 
the  way  of  dilapidated  buildings.  Many  of  the  residences  and  business 
houses  are  really  elegant,  and  nearly  all  are  attractive.  The  streets, 
stores,  churches,  manufacturing  establishments,  and  dwellings  are  neat 
and  creditable. 


356  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ORIGIN. 

John  James,  an  independent  planter  of  Frederick  County,  Md. ,  im- 
migrated to  the  West  in  May,  1807,  his  family  being  conveyed  in  a  flat- 
boat  from  Redstone,  and  landed  in  Lawrenceburgh  in  June  following. 
He  remained  at  that  point  two  years,  when,  for  the  purpose  of  educating 
his  children,  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  where,  after  a  residence  of  two 
years,  he  removed  to  this  place,  December  25,  1811,  being  but  a  few 
weeks  after  the  famous  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  which  occurred  in  Septem- 
ber, 1811.  In  consequence  of  Indian  hostilities  prevalent  at  that  time, 
and  the  frequent  alarms  of  the  settlement,  to  allay  the  fears  of  the  fam- 
ily, he  removed  them  to  Louisville  in  May,  1812,  one  month  previous  to 
the  declaration  of  war  against  Great  Britain,  while  he  and  his  eldest 
son,  Pinkney,  remained  upon  the  ground.  In  the  autvimn  of  1813  the 
family  were  brought  back  to  this  point.  In  1879  the  late  Henry  James 
said:  "In  the  fall  of  1813  we  returned  to  father  and  Pinkney  at  the  set- 
tlement, and  in  the  following  spring,  on  the  30th  day  of  May,  we  laid 
out  Rising  Sun.  Father  superintended,  Pickney  surveyed,  and  I  carried 
one  end  of  the  chain,  and  another  'Negro'  carried  the  other."         *         * 

Concerning  this  act,  the  records  reveal  the  following: 

The  town  of  Rising  Sun  is  situated  in  the  county  of  Dearborn,  in  the  Indiana 
Territory,  being  laid  out  on  Section  3  and  fraction  2,  Township  3  and  Range  1.  The 
aforesaid  town  is  first  laid  off  into  blocks  of  twenty-four/ods  on  every  side,  and  then 
an  alley  drawn  through  the  center  parallel  with  those  streets  which  front  the  river. 
The  blocks  are  then  subdivided  into  twelve  parts,  each  lot  containing  four  rods  in 
front,  and  eleven  and  a  half  rods  deep;  fronts  are  always  to  and  from  the  river. 
There  is  a  street  running  between  every  block,  and  are  five  rods  wide.  The  alleys 
are  but  one  rod  wide.  The  lots  situated  between  Front  Street  and  the  ^Ohio  River 
are  termed  fractions,  and  are  four  rods  front,  and  running  each  to  the  river. 

John  James,  Proprietor. 
INDIANA  TERRITORY,  ) 

[•ss. 
Deaeborn  County.       ) 

Before  me,  Samuel  Fulton,  a  justice  assigned  to  keep  the  peace  in  and  for  said 
county,  personally  came  John  James,  and  made  oath  that  the  aforesaid  expla- 
nation, together  with  the  plat,  is  a  true  description  of  the  town  of  the  Rising  Sun, 
as  lately  laid  off  by  him. 

Sworn  to  before  me  this  thirtieth  day  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  eighteen 
hundred  and  fourteen.  Samuel  Fulton.  J.  P. 

The  orignal  plat  of  the  village  included  that  portion  of  the  city  now 
situate  between  the  river  and  Walnut  Street,  and  between  First  and 
Fifth  Streets,  comprising  ninety-six  full  and  eighteen  fractional  lots. 
The  original  proprietor  of  this  ground  was  Benjamin  Chambers,  who,  on 
the  9th  of  April,  1801,  with  other  land,  entered  from  the  United  States 
Government  that  portion  of  Section  3  and  fractional  Section  2,  on  which 
the  original  plat  was  laid  out. 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  357 

ITS    FOUNDERS. 

The  proprietor,  in  order  to  promote  the  more  rapid  settlement  of  the 
town,  gave  all  the  lots  on  certain  squares,  except  the  corner  lots,  to  immi- 
grants who  would,  within  one  year,  erect  a  two-story  log  or  frame  house, 
with  a  brick  or  stone  chimney,  worth  not  less  than  $200.  Said  Mr. 
Henry  James  (deceased):  "Thomas  Lindsay  erected  a  building  on  a  lot 
and  received  a  deed  for  it.  The  next  day  he  came  to  father  and  re- 
quested a  deed  for  the  adjoining  lot,  saying  that  he  had  fulfilled  the 
requirement.  Father  accompanied  Mr.  Lindsay  to  see  the  new  building 
of  mushroom  growth,  and  found  himself  the  victim  of  a  joke.  Mr. 
Lindsay  had  removed  his  house  from  the  other  lot  over  to  this  one,  for 
which  he  claimed  the  deed.  Father  enjoyed  the  joke  so  well  that  he 
gave  him  the  deed,  and  afterward  added  to  his  agreement  a  proviso  that 
would  prevent  a  serious  recurrence  of  the  joke."  John  James  also  do- 
nated a  lot  to  each  religious  denomination,  also  the  lot  where  the  beauti- 
ful and  imposing  school  building  is  erected;  also,  in  1828,  the  lot  on 
which  the  seminary  was  erected  and  still  stands,  though  since  converted 
into  a  dwelling-house,  and  the  lots  where  the  old  cemetery  is  located. 
Said  Rev.  B.  F.  Morris,  in  1856:  "He  was  a  liberal  man  in  all  public 
enterprises,  and  was  ambitions  to  found  and  build  up  a  large  and  flour- 
ishing town.  He  died  March  27,  1838,  aged  seventy-six  years,  and  his 
wife,  Martha  James,  July  21,  1821,  aged  fifty-seven  years.  "God's 
Acre,"  which  they  gave  as  a  burial  place  for  the  dead,  holds  their  mortal 
remains.  They  left,  in  their  children  and  their  children's  children, 
numerous  descendants,  who  occupy  honorable  and  useful  stations  in  so- 
ciety. 

"Col.  Pinkney  James,  himself  a  pioneer,was  a  man  of  talent,  enterprise, 
enlarged  views,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  prosperity  of  this  place.  He 
built  two  cotton  and  woolen  factories,  which  for  years  were  in  suc- 
cessful operation,  and  gave  employment  to  some  seventy-five  persons. 
He  did  much  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  place.  He  studied  law,  in 
early  youth,  with  Judge  Burnet,  of  Cincinnati,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  for  a  number  of  years  from  Dearborn  County.  He  died  De- 
cember 25,  1851,  universally  lamented.  Another  son  of  the  proprietor 
of  the  town,  Basil  James,  M.  D.,  still  living,*  was  one  of  the  earlier  phy- 
sicians of  the  place,  having  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Daniel  Drake,  of 
Cincinnati.  His  zeal  and  success  in  promoting  the  cause  of  education  in 
Rising  Sun  are  evidences  of  his  intelligent  public  spirit  and  moral 
worth.  Another  son,  Henry  James,  still  living,f  also  labored  energet- 
ically to  promote  the  interests  of  the  place.     He  has  built  twenty-four 

*Dr.  James  died  Aug.  8,  1877. 
fHenry  James  died  in  1S80. 


358  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

dwelling  houses  and  three  mills  in  and   near  Eising  Sun,  opened  and 
improved  farms,and  co-operated  in  the  public  improvements  of  this  place." 

THE  EAKLY  VILLAGE- — ITS  PROGRESS. 

In  the  historical  discourse  of  Rev.  B.  F.  Morris,  delivered  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Rising  Sun,  September  15,  1856,  it  is  stated 
that  "  during  several  years  subsequent  to  the  location  of  this  town,  the 
tide  of  immigration  flowed  into  the  place,  and  valuable  and  permanent 
citizens  established  themselves  in  business  and  professional  pursuits.  In 
1813,  Walter  Smith  and  family  (whose  daughter  is  Mrs.  Joshua  Haines), 
and  Jonah  Smith.  In  1814  Caleb  Craft,  Henry  Weis,  James  A.  Walton, 
and  their  families.  In  1815  Prince  Athearn  and  family,  Abel  C.  Pep- 
per, Shadrach  Hathaway  [still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one 
years,  on  the  site  he  purchased  of  Mr.  James,  and  on  which  he  reared 
his  cabin  shoe  shop  in  the  "forest  primeval"  and  amid  the  red  men, 
longer  ago  than  has  been  allotted  to  man,  upward  of  seventy  years. 
Here  he  dwells,  hale,  hearty,  and  cheerful,  the  last  of  his  line,  living  as 
a  connecting  link  between  the  past  and  present.  What  change  has  he 
witnessed!  What  progress!  Ninety  odd  years  of  well  spent  time!  How 
grand  to  contemplate!  Ed.],  N.  Miller  and  family,  Joel  Decoursey, 
M.  McHeuston  and  James  Hayden.  Mr.  Hayden  was  the  first  regular 
physician  ;  he  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Drake,  of  Cincinnati,  and  first 
practiced  medicine  with  Dr.  Hagerman,  of  Hamilton,  Butler  County, 
Ohio.  He  married  on  the  27th  of  November,  1818,  Harriet  James, 
daughter  of  the  proprietor,  and  died  on  the  8th  of  July,  1823.  In  1816 
Archibald  Moore  and  the  twin  brothers,  Joshua  and  Mathias  Haines,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  for  more  than  thirty  years  a  popular  physician,  and 
is  still  living,*  the  venerable  and  beloved  patriarch  of  the  profession, 
whose  life  and  labors  have  blessed  this  whole  region.  Moses,  Daniel  and 
Philip  Tapley,  three  brothers,  immigrated  in  1818.  These  immigrants 
and  the  others  previously  noticed,were  chiefly  instrumental  in  giving  pros- 
perity and  character  to  the  town;  they  took  a  deep  interest  in  founding 
and  fostering  schools,  and  in  laying  the  foundations  of  steady  and  solid 
growth  to  the  place.  As  venerable  pioneers,  some  like  aged  trees  left  to 
tell  of  a  former  forest,  still  remain  to  remind  us  of  the  times  passed 
away,  and  their  numerous  descendants,  filling  useful  stations  in  society, 
are  honorable  certificates  of  their  own  good  influences  and  characters." 

The  village  was  laid  out  in  a  dense  forest  with  underbrush  growing 
so  thickly  that  one  could  with  difiiculty  penetrate  it.  The  river  front 
was  more  grand  and  beautiful  than  now.  Fifty  odd  years  ago  a  writer 
in  one  of  the  Cincinnati  papers  thus  referred  to  it:  "The    town  is  sur- 

*Since  deceased. 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  359 

rounded  by  large  forest  trees,  which  furnish  a  cool  and  refreshing  shade 
from  the  summer's  heat.  The  favorite  promenade  ground,  situated  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  extends  either  way,  up  or  down,  as  far  as  any  per- 
son may  feel  inclined  to  walk.  The  bank  is  overhung  by  huge  and 
gigantic  sycamores  and  the  wide-spreading  branches  of  the  elm,  together 
with  a  variety  of  other  trees,  afford  a  very  pleasant  and  uninterrupted 
shade,  which  combined  with  a  constant  breeze  from  the  river,  must 
render  a  walk  very  grateful.  Upon  the  whole,  I  believe  it  to  be  one  of 
the  most  desirable  places  for  a  residence  that  I  have  yet  seen  in  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi.  The  moral  condition  of  the  place  is  excellent. 
The  citizens  generally  are  intelligent  and  enterprising,  and  the  facilities 
of  education  are  abundant.  Commercial  business  is  carried  on  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  and  the  mechanics  seem  to  be  prospering.  I  would  also 
add,  that  the  place  is  surrounded  by  a  rich  and  fertile  country,  and 
occupied  and  owned  by  substantial  farmers.  And  from  the  general  view 
I  have  taken  of  Rising  Sun,  I  can  scarcely  anticipate  anything  that  can 
retard  or  check  the  progressive  improvement  of  that  interesting  village." 

Standing  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  at  the  river  bank  in  early  morn, 
resting  the  eye  on  the  majestic  stream  beneath  and  to  the  far  off  Ken- 
tucky hills  stretching  for  miles  along  its  course,  and  to  the  opposite, 
nearer  and  higher  elevations,  one  can  readily  imagine,  in  viewing  a  sun- 
rise amid  such  beauty  and  grandeur,  the  simple  poetic  impulse  that  could 
have  suggested  to  the  old  Marylander  the  name  the  city  has  since  borne. 

The  first  merchant  of  the  village  was  Caleb  A.  Craft,  who,  the  same 
year  the  village  was  laid  out,  erected  a  log-house  on  Lot  No.  2,  which 
contained  but  one  room,  in  which  he  kept  tavern  and  store.  It  is  said 
that  in  December,  1814,  Mr.  Craft  built  on  the  same  lot  a  hewed  log- 
house  of  two  rooms.  The  upper  one  was  used  as  a  sleeping  room;  in  one 
corner  of  the  lower  room  was  a  store  and  in  another  was  a  bar, 
liquor  then  being  not  in  such  disrepute  as  now.  This  building  stands 
on  Front  Street  near  Fifth, and  is  still  known  as  the  Craft  property.  Mr. 
Craft  was  also  the  first  postmaster  of  Rising  Sun.  His  death  occurred 
May  30,1849.  Mr.  S.  Hathaway,  still  living  in  Rising  Sun,  purchased  of 
John  James,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  the  corner  lot  on  Front  and  Fourth 
Streets,  paying  for  it  $100,  on  which  he  moved  a  two-story  log-house 
in  1815  and  occupied  it  as  a  shoe  shop  for  five  years,  when  he  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business  with  Mr.  Craft,  they  occupying  the  Craft  Build- 
ing. Mr.  S.  Hathaway  has  been  one  of  the  city's  most  extensive  business 
men,  and,  perhaps,  by  far  the  longest  in  business  of  any  who  have  ever 
carried  on  biisiness  in  the  city.  Although  now  upward  of  ninety-one 
years  of  age,  he  can  be  found  every  day  at  his  shoe  shop  on  Main  Street 
near  Front, working  on  the  bench  made  for  him  by  Prince  Athearn,  in  Cin- 
cinnati, in  1814. 


360  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

An  Emigrant's  Directory,  published  in  1817,  thus  alludes  to  the 
village:  "Rising  Sun  is  delightfully  situated  on  the  second  bank  of  the 
Ohio,  with  a  gradual  descent  to  the  river.  It  contains  thii-ty  or  forty 
houses  and  is  half  way  between  Vevay  and  Lawrenceburgh.  It  has 
a  postoffice  and  a  floating  mill  anchored  abreast  of  the  town.  It  has  had 
a  very  rapid  growth,  and  will  probably  become  a  place  of  considerable 
trade." 

Of  the  early  additions  to  the  village  one  was  made  by  John  James, 
acknowledged  September  7,  1816,  seventy- eight  lots,  bounded  by  High 
Street  and  Columbia  Street;  one  by  James  Graham  and  wife,  Mary, 
acknoweledged  May  21,  1838,  thirty-two  full  and  seven  fractional  lo^ 
situated  southwest  of  the  original  plat;  one  by  Basil  James  acknowl- 
edged May  9,  1836,  "being  a  continuation  of  Walnut  Street  and  the  alley 
between  Walnut  and  High  Street,  and  in  lots  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10, 
11  lying  south  of  First  and  west  of  Walnut  to  the  alley  as  in  the 
plat."         *         * 

In  the  State  Gazetteer  published  in  1833,  it  is  stated  that  "Rising 
Sun  contains  about  600  inhabitants,  four  stores,  one  tavern,  one  grist- 
mill propelled  by  steam  power,  one  seminary  and  one  church  with  a 
number  of  mechanics  of  various  trades." 

The  first  well  dug  in  the  village  was  at  the  Jelley  tanyard,  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  place;  it  was  some  sixty  feet  deep  and  had  a  boarded 
log  pump-stock,  and  is  the  same  well  that  in  the  flood  of  1832,  the  bot- 
tom fell  out  as  it  was  termed,  and  all  the  water  over  and  around  the  tan- 
nery, when  the  river  began  to  recede,  went  down  with  a  great  roar  and 
whirl  until  all  was  swallowed  up  and  the  yard  left  clear.  The  second 
well  was  on  the  upper  side  of  Front  and  Second  Streets,  dug  by  John 
James,  the  proprietor  of  the  town;  it  was  walled  up  with  brick,  was 
seventy  feet  deep,  boxed  up,  and  the  water  drawn  with  a  windlass.  The 
third  well  was  dug  at  the  corner  of  Poplar  and  Second  Streets,  near  the 
foot  of  the  bridge  opposite  the  McGuffin  property;  it  was  about  seventy 
feet  deep,  walled  up  with  stone  and  worked  with  a  windlass. 

INCOEPOKATION. 

The  town  of  Rising  Sun  was  incorporated  September  1,  1817,  under 
"an  act  providing  for  the  incorporation  of  towns  in  the  State  of  Indiana" 
approved  January  1,  1817.  The  first  board  of  trustees  was  elected  Sep- 
tember 8,  1817,  who  were  Dr.  Mathias  Haines,  Moses  Tapley,  Joel  De 
Coursey,  Henry  Hayman  and  Samuel  Jelley. 

INDEPENDENCE    DAT,   1834. 

The  fifty- seventh  anniversary  of  American   Independence  was  cele- 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  361 

brated  at  Eising  Sun  in  a  very  becoming  manner.  The  day  was  ushered 
in  by  the  firing  of  a  national  salute  between  daylight  and  sunrise,  from 
a  six-pounder,  stationed  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

At  11  o'clock  the  citizens  of  the  town  and  a  great  number  from  the 
country  assembled  at  the  seminary,  where  a  procession  was  formed  un- 
der the  direction  of  Joel  Decoursey,  Esq.,  marshal  of  the  day.  The 
procession  marched  from  the  seminary  down  Grand  Street  to  Front  to 
Maine  and  up  Maine  Street  to  the  Presbyterian  Church;  where  the 
Throne  of  Grace  was  invoked  by  the  Rev.  James  Jones;  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  read  by  Col.  Pinkney  James,  and  an  oration  pro- 
nounced by  Mr.  B.  F.  Clark,  the  whole  accompanied  by  national  airs. 

From  the  church  the  procession  marched  up  Main  to  High  Street, 
down  High  to  Second  Street,  down  Second  to  Front  Street  and  up  Front 
Street  to  the  hotel,  where  the  company  sat  down  to  a  splendid  and  sump- 
tuous dinner,  prepared  by  J.  C.  Waggener. 

After  dinner  the  following  toasts  were  drank,  accompanied  by  loud 
and  repeated  cheers,  music  and  guns.  Dr.  Mathias  Haines,  president  of 
the  day,  having  been  called  from  the  table.  Col.  Pinkney  James  was 
appointed  president  pro  tern  who  was  assisted  by  John  Neal,  Esq.,  as  vice 
president. 

STATUS  OF  THE  TOWN  IN  1835-36. 

The  following  articles  from  the  Rising  Sun  Times  of  September  12, 
1835,  and  November  12,  1836,  respectively,  exhibit  the  condition  of  the 
town  at  that  period: 

"We  have  heretofore  alluded  to  the  astonishing  amount  of  business 
transacted  in  this  village,  and  yet  it  would  seem  that  our  town  is  little 
known  abroad.  This  arises,  no  doubt,  from  the  fact  that  our  citizens 
have  not  been  seized  with  the  great  mania  for  railroads  and  canals;  and 
have  not  made  a  great  noise  in  order  to  bring  their  town  into  public  no- 
tice. While  others  have  been  quarreling  about  roads  and  canals,  our 
citizens  have  been  assiduously  engaged  in  erecting  manufactories,  and 
improving  the  town;  strangers  are  struck  with  surprise  on  entering  our 
village,  when  they  see  our  landing  crowded  with  flat-boats,  and  our 
streets  almost  impassable  with  wagons,  loading  and  unloading  the  pro- 
ducts of  this  section  of  the  country.  For  three  weeks  past  Front  and  Main 
Streets  have  resembled  the  business  streets  of  Cincinnati,  and  flat  boats 
are  leaving  our  town  almost  daily.  Our  merchants  and  mechanics  are 
trading  on  a  sound  and  healthy  capital — what  they  have  is  their  own; 
they  have  no  bank  to  run  to,  nor  are  they  pressed  for  means  to  carry 
on  their  business.  The  two  steam  flour-mills  in  this  place  have  pur- 
chased about  12,.000  bushels  of  wheat  since  last  harvest;  for  which  near- 
ly all  cash  has  been  paid,    at  $1  per  bushel.     We  would  like  to  know 


362  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

what  town  in  Indiana  has  paid  out  as  much  cash  for  a  single  article 
this  season.  Rising  Sun  is  now,  we  believe,  as  great  a  business  place 
as  any  other  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State;  and  she  will  soon  be 
ahead  of  all,  and  it  is  altogether  owing  to  the  industry  and  enterprise  of 
our  citizens. 

"We  have  contemplated  a  notice  of  our  village  for  some  time  past, 
but  it  has  been  deferred  until  the  present,  which  we  conceive  a  very 
good  time,  as  by  giving  a  correct  statement  of  the  business  of  the  place,  it 
may  induce  mechanics,  tradesmen,  etc.,  to  invest  some  of  their  capital  at 
the  sale  of  lots  advertised  to  take  place  on  the  first  of  next  month,  and 
become  actual  settlers.  Rising  Sun  is  most  beautifully  situated  on  the 
bank  of  the  Ohio  River,  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  It  has  been  said  that 
a  better  situation  for  a  town  is  not  to  be  found  on  the  river  from  its 
head  to  its  mouth.  The  high  water  of  1832  was  not  out  of  the  banks  at 
this  place.  The  town  has  always  been  remarkable  for  its  health,  as  has 
also  the  surrounding  country.  The  country  for  miles  back  is  settled  by 
wealthy,  industrious  and  intelligent  farmers,  which,  of  course,  is  much 
in  favor  of  the  present  and  future  prosperity  of  the  town.  The  popu- 
lation of  Rising  Sun  is  between  1,000  and  1,200.  It  contains  1  cotton 
factory,  2  merchant  flouring-mills,  and  one  in  the  vicinity,  each  running 
three  pair  of  buhrs,  and  all  driven  by  steam  power,  2  taverns,  9  dry  goods 
stores,  1  book  and  drug  store,  1  clothing  store,  1  boot  and  shoe  store,  3 
grocery  and  liquor  stores,  2  grocery  and  provision  stores,  2  practicing 
physicians,  1  lawyer,  1  silversmith  and  jeweler,  1  printing  office,  1 
hat  factory,  1  chair  factory,  3  saddlers,  4  tailors,  4  cabinet-makers,  6  or 
8  carpenters  and  joiners,  2  shoe-makers,  6  coopers,  2  blacksmiths,  2  tin 
and  sheet  iron  ware  factories,  2  stone- ware  potteries,  1  tannery,  4  brick- 
layers and  plasterers,  1  house,  sign  and  ornamental  painter,  1  painter 
and  glazier,  1  soap  factory,  1  carding  machine,  1  extensive  tobacco  and 
cigar  factory,  2  lumber  merchants,  2  wagon  makers,  4  draymen,  1  mar- 
ket house,  3  houses  of  public  worship — 1  for  the  Methodists,  1  for  the 
Presbyterians  and  1  for  the  Reformers,  a  fire  and  marine  insurance  com- 
pany, a  town  seminary,  and  also  the  Indiana  Teacher's  Seminary,  an 
institution  incorporated  by  the  State  is  located  in  this  village.  *  * 
*         All  are  doing  a  good  business. 

"In  addition  to  the  trade  of  the  town,  the  amount  of  country  produce 
and  articles  manufactured  by  our  mechanics,  and  annually  shipped  down 
the  river,  is  immense.  These  articles  comprise  principally  cabinet  ware, 
stone-ware,  tin-ware,  chairs,  molasses  barrels,  tobacco,  cigars,  wagons, 
etc.  One  thing  in  particular  deserves  to  be  said  in  praise  of  the  indus- 
try and  business  of  the  place,  and  that  is  all  are  trading  upon  their  own 
capital.     While  other  towns  are  favored  with  bank  facilities,  and  drive 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  6b6 

their  trade  on  fictitious  capital,  our  merchants,  mechanics,  tradesmen, 
etc. ,  have  the  actual  capital,  and  little  or  no  bank  accomodations  are 
asked  for.  Another  thing  may  be  said  of  our  town  much  to  its  advant- 
age. We  allude  to  our  schools.  The  Rising  Sun  Seminary  is  a  plain 
but  spacious  building,  capable  of  accomodating  nearly,  if  not  all,  the 
children  in  the  town.  In  this  institution,  all  the  branches  of  a  common 
education  for  males  and  females  are  taught,  and  young  men  prepared  to 
enter  college.  We  understand  it  is  the  intention  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Teachers'  Seminary  to  erect  in  the  course  of  next  summer,  a  large  and 
commodious  building  for  that  institution.  At  present  it  is  kept  in  one 
of  the  rooms  of  the  Rising  Sun  Seminary.  This  institution  is  mainly 
designed  to  educate  young  men  for  the  business  of  professional  teach- 
ers. Two  steamboats  have  been  built  at  this  place  and  owned  by  citi- 
zens. One  of  them  plies  as  a  daily  packet  between  Rising  Sun  and  Cin- 
cinnati. A  third  one  will  be  finished  here  next  spring.  The  prices  for 
all  kinds  of  mechanical  industry  are  high,  as  also  the  wages  of  laborers. 
And,  in  fine,  prosperity  reigns  over  our  village  and  the  surrounding 
country  in  as  high  a  degree  as  over  any  other  section  of  the  West." 

PICTURE    OF    MAIN    AND     FRONT    STREETS,     1833. 

The  following  articles  appeared  in  the  Rising  Sun  Local,  under 
dates  of  February  10  and  24,  1883,  under  the  title  of  "  Main  and  Front 
Streets  Fifty  Years  Ago."  They  were  written  by  the  Hon.  S.  F.  Coving- 
ton, of  Cincinnati,  Ohio: 

^'Main  Street. — As  you  have  been  kind  enough  to  give  us  former  res- 
idents of  Rising  Sun  a  picture  of  Main  Street  as  it  now  is,  thus  remind- 
ing us  of  the  good  old  town  and  reviving  pleasing  recollections  of  it,  I 
have  thought  that  it  might  interest  some  of  the  present  residents  to  know 
how  Main  Street  looked  some  fifty  years  ago  or  thereabouts.  I  cannot  at 
this  late  day  be  positive  as  to  dates,  but  will  approximate  as  nearly  as  my 
memory  will  serve  me.  Beginning  as  you  did,  at  the  stone  landing,  my 
recollection  is  that  it  was  constructed  in  1838,  by  Marcus  D.  Lykins,  who 
died  in  Covington,  Ky.,  about  a  year  since.  Previous  to  the  making  of 
the  stone  landing,  there  was  a  solid  wooden  crib  built  about  half  way 
from  the  top  of  the  bank  to  low  water,  which  was  some  fifteen  feet  high 
on  the  river  side,  and  the  road  above  was  graveled  to  it.  From  this  crib 
the  road  was  graded  and  supported  by  crib-work  up  stream,  at  an  angle 
of  about  forty -five  degrees  to  the  main  crib,  to  low  water  mark.  It  made 
a  good  wharf,  and  the  stone  landing  was  no  improvement  upon  it.  Tal- 
bott's  Mill,  built  by  Moses  Turner,  stood  in  a  deep  recess  where  the  bank 
had  caved  in.  When  first  built  the  level  of  the  basement  floor,  on  the 
side  next  to  the  river,  was  ten  feet  or  more  above  the  level  of  the  ground 


'664:  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

outside.  Where  '  Fairview'  stands,  was  a  small  frame  building  on  a 
line  with  Front  Street,  occupied  by  Dr.  B.  James  as  a  drug  store.  The 
open  space  on  the  river  bank  was  a  good  place  to  look  at  steamboats,  and 
was  generally  occupied  when  one  was  passing.  The  high  water  of  1832 
came  just  to  the  top  of  the  bank  at  this  point.  The  frame  on  the  alley 
above  Walnut  Street,  described  by  you  as  being  occupied  by  Doc  Wood, 
I  think  is  the  same  building  that  occupied  the  present  site  of  Fairview. 
The  corner  you  now  describe  as  being  occupied  by  a  log-house  that  was 
afterward  removed  to  the  southeast  corner  of  Grand  and  High  Streets, 
and  occupied  by  Benjamin  Hoag  for  many  years,  and  afterward  by  Sam- 
uel Berkshire,  a  prominent  colored  citizen  and  no  doubt  still  remem- 
bered by  many.  Upon  the  removal  of  the  log-house,  Haines  &  Lanius 
erected  in  1826  the  brick  building,  which  was  burned  in  1866.  Next 
west  of  this  was  a  small  frame  building,  occupied  about  1833-34  by 
Bennett  &  Morgan  for  a  hat  shop.  At  the  corner  of  the  alley  above 
this  was  a  double  one-story  frame  dwelling,  originally  occupied  by 
Thomas  Bradley.  Adjoining  this  on  the  east  was  a  like  building, 
occupied  by  J,  F.  Harrison  as  a  shoe  shop,  and  John  Baxter,  still  a  res- 
ident, worked  in  it.  The  brick  buildings  below  this  and  adjoining  the 
comer  building,  that  was  burned  in  1866,  were  erected  in  1834  or  1835. 
Squire  Decoursey's  residence  occupied  the  opposite  side  of  the 
alley,  standing  back  some  thirty  feet  or  more  from  the  street.  The  old 
frame  above  Colter's  was  first  a  large  tobacco  warehouse,  and  afterward 
fitted  up  in  front  for  a  dry  goods  store  by  Decoursey  &  Richardson.  The 
shop  now  occupied  by  Henry  Kurr  was  occupied  by  Squire  Philip  East- 
man as  a  saddler  shop,  and  the  brick  dwelling  next  was  his  residence. 
The  frame  dwelling  next  was  the  residence  of  the  widow  of  Mr.  George 
Jones,  who  afterward  married  Squire  Caleb  Campbell.  The  corner 
above  had  on  it  a  small  frame  dwelling  which  was  usually  occupied  as  a 
whisky  shop  until  about  1839-40,  when  the  brothers  Niles,  built  a 
better  house  and  occupied  it  as  a  tin  shop.  The  present  'Riverside 
House,'  was  built  by  Moore  &  Pepper  in  1827-28,  for  a  dry  goods  store. 
They  had  previously  occupied  a  frame  building  on  the  same  site  for 
the  same  purpose.  The  present  office  of  the  hotel  was  built  by 
W.  and  J.  O'Neal,  about  1831,  for  a  dry  goods  store.  Between 
this  and  Mrs.  Best's  residence  was  a  small  frame  building,  at 
one  time  occupied  as  a  tailor  shop  by  Willis  Miles,  and  at  another  by 
Andi-ew  Naileigh  as  a  tin  shop.  The  present  residence  of  Mrs.  Best  was 
occupied  by  Col.  S.  S.  Scott,  who  had  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  of  cholera  in  1833,  a  dry  goods  store  in  the  frame  building  on 
Front  Street  next  south  of  the  'Riverside.'  At  that  time  the  lot  was  vacant 
up   to  a  one- story   frame  house  on  the  corner  of   the  alley,  which  had 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  365 

been  from  time  immemorial  a  whisky  shop.  It  was  among  the  first 
houses  built  in  the  town,  and  was  for  many  years  kept  by  Banks  &  Davis. 
I  have  been  told  by  an  old-time  resident  that  at  one  time  Oliver  H. 
Smith  (who  was  afterward  a  member  of  Congress  from  your  district,  and 
United  States  senator  from  Indiana),  read  law  in  that  building  while 
acting  in  the  capacity  of  bar-keeper.  The  double  brick  building  now 
occupying  the  site  was  erected  about  1833-34. 

"On  the  corner  where  McAroy's  drug  store  now  stands  was  a  large 
frame  building,  in  which,  fifty  years  ago,  Robert  Best  had  his  saddle 
and  harness  shop.  Soon  after  it  was  occupied  by  Mapes  &  Armstrong  as 
a  chair  factory.  The  ground  was  vacant  between  the  chair  factory  and 
the  present  Bloss  bakery.  This  last  named  building  is  one  of  the  oldest 
in  the  town  and  was  built  by  Banks  &  Davis.  There  is  enough  of  inter- 
est connected  with  the  history  of  that  house  alone  to  make  an  article 
quite  as  long  as  you  would  care  to  publish  in  a  single  issue.  Its  upper 
story  was  for  a  long  time  occupied  as  a  Masonic  lodge,  and  it  was  so 
occupied  at  the  time  of  the  Morgan  disappearance.  Enoch  Drake  can  tell 
all  about  that,  and  he  isprobably  the  only  Mason  living  that  worked  in  that 
lodge  room.  The  first  newspaper  printed  in  Rising  Sun  was  printed  in 
that  room.  It  has  been  used  for  balls,  for  dancing  schools,  and  for 
religious  meetings.  L.  W.  Lynn  occupied  it  for  a  schoolroom.  It  was 
at  one  time  a  favorite  resort  for  the  boys  that  wanted  a  quiet  little  game 
of  'old  sledge'  or  'picayune  poker' — but  I  must  not  stop  here  to  tell  all 
about  this  house,  but  follow  you  on.  There  was  no  house  between  that 
and  the  corner  until  Mr.  Scranton  built  the  little  one  story  frame  tailor 
shop  adjoining.  The  only  building  on  Lot  No.  06  (now  so  well  covered 
by  Espey's  corner,  the  bank,  the  residences  and  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
until  1833,  when  the  church  was  built),  was  a  log- house  that  stood  on 
Market  Street,  at  the  north  side  of  the  lot,  and  occupied  by  John  T. 
Austin,  whom  some  of  your  older  citizens  will  remember  as  a  character. 
The  frame  dwelling  occupied  now  by  John  Williamson,  was  occupied  by 
'Mr.  John  Tait  as  a  residence.  Above  that  was  the  brick  building  now 
occupied  by  Maj.  Anderson,  built  by  Capt.  E.  G.  Brown.  Those  two,  I 
think,  were  the  only  buildings  on  this  lot. 

"  Following  you  back  to  the  corner  of  Market  Street,  Gibson's  corner 
was  occupied  by  a  frame  dwelling  house,  in  which  resided  Mrs.  Laurena 
Love,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  S.  Best.  This,  however,  was  more  than  fifty 
years  ago,  as  Mrs.  Love  was  married  to  Deacon  P.  P.  Baldwin  in  1833, 
at  which  time  she  was  residing  in  the  house  already  stated  as  once  the 
residence  of  Thomas  Bradley.  The  next  house  on  the  lot  was  the  brick 
building  on  the  corner  of  the  alley,  the  lower  story  of  which  was  used  by 
Squire    John   Neal  for  a  blacksmith  shop,   and  the    upper   story  as  a 


366  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

public  hall,  in  which  was  held  religious  services,  balls,  dancing  schools 
and  traveling  shows  of  various  kinds.  The  Garey  Building  was  erected 
less  than  fifty  years  ago.  I  remember  the  fact,  but  cannot  fix  the  date, 
when  the  only  house  between  the  alley  and  Walnut  Street  was  a  frame 
blacksmith  shop  occupied  by  Summers  &  Root.  This  was  before  1832, 
as  Mr.  Summers  removed  to  Patriot  that  year.  Mrs.  Peck's  house  was 
built  in  1832-33,  by  Marcus  D.  Lykins,  and  long  occupied  by  him  as  a 
residence.  On  the  Summers  corner  was  a  brick  building  occupied  by 
Zadock  Wood,  who  had  his  cooper  shop  about  midway  of  the  block  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street.  There  was  no  building  between  that  and 
High  Street.  On  the  opposite  was  the  present  city  hall,  which  you  call 
the  Wilber  corner.  The  upper  story  of  this  building  was  used  for  night 
school  and  writing  school,  also  for  religious  worship  by  the  Christians 
before  they  erected  the  church  edifice  on  Walnut  Street  between  Grand 
and  Fifth  Streets.  The  frame  building  next  above  was  occupied  by 
Squire  Bennet  as  a  residence  and  court  room,  and  the  brick  building  next 
above  by  Samuel  Best,  Jr.,  as  a  residence.  These  were  the  only  build- 
ings on  Main  Street  at  that  time  between  Market  and  High  Streets.  Fifty 
years  ago  there  were  no  buildings  on  the  west  side  or  west  of  High  Street. 
All  that  territory  now  occupied  as  dwellings  was  then  cultivated  fields, 
inclosed  with  staked  and  rided  fences.  A  lane  extended  from  the  Dry 
Branch  to  High  Street,  and  it  was  a  favorite  race  track.  Hardly  a  Sat- 
turday  passed,  when  the  road  would  admit  of  it,  that  there  was  not  a 
horse  race  there.  Amos  T.  Coyle  used  to  pride  himself  on  having  the 
fastest  horses  in  the  country,  and  James  Dyer,  who  I  believe  is  still  liv- 
ing, a  staid  and  sober  citizen  of  Switzerland  County,  and  who  was  rec- 
ognized as  the  best  jockey  in  the  vicinity,  usually  rode  Coyle's  horses 
in  the  races. 

"  Front  Street. — While  endeavoring  to  draw  a  comparison  between 
Front  Street  fifty  years  ago  and  your  report  of  its  present  appearance,  I 
must  be  allowed  a  little  latitude,  and  not  be  kept  down  to  the  exact  date 
within  a  year  or  two  either  way.  If  you  don't  think  it  pretty  hard  to 
remember  incidents  and  appearances  fifty  years  back,  please  try  it  when 
you  get  old  enough  to  make  the  efifort.  From  a  point  at  the  foot  of  Will, 
iam  Street  all  the  way  to  the  mouth  of  Arnold's  Creek,  the  river  bank 
was  lined  with  large  trees,  chiefly  sycamore  and  elm.  Where  the  Porter 
Hunt  House  and  the  Seward  Saw-mill  stand  was  a  slash  grown  up  with 
witch-hazel  and  similar  undergrowth.  A  great  deal  of  the  river  bank  has 
been  washed  away,  amounting,  as  it  appears  to  me,  to  several  hundred  feet. 
Mr.  Piatt  Thompson,  father  of  Capt.  Joseph  Thompson,  lived  in  a  house 
not  far  from  a  line  of  William  Street  extended,  which  then  stood  some 
distance  from  the  bank,  but  the  foundations  of  which,  I  presume,  have 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  367 

long  since  fallen  into  the  river.  In  front  of  this  and  below,  down  along 
the  timber,  was  once  a  famous  fishing  ground,  and  Arty  Thompson,  in 
his  boyhood  days,  gathered  in  many  an  eleven  pence  and  quarter  for  the 
nice  perch  he  caught  there. 

"Outside  of  the  little  brick  you  now  mention  stood  the  frame  black- 
smith shop  of  David  Love,  who  moved  to  his  farm  near  the  mouth  of 
Grant's  Creek  in  1832.  Bennett  and  Morgan,  still  well  remembered, 
came  to  Rising  Sun  that  year  and  started  a  hat  shop  in  the  building. 
The  little  brick  was  built  by  Joseph  Mauck,  and  occupied  by  him  as  a 
gunsmith  shop.  He  afterward  moved  to  Kentucky.  He  was  the  father 
of  Stephen  Mauck,  who  formerly  kept  the  ferry.  First  Street  was  not 
then  cut  down  in  front  of  either  of  those  houses.  There  was  'a  good 
wide  road  between  the  frame  and  river  bank,  extending  down  for  half 
a  mile  or  more,  and  which  was  often  used  for  a  race  track.  'Quarter 
Nag'  races  were  quite  common  in  those  days.  Front  Street  did  not  then 
extend  below  First  Street,  as  now,  and  the  road  down  the  river  led 
around  the  hat  shop  to  the  river  bank.  The  tanyard  and  Jelley  home- 
stead siood  there  then  as  now,  excepting  only  the  inroads  and  ravages 
that  time  has  placed  upon  them.  There  were  no  houses  on  the  east  side 
of  Front  Street,  between  First  and  Second,  until  the  mill  at  the  corner 
of  Front  and  Second  was  built,  about  1834-35.  The  property  you  des- 
ignate as  the  old  Benjamin  Morgan  property  was  owned  and  occupied 
by  John  B.  Craft,  who  afterward  sold  it  to  Capt.  John  Tait,  who  resided 
there  many  years.  The  high  water  of  1832  and  1847  came  up  to  this 
corner  so  that  one  could  not  pass  around  it  [the  highwater  of  1883  stood 
six  inches  on  the  floor  of  this  house. — Ed.  Localj.  The  frame  next  was 
occupied  by  William  Elliott.  The  double  brick  was  built  some  years 
later  by  Albert  and  Mortimer  Dunning,  who  also  built  the  Dunning 
House  on  Main  Street.  Squire  Bennett  occupied  a  frame  house  that 
stood  next.  What  is  now  known  as  the  Lindsay  House  was  then  the 
residence  and  office  of  Dr.  Matthias  Haines,  a  pioneer  physician  and  a 
man  universally  respected  and  esteemed  as  a  physician  and  citizen. 
Across  the  street,  the  old  Jamieson  property,  the  corner  room  was  occu- 
pied by  William  Cullen  as  a  grocery  and  dram  shop,  and  the  rest  of  the 
house  as  a  family  residence.  The  brick  next  was  occupied  by  Mrs  Hay- 
den,  mother  of  Judge  John  J.  Hayden,  and  her  father,  Mr.  John  James, 
proprietor  of  the  town.  The  frame  next  was  occupied  by  Col.  Pepper, 
who  afterward  traded  with  his  partner,  Mr.  A  Moore,  for  the  three- story 
brick,  into  which  he  moved,  Mr.  Moore  moving  into  the  frame.  The 
next  which  was  part  log  and,  part  frame,  was  occupied  by  Mr.  John 
Lanius  as  a  residence  and  hat  shop.  When  Gen.  Jackson  was  elected 
President   in  1828,    Mr.    Lanius  was  appointed  postmaster,  in  place  of 


368  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

C.  A.  Craft,  and  removed  the  postoffice  to  that  house.  Then  comes  the 
three  story  brick  which  has  a  history.  It  was  built  by  Daniel  Brown, 
who  for  more  than  fifty  years  ago,  kept  a  store  in  it;  Brown  afterward 
owned  and  commanded  steamboats  on  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Alabama 
Rivers.  He  was  long  suspected  of  counterfeiting  the  notes  of  the  United 
States  Bank,  and  was  finally  arrested  and  imprisoned  in  New  Orleans, 
where  he  died  before  being  tried.  Brown  was  a  very  gentlemanly  man 
in  manners  and  appearance,  and  as  his  conduct  here  was  always  ex- 
emplary, the  older  citizens  always  spoke  of  him  respectfully.  The 
upper  story  of  his  house  was  fitted  up  for  a  Masonic  lodge  room,  and 
so  occupied  before  the  lodge  removed  to  the  Bloss  House  on  Main  Street, 
the  approach  being  by  an  outside  stair-way  at  the  south  end  of  the 
building.  After  the  Presbyterians  got  into  their  own  house  the  Chris- 
tians used  it  under  the  ministrations  of  the  late  venerable  James  Challen. 
When  Masonry  revived  in  1842-43,  it  was  again  used  as  a  lodge  room, 
until  in  1844,  the  present  lodge  room  was  erected.  Several  of  the  now 
'old  Masons'  received  their  degrees  in  that  room.  It  was  also  used  for 
balls,  and  club  meetings.  The  famous  'Tippecanoe  Club'  of  1840  held 
its  meetings  in  that  room.  Capt.  Brown's  residence  was  built  at  'a  time 
when  the  memory  of  a  man  runneth  not  to  the  contrary ; '  away  back  in 
the  twenties  Col.  S.  S.  Scott  kept  the  'Commodore  Perry  Inn'  in  it.  In 
front  of  the  house  was  a  pole  some  fifteen  feet  high  with  a  frame  work 
on  top,  within  which  swung  a  board  sign  some  5x3  feet,  on  each  side  of 
which  was  painted  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  portrait  of  Commodore 
Perry,  with  uniform  epaulets,  sword  and  cocked  hat,  and  the  famous 
motto,  'Don't  give  up  the  ship.'  The  house  was  occupied  under  differ- 
ent administrations  for  many  years  as  a  hotel.  Among  its  proprietors  I 
remember  Col.  Scott,  Samuel  Howard,  Mr.  Snider,  Capt.  John  C.  Wag- 
goner, who  first  kept  the  ferry,  then  the  hotel,  and  then  was  the  first 
captain  of  the  first  steamboat  built  at  Rising  Sun.  James  R.  Read  was 
mate,  John  H.  Jones  was  clerk  and  Mr.  William  Goldson  was  engineer,  on 
the  'Alpha,'  and  all  are  still  living.  Coming  back  to  the  tavern,  it  was  kept 
for  several  years  by  Mr.  A.  Rector.  It  was  always  well  kept  and  fur- 
nished the  Fourth  of  July  and  other  important  dinners.  The  frame 
next  adjoining  was  in  the  olden  time  occupied  as  a  dry  goods  store  by 
Samuel  Howard,  and  afterward  by  Col.  Scott,  who,  as  mentioned  in  a 
former  article,  had  a  store  there  at  the  time  of  his  death.  The  John  C. 
Miller  House  was  built  in  1831  by  Mr.  John  James,  who,  with  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Hayden,  occupied  it  as  a  residence  for  many  years.  The 
Whitlock  property  and  the  building  next  east  of  it  were  built  the  suc- 
ceeding year,  the  first  by  Dr.  B.  James,  who  occupied  it  as  a  residence, 
and  the  other  by  Capt.  Henry  James,  who  built  it  for  a  store.     Its  first 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  369 

occupancy  was  by  Harvey  and  George  Green  as  a  hat  store  and  shop. 
Some  years  later  Capt.  James  fitted  it  up  as  a  residence  and  occupied  it 
for  several  years.  The  high  water  of  1832  and  1847  came  just  to  the 
top  of  the  bank  in  front  of  these  houses,  and  at  Second  Street  it  came 
over  the  bank  up  to  Front  Street.  As  I  have  now  reached  Main  Street, 
a  good  dividing  line,  I  find  this  article  proving  too  long,  and  probably 
tedious,  so  I  will  leave  the  rest  of  Front  Street  to  be  described  at  some 
future  time." 

PEN  PICTURE  OF  THE  TOWN  IN  1845. 

Rising  Sun,  forty  years  ago,  is  fully  pictured  to  the  youth  of  today 
in  the  following  sketch  extracted  from  the  Blade  of  January  1,  1845. 

"From  1814,  to  the  present  time,  its  growth,  though  not  as  rapid  as 
many  Western  towns,  has  been  steady.  Each  succeeding  year  has 
added  something  to  it;  and  now  we  can  boast,  that,  although  there  are 
many  houses  of  respectable  old  age,  there  is  not  a  single  one  in  a  dilapi- 
dated condition,  and  not  one  without  her  occupant. 

"Most  of  the  houses  which  have  been  built,  for  several  years,  are  of 
brick;  and  although  we  have  no  residences  or  public  buildings  remark- 
able for  their  structure,  yet  all  are  substantially  and  conveniently  built; 
with,  also,  a  proper  regard  to  taste.  There  is  one  fact,  in  relation  to  the 
houses  of  Rising  Sun,  which  goes  to  show  the  prosperity  of  the  town, 
and  that  is,  that  nine  tenths  of  the  occupants  of  the  business  and  dwell- 
ing houses  are  the  owners.        ******** 

"As  a  place  of  business,  Rising  Sun  is  not  surpassed  by  any  town  of 
its  size  in  the  West.  The  surrounding  country  is  rich  in  soil,  and  the 
occupants  are  men  of  sterling  worth.  A  poor  farm  or  an  indolent 
farmer  is  something  rarely  to  be  met  with  in  the  vicinity.  As  may  be 
inferred,  from  what  has  been  said,  the  surrounding  country  is  in  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  we  are  glad  to  record  that  the  many  good  farm 
houses  and  capacious  barns  furnish  us  strong  evidence  that  the  husband- 
man is  repaid  for  his  labor.  The  corporation's  indebtedness  is  about 
1600.  The  amount  of  revenue  to  be  collected  in  this  year  is  $289.54. 
The  levy  on  real  and  personal  property  for  1844  is  12  cents  on  the 
$100.     Valuation  and  poll-tax  25  cents." 

Churches. — The  churches  of  the  town  were  the  Christian,  the  house 
of  worship  being  situated  on  Walnut  Street,  between  Grand  and  Fifth; 
the  two  Presbyterian  (old  and  new  school),  the  former  located  on  Second 
Street  (now  the  Zion,  coloi'ed,  house  of  worship),  and  the  other  the  pres- 
ent house  of  worship  on  Main  Street;  and  the  Universalist,  building  on 
Grand  Street. 

Societies. — The  Rising  Sun  Bible  Society,  organized  in  1842;  Friend- 
ship Lodge  No.  4,  Rising  Sun  Masonic  Lodge  No.  6. 

22 


370  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Washington  Temperance  Society,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  organized  Janu- 
ary 19,  1842.  The  first  lectures  delivered  in  the  town  by  the  Washington- 
ians  were  by  Messrs.  Fishpool  and  Thomas  Brown.  In  1845  the  society 
numbered  702  members,  and  was  officered  by  Samuel  Jelley,  president; 
B.  J.  Hathaway,  recording  secretary. 

This  society  swallowed  up  the  old  temperance  society  of  the  place. 
In  1845  it  was  stated:  "As  some  evidence  of  the  efifect  which  it  has  had 
upon  the  community,  we  may  state  that  there  is  not  a  single  place  in 
town  at  which  ardent  spirits  are  retailed."  The  board  of  commissioners 
of  the  county  of  Ohio,  at  their  first  sitting,  in  June,  1844,  upon  the 
unanimous  petition  of  the  citizens  of  the  town,  passed  an  order  that  no 
license  for  retailing  ardent  spirits  within  the  town  of  Rising  Sun  should 
be  granted  for  the  term  of  five  years  from  the  date  thereof. 

The  Rising  Sun  Lyceum  organized  November  1844.  The  following 
year  it  was  officered  as  follows:  President,  Daniel  Tapley;  secretary,  S. 
F.  Covin o-ton;  treasurer,  L.  W.  Lynn;  curator,  Joseph  Hoole.  The 
membership  consisted  of  thirty  persons,  who  met  every  Monday  evening 
at  the  seminary. 

Schools. — The  Rising  Sun  Seminary  located  on  Grand  Sti-eet.  Fe- 
male school,  Miss  Sarah  T.  Morrison,  principal.  The  public  schools — 
136  scholars,  C.  S.  Horton,  teacher,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Harrison.  Mrs. 
Rose's  school  for  small  children. 

Industries.  Flouring-mill  and  distillery  of  Lanius  &  Athearn,  which 
consumes  annually,  90,000  bushels  of  grain,  and  fattens  annually,  3,000 
hogs. 

The  Rising  Sun  Cotton-mills,  corner  Front  and  Fifth  Streets,  propri- 
etor, P.  James,  runs  700  spindles,  averaging  daily  350  pounds  of  cotton 
yarn,  also  makes  daily  seventy- five  pounds  of  batting;  superintended 
by  VV.  Goldson;  fourteen  power  looms,  averaging  3,000  yards  O.  S.  nab- 
rugs  per  week,  superintended  by  I.  Schofield;  three  sets  wool  cards,  su- 
perintended by  E.  Roberts;  a  finishing  shop  is  also  connected  with  the 
mills,  superintended  by  George  Beatty.  The  mills  give  employment  to 
forty-five  hands,  and  consumes  annually  260  bales  of  cotton. 

The  Risino'  Sun  Iron  Foundry,  proprietors  Messrs.  James  &  Stedman, 
manufacture  castings  of  every  description;  made  during  the  past  year, 
twenty-eight  hay  screws,  averaging  1,600  pounds  each.  Foundry  em- 
ploys five  hands,  and  consumes  sixty  tons  of  pig  metal  annually. 

The  manufactures  of  the  town  consume  annually  25,000  bushels  of 
coal. 

Five  thousand  head  of  hogs  have  been  packed  here  this  season. 
A  Hoover's  brick  yard  on  the  corner  of    Front   &  William    Streets, 
made    last   year   over   400,000;  is  making  arrangements     for    burning 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  371 

1,000,000  next  year.  In  addition  to  this  he  will  have  his  saw-mill  in  op- 
eration by  April  1,  and  will  be  prepared  to  furnish  lumber  for  building 
to  any  amount. 

W.  Burright's  brick  yard,  corner  of  Front  &  Plum  Streets,  made  last 
year  250,000;  is  making  arrangements  for  burning  twice  as  many  this 
year. 

Physicians. — Dr.  John  Morrison,  residence  at  La  Place,  three  miles 
below  town,  on  the  river;  office  at  Hathaway's  drug  store. 

Dr.  I.  Evans,  residence  southwest  corner  Main  and  High  Streets; 
office  west  side  of  Main  Street,  near  Front. 

Dr.  M.  Haines,  residence  and  office  west  of  Front,  between  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Second  Streets. 

Dr.  B.  James,  residence  and  office,  Front  Street,  between  Main  and 
Grand. 

Dr.  J.  P.  Ulrey,  dentist,  residence  west  side  of  Market  Street,  between 
Main  and  Second. 

Attorneys  at  Laiv. — Gazlay  &  Downey,  office  at  the  clerk's  office. 

Postoffice. — Located  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Main  Streets,  John 
W.  Hall,  postmaster. 

Insurance  Agents. — Indiana  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  char- 
tered January  30,  1837,  John  H.  Jones,  agent. 

W.  T.  Laraden,  agent  for  Hartford  Protective  and  Marine  Insurance 
Company. 

Dry  Goods. — S.  Hathaway,  corner  of  Front  and  Grand  Street;  Craft 
&  Lynn,  east  side  of  Front  Street,  between  Main  and  Grand;  H.  D. 
Hamilton,  No.  2  Main  Street;  John  W.  Hall  &  Co.,  No.  3  Main  Street; 
Stirratt  &  Wells,  No.  4  Main  Street;  W.  Miles,  merchant  tailor.  No.  5 
Main  Street;  T.  Kimpton,  west  side  of  Main  Street,  three  doors  from 
Front;  A.  North  &  Son,  northwest  corner  of  Main  and  Market  Streets. 

John  McKnight,  northwest  corner  of  Main  and  Walnut  Streets. 

Groceries  and  Produce. — D.  Fisher,  Front  Street,  two  doors  east  of 
Main.  Alexander  Jamison,  southwest  corner  Main  and  Market  Streets; 
Thomas  Summers,  northeast  corner  of  Main  and  Market  Streets. 

Storage  and  Commission. — Craft  &  Lynn,  east  side  of  Front,  be- 
tween Main  and  Grand  Streets;  T.  Lindsay,  corner  Front  and  William 
Streets. 

Drug  Store. — B.  J.  Hathaway,  Front  Street,  three  doors  below  Grand. 

Hotels. — Washington  Hotel,  by  A.  Rector,  Front  Street,  near  the 
corner  of  Main;  Rising  Sun  Hotel,  by  George  Carpenter,  Front,  be- 
tween Main  and  Second  Streets;  boarding  and  private  entertainment,  by 
Mrs.   Runyon;  on  Front  Street,  between  Main  and  Grand. 

Silversmith  and  Jeioeler. — Samuel  Best,  east  side  of  Main,  Walnut 
and  High  Streets. 


372  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Cabinet  Maker. — W.  E.  Hoole,  west  side  of  Main  Street,  near  the 
river;  J.  T.  Whitlock,  west  side  of  Main  Street,  opposite  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Chair  Manufacturers. — W.  H.  Mapes,  west  side  of  Main  Street,  near 
the  river;  John  Young,  west  side  of  Main  Street,  nearly  opposite  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

Boots  and  Shoes. — George  B.  Hall,  east  side  of  Front  Street,  between 
Main  and  Grand;  John  S.  Baxter,  east  side  of  Front,  between  Main  and 
Second;  J.  A.  Clark  &  Co.,  Maiu,  two  doors  from  Front  Street;  Thomas 
Davis,  east  side  of  Main,  between  Main  and  Market.  The  shops  afiford 
employment  for  twenty-hve  hands. 

Blacksmiths. — James  Tait,  northwest  corner  of  Market  and  Main 
Streets;  W.  H.  Neal,  MainStreet,  opposite  the  Presbyterian  Church;  Will- 
iam Steele,  Main  Street,  opposite  the  courthouse;  J.  Wilber,  High  Street, 
between  Second  and  Pennsylvania;  Thomas  Cottrell,  William  Street,  be- 
tween Market  and  Front;  Gould,  at  Rising  Sun  Iron  Foundry;  H. 
Clove,  blacksmith  and  plow- maker,  corner  of  Walnut  and  Second,  ships 
annually  about  $3,000  worth  of  plows  to  the  Southern  country;  R. 
Hartgrove,  Market,  between  Main  and  Second. 

Coopers. — Theophilus  Jones,  Walnut  Street,  between  Main  and  Second; 
Thomas  Jones,  Walnut,  between  Second  and  Pennsylvania;  Lewis  Noble, 
on  alley  east  of  the  Universalist  Church;  William  McGuffin  on  alley 
between  Market  and  Front;  William  Walker,  between  Second  and  Penn- 
sylvania; Samuel  Berkshire,  on  alley  near  the  seminary. 

Tailors. — Robert  Turner,  east  side  of  Front,  between  Main  and 
Second;  Caleb  Campbell,  east  side  of  Main,  near  the  corner  of  Market; 
Almon  Scranton,  west  side  of  Main,  near  Market. 

Saddlers. — Nelson  Eastman,  Market,  near  the  corner  of  Main;  P. 
Eastman,  east  side  of  Main,  near  Market;  A.  &  M.  Dunning,  west  side 
of  Main;  Mr.  Martin,  Front  street  are  opposite  Washington  Hotel. 

Stoves,  Etc. — Joseph  B.  Sheldon,  southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Market, 
also  manufacturer  of  copper,  tin  and  sheet  iron  ware;  Thomas  Summers, 
northeast  coi'ner  of  Main  and  Walnut,  manufacturer  of  copper,  tin  and 
sheet  iron  ware. 

Hatters. — Bennett  &  Morgan,  east  side  of  Main  between  Front  and 
Market. 

Wagon  and  Plow-Makers. — M.  Huston,  William  Street,  between  Mar- 
ket and  Front;  E.  Wilber,  High  Street  between  Second  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Tanner  and  Currier. — S.  Jelley,  corner  of  Front  and   Pennsylvania. 
Lumber  Yards— ^.  Seward,  corner  of  Second  and  Walnut;  John  M. 
Daniels,  Walnut  between  Main  and  Grand. 


Onr  OF  RISING   SUN.  3Ti> 

Bakery  and  Confectioner y. — A.  Rector,  west  side  of  Main  Street, 
four  doors  from  Front. 

Gunsmith. — Jacob   F.    Smith,    Market  near  the   corner  of  Main. 

Turning. — A.  C.  Campbell,  in  the  alley  in  the  rear  of  Mapes  & 
Hoole's  furniture  rooms. 

Carpenters  and  Joiners. — W.  Wentrell,  S.  W.  Sharp,  D.  Thorn, 
King,  Kingdon,  Keith,  J.  Larew,  T.  Bradley,  J.  Lindsay,  T.  Lindsay, 
W.  Jones,  J.  Keister,  F.  Vanness,  J.  L.  Morgan,  David  Anderson,  W.  Hall, 
George  G.  Brown,  T.  C.  Hall,  L  F.  Reddington,  F.  Fisher,  Marsh  S. 
Thompson. 

Fanning  Mill. — Jonathan  W.  Marble,  Market  Street,  near  the  cor- 
ner of  Pennsylvania. 

Painters  and  Glaziers. —  John  Jones,  Brownfield,  George  W.  Jones, 
George  W.  Morgan. 

Brick  Masons. — T.  |H.  Gilmore,  J.  M.  Ginnings,  Ross  Crosby,  L. 
Clark,  C.  Bunnell,  S.  Henderson,  P.  Shultz,  McQuithey  D.  Gilmore. 

Stone  Masons. — O.  English,  John  Q.  Latta. 

Draymen. — John  Serber,  Jacob  DeWolf,  J.  A.  Howard,  F.  Brierton, 
Jacob  Speilman. 

Butchers. — W.  F.  Tudsbeny,  R.  Hewitt,  Shotwell,  J.  Decoursey. 

Soap  and  Candle  Manufactory. — J.  Decoursey. 

City  Tonsor. — J.  Edrington,  west  side  of  Main,  between  Front  and 
Market. 

Rising  Sun  Pottery. — Market  Street,  between  Grand  and  Fifth, 
Brownfield,  proprietor. 

Newspapers. — Indiana  Blade,  published  by  S.  F.  Covington,  corner 
of  Main  and  Front  Streets;  The  Times,  published  by  B.  J.  Hathaway, 
Front  Street  three  doors  below  Grand. 

River  Trading. — About  100  flat-boats  leave  this  landing  every  year, 
loaded  with  produce  for  the  Southern  markets;  a  large  number  of  those 
engaged  in  this  business  leave  here  during  the  months  of  September  and 
October,  and  remain  in  the  South  until  the  succeeding  May  or  June. 
The  value  of  the  produce  at  this  landing  will  average  $1,500  to  the  boat 
load,  thus  making  the  total  amount  shipped  by  flat-boats  each  year  $150,- 
000.  The  value  of  produce  shipped  by  steam-boats  amounts  to  over 
$80,000  per  annum,  making  the  total  value  of  produce  shipped  from 
this  point  $180,000.  The  following  named  persons  are  engaged  in  the 
river  trading:  J.  Stephen,  J.  W.  Lemmon,  J.  M.  Vance,  W.  M.  Vance, 
W.  Pepper,  H.  Clore,  J.  C.  Clore,  George  H.  Craft,  R.  Rodgers,  P. 
Roberson,  Jamison  &  Stuart,  W.  Poteet,  A.  Walton,  H.  Dodd,  H.  A. 
Hart,  A.  Paul,  J.  C.  Miller.  W.  Miller,  T.  Lindsay,  I.  D.Hamilton,  Sam- 
uel Seward,  J.  Seward,  Stephen  Seward,  R.  Noble,  Joseph  Seward,  W.  B. 


374  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Sink,  B.  B.  Loring,  O.  Noble,  G.  W.  Kemp,  W.  C.  Kittle,  W.  T.  Pate,  Ira 
James,  W.  P.  James,  H.  James,  Morgan  &  Anderson,  John  Tait,  Jr.,  H. 
Jelley,  W.  Oxley,  B.  Hall,  James  Tait,  W.  F.  Tudsbery,  J.  C.  Wells  & 
Co.,  A.  &  M.  Dunning,  J.  A.  Clark  &  Co.,  J.  H.  O'Neal,  W.  O'Neal,  Ed 
Granger,  W.  Higbee,  F.  Vanness,  C.  Lostutter,  J.  J.  Hayden,  Jesse  Hewitt, 
Gibson  &  Beatty,  D.  Wilber,  E.  Wilber,  H  Merrill,  L.  H.  Howard,  Capt.  J. 
Thompson,  H.  W,  Brown,  J.  Larew,  John  Grace,  Thomas  Grace,  Tim 
Grace,  E.  Calkin,  E.  S.  Calkin,  D.  Calkin,  W,  Espey,  George  Roger,  P. 
Thompson,  J.  Q.  French,  G.  J.  Moore  and  W.  Freeman. 

STEAM-BOAT    BUILDING    AND    BOATING. 

The  following  article  is  extracted  from  the  "Centennial  Sketch  of 
Ohio  County,"  the  article  appearing  over  the  initials  F.  J.  W. : 

"In  1814  the  first  steamboat  passed  Rising  Sun.  It  formerly  had 
been  a  large  barge  that  made  several  voyages  from  Cincinnati  to  New 
Orleans,  consuming  eight  months  in  the  downward  and  upward  trip.  A 
rudely  constructed  engine  was  put  into  it,  and  thus  furnished  and  fitted 
up,  the  steamer  'Independence'  plowed  the  waters  of  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi Rivers.  Arriving  at  New  Orleans,  Gen.  Jackson,  commander  of 
the  American  forces,  pressed  it  into  service  against  the  British;  and, 
after  the  war,  in  1815,  she  began  her  upward  trip,  and  arrived,  after  a 
voyage  of  four  months,  at  Rising  Sun,  where  she  stopped  for  wood,  but 
none  could  be  obtained.  John  James  furnished  her  with  fence-i-ails  for 
fuel,  and  agreed  to  take  his  pay  in  a  passage  to  Cincinnati.  He  em- 
barked, but  such  was  the  slow  speed  of  the  steamer  that  when  he  got  to 
North  Bend  he  left  the  boat  and  walked  to  Cincinnati,  arriving  some 
twelve  hours  before  the  steamer. 

"The  citizens  of  Rising  Sun  and  vicinity,  being  men  of  energy,  and 
interested  in  improving  and  opening  up  the  business  of  the  country, 
early  saw  importance  of  engaging  in  steam-boating,  for  the  con- 
venience of  the  people,  as  well,  no  doubt,  with  the  idea  of  giving  em- 
ployment to  deserving  men,  and  turning  an  honest  penny  for  themselves 
for  their  investment  of  capital  and  skill.  And  to  do  this  they  commenced 
building  steam-boats.  Fortunately  they  had  in  their  midst  a  man  of 
energy  and'ingenuity,  who  was  a  practical  ship -carpenter,  and  who  had 
been  one  the  workmen  on  the  famous  old  frigate  'Constitution,'  that  did 
such  active  service  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  the  keels  of  all  the  nine 
steam-boats  built  at  Rising  Sun  and  Milton  were  laid  by  him.  His 
name  was  Prince  Athearn,  Sr.  His  skill  and  the  means  of  the  most 
prominent  men  of  Rising  Sun  were  brought  into  requisition,  with  the 
following  results: 

"The  steam-boat  'Alpha'  was  built  at  Rising  Sun.  in  the  year  1834, 


.      CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  375 

and  finished  in  the  early  summer  of  1835,  and  was  run  as  a  packet  from 
Rising  Sun  to  Cincinnati  first,  and  then  in  the  Cincinnati  and  Ports- 
mouth trade  until  December  13,  when  she  was  loaded  for  Florence,  Ala., 
on  the  Tennessee  River;  it  was  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  Creek 
Indians  from  Georgia  to  Indian  Territory.  As  the  boat  was  small,  two 
keel  boats  were  provided  to  tow  on  each  side,  and  she  bargained  to  take 
about  600  Indians,  including  their  negro  slaves,  to  Fort  Gibson,  about 
700  miles  up  the  Arkansas  River.  Returned  to  Rising  Sun  in  March. 
The  officers  were,  up  to  this  time:  L.  C.  Wagoner,  captain;  James 
Read,  mate;  John  H.  Jones,  clerk;  Jesse  Hewitt,  pilot;  Harvey  Green, 
steward;  W.  Goldson  and  Elijah  Townsend,  engineers;  W.  Arthurs 
and  William  Walker,  deck  hands.  The  boat  proved  poor  stock,  was  sold 
at  a  loss  to  the  owners,  run  South,  and  finally  wrecked  somewhere  in  the 
Red  River  country.  The  principal  owners  of  the  boat  were  S.  Hatha- 
way, Samuel  Best,  Sr.,  Jacob  La  Rue,  Moses  Turner,  William  Cullen, 
J.  C.  Wagoner,  John  H.  Jones  and  Robert  Thompson. 

"In  1835,  Col.  Pinkney  James  and  Henry  James  built  the  steam- 
boat 'Dolphin,'  at  Milton,  on  Laughery  Creek,  to  run  between  Rising 
Sun  and  Cincinnati,  which  she  continued  to  do  until  the  spring  of  1838, 
making  daily  trips. 

"In  1837  Capt.  John  B.  Craft,  Piatt,  Lanius,  and  Athearn,  built 
the  'Renown,'  at  Milton,  and  started  her  in  the  trade  between  Madison 
and  Cincinnati,  but  there  not  being  sufficient  business,  she  made  trips 
to  Pittsburgh,  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans,  and  was  sold  to  Cincinnati 
parties. 

"In  1838  Col.  P.  James  built  the  'Herald,'  at  Rising  Sun,  and  put 
her  in  the, trade  as  a  tri-weekly  packet  between  Warsaw  and  Cincinnati. 
She  was  soon  burned  on  a  downward  trip,  near  Anderson's  ferry,  about 
nine  miles  below  Cincinnati.  Fortunately,  no  lives  were  lost  by  the 
accident. 

"Col.  James  immediately  lengthened  the  'Dolphin,'  at  Rising  Sun, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1838  brought  her  out  as  the  'Hoosier,'  intending  to  run 
her  as  a  packet  between  Patriot  and  Cincinnati,  but  getting  aground  on 
Gunpowder  Bar  on  the  first  trip,  and,  being  detained  a  day  or  two,  it 
was  decided  to  confine  her  to  the  trade  between  Cincinnati  and  Rising 
Sun  until  the  fall  of  1839. 

"In  1839  Col.  James  built  the  'Indiana,'  at  Rising  Sun,  and  in  the  fall 
of  that  year  she  took  the  place  of  the  'Hoosier'  in  the  Cincinnati  and 
Rising  Sun  trade,  and  continued  until  the  spring  of  1843,  when  Col. 
James  sold  her  to  the  trade  between  Cincinnati  and  Maysville.  After- 
ward, Capt.  Thomson  Dean  purchased  the  'Indiana.' 

"In  the  year  1854,  Capt.  Eldridge  G.  Brown  was  at  New  Orleans,  and 


376  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

seeing  a  boat  used  in  the  towing  business  by  the  name  of  'Indiana,' 
he  could  not  believe  it  was  the  old  boat  he  had  commanded,  until  he 
went  aboard  and  examined  her,  when  he  was  convinced  that  it  was  the 
old  boat.  After  the 'Indiana'  was  sold, the  Baldwin  Brothers,  of  Cincin- 
nati, put  the  steamboat  'Fashion'  in  the  Rising  Sun  and  Cincinnati  trader 
but  soon  after  sold  her  to  Capt.  William  Glenn  and  Levi  Stevens,  who 
extended  the  packet  trade  to  Madison.  This  virtually  ended  the  packet 
trade  between  Cincinnati  and  Rising  Sun.  The  'Dolphin,'  'Herald,' 
'Hoosier'  and  'Indiana,'  were  commanded  by  Capt.  Eldridge  G.  Brown. 
Robert  Thompson,  still  living  in  Rising  Sun,  was  engineer  on  all  these 
boats  commanded  by  Capt.  Brown,  from  1835  to  1843.  Mr.  Thompson 
then  went  on  the  Isaac  Shelby,  and  other  boats,  in  the  Memphis  trade. 
Hon.  S.  F.  Covington,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Capt.  James  H.  Pepper,  of  the 
'Cons  Millar,'  were  clerks,  and  Samuel  Parker  and  Riley  Noble  were 
pilots  on  these  boats.  Of  the  first  boat  built  here,  the  clerk,  mate,  pilot, 
one  engineer,  and  steward,  are  still  living. 

"In  1847,  the  'Rambler'  was  built  at  Rising  Sun,  by  Col.  James. 
Ira  James  commanded  her;  and  her  first  trip  was  up  Red,  Black  and 
Washitaw  Rivers.  She  went  up  until  she  found  but  eighteen  inches  of 
water,  and  then  came  back  home.  Next  she  made  a  trip  to  New  Orleans, 
and  on  the  way  down  was  run  into  by  the  'Princess,'  but  not  sunk.  She 
made  the  trip  back  in  thirteen  days.  She  then  made  a  few  trips  from 
Rising  Sun  to  Cincinnati,  and  while  paddling  along  close  to  a  large  tree 
above  the  Miami,  the  tree  fell  across  her  bow,  cutting  her  down.  She 
was  raised,  and  sold  to  parties  at  Louisville  and  went  South. 

"The  'Grampus'  was  built  at  Rising  Sun,  about  1848,  by  Col.  James. 
Capt.  Ira  James  first  run  her  from  Rising  Sun  to  Cincinnati,  then  went 
South,  towing  a  flat-boat  or  two,  and  came  back  and  sold  her  to  Herton 
&  Morgan  of  the  Rising  Sun  Distillery,  who  used  her  in  their  business, 
towing  corn-boats,  etc.,  and  making  an  occasional  trip  to  Cincinnati. 

"About  1849,  Capt.  Ira  James  built  the  'Iris,'  at  Rising  Sun.  She 
was  built  out  of  the  wrecks  of  the  saw-mill,  ship  yard,  and  an  old  steam- 
boat wreck.  The  boiler  and  engine  of  the  saw- mill  were  put  in  the  boat. 
After  paddling  around  here  awhile,  she  was  sold,  and  went  South;  and 
the  last  that  was  seen  or  heard  of  the  high-headed  'Iris,'  was  in  the 
spring  of  1850,  when  she  was  seen  about  100  miles  above  New  Orleans, 
with  her  hull  full  of  live  hogs." 

EAELT    POSTMASTERS. 

The  postoffice  was  established  at  Rising  Sun  prior  to  1817  with 
Caleb  A.  Craft  as  postmastei*.  Mr.  Craft  located  in  the  village  in  1814. 
He  held  the  office  until  after  the  election  of  Gen.  Jackson  in  1828,  when 


CITY  OF   RISING  SUN.  377 

John  Lanius  was  appointed,  who  held  it  until  after  Gen.  Harrison  was 
elected  in  1840,  when  John  W.  Hall  was  appointed.  After  the  election 
of  James  K.  Polk  in  1844,  Mr.  Lanius  was  again  appointed  and  held  the 
office  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1846.  Mr.  Lanius  was  succeeded  by 
S.  F.  Covington,  and  he  in  1848  by  John  B.  Covington.  The  latter 
was  succeeded  by  Robert  P.  Moore  who  was  appointed  under  the  Taylor 
administration.  During  the  administration  of  President  Pierce,  Friend 
was  the  postmaster  and  upon  the  election  of  President  Buchanan,  J.  W. 
Spencer  received  the  appointment.  Mr.  Spencer  resigned  and  Stephen 
Ulry  was  appointed,  holding  the  office  until  the  end  of  the  administra- 
tion. When  President  Lincoln  took,  his  seat,  Mr.  Ulry  was  re-com- 
missioned and  was  in  the  office  until  his  death  July  22,  1864. 

THE  ELECTRO  MAGNETIC  TELEGRAPH. 

In  1852  a  company  was  formed  under  the  name  of  the  Rising  Sun, 
Aurora  &  Lawrenceburgh  Telegraph  Company,  for  the  purpose  of 
running  the  wires  from  the  Lawrenceburgh  office  to  Aurora  and  Rising 
Sun.  The  line  was  built  to  Rising  Sun  by  S.  F.  Covington  and  Charles 
Temple,  both  now  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Among  the  stockholders  of 
Rising  Sun,  were  S.  F.  Covington,  John  Grace,  S.  Hathaway,  J.  H.  Pep- 
per, B.  J.  Hathaway,  J.  W.  Talbott,  Andrew  Morgan  and  J.  C.  Wells. 
The  office  at  Rising  Sun  was  located  at  the  insurance  office  of  S.  F.  Cov- 
ington and  Mr.  Covington  was  the  operator.  The  line  was  bought  of 
O.  Reily — the  Morse  patent. 

LEADING    MANUFACTURING    INETRE8TS. 

Among  the  earliest  industries  of  the  village  can  be  mentioned  the 
tanyard  of  Samuel  Jelley,  which  was  established  by  him  not  long  after 
his  location  here  in  the  spring  of  1813.  This  was  located  at  the  lower 
end  of  Front  Street,  and  was  in  operation  until  within  probably  the  past 
ten  years. 

In  1817  an  Emigrants'  Directory  published  in  the  East  referred  to 
"  a  floating  mill  anchored  abreast  of  the  town."  This  was  probably  the 
enterprise  of  Col.  Pinkney  James. 

About  this  time  the  first  wool-carding  machinery  was  operated  in  a 
building  located  on  Second,  between  Poplar  and  Walnut  Streets,  by 
Philip  Baldwin.     The  machinery  was  removed  about  the  year  1831. 

John  Harris,  Sr.,  built  an  early  mill  for  grinding  purposes,  below  the 
village  on  Section  16,  which  was  subsequently  removed  near  the  corner 
of  Fifth  and  Poplar  Streets,  and  was  propelled  by  means  of  an  inclined 
treadwheel  upon  which  horses  or  cattle  were  placed  to  supply  the  power. 

The  first  steam  saw-mill  was  built  in  1833,  and  was  located  on  the 


378  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

corner  of   Fifth   and   Poplar   Streets,  built   by   John   Rose  and    Jacob 
Larue. 

Among  the  pioneer  carpenters  were  Gilbert  Hall,  Daniel  Tapley, 
George  Parker,  Robert  E.  Covington,  Thomas  Lindsay  (the  latter  two  each 
erecting  a  house  for  their  own  occupancy,  prior  to  1818),  Prince  Athearn, 
was  master  workman  on  the  United  States  war  vessel  "  Constitu- 
tion," when  she  was  being  built,  and  his  photograph  now  has  a  promi- 
nent place  in  her  cabin.  Of  the  cabinet-makers  were  James  Jones, 
David  Shaw,  Daniel  and  Zephaniah  Wick.  John  Neal  and  David  Love 
were  skilled  in  the  manufacture  of  edge-tools;  David  Mack  had  an  envia- 
ble reputation  as  gunsmith;  Samuel  Best  was  a  watch-maker  and  repairer, 
and  there  are  few  more  skilled  to  be  found  in  the  craft,  even  in  this  day. 
John  Lanius,  with  the  assistance  of  Pete  Blosser,  kept  the  people  sup- 
plied with  hats.  This  was  before  the  advent  of  George  and  Harvey 
Green.  Francis  McDonough  and  William  Crouch  were  the  first  to  open 
tailor  shops,  and  several  years  later  were  followed  by  Willis  Miles,  Al- 
mond Scranton  and'S.  S.  Scott.  Of  the  early  river  pilots  were  Capt.  Joe 
Thompson,  J.  T.  Lemon,  Phineas  Robinson,  Jesse  and  Robert  Hewitt, 
Riley  Noble,  Sidney  Calkins,  and  Levi  Howard. 

Flouring- Mills..- — The  first  regular  flouring-mill  of  the  city  was  es- 
tablished in  1826,  by  Moses  Turner.  It  was  erected  by  subscription, 
Mr.  Turner  putting  in  the  machinery,  operated  by  steam  power.  In  1847 
Mr.  J.  W.  Talbott  took  possession  of  the  property,  though  others  had 
owned  and  operated  it,  and  has  since  conducted  it,  rebuilding  and  remod- 
eling it,  until  now  it  is  a  mammoth  concern,  well  equipped,  with 
improved  machinery,  having  three  pairs  of  buhrs  and  the  roller  process, 
giving  it  a  capacity  of  125  barrels  of  flour  per  day  (twenty- four  hours). 
It  stands  on  the  river  bank  at  the  foot  of  Main  Street. 

In  September,  1834,  Messrs.  P.  and  H.  James,  and  Craft  &  Son 
commenced  the  erection  of  a  new  steam  flouring-mill  (the  second  in  the" 
village),  frame  building,  85x36  feet,  three  stories  high,  and  calculated  to 
run  four  pairs  of  buhrs,  driven  by  a  steam  engine  of  twenty -five  horse- 
power, manufactured  in  our  town. 

September  24,  1844,  it  was  stated  in  the  press  of  the  city  that 
Messrs.  Lanius  &  Athearn  were  erecting  a  distillery,  an  addition  to  the 
flouring-mill.  Later  Andrew  Morgan  and  Ezekiel  Wright  operated  the 
latter.  In  May,  1863,  the  distillery  building  was  purchased  by  J.  W. 
Talbott,  with  the  intention  of  converting  it  into  a  warehouse;  the 
machinery  was  then  being  taken  out.  The  old  building  now  standing  on 
the  river  bank,  at  the  foot  of  Second  Street,  is  the  monument  of  this  en- 
terprise. 

The  third  steam  flouring-mill  was  erected  in  1868,  by  Col.  W.  T. 


CITr  OF  RISING  SUN.  379 

Pepper.     Its  location  is  on  Front  Street,  between  Main  and  Second,  and 
is  now  operated  by  J.  C.  Miller. 

Cotton  and  Woolen  Factories. — The  large  frame  building  ptanding 
at  the  upper  end  of  Front  Street,  not  far  from  the  river  bank,  was  erected 
as  a  cotton-mill  in  1833-34,  by  Col.  Pinkney  James.  In  the  spring  of 
1834  it  was  equipped  with  machinery;  when  it  was  stated  that  the 
building  was  sufficiently  large  to  admit  two  full  sets  of  wool- carding 
machines.  The  whole  was  to  be  driven  by  steam,  the  engine  for  which 
was  then  being  made  at  the  engine  works  of  C.  Hagan  on  Walnut  Street. 
The  capacity  of  the  mill  was  estimated  at  100,000  pounds  of  cotton  yarn, 
per  year  and  was  to  do  a  great  deal  toward  supplying  the  neighbors  with 
all  the  wool-carding  they  might  need.  It  was  stated  further,  that  the 
factory  would  give  employment  to  twenty -five  or  thirty  children,  besides 
many  other  laborers. 

In  August,  1845,  the  press  announced  that  Col.  Pinkney  James  was 
erecting  a  new  cotton  factory  on  the  corner  of  Market  and  Smith  Streets; 
the  building  was  of  brick,  four  stories  high,  and  50x80  feet  in  dimen- 
sions, occupied  solely  by  machinery — 5,000  spindles  and  power  looms 
and  other  fixtures  sufficient  to  manufacture  the  yarns  into  every  descrip- 
tion of  cotton  goods.  A  calculation  showed  there  to  be  17,000  square 
feet  space  in.  the  building,  which  was  covered  by  cotton  machinery.  It 
was  to  "nearly  if  not  quite  equal  the  much  talked  of  Cincinnati  Mill." 
The  first  mentioned  cotton-mill  was  to  be  turned  into  a  woolen  factory 
and  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  every  description  of  woolen  goods. 
The  latter  mill  or  factory  was  completed  and  operated  several  years  when 
it  burned  down  and  was  never  rebuilt.  The  former  was  converted 
into  a  woolen  factory  and  carried  on  for  many  years,  ceasing  operations 
probably  a  little  more  than  a  decade  ago.  In  its  later  history,  the 
names  of  J.  Scofield,  Haig  &  Hutchinson  were  associated  with  this  enter- 
prise. 

The  Iron  Foundry. — The  extensive  engine  works  and  foundry  for  the 
manufacture  of  car- wheels,  hay  and  cotton  presses,  etc.,  of  Stedman  & 
Co.,  now  located  at  Aurora,  had  its  origin  in  the  foundry  started  at  Ris- 
ing Sun  in  1838-39,  by  Col.  P.  James  and  Nathan  R.  Stedman,  where 
and  by  whom  it  was  operated  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  then  removed  to 
Aurora.      Its  location  was  near  the  cotton-mill. 

It  seems  that  prior  to  1833,  steam  engines  were  built  at  Rising  Sun, 
on  Walnut  Street,  by  C.  Hagan;  James  Reister  and  Harvey  Green  also 
carried  on  a  foundry  on  Walnut  Street  at  a  later  date  in  the  building 
erected  and  occupied  by  the  Christian  Church  for  a  house  of  worship.  As 
late  as  during  the  war  the  foundry  of  J.  M.  'Reister  &  Co. ,  was  referred  to. 
Tobacco  Factories.  — Forty  add  years  ago  Messrs.    Athearn  &  Lanius 


380  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

were  engaged  in  the  tobacco  business,  and  were  then  manufacturing 
upward  of  100,000  pounds  of  leaf  annually. 

At  the  same  time  another  factory  was  carried  on  by  S.  W.  Egelston, 
at  which  were  made  not  less  than  300,000  cigars  per  year. 

Early  in  1864  two  tobacco  manufactories  commenced  operations  in  the 
city,  one  by  McAi-oy  &  Pitcher,  on  the  north  side  of  Main  near  Front  Street, 
at  which  were  employed  twenty  five  hands,  and  where  was  manufact- 
ured about  3,000  pounds  of  tobacco  per  week,  on  which  was  assessed  a 
government  tax  of  15  cents  per  pound.  The  tax  amounted  to  $75  per 
day,  and  the  expense  of  the  establishment  per  week  was  $1,200.  The 
other  factory  was  by  Pitcher  &  Keffer,  located  in  the  Haines  Building, 
corner  of  Front  and  Main  Streets.  This  establishment  was  not  quite  so 
large  as  the  one  first  mentioned. 

The  firm  of  Hathaway  &  Clark,  manufacturers  of  cigars  and  jobbers 
in  chewing  tobacco,  business  house  located  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Market  Streets,  was  established  in  1883.  They  employ  ten  hands  and 
make  2,000  cigars  per  day. 

William  Clove's  Sons  Plow  Manufacturing  Establishment,  located 
on  Walnut  Street,  between  First  and  William,  where  is  carried  on  one  of 
the  oldest  and  most  extensive  manufacturing  interests  of  Rising  Sun. 
The  institution  was  founded  in  1838,  by  Henry  Cloro,  who  ten  years 
later  sold  to  Hiram  Olore,  whose  successor,  in  1849-50,  was  the  late  Will- 
iam Clare,  and  since  July,  1884,  the  business  has  been  conducted  by  his 
sons,  public  spirited  and  enterprising  young  men,  who  are  doing  an 
extensive  business  in  their  line,  manufacturing  cane,  cotton,  side  hill, 
reversible,  double-shovel  and  other  kinds  of  plows,  making  a  specialty  of 
the  side  hill  reversible  mold-board  plow.  The  father  of  the  present 
proprietors,  through  his  good  judgment  and  close  attention  to  the  needs 
of  farmers,  North  and  South,  and  the  superiority  of  his  implements,  has 
given  the  business  a,  wide  notoriety.  In  former  years,  the  principal 
market  for  these  implements  was  in  the  South,  but  now  sold  in  all  parts 
of  the  country. 

The  John  Toohey  Marble  Works. — This  industry  located  on  the  old 
seminary  lot,  was  established  in  1863.  The  proprietor,  Mr.  Toohey,  is 
a  live  business  man  and  deals  in  the  best  of  imported  and  American 
marble  and  granite,  and  sends  out  first-class  work. 

The  Saw-mill  and  Lumber  Yard  of  William  H.  Whitlock,  located 
on  Poplar  Street  near  First  was  established  as  now  operated  in  1880. 
Five  or  six  years  prior  to  this  Mr.  W.  embarked  in  the  furniture  trade, 
which  led  to  his  present  occupation.  His  mill  has  the  capacity  of  work- 
ing up  some  6, 000  feet  of  lumber  per  day. 

Extent  of  Manufacturing. — For   the  purpose  of  showing  something 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  881 

of  the  amount  of  the  industries  carried  on  in  Rising  Sun  nearly  half  a 
century  ago,  we  give  extracts  from  the  Journal  under  date  of  Septem- 
ber 29,  1838: 

"We  this  day  present  a  brief  but  not  exaggerated  statement  of  some  of 
■our  resources  in  point  of  trade  and  manufactures.  We  are  confident, 
from  the  best  information  we  could  avail  ourselves  of,  that  if  our  esti- 
mate err  it  is  in  underrating.  The  first  improvement  we  shall  notice  is 
the  extensive  cotton  factory  owned  by  Col.  James,  situated  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  river,  adjacent  to  the  town.  This  establishment  consumes 
200  bales  of  cotton  per  annum,  runs  between  600  and  700  spindles,  and 
gives  constant  employment  to  forty  hands;  proceeds  about  $20,000. 
There  is  an  extensive  wool-carding  machine  connected  with  this  estab- 
lishment which  yields  from  $700  to  $800  per  annum.  We  learned  from 
the  enterprising  proprietor,  that  he  is  about  adding  the  necessary  ap- 
pendages for  weaving,  and  will  increase  his  facilities  for  spinning  so  that 
when  completed,  it  will  give  employment  to  at  least  100  hands.  We 
note  one  fact  here  which  speaks  volumes,  and  that  too  in  a  language 
not  to  be  misinterf)reted,  for  the  health  of  Rising  Sun,  that  the  factory 
has  been  in  constant  operation  five  years,  during  which  time  not  a  single 
day  has  been  lost  by  any  of  the  hands  through  sickness.  It  is  we 
think,  doubtful,  whether  a  similar  fact  can  be  found  in  this  or  any  other 
country. 

"  Next  the  Union  Mill  owned  by  Messrs.  Lanius  &  Athearn,  steam 
power,  with  three  run  of  buhrs,  consumes  on  an  average,  per  annum,  not 
less  than  28,000  bushels  of  wheat,  yielding  4,000  barrels  of  flour,  also 
about  3,000  bushels  of  corn.  This  mill  runs  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  year,  the  whole  twenty- four  hours. 

"  Messrs.  Piatt  &  James  have  an  extensive  steam  saw-mill  situated  on 
the  bank  of  the  river  in  the  town;  this  mill  drives  two  saws,  and  cuts  on 
an  average,  when  in  full  operation  2,000  feet  per  day. 

"The  Lanius  &  Athearn  Tobacco  Factory  manufactures  per  annum 
1 20,000  pounds  of  leaf.  Another  owned  by  S.  W.  Egelston  manufac- 
tures not  less  than  300, 000  cigars  per  year. 

"  The  following  statistics  under  the  head  of  exportations  or  ship- 
ments are  not  designed  to  apply  to  the  present  season  particularly,  but 
as  an  average  for  the  last  few  years:  Hay,  pressed,  300  tons;  oats, 
35,000  bushels;  potatoes,  20,000  bushels;  onions,  8,000  bushels;  apples, 
about  8,000  barrels;  beans,  5,000  bushels;  pork,  equal  to  5,000  barrels; 
corn,  15,000  bushels.  There  are  many  other  articles,  which  will  re- 
ceive attention  hereafter.  Last  season  there  started  from  this  point  fifty 
boats  well  laden  with  the  rich  products  of  this  district. " 


382  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

THE  NATIONAL  BANK  OF  RISING  SUN. 

This  bank  chartered  and  organized  in  1872,  capital  stock  $100, 000^ 
with  A.  C.  Downey  as  president;  D.  Gr.  Rabb,  vice-president,  and  J.  N. 
Perkins,  cashier.  The  board  of  directors  was  composed  of  A.  C. 
Downey,  D.  Gr.  Rabb,  J.  F.  Pate,  Henry  Wells,  Samuel  Seward,  H.  S. 
Espey,  and  Benjamin  North.  In  March,  1872,  the  board  purchased 
the  ground  on  Main  Street  near  the  corner  of  Main  and  Poplar  Streets, 
on  which  the  present  neat  and  substantial  banking  house  was  erected. 
The  present  officers  are  Simon  Beymer,  president;  Peter  S.  Pate,  vice- 
president,  and  J.  N.  Perkins,  cashier;  the  latter  having  served  in  that 
position  from  the  beginning.  The  business  of  the  bank  has  been  regular 
and  constant,  and  no  changes  have  taken  place,  saving  in  the  election  of 
officers.  During  the  panics  and  times  of  financial  depression  the  bank 
never  closed  its  doors.  The  institution  has  the  full  confidence  of  its 
patrons  at  home  and  good  credit  abroad. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Rising  Sun. — In  the  summer  of 

1815,  the  first  sermon  by  a  Methodist  minister,  was  preached  by  John 
Strange.  He  was  the  preacher  on  what  was  then  called  the  Lawrence- 
burgh  Circuit,  which  embraced  a  part  of  two  or  three  counties  and  con- 
sequently extended  far  below  Rising  Sun.  Brother  Strange  received  his 
invitation  to  preach  at  this  new  settlement,  on  this  wise.  A  Mrs.  Decoursey , 
who  was  the  first  Methodist  who  had  moved  to  town,  and  another  lady 
walked  from  Rising  Sun  to  a  distance  twelve  miles  below  here,  where 
Brother  Strange  had  an  appointment  to  preach,  to  hear  him  and  to  invite 
him  to  come  and  preach  a  sermon  for  them  at  Rising  Sun.  He  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  accordingly  on  his  next  round,  did  so.  The  sermon 
was  preached  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  at  a  point  about  the  foot  of  Main 
Street.  The  pulpit  was  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree.  The  pews  were  the 
tops  of  trees  which  had  been  felled  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  cabins 
for  the  occupancy  of  the  inhabitants.  This  was  the  earliest  beginning 
of  Methodism  in  Rising  Sun.  From  this,  the  appointment  was  con- 
tinued and  the  next  fall  at  Conference,  Rising  Sun,  was  returned  on 
the  plan  of  the  Circuit  as  a  preaching  place.  The  first  house  occupied 
as  a  church  or  a  preaching- place,  was  the  bar-room  of  C.  A.  Craft,  who  had 
settled  here,  and  opened  a  house  of  public  entertainment.  His  generosity 
extended  to  the  religious  public  as  well  and  opened  his  bar-room  for 
public  preaching.      This  house  is  still  standing.     The    following   year, 

1816,  the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  or  class  was  organized  by 
Rev.  David  Sharpe,  successor  to  Mr.  Strange.  This  class  was  composed 
of   the   following   persons,  viz.:  Elizabeth  Craft,   John  Gordon,  Nancy 


CITY  OF  RISING   SUN.  383 

Gordon,  Henry  Hayman,  Elizabeth  Howlet,  Jane  Fulton,  Azariah  Old- 
ham, Rachel  Oldham,  and  Elizabeth  Deeoursey;  with  Azariah  Oldhara  as 
class -leader.  The  place  where  this  class  was  formed,  and  where  it  then 
met,  was  in  a  log-schoolhouse,  which  stood  on  the  north  corner  of  Main 
and  High  Streets.  The  first  quarterly  meeting  ever  held  in  Rising  Sun, 
was  in  1818,  by  Rev.  Moses  Grume,  as  presiding  elder.  In  1818,  a 
lot  was  secured  on  which  to  build  a  church,  and  the  house  was  completed 
in  1821.  This  lot  was  the  same  lot  upon  which  the  present  edifice  stands. 
This  lot  was  first  deeded  to  the  following  persons,  as  a  board  of  trustees; 
James  Jones,  Robert  Hewitt,  Moses  Tapley,  James  Jones,  Sr.,  Azariah 
Oldham,  Gilbert  Hall  and  John  Horrel.  This  church  was  built  of  brick, 
and  was  36x40  feet.  It  was  enclosed  and  occupied  for  years  before  it 
was  plastered.  It  was  "pewed"  in  the  following  novel  way:  It  was  pro- 
posed that  each  male  member  make  and  bring  to  the  church,  one,  two  or 
more  seats  as  a  donation;  this  was  agreed  upon.  The  seats  were  accord- 
ingly made  and  brought;  but  being  made  of  the  kind  of  lumber  each 
brother  chanced  to  have  on  hand,  and  in  the  style,  and  of  the  dimensions, 
etc.,  according  to  the  mechanical  skill  and  taste  of  each,  "variety"  was 
the  spice  of  the  occasion.  The  first  Sabbath-school  was  organized  in 
1826,  of  which  James  Jones,  who  now  occupied  a  local  relation,  was 
superintendent.  Rising  Sun  Circuit  was  formed  in  1837,  with  F.  C. 
Holliday  as  preacher  in  charge.  In  1838  the  first  church  edifice  was  found 
to  be  inadequate  to  accommodate  the  congregation,  and  was  accordingly 
taken  down,  and  the  second  church  was  erected  on  the  same  ground.  It 
was  also  built  of  brick,  40x60  feet,  with  basemeut  containing  class  rooms, 
and  a  lecture  room.  The  audience  room  was  above,  comfortably  seated 
and  furnished.  The  building  was  ornamented  with  a  spire^and  furnished 
with  a  bell.  Rising  Sun  was  made  a  station,  or  became  a  self-sustaining 
church,  supporting  entire  its  own  pastor  in  1842,  with  J.  W.  Sullivan  as 
its  pastor.  The  following  persons  were  the  stewards  and  leaders,  and 
composed  the  first  quarterly  conference:  Stewards — R.  Crosley,  J.  M. 
Jennings,  William  E.  Hoole,  William  Elliott,  Benjamin  Morgan,  Will- 
iam Scott,  and  John  H.  Jones.  Leaders — James  Mapes,  John  H.  Jones, 
Theophilus  Jones,  Thomas  Jones,  John  L.  Morgan,  George  G.  Brown 
and  William  B.  Sink.  The  membership  of  the  church  at  this  time  num- 
bered about  150.  The  present  church  building  was  erected  in  1865, 
Joseph  Cotton  as  pastor,  and  Theophilus  Jones,  A.  C.  Downey,  G.  H. 
Craft,  John  H.  Jones,  and  Samuel  Seward  as  the  board  of  trustees.  The 
dimensions  of  the  building  are  50x85  feet.  It  is  built  of  brick,  with 
window  and  door  caps  of  stone.  It  is  two  stories  high.  The  basement 
is  entirely  above  the  ground,  and  contains  a  vestibule  twenty  feet  deep 
with  a  class-room  at  each  extreme  end,  right  and    left  (also,    upstairs, 


384  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

two  other  class-rooms  in  the  same  relation),  this  vestibule  containing  the 
stairways  to  the  audience  room  above.  The  lecture  room  is  entered  from 
this  vestibule  and  is  50x50  feet.  In  the  rear  of  this  lecture  room  are 
three  other  class  rooms,  making  seven  in  all,  these  being  enclosed  with 
folding  doors,  which  make  their  use  available  for  seating  the  audience 
when  needed.  The  audience  room  is  50x65  feet,  with  gallery.  It  is 
yet  unfinished;  plastered,  but  not  seated.  The  following  ministers  have 
served  the  church  as  pastors  in  the  order  given: 

1816,  David  Sharp;  1817,  Samuel  West  and  Allen  Wiley;  1818, 
Benjamin  Lawrence;  1819,  Henry  Baker  and  William  H.  Raper;  1820, 
Allen  Wiley  and  William  Quinn;  1821,  James  Jones  and  James  Murry; 
1822,  J.  Stuart  and  Achemiah  Griffith;  1823,  John  F.  Wright  and  Thomas 
Huston;  1824,  Allen  Wiley  and  Aaron  Wood;  1825,  G.  H.  Huston;  1826, 
James  Scott  and  Daniel  Newton;  1827,  James  Gaven  and  A.  H.  Cheven; 
1828,  CorneliiTs  Riddle  and  A.  H.  Cheveo;  1829,  M.  Taylor  and  George 
Randall;  1830,  Joseph  Tarkington  and  George  Randall;  1831,  J.  F. 
Johnson  and  A.  W.  Arrington;  1882,  William  M.  Daily;  1833,  R.  Robin- 
son and  J.  W.  Holloway;  1834,  James  Jones  and  J.  V.  Watson;  1835, 
James  Jones  and  Hosier  Durbin;  1836,  Joseph  Tarkington  and  Lewis" 
Hurlbut;  1837-38,  F.  C.  Holliday;  1839,  S.  T.  Gillett  and  P.  R. 
Guthrie;  1840,  S.  T.  Gillett  and  T.  A.  Goodwin;  1841,  A.  Bussey  and 
Geol-ge  Stafford;  1842,  J.'W.  Sullivan  and  Silas  Rawson;  1843-44,  W.  M. 
Daily;  1845,  T.  M.  Eddy;  1846-47,  H.  J.  Durbin;  1848,  W.  C.  Smith; 
1849,  C.  W.  Ruter;  1850,  W.  M.  Frasley;  1851,  A.  B.  Nezbet;  1852,  J. 
W.  Locke;  1853,  F.  W.  White;  1854-55,  T.  G.  Beherrell;  1856-57,  J. 
Crawford;  1858,  James  McCaw;  1859-60,  J.  S.  Tevis;  1861,  S.  Tincher; 
1862,  J.  G.  Chafee;  1863,  G.  C.  Smith;  1864-65,  Joseph  Cotton;  1866-67, 
W.  T.  Saunders;  1868,  L.  G.  Adkison;  1869-70,  W.W.  Snyder;  1871-72, 
W.M.  Grubbs;  1873-74,  D.  A.  Robertson;  1875-77,  J.  F.  McClain;  1878- 
80,  W^illiam  Harrison;  1881-82,  S.  S.  McMahon;  1883-84,  R.  R.  Bald- 
win; 1885,  E.  A.  Campbell.     Present  church  membership  330. 

Presbyterian  Church  of  Rising  Sun.  — The  Home  Missionary  Society  of 
Connecticut  gave  a  commission  to  Rev.  Nathan  B.  Derrow  as  missionary 
to  the  Western  States.  In  his  work  under  this  commission,  September 
12,  1816,  he  organized  this  church.  James  Stewart,  William  McCord 
and  Hugh  Espey,  Jr..  were  elected  elders,  and  were  ordained  Sabbath, 
September  15,  1816.  The  place  of  organization  was  a  frame  school - 
house  standing  opposite  the  court  house;  this  building  was  destroyed  by 
fire  some  two  years  later.  The  Presbyterian  family  worshiped  in  school - 
houses,  shops,  private  dwellings,  the  woods,  and  sometimes  in  the  build- 
ing of  the  Methodist  Brethren,  until  February  22,  1834,  when  the 
building  on  Main  Street,  still  occupied  by  them,  was  dedicated  to  the 


CITY  OF  RISING   SUN.  385 

service  of  God.  In  the  troublous  times  of  1837-38-39,  when  the  noted 
division  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America 
took  place,  the  session  of  the  church  placed  upon  record  the  following 
paper,  to- wit:  "Whereas,  it  is  desirable  that  this  church,  under  present 
circumstances,  belong  to  the  one  or  the  other  division  permanently,  and 
as  the  church  has  ever  been,  and  still  is  (as  is  believed),  by  sentiment 
and  interest  attached  to  that  division  called  the  constitutional  division, 
therefore, 

''^Resolved,  That  we  recognize  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati  as  the 
judicatory  to  which  we  belong,  and  in  which  we  will  act,  according  to 
the  act  of  the  Synod  of  Cincinnati,  which  united  Oxford  and  Cincinnati 
Presbyteries  under  the  name  of  'Cincinnati  Presbytery,'  thus  declaring 
their  adherence  to  the  branch  of  the  church  known  as  New  School." 
Against  this  David  Fisher,  one  of  the  elders,  entered  his  dissent.  As 
the  result  of  this  action  a  small  number,  perhaps  fourteen  in  all,  labored 
faithfully  and  perseveringly  for  some  fifteen  months,  until  in  October,  1840, 
when  they  were  reorganized  and  enrolled  by  the  Presbytery  of  Oxford, 
Old  School.  This  was  the  body  known  as  the  Second  Street  Church, 
worshiping  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  lower  story  of  the  Masonic 
Building.  In  1871  the  two  branches  became  united  under  the  title  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  as  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  reunion  of 
the  two  great  divisions  of  the  church  in  this  country. 

In  1823  a  Sabbath-school  was  established,  with  P.  P.  Baldwin  as 
superintendent  and  Col.  A.  C.  Pepper,  Maj.  Samuel  Jelley,  S.  Hatho- 
way,  and  others  as  teachers.  The  following  ministers  have  served  the 
church  as  supplies,  either  stated  or  temporary,  or  as  pastors:  James 
Duncan,  James  Welch,  William  Dickey,  John  Lyle,  Daniel  Hayden, 
John  Campbell  from  1817  to  1822;  R.  B.  Dobbins,  David  Root,  Thomas 
Thomas,  Rufus  Spalding,  Artemus  Ballard,  Ralph  Cushman  and  James 

E.  Johnson  from  1822  to  1828;  Archibald  Craig,  Lucien  Alden,  1831-32; 
William  Lewis,  1832-34;  Charles  L.  Bartlett,  1835-37;  James  F. 
Clark,  1838-40:  James   Adger,   1841-42;  James  Brownlee,  1843-44;  B. 

F.  Morris,  1844-56;  John  C.  Bonham,  1857-58;  E.  Block,  1858-63;  A. 
S.  Reid,  1864-66;  L.  E.  Jones,  1867-70;  J.  H.  Gill,  1871-75;  Heber 
Gill,  1875-76;  William  Carson,  1877-78;  T.  C.  Thomas,  1879;  H.  F. 
Olmstead,  November  1,  1879 — present.  The  pastors  of  the  Second 
Street  Church  were  C.  McKinney,  Thomas  Whallon,  W.  H.  Moore.  The 
resent  church  membership  is  seventy-five. 

The  Christian  Church  of  Rising  Sun  was  organized  in  December, 
1832,  with  twenty-one  members,  by  Elder  James  Challen,  of  Cincinnati. 
John  Tait,  Sr.,  and  David  Barnhart  were  its  first  elders.  Its  first  meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  Masonic  Hall,  over  Craft's  store   ''n  the  building 


386  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

now  occupied  by  D.  S.  Wilber  &  Co.  In  1833-34  they  built  the  house  on 
Walnut  Street,  now  occupied  by  E.  Smith's  shop,  where  they  continued 
to  meet  until  1857,  when  they  moved  into  their  present  house  on  Main 
Street,  where  they  continue  to  meet  regularly  every  Lord's  Day.  The 
following  named  have  ministered  to  the  church  either  as  regular  pastors 
or  elders:  James  Challen,  D.  S.  Biurnett,  T.  J.  Murdock,  Thomas  H. 
Gilmore,  H.  K.  Pritchard,  P.  Vawter,  T.  White,  J.  C.  Scott,  Charles 
Short,  Elder  Winters,  R.  A.  P.  Buchanan,  L.  ^D.  Ridgway,  H.  B.  Sher- 
man and  P.  Vawter. 

The  Universalist  Church  of  Rising  Sun.— In  1840  twelve  persona 
organized  themselves  into  a  religious  society  under  the  above  name. 
Benjamin  Avery,  S.  Hathaway,  Hugh  Espey  and  Ezekiel  Leach  were 
among  the  number.  The  ground,  on  which  the  brick  house  of  worship 
now  standing  on  Grand^  Street  was  built,  was  donated  by  Benjamin 
Avery,  and  the  building  erected  in  1841-42.  Among  the  pastors  of  the 
church  have  been  W.  M.  DeLong,  E.  M.  Pingree,  N.  M.  Gaylord,  H. 
Roberts,  Rev.  Cravens,  S.  P.  Oyler,  B.  F.  Foster,  John  Allen,  William 
C.  Brooks,  F.  E.  Hicks,  G.  W.  Gage,  J.  D.  H.  Corwine,  J.  B.  Grandy. 

The  Regular  Baptist  Church  of  Rising  Sun.— The  beginning  of  the 
history  of  the  Baptist  society  is  traced  back  to  the  early  village,  perhaps 
sixty  years  ago,  but  in  the  absence  of  records  nothing  definite  as  to  its 
origin  can  be  given.  Among  some  of  the  early  residents  of  the  village 
and  vicinity,  Mrs.  Samuel  Jelley,  Mrs.  Spears,  Samuel  Berkshire  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Higbee,  Mr.  Sloan  and  son,  Riley  Riggs,  and  Thomas  Miller 
and  wife  are  remembered  as  being  identified  with  the  church.  Meetings 
were,  for  quite  a  period  of  years,  held  at  private  houses,  and  at  the  court 
house  after  the  erection  of  that  building  in  1845.  In  1863  the  first 
house  of  worship  was  erected  and  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God.  It 
is  the  present  house  of  the  First  German  Evangelical  Reformed  Church 
of  the  city,  thoughj  recently  remodeled  by  the  Baptist  brethren,  the 
greatest  change  consisting  of  an  addition  of  the  tower  and  spire, 
which  was  made  four  or  five  years  ago.  Among  the  pastors  who  have 
served  the  church  are  recalled  the  following:  Revs.  Stewart,  William  D. 
Spalding,  —  Howard,  W.  T.  Beagle,  W.  T.  Jolly  N.  C.  Petit,  A.  M. 
Vardiman  and  T.  C.  Smith.  The  membership  is  small  and  has  been  for 
quite  a  period  of  years,  and  a  fact  worthy  of  record  is  that  the  church 
house  above  referred  to  was  built  by  a  membership  numbering  less  than 
one  dozen. 

The  First  German  Evangelical  Reformed  Church  of  Rising  Sun.  — 
Along  after  the  close  of  the  late  war  of  the  Rebellion,  a  German 
congregation  occasionally  held  services  and  in  1869  worshiped  every 
Sabbath  in    the  Universalist  Church   building,    Rev.  Mr.  Miller    serv- 


CITY  OF  RISING   SUN.  387 

ing  them  as  pastor.  The  society  in  1872  erected  a  frame  house  of 
worship  at  the  upper  end  of  Main  Street  and  the  roads  centering 
there,  which  was  dedicated  November  24,  1872,  the  services  being 
conducted  by  Rev.  G.  I.  Reiche.  Rev.  Miller  served  the  church  as 
pastor  until  August,  1872,  since  which  the  pastors  have  been  G. 
Reiche,  August  Guenther,  A.  Seyring  and  Jacob  Hauser,  the  present 
incumbent.  The  congrecdtion  have  recently  purchased  the  brick  church 
edifice  formerly  occupied  by  the  Baptist  society,  located  on  High  Street. 
Present  membership,  forty-five  families.  They  have  their  own  school, 
conducted  in  German  by  the  pastor. 

Shiloh  Baptist  Church  (colored)  of  Rising  Sun. — In  October,  1867, 
a  council  composed  of  Elder  C.  Harris,  of  Madison;  Henry  Williams, 
of  Cincinnati;  J.  W.  Harvey,  of  Lawrenceburgh ;  J.  Zinn  and  T.  W. 
Beagle,  of  Rising  Sun,  met  in  the  Universalist  Church,  and  constituted 
the  church  above  named.  The  original  members  were  Merrit  Simpson, 
J.  F.  Wright,  Griselda  Wright,  Mary  Simpson,  Marial  Pettey.  The 
society  worshiped  for  a  time  in  that  building,  then  purchased  their 
present  brick  church  located  on  Second  Street,  formerly  the  property  of 
the  Old  School  Presbyterian  Church.  The  pastors  of  Shiloh  Church  have 
been  Elder  Harris,  Charles  Phillips,  Richard  Bassett,  Miles  Bassett  and  A. 
Walker,  the  present  incumbent.     Present  membership,  sixty-five. 

Macedonia  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  {colored)  of  Rising  Sun.  — In 
1878  a  small  band  of  colored  people  of  the  city  met  in  an  old  brick  build- 
ing that  stood  on  Front  Street,  near  the  river  bank,  and  were  formed  into 
a  church  society  under  the  ministration  of  Rev.  Mr.  Lee,  who  served  them 
one  year  as  pastor.  Among  this  band  were  Susan  Steele,  Georgia  Frazier, 
Lewis  White  and  family,  John  Myers  and  wife,  and  Malinda  Evans. 
Their  principal  place  of  worship  until  the  erection  of  their  church  on 
Market  Street,  in  1884,  was^  Hathaway's  Hall.  Other  pastors  of  the 
church  have  been  William  Berks,  Henry  Steen,  Rev.  Hesten,  James  Tay- 
lor, and  Thomas  Tompkins,  the  present  pastor.  The  charge  is  on  the 
Cleves  and  Rising  Sun  Circuit.     Present  membership,  ten. 


The  history  of  the  city  schools  from  the  beginning  up  to  1854,  is 
extracted  and  compiled  from  historical  addresses  delivered  by  the  Hon. 
S.  F.  Covington,  of  Cincinnati,  at  Rising  Sun,  in  July,  1879,  and  June, 
1880,  on  the  occasion  of  school  reunions. 

"Most  of  the  private  schools  were  very  good,  being  conducted  by  men 
of  learning,  and,  in  many  instances,  by  men  who  made  teaching  a  pro- 
fession. This  was  true  of  the  school  taught  by  William  Fulton,  as 
early,   perhaps,   as   1823;    by  Henry  E.  Brown,  who  began  as  early  as 


■^88  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1825,  and  continued  until  the  opening  of  the  seminary;  by  Mr.  Joseph 
Gregory,  who  began  in  1826  or  1827,  and  continued  until  1833,  when  he 
eno'aged  in  trading  to  the  South  for  several  years,  and  afterward,  in  1840, 
resumed  teaching,  but  died  before  the  close  of  his  first  session.  I  have 
had  the  privilege  of  looking  over  the  rolls  of  Mr.  Gregory's  last  school, 
and  they  show  that  James  Summers,  Walter  Welch,  John  B.  Craft,  and 
George  Huston  were  the  only  boys  who  were  present  at  every  roll-call. 
I  note  that  among  many  others,  John  Q.  Davis,  Mat  K.  Haines,  and 
William  H.  Smith  have  an  occasional  '  a  '  marked  opposite  their  names, 
which  probably  meant  detained  by  sickness  or  indisposition.      *     *     * 

"  Judge  John  J.  Hayden,  now  in  the  Treasury  Department  at  Washing- 
ton, writes  me  as  follows  :  'My  first  recollection  of  schools  in  Rising 
Sun  goes  back  to  1825,  fifty -four  years  ago.  Schoolmaster  Brown 
taught  in  the  little  brick  Methodist  Church  on  Walnut  Street.  Young  as 
I  was,  I  can  remember  some  of  the  older  scholars.  Among  them  were 
Daniel  and  Peter  Smith,  William  and  Piatt  Thompson,  John  and  Eliza 
Love,  William  and  Margaret  Jelley,  Nelson  and  Olive  Eastman,  and 
others  who  have  long  since  died  or  removed  to  other  sections  of  the 
country.  Mr.  Brown's  assistant  was  his  sister  Hermanda,  a  good,  kind 
and  gentle  woman,  who  did  everything  in  her  power  to  render  school 
attractive  and  lessons  easy,  by  patient  and  tireless  explanations.  Doubt  - 
less  many  have  forgotten  her,  but  I  have  not,  for  she  saved  me  many  a 
well  deserved  trimming  down.' 

"  There  was  another  school  taught  about  the  same  time  by  Miss  Ana- 
bel  McDonough,  afterward  Mrs.  George  B.  Smythe,  in  a  frame  house  on 
Front  Street,  on  a  part  of  the  site  of  the  present  burnt  district.  I  can 
remember  nothing  of  that  school  beyond  the  fact  that  I  attended  it  for  a 
short  time,  having  been  sent,  most  probably,  as  many  children  are  now- 
adays, more  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  me  out  of  the  streets  than  any 
expected  benefits  in  the  way  of  school  instruction.  *  *  * 

"  Among  the  pioneers  of  this  section  were  many  educated  and  culti- 
vated men,  who  while  laboring  for  the  advancement  and  improvement  of 
the  common  schools,  and  aiding  and  promoting  their  best  interests,  felt 
that  a  higher  order  of  schools  should  be  established,  reaching  a  point  in 
instruction  that  would  fit  young  men  to  enter  regular  college  classes  of 
the  best  institutions  of  the  country.  The  first  move  in  this  direction 
made  in  this  section  was  by  Judge  Jesse  L.  Holman,  at  Aurora,  than  whom 
Indiana  has  never  had  a  more  devoted  friend  to  schools  and  learning  of 
every  grade.  His  efforts  in  the  cause  of  education,  commencing  in  this 
vicinity  more  than  sixty  years  ago,  and  continuing  with  earnest  zeal  for  a 
period  of  more  than  thirty  years  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  entitle 
his  labors  to  a  much  more  extended  notice  on  an  occasion  like  this  than 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  389 

my  brief  time  will  allow.  At  the  instance  and  under  the  auspices  of 
Judge  Holman,  the  Aurora  Seminary  was  established,  and  on  the  16th 
day  of  March,  1826,  Rev.  Lucien  Alden  was  employed  to  take  charge  of 
it  at  a  salary  of  $300  per  annum,  which, ^by  the  way,  was  a  good  salary 
for  that  period.  His  assistant  was  Stephen  S.  Harding,  whose  compen- 
sation was  $5  a  month  and  '  his  board.'  Mr.  Harding  has  since  occupied  a 
prominent  place  in  politics,  and  was,  at  one  time,  governor  of  one  of  the 
Western  Territories.  The  Aurora  Seminary  was  in  advance  of  the  demand 
for  an  institution  of  learning  of  its  high  order,  and  it  was  closed  in  March, 
1828,  for  want  of  patronage^  and  Mr.  Alden  came  here  and  took  charge  of 
the  Rising  Sun  Seminary,  the  building  for  which  was  just  then  com- 
pleted. I  have  said  this  much  of  the  Aurora  Seminary,  which  may  seem  to 
be  a  divergence,  for  the  reason  that  the  establishment  of  the  Aurora  Sem- 
inary most  likely  prompted  the  erection  of  the  Rising  Sun  Seminary  build- 
ing ;  that  the  Rising  Sun  Seminary  was  first  opened  under  the  management 
of  Mr.  Alden,  who  had  had  charge  of  the  Aurora  Seminary,  and  the  ad- 
ditional reason  that  I  desire  to  state  that  I  was  a  pupil  in  the  Aurora 
Seminary  in  the  last  year  of  its  existence,  in  1827,  under  the  tutorage  of 
a  Mr.  Jedediah  Bowls,  an  assistant  to  Mr.  Alden,  who  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity at  $8  per  month  and  boarded  himself. 

"  Determined  not  to  be  behind  any  of  their  neighbors  in  the  matter  of 
education  and  providing  a  school  of  the  very  highest  order  for  the  edu- 
cation of  their  children,  a  company  of  gentlemen  of  this  place  joined  to- 
gether and  erected,  in  1827,  the  elegant  building  for  a  seminary  which 
still  stands  on  Grand  Street  between  Walnut  and  High  Streets.  I  have 
not  been  able  to  find  the  records  of  the  association,  and  fear  that  I  can 
not,  from  the  dates  in  my  possession,  give  the  names  of  all  who  joined 
in  that  noble  work  ;  but  I  shall  repeat  them  as  well  as  I  can,  hoping 
that  if  any  one  in  this  audience  can  point  out  an  omission  they  will  do 
so,  I  would  like  to  see  a  permanent  record  of  the  names  of  these  noble 
men,  that  it  might  be  handed  down  to  succeeding  generations  ;  for  the 
men  who  could,  and  did,  erect  such  a  building  and  establish  such  a 
school — a  school  that  from  the  first  day  of  its  opening  and  for  many 
years  afterward  has  never  since  been  surpassed,  even  here  in  its  in- 
struction and  high  order  of  learning ;  an  institution  which  was  an 
honor  to  the  town  and  gave  to  it  a  deserved  reputation  for  morality,  Intel 
ligence,  culture  and  refinement — deserves  at  the  hands  of  this  generation 
a  monument  '  more  durable  than  marble,  more  lasting  than  brass. '  The 
men  who  did  that  noble  work,  so  far  as  I  can  now  recall  them,  have,  with 
but  two  exceptions,  all  passed  away.  Pinkney  James,  Basil  James, 
Joshua  Haines,  Matthias  Haines,  Daniel  Taply,  Abel  C.  Pepper,  Caleb 
A.  Craft,  Samuel  Fulton,  Samuel  Jelley  and  Archibald  Moore  are  all 
gone,  Shadrach  Hathaway  and  Henry  James  alone  remain. 


390  HISTORY  OF  Dearborn  and  ohio  counties. 

"  Mr.  Alden,  as  I  have  already  stated,  came  here  at  the  opening  of  the 
seminary,  and  taught  the  higher  branches.  He  occupied  the  whole  of 
the  upper  story.  The  lower  story  was  divided  by  a  board  partition,  the 
room  next  to  Grand  Street  being  occupied  as  a  schoolroom  by  Mr.  Leroy 
W.  Lynn,  and  the  other  by  Mr.  Ira  Kingsbury.  The  seminary  was  sup- 
plied with  a  complete  philosophical  and  astronomical  apparatus,  and  it 
was  all  that  was  claimed  for  it — an  institution  in  which  young  men 
could  be  fitted  to  enter  any  of  the  colleges  of  the  country.  Mr.  Alden' s 
fame  as  a  teacher  was  wide- spread,  and  young  men  from  various  parts  of 
the  country  came  here  to  receive  instructions  from  him.  *         *         * 

"Mr.  Alden  taught  for  two  years,  or  until  the  fall  of  1830,  when  he 
returned  to  Boston,  from  which  city  he  had  been  sent  to  this  part  of  the 
country  as  a  missionary,  and  wore  back  a  full  suit  of  blue  jeans — not 
the  Kentucky  jeans  of  modern  times,  but  the  old-fashioned  honest  blue 
jeans — and  it  was  woven  by  Mrs.  Judge  Holman,  on  the  old  hand-loom, 
an  instrument  long  since  supplanted  by  the  piano,  and  gone,  never  to 
return.  Mr.  Alden  took  pride  in  appearing  before  his  friends  at  the 
'  Hub '  arrayed  in  a  full  suit  of  American  manufacture.  During  his 
sojourn  in  this  section  of  the  country,  Mr.  Alden  preached  at  Aurora. 
Rising  Sun,  Hartford,  Dillsborough,  and  other  points  as  opportunity  was 
afforded  him.  Horses  were  scarce,  light  vehicles  almost  unknown,  the 
roads  not  very  good,  and  he  generally  walked  to  his  appointments 
and  home  again.  Mr.  Alden  was  pastor  of  a  church  in  Boston  after  his 
return,  and  lived  there  many  years.  I  have  no  account  of  the  time  of 
his  decease. 

"  Mr.  E.  N.  Elliott,  a  graduate  of  Miami  University,  took  charge  of  the 
seminary  in  the  fall  of  1830,  and  was  assisted  by  Mr.  Le  Roy  W.  Lynn. 
The  partition  was  taken  out  of  the  room  down  stairs,  and  the  two  rooms 
were  thi'own  into  one.  Mr.  Elliott  occupied  the  upper  room,  where  he 
taught  the  more  advanced  pupils,  and  Mr.  Lynn  taught  the  beginners 
and  those  who  were  studying  English  grammar,  arithmetic,  geography 
and  penmanship.  Mr.  Lynn,  as  many  here  will  remember,  was  a  su- 
perior penman,  his  writing  not  unfi-equently  equaling  the  finest  copper 
plate  printing  in  smoothness,  and  as  easily  read  as  print.  There  was  no 
metalic  pens  in  those  days,  neither  gold  nor  steel.  We  had  only  the 
gray  goose-quill,  and  a  part  of  our  education  was  to  learn  to  make  our 
own  pens.  The  teacher  made  and  mended  pens  for  those  who  were  un- 
able to  so  for  themselves,  and  it  was  no  small  task.  It  was  customary 
for  the  pupils  to  hand  their  pens  to  the  teacher  just  before  school  dis- 
missed in  the  evening,  that  he  might  repair  them  outside  of  school 
hours,  and  return  them  all  in  good  order  the  next  morning.  *  *  * 
"  But  few  pupils  bought  their  ink,  because  of  its  cost.      All  knew  how 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  391 

to  make  it  from  oak  balls  and  vinegai'.  We  made  red  ink  from  poke- 
berries.  There  were  no  colored  maps  in  those  days;  even  the  bounda- 
ries between  the  States  and  countries  were  indicated  by  black  lines. 
After  a  while  the  boundaries  were  marked  by  colored  lines,  but  it  was  a 
long  time  before  the  use  of  stencil  was  well  enough  understood  to  give 
different  colors  to  the  various  political  divisions  on  the  maps.  We  now 
see  maps  pasted  on  the  fences  and  blank  walls  as  railroad  advertise- 
ments, altogether  superior  in  point  of  finish  to  the  maps  in  the  old  Cum- 
mins atlas,  over  which  I  have  poured  many  a  weary  hour.        *       *       * 

"  Mr.  Elliott  was  an  accomplished  scholar  and  a  fine  teacher.  The 
■seminary  was  supplied  with  an  excellent  philosophical,  astronomical  and 
chemical  apparatus,  and  Mr.  Elliott  was  familiar  with  their  uses  and 
purposes.  In  addition  to  thoroughly  instructing  his  pupils  in  these 
sciences,  he  frequently  gave  lectures,  with  demonstrations,  at  the  Lyceum 
meetings,  and  attracted  large  and  intelligent  audiences.  The  Lyceum 
was  a  literary  association  that  held  meetings  weekly  for  lectures  and  de- 
bates upon  cm-rent  topics.  The  lectures  were  by  residents  of  the  town 
and  vicinity,  and  were  generally  very  entertaining  and  instructive.  Some 
idea  of  Mr.  Elliott's  qualifications  as  a  teacher,  and  the  estimation  in 
which  the  seminary  is  held,  may  be  obtained  from  the  fact  that  the  Rev. 
S.  T.  Gillett,  now  a  prominent  and  well-known  Methodist  divine,  and 
who,  since  the  time  of  which  I  am  speaking,  has  been  pastor  of  the 
Methodist  Church  here,  had  then  received  an  appointment  as  midship- 
man in  the  United  States  Navy,  and  came  here  to  receive  his  preparatory 
instructions  in  nautical  astronomy  and  navigation.  *         *      *  * 

"With  the  close  of  the  term  in  September,  1831,  Mr.  Lynn  withdrew 
from  his  association  with  Mr.  Elliott  and  established  a  school  in  the 
upper  story  of  the  building  now  occupied  by  Edwin  Bloss,  as  a  confec- 
tionery, on  Main  Street,  between  Front  and  Market  Streets.  Many  of 
the  former  pupils  of  the  seminary  continued  with  Mr.  Lynn.  The  latter 
continued  this  school  until  the  summer  of  1832,  and  then  engaging  in 
mercantile  pursuits  abandoned  the  profession  of  teaching,  a  profession 
for  which  he  was  particularly  fitted,  and  one  in  the  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  which  he  did  himself  great  honor.  Mr.  Lynn,  in  company 
with  a  number  of  persons  still  residing  here,  started  for  California  in 
the  autumn  of  1849,  and  was  drowned  on  the  Pacific  coast  by  the 
upsetting  of  a  boat  in  the  surf,  in  an  attempt  to  reach  the  land  to  obtain 
supplies  for  the  disabled  ship  in  which  he  was  a  passenger.  I  feel  that 
I  must  stop  here  for  a  moment  and  pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  a  man 
under  whose  tutorage  I  was  for  nearly  four  years,  and  from  whom  I  re- 
ceived many  wholesome  lessons  that  were  valuable  to  me  in  after  life. 

"After  Mr.  Lynn's   discontinuance,  Mr.   Elliott  was  assisted  by  his 


392  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

brother  Hugh  G. ,  up  to  September,  1832,  when  Mr.  E.  Elliott,  having 
been  called  to  the  Chair  of  Mathematics  in  Indiana  College,  as  the  State 
University  was  then  called,  discontinued  his  connection  with  the  semi- 
nary and  removed  to  Bloomington.  He  continued  to  act  as  professor 
of  mathematics  at  Bloomington,  for  several  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Mississippi,  and  was  for  a  long  time  president  of  the  Mississippi  State 
University. 

"  Mr.  Daniel  D.  Pratt,  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College,  New  York, 
succeeded  Mr.  Elliott,  entering  upon  his  duties  as  principal  of  the  sem- 
inary, October  15,  1832.  He  was  assisted  by  a  Mr.  William  G.  Monroe 
who  had  been  a  pupil  and  who  afterward  had  charge  of  the  Dearborn 
County  Seminary  at  Wilmington.  Mr.  Pratt  taught  but  a  single  year, 
and  then  went  to  Indianapolis,  where  he  read  law,  and  served  as  private 
secretary  to  Gov.  Noble.  Later  he  removed  to  Logansport  where  he 
acquired  prominence  as  a  lawyer  and  a  politician.  He  was  several  times 
a  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  was  elected  to  Congress,  was  after- 
ward one  of  the  United  States  Senators  from  this  State,  and  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Grant  commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue.  Mr. 
Pratt  was  a  man  of  fine  intellect;  of  commanding  personal  appearance; 
had  a  good  voice,  and  was  an  excellent  public  speaker.  He  died  at  his 
home  in  Logansport,  a  few  years  ago  while  sitting  in  his  chair  and 
dictating  to  his  daughter  some  of  the  reminiscences  of  his  early  life  in 
Indiana. 

"  The  Rising  Sun  of  November  16,  1833,  announced  that  the  seminary 
had  been  opened  by  B.  F.  Clark,  a  graduate  of  Miami  University,  on  the 
first  Monday  in  October.  Mr.  Clark  was  very  highly  commended  in  the 
notice,  and  those  who  were  his  pupils  during  that  year  will  bear  witness 
that  he  deserved  the  commendation.  Mr.  Clark,  although  then  just 
graduated  from  college,  had  had  experience  in  teaching,  and,  moreover, 
was  particularly  fitted,  naturally,  for  the  profession.  He  wrote  for  the 
newspapers,  directing  his  efforts  in  that  line  more  particularly  to  calling 
public  attention  to  the  importance  of  education  and  with  good  results, 
as  shown  by  the  interest  awakenedj  upon  that  subject.  The  following 
fall  Mr.  Clark  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Thomas  E.  Thomas.  After  leaving 
Rising  Sun  Mr.  Clark  studied  theology,  was  licensed  to  preach  in  1837, 
retiu-ned  to  Lyndenborough,  N.  H.,  his  native  town,  where  he  supplied 
the  pulpit  of  the  Congregational  Church  ^for  seven  months  in  1838, 
afterward  entered  Andover  Theological  Seminary  as  student  and  re- 
mained until  August,  1839,  when^  he  was  regularly^  ordained  and  was 
installed  pastor  of  the  congregation  at  North  Chelmsford,  Mass.,  which 
he  served  for  twenty-nine  and  a  half  years.  He  was  twice  elected  a 
member  of  the  Senate  of  Massachusetts.     He  wrote  a  good  deal  for  the 


CITY  OF  RISING   SUN.  393 

press,  and  in  1870  published  a  book  entitled,  "Mirthfuluess  and  its 
Exciters."  His  genial  manner  won  for  him  many  friends  through  life. 
He  was  sociable  wherever  he  went,  with  all  classes  and  conditions. 
His  death  occurred  May  28,  1878.  Mr.  Joseph  Porter,  who  was  Mr. 
Clark's  assistant  died  as  a  missionary  in  India  in  1853. 

''  Mr.  Thomas  E.  Thomas  took  charge  of  the  seminary  in  September, 
1834,  and  continued  for  one  year.  He  was  assisted  by  Mr.  Holmes.  Af- 
ter leaving  here,  Mr.  Thomas  taught  in  Harrison  and  at  Franklin,  Ohio; 
and  in  1838  became  the  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Chvirch  at  Hamilton, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  still  engaged  when  chosen  to  the  presidency  of  Han- 
over College,  twelve  years  afterward.  He  resigned  the  presidency  of 
the  college  in  1854,  to  accept  the  Chair  of  Biblical  Literature  and  Exe- 
gesis, in  the  New  Albany  Theological  Seminary,  where  he  remained  for 
four  years,  and  until  the  seminary  was  removed  to  Chicago.  He  preached 
for  a  time  at  the  Bank  Street  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  Albany,  and 
then  accepted  a  call  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Dayton,  Ohio 
where  he  continued  to  preach  for  about  thirteen  years.  In  1871,  he  was 
elected  to  the  Chair  of  New  Testament  Greek  and  Exegesis,  in  Lane 
Seminary,  and  died  there  February  2,  1875,  *         *         * 

"Mr.  JohnE.  Bright,  also  a  graduate  of  Miami  University,  took  charge 
of  the  seminary  in  1835,  being  assisted  by  Miss  A.  M.  Disney,  after- 
ward Mrs.  Henry  James,  in  which  he  taught  only  a  few  months  when  the 
building  was  turned  over  to  the  Indiana  Teachers'  Seminary,  and  Mr. 
Bright  took  a  room  elsewhere  and  conducted  his  school  for  some  months. 
Mr.  Bright  delivered  the  Fourth  of  July  oration  in  this  place  that  year. 

"In  March,  1836,  B.  James,  M.  H.  Wilder,  William  Lanius  and  W. 
Lewis,  committee  of  the  board  of  trustees,  gave  notice  that  the  Indiana 
Teachers'  Seminary,  which  was  established  in  Jefferson  County,  near 
Madison,  had  recently  been  transferred  to  Rising  Sun.  The  primary  ob- 
ject of  the  institution  was  declared  to  be  '  to  prepare  young  gentlemen 
for  teaching  school  by  furnishing  them  with  an  accurate  and  thorough 
literary  and  scientific  education,  and  instructing  them  in  the  best  method 
of  teaching  and  preserving  discipline.'  Rev.  William  Twining,  a  grad- 
uate of  Yale  College,  was  the  principal.  In  September,  1836,  it  was 
announced  by  B.  James,  secretary  of  the  board  of  trustees,  that  the  In- 
diana Teachers'  Seminary  had  been  in  successful  operation  for  six 
months,  and  that  the  next  session  would  commence  October  17.  The 
latter  month  Mr.  Twining  withdrew  from  the  institution,  and  the  pri 
mary  department  was  continued  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Henry  Mc- 
Guffey,  brother  of  Prof.  William  McGuffey.  of  eclectic  school-book  fame 
and  the  female  department  under  the  direction  of  Miss  Root.  Mr.  Twin- 
ing returned    to  Madison,  where  he  taught    a  private  school   for  some 


394  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

years,  and  was  afterward,  for  a  considerable  period,  a  professor  in  Wa- 
bash College.  His  successor  was  the  Rev.  William  Lewis,  but  owing  to 
ill  health,  he  taught  but  a  few  months.  He  was  a  most  excellent  teacher. 
The  institution  was  closed  on  the  13th  day  of  September,  1837,  with 
the  retiring  of  Mr.  Lewis,  and  its  property  was  donated  to  the  Rising 
Sun  Seminary,  except  that  part  of  the  library  which  was  strictly  theolog- 
ical, which  was  given  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  a  church  library. 
The  men  who  labored  to  build  up  that  institution,  were  Matthias  Haines. 
Basil  James,  Pinkney  James,  William  Lanius,  Abel  C.  Pepper  and  Shad- 
rach  Hathaway,  all  gone  excepting  the  latter.  Mr.  Lewis  came  to 
Rising  Sun  in  1831,  as  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  remained 
until  1834,  during  which  time  the  present  church  of  that  denomination 
was  erected,  when  he  removed  to  Darrtown,  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
but  a  short  time.  Returning  to  Rising  Sun  in  1835,  he  took  a  deep  in- 
terest in  the  success  of  the  Indiana  Teachers'  Seminary,  and  as  agent  of 
the  trustees,  visited  the  East  and  collected  $500  in  money,  and  some  200 
volumes  of  miscellaneous  works.  He  died  at  his  parental  home  in 
Throopville,  N.  Y.,  April  4,  1838,  aged  thirty-six  years. 

"Samuel  W.  Smith,  a  graduate  of  Miami  University,  took  charge  of 
the  seminary  in  the  autumn  of  1837,  and  continued  one  year.  The 
seminary  was  advertised  to  be  opened  on  the  12th  of  September,  1838. 
in  the  higher  department  under  the  management  of  E.  N.  Elliott,  the 
same  gentleman  who  had  had  charge  of  it  from  1830  to  1832.  During 
1838  a  Mr.  Wilkie  taught  a  primary  school  in  the  same  building,  the 
school  extending  through  the  most  of  1839.  On  the  12th  of  November, 
1838,  Mr.  S.  A.  Gilmore  taught  a  district  school  in  the  basement  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  The  trustees  of  this  district  were  Joshua  Haines, 
John  W.  Hall  and  Jacob  Morrison;  a  tuition  fee  of  $1  was  charged.  On 
the  2d  day  of  September,  1839,  Mr.  Wilkie  began  another  term  of  his 
school.  The  Misses  Morrison,  Mary  A.  and  Sarah  T.,  notified  the  public 
that  they  would  on  the  17th  of  June,  1839,  open  the  first  session  of  the 
Rising  Sun  Female  Seminary,  in  the  room  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Female  Department  of  the  Rising  Sun  Seminary,  and  in  addition  to 
their  usual  academical  course  they  would  instruct  in  needle- work,  plain, 
embroidered  and  embossed.  Notices  of  this  school,  taught  by  the  Misses 
Morrison,  were  given  as  late  as  1840.  On  the  2d  day  of  December,  1839. 
a  Miss  Hoolie  opened  a  school  for  instruction  in  the  usual  English  branches 
and  in  drawing,  painting,  needle  work,  etc. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1840  Miss  A.  L.  Ruter  advertised  the  opening  of  a 
school  for  young  ladies  in  the  new  building  on  Walnut  Street,  for  in- 
struction in  the  usual  branches,  and  in  astronomy,  chemistry,  botany, 
the  French  language,  wax  work,  etc.     From   April,    1840,    to  February, 


CITY  OF  RISING   SUN.  395 

1841,  Rufus  M.  Harris,  a  graduate  of  Miami  University,  was  principal 
of  the  seminary.  His  successor  was  S.  B.  Halley,  also  a  graduate  of 
Miami  University,  whose  service  began  in  February,  1841,  and  continued 
during  the  succeeding  year.  His  successor  was  Eev.  C.  McKinney,  a 
graduate  of  Miami  University,  who  taught  up  to  1844.  Mr.  McKinney 
at  the  same  time  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  September  9, 
1844,  the  announcement  was  made  that  the  seminary  had  been  opened 
under  the  superintendence  of  Rev.  T.  A.  Goodwin,  a  graduate  of  Asbury 
University,  and  on  the  12th cf  October,  D.  Haines,  A.  B.,  was  advertised 
as  principal.  November  29  the  papers  announced  that  Rev.  J.  S.  Bar- 
wick  had  taken  charge.  The  latter  was  principal  until  1847,  and  was 
succeeded  by  William  P.  White,  assisted  by  his  sister.  Miss  White. 
They  taught  through  the  academic  years  of  1847-48. 

"  During  these  periods  other  private  schools  were  kept  up  in  the  town, 
and  an  effort  was  made  to  keep  alive  a  public  school,  but  with  not  very 
marked  success.  In  October,  1847,  Mr.  John  T.  Whitlock  gave  notice 
that  the  public  school  would  be  opened  under  the  control  of  Mr.  A.T.  Ris- 
ley,  and  that  a  slight  tax,  which  would  be  made  known  at  the  endoE  the 
session,  would  be  assessed.  In  March,  1849,  Mr.  Risley  advertised  that 
as  the  public  school  would  not  be  resumed  until  late  in  the  summer, 
because  the  treasurer  was  out  of  funds,  he  would  open  a  school  in  the 
High  Street  schoolhouse.  During  1847-48-49,  a  young  ladies'  school 
was  taught  by  the  Misses  DeBartholts,  on  Main  Street,  near  High.  Mrs. 
F.  E.  Barr  also  taught  a  private  school  at  her  residence  on  Second  Street, 
from  1849  to  1852.  From  the  spring  of  1849  to  the  fall  of  1850,  the 
teachers  of  the  seminary  at  different  times  were  Rev.  William  Moore, 
pastor  of  the  Second  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  assisted  by  Miss  Caro- 
line M.  Talbotfcs,  and  Mr.  F.  Price  assisted  by  Miss  R.  P.  Chamberlain  • 
From  August,  1850,  to  August,  1851,  the  seminary  was  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Thomas  G.  Schriver,  assisted  by  Miss  Frances  Richey.  The 
former  was  succeeded  by  B.  M.  Munn,  whose  successor,  in  the  fall  of 
1852,  was  E.  N.  Wilson,  assisted  by  Miss  Kate  Turner;  the  latter  was 
still  teaching  in  1854. 

"  This  year  the  seminary  became  the  property  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  Rev.  B.  F.  Morris,  then  pastor  of  that  church  was  active  in 
securing  it,  he  being  anxious  to  have  established  here  a  female  seminary 
of  the  highest  grade,  and,  enlisting  the  trustees  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  undertaking,  sufficient  money  was  secured  to  pay  for  the 
building  and  to  refit  and  refurnish  it.  Mr.  Morris  and  William  T. 
Pepper  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draw  up  a  circular  setting  forth 
the  objects  and  aims  of  what  is  now  the  Southeastern  Indiana  Female 
Seminary,  and  to    procure    competent  female  teachers.      On  the  26th  of 


396  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

August,  1854,  Mr.  Morris  reported   that  he  had  procured  Miss  Anna  R. 
Fitch  to  take  charge  of  the  institution  for  $500  per  year." 

At  this  time  was  being  built  a  large  two-story  brick  house,  65x57  feet,, 
to  contain  eight  apartments,  on  the  south  side  of  High  Street  between 
Second  and  Main,  for  the  graded  schools  of  the  city.  The  school  board 
was  then  Thomas  H.  Gilmore,  president;  William  Gillespie,  vice-presi- 
dent; James  M.  Reister,  A.  T.  Risley,  J.  S.  Jelley  and  J.  M.  Ginnings. 
In  the  spring  of  1872  this  building  was  overhauled  and  repaired  at  an 
expense  of  about  $1,800,  costing  in  the  first  place  about  $4, 000.  Shortly 
after  the  repairs  were  completed  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
That  same  year,  1872,  the  present  substantial  and  imposing  brick  school 
building  was  erected  on  the  same  site  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  The  building 
is  three  stories  high  and  comprises  eleven  apartments  besides  the  cloak 
and  hat  rooms  opening  out  into  spacious  halls.  In  the  center  front  of 
the  building  is  a  tower  eighty-eight  feet  high.  The  building  is  Grecian 
Doric  style  of  architecture,  and  is  the  most  commodious  and  imposing, 
structure  in  the  county.  The  architect  was  Leon  Beaver,  of  Dayton 
Ohio,  and  the  contractor  James  M.  Reister,  of  Rising  Sun.  The 
house  was  opened  for  school  early  in  the  year  1873. 

The  condition  of  the  public  schools  of  the  town  in  1853  is  shown  by 
the  following  article  extracted  from  the  Bepublican  of  December  3,  of 
that  year  under  the  head  of  the  Rising  Sun  Graded  Schools:  "The  board 
of  education  has  admitted  into  these  schools  330  pupils;  and  there  are 
many  more  making  application  for  admission.  Seven  competent  and 
faithful  teachers  are  employed,  and  all  things  are  moving  on  prosper- 
ously and  in  admirable  order.  We  are  so  far  delighted  with  the  opera- 
tions of  this  graded  system;  it  works  well  and  is  destined  to  become 
universally  popular.  At  the  last  meeting  of  the  board  the  following 
orders  were  passed: 

"Order  first.  The  school  year  shall  consist  of  forty-three  weeks, 
divided  into  three  terms  as  follows:  first,  a  winter  term  of  thirteen 
weeks  beginning  on  the  first  Monday  in  January;  second,  a  spring  term 
of  fourteen  weeks,  following  the  winter  term  without  vacation;  third,  a 
full  term  of  sixteen  weeks,  ending  the  last  Friday  before  the  25th  of 
December. 

"Order  second.   That  the  salary  of  the  principal  shall  be dollars 

per  year.  That  the  salary  of  the  male  teacher  of  the  second  grade  for 
the  coming  winter  term,  shall  be  at  the  rate  of  $400  per  year.  That  the 
salary  of  the  female  teachers  for  the  second  grade  shall  be  $175  per 
year.  That  the  salary  of  the  female  teachers  for  the  first  grade  shall  be 
$125  per  year,  except  for  inexperienced  teachers,  which  shall  be  $120 
per  year." 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  397 

From  the  erection  of  the  second  building  until  1880  inclusive,  the 
principals  and  greater  number  of  teachers  were  as  follows:  John  B.  and 
John  F.  Follett,  Miss  Richardson,  L.  B.  Hatch,  H.  D.  Perry,  J.  Long, 
John  D.  Bush,  Prof.  Merrill,  Prof.  Hurty,  J.  F.  Matson,  J.  S.  Nutt, 
W.  B.  Wilson,  J.  R.  Winstead,  C.  B.  Palmer,  G.  W.  Huflford,  Superin- 
tendent, 1870-71;  Louis  G.  Hufford,  1  year;  Anna  Wilber,  10  years,  1870- 
80;  Eliza  J.  McKnight,  3  years,  1870-74;  Mrs.  Jennie  Downey,  7  years, 
1870-77;  Mary  E.  Johnson,  1  year,  1870;  Matilda  Miller,  1  year,  1870; 
Mary  Cruger,  2  years,  1870-71;  Lottie  Lotham,  11  years,  1870-80; 
Lydia  Craft,  3  years,  1870-73;  Charles  B.  Palmer,  superintendent,  1 
year,  1871;  Hattie  Spencer,  1  year,  1871;  Fannie  C.  Walker,  1  year, 
1871;  Caroline  Bennett,  1  year,  1871;  P.P.  Stultz,  superintendent,  11 
years,  1871-82;  C.  E.  Bickmore,  3  years,  1872-74;  Lizzie  Croft,  3 
years,  1872-76;  Minerva  Romans,  3  years,  1873-76;  Rose  O.  Mitchell. 
3  years,  1874-76;  Dilla  Hanna,  2  years;  1874-75; 'Fannie  McAdams, 
1  year,  1875;  Mattie  Crouch,  4  years,  1876-80;  Mary  Elcock,  1  year, 
1876;  Nellie  Postoo,  3  years,  1876-78;  Clara  Robertson,  1  year,  1876; 
Maggie  Matson,  2  years,  1878-80;  Alice  Smith,  2  years,  1878-79;  Anna 
Join,  3  years,  1878-80;  Anna  Beaty,  4  years,  1877-80;  George  Morse, 
1  year,  1875;  Mary  Dorrel,  1  year,  1877;  Eliza  Lotton,  1  year,  1880; 
Fannie  Rabb,  2  years,  1878-79. 

Mr.  Stultz  severed  his  connection  with  the  schools  in  1882.  "Under 
the  superintendence  of  Prof.  Stultz  and  his  efficient  corps  of  assistants 
our  schools  have  been  a  success  in  all  that  the  word  success  imparts." 
His  successor  was  S.  S.  Overholt  who  has  had  the  management  and 
superintendence  of  the  schools  since  the  fall  of  1882,  conducting  the 
same  with  success. 

THE  FIEE   OF  1866. 

About  4  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Monday,  September  17,  1866, 
occurred  the  most  destructive  fire  the  town  had,  up  to  that  time,  ever 
experienced.  The  fire  originated  in  the  building  occupied  by  the  shoe 
store  of  Cox  &  Co. ,  on  the  upper  side  of  Main  Street,  and  spread  along 
Main  an<l  Fi'ont  Streets.  The  amount  of  loss  and  insurance  is  as 
follows: 

Mrs.  Mary  Campbell's  house  loss  $2,000;  insured  for  $1,000  in 
Phoenix  Company. 

Contents,  G.  W.  McAroy's  drug  store,  loss  $8,000;  insured  for  $2,000 
in  .^tna  Company.    • 

Dr.  Williams,    stored  tobacco,  loss  $1,200;  no  insurance. 

City — all  the  furniture  and  property  belonging  to  the  Mayor's  office, 
except  the  officers'  books. 


398  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

J,  Pate's  house,  loss  $1,500;  no  insurance.  Contents,  S.  A.  Yancey's 
grocery,  loss,  $2,200;  insured  for  $1,300  in  Underwriters,  New  York. 

G.  W.  L.  Cox  &  Co.— house,  loss  $1,500;  insured  for  $1,000  in  ^tna. 
Contents,   shoe  store;  insured  in  Underwriters,  New  York,  for  $1,200. 

Mrs.    Elizabeth  Haines'    house    and   contents,     loss   $3,000;    no    in- 
surance. 

Miss  Emma  Haines'  house  and  contents,  loss,  $1,500;  no  insurance. 

R.  T.  Murray's  dwelling  house,  loss,  $1,000;  no  insurance. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Moore's  dwelling  house,  loss  $1,000;  no  insurance. 

The  buildings  were  all  business  houses,  with  the  exception  of  the 
two  last  mentioned,  and  all  brick,  with  the  exception  of  the  one  last 
mentioned. 

The  total  loss  was  $22,900;  total  amount  of  insurance,  $6,500,  as 
follows:  ^tna,  $3,000;  Phoenix,  $1,000;  Underwriters,  |2,500. 

The  fact  of  the  lire  occurring  on  Monday,  A.  M.,  in  a  business  house 
where  no  light  or  fire  was  known  to  have  been  since  Saturday  night, 
leads  everybody  to  think  that  the  fire  was  occasioned  by  some  unlawful 
means,  but  anything  definite  as  to  its  origin  will  perhaps  forever  remain 
a  mystery. 

THE  FIRE  OF    1885. 

The  following  account  of  the  fire  is  taken  from  the  Rising  Sun 
Recorder  of  Saturday,  July  18,  1885: 

"At  11  o'clock  last  night  a  tire  broke  out  in  the  saloon  of  Wallace  P. 
Hall,  the  building  belonging  to  William  T.  Pate,  on  Poplar  Street,  and 
owing  to  the  extremely  dry  condition  of  the  buildings  and  no  fire  engine 
of  any  description,  the  flames  spread  rapidly  south  and  west,  burning 
all  the  buildings  up  to  Mrs.  M.  Haines'  brick  and  slate  roof  dwelling. 
It  was  saved  by  its  roof.  George  B.  Gibson's  corner  was  soon  on  fire; 
all  the  buildings  above  it  were  burned  up  to  and  including  the  building 
of  Coles  &  Wilbur,  occupied  by  C.  L.  Summers.  The  iron  roof  on  this 
building,  together  with  the  solid  brick  wall  on  the  upper  side  of  it, 
save4  Mrs.  Peck's  dwelling  and  the  buildings  above  it.  The  citizens 
worked  faithfully,  and  the  two  public  wells  were  of  great  benefit  in  fur- 
nishing  water. 

The  building  across  the  street,  owned  by  H.  S.  and  H.  Espey,  in 
which  is  the  Recorder  office,  was  saved  by  very  hard  work.  The  roof 
was  kept  flooded  with  water,  and  the  window  frames  in  the  second  story 
were  kept  wet.  The  glass  in  the  windows  was  cracked  by  the  heat  and 
water.  The  saving  of  this  building  was  all  that  saved  the  buildings  on 
that  side  of  the  square.  The  Presbyterian  Church  was  in  danger,  but 
escaped. 

The  stock  of  goods  on  the  ground  floors  of  the  buildings  destroyed 


CITY  OF  RISING   SUN.  399 

were  about  all  saved  by  carrying  in  the  street,  but  greatly  damaged. 
D.  B.  Hall  saved  a  portion  of  his  printing  material;  and  the  most  of  the 
contents  of  the  dwellings  consumed  were  saved.  It  is  a  sad  blow  to  this 
city.  The  best  business  part  is  in  ashes  and  debris.  The  fire  is  proba- 
bly the  work  of  an  incendiary,  but  at ^  this  early  hour  nothing  definite 
can  be  stated  about  it. 

The  losses,  at  a  rough  estimate,  are  as  follows,  with  insurance  cover- 
ing probably  half  the  amount. 

Beymer  &  Keeuey's  office,  etc |    500 

William  T.  Pate's  storerooms,  warehouse,  etc 3,000 

John  D.  McAdams'  saloon 200 

Wallace  P.  Hall's  saloon 200         _j 

Mrs.  Ulrey's  dwelling 400 

M.  K.  Haine's  two-story  frame  dwelling 1,500 

Mrs.  Fanny  S.  Wells'  building : 6,000 

George  B.  Gibson's  hardware  stock 2,000 

John  Q.  Davis,  boots  and  shoes 2,000 

David  C.  Thorn's  drug  store 1,500 

Lewis  Silvey's  two-story  brick 2,500 

John  W.  Gray's  grocery  and  building 3,000 

Samuel  Seward's  double  brick 4,000 

F.  W.  Marquett's  saddlery  shop 100 

Capt.  Hugh  Espey's  two-story  brick 2,500 

John  T.  Whitlock's  grocery  and  building 4,000 

A.  W.  Steel's  stock  furniture 600 

R.  L.  Davis'  law  books,  etc 500 

C.  L.  Summers'  dry  goods  and  groceries 1,000 

Cole  &  Wilber  Building 2,000 

D.  B.  Hall's  printing  office 500 

Horace  Shaw's  stable 200 

Noah  Rabb's  buildings  torn  down 400 

A.  C.  Downey 300 

Dr.  George  A.  Stevenson's  stable 200 

CEMETERIES. 

On  the  northern  outskirts  of  the  city  are  located,  side  by  side  two 
hallowed  spots— cities  of  the  dead.  What  is  known  as  the  old  grave- 
yard or  cemetery  comprises  ground  set  apart  for  burial  purposes  by  the 
proprietor  of  the  town  at  the  time  of  its  laying  out.  On  either  side  of 
the  original,  which  is  the  central  tract  on  the  north  side,  were  subse- 
quently made  additions  by  Rev.  James  Jones  and  Gilmore  &  Scranton. 
The  new  cemetery  lying  to  the  left  of  First  Street  as  you  go  out  from 
the  city,  styled  "Cedar  Hedge  Cemetery,"  was  the  property  of  John  H. 
Jones,  Esq.,  who  had  it  regularly  laid  out  and  beautified  in  1863.  Mr. 
Jones  still  owns  and  controls  the  grounds.  These  places  of  burial  are 
most  beautiful  and  attractive — the  old  with  its  numerous  shade  trees  and 


400  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

evergreens — the  new  with  its  rows  of  beautiful  cedar  and  choice  shrub- 
bery, and  the  two  with  substantial  and  costly  monuments  of  marble  and 
granite  give  them  an  air  pleasing  to  the  eye. 
Lucretius  says  of  the  earth: 

Omniparens  eadem  verum  est  commune  sejndchrum. 
The  parent  of  all,  she  is  also  the  common  sepulchre. 

Let  our  burial  places,  therefore,  be  beautified  with  the  "greenery  of 
nature,"  and  let  the  adornments  of  art  be  added  to  please  the  senses 
and  soothe  the  feelings  of  the  living. 

SOCIETIES. 

Rising  Sun  Lodge  No.  6,  of  F.  &  A.  Masons,  working  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  was  organized 
November  17,  1817,  by  authority  obtained  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Kentucky,  by  electing  Moses  Tapley,  W.  Master;  Benjamin  Duboice, 
S.  Warden;  Mathias  Haines,  J.  Warden;  assisted  by  Jonathan  Jenkins, 
Abel  C.  Pepper,  Jacob  Elliot  and  Benjamin  Gest.  They  held  their 
meetings  regularly  up  to  September,  1831.  Then,  by  reason  of  the 
Morgan  excitement,  the  lodge  thought  it  most  prudent  to  suspend  their 
meetings,  but  resumed  again  in  December,  1842.  The  number  that 
received  the  degrees  of  Masonry  in  the  lodge  fi'om  its  organization  to 
September,  1831,  was  63;  the  number  admitted  from  other  lodges  was 
23;  the  number  that  received  the  degrees  of  Masonry  from  December, 
1842,  to  1876,  was  156;  admitted  from  other  lodges,  29;  whole  number 
up  to  that  time  (1876),  271.  The  present  actual  membership  of  the 
lodge  is  46.  Present  officers:  R.  L.  Davis,  W.  M.;  D.  C.  Thorn,  S.  W.; 
Charles  F.  Miller,  J.  W. ;  John  Q.  Davis,  secretary;  John  W.  Gary, 
treasurer;  James  Hemphill,  J.  D. ;  W.  W.  Williams,  S.  D.  The  trustees 
are  William  Hemphill,  John  W.  Garey,  O.  H.  Miller. 

During  the  summer  of  1843  a  Masonic  edifice  was  built  over  the  Old 
School  Presbyterian  Church  at  a  cost  of  $1,000,  which  the  lodge  still 
occupies.  The  hall  was  dedicated  June  10,  1844,  Daniel  D.  Pratt  deliv- 
ering the  oration. 

Friendship  Lodge  No.  4,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized  May  22,  1838. 
The  charter  members  were  John  Neal,  Jeff  A.  French,  William  Ozier, 
William  Morrison,  James  Tait  and  John  Morrison.  Of  these,  only  one, 
James  Tait,  survives.  Total  number  of  members  received  up  to  1876, 
266;  members  now  in  good  standing,  98.  Present  officers:  Noble  Grand, 
Joshua  H.  Espey;  Vice  Grand,  Joseph  W.  Dalrymple;  secretary,  David 
S.  Wilber;  treasurer,  John  W.  Gary. 

The  lodge  building  is  located  on  the  south  side  of  Main  or  Third 
Street  between  Front  and  Poplar  Streets. 


CITY  OF  RISING   SUN.  401 

Eldridge  Encampment  I.  O.  O.  F.  was  organized  in  July,  1851.  It 
surrendered  its  charter,  however;  and  March  13,  1865,  reorganized  with 
David  Fisher,  Thomas  Shoup,  Adam  Herdegen,  Enos  Gary,  John  Zeiler, 
Samuel  Seward,  Pomeroy  Merrill,  M.  W.  Anderson,  and  Joseph  Cotton 
as  charter  members.  Total  number  enrolled, up  to  1876,  ninety- five.  Pi-es- 
ent  membership,  sixty-six.  Meetings  held  in  the  third  story  of  Odd  Fellows 
building  on  Main  Street.  The  present  officers  are  E.  A.  Igoe,  C.  P.;  G. 
W.  Bennett,  S.  W. ;  B.  F.  Hundley,  J.  W. ;  J.  H.  Espey,  Scribe;  G.  W. 
Gary,  treasurer. 

Rising  Sun  Lodge  No.  404,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  Wednesday 
evening  July  17,  1872,  by  D.  D.  G.  M.  William  F.  Hall,  assisted  by 
Past  Grands  S.  H.  Stewart  and  J.  M.  Long.  The  charter  members  were 
W.  H.  Smith,  James  Clore,  J.  T.  Matson,  K.  F.  Bobbins,  John  Clore, 
W.  H.  Buzett,  B.  F.  Miller,  George  B.  Gibson,  I.  B.  Grandy,  and  David 
Fisher.  The  following  officers  were  elected  and  installed:  John  T. 
Matson,  N.  G. ;  Keene  F.  Bobbins,  V.  G.;  William  H.  Smith,  secretary; 
James  Clore,  treasurer.  Begular  meetings  every  Saturday  night  at  the 
lodge  room  of  the  old  organization.  Friendship  Lodge  No.  4,  which  still 
continues  to  be  one  of  the  most  prosperous  organizations  of  old  Odd 
Fellows  in  the  State.  The  present  officers  are  as  follows:  N.  G.,  B.  F. 
Hundley;  V.  G.,  James  E.  Hemphill;  secretary,  J.  W.  Facemire; 
treasurer,  Oscar  Jones;  representative  to  G.  L.,  M.  L.  Powell.  The 
present  membership  is  forty-three.  The  order  of  Odd  Fellows  is  in  a 
healthy  and  flourishing  condition  in  Rising  Sun,  and  has  done  a  good 
work.  The  old  Lodge  No.  4,  owns  the  building  now  known  as  Odd 
Fellows  Hall,  and  has  a  neat  and  well  furnished  lodge  room. 

Ben  North  Post  No.  94,  G.  A.  R.  was  organized  in  Rising  Sun, 
August  30,  1882,  by  J.  S.  Wooden,  special  mustering  officer  of  the  De- 
partment of  Indiana  assisted  by  comrades  G.  H.  Dunn^  M.  G.  Tacrget, 
George  H.  McKey  and  George  W.  Buffington,  of  Post  No.  5,  comrade 
Penny  department  of  O.,  J.  C.  Hibbitts  Post  No.  88,  and  J.  S.  Whicher 
Post  No.  86,  with  eighteen  members.  The  first  officers  were  Commander, 
J.  B.  Coles;  S.  V.  C,  D.  C.  Thorn;  J.  V.  C,  J.  T.  Whitlock;  Quarter 
Master,  J.  W.  Facemire;  Surgeon,  Dr.  William  Gillespie;  Chaplain, 
Rev.  H.  F.  Olmstead;  Officer  of  the  Day,  M.  McGuire;  Officer  of  the 
Guard,  W.  A.  Ruter;  Adjutant,  William  H.  Smith;  Sergeant  Major,  D. 
B.  Hall;  Quarter  Master  Sergeant,  William  H.  Clark.  The  present 
officers  are  John  T.  Whitlock, Commander;  Smith  Redd,  S.  V.  C. ;  Ruel 
Fugit,  J.  V.  C. ;  George  W.  Bennett,  Q.  M. ;  John  W.  Facemire,  O.  D. ; 
William  H.  Smith,  ^djt.;  James  H.  Hayman,  O.  G. ;  H.  F.  Olmstead, 
Chap. ;  George  W.  Mapes,  Surg. ;  present  membership  forty-one  persons 
in  good  standing. 


102  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

THE  RISING  SUN  INSDRANCE  COMPANY 

"Was  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  Indiana  Legislature  at  the  session 
of  1833-34,  approved  by  Noah  Noble,  then  governor,  February  1,  1834, 
which  act  declared  that  '  the  corporation  hereby  created  shall  exist  for  the 
space  of  fifty  years  from  January  1,  1834,  and  no  longer.'  But  a  single 
month  of  life  remains  for  the  company,  and  for  that  reason  it  ceased  to 
transact  any  new  business,  and  terminated  all  its  risks  November  10, 
1883.  The  act  provided  that  '  the  books  for  the  subscription  to  the  cap- 
ital stock  of  the  company  shall  be  opened  in  the  town  of  Rising  Sun,  by 
and  under  the  direction  of  E.  S.  Bush,  S.  Hathaway,  J.  B.  Craft,  J. 
Haines,  J.  H.  O'Neal,  William  Lanius,  J.  Decoursey,  P.  James,  and  A. 
C.  Pepper.'  The  books  for  subscription  to  the  capital  stock  were  not 
opened,  however,  for  more  than  a  year  afterward.  In  the  Rising  Sun 
Times  of  May  9,  1835,  notice  was  given  over  the  signature  of  Joshua 
Haines,  P.  James  and  S.  Hathaway,  committee,  that  books  for  the  sub- 
scription to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company 
would  be  opened  at  the  store  of  P.  &  H.  James,  Monday  May  18th, 
and  continue  open  for  at  least  six  days.  In  the  same  paper  of  May  30, 
1835,  over  the  signatures  of  the  same  committees,  public  notice  is  given 
'  that  in  compliance  with  the  law  incorporating  an  insurance  company  in 
the  town  of  Rising  Sun  with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000,  the  books  were 
opened  and  the  stock  subscribed  according  to  law;  therefore  an  election 
will  be, held  at  the  store  of  P.  &  H.  James,  in  said  town  on  Saturday  the  13th 
of  June  next  at  6  o'clock  P.  M.,to  elect  nine  directors  for  said  company  ' 
provided  that  the  first  board  of  directors  should  consist  of  nine  stock- 
holders. There  was  a  provision,  however,  that  '  the  stockholders  may 
at  any  regular  meeting,  either  increase  or  diminish  the  number  of  direc- 
tors: Provided  that  there  shall  never  be  more  than  thirteen  nor  less  than 
five.' 

"There  were  thirty-four  subscribers  to  the  original  stock  of  the  com- 
pany, and  that  it  maybe  known  at  this  time  who  first  participated  in  the 
organization  of  this  company,  the  list  is  here  copied:  John  B.  Craft, 
Pinkney  James,  Caleb  A.  Craft,  Thomas  Nelson,  L.  W.  Lynn,  William 
Lanius,  William  Wade,  Cornelius  Miller,  Moses  Turner,  Daniel  Tapley, 
John  Morrison,  Alexander  E.  Glenn,  Mathias  Haines,  James  Jones,  L. 
N.  Hall,  John  James,  John  Tait,  Jr.,  Marcus  D.  Lykins,  John  Lanius, 
John  H.  Jones,  Joshua  Haines,  John  W.  Hall,  John  Tait.  Reese  A.  P. 
Gerard,  Benjamin  Smith,  Stephen  Hastings,  Amos  Hastings,  John  Neal, 
Joel  Decoursey,  Philip  Eastman,  S.  Hathaway,  James  B.  Smith,  Henry 
Collins  and  Jesse  Hewitt.  All  of  them  except  John  B.  Craft,  John  Tait 
Jr.,  S.  Hathaway,  Jesse  Hewitt  and  John  H.  Jones,  have  passed  away. 
I  knew  every  one  of  them  intimately  and  well,  and  now  recur  with  great 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  403 

pleasure  to  the  fact  that  every  one  of  them  was  my  friend.  I  also  desire 
in  this  place  to  acknowledge  that  from  many  of  them  I  received  at 
various  times  acts  of  kindness  and  words  of  encouragement  that  helped 
to  lighten  the  burdens  and  aid  in  the  struggles  that  fell  to  my  lot.  In 
the  Times  of  June  20,  1835,  editorial  mention  is  made  that  '  At  a  meet- 
ing of  the  stockholders  of  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company,  held  on 
Saturday  last,  the  following  persons  were  elected  directors  of  that  insti- 
tution to  serve  until  the  second  Monday  in  October  next,  viz:  Shadrach 
Hathaway,  Pinkney  James,  John  W.  Hall,  Joshua  Haines,  William  Lan- 
ius,  John  Neal,  Daniel  Topley,  John  B.  Craft,  and  Moses  Turner;  and 
that  at  a  meeting  of  the  directors  on  Tuesday  last,  Col.  James  was  elected 
president  and  Moses  Turner  secretary.'  The  editor  then  adds  that  'We 
understand  the  company  will  be  ready  to  take  risks  in  a  short  time.'  It 
will  be  observed  that  three  of  the  commissioners  named  in  the  act  of  in- 
corporation did  not  become  stockholders,  viz.:  E.  S.  Bush,  A.  C.  Pepper 
and  John  H.  O'Neal.  Between  the  date  of  incorporation  and  the  organ- 
ization of  the  company,  Mr.  Bush  had  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and 
was  therefore  no  longer  identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Eising 
Sun.  While  a  resident  here  he  kept  a  dry  goods  store  in  the  building 
now  owned  by  W.  H.  Kelso,  on  Front  Street,  and  for  a  time  resided  in 
the  adjoining  house,  now  owned  by  Mary  A.  White.  He  had  been  agent 
here  for  the  Protection  Insurance  Company  of  Hartford,  which  failed 
some  thirty  years  ago,  in  consequence  of  a  wide  spread  agency  business, 
and  it  is  probable  that  it  was  he  who  made  the  suggestion  of  organizing 
the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company. 

"Moses  Turner  succeeded  Mr.  Bush  in  the  dry  goods  business,  occupy 
ing  the  same  store,  his  first  advertisement  appearing  in  the  Times  of 
October  11,  1834.  He  also  succeeded  Mr.  Bush  as  agent  of  the  Provi- 
dence Insurance  Company,  as  would  appear  by  his  advertisement  in  the 
same  paper  of  October  18,  1834.  Being  in  the  insurance  business,  the 
secretaryship  naturally  devolved  upon  him. 

"  Since  the  store  of  P.  and  H.  James  figures  so  conspicuously  in  the 
early  history  of  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance;  Comf)any,  it  may  be  proper  to 
give  its  location.  As  early  as  1830—1  do  not  claim  to  be  precise  as  to 
date — Messrs.  C.  A.  Craft  &  Son  erected  a  large  brick  building  on  the 
river  bank,  on  the  east  side  of  Front  Street,  opposite  the  residence  of 
Capt.  Espey.  The  large  and  deep  basement  fronting  on  the  river  was 
used  for  packing  pork.  The  south  division  of  the  grade  floor  was  used 
as  a  dry  goods  store  by  Craft  &  Son,  the  middle  division  as  a  warehouse, 
and  the  north  division  was  the  famous  dry  goods  store  of  P.  and  H. 
James,  where  the  first  election  of  directors  and  the  first  election  of  offi- 
cers for  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company  was  held.     Solid  and  broad 


404  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  deep  as  were  the  foundations  of  that  building,  and  they  were  solid 
and  broad  and  deep,  and  although  laid  but  a  few  years  before  the  organ  - 
ization  of  the  company,  the  building  has  long  since  disappeared,  from 
natural  causes,  and  now  the  company  disappears,  only  because  a  narrow 
minded  and  illiberal  system  of  legislation  denies  it  a  continued  existence, 
and  cuts  it  off  in  a  new  vigor  of  its  matured  and  intelligent  manhood, 
and  in  the  days  of  its  greatest  usefulness;  but  the  integrity  of  purpose 
that  characterized  its  originators  has  remained  with  their  successors 
through  the  succeeding  generations  that  have  participated  in  its  manage- 
ment, and  it  retires  without  a  stain  upon  its  record — with  every  under- 
taking performed  and  every  promise  redeemed. 

"  But  I  must  return  to  the  '  craft  building,'  because  of  some  recollec- 
tions connected  with  it.  The  upper,  or  second  story,  was  in  the  one 
large  room,  and  it  was  used  for  various  purposes  in  addition  to  ware- 
house purposes.  It  was  in  this  room  that  the  late  and  esteemed  James 
Challen  preached  his  first  sermon,  and  held  his  first  meetings  in  Rising 
Sun,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Christian  Church  in  this  place.  It 
was  used  by  strolling  theatrical  companies,  and  the  first  theatrical  per- 
formance I  ever  saw  was  in  this  room.  It  was  there  that  I  first  saw  a 
locomotive  and  a  railroad  track,  which  was  being  floated  down  the  river 
in  a  flat-boat,  stopping  at  the  town  for  exhibition,  and  I  dag  potatoes 
for  Maxfield  Huston,  up  in  the  James'  old  orchard,  for  25  cents  a  day 
to  get  the  quarter  of  a  dollar  to  pay  for  admission  to  the  show.  Bat  I 
return  to  the  insurance  company.  In  the  Times  of  August  29,  1836,  is  an 
advertisement  over  the  signature  of  Moses  Turner,  secretary,  announcing 
that  '  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company  is  now  fully  organized  and 
prepared  to  take  risks,  both  in  the  marine  and  fire  departments,  on  as 
good  terms  as  any  other  office;  and  they  hope,  by  a  fair  and  liberal 
course,  to  merit  and  receive  the  confidence  and  patronage  of  the  public' 
The  editor  also  gives  the  new  company  a  good  send-off  by  a  first-class 
puff  in  the  first  article  in  the  editorial  column. 

"The  company  had  been  in  business  a  week  before  the  publication  of 
this  notice,  having  issued,  August  22,  1835,  the  flat-boat  policy  No.  1, 
in  the  sum  of  $1,150  at  2^  per  cent,  to  William  L.  Stockton,  '  on  the 
following  produce  now  on  board  a  flat-boat  called  the  "  Alpha,"  lying  at 
this  landing,  and  about  to  start  on  a  trading  voyage  to  New  Orleans,  with 
William  L.  Stockton,  commander,  viz. : 

1,575  bushels  onions  @  50c $793  50 

375  "        apples  @  25c 89  37 

100  "        potatoes  @  37ic 37  50 

672  slack  barrels  @  38c 188  16 

2  barrels  cider 6  00 

30  gallons  whisky  @  40c 12  00 

Boat,  72x18  feet,  with  anchor  and  sail,  60  yards 150  00 

$1,276  53 


CITY  OF  RISIxNG  SUN.  405 

'  The  risk  to  commence  on  this  day,  August  22,  1835,  at  12  o'clock  at 
noon,  and  to  continue  until  her  safe  arrival  at  New  Orleans,  unless  sooner 
sold  or  disposed  of.'  The  whisky  was  probably  disposed  of  in  a  man- 
ner different  from  that  of  the  onions,  apples  and  potatoes.  Policy  No. 
2  was  issued  to  Jeffei'son  A.  French,  in  $1,000  on  the  cargo  of  the  fiat- 
boat  '  Eagle,'  September  2,  1835. 

'  'Taking  it  for  granted  that  the  business  transacted  by  the  Rising  Sun 
Insurance  Company  is  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  company,  I  shall  have 
to  trespass  upon  your  space,  Mr.  Editor  of  the  Recorder,  by  giving  some 
notes  of  its  business.  I  have  another  object  in  view,  that  of  showing 
that  fashions  in  flat-boating  change,  as  well  as  the  ladies'  apparel.  The 
men  who  insured  their  flat-boats  in  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company, 
in  1835,  could  not  have  been  made  to  believe  that  it  was  possible  to  run 
safely  such  large  boats  and  such  immense  cargoes  of  potatoes  and  hay  as 
are  now  regularly  run  from  Rising  Sun  and  other  adjacent  points.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  is  quite  as  much  of  a  mystery  to  the  boatmen  of  this 
day  to  know  how  they  could  come  out  even  with  such  umall  cargoes  as 
they  ran  in  flat-boats  in  1835. 

"  The  cargo  of  Jefferson  A.  French's  boat,  'Eagle,'  consisted  of  oats, 
onions,  potatoes,  apples,  tin-ware,  wooden-ware,  bedsteads,  cigars,  bacon, 
whisky,  cheese  and  flour,  and  its  value,  boat  included,  was  $1,000. 

"  John  M.  Lemon's  boat,  'Mike  Fink,'  which  was  the  third,  had  sub- 
stantially the  same  cargo,  with  a  couple  of  barrels  of  whisky,  some  stone- 
ware (jugs,  probably,)  and  hickory  brooms  added,  and  was  worth  $1,200. 

"  Joseph  Barricklow,  who  carried  on  a  pottery  here,  had  $400  worth 
of  stone-ware  on  board  the  '  Fox;'  boat  and  cargo  worth  $800. 

"Joseph  Meeker  loaded  the  'Dare'  with  apples,  potatoes,  onions,  oats, 
stone-ware,  coopers'  staves,  hoop-poles  and  molasses  barrels;  value  of 
boat  and  cargo,  $550.  Mr.  Meeker  and  his  brother,  William,  carried  on 
the  business  of  coopering,  and  usually  went  South  in  the  winter  to  work 
at  their  trade,  taking  material  with  them.  Mr.  Meeker  was  on  his  way 
South  to  work  at  his  trade  when  he  lost  his  life  by  the  explosion  of  the 
steamer  'Lucy  Walker,'  opposite  New  Albany,  Ind, 

"Samuel  and  Noah  Seward  took  out  the  'Shoal  Water,'  with  a  cargo 
of  apples,  oats,  onions,  potatoes  and  stone-ware.  Boat  and  cargo  valued 
at  $460. 

"  Joseph  Close  had  substantially  the  same  kind  of  a  cargo  in  the 
'Star,'  valued  at  $476. 

"Cornelius  Miller  sent  out  the  '  Randolph,'  laden  with  thirty  tons  of 
hay,  molasses  barrels,  oats,  apples,  onions,  pickles  and  stone-ware.  Value 
of  boat  and  cargo  $719.  John  DeHart  was  master  of  the  '  Randolph.' 
At  that  time  a  good  many  molasses  barrels  were  shipped  South.  To 
utilize  space,  they  were  usually  filled  with  oats. 


406  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"Bradley  B.  Loring  loaded  the  'Spy'  with  550  barrels  of  apples,  worth 
$485;  105  barrels  of  potatoes,  70  bai-rels  of  onions,  11  sacks  of  oats 
and  43  baskets,  all  worth,  boat  included,  |794,  and  sent  it  out  in  com- 
mand of  Kiley  Noble. 

"September  30,  Jennings  &  Brewington,  of  Aurora,  procured  'insur- 
ance on  the  cargoes  of  two  flat-boats,  commanded  by  W.  Weaver,  which 
passed  this  place,  this  morning,'  to  wit: 

83tonsl4cwt.  11  lbs.  hay $830  00 

19bbls.  onions  @1.75 17  50 

$847  50 
"  What  would  the   shippers  by  flat-boats  in  these  days,  who  put  over 
300  tons  in  a  single  boat,   think  of  having  to  buy  two  boats  to  carry  83 
tons    1,411    pounds.     They  would   not    object   to   the    rate  of  premium 
charged  those  two  cargoes,  namely,  2|  per  cent. 

"  The  foregoing  embraced  all  the  flat-boats  insured  up  to  the  end  of 
September,  1835.  But  one  flat-boat  cargo  was  insured  in  October.  On 
the  26th  of  that  month,  Preston  Conaway  insured  one  flat-boat,  to  be 
commanded  by  Thomas  Johnson: 

125  bushels  Corn  @  25  cts $31  25 

300  sacks  Oats  @  60  cts 180  00 

20  bushels  dried  Peaches  @  $2.50 50  00 

500  Turkeys  @  50  cts 250  00 

1  Horse 80  00 

10  Dozen  chickens  @  1.00 10  00 

$551  25 
"Frequent  shipments  of  turkeys  and  chickens  were  made  South  both  by 
steam-boats   and  flat-boats  in   those   days.     Following  this   turkey  and 
chicken  boat,  was  the  boat  of  William  Patterson  on  the  9th  of  Novem- 
ber, containing: 

36  head  of  Cattle  @  $20 $720 

400  Hogs@  $4 160 

800  bushels  Corn  @  80  cts 240 

$1,120 
"The  next  boat  was  one  owned  and  commanded  by  John  Grace,  loaded 
with  the  usual  cargo  and  the  addition  of  two  barrels  of  cider  and  233 
heads  of  cabbage,  the  products  of  later  in  the  season.  He  also  had  a 
lot  of  furniture,  which  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite  article  with  the 
boatman.     The  value  of  boat  and  cargo  was  $865. 

"Jefiferson  A.  French  must  have  made  a  quick  and  profitable  voyage,  as 
he  got  back  from  the  one  begun  September  2,  and  was  ready  to  start 
with  '  No.  2  '  on  the  18th  of  November,  laden  with  whisky,  flour,  cheese, 
tobacco,  cigars,  pork,  beans,  apples,  potatoes  and  onions,  and  all  worth, 
boat  not  included,  $1,125. 


CITY  OF  RISING  SUN.  407 

"  Forty-eight  years — almost  half  a  century — has  passed  since  these 
voyages  were  made.  Of  the  eighteen  persons  whose  names  are  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  them,  only  four,  Jefferson  A.  French,  Samuel 
Seward,  Kiley  Noble  and  Preston  Conaway,  are  still  living.  Mr.  Pat- 
terson, who  was  then  the  oldest  man  of  them  all,  excepting,  perhaps.  Col. 
Cornelius  Miller,  was  the  last  to  depart  of  those  who  are  gone.  But 
four  of  the  active  participants  in  the  business  of  these  voyages  are  left; 
the  president  and  secretary  of  the  company  are  both  gone,  and  but  two 
of  the  directors  are  living.  So  that  there  are  but  few  with  whom  to 
revive  memories  of  either  early  flat-boating  or  early  underwriting  in 
Rising  Sun;  there  are,  however,  children  and  grandchildren  who  will,  I 
trust,  feel  interested  in  the  brief  account  of  the  .business  transactions 
of  their  ancestors  in  and  about  Rising  Sun,  which  I  may  be  able  to  glean 
from  papers  pertaining  to  the  history  of  the  town  and  its  vicinity,  that 
I  have  succeeded  at  some   pains  and  expense  in  procuring. 

"  The  business  of  the  company  at  its  opening  was  conducted  with  a 
good  deal  of  formality — somewhat  on  the  principle  of  what  is  now  known 
as  'red  tape.'  The  president  and  the  secretary  had  power  to  take  ma- 
rine insurance  not  exceeding  $2,000  in  any  one  week  ;  but  in  live  weeks 
a  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  assist  the  president  and  secretary 
in  determining  their  eligibility;  and  in  case  the  whole  live  were  not 
unanimous  in  their  opinion,  the  board  was  to  be  convened  and  pass  upon 
the  risk.  We  may  very  fairly  presume  that  when  the  officers  and  com- 
mittee failed  to  agree  upon  the  acceptance  of  a  risk  that  the  board  would 
not  be  lijiely  to  accept  it.  The  first  tire  committee  was  composed  of  S. 
Hathaway,  John  Neal  and  Joshua  Haines. 

"  Fire  insurance  is  transacted  in  these  days  quite  in  contrast  with 
that  period.  Instead  of  having  the  careful  consideration  of  experienced 
business  men  and  men  of  rare  good  judgment,  as  were  the  officers  and 
committee  of  that  company,  who  not  only  discussed  the  physical  but  the 
moral  hazard  of  the  risk,  an  agent  takes  the  risk  oftentimes  without  see- 
ing it  or  ascertaining  anything  of  the  character  of  the  owner,  having  in 
view  only  the  commission  he  is  to  receive  for  accepting  it.  No  wonder 
that  the  losses  by  tire  in  the  United  States  now  reach  the  enormous  sum 
of  $100,000,000  annually."— >S.  F.  Covington. 

THE  CENTENNIAL  FOURTH. 

Independence  day,  1876,  was  appropriately  observed  by  the  ciitzens 
of  Ohio  County.  About  sunrise  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the  ringing  of  the 
bells  of  the  city  announced  the  beginning  of  the  exercises  of  the  day.  The 
next  thing  on  the  program  was  the  grand  march  of  the  Earthquakes,  led  by 
the  city  band,  the  rear  being  brought  up  and  well  sustained  by  Gibson's 


408  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

chime  of  bells  on  wheels.  Next  -was  formed  the  procession  for  marching 
to  the  grove,  which,  after  parading  through  the  principal  streets,  took 
the  road  leading  to  the  beautiful  grove  of  Moses  Turner,  one-half  mile 
above  the  city.  The  procession,  which  consisted  of  old  men  representing 
the  thirteen  original  States  ;  one  hundred  girls,  representing  the  years  of 
the  century  ;  forty -nine  boys,  representing  the  then  number  of  States,  Ter- 
ritories and  the  District  of  Columbia  ;  the  Odd  Fellows  in  regalia,  fol- 
lowed by  citizens  in  wagons,  carriages  and  buggies,  on  horseback  and  on 
foot,  was  led  by  the  brass  band  and  formed  such  an  one  as  was  never  be- 
fore witnessed  there.  Col.  Dodd  had  gotten  up  a  nice  flag  for  the  old 
men,  which  was  carried  by  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  war.  William 
Goldson,  aged  eighty-five  years  and  six  months,  was  sitting  in  a  chair 
known  to  be  over  one  hundred  and  sixteen  years  old. 

The  exercises  at  the  grove  consisted  of  prayer,  by  Rev.  J.  F.  McClain  ; 
historical  address  by  G.  W.  Morse,  and  an  oration  by  Judge  W.  A. 
Cullen,  and  came  in  order  named.  George  W.  Lane  was  called  on  and 
offered  some  remarks  pertaining  to  pioneer  matters.  Toasts  were  then 
responded  to.  Among  those  replying  were  J.  F.  McClain,  Col.  H. 
E.  Dodd,  M.  S.  Marble,  C.  C.  Edwards  and  Rev.  I.  B.  Grundy. 

Most  of  the  business  houses  and  private  residences  of  the  city  were 
decorated  with  American  flags  and  other  patriotic  emblems,  and  the  event 
called  together  one  of  the  largest  crowds  that  ever  assembled  in  Ohio 
county. 


LAWRENCEBURGH  TOWNSHIP.  409 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 
LAWRENCEBURGH  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— First  Land  Sales— Pioneers  and  Pio- 
neer Settlements — Incidents  and  Early  Condition  of  the 
Country— Antiquities-Schools,  Churches,  and  Graveyards- 
Early  Mills,  Distilleries,  etc.— Hardinsburgh— Greendale. 

LAWRENCEBURGH  TOWNSHIP  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Miller 
TownBhip,on  the  east  by  the  State  of  Ohio  and  the  Great  Miami  River, 
on  the  south  by  Centre  Township  and  the  Ohio  River,  and  on  the  west 
by  Manchester  and  Centre  Townships.  Its  boundaries  in  1826,  as  then 
laid  out  and  established  by  the  board  of  county  supervisors,  were  as  fol- 
lows: "Commencing  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River;  thence  to 
the  northeast  corner  of  Town  6;  thence  west  to  the  range  line  between 
Ranges  1  and  2;  thence  south  with  said  line  to  Hogan  Creek;  thence 
eastwardly  with  the  meanders  of  Hogan  Creek  to  the  Ohio  River;  thence 
up  said  river  of  Ohio,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  and  place  of 
beginning." 

Lawrenceburgh  Township  as  then  described,  in  addition  to  its  present 
territory,  included  the  entire  township  of  Miller,  nearly  three  sections  of 
York,  and  about  one-half  of  Centre.  It  lost  its  territory  in  Township 
6,  Range  1  west  (a  Congressional  township)  on  the  formation  of  Miller 
Township  in  1834;  it  was  lessened  to  the  extent  of  that  portion  of  Cen- 
tre Township  lying  north  of  the  north  branch  of  Hogan  Creek  in  1839 
and  1849,  and  in  1850  was  given  it  from  Miller  Township  the  three  sec- 
tions and  a  half  lying  in  the  southeast  corner  thereof.  In  1852  the  fol- 
lowing described  boundaries  were  assigned  to  the  township,  since  which 
time  no  material  change  has  taken  place:  "Beginning  on  the  Ohio  River 
on  the  line  dividing  the  State  of  Indiana  from  Ohio,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Great  Miami  River,  running  on  said  State  line  north  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  Section  25,  Town  6,  Range  1  west;  thence  west  on  the  section 
line  dividing  Sections  24  and  25,  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  25; 
thence  south  to  the  southwest  corner  of  said  Section  25;  thence  west  on 
the  section  line  dividing  Sections  35  and  26,  to  where  a  line  drawn  north 
and  south  through  the  center  of  Section  34  strikes  said  line;  thence  south 
through  the  center  of  Section  34,  to  the  line  dividing  Congressional 
Townships  5  and  6,  Range  1  west;  thence  west  on  said  township  line  to 


4]  0  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  line  dividing  Kanges  1  and  2;  thence  south  on  the  Congressional 
Township  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section 
7,  Range  1  west;  thence  east  to  the  center  of  said  Section  7;  thence  east 
along  the  south  line  of  Alfred^  Howe's  land  in  said  Section  7,  to  the 
center  of  Wilson  Creek;  thence  down  Wilson  Creek  until  said  creek  in- 
tersects the  north  line  of  Section  20;  thence  east  to  the  northeast  corner 
of  Section  20;  thence  south  to  the  southeast  corner  of  Section  20;  thence 
east  on  the  section  line  dividing  Sections  21  and  28,_^to  the  Ohio  River, 
at  the  mouth  of  Tanner's  Creek;  thence  up  the  Ohio  River  to  the  place 
of  beginning." 

FIRST    LAND    SALES. 

The  original  disposition  of  the  lands  of  the  township  by  the  Govern- 
ment, with  the  names  of  the  persons  to  whom  sold,  and  the  dates  when 
sold,  is  given  below: 

Township  5,  Range  1  west. 

Fractional  Section  1,  sold  April  9,  1801,  to  Joseph  Hayes. 

Fractional  Section  2,  April  27,  1801,  to  George  Crist  and  H.  Hardin. 

Section  3  sold,  in  1802,  to  Barnett  Hulick. 

A  portion  of  Section  4,  in  1809,  to  Samuel  Bond,  in  1812  to  William 
Caldwell  and  John  Howard,  in  1815,  to  Timothy  Guard. 

A  portion  of  Section  5,  in  1808,  to  Samuel  Bond;  in  1809,  to  Thomas 
Townsend;  in  1814,  to  John  Ferris;  in  1815,  to  Amos  Way  and  Isaac 
Lamasters. 

A  portion  of  Section  6,  in  1815,  to  Jacob  Brasher,  Leonard  Chase 
and  David  Rees. 

A  portion  of  Section  8,  in  1811,  to  Caleb  Pugh;  in  1815,  to  Enoch 
Pugh  and  David  Rees;  in  1817,  to  Jesse  Laird. 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  in  1808,  to  Samuel  Bond;  in  1811,  to  Dell 
Elder;  in  1816,  to  Zebulon  Pike. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  and  fractional  Sections  11  and  12,  to  Zebu- 
lon Pike;  re-entered  by  Jesse  Hunt,  assignee;  John  Brown,  December  3, 
1806. 

Fractional  Sections  13,  14,  and  15,  July  23,  1801,  to  Samuel  C. 
Vance. 

A  portion  of  Section  17,  in  1810,  to  DavidDatton;  in  1812,  to  Adam 
Pate;  in  1814.  to  George  Weaver  and  John  Dumos. 

Township  6,  Range  1  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  25,  in  1815,  to  Daniel  Perine;  in  1831,  to 
Thomas  Brannin,  Mary  Muer,  John  Davis. 

A  portion  of  Section  34  (part  in  Miller  Township),  in  1806,  to  Jacob 
Froman,  Isaac  L.  Masters;  in  1813,  to  Samuel  Evans;  in  1814,  to 
Stephen  Ludlow. 


LAWRENCEBURGH  TOWNSHIP.  411 

A  portion  of  Section  35,  in  1811,  to  Robei't  Piatt,  James  Hayes,   Job 
Miller,  Hy  Hardin;  in  1804,  to  Thomas  Miller. 
Section  36,  April  9,  1801,  to  Joseph  Hayes. 

PIONEEKS    AND    PIONEER    SETTLEMENTS. 

To  this  township  is  given  the  credit  of  the  first  settlement  made 
within  the  limits  of  Dearborn  County.  What  is  here  said  on  this  sub- 
ject is  from  Samuel  Morrison,  Esq.,  of  Indianapolis,  formerly  for  many 
years  a  resident  of  this  county,  and  who  has  written  freqiiently  on  the 
first  settlement  of  this  section  of  the  country. 

In  the  spring  of  1791,  Capt.  Joseph  Hayes,  an  officer  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  family,  his  two  married  sons,  Job  and  Joseph  Hayes, 
Jr.,  their  wives  and  children,  his  two  sons-in-law,  Thomas  Miller,  Sr., 
wife  and  five  children,  James  Bennett  and  wife,  Benjamin  "Walker,  wife 
and  three  children,  Samuel,  John  and  Joseph,  and  their  sister  Jane 
Walker,  Isaac  Polk,  Garrett  Van  Ness  and  Joseph  Kitchell,  landed  at 
North  Bend,  on  the  Ohio  River.  During  the  previous  spring  (1790") 
Alexander  Guard  and  his  wife,  Hannah,  and  their  four  children,  had 
landed  at  the  same  point.  The  names  of  the  children  of  this  couple 
were  Timothy,  David,  Ezra  and  Bailey.  In  1793,  Capt.  Hayes  and 
Thomas  Miller,  Sr.,  took  a  lease  of  Judge  John  Cleves  Symmes,  for  a 
tract  of  land  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  and  removed  there 
early  that  spring,  and  to  this  point  nearly  the  entire  colony  removed. 
Here  Capt.  Hayes  and  family,  and  the  families  of  his  children,  remained 
and  cultivated  the  soil  as  best  they  could,  until  after  the  ratification  of 
the  treaty  of  Greenville.  Says  Morrison,  "Early  in  the  spring  of  1796, 
Capt.  Hayes  and  family,  and  the  families  of  Joseph  Hayes,  Jr.,  and 
Thomas  Miller,  Sr. ,  removed  west  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  and  settled 
in  this  county  (then  Knox  County,  Northwestern  Territory).  Thomas 
Miller  and  Joseph  Hayes,  Jr.,  purchased  the  first  tract  of  land  purchased 
of  the  United  States,  in  the  now  State  of  Indiana.  Their  purchase  was 
fractional  Section  1,  Township  5,  Range  1  west,  and  Section  36,  Town- 
ship 6,  Range  1  west,  containing  in  all  973.32  acres,  April  1,  1801; 
paid  out  in  1810,  amount,  interest  and  expenses,  $2,635.03  in  silver. 
This  tract  of  land,  with  the  addition  of  over  4,000  acres  more  land,  is 
still  owned  by  their  descendants  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation." 
The  sections  of  land  above  referred  to  are  located  a  little  northeast  of 
Hardinsburgh,  and  are  next  to  the  State  line.  Section  1,  also  touching  the 
Miami  River. 

Mr.  Morrison  is  the  authority  for  our  saying  that  in  1796,  Alexander 
Guard  and  family  moved  west  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  and  settled  in 
that  beautiful   bottom    west   of    Elizabethtown,    and    from    thence  into 


412  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Dearborn  County.  In  1793,  this  family  had  moved  down  to  Hayes' 
Station,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami. 

Among  others  living  at  the  station  referred  to,  who  moved  into  the 
county  in  1796,  and  settled  in  the  township,  were  William  Girard  and 
wife,  and  two  sons,  Eli  and  Elias  and  daughter,  Mrs.  Crist  and  husband 
George,  and  three  step-children,  Rees,  Rachel  and  William.  They  set- 
tled one  mile  above  Hardinsburgh. 

The  same  year  Henry  Hardin  and  family,  consisting  of  William, 
Mary,  James,  Catharine,  John  and  Philip,  settled  on  the  site  of  the 
hamlet  of  Hardinsburgh. 

Other  families  settling  in  the  township  in  1796  were  those  of  Will- 
iam Allensworth  and  Isaac  Allen,  who  occupied  the  land  subsequently 
known  as  the  Samuel  Morrison  farm. 

In  March,  1802,  Samuel  C.  Vance,  James  Hamilton  and  Benjamin 
Chambers  pitched  a  large  tent  on  the  site  of  Lawi-enceburgh  and  laid  it 
out  into  lots,  the  land  having  previously  been  entered  from  the  General 
Government  by  Vance.     This  same  year  Dr.  Jabez  Percival  located  here. 

In  the  spring  of  1806  Elijah  Sparks  (grandfather  of  the  Sparks 
Bros.,  merchants  of  Lawrenceburgh),  a  Methodist  minister,  removed  to 
the  township,  from  Bark  Lick,  Ky.  (now  Covington),  though  originally 
coming  from  Virginia.  Mr.  Sparks  was  a  man  of  much  usefulness  and 
of  considerable  prominence  in  the  county,  and*further  reference  is  made 
of  him  elsewhere  in  this  work.  In  1807-08  he  built  a  brick  house  some 
distance  above  the  mouth  of  Tanner's  Creek,  toward  Lawrenceburgh. 

In  1810  Henry  Fowler  and  family,  removing  from  Virginia,  settled 
on  Wilson's  Creek;  he  was  the  father  of  the  venerable  Robert  Fowler  of 
Lawrenceburgh. 

The  Hayes  and  Guard  families  emigrated  from  the  States  of  Pensyl- 
vania  and  New  Jersey  respectively. 

Below  is  given  an  account  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  township 
written  in  1876  by  Geo.  W.  Lane: 

"In  the  year  1791,  Capt.  Joseph  Hayes,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  set- 
tled with  his  family  in  the  Miami  Valley,  known  as  the  Big  Bottom. 
This  is  I'egarded  as  the  first  settlement  in  the  county  of  Dearborn. 
Capt.  Hayes  raised  a  large  family,  all  of  whom  remained  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  they,  also,  were  blessed  with  numerous  children  until,  at 
this  day,  the  name  and  descendants  may  be  counted  by  scores,  and  many 
of  them  ai-e  engaged  in  cultivating  fields  in  the  valley  their  sire  dis- 
covered. 

"Capt.  Hayes  was  accompanied,  or  soon  after  followed,  by  Job  Hayes, 
who  settled  near  what  was  called  the  Goose  Pond. 

"Joseph  Hayes,  the  second,  who  accumulated  a  large  fortune  by  his 


LAWRENciBURGH  TOWNSHIP.  413 

own  industry  and  good  judgment,  resided  near  Lawrenceburgh.  His 
life  was  spared  to  a  good  old  age,  having  the  privilege  of  seeing  his  de- 
scendants of  the  third  generation.  Of  him  and  his  family  pages  might 
be  written,  but  suffice  it  to  say  he  was  the  father  of  wealthy  bankers, 
worthy,    intelligent  and  law  abiding  citizens. 

"Walter  Hayes, who  lived  for  a  number  of  years  near  the  State  line. 

"Jacob  Hayes,  of  sterling  worth  and  great  memory,  who  owned  a  large 
farm  on  Tanner's  Creek. 

"Enoch  Hayes,  who  lived  near  Elizabethtown. 

"Abiah  Hayes,  of  Hardinsburgh,  who  never  was  in  a  hurry  but 
moved  to  purpose.  He  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  stern  integrity, 
of  but  few  words,  but  when  he  did  speak  all  listened  with  respect.  Had 
he  been  educated  in  early  life,  his  name  might  have  adorned  more  than 
one  fair  page  of  his  country's  history. 

"Thomas  Miller,  of  pleasant  memory,  who  came  with  Capt.  Hayes, 
and  after  suffering  many  dangers  and  making  many  narrow  escapes,  an 
account  of  which  would  fill  a  volume,  he  with  his  kind-hearted  compan- 
ion made  their  hom«  in  the  stone  house  that  yet  stands  as  a  reminder  of 
the  generous  hospitality  of  these  pioneer  occupants.  As  one  evidence 
of  their  liberality,  say  in  1828,  on  the  return  of  John  F.  Lane  from 
West  Point,  where  he  had  graduated,  they  gave  a  regular  old  fashioned 
Fourth  of  July  celebration,  to  which  all  the  Hayeses,  Millers  and  country 
around  were  invited,  and  after  an  oration  from  young  Lane  and  others, 
a  free  and  bounteous  dinner  was  given  to  all,  and  none  were  so  happy 
as  Mother  Miller,  as  she  arranged  the  girls  on  one  side  of  the  long  table 
that  was  placed  in  the  orchard,  and  us  boys  on  the  other,  and  saw  that 
our  plates  were  well  supplied.  The  writer  is  thankful  that  his  life  is 
still  spared  to  make  some  return  for  favors  received,  by  perpetuating 
their  names  in  this  Centennial  History  of  Dearborn  County. 

"Job  Miller,  another  son-in-law,  came  with  Capt.  Hayes,  and  for 
many  years  resided  in  Hardinsburgh,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

"In  1796,  Alexander  Guard  and  family  removed  from  North  Bend  to 
this  county.  Mr.  Guard  had  landed  at  North  Bend  in  1790,  a  year  pre- 
vious to  Capt.  Hayes,  and  may  have  selected  their  homes  or  made  their 
location  on  this  side  of  the  Miami  as  early  as  Capt.  Hayes,  and  it  is  not 
for  the  writer  to  say  which  family  'was  entitled  to  the  honor  of  being 
first,  but  it  may  be  said  with  truth  that  both  were  here  long  before  it 
was  safe  for  their  families.  Mr.  Guard  was  the  father  of  Timothy, 
David,  Ezra  and  Bailey  Guard.  David  Guard  married  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Miller  and  resided  at  Lawrenceburgh.  The  other  brothers  lived 
on  farms  in  the  Big  Bottom,  and  from^the  number  on  guard  at  this  day 
it  is  not  likely  that  the  name  will  become  extinct. 


414  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"Later  in  the  year  1796  Henry  Hardin,  William  AUensworth,  Judge 
John  Levingston  and  his  father,  Abner  Gray,  William  Gerard,  George 
Crist  and  Isaac  Allen  with  their  families  settled  in  the  township." 

In  speaking  of  the   settlers  from  1800   to  1812,  Mr.  Lane  continues: 

"David  Rees  located  the  tract  of  land  between  Tanner's  and  Wil- 
son's Creeks  in  1804,  still  known  as  the  Rees  farm,  and  now  mostly 
owned  by  his  sons  Amos,  David,  Jr.,  and  Reason  Rees,  worthy,  good 
citizens  of  influence,  and  highly  respected  for  their  integrity,  prompt 
and  fair  dealing. 

"  George  Weaver  selected  a  tract  just  east,  where  he  lived  with  his 
family  a  number  of  years,  honored  and  respected.  His  son  Samuel 
was  one  of  the  most  chivalrous,  high  toned,  daring  young  men  that 
graced  the  forest  homes  of  the  period,  the  captain  at  the  huskings,  the 
first  to  lead  off  at  the  country  dance,  the  acknowledged  leader  in  all 
deeds  of  danger,  generous  to  a  fault,  liberal  without  measure  and  an 
acceptable  visitor  in  the  best  society. 

'•His  uncle,  Capt.  John  Weaver,  was  one  of  the  most  truly  worthy 
men  that  graced  the  frontier  settlements.  He  rendered  valuable  services 
in  defending  the  homes  of  the  pioneers  from  the  Indians,  and  was 
always  regarded  as  the  bravest  of  the  brave. 

"Capt.  James  W.  Weaver  was  often  called  to  lead  his.  company  in 
driving  back  the  savage  foe  that  threatened  to  destroy  all  the  pale  faces 
on  this  side  of  the  Ohio.  Less  worthy  heroes  have  had  books  written 
in  their  praise,  while  with  many  of  those  who  defended  this  country  and 
preserved  its  pioneers  from  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife,  rests  alone 
on  the  memory  of  a  few  of  their  old  associates  or  their  immediate  de- 
scendants to  do  them  justice  and  preserve  their  names  from  the  tomb  of 
forgetfulness.  Capt.  Weaver  was  an  enterprising  business  man  and  was 
among  the  first  to  engage  in  running  boats  down  the  river  loaded  with 
the  surplus  produce  of  this  county,  which  he  continued  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  many  will  remember  him  for  his  promptness  and  fair  deal- 
ing; his  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond;  he  prized  his  honor  as  his  life 
and  would  as  soon  have  parted  with  one  as  the  other. 

"Davis  W^eaver  was  a  genial  and  pleasant  gentleman,  fond  of  com- 
pany and  enjoyed  a  good  story  or  an  inoffensive  joke;  he  could  not  do 
too  much  for  a  friend;  as  a  business  man.  he  was  straight- forward  and  a 
law  abiding  citizen. 

"In  1803,  Maj.  Zebulon  Pike  settled  on  the  ridge  road  northwest  of 
Lawrenceburgb,  where  he  resided  for  a  number  of  years.  Maj.  Pike 
served  during  the  Revolutionary  war  with  great  distinction  and,  like 
many  others,  gave  up  all  his  property  to  the  cause.  The  war  over,  the 
government  was  tardy  in  recognizing  his  services    and  claims,  but  a  few 


LAWRENCEBURGH  TOWNSHIP.  415 

years  before  his  death  these  were  in  part  settled.  In  1834  he  died, 
honored  and  respected  by  the  entire  community.  His  eldest  son,  Gen. 
Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike,  was  an  officer  in  the  regular  service  of  the 
United  States.  In  1807  he  was  assigned  to  special  duty,  and  with  a 
party  of  men  explored  the  Mississippi  River  from  St.  Louis  to  its  head. 
After  his  return,  and  satisfactory  report  to  the  War  Department  and  Con- 
gress, Maj.  Pike  was  appointed  to  explore  the  Western  World.  In 
1809  he  started  from  St.  Louis  with  a  complement  of  men  and  boats, 
passing  up  the  Missouri  River  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kaw,  or  Kansas 
River,  which  they  followed  until  they  came  to  the  Great  Plains.  Leav- 
ing the  valley  of  Kaw  River  they  traveled  south  to  the  Arkansas  River 
and  up  that  stream  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  long  before  reaching  which 
he  mentions,  in  his  report,  of  seeing  a  high  mountain  that  was  visible 
over  150  miles  from  its  base.  This  mountain  he  did  not  name  in  his 
official  report,  but  it  has  been  named  by  others  after  the  brave  explorer, 
and  to  this  day  it  is  called  "Pike's  Peak,"  and  may  for  all  time  be  rec- 
ognized as  a  fit  monument  to  the  memory  of  an  exalted  American 
citizen,  who  was  the  first  of  his  countrymen  to  see  its  bold  head  tower- 
ing far  above  all  surroundings. 

"  Gen.  Pike  entered  the  mountains  at  a  place  now  known  as  Cannon 
City,  from  there  to  the  South  Park,  thence  south  to  San- Loua  Park, when 
with  a  few  men  left  of  his  party  he  went  into  winter  quarters.  Here 
he  was  arrested  by  a  party  of  Spaniards  and  taken  to  Santa  Fe,  where  he 
was  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  until  word  was  sent  and  received  from  Old 
Mexico  as  to  what  should  be  done  with  him.  After  several  delays  he  was 
released  and  conducted  through  Texas  to  within  reach  of  New  Orleans, 
when  he  first  learned  of  the  threatened  war  with  England.  H_e  soon 
joined  his  regiment  and  was  ordered  into  active  service  on  the  lakes. 
The  army  crossed  into  Canada,  and,  at  his  own  request,  Gen.  Pike  was 
placed  in  command  of  a  party  to  storm  the  fort,  which  he  was  gallantly  lead- 
ing when  the  enemy  blew  up  a  powder  magazine  that  had  been  prepared  for 
the  purpose,  and  the  brave  Pike  fell,  but  did  nut  expire  until  York  was 
taken  with  hundreds  of  prisoners  and  a  large  quantity  of  stores  and  mu- 
nitions of  war.  Thus  fell  a  brave  and  gallant  officer,  an  accomplished 
gentleman  and  ripe  scholar,  one  whose  name  would  adorn  a  '  Nation's 
Roll  of  Honor,'  and  if  his  government  has  not  built  a  monument  to  his 
memory,  nature  has  furnished  one  of  solid  granite  14,000  feet  above  tide 
water,  well  worthy  so  exalted  a  character,  and  hereafter  that  mountain 
should  be  called  '  Pike's  Monument,'  instead  of  Pike's  Peak.  Who  sec- 
onds the  motion  ? 

"About  this  time  Dele  Elder  and  Ulyssis  Cook  located  on  the  hill  in 
sight  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and   improved  the   land  now  owned  by  T.  T. 


416  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

Annis,  a  son  of  Thomas  Annis,  a  pioneer.  Also  William  Daniels,  J. 
Sanks  and  R.  Fowler. 

"Within  the  period  named  (1800  and  1812),  the  Billingsleys,  Renos. 
Garrisons,  Newtons,  William  Chamberlain,  Callahans,  and  James  Mc- 
Kinney  settled  in  the  Big  Bottom.  Col.  McKinney  was  an  active,  enter- 
prising merchant  of  prominence  and  influence.  He  married  Abby  Mil- 
ler, eldest  daughter  of  Job  Miller,  the  pioneer.  Col.  McKinney  died 
about  the  year  1827,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  Some 
seven  or  eight  years  after  his  death,  Mrs.  McKinney  married  Samuel  Mc- 
Elf  resh,  Esq.  Her  life  has  been  spared  to  see  a  number  of  her  sons  settled 
in  comfortable  homes,  with  habits  of  industry  and  established  principles  of 
integrity.  Her  daughters  are  married  to  worthy  and  respectable  men,  and, 
like  the  Spartan  mother  of  old,  she  may  point  to  more  than  a  score  of 
her  children  and  grandchildren  as  her  valued  jewels,  and  though  many 
summers  have  passed  over  her  head,  she  is  the  same  lively,  cheerful  and  girl- 
like Abby  of  other  days,  when  the  writer  first  knew  her.  Some  get  old 
at  forty,  others  who  enjoy  a  clear  conscience,  sleep  soundly,  and  ever 
'  look  at  the  bright  side  only,'  may  be  young  at  three  score  and  ten. 

"  In  1801  Eli  Hill  settled  near  Lawrenceburgh,  and  was  the  father  of 
a  large  family,  many  of  whom  still  live  in  the  county,  worthy  and  re- 
spected citizens. 

"  Previous  to  1812  Capt.  John  Crandal  and  George  Rabb  settled  on 
Pleasant  Ridge.  Capt.  Crandal  had  served  during  the  Revolutionary 
war  in  the  United  States  Navy.  He  was  an  intelligent  gentleman. 
Eather  Rabb  was  one  of  the  best  men  we  ever  knew.  '  As  honest  as  Mr. 
Rabb,'  was  a  by- word  in  his  day.  His  son,  D.  G.  Rabb,  removed  to  Ohio 
County  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father,  where  he  resided  at  his  death, 
ht)nored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  name  is  written  on  a 
'Nation's  Roll  of  Honor  '  for  gallant  services  in  defense  of  the  Union. 
In  early  times  Methodist  camp  meetings  were  held  in  a  grove  near  Father 
Rabb's.  It  was  on  the  way  to  attend  one  of  these  meetings  that  the 
writer  saw  the  first  carriage,  now  so  common  on  our  roads  and  streets. 
A  family  of  Lawrenceburgh  was  on  the  road  near  where  Joseph  Groff 
Esq.,  now  resides,  riding  in  a  cart  with  a  yoke  of  good  oxen  at  the  tongue. 
W^hile  thus  traveling  along  at  a  fair  gate  for  such  a  team,  Capt,  Vance 
came  up  in  his  fine  carriage  and  span  of  spanking  bays  with  a  shaded 
driver  on  the  front  seat,  and  would  have  passed  us  in  a  whiff.  But  not 
so  fast;  this  is  a  game  that  two  can  play  at,  and  those  who  remember 
Amos  Lane  will  readily  believe  that  he  would  not  relish  being  passed  on 
a  dusty  road,  no  more  than  submit  to  a  defeat  in  court,  or  at  the  forum 
in  fair  debate,  without  an  effort.  So  down  came  the  whip,  off  started  the 
oxen,  first  at  a  trot,  then  at  a  run,  until  from  the  noise   of  the   heavy 


LAWRENCEBURGH   TOWNSHIP.  417 

wheels  over  sticks  and  stones,  the  rattle  of  the  chairs  in  the  cart,  the 
laughing  and  cheers  of  the  boys,  the  two  well-groomed  horses  took  fright, 
and  none  too  soon  the  driver  sheered  off  to  one  side  and  let  the  ox  team 
pass  to  prevent  a  runaway  scene. 

"■  But  again  to  begin  with  our  list  of  settlers  after  the  war,  the  first 
that  appears  to  memory's  view  is  the  tall  figure  of  David  Nevitt,  of  stature 
firm  and  'strength  surpassing  nature's  laws.' 

"  Abram  Roland  came  to  the  county  with  Mr.  Nevitt.  Mr.  Roland 
was  engaged  in  the  Southern  trade  for  a  number  of  years,  and  afterward 
purchased  a  farm  on  the  ridge  adjoining' George  P.  Buell,  Esq.,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death.     His  family  remains  at  the  old  homestead. 

"John  I.  French  removed  to  the  county  soon  after  the  war,  and  the 
writer  is  not  certain  but  he  was  here  at  an  earlier  period.  Capt.  French 
resided  on  the  ridge  near  Lawrenceburgh,  until  he  purchased  a  farm  be- 
low Laughery  Creek,  where  he  moved  about  the  year  1825,  and  lived 
highly  respected  until  within  the  last  two  years.  He  died  at  the  advanced 
age  of  over  four  score.     His  family  still  retain  the  old  homestead. 

"In  the  second  division  we  should  have  referred  to  Maj.  John  How- 
ard, who  came  to  this  county  with  the  Resses,  Daniels,  Sanks,  etc.,  long 
before  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Howard  rendered  good  service  on  the  front- 
ier; he  was  a  member  of  a  company  under  Capt.  Sortwell,  that  marched 
through  the  then  wilderness  country  as  far  north  as  Indianapolis,  and  re- 
turned through  the  eastern  part  of  the  State.  Mr.  Howard  took  the  con- 
tract for  clearing  out  part  of  the  State  road  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Mad- 
ison, which  ran  over  the  hills  crossing  the  divide  between  Wilson  and 
North  Hogan  Creeks,  past  Wymond's  farm,  then  to  Wilmington  and 
down  the  hill  to  Lindsay's,  thence  over  the  divide  between  South  Hogan 
to  Laughery.  This  was  necessary  to  avoid  the  mouths  of  the  creeks  where 
fords  there  were  none.  But  now  you  can  go  to  Hartford  without  climb- 
ing a  hill.  Mr.  Howard  was  a  peculiar  man,  but  that  peculiarity  never  led 
him  to  injure  others.  He  spent  much  of  his  time  in  teaching  school,  and 
mapy  of  those  of  the  present  day  will  remember  him  as  the  kind  and  at- 
tentive instructor.  The  name  was  worthily  represented  in  the  ranks  of 
those  who  volunteered  to  do  battle  to  save  the  country  which  their  fathers 
had  fought  to  establish.  His  widow  still  remains,  and  though  enfeebled 
by  the  weight  of  many  winters,  her  memory  is  good,  and  she  tells  many 
a  story  of  pioneer  life. 

"Also  of  the  same  period  Jesse  Laird,  who  settled  on  Wilson  Creek. 
He  moved  into  the  county  with  one  horse  to  carry  his  wife  and  worldly 
goods.  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age  to  see  his  sons  settled — some  still  on 
the  old  homestead,  others    moved  to    a  distance;  David    Laird  to  the 


418  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

southern  part  of  the  State,  where  he  has  built  up  a  name  and  reputation 
that  places  him  high  in  the  list  of  the  intelligent  men  of  the  State. 

"About  the  year  1807  Thomas  Watts  and  family  removing  from  Ohio, 
settled  in  the  '  bottoms  '  just  above  Lawrenceburgh.  Here  he  remained 
only  a  short  time,  however,  when  he  removed  up  on  White  Water,  and 
three  years  subsequently  purchased  and  moved  on  land  in  Logan  Town- 
ship.    He  was  the  father  of  Squire  Watts,  of  Lawrenceburgh." 

INCIDENTS    AND    EAELY     CONDITION     OF    THE    COUNTY. 

The  following  is  extracted  from  an  article  entitled,  "  History  of  the 
Hayes  Family,"  written  by  Samuel  Morrison,  and  published  in  the  Reg- 
ister in  1876: 

Referring  to  the  time  Capt.  Hayes  and  family,  and  the  families  of 
his  children,  were  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  the  writer 
says:  At  this  period,  though  over  sixty  years  of  age,  he  explored  all 
the  Big  Bottom  from  Tanner's  Creek  to  Whitewater  River,  and  with  his 
unerring  rifle  killed  many  a  bear,  deer  and  elk.  Once  when  he  had 
killed  a  large  deer  at  one  of  the  licks,  on  Double  Lick  Run,  the  place 
he  shot  from  was  the  blufif  bank  of  the  run,  which  was  breast  high  and 
completely  concealed  him  from  the  lick,  as  he  stood  in  the  dry  bed  of 
the  stream.  After  waiting  as  he  thought  a  sufficient  length  of  time,  after 
the  report  of  his  gun,  for  Indians  to  make  their  appearance,  if  any  about, 
he  laid  his  gun  down  without  reloading,  and  went  and  dragged  the  deer 
out  into  the  bushes,  where  he  had  bent  a  sapling  to  hang  his  deer  on  to 
prepare  it  for  packing  on  his  horse.  On  his  return  to  get  his  gun,  it 
was  gone;  an  Indian  had  been  watching  him,  and  when  he  was  engaged 
with  the  deer,  slipped  up  and  stole  his  gun,  and  as  it  was  empty,  no 
injury  could  be  done  with  it.  He  used  to  say  that  he  always  took  his 
pick  out  of  a  drove  of  deer,  and  would  never  kill  a  doe,  nor  more  than 
what  was    necessary   for   their    present  use.  *         *         *         * 

Capt.  Hayes  in  the  early  part  of  the  summer  of  1796,  killed  a  very 
large  buck  elk,  with  a  towering  head  of  horns,  on  the  next  branch  west 
of  Double  Lick  Run;  this  has  ever  since  gone  by  the  name  of  Elk  Run. 
On  the  next  day  after  killing  the  elk,  there  was  preaching  at  some  one 
of  the  cabins.  After  the  services  were  over,  it  is  said  that  his  old  lady 
got  up  and  said,  "  People,  all  ye  that  want  meat  come  to  our  house,  father 
has  killed  an  elephant."  Be  this  elk  or  elephant,  it  shows  what  kind- 
ness existed  in  those  early  days.  If  one  neighbor  killed  a  deer,  beef, 
sheep,  hog,  or  caught  a  lot  of  fish,  all  would  be  divided  out  among  the 
other  neighbors;  likewise  did  they  all. 

Speaking  of  droves  of  deer  may  seem  strange  to  the  ears  of  our 
modern  hunters.     But  the  writer,  who  is  of  much  later  date  than  Capt. 


LAWRI']NCEBURGH  TOWNSHIP.  419 

Hayes,  can  assure  you  that  he  has  seen  many  a  drove  of  deer  so  numer- 
ous that  they  could  not  be  counted.  An  early  surveyor  of  the  public 
land  told  me  that  he  counted  sixty  elk  in  one  drove  before  they  got  out 
of  his  sight.  He  judged  the  drove  to  be  over  one  hundred.  Wild  tur- 
keys were  very  numerous;  they  went  in  droves  of  great  numbers.  Also 
wild  geese  and  ducks  were  very  numerous.  Zebulon  P.  Wordell,  grand- 
son of  Maj.  Pike,  fired  an  old  musket  loaded  with  shot  into  a  flock  of 
wild  ducks,  killing  eighteen  of  them  and  wounding  several  others.  Wild 
geese,  brants  and  ducks  would  go  northward  in  great  flocks  in  the 
spring,  and  return  south  in  the  fall,  and  when  traveling  either  way  they 
always  had  a  leader.  The  flock  formed  in  the  shape  of  the  letter  V, 
sharp  end  foremost,  with  the  leader  in  the  apex.  Crows  and  blackbirds 
appeared  in  great  flocks,  and  were  very  annoying  to  the  farmers  in  put- 
ting in  their  corn  crops.  These  birds  would  pull  it  up  when  first 
planted.  The  wild  pigeons  were  the  most  numerous  bird;  flocks  of  at 
least  three  miles  long  by  half  a  mile  wide  would  be  continually  passing 
northward  during  the  day  for  a  period  of  at  least  four  weeks,  sometimes 
darkening  the  sun.  The  next  numerous  bird  was  the  paraquet,  a  beau- 
tiful bird  just  like  the  parrot,  only  small.  They  lived  in  hollow  trees. 
I  have  seen  flocks  of  500  or  more  go  into  a  knot  hole  in  a  large  sycamore 
tree;  how  they  disposed  of  themselves  after  they  went  into  the  tree  has 
always  been  a  mystery  to  me.  The  next  most  numerous  animal  were  the 
squirrels;  they  were  so  numerous  that  they  devoured  everything  in  their 
way.  They  would  travel  from  one  section  to  another  in  quest  of  food, 
and  when  traveling  nothing  would  impede  their  march.  I  have  heard  of 
great  numbers  being  killed  while  they  were  swimming  across  the  Ohio. 
It  was  said  in  olden  times  that  one  woman  washing  clothes  on  the  river 
bank  killed  over  300  squirrels  with  her  clothes  beater.  I  remember  once 
myself  in  seeing  them  crossing  from  Kentucky  to  Indiana.  It  seemed 
to  me  as  if  the  water  was  alive  with  them  as  far  either  way  as  you  could 
see,  and  not  for  one  day  only,  but  for  weeks.  To  prevent  them  from 
destroying  the  crops  squirrel  hunts  were  instituted.  Some  fifteen  or 
twenty  men  and  some  boys  would  assemble  at  a  given  point,  divide  their 
party  into  two  squads  and  choose  their  captain,  and  then  sally  forth. 
There  would  be  a  prize  offered,  and  the  party  taking  the  most  squirrel 
scalps  would  be  the  winner. 

In  those  early  times  no  person  ate  squirrels.  In  one  squirrel  hunt 
Mahlon  Brown  used  a  cross-bow  and  killed  double  as  many  squirrels  as 
any  of  the  others  with  rifles;  sbot-guns  were  not  in  use  then. 

In  the  year  1800  the  seventeen  year  locusts  appeared  in  as  great 
numbers  as  those  of  Egypt  in  the  days  of  Pharaoh;  they  did  but  little 
harm  and  soon  passed  away.      I  remember  them  in  1817,  in  great  forces, 


420  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  after  the  locusts  disappeared  the  weavil  came  and  ate  up  all  of  the 
•wheat  and  a  great  deal  of  the  corn.  The  locust  years  were  1834,  1851, 
and  1868,  diminishing  in  numbers  each  successive  year.  The  increase 
of  agriculture  and  clearing  up  of  the  land  is  the  cause. 

ANTIQUITIES. 

The  high  bluffs  and  second  bottoms  along  the  Ohio  River,  and  those 
of  its  principal  tributaries  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  were 
famous  places  of  resort  for  the  ancient  race  of  people  known  as  Mound - 
Builders.  Within  this  township  there  are  many  traces  of  this  race  of 
people.  On  the  hill  north  of  Hardinsburgh  is  located  an  ancient  fort,  the 
wall  of  which  is  four  feet  high  in  places  and  is  partly  constructed  of  loose 
stones  and  partly  of  earth.  There  are  two  gateways  on  the  north  end  formed 
by  an  earthwork  that  is  nearly  circular.  The  hill  is  nearly  200  feet 
high  and  commands  an  extensive  view  over  the  country  around.  On  the 
ridge  leading  to  the  northeast  and  northwest  there  are  eight  mounds. 
There  is  also  a  mound  on  the  hill  to  the  south  and  two  close  to  the  road 
leading  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Hardinsburg.  There  is  also  a  mound 
northeast  of  Lawrenceburgh,  near  the  track  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
Eailroad.  In  1877  Samuel  Morrison  wrote  of  the  one  most  remarkable 
as  follows: 

"When  I  first  visited  the  ancient  fort  north  of  Hardinsburgh,  was 
in  1816;  I  was  then  a  school  boy  attending  school  in  an  old  round  log- 
sehoolhouse  on  the  hill-side,  about  fifty  feet  above  the  overflowed  bottom 
land,  about  350  yards  from  and  below  the  fort.  At  this  period,  not  a 
tree  on  the  hillside  nor  on  the  top  of  it,  which  was  occupied  by  the  fort, 
had  been  disturbed;  they  stood  in  all  their  primitive  greatness.  The 
outlines  of  the  embankment  or  parapet  of  the  fort  were  easily  defined, 
being  on  an  average  of  four  feet  in  height,  and  were  constructed  only 
of  earth,  except  on  the  southeast  brow  of  the  hill;  the  wall  for  100 
yards  was  composed  of  loose  stones,  some  of  them  quite*  large,  as  it  took 
two  of  us  school  boys  to  up  edge  one  of  them  to  roll  it  down  the  hillside. 
(This  was  our  noon  sport.)  In  the  midst  of  the  fort  there  was  a  mound 
at  least  six  feet  high.  The  west  parapet  in  crossing  a  ravine  was  by  a 
heavy  fill;  it  was  at  least  eight  feet  high  (in  1816)  and  in  the  midst  of 
this  fill  there  was  then  growing  a  walnut  tree  four  feet  in  diameter. 
The  gateways  were  at  the  northwest  angle  and  consisted  of  a  small  cir- 
cular shaped  fort,  very  high  walls,  taking  out  the  corner  of  the  main 
fort,  leaving  a  gateway  at  each  side  of  the  small  fort,  it  answering  as 
bastions  to  guard  the  two  exposed  sides  of  the  fort,  the  other  sides  being 
protected  by  steep  hillsides.  It  was  supposed  to  contain  about  twelve 
acres.  I  found  in  this  fort  several  beautiful  stone  axes,  made  of  a  hard, 
green,  speckled  stone,  highly  polished." 


LAWRENCEBURGH  TOWNSHIP.  421 

SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES  AND  GRAVEYARDS. 

Some  time  subsequent  to  1793,  the  year  the  Millers,  Hayeses,  Guards 
and  others  settled  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  and  there  es- 
tablished the  stations,  and  prior  to  1796,  the  date  of  their  removal  into 
what  is  novs'  Indiana  and  this  county,  school  was  taught  at  the  station  of 
Captain  Hayes  by  Isaac  Polk.  ' '  Polk  taught  in  the  station  and  was  the 
first  school  teacher  in  the  country.  He  was  known  far  and  near  as 
'  Master  Polk,'  and  was  one  of  the  best  scribes  ever  in  the  country,  and 
it  is  to  be  regretted  that  we  know  so  little  of  his  history."  In  the 
Hayes,  Miller  and  Guard  settlements  schools  were  taught  from  almost 
the  very  beginning.  James  Grubbs,  who  is  still  a  resident  of  the  county, 
born  in  this  township  in  1805,  speaks  of  attending  school  in  his  earliest 
school  years  that  was  kept  near  the  State  line  up  in  the  Hayes  and 
Miller  neighborhood  taught  by  one  Britton.  This  was  held  in  the  rude 
round  log-cabin  of  that  day.  Probably  one-half  mile  further  west  on  the 
other  branch  of  Double  Lick  Run  (the  first  was  on  that  stream),  he  at- 
tended a  cabin  school  taught  by  one  Woolsey.  Subsequent  schools  heat- 
tended  were  further  north  in  Miller  Township  and  east  in  the  State  of 
Ohio.  Enoch  Miller,  born  in  the  Township  in  1813,  and  of  the  old  pioneer 
stock  of  that  name,  recalls  his  first  school  as  one  taught  in  a  rude  log 
(with  bark  on)  cabin  that  stood  on  the  Thomas  Miller  land,  in  which  one 
Dolly,  a  Yankee,  was  a  teacher,  and  quite  a  severe  one,  too  ;  so  much  so, 
that  the  boys  at  one  time  concluded  to  somewhat  soften  him  and  not 
longer  bear  his  severe  treatment  without  remonstrance.  He  was  "barred' 
out  at  one  time,  but  effected  an  entrance  to  the  house,  but  was  seized  by 
the  boys  and  shown  a  pile  of  logs  and  kindling,  and  came  to  terms. 
Daniel  Jessup  was  another  teacher  who  taught  in  the  building  men- 
tioned. He  is  remembered  as  a  good  man  and  excellent  teacher.  Later 
a'frame  building  at  Hardinsburgh  served  as  a  place  for  holding  school  ; 
here  a  one-legged  man  (name  forgotten)  taught  for  a  time. 

Our  venerable  friend  Robert  Fowler,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  now  in  his 
eighty-second  year,  and  who  came  to  the  county  in  1810,  recalls  the  first 
school  that  he  attended  or  has  any  remembrance  of,  as  one  taught  in  a  rude 
log-cabin  that  stood  on  the  east  bank  of  Wilson's  Creek,  just  where  the  rail- 
road bridge  crosses  that  stream.  This  house,  Mr.  Fowler  thinks,  was 
used  as  a  "temple  of  learning"  in  the  winter  of  1811-12.  The  next 
school  he  remembers  attending  was  held  in  what  is  now  Center  Town 
ship,  along  the  road  leading  to  Ebenezer  Church  and  at  a'point  opposite 
the  stone  residence  of  Mrs.  Worley.  Joseph  Dent  held  sway  here.  An 
early  school  was  held  at  a  point  probably  half  way  between  Lawrence- 
burgh and  Aurora,  on  the  gravel  road,  now  the  David  Rees  land;  here 
Isaac    Polk,  before  referred  to,  was  the  teacher.     About  the  year  1820  a 


422  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

log-cabin  schoolhouse  was  erected  on  the    school  section,   in  which  the 
first  teacher  was  Alexander  Gregg. 

Among  the  first  settlers  of  this  township  were  quite  a  number  of 
Methodists,  and  of  Old  School  Baptists,  and  classes  or  societies  of  these 
denominations  were  organized  in  the  very  beginning.  Capt.  Joseph 
Hayes  and  a  number  of  that  early  settlement  were  Methodists,  and  the 
circuit  preachers  visiting  the  first  settlements  along  the  river  established 
preaching  places  in  the  cabins  throughout  the  county.  Capt.  Hayes  was 
an  exhorter  and  class -leader,  and  it  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose  his 
house  was  open  to  Methodist  preaching.  One  of  the  early  preaching 
places  was  at  the  residence  of  William  Winters,  who  lived  between  Law- 
renceburgh  and  Aurora.  Preaching  of  this  denomination  was  often  held 
at  the  Millers'.  An  early  preaching  point  of  the  Baptist  denomination 
was  at  the  house  of  Henry  Harden.  An  arm  or  branch  of  the  church  at 
Lawrencebui'gh  was  there  established  as  a  matter  of  convenience,  and  in 
the  course  of  time  a  frame  house  of  worship  was  erected  as  a  kind  of 
Union  Church,  built  by  the  neighborhood  and  open  to  all  the  denomina- 
tions. Among  the  early  families  identified  with  the  Baptist  Church 
were  the  Fromans,  Fowlers,  Hardins,  Bullocks  and  Bonhams.  Elder 
Ezra  Ferris,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  the  main  minister.  Subsequently 
a  brick  house  of  worship  took  the  place  of  the  frame  referred  to,  which 
was  subsequently  converted  into  a  schoolhouse  and  is  yet  standing  at 
Hardinsburgh.  By  death  and  removals  the  Baptist  congregation  at  this 
point  dwindled  down  until  their  lamp  went  out,  and  the  organization 
passed  into  history.  Just  west  of  Hardinsburgh,  on  the  ridge,  is  located 
a  substantial  brick  house  of  worship,  with  cupola,  on  the  front  of  which 
building,  on  the  inlaid  stone,  is  the  inscription 

"bellevue  m.  e.  church, 
Founded  A.  D.  1852." 

This  society  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  class  above  referred  to.  For  the 
early  history  of  the  Methodist  Churches  in  this  region  of  the  country 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  lengthy  sketch  of  the  church  at  Lawrence- 
burgh given  in  the  history  of  that  city. 

In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  township,  not  far  from  the  State  line, 
is  located  probably  the  oldest  place  of  burial  in  the  township.  In  the 
early  Hayes  and  Miller  settlement,  a  death  occurred  in  the  Miller  fam- 
ily— a  child  of  Thomas,  which  was  buried  on  a  high  piece  of  ground  near 
the  State  line,  the  property  of  another,  to  which  some  exceptions  were 
taken,  and  the  remains  were  removed  to  the  graveyard  mentioned.  In 
strolling  through  this  habitation  of  the  dead  we  noticed  within  a  stone 
wall  stands  a  brown  sandstone  slab,  which  bears  the  inscription 


LAWRENCEBURGH  TOAVNSHIP.  423 

Sacred  to  the  Memory  of 

Thomas  Miller  Seign, 
Who  died  on  the  first  day  of  December,  A.    D.    1843,    aged  eighty  years,    three 
months  and  twenty-one  days. 

Emigrated  from  Pennsylvania  in  the  year  1791. 

The  oldest  grave  marked  by  a  tombstone,  whose  inscription  is  legible, 
is  that  of  Mary  Gaard,  wife  of  Timothy,  and  daughter  of  Solomon 
Hayes,  born  in  1784,  died  in  1806.  This  graveyard  is  quite  large,  but 
seems  to  have  been  used  principally  by  the  Hayes,  Miller  and  Guard 
families.  Among  some  of  the  aged  whose  remains  are  here  peacefully 
awaiting  the  final  summons  are  the  following: 

Abiah  Hayes,  Sr.,  died  in  1858,  aged  seventy-seven  years;  Nancy, 
wife  of  Abiah  Hayes,  died  in  1851,  aged  sixty- eight  years;  Col.  James 
McKinney,  born  in  1795,  died  1838;  Job  Miller,  Sr.,  born  in  1782,  died 
in  1865;  Sarah,  wife  of  Job  Miller,  Sr.,  born  in  1797,  died  1877;  Henry 
Newton  died  in  1881,  aged  ninety-three  years;  Mrs.  Newton,  wife  of 
Henry,  born  in  1800,  died  1874;  Priscilla,  wife  of  Thomas  Miller,  Sr., 
died  in  1845,  aged  eighty-five  years. 

About  one-half  mile  west  of  the  yard  just  described, and  on  the  ridge, 
is  what  is  known  as  the  Guard  Graveyard,  in  which  are  buried  quite  a 
number  of  the  Guard  family.  Here  we  noticed  no  grave  older  than 
1829,  that  was  marked  by  a  lettered  tombstone. 

EARLY    MILLS,    DISTILLERIES,  ETC. 

The  first  mills  operated  in  the  county  were  known  as  the  Armstrong 
Mills,  and  the  first  was  located  on  Wilson's  Creek,  in  this  township,  on 
the  land  known  as  the  J.  E.  Wymond  place.  They  were  erected  by  Ben- 
jamin Walker  in  1802.  The  following  description  of  this  mill  has  here- 
tofore been  given:  "Take  two  flinty  limestones,  about  five  inches  thick; 
dress  them  round,  thirty  inches  in  diameter;  fit  the  first  one  in  a  gun 
four  feet  high;  set  on  end  five  inches  from  the  top,  making  a  small  hole 
through  the  log  at  the  top  of  the  stone  for  a  meal  spout;  place  the  upper 
stone  with  a  small  hole  through  the  center  for  the  grain  to  run  through, 
a  small  hole  drilled  near  the  outer  edge  to  attach  the  motive  power, 
which  is  supplied  by  a  stick  placed  in  this  hole  and  fastened  to  a  beam 
over  head.  This  is  turned  around  by  one  hand,  while  with  the  other 
you  drop  in  a  few  grains  at  a  time,  and  with  constant  labor  one  peck  of 
corn  could  be  ground  in  an  hour."  Some  time  after  the  canal  was 
built  Job  Hayes  established  a  grist-mill  at  Hardinsburgh,  which  was 
operated  for  some  years,  and  removed  to  the  distillery  above  Rossville. 
On  the  Ezra  Guard  place  three  brothers,  Ezra,  Bailey  and  David  Guard, 
established  and  operated  a  tannery  in  the  earlier  history  of  the  township. 


124  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Thomas  Miller  operated  an  early  copper  still  on  Double  Lick  Run,  in  an 
early  day;  capacity,  about  two  barrels  per  day. 

HARDINSBUEGH. 

The  village  of  Hardinsburgh  is  located  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, about  two  miles  north  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  one  and  a  half  miles 
west  of  the  Great  Miami  River,  It  was  laid  out  on  the  lands  of  Henry 
Hardin,  being  part  of  fractional  Section  2,  Town  5,  Range  1  west,  and 
for  whom  it  was  named.  The  surveying  was  done  by  Moses  Scott,  May 
19,  1815,  and  acknowledged  by  Mr.  Hardin  on  the  following  day.  An 
addition  to  the  village  was  laid  out  in  1817,  by  David  Findlay  (thirty 
lots),  the  surveying  being  done  by  B.  Chambers.  Mr.  Findlay  and  one 
Deleplaine  were  early  merchants,  and  a  Mr.  Bartlett  the  ''village  smith" 
at  this  point.  Here,  in  the  earlier  history  of  this  section  of  the  country, 
considerable  business  was  carried  on,  but  the  glory  of  the  place  has  long 
since  departed,  and  the  village  itself  gone  back  into  peaceful  fields 
again. 

GREENDALE. 

To  the  north  and  west  of  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh,  scattered  along 
a  commanding  ridge  overlooking  the  valley  and  bottom  lands  of  the 
Ohio  and  Miami,  and  the  distant  Kentucky  hills,  and  extending  nearly 
to  Hardinsburgh,  is  located  the  pleasant  suburban  village  of  Greendale, 
in  main  comprised  of  beautiful  homes,  the  residences  of  many  doing 
business  in  the  city.  Here  are  located  the  beautiful  cemetery  grounds 
bearing  the  name  of  the  village.  The  incorporation  of  the  place  occurred 
in  1872.  In  1883  Stephen  Ludlow  laid  out  and  had  recorded  some 
thirty-six  lots,  under  the  name  of  Greendale. 

The  Greendale  Cemetery  Association  was  incorporated  in  1865.  The 
incorporators  purchased  some  thirty  acres  of  ground  of  Joseph  Hayes, 
located,  as  above  stated,  along  the  beautiful  ridge  lying  to  the  north  and 
west  of  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh.  The  cemetery  was  very  tastefully 
laid  out  (the  design  being  made  by  Benjamin  Grove,  an  engineer  from 
the  city  of  Louisville)  by  a  Mr.  Ihle,  a  landscape  gardener,  in  1867. 
The  managers  for  the  first  year  were  E.  G.  Hayes,  John  Anderegg,  A.  A. 
Heifer,  Gen.  T.  J.  Lucas,  O.  T.  Stockman,  A.  Beckman  and  D.  W.  C. 
Fitch.  The  cemetery  was  dedicated  September  21,  1867,  the  address 
being  delivered  by  Rev.  B.  W.  Chidlaw.  The  grounds  are  very  beau- 
tiful, rendered  so  by  the  abundance  of  shade  trees,  choice  shrubbery  and 
the  many  elegant  and  costly  monuments. 


CENTER  TOWNSHIP.  425 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
CENTER  TOWNSHIP. 

Okganization  and  Boundaries— First  Land  Sales— Early  Settle- 
ment AND  PIONEER  REMINISCENCES— EARLY  RELIGIOUS  AND  EDUCA- 
TIONAL Notes— Cochran— RiVERViEW  Cemetery. 

CENTER  TOWNSHIP  was  organized  in  January,  1839,  and  its 
boundaries  as  then  described  were:  "Commencing  at  the  mouth  of 
Laughery  Creek;  thence  up  said  creek  to  the  Congressional  Town- 
ship line  between  Town  4,  Range  1  and  Town  4,  Range  2;  thence 
north  along  said  township  line  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section 
19  in  Town  5,  Range  1;  thence  east  along  this  section  line  to  the 
northwest  corner  of  Section  21;  thence  south  on  said  section  to  the 
corner  of  Section  21;  thence  east  to  the  Ohio  River;  thence  down 
the  river  to  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek  to  the  place  of  beginning. " 
The  township  was  formed  of  territory  taken  from  Laughery  and  Law- 
renceburgh  Townships  and  comprised  about  its  present  acreage  in  amount, 
though  its  boundary  lines  have  undergone  some  change.  By  a  change 
in  the  boundary  lines  between  this  and  the  township  of  Lawrenceburgh, 
in  1849,  the  former  acquired  the  territory  lying  in  Sections  18  and  7, 
and  that  portion  of  Sections  17  and  20  in  Lawrenceburgh  Township  of 
the  latter  township,  the  latter  of  which  it  lost  by  another  change  in  the 
boundary  lines  between  the  said  townships  in  1853,  when  it  was  given  to 
Lawrenceburgh  Township.  The  same  year,  in  altering  the  boundary 
lines  in  Hogan  Township,  something  less  than  a  section  of  land  lying 
along  this  western  part  of  the  township  of  Center  and  belonging  to 
David  Walser,  Conrad  Hufifman  and  Conaway  Bainum  was  attached  to 
Hogan  Township.  The  boundary  lines  of  the  township  as  described  in 
1852  were  as  follows:  Beginning  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Section  21 
Congressional  Township  5,  Range  1,  west;  thence  west  to  the  southwest 
corner  of  Section  21;  thence  north  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section 
21 ;  thence  west  along  the  northern  line  of  Section  20  to  the  center  of 
Wilson  Creek;  thence  up  said  creek  to  the  south  line  of  Alfred  Howe's 
land,  in  Section  7;  thence  west  along  the  south  line  of  Alfred  Howe's 
land  to  the  northeast  corner  of  southwest  quarter  of  Section  7,  Town  5, 
Range  1  (being  the  center  of  said  Section  7);  thence  west  on   the  north 


426  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

line  of  said  southwest  quarter  of  Section  7  to  the  range  line  dividing 
Ranges  1  and  2;  thence  south  on  said  range  line  to  Laughery  Creek; 
thence  down  the  creek  to  the  Ohio  River;  thence  up  the  Ohio  River  to 
where  the  east  and  west  line,  running  between  Section  28  and  21,  Town 
5,  Range  1  west,  strikes  the  river;  thence  west  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

FIRST    LAND    SALES. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  Government  with 
the  year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names  are  set  forth  in  the  follow- 
ing list: 

Township  4,  Range  1  west. 

Fractional  Section  4  sold  September  18,  1804,  to  Daniel  Conner,  and 
resold  December  12,  1810,  to  G.  R.  Terrence. 

A  portion  of  Section  5,  in  1810,  to  Jesse  L.  Holeman;  in  1813  to 
Joseph  W.  Winkley;  in  1814  to  George  Shinkle;  in  1815  to  John  Walsh. 

A  portion  of  Section  6,  in  1812,  to  James  Rumblay;  in  1813  to  Val- 
entine Barton,   Richard  Norris;  in  1815  to  Isaac  Conner, 

A  portion  of  Section  7,  in  1812,  to  Eli  Green,  Henry  Grove;  in  1813 
to  Squire  Poteet  and  George  Grove. 

Sections  8,  9  and  10,  April  22,  1801,  to  Daniel  Conner,  and  resold 
December  2,  1806,  to  O.  Orsmby  (Section  9  lies  partly  in  Ohio  County. 
Section  10,  all  in  Ohio  County  Randolph  Township),  Town  5,  Range  1 
west. 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1814,  to  John  Robison,  Enoch  James, 
Jr.,  Jehial  Buffington,  Amor  Bruce  and  Enoch  James. 

A  portion  of  Section  19,  in  1806,  to  David  Rees;  in  1808,  to  Samuel 
Bond;    in  1812,  to  Francis  Cheek,  and  in  1816  to  Samuel  Perry. 

A  portion  of  Section  20  (part  in  Lawrenceburgh  Township),  in 
1806  to  Nathan  C.  Findlay,  David  Rees;  in  1811,  to  Page  Cheek. 

Section  21  and  fractional  Sections  22  and  23,  April  27,  1801,  to 
Charles  Wilkins. 

Fractional  Sections  27,  28  and  29,  sold  December  19,  1801,  to  James 
Conn. 

A  portion  of  Section  30  (part  in  Hogan  Township),  sold  in  1811,  to 
Isaac  Reynolds,  Eli  Green,  John  Buffington  and  Conrad  Huffman. 

A  portion  of  Section  31  (part  in  Hogan  Township),  sold  in  1812  to 
Richard  Norris,  Abraham  Carlough;    in  1815,  to  Martin  Cozine. 

Fractional  Sections  32  and  33,  in  1804  (September  18),  to  Charles 
Vattier. 

A  portion  of  Section  7,  in  1814,  to  Enoch  James,  David  Hogan;  in 
1815,   to  Charles  Dawson,  P.  S.  Symmes  and  Lewis  Whiteman. 


CENTER  TOWNSHIP.  427 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT    AND    PIONEER    REMINISCENCES. 

la  the  historical  sketch  of  the  county,  deposited  in  the  corner-stone 
of  the  court  house,  prepared  by  Judge  Tilley,  it  was  stated  that  "  early 
in  January,  1796,  Adam  Flake  and  family  settled  on  South  Hogan  Creek. 
In  February,  1796,  Ephraim  Morrison,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  built  the  first  log-cabin  and  cut  away  the  forest  trees  on  the  bank 
of  the  Ohio,  just  below  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek,  where  Aurora  now 
stands. " 

When  Ephraim  Morrison  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek  to 
make  his  settlement,  there  was  already  some  cleared  land,  both  above  and 
below  the  creek.  The  exact  date  of  this,  the  earliest  known  white  set- 
tlement on  the  site  of  Aurora,  is  given  by  Samuel  Morrison,  son  of  the 
pioneer,  as  February  14,  1796.  Ephraim  Morrison  found  at  this  place 
an  Indian  hut,  about  sixteen  feet  square,  without  roof  or  floor,  which  he 
repaired  and  occupied  until  he  could  build  a  better  house.  Here  on  the 
site  of  the  city  of  Aurora,  March  1,  179S,  was  born  Ephraim  Morri- 
son, so  far  as  is  known  the  first  white  child  born  in  this  part  of  the  Ter- 
ritory northwest  of  the  Ohio,  still  living,  venerable  in  years  and  charac- 
ter. After  a  residence  of  four  years  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek, 
Ephraim  Morrison  removed  to  a  place  he  had  selected  on  Laughery 
Creek,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from  its  mouth.  Here  his  wife  died 
December  18,  1803.  "At  this  period, "  says  Samuel  Morrison,  ' '  the 
United  States  would  not  sell  less  than  one  section  of  land,  and  if  there 
was  a  fi-actional  section  between  the  whole  section  and  the  river,  it  had 
to  be  purchased  with  the  whole  section.  In  this  case  there  were  two 
fractions,  the  section  and  the  two  fractions  amounting  to  1,198.22 
•acres.  My  father  not  being  able  to  buy  so  much  land,  it  was  bid  off  at 
the  land  sales  at  Cincinnati  by  Charles  Wilkins,  of  Kentucky.  So  my 
father,  who  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  and  was  wounded  in 
the  battle  of  Brandywine,  lost  his  land  and  was  compelled  to  pay  rent 
for  the  improvements  he  had  made." 

The  writer  in  his  research  has  found  it  stated  in  print  that  George 
Grove  settled  at  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek  in  1794,  and  built  the 
first  cabin  ever  erected  by  a  white  man  within  the  limits  of  Dearborn 
County.  He  has  also  found  it  stated  in  print  that  Nicholas  Cheek  and 
wife,  Barbara,  settled  within  the  township  under  consideration  in  1794. 
In  the  historical  sketch,  above  referred  to,  the  year  of  the  Grove  settlement 
is  given  as  1798,  but  of  the  Cheek  settlement,  if  we  remember  correctly, 
no  mention  is  made. 

Of  the  latter,  in  1861,  on  the  death  of  Mrs.  Barbara  Cheek,  it  was 
stated  that  she  resided  in  her  native  State  (Virginia)  forty  years, then  re- 
moved   to  Dearborn  County,  where  she  remained  sixty- foui"  years.     She 


428  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

claimed  to  be  one  hundred  and  four  years  of  age.  Before  her  death  she 
stated  that  she  and  her  deceased  husband  were  the  fourth  family  to  settle 
here,  saying,  that  Mr.  George  Groves,  Mr.  Benjamin  Walker  and  Mr. 
Ephraim  Morrison  had  arrived  just  before  them.  Tavern  Cheek,  a  brother 
to  Nicholas,  gave  the  year  of  their  coming  as  1796,  which  is  most  prob- 
able. 

On  the  subject  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  township  Geo.  W.  Lane 
in  1876  wrote  as  follows: 

"In  1796,  Adam  Flake  and  family  settled  on  South  Hogan  Creek, 
about  one  mile  from  the  Ohio  Eiver.  William  Flake,  a  son  owned  the 
farm  on  which  John  Spidel  now  resides. 

'"  In  the  same  year  Ephraim  Morrison,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution, 
landed  just  below  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek — where  the  city  of  Aurora 
now  stands-^with  his  family  of  one  daughter  and  three  sons:  Agnes, 
Ephraim,  Jr.,  William  and  Thomas.  Samuel  Morrison  was  born  after 
their  arrival  and  he  has  often  been  spoken  of  as  the  first  male  child  born 
in  the  county.  But  this  honor  was  contested  by  the  friends  of  William 
V.  Cheek. 

"During  this  year  the  Cheeks  settled  in  the  county  with  their  families. 
Soon  after  their  arrival  William  Y.  Cheek  was  born  and,  if  not  the  first, 
was  certainly  the  second  male  child  of  the  county.  He  secured  by  his 
own  efibrts  a  good  education  and  became  a  man  of  great  influence,  pleas- 
ant and  agreeable,  and  was  twice  elected  clerk  of  the  county. 

"  Page  Cheek,  in  early  life,  was  an  energetic  and  dashing  man,  with 
kind  impulses  and  undaunted  courage.  At  a  certain  time  the  settlers  were 
without  salt,  and  great  anxiety  was  felt  for  the  health  of  the  community, 
and  none  was  to  be  had  nearer  than  Shawneetown,  111.  Page  Cheek  pro- 
cured a  keel-boat  and  started  on  the  perilous  journey.  When  he  ar 
rived  at  the  salt  works,  he  was  informed  of  the  law  that  they  could  only 
sell  each  applicant  a  certain  quantity  and,  if  the  writer  remembers  cor- 
rectly, it  was  three  bushels  to  the  family,  but  Cheek,  with  the  aid  of  one 
of  his  men,  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  the  next  day  one  of  the  hands 
presented  a  paper  with  the  names  of  all  the  settlers  this  side  of  the 
Allegheny  mountains  on  it,  and  a  sack  for  each  was  filled  and  marked  as 
per  schedule.  This  was  not  a  case  of  crooked  whisky,  as  the  government 
imposed  no  tax  on  salt,  but  a  simple  provision  of  safety  for  the  good  of 
the  people,  and  the  salt  was  obtained  for  that  purpose  and  furnished  to 
those  in  extreme  necessity.  The  barge  was  loaded,  and  in  due  time 
reached  Lawrenceburgh  to  the  great  joy  and  relief  of  the  people.  This 
made  Cheek  quite  a  hero  and  he  was  treated  on  all  sides,  and  being  of  a 
social  nature,  he  yielded  to  the  tempting  glass,  and  it  may  be  said  with 
truth,  that  Page  Cheek  was  not  the  first  or  only  man  who  has  sufi'ered 
by  over  anxious  friends. 


CENTER  TOWNSHIP.  429 

"Again  another  fact  might  be  mentioned:  When  this  part  of  the 
Northwest  Territory  was  first  occupied  by  the  whites,  slavery  was  recog- 
nized and  quite  a  number  of  negroes  were  held  in  servitude  in  this  county. 
After  Indiana  Territory  was  organized  by  act  of  Congress,  a  vote  was 
taken  on  the  question,  and  by  a  clear  majority  it  was  decided  against 
slavery.  And  when  the  writer  was  a  boy  he  freqviently  heard  the  remark, 
that  this  one  and  that  one  had  run  their  slaves  across  the  river  and  sold 
them,  while  Page  Cheek  set  his  free;  he  owned  quite  a  number,  perhaps 
more  than  any  other  man  in  the  county. 

"Having  told  these  stories  in  his  favor,  we  will  tell  a  third,  of  a  dif- 
ferent character,  for  the  benefit  of  Bergh  and  his  humanitarian  society: 
Once  upon  a  time  Page  Cheek  rode  his  fine  horse  to  town  and  hitched 
him  in  the  usual  place;  the  horse  remained  at  his  post  as  a  good  horse 
should  for  a  reasonable  time,  but  as  night  came  on  he  got  hungry  and 
thirsty  and  broke  loose,  at  least  so  went  the  story.  Toward  morning 
Page  started  for  home.  Not  finding  his  horse,  he  had  to  foot  it  through 
mud  and  water  to  his  home  on  Wilson  Creek  (on  the  farm  where  Aaron  B. 
Henry  lived  so  many  years);  Mr.  Cheek  got  home  and  rested  awhile,  he 
then  took  down  his  rifle  that  was  kept  in  readiness  for  a  better  purpose, 
and  walking  to  the  field,  shot  that  horse.  Some  said  he  shot  to  crease 
him  so  that  he  could  catch  him,  but  be  that  as  it  may,  the  ball  struck 
too  low  and  the  horse  fell  never  to  rise  again.  If  there  is  such  a  thing 
as  riches  taking  wings  and  flying  away,  or  any  truth  in  the  saying  that, 
there  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men,  or  that  there  is  an  overruling  provi- 
dence that  punishes  as  well  as  blesses,  at  any  rate,  from  this  inhuman 
act,  an  excuse  was  given  for  the  superstitious  to  moralize  over  their  truth 
and  refer  to  this  as  confirmation  strong,  for  riches  did  take  wings,  the 
tide  did  ebb,  and  misfortune  after  misfortune  followed  him  in  quick  suc- 
cession until,  weighed  down  and  discouraged,  his  candle  went  out. 

"In  1798  George  and  Henry  Grove  first  selected  their  homes  on 
Laughery  Creek.  Mrs.  Mahala  Buffington,  with  three  sons — John,  Jon- 
athan and  Jehial — settled  near  Aurora.  John  Buffington  left  a  large 
family,  some  of  whom  are  residing  on  the  old  farm. 

"Stephen  Peters  came  to  the  county  with  Ebenezer  Foot,  in  1798. 
They  first  settled  on  the  river  bank,  just  above  Aurora.  A  freshet  in  the 
Ohio  drove  them  back  to  the  high  ground,  where  they  lived  a  few  years, 
and  afterward  settled  on  South  Hogan  Oreek,  in  Washington  Township. 
Mr.  Stephen  Peters  was  the  father  of  Joseph  Peters,  who  lived  and  died 
on  the  land  entered  by  his  father,  and  the  old  homestead  still  belongs  to 
the  family. 

"About  1809  Martin  Cozine  located  on  the  farm  just  west  of  Aurora, 
now  owned  by  Mr.  James,  also  John  Mi Iburn,  father  of  John  N.  Mil- 
burn,  and  father-in-law  of  George  W.  Taylor,  of  Aurora.'' 


430  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"  In  1810  Jesse  L.  Holman  settled  in  the  township  and  built  a  cabin 
on  the  range  of  hills  that  rise  abruptly  from  the  Ohio  river,  south  of 
Auro  ra,  and  to  this  new  home,  remote  from  other  settlers,  he  removed 
his  family.  He  at  once  rose  to  distinction,  and  reared  a  son  to  follow  in 
his  footsteps,  biographies  of  whom  appear  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

"In  1810  Charles  Folbre  emigrated  from  Pennsylvania  and  settled 
on  Hogan  Creek,  about  one  and  three-quarter  miles  from  its  mouth.  Here 
he  remained  two  years,  and  moved  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  from  there  to 
Zanesville,  Ohio,  which  distance  he  traveled  in  midwinter  on  horseback, 
taking  with  him  his  wife  and  two  children.  In  1826  he  retui-ned  to 
Dearborn  County.  In  1830  he  removed  to  Greensburgh,  and  returned  to 
Aurora  in  1832,  where  he  died  during  the  year.  Thomas  Folbre,  his 
eldest  son,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  still  resides  in  Aurora,  where 
he  has  lived  since  the  death  of  his  father. 

"In  1810  William  Griffin  came  from  Winchester,  Va.,  and  located 
in  this  township  on  the  land  now  owned  by  O.  P.  Cobb.  William  Grif- 
fin, Jr.  lives  on  a  farm  on  the  hill  some  two  miles  north  of  Aurora. 
David  Griffin  resides  in  Aurora,  and  has  long  been  engaged  in  running 
flat-boats  down  the  river.  David  is  a  large,  well-built  man,  and  in^other 
days  had  the  strength  and  courage  of  a  lion,  was  generous  as  he  was 
strong,  and  on  one  occasion  a  number  were  at  Langley's  Hotel,  among 
the  rest  a  man  by  the  name  of  McKinney,  well  known  about  Greens- 
burgh. McKinney  took  offense  to  some  remark  of  the  writer,  and  drew 
back  to  strike  out  from  the  shoulder.  David  Griffin  quickly  stepped  be- 
tween, and  facing  McKinney  told  him  to  try  his  hand  on  him  first. 
McKinney  looked  at  him,  surveyed  him  up  one  side  and  down  the  other, 
stepped  back  and  wisely  concluded  he  did  not  want  to  fight  as  bad 
as  he  thought  he  did.  McKinney  offered  to  treat  and  settle  the  affair, 
but  Griffin  refused  to  drink  with  him  until  he  apologized  to  his  friend. 
This  McKinney  reluctantly  consented  to  do,  but  it  was  tight  or  apologize. 
The  amend  was  made  honorable  and  glasses  were  tipped,  and  if  one  of 
that  company  did  not  drink  of  the  contents  of  his  glass,  he  went  through 
the  motions. 

"George  Griffin  has  for  a  number  of  years  resided  in  Aurora.  He 
takes  great  pleasure  in  conversing  of  other  years,  and  his  memory  being 
good,  he  tells  many  a  thrilling  story.  His  good  wife,  Cynthia  Griffin,  is 
still  spared  to  sit  near  him  at  the  pleasant  fireside.  Their  home  is  like 
,  a  public  house.  They  have  receptions  and  entertainments  every  day. 
All  are  made  welcome,  and  without  form  or  foolish  ceremony  are  treated 
with  a  generosity  and  hospitality  of 'Ye  olden  time.'  JMrs.  Griffin  is 
the  ready  and  kind  nurse  by  the  side  of  every  sick-bed,  going  at  any  time, 
night  or  day,  through  storm  and  rain.     Indeed  it  may  be  said  that  like 


CENTER  TOWNSHIP.  431 

the  Good  Samaritan  of  old,  she  seeks  the  afflicted  and  relieves  the  dis- 
tressed; and  who  will  take  her  place  when  she  is  called  to  her  long 
home?'' 

Uncle  George,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  Aurora's  oldest  citi- 
izen.  His  death  occurred  March,  1885.  He  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  in  his  eighty- sixth  year. 

The  following  is  given  as  having  come  from  the  lips  of  the  above 
pioneer:  In  1810,  when  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  his  parents,  in  com- 
pany with  the  grandparents  of  the  present  Johnsons  of  North  Hogan, 
and  the  grandparents  of  the  present  Kyles,  of  Manchester,  left  Virginia 
(from  near  Winchester)  and  were  all  bound  in  covered  wagons,  for  Vin- 
cennes,  on  the  Wabash.  That  destination  was  reached,  through  an  almost 
unbroken  Indian  forest,  by  the  Johnsons  and  Kyles,  but  so  great  were 
their  perils  in  consequence  of  the  hostility  of  the  Indians,  that  Gen. 
Harrison,  whose  headquarters  were  at  Vincennes,  advised  them  to  return 
as  far  as  Kentucky;  and  to  protect  them,  he  sent  with  them  an  escort  of 
seventy-five  soldiers. 

The  Griffin  family  was  induced  by  David  Rees,  father  of  Amos 
and  Reason  Rees,  to  stop  and  try  the  Ohio  River  bottoms,  he  promising 
them  whatever  aid  they  might  need  the  first  year  in  getting  a  subsist- 
ence. W^ild  meat  was  plentiful,  for  game  was  always  in  sight.  Deer 
were  often  caught  with  skiffs,  while  swimming  in  the  river.  Wild  plums 
and  grapes  were  abundant  in  their  season.  Bread,  the  staff  of  life,  the 
most  necessary  article  of  food,  was  the  most  difficult  to  obtain.  When 
the  Griffins  built  their  cabin  between  Wilson  and  Tanner's  Creeks,  it 
was  the  fifth  in  this  region,  and  one  of  these  was  occupied  by  a 
bachelor.  This  neighbor,  Joseph  Barlow,  by  name,  had  been  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  and,  on  account  of  increasing  infirmities,  he  soon 
removed  to  Kentucky,  where  he  lived  with  a  nephew  to  the  great  age  of 
one  hundred  and  eight  years.  The  bottom  was  then  covered  with  tim- 
ber. David  Reese  kept  a  ferry  at  Tanner's  Creek,  where  the  railroad 
bridge  now  spans  it,  but  his  boat  was  bo  small  that  a  wagon  had  to  be 
taken  to  pieces  to  be  conveyed  across.  Wild  animals  were  very  numer- 
ous and  were  a  great  annoyance.  The  howling  of  wolves  at  night  often 
rendered  sleep  impossible. 

"While  eating  breakfast  one  morning  I  heard  a  squealing,"  said 
Uncle  George,  "and  on  going  to  see  I  saw  a  bear  devouring  a  wild  hog. 
It  was  necessary  to  keep  all  domestic  animals  in  pens  adjoining  the 
house. "  The  surviving  widow  herself  tells  of  driving  away  the  saucy 
deer  and  turkeys  from  the  grain  stocks,  when  she  was  a  girl.  But  more 
to  be  dreaded  than  these  were  the  lingering  and  hostile  Aborigines,  some 
of  whose  tents  were  yet  to  be  seen.     The  United  States  Government  had 


432  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

bought  their  lands  two  years  previously,  and  they  had  removed  to  the 
Wabash;  but  incited  by  the  British  and  French,  both  of  whom  were 
jealous  of  our  national  growth,  they  became  dissatisfied  and  revengeful. 
In  gangs  considerable  numbers  of  them  returned  with  cheeks  painted 
red  and  hair  arranged  for  war.  In  those  times  it  was  not  safe  for  one 
of  the  pioneers  to  venture  alone  away  from  his  home.  Horses  and  other 
property  were  stolen.  "Many  a  morning  on  going  out  of  my  cabin 
door,"  said  Uncle  George,  "I  have  seen  fresh  moccasin  tracks.  Billy 
"Winters'  cabin  was  the  largest  and  strongest,  and  while  an  attack  was 
feared,  the  neighbors  would  occupy  it  as  a  fort.  Subsequently  other 
block-houses  were  built.  Not  until  after  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  were 
we  relieved  from  'the  terror  of  the  tomahawk.'  " 

When  the  red  men  left  for  the  Wabash  country  one  savage  alone 
refused  to  leave  his  old  haunts,  choosing  to  remain  and  live  among  the 
pale  faces,  from  whom  he  received  the  name  of  "saw-mill."  The  friend- 
ship of  this  Indian  was  of  much  service  to  the  pioneers  in  that  critical 
period,  and  his  untimely  death  was  greatly  lamented.  Near  where  the 
town  of  Harrison  now  is,  he  met  two  of  his  own  race,  one  of  whom 
bought  whisky  and  gave  some  to  his  companion,  but  none  to  himself. 
"Saw-mill,"  feeling  himself  insulted,  challenged  them  both  to  fight  him 
at  the  same  time.  The  challenge  was  accepted.  They  all  whetted 
their  knives,  then  laid  them  down  and  took  another  drink.  They  then 
made  a  ring  two  rods  in  diameter,  within  which  they  were  to  confine 
themselves,  and  began  their  bloody  conflict.  "Saw-mill"  first  killed  one 
of  his  antagonists,  and  then  was  killed  himself  by  the  other. 

Wild  turkeys  were  very  numerous  and  troublesome.  One  day  a  large 
flock  going  down  the  bottom  was  met  by  another  flock  coming  in  the 
opposite  direction,  and  the  result  was  a  furious  battle  of  the  gobblers. 
The  Griffin  boys,  attracted  by  the  commotion,  formed  a  semi -circle  and 
drove  them  all  across  the  river,  but  so  fat  and  heavy  were  they  that  they 
could  not  rise  to  the  top  of  the  Kentucky  bank.  Their  only  alternative 
was  to  return  to  the  Indiana  shore,  from  which  the  boys  frightened  them 
away  again,  and  before  they  could  reach  any  landing  place  many  of 
them  were  so  exhausted  that  they  sank  into  the  water.  The  boys  returned 
to  their  cabin  with  eleven,  which  they  had  captured  with  their  skiffs. 

Uncle  George  had  various  experiences  as  a  river  trader.  Twice,  on 
his  return  from  the  South,  he  walked  from  Shawneetown  to  his  home. 
The  first  time  he  was  obliged  to  leave  his  flat-boat  at  that  place  because 
of  heavy  ice.  His  pedestrian  companions  were  John  Conway  (brother 
of  the  late  Capts.  Dan  and  John  Conway),  and  his  uncle,  Joseph  John- 
son. 

Referring  to  the   locality    in  question,  a  writer    in  the  Democratic 


CENTER  TOWNSHIP.  433 

Register  in  1876,  thus  alludes  to  the  early  settlement  :  "  Previous  to 
]800,  although  many  families  had  settled  in  this  neighborhood,  little 
was  done  in  the  way  of  clearing  lands.  Each  family  had  sufficient 
ground  under  cultivation  to  raise  corn,  potatoes,  etc.,  to  supply  its  indi- 
vidual wants,  and  with  their  primitive  modes  of  farming,  this  was  per- 
haps all  they  could  cultivate.  Game  of  every  species  common  to  the 
country  was  here  in  abundance.  Buffalo  and  elk  were  growing  scarce. 
The  black  bear,  deer,  gray  and  black  wolf,  wild  cat,  beaver,  otter  and  por- 
cupine were  plentiful.  In  the  summer  of  1807,  Isaac  Cochran  brought 
his  family  here  from  the  neighborhood  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  and  built 
and  moved  into  a  log-cabin  on  the  site  of  the  present  residence  of  John 
Cobb.  Mr.  Cochran  had  a  large  family,  and  his  cabin  was  necessarily 
built  on  a  larger  scale  than  those  of  his  neighbors  with  small  families. 
It  contained  two  rooms.  His  family  consisted  of  Mary,  his  wife,  and 
nine  children,  viz. :  Alexander,  George  W.,  Isaac,  John,  Nancy  Mary, 
Malinda,  Eliza  and  Susan.  Of  this  family,  George  W.  is  a  prominent 
business  man  of  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  where  he  resides.  He  also  retains 
many  of  the  lots  in  the  town  of  Cochran,  near  Aurora,  which  is  built  on 
property  originally  owned  by  him.  Nancy  is  yet  living  in  Aurora,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-one  years,  the  wife  of  "Washington  Stark.  About  this 
time  came  Martin  Cozine  and  family,  the  Scott  family,  Thomas  Horsley 
and  family,  Petite,  and  others.  A  family  named  Ensley,  consisting  of  an 
old  couple  and  one  child,  were  here  when  Cochran  came.  They  lived  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  near  the  present  residence  of  A.  Lozier.  Their 
cabin,  a  primitive  structure  of  logs  and  the  bark  of  trees,  was  the  first 
habitation  erected  by  a  white  man  on  the  ground  where  Aurora  now 
stands.  There  were  many  other  cabins  in  the  neighborhood;  but  in  the 
opinion  of  Mrs.  Stark,  who  remembers  the  location  of  all,  Ensley' s  was 
the  only  one  within  the  present  town  limits.  It  scarcely  rose  to  the 
dignity  of  a  cabin,  being  a  mere  hut,  but  as  it  marked  the  begin- 
ning of  a  prosperous  city,  let  this  brief  record,  at  least,  be  made  of  its 
pre- existence.  It  has  long  since  passed  away;  the  people  who  inhab- 
ited it  have  returned  to  earth,  and  this  is  all  that  remains. 

"Martin  Cozine  settled  on  what  is  now  the  James  farm,  on  South 
Hogan;  Horsley,  Scott  and  Petite  in  the  same  neighborhood.  Nicholas 
Cheek  still  lived  below  Wilson  Creek,  in  the  cabin  first  erected  by  him, 
but  soon  after  Cochran  came  he  built  a  small  house  out  of  hewed  logs, 
probably  the  first  one  of  the  kind  in  the  settlement.  Francis,  Page  and 
Tavener,  brothers  of  Nicholas  Cheek,  were  here  at  that  time.  The  bot- 
tom lands  between  this  point  and  Petersburg,  on  the  Kentucky  side  of 
the  river,  were  cleared  and  the  country  in  the  interior  quite  thickly  set- 
tled.    Petersburg,  formerly  Tanner's  Station,  was    an  ambitious  village. 

26 


434  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Lawrenceburgh  was  laid  out  and  growing.  Aurora  was  yet  unborn. 
Among  those  who  settled  in  this  neighborhood  from  1807  to  1812,  and 
who  have  descendants  still  living  here,  may  be  mentioned  the  following: 
Charles  Folbre,  William  Griffin,  Thomas  Billingsley,  David  Rees,  Kob- 
ert  Milburn,  Samuel  Elder,  Eleazer  Small  and  William  Wymond. 
Vachel  Lindsay  and  William  Winters  were  also  early  settlers.  The  lat- 
ter lived  for  a  number  of  years  on  the  bottoms  above  Wilson  Creek. 
Christopher  Bingaman  and  Joseph  Barlow  were  others.  Barlow  died 
some  time  ago  near  Burlington,   Ky.,  at  the  age  of  107  years. 

[Several  of  these  settlors  pi'obably  were  just  over  the  line  in  other 
townships. — Editor.  J 

EARLY     RELIGIOUS     AND     EDUCATIONAL     NOTES. 

The  Bridges  and  Carroll  families  were  early  settlers  of  this  township, 
the  former  residing  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek,  and  the  latter  north- 
east of  Aurora.  The  houses  of  these  families  were  the  early  preaching 
places  of  the  Methodist  local  and  circuit  preachers.  Ebenezer  Church, 
a  Regular  Baptist,  was  constituted  not  far  from  the  year  1820,  and  soon 
after  a  log  meeting-house  erected  not  far  from  the  line  dividing  the 
townships  of  Center  and  INIanchester,  which  was  one  of  the  great  preach- 
ing places  for  the  settlers  for  miles  around. 

One  of  the  first  schools  of  Center  was  taught  in  a  little  log-cabin 
schoolhouse  that  stood  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  from  the  stone 
house  of  Mrs.  Worley,  in  the  Ebenezer  Church  neighborhood.  Joseph 
Dent  was  the  first  teacher  here,  and  Mr.  Robert  Fowler,  of  Lawrence- 
burgh, was  one  of  his  pupils.  Along  about  1823  or  1824  a  Mr.  Cannon 
was  keeping  school  in  a  cabin  which  had  formerly  been  occupied  as  a 
dwelling,  and  stood  south  of  Aurora,  on  the  Judge  Jesse  N.  Holman 
place.  Probably  100  yards  south  of  the  cabin  just  mentioned  the  neigh- 
borhood a  little  later  built  a  log  schoolhouse,  in  which  a  Miss  Green 
is  remembered  as  the  first  teacher.  In  the  western  part  of  the  township 
another  hewed  log  schoolhouse  was  early  built,  and  Everett  Milburn  is 
recalled  as  an  early  master  in  it.  Gideon  Cummings  was  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township  along  Laughery  Creek; 
also  Samuel  Hopping.  Mt.  Zion  Meeting  House,  located  in  the  Trester 
Graveyard,  just  over  the  line  in  Washington  Township  years  ago,  also 
served  as  a  temple  of  learning.  Servetis  Tufts  is  remembered  as  having 
taught  in  this  building. 

COCHRAN. 

The  town  of  Cochran  is  situated  on  the  south  or  right  bank  of  South 
Hogan  Creek,  and  adjoins  the  city  of  Aurora  on  the  west,  the  town  hav 
ing  the  advantage  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  and  the  Aurora 


CENTER  TOWNSHIP.  435 

&  Laughery  Turnpike,  both  of  which  pass  through  it.  The  most  nota- 
ble industries  are  the  large  car  works  of  the  railroad  mentioned,  which 
cover  several  acres  and  give  employment  to  hundreds  of  men,  and  the 
Cochran  Chair  Manufactory.  The  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Eailroad  was 
completed  to  this  point  in  the  spring  of  1854,  and  to  the  building  of 
this  road  and  the  location  of  the  car  shops  here  is  Cochran  indebted  for 
its  origin.  The  town  was  laid  out  on  land  in  Section  31,  Township  5, 
Range  1  west,  the  proprietor  of  which  was  George  W.  Cochran,  who 
acknowledged  the  plat  of  the  town  (234  lots)  August  25,  1860.  The 
population  in  1867  was  shown  to  be  599,  and  in  June  of  that  year  the 
county  commissioners  were  petitioned  by  seventy  voters  of  the  place  for 
incorporation.  June  22  of  that  year  an  election  of  the  citizens  was  held 
at  the  schoolhouse  in  the  town  to  decide  whether  or  not  it  should  be 
incorporated.  There  were  seventy-eight  votes  cast  at  this  election  in 
favor  of  incorporation,  and  none,  we  believe,  against. 

The  car  shops  at  this  place  usually  employ  quite  a  large  number  of 
men,  but  the  present  pay-roll  shows  less  than  150  steady  workmen.  The 
Cochran  Chair  Company  was  started  some  five  years  since,  and  has  built 
up  to  be  an  institution  of  considerable  magnitude,  employing  about 
seventy-five  hands.  The  present  postoffice  was  established  July  4,  1878,. 
and  under  the  successful  management  of  A.  P.  Shultz  has  proven  to  be  a 
great  accommodation.  A  school  and  church  are  also  found  here,  and 
many  well  built  cottages  adorn  the  surrounding  eminences,  prominent 
among  the  number  being  that  of  Erastus  Downey.  Altogether,  the  vil- 
lage claims  about  1,000  inhabitants,  and  is  rapidly  building  up. 

The  Rev.  E.  G.  Wood,  pastor  of  the  Aurora  31ethodist  Episcopal 
Church,  thus  alludes  to  the  origin  of  the  church  at  Cochran,  in  his 
recently  published  sketch  of  the  church  at  Aurora  and  vicinity: 

"Bat  the  bugle  sound  of  prosperity  is  heard  in  the  report  of  the 
trustees,  February  8,  1851,  viz. :  *  It  is  the  opinion  of  the  trustees  that 
the  house  is  not  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  usual  audience,  and 
that  a  new  and  larger  church  should  be  built.'  And  to  see  the  still 
increasing  enterprise  of  this  rising  society,  the  quarterly  conference  of 
October  29,  1853,  appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of  Brother  Will  F. 
Stevens  and  Rev.  John  W.  Sullivan  to  solicit  a  lot  on  which  to  build  a 
church  at  the  machine  shops,  as  an  outpost  for  more  aggressive  work  by 
this  church,  and  I  understand  there  is  now  a  lot  deeded  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Cochran  for  church  purposes,  and  I  wish  to  say 
that  a  small  chapel  now  upon  that  lot  would  be  of  inestimable  service  ta 
our  cause,  not  as  a  separate  appointment  nor  self-supporting  charge,  but 
for  occasional  preaching,  a  Sabbath- school  and  social  meetings.  There 
are  about  forty  families  of  our  membership  who   live  in   Cochran.     At 


436  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

this  same  quarterly  conference  a  cordial  invitation  was  extended  the 
Southeast  Indiana  Conference  to  hold  its  annual  session  here  in  1854; 
and  before  they  adjourned  a  motion  was  made  to  build  a  new  church 
immediately." 

RIVER    VIEW    CEMETERY. 

The  grounds  of  the  Aurora  Cemetery  Association  are  located  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  township.  The  cemetery  is  on  high  and  rolling 
ground,  most  beautifully  fitted  by  nature  for  a  city  of  the  dead,  over- 
looking the  majestic  Ohio  and  the  historic  Laughery  Creek,  with  its 
beautiful  wooded  banks,  gives  it  an  attraction  seldom  surpassed.  The 
graunds  are  interspersed  with  neat  avenues  and  beautiful  drives,  and  are 
dotted  over  with  choice  shrubbery,  evergreens,  and  many  costly  and 
grand  monuments.  The  cemetery  was  established  in  1869,  the  organi  - 
zation  of  the  association  taking  place  in  the  spring  of  that  year.  The 
incorporators  were  the  following  named:  George  Sutton,  Francis  Wy- 
mond,  Josiah  Chambers,  John  N.  Milburn,  Philip  Wymond,  Thomas 
Gaff,  J.  J.  Bachman,  H.  W.  Smith,  W.  F.  Stephens,  George  Shockly,  J. 
K.  Wilcox,  E.  F.  Sibley,  Simon  Siemantel,  Jesse  Younger,  Nathaniel 
Dyke,  C.  D.  Beinkamp,  Richard  Gregg,  W.  F.  Bailey,  A.  Epstein 
Charles  Baum  and  E.  Christopher. 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  437 


CHAPTEK  XX. 

RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— Land  Entries— Pioneers  and  Pio- 
neer Settlement— North's  Landing— Millersburgh— Mills,  Dis- 
tilleries, etc.— Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards. 

RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP  occupies  a  position  in  the  eastern  pai't  of 
Ohio  County,  and  comprises  nearly  one-half  of  the  territory  of 
the  entire  county.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Laughery  Creek, 
which  separates  the  counties  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio,  on  the  east  by  the 
Ohio  River,  on  the  south  by  Switzerland  County,  and  on  the  west  by 
Cass  and  Union  Townships.  On  the  formation  of  Ohio  County,  in  1844, 
the  county  commissioners  at  their  first  session,  held  June  3,  of  that 
year,  ordered  that  all  of  the  territory  of  the  county  be  embraced  in  one 
township,  to  be  called  Randolph  Township.  The  following  metes  and 
bouDds  were  given  it:  "Beginning  on  the  Ohio  River  on  the  section 
line  between  fractional  Sections  25  and  36,  Town  4,  Range  1  west; 
thence  west  with  said  line  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  32;  thence 
south  to  the  northwest  line  between  Range  1  and  Range  2;  thence  south 
to  the  line  dividing  Switzerland  and  Dearborn  Counties;  thence  east 
with  said  line  to  the  Ohio  River;  thence  up  said  river  to  the  place  of 
beginning."  Prior  to  the  organization  of  Ohio  County,  this  was  known 
as  Randolph  Township,  Dearborn  County,  and  originally,  in  addition  to 
its  present  territory,  it  included  the  eastern  tier  of  sections  in  the  town- 
ship of  Union,  which  were  attached  to  Union,  Dearborn  County,  in 
1833.  In  1845,  when  the  boundary  line  between  Dearborn  and  Ohio 
Counties  was  changed,  a  change  was  made  in  the  metes  and  bounds 
of  Randolph  Township,  leaving  it  as  it  is  at  present. 

land  enteies. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  Government  with 
the  year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names,  are  set  forth  in  the  follow- 
ing list:  (Where  the  entire  section  was  not  disposed  of  at  one  time, 
the  succession  of  dates  and  names  indicate  the  years  when  and  names 
to  whom  portions  of  the  section  were  sold.) 

Town  3  north,  Range  1  west. 


438  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Fractional    Sections  1  and  2,  and    Section  3,  sold  April  9,    1801,  to 
Lewis  Davis  and  Benjamin  Chambers. 

North  half  of  Section  4,  February  11,  1812,  to  David  B.  Close,   and 
the  rest  in  1814,  to  David  Close  and  John  James. 

Section  5,  in  1813,  1814  and  1815,  to  William  Howlett,  John  Payne, 
Martin  Stewart  and  John  Dixon. 

Section  6,  in  1815,  to   Peter   White,    Hugh    Beatty,    John    Mounts, 
John  Barricklow  and  Robert  Espey. 

Section  7.  in  1814,  to  Hugh  Espey,  and  in  1815,  to  John  Barricklow 
and  Hugh  Espy. 

Section  8,  in  1814,  to  John  Dairet  and  Robert  Drake;  in  1816,  to 
Hugh  Espey;  in  1817,  to  Hugh  Moore. 

Section  9,  and  fractional  Sections  10  and  11,  January  25,  1802,  to 
Henry  Cadberry. 

Fractional  Section  15,  in  1814,  to  P.  S.  Symmes,  assigned  to  John 
James. 

Section  17,  in  1804  and  1813,  to  Robert  Ricketts,  and,  in  1814,  to 
Hugh  Espey,  Sr.,  and  Stephen  Stewart. 

Section  18,  in  1815,  to  John  Dixon,  and  in  1816,  to  Samuel  S.  Scott, 
and  Rufus  Gordon,  William  Ross    and  Dillard  Drake. 

Section  19,  in  1815,  to  Richard  J.  Hale,  Jacob  Goodner;  in  1816, 
to  Nathan  Ricketts  and  Willis  Bates. 

Section  20,  in  1815,  to  David  Remer;  in  1816,  to  Silas  Howe  and 
William  Ross;  in  1817,  to  Silas  Howe;  and,  in  1827,  to  Calvin  Mable. 

Fractional  Sections  21  and  22,  in  1813,  to  Lot  North, 

Town  4  north.   Range  1  west. 

Fractional  Section  10,  sold  April  22,  1801,  to  Daniel  Conner,  and  re- 
sold December  2,  1806,  to  O.  Ormsby.     (See  Centre  Township.) 

Fractional  Sections  14,  15  and  16,  sold  July  20,  1801,  to  Joseph 
Wilkinson,  and  resold  to  Jesse  Hunt,  December  3,  1806. 

Section  17,  in  1813  and  1814,  to  Benjamin  Miles;  in  1814,  to  Henry 
Miller,  and,  in  1818,  to  R.  Taylor  and  Thomas  Burns. 

Section  18,  in  1813,  to  Michael  and  William  Flake,  and  Squire  Pe- 
teet;  in  1814,  to  Richard  Bailey;  in  1815,  to  Jacob  Smith  and  John 
Conner. 

Section  19,  in  1813,  to  John  and  Farrington  Barricklow  and  James 
Burke;  in  1816,  to  John  Hunt  and  F.  Barricklow. 

Section  20,  in  1814,  to  Thomas  Stewart;  in  1816,  to  James  Warnock 
and  Abijah  Goodrich;  in  1831,  to  William  Higby. 

Section  21,  in  1814,  to  Cols.  William  L.  and  J.  D.  Miller;  in  1815, 
.    to  John  Barricklow,  and,  in  1816,  to  Hugh  Moore. 

Section  22,  April  7,  1807,  to  Pay  ton  Short. 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  439 

Fractional  Section  23,  April  7,  1807,  to  Payton  Short. 

Sections  25  and  26,  May  27,  1801,  to  Israel  Loring. 

Section  27,  in  1816,  to  Jonathan  Parks,  Alex  Abercrombie,  William 
Bills,  A.  Dubois  and  Robert  Duck. 

Section  28,  in  1814,  to  John  H.  McCollough;  in  1815,  to  Robert 
Espey,  James  Stewart  and  Charles  English. 

Section  29,  in  1816,  to  Ephraim  Guard,  Samuel  Steel  and  James  Hind; 
in  1830,  to  Isaac  Dexter;  in  1831,  to  Henry  Collins;  in  1833,  to  Elijah 
Lindsay. 

Section  30,  sold  in  1813,  to  John  and  FarringtonBarricklow;  in  1814, 
to  Isaac  Dexter,  and  in  1815,  to  Isaac  Dexter. 

Section  31,  in  1814,  to  Peter  Lonesteller,  Asa  Hamilton,  James 
Buchanan  and  James  Gibson. 

Section  32,  in  1814,  to  Frederick  Waldo,  Noah  Babbs  and  James 
Stewart;  in  1815,  to  Jonathan  Huntington  and  John  English. 

Section  33,  in  1813,  to  Claybourn  Allen;  in  1815,  to  Isaac  Wilcot;  in 
1817,  to  Robert  Elliott;  in  1831,  to  Samuel  M.  Jelley. 

Section  34,  in  1809,  to  David  B.  Close;  in  1804,  to  Elorantbun  Kem- 
per; in  1815,  to  David  Close  and  Samuel  M.  Jelley. 

Section  35  and  fractional  Section  36,  April  27,  1801,  to  James  Find- 
lay. 

Township  3,  Range  2  west. 

Section  1,  sold  in  1814,  to  James  A,  Walton;  in  1817,  to  Robert 
Elliott;  in  1827,  to  Andrew  Douglass;  in  1833,  to  David  Herron,  and,  in 
1834,  to  John  W.  Herron  and  Andrew  Douglass. 

Section  12,  in  1818,  to  John  Embree  and  E,  Hepburn;  in  1816  to 
James  Wood;  in  1830,  to  Hugh  Bodle;  in  1831,  to  James  Boyle  and 
Lydia  Wright,  and,  in  1834,  to  James  Wishard  and  William  Gray. 

Section  13,  in  1814,  to  George  Newton  and  Prince  Athearn;  in  1816, 
to  Benjamin  Dubois;  in  1818,  to  J.  Embree  and  E.  Hepburn;  in  1832, 
to  James  T.  Pollock. 

Section  24,  in  1813,  to  Robert  Ricketts;  in  1814,  to  Jacob  Light, 
John  Dewitt;  in  1815,  to  Jacob  Light. 

PIONEERS    AND    PIONEER    SETTLEMENT. 

A  number  of  the  original  purchasers  of  the  lands  of  Randolph 
became  actual  settlers,  improved  the  lands,  played  their  part  in  trans- 
forming the  wilderness  into  the  beautiful  and  fertile  fields  amid  the  pri- 
vations and  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  replaced  the  cabin  with  a  substan- 
tial brick,  the  cumbersome  log-stable  with  the  commodious  barn;  gave 
up  the  sickle,  the  scythe  and  the  cradle  for  the  reaper  and  the  mower,  the 
"flail  "  for  the  steam-thresher,  saw  the  wigwam  of  the  savage  give  way 


440  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

to  the  church;  witnessed  generations  born  to  know  only  by  tradition  of 
the  block-house,  the  trail  of  the  Indian,  and  the  wild  animals;  gave 
shape  to  the  civil,  political  and  religious  history  of  the  county,  and  at 
last,  their  bodies  to  the  churchyard.     Peace  to  their  ashes. 

For  much  of  the  information  under  this  head  the  wi'iter  is  indebted 
to  the  Centennial  address  delivered  at  Rising  Sun,  July  4,  by  George  W. 
Morse  and  to  the  historical  discourse  of  Rev.  B.  F.  Morris,  delivered  in 
Rising  Sun  in  1856. 

The  first  white  persons  to  take  up  their  abode  where  Rising  Sun  now 
stands  were  John  Fulton  and  his  wife,  their  sons  Samuel  and  Thomas 
and  their  families,  and  Christopher  Huston  and  his  family.  This  set- 
tlement was  made  in  1798,  one  year  before  Col.  Benjamin  Chambers,  a 
government  oflScer,  arrived  to  survey  the  land  preparatory  to  the  offering 
by  the  government  of  the  lands  in  the  Northwest  Territory,  north  of  the 
Ohio  River  and  east  of  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky  River,  at  public  sale. 

Samuel  Fulton,  who  was  a  resident  of  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Rising  Sun  for  a  full  half  century  afterward,  in  the  year  1798  built  the 
first  cabin  in  this  vicinity,  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River,  at  the  foot  of 
what  is  now  Sixth  Street.  Soon  afterward  Christopher  Huston,  a 
brother  of  Samuel  Fulton's  wife,  built  a  cabin  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
just  below  the  foot  of  the  present  First  Street.  The  sight  occupied  by 
it  has  been  washed  away  by  the  current  of  the  river  for  more  than  half  a 
century.  Thomas  Fulton  built  a  cabin  on  the  bank  of  the  river  about 
midway  between  the  other  two,  but  in  1802  removed  to  the  bank  of 
Arnold's  Creek,  the  location  afterward  known  as  the  Thomas  Nelson 
farm,  and  where  the  Indians  often  encamped  and  held  their  councils. 
Christopher  Huston  removed  to  the  bank  of  Arnold's  Creek,  opposite 
what  was  afterward  known  as  the  James  Boyle  homestead.  Samuel  Ful- 
ton remained  where  he  first  located  until  about  1811,  when  he  removed 
to  the  farm  about  one  mile  north  of  Rising  Sun,  where  he  resided  at  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1849. 

John  Fulton  was  a  native  of  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  and  came  with  his 
father,  when  a  mere  youth,  to  Lancaster  County,  Penn.  There  were 
four  sons  in  the  family,  John,  Robert,  Hugh  and  Andrew.  The  family 
were  among  the  founders  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Lancaster, 
Penn.,  and  their  strong  Presbyterian  proclivities  led  to  the  opinion  that 
they  were  of  Scotch  ancestry.  John  was  apprenticed  to  a  blacksmith, 
Robert  to  a  tailor,  and  Hugh  and  Andrew  to  farmers.  Robert  afterward 
engaged  in  farming  in  Little  Britain  Township,  Lancaster  County,  when 
his  son  Robert,  who  was  the  first  to  successfully  apply  steam  to  the  pro- 
pulsion of  vessels,  was  born  in  1765. 

John  Fulton  married  Jane  Dills,  who  shared  with  him  the  vicissitudes 


RANDOLPH  TOAVNSHIP.  441 

of  a  most  eventful  life  for  a  period  of  barely  three  years  less  than  three 
score  and  ten,  and  they  now  sleep  side  by  side  in  the  "Fulton  Burying 
Ground,"  one  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Rising  Sun,  on  the  road  to  Au- 
rora. They  remained  residents  of  Lancaster  County  for  several  years. 
Their  son,  Samuel  Fulton,  was  born  in  that  county  July  1,  1762.  John 
Fulton  took  up  arms  in  defense  of  the  country  of  his  adoption  and  was 
with  Washington's  troops  at  the  capture  of  Trenton.  He  lived  some 
fifty  years  after  that,  but  length  of  years  never  lessened  his  contempt  for 
Hessians  or  his  hatred  for  Tories.  After  his  service  in  the  army  of  the 
Revolution,  he  removed  his  family  to  Northumberland  County,  Penn., 
then  on  the  frontier,  and  encountered  the  perils  of  the  period  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  massacre  at  Wyoming.  Mr.  Fulton,  his  wife,  and  his  sis- 
ter were  carried  into  captivity  by  the  Indians  at  this  time,  and  he  and 
his  wife  were  held  until  the  exchange  at  Quebec,  a  short  time  before  the 
close  of  the  war.  Two  of  their  children  were  killed  by  the  Indians  in 
the  presence  of  their  parents,  being  taken  by  their  feet  and  having  their 
brains  dashed  out  against  the  trees,  because,  by  reason  of  their  youth, 
they  were  unable  to  keep  up  in  traveling.  The  sister  was  given  the 
privilege  of  escape  by  running  the  gauntlet.  Two  rows  of  young  In- 
dians were  formed,  each  with  a  whip  in  hand  to  scourge  her  as  she 
passed  between  the  lines.  A  whip  was  given  her  with  the  privilege  to 
strike  as  she  ran,  and  so  well  did  she  use  it  that  her  tormentors  cheered 
her  for  her  bravery.  The  life  of  the  husband  was  spared  that  the  In- 
dians and  Tories  might  avail  themselves  of  his  skill  as  a  blacksmith, 
and  that  of  the  wife  that  she  might  be  their  cook  and  servant.  The  cru- 
elties inflicted  upon  them  in  their  captivity  oftentimes  made  death  more 
desirable  than  life,  and  engendered  a  hatred  of  Indians  and  Tories  that 
never  was  modified.  At  the  time  of  the  captivity  of  the  parents,  Samuel 
Fulton,  then  only  sixteen  years  old,  was  a  member  of  a  military  company 
raised  for  local  defense  against  the  attacks  of  the  prowling  Indians,  and 
known  as  scouts.  His  company  came  to  his  father's  place  only  a  few 
hours  after  the  capture,  and  although  they  immediately  started  in  pur- 
suit, they  were  unable  to  overtake  the  capturing  party.  Mr.  Fulton, 
after  six  months'  service  as  a  scout,  joined  the  militia  authorized  by 
Congress  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  the  surviving  members  of  the  family  were  re- 
united and  settled  in  Cumberland  County,  near  Harrisburgh,  when 
Samuel  Fulton  was  married  to  Mary  Huston,  who  shared  with  him  the 
privations  of  pioneer  life  in  Indiana  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century. 
She  died  August  13,  1834,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  Their  three  eldest 
children  were  born  in  Cumberland  County.  Anna,  who  died  in  early 
womanhood;  Jennie,  who    was    the    wife  of  Peter  Allen,  a  pioneer  of 


442  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Laughrey  Valley,  and  Mary,  who  was  born  March  7,  1793,  married  to 
Robert  E.  Covington,  January  7,  1819,  and  died  at  Rising  Sun,  where 
she  had  lived  for  more  than  three-quarters  of  a  century,  July  26,  1875. 

In  the  summer  of  1794  fche  same  party  that  made  the  first  settlement 
in  1798,  where  Rising  Sun  now  stands,  left  Cumberland  County,  Penn., 
for  the  west.  On  their  journey  they  met  Gen.  Washington,  who  was  on 
his  way  back  to  Philadelphia  from  a  visit  to  the  troops  encamped  at  Bed- 
ford preparatory  to  a  march  against  the  whisky  insurgents  in  western 
Pennsylvania.  Washington  inquired  of  them  what  part  of  the  country 
they  came  from  and  their  destination,  which  then  was  Washington 
County,  Penn.,  thanked  them  for  their  services  as  soldiers  and  wished 
them  prosperity  in  their  new  homes.  This  meeting  with  Washington 
was  a  pleasure  to  which  both  father  and  sou  often  referred. 

They  remained  in  Washington  County  but  little  over  one  year,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1796  descended  the  Monongahela  and  the  Ohio  Rivers 
and  landed  at  Newport,  Ky. ,  with  a  view  of  locating  at  Lexington,  Ky., 
where  a  brother  of  Mr.  Fulton  had  previously  engaged  in  merchandising. 
They  remained  at  Newport  about  two  years  and  then  located  on  the 
present  site  of  Rising  Sun,  as  already  stated,  in  1798. 

Col.  Chambers  secured  the  large  tract  of  land  extending  for  some 
miles  on  the  river  front,  from  the  old  school  section  at  the  mouth  of 
Arnold's  Creek  to  a  point  above  Laughrey  Island,  and  embraced  the  large 
tracts  afterward  owned  by  the  Browns,  the  Jameses,  the  Lorings  and  the 
Smiths.  The  tract  so  long  occupied  by  Samuel  Fulton  was  contracted 
for  with  Col.  Chambers,  but  afterward  embraced  in  the  sales  to  the  Browns 
with  a  reservation  that  they  should  convey  to  Fulton.  The  deed  to  Sam- 
uel Fulton  is  from  Roger  Brown,  and  bears  date  March  20,  1815.  It  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  his  grandson,  S.  F.  Covington,  and  is  an  ancient 
appearing  document. 

Three  of  the  ten  persons — five  men  and  five  women  who  comprised  the 
entire  membership  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  its  organization  in 
Rising  Sun,  September  12,  1816,  were  Samuel  Fulton,  Mary  Fulton,  his 
wife,  and  Jane  Fulton,  his  mother.  The  children  and  grandchildren  of 
the  parents  and  grandparents  who  participated  in  the  organization  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  in  Lancaster,  Penn.,  participated  in  the 
organization  of  the  first  Presbyterian  Church  in  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  more 
than  half  a  century  afterwai'd.  Before  the  organization  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Rising  Sun,  and  perhaps  afterward,  until  a  regular 
house  of  worship  was  secured,  Col.  Fulton  opened  his  house  for  public 
worship.  He  was  known  on  several  occasions,  between  1804  and  1808. 
to  have  rowed  a  canoe  to  Cincinnati  to  bring  from  that  city  Rev.  Joshua 
L.  Wilson,  or  the  Rev.  James  Kemper  or  the  Rev.  David  Risk  to  preach 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  443 

to  them  in  either  his  cabin  or  that  of  Col.  Chambers,  and  afterward  take 
them  home  by  the  same  conveyance.  The  mode  would  be  considered 
impracticable  now,  but  it  was  the  most  comfortable  and  expeditious  mode 
at  that  time. 

Pirogues  and  canoes  were  made  useful  for  other  purposes,  as  well 
as  conveying  ministers  to  congregations.  In  the  winter  of  1805  Col. 
Fulton  made  a  large  party  for  his  neighbors.  Col.  Chambers  being  one 
of  the  invited  guests  hitched  his  oxen  to  a  large  pirogue,  and  with  all 
his  family  and  a  few  friends  in  it,  gave  a  merry  sleigh -ride  to  the  party. 
This  was  a  common  conveyance  during  the  season  of  sleighing.  Quite  a 
contrast  with  the  elegant  sleighs  of  the  present  time. 

Before  there  were  any  stores  or  trading  establishments  to  exchange 
such  supplies  as  were  needed  by  the  settlers  for  furs  and  peltries,  Col. 
Fulton  would  gather  them  in  and  send  them  on  pack  horses  to  Lexing- 
ton, Ky. ;  that  place,  at  that  time,  being  a  more  desirable  market  both 
for  selling  and  buying  than  Cincinnati.  Mrs.  Fulton  had  a  brother,  a 
merchant  in  Lexington,  whom  they  occasionally  visited.  Having  a  family 
of  small  children,  husband  and  wife  could  not  leave  home  on  such  a  jour- 
ney at  the  same  time,  mainly  on  account  of  the  presence  of  so  many 
Indians  who,  though  professing  friendship,  were  not  to  be  trusted,  Mrs. 
Fulton  sometimes  made  this  journey  alone,  but  always  combined  business 
with  pleasure.  Placing  such  articles  as  she  had  for  sale  on  one  or  more 
pack  horses,  and  riding  another,  she  went  to  Lexington,  made  her  social 
and  business  calls,  exchanged  her  merchandise  for  supplies,  and  returned 
in  the  same  way.  It  was  usually  a  three  day's  journey  each  way,  but 
there  were  settlements  at  convenient  distances  by  persons  with  whom  she 
was  acquainted,  and  from  whom  she  received  the  most  cordial  hos- 
pitality. 

Her  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  Covington,  during  her  life  time,  frequently 
referred  to  these  journeys,  and  spoke  of  the  store  goods  brought  home  by 
her  mother.  Finery  and  fashions  were  looked  after  then  as  well  as  now. 
The  ornamental  and  useful  were  both  sought.  Mrs.  Covington  remem- 
bered that  on  one  occasion  her  mother  bought  her  "a  love  of  a  bonnet,"  and 
her  father  a  rifle  to  be  used  for  procuring  meat  and  as  a  defense  against 
the  Indians.  The  quantities  of  goods  brought  from  Lexington  was  very 
small.  Most  of  the  clothing  was  made  at  home.  Wool  for  winter 
clothing  was  gotten  from  sheep  that  had  to  be  brought  in  the  house  at 
night,  or  put  in  a  pen  with  great  fires  around  it  to  protect  them  from 
the  wolves.  The  summer  clothing  was  made  almost  wholly  of  the  prod- 
uct of  the  flax-patch,  though  occasionally  small  patches  of  cotton  were 
raised. 

Mr.  S.  F.  Covington  now  has  a  counterpane,  the  cotton  of  which  was 


444  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

planted,  cultivated,  carded,  spun,  woven  and  elaborately  ornamented 
with  needlework,  with  a  spread  eagle  in  the  center,  and  the  date,  1812, 
by  his  mother,  a  daughter  of  Col.  Fulton. 

Military  organizations  were  a  necessity  for  proper  and  efficient 
defense  against  the  Indians.  Col.  Fulton  was  appointed  by  Gen.  Har- 
rison, then  Territorial  governor,  captain  of  the  first  company  organized 
in  this  section.  His  commission  is  dated  August  5,  1803,  and  is  now  in 
possession  of  one  of  his  descendants.  He  was  afterward  appointed  by 
Gen.  Harrison  colonel  of  the  Third  Regiment  of  the  militia  of  the  State. 
At  that  time  there  were  but  three  regiments  organized  in  the  State — one  in 
the  vicinity  of  Vincennes,  one  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston  in  Clark  County, 
and  the  other  embraced  within  the  territory  now  composing  the  counties 
of  Switzerland,  Ohio,  Dearborn,  Ripley  and  Franklin.  At  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  civil  government  in  the  State,  he  was  appointed  by  Gen. 
Harrison  one  of  the  three  justices  of  the  peace  then  assigned  to  Dearborn 
County.  His  jurisdiction  as  justice  embraced  a  large  territory,  and  as  a 
consequence  all  the  differences  between  neighbors  for  miles  around  were 
referred  to  him.  Saturday  was  set  apart  as  law  day,  and  on  that  day 
the  whole  neighborhood  would  congregate  at  the  residence  of  Squire 
Fulton.  His  invariable  practice  was  to  discourage  litigation,  and  it  was 
always  understood  that  if  parties  compromised  their  differences,  he  made 
no  charge  of  costs.  He  was  the  arbiter  of  the  whole  neighborhood,  and 
such  was  the  estimation  in  which  his  character  to  do  justice  was  held,  that 
during  the  many  years  he  held  office  there  was  not  a  single  appeal  from 
his  judgment.  He  was  one  of  the  first  two  associate  judges  who  sat  upon 
the  circuit  bench  of  Ohio  County,  having  been  elected  to  that  position 
by  the  almost  unanimous  vote  of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  occupied  the 
place  until  his  failing  health  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  resign. 

Eleven  children  were  born  to  Samuel  Fulton  and  wife — nine  daugh- 
ters and  two  sons.  Three  of  the  daughters,  namely,  Mrs.  Sarah  Welch, 
aged  eighty-two;  Mrs.  Frances  Thompson,  aged  seventy-four,  and  Mrs. 
Eliza  Peck,  aged  seventy-one,  are  still  living  in  1885.  John  Fulton,  son 
of  Samuel,  died  at  the  age  of  seventy  years;  William  Fulton,  son  of 
Samuel,  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  eight  years;  John  Fulton,  the  father  of 
Samuel,  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-seven  years,  and  Jane,  his  wife,  at  the 
age  of  ninety- three  years. 

Col.  Fulton  maintained  during  a  long  and  eventful  life  an  unim- 
peachable public  and  private  moral  character.  It  is  a  strong  evidence  of 
the  purity  and  strength  of  his  principles,  that  in  the  early  settlement  of 
this  country,  where  there  were  so  many  inducements  to  lead  astray,  he 
was  uniformly  temperate  and  moral.  In  all  the  relations  of  life,  he  acted 
with  fidelity,  and  lived  and  died  an  honest  man,  "the  noblest  work  of 
God." 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  445 

In  the  spring  of  1799  Benjamin  Chambers,  a  government  officer, 
planted  the  surveyor's  compass  and  carried  the  measuring  chain  over 
the  land  on  which  stands  the  present  city  of  Rising  Sun.  He  was  a 
native  of  Chambersburg,  Penn.  His  father  was  a  prominent  patriot  and 
officer  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  the  family  was  distinguished  for 
intelligence,  social  position  and  Christian  virtues.  He  surveyed  the 
plat  of  ground  in  1799,  with  other  adjacent  tracts,  and  it  was  patented 
to  him  and  Lewis  Davis  subsequently.  He  built  a  double  log-cabin  on 
the  river  bank,  north  of  the  foot  of  Sixth  Street  (above  the  old  cotton 
factory)  to  which  he  removed  his  family  in  1803,  and  planted  a  peach 
orchard,  which  for  many  years  afforded  abundant  fruit  to  the  pioneers 
and  their  descendants.  In  1809  he  removed  his  family  to  New  Law- 
renceburg,  then  Edinborough,  having  exchanged  his  lands  with  John 
James  for  others  at  the  place  mentioned. 

Mr.  Chambers  was  commissioned  by  the  Continental  Congress  an 
ensign  in  the  First  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  in  1778,  when  not  fifteen 
years  of  age;  and  in  1779  was  made  lieutenant,  and  was  from  the  date  of 
his  first  commission,  in  active  service  until  the  close  of  1780.  He  was  dis- 
tinguished for  gallant  bearing  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  his  mature  life 
by  high  intelligence  and  courtly  manners.  His  society  was  agreeable 
and  fascinating  to  all. 

In  1799  Benjamin  Avery  located  in  the  township,  purchasing  of  Col. 
Chambers  the  lands  which  are  now  a  part  of  the  estate  of  D.  G.  Rabb, 
adjoining  the  northern  limits  of  Rising  Sun. 

In  the  year  1798  there  arrived  from  Lexington,  Ky.,  Robert  and 
Jesse  Drake,  with  their  families.  They  first  settled  on  Grant's  Creek, 
but  in  1800  Robert  removed  to  a  point  on  the  river  opposite  the  foot  of 
Laughery  Island.  Two  years  afterward  he  moved  to  the  land  now 
owned  by  James  Clark,  on  Arnold's  Creek,  where,  in  1803,  Mr.  Enoch 
Drake,  his  son,  was  born.  To  the  latter  gentleman,  who  is  still  able  to 
do  a  day's  work  at  his  trade  of  wagon-making,  the  author  is  indebted 
for  notes  and  incidents  of  the  early  times.  He  now  resides  in  Rising 
Sun.  About  the  year  1810  Jesse  Drake  removed  to  what  is  now  known  as 
the  James  Hastings'  place,  northeast  quarter  of  Section  2,  Town  3, 
Range  2,  where  he  kept  tavern  for  several  years  (Cass  Township). 
On  removing  to  a  point  on  the  river  opposite  Laughery  Island,  Mr. 
Drake  built  a  cabin,  obtaining  from  the  island  boards  enough  to  lay  the 
floor  and  loft.  These  boards  were  relics  or  remnants  of  a  flat-boat,  and 
were  pierced  by  numerous  bullet  holes. 

The  settlement  of  the  Brown  family  in  the  vicinity  of  Rising  Sun 
may  be  said  to  have  commenced  in  the  winter  of  1802-03,  and  was 
made  under  the  following  circumstances,  the  Browns  being  residents  of 


446  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Connecticut,  and  in  the  spring  of  1802,  Ethan  Allen  Brown  had  been 
admitted  to  the  bar: 

"At  that  period  the  tide  of  emigration  was  westward,  and  Brown 
being  possessed  of  an  adventurous  turn  of  mind,  caught  the  fever,  and 
soon  after  his  admission  to  the  bar,  started  for  the  West,  in  company 
with  his  cousin  Capt.  John  Brown,  who  afterward  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Kentucky,  opposite  North  Bend,  and  became  distinguished  in  the  polit- 
ical annals  of  his  adopted  State.  Taking  with  them  a  considerable  sum 
of  money,  they  proceeded  on  horseback  through  Pennsylvania,  where  the 
old  military  and  Indian  roads  furnished  superior  inducements  to  travel- 
ers. When  they  reached  Brownsville,  then  called  Redstone,  Penn., 
they  purchased  two  flat-boat  loads  of  flour,  with  which  they  went  to  New 
Orleans,  stopping  on  the  way  at  the  tract  of  land  upon  which  the  town 
of  Rising  Sun  was  afterward  surveyed  and  laid  out.  Arriving  at  New 
Orleans  with  their  cargo  and  not  finding  a  market,  they  shipped  their 
flour  on  the  sailing  vessel  'Rebecca,'  and  took  passage  on  the  same  for 
Liverpool,  England,  and  having  disposed  of  their  merchandise,  returned 
to  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  September.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  (1802), 
Ethan  Allen  Brown  received  instructions  from  his  father,  to  explore  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  a  large  tract 
of  land  upon  which  the  family  could  settle.  Brown  was  not  long  in 
carrying  out  the  wishes  of  his  father,  for  in  December,  1802,  he  pur- 
chased of  Benjamin  Chambers  several  thousand  acres  of  land  surrounding 
the  spot  where  he  had  landed  the  summer  before  while  on  his  way  to 
New  Orleans.  David  Brown,  an  elder  brothei',  immigrated  to  the  place 
soon  after,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Ethan  and  one  or  two  of  their 
Kentucky  neighbors  cleared  about  six  acres  during  the  winter  of  1802-03. 
On  a  part  of  this  the  old  homestead  house  now  stands.  Roger  Brown,  Jr. , 
another  brother,  came  to  the  place  ia  1810,  and  his  father  with  the  rest  of 
the  family  in  1814.  Under  the  culture  of  industrial  art  and  taste,  that 
forest  land,  which,  until  his  death  in  1872,  was  in  the  possession  of 
Henry  Brown,  Esq.,  a  worthy  descendant,  has  been  transformed  into  a 
beautiful  and  tasteful  'Parterre'  farm,  which  was  under  the  latter's 
occupancy  as  it  had  been  under  its  previous  ownership,  the  seat  of  a 
generous  hospitality,  the  humble  and  the  poor  receiving  the  same  kind 
and  differential  courtesy  as  the  noted  and  the  wealthy.  This  family 
was  intelligent  and  hospitable,  and  all  of  its  members  lived  in  the  hon- 
orable respect  of  their  neighbors  and  died  with  the  sorrow  of  the  com- 
munity." 

Robert  Brown,  Sr.,  was  an  earnest  friend  of  human  rights,  and  sided 
with  the  colonists  during  the  struggle  for  Independence.  He  was  born 
in  1734,  and  died  in  1816,  the  inscription  on  his  tombstone  declares 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  447 

that  he  was  "  beloved  by  his  relatives,  respected  by  his  friends,  an  hon- 
est man  and  a  true  Republican. ' ' 

The  son,  Ethan  Allen  Brown,  was  thoroughly  educated  in  his  youth, 
and  on  reaching  his  majority  he  determined  to  attach  himself  to  the 
legal  profession;  for  some  time  he  studied  in  Darien,  his  place  of  nativ- 
ity, and  subsequently  went  to  New  York  and  entered  the  office  of  Gen. 
Alexander  Hamilton,  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  power  and  usefulness. 
Ethan  Allen  Brown  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  spring  of  1802,  pass- 
ing a  highly  creditable  examination.  During  the  year  1804,  he  located 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. From  the  beginning  his  was  a  career  of  prosperity  at  the  bar, 
having  an  extensive  practice,  yielding  him  a  large  income  for  those  times. 
He  was  a  worthy  compeer  of  the  Burnetts,  Estes,  Hi  leys,  Symmes  and 
McLeans,  who  "ruled  the  circuit"  of  southern  Ohio.  He  rose  to  honor- 
able distinction  in  the  civil  service  of  his  country.  The  marble  shaft, 
over  his  grave,  bears  the  following  inscription,  a  fitting  tribute  to  his 
life  and  character; 

Ethan  Allen  Brown, 
A  man  distinguished  during  a  long  life  by  devotion  to  the  service  of  his  country,  in 
the  oflSce  of  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  Senator 
of  the  United  States,  Commissioner  of  the  United  States  Land  Office,  Envoy  to 
Brazil,  etc.,  and  more  highly  distinguished  as  one  whose  unblemished  character, 
whose  truthfulness  and  purity  of  heart  and  life,  reflected  honor  on  offices,  which 
are  supposed  to  confer  honor  on  their  incumbents. 

Was  born  in  Connecticut 

In  the  year  1776. 

Died  at  Indianapolis,  Feby.  24,  1852. 

Upon  retiring  from  this  position,  Gov.  Brown  returned  to  the  West, 
removing  from  Ohio  November  1,  1836,  to  the  township  of  Randolph, 
Ohio  Co.,  Ind.  Here  he  found  a  happy  home,  near  the  grave  of  his 
honored  father.  His  time  was  employed  in  managing  the  homestead 
estate,  with  its  broad,  luxuriant  fields  and  pastures,  and  in  caring  for  and 
comforting  an  elder  afflicted  brother  and  aged  sister.  He  also  gave  con- 
siderable attention  to  literary  pursuits,  having  an  extensive  correspond- 
ence with  the  public  men  of  the  nation,  and  with  several  of  the  learned 
societies  of  the  East.  While  a  resident  of  Indiana,  he  held  but  one 
public  office,  that  of  member  of  the  General  Assembly  of  1842. 

Some  of  the  descendants  of  the  Browns  are  still  living  in  Ohio 
County,  Ind.,  in  the  old  burying  ground,  at  which  place  rest  the  remains 
of  those  above  mentioned. 

In  1802  Thomas  Fulton  settled  on  Arnold  Creek,  in  the  southwest 
quarter  of  Section  33,  Township  4,  Range  1  west,  known  at  the  present 
by  the  name  of  the  "Nelson  Place."     On  this  land  the  Indians  used  to 


448  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

encamp  on  their  visits  to  this  part  of  the  State,  up  to  the  time  of  the 
war  of  1812. 

John  Moulton  and  family,  in  the  year  1802,  settled  at  the  mouth  of 
Arnold's  Creek  on  land  now  in  the  possession  of  James  North.  His  son, 
Benjamin,  in  his  life-time,  referred  to  his  nearest  neighbors  as  being 
Thomas  Mounts,  Samuel  Fulton,  and  Jesse  and  Eobert  Drake.  The 
Moultons  were  from  the  State  of  Kentucky. 

Some  time  prior  to  1804  or  in  that  year,  the  father  of  James  McCon- 
nell,  who  some  years  since  kept  the  toll-gate  near  the  Laughery  Creek 
bridge,  settled  about  two  miles  below  Rising  Sun,  and  in  that  locality 
James  was  born  in  1804.  He  says  "about  1812  the  neighbors  forted  at 
his  father's  house.  Indians  had  come  in  on  the  Laugbery  about  Hart- 
ford and  committed  depredations.  The  people  would  follow  farming 
during  the  day,  and  for  security  would  resort  to  the  fort  at  night.  A 
little  incident  that  was  right  funny  at  the  time,  happened  while  people 
were  forted  up  at  a  block-house  on  Maj.  McGuire's  farm.  While  in  the 
block-house  they  got  short  of  meat,  and  some  of  them  went  down  to  a 
deer  lick  a  mile  from  the  house;  they  had  followed  up  this  lick  to  a  bluff 
that  was  higher  up.  A  little  above  this  was  a  tree  which  had  been 
blown  down,  one  part  of  it  looked  like  an  Indian  with  his  gun  pointed. 
They  were  all  mounted  on  a  scaffold  fifteen  feet  high,  when  Purcell  see- 
ing it  shouted  '  Indian  boys! '  'Indian  boys! '  One  Livingston  undertook 
to  climb  down,  when  the  scaffold  pole  broke  and  down  they  all  fell,  one  of 
them  breaking  the  lock  of  his  gun  in  the  fall.  This  one  not  having  seen 
the  supposed  Indian  started  toward  him,  when  they  all  shouted,  'you're 
going  right  toward  him.'  He  speedily  turned  and  made  for  the  block- 
hovise  hot  foot.  The  others  recovering  presence  of  mind  in  their  fall, 
investigated  the  tree,  found  the  Indian  was  nothing  but  a  root,  remained, 
and  got  a  deer.  Horse-stealing  in  those  days  was  a  favorite  pursuit  of 
the  Indians." 

In  the  year  1807  John  James,  from  Frederick  County,  Md.,  settled  at 
Lawrenceburgh,  and  two  years  later  exchanged  his  lands  located  there, 
with  Col.  Chambers  for  the  land  on  which  Rising  Sun  now  stands.  In 
December,  1811,  John  James  removed  his  family  to  the  latter  place,  but 
in  consequence  of  fears  entertained  of  Indian  depredations,  he  removed 
thence  in  May,  1812,  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  they  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1813;  Pinkney,  the  eldest  son,  and  the  father  returned  to  share 
the  dangers  of  the  inhabitants,  and  assist  in  their  defense.  This  was 
the  period  of  trouble  with  the  Indians.  Referring  to  their  settlement  at 
Rising  Sun,  the  late  Henry  James  said: 

"At  that  time  father  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  where  Rising  Sun 
now  stands,  and  he  and  his  boys  went  back  and  foi'th  from  Cincinnati  to 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  449 

this  place  as  the  occasion  required.  We  had  our  bachelor  home  where 
William  Goldson  now  lives.  The  Indians  were  so  troublesome  that  we 
crossed  the  river  at  night,  and  many  a  night  did  I  pass  in  an  old  hollow 
tree  on  the  Kentucky  shore.  The  remainder  of  the  family  came  to  our 
house  in  the  wilderness  on  Christmas  day,  1811,  which  was  but  a  short 
time  after  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe.  The  Indians  were  hostile,  but  the 
settlers  were  often  needlessly  alarmed.  Several  times  the  people  living 
out  on  the  hills  became  alarmed,  thinking  the  Indians  were  coming,  and 
they  fled  toward  the  river,  and  alarmed  the  whole  settlement  with  the 
appalling  cry,  'Indians  !  Indians  !'  On  such  occasions  we  made  ready 
all  the  "dug-outs"  and  skiflfs  that  we  possessed,  and  either  awaited  fur- 
ther developments  or  rowed  over  to  the  sand  bar  or  Kentucky  shore. 

"In  consequence  of  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  Indians,  whether  real 
or  fancied,  father  removed  his  family  to  Louisville,  he  and  Pinkney 
returning  to  the  settlement. "         *         *         * 

Mr.  James  became  the  founder  of  Rising  Sun,  and  with  its  interests 
himself  and  sons  became  closely  identified.  Further  remarks  concern- 
ing them  will  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  Rising  Sun. 

Robert  Ricketts  settled  in  the  township  quite  early.  During  the 
period  of  the  Indian  frights  his  cabin,  which  was  located  on  the  lands 
now  owned  by  Lester  Lostutter  in  Section  16  was  often  used  as  a  place 
of  defense  and  resort.  Mr.  Ricketts  was  one  of  the  mounted  rangers. 
William  Ricketts  died  May  27,  1839,  aged  seventy-three  years.  He  was 
a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  was  severely  wounded  in  an  engage- 
ment in  Mingo  Bottom  in  1791.      He  settled  in  the  county  in  1814. 

William  Dorrel  and  family  settled  in  the  township  on  what  is  now 
the  George  Scranton  place,  where  he  opened  up  a  farm.  At  the  time  of 
his  arrival,  in  the  neighborhood  of  1810-12,  thex-e  were  but  a  few  fam- 
ilies residing  along  the  strip  of  country  between  Rising  Sun  and  Allens- 
ville  in  Switzerland  County.  He  was  a  Pennsylvanian,  though  at  an 
early  day  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  married,  and  from  thence  came  to 
this  section. 

The  following  concerning  the  early  history  of  the  township  near  the 
mouth  of  Grant's  Creek  appeared  in  the  Centennial  issue  of  the  Recorder: 

"About  the  year  1802  or  1803,  Col.  Johnson  with  a  company  of  men 
from  Kentucky,  crossed  the  river  at  what  is  now  IS'orth's  Landing,  for 
the  purpose  of  breaking  up  a  band  of  Indians  who  were  in  the  habit  of 
crossing  the  river  and  stealing  horses,  and  committing  other  depreda- 
tions in  Kentucky,  and  then  crossing  back  with  their  booty,  where  they 
felt  that  they  were  safe.  They  had  a  kind  of  rendezvous  at  the  Lick, 
close  by  the  present   residence  of  S.  R.  Wilson,  where  they  made  salt, 

27 


450  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

aad  shot  the  unwary  deer  when  they  came  to  sip  the  saline  water.  To 
this  point  Col.  Johnson  cautiously  directed  his  steps,  and  before  reach- 
ing the  lick  began  to  see  unmistakable  evidence  of  his  close  proximity 
to  an  Indian  camp  The  Indians,  however,  seemed  to  be  apprised  of 
their  coming  and  had  concealed  themselves  amid  the  brush  and  weeds 
on  the  hill  side  opposite  Mr.  Wilson's.  Two  squaws  and  an  old 
Indian  were  left  at  the  spring,  apparently  boiling  water  for  salt. 
Some  of  the  advance  espied  the  trio  by  the  spring,  and  thirsting 
for  vengeance,  and  having  the  pride  and  ambition  to  be  the  slayer 
of  a  red  skin,  shot  the  old  man.  The  warriors  on  the  hill  side 
now  began  to  make  it  apparent  that  there  was  work  to  be  done 
if  they  were  routed;  not  a  very  decided  stand  was  made  by  Col. 
Johnson,  from  the  fact  the  Indians  were  more  formidable  than  he  antici- 
pated, and  the  river  was  between  him  and  safety.  One  of  two  brothers 
named  Grant  was  shot.  Col.  Johnson  and  his  men  retreated  hastily  to 
the  river,  the  brother  of  the  slain  Grant  here  first  missed  his  brother, 
and,  failing  to  induce  the  party  to  return,  started  back  alone;  but  one 
of  the  party  joined  him  (whose  name  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn). 
These  two  were  also  killed.  The  party  crossed  the  river  and  most  of 
them  returned  to  their  homes,  but  a  part  of  them  recrossed  the  river 
three  days  afterward  and  proceeded  to  the  lick  and  buried  their  fallen 
comrades.  The  Indians  had  also  retreated,  not  even  scalping  their  vic- 
tims. Tradition  says  not  how  many  Indians  were  slain.  The  slain 
Grants  gave  name  to  the  creek  and  lick. 

"Thomas  Mounts,  the  well-known  spy  and  pioneer,  settled  here  in 
1806.  He  never  cast  aside  his  buckskin  moccasins,  and  the  cat-like 
tread  acquired  during  his  earlier  years  clung  to  him  his  entire  life.  His 
wife,  who  shared  with  him  all  the  hardship  and  adventure  of  his  pioneer 
life,  was  a  daughter  of  Col.  Crawford,  who  was  burned  at  the  stake- at 
or  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  by  the  Indians, 

"  Samuel  Curry  came  in  1808  or  1809,  and  settled  on  the  farm  where 
Samuel  Lostutter  now  lives.  A  block-house  was  built  there  as  a  place  of 
safety  during  threatened  Indian  troubles.  It  was  used  as  a  stable  by 
Peter  Lostutter  for  many  years  after  he  bought  the  farm.  Henry  AVal- 
lick,  and  a  few  others,  came  a  little  later.  Thomas  North  rode  through 
on  horseback  from  West  Point,  N.  Y.,  in  the  fall  of  1814,  and  entered 
the  fractional  section  just  below  the  mouth  of  Grant's  Creek.  He 
returned  to  New  York,  and  did  not  occupy  the  farm  until  1826.  His 
son,  Royal  F.  North,  however,  came  out  in  1815  and  remained  two  years. 
In  1828  he  and  his  family  moved  on  the  farm. 

*'  In  1815,  the  prospect  of  peace,  and  the  population  becoming  suffi- 
cient to  insure  protection  against  the  Indians,  the  country  began  to  fill 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  451 

up  very  rapidly.  Lot  North  entered  the  fractional  section  just  above  the 
mouth  of  Grant's  Creek,  and  removed  with  his  entire  family  upon  it, 
including  sons  and  sons-in-law.  Peter  Lostutter  entered  the  half  section 
on  the  corner  of  which  Grant's  Creek  Church  now  stands.  Mr.  Stewart, 
father  of  Col.  William  Stewart,  of  Quercus  Grove,  Henry  Kelly,  John 
Gibbons  and  others  came  about  the  same  time.  Most  of  those  entering 
land,  had  barely  enough  to  pay  the  amount  required  by  government,  and 
made  the  other  payments  by  making  '  black  salts,'  and,  boating  them  to 
Cincinnati  in  a  pirogue.  Lot  North  and  his  sons  established  a  ferry, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  it  was  a  noted  crossing-place." 

James  Clement,  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  1798,  and  in  1815 
settled  west  of  Rising  Sun.     His  death  occurred  in  1880. 

Uncle  George  Beatty,  who,  in  1881,  was  still  living,  settled  in  the 
western  part  of  the  township  in  1815,  in  Section  6.  But  few  trees  had 
then  been  felled  in  the  county,  at  least  in  that  neighborhood.  The 
family  put  up  a  cabin  with  but  a  single  room,  in  which  they  lived  until 
1825,  when  they  built  and  moved  into  a  two-story  hewed  log-house, 
which  is  yet  standing,  and  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  A  few  acres 
of  gronnd  were  cleared  and  a  peach  orchard  started  by  planting  peach 
stones,  and  in  a  few  years  they  had  an  abundance  of  most  delicious 
peaches.  They  dried  many,  which  sold  for  50  cents  per  bushel;  large 
quantities  were  distilled  into  brandy,  which  sold  at  50  cents  per  gallon. 
The  deer  and  bear  were  plenty  in  those  days,  and  Uncle  George  became 
a  noted  huntex*. 

In  1816  or  1817,  John  Gibson — the  father  of  George  and  Hugh — and 
John  Kittle,  told  Uncle  George  they  had  been  deer  hunting  and  both 
aimed  at  and  shot  a  deer  at  the  same  time;  the  deer  ran  a  short  distance 
and  fell  down,  and  they  went  up  and  cut  its  throat,  but  in  a  few  moments 
it  got  up  and  ran  off,  and  they  lost  it.  Uncle  George  said  they  were 
truthful  boys,  and  he  questioned  them  closelj,  and  found  they  had  hit 
the  buck,  one  on  one  side,  and  the  other  on  the  other  side.  I  thought 
the  deer  was  enchanted,  but  eight  weeks  after  I  killed  a  big  buck,  he  had 
a  monstrous  big  frame,  but  was  poor,  and  that  attracted  my  attention. 
I  examined  him  closely,  and  to  my  surprise,  found  two  bullet  scars,  one 
on  each  side  of  his  back,  and  on  looking  at  his  throat,  I  found  it  had 
been  cut  by  the  windpipe,  and  had  just  healed  up.  That  satisfied  me 
that  the  boys  told  the  truth,  and  this  was  the  same  buck  they  had  tried 
to  kill. 

Maj.  Hugh  Espey,  from  Pennsylvania,  settled  in  the  township  inl  816, 
bringing  with  him  from  Pittsburgh,  the  machinery  for  a  mill  which  he 
built  m  that  year,  some  three  miles  distant  from  Rising  Sun,  on  the 
Milton  road. 


452  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  same  year  Benjamin  Van  Osdol,  coming  down  the  river  by  boat 
to  Rising  Sun  from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  effected  a  settlement  some 
three  miles  west  of  that  place. 

north's    landing.* 

In  1831  the  first  postoffice  was  authorized  and  called  Grant's  Creek, 
with  R.  F.  North,  postmaster;  he  and  his  family  retained  the  office^thirty- 
f  our  years.  In  1805  they  voluntarily  relinquished  the  office.  The  name 
of  the  office  was  then  changed  to  North's  Landing,  and  N.  H.  North  was 
appointed  postmaster,  and  holds  the  office  yet.  Thomas  and  Lot  North 
were  both  Revolutionary  soldiers,  both  are  buried  in  the  same  grave  yard, 
but  each  upon  the  land  entered  by  them  from  Congress.  Peter  Lostutter 
is  also  buried  upon  the  land  of  which  he  was  the  original  purchaser;  in 
fact  most  early  settlers  made  the  mistake  of  wanting  their  remains  to  rest 
upon  their  own  lands.  There  has  been  no  marked  improvement  about 
North's  Landing  excepting  the  enlargement  of  his  store  by  N.  H.  North; 
two  rooms  are  finished  off  above,  one  for  Morning  Star  Lodge,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  the  other  for  Darius  Grange,  P.  of  H.,  and  the  building  of  the 
North's  Landing  &  Quercus  Grove  Turnpike,  and  the  North's  Landing 
and  Rising  Sun  gravel  road,  the  latter  of  which  ought  to  be  a  matter  of 
pride  to  any  community. 

MILLERSBUEG.* 

The  village  bearing  the  above  name,  aod  in  which  the  writer  of  this 
brief  history  was  born,  is  situated  about  three  miles  below  Rising  Sun. 
It  took  its  name  from  James  Miller  and  brothers,  who  for  many  years 
resided  there.  Among  the  first  settlers  there  and  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  were  Beverly  Miller  (father  of  the  above  Millers),  Ashel  North, 
Levi  North,  William  H.  Powell  and  Abijah  North,  Beverly  Miller,  locat- 
ed near  Millersburg  about  1820.  At  that  time  it  was  a  point  of  little 
note.  In  1832  almost  the  entire  neighborhood  formed  a  copartnership, 
built  a  large  stone  mill,  which  for  many  years  did  the  grinding  for  a 
large  scope  of  country.  It  was  first-class  for  its  time,  and  the  building 
would  be  a  credit  to  any  community  at  the  present  time.  A  distillery 
was  added  in  1845,  and  a  few  years  later  it  was  burned  down  and  never 
rebuilt.  About  the  year  1828  James  Miller  opened  out  a  dry  goods  and 
grocery  store  in  this  place,  and  continued  in  the  business  until  the  year 
1868,  a  period  of  forty  years,  when  he  sold  his  stock  of  goods  and  real 
estate  and  removed  to  Rising  Sun.  At  one  time  Jonathan  Howe  carried 
on  the  mercantile  business  here,  but  finally  closed  out  and  removed  to 
Sugar  Creek,  Ky.     The  stores  of   Miller  and  Howe   were  the  only  ones 

*From  Centennial  issue  of  the  Recorder. 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  453 

ever  cai'ried  on  in  Millersburg.  About  1846,  quite  an  extensive  manu- 
factory of  tobacco  was  carried  on  at  Millersburg,  at  which  time,  and  for 
several  years  the  village  was  one  of  the  best  business  points  for  miles 
along  the  Ohio  River.  In  addition  to  the  stores  mentioned  there  was  a 
blacksmith  shop,  wagon  shops,  and  part  of  the  time  a  physician  was 
located  there,  two  of  whom  I  remember,  Dr.  J.  B.  Girard  and  Dr.  Cross, 
who  was  a  surgeon  in  the  Mexican  war.  Millersburg,  from  1840  to 
1858,  was  a  flourishing  little  town,  having  a  population  of  about  fifty. 
It  has  been  a  prominent  shipping  point  for  many  years,  and  numerous 
flat-boats  have  received  their  cargoes  there  for  Southern  markets.  The 
village  has  lost  much^of  its  business  reputation  in  latter  years,  but  it  will 
long  retain  its  name  among  the  lively  little  towns  that  have  seen  their 
day  and  passed  into  history.  Its  citizens  were  plain  and  unassuming, 
not  boasting  of  wealth  nor  extraordinary  ability,  yet  some  of  them  have 
been  chosen  to  fill  public  places  of  trust  and  honor;  among  whom  we 
mention  William  H.  Powell,  State  senator  at  one  time;  Abijah  and 
James  North,  representatives  in  the  State  Legislature;  O.  H.  Miller, 
for  seventeen  years  county  clerk  and  auditor  of  this  county.  Of  the  old 
citizens  who  resided  in  Millersburg  for  thirty- five  or  forty  years,  none  are 
left  unless  it  be  James  North. 

MILLS,    DISTILLERIES,  ETC. 

George  Beatty,  in  an  early  day,  operated  a  copper  still  on  his  place, 
and  manufactured  peach  brandy. 

Fifty  years  ago,  or  more,  John  and  Farrington  Barricklow  were  con- 
ducting a  number  of  industries  on  what  is  now  the  Gregg  farm,  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  township,  which  was  quite  a  business  center. 
They  carried  on  a  blacksmith  shop,  had  in  operation  a  mill  and  carding 
machine  run  by  a  tread-wheel  and  horse-power,  and  had  a  potter  shop. 

Hall's  Mills,  three  miles  from  Rising  Sun,  on  the  Milton  road,  was 
an  important  business  point  sixty  years  ago,  with  mill,  store  and 
blacksmith  shop  in  successful  operation.  The  mill  has  been  built  there 
four  times.  It  has  been  idle  now  for  some  years.  The  first  mill  was 
erected  in  1816,  by  Maj.  Hugh  Espey,  who  came  to  this  State  in  that 
year  from  Pennsylvania,  bringing  with'him  from  Pittsburgh  the  ma- 
chinery for  the  mill,  or  rather  a  part  of  it. 

In  1832  a  number  of  persons  at  Millersburg  joined  together  and 
built  a  large  stone  mill,  which  for  many  years  did  the  grinding  for  a 
large  scope  of  country.  The  mill  was  a  first-class  one  for  its  time,  and 
the  building  would  be  a  credit  to  any  community  at  the  present  time. 
In  1815  a  distillery  was  added,  and  a  few  years  later  both  were  destroyed 
by  fire,  and  never  rebuilt. 


454  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

In  referring  to  the  mills  in  the  vicinity  of  Rising  Sun,  in  1838,  a 
writer  speaks  of  "A  North's  Mill,  located  about  two  miles  and  a  half 
from  town,  on  the  river;  steam-power,  with  three  runs  of  buhrs; 
consumes  18,000  bushels  per  annum,  yielding  3,000  barrels  of  flour, 
corn,  3,000  bushels,  making  an  aggregate  of  21,000  bushels  of  grain  per 
annum.  Espey's  Mill  has  water-power,  two  run  of  buhrs,  grinds  about 
5,000  bushels  per  annum  as  an  average." 

On  Arnold's  Creek,  in  the  western  part  of  the  township,  was  located 
the  grist-mill  of  a  Mr.  Hayden,  which  was  in  operation  early  in  the  his- 
tory of  that  settlement. 

On  the  same  stream,  near  Rising  Sun,  John  James  built  an  early 
mill,  which  was  carried  on  by  Nathaniel  Robinson. 

SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES    AND    GKAVEYARDS. 

One  of  the  early  schools  in  the  western  part  of  the  township  was  in 
the  Dexter  neighborhood,  buiU  of  logs,  and  styled  the  Dexter  [School- 
house.  Mr.  A.  J.  Barricklow  attended  school  in  this  building,  and  has 
a  reward  of  merit  obtained  there,  which  bears  date  of  May  22,  1830, 
signed  by  C.  Lindsay,  and  reads:  "This  is  to  certify  that  Jackson  Bar- 
ricklow is  a  good  boy  and  attends  to  his  book."  An  early  schoolhouse 
was  built  in  the  vicinity  of  Salem  Church.  Mr.  A.  J.  Barricklow,  now 
residing  in  the  township,  is  one  of  the  old-time  school  teachers.  He  has 
served  the  people  of  Randolph  Township  as  an  instructor  for  about 
twenty-eight  years,  beginning  his  profession  in  1848,  teaching,  princi- 
pally, in  the  northern  part  of  the  township;  Salem,  Maple  Grove  and 
Collins'  Schoolhouse  being  the  main  ones. 

About  one  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  the  Salem  Church  is  located 
one  of  the  first  places  of  burial  in  that  portion  of  the  county.  This  was 
on  the  Farrington  Barricklow  land,  and  in  point  of  age  is  identical  with 
the  old  place  of  burial  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  township,  on 
the  Laughery  Creek,  called  the  Bailey  Graveyard.  A  lettered  tombstone 
in  the  latter  yard  indicates  that  Lewis  Bailey  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts in  1754,  and  died  in  1817.  Among  others  buried  at  this  place  are 
Rachel,  wife  of  Hezekiah  S.  Bailey,  born  in  1801,  died  in  1879;  Heze- 
kiah  S.  Bailey,  born  in  1795,  died  in  1825;  Mary  Bailey,  born  in  1758, 
died  in  1819;  Enoch  Squibb  died  in  1832,  aged  fifty -nine  years;  James 
Squibb  died  in  1839,  aged  sixty- nine  years;  Mary  Packenham  died  in 
1852,  aged  seventy-six  years;  Robert  Packenham  died  in  1825,  aged 
sixty-nine  years. 

The  Salem  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  located  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township,  is  an  old  society,  and  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  Methodist 
class  held  in  the  cabin  homes  of  some   of   the  pioneer  settlers  of  that 


RANDOLPH  TOWNSHIP.  455 

neighborhood  sixty  or  more  years  ago,  when  on  the  old  Lawrenceburgh 
Circuit,  and  the  pioneer  preachers  came  perhaps  once  in  four  or  six 
weeks,  and  at  other  times  the  pulpit  was  filled  by  some  of  the  local  min- 
isters. For  a  period  of  years  the  old  neighborhood  schoolhouse  served 
the  society  as  a  house  of  woi'ship.  In  the  summer  season  woods  meet- 
ings were  occasionally  held.  The  present  brick  house  of  worship  was 
built  in  the  summer  of  1855.  The  land  on  which  the  church  stands,  in- 
cluding the  burying  ground,  was  formerly  the  property  of  William  Wade. 
The  graveyard  to  the  left  and  rear  of  the  church  was  established  at 
about  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  meeting-house  as  a  regularly  laid 
out  and  incorporated  public  cemetery,  by  a  company  of  persons,  and 
among  the  barials  here  made,  are  numbered  many  that  were  identified 
with  the  church's  history.  Of  the  aged  buried  in  this  yard  can  be  men- 
tioned Mary,  wife  of  David  Gaskill,  who  died  in  1865,  aged  eighty- 
sis  years;  William  Gerard  died  in  1874,  aged  eighty-three  years;  Aaron 
Maryman  died  in  1874,  aged  seventy  years;  Joseph  Stockdale  died  in 
1878,  aged  seventy-two  years;  William  S.  Hannah  died  in  1880,  aged 
seventy -six  years;  Rachael  Whiteford  died  in  1876,  aged  sixty-eight  years; 
Farrington  Barricklow,  born  in  1777,  died  in  1861;  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
Farrington  Barricklow,  born  in  1799,  died  in  1879;  Deborah,  wife  of 
Henry  Collins,  died  in  1868,  aged  seventy-five  years;  John  Barricklow,. 
born  in  1800,  died  in  1873;  Permelia  Welch  died  in  1861,  aged  seventy- 
nine  years;  Sarah  (Ray)  Pate  died  in  1867,  aged  seventy-five  years. 


456  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


CHAPTEE   XXL 

MILLER  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— Disposition  of  Lands  by  the  Govern- 
ment—Pioneer Settlements  and  N  otes— Mills,  Churches,  Grave- 
yards AND  Schools. 

MILLEE  TOWNSHIP  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Logan  and  Harri- 
son Townships,  on  the  east  by  the  State  of  Ohio,  on  the  south  by 
Lawrenceburgh  Township  and  on  the  west  by  Kelso, York  and  Manchester 
Townships.  The  township  was  organized  in  March,  1834,  created  out  of 
the  township  of  Lawnenceburgh  and  designated  as  Township  6,  Range  1, 
it  being  a  Congressional  township  and  contained  thirty-six  sections  of 
land.  Miller  then  comprised,  in  addition  to  its  present  territory,  the  east- 
ern portion  of  York  (nearly  three  sections),  which  it  lost  on  the  forma- 
tion of  that  township  in  1841,  and  three  and  a  half-sections  located  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  the  township,  now  a  part  of  Lawrenceburgh 
Township  which  the  latter  acquired  in  1850.  The  metes  and  bounds  of 
the  township  as  established  by  the  commissioners  in  1852,  were  as  fol- 
lows, which  have  not  since  been  materially  changed:  Beginning  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Congressional  Township  6,  Range  1  west,  running 
thence  south  on  the  State  line  dividing  Indiana  and  Ohio  to  the  south- 
east corner  of  Section  24  in  said  Township  6 ;  thence  west  to  the  southwest 
corner  of  Section  24  in  said  Township  6;  thence  south  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  Section  26  in  said  Township  6,  Range  1  west;  thence  west  on 
the  east  and  west  line  dividing  Sections  26  and  35,  to  where  a  line  drawn 
north  and  south  through  the  center  of  Section  27  strikes  said  line;  thence 
south  to  the  Congressional  Township  line  dividing  Congressional  Town- 
ships 6  and  5,  Range  1  west;  thence  west  to  the  southwest  corner  of  said 
Congressional  Township  6,  Range  1;  thence  north  on  the  line  dividing 
Ranges  1  and  2  to  the  southern  line  of  lands  owned  by  Samuel  and  Virgil 
Dowden,  being  a  fifty- acre  tract  on  the  north  end  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  Section  30,  Township  6,  Range  1;  thence  east  on  the  eastern  and 
southern  line  of  said  Dowden's  land  to  the  east  and  west  of  section  line 
dividing  Sections  19  and  30  in  said  Township  6;  thence  east  on  said  line 
to  the  southeast  corner  of  said  Section  19;  thence  north  on  the  north  and 
south  section  lines  dividing  Sections  19  and  20,  to  the  west  fork  of  Tan- 


MILLER  TOWNSHIP.  457 

ner's  Creek;  thence  down  said  fork  to  the  junction  of  the  north  and  west 
fork  of  Tanner's  Creek;  thence  up  the  north  fork  of  Tanner's  Creek  to 
where  a  north  and  south  line  drawn  through  the  center  of  Section  7, 
Township  6,  Range  1  strikes  said  fork. 

DISPOSITION    OF  LANDS  BY  THE  GOVEKNMENT. 

Below  is  set  forth  the  disposition  of  the  lands  of  the  township  made 
by  the  government  with  the  dates  of  sale  and  the  names  of  the  persons 
to  whom  sold: 

Township  6,  Range  1  west. 

A  portion  of  section  1  sold  in  1809,  to  Michael  Shanks;  in  1811,  to 
John  Garrison;  in  1817,  to  Enoch  Jackson;  in  1818,  to  Isaac  Hills;  in  1833, 
to  John  L.  Jacobs. 

A  portion  of  Section  2,  in  1806,  to  Jacob  R.  Compton;  in  1814,  to 
John  Harper  and  Elijah  Garrison;  in  1815,  to  Joseph  Harper. 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1814,  to  James  White  and  John  McCon- 
nell;  in  1815,  to  George  Farmer;  in  1816,  to  John  Gibson. 

A   portion  of    Section  4,  in   1817,  to  Joseph  Rainsburg  and  David 
Bowles;  in  1818,  to  Abner  Graham;  in  1831,  to  Joseph  Wollen;  in  1832 
to  William  Vance,  and  in  1835,  to  James  Garrison. 

A  portion  of  Section  5,  in  1817,  to  R.  Ulearer  and  Richard  Weaver; 
in  1835,  to  James  A.  Goota  and  Joseph  Lynch;  in  1836,  to  George 
Cook  and  Levi  B.  Swan ;  in  1833,  to  James  Gladden. 

A  portion  of  Section  6,  in  1818,  to  William  Barr;  in  1831,  to  Thomas 
Haddleston. 

A  portion  of  Section  7  (part  in  York  Township),  in  1815,  to  Robert 
Hunt  and  Ebenezer  Rogers;  in  1818,  to  John  Burke  and  John  Smith. 

A  portion  of  Section  8,  in  1813,  to  John  Dawson;  in  1815,  to  Samuel 
Hutchinson;  in  1817;  to  Raliff  Bogert;  in  1818,  to  William  Smith,  also  to 
him  in  1836;  in  1834,  to  Christopher  Gibson,  and  in  1835,  to  William 
W^  hi  taker. 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  in  1815,  to  Reuben  Sutton;  in  1816,  to  Levi 
and  Thomas  Bracken ;  in  1817,  to  Joseph  White;  in  1824,  to  James  Garri- 
son; in  1832,  to  Caleb  Osborn;  in  1833;  to  William  Liddle. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  in  1815,  to  Jerry  Murphy  and  Joseph 
Stroud;  in  1817,  to  Aaron  R.  Bonham;  in  1827,  to  Daniel  Wood;  in  1834, 
to  Isaac  Fuller. 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  in  1804,  to  Noble  Butler;  in  1811,  to  Isaac 
Henderson;  in  1812,  to  John  Sheared;  in  1816,  to  John  White. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  in  1809,  to  Michael  Shanks;  in  1814,  to 
John  Barkalow;  in  1815,  to  James  Fuller;  in  1817,  to  Samuel  McHenry. 

A  portion  of  Section  13,  in  1804,  to  Thomas  Millet;  in  1808,  to  Will- 


458  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

iam  Torrence  and  Thomas  Fuller;  in  1812,  to  John  and  Sarah  Fuller; 
in  1813,  to  James  White. 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1804  and  1815,  to  Robert  McConnell;  in 
1817,  to  Jacob  Parke. 

A  portion  of  Section  15,  in  1814,  to  Silas  Garrison;  in  1826,  to  John 
Goodwin;  in  1829,  to  Walter  Hayes;  in  1830,  to  John  Goodwin;  in 
1831,  to  James  Smith  and  Mathew  Swan. 

A  portion  of  Section  17,  in  1811  and  1817,  to  John  Ewbank;  in  1817, 
to  Thomas  Price. 

A  portion  of  Section  20,  in  1806,  to  John  Dawson;  in  1814,  to  Na- 
thaniel Tucker;  in  1817,  to  John  Ewbank  and  John  Dawson. 

A  portion  of  Section  21,  in  1814,  to  Michael  Shanks;  in  1825,  to 
Joseph  Parke;  in  1826,  to  John  Loper;  in  1830,  to  Ezekiel  Jackson;  in 
1831,  to  Ezekiel  and  Enoch  M.  Jackson. 

A  portion  of  Section  22,  in  1811,  to  Abraham  Garrison;  in  1809,  to 
Abijah  Hayes;  in  1815,  to  Ezekiel  Jackson. 

A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1804,  to  Charles  Dawson;  in  1811  to 
James  Bennett,   Joseph  Hayes;  in  1812,  to  James  Goodwin. 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  in  1808,  to  David  Guard;  in  1811,  to  Levi 
Miller;  in  1812,  to  Thomas  Hunt,  Micajah  Parke. 

Section  26,  in  1804,  to  Charles  Dawson. 

A  portion  of  Section  27,  in  1804,  to  Thaddeus  Cooley;  in  1806,  to 
Henry  C.  Smith,  John  McCleave. 

Section  28,  in  1804,  to  Jacob  Blasdel,  and  Archibald  Stark. 

A.  portion  of  Section  29,  in  1804,  to  Jacob  Blasdel;  in  1814,  to  John 
Dawson;  in  1817,  to  Denice,  trustee;  in  1818,  to  Ephraim  Kneeland. 

A  portion  of  Section  30,  in  1815,  to  William  P.  Marshall;  in  1816, 
to  Thomas  Darling;  in  1817,  to  Jacob  Blasdel;  in  1832,'  to  Samuel 
Elliott. 

A  portion  of  Section  31,  in  1816,  to  Aaron  Burroughs,  Charles  Os- 
goods;  in  1817,  to  Aaron  Burroughs  and  James  Conners;  in  1831,  to 
Thomas  Annis. 

A  portion  of  Section  32,  in  1814,  to  John  Frazier,  James  McClester; 
in  1815,  to  Joshua  Stroud;  in  1816,  to  John  Foster. 

A  portion  of  Section  33,  in  1811,  to  Enoch  Pugh,  Elijah  Walden;  in 
1814,  to  Stephen  Ludlow  and  Walter  Armstrong. 

PIONEER  SETTLEMENTS,    AND  NOTES. 

The  settlement  of  this  township  was  contemporaneous  with  that  of 
Whitewater  Township,  to  the  east  of  it,  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  and 
Lawrenceburgh  Township,  to  the  south,  in  Dearborn  County. 

John  White  and  John  Dawson  have  been  credited  with  effecting  set- 


MILLER  TOWNSHIP.  459 

tlements  here  in  the  year  1796.  Mr.  White  died  in  the  township  in  1852, 
in  the  ninetieth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and 
from  thence  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  from  which  Stat^,  in  1792  or  1793, 
he  settled  at  North  Bend,  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  from  thence  removed 
to  what  is  now  Miller  Township.  On  his  death  it  was  stated  that  ' '  he 
died  in  a  cabin  built  by  himself  fifty-eight  years  ago,  it  being  the  third 
built  in  that  settlement." 

Mr.  Dawson  died  in  the  township  in  1848,  in  the  seventy- fourth  year 
of  his  age,  having  resided  in  the  house  in  which  he  died  upward  of 
forty  years.  At  the  time  of  his  death  it  was  stated  that  he  came  here  in 
1799.  The  year  of  his  coming  as  first  mentioned  (1796)  was  that  given, 
in  the  history  heretofore  referred  to  as  being  deposited  in  the  corner- 
stone of  the  court  house.  From  a  son  still  living  in  the  county  we  learn 
that  the  date  of  his  settlement  here  was  in  1799.  He  was  a  native  of 
the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  but  reared  in  Virginia,  and  when  a  young 
man,  removed  to  Tennessee,  thence  to  Kentucky,  where  he  married,  and 
in  the  year  above  mentioned  he  came  to  this  locality,  bringing  his  house- 
hold effects  on  horseback.  He  is  said  to  be  the  first  man  who  settled  on 
Tanner's  Creek,  and  at  one  time  owned  some  2,000  acres  of  land  in  that 
vicinity.  He  was  the  father  of  several  men  of  prominence,  who  are 
referred  to  in  the  biography  of  Harrison  Dawson,  of  this  township.  At 
one  time,  in  an  hour  of  peril,  he  displayed  presence  of  mind  and  intre- 
pidity worthy  a  Roman  general.  Indians  once  entered  his  cabin  in  a 
menacing  manner,  and  attempted  to  tomahawk  himself  and  wife.  He 
could  talk  the  Indian  language  well,  and  drawing  his  rifle  upon  them, 
told  them  not  to. stir,  upon  their  peril,  for  the  first  one  that  moved  his 
tomahawk  would  be  a  dead  man.  Holding  them  all  at  bay,  he  talked  to 
them,  and  then  told  them  all  to  retire  in  peace  and  quiet,  which  they 
promptly  obeyed.  He  once  shot  a  large  panther  which  was  in  the  act  of 
springing  upon  him,  and  killed  a  large  elk  on  Darling  Ridge,  which  was 
thought  to  have  been  the  last  one  killed  in  the  neighborhood.  At 
another  time  it  is  said  that  he  carried  upon  his  shoulder,  while  riding 
horseback,  a  large  iron  kettle  from  Cincinnati  to  his  cabin. 

John  Jackson,  a  man  of  family,  removed  to  this  county  from  the 
State  of  Maryland  in  about  1798,  He  reared  the  following  named  chil- 
dren: John,  Ezekiel,  Enoch,  Susan  and  Sally,  the  latter  two  being  the 
wives  of  John  and  Charles  Dawson,  respectively.  The  father  died  in 
1814  and  the  widow  in  1823,  the  former  having  been  accidentally 
drowned  in  Tanner's  Creek,  while  crossing  that  stream.  His  son  John 
married  in  Kentucky,  and  in  about  1798  settled  in  what  is  now  this 
township,  entering  land  at  $1.25  per  acre,  on  a  portion  of  which  he 
erected  a  brick  house,  which  is  still  standing,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  in 


160  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  county.  Enoch,  another  son,  ^^as  born  in  the  county,  in  1804,  and 
on  growing  to  manhood,  became  a  shrewd  politician.  He  represented 
the  county  in  the  Legislature,  and  in  the  days  of  Whig  supremacy  he 
was  at  various  times  before  the  people  as  candidate  for  office.  So  efficient 
was  he  in  his  manipulations  of  party  machinery  that  Edward  Eggleston, 
the  author,  makes  him  the  hero  of  the  local  election,  in  his  book  entitled 
"Roxy,''  the  plot  of  which  is  laid  in  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Fork  Creek — 
the  Jackson  neighborhood.  Ezekiel  Jackson,  the  other  brother,  too,  for 
years  represented  the  people  of  the  county  in  the  State  Legislature.  A 
number  of  the  descendants  of  the  Jackson  family  are  still  residents  of 
the  township. 

George  Conner  settled  in  this  county  in  1799  and  died  in  this  town- 
ship in  1868,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Jehu  Goodwin  settled  on  Salt  Fork  Creek  in  1800.  He  became 
familiar  with  the  Indian  language  and  was  accustomed  to  go  to  their 
camps.  It  is  said  that  he  once  went  to  their  camp  near  Georgetown  and 
joined  in  their  sports.  He  could  out-jump,  out-run  and  out-shoot  them. 
On  the  occasion  noted  he  jocosely  said  "Indian  good  for  nothing;  I 
beat  him  at  jump,  run  and  shoot,  and  now  I  can  beat  him  with  bow  and 
arrow."  In  a  moment  an  Indian  seized  his  bow  and  drew  a  bead  upon 
him,  his  eye  flashing  with  fire,  and  Goodwin  thought  himself  "a  goner," 
but  another  Indian  in  a  moment  seized  his  arm,  and  turned  away  his 
shot,  and  he  escaped. 

Aaron  R.  Bonham,  with  his  father's  family  landed  at  Cincinnati  in 
1796,  from  which  point  he  moved  up  the  Whitewater  Valley  and,  it  is 
said,  built  at  first  the  cabin  erected  west  of  that  river.  This  was  located  in 
Whitewater  Township,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  and  stood  near  where  Bond's 
Mill  was  subsequently  built.  Aaron  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  being  a 
member  of  Capt.  McGuire's  company.  After  the  war  he  married  one  of 
the  Guards  and  located  in  this  township.     His  death  occurred  in  1847. 

Jacob  Blasdell,  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  settled  on  Tan- 
ner's Creek,  southeast  of  Guilford  in  1805.  He  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, but  removed  to  New  Hampshire  and  was  there  married,  and 
possessed  upward  of  1,000  acres  of  land.  In  1799  he  removed  to  Colum- 
bia, at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami  River,  where  the  family  remained 
until  their  removal  to  this  township.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  built  a 
grist-mill  and  saw-mill  on  Tanner's  Creek,  he  being  a  mill-wright.  He 
also  erected  a  schoolhouse,  and  in  1811  himself  and  neighbors  built  a 
fort,  as  it  was  termed,  for  defense  against  the  Indians,  but  they  never  ex- 
perienced much  trouble  from  them.  Mr.  Blasdell  understood  black- 
smithing,  and  did  that  class  of  work  for  the  neighborhood.     His  death 


MILLER  TOWNSHIP.  461 

occurred  in  1831.      Before  coming  West  he  had  several  times  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Legislature. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  century  John  Fuller,  his  mother  and  sister 
located  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township,  also  Robert  McConnell  and 
family. 

The  Ewbank  family  settled  on  Tanner's  Creek  in  1811.  They  came 
from  New  Jersey  to  this  point;  John,  in  the  year  1807,  immigrated  to  this 
county  from  England,  and  in  1809  the  rest  of  the  family  followed,  all 
stopping  for  a  time  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

In  1817  Job  Jndd  and  family  coming  from  New  York,  located  here. 
He  was  the  father  of  RoswellJudd — among  the  oldest  men  of  the  town- 
ship. 

John  Collier, a  native  of  England, in  1817  came  to  America  on  a  pros- 
pecting tour  and  visited  this  county.  He  with  a  fellow  traveler  walked 
over  the  mountains  to  Pittsburgh  and  from  thence  proceeded  by  skiff  to 
Lawrenceburgb.  The  same  year  he  returned  to  his  native  country,  walking 
the  entire  distance  from  Tanner's  Creek  to  Philadelphia.  On  his  return 
to  England  he  was  married,  and  in  1819,  a  colony,  composed  in  part  of 
his  two  sisters  and  their  families,  namely,  Ann  Hansell  and  Jane  Con- 
forth,  the  Chapilows,  the  Clarks,  the  Linuses,  John  Gatenby  and  others, 
in  addition  to  several  unmarried  men.  These  were  all  of  one  neighbor- 
hood. They  landed  in  Lawrenceburgb  in  the  autumn  of  1819.  The 
Hansell  family'settled  on  the  west  or  north  fork  of  Tanner's  Creek,  about 
one  and  a  half  miles  above  the  village  of  Guilford.  Other  families  from 
England  settled  in  the  township  at  this  time  or  soon  afterward,  among 
whom  were  the  Hargetts,  the  Liddles,  and  the  Smiths. 

Of  the  early  settlers  of  the  township  Geo.  W.  Lane  thus  wrote  in 
1876:  "In  1798  Ezekiel  and  John  Jackson  located  in  what  is  now  known 
as  Miller  Township.  Ezekiel  Jackson  was  five  times  honored  by  the 
people  of  the  county  with  a  seat  in  the  State  Legislature.  John  Jackson 
was  the  father  of  Enoch  W.  Jackson,  an  active,  influential  and  intelligent 
citizen,  who  was  also  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature.  Also  John 
Shanks,  who  had  two  sisters  captured  by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Shanks  still 
lives  in  Miller  Township,  a  worthy  and  highly  respected  citizen. 

"In  1799  John  Dawson  located  on  Tanner's  Creek,  below  where  Guil- 
ford now  stands  He  was  an  industrous,  enterprising  and  worthy  citi- 
zen, honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  early  home  is 
still  in  the  posession  of  his  family. 

"Maj.  Decker  Crozier  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  who  deserves 
special  mention.  He  was  associated  with  Capt.  McGuire  in  establishing 
block-houses,  and  with  the  men  under  his  command  patroled  the  country 
between  them,  thus  protecting  the   infant  settlement  which,  during  the 


462  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

war  of  1812,  did  not  extend  over  four  miles  from  Lawrenceburgh,  as 
most  of  those  who  had  made  locations  further  in  the  country  had,  for 
security,  removed  to  town  or  in  the  immediate  neighborhood.  Maj.  Cro 
zier  was  a  stone-mason  and  farmer,  and  when  the  writer  first  knew  him, 
was  living  on  one  of  the  best  hill  farms  in  the  county,  in  what  is  now 
Miller  Township.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  arm;  the  grip  of  his  hand 
was  equal  to  a  blacksmith's  vise,  and,  like  Logan,  he  knew  no  fear. 
Maj.  Crozier's  life  was  spared  to  see,  if  not  a  large  family,  a  family  of 
large  men  grow  up  around  him,  and  witnessed  extensive  improvements  in 
the  wilderness  country  he  had  so  often  traveled  before  a  tree  was  cut  or  a 
path  had  been  blazed. 

"In  1805  Jacob  Jonathan  and  Elijah  Blasdell  settled  on  Tanner's 
Creek  near  Cambridge.  They  were  worthy  and  highly  respected  citizens 
and  each  deserve  a  special  notice.  A  number  of  the  names  still  remain 
in  the  county,  highly  respected  and  all  known  as  law  abiding  and  good 
citizens;  others  of  the  family  are  in  distant  States,  one  Henry  W.  Blas- 
dell was  elected  the  first  governor  of  the  then  new  State  of  Nevada, 
which  office  he  discharged  with  the  same  stern  integrity  and  honesty  of 
purpose  for  which  his  father  and  family  in  this  county  have  ever  been 
conspicuous. " 

Referring  to  the  settlement  on  Tanner's  Creek  from  England,  and 
speaking  of  a  period  soon  after  the  war  Mr.  Lane  continues:  "They 
came  about  the  time,  if  not  before,  those  to  whom  we  have  referred  in 
Manchester,  but  the  writer  is  not  certain  on  the  subject,  but  about  this 
time  quite  a  colony  came  from  England  and  located  in  the  woods  near 
Guilford — we  refer  to  the  Ewbanks,  Smiths,  Hansells,  George  Randall, 
Hargates,  William  Sawdon,  Liddles,  Conforths,  Lasenbys,  and  soon 
after  the  Huddlestons.  Of  these  pioneers  some  of  their  desendants 
remain  on  the  old  homesteads,  others  in  different  parts  of  the  county 
while  many  have  gone  farther  west.  This  colony,  if  it  may  be  called 
one,  was  regarded  with  great  favor  at  the  time  as  it  was  soon  ascer- 
tained that  they  were  intelligent  men  and  families  of  respectability  and 
high  standing,  and  during  the  sixty  years  they  have  resided  in  the  county 
they  have  made  good  those  first  impressions.  As  a  community  they 
have  been  industrious,  law  abiding  and  peaceable  citizens. 

"Thomas  Ewbank  was  an  active,  pleasant  business  man  not  only  well 
known  in  the  county  but  the  eastern  part  of  the  State. 

"John  Ewbank  was  a  plain  matter  of  fact  kind  of  man,  of  few  words, 
and  in  trading  with  him  in  old  times,  the  less  bragging  you  did  over  your 
goods,  wares,  etc. ,  the  sooner  you  could  strike  a  bargain.  It  might  be 
said  John  never  kissed  the  blarney  stone." 

Mrs.  Mary  Piles,  whose  father,  Alexander,  settled  in  the  county  in 


MILLER  TQWNSHIP,  463 

1807,  and  she  herself  in  1813,  was  married  to  George  Piles  in  this  town- 
ship, said  some  years  ago  that  she  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  was 
reared  in  forts;  that  her  mother  at  one  time  was  in  a  fort  when  Col. 
Boone,  at  the  time  a  prisoner  with  the  Pottawattomie  tribe,  who  were  en- 
camped on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  swam  the  river  and  gave  warn- 
ing to  the  inmates  that  the  Indians  intended  undermining  their  way 
into  the  fort,  and  thereby  saved  them.  At  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
Aunt  Polly,  as  she  is  familiarly  called,  was  remarkably  spry  and  active  for 
her  years,  and  could  read  ordinary  print  without  spectacles.  A  young 
lady  once  said.- 

"Why,  grandma,  you  can  walk  faster  than  I  can!"  "Yes,  I  believe  I 
can,  and  when  I  was  a  girl  I  could  run  faster  than  any  Indian.  I  re- 
member when  I  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age  we  all  were  called 
suddenly  into  fort  at  Guilford,  where  we  remained  several  days,  as  news 
had  come  that  the  Indians  were  on  the  war  path.  In  our  hurry  we  had 
brought  only  one  churn  with  us  and  there  were  a  dozen  women  who  all 
wanted  to  make  butter.  Now  our  house  was  only  a  mile  from  the  fort, 
and  there  we  had  one  of  those  pretty  cedar  churns  which  we  used  in 
Kentucky.  Well,  I  knew  that  if  we  all  waited  turns  for  the  one  churn 
some  would  have  to  wait  a  good  while,  so  I  said  to  Jesse,  a  girl  about 
my  own  age,  'Indians  or  no  Indians,  I  am  going  to  get  our  churn;  let 
US  steal  out  of  the  fort,  we  can  run  to  our  house  and  back  in  a  jiffey.' 
Out  we  went  and  got  well  on  our  way  to  the  house,  when,  going  through 
a  hazel  copse,  I  saw  a  dog  sitting  watching  us  with  his  ears  cocked,  and 
said  to  Jessie  'look  at  that  dog!'  when  just  as  I  spoke  up  jumped  an  In- 
dian. As  soon  as  we  saw  him  we  started  and  ran  for  the  fort,  the  In- 
dian in  chase,  but  we  were  too  quick  for  him,  and  when  we  got  into  the 
open  ground  we  lost  sight  of  him.  As  soon  as  we  got  to  the  fort  we 
told  the  rangers  and  they  started  in  pursuit." 

MILLS. 

The  tirst  settlers  in  this  and  Lawrenceburgh  Townships  depended 
in  main  for  a  number  of  years  on  the  larger  mills  built  on  the  White- 
water to  the  east,  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Ohio.  As  early  as  1796 
John  Cleves  Symmes  built  a  grist-mill  at  North  Bend.  Later  the  Bond 
&  Rees  Mill,  in  Ohio,  was  in  a  measure  depended  upon  by  the  first 
settlers  of  this  vicinity.  Jones'  Mill  on  Whitewater  was  also  visited. 
The  Jacob  Blasdell  Grist  and  Saw-mills  on  Tanner's  Creek,in  the  southern 
part  of  the  township,  were  erected  quite  early,  and  served  as  a  great 
convenience  to  the  settlements  for  miles  ai'ound.  Mr.  Blasdell  made  his 
settlement  in  1805  and  soon  afterward  built  a  saw  and  grist-mill,  which 
were  carried  on  for  many  years  in  the  Blasdell    name.     In  1825  a  full- 


464  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ing-mill  was  in  operation  on  Tanner's  Creek,  at  what  was  called  Cam- 
bridge. A  number  of  years  later  Matthew  Swann  bviilt  and  operated  a 
mill  on  Salt  Fork.  Subsequently  he  built  a  second  mill  on  the  same 
stream  below  the  one  first  mentioned.  On  the  East  Fork  of  Tanner's 
Creek  located  some  three  miles  above  Guilford,  not  far  from  1840.  was 
built  a  grist  and  saw-mill  by  John  Smith,  and  run  by  one  Jones,  or  the 
two  built  it  in  connection  with  each  other.  About  forty-five  years  ago 
the  brothers  Robert  and  William  Hansell  built  a  steam  saw-mill  in 
their  neighborhood. 

CHURCHES,     GRAVEYARDS    AND    SCHOOLS. 

Along  the  East  Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek,  probably  one  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  Guilford,  is  situated  an  antique  looking  church  building 
partially  surrounded  by  a  burying  ground.  The  building  is  of  stone 
and  in  shape  square,  with  roof  slanting  on  all  four  sides  from  a  point 
above  in  the  center.  This  building  is  the  oldest  house  of  worship  now 
standing  in  the  township,  and  most  likely  the  first  house  erected  for  that 
purpose  in  the  township.  It  was  built  in  1821,  at  which  time  Revs. 
Collardand  John  P.  Durbin  were  on  the  circuit,  and  was  originally  oc- 
cupied by  a  society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination,  in  which, 
probably,  not  far  from  the  year  1828,  a  division  occurred,  or  a  merging 
of  the  membership  into  a  society  styled  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church, 
which  denomination  has  since  occupied  the  building  and  continued 
services.  The  membership  is  now  light.  The  charge  is  a  point  on  the 
circuit  embracing  three  churches,  namely,  the  one  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township,  a  little  west  of  Salt  Fork;  the  one  near  the  graveyard 
on  the  West  Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek,  and  the  one  just  considered.  All 
are  in  charge  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Neihr.  The  graveyard  referred  to  about 
the  stone  church  was  formerly  owned  by  John  Ewbank,  who  gave  it  for 
the  purpose  for  which  it  is  used.  The  oldest  grave  marked  by  a  tomb- 
stone, upon  which  there  is  a  legible  inscription,i8  that  of  Hannah  Guion, 
who  died  December  10,  1820.  Of  the  old  persons  buried  here  whose 
o-raves  are  marked  by  inscribed  stones  we  mention  the  following  with 
some  remarks: 

John  Ewbank  died  in  1832,  aged  eighty  years;  Ann  Ewbank,  wife  of 
John,  died  in  1848,  aged  eighty-two  years;  Thomas  Ewbank,  born  in 
1793,  died  in  1857,  aged  sixty-four  years;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Thomas 
Ewbank,  died  in  1870,  aged  seventy -five  years;  Thomas  Smith,  died  in 
1863,  aged  sixty  six  years;  William  Smith,  bcrn  1800,  died  in  1874; 
Ann,  wife  of  William  Smith,  born  in  1800,  died  in  1868;  John  Smith, 
of  England,  settled  his  place  in  1818,  died  in  1860,  aged  eighty-one 
years;  Jane,  widow  of  John  Smith,  died  in  1863,  aged  eighty-five  years; 


MILLER  TOWNSHIP.  465 

Christopher  Brown,  died  in  1846,  aged  eighty  years;  Frances  Hall,  a  na- 
tive of  England,  died  in  1880,  aged  eighty-two  years;  Joseph  Hall,  a 
native  of  England,  born  in  1792,  died  in  1852;  William  Sawdon,  a  na-  . 
tive  of  England,  born  in  1786,  died  in  1870;  Mary,  widow  of  William. 
Sawdon,  died  in  1878,  aged  seventy  years;  William  Huddleston,  died  in 
1832,  aged  seventy-nine  years;  Priscilla  Lazenby,  died  in  1858,  aged 
seventy-four  years;  Cornelias  Vanhorn,  died  in  1835,  aged  sixty-eight 
years;  Eve,  widow  of  Cornelius  Vanhorn,  died  in  1846,  aged  eighty-two 
years;  Jane  Boute,  died  in  1839,  aged  seventy-eight  years.  In  the  fore- 
going list  are  the  names  of  many  of  the  early  members  of  the  church 
just  sketched. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  .the  towaship,  along  in  the  Blasdell  neigh- 
borhood was  known  as  "Cambridge,"  and  in  the  Jackson  neighborhood 
as  "Georgetown."  At  the  latter  place  is  located  a  burying  ground  as 
old  if  not  older  than  the  one  at  the  stone  church  referred  to  above.  The 
land  on  which  it  is  located  was  previously  in  possession  of  one  of  the 
Jacksons,  it  is  believed,  and  given  for  that  purpose.  In  the  former 
neighborhood,  Jacob  Blasdell,  early  in  the  settlement  made  there,  built 
a  schoolhouse  which  was  primitive  indeed,  but  lasted  until  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  1825,  when  he  was  instrumental  in  erecting  a  hewed  log- 
academy,  said  to  be  the  first  chartered  institution  of  learning  in  the 
State.  Mr.  Blasdell  also  did  the  early  "smith"  business  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. In  the  academy  spoken  of,  some  of  the  higher  branches  were 
taught.  Along  Tanner's  Creek  in  this  vicinity,  about  1811,  the  neigh- 
bors erected  a  block-house  for  protection  against  the  Indians,  which  was 
garrisoned  by  United  States  soldiers. 

One  of  the  first  places  where  school  was  held  in  the  neighborhood  set- 
tled by  the  English  colony,  as  it  was  designated,  was  in  an  old  log 
meeting  house  that  stood  on  West  Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek  at  the  grave- 
yard. Elias  Horner,  Thomas  Ward  and  William  Runnells  are  remem- 
bered as  early  masters  at  this  point.  Located  in  the  extreme  northern 
part. of  the  township  is  Providence  Presbyterian  Church,  the  early  mem- 
bei-ship  of  which  formerly  worshiped  with  the  Presbyterian  society  at 
Harrison,  Ohio,  but  which,  in  1831,  for  sake  of  convenience,  formed 
themselves  into  a  separate  society.  The  organization  took  place  May  22, 
of  that  year,  under  Rev.  S.  Scoville.  The  original  membership  num- 
bered about  forty,  among  whom  were  the  Gibsons,  the  McGahens,  the 
Reids,  the  Judds,  the  Blackwells,  the  Shepherds,  the  Pollocks,  the  Mc- 
Clures,  the  Langdales.  Soon  after  the  organization .  was  effected,  a  log 
meeting  house  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present  building.  This  was 
very  primitive,  the  ladies'  seats  being  puncheons  with  one  side  smoothed, 
while  the  gentlemen's  were  round  with  no  dressing.  ' 

28 


466  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  present  building    is   a  neat  frame  with  spire  and  bell,  and  was 
built  in  1848.     Among  the  pastors  of  the  society  have  been  Revs.  P.  H. 
Gallady  (about  eighteen  years),  J.  W.  Scott  Moore,  John  Stewart,  H.  M. 
Walker,   H.    F.    Olmsted.     The   present    incumbent   is    Rev.    William 
Carson,  and  the  church  membership  is  seventy  odd.     About  the  church 
is  an  old  burying  ground  and   a  new  cemetery.     The    ground   of    the 
former  was  owned  by  John  Gibson,  Sr.,  who  gave    about  one  acre  for 
church  and  burial  purposes.     The  dates  of  church  organization  and  use 
of  yard  are  identical.     The  first  interment  is  believed  to  be  the  body  of 
Elizabeth  McGlaughen.     The  new  cemetery  lies  to  the  north  and  west  of 
the  graveyard,  the  greater  part  of  it  being  in  Harrison  Township.      It  com- 
prises about  two  acres  of   ground,  belonging  to  George  H.   Gibson  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  who  laid  out  the  grounds  in  1884.     The  first  burial 
was  the  body  of    William  Haddock.     In  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
township  between  branches  of  Tanner's  and  Salt  Fork  Creeks  is  situated 
at  a  small  graveyard  a  neat  frame  church  building  in  which  worships 
a  Methodist  Prostestant  Society  which  was  organized  in  about  1842.     Of 
those  identified  with  the  society  in  its  early  history  can  be  named  John 
Grubbs  and  wife,  Robert  and  William  Hansell  and  their  wives,  and  John 
Smith  and  wife  ;  and  of  the  early  ministers,  James  Murray,  W.  W.  Paul, 
George  Wheatley,  Samuel  Morrison,  Hugh  Stack,  J.    M.    Flood.      The 
present  church  was  built  in   1863.     Previously   the  congregation  wor- 
shiped in  a  log  meeting-house  which  stood  near  the  site  of  the  one  now 
used.     The  ground  for  both  church  and  burial  purposes  was  given  by 
John  Grubbs,  Sr. 

In  the  early  settlement  made  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township  were 
kept  early  schools.  Among  them  is  remembered  one  taught  about  one  mile 
northwest  of  the  Sugar  Grove  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  by  Levi  Garri- 
son, a  lame  man.  (Several  schools  taught  here).  On  what  is  now  the  David 
Frazier  farm  was  built  at  an  early  day,  comparatively  speaking,  a  frame 
schoolhouse  in  which  a  man  by  the  name  of  Eddy  taught.  Over  in  Ohio 
and  down  further  south  in  what  is  now  Lawrenceburgh  Township  were  lo- 
cated schools  which  were  often  attended  by  the  children  of  the  settlement 
in  question.  Almost  in  the  midst  of  a  grove  of  beautiful  sugar  trees  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  township  stands  an  attractive  brick  church  building 
bearing  the  inscription  "  Sugar  Grove  Church,  founded  A.  D.  1853,"  and 
to  the  side  of  it  is  a  graveyard  where  rest  the  remains  of  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  this  vicinity.  This  was  the  worshiping  place  of  a  Methodist 
Episcopal  society,  but  for  some  years  past  has  not  been  Used  as  a  regu- 
lar preaching  place.  The  Buttlers,  the  Millers,  the  Stephensons  and  the 
Guards  were  identified  with  the  society  in  years  gone  by. 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  467 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
UNION  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— Original  Land  Purchasers— Early 
Settlement— Indian  Tradition— Mills,  Distilleries,  Etc.— First 
Schools— Churches  and  Graveyards— Mounds— Milton— Hart- 
ford—Miscellaneous  . 

UNION  TOWNSHIP  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Laughery  Creek, 
on  the  east  by  Randolph  Township,  on  the  south  by  Cass  and 
Randolph  Townships,  and  on  the  west  by  Pike  Township.  In  March, 
1845,  after  the  additional  territory  from  Dearborn  had  been  attached  to 
Ohio  County,  the  commissioners  of  the  latter  county  described  Union 
Township,  as  "all  the  territory  bounded  by  Cass  Township  on  the  south; 
Randolph  on  the  east;  Dearborn  County  on  the  north,  and  Pike  Town- 
ship on  the  west."  This  description  would  give  Union  Township,  in 
addition  to  its  present  territory,  Section  31,  of  Pike.  In  February,  1876, 
the  boundary  lines  between  Union  and  Pike,  and  between  Pike  and  Cass, 
were  so  established  as  to  leave  Pike  Township  with  its  present  territory. 
Before  the  organization  of  Ohio  County,  Union  was  the  name  of  a  town- 
ship of  Dearborn  County,  which  originally  embraced,  besides  the  present 
territory  of  Union  Township,  Ohio  County  less  Sections  24,  25  and  36, 
which  were  given  it  in  1833,  the  eastern  tier  of  sections  of  Pike,  and  all 
of  Cass  Township. 

original  land  purchaseks. 

Below  is  set  forth  the  original  disposition  of  the  lands  of  the  town- 
ship, with  the  dates  when  sold  and  names  of  the  persons  to  whom  sold. 

Township  4,  Range  2  west. 

Sections  13,  21,  22  and  23,  are  situated  partly  in  Dearborn  County. 

Section  13,  was  purchased  in  1803,  1811  and  1814,  by  John  Brown- 
son  in  the  former  year,  and  by  Peter  Allen  in  the  years  last  mentioned. 

Portions  of  Section  21,  were  purchased  in  1810,  by  Daniel  Crume; 
in  1811,  by  Benjamin  Wilson;  and  in  1812,  by  Patrick  Fall  and  Ben- 
jamin Wilson. 

Portions  of  Section  22,  were  purchased  in  1808,  by  John  James;  in 
1811, by  William  Blue;  in  1812  by  Henry  Cloud  and  William  Spencer,  Sr. 

Portions  of  Section  23,  were  purchased  in  1803  by  John  Brownson; 
in  1804,  by  Benjamin  Wilson;    in  1811,  by  John  Walker. 


468  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Portions  of  Section  29  (part  in  Dearborn  County),  were  purchased  in 
1809,  by  Daniel  Creemer;  in  1811,  by  Eobert  Conaway ;  in  1812,  by  Will- 
iam Weathers;  in  1815,  by  Ebenezer  Hubert. 

Portions  of  Section  24,  1811,  by  John  and  James  Walker;  in  1814, 
by  Isaac  Carlton  and  Henry  Anderson;  in  1816,  by  James  Allen. 

Portions  of  Section  25,  in  1813,  by  John  Davis;  in  1815,  by  Joseph 
Oglivie  per  Walker. 

Portions  of  Section  26,  in  1814,  by  John  and  James  Walker;  in  1815, 
by  John  and  James  Walker;  in  1817,  Thomas  K.  Coles;  in  1813,  by 
Samuel  Hanna. 

Portions  of  Section  27,  in  1812,  by  David  Blue;  in  1814,  by  John 
Walker;  in  1815,  by  William  Blue;  in  1817,  by  David  Blue. 

Portions  of  Section  28,  in  1808,  by  John  James;  in  1815,  by  John 
Walker;  in  1819,  by  Joseph  H.  Coburn;  in  1813,  by  David  Hufford. 

Portions  of  Section  32,  in  1813,  by  Robert  Conaway;  in  1815,  by  Joseph 
Frakes;  in  1832,  by  John  Weathers  and  John  Conaway;  in  1835,  by 
John  W.  Ray;  in  1836,  by  Thomas  Purcell  and  Renselaer  Willey. 

Portions  of  Section  33,  in  1816,  by  James  Conaway;  in  1818,  by 
John  Glass,  William  Babbs,  William  Gibson  and  Otis  Ellis;  in  1827,  by 
William  Kittle;  in  1836,  by  David  Hufford. 

Portions  of  Section  34,  in  1814,  by  Ebenezer  Hubert;  in  1815,  by 
James  Gardner;  in  1816,  by  Joseph  Woods;  in  1817,  by  Jacob  Miller. 

Portions  of  Section  35,  in  1814,  by  John  Espey  and  James  Crane;  in 
1816,  by  John  Walker;  in  1817,  by  Hugh  Espey. 

Portions  of  Section  36,  in  1814,  by  William  Alexander,  William 
Scranton,  John  Barricklow  and  Benjamin  Miles. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 

The  first  settlements  in  the  township  were  made  along  Laughery 
Creek.  Those  in  which  there  is  any  degree  of  certainty  in  naming  were 
made  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village  of  Milton.  On  or  about 
Christmas,  1810,  when  Ebenezer  Harbert  landed  just  above  the  now  vil- 
iao-e  of  Guionville,  and  reared  his  rude  cabin  on  the  -north  bank  of 
Laughery  Creek,  there  were  living  a  few  settlers  along  the  creek  both 
above  and  below,  but  none  on  the  hills.  Of  those  dwelling  south  of  the 
stream  in  what  is  now  this  township  can  be  traced  John  Weathers, where 
Milton  now  stands;  below  lived  James  Conaway,  Daniel  Crume  and  Ben- 
jamin Wilson.  Just  at  what  period  these  settlements  were  made  cannot 
now  be  determined,  but  by  reference  to  the  above  land  sales  it  will  be 
seen  that  Wilson  purchased  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Hartford  as  early  as 
1804,  Daniel  Crume  further  up  the  creek  in  1808-09.  John  Weathers,  re- 
ferred to  above,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  but  came  from  Kentucky  to  the 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  469 

Laughery  Creek  Valley.  It  is  said  that  he  settled  here  in  the  very  be- 
ginning of  the  century  and  built  the  first  cabin  in  that  vicinity. 

Settlements  along  the  north  bank  of  Laughery  Creek  had  been 
made  as  early  as  1796,  and  of  those  known  to  have  been  identified  with 
the  interests  south  of  the  stream  and  who,  perhaps  later,  resided  in  Union 
Township  were  Daniel  Lynn,  who  settled  in  what  is  now  Washington 
Township  in  1796,  and  several  of  the  Blues,  as  John,  William  and  David 
Blue,  are  said  to  have  resided  in  the  township  prior  to  the  war  of  1812- 
15.  John  Walker  and  brother,  sons  of  Benjamin,  who  settled  in  what 
is  now  WashiQgton  Township  in  1796  were  early  settlers  of  Union.  In 
1868,  at  the  death  of  Joel  Lynn,  it  was  stated  that  he  was  born  on  Ar- 
nold's Creek  in  1799;  that  his  father,  Daniel  Lynn,  settled  near  Hart- 
ford when  but  four  families  resided  in  that  vicinity.  There  may  have 
been  a  mistake  in  naming  the  creek,  and  that  Laughery  Creek  was  meant. 

Samuel  Thomas  and  Benjamin  Lawrence  settled  west  of  Milton  on 
Laughery,  early  in  the  century;  other  settlers  of  the  township  along  the 
creek  just  mentioned,  who  had  located  here  .just  before  or  about  the  time 
of  the  second  war  with  England,  can  be  recalled,  Allen  Boise,  Nathan 
Rickets,  Tetrick  Falls. 

In  the  fall  of  1813  Robert  Wilber  and  family  removed  from  the 
State  of  New  York,  traveling  by  wagons  over  the  mountains  to  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh,  and  from  thence  by  flat-boat  to  the  vicinity  of  Rising  Sun, 
landing  at  Roger  Brown's,  about  one  mile  above  the  latter  city.  He  re- 
mained along  the  river  one  year  raising  one  crop,  then  removed  to  a  tract 
of  land  located  about  one  mile  below  Hartford.  This  was  in  the  spring 
of  1815.  Here  he  resided  some  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  and  removed  to 
the  opposite  side  of  Laughery  Creek  above  Hartford,  into  what  is  now 
Washington  Township,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  Among  other 
things  and  worthy  of  mention,  brought  by  the  Wilbers  to  the  new  settle- 
ment were  some  pigs,  which  were  of  a  much  better  breed  than  those  in 
this  section,  and  were  the  means  of  improving  that  animal  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. This  pioneer  was  the  father  of  Robert  E.  and  Allen  Wilber, 
who  were  for  many  years  active  business  men  of  Hartford  in  the  vicinity 
of  which  place  they  still  reside. 

In  1813  William  Gerard,  then  a  single  man,  settled  along  Laughery 
Creek  in  Section  22,  on  laud  which  he  subsequently  purchased  and  to 
which  he  removed  his  young  bride  in  1814.  William  Gerard  represent- 
ed one  of  the  first  families  to  settle  in  the  Western  country,  himself  born 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami  River,  Columbia,  in  1791. 

On  Christmas  day,  1814,  landed  at  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek 
William  Scranton  and  family,  the  parents  being  natives  of  New  York, 
but  from  thence  having  removed  to  Canada,  thence  to  Ohio.      They  set- 


470  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

tied  in  the  year  1814  in  this  township.  Mr.  Scranton  died  in  1834  and 
his  widow  in  1842. 

John  Woods  and  family  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township 
in  1817,  coming  from  Pennsylvania.  They  were  natives  of  Ireland,  but 
grew  up  in  Pennsylvania.  From  Rising  Sun  to  the  point  of  settlement 
they  found  their  way  much  of  the  distance  by  a  blazed  path;  and  on  the 
farm  where  the  son  William  now  lives,  they  felled  the  first  tree,  reared 
their  cabin,  and  cleared  up  and  improved  the  farm.  The  parents  died, 
the  husband  in  1837,  and  the  widow  in  1865. 

In  1817,  Henry  Miller,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  with  his  father's 
family,  came  down  the  river  in  a  flat-boat,  and  thence  up  Laughery 
Creek  to  Hartford  and  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  near  by.  One  of  the 
Blues  heretofore  referred  to  was  the  early  "smith"  of  the  settlement, 
and  with  Blue  young  Miller  learned  the  blacksmith  trade,  serving  ap- 
prenticeship from  the  age  of  thirteen  till  twenty-one.  The  old  shop 
stood  on  the  roadside  one  mile  above  Hartford.  In  1876  this  pioneer  was 
still  residing  with  his  wife  on  Laughery  Creek.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  old  Maj.  McGuire,  on  whose  place  stood  the  old  block-house  in  Cesar 
Creek  Township,  to  which  she  remembers  having  gone  for  safety. 

Among  others  coming  a  little  later  were  Aaron  Maryman  in  1818, 
from  Pennsylvania;  Ross  Marsh  in  1818,  from  the  same  State,  and 
Sooter  McAdams  from  Ohio,  though  by  birth  a  Pennsylvanian,  in  1819. 
The  latter  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812. 

INDIAN    TRADITION. 

Some  years  ago  the  following  incident  appeared  in  the  Reveille,  pub- 
lished at  Vevay,  this  State: 

"Henry  Wallick  residing  near  Center  Square,  in  the  summer  of 
1883,  showed  the  editor  of  the  Reveille,  a  relic  of  early  times — an  In- 
dian tomahawk  and  pipe  combined;  the  handle  being  hollow,  used  for 
the  stem,  and  the  bowl  of  the  pipe  being  in  the  head  of  the  hatchet. 
The  tomahawk  has  a  history,  and  is  a  link  connecting  the  present  civili- 
zation with  the  barbarous  past.  In  early  times  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers on  Mill  Creek,  back  of  Cincinnati  (then  Fort  Washington),  was 
Providence  White,  a  sturdy  pioneer  and  daring  Indian  fighter.  When 
but  fifteen  years  of  age,  the  Indians  attacked  the  block-house  on  Mill 
Creek,  and  he  volunteered  to  go  to  Fort  Washington,  seven  miles  distant, 
to  give  the  alarm,  and  obtain  assistance.  Although  shot  at  many  times, 
his  fleet  horse  carried  him  safely  to  Fort  Washington,  and  he  returned 
with  soldiers,  who  drove  the  Indians  away. 

"Several  years  afterward,  ^two  Indians  went  to  the  house  of  a  settler. 
The  only  person  at  home  was  a  woman,  who  was  engaged  in  making  soap. 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  471 

The  fiends  concluded  to  kill  the  woman  by  compelling  her  to  drink  hot 
soap.  One  Indian  held  her  while  the  other  attempted  to  pour  the  soap 
in  her  mouth;  but  she  closed  her  lips,  and  the  hot  soap  flowed  down  her 
face  and  neck,  burning  her  severely.  White  heard  of  the  outrage,  and 
was  furious  with  rage.  In  company  with  another  man  (whose  name  Mr. 
Wallick  has  forgotten),  Mr.  White  started  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  and 
the  next  day  about  sun  up,  when  near  where  Hartford  is  now  situated, 
on  Laughery  Creek,  discovered  the  Indians.  White  shot  one  and  his 
companion  the  other,  taking  the  arms  of  the  dead  Indians.  Several 
years  afterward  White  frequently  visited  in  Switzerland  County,  among 
other  places  the  home  of  the  parents  of  Mr.  Wallick,  on  Grant's  Creek, 
in  Posey  Township.  Mr.  Wallick  named  his  son  Providence,  which 
greatly  pleased  White,  and  he  said  that  when  he  died,  he  desired  that  the 
son  of  Mr.  Wallick  have  the  tomahawk.  White  died  at  the  residence  of 
Walter  Cofield,  near  Hartford,  about  eighteen  years  ago,  and  was  buried 
at  Quercus  Grove  graveyard.  Then  Providence,  a  three-year  old  boy, 
fell  heir  to  the  tomahawk  captured  from  the  Indian.  The  tomahawk  has 
a  history,  and  is  a  relic  that  should  be  preserved.'' 

MILLS,    DISTILLERIES,   ETC. 

The  first  mill  built  in  the  township  was  the  Benjamin  Walker  saw 
and  grist-mill  erected  at  Hartford,  it  is  thought  by  Mr.  James  Ross,  as 
early  as  during  the  war  of  1812-15,  or  a  little  before  that  period.  This 
was  operated  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  Walker  name.  Sometime  in 
the  decade  between  1820  and  1830,  Graham  and  Addison  built  a  large 
frame  mill,  both  water  and  grist,  and  also  a  carding  machine  at  Hartford. 
Samuel  Beckwith,  at  an  earlier  period  than  the  carding  machine  just  re- 
ferred to,  put  in  operation  with  power  bought  of  Walker,  a  fulling-mill 
at  Hartford.  Mr.  Walker  also  carried  on  to  some  extent  the  distilling 
of  liquor.  There  was  a  little  copper  still,  operated  on  the  Wilber  farm, 
before  they  came  in  possession  of  it,  by  a  Mr.  Newell.  The  Wilbers  sub- 
sequently operated  a  little  still;  "Uncle  Jim  Ross"  says,  the  Wilbers 
made  a  pretty  good  article  of  whisky,  making  only  two  or  three  gallons  to 
the  bushel.  Tetrick  Falls  also  operated  a  copper  still.  In  1824  Col. 
Pinkney  James  built  a  grist  and  saw- mill  at  Milton.  There  is  now  a 
large  grist-mill  in  operation  at  that  point,  and  a  grist  and  saw-mill  at 
Hartford. 

FIRST    SCHOOLS. 

One  of  the  first  schools  taught  in  the  township  was  kept  in  the  settle- 
ment about  Milton.  A  rude  round  log-cabin  schoolhouse  was  built  just 
above  the  now  village  as  early  as  1815,  in  which  school  was  held 
for  several  years.      James  A.  Roby,  a  cripple,  is  the  first  teacher  remem- 


472  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

bered.  He  taught  several  schools  in  this  building.  Another  early 
schoolhouse  was  built  on  the  north  side  of  the  creek  (Laughrey),  which 
was  attended  by  the  children  of  the  settlement  named.  A  schoolhouse 
was  erected  at  Hartford  quite  early  in  the  century,  in  which  a  William 
Eussell,  a  Virginian,  was  the  first  teacher;  also  a  Miss  Thayer  kept 
school  in  this  building.  School,  too,  was  held  in  the  old  Baptist  meet- 
ing-house that  stood  on  the  hill  at  Hartford.  Mr.  Russell,  a  Mr.  Rod- 
gers  and  Simon  Harpham  taught  in  the  meeting-house.  The  stone 
schoolhouse  still  standing  at  Hartford  was  built  in  about  1831.  Mr. 
Russell  also  held  sway  in  this  building. 

CHURCHES  AND  GRAVEYARDS. 

Of  the  early  settlers  along  the  creek  a  number  were  Baptists  and 
Methodists.  One  of  the  first  preaching  places  of  the  latter  denomination 
was  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Grume,  who  was  himself  a  local  preacher.  In 
a  very  early  day  there  was  a  regular  appointment  at  Mount  Tabor,  in 
Washington  Township.  Across  the  creek  in  what  is  Deax'born  County 
at  the  houses  of  Daniel  Conaway  and  a  Mrs.  Brin8ton,were  held  Method- 
ist services  very  early.  The  Baptists  too,  first  held  their  meetings  in 
private  houses,  until  in  about  1819  or  1820  the  society  erected  a  meeting- 
house on  the  hill  just  south  of  Hardford,  which,  too,  served  the  Method- 
ists for  a  time  as  a  place  for  holding  meetings.  The  Baptist  society  was 
not  long  lived  and  the  building  was  subsequently  used  as  a  schoolhouse. 

The  society  at  Hartford,  now  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  may 
be  said  to  have  had  its  origin  in  a  great  revival  that  occurred  in  the  vil- 
lage in  1839-40,  at  which  time  upward  of  200  persons  became  converted 
and  a  church  society  was  organized;  and  in  1840,  the  present  large  and 
substantial  brick  house  of  worship  was  erected.  It  is  an  appointment 
on  the  Hartford  Circuit,  of  which  Rev.  William  Lathrop  is  pastor. 

There  are  no  large  burial  grounds  in  the  township,  but  scattered 
here  and  there  are  a  number  of  family  graveyards,  where  many  of  the 
first  settlers  are  sleeping  their  last  sleep.  On  the  hill  not  far  from 
where  the  old  Baptist  meeting-house  stood,  there  is  located  one  of  these 
places  of  interment,  in  which  a  number  of  the  Walker  family  are 
buried.  There  is  another  near  Milton,  known  as  the  Weathers  grave- 
yard. There  are  still  others,  one  on  the  Turner  farm  and  one  in  the 
Wood's  neighborhood. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Society,  at  Milton,  is  quite  an  old 
organization.  The  first  building  occupied  by  the  society  was  a  frame 
one  which  was  completed  in  1844,  though  the  society  is  much  older  than 
this  building  would  indicate.  The  building  referred  to  was  replaced  in 
1878  by  the  present  beautiful  frame  church  edifice,  which  was  built  at  a 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  473 

cost  of  $1,200.  The  building  will  seat  300  people,  and  was  dedicated 
to  the  service  of  God,  Sunday,  July  27,  1879.  Revs.  L.  G.  Adkinson 
and  C.  W.  Lee,  officiating.  The  appointment  is  on  the  Hartford  Circuit. 
In  the  Hastings  neighborhood  in  southern  part  of  the  township  is 
located  a  substantial  brick  church,  in  which  worship  a  Christian  society, 
better  known  as  the  followers  of  the  teachings  of  Alexander  Campbell. 
At  the  church  is  a  place  of  burial,  the  ground  for  both  church  and  burial 
purposes  having  been  set  apart  by  Stephen  Hastings.  The  first  inter- 
ment in  the  yard  was  made  in  1837,  the  body  of  Walter  Hastings. 
Among  the  aged  buried  here  are  the  following:  Eliza  Monroe,  wife  of 
John  VV.  H,  died  in  1878,  aged  seventy-two  years;  John  W.  H.  Monroe, 
died  in  1869,  aged  sixty -eight  years;  William  Higbee,  died  in  1875,  aged 
eighty-three  years;  Rebecca,  wife  of  William  Higbee,  died  in  1869,  aged 
seventy-five  years;  Stephen  Hastings,  died  in  1873,  aged  seventy-five 
years.  The  present  house  of  worship  here  located  was  erected  in  1839, 
previous  to  which  time,  for  several  years,  meetings  were  held  in  the 
neighborhood  schoolhouse.  A  number  whose  remains  rest  in  the 
churchyard  were  identified  with  the  history  of  the  church. 

MOUNDS. 

In  the  township  are  situated  a  number  of  mounds,  the  largest  of  which 
is  in  the  vicinity  of  Milton,  on  the  lands  of  P.  Conaway.  The  follow- 
ing is  an  account  of  an  excavation  made  September  6,  1871,  by  T.  E. 
Alden  and  George  W.  Morse: 

"The  mound  is  about  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  ten  feet  in  vertical  depth 
at  its  center,  with  a  very  regular  circular  outline,  presenting  a  formida- 
ble appearance.  The  stumps  of  four  or  five  forest  trees  with  a  diameter 
of  at  least  two  feet  still  remain  on  and  near  its  summit.  They  com- 
menced digging  eight  feet  from  the  center  on  the  top,  cutting  a  trench 
north  and  south  four  feet,  east  and  west  eight  feet.  At  one  foot  in 
depth  they  found  plenty  of  flat,  thin  limestone,  laid  somewhat  lapping 
each  other,  making  it  very  difficult  to  get  them  out.  At  two  and  a  half 
feet  depth  the  first  skeleton  was  uncovered,  supposed  to  be  that  of  an 
adult  male.  The  head  lay  to  the  west;  feet  gone  entirely;  cranium 
mashed  flat  by  the  heavy  stones.  This  trench  was  sunk  to  the  depth  of 
seven  feet,  in  the  progress  of  which  three  layers  of  skeletons  were 
exposed,  with  earth  and  flat  rock  between,  in  layers  of  two  skeletons 
side  by  side.  Another  opening  was  made  on  the  northwest  side  to  the 
depth  of  four  feet,  intersecting  the  first  one.  At  the  depth  of  one  foot 
a  flint  arrow  head  was  found.  The  layers  of  skeletons  were  arranged  as 
in  the  first  opening — with  some  regularity  in  the  outer  layers,  but 
toward  the  center  of  the  mound  no  regular  layers  were  observed;  on  the 


474  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

contrary  a  heap  or  mass  of  bones  was  disclosed  in  promiscuous  confu- 
sion. The  work  of  burying  must  have  been  a  huiTied  one.  Indeed,  Mr. 
M.  thinks  some  were  buried  alive — perhaps  offered  as  sacrifices  to  the 
manes  of  some  fallen  chief.  Several  skeletons  a  little  isolated  from  the 
general  mass  lay  upon  their  sides  with  the  leg  bones  drawn  up  and  the 
arms  at  right  angles  from  the  bodies,  as  though  a  struggle  in  the  throes 
of  death  had  taken  place  after  or  at  the  time  of  interment. 

"The  bones  of  the  old,  young  and  middle  aged  were  mingled  in 
utter  disregard  to  order  or  precedence.  Fragments  of  some  skulls  showed 
a  thickness  of  three-eighths  of  an  inch;  while  other  fragments  denoting 
a  head  nearly  as  large  would  not  exceed  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch;  hence 
the  conclusion  was  arrived  at  that  two  races  of  people  were  buried  in 
this  mound,  and  at  a  remote  period,  it  may  have  been  one  or  two  thou- 
sand years  ago,  the  bones  being  dry,  sieve-like  and  brittle.  A  thigh 
bone  could  be  broken  with  one's  thumb  and  finger;  the  lower  jaws  in 
many  cases  were  entirely  wanting.  That  the  mound  was  built  at  one 
time,  and  not  at  several  different  periods  was  another  conclusion  arrived 
at,  for  this  reason — no  vegetable  mold  was  discovered  either  in  stra- 
tums  or  mass  to  mark  the  intervals  which  must  have  occurred  in  its  for- 
mation." 

MILTON. 

The  village  of  Milton  is  situated  on  Laughery  Creek,  about  ten 
miles  northwest  of  Eising  Sun.  A  few  years  since  a  writer  thus  spoke 
of  its  history: 

"From  Dillsborough,  approaching  Milton,  one  comes  to  the  hill  tops 
overlooking  Laughery  Creek  and  sees  underneath  him  a  pretty  pastoral 
valley,  with  farms  bordered  by  loug-extending  stone  fences  far  up  the 
stream  to  the  westward;  an  ancient  and  straggling  mill-dam  across  the 
creek  nearer  at  hand;  and  a  long  dry  mill-race  running  down  the  fur- 
ther side,  and  losing  itself  behind  the  hillside  trees  that  interrupt  the 
view  below  eastward.  One  has  to  descend  the  hill  diagonally  before  he 
sees  the  termination  of  the  mill-race,  the  old  weather  beaten,  red  painted 
grist-mill,  with  its  veteran  companion,  the  saw-mill,  a  hundred  yards 
above  (both  must  have  been  erected  half  a  century  ago),  and  the  few  scat- 
tered houses  along  a  single  street  or  road  that  make  up  the  forlorn, 
tumble-down  village  of  Milton.  The  older  houses  are  also  painted  red, 
and  the  red  paint  on  mills  and  houses  is  at  least  forty  yeax's  of  age.  Mil- 
ton, as  a  settlement,  dates  back  nearly  sixty  years.  It  was  originally  called 
•James'  Mills,  or  Jamestown,  after  its  original  proprietor,  John  James, 
a  Virginian,  who  was  also  the  first  settler  and  proprietor  of  the  town  or 
city  of  Rising  Sun,  eight  miles  below  Aurora  on  the  Ohio  River. 

"Well,  what  is  there  remarkable  about   Milton?     Little    enough, 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  475 

perhaps,  but  one  doesn't  like  to  have  the  place  where  he  was  born, 
thought  slightly  of,  so  I  must  tell  you  what  there  is  in  or  about  Milton 
worthy  of  report.  The  old  grist-mill  is  a  water-mill,  yet  a  great  square 
stone  chimney  at  one  corner  suggests  an  experiment,  at  least,  with  steam, 
and  if  one  goes  to  examine  it,  he  will  find  an  old  steam  engine  under- 
neath that  has  seen  service,  not  exactly  in  the  milling  business,  but  in 
the  steam-boat  line.  It  was,  in  fact,  an  engine  of  a  steamer — the  '  Poca- 
hontas,' if  I  mistake  not,  which  blew  up  many  years  ago,  and  bought  up 
cheaply  afterward,  was  tried  at  first  in  the  Milton  Mill,  but  did  not  give 
satisfaction,  then  it  was  removed  to  another  mill  several  miles  distant, 
and  remaining  there  several  years  inactive,  was  taken  back  to  Milton, 
where  it  has  had  a  good  old  age  of  rusty  do-nothing  with  the  old  stone 
chimney,  above  mentioned,  its  sentinel  on  duty. 

"  Thirty-five  and  forty  years  ago  Milton  was  somewhat  of  a  steam- 
boat builder.  Two  steam-boats  were  then  built  on  the  Laughery  shore, 
between  the  old  saw  and  grist-mills.  The  first  of  these  was  the  'Dol- 
phin,' built  by  Col.  Pinkney  James,  of  Rising  Sun  (son  of  the  founder 
of  both  places),  and  was  used,  I  believe,  as  a  packet  between  Cincinnati, 
Rising  Sun  and  Patriot  or  Madison.  Later,  in  1836  or  1837,  the 
'  Renown' was  also  built  at  Milton  by  an  enterprising  little  company, 
interested  in  the  mills  at  the  time,  I  believe.  These  boats  were,  of 
course,  built  during  the  low  water  season,  and  had  to  wait  for  freshets  to 
float  them  to  the  Ohio.  The  '  Renown '  was  a  handsome  and  ambitious 
boat  for  those  days,  but  her  builders  had  reason  to  believe  afterward 
that  she  was  '  built  in  the  eclipse,  and  rigged  with  curses  dark.'  For, 
used  chiefly  in  the  lower  river  trade,  she  never,  I  believe, 'made  a  fortu- 
nate trip,  and  burnt  the  hands  of  every  person  who  .  touched  her.  It  is 
not  an  uninteresting  fact  that  the  '  Renown  '  was  built  as  I  am  told, 
under  the  supervision  of  Prince  Athearn,  a  prominent  pioneer  citizen 
(long  dead)  of  Rising  Sun,  who,  originally  a  New  England  ship-builder, 
had  long  before  been  selected  by  one  of  the  contractors  from  among  his 
apprentices  to  draft  and  build  the  ti'ansom  of  the  old  United  States 
frigate  *  Constitution.'  The  miniatures  of  him  and  his  wife  hang,  I  am 
told,  in  the  cabin  of  the  old  war-ship  now.  Thiis  Milton  associates 
itself  with  history. 

"Opposite  Milton,  on  the  other  side  of  Laughery,  is  a  little  unhap- 
py cluster  of  houses  known  as  Guionville,  which  has  been  the  postoffice 
of  the  vicinity  for  many  years.  Once  or  twice  Milton  succeeded  in  get- 
ting the  official  distinction,  but  as  the  mail  had  to  be  carried  on  horse- 
back from  Aurora,  and  the  Laughery  had  to  be  crossed  only  twice  to 
reach  Guionville,  while  it  was  necessary  to  cross  it  four  times  to  reach 
Milton,  why,  of  course,  there  was  a  serious  reason  why  Guionville 
should  be  preferred." 


476  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Ralph  Weathers  and  his  son  John  first  settled  on  the  site  of  the  vil- 
lage ;  Col.  Pinkney  James  built  the  mill;  then  Allen  Boyce,  Joe 
Davis  and  David  Barnhart  settled;  Joe  Davis  was  the  first  blacksmith, 
and  David  Barnhart  the  first  wagon-maker;  the  mill  has  been  successfully 
run  by  Moses  Turner,  A.  C.  Pepper,  Holden  &  Kittle,  Iliff  &  Werts,  and 
in  1876,  was  run  by  John  Snyder.  Building  the  race  in  that  day  was  a 
big  job.     James  Ross,  of  Hartford,  helped  do  it. 

Milton  in  1876  consisted  of  a  saw  and  grist-mill,  1  store,  1  wagon 
shop,  2  blacksmith  shops,  1  carpenter,  1  church  and  1  schoolhouse. 
Guionville,  directly  opposite,  is  the  postoffice,  in  Dearborn  County. 
There  was  formerly  a  tanyard,  run  by  H.  W.  Records,  but  it  has  gone 
down. 

HARTFOKD. 

The  village  of  Hartford  is  located  on  Laughery  Creek,  three  miles 
below  Milton.  It  seems  that  the  place  was  regularly  laid  out  and 
platted,  but  no  record  of  it  can  be  found  at  the  court  house  in  Rising 
Sun,  or  at  Lawrenceburgh.  It  is  said  to  have  been  laid  out  in  1817,  by 
Benjamin  Walker  and  his  son  John,  who  owned  adjoining  farms  on  that 
site,  and  in  an  early  day  erected  a  saw  and  grist  mill.  Benjamin  Moul- 
ton,  whose  father  settled  at  the  mouth  of  Arnold's  Creek  in  1802,  is  the 
authority  for  fixing  the  date  of  tha  erection  of  this  mill  in  1802,  and 
saying  that  it  was  the  first  built  in  either  Ohio  or  Dearborn  Counties. 

John  Bell  kept  the  first  hotel;  Judge  Livingston,  John  Watkins  and 
Erasmus  Powell,  first  store- keepers;  then  J.  Burkham,  J.  Allen,  Gilbert 
&  Brown,  S.  Wilber  and  A.  P.  Andrews,  Sparks  &  Percival,  S.  Wilber  & 
Watts,  A.  Y.  Maryman,  and  A.  and  R.  Wilber,  from  1833  to  1875.  First 
school  teachers,  John  Russell  and  Mrs.  Thair;  J.  C.  Lawrence  owned  and 
run  a  saw,  grist  and  carding-mill.  Daniel  Jaynes  built  a  mill-dam  that 
stood  some  twenty  years,  or  until  it  rotted  away,  and  in  place  of  washing 
out  below,  it  filled  up;  John  K.  Lewis  owned  and  run  a  wheel  and 
wagon  shop. 

The  postmaster  of  Hartford,  in  1819,  was  J.  Allen,  over  whose  sig- 
nature, in  the  issue  of  the  Indiana  Oracle  of  November  3,  of  that  year 
appeared  the  following  notice  of  letters  remaining  in  the  office  at  that 
place,  which,  if  not  taken  out  by  January  1,  1820,  were  to  be  sent  to  the 
general  postoffice  as  dead  letters:  A — Andrew  Andrews;  B — Martin  D. 
Bush;  C — Robert  Conaway,  Joshua  Cobb,  Elieazer  Cole,  Joseph 
Churchill;  D — Frederick  Dow,  John  Downey,  Thomas  Drake;  E — Pot- 
ter Edwards;  F — Robert  Flemming;  G — Thomas  Guion,  John  Gibson; 
H — Joseph  Haigh,  Jr.;  J — S.  B.  Jackson,  Jx'.;  K — Phineas  L.  King; 
L — Ezra  Lamken,  Joseph  Lenour;  M — Nathaniel  Mix,  Robert  Miers, 
Jonathan   Miers,   William  Miers;    R — Jordan    Rice,   Ebenezer  Rogers; 


UNION  TOWNSHIP.  477 

S — George  Smith,  Peter  Stager,  William   Simkins;    W — Ephraim  Wil- 
son; Y7-A.meziah  Young. 

People  in  early  days  came  to  mill  and  to  trade  at  Hartford,  twenty 
miles,  and  trading  was  so  brisk  that  they  had  to  form  in  line  and  wait 
their  turn  at  the  stores;  and  in  the  spring  time  there  would  be  from 
twelve  to  twenty-four  flat-boats  at  the  landing  that  came  out  of  Laughery, 
loaded  with  corn,  flour,  lumber,  whisky,  and  stone.  Maj.  James 
McGuire  was  the  leading  boatman;  the  first  physicians  were  Drs.  Perci- 
val,  Crookshank,  Gillespie,  Jessup,  Martin,  and  Gerard.  There  were 
some  distilleries,  but  their  history  is  not  at  hand. 

The  business  of  Hartford,  in  1876,  was  2  stores,  kept  by  Spielman 
&  Ross,  and  H.  F.  Pottebaum;  1  saw  and  grist-mill,  by  Pottebaum  & 
Scherer;  2  blacksmith  shops,  by  Pohle  and  Anderson;  postoflfice,  J.  H. 
Speilman,  postmaster;  1  wagon  shop,  and  1  carpenter;  2  lodges,  F.  &  A. 
M. ,  and  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  1  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  1  schoolhouse, 
and  numerous  residents,  including  1  doctor  and  1  minister. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The  township  contained,  in  1876,  about  750  inhabitants,  and  146 
voters,  and  had  2  Methodist  Episcopal  churches,  the  oldest  erected  in 
1840,  and  had  4  first-class  common  schools,  1  Masonic  Lodge,  No, 
151,  organized  May  26,  1853,  with  about  thirty  members  ;  1  Odd  Fellows' 
Lodge  No.  246  organized  in  1865  with  about  30  members  ;  1  Grange, 
organized  in  1865,  with  about  thirty-four  members.  Had  furnished  to 
the  profession  1  doctor,  J.  B.  Gerard,  and  1  minister,  Mr.  Mendell  ;  the 
township  also  had  2  grist-mills,  3  saw-mills,  3  stores  and  groceries, 
4  blacksmith  shops,  2  wagon -makers,  3  carpenters,  1  postoffice,  1 
shoe  shop.  The  township  is  governed  by  1  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  a  trustee.  The  land  is  level  along  Laughery,  and  back  hilly,  and  is 
well  adapted  to  corn,  wheat,  hay,  oats  and  potatoes.  Timber  consists  of 
walnut,  ash,  hickory,  sugar  maple,  cherry  and  poplar.  Minerals,  lime- 
stone, coal  and  iron,  the  latter  two  not  in  paying  quantities.  It  also 
contains  four  beautiful  mounds,  built  by  the  race  of  ancient  Mound- 
bailders,  in  which  have  been  found  shells,  beads,  pipes,  pots,  darts,  etc. 
The  oldest  persons  now  living  in  the  township  are  :  James  Ross  and 
wife,  and  Jacob  Speilman,  A.  and  R.  Wilber,  Henry  Miller,  William 
Hannah,  Mrs.  Maryman,  William  Woods.  Largest  landholders,  Henry 
Miller  and  A.  &  R.  W^ilber.  One  of  the  greatest  improvements  is  the 
Laughery  Turnpike, which  runs  clear  through  the  township,  and  Cincin- 
nati can  be  reached  in  three  hours.  Laughery  is  still  used  for  boating, 
but  only  to  a  small  extent. 


478  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
HOGAN  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organizations— Original  Land  Sales— Early  Set- 
tlement AND  Notes— Early  Industries— Churches  and  Grave- 
yards—Wilmington. 

IN  point  of  position  the  above  named  township  lies  south  of  the  center 
of  Dearborn  County,  and  is  north  of  Washington  Township,  west  of 
Center,  south  of  Manchester  and  east  of  Sparta  Township.  Originally 
its  territory  belonged  to  Laughery  Township.  Its  organization  took 
place  in  1852,  when  was  given  it  the  following  description  : 

Beginning  on  the  range  line  dividing  Ranges  1  and  2  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  Section  24,  Township  5,  Range  2  west ;  thence  west  on  the  line 
dividing  Sections  13  and  24  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  22  in  said 
Congressional  Township  5  ;  thence  south  to  the  southwest  corner  of  said 
Section  22  ;  thence  west  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  28  in  said 
Township  5,  Range  2  west ;  thence  south  on  the  north  and  south  Section 
line  dividing  Sections  28  and  29,  to  the  centre  of  South  Hogan  Creek, 
down  said  creek  to  the  range  line  dividing  Ranges  1  and  2  ;  thence 
north  to  place  of  beginning. 

It  was  then  less  its  present  size  nearly  four  sections  of  land,  which  it 
received  at  different  times  in  the  next  few  years,  obtaining  from  Center 
Township  in  1853  in  the  neighborhood  of  three-quarters  of  a  section 
along  its  eastern  boundary,  and  in  1856  and  1857  in  two  tracts  from 
Sparta  Township  the  three  sections  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town- 
ship. 

original  land  sales. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  Government,  with 
the  year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names,  are  set  forth  in  the  following 
list: 

Township  5,  Range  2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  21  sold  in  1819  to  Samuel  C.  Vance,  assignee, 
Peter  Hannegan  ;  in  1829  to  Elias  Conwell. 

A  portion  of  Section  22  sold,  in  1819,  to  Samuel  Todd  ;  in  1827,  to 
Amor  Bruce  ;  in  1833,  to  John  Bruce,  Jr. ,  Andrew  Stevenson,  John  Snyder, 
Caleb  Coledin  ;  in  1834  to  Caleb  Coledin  ;  in  1835  to  Timothy  Kim- 
ball ;  in  1836  to  Henry  M.  and  Stephen  Bruce. 


HOGAN  TOWNSHIP.  479 

A  portion  of  Section  23  sold,  in  1806,  to  James  and  Amor  Bruce  ;  in 
1809  to  Benjamin  Huffman;  in  1812  to  A.  Reccord;  in  1816  to  Thomas 
C.  Porter. 

A  portion  of  Section  24  sold,  in  1811,  to  Benjamin  Powell,  James 
Bruce  ;  in  1816  to  Deman  Moss,  Priscella  Huston. 

A  portion  of  Section  25  sold  in  1809,  to  Amos  and  D.  G.  Boardman. 

A  portion  of  Section  26,  in  1803,  to  Jeremiah  Hunt. 

A  portion  of  Section  27  sold,  in  1814,  to  Daniel  Odell;  in  1815,  to  James 
Montgomery;  in  1817  to  Henry  Bruce  ;  in  1818  to  William  Shane. 

A  portion  of  Section  28  sold,  in  1815,  to  John  Montgomery;  in  1817  to 
James  Reed,  Sylvester  Richmond;  in  1829,  to  Martin  Cozine;  in  1833,  to 
Asa  Jackson. 

A  portion  of  Section  29  (part  in  Sparta  Township),  sold,  in  1817,  to 
John  and  Hiram  Knapp  ;  in  1832,  to  John  Pritchard,  Nancy  Higbee, 
Thomas  Reccord,  A.  Flake  ;  in  1835,  to  Benjamin  Benington  ;  in  1836,  to 
Nancy  Higbee  and  Thomas  Reccord. 

A  portion  of  Section  20  (part  in  Sparta  Township),  in  1815,  to- 
Thomas  Mclntyre;  in  1816,  to  Moses  Musgrove,  Christian  Hershey. 

A  portion  of  Section  17  (part  in  Sparta  Township),  in  1816,  to 
David  Osborn,  Stephen  Inman;  in  1830,  to  Nathaniel  Todd;  in  1832,  to 
Thomas  B.  Cook;  in  1836,  to  Gilbert  T.  Given,  Thomas  B.  Cook. 

A  portion  of  Section  33,  in  1809  and  1818,  to  Isaac  Allen;  in  1816, 
to  John  Jones;  in  1831,  to  James  Care;  in  1832-34,  to  George  Golding; 
in  1836,  to  Louis  Nichols. 

A  portion  of  Section  34,  in  1813,  to  Jeremiah  Hunt. 

A  portion  of  Section  35,  in  1805,  to  Adam  Flake;  in  1811,  to  Michael 
and  William  Flake;  in  1813,  to  William  Strong,  P.  Hill;  in  1814,  to 
William  Chamberlain. 

A  portion  of  Section  36,  in  1811,  to  John  H.  Piatt;  in  1812,  to 
Michael  and  William  Flake;  in  1813,  to  Robert  Milburn. 

A  portion  of  Section  13  (part  in  Manchester  Township),  in  1816,  to 
James  Morgan,  Michael  Morgan;  in  1817,  to  Thomas  Lanner. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT  AND  NOTES. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  township  was  made  in  1796. '  It  has  been 
stated  upon  authority  that  in  January  of  that  year,  Adam  Flake,  wife 
two  sons  and  two  daughters,  settled  on  South  Hogan  Creek.  By  refer- 
ence to  the  above  land  entries  it  will  be  noticed  that  in  the  year  1805,  a 
portion  of  Section  35  was  entered  by  Adam  Flake,  and  that  in  1811 
portions  of  the  same  section  were  entered  by  William  and  Michael 
Flake.  The  old  pioneer  lived  and  died  on  this  land,  and  in  the  little 
graveyard  just  above  the  creek  in  the  same  section    rest    his   remains. 


480  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

William  Flake,  a  son,  represented   the  county  in  the  State  Legislature 
in  its  early  history. 

Amos  Henry  and  James  Bruce,  from  Kentucky,  located  on  North 
Hogan  Creek  in  1798.  Amos  became  quite  an  extensive  land  owner. 
Out  of  a  family  of  fifteen  children  he  reared  twelve  and  to  each  gave 
eighty  acres  of  land. 

A  number  of  the  Powells  from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  settled  on 
North  Hogan  Creek  very  early  in  the  century.  Nathan  Powell,  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Eachel  Baker,  of  Wilmington,  who  is  now  past  four 
score  and  eight  years,  was  but  a  little  girl  at  the  time  of  their  emigration. 
Nathan  Powell  had  a  family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters  at  the  time 
of  his  emigration.  Benjamin  Powell  (a  brother  of  Nathan),  Nathan  and 
Erasmus  Powell,  a  son  of  Nathan,  came  first  and  raised  one  crop  before 
removing  the  family.  Mr.  H.  E.  Powell  of  this  township  is  a  son  of 
John  Powell,  who  has  fixed  the  date  of  his  father's  first  coming  as  1801, 
and  his  return  in  1807,  while  Uncle  Benjamin  Boardman,  of  Wilming 
ton,  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  Powell  settlement  was  made  in  1805. 

Mrs.  Baker  recalls  in  addition  to  the  Flakes  and  Bruces  the  names  of 
Noyes  Canfield,  one  Payne  and  a  family  by  the  name  of  Diggs,  the  latter 
squatters  only,  that  were  in  the  neighborhood  when  the  Powells  made 
their  settlement. 

Conrad  Huffman,  from  Virginia,  settled  in  the  county  in  1803 
(either  in  this  or  Center  Township).  He  served  in  the  war  of  1812  un- 
der Gen.  Dill.  He  was  the  father  of  Hon.  Elijah  Huffman,  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Hogan  Township. 

About  the  year  1805,  or  soon  thereafter,  Peter  Carbaugh,  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier,  Thomas  Baker  and  John  Durham  located  lands  near 
Wilmington. 

L.  G.  Elder  died  in  this  township  in  1876.  He  was  a  native  of 
Maryland,  where  he  was  born  in  1800,  and  in  1808  the  family  settled  in 
the  county.  The  Elders,  who  settled  on  North  Hogan  Creek  and  whose 
descendants  still  live  there,  had  a  negro  boy  named  Harry  Short.  This 
boy,  probably  on  account  of  the  difference  in  the  color  between  himself 
and  the'people  with  whom  he  associated,  was  a  curiosity  to  the  Indians, 
a  few  of  whom  were  yet  prowling  about  the  country.  George  Griffin, 
now  an  old  citizen  of  Aurora,  whose  father  settled  with  his  family  in 
1816  on  lauds  now  owned  by  John  Billingsley,  relates  the  troubles  of 
the  negro.  The  Indians  were  always  on  the  lookout  for  the  strange  crea- 
ture, and  were  evidently  determined  to  capture  him  alive.  They  made 
no  attempt  to  take  his  life,  but  many  a  lively  foot  race  they  gave  him 
over  the  hills  and  along  the  bottom  lands  of  Hogan  Creek.  Short  was 
in  Aurora  four  years  ago,  and  he  is  yet  living  in  Indianapolis  at  a  great 
age. 


HOGAN  TOWNSHIP.  481 

William  Bainum  and  family,  the  parents  natives  of  Delaware,  set- 
tled in  the  township  in  1810,  and  erected  the  first  cabin  on  the  ridge 
between  the  two  Hogan  Creeks.  He  was  the  father  of  the  aged  William 
Bainum,  still  a  resident  of  Hogan. 

William  Kerr,  father  of  the  venerable  Walter  Kerr,  of  this  township, 
who  now  survives  though  upward  of  eighty- five  years  of  age,  settled  here 
in  1816. 

John  Kerr,  another  son,  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  he  dying  in  1874, 
born  in  1795.  The  family  were  from  North  Carolina.  The  father  was 
a  Revolutionary  patriot.     His  death  occurred  in  1843. 

John  H.  Rigg,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Hogan  (born  in  1804),  came 
from  Philadelphia  with  his  mother  to  the  county  in  1814,  and  cleared 
the  farm  he  now  resides  on. 

From  1812  to  1815  the  country  was  settled  rapidly;  lands  were 
cleared  and  the  spirit  of  progress  began  to  manifest  itself  in  earnest. 
Many  of  the  settlers  showed  a  preference  for  the  vicinity  of  Wilming- 
ton, and  about  the  year  1815  the  town  was  laid  out.  Capt.  James 
Weaver,  who  died  in  Aurora  a  few  years  since,  established  the  first  store 
in  the  new  village.  He  kept  his  small  stock  of  goods  in  a  cabin  built  of 
Buckeye  logs.  About  this  time  the  lands  upon  which  Aurora  was  after- 
ward built,  were  partially  cleared.  The  bottom  lands  on  Hogan  and 
Laughery  Creeks  were  "also  being  cleared  and  cultivated.  Three  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek,  on  the  south  fork  of  that  stream,  a 
man  named  Dennison  had  cleared  a  small  tract  of  bottom  land.  On  this 
tract  was  a  "salt-lick."  Dennison  constructed  a  spring-pole  engine,  and 
bored  a  well  here,  believing  that  salt  water  in  sufficient  quantities  to  man- 
ufacture from,  would  be  found.  He  worked  diligently,  but  without  suc- 
cess for  several  months.  One  day  he  appeared  in  Wilmington,  appar- 
ently laboring  under  the  greatest  excitement,  and  exhibited  a  considera- 
ble quantity  of  what  he  firmly  believed  to  be  silver.  He  had  discovered 
it,  he  said,  by  the  merest  accident  among  the  drillings  which  came  from 
his  salt  well.  The  metal  was  examined  by  experts  and  pronounced  pure 
silver.  Excitement  ran  high  over  this  old-time  "  bonanza,"  and  Denni- 
son was  regarded  as  the  luckiest  man  in  all  the  surrounding  country.  A 
number  of  Quaker  gentlemen  were  in  the  neighborhood  at  the  time,  and 
they  at  once  formed  a  company  to  buy  Dennison's  property.  He  lacked 
the  funds  necessary  to  operate  the  "  mine,"  and  as  he  was  anxious  to 
see  it  developed  and  the  country  enriched  therefrom,  he  was  in  a  man- 
ner obliged  to  sell.  The  Quaker  gentlemen  paid  him  $3,000  cash  for 
his  property,  and  preceded  at  once  to  develop  it.  They  sunk  shafts  and 
prospected  diligently  and  hopefully  for  some  time.  No  success;  not  a 
particle  of  silver  ore  was  found,  nor  anything  indeed  to  indicate  that  it 

29 


482  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

had  ever  existed  there.  The  project  was  finally  abandoned  as  a  failure. 
Some  of  the  specimens  which  Dennison  had  left  in  Wilmington  were 
again  hunted  up  and  examined,  and  on  one  of  the  small  pieces  of  silver 
was  discovered  the  impression  of  a  type.  This  was  abundantly  sufficient 
to  warrant  the  belief  that  he  had  cut  up  coin  and  "  salted  "  his  mine. 
He  afterward  returned  a  part  of  the  purchase  money  to  the  Quaker 
company. 

In  1807  David  G.  Boardman  and^ brother  Amos,  the  latter  a  man  of 
family,  removed  from  New  York  and  settled  about  one-half  mile  north 
of  Wilmington. 

The  following  named  were  all  pioneers  along  North  Hogan:  Nathan 
Milburn  and  Jacob  Harwood. 

Along  South  Hogan  settled  James  Cure,  the  Adamses,  George  Gold- 
ing  and  William  Chamberlain. 

Early  settlers  on  what  was  called  "  Jugg  Ridge  "  were  the  Moores, 
Alva  Churchill,  Timothy  Kimball,  James  Reed,  Elijah  Huffman,  George 
Cornelius,  E.  Chafin,  Peter  Hannegan  and  Elijah  Huffman. 

Margaret  Stitt  died  in  Wilmington  in  1866.  She  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania in  1777. 

Benjamin  Sellers  died  near  Wilmington  in  1864,  aged  sixty-six  years; 
was  born  at  Columbia,  and  at  about  the  age  of  fourteen  his  father  set- 
tled in  Dearborn  County,  settling  on  the  Bonner  farm,  where  he  resided 
until  marriage  in  1823,  and  then  lived  on  North  Hogan  until  1831, when 
he  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Wilmington. 

James  Hubbartt,  living  in  Marion  County,  Ind., celebrated  the  one  hun- 
dredth anniversary  of  his  birth,  was  born  March  27, 1785,  in  Sussex  County, 
Md.,and  came  to  Dearborn  County  in  1811,  where  he  lived  until  1833, since 
which  time  he  has  lived  on  the  same  farm  where  he  now  resides.  Grand- 
father of  A.  B.,  T.  R.,  William  A.  and  Hiram  Hubbartt,  of  Aurora;  has 
forty-seven  grandchildren,  seventy-eight  great-grandchildren,  and  seven 
great-great-grandchildren,  representing  five  living  generations.  His 
father,  John  Hubbartt,  died  near  Wilmington,  this  county,  in  1848,  only 
four  weeks  less  than  one  hundred  years  old;  buried  in  Mount  Tabor  Cem- 
etery.    His  grandfather  lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  five  years  old. 

The  following  concerning  the  pioneers  of  the  township  was  written 
in  1876  by  Geo.  W.  Lane: 

"  Noyes  Canfield  came  to  the  county  in  1800,  stopping  for  a  time  at 
Lawrenceburgh,  and  assisted  Dr.  Percival  in  building  the  first  house  in 
that  town.  He  afterward  moved  to  a  piece  of  land  he  entered  on  Hogan 
Creek  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  north  of  Wilmington,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death.  He  was  the  father  of  Edwin  Canfield,  of  Wilmington,  and 
Cyrus  Canfield,  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  Hogan  Township. 


HOGAN  TOWNSHIP.  483 

"  William  Record  settled  on  North  Hogaa  in  1807,  where  he  remained 
for  eight  or  nine  years.  During  the  war  he  with  his  family  were  often 
compelled  to  take  shelter  in  the  block-house  close  by,  that  was  under  the 
command  of  Capt.  James  Bruce.  About  1816  he  moved  to  King's  Ridge 
in  Sparta  Township,  where  he  opened  a  farm  and  resided  until  his  death. 
He  was  the  father  of  Thomas  Record  and  Mrs.  Lemuel  G.  Elder.  Thomas 
was  born  in  1810, ''and  there  are  but  few  natives  left  in  the  county  who 
date  back  much  further  than  Mr.  Thomas  Record.  We  call  to  mind 
William  Bruce,  Samuel  Morrison,  Capt.  Charles  Bruce,  John  Crozier. 

"William  Bainum  was  a  pioneer  who  settled  near  Wilmington  at  an 
early  day.     He  was  truly  'an  honest  man,  the  noblest  work  of  God.' 

"  Amos  Boardman  remained  in  the  county  a  few  years  after  the  war, 
and  then  removed  to  Ripley  County  on  the  State  road  from  Lawrence- 
burgh  to  Indianapolis,  where  he  opened  a  large  farm  and  kept  one  of  the 
most  popular  stopping  places  for  the  accommodation  of  the  numerous 
travelers  on  that  road,  which  before  railroad  times  was  quite  a  business. 

"David  Boardman  was  the  father  of  Benjamin  Boardman,  of  Wil- 
mington. The  widow  of  David  is  still  living  and  is  hale  and  hearty  at 
the  advanced  age  of  four  score  and  three  years. 

"  Elias  Chatin  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  in  1810.  When  the  trouble 
commenced  with  the  Indians  he  was  among  the  first  to  volunteer  for  the 
protection  of  the  settlers,  and  served  during  the  war  when  duty  called. 
His  services  were  recognized  by  the  Government  by  the  issue  of  a  land 
warrant.  After  the  war  Mr.  Chatin  removed  to  Sparta  Township,  where 
he  opened  a  farm  and  resided  until  his  death.  For  some  ten  or  twelve 
years  Mr.  Chafin  published  in  the  Aurora  paper  reminiscences  of  the 
war  and  pioneer  life,  which  we  would  be  glad  to  have  for  reference,  but 
have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  obtain  them.  Mr.  Chafin  was  an  enterprising 
man  and  a  worthy,  law  abiding  citizen,  who  attended  to  his  own  business 
and   left  others  to  do  the  same. 

"Peter  Hannegan  moved  to  the  county  in  1818,  and  settled  on  Sparta 
Ridge.  He  was  a  soldier  during  the  war  of  1812,  as  was  his  father  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Hannegan  was  an  active,  industrious 
man  and  prominent  citizen.  His  life  was  spared  to  witness  over  four 
score  years  a  few  years  since,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

"  Our  attention  was  called  to  four  aged  ladies  residing  in  and  near 
Wilmington  who  have  experienced  pioneer  life,  seen  Indian  warriors  and 
lived  for  weeks  in  block-houses. 

"  Mrs.  Jane  Purdy  was  born  in  this  county  in  the  year  1800.  Her 
father,  John  Moore,  settled  on  Laughery  that  year,  afterward  removed 
to  the  farm  now  owned  by  James  Stafi'ord  in  Washington  Township. 
During  the  war  of  1812  the  family  took  shelter  in  the  block-house  near 


484  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

A.  Tufts,  where  they  would  remain  for  weeks  at  a  time.  Mrs.  Pui'dy  is 
the  oldest  native  born  citizen  in  this  part  of  the  county  known  to  the 
writer. 

"Mrs.  Elizabeth  Carbaugh  was  born  in  1798,  and  came  to  the  county 
in  1810.  She  was  a  sister  of  Thomas  Baker,  of  Wilmington.  Her  hus- 
band did  service  during  the  war  of  1812. 

"Mrs.  William  Bainum  is  now  over  eighty  years  of  age,  and  has  been 
in  the  county  some  sixty-five  years,  and  now  makes  her  home  with  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Watkins,  in  Wilmington,  on  the  land  selected  by  her  com- 
panion when  it  was  an  unbroken  forest, 

"  Mrs.  Thomas  Baker  was  born  in  1797,  and  came  to  the  county  with 
her  father,  Nathan  Powell,  about  the  year  1804,  and  can  count  seventy 
years  of  sunshine  and  shade  in  the  county  of  Dearborn. 

"  Mrs.  Baker  was  a  sister  of  Erasmus  Powell,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  first  Legislature  in  the  State  of  Indiana  in  1816,  associated  with 
Amos  Lane,  re-elected  in  1818  with  John  Watts  as  a  colleague,  and  again 
elected  in  1820,  and  represented  the  county  in  company  with  Dr.  Ezra 
Ferris.  Her  brother,  Mahlon  Powell,  was  sheriff  of  the  county  for  four 
years. 

"Mrs.  Baker  resides  with  her  son,  Thomas  Baker,  of  Wilmington,  in 
the  enjoyment  of  good  health  and  mind  unimpaired." 

EARLY    SCHOOLS. 

One  of  the  first  schools  held  in  the  North  Hogan  settlement  was  in 
the  Powell  neighborhood,  the  teachers  being  Benjamin  Powell  and  Elijah 
Bonham.  The  neighborhood  early  erected  a  log-cabin  schoolhouse,  prob- 
ably one  mile  north  of  Wilmington,  on  the  creek,  in  which  the  same 
teachers  mentioned  above  taught.  Mrs.  Baker,  who  was  married  in  the 
summer  of  1812,  was  a  pupil  in  both  schools.  An  early  schoolhouse  was 
built  on  the  Jacob  Harwood  tract,  which  was  used  for  a  number  of  win- 
ters. Jack  Howard  and  John  Harwood  were  among  the  first  teachers  in 
this  building.  David  Boardman  held  school  for  several  winters  at  his 
house.  The  first  regular  schoolhouse  in  the  village  of  Wilmington  was 
the  brick  one  which  stood  in  the  graveyard.  This  was  built  as  early  as 
1825.     The  County  Seminary  was  located  at  Wilmington  in  1833. 

EAELY    INDUSTRIES. 

George  Golding  operated  a  little  corn-cracker  on  South  Hogan  Creek, 
along  about  1820  or  1825.  William  Chamberlain  is  remembered  as  hav- 
ing a  horse-power  mill  on  his  place  south  of  Wilmington  in  an  early 
day.  Benjamin  Huffman  early  built  a  grist  and  saw-mill  on  North  Hogan 
Creek;  Henry  Bruce  had  a  little  hand-mill;  Jacob  Harwood  and  Capt. 
Payne  each  had  a  little  corn- cracker  and  copper  still. 


HOGAN  TOWNSHIP.  485 

•       CHURCHES    AND    GRAVEYARDS. 

The  houses  of  Benjamin  Powell  and  William  Bainum  were  early 
preaching  places  in  those  settlements.  Mr.  Bainum  was  a  zealous  Meth- 
odist, occupied  an  official  position  with  the  first  class  or  society,  and  it 
is  said  that  the  first  quarterly  meeting  in  the  neighborhood  was  held  at 
his  house.  For  some  years  the  Methodists  and  Baptists  held  their  serv- 
ices in  the  little  brick  schoolhouse  that  stood  in  the  graveyard.  Among 
the  membership  of  the  Methodist  society  besides  those  already  referred 
to  were  William  Glenn  and  family,  Banna  Stephens  and  family,  Thomas 
Jennings  and  family,  and  David  Carr.  Of  the  Baptist  families  can  be 
recalled  the  Curtises,  the  Churchills,  the  Hancocks  and  Marklands. 
Elder  Thomas  Curtis  was  for  years  the  minister  of  the  society  at  Wil- 
mington, and  of  Ebenezer  Church  in  Manchester  Township.  Not  far 
from  the  year  1836  the  Baptist  society  built  a  brick  meeting  house  on 
the  present  site  of  Simpson  Chapel  in  Wilmington.  The  society  gradu- 
ally by  deaths  and  removals  became  so  reduced  in  numbers  that  the  house 
was  abandoned  and  sold  to  the  township  trustees  and  used  for  school 
purposes.  Probably  not  far  from  1838  the  Methodist  society  erected  a 
brick  house  of  worship  opposite  the  graveyard,  which  they  occupied 
until  the  present  brick  church  edifice  was  built.  This  denomination  either 
traded  for  or  bought  of  the  township  trustees  the  old  Baptist  house  of 
worship,  tore  it  down  and  erected  on  the  same  site  the  present  edifice 
which  from  an  inscribed  stone  inlaid  in  the  building  is  called  Simpson 
Chapel,  and  was  erected  in  1865.  It  is  a  brick  building  and  the  appoint- 
ment is  one  of  three  places  on  the  Wilmington  Circuit. 

Mount  Sinai  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  located  in  the  north- 
western part  of  the  township,  and  is  an  organization  of  probably  fifty 
years  standing.  Peter  Hannegan  and  family,  John  and  Levan  Pritchett 
and  families  were  among  the  members  worshiping  there  forty  odd  years 
ago.  Some  time  during  the  war  a  number  of  the  membei's  of  Sinai  withdrew 
and  organized  themselves  into  a  Christian  Union  society  which  has  since 
been  discontinued,  and  the  building,  which  was  erected  on  a  site  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  southeast  of  the  old  Sinai  Church,  was  sold  to  the 
Sinai  society  within  the  past  two  or  three  years.  The  latter  society 
abandoned  their  original  church  building,  tore  it  down,  and  repaired  and 
remodeled  the  Christian  Union  Building,  making  it  a  very  neat  and 
attractive  edifice,  and  in  it  now  worship.  The  frame  structure  referred 
to  as  having  been  torn  down,  was  built  prior  to  1836.  At  the  old  site 
was  a  burying  ground  to  which  a  Cemetery  Association,  in  1876,  added 
upward  of  an  acre  of  land  and  had  it  laid  oflf  regularly  into  lots.  The 
grounds  have  been  improved  and  they  are  now  an  attractive  place  of 
burial. 


486  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

On  the^southern  outskirts  of  the  village  is  located  both  the  new  ceme- 
tery and  old  public  graveyard;  the  latter  is  as  old  as  the  village  itself. 
The  ground  was  formerly  owned  by  William  Chamberlain,  who  it  is 
believed,  set  it  apart  for  the  purpose  for  which  used.  The  first  interment 
made  in  the  yard  was  either  the  body  of  Benjamin  Powell  or  that  of 
Leah  Hayes.  To  the  latter  there  is  no  tombstone.  Mr.  Powell's  death 
occurred  October  3,  1817,  aged  sixty  years.  Among  the  pioneers 
and  aged  persons  whose  remains  were  interred,  were  the  following 
named:  Luke  Evil,  died  in  1846,  aged  seventy-seven  years;  Susannah 
Kichmond,  died  in  1845,  aged  eighty-two  years;  Stephen  Wood,  died  in 
1844,  aged  fifty-one  years;  John  Baker  and  wife;  Samuel  Stitt  and  wife; 
Mary,  wife  of  James  Bruce,  died  in  1861,  aged  sixty-six  years;  James 
Bruce,  born  in  1796,  died  in  1837;  John  B.  Chisman,  died  in  1836,  aged 
sixty-seven  years;  Ann,  wife  of  John  E.  Chisman,  died  in  1857,  aged 
eighty-seven  years;  John  Durham,  born  in  Delaware  in  1776,  immigrated 
to  the  West  in  1814,  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  died  in  1861,  aged  eighty- 
five  years;  Catharine,  wife  of  John  Durham,  born  in  1774,  died  in  1867; 
David  Walser,  born  in  1794,  died  in  1869,  aged  seventy-five  years: 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  David  Walser,  born  in  1799,  died  1871;  the  Cheeks, 
the  Weavers,  the  Buflfingtons,  the  Millses,  and  the  Musgroves.  The  new 
cemetery  is  located  in  the  rear  of  the  old  graveyard,  both  being  in  one 
enclosure.  It  comprises  two  acres  of  land,  which  were  purchased  and 
regularly  laid  out  in  1882,  and  is  controlled  by  an  association. 

WILMINGTON. 

The  village  of  Wilmington  is  located  on  the  old  State  road  leading 
from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Madison  about  eight  miles  southwest  of  Law- 
renceburgh  and  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township  under  consideration. 
It  was  originally  laid  out  May  30,  1815,  into  thirty-two  lots  by  William 
C.  Chamberlain,  Michael  Flake  and  Robert  Moore,  as  proprietors.  Lots 
from  33  to  60  were  added  by  Robert  Moore  and  William  Bainum,  April  3, 
1816.  Lots  from  61  to  69  were  added  in  1835  by  Robert  Moore.  Other 
additions  were  made  in  1835  by  William  Bainum  and  Arthur  St.  Clair 
Vance.  Robert  Moore  is  thought  to  have  been  the  first  "village  black- 
smith" Thomas  Cole  and  Isaac  Hancock  were  early  storekeepers,  and 
Stephen  Wood  an  early  tavern-keeper,  built  the  inn  known  as  the  "White 
Tavern."  From  a  directory  published  in  1833  the  town  was  reported  to 
have  one  tavern,  two  stores,  a  physician,  a  schoolhouse  and  a  church, 
with  about  100  inhabitants,  "amongst  whom  are  a  number  of  industrious 
mechanics." 

In  1833  the  county  commissioners  ordered  the  county  seminary  built 
in  the  village,  it  was  to  be  of  brick,  two  stories  high  and  in  size  64x28  feet. 


HOGAN  TOWNSHIP.  487 

The  old  seminary,  a  commodious  two-story  brick  building  with  four 
apartments,  still  stands,  and  has  been  for  many  years  the  property  of  the 
township  and  in  it  the  schools  of  that  neighborhood  are  conducted.  In  1854 
a  company  was  formed  and  purchased  the  building  of  the  county  and  for 
some  years  conducted  an  academy  in  it. 

The  county  commissioners,  in  March,  1839,  ordered  that  an  election 
be  held  in  the  village  for  the  election  of  trustees  of  the  incorporated 
village. 

The  seat  of  justice  of  Dearborn  County  was  located  here  in  1836 
and  a  court  house,  jail  and  clerk's  and  recorder's  office  built.  In  1843 
the  county  seat  was  relocated  at  Lawrenceburgh.  During  the  interven- 
ing years,  Wilmington  was  a  very  thriving  and  flourishing  business 
place,  being  then  in  advance,  as  a  business  point,  of  its  sister  village 
Aurora,  but  on  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  the  glory  of  the  place  de- 
parted, and  it  is  now  a  most  quiet  and  peaceful  little  hamlet. 

In  1836,  when  the  village  was  almost  in  the  zenith  of  her  growth 
among  the  business  men  and  leading  spirits  were  Isaac  Hancock,  J.  C. 
Cordry,  John  R.  Wood,  James  Powell,  O.  H.  Reed,  Josiah  Chambers, 
Thomas  Jennings,  Stephen  Wood,  R.  Stephens,  William  Glenn. 

In  the  year  1858-59  the  population  of  the  village  was  shown  to  be 
350;  in  1863  it  was  366;  there  were  then  the  following  named  business 
places:  2  groceries,  3  dry  good  stores,  2  blacksmith  shops,  1  wagon  shop, 
1  saddler  shop,  2  shoe  shops,  1  butcher  shop. 

Mr.  John  C.  Younker,  of  the  village,  has  a  powder  flask  that  was  carried 
by  Garret  Hume  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  gave  it  to  James 
Wilson,  who  used  it  during  the  campaign  of  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  in 
1795.  Mr.  Wilson  gave  it  to  John  C.  Younker,  Sr.,  who  was  a  soldier 
during  the  war  of  1812.  He  kept  it  in  his  possession  for  over  fifty  years, 
and  at  his  death  gave  it  to  his  son,  John  C.  Younker,  Jr.  During  the 
Morgan  raid  a  number  of  guns  were  furnished  with  powder  from  this 
flask — so  it  may  be  said  it  has  seen  service  in  four  important 
wars  and  is  as  good  as  when  first  plucked  from  a  gourd  vine  one  hundred 
years  ago. 

Dearborn  Lodge  No.  536,  I.  0.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  August  10, 
1876,  under  L.  Sexton,  Grand  Master.  The  charter  members  were  T. 
W.  Cottingham,  John  M.  Kimball,  John  C.  Younker,  M.  V.  Bruce,  W. 
F.  Bruce,  John  Buffington,  George  V.  Churchill,  George  C.  Cottingham 
and  B.  Bruce.  The  first  officers  were  Thomas  W.  Cottingham,  N.  G. ; 
John  C.  Younker,  V.  G. ;  M.  V.  Bruce,  secretary;  John  Buffington, 
treasurer.  The  present  officers  are  O.  D.  Buffington,  N.  G. ;  George  S. 
Dennerline,  V.  G.;  George  Cole,  recording  secretary;  Thomas  W.  Cotting- 
ham, secretary;  John  Buffington,  treasurer.     The  lodge  built  their  hall 


488  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

in  1876,  at  an  expense  of  $1,000,  an^d,  at  present,  are  out  of  debt, 
and  are  in  a  prosperous  condition.  Have  taken  in  by  initiation  thirty, 
and  by  card  ten. 

Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M. — The  charter  was  granted 
to  the  above-named  lodge,  May  24,  1854,  by  Henry  C.  Lawrence,  G.  M., 
The  first  officers  were  Robert  D.  Brown,  W.  M. ;  William  D.  Lindsay, 
S.  W. ;  John  P.  Walker,  J.  W.  The  present  officers  are  Leonard  Spick- 
nail,  W.  M. ;  Daniel  H.  Crozier,  S.  W. ;  James  C.  Runyan,  J.  W. ; 
Thomas  A.  Ward,  treasurer;  R.  D.  Brown,  secretary.  The  lodge  owns  a 
good  hall  and  has  money  in  the  treasury.  The  present  membership  is 
thirty-seven. 

Harrison  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. — A  dispensation  was  granted  May  25, 
1848,  to  the  above  named  lodge  by  Philip  Mason,  G.  M.  The  officers 
under  dispensation  were  Thomas  Palmer,  W.  M. ;  W.  V.  Cheek,  S.  W.  ; 
E.  Bedumah,  J.  W.;  S.  Wood,  treasurer;  James  Lindsay,  secretary;  E.  T. 
Percival,  S.  D.;  J.  Lindsay,  J.  D.  Under  a  charter  granted  May  28,  1844, 
the  name  of  the  lodge  was  changed  to  Franklin  Lodge  No.  52,  the  first 
officers  of  which  were  James  D.  Lindsay,  W.  M. ;  John  B.  Powell,  S. 
W. ;  W.  H.  Glasgow,  J.  W.  In  1845  the  above  charter  was  surrendered, 
and  there  was  no  Masonic  lodge  in  Wilmington  until  in  1854. 


WASHINGTON   TOWNSHIP.  489 


CHAPTEK  XXIV. 

WASHINGTON  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— Land  Entries— Early  Settlements- 
Early  Schools,  Churches  and  Graveyards. 

WASHINGTON  TOWNSHIP  is  one  of  the  southeru  tier  of  subdi- 
visions of  Dearborn  County,  and  lies  between  South  Hogan 
Creek  on  the  north  and  Laughery  Creek  on  the  south,  its  eastern  and 
western  boundaries  being  Center  Township,  and  Clay  and  Sparta  Town- 
ships respectively.  Its  formation  occurred  in  1852,  of  territory  taken 
from  Laughery  Township,  which  was  one  of  the  original  townships  of 
the  county,  and  embraced  a  large  tract  of  country,  out  of  which  were 
created  several  subdivisions.  In  1852  the  following  metes  and  bounds 
were  ascribed  to  Washington,  and  have  not  since  been  changed:  "Be- 
ginning on  Laughery  Creek  in  Section  13,  Town  4,  Range  2,  where  the 
range  line  dividing  Ranges  1  and  2  strikes  the  creek;  thence  up  said 
creek  to  where  a  line  running  north  and  south  through  the  center  of  Sec- 
tion 21,  in  said  Town  4,  strikes  said  creek;  thence  north  to  the  center  of 
said  Section  21;  thence  west  to  the  east  line  of  Section  20  in  said  Town 
4,  being  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  said  Section 
21;  thence  north  on  the  section  line  dividing  Sections  20  and  21,  in  said 
Town  4,  Range  2,  west,  to  where  said  line  crosses  the  South  Fork  of 
Hogan  Creek;  thence  down  said  South  Hogan  Creek  to  the  range  line 
dividing  Ranges  1  and  2;  thence  south  on  said  range  line  to  place  of 
beginning. 

land  entries. 

In  the  following  list  is  set  forth  the  names  of  the  original  purchas- 
ers of  the  lands  of  the  township  with  the  dates  of  purchase: 

Township  4,  Range  2  west. 

Portions  of  Section  1,  were  pui-chased  in  1812,  by  Ira  Wright;  in 
1813,  by  Daniel  Huffman,  Joseph  E.  Milbarn,  Jacob  Moore. 

Portions  of  Section  2,  in  1811,  by  Stephen  Peters,  James  Walker, 
John  BuflSngton;  in  1812  by  James  Lindsay. 

Portions  of  Section  3,  in  1813,  by  George  R.,  and  Vincent  Lindsay, 
Henry  Peters;  in  1815  by  Jehiel  Buffington;   in   1817  by  John  Wheelet. 

Portions  of  Section  4,  in  1813,  by  John  Buffington;  in  1815  by  John 


490  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Lewis;  in  1817,  by  Clabourn  and  Ira  Allen,  Elias  Little,  James  W. 
Whitaker;  in  1837,  by  Lewis  Nichols,  John  Hubbert. 

Portions  of  Section  6,  in  1820,  by  Henry  Van  Middlesworth ;  in  1832, 
by  Michael  Teney;  in  1836,  by  Lewis  B.  Hunt,  Henry  Leasure,  William 
C.  Birdell;  in  1837,  by  John  L.  Bailey,  Harrison  Alfred;  in  1838,  by  Ar- 
thur F.  Roberts;  in  1839,  by  Ellis  Kincaid. 

Portions  of  Section  9,  in  1813,  by  John  Walker,  James  Pritchard; 
in  1814,  by  Jehiel  Buffington;  in  1815,  by  Caleb  Mulford;  in  1827,  by 
William  Frazier. 

Portions  of  Section  10,  in  1806,  by  John  Livingston;  in  1811,  by 
John  Hulbart,  Sr.;  in  1812,  by  Ralph  Smith;  in  1815,  by  John  Walker. 

Portions  of  Section  11,  in  1803,  by  Henry  Cloud;  in  1805, \by  Mi- 
chael Honich;  in  1813,  by  Robert  McKittrick. 

Portions  of  Section  12,  in  1813,  by  Abraham  Carbaugh;  in  1815,  by 
Robert  McKettrick,  Daniel  Conaway,  George  Grove. 

Portions  of  Section  14,  in  1812,  by  Daniel  Conaway,  George  Nich- 
ols; in  1814,  by  George  Nichols. 

Portions  of  Section  15,  in  1813,  by  Daniel  Lynn;  in  1815,  by  David 
Bowers;  in  1817,  by  Samuel  C.  Vance;  in  1818,  by  Daniel  Crume;  in 
1825,  by  Benjamin  Wilson. 

Sections  13,  21,  22  and  23  are  only  partly  in  this  township.  (See 
Union  Township.) 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 

This  portion  of  Dearborn  County  began  to  be  settled  in  1796.  It  has 
been  authoritatively  stated  that  Benjamin  Walker  and  family  made  a 
settlement  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township  on  Laughery  Creek  in 
1796.  Mr.  Walker  was  a  Pennsylvanian.  He  later  moved  on  the  south 
side  of  the  creek,  erected  a  grist  and  saw -mill,  laid  out  the  village  of 
Hartford,  built  for  a  residence  the  stone  house  in  1816,  which  is  still 
standing  in  that  village,  was  an  enterprising  business  man  and  the 
father  of  Hon.  Henry  Walker  (deceased),  who  was  closely  identified  with 
the  early  history  of  Aurora  and  the  county  in  general.  He  represented 
the  people  of  the  county  in  the  State  Legislature  in  1835-36.  More 
concerning  the  Walkers  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

William  Maroney  from  Virginia,  is  believed  to  have  settled  in  the 
township  in  1796. 

Daniel  Lynn  is  credited  with  having  located  on  Laughery  Creek,  in  the 
township,  in  1796;  a  son,  Joel,  was  born  on  the  creek  in  1799.  We  have 
seen  it  stated  in  print  that  the  wife  of  John  Conaway,  who  was  Rebecca 
Lynn,  was  the  third  white  child  born  in  that  county.  Her  birth  occurred 
in  this  township, 

Isaac  Allen  settled  in  the  county  in  1796,     One  of  the  Aliens  settled 


WASHINGTON    TOWNSHIP.  491 

on  South  Hogan  or  Allen's  Branch,  very  early,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the 
latter  stream  built  and  for  years  operated  a  grist-mill,  the  mill  going 
down  about  1840.  Whether  this  was  [|the  same  Allen  or  of  the  same 
family  we  have  been  unable  to  learn. 

Two  years  later  Daniel  and  William  Conaway  settled  in  the  township. 
They  were  Virginians.  Daniel  Conaway  had  lived  for  a  time  at  Peters- 
burg, Ky.,  and  at  Lawrenceburgh  before  locating  in  this  township.  A 
daughter,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Trester,  informs  us  that  at  the  time  of  the  lo- 
cation of  her  father's  family  on  Laughery  there  were  only  two  or  three 
families  along  the  stream  to  their  knowledge. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  Benjamin  and  Jesse 
Wilson  and  others  of  that  family  located  in  the  township.  There  is  now 
residing  in  the  township  a  Benjamin  Wilson  whose  father  settled  here  in 
1805.  His  name  was  Benjamin,  too;  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  mar- 
ried in  1792,  removed  to  Kentucky  in  1795,  and  located  in  this  township 
in  1805.  Ralph  Smith  and  family  and  John  Hurbert  and  family  located 
here  in  1813.  They  were  originally  from  the  State  of  North  Carolina, 
but  had  removed  to  Ohio  and  came  from  the  vicinity  of  Lebanon  to  this 
township.  Mr.  Smith  was  the  father  of  Wilkinson  Smith,  a  resident  of 
the  township, 

Maj.  George  Nichols  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Washington. 
He  died  in  Wilmington,  this  county,  in  1863,  in  the  ninety-third  year  of 
his  age.  He  was  born  in  Maryland,  immigrated  to  Kentucky  in  1791, 
and  in  1808  located  in  this  county.  He  served  his  country  in  the  Indian 
war  on  the  Western  frontiers  in  1791,  and  also  in  the  war  of  1812-15. 
"He  loved  his  country,  a  man  of  pure  principles,  and  an  honest 
man.  He  lived  respected  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  died  without  an 
enemy." 

In  1815  the  widow  of  William,  and  mother  of  Capt.  Martin  Trester, 
of  this  township,  with  nine  children,  came  from  the  State  of  Kentucky 
and  located  here. 

Concerning  the  early  settlers  of  this  township,  Geo.  W.  Lane  wrote 
in  1876  as  follows; 

"Stephen  Peters  came  to  the  county  with  Ebenezer  Foote  in  1798. 
They  first  settled  on  the  river  bank,  just  above  Aurora.  A  freshet  in  the 
Ohio  drove  them  back  to  the  high  ground,  where  they  lived  a  few  years, 
and  afterward  settled  on  South  Hogan  Creek,  in  Washington  Township. 
Mr.  Stephen  Peters,  was  the  father  of  Joseph  Peters,  who  lived  and  died 
on  the  land  entered  by  his  father,  and  the  old  homestead  still  belongs 
to  the  family. 

"Ira  Wright  came  West  in  1805  and  stopped  a  few  years  in  Cincin- 
nati.       April,1812,  he  moved  in  asmallboat  with  his  family  to  this  county, 


492  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  settled  on  South  Hogan,  about  two  miles  west  of  Aurora.  He  lived 
in  bis  boat  until  be  built  a  cabin  for  bis  family,  and  witb  bis  own  bands 
cleared  a  farm  on  wbicb  be  lived  until  deatb  called  him  to  bis  long  bome 
in  1866,  aged  four  score  years.  He  was  tbe  fatber  of  Capt.  Henry  F. 
Wrigbfc,  wbo  organized  a  cavalry  company  in  tbe  early  part  of  tbe  late 
war,  and  witb  bis  company  marcbed  to  tbe  front  and  was  in  active  service 
on  the  Potomac.  Capt.  Wright,  like  many  other  true  and  loyal  citizens, 
gave  bis  life  to  his  country.  Tbe  old  farm  is  still  in  possession  of  tbe 
family,   and  tbe  principal  part  owned  by  David  C.  Wright  and  brother. 

"In  1807  Robert  Walker  came  to  tbe  county.  He  stopped  at  Law- 
renceburgh,  where  be  married  a  daughter  of  William  Cook,  after  the 
war.  Mr.  Walker  settled  on  tbe  hill  in  Washington  Township.  His  eld- 
est son,  John  P.  Walker,  now  resides  on^the  old  homestead. 

"George  Nichols  came  to  this  county  in  1810.  He  located  on  the  hill 
north  of  Laughery  Creek,  in  sight  of  Hartford,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  bis  bouse  was  the  home  of  tbe  pioneers  and  settlers.  Maj.  Nich- 
ols was  a  man  of  intelligence,  and  was  a  highly  honored  and  much  res- 
pected citizen. 

"James^Lindsay  came  to  tbe  county  before  the  war,  and  settled  on 
South  Hogan  Creek,  on  the  State  road  from  Lawrenceburgh  to  Madison, 
now  in  Washington  Township.  He  moved  from  Frankfort,  Ky.,  coming 
down  tbe  Kentucky  River  in  a  pirogue,  or  Indian  canoe,  then  up  tbe 
Ohio  River  to  the  mouth  of  Hogan,  and  up  South  Hogan  to  his  new 
bome  in  a  dense  wilderness.  He  established  a  tanyard,  and  for  many 
years  was  engaged  in  furnishing  leather  to  the  new  Settlers.  Mr.  Lind- 
say was  an  enterprising  and  industrious  man  of  unwavering  integrity. 
He  was  the  fatber  of  Enoch  Lindsay,  who  now  resides  on  tbe  old  home 
farm,  and    Mrs.  John  Spidell,  wbo  lives  in  sight. 

"  John  Durham  settled  in  this  county  some  time  before  the  war  of 
1812  and  resided  in  Lawrenceburgh  for  a  few  years,  when  be  removed 
to  a  farm  on  the  bill  near  John  P.  Walker's,  in  sight  of  Mount  Tabor 
Church,  where  be  resided  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Durham  was  a 
soldier  during  the  war  of  1812,  defending  the  settlements  against  the 
Indians,  and  it  is  said,  marched  through  tbe  wilderness  with  a  company 
under  Capt.  McGuire.  This  must  have  been  in  1811,  to  join  Gen.  Harri- 
son in  bis  campaign  against  the  Indians,  for  after  the  declaration  of 
war,  the  militia  of  this  part  of  the  State  were  required  nearer  home, 
and  another  account  says  Maj.  McGuire  joined  Gen.  Harrison  in 
Tippecanoe  tbe  next  day  after  the  battle  of  November  7,  1811;  but  of 
both  these  there  may  be  some  mistake,  and  we  refer  to  them  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  information  on  tbe  subject.  If  Mr.  Durham  ac- 
complished so  perilous  an  undertaking,  there  must  have  been  others  in 


WASHINGTON   TOWNSHIP.  493 

the  county  who  accompanied  him,  and  if  their  names  can  be  ascertained, 
due  mention  shall  be  made.  We  therefore  invite  special  attention  to 
the  subject,  and  request  any  information  of  the  facts  that  may  be  in  the 
possession  of  any  person,  that  the  truth  of  history  may  be  veritied.  Mr. 
Durham's  life  was  spared  to  see  over  four  score  years.  He  was  the 
father  of  David  Durham  now  of  Seymour,  and  Noah  C.  Durham,  of 
Sparta,  who  was  twice  elected  to  the  State  Legislature.  The  first  time  in 
1852,  associated  with  Oliver  B.  Torbet,  the  second  time  in  1858,  with 
Warren  Tebbs." 

Joseph  E.  Milburn,  Eli  Green  from  Kentucky,  Richard  Norris, 
Robert  McKittrick,  George  and  Henry  Groves  and  Robert  Abbott  were 
other  pioneer  settlers  in  the  township. 

EARLY    SCHOOLS. 

Among  the  first  schools  taught  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township, 
is  remembered  one  in  the  Daniel  Conaway  neighborhood,  where  the 
neighbors  had  erected  a  rude  log-schoolhouse,  in  which  Eli  Green,  one 
Clark  and  Richard  Chapman  were  teachers.  Another  was  on  the  George 
Nichols  place,  in  which  the  teachers  were  Joel  Lynn  and  James  Russell. 
An  early  and  quite  likely  the  first  regular  schoolhouse  in  the  township 
was  built  on  or  near  Laugh ery  Creek.  James  Hamilton,  a  Kentuckian, 
was  the  first  teacher  in  this  house.  In  the  settlement  about  Mount 
Tabor  was  built  an  early  schoolhouse,  in  which  David  Carr  is  recalled 
as  having  taught.  At  the  graveyard  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township, 
known  as  the  Treste'r  Graveyard,  as  early  as  1818  or  1819,  there  stood  a 
meetinghouse  in  which  school  was  kept.  Here  Servetis  Tufts  is  remem- 
bered as  having  taught.  Probably  400  yards  southwest  of  the  grave- 
yard just  mentioned  was  the  site  of  an  early  built  hewed  log-school- 
house,  in  which  Eli  Green,  James  Chapman,  James  Russell  and  Levi 
Poston  imparted  instruction  at  various  times.  School  was  held  in  this 
building  before  the  meeting  house  was  built. 

CHURCHES    AND    GRAVEYARDS. 

Early  Methodist  preaching  places  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town- 
ship were  at  the  houses  of  Daniel  Crume,  who,  himself,  was  a  local 
preacher,  and  a  Mrs.  Brinton.  Among  other  private  residences  where 
preaching  was  held  prior  to  the  building  of  Mount  Tabor  Church,  was  at 
the  house  of  George  Smith,  in  the  Mount  Tabor  neighborhood.  The 
class  that  worshiped  at  the  latter  place  erected  a  hewed-log  meeting 
house  probably  as  early  as  1818  or  1820,  and  possibly  a  little  before.  It 
stood  on  the  same  site  of  the  present  church,  the  ground  for  both  church 
and  burial  purposes  having  been  given  by  George  Smith.     In  1850  the 


494  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

log  meeting  house  was  replaced  by  a  brick  bailding,  which  was  dedicated 
that  fall  by  Dr.  Simpson,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  building  was  blown 
down  by  the  storm  of  July  4,  1873;  was  rebuilt,  and  rededicated  August 
2,  1874.  Mount  Tabor  is  an  appointment  on  the  Dillsborough  Circuit, 
which  is  made  up  of  Dillsborough,  Mount  Tabor,  Green's  Chapel  and 
Hart's  Mills.  Originally  this  church  was  on  the  old  Lawrenceburgh  Cir- 
cuit. 

At  the  churchyard  there  is  quite  a  large  place  of  burial,  which  is  as 
old  as  the  church  itself.  Here  rest  the  remains  of  many  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  the  county,  and  among  them  many  who  were  identified  for  years 
with  the  church,  beneath  the  shadow  of  which  their  bodies  are  return- 
ing to  dust  from  whence  they  came.  Among  the  early  interments  and 
aged  persons  whose  graves  are  marked  by  inscribed  tombstones  are  the 
following:  George  Smith,  died  in  1828;  Joseph  Smith,  died  in  1832; 
Ralph  Smith,  born  1767,  died  in  1835;  Esther,  wife  of  Ralph  Smith, 
died  in  1842,  aged  sixty-seven  years;  Elizabeth  Wheeler,  died  in  1828; 
David  McKitterick,  died  in  1855,  aged  seventy-one  years;  Abraham  Gul- 
litt,  died  in  1849,  aged  sixty-eight  years;  Martha,  wife  of  Abraham  Gul- 
litt,  died  in  1860,  aged  seventy-three  years;  Robert  Gullitt,  of  Delaware, 
died  in  1843,  aged  fifty-six  years;  Rebecca,  wife  of  Robert  Gullitt,  died 
in  1870,  aged  eighty- four  years;  Jacob  Flemming,  died  in  1833,  aged 
sixty-one  years;  Mary,  wife  of  Jacob  Flemming,  died  in  1853,  aged 
seventy  years;  John  Gullitt,  died  in  1858,  aged  seventy-eight  years; 
Solomon  Hubbard,  died  in  1835,  aged  forty-seven  years;  Mary,  wife  of 
Aquilla  Hume,  died  in  1832,  aged  forty-six  years;  Frances  Glenn,  wife 
of  D.  C.  Hope,  died  in  1874,  aged  seventy-five  years;  Mary  Brumble, 
born  in  1789,  died  in  1842;  George  Golding,  born  in  1791,  died  in  1848; 
Isaac  Miller,  died  in  1837,  aged  fifty-eight  years;  Hannah,  wife  of  Isaac 
Miller,  died  in  1852,  aged  seventy-two  years;  William  Abbott,  died  in 
1860,  aged  seventy-two  years;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  Abbott,  died 
in  1854,  aged  sixty-one  years;  W.  P.  Beckett,  died  in  1866,  aged  sev- 
enty-two years;  Mary,  wife  of  W.  P.  Beckett,  died  in  1863,  aged  sixty- 
nine  years. 

In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  township  is  located  what  is  styled  the 
"Trester  Graveyard,"  which  is  probably  about  as  old  as  the  one  at  Mount 
Tabor.  Here  was  built  a  hewed  log  meeting  house  in  the  early  part  of 
the  century,  which  was  called  Mount  Zion  Church  by  the  neighborhood, 
and  at  first  used  as  a  kind  of  Union  Church,  but  finally  was  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Methodists.  Among  the  leading  Methodists  at  this  place 
in  an  early  day  were  Richard  Norris,  Joseph  E.  Mil  burn,  Ira  Wright 
and  Charles  Stephens,  Norris  and  Milburn  being  class  leaders.  The 
building  also  was  used  for  schoolpurposes.     The  services  were  discontin- 


CLAY  TOWNSHIP.  495 

ued  many  years  ago  and  the  building  removed.  The  ground  was  given 
for  the  purposes  for  which  used  by  Kichard  Norris.  There  is  probably 
one  acre  of  ground  in  the  graveyard,  and  quite  a  number  of  interments 
have  been  made  in  it,  but  it  has  so  grown  up  with  briars  and  bushes  that 
we  were  unable  to  examine  the  tombstones.  However,  from  Capt.  Trester, 
who  resides  near  by,  we  learned  that  a  number  of  the  first  settlers  of 
that  section  were  buried  there,  among  whom  were  Richard  Norris,  Ira 
Wright,  A,  Abbott,  with  many  of  their  descendants. 

In  Section  11,  on  the  old  place  of  Daniel  Conaway,  is  a  small  public 
burying  ground,  which  was  set  apart  for  burial  purposes  by  Mr.  Cona- 
way, whose  remains  rest  there,  and  also  a  number  of  his  family.  His 
death  occurred  in  1844,  aged  seventy  years;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Daniel 
Conaway,  was  born  in  1774  and  died  in  1856;  John  Tufts  was  born  in 
1798,  and  died  in  1867;  John  Tufts,  Sr.,  was  born  in  May,  in  1773,  and 
died  in  1849;  Prudence  Tufts  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1774,  died  in 
1861;  others  buried  here  were  some  of  the  McConnells,  the  Parkers,  the 
Willses  and  the  Greers. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
CLAY  TOWNSHIP. 


Organization  and  Boundaries— First  Disposition  of  Lands— Early 
Settlement  and  Reminiscences— Mills,  Schools,  Churches  and 
Graveyards— DiLLSBOROUGH. 

CLAY  TOWNSHIP  was  organized  in  September,  1835,  with  the  fol- 
lowing described  boundaries:  "Commencing  at  the  Congressional 
line  dividing  Towns  5  and  6,  Range  3  west;  thence  east  to  the  corner  of 
Section  4,  Township  4,  Range  2  west;  thence  south  to  Laughery  Creek; 
thence  westwardly  meandering  with  Laughery  Creek  to  the  mouth  of 
Hays'  Branch;  thence  westwardly  meandering  with  the  main  southwardly 
branch  or  fork  of  said  Hays'  Branch  to  the  first  mentioned  boundary  line 
to  the  center  of  Section  20,  Township  5,  Range  3,  on  the  boundary  line 
of  Dearborn  County;  thence  northwardly  with  said  line  to  the  place  of 
beginning." 

The  territory  within  the  above  described  metes  and  bounds  formerly 
was  a  part  of  Laughery,  Cesar  Creek  and  Sparta  Townships,  and  in 
addition  to  its  present  territory  then  included  the  irregular  portion  of 
southeastern    Sparta   bordering   on  South   Hogan    Creek,  which   it  lost 


496  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

between  the  years  1835  and  1852,  most  likely  in  the  latter  year,  when 
the  boundary  line  between  Sparta  and  Clay  was  changed  to  run  with  the 
creek.  To  the  north  of  Clay  is  Sparta  Township,  to  the  east  Washing- 
ton, to  the  south  Ohio  County  (Laughery  Creek  running  between)  and 
Cesar  Creek  Township  (Hays'  Branch  running  between),  and  to  the  west 
Ripley  County. 

FIRST  DISPOSITION  OF    LANDS. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  Government,  with 
the  year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names  are  set  forth  below: 

Township  4,  Range  2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  30  was  purchasd  in  1806,  by  Hamilton  &  Jones; 
in  1818,  by  Elijah  Thatcher;  in  1819,  by  Richard  Smith;  in  1832,  by 
John  Speer  and  Martha  Speer;  in  1834-35,  by  Charles  L.  Pate;  in 
1836,  by  Thomas  Guion,  Richard  Smith;  in  1837,  by  Jonathan  Hill. 

Section  29  (partly  in  Ohio  County,  see  Union  Township). 

A  portion  of  Section  5  (part  in  Sparta)  in  1816,  by  John  Wheeler;  in 
1817,  by  Samuel  Wheeler;  in  1818,  by  John  Wheeler;  in  1831,  by  Elias 
Littell;  in  1836,  by  John  Hubbart. 

A  portion  of  Section  7,  in  1817,  by  James  B.  Jones,  in  1818,  by  John 
and  Dunham  Davis,  Samuel  Ent;  in  1832,  by  Henry  Teney;  in  1835,  by 
William  Abbott;  in  1836,  by  James  McClain,  William  B.  Miller,  Will- 
iam C.  Birdsell;  in  1837,  by  Harrison  Alfred,  John  Kerr. 

A  portion  of  Section  8,  in  1813,  by  David  M.  Kettrick;  in  1817,  by 
Garrett  Swallow;  in  1818  by  James  Hubbart;  in  1825,  by  James  W. 
Whitaker;  in  1827,  by  William  J.  Fleming;  in  1834,  by  James  Smith; 
in  1836.  by  James  W.  Whitaker. 

A  portion  of  Section  17,  in  1817,  by  Garret  Swallow;  in.  1818,  by 
Ezekiel  Pritchard;  in  1827,  by  James  Haines,  George  Gordon  and  Robert 
Gullitt;  in  1832,  by  David  Abbott;  in  1837,  by  John  Kneeland;  in  1839, 
by  Ezekiel  Harper. 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1817,  by  William  Abbott  and  Samuel  Fra- 
zier;  in  1818,  by  Jesse  Vandolah;  in  1833,  by  John  Vandolah;  in  1836, 
by  David  Kerr;  in  1839,  by  Nehemiah  Knapp. 

A  portion  of  Section  19,  in  1818,  by  Elijah  Thatcher,  John  W.  Nixon 
and  Henry  Britton;  in  1827,  by  William  Smith  and  Henry  Britton;  in 
1836,  by  John  W.  Nixon;  in  1837,  by  Henry  Darby. 

A  portion  of  Section  20,  in  1817,  by  Daniel  Crume;  in  1849,  by 
Guilford  &  Todd;  in  1832,  by  Samuel  Hurbert  and  James  Wilson;  in 
1833,  by  Thomas  Guion  and  John  Hughes;  in  1835,  by  Samuel  Hurbert; 
in  1837,  by  George  and  W.  S.  Mitchell  and  Henry  Martin. 

Township  5,  Range  3  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  1  (part  in  Sparta)  in  1815,  by  John  Whitaker;  in 


CLAY  TOWNSHIP.  497 

1831,  by  William  and  Johu  Noble;  in  1834,  by  James  Noble;  in  1836, 
by  Elijah  Miller,  Harrison  Alfred  and  Christian  Weist;  in  1837,  by 
Jacob  E.  Johnson  and  Jonathan  Hart;  in  1839,  by  "William  L.  Thorn- 
ton. 

A  portion  of  Section  2,  in  1818,  by  John  C.  Shuman;  iu  1817,  by  Henry 
Brogan;  in  1832,  by  John  G.  Shuman;  in  1833,  by  John  Winsor;  in 
1836,  by  George  W.  Thornton,  Edward  E.  Rorern,  George  H.  Shuman 
and  Jacob  E.  Johnson;  in  1837,  by  Jacob  Wakeman  and  Humphrey  Cain. 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1817,  by  Philip  Rowland,  Benjamin  Farblers 
and  Samuel  Fleming;  in  1832,  by  James  O.  Smith;  in  1837,  by  John  J. 
Akin  and  Robert  Farrin. 

A  portion  of  fractional  Sections  4  and  5,  in  1817, by  Samuel  Fleming. 

A  portion  of  fractional  Section  8,  in  1836,  by  Oliver  Lee  Lyon. 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  in  1833,  by  Philip  Rowland;  in  1834,  by 
John  McCabe  and  Laban  Bramble;  in  1836,  by  Philip  Rowland,  Joa- 
chim Williamson,  A.  L.  Bramble  and  John  Oaings. 

South  end  of  fractional  Sections  8  and  9,  in  1818,  by  Jacob  Baymiller 
and  J.  J.  Benbridge. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  in  1818,  by  Samuel  Frazier,  Archibald  Mc- 
Cabe, James  Loder,  Azariah  Jaunan  and  Laban  Bramble. 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  in  1818,  by  George  Abraham,  James  B. 
Jones,  Jesse  Vandolah  and  Robert  Smith. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  1818,  by  William  Williamson,  William  Ran- 
dall and  Daniel  Wilson;  in  1819,  by  Ephraim  Burroughs;  in  1838,  by 
Jonathan  Hart. 

A  portion  of  Section  13,  in  1817,  by  George  Abrahams,  Sutherland  and 
Ramsey;  in  1818,  by  Daniel  Loder  and  William  'Frazier;  in  1827,  by 
James  A.  Loder. 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1818,  by  Daniel  White,  Nehemiah  Knapp, 
Robert  Smith  and  Peter  Rainer. 

A  portion  of  fractional  Section  17,  in  1818,  by  John  Fleming. 

A  portion  of  Section  21  (part  in  Cesar  Creek)  in  1828,  by  Theophilus 
Martin;  in  1836,  by  William  Headley,  Joseph  Collins  and  Young  John- 
ston; in  1837,  by  John  Headley,  Enoch  Bostarick,  William  Headley 
and  Theophilus  Martin;  in  1838,  by  Peter  Sohen. 

A  portion  of  Section  22,  in  1818,  by  John  Ruthop;  in  1836,  by  George 
Grose,  Jr.,  Henry  Parker  and  Isaac  Jones;  in  1837,  by  George  Grose 
Jr.,  and  John  Miller;  in  1838,  by  Rice  Coles,  Benjamin  Fowler,  John 
Ruthop  and  Henry  and  Peter  Sohen. 

A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1818,  by  John  Fleming,  Jacob  Spangler, 
Henry  Spangler  and  David  Williamson;  in  1838,  by  Herman  H.  Nieman, 
John  Brinkman,  James  Grove  and  Peter  Tasset. 


498  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  in  1818,  by  Henry  Smith,  Nehemiah  More- 
house and  Elijah  Thatcher;  in  1831,  by  Joseph  Losover;  in  1838,  by 
John  E.  Goodert;  in  1838,  by  John  E.  Vosten,  Henry  Protest,  John  H. 
Barket. 

A  portion  of  Section  25,  in  1813,  by  Benjamin  Purcell;  in  1818,  by 
Terrent  and  Kobert  Huston;  in  1837,  by  James  Abdon;  in  1838,  by  Her- 
man Shaefifer. 

Sections  26  and  27,  lie  in  this  and  Cesar  Creek  Township.  (See  the 
latter.) 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT    AND    REMINISCENCES. 

The  year  1796  has  been  given  as  that  marking  the  settlement  of  Will- 
iam Ross  and  family  in  the  county.  William,  the  head  of  the  Ross 
family,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  came  to  America  a  single  man 
with  Lord  Cornwallis  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  made  a 
prisoner  at  Little  York.  After  living  for  a  while  on  the  farm  of  Gen. 
Washington,  he  was  there  married,  lived  for  a  time  at  Old  Redstone 
Fort  in  Pennsylvania,  at  Grant's  Station,  then  settled  in  this  county, 
first  stopping  for  a  time  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek.  His  family  at 
this  time  consisted  of  six  members.  February  22,  1799,  David,  a  son, 
was  born  at  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek.  Just  at  what  time  the  family 
moved  up  Laughery  Creek  is  not  known,  but  it  was  shortly  after  their 
settlement  on  Hogan.  Mr.  Ross,  with  his  boys,  cleared  up  a  farm  on 
Laughery  Creek  in  this  township,  where  he  resided  until  1816,  when  he 
removed  farther  up  the  same  creek  to  what  is  now  Ripley  County,  cut- 
ting the  road  as  they  went,  where  he,  assisted  by  his  sons,  cleared  up 
and  improved  land.  He  was  a  useful  citizen,  served  as  a  Territorial  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  having  been  commissioned  by  President  Madison,  and 
his  commission  being  renewed  until  his  removal  from  the  county  in 
1816;  and  later  served  as  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  county  of 
Switzerland  before  the  portion  of  the  territory  in  which  he  resided  was 
attached  to  Ripley  County.  He  also  filled  other  civil  offices,  and  was  a 
man  amom^  the  pioneers.  James  Ross,  a  son,  now  a  resident  of  Hartford, 
was  born  on  Laughery  in  1803,  and  though  upward  of  four  score  years 
is  very  active  and  in  almost  the  full  possession  all  of  his  faculties, 
retaining  them  to  a  remarkable  degree  for  one  of  his  years.  Though 
totally  blind,  so  rendered  by  disease  upward  of  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago,  Mr.  Ross  is  exceedingly  jovial  and  happy,  and  himself  and  wife, 
who  is  but  three  years  his  junior,  and  a  daughter  of  the  old  pioneer 
Robert  Conaway,  are  spending  the  evening  of  their  lives  together,  appar- 
ently amid  sunshine  and  happiness.  It  has  been  our  pleasure,  while 
compiling  these  pages,  to  frequently  visit  Grandfather  Ross,  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  much  of  the   pioneer  history  up   and   down  Laughery 


CLAY  TOWNSHIP.  499 

Creek,  where  his  long  life  has  been  passed.  Beginning  as  a  pioneer 
boy,  amid  the  scjenes  of  frontier  life,  where  the  wilderness  was  his  play- 
ground, the  Indian  boys  his  playmates,  and  the  block-house  often  his 
home,  he  narrates  with  much  interest  and  pleasure  those  bygone  days. 
The  Indians  were  often  encamped  in  the  woods  surrounding  his  father's 
cabin,  to  which  they  frequently  came  for  food.  The  settlers  experienced 
little  trouble  from  them,  but  were  occasionally  subjected  to  frights  at 
their  expense.  About  1813,  when  the  Indians  were  threatening  war 
upon  the  settlements,  the  Ross  family  took  refuge  in  Kentucky,  where 
they  remained  several  weeks.  Occasional  alarms  took  them  to  the 
neighboring  block-houses  along  Laughery  Creek,  but  no  attacks  were 
made.  Horse  stealing  was  sometimes  practiced  by  the  Indians.  Mr. 
Ross  remembers, *he  thinks,  in  the  spring  of  1812,  when  the  men  folks 
of  the  settlements  went  in  company  in  pursuit  of  a  baud  of  Indians 
who  had  stolen  a  number  of  horses  in  that  locality,  but  they  were  not 
overtaken.  Mr.  Ross  has  been  engaged  in  farming  and  flat-boating  the 
greater  part  of  his  life,  the  latter  pursuit  being  a  great  occupation  on 
Laughery  Creek,  where  the  business  was  extensively  engaged  in  for 
probably  twenty-five  years,  beginning  about  1825.  In  1836  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Elizabeth  Pate,  who  died  in  1847,  after  bearing  him  seven  chil- 
dren. His  second  wife  was  Miss  Rhoda  Lyons,  who  was  a  daughter  of 
Robert  Conaway,  referred  to  below. 

The  year  1798  is  given  as  the  date  of  the  Conaway  settlement  on 
Laughery  Creek.  Mrs.  Rachel  Conaway,  a  native  of  Virginia,  with  four 
sons,  James,  John,  Robert  and  Simon,  immigrated  to  the  West  near  the 
close  of  the  last  century,  and  Robert  and  James  of  the  number  settled 
in  this  township  just  below  Milton,  where  there  still  resides  a  number 
of  their  descendants. 

Ebenezer  Harbert  and  Samuel  Purcell  were  others  who  settled  along 
Laughery  Creek  in  the  Ross  and  Conaway  neighborhood  in  the  early 
part  of  this  century. 

Peter  Wright  settled  early  in  this  present  century  at  the  mouth  of 
Hays'  Branch.  He  was  a  Methodist  exborter  and  built  one  of  the 
early  mills  in  that  region  of  the  country.  Thomas  Guion  settled  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  point  now  bearing  his  name,  Guionville,  where  he 
was  subsequently  engaged  in  merchandising.  He  was  once  a  repre- 
sentative from  the  county  in  the  State  Legislature. 

On  the  hill  above  Guionville,  settled  Samuel  Jewett,  who  had  a 
large  family  of  boys;  several  of  the  Smiths,  and  John  Nixon,  all  En- 
glish people. 

In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  township  the  Hubbartts'  settled,  one 
of  whom  is  now  living  in  Marion  County,  this  State,  upward  of  100 
years  of  age. 


500  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

In  1816  William  L.  Abbott  and  family  from  New  Jersey,  settled 
west  of  Mount  Taboi'.  Other  pioneers  of  this  locality  were  Samuel  and 
David  Frazier,  William  Glenn,  the  Swallows,  William  and  Isaac  Ran- 
dall, the  AbramH,  McCalls  and  Brambles,  a  number  of  whom  came  to 
this  location  from  near  Springfield,  Ohio,  and  some  from  the  State  of 
South  Carolina. 

Along  the  ridge  in  the  vicinity  of  Dillsborough,  located  William  and 
David  Williamson,  Phillip  Rollin  and  Peter  Perlee;  all  we  believe,  came 
to  this  place  from  the  vicinity  of  Springfield,  Ohio.  Daniel  Wilson, 
too,  was  a  pioneer  in  this  section. 

The  following  scrap  of  pioneer  history  of  this  section  was  published 
in  the  Dearborn  Independent  in  1874,  under  the  head  of  "Reminiscences 
of  Laughery:" 

"  Ebenezer  Harbert  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Indiana  Territory  in 
1810.  He  started  in  the  spring  from  Connelstown,  above  Pittsburgh,  on 
a  flat-boat,  taking  furniture  and  other  necessaries  for  their  backwoods 
life.  He  landed  at  Cincinnati  and  found  a  few  log-cabins  and  a  pet 
bear  chained  on  the  shore.  Nothing  of  interest  happened  during  their 
trip,  except  an  adventure  with  a  deer.  They  had  a  canoe  along  with 
them,  and  seeing  a  deer  swimming  across  the  river  two  of  the  party 
jumped  in  and  gave  chase.  In  the  'muss'  the  deer  upset  the  canoe, 
turning  it  bottom  upward,  and  throwing  the  men  into  the  water.  But 
being  good  swimmers  they  killed  the  deer,  righted  the  boat,  took  in  the 
deer  and  paddled  to  their  floating  home  in  triumph.  Harbert's  party 
spent  the  summer  at  North  Bend,  and  in  the  fall  moved  up  Laughery 
about  one-half  mile,  where  they  stayed  all  night  with  a  settler  named 
Falls.  The  settler  told  them  so  much  about  the  country  that  they  were 
alarmed,  and  they  started  back  and  moved  down  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth 
of  Grant's  Creek.  During  their  stay  here  an  event  occurred  which  we 
•  would  not  consider  very  pleasant.  While  the  men  were  absent  the  cabin 
was  besieged  by  a  bear,  so  that  the  women  and  children  were  confined  to 
the  house  without  any  means  of  defense  until  the  men  returned. 

"About  Christmas  they  again  moved  up  Laughery  a  short  distance 
above  Guionville,  where  they  commenced  clearing,  and  built  a  house.  I 
believe  this  house  is  still  standing  about  half  a  mile  aboye  Guionville. 
When  they  arrived  here  there  were  a  few  settlers  along  the  creek  both 
above  and  below,  but  none  on  the  hills.  Sam  Purcell  lived  farthest 
up  the  creek,  about  two  and  one-half  miles  above  Guionville.  Ross  lived 
between  Percell  and  Harbert,  John  Weathers  lived  opposite  Guionville, 
where  Milton  now  stands.  Still  below  were  James  Conaway,  Mr.  Crumes 
and  Ben  Wilson.  Harbert's  nearest  neighbors  on  either  side  were  dis- 
tant one-half  mile.     The  whole  country  was  covered  with  dense  forests, 


CLAY  TOAVNSHIP.  501. 

crossed  only  by  foot  paths,  and  was  infested  with  bears,  wolves  and 
other  wild  animals.  These,  together  with  hostile  Indians,  rendered  the 
lives  and  property  of  the  settlers  precarious  in  the  extreme,  and  many 
were  the  hair-breadth  escapes  which  never  will  be  recorded.  From  time 
to  time  the  alarm  of  Indians  would  ,be  sounded  and  the  cry  of  '  The 
Indians  are  on  us;  run  for  your  lives! '  would  be  accomplished  with 
great  excitement  and  confusion.  In  such  times  each  of  the  members  of 
the  family  would  gather  what  he  could  and  repair  in  all  haste  to  the 
block-house.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  Indians  made  a  raid  on  the  set- 
tlement, John  Harbert  gathered  up  a  pot  of  greens  that  were  cooking, 
and  not  having  time  to  reach  the  block-house  hid  it  a  thicket  till  the 
danger  was  past.  When  the  family  came  from  their  hiding  places  they 
enjoyed  their  greens  as  that  dish  is  seldom  enjoyed.  The  block-house 
was  simply  a  neighbor's  house,  where  it  was  understood  they  were 
to  meet  in  times  of  danger. 

"A  fort  was  commenced  on  the  place  where  John  Conaway  now  lives, 
but  being  directly  under  the  hill,  and  consequently  in  an  exposed  situa- 
tion, was  never  finished.  Soon  after  Mr.  Harbert  settled  here,  a  band  of 
Indians,  of  the  Delaware  and  Pottawattomie  tribes,  camped  below  Guion- 
ville.  Among  them  were  sev&ral  renegade  whites,  including  the  noto- 
rious Simon  Girty.  The  Indians  would  steal  everything  they  could  lay 
their  hands  on.  They  stole  three  horses  from  Mr.  Harbert.  However, 
there  was  much  stealing  attributed  to  them  that  they  were  innocent  of, 
for  some  of  the  settlers  were  caught  in  acts  of  that  kind.  The  squaws 
took  considerable  interest  in  the  household  affairs  of  the  whites,  and  they 
begged  all  the  cucumbers  they  could,  of  which  the  Indians  were  very 
fond,  when  ripe.  The  houses  of  the  first  settlers  were  rouhd  log-cabins, 
and  generally  contained  but  one  room.  A  man  who  could  live  in  a 
hewed  log  house  was  considered  an  aristocrat.  Thfe  fireplace  occupied 
nearly  one  whole  side  of  the  room,  and  they  used  back- logs  so  large  that 
they  had  to  roll  them  in  with  handspikes.  The  outside  of  the  fireplace  was 
built  of  logs,  the  inside  of  stone,  and  the  chimney  of  sticks  and  clay. 
The  cooking  was  all  done  in  the  fireplace,  from  which  they  suspended 
their  pots,  etc.  The  table  furniture  consisted  of  pewter  and  delf  plates, 
pewter  spoons,  wooden  bowls,  etc.,  with  gourds  to  drink  out  of.  For 
seats  they  had  benches  or  stools,  and  their  cupboards  were  made  of  clap- 
boards. The  houses  had  but  few  lights,  and  sometimes,  instead  of 
glass,  they  used  greased  paper.  Each  family  was  under  the  necessity  of 
doing  everything  for  itself  as  well  as  it  could.  To  make  meal,  three 
devices  were  used — the  grater,  hand-mill,  and  hominy  block;  the  last, 
however,  used  more  for  making  hominy.  The  grater  was  made  of  a  half 
circular  piece  of  tin,  and  perforated  with  a  punch  from  the  concave  side, 


502  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  nailed  by  its  edges  to  a  block  of  wood.  The  ears  of  corn  were  rubbed 
on  the  rough  edges  of  the  holes,  while  the  meal  fell  through  them  on  the 
block  to  which  the  grater  was  nailed,  and  which,  being  in  a  slanting  di- 
rection, discharged  the  meal  into  a  vessel.  This  was  used  for  soft  corn. 
The  hand-mill  was  made  of  two  circular  stones,  the  lower  one  called 
the  bed- stone,  and  the  upper  one  the  runner.  These  were  placed  in  a 
hoop,  with  a  spout  for  discharging  the  meal.  A  staflf  was  let  into  a  hole 
in  the  upper  surface  of  the  runner,  near  the  outer  edge,  to  turn  the  stone 
by.  The  grain  was  fed  into  the  opening  in  the  center  of  the  runner  by 
hand.  I  suppose  the  mill  was  similar  to  that  used  in  Palestine.  The 
hominy  block  was  a  log  with  an  excavation  burned  in  one  end,  wide  at 
the  top  and  narrow  at  the  bottom,  so  that  the  action  of  the  pestle  on  the 
bottom  threw  the  corn  up  the  side  toward  the  top,  from  whence  it  contin- 
ually fell  down  in  the  center.  The  first  water-mill  belonged  to  the  old 
man  Purcell,  and  was  of  the  kind  denominated  tub-mills.  The  water 
wheel,  five  or  six  feet  in  diameter,  was  attached  to  a  perpendicular  shaft, 
on  the  top  of  which  was  a  spur  wheel,  gearing  into  a  trundle  head  on 
the  lower  end  of  the  spindle.  Instead  of  bolting  cloth  they  used  sifters 
made  of  deer  skin,  in  a  state  of  parchment,  stretched  over  a  hoop,  and 
perforated  with  a  hot  wire.  The  people  wore  home-made  clothing. 
Almost  every  liouse  contained  a  loom,  and  almost  every  woman  was  a 
weaver.  Most  of  the  men  wore  moccasins  and  hunting  shirts,  and  some 
of  them  wore  buckskin  trousers.  The  farmers  made  their  own  imple- 
ments, wooden  mold-board  plows,  harrows  with  wooden  teeth,  etc.  The 
diet  of  the  early  settlers  was  corn  bread,  pork,  and  wild  game,  in  which 
the  country  abounded,  such  as  bear,  venison,  turkey,  etc.  The  standard 
dish  for  log-rollings,  house-raisings,  corn-shuckings  and  weddings  was 
the  'pot-pie.'  There  were  no  stores  in  this  part  of  the  country.  When 
the  settlers  needed  groceries,  etc.,  they  were  compelled  to  go  to  Cincin- 
nati for  them. 

"There  were  no  churches;  meetings  were  held  at  private  houses;  people 
did  not  go  to  church  to  display  their  finery;  the  men  wore  jeans  and 
the  women  flaunel.  A  calico  dress  was  a  rarity.  Preachers  were  mus- 
cular Christians;  pointed  men  to  the  Saviour  through  a  love  for  their 
race;  endured  hardships  on  a  salary  of  $50  or  $75,  and  often  sacrificed 
their  lives  in  their  untiring  devotion  to  the  cause.  But  even  living  as 
they  did,  the  early  settlers  enjoyed  life.  They  were  an  honest,  industri- 
ous, and  hardy  people.  Of  course  there  were  some  roughs,  they  are  to 
be  found  everywhere.  What  a  change  has  taken  place  in  the  last  three- 
quarters  of  a  century!  How  thankful  the  rising  generation  ought  to  be 
that  we  live  at  the  present  time.  The  county  has  been  cleared  up 
and  divided  into  beautiful  farms;  towns  and  cities  are  scattered  over  the 


CLAY  TOWNSHIP.  503 

land;  schoolhouses  and  churches  are  found  everywhere,  all  for  our  bene- 
fit. I  love  to  hear  settlers  tell  of  the  life  they  have  lived,  of  their  trials 
and  sufferings,  of  their  backwoods  life.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  unwrit- 
ten history  within  our  reach  which  will  soon  be  gone  forever.  Then 
let  us  gather  it  while  we  may. " 

MILLS. 

Peter  Wright  built  one  of  the  very  early  mills  along  the  creek.  It  was 
a  rudely  constructed  mill  where  both  grinding  and  sawing  were  done. 
Mr.  Wright  was  still  operating  the  mills  in  1824,  but  they  soon  after 
passed  into  the  hands  of  William  Allen,  who  carried  on  the  milling  business 
there  five  or  six  years,  or  thereabouts,  when  they  ceased  operation.  Their 
location  was  at  the  mouth  of  Boyd's  Branch. 

In  the  year  1835  Alexander  Noble  built  the  mill  on  Hayes'  Branch 
on  the  Aurora  &  Laughery  Turnpike,  thirteen  miles  from  Aurora; 
subsequently  rebuilt  by  Mr.  Klinkerman,  and  operated  by  steam;  now 
owned  by  John  H.  Donselman. 

In  the  year  1839  William  B.  Miller  and  brother  erected  the  mill 
known  as  Miller's  Mill,  on  South  Hogan  Creek,  above  Dillsborough  Station 
on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad.  The  building  is  of  stone,  rebuilt 
in  the  year  1868;  it  is  four  stories  high,  with  four  run  of  stone,  and  a 
capacity  of  400  bushels  per  day. 

The  Dillsborough  Mill  was  built  by  Arthur  Beckett  in  1858.  It  was 
remodeled  and  a  saw- mill  attached  by  Mr.  Nehemiah  Grullett.  The  pres- 
ent proprietors  are  William  B.  Suits  and  Leroy  Roberts. 

SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES    AND    QEAVEYARDS. 

The  first  schools  of  the  township  were  generally  taught  in  cabins 
previously  occupied  as  dwellings.  The  first  school  in  the  Conaway  and 
Ross  neighborhood  was  held  prior  to  1816,  but  on  the  south  side  of 
Laughery  Creek,  some  little  distance  above  Milton,  James  Roby  taught 
several  of  the  early  schools  here. 

A  little  cabin  schoolhouse  was  next  built  on  the  north  side  of  the 
creek,  probably  three-quarters  of  a  mile  above  Milton.  Mr.  Roby  is  re- 
membered as  the  first  teacher  in  this  building.  Another  of  the  early 
schools  of  the  township  was  taught  in  a  vacated  cabin  house  that  stood 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  Conaway' s  Ford.  In  1824,  in  Section 
12,  there  was  still  standing  a  log  schoolhouse  which  had  been  in  use 
several  years.  At  this  time  a  Mr.  Bush  was  keeping  school  in  it. 
Thomas  Wilson  subsequently  taught  in  it,  receiving  $10  per  month  and 
"boarded  around."  Not  far  from  1831  the  township  was  laid  off  in 
six  districts,  and  five  small  frame  houses  built,  costing  about  $100  each. 
Col.  Egelston  was  one  of  the  school  trustees  at  this  time  and  for  some 


504  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ten  years  later,  and  was  instrumental  in  the  early  movement  of  dividing 
the  township  into  districts,  and  labored  for  the  progress  the  schools  sub- 
sequently attained. 

About  1826  a  Presbyterian  society  was  organized  and  a  log  meeting 
house  built  in  the  old  graveyard  located  a  half  mile  north  of  Dills- 
borough  on  ground  given  for  the ,  purpose  by  William  Williamson. 
Among  the  early  members  of  the  society  were  the  Perlees,  the  Row 
lands,  the  Swallows,  the  McOabes,  Wilsons  and  Heustons;  and  the  Rev. 
Lucin  Alden,  of  Boston,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  Aurora  Seminary, 
and  a  young  man  of  tine  ability,  was  one  of  its  early  pastors.  Subse- 
quently the  meeting  house  was  removed  toDillsborough  and  occupied  by 
the  same  society  until  about  the  year  1854,  when  it  was  replaced  by  the 
present  brick  building,  which  is  now  the  house  of  worship  of  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran  congregation,  the  later  having  purchased  it  in  1876,  when 
it  was  enlarged  and  otherwise  improved.  Since  that  date  the  Presbyterian 
society  has  been  holding  services  in  the  Odd  Fellows  Hall. 

The  burying  ground  in  the  old  churchyard,  judging  from  the  oldest 
inscribed  stones,  is  older  than  the  society  formerly  worshiping  there. 
Among  the  agedVhere  interred  are  the  following  named:  William  Hair 
died  in  1866, 'aged  sixty-nine  years;  Thomas  Hall  died  in  1868,  aged 
sixty-six  years;  Alexander  Chillis  died  in  1868,  aged  sixty-eight  years; 
Susan  Scudder  died  in  1879,  aged  eighty- three  years;  James  Scudder 
died  in  1857,  aged  seventy  years;  John  Rowland  died  in  1867,  aged 
seventy-three  years;.  Thomas  N.  Bearaughs  died  in  1873,  aged  eighty 
years;  Nathan  Smith  died  in  1826,  aged  forty-seven  years;  William 
Skelton  died  in  1850;  aged  sixty-three  years;  Sarah  Skelton  died  in 
1877,  aged  eighty-five  years;  Phoebe,  wife  of  Josiah  Morehead,  born  in 
1795,  died  in  1874;  Isaac  Randall  died  in  1842,  aged  fifty  years; 
George  Warren  died  in  1858,  aged  seventy-three  years;  John  Legg 
died  in  1848,  aged  seventy-one  years;  Constance,  widow  of  John  Legg, 
died  in  1858,  aged  seventy-four  years;  Josiah  Morehead  died  in  1850, 
aged  seventy-nine  years;  Jeremiah  Dennis  born  in  1790,  died  in  1849; 
Sylenia  Dennis,  born  in  1792,  died  in  1872;  Susannah,  wife  of  John 
Courtny,  died  in  1881,  aged  seventy -eight  years;  J.  O.  Smith  died  in 
1870,  aged  seventy-one  years;  Sarah,  wife  of  J.  O.  Smith,  born  in  1791, 
died  in  1861;  William  Frazier  died  in  1862,  aged  seventy- eight  years; 
George  Abraham  died  in  1858,  aged  seventy-eight  years;  Polly  Gilbert, 
wife  of  Garrett  Swallow,  died  in  1858,  aged  seventy  years;  Polly,  wife 
of  J.  D.  Stoops,  died  in  1862,  aged  seventy-one  years;  William  Randall 
born  in  1788,  died  in  1863,  aged  seventy-five  years;  Jesse  Vandolah  died 
in  1837,  aged  sixty-six  years;  Mary,  widow  of  Jesse  Vandolah,  died  in 
1849,  aged  seventy- eight  years;  Joseph  Bennett  died  in  1873,  aged  sev- 


CLAY  TOWNSHIP.  505 

enty-nine  years.  The  oldest  grave  marked  by  a  lettered  tombstone  is 
that  of  Rebecca  Smith,  who  was  born  in  1800  and  died  in  1819. 

Some  years  subsequent  to  the  organization  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
a  Methodist  Episcopal  society  was  formed,  and  for  a  time  worshiped  in 
the  church  building  belonging  to  the  Presbyterians.  In  1838  the  Meth- 
odists erected  a  house  of  worship  at  Dillsborough.  Among  the  families 
identified  with  the  society  in  its  earlier  history  were  the  Watsons,  the 
Glenns,  the  Randalls,  Millers,  Brambles  and  Ferrous.  The  present 
beautiful  church  edifice,  constructed  of  brick,  was  erected  eight  or  ten 
years  ago  on  the  old  site. 

St.  Peter's  Lutheran  Church,  at  Dillsborough,  was  organized  in  1876. 
The  membership  had  formerly  worshiped  at  the  Opptown  Church,  and  in 
the  year  named  they  purchased  the  church  building  belonging  to  the 
Presbyterian  society,  and  enlarged  and  repaired  it.  Among  the  families 
identified  with  the  organization  are  those  of  Henry  Niebrugge,  William 
Grieve  and  G.  Ellerbrook.  The  pastors  have  been  Revs.  H.  F.  Miller, 
C.  R.  O.  Miller  and  A.  Schaechter,  the  present  incumbent,  who  has  been 
with  the  church  for  the  past  four  or  five  years.  The  congregation  have 
their  own  schools  in  which  the  children  are  instructed  in  German.  They 
also  have  their  own  cemetery  located  south  of  the  old  graveyard  above 
described,  which  has  been  laid  out  within  the  past  two  years. 

Oak  Dale  Cemetery,  located  about  half  a  mile  north  of  the  village  of 
Dillsborough,  contains  a  number  of  acres  beautifully  and  tastily  laid 
out,  and  dotted  over  with  choice  evergreens  and  shrubbery.  It  is  con- 
trolled and  managed  by  an  association  organized  in  1868,  the  date  of  the 
beginning  of  the  cemetery. 

DILLSBOROUGH, 

The  village  of  Dillsborough  is  located  near  the  center  of  the  town- 
ship, distant  fourteen  miles  southwest  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  one  and  a 
half  south  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad.  It  was  laid  out  by 
Mathias  Whetstone  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  14,  Township  5, 
Range  3  west  (sixteen  lots),  surveyed  March  16,  1830,  by  Nathaniel  L. 
Squibb.  Additions  to  the  village  were  made  in  1837,  and  in  1855  by  G.  V. 
Swallow  and  Mr.  Lenover.  The  first  merchant  of  the  village  was  David 
Gibson,  who  remained  a  short  time  only,  and  was  succeeded  by  Jacob 
Egelston,  who  also  started  the  first  blacksmith  shop  at  this  point.  In 
1837  Mr.  Egelston  sold  his  store  to  William  Glenn,  now  one  of  Cincin- 
nati's wealthy  merchants.  Mr.  Glenn  also  kept  the  first  inn  of  the 
place.  Several  years  after  the  town  was  laid  out  the  Wymonds — Philip, 
Samuel  and  James — began  the  cooper  business,  which  they  carried  on 
extensively  for  quite  a  number  of  years,   working   from  twenty  to  thirty 


506  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

hands,  manufacturing  barrels  for  the  Cincinnati  market.  This  industry 
and  the  men  engaged  in  it  did  much  toward  building  up  and  making  the 
town.  The  flouring-mill  located  here  was  built  in  1858,  by  Arthur  Beck- 
ett. It  was  remodeled  and  a  saw-mill  attached  by  Nehemiah  Guliett. 
The  present  proprietors  are  William  B.  Suits  and  X^eroy  Roberts. 

In  1858-59  the  village  had  a  population  of  700,  and  made  the  fol- 
lowing showing:  3  blacksmith  shops,  1  book  store,  1  boot  and  shoe 
shop,  5  carpenters,  2  cabinet  shops,  4  general  stores,  1  carriage  manu- 
factory, 1  minister,  2  dress-makers,  1  furniture  dealer,  1  steam  grist- 
mill, 1  harness-maker,  1  grocer,  1  hide  and  leather  dealer,  2  hotels,  4 
lawyers,  2  justices  of  the  peace,  2  physicians,  1  stove  and  tin  dealer,  2 
coopers,  1  painter,  2  churches,  2  schools. 

At  this  writing  the  industries  of  the  place  are  meager,  there  being 
besides  the  blacksmiths'  shops  one  wagon-making  establishment,  carried 
on  by  F.  H.  Tholke  (successor  to  Young  &  Young),  and  one  in  connection 
with  a  plow  manufactory  carried  on  by  D.  Perlee  (established  in  1850), 
a  cooper  shop  established  in  1883  by  Robert  T.  Knowles.  The  village 
has  a  number  of  large  and  substantial  brick  business  houses  and  resi- 
dences, a  large  and  commodious  three-story  brick  schoolhouse,  and  two 
beautiful  church  edifices  which  are  ornaments  to  the  place  and  a  credit 
to  its  citizens,  who  are  enterprising  and  public  spirited. 

Hopewell  Lodge  No.  80,  F.  &  A.  M. ,  and  Chapman  Lodge,  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  own  their  halls  and  are  in  good  condition. 

William  Spear  Post  No.  189  was  organized  June  16,  1873,  by  the 
officers  of  Huff  Post  No.  89,  of  Lawrenceburgh.  There  were  about 
thirty  two  members  mustered  in  on  the  organization  of  the  post.  The 
officers  were  David  H.  Holmes,  P.  C. ;  Albert  G.  Withrow,  S.  Y.  C. ; 
Daniel  Knowles,  J.  V.  C. ;  Dr.  Samuel  Weaver,  surgeon;  Thomas  J. 
Lord,  O.  of  D. ;  James  H.  Albert,  O.  of  G. ;  James  H.  Shatts,  chaplain; 
Henry  W.  Holtegal,  Q.  M. ;  James  W.  Lemon,  adjutant;  D.  Clinton 
Misner,  Sergt.  Maj. ;  Demos  Perlee,  Q.  M.  Sergt.  The  post  adopted  the 
name  in  honor  of  Lieut.  William  Spears,  of  Company  F,  Thirty-ninth 
Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers,  who  was  killed  in  action  at  Pumpkin 
Vine  or  New  Hope  Church  on  the  27th  day  of  May,  1864.  The  present 
officers  are  P.  C,  William  Roland;  S.  V.  C,  D.  C.  Misner;  J.  V.  C, 
John  Pearson;  Q.  M.,  James  Abbott;  surgeon.  Demos  Perlee;  O.  of  D., 
Andrew  C.  Stevenson;  O.  of  G.,  Daniel  Knowles;  Chaplain,  James  H. 
Shatts;  Sergt.  Maj.,  Harrison  Smith;  Q.  M.  Sergt.,  Henry  Peeper;  Adjt. , 
David  Challas.  The  post  now  numbers  seventy-one  members,  and  is  in 
a  flourishing:  condition. 


CESAR  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  507 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CESAR  CREEK  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— Original  Land  Sales— Pioneer  Set- 
tlement AND  Notes— First  Schools— Early  Mills— Churches  and 
Graveyards— Farmer's  RetiSeat. 

CESAR  CREEK  is  an  irregular  township  lying  in  the  southwestern 
corner  of  Dearborn  County  between  Knobb  Creek  or  Hay's  branch 
on  the  north,  Laughery  Creek  on  the  east  and  south,  and  Ripley  County 
on  the  west.  The  county  board  of  supervisors  in  November,  1826,  desig- 
nated its  boundaries  as  follows:  "Commencing  on  the  old  boundary  line 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  fractional  Section  8,  Township  5,  Range  3 
west;  thence  east  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  12,  Township  5, 
Range  3  west;  thence  south  so  the  south  line  of  the  county  of  Dearborn; 
thence  west  to  the  western  boundary  line  of  Dearborn  County;  thence 
northwardly  with  the  old  Indian  boundary  line  and  western  line  of  the 
county  of  Dearborn  to  the  place  of  beginning."  In  addition  to  the 
present  territory  within  the  boundaries  of  Cesar  Creek,  the  latter  then  com- 
prised a  good  part  of  the  township  of  Clay  and  a  portion  of  the  territory 
out  of  which  Ohio  County  was  formed;  the  former  it  lost  on  the  organi- 
zation of  Clay  Township  in  1835,  and  the  latter  on  the  formation  of 
Ohio  County  in  1844,  and  the  subsequent  change  in  the  southern  bound- 
ary line  of  Dearborn  County  in  1845. 

original  land  sales. 

Below  is  set  forth  the  first  disposition  of  the  lands  of  the  township 
by  the  Government,  with  the  dates  of  sale  and  names  of  the  persons  to 
whom  sold: 

Township  4,  Range  3  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  4,  sold  in  1816,  to  John  Watts,  Nathan  Frakes; 
in  1825,  to  John  Watts;  in  1838-39,  to  Frederick  Probst. 

A  portion  of  Sections  1,  2,  3,  5,  9  and  10,  are  situated  in  Ohio  County. 
(See  Pike  Township.) 

Township  5,  Range  3  west. 

Fractional  Section  20  (part  in  Ripley  County)  in  1818,  to  Felix 
Brandt. 

Section  21  (part  in  Clay  Township,  see  that  township). 


508  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

A  portion  of  Section  26  (part  in  Clay),  in  1818,  to  J.  Embree  and 
E.  Hepburn;  in  1834,  to  John  Williamson;  in  1836,  to  Young  Johnson, 
Peter  Spangle;  in  1838,  to  Henry  Probst,  Charles  Drago,  William 
Turner,  Frederick  Wabben. 

A  portion  of  Section  27  (part  in  Clay  Township)  in  1818,  to  Nathaniel 
Wright,  Abel  Johnson;  in  1836,  to  Daniel  Kelsey;  in  1837,  to  James 
Lenorem. 

A  portion  of  Section  28,  in  1817,  to  Martha  Lemon,  Daniel  Kelsey 
and  G.  Pate;  in  1818,  to  John  Watts;  in  1832,  to  William  Johnson;  in 
1837,  to  William  Patterson;  in  1838,  to  Charles  Droge. 

A  portion  of  Section  29  (part  in  Ripley  County),  in  1818,  to  John 
and  Thomas  Watts. 

A  portion  of  Section  32  (part  in  Ripley  County),  in  1816,  to  Robert 
Ray. 

A  portion  of  Section  33,  in  1817,  to  John  and  Samuel  Cole;  in  1818, 
to  Felix  Brandt;  in  1833-36,  to  Daniel  Kelsey;  in  1838,  to  Harvey 
Cole. 

A  portion  of  Section  34,  in  1816,  to  Jacob  Froman  and  George  Zinn; 
in  1817,  to  Lawrence  Purcell;  in  1818,  to  Ezra  Slauson;  in  1837,  to 
William  S.  Pate;  in  1838,  to  Abraham  C.  Hart,  Henry  Walber. 

A  portion  of  Section  35,  in  1835,  to  Robert  Turner;  in  1837,  to  T. 
Bradley,  William  Patterson,  Abraham  C  Hart,  Jared  Brush,  William 
Turner;  in  1838,  to  Herod  H.  Ellesman,  Henry  Walber,  John  F.  Bartei, 
William  S,  Pate,  John  Liggett. 

A  portion  of  Section  36  (part  in  Ohio  County),  in  1808,  to  Benjamin 
Purcell;  in  1812,  to  Solomon  Stephens;  in  1815,  to  John  Dougherty;  in 
1832,  to  Charles  L.  Adney;  in  1836-37,  to  James  Lyons. 

PIONEER  SETTLEMENT  AND  NOTES. 

The  settlement  of  this  township  was  commenced  along  toward  the 
close  of  the  first  decade  in  the  present  century. 

George  Zinn  came  to  the  township  in  1805,  and  settled  on  Laughery 
Creek.  In  1876  Jacob  Zinn,  his  son,  said  there  was  a  stockade  fort  on  the 
place  now  owned  by  Rudolph  Winters.  Back  of  an  old  stone  house 
called  the  Spears  House,  and  near  the  foot  of  the  hill  close  to  a  large 
spring,  this  stockade  enclosure  was  located.  Within  it  were  many  small 
cabins,  to  which,  when  an  alarm  was  given,  the  women  and  children  fled, 
the  men  going  to  the  block-houses,  one  opposite  the  mouth  of  South 
Fork  and  one  lower  down  the  creek  than  the  stockade.  The  stockade 
was  built  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Purcell,  in  1811  or  1812,  who 
came  some  years  before  from  Kentucky.  Jacob  Zinn  retains  a  lively 
recollection  of  the  stockade  on  the  occasion  of  several  of  those  alarms, 
where  he  spent  a  day  or  two  each  time. 


CESAR  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  509 

The  cabin  of  Robert  Rickets,  then  on  land  now  owned  by  Lester 
Lostutter  in  Section  16,  was  often  used  as  a  place  of  defense  and  resort 
in  those  days,  Mr.  Rickets  being  one  of  the  mounted  rangers. 

The  following  sketch  of  a  prominent  pioneer  in  substance  was  pub- 
lished in  the  county  press  some  time  after  his  death,  and  as  it  contains 
points  of  interest  relative  to  the  early  settlement  of  this  locality  it  is 
here  given: 

Maj.  James  McGuire  was  born  May  10,  1785,  at  Dundalk,  a  seaport 
town  in  the  county  of  Louth,  Province  of  Leinster,  Ireland.  He  early 
entered  the  British  Navy.  He  was  under  the  command  of  Lord  Nelson, 
at  the  taking  of  the  Danish  fleet  at  Copenhagen  in  1801.  Subsequently 
he  enlisted  in  the  English  Army;  in  1802  he  arrived  in  Ohio  (having 
crossed  from  Canada,  where  his  regiment  had  been  ordered,  and  in  1808, 
to  Dearborn  County),  making  his  home  at  Lawrenceburgh  until  after  the 
Indian  hostilities  were  over.  He  became  acquainted  with  Adam  Flake, 
one  of  the  first  settlers,  and  married  his  daughter. 

August  22,  1810,  he  was  appointed  and  commissioned  by  the  govern- 
ment captain  of  militia  of  Dearborn  County  with  James  Allen,  lieut- 
enant, and  John  Payne,  ensign.  In  1812  he  went  into  active  service, 
and  was  appointed  drill-master  as  it  was  called,  to  drill  all  the  troops 
that  were  raised  in  the  county,  he  being  a  perfect  master  of  military 
tactics.  There  were  two  companies  of  mounted  men  with  rifles  called 
rangers.  The  first  company  was  under  command  of  Capt.  James  Mc- 
Guire, and  the  second  company  was  under  Frederick  Scholtz.  These 
companies  erected  som6  half-dozen  block-houses;  the  most  southern  one 
was  on  the  land  owned  by  Maj.  McGuire.  One  company  at  a  time  would 
be  distributed  in  squads  of  ten  men  to  each  block-house.  The  other 
company  would  be  patrolling  the  wilderness  from  block-house  to  block- 
house, and  extending  their  rounds  into  the  interior  of  the  wilderness  tmenty 
or  thirty  miles;  then  spending  a  part  of  their  time  at  home  with  their 
families.  This  guarding  our  frontier  was  kept  up  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  was  subsequently  appointed  a  major  in  the  service.  April  17, 
1811,  James  McGuire  entered  the  southwest  half  of  the  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 9,  Town  4,  Range  3.  To  this  land  he  retired  when  it  was  a  dense 
wilderness.  Here  he  moved  into  and  occupied  the  block  house.  Prior 
to  this  there  was  but  one  tract  of  land  purchased  in  the  township.  This 
was  by  James  Hamilton,  of  the  quarter-section  north  of  him. 

McGuire  was  undoubtedly  the  first  settler  in  the  township,  as 
Hamilton  never  lived  there.  Col.  Johnson  Watts  said:  "When  I  moved 
to  Laughery  in  1815,  Maj.  James  McGuire  lived  one  mile  below  me  in  the 
block-house,  kept  up  iu  the  time  of  the  war. "  His  location  was  in  Cesar 
Creek   Township   on    the   north  side  of  Laughery   Creek,  opposite  the 


510  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

mouth  of  Bear  Creek.  On  this  farm  he  spent  a  great  portion  of  his 
time,  or  I  might  say  the  prime  of  life  in  clearing  up,  improving  and  cul- 
tivating his  farm,  and  alternately  running  his  surplus  produce  to  New 
Orleans  in  flat-boats,  and  then  returning  on  foot  several  times  through  the 
Indian  nations  which  inhabited  the  dense  wilderness  that  lay  along  the 
course.  He  died  at  the  old  homestead  on  Laughery  Creek  June  18,  1857, 
in  his  seventy- second  year. 

Geo.  W.  Lane,  in  his  "Centennial  History,"  thus  referred  to  Maj. 
McGuire:  "Capt.  James  McGuire,  who  settled  on  Laughery  Creek,  was 
another  of  the  pioneers  who  rendered  valuable  service  in  defense  of  the 
early  immigrants  to  this  part  of  the  State,  and  deserving  honorable  men- 
tion. When  most  of  the  inhabitants  this  side  of  the  Ohio  crossed  into 
Kentiicky,  under  an  alarm  of  approaching  Indian  bands,  Capt.  McGuire 
joined  Gen.  Dill  and  others,  at  Lawrenceburgh,  to  defend  those  who  had 
the  courage  to  remain.  In  this  connection  it  might  be  added  that  the 
alarm  was  a  false  one,  or  the  preparation  made  by  the  militia  to  meet 
them  deterred  the  savages  from  attacking  the  settlements;  yet  it  was 
often  referred  to  as  a  feather  in  the  caps  of  those  who  remained,  and  the 
writer  has  often  heard  mention  made  of  those  who  crossed  the  Ohio  to 
escape  from  supposed  danger,  rather  than  remain  and  take  their  chances 
with  their  brother  pioneers.  If  a  state  were  disposed  to  make  a  'Roll 
of  Honor,'  composed  of  true  heroes  who  had  been  well  tried  and  posi- 
tively proven  in  times  of  great  danger,  no  name  would  grace  the  list 
more  worthily  than  that  of  James  McGuire.  Capt.  McGuire  was  spared 
to  a  good  old  age,  to  see  peace  and  plenty  and  many  happy  homes  in  the 
rich  valleys  and  on  the  pleasant  hills  where,  in  other  days  he  had  wit- 
nessed scenes  of  carnage  and  bloodshed,  and  traced  through  the  dense 
forest  the  lurking  foe  and  deadly  enemy  to  civilized  life." 

Judge  John  Watts  and  family  settled  in  the  township  on  Laughery 
Creek,  in  1815.  Both  the  Judge  and  a  son.  Col.  Johnson  Watts,  were 
leading  spirits,  and  men  of  prominence  and  usefulness  in  the  county  his- 
tory. They  were  Virginians,  and  had  located  near  Petersburg,  Ky., 
prior  to  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  at  the  station  formed  at  the  latter  point 
the  Judge  was  in  command  during  times  of  danger.  From  1825  to  1830 
he  represented  the  county  in  the  State  Senate,  He  was  an  elder  in  the 
Old  School  Baptist  Church,  and  preached  many  times  in  the  pioneer  set- 
tlements of  Dearborn  County.  Col.  Johnson  Watts  was  a  member  of  the 
State  Senate  from  this  county  in  1838-43,  served  as  an  officer  in  the  war 
of  1812,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  in  1851. 

James  Rand  settled  on  Laughery  Creek  in  times  of  danger,  and  im- 
proved a  fine  farm.  Mr.  Rand  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1841. 
He  was  known  as  an  honest,  good  citizen. 


CESAR  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  511 

During  the  second  decade  in  the  century,  the  following  named  pio- 
neers made  settlements  in  the  township:  Eleazer  Cole,  William  Lemon 
Daniel  Kelsey,  Harvey  Cole',  Kobert  Ray,  Stephen  East,  Jessie  and  Jor- 
dan Rice,  Charles  L.  Henry  and  Adam  Pate,  John  Froman,  John  Cory, 
Elijah  Sloan,  Peter  Wright,  Samuel  Wright,  Cobern  Shed  and  Abel 
Johnson. 

Johnson  had  first  settled  on  Arnold's  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Ohio 
County,  and  in  1820,  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  known  as 
Opptown.  The  Coles,  Lemons  and  Kelseys  were  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood. Along  Laughery  Creek  were  the  Wattses,  Rand,  McGuire,  Ray, 
the  Rices,  Pate,  Zinn  and  Frowman.  Cory,  Sloan,  the  Wrights  and 
Shed,  were  along  the  Hays  Branch.  Robert  Ray  was  a  brother  of 
Gov.  James  B.  Ray.     He  was  a  minister  of  the  gospel. 

The  German  immigration  to  this  township,  began  about  1S,37.  The 
first  to  locate  was  Frederick  Wulber,  Ernist  Nieman,  Frederick  Otting, 
Henry  Busse,  Garret  Busse,  Charles  and  Henry  Droge,  a  Mr.  Grelly. 
Several  families  of  Ruhlmans  and  Henry  Siekerman,  mostly  men  of 
families,  were  early  German  immigrants  to  this  township. 

With  the  exception  of  three  or  four  families,  the  entire  township  is 
now  German. 

The  following  sketch  of  an  old  resident  of  the  township  is  some- 
what remarkable,  hence  giveu  (as  written  in  1843). 

Gideon  Tower  was  born  in  Cumberland,  Providence  County,  R.  I., 
April  30,  1753,  and  was  married  in  March,  1775.  Joined  the  army  of 
the  Revolution  in  April  of  the  same  year,  and  served  from  three  to  seven 
months  every  year,  whilst  the  war  lasted.  His  wife  was  born  November 
28,  1754,  and  both  are  now  living  in  Cesar  Creek  Township,  this  county, 
and  are  enjoying  good  health.  They  had  thirteen  children,  fifty-nine 
grandchildren,  seventy-nine  gi'eat- grandchildren,  and  six  great-great- 
grandchildren. They  had  two  sons  who  were  out  in  the  last  war — John 
Tower  and  Gideon  Tower,  the  former  was  massacred  January  23,  1813, 
at  River  Risin.  They  had  one  grandson,  Henry  Millard — who  had  the 
honor  of  commanding  the  right  wing  of  the  Texas  forces,  on  the  memorable 
21st  of  April,  1836,  when  the  Mexicans  were  defeated  and  Santa  Anna 
made  prisoner  by  the  Texans.  It  is  seldom  that  husband  and  wife  live 
together  sixty-eight  years,  and  live  to  see  their  descendants  multiply  to 
157,  and  see  six  of  their  fourth  generation.  And  what  is  yet  moi-e  strange, 
that  their  generation  should  all  be  of  one  political  opinion.  All  of 
them  so  far  as  my  knowledge  extends,  that  were  voters  in  1840,  except 
one,  who  voted  for  Gen.  Harrison. 

FIRST    SCHOOLS. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  in  a  cabin 


512  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

house  that  stood  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township  on  the  John  F. 
Licking  land.  Mr.  Robert  Ray  was  the  teacher.  An  early  school  was 
kept  in  a  cabin  house  formerly  used  as  a  dwelling,  and  stood  near  the 
Cole  Graveyard.  The  teachers  in  this  house  that  can  be  recalled  were 
Adolphus  Dimmick  and  George  Johnson.  On  the  Judge  Watts  place 
Robert  Ray  taught  an  early  school  in  a  vacated  dwelling.  The  first  reg- 
ularly built  schoolbouse  was  erected  some  time  in  the  decade  between 
1820  and  1830,  at  or  in  the  vicinity  of  Opptown.  Another  of  the  pio- 
neer schoolhouses  was  erected  in  1828,  on  the  Lemon  farm,  and  another 
at  the  mouth  of  Hayes  Branch. 

EARLY    MILLS. 

Prior  to  1820  Peter  Wright  erected  a  saw  and  grist-mill  at  the  mouth 
of  Hayea^Branch,  which  was  operated  for  many  years.  Just  above  the 
mill  was  a  little  copper  still.  Henry  Parker  operated  a  horse-power  mill 
in  an  early  day. 

CHURCHES    AND    GRAVEYARDS. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  the  township  there  were  quite  a  number 
of  the  Methodist  and  Baptist  belief,  and  among  them  several  ministers. 
Preaching  was  frequently  held  in  the  cabin  homes  of  the  pioneers  before 
meeting-houses  were  built,  and  classes  or  societies  were  as  early  formed. 
Some  time  between  1820  and  1830,  the  Methodist  society  erected  a  meet- 
ing-house at  Cole's  corner,  in  the  graveyard,  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
southeast  of  Opptown.  Robert  Ray  and  Israel  Cole  were  both  local 
preachers,  and  their  voices  were  often  heard  by  the  pioneer. 

Many  of  the  first  and  later  members  who  worshiped  in  the  meeting- 
house in  question  lie  slebping  in  the  old  churchyard  below  described. 
The  ground  for  both  church  and  religious  purposes  was  set  apart  by  one 
of  the  Coles.  The  house  of  worship  has  been  removed,  and  nothing 
left  to  remind  those  yet  living  of  the  bygone  years  save  the  quiet  city  of 
the  dead,  over  which  the  marble  slabs  stand  as  sentinels.  This  is  the 
oldest  public  burying- ground  of  the  township.  The  earliest  burial  made, 
which  is  marked  by  a  lettered  tombstone,  was  that  oE  the  body  of  John, 
son  of  E.  and  H.  Cole,  who  died  December  10,  1819,  aged  twenty-seven 
years.  Other  early  interments  were  an  infant  of  Reed  and  Mary  Cran- 
dall,  who  died  in  1820;  Dorcas  Cole  in  1822,  and  Israel  Cole  in  1823. 
Among  the  aged  buried  here  are  the  following  named:  John  Leggett, 
died  in  1867,  aged  sixty-seven  years;  Margaret,  wife  of  John  Leggett, 
died  in  1878,  aged  seventy-eight  years;  Eleazer  Cole,  born  in  1804,  died 
in  1875;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  George  Headley,  a  native  of  England,  died 
in  1848,  aged  sixty-five  years;  Lemuel  D.  Turner  died  in  1865,  aged  six- 
ty-four years;  Nancy  Turner  died  in  1864,  aged  fifty -eight  years;  Elea- 


CESAR  CREEK  TOWNSHIP.  513 

zer  Cole  died  in  1822,  aged  fifty-four  years;  Daniel  Kelsey  born  in  1788, 
died  in  1865,  aged  seventy-six  years;  Eunice,  wife  of  Daniel  Kelsey, 
died  in  1872,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  Thomas  Kelsey,  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  died  in  1835,  aged  eighty-one  years. 

About  1832  a  Baptist  society  was  organized  in  Pike  Township,  Ohio 
County,  and  in  two  or  three  years  they  built  a  meeting-house  in  this 
township  on  land  given  for  the  purpose  by  Jacob  Zinn.  The  church  was 
styled  Laughery  Valley  Baptist  Church.  Among  the  membership  were 
Jacob  Zinn,  David  Fisher,  the  Pattersons,  the  Sanderses,  the  Grahams 
and  Rhoda  Conaway.  This  society  has  held  no  meetings  for  probably 
thirty  odd  years. 

At  Farmers'  Retreat  (Opptown)  stands  a  beautiful  and  attractive 
church  edifice  with  a  tall  cupola  and  spire  styled  St,  John's  Lutheran 
Church,  which  building  was  erected  in  1867;  near  by  it  stand^  a  large 
hewed  schoolhouse,  in  which  are  held  the  schools  (in  German)  of  the 
congregation,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  church  is  a  large  and  neat' 
dwelling,  the  pastor's  residence.  The  church  organization  took  place  in 
1842  or  1843,  and  the  first  house  of  worship  built  at  the  graveyard  of 
the  society,  which  is  situated  a  few  hundred  yards  east  of  the  Cole  Grave- 
yard. The  buildingis  the  one  above  referred  to  as  the  schoolhouse,  which 
was  removed  to  its  present  site  on  the  completion  of  the  new  church. 
Among  the  early  membership  were  the  following  named:  Fred  Luking, 
Henry  Lubby,  several  families  of  Prentyses,  Chris  Nolte,  Mai*t  Matting, 
E.  H.  Stapel,  John  and  Fred  He£fmier  and  Earnest  Kuhlman.  Of  the 
ministers  ai'e  recalled  Revs".  Misner,  Hunger,  Myer,  Theodore  Weich- 
man,  the  latter's  pastorate  covering  a,  period  of  twenty- four  years.  The 
graveyard  where  the  old  church  stood  is  well  cared  for  and  contains  many 
neat  marble  slabs.  It  is  about  the  same  age  as  the  church.  About  five 
years  ago,  the  congregation  bought  or  James  W.  Johnson,  another  tract 
of  ground  adjoining  the  other,  which  has  been  beautifully  laid  out  and 
now  contains  some  choice  shrubbery  and  several  costly  monuments. 

Another  Lutheran  Church  building  stands  probably  forty  rods  east  of 
the  German  graveyard,  the  congregation  formerly  was  a  part  of  St. 
John's  Church  but  some  twenty  or  more  years  ago  split  off  from  that 
chiu'ch  and  have  since  been  a  separate  organization.  This  society  is 
now  weak  and  we  believe  has  never  had  a  regular  resident  pastor.  The 
present  pastor  is  Rev.  Mr.  Schaechter,  who  is  pastor,  too,  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church  at  Dillsborough,  where  he  resides. 

Some  thirty  odd  years  ago  a  society  of  German  Methodists  was  organ- 
ized and  held  services  occasionally  in  the  old  Methodist  meeting-house 
located  at  the  Cole  burying -ground.  The  first  preacher  of  the  society 
was  Rev.  John  Hopping.     Other  ministers  were    Revs.  Hoehouse,  Leo- 


514  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

pard  and  Fult.      About  thirteen  years  ago,  the  society  purchased   the 

frame  house  of  worship  that  stood  at  the  graveyard  (Cole)  and  out  of  it 

erected    a  new   one  at  Farmer's   Retreat,    in  which   their    services    are 

now  conducted. 

farmers'  retreat. 

This  settlement  consists  of  a  cluster  of  houses  scattered  along  the 
road  leading  fromDillsborough  to  Friendship,  and  from  appearances  it  is 
judged  that  the  inhabitants  are  a  thrifty  and  industrious  people,  as  all 
buildings  are  either  new  or  in  good  repair  and  order.  There  is  located 
at  this  point  a  postoffice  and  several  stores  and  industries  as  follows: 
three  general  stores,  one  harness  shop,  one  blacksmith  shop  and  one 
shoe  shop.     The  physician  is  Dr.  Barklay. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 
PIKE    TOWNSHIP. 


Boundaries  and  Organization— First  Disposition  of  Lands— Early 
Settlement  and  Notes— Industries— Churches,  Graveyards  and 
Schools— Freedom,  or  Cole's  Corners. 

PIKE,  the  western  township  of  Ohio  County,  lies  between  Laughery 
Creek  on  the  north,  and  Switzerland  County  on  the  south,  and 
between  Cass  and  Union  Townships  on  the  east,  and  Ripley  and  Switz- 
erland Counties  on  the  west.  The  township  was  described  by  the  county 
commissioners  in  March,  1845,  as  "  All  the  territory  of  said  county  west 
of  the  line  dividing  Ranges  2  and  3  in  said  county."  This  description 
gave  to  the  township  its  present  lands,  less  the  eastern  tier  of  sections. 
In  September,  1874,  it  was  ordered  that  "  That  part  of  Cass  and  Union 
Townships  west  of  a  line  commencing  at  a  point  in  Union  Township  on 
Laughery  Creek,  one  mile  east  of  a  line  dividing  Pike  and  Union  Town- 
ships, running  south  to  the  southeast  corner  of  William  Cutter's  land  in 
Cass  Township,  thence  west  to  South 'Fork;  thence  up  South  Fork  to  the 
line  dividing  Pike  and  Cass  Townships,  be  attached  to  Pike."  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1876,  the  boundary  lines  between  the  townships  of  Union  and 
Pike,  and  Cass  and  Pike,  were  so  established  as  to  give  the  present  ter- 
ritory to  Pike  Township,  which  territory  originally  formed  part  of  Cesar 
Creek  and  Union  Townships  of  Dearborn  County. 


PIKE  TOWNSHIP.  515 

FIEST    DISPOSITION    OF    LAKDS. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  Government,  with 
the  purchasers'  names  and  year  of  sale,  are  set  forth  in  the  following 
list  (where  the  entire  section  was  not  disposed  of  at  one  time,  the  succes- 
sion of  dates  and  names  indicate  the  years  when  and  names  to  whom 
portions  of  the  section  were  sold): 

Township  3,  Range  2  west. 

Section  6,  sold  in  1815,  to  Hubbard  Jones;  in  1816,  to  Robert 
Lyons;  in  1833,  to  Simon   Gonaway;  in   1836,  to  Daniel  Conaway;   in 

1837,  to  Leonard  Bailey;  in  1839,  to  Hiram  Barker. 

Section  7,  in  1817,  to  Abraham  Wheeson;  in  1825,  to  John  Phelps; 
in  1833,  to  James  G.  Kittle;,  in  1830-32  to  JohnGibbs;  in  1836,  to  Moses 
Johnson. 

Township  4,  Range  3  west. 

Section  1  (part  in  Dearborn  County),  in  1811  and  1814,  to  Joseph 
Lyons;  in  1818,  to  Felix  Brandt;  in  1830,  to  Samuel  Graham  and  James 
Lyons;  in  1837,  to  Samuel  Graham. 

Section  2  (part  in  Dearborn  County),  in  1812,  to  Charles  and  Jacob 
Brashen;  in  1814,  to  Samuel  Purcell  and  Austin  Hubbard;  in  1817,  to 
Peter  Longer;  in  1836,  to  Charles  B.  Pate;  in  1837,  to  Lewis  Pate. 

Section  3  (part  in  Dearborn  County),  in  1814,  to  Griffin  Tipsond  and 
Abraham  Bills;  in  1836,  to  Charles  B.  George,  Jr.,  and  R.  R.  Pate;  in 

1838,  to  Herod  H.  G.  Ellerman,  in  1839;  to  Henry  Probst  and  Frederick 
Wolver  or  Wulver. 

Fractional  Section  5  (part  in  Dearborn  County)  in  1812,  to  Larkin 
Kyle. 

Section  8,  in  1816,  to  John  Watts;  in  1836,  to  David  Pate;  in  1839, 
to  John  H.  Tilbert. 

Sections  9  and  10  (part  in  Dearborn  County),  in  1811,  to  Thomas 
Rand  and  James  Hamilton;  in  1815,  to  James  McGuire. 

Section  11,  in  1818,  to  Jesse  Embree  and  Edward  Hepburn;  in  1819, 
to  William  Wooley;  in  1833,  to  William  Patmore;  in  1836,  to  George 
Pate;  in  1839,  to  Cornelius  S.  Terwilliger. 

Section  12,  to  Jesse  Embree  and  Edward  Hepburn;  in  1819,  to  Henry 
L.  Wilmer. 

Section  13,  in  1815,  to  Richard  Folsom;  in  1819,  to  H.  L.  Mangowem 
and  H.  Y.  L.  Wilmer;  in  1834,  to  James  F.  Johnson;  in  1839,  to  John 
J.  Frely. 

Section  14,  in  1818,  to  William  Barr  and  Edward  Hepburn;  in  1832, 
to  Timothy  W.  Graham;  in  1834,  to  James  Wymond;  in  1836,  to  Daniel 
Wolcott  and  John  Elder;  in  1837,  to  George  Carpenter,  Norman  Sloan, 
A.  N.  Sloan. 


516  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Section  15,  in  1838-34,  to  Timothy  Ward;  in  1836,  to  Ezra  G.  Bear, 
Timothy  Ward,  Hugh  Cole,  William  Winscott;  in  1837,  to  Thomas 
Jones,  Joseph  Q.  Frazee. 

Section  17,  in  1831-32,  to  James  McGuire;  in  1833,  to  Benjamin 
Dolph;  in  1836,  to  Albert  Voris;  in  1837-38,  to  John  McGuire;  in  1838, 
to  William  N.  Gardner;  in  1839,  to  Benjamin  S.  Hildebrand. 

Section  20,  in  1818,  to  Samuel  Acton,  in  1819,  to  John  Sherlock;  in 
1836,  to  George  Fallis,  Luther  Hotchkiss,  Martin  D.  Fallis,  Madison 
Vanosdal,  Henry  Demsdell. 

Section  19,  in  1833,  to  John  C.  Mapert;  in  1838,  to  Jacob  Boyd. 

Section  21,  in  1834,  to  James  Wilson;  in  1830,  to  Marshall  Elliott;  in 

1835,  to  William  Murphy;  in  1837,  to  George  Fallis,  Samuel  Fallis,  Will- 
iam Armstrong  and  Martin  D.  Fallis;  in  1838,  to  Eichard  Fallis  and 
Edward  Roberts;  in  1839,  to  John  Fallis,  Joseph  B.  Glenn,  John  Gross. 

Sectibn  22,  in  1832,  to  Christian  Cooper;  in  1833,  to  Orlando  Wal- 
ker, B.  H.  Walker  and  Isaac  G.  Bascom;  in  1834,  to  Peter  G.  Danlenyn, 
Joseph  Culp  and  Joshua  Sutton;  in  1836,  to  Peter  G.  Danlenyn  and 
Eli  Cooper. 

Section  23,  in  1817,  to  Thomas  Morgan,  John  Gifford  and  Mathias 
Redding;    in   1818,   to  Stephen  Burrows;    in  1827,  to  John  Clark;    in 

1836,  to  Haney  Hatcher;  in  1837,  to  David  Brown  and  Eleazer  Smith. 
Section  24,  in  1818,  to  Peter  Bear,  John  Dickinson,  John  and  Will- 
iam B.  Phelps;  in  1836,  to  Jacob  R.  Harris;  in  1838,  to  John  Clark;  in 

1837,  to  James  Fox  and  John  Gibbs. 
Township  4,  Range  2  west. 

Section  31,  in  1806,  to  Thomas  Purcell;  in  1804,  to  Dickey  Berk- 
shire; in  1817,  to  John  Clement;  in  1833,  to  Hubbard  Jones  and  Sam- 
uel Griffin,. 

A  portion  of  Section  36,  Township  5,  Range  3  west,  is  in  this  town- 
ship.    (See  Cesar  Creek  Township. ) 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT  AND  NOTES. 

This  township  began  to  be  settled  about  the  close  of  the  first  decade 
in  the  present  century.  One  of  the  very  early  settlers  along  Laugh - 
ery  Creek,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mouth  of  Bear  Creek,  was  Thomas 
Rand,  a  man  with  a  large  family.  His  sons  were  James,  Thomas  and 
Charles.  The  family  removed  to  this  site  from  what  is  now  Brown 
County,  Ohio.      This  family  cleared  up  and  improved  land. 

Further  up  Laughery,  and  not  far  from  the  "Indian  Boundary  Line," 
settled  Thomas  Johnson  at  an  early  period. 

Several  families  of  Pates,  settled  along  Laughery  Creek,  during  the 
war  of  1812-15,  of  which  were  Jeremiah  and  son,  and  George, men  of  fam- 
ilies. 


PIKE  TOWNSHIP.  517 

Among  the  early  settlers  on  South  Fork  were  Hurbert  Jones,  James 
Moore,  Thomas  Logston  and  Thomas  Bobbins.     . 

Other  pioneers  of  the  township,  who  had  located  here  between  sixty 
and  seventy  years  ago,  can  be  recalled  George  French  and  family  (Penn- 
sylvanians),  Samuel  Cunningham  and  family,  Peter  Bear  (a  Virginian) 
and  family,  John  and  Elisha  Clark  (from  Ohio  here)  and  families,  Nor- 
man Sloan  and  family,  Benjamin  Locks  and  family,  Jeremiah  Folsom 
and  family,  Ebenezer  Phelps  and  family,  and  a  Mr.  Walson,  all  of  whom 
lived  in  and  about  what  is  now  called  Freedom;  along  Laughery  Creek, 
lived  Samuel  Graham,  John  Lyons,  Isaac  Bisby,  some  of  the  Purcells 
and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Spears,  all  men  with  families;  and  on  Bear 
Creek,  lived  Benjamin  Dulph  and  family.  These  men  were  all  in  the 
strictest  sense  pioneers,  clearing  up  and  improving  farms,  and  otherwise 
identified  in  the  township's  history. 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  the  decade  between  1830  and  1810,  marks 
the  period  when  the  German  element  began  settling  in  the  township, 
which  now  is  greatly  in  excess  of  the  American  population.  Among  the 
early  Germans  immigrating  to  this  section  were  Henry  Marker,  Henry 
Blanker  and  Frederick  Housemire.  On  this  point,  in  1876,  it  was 
stated:  "Thirty-seven  years  ago  we  had  but  few  German  families 
(among  the  first  were  Mr.  Potterbaum,  Henry  F.  Marker  and  Henry 
Blanker),  now  we  have  about^seventy."  Concerning  some  of  the  men  of 
the  township  the  following  appeared  in  one  of  the  county  papers  in 
1876:  "Robert  McKim  is  the  oldest  man  in  the  township,  in  his  nine- 
tieth year;  Christopher  Housemire  and  wife,  came  next,  eighty-three  and 
eighty-six;  Ezekiel  Walston,  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  1812,  eighty-three; 
John  Dennis,  Sr.,  eighty-two;  James  McGuire  is  quite  old,  also.  Capt. 
T.  W.  Pate  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  served  as  assessor  and  justice, 
then  removed  above  Rising  Sun;  served  as  judge  of  the  probate  court, 
and  as  captain  of  Company  C,  Thirty-seventh  Indiana,  and  commanded 
the  steamer  'Red  Stone.'  Hon.  William  T.  Pate,  of  Patriot,  served  as 
sheriff  and  in  the  State  Legislature.  John  S.  and  Henry  S.  Pate,  also 
are  claimed  here.  Peter  S.  Pate  was  born  on  the  farm  on  which  he  still 
lives,  aged  forty-eight,  and  has  done  the  township  good  service,  and  is  a 
director  of  the  National  Bank  of  Rising  Sun.  Col.  Carlisle  Stout, 
father  of  Capts.  Able  and  Ira  Stout,  is  an  old  citizen,  having  resided 
here  nearly  forty-five  years.     Eli  Cooper  also  is  an  old  resident." 

Capt.  Pate  above  referred  to,  died  in  the  city  of  Rising  Sun,  of  par 
alysis,  March  22,  1885,  when  the  following  obituary  notice  appeared  in 
the  Local  of  that  city: 

"  Capt.  Thomas  Waterson  Pate  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Va., 
May  17,  1813.     His  parents,  in  1814,  removed  to  what  was  then  known 


518  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

as  the  Northwestern  Territory,  settling  on  the  bank  of  Laugher j  Creek, 
in  what  is  now  the  western  part  of  Ohio  County.  He  was  married. 
April  17,  1834,  to  Mildred  Rice,  a  grand-daughter  of  Judge  Watts,  a 
Baptist  minister  of  considerable  note  in  those  days.  Five  children  were 
born  to  them,  four  of  whom  are  living.  In  1846  he  removed  to  a  farm 
on  the  Ohio  River,  near  Rising  Sun,  where  he  resided  until  1869,  since 
which  time  he  has  resided  in  Rising  Sun.  The  greater  part  of  his  life 
was  spent  as  a  farmer,  boating  during  the  winter  season  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers.  He  entered  the  army  in  1861  as  a  captain  in  the 
Thirty- seventh  Indiana  Regiment.  He  was  discharged,  in  1863,  on 
account  of  wounds  he  received  at  the  battle  of  Stone  River.  After  his 
recovery  he  was  appointed  a  pilot  in  the  Mississippi  squadron,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  possessed  of  vig- 
orous constitution,  not  requiring  the  seiwices  of  a  physician  until  nearly 
seventy  years  of  age.  An  intimate  acquaintance  for  sixty  years  describes 
his  social  character  by  saying:  'He  would  walk  for  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing another  ride  his  horse.'  " 

INDUSTRIES, 

Probably  as  early  as  1816  or  1817,  Judge  Watts  built  a  grist  and  saw- 
mill on  Laughery  Creek  pretty  well  up  toward  the  "Indian  Boundary 
Line."  Prior  to  this  he  had  a  kind  of  a  corn  cracker  more  rudely  con- 
structed than  the  mill  mentioned.  In  those  times  persons  taking  grain 
to  the  mill  were  to  oversee  their  own  grinding  and  in  waiting  their 
turns  would  not  unfrequently  be  compelled  to  remain  at  the  mill  a  day 
or  more  at  a  time.  A  story  is  said  to  have  been  often  related  by  Maj. 
McGuire,  which  is  illustrative  of  the  slowness  in  which  the  mills  of  those 
times  performed  their  work.  While  the  Major  was  once  looking  after 
his  grinding  he  happened  to  fall  asleep  for  some  time,  and  on  awaken- 
ing and  examining  his  grist  he  found  a  dog  near  by  which  had  been 
eating  it  as  fast  as  converted  into  meal,  and  stood  barking  for  more.  In 
1825  Col.  Egelston  and  Isaiah  Bisby  erected  a  grist  and  saw-mill  on  the 
Laughery  Creek  further  down,  which  was  operated  probably  fifteen  years. 
It  passed  from  them  into  the  hands  of  a  Mr.  Patterson.  Mr.  Bisby  also 
for  a  time  operated  a  little  still.  Peter  Bear  built  a  grist  and  saw-mill 
on  South  Fork,  east  of  Freedom,  not  far  from  the  year  1825  or  1826. 
Probably  twenty  years  later  Hugh  Anderson  erected  a  steam  saw  and 
grist-mill  about  one  half  a  mile  east  of  Fi-eedom.  -This  mill  was 
operated  some  years,  burned  down,  was  rebuilt  and  finally  wore  out 
and  is  an  industry  of  the  past.  Another  steam  saw-mill  was  built  at 
Freedom  before  the  Anderson  mill  by  Darius  Ford  which,  too,  is  num- 
bered with  the  things  o^  the  past.     Not  far  from  1840  Marshall  Elliott 


PIKE  TOWNSHIP.  519 

erected  and  carried  on  a  grist-mill  on  Bear  Creek,  which  was  located 
about  two  miles  from  its  mouth.  In  the  early  times  there  were  several 
tanneries  in  operation,  one  by  John  Lyons,  one  by  Col.  Johnson  Watts, 
one  by  a  Mr.  Dayton  and  one  by  one  of  the  Clarks.  Both  Col.  Watts 
and  one  of  the  Grahams  operated  little  copper  stills. 

In  1876  there  were  in  the  township  three  stores,  kept  by  J.  Graves  & 
Bro.,  F.  W.  Housemire  and  Buchanan  Bros;  three  blacksmith  shops,  ten 
cooper  shops,  one  grist-mill  and  three  saw-mills. 

CHURCHES,  GRAVEYARDS    AND  SCHOOLS. 

On  the  west  side  of  Laughery  Creek  about  one  mile  east  of  the 
western  boundary  of  the  county  at  the  old  graveyard  situated  there,  nearly 
at  the  water's  edge,  formerly  stood  what  was  designated  as  "  The  Bear 
Creek  Regular  Baptist  Church, "  which  society  was  constituted  June  13, 
1818,  at  the  residence  of  Judge  John  Watts,  Elders  George  Hume  and 
Jesse  Vawter  being  the  ordained  gentlemen  present.  The  original 
members  were  John  Watts,  Fannie  Watts,  Erastus  Lathrop,  Dilly 
Lathrop,  Ezra  Lathrop,  Sr.,  and  Ezra  Lathrop,  Jr.,  and  among  the  early 
elders  were  Judge  Watts,  Erastus  Lathrop,  George  Hume,  James  Milles, 
Andrew  Baker  and  Moses  Purcell.  Ground  at  this  place  was  set  apart 
for  burial  and  church  purposes  by  Judge  Watts,  and  on  it  was  early 
erected  a  log  meeting-house,  which  in  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  was 
replaced  by  a  frame  one  which  was  used  until  the  congregation  was 
removed  to  Friendship  or  Paultown,  in  Ripley  County,  where  it  in  con- 
nection with  the  society  worshiping  at  that  place  some  time  before  the 
late  war,  erected  a  neat  and  substantial  brick  church  edifice.  The  Bear 
Creek  Graveyard  is  strikingly  peculiar  in  the  fact  that  all  graves  are 
walled  up  above  the  ground  with  stone  in  sarcophagus  form  with  a 
lettered  stone  standing  at  the  head  of  the  grave  as  is  usually  the  case. 
This  place  of  burial  is  not  large,  though  a  number  of  graves  are  marked 
by  rude  unlettered  stones,  and  quite  likely  many  of  the  first  settlers  of 
that  section  of  the  country  are  interred  here  without  any  thing  at  all  to 
mark  their  last  resting  place.  The  yard  is  unfenced  and  for  years  has 
been  open  to  the  various  causes  that  will  eventually  obliterate  all  traces  of 
the  hallowed  spot.  Only  a  few  of  the  stones  bearing  inscriptions  are 
legible.  The  oldest  we  noticed  was  inscribed  to  the  memory  of  Newton 
Watts,  born  in  1800,  died  In  1818.  The  remains  of  Elder  Erastus 
Lathrop  rest  here,  his  death  occurring  in  1821,  at  the  age  of  forty -five 
years.  Just  over  in  the  field  across  the  public  road  to  the  west  is  a  small 
place  of  burial  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  in  which  rest  the  bodies  of 
Judge  John  Watts,  Col.  Johnson  Watts  and  a  number  of  the  family, 
the  Harts,  and  a  few  others.     Judge  Watts  died  in   1834,  aged  sixty- 


520  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

seven  years;  Frances,  widow  of  Judge  Watts,  died  in  1854,  aged  eighty - 
two  years;  Robert  Ray  died  in  1838,  aged  forty-nine  years;  John  Henry 
died  in  1878,  aged  eighty-one  years;  John  Oglevee  died  in  1868,  aged 
seventy- five  years;  Col.  Johnson  Watts  died  in  1871,  aged  seventy-six 
years;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Col.  Johnson  Watts,  died  in  1867,  aged 
seventy-three  years. 

In  the  early  settlement  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township,  a  class 
of  Methodists  was  accustomed  to  worship  at  the  residence  of  George 
French,  who  was  a  class-leader.  This  denomination,  we  believe,  has 
never  erected  a  meeting-house  of  their  own  in  the  township. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  township,  less  than  one  mile  south  of 
Freedom,  or  Cole's  Corners,  stands  a  neat  and  substantial  frame  church 
building,  called  Olive  Branch  Baptist  Church,  erected  in  1884  The 
society  was  organized  probably  fifty  years  ago,  and  in  1838  or  1840, 
a  meeting-house  was  erected  at  the  graveyard,  on  the  site  of  the 
building  just  described,  on  ground  given,  it  is  believed,  by  George 
March,  for  church  and  burial  purposes.  At  about  the  time  of  the  re- 
moval of  the  society  worshiping  at  Bear  Creek,  to  Friendship,  a  divis- 
ion occurred  in  the  Olive  Branch  Church,  then,  we  believe,  called 
Sugar  Branch,  and  a  portion  of  the  membership  formed  a  society  and 
built  a  meeting-house  about  one  mile  west  of  Freedom',  but  were,  com- 
paratively speaking,  short-lived.  To  the  right  of  the  Olive  Branch 
Church  is  quite  a  large  burying  ground,  in  which  rest  the  remains  of 
many  of  the  earlier  members  of  both  branches  of  the  church  just 
sketched.  Among  the  aged  whose  bodies  are  here  interred,  are  the  fol- 
lowing: Thomas  Bobbins,  died  in  1867,  aged  eighty-three  years;  Sarah, 
widow  of  Thomas  Robbins,  died  in  1880,  aged  seventy-nine  years;  George 
March,  died  in  1863,  aged  eighty-seven  years;  Juda  March,  died  in 
1864,  aged  eighty-five  years;  Daniel  Baker,  died  in  1881,  aged  seventy- 
one  years;  William  Spear,  died  in  1861,  aged  eighty-three  years;  Mary, 
wife  of  Hugh  Anderson,  died  in  1871,  aged  seventy-seven  years;  Thomas 
Davis,  died  in  1876,  aged  eighty-three  years;  Timothy  Ward,  died  in' 
1870,  aged  seventy-seven  years;  Rebecca,  widow  of  Timothy  Ward,  died 
in  1871,  aged  seventy- three  years;  Jeremiah  Robbins,  died  in  1869,  aged 
seventy-one  years;  Lydia,  wife  of  Isaac  Robbins,  died  in  1877,  aged 
seventy- three  years. 

Elders  John,  Samuel  and  Absalom  Pa\;ey,  and  Robert  Stephenson, 
were  ministers  of  the  Olive  Branch  Church. 

St.  Peter's  is  the  name  of  a  German  Lutheran  Church  society  that 
worship  in  a  large  and  substantial  brick  church  edifice,  located  near  the 
center  of  the  township,  erected  in  1878.  The  society,  as  an  organization, 
dates  back  to  the  time  when  the  township  began  to  be  peopled  by  the  Ger- 


PIKE  TOWNSHIP.  521 

man  immigrants.  Their  first  building,  a  frame,  was  built  in  1852.  In 
the  rear  of  the  building  is  situated  the  schoolhouse  of  the  congregation, 
who  instruct  their  children  in  the  German  language;  also,  to  the  rear  of 
these  buildings,  probably  100  yards,  is  a  small  burying  ground  belong- 
ing to  the  church,  which  dates  back  to  the  church  organization. 

The  church  building  above  referred  to  as  having  been  built  by  a  por- 
tion of  the  membership  that  withdrew  from  the  Olive  Branch  Society, 
and  located  about  a  mile  west  of  Freedom,  has  within  the  past  decade 
fallen  into  possession  of  a  United  Brethren  Society,  organized,  perhaps, 
ten  years  ago. 

In  1876  the  membership  of  the  Olive  Branch  Church  was  sixty-two, 
and  the  pastor  was  Elder  Samuel  Pavey;  the  membership  of  the  Lutheran 
church  was  100,  the  pastor  being  Eev.  F.  Zurmullen. 

One  of  the  early  schools  taught  in  this  township  was  kept  in  a  cabin 
previously  occupied  as  a  dwelling  house,  located  near  the  tanyard  of  one 
of  the  Clarks  referred  to  above.  T]be  teacher  was  Samuel  Bell.  About 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  south  of  Freedom  was  built  a  hewed  log-school- 
house,  in  which  taught  Harrison  Plummer,  Warren  Crandall,  and  a  Mr. 
Ward,  respectively.  There  were  five  schoolhouses  in  the  township  in 
1875. 

FREEDOM,  OR  COLe's  CORNERS. 

This  consists  of  a  little  cluster  of  houses  located  along  the  highway 
where  two  country  roads  cross,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  townshipj 
where  is  a  postofiice,  and  some  little  business.  The  postoffice  was  first 
established  on  Bear  Creek,  under  the  name  of  Bear  Branch,  with  Henry 
A.  Downey,  once  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Vevay,  as  postmaster.  It  was 
his  first  entrance  into  public  life,  in  1852  or  1853.  The  ofiice  was  moved 
to  Cole's  Corners  in  1855,  and  Darius  Ford  was  appointed  postmaster. 
In  1868  the  office  was  removed  to  the  store  of  F.  W\  Housemire,  where  it 
remained  until  1876,  when  it  was  removed  to  Cole's  Corners,  and  James 
Buchanan  appointed  postmaster. 


522  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

HARRISON  TOWNSHIP. 

Organization  and  Boundaries— Disposal  or  Lands  by  the  Govern- 
ment—Early Settlement  and  Notes— Mills,  Distilleries,  etc.— 
Schools,  Churches,  and  Graveyards— Harrison. 

HARRISON  is  the  northeast  corner  township  of  Dearborn  County, 
and  was  organized  at  the  June  session  of  the  commissioners  in 
1844,  out  of  territory  belonging  to  Logan  Township.  Its  boundaries 
were  then  described  as  follows,  which  are  the  same  at  present:  "Com- 
mencing at  the  northeast  corner  of  Miller  Township,  and  running  due 
west  on  the  northern  line  of  said  township  to  the  one-half  mile  stone  on 
Section  34  of  Logan  Township;  thence  due  north  three  and  three-quar- 
ter miles  more  or  less  to  the  center  of  Whitewater  River;  thence  follow- 
ing up  said  river  to  the  county  line;  thence  east  on  said  co  nty  line  to 
the  Ohio  State  line;  thence  south  on  said  State  line  to  the  place  of  be- 
ginning." The  township  on  the  north  borders  on  Franklin  County,  on 
the  east  on  the  State  of  Ohio,  on  the  south  on  Miller  Township,  and  on 
the  west  on  the  Whitewater  River  and  Logan  Township, 

disposal  of  lands  by  the  government. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  sold  by  the  government  with  the  years 
of  sales  and  names  of  purchasers  are  exhibited  in  the  following  list: 

Township  7,  Range  1  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  1,  sold  in  1811,  to  Obediah  Ford;  in  1814,  to 
Stephen  Falkington;  in  1816,to  Hugh  Moore;  in  1818,  to  Samuel  0.  Vance; 
in  1832,  to  John  Garner. 

A  portion  of  Section  2,  in  1811,  to  James  Blackhouse;  in  1812,  to 
James  Remy;  in  1815,  to  George  Larrison;  in  1818,  to  Moses  Wiley;  in 
1832,  to  Nathan  C.  Wickham  and  James  McMannaman. 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1816,  to  James  Jones,  Sr.;  in  1824,  to 
Hugh  Abercrombie;  in  1829,  to  Solomon  Manwarring;  in  1832,  to  Jesse 
Whipple;  in  1833,  to  Rees  Strand;  in  1834,  to  Hugh  Abercrombie. 

A  portion  of  Section  4  (part  in  Logan  Township),  in  1803,  to  James 
Adair,  Sr.;  in  1809,  to  Enoch  Smith;  in  1810,  to  James  Jones. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  July  14,  1801,  to  Richard  Manering;  in  1803, 
to  John  Hackleman. 


HARRISON   TOWNSHIP.  523 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  August  29,  1801,  to  John  Brown;  August  13, 
1801,  to  Lewis  Deweese. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  June  5,  1802,  to  William  Majors;  in  1804,  to 
Alexander  Dearmand;  in  1815,  to  James  Hartpence. 

A  portion  of  Section  13,  August  22,  1801,  to  Cave  Johnson;  December 
8,  1801,  to  William  Allensworth  and  William  Ramsy. 

A  portion  of  Section  35,  in  1817,  to  John  Gibson;  in  1832,  to  William 
McClure,  Aaron  Scoggins,  and  Isaac  Crinden;  in  1833,  to  E.  G. 
Scoggins  and  Aaron  Scoggins;  in  1835,  to  William  H.  Loyd;  in  1836,  to 
Benjamin  Morgan,  Jr. 

A  portion  of  Section  36,  in  1816,  to  Reuben  Lewis;  in  1828,  to  James    y 
Backhouse;    in  1832,  to  Stephen    and    Elisha    Burke,  David    Williams,/^ 
Hiram  and   Silas  Henderson;   in  1833,    to  Aaron    Scoggins  and  David 
Williams;  in  1834,  to  John  L.  Hall. 

A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1818,  to  A.  White,  Jacob  Ducaris,  Will- 
iam Pereell  and  Thomas  Breckenridge;  in  1828,  to  George  Waldorf,  Ben- 
jamin Morgan;  in  1833,  to  Thomas  McBreckenridge,  George  Waldorf; 
also  to  Waldorf  in  1835;  in  1838,  to  Warren  Tebbs. 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  April  9,  1801,  to  John  Brown;  in  1811,  to 
William  Purcell;  in  1833,  to  John  Snyder. 

Section  25,  in  1805,  to  John  Allen;  in  1815,  to  Jonas  Crane;  in 
1832,  to  Ulila  Burke,  William  S.  Deweese;  in  1828,  to  Denis  Hol- 
dron;  in  1834,  to  John  Henderson;  in  1835,  to  William  Waldorf. 

A  portion  of  Section  26,  in  1817,  to  Absalom  Cornelius;  in  1818, 
to  Enoch  Morgan,  David  Lathrop;  in  1832,  to  Ranna  S.  Cloud,  John 
McCannon;  in  1834,  to  John  Henderson,  Jr.;  in  1835,  to  Robert  Cas- 
sady. 

Sections  15,  22,  27  and  34,  situated  in  the  townships  of  Harrison  and 
Logan,  are  treated  of  in  the  latter. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT  AND  NOTES. 

In  1879  the  venerable  William  McClure,  of  Franklin  County,  this 
State,  wrote  as  follows: 

"My  father  moved  from  Harrison  County,  Ky.,  in  1804,  when  I  was 
about  two  years  old,  and  settled  near  Cleves,  about  five  miles  below  the 
town  of  Harrison,  Ohio.  He  remained  there  one  season,  and  then  moved 
to  a  place  called  Stone  Lick,  and  built  a  log-cabin,  which  was  on  the  farm 
of  the  late  Peter  Rifener,  about  one  mile  above  Harrison.  I  learned 
from  Capt.  Isaac  Fuller,  of  this  county,  that  his  father  lived  as  early 
as  1794  or  1795,  at  North  Bend,  and  in  the  Big  Bottom,  and  that  he 
helped  to  raise  the  first  patch  of  corn  that  was  raised  by  white  men 
'in  the  Big  Bottom. 


524  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"I  will  now  name  some  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Harri- 
son, out  as  far  as  the  Dry  Fork,  and  Miami,  and  up  to  the  line  of  Frank- 
lin County,  and  also  state  where  they  lived,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect, 
as  the  principal  route  to  the  interior  of  the  State,  from  Cincinnati,  where 
the  land  offices  were  located,  was  up  the  Whitewater  Valley,  where  we 
locate  these  early  settlers.  On  the  Ohio  side,  and  near  the  Miami,  there 
lived  Col.  Bennifield,  Squire  Vantrees,  Basil  Wells,  —  Carrs,  Prof.  AVhite, 
—  Ingersol,  and  the  Ismingers.  J.  Armstrong  settled  on  the  Dry  Fork 
near  New  Haven,  in  1802,  or  1803;  also  the  Athertons  and  Shucks. 
Mathew  Brown  lived  nearer  Harrison;  also  the  Cottons.  At  Harrison 
and  below,  were  Eben  Cooley,  Hunts,  Aliens,  James  Backhouse  and 
Breckenridge.  Above  Harrison,  first  was  old  John  Caldwell,  who  could 
tell  some  of  the  greatest  stories  of  any  man  in  the  country.  He  said 
when  he  was  lying  by  his  corn  one  year  in  the  bottom  above  Harrison, 
he  noticed  a  very  promising  hill  of  corn,  and  that  he  concluded  he 
would  mark  it;  so  he  threw  a  black  chunck  by  it,  and  in  the  fall,  when 
he  came  to  gather  it,  there  wei;e  165  ears  on  the  hill  of  corn,  and  four- 
teen on  the  black  chunck.  Next,  above,  was  James  Eads, father  of  William 
H.  Eads,  formerly  of  Brookville.  Mr.  Harthouse  lived  near  him.  Jere- 
miah Johnson  lived  near  Johnson's  Fork,  from  whom  I  presume,  it  took 
its  name.  Across  the  river  lived  the  Ashbys.  Above  the  mouth  of 
Johnson's  Fork,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  there  was  a  block-house  built 
in  1812,  for  defense  against  the  Indians.  Moses  Wiley,  father  of  Hon. 
Spencer  Wiley,  settled  on  the  farm  of  the  late  Thomas  Breckenridge. 
The  next  farm  above  was  settled  by  William  Jacob,  father  of  Maj. 
Hackleman,  deceased,  late  of  this  county.  William  Mayer  lived  in  the 
bottom,  south  of  Hackleman's,  near  the  old  Baptist  meeting-house. 
The  next  above  Hackleman's,  were  Solomon  and  Richard  Manwarring. 
The  next  above  near  where  the  Widow  Bray  lives,  was  James  Cole,  who 
was  one  of  your  noisy  and  boisterous  men.  He  could  be  heard  in  com- 
mon conversation  nearly  half  a  mile.  Benjamin  McCarty,  James  Adair 
and  Abner  Conner  settled  in  the  bottom  above  Cole's.  Some  persons  by 
the  name  of  Logan,  made  some  salt  at,  or  near,  the  mouth  of  Logan 
Creek. 

"My  father  moved  to  Richland  Creek  about  four  miles  below  Brook- 
ville, in  1807.  At  that  time  Ralph  Wildridge  and  the  Treads,  and, 
perhaps,  John  and  Samuel  5'Ockafellar,  lived  about  New  Trenton,  and 
over  the  river,  opposite  the  Big  Narrows,  Isaac  Levi  and  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Brownlee  were  the  first  settlers.  John  Vanblaricum  settled  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  Big  Narrows.  Zachariah  Cooksey  settled  next 
above  and  George  Rudicil's  father,  where  Maj.  Rudicil  now  lives.  About 
that  time  Michael  Rudicil  settled  about  a  mile  east  on  the  upland.      Maj. 


HARRISON  TOWNSHIP.  525 

Rudicil  has  lived  where  he  now  lives  ever  since  I  can  remember,  and  in 
his  yoanger  days  traded  to  New  Orl  eans,  and  brought  more  money  into 
the  county  than  any  man  I  was  acquainted  with,  and  was  always  correct 
and  honorable  in  his  dealings.  Nathaniel  Porter  and  Joseph  Mormon 
settled  first  above  Rudicil.  John  Hagerman  built  a  mill  at  the  lower 
end  of  what  is  called  Bennett's  Bottom;  there  also  was,  perhaps,  the 
first  carding  machine  in  the  country,  and  a  good  grist-mill."       *       * 

One  of  the  most  successful  and  well  known  Methodist  preachers  in 
the  Whitewater  country  was  Rev.  Allen  Wiley;  his  father  moved  to  a 
place  about  three  miles  above  Harrison  in  1804,  at  which  time  Allen  was 
in  his  sixteenth  year.  In  1845  and  1846  Rev.  Mr.  Wiley  published 
a  series  of  articles  in  the  Western  Christian  Advocate  entitled,  "Intro- 
duction and  Progress  of  Methodism  in  Southeastern  Indiana."  He  was 
a  man  of  unusually  large  experience  and  knowledge  of  the  people  and 
times  whereof  he  wrote.  He  says:  "In  the  autumn  of  1804,  my  father 
came  to  Indiana  and  settled  about  three  miles  above  where  Harrison  now 
stands,  I  being  then  in  my  sixteenth  year.  The  country  was  then  some- 
what densely  settled  along  the  river,  up  to  what  was  called  the  Lower 
Narrows,  six  or  seven  miles  above  where  Whitewater  leaves  Indiana.  As 
well  as  I  remember  there  was  one  family  on  the  southwest  side  of  the 
river  opposite  the  before  mentioned  narrows;  another  family  on  the  same 
side  opposite  the  narrows,  above  the  present  town  of  New  Trenton;  and 
another  on  the  same  side  in  the  bottom  below  the  present  town  of  Roch- 
ester (now  Cedar  Grove).  Three  quarters  of  a  mile  above  Big  Cedar 
Grove  Creek  Mr.  John  Connor,  an  Indian  trader,  had  a  store  kept  by  a 
Frenchman,  hence  the  store  was  called  the  French  store.  I  have  now 
gone  to  the  ultima  thule  or  verge  of  the  white  population  in  the  White- 
water Valley  in  1804.  The  first  settlers  in  the  Whitewater  bottoms  were 
in  many  respects,  a  charming  people  when  I  became  acquainted  with 
them  in  1804.  They  were  generally  a  sober,  industrious  and  kind-hearted 
people  "********** 

The  author  of  an  "Emigrants  Directory,"  published  in  1817,  in 
speaking  of  the  village  of  Harrison  says,  "a  considerable  number  of  the 
inhabitants  are  from  the  State  of  New  York;  Mr.  Looker  from  Saratoga 
•County,  Mr.  Crane  from  Schnectedy  and  Mr.  Allen,  the  postmaster,  from 
New  Jersey,  own  the  surrounding  lands.  They  are  all  very  fine  and 
valuable  farms,  worth  from  $40  to  $60  per  acre.  The  settlement  was 
commenced  about  sixteen  years  ago."         ***** 

In  1884,  Mathias  Voshell  died  in  Millar  Township  this  county,  when 
it  was  stated  that  "he  was  born  in  Delaware,  in  1800,  and  with  his  step- 
father, Mr.  Thornton,  immigrated  to  Williamsburg,  Penn.,  in  the  fall  of 
1805,  where  Mr.  Thornton  built  a  flat-boat,  and  in   1806    landed  in  Cin- 


526  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

cinnati,  and  selected  and  built  the  first  cabin  house  on  the  Ohio  side,  in 
the  town  of  Harrison,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  went  to  Kentucky, 
where,  until  recent  years,  he  resided,  then  came  back  to  Dearborn 
County." 

About  this  time  there  were  located  at  and  near  Harrison  a  number  of 
substantial  men,  among  whom  were  John  Allen,  James  Eads,  Solomon 
Manwarring,  James  Cloud,  William  Purcell,  Warren  Tebbs,  Isaac 
Majors  (father  of  Daniel  S.  Majors),  JohnHinkston  and  Samuel  Hallo- 
well. 

In  1807  Moses  Tebbs  and  family  removed  from  North  Carolina  and 
settled  on  the  Whitewater  in  this  township.  Mr.  Tebbs  had  previously 
resided  in  the  State  of  Virginia.  On  coming  here  game  of  all  kinds  was 
very  plenty,  and  the  male  portion  of  the  Tebbs  family  became  expert 
hunters.  When  the  Indian  war  broke  out  in  1811,  Warren  with  his 
brother  Willoughby  (sons  of  Moses),  and  most  of  the  young  men  in  the 
neighborhood  joined  the  rangers,  and  were  stationed  at  the  various  block- 
houses, as  the  frontier  forts  were  designated.  After  the  war  Warren  was 
married  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Logan  Township. 

Adamaners  Andres  and  family  from  Maryland,  settled  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Whitewater  in  1813.  He  was  the  father  of  James  Andres,  a 
highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Harrison.  Mr.  Andres  and  family  were 
accompanied  by  Isaac  Mettler  and  family  from  the  same  State  (Mary- 
land). Mr.  Mettler  was  born  in  that  State  in  1774,  and  had  four  brothers 
who  served  throughout  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  he,  himself,  attended 
the  funeral  of  President  Washington  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  on  which  occasion 
he  was  one  of  the  strewers  of  flowers.  Both  Mr.  Mettler  and  Mr, 
Andres  had  several  children  at  the  time  of  their  location. 

At  about  the  time  of  the  location  of  Andres  and  Mettler,  Elijah 
Eads,  Nicholas  Crane,  James  Hartpense,  William  Percell,  Ulila  Burke, 
Simeon  Razor, Moses  Wiley,  Thomas  Breckenridge,  Edward  Majors,  Jerry 
Johnson,  George  Arnold,  William  and  John  Gooley,  all  men  of  families 
were  residing  in  the  township. 

Peter  Williams,  a  native  of  one  of  the  Carolinas,  settled  in  the 
township  in  1811.  He  was  the  father  of  David  Williams,  now  a  citizen 
of  the  township. 

In  1814  the  mother  of  Thomas  Cottingham,  a  widow  with  five  chil- 
dren, from  Maryland,  settled  on  the  Whitewater. 

William  McManaman  and  family,  from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
removed  to  Franklin  County,  this  State,  in  1813,  and  the  following 
year  located  in  this  township. 

William  Lake  and  family,  from  New  Jersey,  located  in  this  township 
in  the  spring   of  1815.     It  is  said  that  on  reaching  Harrison  they  found 


HARRISON  TOWNSHIP.  527 

the  village  all  built  up  of  log- cabins,  excepting  one  which  Thomas  Boman, 
a  relative,  had  built  in  1812.  The  building,  though  repaired  and  re- 
modeled, is  still  standing,  being  occupied  by  James  White.  Soon  after 
his  arrival  Mr.  Lake  removed  to  the  Indiana  side,  about  one  mile  north- 
west of  the  village,  where  he  resided  some  twenty  years;  he  subsequently 
removed  to  Everton,  Ind.  where  his  death  occurred. 

John  Chappelow,  a  native  of  England,  with  his  parents,  William  and 
Elizabeth,  settled  in  the  county  in  1821,  first  locating  on  Tanner's 
Creek,  then  on  what  was  called  "Chappelow's  Kidge." 

MILLS,    DISTILLERIES,     ETC. 

In  the  first  settlement  of  the  West,  the  pioneers  were  frequently  sub- 
jected to  great  inconvenience  on  account  of  their  remoteness  from  mills. 
The  earliest  mill  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge,  that  was  patron- 
ized by  any  of  the  settlers  of  Dearborn  County,  was  the  mill  at  North 
Bend,  concerning  which  John  Cleves  Symmes,  under  date  of  August  10, 
1796,  wrote:  "  I  am  building  a  dwelling  house  and  grist-mill,  both  on 
pretty  extensive  plans,  and  am  obliged,  personally,  to  superintend  the 
whole  out  doors  by  day,  and  to  arrange  my  accounts  by  night,  so  that, 
from  early  dawn  to  midnight,  I  am  engaged  with  my  farm  buildings. 
I  had  this  season  a  wheat  and  rye  harvest  of  fifty  acres,  and  have 
115  acres  of  land  planted  with  Indian  corn,  and  a  stock  of  150  head  of 
cattle." 

On  this  subject  we  quote  again  from  Rev.  Allen  Wiley.  "There 
were  two  mills  near  Harrison.  The  next  above,  I  believe  was  Hagerman's, 
on  the  Bennett  farm;  the  next  above  was  Conner's  Mill."     *       *        * 

In  the  year  1810,  Samuel  Bond,  from  Virginia,  settled  on  VV^ilson's 
Creek,  and  during  that  year  or  soon  thereafter,  removed  over  the  State  line 
and  built  what  was  known  far  and  near  by  the  early  settlers  as  Bond's  Mill, 
also  as  the  Bond  &  Rees  Mill.  It  was  a  water-power  mill,  and  stood 
on  the  Whitewater.  This  mill  was  quite  a  substantial  one,  and  was  patron- 
ized by  the  pioneers  for  miles  around.  In  1808  or  1809,  a  saw-mill  was 
operated  on  the  Whitewater,  just  west  of  Harrison,  by  William  Purcell  and 
Thomas  Breckenridge.  Probably  about  1824,  these  men  built  a  grist- 
mill, on  the  east  side  of  that  stream.  Another  of  the  early  mills  on 
the  Whitewater,  was  built  by  a  Mr.  Jones,  in  the  vicinity  of  Harrison  prior  to 
1810.  Moses  Lyons  built  an  early  mill  located  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
above  Harrison,  on  the  Whitewater.  The  Hinkston  Mill,  located  about 
five  miles  above  Harrison,  was  standing  in  1818.  Later  than  the  above 
mill  was  the  Kersey  grist  and  saw-mill,  which  stood  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Whitewater,  above  the  Hinkston  Mill. 

Not  far  from  1817  or  1818  Isaac  Briggs  erected  a  carding  machine 


528  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  fulling-mill,  which  were  in  operation  quite  a  number  of  years,  on 
the  site  of  West  Harrison.  A  Mr.  Briggs  operated  a  distillery  in  the 
same  locality  in  an  early  day,  and,  perhaps,  it  was  the  same  man  above 
named.  There  are  two  flour-mills  now  in  operation  on  the  Indiana  side 
of  Harrison,  one  of  which  was  built  not  far  from  ten  years  ago  by 
Thomas  Calloway.  This  mill  stood  on  the  site  of  the  William  Briggs 
mill,  erected  at  least  forty  years  ago.  The  other  mill  was  built  byAbram 
Briggs  about  the  beginning  of  the  late  war.  These  are  both  steam-mills. 
On  the  Indiana  side  of  Harrison  there  are  two  distilleries,  one  operated 
,  rt  by  Charles  and  William   Adair,  sons  of  James  ^dair  (deceased),  who  in 

connection  with  Joseph  Cloud,  erected  the  distillery  probably  thirty-live 
or  forty  years  ago.  The  second  distillery  has  been  in  operation  only  a 
few  years.  It  is  the  property  of  the  Frederick  Bros.  Not  far  from 
1840,  there  was  started  a  furniture  factory,  which  is  now  quite  extensive 
and  is  carried  on  by  a  Mr.  Oyler.  A  smaller  furniture  establishment  is 
carried  on  in  West  Harrison,  which  began  operations  a  year  or  two  ago. 
There  is  also  located  here  a  brush  factory  started  some  ten  or  fifteen 
years  ago  by  a  Mr.  Clark,  which  is  still  owned  by  that  gentleman.  The 
ruins  of  the  old  Harrison  woolen- mill  are  still  standing,  a  monument  to 
the  enterprise  of  William  Briggs,  built  before  the  Briggs  flouring-mill. 
It  was  subsequently  owned  and  operated  by  a  Mr.  Davidson.  "  It  ceased 
operations  a  number  of  years  ago.  William  Davidson  for  years  was  quite 
extensively  engaged  in  the  cooper  business  at  Harrison.  On  the  old 
Hydraulic  some  three  miles  above  Harrison,  is  located  a  large,  substan- 
tial brick  flouring-mill,  the  property  of  Messrs.  Miller  &  Knecht.  who 
have  conducted  the  mill*  since  1882.  The  mill  was  built  about  1872  by 
John  and  Henry  Stinger.  It  was  built  as  a  water-power  mill,  but  on  the 
failure  of  the  Harrison  Hydraulic  Company  steam-power  was  added. 

SCHOOLS,   CHURCHES  AND  GRAVEYARDS. 

Probably  as  early  as  1816  a  little  cabin  schoolhouse  was  built  on  the 
Ohio  side  of  the  line  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Jones  Mill,  in  which  John 
Wilkins  is  remembered  as  teaching  among  the  first  teachers  of  that 
vicinity.  Soon  after  this,  and  possibly  before,  school  was  kept  in  Harri- 
son, on  the  Ohio  side,  in  a  regularly  built  schoolhouse,  by  John  Kil- 
gore.  Daniel  and  Isaac  Hartpence  were  early  teachers  in  this  last  men- 
tioned schoolhouse.  For  many  years  the  children  for  miles  about  Harri- 
son on  the  Indiana  side  attended  school  in  the  village  of  Harrison.  Not 
far  from  1825  there  was  built  a  log-schoolhouse  in  the  northeast  corner 
of  Dearborn  County  (this  township),  in  which  one  Dr.  Williams  and 
both  of  the  Hartpences  above  mentioned  were  teachers. 

Concerning  the   early  religious  history  of   the  AVhitewater  country, 


HARRISON  TOWNSHIP.  529 

the  late  William  McClure,  Sr.,  of  Brookville,  wrote:  "Among  the  first 
settlers  on  the  Whitewater  of  the  religious  denominations,  the  Regular 
Baptists  had  a  large  majority.  There  were  churches  on  Hackelman's 
farm  above  Harrison,  on  Johnson's  Fork,  Little  and  Big  Cedar,  near 
Fairfield,  and  one  or  two  on  West  Fork.  Their  preachers  in  early  times 
were  Ezra  Ferris,  at  Lawrenceburgh ;  Jeremiah  Johnson,  at  Hackleman's, 
I  think,  was  a  preacher;  James  Remy,  at  Johnson's  Fork;  Moses  Hor- 
nady,  at  Indian  Creek;  Lewis  Deweese,  William  Tyner  and  John  Blades, 
at  Little  Cedar,  and  William  Wilson,  on  West  Fork.  Lewis  Deweese 
was  an  eloquent  preacher,  delivered  short  discourses,  and  quit  when  he 
was  done.  He,  likewise,  married  nearly  every  one  in  his  vicinity,  and 
was  noted  for  his  brevity  generally.  Some  of  the  others  were  good 
preachers,  but  none  of  them  so  popular  as  Deweese.  At  one  time  Mr. 
Deweese  was  baptizing  in  the  Whitewater.  A  large  crowd  gathered  on 
the  bank.  Among  these  was  a  rather  fun- loving  girl,  who  amused  her- 
self and  those  around  her  in  kicking  off  large  lumps  of  a  bluff  bank  on 
which  she  stood,  just  above  the  baptising  spot,  which  fell  into  the  water 
and  both  made  a  noise  and  muddied  the  water.     The  old  preacher  turned 

around,  standing  still  in  the  water,  and  said:     'You,  Sally ,  if  you 

don't  quit  kicking  that  dirt  into  the  river,  I  will  expose  you  before  this 
whole  congregation.'     She  quit." 

On  this  subject  the  Rev.  Allen  Wiley  wrote:  "In  taking  a  review 
of  the  religious  aspect  of  the  country,  I  will  have  to  cross  the  line  into 
Ohio,  and  look  at  the  state  of  things  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  for  that 
region  was  always  much  connected  with  eastern  Indiana  in  all  its  relig- 
ious movements.  The  larger  portion  of  the  people  were  from  the  South, 
especially  from  Kentucky,  where  the  Baptist  denomination  was  then 
dominant,  and  sent  out  many  popular  ministers.  These  ministers  were 
successful  in  raising  up  a  large  church,  and  many  of  them  frequently 
visited  the  Whitewater  Valley.  Indeed,  nearly  all  the  preaching  on  this 
side  of  the  Ohio  and  Miami,  was  by  these  Kentucky  preachers,  both 
before  and  for  some  time  after  my  acquaintance  with  the  country.  I 
remember  but  one  exception,  and  that  was  only  occasionally.  The  excep- 
tion was  a  Mr.  John  Brown,  of  Cincinnati,  a  Congregational  or  Independ- 
ent minister,  who  used  to  preach  to  us  sometimes.  He  was  regarded  as 
a  very  talented  man,  but  not  very  deej)ly  pious.  The  first  meeting-house, 
it  is  presumed,  ever  built  in  the  Whitewater  Valley,  was  on  Lee's  Creek, 
a  small  branch  of  the  Dry  Fork  of  Whitewater;  it  was  about  thi-ee  miles 
east  of  Harrison;  it  was  a  log-house.  *  *  *  The  next  place  of  hold- 
ing meetings  was  at  Jacob  Hackleman's;  this  house  yet  stands  (1845)  a 
little  on  the  rise  of  the  hill,  about  one  and  a  half  miles  above  Johnson's 
Fork.     Here  a  church  was  constituted  in  the  spring  or  summer  of  1805, 

32 


530  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  Mr.  Tyner,  who  lived  south  of  Brookville,  and  was  a  son-in-law  of 
Mr.  Hackleman,  became  the  pastor.  Mr.  Tyner  was  a  warm-hearted, 
honest,  active,  good  man,  who  preached  with  great  zeal  and  some  success. 
Shortly  after  the  organization  of  the  above  church,  either  in  the  fall  of 
1805  or  summer  of  1806,  the  members  of  the  church  and  the  citizens, 
built  a  log  meeting-house,  in  the  old  style,  with  a  gallery  in  it;  the 
house  was  in  the  southwest  corner  of  Mr.  Hackleman's  land.  That  old 
house  was  the  first  meeting-house  ever  built  in  the  Whitewater  Valley, 
on  the  Indiana  side  of  the  line.  To  the  great  disgrace  of  somebody,  I 
know  not  whom,  that  house  is  now  (1845)  desecrated  by  being  turned 
into  a  barn."  ********* 

Referring  to  this  church,  it  is  stated  in  the  "Dearborn  County  Atlas," 
published  in  1875:  "The  first  Baptist  Church  of  Dearborn  County — Mt. 
Happy — was  organized  in  Harrison  Township,  on  the  fourth  Saturday 
of  June,  1807,  by  the  following  brethren:  Christopher  Wilson  and 
John  Goss,  from  Bullettsburg,  Ky. ;  Henry  Hardin,  Lawrenceburgh ; 
William  Tyner,  Cedar  Grove.  The  following  persons  constituted  the 
membership  of  said  church:  Jacob  Hackleman.  Sarah  Hackleman,  Mary 
Hackleman,  James  Cloud,  Sally  Cloud,  Heziah  Ashby,  Robert  Scanland, 
Katy  Scanland,  Nancy  Allensworth,  Henry  and  Patsy  Remy,  William 
and  Elizabeth  Remy,  Sibbel  Rolif,  William  Smith,  and  Elizabeth  Ed- 
wards." 

Elders  Hornaday  and  James  Cloud  were  the  ministers  of  this  church 
for  many  years.  About  the  old  meeting-house  was  a  burying  ground, 
but  now  all  traces  of  both  are  entirely  obliterated. 

Mr.  Wiley  said  further:  "When  I  came  to  the  Whitewater,  in  the 
fall  of  1804.  there  were  only  two  men  on  it,  so  far  as  I  know,  who  had 
ever  been  Methodists;  these  were  James  Cole  and  Benjamin  McCarty; 
the  latter  had  been  an  exhorter,  or  local  preacher,  in  Tennessee.  He 
settled  on  the  Whitewater  in  the  summer  of  1803,  at  which  time  he  had 
rather  fallen  from  his  religious  enjoyments.  He  subsequently  be- 
came a  local  preacher  of  medium  talent,  and  later  withdrew,  and  connected 
himself  with  the  United  Brethren.  Enoch  Smith  came  in  the  fall  of 
1805,  or  winter  of  1806,  and  lived  on  my  father's  farm.  His  wife  was  a 
most  devoted  and  pious  woman,  who  was  one  of  the  main  pillars  in  the 
church  after  its  formation.  These  persons,  with  a  few  others,  sent  a 
petition  to  John  Sale,  who  was  then  presiding  elder  in  the  Ohio  Dis- 
trict. In  their  petition  they  asked  that  a  regular  traveling  preacher  be 
sent  to  them  to  preach  and  form  societies.  After  the  petition  had  been 
sent  in,  McCarty  began  preaching  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  people 
were  taught  something  of  Methodist  doctrines. 

f"In  March,  1806,  John  Sale  sent  Joseph  Oglesby  to  form  a  new  cir- 


HARRISON   TOAVNSHIP.  531 

cuit  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  to  be  known  as  Whitewater  Circuit. 
Oglesbv  preached  in  several  places  in  Ohio  and  finally  found  his  way  to 
the  Kentucky  settlement  in  Wayne  County,  where  he  preached  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Cox,  on  Elkhorn,  a  tributary  to  East  Fork.  From  there  he 
went  down  the  Whitewater  to  McCarty's,  more  than  forty  miles  distant. 
Why  he  passed  the  Carolina  settlement  without  preaching  I  know  not. 
The  McCarty  house  was  near  the  river  bank  about  seven  miles  above  its 
entrance  into  the  State  of  Ohio.  At  this  place  Oglesby  formed  a 
flourishing  society,  which  remained  many  years,  being  afterward  removed 
to  Mr.  Richard  Manwarring's,  a  little  farther  down  the  river.  Mr.  Man- 
warring  joined  the  chui-ch  at  an  advanced  period  of  life,  but  became  a 
steady  and  established  member,  who  kept  the  preachers  and  preaching  a 
long  time.  He  afterward  removed  some  short  distance  above  Brookville 
and  died  at  a  good  old  age, having  been  the  kind  husband  of  four  wives." 

Mr.  McClure  remarks:  "There  were  a  few  Methodists  and  New 
Lights  among  the  early  settlers:  Henry  Linkhorn  and  Allen  Wiley,  near 
Harrison;  Thomas  Manwarring,  at  New  Trenton;  William  Ramsey,  near 
Cedar  Grove;  Thomas  Upjohn  and  Reuben  Phelps,  east  of  Brookville; 
Augustus  Jocelyn,  Elijah  Barwickand  Benjamin  McCarty,  at  Brookville; 
several  of  the  Alleys,  on  Pipe  Creek;  James  Con  well,  at  Laurel;  Elijah 
Sparks,  John  Strange  and  other  traveling  preachers  frequently  came 
through  the  country." 

In  speaking  of  the  Whitewater  Circuit  as  it  was  about  1827,  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Goodwin,  who  wrote  in  1879,  said:  "  The  first  preaching  place 
south  of  Brookville,  was  at  Manwarring's,  at  New  Trenton.  The  most 
southerly  appointment  in  the  Whitewater  Circuit  was  Isaac  Adair's,  in 
Dearborn  County.  This  was  another  '  tavern.'  Here  the  preaching  was, 
at  a  very  early  period,  in  the  schoolhouse  just'below  the  family  dwelling; 
but  the  tavern  was  one  of  those  hospitable  homes  that  the  preachers,  as 
well  as  all  others,  loved  to  enjoy.  At  New  Trenton  the  preaching  was 
for  twenty  years  in  private  houses,  chiefly  at  Manwarring's.  This 
was  a  'tavern,'  after  the  fashion  of  those  days,  for  nearly  every  house 
along  any  very  public  road  was  prepared  to  entertain  man  and  beast. 
Manwarring  was  a  local  preacher  and  a  very  good  man.  It  is  no  dis- 
paragement to  his  house  as  a  preaching  place  to  say  that  in  one  corner 
of  the  front  room,  which  would  be  called  the  'office,'  but  which  was  then 
called  the  'barroom,'  there  was  a  neat  quarter  circle,  with  a  radius  of 
five  or  six  feet,  paneled  up,  say  four  feet,  a  little  higher  than  an  aver- 
age counter  to  the  ceiling,  neatly  enclosed  in  bars,  and  running  up  and 
down,  through  which,  at  the  counter,  was  an  opening,  say  a  foot  square, 
through  which  the  man  behind  the  bars  dealt  out  '  refreshments  '  in  the 
form  of  gin,  whisky,  brandy  and  the  like.      The  entrance  into  this  was 


532  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

usually  a  door  under  the  counter,  large  enough  to  admit  a  barrel,  and 
through  which  the  landlord  stooped  and  crawled  to  his  place  of  business. 
In  some  of  the  more  artistic  '  bars '  the  door  was  full  height,  and  would 
admit  the  tender  walking  erect.  I  have  no  recollection  of  Rockafellar's, 
but  I  presume  it  had  the  same  indispensable  convenience,  for  it  was  a 
very  popular  '  tavern,'  which  it  could  not  have  been  without  a  '  bar'  any 
more  than  it  could  without  beds.  The  preaching,  was  not,  however,  very 
often  in  the  bar-room,  but  usually  in  the  parlors.  By  the  way,  the  num- 
ber of  '  taverns'  fifty  years  ago  that  were  turned  into  meeting-houses  for 
the  occasion,  was  great.  As  late  as  forty  years  ago  I  preached  in  one 
room  of  a  tavern,  while  all  that  was  implied  in  a  tavern,  except  eating 
and  sleeping,  was  transacted  in  the  adjoining  room.  The  Methodist  dis- 
cipline of  those  days  especially  provided  for  such  taverns,  stipulating 
that  they  should  be  kept  in  a  quiet  and  orderly  style,  though  it  prohib- 
ited local  preachers  from  engaging  in  the  business,  which  was  so  mani- 
festly unjust  that  it  became  a  dead  letter  every  where,  as  in  the  case  of 
Manwarring.  Why  should  a  man  be  deprived  of  the  benefits  of  an  hon  - 
orable  business  merely  because  he  is  a  preacher  ?  " 

The  following  concerning  Presbyterianism  in  this  region  of  country, 
is  extracted  from  the  writings  of  Rev.  Ludlow  D.  Potter:  "  The  first  Pres- 
byterian minister,  of  whose  labors  in  this  region  we  have  any  record  was 
Rev.  Samuel  Balbridge,  who  organized  a  church  of  seventeen  members 
at  the  home  of  John  Allen,  near  Harrison,  where  he  preached  steadily 
until  1814.  From  1810  to  1814  he  worked  as  an  itinerant  missionary, 
in  the  Whitewater  Valley,  having  various  preaching  places  from  Law- 
renceburgh  to  Dunlapsville.  He  preached  at  Brookville,  and  at  Robert 
Templeton's,  but  more  frequently  at  John  Templeton's  and  at  Mr.  Han- 
na's,  rear  Hanna's  Creek.  *  *  *  *  After  the  removal  of 
Mr.  Balbridge  from  Harrison,  there  was  occasional  preaching  in  Harrison, 
Brookville,  Somerset  and  adjacent  settlements,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Robertson, 
of  Kentucky,  Rev.  James  Dickey,  of  Ohio,  and  others,  for  four  of  five 
years,  during  which  period  other  families  had  settled  in  various  parts  of 
the  country."      *  *         *         * 

At  West  Harrison  (on  the  Indiana  side  of  the  line)  stands  a  large  old- 
fashioned  brick  church  edifice  bearing  the  date  1834 — the  house  of  the 
Church  of  Christ.  Some  years  subsequently  the  church  society  construct- 
ing this  building  and  worshiping  therein,  removed  to  East  Harrison. 

About  the  year  1840  there  was  a  Methodist  congregation  worshiping 
at  a  church  building  which  stood  on  the  land  of  Robert  Haddock,  Sr.,  in 
Miller  Township,  perhaps  a  half-mile  southwest  of  Bright.  Among  the 
members  were  the  Liddles,  the  Judds,  the  Hargetts  and  Haddocks.  Some 
years  subsequently,  this  house  of  worship  was  abandoned,  and  the  pres- 


HARRISON  TOWNSHIP.  533 

ent  house  of  that  society  located  at  Bright — a  neat  frame,  with  cupola  and 
bell  was  erected.  This  is  now  an  appointment  on  the  Guilford  Circuit. 
On  the  hill,  just  west  of  Harrison,  is  situated  a  neat  little  church  edifice 
with  a  graveyard  about  it,  built  in  1860.  This  is  the  property  of  a 
German  society,  which  is  in  a  languishing  condition. 

In  early  times  there  was  on  the  old  Allen  place  a  burying-ground, 
which  is  now,  we  believe,  wholly  obliterated.  Just  above  Longeneker's 
Station  on  the  Whitewater  Valley  Railroad,  on  a  high  point  of  ground, 
is  most  beautifully  located  a  graveyard,  which  commands  a  grand  view. 
This  ground,  it  is  said,  was  originally  given  for  burial  purposes  by  Judge 
Solomon  Manwarring.  The  oldest  grave  marked  by  a  tombstone  bearing 
a  legible  inscription  is  that  of  Hannah,  wife  of  John  P.  Case,  who  died 
October  31,  1818.  Among  the  aged  whose  remains  rest  here  (marked  by 
inscribed  stones)  are  Solomon  Manwarring,  born  in  1776,  died  in  1836; 
Jacob  C.  Cox,  born  in  Long  Island  in  1782,  died  in  1841;  J.  Jones,  Sr., 
died  in  1873,  aged  eighty-two  years;  Moses  Hornaday,  died  in  1863, 
aged  eighty-two  years;  Mary  Ashby,  died  in  1883,  aged  eighty-three 
years;  Isaac  Adair,  died  in  1852.  Other  well  known  citizens  of  the 
surrounding  country  here  interred  are  a  number  of  the  Adairs,  Ralph 
Wildridge,  the  Manwarrings,  the  Brays,  the  Cases,  the  McClures,  the 
Montgomery s,  the  Foxes,  the  Millers,  the  Smiths,  the  Lakes  and  the 
Ash  by  s. 


The  town  of  Harrison  is  situated  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township 
on  either  side  of  the  State  line,  with  the  major  portion  of  the  town  on 
the  Ohio  side,  distant  from  Cincinnati  twenty-four  miles,  and  from  Law- 
renceburgh  twelve  miles.  Its  location  is  on  the  Whitewater  River  and 
on  the  Whitewater  Valley  Railroad.  In  the  history  of  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  it  is  stated  that  "this  was  the  first  town  to  be  laid  out  in  Hamil- 
ton County,  west  of  the  Great  Miami,  except  the  early  extinct  Crosby 
on  the  banks  of  that  stream.  Its  recorded  plat  is  dated  December  8, 
1813,  and  it  was  laid  out  that  year  by  Jonas  Crane  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Section  19."  The  same  year  the  Indiana  side  of  the  town  was 
laid  out  by  John  Allen  and  Peter  Hanan,  says  the  Historical  Atlas  of 
Dearborn  County.  The  Dearborn  County  records  are  silent  on  the  sub- 
ject other  than  that  Godley's  addition  to  the  town  was  laid  out  June  2, 
1859,  it  being  that  part  south  of  Moore  and  east  of  Canal  to  State  line. 

The  following  description  of  the  early  village  is  given  in  an  "  Emi- 
grants' Directory  "  published  in  1817: 

"This  village  is  situated  on  the  north  side  of  Whitewater,  eight  miles 
from  its  mouth,  eighteen  southeast  of  Brookville,  and  in  the  center  of  a 
large  tract  of  some  of  the  best  land  in  the  State.     More  than  one-half 


534  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

of  the  village  stands  on  the  Ohio  side  of  the  State  line.  There  are 
about  thirty-five  houses,  mostly  new.  A  considerable  number  of  the 
inhabitants  are  from  the  State  of  New  York.  Mr.  Looker,  from  Sara- 
toga County;  Mr.  Crane,  from  Schenectady,  and  Mr.  Allen,  the  post- 
master, from  New  Jersey,  own  the  surrounding  lands.  They  are  all  very 
fine  and  valuable  farms,  worth  from  $40  to  $00  an  acre.  The  settlement 
was  commenced  about  sixteen  years  ago.  The  bottoms  are  here  from  one 
to  two  miles  wide;  the  soil  remarkably  deep  and  rich,  and  the  woods  free 
from  brushwood.  The  trees  are  of  a  moderate  growth,  but  straight  and 
thrifty.  The  traces  of  ancient  population  cover  the  earth  in  every  direc- 
tion. On  the  bottoms  are  a  great  many  mounds,  very  unequal  in  point 
of  age  and  size.  The  small  ones  are  from  two  to  four  feet  above  the 
surface,  and  the  growth  of  timber  upon  them  small,  not  being  over  100 
years  old,  while  the  others  are  from  ten  to  thirty  feet,  and  frequently 
contain  trees  of  the  largest  diameters.  Besides,  the  bones  found  in  the 
small  ones  will  bear  removal  and  exposure  to  the  air,  while  those  in  the 
large  ones  are  rarely  capable  of  sustaining  ttieir  own  weight,  and  are 
often  found  in  a  decomposed  or  powdered  state. 

"There  is  a  large  mound  in  Mr.  Allen's  field  about  twenty  feet  high, 
sixty  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  which  contains  a  greater  proportion  of 
bones  than  any  one  I  ever  before  examined,  as  almost  every  shovel  full 
of  dirt  would  contain  several  fragments  of  a  human  skeleton.  When  on 
Whitewater,  I  obtained  the  assistance  of  several  of  the  inhabitants  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a  thorough  examination  of  the  internal  structure 
of  these  monuments  of  the  ancient  populousness  of  the  country.  We 
examined  from  fifteen  to  twenty.  In  some,  whose  height  were  from  ten 
to  fifteen  feet,  we  could  not  find  more  than  four  or  five  skeletons.  In 
one  not  the  least  appearance  of  a  human  bone  was  to  be  found.  Others 
were  so  full  of  bones,  as  to  warrant  the  belief  that  they  originally  con- 
tained at  least  100  dead  bodies;  children  of  different  ages,  and  the  full 
grown,  appeared  to  have  been  piled  together  promiscuously.  We  found 
several  skull,  leg  and  thigh  bones,  which  plainly  indicated  that  their 
possessors  were  men  of  gigantic  stature.  The  skull  of  one  skeleton  was 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  thick;  and  the  teeth  remarkably  even,  sound  and 
handsome,  all  firmly  planted.  The  fore  teeth  were  very  deep,  and  not 
so  wide  as  those  of  the  generality  of  white  people.  Indeed,  there  seemed 
a  great  degree  of  regularity  in  the  form  of  the  teeth  in  all  the  mounds. 
In  the  progress  of  our  researches  we  obtained  ample  testimony  that 
these  masses  of  earth  were  formed  by  a  savage  people,  yet,  doubtless 
possessing  a  greater  degree  of  civilization  than  the  present  race  of  In- 
dians. We  discovered  a  piece  of  glass  weighing  five  ounces,  resembling 
the  bottom  of  a  tumbler,  but  concave;  several  stone   axes,    with  grooves 


te  HARRISON  TOWNSHIP.  535 

near  their  heads  to  receive  a  withe,  which  unquestionably  served  as 
helves;  arrows  formed  from  flint,  almost  exactly  similar  to  those  in  use 
among  the  present  Indians;  several  pieces  of  earthenware,  some  appeared 
to  be  parts  of  vessels  holding  six  or  eight  gallons;  others  were  obviously 
fragments  of  jugs,  jars  and  cups;  some  were  plain,  while  others  were 
curiously  ornamented  with  figures  of  birds  and  beasts,  drawn  while  the 
clay  or  material  of  which  they  were  made  was  soft,  and  before  the  pro- 
cess of  glazing  was  performed.  The  glazier's  art  appears  to  have  been 
well  understood  by  the  potters  who  manufactured  this  aboriginal  crock- 
ery. The  smaller  vessels  were  made  of  pounded  or  pulverized  mussel 
shells,  mixed  with  an  earthen  or  flinty  substance,  and  the  large  ones  of 
clay  and  sand. 

* 'There  was  no  appearance  of  iron;  one  of  the  skulls  was  found 
pierced  by  an  arrow,  which  was  still  sticking  in  it,  driven  about  half  way 
through  before  its  force  was  spent.  It  was  about  six  inches  long.  The 
subjects  of  this  mound  were  doubtless  killed  in  battle,  and  hastily 
buried.  In  digging  to  the  bottom  of  them,  we  invariably  came  to  a  stra- 
tum of  ashes,  from  six  inches  to  two  feet  thick,  which  rests  on  the  orig- 
inal earth.  These  ashes  contain  coals,  fragments  of"  brands,  and  pieces 
of  calcined  bones.  From  the  quantity  of  ashes  and  bones,  and  the 
appearance  of  the  earth  underneath,  it  is  evident  that  large  fires  must 
have  been  kept  burning  for  several  days  previous  to  commencing  the 
mound,  and  that  a  considerable  number  of  human  victims  must  have 
been  sacrified,  by  burning  on  the  spot !  Prisoners  of  war,  no  doubt 
selected  for  this  horrid  purpose.  Perhaps  the  custom  of  the  age  ren- 
dered it  a  signal  honor  for  the  chieftains  and  most  active  warriors  to  be 
interred,  by  way  of  triumph,  in  the  ashes  of  their  enemies,  whom  they 
had  vanquished  in  war.  If  this  was  not  the  case,  the  mystery  can  only 
be  solved  by  supposing  that  the  fanaticism  of  the  priests  and  prophets 
excited  their  besotted  followers  to  voluntary  self-devotion.  The  soil  of 
the  mound  is  always  different  from  that  of  the  immediately  surrounding 
earth,  being  uniformly  of  a  soft  vegetable  mold  or  loam,  and  contain- 
ing no  stones  or  other  hard  substances,  'to  press  upon  the  dead  and  dis- 
turb their  repose.' 

"Almost  every  building  lot  in  Harrison  Village  contains  a  small 
mound,  and  some  as  many  as  three.  On  the  neighboring  hills  northeast 
of  the  town,  are  a  number  of  the  remains  of  stone  houses.  They  were 
covered  with  soil,  brush  and  full  grown  trees.  We  cleared  away  the 
earth,  roots  and  rubbish  from  one  of  them  and  found  it  to  have  been 
anciently  occupied  as  a  dwelling.  It  was  about  twelve  feet  square;  the 
walls  had  fallen  nearly  to  the  foundation.  They  appeared  to  have  been 
built  of  rough  stones,  like  our  stone  walls.     Not  the  least  trace  of  any 


536  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

iron  tools  having  been  employed  to  smooth  the  face  of  them  could  be 
perceived.  At  one  end  of  the  building,  we  came  to  a  regular  hearth, 
containing  ashes  and  coals,  before  which  we  found  the  bones  of  eight 
persons  of  different  ages,  from  a  small  child  to  the  heads  of  the  family. 
The  positions  of  their  skeletons  clearly  indicated  that  their  deaths  were 
sudden  and  simultaneous.  They  were  probably  asleep,  with  their  feet 
toward  the  fire,  when  destroyed  by  an  enemy,  an  earthquake  or  pesti- 
lence." 

It  is  said  that  the  first  hotel. in  the  village  was  built  in  1816  by  John 
Wykoff;  the  second  by  Breckinridge  &  Purcell  in  1818.  Among  the 
early  merchants  were  Satteratt  &  Totten,  James  Wilson,  John  D.  Moore, 
Isaac  Morgan  (the  father-in-law  of  the  present  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States),  who,  it  is  thought,  built  the  first  brick  house  on  the 
Indiana  side,  now  occupied  by  the  Tebbs  Bros.,  in  1818.  Dennis  Holden 
was  one  of  the  first  shoe-makers  in  West  Harrison. 

In  the  State  Gazetteer  of  Ohio,  for  1841,  the  village  is  noted  as  con- 
taining about  300  inhabitants,  with  3  churches,  4  stores,  2  taverns,  2 
groceries,  2  physicians,  3  clergyfcen,  1  apothecary  shop,  16  mechanics' 
shops,  1  planing-mill,  1  carding  machine,  and  100  dwellings.  One-third 
of  the  inhabitants  then  resided  on  the  Indiana  side.  The  line  of 
the  Whitewater  Canal  passes  through  the  town,  and  is  now  in  operation. 

It  is  thought  that  about  one-third  of  the  ^  village  is  located  on  the 
Indiana  side.  This  was  incorporated  in  1883.  The  United  States  cen- 
sus for  the  State  of  Indiana,  we  believe,  has  not  given  the  population  of 
the  Indiana  side,  nor  has  that  for  Ohio  given  the  entire  population  of  the 
town,  so  that  it  will  have  to  be  estimated  from  the  population  of  the 
Ohio  side  given  below: 

In  1830  it  had  173  inhabitants;  in  1850,  940;  in  1870,  1,417;  and 
in  1880,  1,550. 

The  greater  number  of  the  industries  of  the  town  are  located  on  the 
Indiana  side  of  the  line;  here  there  are  2  large  flouring-mills,  2 
distilleries,  2  furniture  factories,  1  brush  factory  with  other  smaller 
affairs,  all  spoken  of  under  the  head  of  mills,  distilleries,  etc.,  elsewhere 
in  this  volume. 


MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP.  537 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— First  Land  Sales— Early  Settle- 
ments—Pioneers, Incidents  and  Notes— Churches,  Graveyards 
AND  Schools— Mills,  and  Other  Industries— Hamlets. 

MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Jackson 
and  York  Townships,  on  the  east  by  Miller,  Lawrenceburgh  and 
Center  Townships,  on  the  south  by  Hogan  and  Sparta  Townships 
and  on  the  west  by  Ripley  County.  Its  boundaries  in  1826  were  de- 
scribed as  :  "Commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Township  6,  Range 
2  west;  thence  west  to  the  western  boundary  of  the  county;  thence  south- 
wardly with  the  old  Indiana  boundary  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of 
Township  7,  Range  3  west;  thence  east  with  the  south  line  of  said  town- 
ship until  it  strikes  Hogan  Creek;  thence  with  the  meanders  of  said 
creek  until  it  strikes  the  north  and  south  line  of  Section  9  Township  5, 
Range  2;  thence  south  to  the  southwest  corner  of  Section  9  Township  5 
Range  2  west;  thence  east  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  15;  thence 
south  to  the  southwest  corner  of  Section  15,  Township  5,  Range  2;  thence 
east  with  the  section  line  to  the  line  dividing  Ranges  1  and  2;  thence 
north  with  said  range  line  to  the  place  of  beginning. " 

In  addition  to  its  present  territory  the  township  then  comprised  the 
greater  portion  of  the  present  township  of  York,  the  southern  tier  of 
sections  of  Jackson  Township  and  a  small  portion  of  Kelso.  In  1881 
Manchester  was  lessened  by  twelve  sections  which  were  attached  to  Kelso 
Township,  and  was  again  lessened  on  the  formation  of  Y'^ork  Township 
in  1841.  The  loss  of  territory  it  sustained  on  the  part  of  Jackson  occurred 
on  the  formation  of  that  township  in  1832.  Since  the  organization 
of  York  Township  there  has  been  no  material  change  in  the  boundaries 
of  Manchester. 

FIRST    LAND    SALES. 

Below  is  set  forth  the  disposition  of  the  lands  of  the  township  by  the 
government  with  the  purchasers'  names  and  years  of  purchase: 

Township  5,  Range  2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  l,sold  in  1809  to  David  Blane;  in  1813,  to  Amor 
Bruce;  in  1812,  to  Elijah  Pitts;  in  1814,  to  Ichabod  Palmerton. 


538  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

A  portion  of  Section  2,  in  1813,  to  James  Vaughn;  in  1814,  to  Jolin 
Ferris;  in  1817,  to  James  Vaughn;  in  1818,  to  Robert  McCracken, Ralph 
Hatch. 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1816,  to  John  Stephenson;  in  1817,  to 
Zebulon  Dickinson,  Benjamin  and  John  Tibbets;  in  1828,  to  Elijah 
Thatcher;  in  1831,  to  Abner  Tibbets,  Jr.;  in  1832,  to  John  C.  Dickinson. 

A  portion  of  Section  4,  in  1817,  to  David  Tibbets;  in  1818,  to  Moses 
Beckford;  in  1824,  to  Nathan  Pettigrew;  in  1832,  to  same;  in  1836,  to 
George  W.  Clark,  Moses  M.  Roberts,  Nathan  Pettigrew,  Wood  Milburn, 
Richard  Oliver,  Wesley  Caldwell. 

A  portion  of  Section  5,  in  1818,  to  John  Tibbets,  JohnOdell;  in  1831 
John  Vinson;  in  1832,  to  James  Fox;  in  1836,  to  Francis  Vinson,  William 
Hewett,  George  W.  Clark,  Samuel  Roberts,  Ira  Tinker. 

A  portion  of  Section  6,  in  1818,  to  James  Mills,  Jr. ;  in  1828,  to  Noyes 
Cranfield;  in  1827,  to  Stephen  J.  Pain;  in  1831,  to  Alex  Mc Kinney,  Hugh 
Alexander,  James  Mills,  Jr.;  in  1836,  to  John  Ellis,  William  Hewett. 

A  portion  of  Section  7  (part  in  Sparta  Township),  in  1824,  to  Samuel 
Hamile;  in  1833,  James  Hodgson,  Alex  Low;  in  1834,  to  James  Byers; 
in  1818,  to  John  Darkiel;  in  1830,  to  Eli  Musgrove;  in  1835,  to  John  D. 
Bowen,  Aaron  Valentine;  in  1836,  to  Thomas  McKinstry,  Joseph  D. 
Baker,  Henry  Hancock. 

A  portion  of  Section  8,  in  1818,  to  Hugh  McMullen, George  Stephen- 
son, John  R.  Arnold;  in  1835,  to  William  Ramsey;  in  1836,  to  William 
Hewett;  in  1837,  to  David  Durham. 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  in  1815,  to  Robert  Milburn;  in  1818,  to  Wat- 
kin  R.  Watkins;  in  1832,  to  Jedde  Clark,  John  Ramsey;  in  1833,  to 
Zebulon  H.  Roberts;  in  1834,  to  George  Johnson,  Isaac  Tindal;  in  1835, 
to  William  Gregory;  in  1836,  to  Thomas  Heckburn,  Jedde  Clark. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  in  1814,  to  John  Johnson;  in  1816, to  Daniel 
Pate;  in  1818,  to  David  Johnson;  in  1824,  to  John  Cundale;  in  1826,  to 
John  Tibbets;  in  1829,  to  B.  B.  Fifield,  Evert  Clindinen;  in  1838,  to  T. 
Dickenson. 

A  portion  o^Section  11,  in  1815,  to  Andrew  Cook;  in  1817,  to  Thomas 
Kyle;  in  1818,  to  James  Ince  and  George  Mantle,  Oliver  Heustis. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  in  1817,  to  Henry  Dils,  William  Forbes;  in 
1818,  to  David  Hogan,  James  Leeson. 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1814,  to  David  G.  Boardman;  in  1815,  to 
Joseph  McKinney;  in  1818,  to  Willian  Lewis,  Lambkin  McKinney. 

A  portion  of  Section  15,  in  1815,  to  Robert  Milburn;  in  1824,  to  John 
and  Bartholomew  Caldwell,  William  Shane,  George  Clark;  in  1819,  to 
Samuel  C.  Vance,  ass. ;  in  1832,  to  Bartholomew  Caldwell. 

Section  13  (part  in  Hogan  Township,  to  which  reader  is  referred. ) 


MANCHESTER   TOWNSHIP.  539 

Township  6,  Range  2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  7,  in  1817,  to  Charles  Dawson;  in  1818,  to  Cas- 
per Michael,  Blackly  Shoemaker;  in  1824,  to  Spencer  Curtis;  in  1834,  to 
Peter  J.  Bonte;  in  1835,  to  John  Roth. 

A  portion  of  Section  17,  in  1817,  to  Samuel  C.  Vance,  David  Ketcham, 
Gilbert  Piatt,  Israel  Noyos;  in  1832,  to  Silas  Landers;  in  1836,  to  David 
Hall,  Samuel  Shoemaker,  Blackley  Shoemaker. 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1816,  to  Jared  Evans;  in  1817,  to  Gilbert 
Piatt,  William  Dawson,  Samuel  C.  Vance;  in  1828,  to  John  Bennett. 

A  portion  Section  19,  in  1816,  to  Charles  Dawson;  in  1817,  to  Daniel 
Miller,  P.  Sherer,  Stephen  Wood. 

A  portion  of  Section  20,  in  1817,  to  Israel  Noyes,  Daniel  and  James 
Miller,  Jr.,  John  Kinsley;  in  1816,  to  Anthony  Broadwick. 

A  portion  of  Section  21,  in  1819,  to  Isaac  Farris,  assignee;  and 
Patrick  and  Esther  Walsh. 

Sections  16,  22,  23  and  24  (Part  in  York  Township;  see  that  town- 
ship). 

A  portion  of  Section  25,  in  1814,  to  Ezekiel  Harper;  in  1816,  to 
Thomas  Darling;  in  1817,  to  Stephen  O.  Brown;  in  1818,  to  Abel  True; 
in  1828,  to  Asa  Jaquith;  in  1831,  to  Reuben  True. 

A  portion  of  Section  26,  in  1817,  to  Joseph  Hunter,  Jonathan  Bennett; 
in  1818,  to  James  Cox,  Abel  True,  William  Shearin;  in  1831,  to  Azariah 
Oldham. 

A  portion  of  Section  27,  in  1818,  to  Job  Sylvester,  Davis  Woodward, 
Nathan  Pettigrew;  in  1830,  to  George  Clark;  in  1832,  to  Joseph  Roberts, 
John  Darling. 

A  portion  of  Section  28,  in  1817,  to  Stephen  Wood,  Mathew  and 
Allen,  John  Mitchine,  Tilbett  Crocker. 

A  portion  of  Section  29,  in  181 5,  to  Roderick  Moore,  Perin  G.  Northup; 
in  1817,  to  Minerva  Swift,  Stephen  Wood;  in  1831, to  Rickard  S.  Freland. 

A  portion  of  Section  30,  in  1815,  to  John  Cunningham,  John  Free- 
land;  in  1817,  to  Stephen  Wood. 

A  portion  of  Section  31,  in  1818,  to  David  Roberts,  Sr.,  William 
Barton,  Thomas  Alloway;  in  1828,  to  Noyes  Canfield;  in  1833,  to  Asahel 
Tyrrel;  in  1836,  to  Walter  Pardun,  William  Barton,  Edwin  Canfield. 

A  portion  of  Section  32,  in  1818,  to  Joseph  Sylvester,  Elijah  Rich; 
in  1829,  to  Samuel  W.  McMullen;  in  1832,  to  William  H.  McCullen, 
John  B.  Clark,  Samuel  Plummer,  Daniel  H.  McMullen;  in  1835,  Luther 
Plummer,  David  McCoy. 

A  portion  of  Section  33,  in  1814,  to  Abner  Tibbets;  in  1815,  to 
Isaiah  Ferris,  Sarah  Mark,  Robert  McConnell. 

A  portion  of  Section  34,  in  1815,  to  John  Palmer,  Robert  Hunt;  in 


540  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1817,  to  William  B.  Chamberlain,  Joseph  Plummer;  in  1829,  to   Joseph 
Roberts;  in  1831,  to  Oliver  Heuston, 

A  portion  of  Section  34,  in  1815,  to  James  Vaughan ;  in  1814,  to  Grilus 
Bradbury;  in  1815,  to  Lawrence  Lagieres. 

;]  I  A  portion  of  Section  36,  in   Riley  Elliott,  James  Vaughn;   in  1817, 
to  Samuel  Wright;  in  1824,  to  Jonathan  Crow ;  in  1828,  to  Levi  Hamblin. 

Township  7,  Range  3  west. 

Fractional  Section  10,  in  1814,  to  William  Hamilton. 

Fractional  Section  22,  in  1818,  to  Joseph  Ferris  and  John  Freeland; 
in  1836,  to  Luther  Cleveland,  W.  G.  Wood;  in  1837,  to  John  Jackson, 
Stephen  M.  Day. 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  in  1816,   to  Phineas  Hill,   Cyrus  Mills;  in 

1818,  to  James  Babcock;  in  1817,  to  Joseph  Statelan;  in  1825,  to  John 
P.  Brown. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  in  1818,  to  Jared  Michael,  Ebenezer  West- 
cott,  Blackby  Shoemaker,  Amos  Morris,  Jr. ;  in  1828,  to  William  Smith ; 
in  1833,  Amos  Morris,  Jr. 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1816,  to  Jesse  Stone;  in  1817,  to  Fred- 
erick Swain,  Samuel  C.  Vance;  in  1818,  to  John  Stephenson;  in  1827, 
to  Jacob  Michael;  in  1828,  to  Blackby  Shoemaker. 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1816,  to  Joseph  Sletter;  in  1818,  to 
David  Conger;  in  1825,  to  Daniel  Hathaway;  in  1826,  to  William  Rood; 
in  1827,  to  Enoch  Conger. 

A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1818,  to  Daniel  Hathaway,  John  Doty, 
Paul  Heuston  and  J.  Andrew;  in  1819,  to  Benjamin  Beach,  Sr. 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  in  1818,  to  George  Stevenson,  J.  Emberlee 
and  Ed  Hepburn;  in  1828,  to  James  Shoemaker;  in  1831,  to  (jersham 
Dunn. 

A  portion  of  Section  25,  in  1817,  to  Stephen  Wood,  Godfrey  Snow; 
in  1818,  to  Sophia  Fageby. 

A  portion  of  Section  26,  in  1817,  to  John  and  Jonathan  Finch;  in 
1818,  to  Michael  Millen  and  John  G.  Honery;  in  1821,  to  Benj.  Beach, 
Sr. ;  in  1825,  to  George  Giran;  in  1828,  to  Edward  Round;  in  1835,  to 
Josiah  Lewis. 

A  portion  of  Section  27,  in  1833,  to  Ira  Wilson;  in  1835,  to  Hunter 
Wilson,  Joseph  French,  Jr.;  in  1835,  to  Jonah  Lewis;  in  1836, 
to  Ira  Wilson,  Stephen  M.  Day,  Daniel  Hall. 

A  portion  of  Section  34  ((part  in  Sparta  Township),  in  1817,  to 
Lemuel   Moss;  in  1833,  to  Harvey  Moss;  in  1835,  to  Adam  Moore. 

A  portion  of  Section  35,  in  1819,  to  John  R.  Round;  in  1825,  to 
Joshua  Given;  in  1827,  to  William  Huls;  in  1828,  to  Cyrus  Cook,  John 
P.  King;  in  1836,  to  John  R.  Round,  William  Huls. 


MANCHESTER   TOWNSHIP.  •  541 

A  portion  of  Section  36,  in  1818,  to  Daniel  G.  Boardman,  Ste- 
phen J.  Paine;  in  1818,  Robert  McCracken. 

Sections  1  and  2,  Township  6,  Range  3  west  are  part  in  Sparta 
Township.     (See  that  township.) 

EARLY    SETTLEMENTS,     PIONEERS,    INCIDENTS    AND    NOTES. 

The  history  of  Manchester  Township  as  a  settlement  dates  back  to 
the  year  1815,  when  Mark  McCracken,  his  brother  Robert  and  their 
mother  located  on  the  present  site  of  the  village  bearing  the  name  of 
Manchester.  In  1852  Robert  stated  over  his  signature  that  he  in  1815 
cut  the  road  seven  miles  himself  and  drove  the  first  wagon  that  was  ever 
on  the  ridge,  and  put  up  the  first  cabin  in  that  neighborhood.  It  is 
understood  that  he  cut  the  road  from  Cambridge  to  this  site.  He  also 
stated  that  his  nearest  neighbor  was  four  or  five  miles  distant,  and  he 
that  much  farther  west  in  an  unbroken  and  interminable  wilderness. 
Two  years  later  he  sold  out  to  the  Rev.  Daniel  Plummer,  but  his  brother, 
Col.  Mark  McCracken,  retained  his  portion  to  the  day  of  his  death,  and 
erected  that  large  and  spacious  mansion  now  occupied  by  William  H. 
Baker. 

During  the  same  year  three  brothers,  David,  George  and  Joseph 
Johnson,  from  Frederick  County,  Va.,  located  on  North  Hogan  Creek. 
They  left  Virginia  in  1810,  settling  first  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  thence 
in  1812  removed  to  Vincennes,  thence  to  the  vicinity  of  Louisville,  Ky. , 
and  in  1814  to  near  the  site  of  Aurora,  and  from  there  on  North  Hogan 
Creek. 

The  same  year  there  settled  in  the  township  Lawrence  Lozier  and 
family,  he  being  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  In  1816  settled  David  and 
Abner  Tibbetts,  Simon  Alexander  and  Benjamin  Anderson  and  others. 

At  this  time  throughout  the  Eastern  States,  especially  in  Maine,  the 
people  had  what  was  termed  the  "  Ohio  fever,"  and  there  was  a  great 
tide  of  immigration  to  that  State.  "  In  the  fall  of  1817  fifteen  families 
from  about  one  neighborhood  in  Maine,  and  eleven  of  them,  with  ten 
wagons  and  twenty-four  horses  and  seventy-eight  souls,  started  off 
together  from  Cumberland  County  in  one  day.  It  was  a  great  move,  and 
excited  the  curiosity  of  the  country  through  which  they  passed;  they 
were  spoken  of  as  the  great  '  land  fleet. '  Their  route  was  through  the 
beautiful  cities  of  Portland,  Haverhill,  to  Albany;  thence  up  the  fertile 
valley  of  the  Mohawk;  thence  across  to  Olean  Point,  on  the  head  waters 
of  the  Alleghany;  thence  down  the  river,  in  boats  and  on  rafts,  to  Pitts- 
burgh; thence  down  the  beautiful  Ohio  to  Lawrenceburgh,  in  Indiana, 
where  they  cast  anchor,  cabled  up  and  sought  each  a  resting  place  and  a 
home  in  the  then  wilds  of  the  West,  and  most  of  them  located  on  what 


542  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

was  then  called  Green  Brier  Ridge,  now  known  as  the  Pleasant  Village 
of  Manchester,  among  whom  was  the  Rev.  Daniel  Plummer,  so  favorably 
and  extensively  known." 

Robert  McCracken,  in  referring  to  the  coming  of  Daniel  Plummer, 
remarked:  "In  the  section  where  Plummer  located  there  were  no  less  than 
five  families  living,  and  100  or  more  acres  cleared,  and  five  acres  cleared 
on  the  tract  of  land  I  sold  him.  Some  twenty  families  were  living 
within  one  mile  of  him  when  he  came.'' 

The  following  history  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  township  was  written 
in  1876,  by  Geo.  W.  Lane,  and  published  in  the  Aurora  Independent: 

"  Soon  after  the  war  one  of  the  most  important  settlements  for  num- 
ber and  character  was  made  in  Manchester  Township.  They  suffered 
many  hardships  and  indeed  many  deprivations,  but  they  stood  their 
ground  like  Christian  martyrs,  and  many  lived  to  see  tall  oaks  utilized 
for  other  purposes  and  removed  to  make  room  for  houses,  barns  and 
meadows,  and  in  less  than  a  decade  the  ridge  for  miles  was  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  in  the  fall,  rows  of  teams  would  be  seen  on  the 
road  hauling  off  the  surplus  of  their  farms  and  cooper  shops.  The  last 
was  carried  on  for  a  number  of  years,  as  Manchester  was  studded  over 
with  heavy  timber,  the  tallest  and  largest  trees  this  side  of  California, 
and  to  work  up  these  great  oaks  into  pork  barrels,  required  the  labor  of 
Mr.  Jaquith  and  all  his  boys,  and  these  boys  were  as  good  jovial  fellows 
as  ever  were  turned  loose  in  any  big  woods.  The  writer  remembers  well 
the  first  time  he  ever  saw  Manchester.  He  rode  out  on  a  horse  behind 
Henry,  or  as  he  was  better  known  as  Hank  Jaquith,  to  attend  a  party 
that  was  on  the  tapis  for  that  night,  and  if  the  party  was  too  large  for 
the  house,  they  adjourned  to  the  thrashing  floor  in  the  great  barn;  it  did 
not  in  any  wise  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion. 

"  Biit  to  return  to  the  settlers.  Among  the  number  were  Lucien, 
Sheldon  and  Alexander  Fairbanks.  They  each  raised  families,  but  if 
the  writer  is  not  mistaken,  none  of  the  name  remain  in  the  township. 

"Lawrence  Lozier  settled  first  on  Tanner's  Creek,  then  on  the 
ridge.  He  was  the  father  of  George  M.  Lozier,  who  still  remains  in 
Manchester,  and  Abram  Lozier,  of  Aurora. 

"  David  Tibbitts  resided  in  the  township  a  number  of  years,  an  influ- 
ential and  highly  respected  citizen.  He  removed  West  with  his  family 
in  1852. 

"Joseph  E.  Baker  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Manchester.  A 
man  of  tine  appearance  and  easy  address.  He  was  the  father  of  Kirtley 
Baker,  of  Aurora,  and  William  H.  Baker,  of  Upper  Manchester.  Will- 
iam H.  has  carved  out  his  own  fortune,  and  it  may  be  said  that  he  is  one 
of  the  most  successful  business  men  of  the  county.  He  deserves  great 
credit  for  his  active  industry  and  constant  attention  to  his  own  affairs. 


MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP.  543 

"There  were  also  William  Bennett,  A.  True,  M.  Darling  and  A.  Old- 
ham, near  Tanner's  Creek.  Mr.  Oldham  was  a  good  honest  man  and  as 
true  a  Christian  as  ever  lived  this  side  of  the  gates  of  Paradise. 

"John  Palmer  resides  on  the  State  road.  He  was  elected  probate 
judge  for  the  county,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  justice  of  the 
peace.  He  was  honest  and  wanted  to  do  right.  Judge  Palmer  was  a 
large  farmer  and  merchant. 

"Charles  W.  Wright  was  the  pioneer  merchant  of  Wright's  Corners,- 
and  for  many  years  did  a  good  business.  He  was  a  sensible  and  indus- 
trious man. 

"Daniel  Plummer  was  a  man  worthy  of  remembrance  and  entitled  to  a 
more  extended  notice  than  the  writer  can  indulge  in.  No  friend  of  other 
days  is  called  to  mind  with  more  pleasing  associations.  He  was  not  only 
a  good  man,  but  he  wanted  all  others  to  be  good.  His  example  corre- 
sponded with  his  precepts.  His  daily  walk  was  a  rebuke  to  the  evil  dis- 
posed, and  his  kind  words  well  calculated  to  encourage  them  to  seek  the 
paths  of  rectitude.  Mr.  Plummer  took  no  pains  to  secure  public  favor 
with  a  view  to  obtaining  office,  though  well  qualified  and  worthy.  His 
moral  and  religious  training  led  him  into  channels  of  a  higher  and  more 
useful  character,  yet  the  people  without  solicitation  on  his  part,  elected 
him  to  the  State  Senate  in  1834,  which  office  he  honored,  instead  of  the 
office  honoring  him.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  the  position  honestly, 
faithfully  and  acceptably  to  the  people. 

"Mark  McOracken  was  a  prominent  man  in  his  day,  and  enjoyed  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens.  They  always  knew  just  where  to  find 
him.  He  was  a  man  of  nerve  and  unyielding  when  he  made  up  his 
mind.  He  seemed  to  have  an  intuitive  sense  of  right,  and  his  scorn  of 
wrong  was  so  positive  that  like  the  balance  wheel  of  a  watch,  it  regulated 
all  his  actions.  As  an  officer  of  the  county  he  was  economy  personified. 
He  could  say  no  to  pretended  and  unjust  claims  against  the  county  with 
a  vim  that  might  be  learned  to  great  advantage  at  the  present  day.  His 
motto  was  that  he  had  a  right  to  be  liberal  or  even  extravagant  with  his 
own,  but  never  with  the  people's  money. 

"Daniel  Roberts  is  one  of  those  men  whose  character  furnishes  a  light 
to  memory's  path,  that  could  not  be  overlooked  while  casting  about 
Manchester  for  worthy  pioneers  deserving  special  mention.  It  is  said 
'  that  from  the  overflow  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh.'  If  this  is 
true  then  Mr.  Roberts  must  have  had  a  heart  as  big  as  a  lion,  for  it  has 
been  flowing  with  love  to  his  neighbors  and  generous  sentiments  to  his 
associates  for  over  four  score  years,  and  yet  the  fountain  is  not  exhausted, 
and  even  his  voice  is  set  to  the  key  of  kindness  that,  like  the  echo  from  a 
mountain  cove,  rincs  on  the  ear  long  after  he  ceases  to  speak.      Had  he 


544  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

received  a  thorough  education  in  early  life,  with  his  other  gifts,  would 
have  made  him  more  prominent  and  highly  useful  in  a  much  larger 
sphere. 

"There  are  many  reasons  why  the  writer  should  find  it  agreeable  em- 
ployment to  refer  to  the  pioneers  of  Manchester  Township.  In  other 
years  he  has  traded  with  most  of  them,  visited  their  houses,  attended 
their  public  meetings  and  taken  part  with  them  on  all  important  occa- 
sions as  if  one  of  them;  and  now,  though  many  long  years  have  passed, 
the  recollection  of  them  awakens  feelings  of  gratitude  that  our  pen  can- 
not move  fast  enough  to  allay. 

"Oliver  Heustis  was  one  who  would  have  been  recognized  as  a  man  of 
intelligence  in  any  society.  He  was  a  constant  reader  and  it  may  be 
said  was  a  student  all  his  life.  He  was  well  posted  on  all  political 
questions  and  familiar  with  history.  He  was  a  good  talker  and  very 
much  enjoyed  pleasant  and  intelligent  conversation,  indeed  it  might  be 
said  that  that  was  his  forte,  for  Mr.  Heustis  was  not  a  gifted  public 
speaker,  but  when  he  did  take  part  on  important  occasions  what  he  did 
say  was  sensible  and  to  the  point.  Mr.  Heustis  was  twice  elected  to  the 
Legislature  (1832,  1844),  as  a  member,  he  was  regarded  as  a  practicable 
man  of  principle  and  unyielding  integrity.  His  life  was  spared  to  see 
the  dawn  of  this  centennial  year. 

"James  P.  Milliken  was  an  intellectual  light  that  could  not  be  hid  in 
a  forest  home,  but  was  called  forth  to  take  elevated  positions  of  trust 
and  honor  that  his  light  might  shine  forth  for  the  good  of  others.  Mr. 
Milliken  was  a  man  of  fair  attainments,  dignified  appearance  and  un- 
sullied reputation.  A  wish  to  do  just  right  was  the  prominent  point 
in  his  character — this  led  him  to  disregard  the  popular  breeze  of  the 
day  and  induced  him  to  prefer  political  martyrdom  to  the  abandonment 
of  his  honest  convictions.  Mr.  Milliken  was  in  the  full  sense  of  the 
term  a  temperance  man  by  precept  and  esample,  and  would  that  others 
should  be  the  same.  He  also  had  decided  opinions  on  the  subject  of 
human  slavery,  and  would  not  yield  them  for  the  sake  of  friends  or  party. 
As  a  citizen  he  was  industrious  and  enterprising,  and  enjoyed  the  confi- 
dence of  all  who  knew  him.  Mr.  Milliken  was  four  times  elected  to  the 
State  Legislature — twice  to  the  House  of  Representatives  (1841-42)  and 
twice  to  the  Senate — serving  six  years  (1846-52). 

"  Luther  Plummer  was  an  unassuming  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity,  looking  to  the  welfare  of  his  family  and  attentive  to  his 
own  interests.  He  put  on  no  foolish  style  or  attempts  to  appear  in  char- 
acters other  than  his  own,  but  like  ornaments  made  of  pure  gold  they 
need  no  varnish  or  gilding,  so  with  a  true-hearted  man,  who  is  the  same 
at  home  as  abroad,  to-day  and  to-morrow,  who  acts  well  his  part  without 


MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP.  545 

pomp  or  dazzling  parade.  To  say  that  Mr.  Plummer  was  an  honest  man 
would  be  no  compliment,  for  like  the  description  we  once  heard  of  a  cer- 
tain person  '  that  he  deserved  no  credit  for  being  a  gentleman,  he  was- 
one  naturally,'  so  with  Mr.  Plummer,  he  deserves  no  credit  for  having 
been  an  honest  man,  he  was  one  naturally. 

"  Of  the  early  settlers,  the  Congers  should  not  have  been  forgotten. 
David  Conger  was  a  man  of  influence  in  his  day.  He  was  the  father  of 
Edward  A.  Conger,  who  was  elected  sheriff  of  the  county  when  quite  a 
young  man.  Edward  bid  fair  to  make  a  man  of  considerable  prominence 
had  his  life  been  spared.  Lewis  B.  Conger  was  well  known  in  the 
county.  He  was  elected  in  1841  assessor  of  real  estate  for  the  entire 
county  under  the  new  law. 

"Samuel  W.  Conger  still  resides  in  Upper  Manchester,  respected,  as 
he  deserves  to  be,  by  all  his  neighbors. 

"  A  history  of  the  township  would  be  imperfect  without  a  reference 
to  Ben  Tibbetts,  who,  when  the  writer  first  knew  him,  was  one  of  the 
most  active,  thorough-going,  dashing  business  men  in  the  county.  He 
could  haul  more  hay  and  load  a  boat  quicker,  go  to  New  Orleans,  and 
back  again,  sooner  than  any  one  else.  His  very  presence,  with  his  usual 
fire  and  life,  like  a  galvanic  battery  that  emits  electricity  at  the  slight- 
est touch,  gave  activity  and  new  life  to  all  around  him.  At  heart  Ben 
Tibbetts  was  an  honest  man,  of  generous  impulses,  and  while  he  may 
have  wronged  himself  he  never  intentionally  wronged  a  neighbor. 

"  The  writer  finds  it  easier  to  commence  on  Manchester  Township 
than  get  away  from  it,  and  unless  he  abridges  his  comments  on  the  vari- 
ous characters  that  memory  calls  to  mind,  may  not  finish  during  the  cen- 
tennial summer  now  approaching.  But  that  must  not  be,  as  the  reader 
would  weary  of  the  subject  long  before  we  had  done  justice  to  the  pio- 
neers of  other  parts  of  the  county,  and  while  we  would  not  slight  any 
we  must  be  content  with  a  brief  notice.  There  are  others  we  will  omit 
for  the  present  to  include  with  those  prominently  engaged  in  trading  down 
the  river  as  we  propose  to  publish  an  extended  notice  of  the  commercial 
relations  of  the  county  under  different  auspices. 

"To  resume  our  sketches:  Alfred  J.  Cotton  found  a  home  in  Deai*- 
born  County  when  quite  a  young  man.  There  were  few  better  and  many 
worse  men  than  Judge  Cotton.  His  moral  worth  and  religious  devotion 
commended  him  to  the  respect  of  all  good  citizens;  but  his  name  and 
history  are  recorded  in  a  more  reliable  shape  than  we  can  place  them, 
yet  we  will  add  that  he  served  as  associate  judge  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  probate  judge  of  the  county  for  four  years. 

"The  following  pioneers  settled  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  town- 
ship: B,  Shoemake  (father  of  John   Shoemake),  Isaac  Morris,   William 


546  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Dawson,  John  Spence,  Peter  Fox,  Mr.  Michael  and  Mr.  Toothman,  all 
of  whom  left  the  county,  and  not  a  representative  of  their  names  remain 
in  the  neighborhood.  Not  so  with  the  Platts,  who  came  with  the  first 
and  settled  in  the  woods  with  none  west  of  them;  their  name  is  so  well 
represented  that  it  bids  fair  to  be  known  at  the  next  centennial  occasion. 

"Seth  Piatt  is  an  intelligent,  enterprising  citizea,  of  industrious 
habits  and  good  moral  character. 

"Smith  Piatt Js  a  prominent  man  of  influence  in  the  county,  and  has 
served  a  number  of  years  as  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  county. 
All  of  the  name  are  law-abiding  and  worthy  citizens. 

"  We  must  not  leave  Manchester  without  calling  attention  to  Mrs. 
Mary  Piles,  better  known  as  Aunt  Polly.  She  came  to  this  county  during 
the  war,  and  was  married  to  Mr.  Piles  in  1813  at  Georgetown,  in  Miller 
Township,  and  now,  at  over  eighty  years  of  age,  is  as  active  and  sprightly 
as  a  girl  of  sixteen,  and  can  walk  five  miles  (more  or  less)  without  any 
difficulty.  Her  memory  being  good  she  can  tell  all  about  pioneer  life  in 
Dearborn  County,  and  relates  many  an  interesting  story  of  other  years. 

"Samuel  M.  Kennedy  is  one  of  those  sterling  men  that  cannot  be 
passed  without  a  call.  He  had  the  advantages  of  an  early  education  and 
has  improved  them  by  a  studious  life.  Mr.  Kennedy  did  not  come  with 
the  first  but  was  here  soon  enough  to  see  the  tall  oaks  in  their  native 
strength,  hunt  the  wild  turkey  and  deer,  and  sufifer  some  of  the  depriva- 
tions of  frontier  life.  He  is  a  man  of  stern  integrity,  unyielding  in 
adherence  to  great  principles,  and  true  to  a  friend,  as  the  needle  he  looks 
at  so  often  is  to  the  north  pole. 

"But  to  return  to  the  early  pioneers  we  find  Amos  Noyes,  Israel 
Noyes,  Hugh  Noyes,  Micajah  Dunn,  Silas  Wicks,  McMullens,  Purduns, 
Hathaway,  Dorman,  Kyle,  Vaughan,  Alexanders,  Harrison,  Aiken,  Elias 
Heustis,  Pedigrew,  Schooley,  Clark,  Milburn,  McCoy,  Reuben  Jaquith, 
Charles  Dawson,  Ross,  Gearhart  and  Johnstons.  The  latter  have  been 
referred  to  at  some  length  by  another  writer  in  a  very  interesting  history 
of  their  settlement  and  milling  operations;  we  can  only  add  that  Thomas 
Johnston  was  elected  to  the  responsible  position  of  treasurer  of  the 
county,  and  Columbus  Johnston,  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in 
1874. 

"Jedediah  Clark  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Manchester,  and 
would  have  been  mentioned  while  in  that  township,  but  we  were  not  cer- 
tain as  to  his  Christian  name,  as  we  propose  to  give  the  correct  and  full 
name  of  every  citizen  to  whom  reference  is  made,  that  the  history  we  do 
furnish  may  be  a  reliable  and  impartial  record  for  the  future. 

"Mr.  Clark  was  an  industrious  man,  of  temperate  habits,  and  high 
moral    worth.     He    was    devoted   to    his    family,  and  a  peace- maker  in 


MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP.  547 

bis  neighborhood,  and  if  there  ever  was  a  man  who  could  lay  claim  to  a 
full  share  of  the  promise,  '  Blessed  are  the  peace-makers,  for  they  shall 
be  called  the  children  of  God,'  it  was  Jedediah  Clark." 

Where  it  can  be  given,  the  date  of  settlement,  and  State  from  which 
the  above  named  settlers  emigrated,  are  set  forth  below,  with  similar 
facts  concerning  other  settlers,  and  incidents  attending  immigration  and 
settlement: 

The  Tibbettses  were  from  Maine;  Benjamin  died  in  1853,  aged  eighty- 
four  years.  The  Heustis  family  was  from  New  York  State;  date  of  set- 
tlement, 1819.  William  Dills,  from  West  Virginia,  settled  here  in  1816. 
Joseph  Baker  was  from  New  York;  date  of  settlement,  1817.  The  Con- 
gers were  from  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  came  in  1818.  William  Con- 
ger and  family  started  in  October,  1817,  going  by  wagoas  over  the  moun- 
tains to  Brownsville,  where^they  had  a  family  boat  built,  when  they 
started  down  the  river  for  Lawrenceburgh.  At  some  distance  fx-om  Pitts- 
burgh they  were  frozen  up  in  the  ice,  and  detained  about  two  weeks. 
They  landed  at  the  "Burg"  in  February,  1818,  whence  they  proceeded 
to  their  future  home,  to  which  lands,  in  Section  14,  they  had  to  cut  their 
way.  The  McMullens  came  from  Pennsylvania  here  in  1817,  stopping 
for  a  year  in  what  is  now  York  Township.  Hugh,  the  father  of  Jame.s 
McMuUen,  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  They  built  the  first  cabin,  and 
were  the  first  settlers  on  what  is  known  as  Pleasant  View. 

The  Givan  family  came  from  Maryland,  and  settled  here  in  1825, 
Joshua,  the  father  of  Judge  Givan,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  of  William 
L.  H.  and  George,  of  this  township,  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  on 
coming  to  this  county,  interested  himself  in  educational  matters,  and  the 
first  schoolhoase  that  was  erected  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  he  set- 
tled was  built  on  his  land,  and  mainly  through  his  influence  and  exer- 
tions. His  house  was  one  of  the  preaching  places,  before  the  erection  of 
the  church  building  (Baptist). 

"His  object  and  aim  in  life  was  to  benefit  his  fellow  men,  to  do  good 
in  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  honest  in  all  his  dealings,  charita- 
ble in  his  giving,  and  religious  in  his  every  day  life;  he  died  in  a  ripe 
old  age,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him." 

Judge  Cotton  came  from  Maine  and  settled  in  the  township  in  1818. 
He  reared  him  a  cabin;  "all  was  one  vast  unbroken  wilderness  around 
him,  save  here  and  there  a  little  cabin  and  a  small  opening,  the  labors 
of  the  new-comers  the  previous  year.  These  were  scattered  about  on 
what  was  then  Green  Brier  Ridge,  so  called  by  hunters,  because  of  the 
prevalence  of  a  brier  of  that  color  that  abounded  in  the  forest  My 
cabin  was  far  removed  from  any  other  habitation,  'solitary  and  alone'  at 
first.     I  had  bushed  out  a  wagon    track,  as    we   call    it,    and   had,  also, 


G48  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

^blazed'  a  foot-path,  a  nearer  cut  to  the  settlement.  My  mind  reverts 
with  indescrible  emotion  to  that  period  of  my  life.  Many  is  the  time 
and  oft,  that  I  have  entered  this  dismal  and  solitary  homeward  path, 
v^hen  for  a  good  part  of  the  way,  it  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not  see  my 
hand  to  save  me— was  compelled  to  feel  out  the  path  with  my  feet,  with 
my  heart  in  my  mouth,  my  hair  well  nigh  erect,  and  my  blood  nearly 
curdled,  for  the  prowling  wolves  were  about  my  path,  and  had  often 
raised  their  hideous  yells  in  my  very  door-yard."  *  *         * 

Rev.  Daniel  Roberts  emigrated  from  the  State  of  Maine.  In  1817 
he  determined  to  seek]a  home  in  the  West,  Indiana  being  his  objective 
point.  Using  an  ox  team  for  his  mode  of  conveyance,  he  started  on  this 
long  and  tedious  journey.  On  reaching  a  point  near  the  falls  of  the 
Gene.see  River,  in  the  State  of  New  York,  his  money  being  exhausted, 
he  was  compelled  to  stop  and  engage  himself  as  a  common  laborer  in 
order  to  replenish  his  scanty  purse.  Having  obtained  a  small  sum  of 
money  he  continued  his  journey  until  he  reached  Pittsburgh,  arriving 
there  at  the  beginning  of  the  summer  of  1818.  He  hastily  constructed 
a  rude  craft,  upon  ^which  he  and  his  family  embarked,  and  pro- 
ceeded down  the  Ohio  River  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  concluded  to  stop 
for  a  time  before  continuing  to  Indiana,  his  original  destination.  He 
remained  in  Cincinnati  nearly  two  years.  During  the  year  1819,  under 
the  ministry  of  Rev.  I.  Smead,  a  powerful  and  able  preacher,  he  joined 
the  Christian  Church,  and  was  immersed  in  the  Ohio  River,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  Licking.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  joined  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Durham,  Maine,  under  the  preaching  of  Joshua 
Soule,  afterward  a  bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal.  Church  South; 
but  the  forcible  sermons  of  Smead  having  satisfied  him  that  the  doc- 
trine and  polity  of  the  Christian  Church  were  more  in  accord  with  the 
teachings  of  the  Bible,  he  concluded  to  join  that  organization.  While 
still  in  Cincinnati,  he  was  ordained  as  elder  by  the  minister  who  received 
him  into  membership,  and  soon  after  entered  into  the  itinerant  ministry. 

In  1820,  Daniel  Roberts,  with  his  family,  removed  to  Indiana,  and 
located  near  Manchester,  Dearborn  County.  He  resided  for  two  years  on 
Pipe  Creek,  in  Franklin  County,  but  with  that  exception  he  has  made 
DearbornjCounty  his  home. 

Pleasant  View  was  settled  by  the  McMullens,  Ellises,  Paynes, 
Goulds,  Finches,  Givanses,  William  Green,  Elijah  Dorman  and  sons, 
Wilson  and  John  Dorman,  David  Loter,  and  an  eccentric  genius  named 
Jacob  Fielding,  remarkable  for  his  wit  and  ready  repartee.  The  citi- 
zens of  Pleasant  View  Ridge  have  always  been  noted  for  their  encour- 
agement to  educational  enterprises,  the  number  of  their  churches,  and 
their  industrious  habits. 


MANCPIESTER  TOWNSHIP.  549 

The  Pleasant  View  Debating  Club  has  been  a  fixture  for  many  years; 
its  fortunes  ebbing  and  flowing  with  the  times.  Of  its  old  members  who 
have  become  workers  in  affairs,  we  mention  Judge  Joe  Ripley,  senator; 
Major  Slater,  his  brother;  the  poet,  F.  M.  Slater;  our  worthy  citizen, 
Senator  N.  S.  Givan;  ex-Deputy  Treasurer,  N.  M.  Givan,  a  prominent 
lawyer  and  politician  of  Missouri;  Auditor  Myron  Hayues;  ex- Sheriff 
Frank  B.  Dorman,  and  '  Senator  Ed  P.  Ferris,  of  Ripley  County,  with 
many  others. 

Elias  Heustis  is  the  authority  for  our  saying  that  James  Vaughn 
kept  the  first  public  house,  dug  the  first  well,  made  the  first  brick  kiln, 
and  had  the  first  peach  orchard  in  the  township.  Daniel  Plummermade 
the  first  hay  press  used  in  the  township.  It  is  also  said  that  he  built 
the  first  frame  house,  and  first  frame  barn  in  the  township.  In  1876  the 
house  was  standing  after  sixty  years'  service.  The  barn  was  built  not  far 
from  the  same  time,  and  was  used  as  the  first  church  in  the  township 
after  it  was  built,  the  house  serving  for  that  purpose  until  the  barn  was 
erected.  These  ancient  buildings,  together  with  the  homestead,  are  the 
property  of  ex-Sheriff  Frank  R.  Dorman,  who  takes  a  pride  in  keeping 
them  as  near  what  they  first  were  as  possible. 

CHURCHES,  GRAVEYARDS  AND  SCHOOLS. 

Just  above  it  is  stated  that  the  first  frame  house  in  the  township, 
and  the  first  frame  barn  were  built  by  Rev.  Daniel  Plummer,  and  were 
respectively  used  at  times  as  places  of  worship.  Probably  as  early  as  1822 
or  1823,  the  Methodists  in^that  section  of  the  country,  erected  at  Man- 
chester or  PlummertowD,  a  frame  church  building,  which  they  occupied 
for  a  number  of  years,  when  it  was  replaced  by  a  brick  house  for  the 
same  purpose.  This  building  was  found  to  be  too  small  for  the  congre- 
gation, and  was  cracked,  perhaps  too  hastily  built,  and  was  soon  replaced 
by  a  second  and  larger  brick  edifice.  For  matter  of  convenience  in  1876, 
the  present  neat  and  substantial  frame  church  building  was  built,  at 
what  may  be  termed  Middle  Manchester,  and  the  old  brick  was  aban- 
doned. The  edifice  last  erected  is  quite  showy,  having  a  tall  cupola,  with 
spire  and  bell.  The  charge  is  on  the  Manchester  Circuit.  Among  those 
who  first  worshiped  in  the  house,  barn,  and  old  frame,  and  were  instru- 
mental in  organizing  and  supporting  the  church  were  the  Plummer 
family,  of  which  there  were  a  number,  the  McMuUens,  some  of  the  Rob- 
erts and  others. 

Not  far  from  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  first  frame  church,  a 
hewed  log  meeting-house  was  built  by  a  society  of  the  Old  School  Baptists, 
about  where  the  brick  is  now  located  at  the  graveyard,  known  as  Eben  - 
ezer  Church  (Section  12,  southeastern  part  of  the  township).    The  church 


550  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

was  constituted  February  7,  1822,  with  a  membership  of  six  brethren  and 
sisters,  who  had  previously  moved  into  the  neighborhood.  Their  names 
were  Elder  William  and  James  Morgan  (from  Wales),  Thomas  Bevan, 
Samuel  Bevan,  Elizabeth  Morgan  and  Sarah  Morgan.  The  first  pastor 
of  the  church  was  Elder  William  Morgan;  other  pastors  in  their  regular 
order  have  been  Thomas  Curtis,  Jacob  Ryker,  James  Babcock,  Edwin  P. 
Bond,  Hamilton  Robb,  Jeremiah  Cell,  Francis  Riddle,  J.  Lawrence  and 
Thomas  M.  Ervvin.  Not  far  from  forty  years  ago  the  present  brick 
house  of  worship  was  erected,  which  was  remodeled  or  rebuilt  in  1870.  It 
is  a  substantial  house  35x55  feet,  with  neat  cupola.  The  dedicatory  ser-,^ 
mon  was  preached  August  7,  1870,  by  Elder  Stephenson.  The  grave- 
yard at  the  church  is  about  as  old  as  the  church  society. 

In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  township,  on  what  is  known  as 
Hogan  Hill  is  located  an  old  place  of  burial,  which  as  we  strolled 
through,  we  noticed  from  the  inscriptions  on  the  sandstone  and  marble 
slabs  that  a  number  of  the  old  pioneers  rest  there.  Among  them  David 
Conger,  who  died  in  1842,  aged  eighty  years;  Elizabeth  Conger,  died  in 
1847,  aged  seventy-seven  years;  Silas  Wicks,  died  in  1880,  aged  eighty- 
five  years;  Martha  Wicks  died  in  1880,  aged  eighty  years.  No  tomb- 
stone indicated  an  earlier  burial  than  1838,  yet  the  ground  was  used  as 
a  place  of  burial  prior  to  1825.  In  1825,  at  this  burying  ground,  was 
standing  a  log-schoolhoase,  which  was  used  for  both  church  and  school 
purposes.  Among  the  Baptist  congregation  there  in  its  early  history 
were  the  Babcocks,  Andrew,  Edward  and  James;  Enoch  Conger,  Amos 
Morris,  Joshua  Givan,  Cyrus  Mills,  James  Stephenson,  the  Ferrises,  a 
Mrs.  Day,  a  Mrs.  Hathaway.  Andrew  Babcock  was  an  elder  in  the  soci- 
ety for  years,  and  Cyrus  Mills  was  the  church  clerk  for  a  long  period. 
The  land  at  this  point  belonged  to  Enoch  Conger.  In  1840  the  school - 
house  was  still  standing,  and  in  use  as  before.  At  this  time  an  unfin- 
ished log-church  was  standing  near  by,  but  it  was  never  completed  or 
used.  In  the  neighborhood  of  1851  a  frame  church  building  was 
erected,  which  stood  until  1877,  when  it  was  torn  down.  By  removals 
and  deaths  the  congregation  was  so  lessened  that  services  were  gradually 
discontinued.  Have  had  little  preaching  there  for  the  past  twenty  years. 
The  old  log  structure  was  the  first  "temple  of  learning,"  and  the  only 
one  for  some  time  for  that  section  of  the  country.  Among  the  first  mas- 
ters can  be  recalled  James  Stephenson. 

At  quite  an  early  period  in  the  township's  history  there  stood  at  the 
graveyard  in  the  rear  of  the  Jaquith  (Mrs.  S.  G.)  property  at  Wright's 
Corners,  a  log-church,  the  property  of  the  Old  School  Baptists,  which 
was  used  for  many  years  for  church  purposes;  school  was  also  taught  in 
it.     The  building  wasj  torn  down  forty-odd  years  ago;  it  stood  on  the 


MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP.  551 

site  of  the  barn  of  Mrs.  Lucy  Jaquith.  Elder  Zacheus  Palmer  officiated 
as  minister  for  years.  The  place  of  burial  is,  perhaps,  as  old  as  was  the 
house  of  worship. 

Just  north  of  Wright's  Corners  stands  a  frame  church  building,  which 
has  long  been  occupied  by  a  congregation  called  the  Providence  Free 
Will  Baptist  Church.  The  organization  was  effected  in  the  summer  of 
1838  by  Rev.  Cyrus  Dudley,  of  Ohio,  who  upon  invitation  came  here  and 
held  a  series  of  meetings  in  a  carpenter  shop  near  the  Corners.  These 
meetings  were  continued  some  six  weeks,  and  resulted  in  the  organization 
of  the  society  July  28,  1838.  Elders  Morgan  and  Curtis,  of  the  Old 
'school  church,  were  both  present  and  assisted,  and,  it  is  said,  the  name 
Providence  was  given  the  church  by  the  first  mentioned  elder.  Some  of 
the  original  and  early  members  were  as  follows:  Q.  S.  Jaquith,  Lucy 
Jaquith,  Lucy  Jaquith,  Sr.,  Mrs.  Vaughn,  Abbie  Owen,  Harriet  Jaquith, 
R.  Russell  and  wife;  Rev.  Cyrus  Dudley  served  the  congregation  for  a 
number  of  years.  Other  pastors  were  Samuel  Hathorn  and  J.  F.  Tufts. 
Their  first  house  of  worship  was  a  frame  structure  built  about  1840.  It 
was  destroyed  by  tire,  and  was  replaced  by  the  present  one.  The  con- 
gregation is  now  without  a  pastor,  and  no  regular  services  have  been  held 
foV  some  years. 

St.  Stephen's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  (German),  located  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  township,  was  organized  in  1843,  with  a  membership 
of  twelve,  among  whom  were  Valentine  George  and  Peter  Vogel,  John 
Drout,  Christopher  Seitz,  a  William  Rupe,  Jacob  Graff  and  a  William 
Wenthorse.  The  first  church  building  was  a  log  one,  which  was  dedi- 
cated July  30,  1843;  Rev.  August  Miller  preaching  the  sermon.  Ten 
years  later  (1853)  the  present  substantial  brick  edifice  was  erected.  The 
graveyard  was  started  in  1843  on  the  organization  of  the  church.  Rev. 
Miller  was  the  pastor  of  the,church  two  years.  Christian  Busse  followed. 
Other  pastors  were  Meyers,  Geiger  and  Bournmeister.  Near  by  is 
located  a  neat  brick- schoolhouse  erected  in  1881,  in  which  the  children 
of  the  church  are  taught. 

Just  north  of  North  Hogan  Creek  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town- 
ship is  located  a  very  neat  little  frame  church,  and  nearby  a  graveyard, 
well  cared  for.  This  house  of  worship  belongs  to  a  society  of  Old 
School  Baptists,  which  was  organized  about  the  year  1848.  Elder  Rich- 
ard Kelly,  Joshua  Givan  and  wife,  Sarah  Rice,  William  Knapp  and 
wife,  Reuben  Smith,  Lyman  T.  Smith  and  family  were  among  the  early 
membership.  Elders  Richard  Kelly,  Benjamin  Dartus,  Tilton,  Alex- 
ander Conley  and  Robert  Wilson  have  served  this  people.  The  ground 
on  which  the  church  stands  was  given  by  Joshua  Givan,  and  that  where 
burials  are  made  was  given   for  the   purpose  by  William  Givan,  a  son. 


552  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  graveyard  is  not  so  old  as  the  church  by  about  eight  or  ten  years. 
The  first  interment  here  was  the  body  of  William  Huls.  Not  far  from, 
the  cemetery  is  quite  an  old  place  of  burial,  where  rests  a  number  of  the 
pioneers  ;of  that  section  of  the  country.  The  ground  was  given  by 
Cyrus  Cross  and  John  P.  King,  and  about  1832  was  buried  Thursa 
King,  the  first  interment  made  in  it.  Near  the  home  of  William  Givan 
was  erected  the  first  schoolhouse  in  that  neighborhood,  and  in  it  some  of 
the  early  masters  were  Lymon  T.  Smith,  Almira  Smith,  Robert  States 
and  John  P.  King. 

At  Holman  is  located  a  frame  church  building,  which  was  erected 
about  1846.  Previous  to  the  building  of  this  church  an  organization 
was  effected,  the  result  of  a  series  of  revivals  held  in  the  old  school- 
house.  Early  members  were  William  Huls,  H.  N.  Dixon,  John  Dorman 
and  family,  Cyrus  Campfield  and  family,  David  fcllis  and  family  and 
Joseph  Ellis  and  family.  The  charge  was  placed  on  the  Milan  Circuit, 
on  which  was  Rev.  Lathrop.     It  is  now  on  the  Manchester  Circuit. 

South  of  Holman  stands  a  church  structure,  built  during  the  war  of 
the  Rebellion  by  a  society  called  the  Christian  Union  Methodist  Church. 
Samuel  Kennedy,  the  Rumseys,  the  Ketchums,  the  McMullins,  the 
Weatherheads,  Terrells  and  others  were  identified  with  the  organization 
or  early  society.  The  society  was  short  lived;  no  services  have  been  held 
for  years. 

About  thirty  years  ago  a  Universalist  society  was  organized  and  built 
the  church  now  located  in  Upper  Manchester.  Israel  Noyeswasthe  lead- 
ing spirit  in  the  movement;  among  other  members  were  the  Platts.  The 
congregation  never  had  a  resident  pastor,  and  never  was  very  strong. 
Only  occasional  preaching  is  held  in  the  building. 

At  Wright's  Corners  is  located  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  build- 
ing, the  society  of  which  dates  back  some  thirty  odd  years.  There  is  a 
graveyard  here,  started  about  the  same  time.  The  Loziers,  Blasdels  and 
the  Parmertons  were  identified  with  this  church  society  in  its  early  exis- 
tence. 

MILLS  AND  OTHER  INDUSTRIES. 

Of  the  mills  on  North  Hogan  the  following  is  extracted  from  an  ar- 
ticle written  in  1876,  referring  to  that  stream  sixty  years  ago: 

"There  were  a  few  cabins  dispersed  along  the  banks  of  the  North 
Hogan,  from  its  mouth  up  as  far  as  the  block-houses,  a  distance  of  about 
four  miles,  beyond  which  was  an  unbroken  wilderness.  Capt.  Jim  Bruce, 
Amor  and  Henry  Bruce  lived  near  the  block-house.  The  cabins  further 
down  were  occupied  by  the  McKinneys,  Powells,  Bordmans,  Hufi"mans 
and  other  pioneer  settlers.  North  and  south  there  were  some  settlements, 
but  west  and  northwest  along  the  creek  there  was  no  settlement,  and  of 


MANCHESTER   TOWNSHIP.  553 

course  ao  roads,  the  country  being  devoted  to  the  use  of  hunters  and 
trappers  until  December,  1815,  when  the  Johnson  family  cut  out  a  road 
and  penetrated  the  wilderness  for  three  miles  above  the  block-house,  and 
settled  on  the  land  previously  entered  by  them,  300  acres,  eighty  acres 
of  which  they  afterward  surrendered  to  the  Governmenment,  not  being 
able  to  pay  for  it.  The  descendants  of  those  pioneers — David,  George 
and  Joseph  Johnson,  that  is,  the  children  of  the  latter  two  (David  never 
having  been  married),  still  own  and  occupy  this  land,  and  have  added  to 
it.  Upon  this  land  is  located  the  oldest  flouring-mill  in  Dearborn  Coun- 
ty, operated  by  other  than  horse-power,  and  it  has  been  known  for  sixty 
years  as  Johnson's  Mills,  and  during  all  that  time  has  been  owned  and 
operated  continuously  (except  when  stopped  for  repairs)  by  the  Johnson 
family.  The  mill  was  started  in  March,  1817,  after  about  a  year's  time 
spent  in  building.  Considering  the  limited  means  in  money,  help  and 
facilities  for  obtaining  machinery,  this  was  considered  quick  work.  The 
races  and  foundations  were  excavated  by  hard  labor  in  removing  trees 
and  rocks,  and  constant  tugging  with  the  roots,  of  which  the  ground  was 
literally  full,  as  Uncle  Charlie  Bruce  can  testify,  he  being  the  only  liv- 
ing man  who  participated  in  that  work. 

"  There  are  a  few  persons  living  who  remember  the  new  mill  when  it 
first  started  with  its  one  run  of  Allegheny  stones  (which  are  yet  preserved), 
upon  which  all  kinds  of  grain  were  ground,  giving  the  best  of  satisfaction. 
Also  the  mill  house,  which  was  supported  on  forks,  sided  up  with  slabs, 
and  roofed  with  clap-boards.  The  mill  continued  to  be  owned  and  run 
by  the  three  brothers,  David,  George  and  Joseph,  being  variously  enlarged 
and  improved  until  1843,  when  Joseph  became  sole  owner  by  purchase 
of  the  other  shares.  Since  which  time  the  machinery  has  been  twice 
almost  entirely  removed  and  modernized  to  suit  the  requirements  of  the 
times.  It  was  last  rebuilt  in  1873,  under  the  supervision  of  Andrew  J. 
Pusey,  Esq.,  of  Lawrencebux'gh,  who  deservedly  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
mill-building  fraternity  in  southeastern  Indiana.  It  is  now  a  complete 
flouring  and  custom-mill  owned  and  run  by  the  Johnson  boys,  under  the 
style  of  J.  Johnson  &  Co. 

"Some  years  after  the  Johnson  Mill  was  started,  Thomas  H.  and 
David  Milburn  started  an  oil-mill,  one-fourth  of  a  mile  above  on  the 
creek,  and  soon  after  converted  it  into  a  custom  or  grist-mill,  and  for 
many  years  carried  on  the  business,  and  finally  sold  the  mill  to  James 
Rumsey,  who  died  in  a  few  years,  and  the  mill  passed  into  the  hands  of 
N.  C  Durham,  who  operated  it  for  several  years,  and  sold  it  to  the  John- 
sons, since  which  time  it  has  not  been  run. 

"In  1846  George  Johnson,  above  referred  to,  built  a  custom-mill  one 
mile  below,  which  was  run  a  few  years  and  abandoned. 


.554  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

"At  various  times  there  have  been  Moses'  Mill,  and  Round's  Mill  and 
Payne's  Mill  further  up  the  creek,  and  Nathan  L.  Milburn's  Mill,  and 
Huffman's  Mill  further  down  the  creek,  but  they  have  all  passed  away, 
leaving  the  Johnson  Mill  'as  a  spared  monument  to  fair  dealing  and 
close  attention  to  business." 

The  Johnson  Mill  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  December,  1882, 

The  Moses  Mill  was  both  a  grist  and  saw-mill. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  township  (below  Holman),  in  an  early 
day  was  operated  a  mill  by  horse-power  owned  by  James  Baggs.  Those 
going  to  mill  took  the  "power"  with  them,  and  then  gave  one-eighth 
of  the  grist,     Such  mills  ground  probably  twenty  bushels  per  day. 

Prior  to  1825  Oliver  Heustis  built  a  carding  machine  at  Lower  Man- 
chester. It  was  first  operated  by  horse-power,  and  later  by  steam,  and 
on  the  adoption  of  the  latter  power,  a  couple  run  of  stones  were  put  in, 
and  grinding  done.  This  was  in  operation  probably  fifty  years,  Heustis 
&  Plummer  carried  on  for  a  long  time,  and  the  business  finally  ceased 
in  the  hands  of  Daniel  Plummer,  Near  by  was  built  and  operated  a 
small  foundry  by  Russell  Coman.  A  tanyard  was  also  here  carried  on 
for  years  by  Francis  Hansell,  and  later  by  one  Keeley. 

The  large  steam  flouring-mill  located  at  Upper  Manchester,  and 
operated  by  W.  H.  Baker,  was  built  in  1854,  by  Noyes  &  Dunn.  It  has 
since  been  in  the  hands  of  John  Kennett,  William  Burton,  Haines  «fe 
Conger,  Clarke  &  Bedner,  Haines  &  Conger,  then  to  the  present  proprietoi*. 


Along  the  turnpike  running  through  the  center  of  the  township  east 
and  west  are  four  settlements  designated  as  Upper  Manchester,  Middle 
Manchester,  Lower  Manchester  and  Wright's  Corners, 

The  first  mentioned  is  located  in  the  center  of  the  township  and  is 
the  most  active  in  point  of  business  of  the  four  places.  There  are  now 
located  at  the  latter  place  2  good  stores,  1  postoffice,  2  blacksmith 
shops,  1  wagon-maker,  1  cooper  shop,  and  1  grist  and  saw-mill.  Id 
an  early  day  it  is  said  that  Daniel  Northrop,  of  the  vicinity,  owned  a 
mule  that  was  very  breechy  and  usually  went  where  it  pleased,  which  fact 
gave  to  the  place  the  name  Muletown,  which  it  is  still  frequently  called. 
The  settlement  along  the  road  in  1818-19  may  be  said  to  have  given  origin 
to  the  place.  Justus  H.  West  laid  out  some  lots  as  an  addition  to  the 
point  in  1850. 

Lower  Manchester  or  Plummertown  had  its  origin  in  the  settlement 
made  there  in  1818,  and  took  the  latter  name  from  the  Plummers,  sev- 
eral of  whom  settled  there.  This  is  the  oldest  of  the  places  mentioned, 
Louis  Plummer  was  the  first  merchant  here,  and   began  in  selling  goods 


MANCHESTER  TOWNSHIP.  555 

from  a  chest.  He  next  sold  from  a  hewed  log-house,  and  finally  built 
quite  a  storehouse.  B.  Clark  was  another  early  merchant.  Ebenezer 
Roberts  was  the  early  ''smith"  of  the  place. 

Middle  Manchester  was  first  settled  by  Joseph  Sylvester,  who  in  1818 
was  living  in  a  log-cabin,  the  first  built  at  this  point.  In  1818-19  sev- 
eral cabins  were  built!  here.  Early  merchants  along  what  is  now  the 
pike  were  William  Tibbetts,  William  Jordan  and  Samuel  and  Daniel 
McMullen.  Samuel  McMullen,  a  resident  of  Upper  Manchester,  is  still 
keeping  a  little  grocery,  and  though  eighty- two  years  of  age,  is  quite 
active  and  a  very  genial  and  affable  man  to  deal  with.  Mr.  McMullen 
was  commissioned  postmaster  at  Middle  Manchester  several  years  before 
the  late  war,  which  position  he  held  with  little  exception  until  last  fall, 
when  he  tendered  his  resignation.  The  three  places  thus  described  are 
scattered  along  the  road  for  a  little  more  than  one  mile. 

Some  two  miles  east  of  Plummertown  is  Wright's  Corners,  a  very 
attractive  little  settlement  or  hamlet;  the  buildings,  public  and  private, 
and  surroundings  all  giving  evidence  of  thrift  and  enterprise.  At  this 
point  is  located  quite  an  imposing  and  commodious  high  school  build- 
ing, which  has  been  an  institution  of  some  note.  It  stands  a  monument 
to  the  enterprise  of  its  founders  and  an  ornament  to  the  settlement. 
Probably  sixty  years  ago  Washington  Wright  kept  a  store  and  was  post- 
master at  this  point,  hence  the  name.  Mrs.  Mary  House  is  the  present 
postmistress,  and  there  is  in  the  way  of  business  here  two  blacksmith 
shops  and  one  store.  A  Mr.  Bouker  was  one  of  the  first  blacksmiths  in 
the  neighborhood. 


556  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
SPARTA  TOWNSHIP. 

Organization  and  Boundaries— Original  Land  Sales— Early  Settle- 
ment AND  Events— Industries— Schools,  Churches  and  Grave- 
yards—Villages. 

SPARTA  TOWNSHIP,  in  November,  1826,  was  described  by  the  board 
of  county  supervisors  as  follows:  Commencing  on  the  old  Indiana 
boundary,  on  the  township  line  between  Townships  6  and  7,  Range  3 
west;  thence  eastwardly  following  the  meanders  of  said  creek  to  where 
the  same  strikes  the  line  running  north  and  south  between  Sections  8 
and  9  ,  Township  5,  Range  2  west;  thence  south  to  the  southwest  corner 
of  Section  9,  Township  5,  Range  2  west;  thence  east  with  said  line  one 
mile;  thence  south  to  the  southeast  corner  of  Section  21,  Township  5, 
Range  2;  thence  west  one  mile;  thence  south  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
Section  5,  Township  4,  Range  2;  thence  west  to  the  old  Indiana  boundary- 
line;  thence  northwardly  with  said  line  to  the  place  of  beginning. 
Sparta  as  described  included,  in  addition  to  its  present  territory,  some 
three  and  a  half  sections  of  Hogan  Township,  the  greater  portion  of 
which  was  given  the  latter  township  in  the  years  1856  and  1857,  and  the 
northern  tier  of  sections  of  Clay,  which  it  lost  on  the  formation  of  Clay, 
in  1835,  regaining,  however,  the  eastern  portion  thereof  between  1835 
and  1852,  and  most  likely  in  the  latter  year.  In  1870  a  small  portion  of 
land  in  southwestern  Manchester  Township  was  attached  to  Sparta.  The 
above  are  the  material  changes  of  this  subdivision,  which  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Manchester  Township,  on  the  east  by  Hogan,  on  the  south 
by  Clay,  and  on  the  west  by  Ripley  County. 

ORIGINAL    land    SALES.  ^ 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  Government,  with 
the  year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names,  are  set  forth  in  the  following 
list: 

Township  5,  Range  2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1816,  to  Christian  Harshey;  in  1817,  to 
John  H.  Musgrove,  Jonathan  Vail,  Riley  Truitt. 

A  portion  of  Section  19,  in  1816,  to  Christian  Harshey;  in  1817,  to 
S.  B.  and  W.  J.  Wood,  David  Kerr. 


SPARTA  TOWNSHIP.  557 

A  portioD  of  Section  30,  in  1817,  to  Phineas  L.  King,  Theodore 
Thompson;  in  1830,  to  Jonathan  Parks;  in  1832,  to  Aaron  Foulk,  Joseph 
Carpenter;  in  1836,  to  Percy  Wheeler,  Wilson  Wheeler,  Thompson  Dean; 
in  1837,  to  George  Cornelius,  Wilson  L.  Wheeler,  John  Christy. 

A  portion  of  Section  31,  in  1817,  to  William  and  Thomas  Olcott, 
Claybourn  Allen;  in  1831,  to  Michael  Flake;  in  1833,  to  Lorenzo 
W^right. 

A  portion  of  Section  32,  in  1817,  to  James  Lindsay,  John  Jones;  in 
1831,  to  John  Columbia;  in  1832,  to  James  Lindsay;  in  1837,  to  Peter 
Rough. 

Section  7  (part  in  Manchester  Township;  see  that  township). 

Sections  17,  20  and  29  lie  in  the  townships  of  Sparta  and  Hogan. 
(See  the  latter). 

Section  6,  Town  4,  Range  2  west,  is  situated  partly  in  Sparta  and 
Washington  Townships.     (See  the  latter). 

Section  34,  Town  7,  Range  3  west  (part  in  Manchester  Township; 
see  that  township). 

Township  6,  Range  3  west, 

A  portion  of  Section  1  (part  in  Manchester)  in  1817,  to  Amor  Bruce, 
Stephen  Wood,  Benjamin  Johnson;  in  1829,  to  Stephen  J.  Paine;  in 
1833,  to  Samuel  McKoustry;  in  1836,  to  Samuel  McKoustry,  Thomas 
Lambertson;  in  1837,  to  George  H.  Johnson. 

A  portion  of  Section  2  (part  in  Manchester)  in  1817,  to  Stephen 
Wood,  Benjamin  Johnson;  in  1818,  to  Elisha  Hancock,  Gilbert  T. 
Givan,  Nancy  Davis;  in  1836,  to  Henry  Johnson. 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1816,  to  David  Medsker;  in  1818,  to  John 
Dashiell. 

The  southwest  quarter  of  Section  3,  and  part  of  fractional  Section  4 
in  1817,  to   Jesse  B.  Lord  and   Samuel  Moss.     West  half  of  northeast 
quarter  Section  3,  and  north  half  Section  4,  in  1824,  to  George  Dean. 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  in  1818,  to  E.  Olmstead;  in  1829,  to  John  S. 
Olmstead. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  in  1817,  to  Charles  Dashiell,  James  Knight, 
John  Juman;  in  1818,  to  John  Leggit,  Moses  Musgrove,  James  Ander- 
son and  Martin  Justis;  in  1827,  to  Martin  Justis. 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  in  1817,  to  John  Brumblay,  Riley  Truitt; 
in  1818,  to  Spencer  Davis. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  in  1817,  to  Amor  Bruce,  Jonathan  Vail, 
Thomas  Lambertson;  in  1818,  to  William  Hancock;  in  1834,  to  John 
McKinstry;  in  1836,  to  John  Alexander. 

A  portion  of  Section  13,  in  1817,  to  Jonathan  Vail,  Adam  Flake;  in 
1817,  to  Joseph  Churchill,  Jr.;  in  1826,  to  Michael  Flake;  in  1827,  to 


558  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

John  Branington;  in  1831,  to  James  Daugherty  and  Charles  Branington; 
in  1832,  to  Samuel  Stage.  ^/ 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1817,  to  Spencer  Davis;  in  1818,  to 
John  Chance;  in  1824,  to  Benjamin  Hinds:  in  1825,  to  Thomas  Boggs; 
in  1857,  to  David  Osborn. 

A  portion  of  Section  15,  in  1817,  to  Samuel  B.  and  Winslow  J.  Wood ; 
in  1818,  to  R.  C.  Stevens,  Robert  Glass;  in  1829,  to  Willis  Miller;  in 
1832,  to  Alexander  Walker;  in  1836,  to  Caleb  G.  Ward,  Robert  Glass, 
Rezin  Hirsh,  Levi  Boyd,  James  Lambertson. 

A  portion  of  Section  21,  in  1818,  to  Samuel  C.  Vance;  in  1827,  to 
Samuel  C.  Vance;  in  1831,  to  Isaac  Oathandt;  in  1832,  to  Seth  Hertman; 
in  1836,  to  John  J.  Livingston. 

A  portion  of  Section  33,  in  1833,  to  Elhavan  Burroughs;  in  1832,  to 
George  Durham. 

A  portion  of  Section  22,  in  1818,  to  James  S.  Hogsheard,  Thomas 
Lambertson,  Arnold  Burtch;  in  1824,  to  Rufus  Holcomb,  Sarah  Daugh- 
ters; in  1832,  to  James  Dolson;  in  1836,  to  Caleb  G.  Ward. 

A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1818,  to  Thomas  Lambertson,  Josh  Mc- 
Knight,  Asa  Gloyd,  David  Brown,  Eliakin  Jones. 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  in  1818,  to  Samuel  Snider,  James  S.  Hogs- 
heard; 1828,  to  Thomas  McKnight,  William  Wheeler,  Levin  W.  Riggin; 
in  1826,  to  Benjamin,  Brian,  Jr. ;  in  1836,  to  Michael  Flake,  Samuel 
Ewan. 

A  portion  of  Section  25,  in  1817,  to  Theodorus  Thompson,  George 
Hames,  Stephen  Burroughs,  Leonius  King. 

A  portion  of  Section  26,  in  1818,  to  Peter  Hancock.  E.  P.  Pierson; 
in  1819,  to  Isaac  L.  Winston;  in  1822,  to  Robert  Faulkner;  in  1820,  to 
Mary  Faulkridge,  in  1832,  to  John  I.  Geyen;  in  1836,  to  Jacob  Faulkner. 

A  portion  of  Section  27,  in  1818,  to  Joseph  Lee,  Peter  Newcomer, 
John  Snyder,  Jr. ;  in  1819,  to  William  Turner;  in  1836,  to  John  M. 
Patrick. 

A  portion  of  Section  28,  in  1818,  to  Jesse  Hunt  and  Thomas  S. 
Killman. 

A  portion  of  Section  33  (north  half  of  fractional),  in  1818,  to  Mark 
Baher. 

A  portion  of  Section  34,  in  1817,  to  David  Medsker,  James  Hayes; 
in  1832,  to  John  M.  Patrick  Henry  Terry,  James  Hayes;  in  1836, 
to  Alexander  Walker,  Arnstead'Albitt;  in  1837,  to  James  Hayes,  Philip 
Rowland. 

Section  35,  in  1817,  to  Adam  D.  Livingston. 

A  portion  of  Section  36,  in  1817,  to  Claiborne  Allen,  John  Suther- 
land and  James  Ramsey;  in    1820,    to  Samuel  Marshall;    in  1827,  to 


SPARTA  TOWNSHIP.  559 

William  Lyon;  in  1836,  to  Thomas  G.  Benson;  in  1837,  to  Allen  Perry, 
Perry  Bidly,  Thomas  >Jelson,  Harrison  Alfred. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT  AND  EVENTS. 

The  forests  of  Sparta  first  began  to  give  way  to  the  pioneer's  axe  in 
1812,  though  little  advancement  was  made  toward  settlement  until  after 
the  close  of  the  war  of  1812-15. 

The  following  list  contains  the  greater  number  of  the  earlier  pioneers 
of  the  township: 

Steven  Pain  emigrated  from  the  State  of  Vermont;  removed  from  this 
section  of  the  country  before  death. 

Samuel  Allen  emigrated  from  Kentucky  in  1814;  removed  from  the 
township  prior  to  death. 

James  Duncan  emigrated  from  Maryland  in  1815,  his  death  occurred 
in  1864. 

Moses  Musgrove  emigrated  from  Virginia  in  1816.  He  was  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Nancy  Wood,  who  is  residing  in  the  township  at  this  time, 
aged  eighty- one  years.  Mr.  Musgrove  is  said  to  have  killed  the  last 
panther  shot  in  the  township  in  the  year  1817;  the  animal  weighed  200 
pounds  and  measured  nine  feet  from  the  end  of  nose  to  tip  of  tail.  Mr. 
Musgrove  died  in  1819. 

Samuel  and  Demos  Moss  emigrated  from  Massachusetts  in  1816; 
removed  from  the  township  before  death. 

Riley  Truitt  emigrated  from  Maryland  in  1817,  and  died  in  1818. 

Thomas  Lambertson  emigrated  from  Maryland  in   1817,  and  died  in 

1865. 

Benjamin  Johnson  emigrated  from  Maryland  and  located  in  Sparta 
Township  in  1817;  he  was  a  strong  minded  man  of  positive  opinions  and 
unwavering  character.  He  was  true  as  steel  to  a  friend,  and  could  be 
relied  upon  at  all  times.  He  was  the  father  of  John  D.  Johnson,  who 
was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  in  1846,  and  re-elected  in  1848,  and 
in  1850  was  elected  a  member  of  the  convention  to  revise  the  Constitution 
of  the  State.  He  was  also  the  father  of  Samuel  J.  Johnson,  who  served 
for  a  number  of  years  as  assistant  door-keeper  for  United  States  Con- 
gress. Frank  M.  Johnson,  once  recorder  of  Dearborn  County,  was  a 
grandson  of  Benjamin.     The  latter's  death  occurred  in  1859. 

Samuel  B.  and  Winslow  Wood  emigrated  from  New  York  State  in 
1817.  Their  deaths  occurred  in  the  years  1858  and  1868,  respectively. 
Samuel  B.  was  the  father  of  Hosea  Wood  and  husband  of  Mrs.  Nancy 
Wood  (referred  to  above),  residents  of  the  township. 

Jonathan  Vail  emigrated  from  New  York  State  in  1817,  and  died  in 
1847. 


560  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Stephen  Inman  emigrated  from  the  State  of  Maine  in  1817. 

Nathaniel  Richman  emigrated  from  the  State  of  New  York  in  1817, 
and  died  in  1859. 

Gilbert  Givan,  the  father  of  George  M. ,  emigrated  from  the  State  of 
Maryland  in  1818,  and  died  in  1862. 

Jason  Chilson  emigrated  from  Rhode  Island,  and  died  in  1838. 

Adam  Moore  and  family  emigrated  from  Maryland  in  1818,  and  set- 
tled on  the  site  of  Moore's  Hill.  A  son,  John  C,  "  died  at  Moore's 
Hill  in  1871;  was  born  in  Maryland«.in  1810.  His  father  moved  to  this 
place  in  1819;  has  always  lived  there,  and  was  identified  with  the  place 
more  than  fifty-two  years,  and  for  a  number  of  years  the  leading  man 
in  it." 

Samuel  Marshall,  a  native  of  London,  England,  was  married  in  New 
York  City,  and  in  1818  settled  in  this  township. 

"  Abraham  Eversole  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1791,  served  in  the  war 
of  1812-15,  married  in  1818,  and  in  1819  located  in  this  township. 
Among  the  early  friends  were  Adam  Moore,  Charles  Dashiell,  Morton 
Justis,  John  Brumblay,  Sr.,  Ezekiel  Maston,  John  Dashiell,  Ranna  C. 
Stevens  and  Spencer  Davis.  The  residence  first  erected  by  Father  Ever- 
sole  was  constructed  of  logs,  the  above  named  friends  assisting  in  its 
construction;  the  clapboards  and  roof  were  made  and  put  on  in  one  day. 
There  were  no  saw-mills  near  or  lumber  to  be  obtained,  and  everything 
pertaining  to  the  building  were  of  the  primitive  kind." 

Noah  Davis  emigrated  from  Maryland  in  1818,  died  in  1880,  aged 
seventy- eight  years.     "  He  was  a  good  citizen  and  worthy  man." 

Timothy  Kimble  and  Samuel  Stage  settled  in  this  township  in  1818. 

Thomas  Heaton  emigrated  from  Green  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1818. 

William  Turner,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  located  in  the  town- 
ship in  1819. 

Joseph  Thompson  emigrated  from  New  York  in  1819,  and  died  in 
1846. 

James  Daughters  and  family  emigrated  from  Maryland  in  the  fall  of 
1820. 

Morton  Justis,  a  native  of  Delaware,  with  his  parents  early  removed 
to  Pittsburgh,  Penn. ;  thence  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1821 
Morton  and  family  located  in  this  township. 

Elias  Little,  from  Ohio,  and  William  Tyler,  from  Maryland,  were 
early  settlers  in  this  township. 

In  the  fall  of  1818  a  wagon  road  was  cut  through  the  woods  from 
what  is  now  Aurora  to  Moore's  Hill,  and  on  to  the  Ripley  County  line. 

The  first  natural  death  that  occurred  in  the  township  is  thought  to 
have  been  that  of  Riley  Truitt  in  1818. 


SPARTA  TOAVNSHIP.  561 

INDUSTRIES. 

Adam  Moore  put  in  operation  on  his  land,  soon  after  settling,  a  grist- 
mill, the  power  of  which  consisted  of  a  treadwheel  worked  by  animals — 
horses  or  oxen. 

About  1830  Lyman  Smith  erected  a  saw-mill  on  North  Hogan  Creek 
in  this  township. 

In  1828  James  Hayes  erected  a  grist-mill  on  South  Hogan  Creek  in  the 
western  part  of  the  township,  which  he  operated  for  about  fifteen  years, 
when,  in  the  act  of  cutting  ice  off  the  wheel,  he  fell  and  was  crushed  to 
death.  The  mill  was  subsequently  operated  by  Joseph  Besong  and 
Jacob  Zapp. 

One  of  the  first  steam-mills  in  the  county  was  built  by  Phineas  King 
in  the  year  1839,  and  was  operated  in  connection  with  his  woolen  fac- 
tory, which  had  been  run  for  twenty  years  with  a  treadwheel,  and  was 
situated  on  what  was  known  as  King's  Ridge,  near  Chesterville.  At  his 
death  the  mill  was  abandoned  and  the  woolen  machinery  moved  to  Milan. 

In  the  year  1839  William  "^B.  Miller  and  brother  erected  the  mill 
known  as  Miller's  Mill  on  South  Hogan  Creek  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  Chesterville.  The  building  is  of  stone,  rebuilt  in  1868;  it  is 
four  stories  high,  with  four  run  of  stone,  and  a  capacity  of  400  bushels 
per  day. 

Samuel  and  Winslow  Wood  settled  in  the  township  in  1817,  and 
started  the  first  tanyard  on  Section  20.  They  were  intelligent  and  useful 
citizens. 

In  1831  Steven  Payne^  built  and  operated  for  five  or  six  years  a  dis- 
tillery, which  was  located  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  township,  capac- 
ity about  one-half  barrel  per  day.  This  is  believed  to  have  been  the 
first  and  last  enterprise  of  this  character  in  Sparta  Townshp. 

SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES,    AND  GRAVEYARDS. 

The  first  schoolhouse  erected  for  the '^children  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Sparta  Township  stood  over  in  what  has  since  become  Hogan  Town- 
ship, erected  on  the  Daniel  Crozier  land  by  the  neighborhood  in  1818,  a 
rude  log-house;  a  Mr.  Ball  is  "remembered  as  the  first  teacher.  Subse-. 
quently  Eliel  Chafin  held  sway  in  the  same  building.  In  about  1824 
this  house  was  abandoned,  and  a  log  schoolhouse  built  on  the  present  site 
of  No.  5  Schoolhouse  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township.  Nathaniel 
Richman  and  John  Daniels  were  early  schoolmasters  here.  The  old  log- 
schoolhouse  gave  way  in  the  course  of  time  to  a  frame,  and  that  in  time  to 
the  present  and  second  frame,  all  on  or  about  the  same  site.  Other  teachers 
who  taught  either  in  the  log  or  first  frame  were  a  Mr.  Earl;  John 
Arnold,  Thomas    Wood,  Samuel  Wright,  John  Osborn,  Leander  Kelsey, 


562  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

J.  P.  Daughters,  Joseph  Bedunnah,  Harvey  Connelly,  and  John  Lang- 
ford,  all  of  whom  excepting  one  were  boarded  at  the  old  Wood  homestead. 
In  1820  a  log-schoolhouse  was  built  on  ground  now  within  the  limits  of 
Moore's  Hill,  in  which  Sanford  Ehodes  is  thought  to  have  taught  the 
first  school,  the  tuition  being  75  cents  per  quarter  for  each  pupil,  and 
was  paid  mostly  in  trade. 

The  first  Methodist  class  in  the  township  was  organized  at  the  cabin 
house  of  Moses  Musgrove  in  the  year  1818,  by  the  Kev.  Mr.  Lawrence. 
The  membership  was  composed  of  Nathan  Milburn,  who  was  the 
class  leader;  Moses  Musgrove  and  wife,  Torrence  Curry  and  wife, 
Peter  Hannegan  and  wife,  Simon  Peters  and  wife,  Hiram  Knapp 
and  wife  and  Eliza  Riddle.  About  the  year  1820  the  place  of  meeting 
was  at  the  house  of  John  Dashiell,  near  Moore's  Hill;  then,  shortly 
afterward,  it  met  at  the  house  of  Adam  Moore.  This  class  was  the 
nucleus  of  the  now  flourishing  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Moore'& 
Hill,  and  its  subsequent  history  will  be  given  in  the  sketch  of  that  town. 

The  regular  Baptist  Church  at  Sparta  was  organized  May  21,  1822, 
at  the  house  of  Eli  Spencer,  with  Rev.  Daniel  Palmer,  pastor,  and 
Samuel  Marsh,  Gilbert  S.  Givan  and  wife,  Sallie  Johnson,  C.  Falkner, 
Isaac  Offutt,  Matthew  Spencer,  Rachel  Fox,  Nathaniel  Richmond  and 
wife,  members;  Mr.  Marsh  was  deacon.  The  following  named  minis- 
ters have  served  the  church  and  been  stationed  here:  Revs.  David 
Palmer,  Nathaniel  Richmond,  Aaron  Ball,  Joseph  Morgan,  Gillis 
Daughters,  David  Fisher,  Mr.  Bruce,  Mr.  Hinkley,  Thomas  Curtis,  John 
M.  Givan,'Mr.  Gildei'sleeve,  Joseph  Rocker.  William  Matchet,  Archie 
Smith,  Alexander  Coundly,  Richard  Kelley,  Lewis  Rysinger,  P.  J. 
Calap,  N.  C.  Petit,  A.  J.  Loveing  and  Robert  Wilson.  The  church 
membership  is 'about  sixty.  The  neat  and  substantial  brick  house  of 
worship,  located  in  the  village  of  Sparta,  was  erected  in  1853.  Prior 
to  this  another  brick  stood  on  that  site,  the  ground  having  been  donated 
by  Joseph  Churchill,  erected  prior  to  1840. 

Near  by  the  old  Sparta  Baptist  Church  stands  a  frame  church  build- 
ing, erected  in  1855  by  a  Presbyterian  Church  body,  and  occupied  by 
them  until  some  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago,  when  by  death  and  removals 
the  society  grew  feeble,  and  the  house  was  abandoned.  Among  the 
membership  were  Samuel  Allen  and  family,  Samuel  Mahood  and  family, 
Samuel  Heuston  and  family,  John  Laughlin  and  family,  and  James  Rus- 
sell and  family.  About  the  church  was  formerly  a  burying  ground,  but 
was  never  extensively  used,  and  has,  since  the  church's  downfall,  been 
abandoned. 

Probably  not  far  from  1844  there  was  a  Methodist  Episcopal  society 
organized  at  Sparta,  which,  too,  for  the  past  fifteen  or  twenty  years,  has 


SPARTA   TOWNSHIP.  563 

been  numbered  with  the  things  that  were.  Among  the  members  were 
Thomas  B.  Cook  and  family,  John  Hynes  and  family,  Robert  Scott  and 
family,  Bartholomew  Caldwell  and  family,  Perry  Chance  and  family, 
Michael  Bruce  and  family  and  some  of  those  that  subsequently  belonged 
to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  on  the  building  of  which  many  of  the 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  society  identified  themselves  with 
it,  and  it  gradually  gave  up,  and  the  membership  went  to  other  neigh- 
boring churches. 

Perhaps  as  early  as  1826  or  1828  Rev.  Daniel  Roberts  organized  a 
church  society  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Whitacre,  on  Whitacre's  Fork. 
Among  the  early  members  were  Daniel  Whitacre  and  wife,  John  Car- 
penter and  wife,  Thomas  Nelson  and  William  Tyer.  About  1843  the 
society  erected  a  log  meeting-house  at  the  little  graveyard  that  is  located 
in  Section  36,  the  ground,  one  acre,  having  been  formerly  the  property 
of  William  Tyer,  who  meant  to  give  it  for  burial  and  church  purposes. 
From  this  site  the  society  built  their  present  frame  edifice,  called  Con- 
cord Chapel,  located  at  Chesterville,  which  was  dedicated  in  1856,  Rev. 
Roberts  served  this  charge  off  and  on  for  a  long  period  of  years;  Rev. 
Thomas  Brandon  and  Elder  Guard  also  preached  at  Concord.  The 
society  is  identified  with  the  denomination  styled  Christians  (Campbel- 
lite).  The  old  burying-ground  named  is  about  the  age  of  the  first 
church  house  erected  there. 

A  half  mile  south  of  Chesterville  is  located  a  little  frame  dwelling 
touse,  which,  until  within  the  last  few  years,  was  the  property  of  a  con- 
gregation of  German  Methodists,  used  by  them  as  a  meeting-house. 
The  society  has  since  disbanded,  or  at  least  are  not  continuing  their 
meetings.  Simon  Humpfield  and  wife,  Ferdinand  Holtgel  and  wife, 
and  Henry  Hurnfelt  constituted  a  part  of  the  membership. 

As  one  goes  from  the  village  of  Chesterville  to  Moore's  Hill,  to  the 
left  of  the  road  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  former  village, 
he  sees  a  frame  house  of  worship,  standing  just  behind  a  clump  of 
grand  old  forest  trees,  and  to  the  rear  of  the  building  a  row  of  cedars, 
beneath  and  about  which  sleep  a  number  of  the  "forefathers  of  the 
hamlet."  Peace  to  their  ashes.  This  house  of  worship  belongs  to  the 
Union  Methodist  Episcopal  society,  which  is  upward  of  a  half-century 
old,  and  worshiped  that  long  ago  in  a  neighboring  schoolhouse.  Not 
far  from  1840,  a  log  meeting-house  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  build- 
ia<y  described  above,  which  in  the  course  of  some  years  gave  way  to  the 
present  structure.  The  appointment  we  believe  now  is  on  the  Wilming- 
ton Circuit.  The  Ewings,  the  Brewingtons,  the  Shuttes  and  the  Baileys 
were  early  identified  with  the  charge.  The  ground  upon  which  the 
church  stands,  and  the  burying-ground  is  situated,  formerly  belonged  to 


564  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Obediah  Railej'  and  Nelson  Ketchum,  Among  the  aged,  whose  remains 
repose  here  in  the  churchyard,  are  the  following:  Amelia  Wheeler  born 
in  1805,  died  in  1879;  Samuel  Ewan  died  in  1848,  aged  sixty-three 
years;  Nelson  Ketchum  born  in  1809,  died  in  1880;  Anthony  Buchta 
born  in  1797,  died  in  1874;  Catharine  D.  Buchta  born  in  1797,  died  in 
1874;  John  C.  Chance  died  in  1847,  aged  sixty-two  years;  Isaac  Shutts 
died  in  1862,  aged  seventy-four  years,  and  Elizabeth  Shutts  died  in 
1871,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

Within  a  stone's  throw  of  this  hallowed  spot,  and  almost  under  the 
shadow  of  the  meeting-  house,  some  fifteen  or  more  years  ago  was  formed 
the  ring  in  which  were  to  have  met  in  almost  deadly  combat  the  pugilists, 
McCoole  and  Coburn,  but  which  would-be  brutal  affair,  was,  at  a  timely 
moment,  prevented  by  the  interposition  of  the  county  authorities,  as  it 
should  have  been. 

Perhaps  a  little  more  than  a  mile  northwest  of  Cold  Spring  Station 
is  located  a  Baptist  Church,  about  which  is  a  place  of  burial.  Upward 
of  forty  years  ago  the  original  membership  worshiped  in  what  was 
called  the  Patrick  Schoolhouse,  situated  south  of  the  present  meeting 
house.  Of  the  early  members  are  remembered  old  father  Fuller  and 
wife  and  David  Holcomb  and  wife.  Ebenezer  Heaton  and  wife,  and 
Luther  Holcomb  and  wife.  Elder  Kelley  served  the  church  as  pastor  for 
a  long  time;  Elder  Ides  was  another  of  the  pastors  of  the  church.  The 
present  frame  church  is  the  only  one  the  congregation  have  had,  though 
it  has  been  remodeled.  The  society  is  not  strong.  The  place  of  burial* 
is  about  as  old  as  the  building,  which  was  erected  in  the  neighborhood  of 
forty  years  ago. 

Emanuel's  German  Lutheran  Church,  at  Cold  Spring  Station,  was 
organized  June  21,  1868,  with  a  membership  of  eight  persons,  by  Rev. 
George  Runker,  who  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  Henkle,  the  present  pas- 
tor of  the  church  at  Aurora  and  the  one  in  question.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  about  as  organized.  Their  house  of  worship  is  a  frame  build- 
ing situated  on  the  hill  just  east  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad. 

VILLAGE. 

The  village  of  Moore's  Hill,  the  seat  of  a  college  by  that  name,  is 
beautifully  located  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  township  and  on  the 
western  border  of  the  county  about  thirteen  miles  across  the  country,  due 
•west  from  Lawrenceburgh,  or  Wenty  miles  by  way  of  the  Ohio  &  Missis- 
sippi Railroad,  on  which  it  is  situated.  The  following  extract  taken 
from  a  work  entitled  "'Indiana  Methodism,"  by  F.  C.  Halliday,  D.  D., 
as  well  as  giving  some  of  the  early  history  of  the  village,  sets  forth  the 
character  of  a  people  who  have  founded  and  built  up  so  beautiful  and 


i 


SPARTA  TOWNSHIP.  565 

flourishing  a  little]  town:  "  Methodism  was  early  planted  at  Moore's 
Hill,  in  Dearborn  County.  The  early  settlers  in  that  neighborhood 
included  a  number  of  excellent  Methodist'  families  from  the  State  of 
Delaware  and  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  among  whom  were  Adam 
Moore,  a  local  preacher,  after  whom  the  village  was  named;  John 
Dashiell,  who  was  also  for  many  years  a  local  preacher;  Charles  Dashiell 
and  Ranna  Stevens.  These  men  and  their  families  gave  a  moral  impress 
to  society  in  that  part  of  the  country  that  is  permanent  and  valuable. 
No  part  of  our  State  maintains  a  higher  standard  of  morals,  and  no  com- 
munity has  been  less  cursed  with  intemperance  and  its  kindred  vices. 
John  Strange  once  held  a  glorious  camp-meeting  on  the  ground  now 
occupiel  by  the  flourishing  town  of  Moore's  Hill.  The  blessing  of  a 
covenant-keeping  God  has  rested  upon  the  descendants  of  these  early 
Christian  families.  Their  sons  and  daughters  have  come  to  honor. 
Moore's  Hill  College  is  a  monument  to  the  intelligence  and  Christian  lib- 
erality of  John  C.  Moore,  one  of  the  sons  of  Rev,  Adam  Moore,  the 
original  proprietor  of  the  town.  And  although  he  has  been  gathered 
with  his  father  to  his  heavenly  home  his  works'remain,  and  the  college 
that  was  founded  chiefly  through  his  instrumentality,  it  is  hoped,  will 
continue  to  bless  the  world  through  the  ages  to  come.  The  village  of 
Moore's  Hill,  now  noted  for  the^moral  and  literary  tone  of  its  society 
and  for  the  college  of  which  it  is  justly  proud,  owes  its  name  to  the  fol- 
lowing blunder:  Mr.  Moore  had  erected  a  mill  that  was  driven  by  horse- 
power, as  water-power  could  not  be  commanded  in  that  vicinity;  and  as 
the  early  settlers  from  a  considerable  distance  brought  their  corn  to  be 
ground,  it  occurred  to  some  one  that  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  have  a 
postoffice  established  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mill,  and  accordingly  a  peti- 
tion was  sent  to  Washington  praying  for  the  establishment  of  a  postoffice 
at  Moore's  Mill.  The  Postmaster  General,  mistaking  the  M.  for  an  H., 
located  the  postoffice  at  Moore's  Hill,  and  that  gave  name  to  the  village 
that  subsequently  sprang  up,  and  to  the  college  that  has  been  founded, 
chiefly  through  the  exertions  and  liberality  of  one  of  the  sons  of  the 
original  proprietor  of  Moore's  Mill." 

From  the  plat  book  in  the  court  house  it  is  shown  that  nine  lots  wee 
laid  out  "in  the  vicinity  of  what  is  commonly  called  Moore's  Hill," 
which  were  acknowledged  by  Spencer  Davis,  John  Dashiell  and  a  Mr. 
Ablamoung,  trustees  of  Wesley  Meeting-house,  at  Moore's  Hill,  March 
10,  1838.  The  original  village  plat  is  said  to  have  been  laid  out  by 
Adam  Moore  and  Andrew  N.  Stevens.  The  records  show  that  in  March, 
1839,  lots  were  surveyed  on  the  west  half  of  Section  10,  Town  6,  Range 
3  west,  on  the  land  of  Adam  Moore  and  Andrew  N.  Stevens,  by  Nathaniel 
L.  Squibb.     Additions  were  made  in  1844,  1845  and  1847. 


566  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

The  first  merchant  in  the  settlement  was  Samuel  Hearn  or  Herron, 
who  it  is  thought  was  engaged  in  business  as  early  as  1828.  The  second 
was  Samuel  Newton  and  the  third  a  Mr.  Steele,  all  engaged  in  store - 
keeping  prior  to  1838.  Obid  Bailey,  David  Brooks,  John  C.  Moore, 
Moore  &  Brooks  were  merchants  early  in  the  history  of  the  village. 
William  McCreary  and  John  C.  Moore  were  early  postmasters;  Charles 
Dashell  was  one  of  the  early  inn-keepers;  a  Mr.  Darby  "was  early  en- 
gaged in  the  cooper  business.  Morton  Justis,  in  conection  with  a 
brother,  carried  on  a  tanyard,  and  in  connection  with  it  the  shoe-making 
business. 

Probably  the  most  extensive  industry  of  the  village  was  that  of  the 
coopering  business,  which  was  carried  on  for  fifteen  or  twenty  or  more 
years,  beginning  with  1839  by  John  C.  Moore,  who  worked  sometimes  as 
many  as  thirty  or  forty  hands.  For  a  number  of  years  past  there  has 
been  in  operation  in  the  village  a  saw-mill,  built  by  Orin  Wilson,  and 
still  in  the  Wilson  name.  In  the  earlier  history  of  the  village,  Martin 
W.  Arnold  carried  on  a  tanyard  and  later  erected  a  saw  and  grist-mill, 
the  former  mill  was  built  by  Arnold  &  Moore.  These  industries  of 
Mr.  Arnold  and  Arnold  &  Brooks  were  not  very  extensive,  and  were  of 
short  duration.  The  present  business  of  the  village  consists  of  4  gen- 
eral stores,  2  drug  stores,  1  blacksmith  shop,  1  millinery  establishment,  1 
butcher  shop,  1  tin  and  glass  store,  1  manufactory  of  tin,  1  dress- maker, 
1  lumber  yard,  1  undertaking  and  furniture  establishment  and  1  livery 
stable. 

There  are  losated  here  1  postoffice,  1  graded  school  of  three  depart- 
ments, 2  churches,  1  college,  5  physicians,  lodges  of  the  orders  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  Masons.  The  population  of  the  village  in  1850  was  206; 
in  1870,  617;  and  at  present  it  is  about  625.  Moore's  Hill  is  an  in- 
corporated village  under  the  management  of  three  trustees,  a  marshal, 
clerk  and  treasurer  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  who  acts  as  the  mayor.  ^ 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — We  are  informed  that  the  present 
flourishing  church  at  this  point  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  class  that  was 
organized  in  1818  at  the  cabin  house  of  Moses  Musgrove,  which  stood 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township.  Of  this  class  Mr.  Musgrove  was 
leader,  and  the  following  named  were  members:  Torrence  Curry  and 
wife,  Peter  Hannegan  and  wife,  Simon  Peters  and  wife,  Moses  Musgrove 
and  wife,  Hiram  Knapp  and  wife,  and  Eliza  Riddle.  Not  far  from  the 
year  1820  the  house  of  John  Dashiell,  who  resided  near  the  now  vil- 
lage of  Moore's  Hill,  became  the  place  of  meeting  for  the  society,  and 
later  meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  Adam  Moore.  The  first  house 
of  worship  erected  by  the 'society  was  built  in  1829,  and  is  still  standing 
near  the  public  school   building— a  small,  one-story  brick,  about  20x30 


SPARTA  TOWNSHIP.  567 

feet.  The  second  building  was  much  larger,  built  of  brick,  and  stood  on 
the  site  of  the  present  school  building,  and  was  erected  in  1839.  The 
present  large  and  imposing  edifice,  which  is  a  credit  to  its  builders 
and  an  ornament  to  the  village,  constructed  of  brick,  stands  on  the 
main  sti'eet  and  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  village.  It  is  a  one-story 
building  with  a  large  basement,  the  building  in  size  being  75x45  feet, 
erected  in  1871  at  a  cost  of  about  $15,000.  The  dedicatory  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  E.  G.  Wood,  who  also  officiated  at  the  dedication  of 
the  second  building  referred  to.  From  the  organization  of  the  church 
until  1838,  the  charge  was  an  appointment  on  the  old  Lawrenceburgh 
Circuit,  at  which  time  Wilmington  Circuit  was  formed  and  the  charge 
became  attached  to  that  circuit.  The  Moore's  Hill  Church  became  a  sta- 
tion in  1851-52,  since  which  time  the  pastors  have  been  as  follows: 
Asbury  Wilkinson,  1851-52;  Thomas  G.  Beharrel,  1852-54;  E.  W. 
Burns,  1854-56;  F.  S.  Potts,  1856-57;  L.  Forbes,  ^1857-58;  E.  G. 
Wood,  1858-60;  William  R.  Goodwin,  1860-62;  S.  H.  Lockwood,  1862- 
64;  G.  P.  Jenkins,  1864-66;  E.  G.  Wood,  1866-69;  S.  Tincker,  1869- 
71;  J.  Cotton,  1871-72;  J.  F.  McClain,  1872-74;  W.  Harrison,  1875; 
E.  G.  Wood,  1877;  R.  R.  Baldwin,  1878;  A.  W.  Adkinson,  1879  (one 
and  a  half  years,  and  the  term  was  filled  out  by  M.  B.  Hyde);  J.  Cot- 
ton,1881-83;  B.  W.  Cooper,  1883-86.  The  present  membership  of  the 
church  is  215. 

The  Regular  Baptist  Church  was  constituted  November  29,  1851,  at 
a  schoolhouse  in  Washington  Township,  Ripley  County,  over  which 
meeting  O.  Ferris  acted  as  moderator,  and  William  Elrod  as  clerk.  The 
original  membership  was  as  follows:  Henry,  Sally  and  Isadore  Hancock, 
Sarah  Douglass,  Eben  and  Sarah  Heaton,  Joshua  and  Elizabeth  Cotting- 
ham,  Silas  W.  and  Permelia  Austin,  Randolph  and  Rebecca  Daughters. 
Laurinda  Vidito,  Rizpah  and  Mary  J.  Bowers,  James  and  Elizabeth 
Fletcher,  and  Mary  J.  and  James  D.  Bowen,  all  of  whom  received  letters 
of  dismissal  from  Washington  Church,  In  the  summer  of  1852  the 
membership  voted  to  build  a  frame  church  on  the  land  of  Mr.  Justis. 
This  building  served  them  until  their  present  substantial  brick  edifice, 
located  on  the  corner  of  College  Street,  and  the  road  leading  to  the  sta- 
tion was  erected  in  1866.  Revs.  Richard  Kelley,  Degarmore,  Edwards, 
Warren  .Beagle,  N.  C.  Petit,  Alexander  Connelly  and  T.  C.  Smith  are 
among  the  ministers  who  have  served  the  congregatioD. 

Moore's  Hill  College.  — This  institution  of  learning  was  founded  in 
1854,  the  first  board  of  trustees  consisting  of  John  C.  Moore,  David  A. 
Brooks,  Rev.  F.  C.  Holliday,  E.  F.  Stites,  Richard  Kelley,  William  H. 
Moore,  Henry  J.  Bowers,  James  S.  Stevens,  Morton  Justis  and  Chester 
R.  Faulkner.     John  C.  Moore  was  elected  treasurer  and  Joseph  McCrea- 


568  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ry  secretary  of  the  board.  The  first  faculty  of  the  institution  was  Sam- 
uel R.  Adams,  president;  George  L.  Curtis,  professor  of  mathematics; 
Thomas  Olcott,  principal  of  the  preparatory  department;  and  Miss  Mor- 
rison, teacher  of  music.  The  first  graduate  of  the  institution  was  Miss 
Jane  S.  Churchill,  who  was  graduated  in  1858.  Up  to  1876  the  college 
had  graduated  eighty-three  persons,  of  which  number  seven  were  dead, 
fourteen  were  useful  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  balance  were  fill- 
ing responsible  and  some  of  them  prominent  positions  in  life.  The 
presidents  of  the  college  since  its  foundation  have  been  as  follows:  Rev. 
S.  R.  Adams,  A.  M.,*  1854-62;  Rev.  William  O.  Pierce,  A.  M.,  1863-64; 
Rev.  T.  Harrison,  A.  M.,  1864-70;  Rev.  J.  H.  ^Martin,  A.  M.,  1870-72; 
Rev.  F.  A.  Hester,  D.  D.,  1872-76;  Rev.  J.  P.  D.  John,  A.  M.,  1876-79; 
Rev.  J.  H.  Doddridge,  A.  M.,  1879-80;  Rev.  J.  P.  D.  John,  A.  M., 
1880-82;  Rev.  L.  G.  Adkinson,  A.  M.,  1882,  present.  The  vice-presidents 
have  been:  Rev.  Adin  Newton,  A.  M. ,  1865-71;  Rev.  J.  P.  D.  John,  A.  M., 
1872-76;  Rev.  J.  A.  Maxwell,  A.  M.,*1876-78;  Oliver  P.  Jenkins,  A.  M., 
1878-82;  John  H.  T.  Main,  1883. 

The  college  building  is  of  brick,  large  and  commodious,  being  three 
stories^  high,  situated  on  elevated  ground  surrounded  by  a  most  pleasing 
and  attractive  campus  ground. 

Sparta  Village,  located  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township,  on  the 
road  leading  from  Aurora  to  Moore's  Hill,  is  comprised  of  a  thrifty  little 
settlement,  about  which  have  been  built  a  blacksmith  shop,  a  wagon  shop 
and  a  general  store.  A  postoffice  is  located  here,  also  two  church  build- 
ings. For  a  decade  beginning  say  with  1840,  Sparta  was  a  most  flour- 
ishing point:  then  the  business  consisted  of  a  gunsmith  shop,  two  coop- 
er shops,  two  'dry  goods  stores,  two  groceries  and  two  shoe-maker  shops. 
The  place  was  at  the  close  of  the  decade  visited  by  the  cholera  and  lost 
seventeen  of  its  citizens  by  death,  which  checked  the  progress  of  the 
village,  and  caused  the  glory  of  the  place  to  depart. 

ChestervilJe,  another  hamlet  of  the  township,  is  situated  south  of  the 
center  of  the  same,  and  is  comprised  of  a  little  neighborhood  of  some 
dozen  families.  Concord  Christian  Church  is  located  at  this  point,  also 
a  Grange  and  K.  of  P.  Hall,  with  organizations  of  each.  In  the  way  of 
business  there  is  a  blacksmith  shop  and  two  stores.  The  settlement  has 
a  postoffice  with  a  daily  mail. 

Cold  Spring  is  a  station  on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  about 
three  miles  south  of  Moore's  Hill.  One  store  (at  which  is  kept  the  post- 
office),  a  shoemaker  shop,  a  church  building,  the  depot  and  a  few  scat- 
tered houses,  and  all  is  told. 

*Died  in  office. 


YORK    TOWNSHIP.  569 


CHAPTER  XXXT. 

YORK  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization — Disposition  of  Lands  by  the  Government — 
Early  Settlement — Mills,  Churches,  Graveyards  and  Schools — Vil- 
lages. 

YORK,  one  of  the  interior  townships  of  Dearborn  County,  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  Kelso  Township,  on  the  east  by  Miller  Township, 
on  the  south  by  Miller  and  Manchester,  and  on  the  west  by  Jackson  and 
Manchester  Townships. 

At  the  January  session  of  the  commissioners,  in  1841,  it  was  ordered 
that  "A  new  township  be  set  off,  commencing  at  the  forks  of  Tanner's 
Creek;  thence  up  the  East  Fork  of  said  creek  to  the  north  line  of  Town- 
ship No.  6;  thence  west  on  said  line  to  the  east  line  of  Jackson  Town- 
ship; thence  south  to  the  West  Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek;  thence  down  said 
fork  to  the  place  of  beginning,  including  part  of  the  townships  of  Mil- 
ler, Kelso  and  Manchester,  to  be  known  by  York  Township."  As  above 
described,  York  comprised  its  present  territory,  less  Sections  5  and  8, 
and  several  small  tracts  of  land,  all  of  which  were  given  it  prior  to  1852, 
or  in  that  year. 

disposition  of  lands  by  the  government. 

In  the  following  list  is  set  forth  the  lands  of  the  township  as  dis- 
posed of  by  the  Government,  with  the  purchasers'  names  and  the  year  of 
purchase: 

Township  6,  Range  1  west. 

Section  7,  (part  in  Miller  Township;  see  that  township). 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1815,  to  John  Ewbank,  Peter  Higdon;  in 
1817,  to  Robert  Perrot  and  John  Ewbank. 

A  portion  of  section  19,  in  1813,  to  Samuel  H.  Dowden;  in  1814,  to 
'Nathaniel  Tucker,  Micajah  Dunn;  in  1817,  to  Joseph  Hall. 

Township  6,  Range  2  west. 

Section  22,  in  1819,  to  Isaac  Ferris,  assignee  Canadian  Volunteer. 

A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1817,  to  John  Dawson;  in  1810,  to  Isaac 
Ferris,  (assignee  Canadian  Volunteer);  in  1832,  to  John  Darling,  Riley 
Elliott;  in  1834,  to  George  Thompson,  George  Snell,  John  Taylor,  Hi- 
ram Fairbanks;  in  1836,  to  Tobias  Mann,  James  Murray. 


570  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES.  ' 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  in  1814,  to  Samuel  Cunningham,  Caleb 
White,  and  David  Cummins;  in  1818,  to  John  Hughes,  Seth  Dunbar, 
Thomas  Hansell. 

(Above  sections,  part  in  Manchester  Township,  and   part  in  Kelso). 

A  portion  of  Section  1  (part  in  Kelso  Township),  in  1816,  to  Caleb 
Williams,  Benjamin  Southard;  in  1817,  to  James  Shatts,  Jr.,  Paul 
Browne. 

A  portion  of  Section  2,  in  1816,  to  Halland  C.  Vanhauton;  in  1817, 
to  James  Angevine,  John  Davison;  in  1818,  to  Conrad  Row;  in  1834,  to 
William  Kjeinman. 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1815,  to  Jane  Bonte,  Rucliff  Bogent;  in 
1816,  to  Peter  J.  Bonte;  in  1817,  to  David  Palmer. 

A  portion  of  Section  4,  in  1816,  to  Edward  Droyer;  in  1818,  to  Pat- 
rick Direr,  Aaron  Post;  in  1817,  to  Samuel  McMath;  in  1833,  to  Israel 
Ketch  am. 

Section  5,  in  1817,  to  James  Angevine. 

A  portion  of  Section  8,  in  1817,  to  Philip  Michael;  in  1818,  to  John 
Bennett;  in  1830,  to  Eli  B.  Mead;  in  1831,  to  Benjamin  Moss,  Philip 
Michael;  in  1833,  to  Joseph  Bitter;  in  1834,  to  David  Bachell;  in  1835, 
to  John  A.  Keyser. 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  in  1817,  to  Henry  Likely;  in  1818,  to  John 
H.  Philips;  in  1834,  to  Daniel  Michael,  John  H.  P.  Shanger,  Francis 
Kercher,  Jr.;  in  1835,  to  Jacob  Wilhelm,  John  N.  Herman;  in  1838,  to 
Magdaline  Silfert. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  in  1815,  to  David  Perine,  John  Borel;  in 
1816,  to  James  Caldwell;  in  1818,  to  John  Mulhallen. 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  in  1815,  to  Aaron  Payne,  R.  T.  Jackson;  in 
1816,  to  William  Sharp;  in  1817,  to  Cornelius  Vanhorn,  Robert  Bone. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  in  1817,  to  Rulif  Bogert,  Robert  Hunt;  in 
1831,  to  William  Tucker;  in  1832,  to  John  Smith,  Jr.,  William  Tucker; 
in  1833,  to  Samuel  Bolser. 

A  portion  of  Section  13,  in  1817,  to  Samuel  C.  Vance;  in  1818,  to  G. 
Mantle  and  James  Juce,  William  Hurlat;  in  1832,  to  Daniel  L.  Crides- 
ter;  in  1827,  to  Thomas  Harrell;  in  1833,  to  William  Sander,  Jr.;  in 
1834,  to  Riley  Elliott. 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1817,  to  Thomas  Hall;  in  1818,  to  Jacob 
Norton;  in  1833,  to  Robert  Carson,  Samuel  H.  Dowden,  William  Davis; 
in  1834,  to  John  Lamb,  John  Feist;  in  1836,  to  William  Davis. 

A  portion  of  Section  15,  in  1818,  to  William  Shepherd,  R.  F. 
Keightly;  in  1832,  to  Benjamin  Crouch;  in  1834,  to  Thomas  J.  Darling, 
M.  Buckel. 


YORK   TOWNSHIP.  571 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 

This  portion  of  the  county  began  to  be  settled  during  the  war  of 
1812-15.  In  the  year  1788,  less  than  one  month  after  the  first  settle- 
ment was  made  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami  River  (Columbia),  in 
what  subsequently  became  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  Capt.  Hugh  Dunn 
and  family,  from  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  landed  at  that  point,  after 
their  family  boat  had  been  fired  into  by  the  Indians.  In  the  spring  of 
1793,  the  family  removed  to  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River  (on  the 
Ohio  side,  and  there  formed  a  station  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  "  Hayes 
Station,"  and  here  resided  until  in  1796,  when  they  removed  to  where 
Elizabethtown  was  subsequently  built.  About  three  years  later  Micajah, 
one  of  the  sons  of  Capt.  Duaa,  was  married  and  removed  to  a  tract 
of  land  upon  which  is  the  present  site  of  the  village  of  Guilford;  that 
neighborhood  then  being  sparsely  settled.  Some  ten  years  later  the  fam- 
ily removed  into  what  is  now  Manchester  Township,  where  a  son,  Gersham 
Dunn,  one  among  the  few  of  the  old  pioneers  of  the  county,  yet  surviving, 
resides. 

By  reference  to  the  original  purchasers  of  lands  of  the  township  set 
forth  above,  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  section  of  land,  on  which  the 
greater  portion  of  Guilford  now  stands  was  entered  from  1813  to  1817, 
by  Samuel  H.  Dowden,  Nathaniel  Tuckei%  Micajah  Dunn  and  Joseph 
Halt,  all  of  whom,  we  believe  improved  land  there,  becoming  actual  set- 
tlers. Mr.  Dowden  and  family  were  from  the  State  of  Virginia,  and 
removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Lawrenceburgh  in  1810,  and  subsequently 
to  the  land  designated. 

In  the  County  Atlas  published  ten  years  ago,  the  historical  portion  of 
which  was  mainly  written  by  Geo.  W.  Lane,  a  pioneer  of  the  county,  and 
good  authority  on  pioneer  history,  it  is  stated  that  the  first  to  efifect  a 
settlement  in  the  township  were  the  families  of  Payne  and  Bean,  concern- 
ing whom  nothing  further  is  given. 

Early  in  1816,  the  families  of  David  B.  Ferine,  Peter  and  John 
Bonte,  Ralph  Bogart  and  Benjamin  Gion,  coming  from  the  city  of  New 
York,  located  on  York  Ridge. 

Hugh  McMullen  and  family,  from  Pennsylvania,  located  on  Wilson's 
Creek  in  January,  1818,  and  the  following  spring  removed  to  York  Ridge, 
remaining  until  1819,  when  he  removed  to  what  is  now  Manchester 
Township,  where  he  built  the  first  cabin  erected  on  Pleasant  View  Ridge. 
At  the  time  of  his  settlement  on  York  Ridge  the  neighbors  were  the 
Bontes,  the  Davisons  (who  soon  sold  to  John  Gidney),  the  Cherries,  who 
then  were  in  possession  of  much  of  the  land  about  Yorkvi lie,  and  others. 

In  1817  David  Palmer  and  family,  from  the  city  of  New  York,  locat- 
ed in  the  northern  part  of  the  township. 


572  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Others  locating  on  the  ridge  early  were  the  Rowes,  Philip  and  fami- 
ly, Richard  and  Leonard  Sj)icknell,  both  men  of  families.  A  number  of 
the  Smiths  settled  along  the  East  Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek.  The  Ben- 
netts, the  Thompsons,  the  Snells  and  the  Halls  all  settled  along  the  West 
Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek  and  improved  land. 

Of"  the  early  settlers  on  the  ridge,  with  little  exception,  all  were 
from  New  York  City  or  vicinity,  among  them  a  number  who  had  there 
been  engaged  in  mercantile  and  other  business  pursuits,  hence  the  name 
of  the  township  and  village. 

In  1822,  William  Ward  and  family,  emigrating  from  the  State 
of  New  York,  located  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township,  first 
living  on  the  Peter  Bonte  land,  who  by  this  time  had  removed  to  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  and  his  brother  John  followed  soon  afterward.  Mr.  Ward, 
it  is  said,  erected  the  first  frame  house  on  the  ridge,  it  being  an  addition 
to  the  log  structure,  which  stood  in  the  rear. 

John  Snell,  referred  to  above,  was  a  native  of  New  York  State,  and 
with  his  family  removed  to  this  township  in  1818.  The  Smiths  were  na- 
tives of  England.  John  and  family  (eight  children)  emigrated  from  that 
country  in  1818, and  the  same  year  located  in  this  township,  first  landing 
at  Alexandria,  Va.,  then  proceeding  by  overland  to  Brownsville,  Penn., 
where  they  embarked  in  a  flat-boat  and  came  down  the  Ohio  River  to 
Cincinnati.  Mr.  Smith  became  an  extensive  land  owner  in  this  county, 
possessing  at  the  time  of  his  death  nearly  1,000  acres. 

Cornelius  Van  Horn  and  family,  the  parents  natives  of  New  Jersey, 
settled  in  the  township  in  1817.  The  husband  was  a  farmer  and  real 
estate  dealer  in  New  Jersey  and  the  city  of  New  York,  respectively.  He 
was  the  father  of  Cornelius  Van  Horn,  one  among  the  few  pioneers  yet 
surviving  in  this  locality. 

James  Angevine  and  family,  natives  of  New  York  City,  located  here 
in  1818.  Mr.  Angevine' s  birth  occurred  in  1777,  and  his  death  in  1874, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years. 

It  was  not  until  1831,_  that  the  township  began  to  be  peopled  by  the 
foreign  element  now  so  largely  in  the  majority.  This  year  located  about 
Yorkville  Adam  Broom  and  family  and  John  Heimburger  and  family. 

*  John  Shenaz  and  family  all  from  France.  In  the  year  following, 
located  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township,  Joseph  Miller  and  family, 
from  Bavaria. 

In  1832-33,  J.  Outzviller  and  Joseph  Bearing,  from  Switzerland, 
located  here.  These  families  were  the  forerunners  of  the  present  large 
and  thrifty  German  population  of  the  township. 

Judge  Cotton,  in  his  book  published  in  1858,  thus  refers  to  some  of 
the   settlers   mentioned  in  the  foregoing:     The  venerable  Widow  Perine 


YORK   TOWNSHIP.  573 

says,  "when  she  first  settled  here  in  the  forest,  some  forty  or  fifty  years 
ago,  not  only  were  the  howling  beasts  of  prey,  but  Indians  too  were 
numerous,  and  would  often  enter  into  her  cabin  at  night,  strike  up  a  fire, 
treat  themselves  unceremoniously  to  any  and  everything  they  could  find, 
enjoy  themselves  thus  for  hours,  and  then  retire,  without  offering  her  or 
hers  any  personal  molestation  or  violence.  And  a  Mr.  Smith  (I  thmk 
that  was  the  name),  who  raised  the  very  first  cabin  on  the  ridge,  had  it 
partly  covered,  when  he  chanced  to  see  two  big  Indians  lurking  about  it. 
Supposing  them  to  be  there  for  mischief,  he  stole  upon  them,  and  with  a 
deadly  aim,  made  one  of  them  'bite  the  dust.'  The  other  precipitately 
fled,  paused  at  the  distance  of  some  forty  rods,  and  then  turned  back, 
unwilling  to  leave  or  forsake  his  friend.  Meantime  Smith  had  kept  his 
eyes  upon  him,  and  reloaded  his  gun,  and  when  the  Indian  had  come 
within  shooting  distance,  he,  too.  was  made  to  'bite  the  dust,'  and  share 
the  fate  of  his  friend.  Smith  dug  a  grave,  put  them  both  in,  and  buried 
them  right  here,  within  gun-shot  of  the  church." 

MILLS. 

There  have  been  but  few  mills  in  the  township,  the  people  depending 
on  mills  of  other  settlements. 

John  Bennett  built  a  little  corn-mil!  on  the  West  Fork  of  Tanner's 
Creek,  in  the  neighborhood  of  where  Harman's  Station  now  is,  on  the 
railroad.      This  was  built  in  1819,  or  shortly  afterward. 

OHURCHES,    GRAVETAEDS    AND    SCHOOLS. 

One  mile  west  of  the  village  of  Guilford  is  situated  a  graveyard,  and 
on  this  site  was,  in  the  early  settlement  of  that  locality,  located  a  log 
meeting-house,  built  by  a  society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
the  house  being  erected  probably  as  early  as  the  stone  chapel  on  the  West 
Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek  (1821).  This  religious  body,  about  1828,  became 
a  Methodist  Protestant  Church  society,  and  subsequently  erected  a  stone 
house  of  worship  not  far  distant  on  the  creek,  and  in  it  worshiped  until 
disturbed  too  greatly  by  the  railroad,  when  it  was  abandoned,  and  the 
present  frame  edifice  now  standing  below,  and,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  road  from  the  graveyard  above  located,  was  erected  in  1867. 

In  this  graveyard  rest  the  remains  of  a  number  of  the  pioneers  of 
that  vicinity,  and  among  those  whose  graves  are  marked  by  lettered 
tombstones  are  noted  the  following:  John  Hawxwell,  Sr.,  born  in  En- 
gland in  1770,  died  in  1855;  May,  widow  of  John  Hawxwell,  Sr.,  born  in 
England  in  1777,  died  in  1858;  John  Collier,  born  in  England  in  1775; 
died  in  1846;  Jane,  widow  of  John  Collier,  died  in  1859,  aged  seventy 


574  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

years;  Robert Cornforth  died  in  1835,  aged  fifty-six  years;  Jane,  widow 
of  Robert  Cornforth  died  in  1855,  aged  seventy-three  years;  Thomas 
Hansell,  born  in  England  in  1771,  died  in  1836;  Ann,  widow  of  Thomas 
Hansell,  died  in  1860,  aged  eighty-eight  years;  Thomas  Hansell  born  in 
England  in  1807,  died  in  1879;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Thomas  Hansell, 
died  in  1850,  aged  forty-one  years;  James  Murray,  died  in  1858,  aged 
seventy  years;  Desire  Ann  Clark,  wife  of  George  Clark,  died  in  1881, 
aged  seventy-seven  years;  John  P.  Snell,  died  in  1834,  aged  sixty  years; 
William  Davis,  born  in  1793,  died  in  1867;  Ann  Davis,  died  in  1868, 
aged  eighty  years;  George  Thompson,  born  in  1792,  died  in  1873. 

Many  of  those  whose  bodies  are  here  returning  to  dust  from  which 
they  came  were  identified  with  the  church's  history  under  consideration. 
This  charge  with  the  one  at  Stone  Chapel  on  East  Fork  of  Tanner's 
Creek,  and  the  one  further  north  in  Miller  Township  constitute  one  cir- 
cuit, of  which  the  preacher  in  charge  is  Rev,  J.  H.  Neihr,  of  Guilford. 
Since  the  society  has  been  a  Methodist  Protestant  one,  among  the  minis- 
ters identified  with  its  history  can  be  recalled  Revs.  James  Murray, 
W.  W.  Paul,  George  Wheatley,  Samuel  Morrison,  Hugh  Stack,  J.  M. 
Flood  and  Sanford  Flood.  In  the  old  log-church  that  stood  at  the  grave- 
yard school  was  held  at  different  times.  Elias  Horner  and  Thomas 
Ward  are  remembered  as  early  teachers  here. 

One  half  mile  southeast  of  Yorkville,  is  located  a  public  graveyard  in 
which  are  buried  many  of  the  pioneers  of  the  locality.  The  ground  was 
formerly  in  the  possession  of  Philip  Row  and  was  given  by  him  for  the 
purpose  for  which  used.  There  are  many  interments  in  this  place  of 
burial  that  are  not  marked  by  tombstones  bearing  inscriptions.  Of  the 
latter  can  be  mentioned  a  number  of  he  Palmer  family,  one  of  whom 
was  Ann,  the  wife  of  the  old  pioneer,  who  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age 
of  ninety- one  years.  The  oldest  grave  marked  by  a  stone  bearing  an 
inscription  was  that  of  an  infant  which  died  in  1838.  Of  the  older  per- 
sons buried  here  are  mentioned  Andrew  Scott,  died  in  1839,  aged 
seventy-three  years;  Robert  Keightley,  died  in  1856,  aged  eighty- 
eight  years;  Philip  Row,  died  in  1838,  aged  seventy-two  years; 
Mary,  wife  of  Philip  Row,  died  in  1838,  aged  seventy -three  years;  John 
Smith,  born  in  1792,  died  in  1860;  David  C.  Perine,  died  in  1850,  aged 
seventy-six  years;  Catharine,  wife  of  David  C.  Perine,  died  in  1863, 
aged  seventy-three  years;  Ebenezer  Rogers,  a  native  of  New  York,  was 
born  in  1771,  died  in  1857;  Phcebe,  wife  of  Ebenezer  Rogers,  born  in 
1775,  died  in  1854;  Leonard  Spicknall,  died  in  1850,  aged  fifty-nine 
years;  Nathaniel  Tucker,  died  in  1850,  aged  seventy  years.  In  this 
place  of  burial,  perhaps  fifty  years  ago,  there  was  built  by  a  Methodist 
Episcopal  society  a  frame  meeting-house,  which   was  torn  down  some 


YORK   TOWNSHIP.  575 

years  ago,  the  society  by  reason  of  deaths  and  removals   having  been  so 
decreased  as  to  disband. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  vicinity  of  Yorkville,  a  hewed  log 
schoolhouse  was  built  probably  a  half  mile  northwest  of  the  present  vil- 
lac'e.  David  Latin,  James  Gidney  and  a  Mr.  Howell,  are  recalled  as 
first  instructors.  This  same  building  was  subsequently  removed  to  the 
Ward  land,  about  one  half  mile  west  of  the  former  place.  Judge  Cot- 
ton, who,  for  many  years  taught  in  the  schools  of  the  county,  thus  re- 
fers to  one  in  this  locality  (Van  Horn's):  "one  of  the  very  best  school- 
houses  I  ever  occupied,  and  one  of  the  best  districts.  Of  forty  pupils, 
only  twenty-five  of  them  were  Smiths,  and  my  most  excellent  friends, 
John  Smith  and  lady,  furnished  only  eight;  and  for  good  and  kind  pu- 
pils, one  need  not  desire  better — could  not  find  them  if  they  tried.  If 
all  the  Smiths  that  we  hear  and  read  so  much  about  are,  for  moral  ex- 
cellence, like  this  Smith  stock,  may  they  never  be  less;  and  judging  from 
appearances,  they  never  will,  though  John  and  his  excellent  lady  have 
only  fifteen  children  yet. ' ' 

At  the  village  of  Yorkville  are  located  St.  Martin's  Catholic  Church, 
and  the  schools  of  the  congregation,  and  their  place  of  burial;  the  two 
large  brick  buildings  are  substantial  and  rather  imposing  structures. 
The  congregation  was  organized  March  26,  1850,  by  Joseph  Schnetzer, 
John  Heimberger,  J.  G.  Herr,  Nicholas  Brichler,  John  Feist,  Sr.,  Joseph 
Weitzel,  Sr. ,  Louis  Behr,  F.  S.  Winter,  Sebastian  Blettner,  Louis  Weit- 
zel,  Joseph  Miller,  Tubal  Scheib,  Jacob  Soheib,  George  Feist,  Balthasar 
Miller,  Frederick  Weitzel,  Paul  Neurohr,  Jacob  Brichler,  Patrick  Mona- 
gan,  Wigand  Hagen,  M.  Steinmetz,  Paul  Weber,  Joseph  Ege,  Joseph 
Manderi,  J.  B.  Clerge,  John  Kaber,  George  Kohler,  John  Scheib,  G. 
Fry,  Louis  Lewenberger,  Simon  Miller,  Paul  Lemmel,  John  Geisler, 
John  Miller,  Frank  Brichler,  Valentine  Graff,  Joseph  Weitzel,  Jr. ;  Jo- 
seph Schnetzer,  president  of  the  organization;  John  Heimberger,  J.  G. 
Herr  and  N.  Brichler,  trustees.  Kev.  Martin  Stahl,  first  pastor.  Total 
number  of  members  March  26,  1850,  were  thirty-seven.  The  present 
church  was  built  in  1851.  Cost  of  building  about  |4,000;  size  40x80 
feet;  height  to  the  roof,  twenty-six  feet.  Impi-ovements  since  added 
about  $4,000.  In  1854  a  schoolhouse  was  built  22x36  feet,  one  story 
hio^h,  at  a  cost  of  about  $500.  In  1872,  the  house  was  taken  down, 
and  a  new  one  built  36x57  feet,  two  stories,  or  twenty-five  feet  high  from 
the  foundation  to  the  eave  of  the  roof,  at  a  cost  of  about  $6,000.  The 
membership  in  1876  comprised  eighty-five  heads  of  families.  The  pas- 
tor then  was  Rev.  J.  G.  Seibertz,  and  the  trustees  Fred  Cohle,  Jacob 
Brichler  and  Henry  Dall. 


576  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

VILLAGES. 

Yorkville,  the  elder  of  the  two  small  villages  in  the  township,  is 
located  north  of  the  center  of  the  same.  If  ever  regularly  laid  out  and 
platted  we  fail  to  find  any  record  of  it  in  the  court  house.  For  the  past 
fifty  years  at  this  point  has  been  kept  up  some  trade.  One  of  the  Perines 
and  Hugh  Scott  kept  early  stores  at  this  point,  and  Thompson  Young 
carried  on  a  blacksmith  shop,  which  made  it  a  point  to  go  to,  and  with 
the  building  of  the  Catholic  institutions  there  it  received  an  impetus  and 
gradually  grew  to  its  present  proportions,  comprising  a  postoffice,  two 
stores,  two  shoe  shops,  one  wagon-making  shop,  two  blacksmith  shops, 
and  two  saloons,  with  probably  twenty- five  or  thirty  families. 

Guilford  is  beautifully  located  at  the  forks  of  Tanner's  Creek,  and  is 
on  the  "Big  Four"  Railroad,  twenty-eight  miles  from  Cincinnati.  The 
village  is  nestled  in  among  the  hills,  which  with  the  streams  give  it  a 
very  picturesque  and  pleasing  appearance.  Twenty-six  lots  were  laid 
out  by  Charles  R.,  Allen  K.  and  Josiah  Campbell,  May  29,  1850,  the 
surveying  being  done  by  William  Rock.  Additions  were  laid  out  Septem- 
ber 10,  1859,  by  Joel  F.  Richard  &  Son,  and  by  Jonathan  L.  Blasdell, 
September  9,  1870. 

There  are  located  here  a  large  and  substantial  brick  schoolhouse,  an 
ornament  to  the  village  and  a  credit  to  its  builders;  a  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  several  good  stores  with  the  usual  village  industries. 


KELSO  TOWNSHIP.  577 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

KELSO    TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries   and    Organization— Government     Land    Sales— Early 
Settlement— Dover— New  Alsace— St.  Leon. 

KELSO  TOWNSHIP  occupies  a  central  position  in  the  northern 
tier  of  subdivisions  of  Dearborn  County,  lying  south  of  Franklin 
County,  west  of  Logan  Township,  north  of  York  Township  and  east  of 
Jackson  Township.  It  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  original  townships 
into  which  the  county  was  divided.  The  county  board  of  supervisors  in 
November,  1826,  gave  to  it  the  following  described  boundaries:  "Com- 
mencing at  the- northeast  corner  of  Town  7,  Range  2  west;  thence  west  to 
the  old  Indiana  boundary  line;  thence  southwardly  with  said  boundary 
line,  which  forms  the  western  boundary  of  Dearborn  County,  to  the 
southwest  corner  of  Town  8,  Range  3  west;  thence  east  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  Town  7,  Range  2;  thence  north  with  the  range  line  to  the  place 
of  beginning."  The  territory  within  these  boundaries  comprised  the 
present  civil  townships  of  Kelso  and  Jackson,  less  the  southern  tier,  of 
sections  in  the  latter  and  the  tract  of  three  quarters  of  a  section  of  land 
in  the  extreme  southeastern  corner  of  the  township.  In  1831  Kelso 
Township  was  increased  in  size  by  the  addition  of  Sections  1,  2,  3,  4,  5, 
9,  10,  11,  12,  13,  14  and  15  taken  from  Manchester  Township.  On  the 
formation  of  Jackson  Township,  in  1832,  Kelso  lost  the  territory  com- 
prised in  Jackson,  together  with  one  section  of  the  present  subdivision 
of  York  and  one  section  and  a  half  contained  in  the  narrow  strip  of  land 
lying  along  the  southern  half  of  the  western  part  of  the  township,  the 
latter  of  which  was  given  to  Kelso  in  1841.  In  the  latter  year,  oh  the 
formation  of  York  Township,  Kelso  lost  all  of  the  twelve  sections  above 
described  excepting  three  quarters  of  Section  1  (leaving  it  its  present 
size)  and  Section  5. 

GOVERNMENT    LAND    SALES. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  Government  with  the 
year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names  are  set  forth  in  the  following  list: 

Township  7,  Range  2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  1,  in  1818,  to  Valentine  Lawrence;  in  1830,  to 
David  H.  Lawrence;  in  1831,  to  William  Hallowell;  in  1834,  to  Samuel 

35 


578  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Cook;  in  1835,  to  Maria  Rapp,  Michael  Shran,  Conrad  Freck,  and  John 
H.  Ohlman. 

A  portion  of  Section  2,  in  1817-18,  to  Valentine  Lawrence;  in  1832, 
to  Jacob  Mason  and  Abraham  Funkhouser;  in  1826,  to  Obediah  Ellison. 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1830,  to  Mr.  Taylor   and  Mr.  Hahon;  in 

1834,  to  Henry  Scott;  in  1839,  to  Henry  Scott  and  Peter  Renner.  (The 
original  entry  book  at  the  place  is  blotted,  and  Section  3,  as  here  set 
forth,  may  not  be  correct.) 

A  portion  of  Section  4,  in  1818,  to  John  Shirch;  in  1825,  to  Anthony 
McCarty;  in  1831,  to  Thomas  McClary;  in  1834,  to  Jouisant  Poriout;  in 

1835,  to  Christian  Conrad  and  Sebastian  Messersmith. 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  in  1816,  to  Thomas  Bowman;  in  1818,  to 
Philip  Mason   and   James  Foster;    in   1830,  to  Stephen  Thorn,   Jr.;  in 

1832,  to  Joseph  Yeager. 

A  portion  of  Section  10,  in  1816,  to  George  Lewis  and  William  Lake; 
in  1817.  to  Isaac  Lawrence;  in  1818,  to  Robert  Davidson;  in  1831,  to 
George  Hodge. 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  in  1816,  to  Edward  Johnston  and  Basil 
Gathen;  in  1817,  to  Valentine  LawrMicaj^  in  1818,  to  Martin  Bem- 
minger  and  Dan  Frey;  in    1833,  to  Thomas  Foster  and  Joseph  Mason. 

A  portion  of  Section  12,  in  1818,  to  Daniel  Lawrence;  in  1819,  to 
William  Ashley,  Daniel  Mason  and  John  Hail;  in  1824,  to  John  Hall:  in 

1833,  to  Daniel  Mason;  in  1835,  to  Henry  Sheland. 

A  portion  of  Section  13.  in  1815,  to  Jeremiah  Watkins;  in  1817,  to 
Samuel  Pollock;  in  1819,  to  Robert  McKagg;  in  1824,  to  Samuel  Caldwell; 
in  1831,  to  James  M.   Martin;  in  1832,  to  Joseph   Butler;  in   1833,  to  , 

Joseph  Shaugh;  in  1834,  to  John  Roquenser.  ^ 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1816,  to  Henry  Bramen  and  Joseph  Adams;  -s*^''^^^ 

in  1818,  to  Adam  H.  Lemon  and  Nathan  Blodget;  in  1819,  to  Samuel  C.  ;.. 

Vance,  assignee,  and  George  Mason;  in  1824,  to  Isaac  Lawrence. 

Sections  20,  29  and  32  (part  in  Jackson  Township;  see  that  township.)  '"-^  ^ 

A  portion  of  Section  21,  in  1819,  to  John  Mason;  in  1828,  to  George  "^^^ 

Lawrence,  Sr.,  Ichames  Lawrence  and  George  Lawrence,  Sr.;   in  1829,  to  T^ 

George  Mason:  in  1832,  to  Ephraim  Lewis;  in  1833,  to  G.  Steimler. 

A  portion  of  Section  22,  in  1825,  to  Benjamin  B.  Bonham,  Welcome 
and  Richard  Lewis;  in  1824,  to  Martin  Schendy;  in  1830,  to  Hugh  Con- 
Ian,  James  Mathews  and  Michael  O'Neil;  in  1824,  to  Joseph  Scarback, 
Jacob  Burgett  and  Gregory  Leithna;  in  1832,  to  Lawrence  McGuire. 
";:  A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1816,  to  Joseph  Caldwell  and  James  Edwell; 
in  1817,  to  Jojiathan  Lewis;  in  1831,  to  Patrick  McGuire  and  John  Grogau. 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  in  1814,  to  John  Kelso;  in  1815,  to  Thomas 
Dauby;  in  1816,  to  Joel  Decker.  ■/■ 


KELSO  TOWNSHIP.  579 

A  portion  of  Section  25,  in  1816,  to  William  Cloud,  Henry  Kingel  and 
Joseph  Adams;  in  1832,  to  Joseph  Figen,  John  Fellis,  and  George  Lewis. 

A  portion  of  Section  26,  in  1816,  to  Caleb  Johnston  and  James 
Cloud;  in  1818,  to  Jonathan  Young;  in  1832,  to  Richard  Hiland;  in  1833, 
to  William  Davis  and  Edward  Rignes. 

A  portion  of  Section  27,  in  1816,  to  H.  C.  Vanhouton;  in  1818,  to 
Andrew  B.  Allaire;  in  1831,  to  John  Blatner;  in  1832,  to  John  Hall, 
William  Ashford,  Martin  Hofard  and  Daniel  McKay;  in  1833,  to  Edward 
Rigory,  Henry  H.  Meschartt,  Jacob  Cook  and  B.  Hammerle. 

A  portion  of  Section  28,  in  1817,  to  Adam  Miller;  in  1824,  to 
Joseph  Gottstein;  in  1828,  to  Francis  A.  Walhin  and  T.  Stalin. 

A  portion  of  Section  33,  in  1817,  to  Samuel  C.  Vance,  Mrs.  McClure 
and  Robert  Rone;  in  1831,  to  Robert  Rone;  in  1832,  to  B.  E.  Shaeffer;  in 
1825,  to  R.  H.  Rone,  Jr. 

A  portion  of  Section  34,  in  1817,  to  Arthur  Moore;  in  1818,  to  Abra- 
ham Thorp,  William  Green  and  R.  Bogart;  in  1832,  to  William  Tucker 
and  John   H.  Bush;  in  1834,  to  Philip  Michael. 

A  portion  of  Section  35,  in  1815,  to  Cyrus  Cutler;  in  1818,  to  H.  C. 
Vanhouton. 

A  portion  of  Section  36,  in  1815,  to  Paul  Brown;  in  1818,  to  Edward 
Roberts;  in  1827,  to  David  Lunmas;  in  1832,  to  A.  B.  Reed;  in  1838,  to 
David  D.  Davis. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT. 

The  lands  of  this  township  began  to  be  settled  during  the  war  of  1812- 
15.  It  is  said  that  John  Kelso,  a  native  of  Ireland,  removed  to  New 
York,  and  from  there  to  this  section,  in  1813.  He  settled  on  what  is 
known  as  the  William  Gaynor  farm,  and  from  Mr.  Kelso  the  township 
received  its  name.  The  site  of  Dover  was  occupied  in  1815;  it  has  been 
stated  in  print  that  Jonathan  Lewis  settled  on  the  site  of  Dover,  in  1815, 
and  erected  the  first  house  in  the  neighborhood.  The  following  list  con- 
tains the  names  of  some  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  township:  Charles 
Lods,  Hugh  Conlin,  John  C.  Stinger,  Joel  Decker,  John  Mason,  Will- 
iam Tucker,  Isaac  Hagen,  Jonathan  Lewis,  George  Lewis,  George  Vogle- 
gesang,  Walter  Connelly,  Maj.  J.  Lewis,  Welcome  Lewis,  John  Blett- 
ner,  Isaac  Lawrence,  Charles  Schue,  Jeremiah  Watkins,  John  Kelso, 
Daniel  McKay,  William  Swift,  Henry  McKinsey,  John  B.  Kesler, 
Andrew  Lonergan,  Christopher  Ennis,  Thomas  Dart,  Joel  Dickinson. 


The  village  of  Dover,  is  situated  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, and  was  originally  known  as  McKenzie  Cross  Roads.  The  village  is 
said  to  have  been  originally  started  by  Henry  McKenzie,  who  became  the 


^80  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

^rst  merchant  oE  the  place.  The  first  postoflSce  in  the  township  was  located 
at  this  point,  and  the  first  Catholic  Church  of  the  connty  was  built  here. 
This  was  about  the  year  1825.  It  is  said  that  the  Catholic  Church 
organized  at  that  point,  was  the  second  Catholic  Church  established  in 
the  State  of  Indiana,  the  one  in  Vincennes  being  the  first.  The  families 
settling  in  and  about  the  village  were  principally  Irish  Catholics.  The 
building  of  the  Whitewater  Valley  Canal,  and  subsequently  the  Lawence- 
burgh  &  Upper  Mississippi  Railroad,  now  the  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis,  St. 
Louis  &  Chicago  Railroad  (the  railroad  is  also  known  as  the  "Big  Four"), 
gave  a  great  impetus  to  the  village.  Irish  laborers  on  these  works, 
being  all  Catholics,  made  Dover  their  headquarters,  and  their  well 
known  liberality  did  much  to  build  up  the  country  village,  and  as  it  was 
then,  so  it  is  to-day,  and  boasts  of  the  finest  Catholic  Church  and  school - 
house  in  the  county.  There  are  now  in  the  village  some  thirty  or  forty 
dwelling-houses,  several  stores,  a  couple  of  blacksmith  shops,  and  two 
or  three  shoe-maker  shops.  The  first  pioneers  and  their  descendants  of 
the  locality  are  either  dead  or  removed.  The  oldest  citizens  who  have  in 
latter  years  resided  here  were  James  Mustaugh,  Christopher  Roe,  B. 
Hammerle,  William  Dolan  and  William  Rawlin.''  Mr.  Hammerle  died 
in  the  village  in  1884,  aged  eighty-one  years.  He  was  a  native  of  Bava- 
ria; himself  and  family  landed  at  New  Orleans  in  the  spring  of  1833, 
and  soon  thereafter  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Dover.  He  purchased 
fifty  acres  of  land  of  the  Government,  paying  for  it  the  same  number  of 
dollars.  Here  he  built  his  rude  cabin;  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  but  find- 
ing this  business  not  profitable  he  built  a  brewery  on  his  place,  said  to 
be  the  first  one  erected  in  the  State. 

St.  John's  Catholic  Church  of  Dover,  as  above  stated,  is  said  to 
have  been  the  second  Catholic  Church  organized  in  the  State  of  Indiana, 
the  church  at  Vincennes  preceding  it.  The  lands  of  the  township  began 
to  be  settled  during  the  second  war  with  England,  and  we  have  accounts 
of  a  settlement  on  the  site  of  Dover  in  1815.  From  the  very  beginning 
of  the  settlement  at  Dover  and  vicinity  mass  was  celebrated  and  services 
held.  In  the  absence  of  records  on  the  subject  nothing  can  be  given  of 
the  early  church  here.  One  of  the  early  missionary  priests  visiting  this 
section  of  the  country  was  Rev.  Joseph  Ferneding,  among  whose  numer- 
ous missions,  the  church  at  Dover  was  one.  It  is  of  record  that  in  1825 
was  erected  the  first  log  meeting-house  or  church,  which  was  in  use 
until  1845.  The  directories  of  1844,  1845  and  1846  tell  us  that  Rev. 
Michael  O'Rourke  was  the  pastor,  and  very  probably  the  first  resident 
priest.  Father  O'Rourke  was  ordained  in  1841  by  Bishop  De  La  Hail- 
andiere,  and  perhaps  Dover  was  his  first  mission.  In  1854  a  second 
chiirch  building  was  erected,  built  of  brick.     Father  O'Rourke  was  sue- 


KELSO   TOWNSHIP.  581 

ceeded  by  Rev.  Andrew  Bennett,  who  was  ordained  July  5,  1846,  and 
sent  to  Dover,  in  connection  with  the  chiirches  at  New  Alsace  and  St, 
Joseph's.  From  November,  1860,  Rev.  A.  Scheideler,  residing  at  St. 
Joseph's  attended  to  Dover  for  five  and  a  half  years;  succeeding  him 
came  the  Rev.  P.  J.  J.  Duddenhaueen,  who  was  sent  thence  to  Lawrence- 
burgh  October  1,  1870.  From  1870  to  1871  Rev.  V.  A.  Schnell  was 
the  pastor;  after  him  came  Rev.  H.  J.  Seibertz,  who  in  the  spring  of 
1874  began  the  erection  of  the  present  (the  third)  church,  which  is  a 
fine  and  commodious  brick  structure,  110x50  feet  and  cost  $14,000.  His 
successor,  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  B.  Bruggemann,  finished  the  build- 
ing. He  arrived  in  1877.  On  the  19th  day  of  October,  1879,  Bishop 
Chatard  blessed  the  church,  assisted  by  the  pastor  and  Revs.  Arsenius 
Fahle,  O.  S.  F.  John  J.  Gabriel,  P.  Siebmann  and  A.  Dannenhofer. 
Father  Bruggemann  was  born  at  Emsdetten,  Westphalia,  March  27, 1838. 
Emigrated  September  20,  1854,  and  was  ordained  priest  by  Bishop  De 
St.  Palais  at  Indianapolis,  September  6, 1874;  when  appointed  for  Dover, 
he  was  pastor  of  St.  John's  Church,  Clark  County,  Ind.  Dover  has 
about  eighty  families.  The  Sisters  of  St.  Francis  teach  the  schools, 
which  consist  of  about  ninety  pupils. 

NEW    ALSACE. 

The  village  of  New  Alsace  lies  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the 
township,  about  three  miles  north  of  the  "  Big  Four"  Railroad.  The 
first  settler  in  this  vicinity  is  thought  to  have  been  Anthony  Walliezer,  a 
native  of  France,  who  made  the  settlement  at  this  point  in  1833.  The 
original  proprietor  of  the  town  was  Joseph  Smith,  who  had  sixteen  town 
lots  and  seven  ten-acre  lots  laid  out  in  June,  1837.  Philip  Schatts  made 
an  addition  to  the  place  in  1848,  and  two  years  prior  (in  1846),  John 
Blatner.  Geoi-ge  Voglegesang,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  settled  quite  early  in 
the  vicinity  and  became  the  first  "  village  smith."  This  was  the  starting 
of  the  business  afterward  springing  ap  at  this  point.  The  first  mer- 
chants of  the  village  were  John  Decker,  who  kept  a  grocery,  and  James 
Cannon,  who  engaged  in  selling  dry  goods.  The  postoffice  was  estab- 
lished here  in  1840,  with  John  B.  Kesler  as  postmaster.  The  village 
has  a  population  of  upward  of  200,  contains  a  church,  several  schools, 
has  several  stores  and  one  brewery. 

St.  Paul's  Roman  Catholic  Church  located  in  the  village,  numbers 
about  130  families.  The  church  possesses  twenty  acres  of  land,  which 
deed  was  made  in  1832.  In  1838  the  erection  of  the  present  church 
was  begun.  It  is  an  elegant  structure  of  brick,  125x50  feet,  and  cost 
not  less  than  $15,000. 

The  church   directories  of  early  date,  to  our  regret,  are  so  incom- 


582  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

plete  that  it  is  impossible  to  determine  as  to  who  the  first  priests  were; 
however,  we  find  that  Father  Ferneding  had  it  the  first  on  his  list  of 
numerous  missions.  After  his  departure  it  is  quite  probable  that  the 
priest  at  Dover  attended  the  church  for  a  short  time.  In  1844  the  name 
of  Eev.  C.  Oppermann  is  given  in  the  directory;  from  1847  till  1854, 
the  name  of  Rev.  M.  Stahl  is  recorded;  in  1855  and  1856,  Kev.  Arnold 
Pinkers;  from  1860  to  1866,  the  Rev.  Roman  Weinzoepfel,  and  after 
him,  the  Rev.  Ferd  Hundt  had  charge  for  two  years;  then  came  Rev. 
Peter  Siebmann,  who  had  charge  until  1885.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev. 
Michael  L.  Guthneck,  who  took  charge  in  March,  1885.  He  was  ordained 
by  Bishop  Chatard,  September  29,  1878.  In  1836  a  school  was  estab- 
lished, which  at  present  consists  of  about  100  pupils,  under  the  care  of 
the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis. 

The  Myer's  Brewery  at  New  Alsace,  operated  by  Martin  Meyer,  has 
been  carried  on  by  him  since  1866,  his  predecessor  being  Peter  Weltner. 
The  brewery  was  established  quite  a  number  of  years  ago,  and  was  at 
one  time  an  extensive  industry. 

ST.     LEON. 

The  village  of  St.  Leon  is  located  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town- 
ship. A  postoffice,  several  stores  and  several  industries  make  up  the 
business  portion  of  the  place.  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  with  the 
priest's  residence  and  the  schoolhouse,  all  substantial  buildings,  with 
their  surroundings,  give  beauty  to  the  place. 

The  church  was  established  in  1841  by  Rev.  Joseph  Ferneding.  The 
first  house  of  worship  was  a  log  structure,  in  which  Rev.  Father 
O'Rourke  officiated.  The  latter  left  for  Ireland  that  same  year,  and  for 
the  succeeding  eight  years  the  following  named  priests  from  time  to 
time  visited  and  served  the  congregation:  Revs.  ^ Fathers  William 
Engeln,  of  St,  Peter's,  in  Franklin  County,  this  State;  Martin  Stahl,  of 
New  Alsace,  and  Andrew  Bennett,  of  Dover.  In  1853  (March)  Rev. 
Father  A.  Marschall  was  installed  as  the  resident  priest,  who,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1853,  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Father  A.  Pinkers.  His  successor  was 
Rev.  Father  Henry  Koering,  who  took  charge  of  the  congregation  in 
May,  1855.  Father  Koering  remained  with  the  church  five  years,  and 
in  1859  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church.  He  also  in  1856  estab- 
lished a  school.  From  1860  to  1874  the  church  was  served  by  Rev. 
Father  Scheideler,  during  whose  stay,  November  9,  1861,  the  new  church 
was  dedicated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  De  Saint  Palais.  Father  Scheid- 
eler, on  assuming  the  pastorate,  found  the  church  and  congregation  in  a 
confused  state,  the  latter  being  divided,  and  the  church  had  not  even  a 
floor  in  it—  nothing  but  the  four  walls  were  up.     However,  he  succeeded 


KELSO  TOWNSHIP.  '  583 

in  the  fourteen  years  of  his  administration  to  build  up  the  church  and 
harmonize  the  congregation.  The  church  was  completed,  a  new  school 
built  in  place  of  the  old  one,  a  parsonage  erected  in  1866,  and  all  else 
done  that  was  necessary  for  the  successful  results  that  have  since  been 
achieved.  July  28,  1874,  the  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  John  Joseph  M. 
Gaiiriel,  arrived  at  St.  Joseph's.  He  was  born  April  29,  1836,  at  Fen- 
netburgen,  Canton  Unterwalden,'^Switzerland.  He  studied  six  years  in 
his  native  country,  three  of  which  were  jspent  at  Einsiedeln.  He  emi- 
grated and  finished  his  studies  at  Vincennes,  and  was  ordained  by  Bishop 
De  St.  Palais  August  20,  1862.  St.  Joseph's  ^Church  numbers  about  120 
families.  The  school  for  the  girls  is  taught  by  a  Sister  of  St.  Francis,  and 
the  male  school  is  taught  by  a  male  teacher.  The  school,  in  all,  numbers 
about  115  pupils. 

The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  St.  Paul's  Church  of  the  town- 
ship numbers  about  twenty  families.  It  was  organized  in  1843,  in 
which  year  a  deed  for  the  property ^was  made  and  a  log  church  erected. 
Rev.  Mr.  Misner  was  the  first  pastor.  In  1867  a  fine  stone  church  was 
built  to  replace  the  old  log  one.  Rev.  Mr.  Crosshoff  was  the  first  pastor 
in  the  new  church.  Rev.  Mr.  Althoff  is  the  present  pastor.  He  resides 
at  Hubble's  Cross  Roads. 

The  brewing  establishment  of  common  beer,  located  in  Section  27, 
known  as  the  Zex  Brewery,  was  purchased  by  its  present  owner,  Joseph 
Zex,  in  1865,  from  Martin  Wilhelm. 


584  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 


CHAPTEE  XXXIII. 

CASS  TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— Land  Sales— Pioneer  .Settlement, 
Incidents  and  Traditions— Commercial— Schools,  Churches  and 
Graveyards— A  berdeen  . 

CASS  TOWNSHIP  lies  south  of  Union  Township,  west  of  Ran- 
dolph Township,  north  of  Switzerland  County,  and  east  of  Pike 
Township.  It  was  organized  in  March,  1845,  when  described  as  follows: 
"Beginning  at  the  line  dividing  the  counties  of  Ohio  and  Switzerland  at 
the  line  dividing  Sections  23  and  24,  in  Town  3,  Range  2  west,  and  run- 
ning thence  north  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  2,  in  the  same 
Township  and  Range;  thence  west  with  the  line  dividing  Towns  3  and  4, 
in  Range  2,  aforesaid,  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  6,  in  said 
Township  3;  thence  south  to  Switzerland  County;  and  thence  east  to  the 
place  of  beginning."  In  addition  to  its  present  territory  the  township 
then  included  Sections  6  and  7,  of  Pike  Township.  In  February,  1876, 
these  two  sections  were  detached  from  Cass  and  attached  to  Pike. 
Originally  the  territory  of  Cass  formed  a  part  of  Union  Township, 
Dearborn  County. 

LAND    SALES. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  originally  disposed  of  by  the  Govern- 
ment, with  the  year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names  are  set  forth 
in  the  following  list: 

Section  2,  sold  in  1810,  1814  and  1815,  to  James  Curry,  Jesse  Drake, 
James  Crane  and  Luther  Mead. 

Section  3,  in  1814  and  1815,  to  Payton  S.  Symmes  and  John  Smith. 

Section  4,  in  1817,  1833,  1836,  1837  and  1838,  to  James  Conley, 
Joseph  Richardson,  Samuel  Tucker,  Robert  Conaway,  D.  Dart,  Hugh 
Holling  and  William  C.  Kittle. 

Section  5,  in  1818,  1832,  1837  and  1839,  to  James  Downey,  Jr., 
Amos  Downey,  Daniel  McClosky,  Samuel  and  Thomas  Records,  Aquilla 
Carson,  George  Weaver,  Chester  Taylor  and  Sylvanus  Stevenson. 

Section  10,  in  1815,  1816,  1817  and  1833,  to  Moses  Daniel  and 
Philip  P.  Tapley,  Ezra  Lambkin,  Elijah  Thatcher,  William  Fisk,  Mar- 
tin Scranton,  Ezra  Webb  and  Thomas  Latton. 

Section  11,  in  1832,  to  Judson  Lambkin. 


CASS  TOWNSHIP.  585 

Section'l4,  in  1817,  1832,  1834,  1835  and  1836,  to  Julius  James, 
John  Kemp,  John  Goodner,  Charles  Marsh,  Isaac  Read,  Samuel  H. 
Mitchell,  Amos  M.  York,  John  Kemp,  John  J.  Huston  and  Samuel 
Turner. 

Section  17,  in  1818,  1832,  1833,  1836  and  1837,  to  L.  Mellen,  James 
M.  Hill,  William  Gibson,  James  Gibson,  Phineas  Kittle,  John  Vanosdal, 
Joseph  Watson  and  Joseph  Edwards. 

Section  18,  in  1818,  1830,  1834,  1836  and  1838,  Ethan  A.  Brown, 
Bethnel  Riggs,  J.  M.  Downey,  Benjamin  Moulton,  Vallems  Morse,  John 
Gibbs,  Enoch  Cochran  and  John  Myers,  Sr.  and  Jr. 

Section  19,  in  1817,  1833  and  1838,  to  John  Gibbs,  Cornelius  Culp, 
Jacob  Dennis,  Stephen  R.  Tucker  and  Richard  Downey. 

Section  20,  in  1817,  1818,  1832,  1834,  1835  and  1836,  to  John 
Gibbs,  N.  Longworth,  Moses  Brooks,  Catharine  Hedger,  Norman  and 
George  Sloan,  Walter  Jessup,  Edward  Miller,  Isaac  McHenry,  William 
Moulton  and  Henry  Burton. 

Section  21,  in  1817,  1819,  1827  and  1829,  to  William  Brindle, 
James  Murray,  Cyrus  Cutler,  S.  Stewart  and  Robert  Gillespie. 

Section  22,  in  1816,  1817,  1818  and  1826,  to  Jac^b  Myers,  Joseph 
Gulick,  Robert  Bovard,  Joseph  Ross  and   William  B.  Phelps. 

Section  23,  in  1815,  1832  and  1833,  to  John  Thompson,  Garrett 
Larew,  Benjamin  Larew,  David  Nickson,  Stewart  Henry,  Thomas  Winn. 

Section  8,  in  1818,  1831,  1832,  1834  and  1836,  to  John  and  Richard 
Downey,  David  Kittle,  James  G.  Kittle,  Jeremiah  Mulford  and  Alexan- 
der C.  Downey. 

Section  9,  in  1816,  1818,  1824,  1831,  1835,  1836  and  1837,  to  John 
McKane,  John  Hamilton,  Andrew  Tague,  David  Marsh,  William  Gray 
and  Edward  Dougherty. 

PIONEER    SETTLEMENT,     INCIDENTS    AND     TRADITIONS, 

Previous  to  the  admission  of  Indiana  as  a  State,  a  number  of  fami- 
lies had  settled  within  the  present  limits  of  the  township,among  whom  can 
be  recalled  Jacob  Myers,  who  resided  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town- 
ship, where  the  hamlet  of  Aberdeen  has  since  been  built.  This  was 
somewhat  a  central  point  on  the  road  between  Aurora  and  Vevay,  and  he 
early  arranged  his  dwelling  for  one  of  entertainment  and  became  the 
early  landlord  of  that  region  of  country.  Along  the  eastern  row  of 
sections  had  settled  the  Scrantons,  Drakes,  and  Lambkinses.  From 
reference  to  the  land  sales  treated  of  above,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  first 
tract  of  land  purchased  in  the  township,  was  by  James  Curry  and  Jesse 
Drake,  in  1810.  (This  was  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  2.)  Mr. 
Drake  moved  upon  this  land  in  1810,  and  was  among  the  first  settlers  of 


586  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

southern  Indiana,  having  emigrated  from  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  the  year 
1798,  to  Grant's  Creek;  from  thence,  in  1800,  to  a  point  on  the  Ohio 
Eiver  (Randolph  Township),  opposite  Laughery  Island.  Here  he  built  a 
cabin,  obtaining  from  the  island  boards  enough  to  lay  the  floor  and  loft, 
which  boards  were  remnants  of  a  flat-boat,  and  were  pierced  by  numer- 
ous bullet  holes.  On  removing  into  Cass  Township,  Mr.  Drake  for  years 
kept  tavern. 

In  1814  Benjamin  Jenkins  and  family,  of  Welsh  and  Irish  extrac- 
tion, coming  from  Virginia,  located  in  the  township.  Subsequently 
they  removed  further  west,  and  settled  in  Decatur  County. 

Two  years  later  the  Smiths  and  Downeys  made  settlements  here. 
George  Smith  and  family,  from  Pennsylvania,  landed  at  Rising  Sun  in 
1816,  and  settled  the  same  year  on  land  in  Section  3,  this  township. 
Two  brothers  of  them,  George  and  John,  first  came  out  prospecting  for 
land  in  1815,  and  entered  the  land  in  Section  3,  where  each  of  them 
cleared  up  and  improved  farms.  In  1876,  Mrs.  Smith,  wife  of  one  of 
the  old  pioneers,  was  still  living,  and  then  the  oldest  person  in  the  town- 
ship. Mr.  Richard  Downey,  above  alluded  to,  in  1876  was  in  his  nine- 
tieth year,  and  was  then  living  on  the  farm  he  cleared  up  and  improved 
sixty  years  previously,  having  settled  as  above  stated,  in  1816,  and  was 
the  second  settler  in  his  neighborhood.  He  remarked,  "when  I  came, 
wolves  were  plenty,  could  hear  and  see  them  once  in  a  while;  bears 
were  pretty  much  run  out;  deer  were  here  in  abundance,  could  see  herds 
of  from  ten  to  forty. "  This  venerable  pioneer  was  a  good  man,  and  a 
most  useful  citizen  in  the  first  settling  of  the  section  of  country  in 
which  he  lived.  He  was  three  times  maiTied,  and  became  the  father  of 
many  children.  On  his  coming  to  this  place,  in  1816,  it  is  said  that  he 
brought  a  pork  barrel  with  him,  which,  in  1876,  was  still  in  use.  "Un- 
cle Dick"  then  remarked  that  "the  pork  tasted  sweeter  every  year." 

Benjamin  Moulton,  an  octogenarian,  who  lived  down  on  Willow 
Creek,  in  this  township,  and  died  in  1878,  some  years  before  his  death 
said,  "I  came  here  with  my  father  in  1802,  at  which  time  there  were 
twenty  Indians  to  one  white  man,  but  they  were  peaceable  on  this  side  of 
the  Ohio."  Shortly  after  coming  a  sad  accident  deprived  him  of  his 
father,  mother,  and  youngest  brother. 

"We  were  living  in  a  shanty  at  the  mouth  of  Grant's  Creek;  the 
back  water  in  the  creek  di'ove  us  out,  and  we  camped  for  the  night  on 
high  ground,  near  a  dead  black  ash  tree;  during  the  night,  this  tree  fell 
across  the  party,  killing  my  father,  mother,  and  youngest  brother,  in- 
stantly, and  fractured  the  skull  of  my  brother  Bill,  who  is  older  than 
and  now  lives  up  the  creek.  There  were  eight  children  of  us,  all 
boys,  sleeping  around  the  old  folks.     I  was   stationed  at  a  block  house; 


CASS  TOWNSHIP.  587 

I  belonged  to  a  company  of  rangers;  Capt.  Sholtz,  commanded;  Capt 
McGnire  commanded  another  company,  We  were  out  only  seventy- one 
days,  and  were  then  discharged.  The  Indians  never  troubled  us  only  to 
steal  horses.  They  stole  a  number  one  night  from  what  is  now  Pres.  Cona- 
way's  farm,  and  from  Hogan.  Twenty-four  men  organized  under  Daniel 
Lynn  as  captain,  and  started  in  pursuit  of  them,  some  mounted,  others 
on  foot.  The  first  day's  travel  caused  four  men  and  two  horses  to  give 
out;  they  made  tracks  for  home,  which  left  the  party  twenty  in  number. 
We  traveled  on  their  tracks  for  two  and  a- half  days,  as  long  as  we  had 
anything  to  eat  for  ourselves  or  horses,  then  we  turned  toward  home.  I 
was  on  foot,  and  began  to  get  very  hungry.  We  tried  to  get  some 
pheasants,  but  failed;  when  we  came  near  where  we  camped  the  night 
before,  we  saw  three  bears,  and  had  the  good  luck  to  kill  two  of  them. 
The  Captain  sent  a  party  ahead  with  the  smallest  one,  to  dress  it  at  the 
camp  fire,  while  the  rest  remained  to  dress  the  large  one  and  cut  it  up 
so  we  could  carry  it.  By  the  time  we  got  into  camp,  they  had  it  dressed 
and  hung  up.  I  thought  it  the  prettiest  meat  I  ever  saw.  We  went  to 
work  on  the  big  bear,  roasted  it,  and  ate  it  up  clean,  without  salt  or 
bread,  before  morning. 

"That  evening  we  started  from  there  and  came  on  a  little  way,  keep- 
ing two  men  ahead  as  spies,  who  heard  Indians  gobble  like  turkeys. 
That  night  when  we  camped,  we  got  the  horses  into  the  center,  but  saw 
no  more  of  the  Indians.  I  reckon  they  were  scouts.  We  learned  after- 
ward, that  if  we  had  gone  six  miles  further  than  we  did,  we  would  have 
come  on  the  Indians  and  horses.  Next  morning  when  we  started,  old 
George  Groves  killed  a  deer,  which  came  in  handy.  When  we  cooked 
that  day,  we  put  a  slice  of  bear  on  a  slice  of  venison  and  roasted  them 
together,  making  the  venison,  it  being  the  leanest,  do  duty  for  bread. 
That  night  we  camped  on  Laugh ery  Creek,  at  a  place  above  Versailles 
called  Little  Fallen  Timber.  Next  morning  we  eat  breakfast  and  fin- 
ished up  the  whole  quantity  of  meat,  which  was  about  300  pounds  alto- 
gether in  two  days  for  twenty  men,  a  tolerable  allowance  for  meat. 
During  the  day  we  came  to  an  old  Indian  camp,  where  there  was  an  elk 
head  and  horns  with  the  velvet  on  the  horns;  the  biggest  horns  I  ever 
saw.  I  stood  it  up  on  the  points  of  the  horns,  and  I  could  stand  right 
between  them,  under  the  head.  We  then  came  on  to  Ben  Wilson's  (now), 
where  the  women  folks  were  all  in  the  fort.  I  tell  you  they  were  mighty 
glad  to  see  us  all  back  safe." 

Mr,  M.  raised  seven  children  to  man  and  womanhood. 

He  said  "there  were  no  block-houses  in  Ohio  County,  but  two  were 
very  near  the  present  line,  one  of  which  stood  on  land  afterward  owned 
by  James  McGuire  (Cesar  Creek    Township,   Dearborn  County),   built 


588  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

about  1813.  The  other  was  on  land  now  owned  by  George  Sanders,  one 
half  mile  south  of  Aberdeen,  built  in  1814  by  Capt.  Charles  Campbell's 
company  of  rangers,  the  former  by  McGuire's  company. 

"  I  have  heard  of  a  battle  at  Gi'ant's  Lick,  in  which  there  were  three 
whites  killed,  one  by  the  name  of  Hastings,  and  two  whose  names  were 
Grant;  from  the  latter  the  creek  derives  its  name.  Arnold's  Creek  took 
its  name  from  a  man  by  the  name  of  Arnold  who  was  decoyed  from  his 
cabin  on  its  banks  and  murdered  by  the  Indians." 

On  the  James  Kittle  farm,  on  the  road  from  Aberdeen  to  Milton,  is  an 
extensive  lode  of  iron  ore,  commonly  known  as  bog  ore,  running  north 
and  south  throughout  his  farm,  where  the  surveyor's  compass  would 
not  traverse,  causing  the  disturbance  of  the  magnetic  needle. 
On  this  farm  Mr.  K.,  when  a  boy,  used  to  pick  up  leaden  bullets. 
He  there  met  a  very  old  man  and  told  him  about  finding  the  bullets 
there.  "Yes,"  replied  the  ancient,  "we  had  a  lively  time  there  with  the 
Indians,  a  good  many  years  ago."     He  then  related  the  following: 

"  When  a  few  log-houses  represented  what  is  now  Cincinnati,  the 
Indians  made  a  raid  there,  and  took  a  white  woman,  a  man  and  a  boy 
prisoners.  They  went  down  the  Ohio  until  they  came  to  the  mouth  of 
Laugh ery,  and  followed  the  creek  up  until  they  came  to  this  mound, 
where  they  had  encamped  for  the  night.  During  their  jom*ney  they 
killed  the  woman,  as  she  became  fatigued  and  was  unable  to  keep  up 
with  them.  When  they  arrived  there  they  tied  the  man  to  a  tree. 
The  boy  was  bound  to  one  of  the  Indians,  and  thinknig  them- 
selves secure  they  went  to  sleep.  They  had  not  reckoned  on  the 
vigilance  and  untiring  energy  of  white  men.  But  a  few  hours  had 
elapsed  from  the  time  they  committed  this  outi'age  upon  the  small  set- 
tlement, when  a  party  of  seventeen  men  promptly  organized  and  started  in 
pursuit.  These  followed  them  with  the  certainty  of  sleuth  hounds,  and 
when  they  came  within  a  short  distance  of  the  camps,  scouts  went  out  and 
viewed  the  sleeping  Indians.  They  resolved  to  attack  them  there  and 
then.  In  order  to  save  fche  white  man  tied  to  the  tree  from  being  toma- 
hawked, it  was  arranged  that  one  man  should  reserve  his  tire  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Indian  who  should  attempt  this.  When  they  got  within 
range  they  opened  fire  on  the  unconscious  Indians,  and  not  seeing  the 
boy  was  tied  to  the  Indian,  the  same  bullet  which  sent  the  red  man  to 
the  happy  hunting  grounds,  sped  the  spirit  of  the  white  child  to  his 
second  life.  An  Indian,  true  to  his  savage  instincts,  was  in  the  act  of 
raising  his  tomahawk  to  brain  the  bound  prisoner,  when  the  narrator, 
whose  fire  was  reserved,  hit  him  plum  center  in  the  breast,  and  he  fell 
back  a  corpse.  If  I  remember  rightly,  there  were  fifteen  Indians  in  the 
party — not  one  escaped." 


CASS  TOWNSHIP.  589 

COMMERCIAL. 

The  people  of  this  township  have  almost  exclusively  given  their 
attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  the  commercial  relations  have 
been  meager  indeed,  though  for  a  period  in  its  history  the  coopering 
business  was  to  some  extent  carried  on. 

Probably  sixty  years  ago  or  more  Peter  Bear  was  operating  a  grist 
and  saw-mill  on  South  Fork. 

About  a  half  mile  north  of  the  present  village  of  Aberdeen  James 
Murray,  a  Scotchman,  in  1836  was  operating  a  flouring-mill.  Prior  to 
this  time  he  kept  tavern,  and  was  operating  a  little  still.  Subsequently 
at  this  point,  Mr.  Murray  built  a  saw-mill,  which  was  in  operation  many 
years,  and  did  a  big  business.  It  was  run  for  a  time  by  Robert  Mur- 
ray, a  son  of  James.  Some  time  prior  to  1836  Timothy  Conner  was 
operating  a  horse  mill,  which  was  located  close  to  the  line  between 
Randolph  and  the  township  under  consideration.  At  this  time  Joshua 
Scranton  had  a  horse  mill  in  operation  on  his  farm.  Along  about  1836 
there  were  a  number  of  cooper  shops  scattered  over  thp  township,  where 
many  barrels  were  manufactured  and  shipped  to  different  points  via 
Rising  Sun.  Among  those  engaged  in  this  industry  were  Nathan  and 
John  Vanosdol,  Robert  and  William  Givan  and  John  Reed.  About  the 
period  of  which  we  are  writing,  close  to  the  Mount  Carmel  meeting- 
house, James  Shepheard  was  carrying  on  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  in  that 
neighborhood  a  Mr.  Pollock  had  quite  an  extensive  store,  and  near 
Mount  Pleasant  one  White  was  also  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits. 

SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES    AND    GRAVEYARDS. 

In  1836  there  were  standing  a  number  of  log  schoolhouses  in  the 
various  settlements  throughout  the  township.  These  were  built  by  the 
neighborhoods,  and  in  them  were  taught  subscription  schools,  it  being 
before  the  schools  of  this  section  were  conducted  by  public  money  exclu- 
sively. One  of  these  was  then  located  on  the  site  of  Aberdeen,  another 
at  Mount  Pleasant.  In  the  Downey  neighborhood,  school,  we  believe,  at 
this  time,  was  held  in  private  dwellings.  In  about  1837  or  1838,  close 
to  where  the  present  schoolhouse  stands  in  District  No.  4,  there  was 
erected  a  hewed  log  schoolhouse.  There  are  now  seven  schoolhouses  in 
the  township. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  the  township  the  houeie  of  Joshua  Scranton 
was  one  of  the  early  preaching  places  for  a  society  denominated  Chris- 
tians, probably  better  known  as  New  Lights,  though  that  name  we  believe, 
is  not  recognized  by  the  church,  and  we  only  give  it  that  the  two  churches 
styled  Christian  may  not  be  confounded.  This  society  worshiped  later 
at  the  schoolhouse  in  that  neighborhood,  but  never,    we   are    informed, 


590  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

built  a  house  of  worship.  The  society  not  being  long  lived,  Kev.  Daniel 
Roberts  frequently  preached  for  the  congregation  named.  It  is  believed 
that  the  main  portion  of  this  society,  on  the  organization  of  the  Chris- 
tian (Campbellite)  Church  in  Union  Township,  became  identified  with 
the  latter. 

In  Section  3,  in  th  e  northern  part  of  the  township,  is  located  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  Chvirch  styled  Mount  Pleasant  Church.  The  society 
was  organized  in  1835  by  Rev.  James  Jones,  at  the  house  of  James 
Wescott.  Among  the  early  membership  can  be  recalled  the  Wescotts, 
the  Hargetts,  the  Woodses,  and  the  Herrons.  At  first  the  class  or  society 
held  worship  in  the  schoolhouse  that  stood  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
present  and  only  house  of  worship  the  society  has  erected,  a  frame,  was 
built  in  1850-51.  It  was  at  first  an  appointment  on  the  Madison  Cir- 
cuit, and  later  on  the  Rising  Sun  Circuit.  It  is  now  on  the  Hartford 
Circuit. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  from  the  church  is  situated  a 
large  public  burying-ground,  being  on  either  side  of  the  sectional  line 
dividing  Sections  2  and  3,  formerly  owned  by  John  Jenkins  and  Joshua 
Scranton.  From  the  tombstones  it  is  evident  that  this  yai'd  was  used  as 
a  place  of  interment  very  early.  In  strolling  through  this  yard  we 
noticed  several  tombstones  bearing  inscriptions  of  burials  as  far  back  as 
1822.  Of  these  Perry,  son  of  Hiram  and  Mary  Scranton  died  June  24. 
1822  (an  infant);  Sarah,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Hannah  Coles,  died 
November  9,  1822.  Among  the  aged  whose  bodies  lie  slumbering  here 
are  the  following  named:  Samuel  Lotton,  died  in  1865,  aged  sixty- 
eight  years;  John  Monroe,  died  in  1838,  aged  sixty-eight  years;  Isaac 
Reed,  died  in  1845,  aged  sixty-six  years;  Joshua  Scranton,  died  in  1827^ 
aged  fifty-nine  years;  John  Pugsley,  died  in  1846,  aged  seventy  years; 
Ralph  Lotton,  died  in  1861,  aged  eighty-eight  years;  Mary,  wife  of 
Ralph  Lotton,  died  in  1846,  aged  seventy-three  years;  John  Kemp,  died 
in  1860,  aged  seventy-three  years;  James  Lewis,  died  in  1844,  aged  sixty- 
seven  years;  Joshua  Baker,  died  in  1858,  aged  seventy- one  years;  Francis 
Wilson,  died  in  1844,  aged  eighty-four  years;  Sela  Holiday,  died  in  1860, 
aged  seventy-one  years;  Samuel  Hannah,  died  in  1858,  aged  eighty-three 
years;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Samuel  Hannah,  died  in  1843,  aged  seventy-one 
years;  Hugh  Monroe,  died  in  1866,  aged  seventy-three  years. 

In  Section  11,  in  the  western  part  of  the  township,  is  located  New 
Hope  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  was  organized  in  1839  with  a 
membership  of  twelve  persons,  among  whom  were  Nathan  Vanosdol  and 
wife,  Elizabeth;  John  Vanosdol  and  wife,  Nancy;  F.  Gibson,  Daniel 
Kittle  (who  was  the  class  leader)  and  Lydia  Edwards.  Worship  was 
held  in  a  schoolhouse  in  the  neighborhood  until  1854,  when  the  present 


CASS  TOWNSHIP.  591 

frame  church  building  was  erected.  The  ground  on  which  the  church 
stands,  was  given  by  William  Gibson.  In  the  beginning  the  appoint- 
ment was  placed  on  the  Mount  Sterling  Circuit.  Other  appointments  on 
this  circuit  at  the  same  time  were  one  at  the  house  of  Benjamin  Dennis, 
and  one  at  the  house  of  John  Downey,  the  father  of  Judge  Alexander  C. 
Downey,  of  Kising  Sun.  New  Hope  is  now  on  the  Hartford  Circuit. 
Some  little  distance  west  of  the  church  is  located  a  burying  ground, 
given  for  the  purpose  by  John  Vanosdol.  This  place  of  burial  and  the 
organization  of  the  church  are  of  one  age.  The  first  interment  being 
made  in  1839,  the  remains  of  an  infant  son  of  John  Kittle. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  township  in  Section  15,  formerly  stood  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  called  Zion  Church,  which  was  organized 
subsequently  to  the  church  whose  history  has  just  been  given.  Among 
the  membership  in  its  early  history  were  the  Reeds,  James  and  wife,  and 
Samuel  Lotton  and  wife.  For  a  time  Zion  was  quite  a  flourishing 
church,  but  it  finally  went  down  and  the  building,  a  frame,  was  sold  to  a 
German  congregation,  who  removed  it  to  Rising  Sun.  There  has  been 
no  regular  preaching  at  Zion  for  ten  years  or  more. 

Mount  Carmel  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  situated  in  the  extreme 
southeastern  corner  of  the  township.  Its  organization  took  place  late  in 
the  decade  between  1850  and  1860.  Among  the  original  members  were 
Ezra  Kemp  and  wife,  Taylor  Pate  and  wife,  and  William  Winn  and  wife. 
Their  house  of  worship  is  a  frame  one  and  was  built  about  the  beginning 
of  the  late  war.      It  is  the  appointment  on  the  Hartford  Circuit. 

The  Mount  Carmel  Graveyard,  not  far  off,  is  quite  an  old  place  of  inter- 
ment and  within  its  confines  rest  the  remains  of  many  of  the  old  pioneers 
of  that  section  of  the  country.  It  was  on  the  corner  of  the  James  Shep- 
herd land,  and  it  is  thought  he  gave  the  ground  for  burial  purposes. 

The  yard  comprises  about  one  acre  of  ground  and  is  nicely  and  neatly 
cared  for. 

In  Section  8,  on  what  was  known  as  the  Richard  Downey  place,  is 
located  an  old  burying  ground,  where  are  buried  a  number  of  the  pioneers 
and  among  them  a  number  of  the  Downey  family. 

ABERDEEN. 

The  little  hamlet  bearing  the  above  name  is  situated  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  township.  On  a  portion  of  the  site  of  the  place  Jacob  Myers  had 
settled  early  and  kept  tavern.  Concerning  the  origin  of  the  hamlet,  the 
author  of  the  short  sketch  of -Cass  Township,  in  the  centennial  edition  of 
the  Recorder  said,  "  The  next  house  in  Aberdeen  was  built  by  the  Gil- 
lespies,  who  proposed  to  start  a  town  there.  The  old  Dr.  Gillespie,  a 
native  of  Scotland,  and,  by  the  way,  one  of  the  best  doctors  who  was  ever 


592  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

in  the  State,  gave  the  proposed  town  the  name  it  now  bears,  from  Aber- 
deen, his  native  town  in  Scotland.  But, as  the  poet  says,  'The  best  laid 
plans  of  men  and  mice  oft  gang  aglee,'  a  town  was  never  laid  out. 
Moses  Turner,  from  time  to  time,  sold  to  artisans  small  portions  of  land 
on  which  to  erect  dwellings  and  shops.  The  postoffice  was  moved  from 
the  old  Kemp  farm  (where  Uriah  Lotton  now  lives)  to  Aberdeen,  in  1860, 
and  since  that  time  it  has  remained  there,  with  a  mail  always  once  a 
week,  and  of  late,  much  of  the  time,  twice  a  week." 

The  elder  of  the  Gillespies  referred  to  was  Robert,  and,  as  is  stated, 
was  a  native  of  Scotland,  where  he  was  thoroughly  educated  in  his  pro- 
fession. He  settled  in  this  township  in  1819,  and  here  lived  until  his 
death  in  1846;  was  an  excellent  surgeon  and  physician, and  was  known  to 
the  people  of  this  section  of  the  country  far  and  near.  His  son  is  Dr. 
William  GiJlespie,  of  Rising  Sun. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


JACKSON    TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries   and    Organization— Land    Sales— Early   Settlement- 
Churches,  Schools  and  Graveyards— Industries— Hamlets. 

JACKSON  TOWNSHIP  is  the  northwest  corner  township  of  Dear- 
born County,  and  is  bounded  as  follows:  on  the  north  by  Franklin 
County;  on  the  east  by  Kelso  and  York  Townships;  on  the  south  by  Man- 
chester Township;  and  on  the  west  by  Ripley  County.  It  was  organized 
in  May,  1832,  and  the  metes  and  bounds  as  given  below,  ascribed  to  it: 
"  Commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  5,  Town  7,  Range  2 
west;  thence  west  to  the  western  boundary  of  Dearborn  County;  thence 
southwestwardly  with  said  boundary  line  to  the  southwest  corner  of  frac- 
tional Section  3,  Town  7,  Range  3  west;  thence  north  with  the  section 
line  to  the  place  of  beginning."  In  addition  to  its  present  territory 
Jackson  then  had  Section  5,  of  York  Township  and  the  narrow  tract  of 
land  lying  on  the  southern  half  of  the  western  boundary  of  Kelso  Town- 
ship, the  latter  of  which  piece  of  land  it  lost  in  the  year  1841,  and  at 
some  period  between  1832  and  1852  it  lost  the  Section  5  referred  to.  The 
boundaries  given  the  township  in  1852  included  its  present  territory. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  593 

LAND  SALES. 

Below  is  set  forth  the  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the 
Government,  with  the  dates  of  sale  and  names  of  the  persons  to  whom 
sold. 

Township  6,  Range  '2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  6,  in  1817,  to  Samuel  R.  Allaine;  in  1818,  to 
Samuel  C.  Vance  and  Thomas  Smith;  in  1832,  to  Isaac  Freeman;  in 
1833,  to  John  Snell  and  John  Wallering;  in  1834,  to  Christian  Wietor 
and  Francis  Wietor. 

Township  7,  Range  2  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  5,  in  1820,  to  Benjamin  Bruon  and  Thomas 
Coates;  in  1834,  to  Isaac  Hagen,  Perry  Coverdale,  Archibald  Stewart 
and  John  Hagen;  in  1835,  to  Andrew  Bohee  and  George  P.  Buell;  in 
1836,  to  George  P.  Buell. 

A  portion  of  Section  6,  in  1833,  to  Adam  Clemens;  in  1834,  to  Jacob 
Clemens,  John  Whitehead  and  Abraham  Lawrence;  in  1835,  to  Jacob 
Clemens,  Joseph  Yeager,  Michael  Whitehead  and  Jesse  Whitehead. 

A  portion  of  Section  7,  in  1818,  to  Daniel  Lawrence;  in  1819,  to 
Isaac  Lawrence;  in  1832,  to  James  Lawrence;  in  1833,  to  Daniel  Law- 
rence and  Joseph  Isserman;  in  1834,  to  David  Bolay;  in  1824,  to  Isaac 
Lawrence;  in  1835,  to  Michael  Whitehead. 

A  portion  of  Section  8,  1817,  to  Isaac  Lawrence;  in  1821,  to  Anthony 
McGentry;  in  1831,  to  Joseph  Yeager;  in  1827,  to  Philip  Lawrence;  in 
1832,  to  Isaac  Foster;  in  1833,  to  David  Lawrence;  in  1834,  to  Nicholas 
Yeager;  in  1835,  to  Joseph  Cameron. 

A  portion  of  Section  17,  in  1817,  to  Isaac  Lawrence;  Valentine 
Lawrence;  in  1818,  to  Valentine  Lawrence. 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1819,  to  Isaac  Lawrence;  in  1822,  to 
Simon  Daler,  Christopher  Showalter,  John  Sailor  and  Isaac  Lawrence. 

A  portion  of  Section  19,  in  1818,  to  Robert  Teney;  in  1823  and 
1831,  to  John  Lighty;  in  1832,  to  Jacob  Lighty,  Frederick  Mastor, 
Aibego'rst  Frelingen,  John  Brunner  and  Christopher  Welsh;  in  1833,  to 
Anthony  Smith;  in  1834  to  Abraham  Showalter. 

Sections  20,  29  and  32  (part  in  Kelso  Township.) 

A  portion  of  Section  20,  in  1817  to  Valentine  Lawrence  and  Will- 
iam Lieper;  in  1818,  to  John  Green;  in  1831,  to  Sebastian  Bohrer;  in 
1836,  to  Daniel  Symmes  Major. 

Section  29,  in  1817,  to  William  McClure,  John  U.  Geisser,  John  Mc- 
Clure  and  John  U.  Engle. 

A  portion  of  Section  30,  in^  1817,  to  Abraham  Balringe,  Manning 
Hathaway  and  Job  A.  Beach. 


594  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

A  portion  of  Section  31,  in  1817,  to  John  Davison,  Samuel  T.  Allaire 
and  William  Cains;  in  1831,  to  Samuel  Warts. 

Section  32,  in   1817,  to  Adam  Miller. 

Township  8,  Range  3  west. 

A  portion  of  Section  1,  in  1823,  to  Christopher  Showalter;  in  1828, 
to  Joel  Tucker;  in   1831,  to  L.  Foster;  in  1832,  to   Isaac  Lawrence;  in 

1833,  to  Conrad  Weiker  and  John  Showalter;  in  1835,'  to  John  Showalter; 
1836,  to  John  Hod. 

Section  2,  in  1833,  to  Joseph  Gobb,  Adam  Schlicht  and  George  N. 
Hornberger. 

A  portion  of  Section  11,  in  1833,  to  George  N.  Hornberger. 

Section  12,  in  1824,  to  Augustus  Philips;  in  1831,  to  Henry  Kyle,  Jr.; 
in  1826,  to  Henry  Kyle;  in  1833,  to  John  Kyle  in  1832  to  John  K. 
Lawrence;  in  1833,  to  Nathan  Hazen,  Philip  J.  Kuhn,  George  N.  Horn 
berger. 

A  portion  of  Section  13,  in  1830,  to  John  K.  Lawrence;  in  1834,  to 
Amos  Jones;  in  1833,  to  Jacob  Mailin,  Adam  Fake  and  John  Swesy;  in 

1834,  to  Nathaniel  Hager  and  Adam  Dennis;  in  1835,  to   George  Know 
and  Archibald  Stewart. 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  1823,  to  Jane  Walker;  in  1833,  to  Fred- 
erick Nogel,  Peter  Kline  and  William  Griswold;  in  1835,  to  Andreas 
Sorgee  and  Isaac  Alden. 

A  portion  of  Section  23,  in  1818,  to  David  Pettigrew;  in  1830, to  Daniel 
Pettigrew;  in  1832,  to  Lemuel  Connelly;  in  1833,  to  Ezekiel  Pettigrew 
and  Ephraim  Lilian. 

A  portion  of  Section  24,  in  1817,  to  Thomas  Anderson;  in  1831,  to 
Daniel  Pettigrew;  in  1834,  to  Joseph  Meister;  in  1836  to  Daniel  Symmes 
Major. 

A  portion  of  Section  25,  in  1817,  to  Thomas  Anderson,  David  Brown 
and  George  P.  Torrence. 

A  portion  of  Section  26,  in  1831,  to  Isaac  Slater  and  John  Miller;  in 
1833,  to  Frederick  Bealer. 

Section  34,  in  1831,  to  John  Boltz. 

A  portion  of  Section  35,  in  1817,  to  Thomas  Ewart,  Nathan  Lambert 
and  Eli  Hill;  in  1834  to  Thomas  E.  Wood  and  John  U.  Engle;  in  1836, 
to  Salmon  P.  Chase. 

Section  36,  in  1817,  to  Samuel  T.  Allaine,  Thomas  Morgan  and  Sam- 
uel C.  Vance. 

Township  7,  Range  3  west. 

Section  1,  in  1818,  Samuel  C.  Vance  and  Michael  Ehler. 

A  portion  'of  Section  2,  in  1816,  to  Jacob  Mendel,  Joseph  Haines, 
Zachariah  S.  Conger;  in  1818-32,  Enoch  Conger. 


JACKSON   TOWNSHIP.  595 

A  portion  of  Section  3,  in  1816,  to  John  Wilkinson,  in  1825,  to  Fred- 
erick Myers. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT. 

It  is  thought  that  the  first  actual  settlement  of  the  township  was 
made  in  the  year  1818,  by  the  Lawrence  families;  Isaac  Lawrence,  Sr. , 
and  family,  consisting  of  eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  emigrated  from 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania  in  the  spring  of  1818,  and  settled  in  and 
about  the  now  hamlets  of  Morgantown  and  Lawrenceville.  All  of  the 
sons  and  daughters  save  two,  were  persons  of  families.  They  came  by 
boat  down  the  Ohio,  and  from  Lawrenceburgh  up  the  meanderings  of 
Tanner's  Creek  by  wagons  to  the  place  of  settlement.  They  brought 
with  them  $1,500  in  gold,  and  among  them  were  purchased  of  the  Govern- 
mental en  quarter  sections  of  land;  the  home  place  as  it  was  called,  was 
the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  17,  the  present  home  of  Isaac  S.  Law- 
rence. This  large  body  of  land  was  all  situated  within  two  miles  of  the 
place  designated.  From  these  families  the  Lawrences  became  very 
numerous  and  at  one  time  numbered  in  the  neighborhood  upward  of  300 
persons.  Although  at  this  writing,  there  are  but  two  families  left  in 
this  vicinity. 

Other  families  that  soon  followed,  and  made  settlements,  were  prin- 
cipally from  the  Eastern  States,  a  number  coming  from  Pennsylvania. 

Isaac  and  Samuel  Alden,  from  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  came 
West  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1817,  and  shortly  thereafter  selected  land 
along  the  western  portion  of  the  township,  which  they  visited  and  im- 
proved during  the  summer  season  for  several  years,  having  built  a  little 
cabin,  where  they  "batched"  it,  and  during  the  winters  worked  in  the 
city.  In  1822  Isaac  was  married  and  moved  upon  his  land.  He  was  the 
father  of  A.  J.  Alden,  long  a  resident  of  this  township,  and  who  for 
several  terms  represented  the^people  of  the  county  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture and  filled  other  offices  in  the  county. 

William  Cairns  and  family  from  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  settled 
here  in  1818.  In  a  few  years  he  removed  to  Ripley  County,  but  returned 
in  1828. 

In  the  fall  of  1818,  Thomas  Ehler  and  Zachariah  Conger,  hailing 
from  Pennsylvania,  settled  in  the  southern  part  of  the  township. 

The  same  year  Job  A.  Beach,  from  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  settled 
in  the  vicinity  of  Hubbell's  Corners. 

Joseph  Haines,  from  Maryland,  and  Frederick  Myers,  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, were  other  early  settlers. 

Not  far  from  the  period  between  1825  and  1330,  the  forerunners  of 
the  foreign  element,  of  which  the  township  is  now  so  full,  began 
settling  here.    Among  them  John  and  Feldie  Goodapple,  the  Rushes  and 


596  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Brushes,  all  from  Germany,  having  come  from  that  part  of  the  Rhine 
belonging  to  the  French  Government.  Another  of  the  first  Germans  was 
John  B.  Syler. 

In  the  fall  of  1827,  Peter  Buchert  and  family,  from  Germany,  settled 
in  the  township.  The  wife  was  a  native  of  France.  They  were  the 
parents  of  Peter  Buchert,  Jr.,  a  resident  of  HuTbbell's  Cross  Roads,  who 
has  there  built  himself  a  most  substantial  and  beautiful  home. 

In  1831,  Claudius  Anderson  and  family,  from  Ireland,  settled  here. 
The  following  year  came  Philip  Weis  and  family,  from  France,  locating 
on  the  West  Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek.  The  same  year  came  Jacob  Van 
Wedding,  who  had  for  some  years  been  a  resident  of  New  Orleans,  but 
originally  coming  from  Belgium. 

In  1832  also  came  John  G.  Tangman  and  family,  from  Germany,  and 
George  Knear  and  family,  from  the  same  country. 

In  1833;  John  Wolrung  and  family,  from  the  Lower  Rhine,  set- 
tled in  the  township. 

CHURCHES,     SCHOOLS    AND    GRAVEYARDS. 

The  first  house  of  worship  in  the  township  was  built  as  a  kind  of  a 
Union  Church,  free  for  all  denominations,  but  after  some  years  a  United 
Brethren  Church  society  was  organized  and  came  in  possession  of  the 
building  and  it  was  styled  Zion's  Church.  The  building  was  erected  on 
the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  17,  in  1819  or  1820,  and  in  1837  or 
1838  it  was  removed  across  the  road  in  Section  8,  where  it  now  stands. 
It  was  built  of  logs,  but  subsequently  was  weather  boarded.  The 
Lawrence  families  generally  belonged  to  the  denomination  mentioned. 
Other  of  the  early  members  were  the  Showalters.  Revs.  Michael  Bot- 
tonburg  and  Daniel  Kummel  were  among  the  early  pastors  of  the 
church.  By  deaths  and  removals  the  membei'ship  gradually  became  so 
reduced  that  the  church  became  abandoned  and  was  sold  to  Isaac  S. 
Lawrence,  who  opens  its  doors  to  all  sects,  excepting  the  Universalists 
and  Mormons.  Near  the  church  is  a  graveyard,  the  ground  of  which 
formerly  belonged  to  Nicholas  Yeager.  The  first  interment  made  in  it 
was  Daniel,  a  son  of  Isaac  Lawrence,  who  was  killed  while  assisting  in 
building  a  cabin  in  the  early  settlement  of  this  locality.  The  oldest 
grave  marked  by  a  toinbstona  is  that  of  Abraham  Lawrence,  whose  death 
occurred  in  1827.  Of  the  aged  persons  here  interred,  whose  graves 
ai-e  marked  by  tombstones,  are  Jacob  Lawrence,  died  in  1850,  aged 
sixty  years;  Joseph  Yeager,  died  in  1836,  aged  fifty-five  years;  Mrs. 
Catharine  Ricli,  died  in  1850,  aged  fifty-six  years;  George  Lawrence, 
died  in  1854,  aged  seventy-one  years. 

It  is  thought  that  the  first  school  in  the  township  was  tauo-ht   in  the 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  597 

church  above  describe.!  by  John  Yeriger.  The  latter  taught  here  several 
quarters  at  diflferent  times.  The  father  of  Isaac  S.  Lawrence  employed 
Mr.  Yeriger,  and  school  was  for  a  time  held  in  his  dwelling.  In  the 
western  part  of  the  township,  in  the  Alden  settlement,  before  they  were 
pi'ovided  with  a  schoolhouse,  the  children  of  the  neigborhood  were 
taught  by  the  wife  of  Samuel  Alden.  . 

A  half  mile  west  of  Hubbell's  Cross  Roads  is  located  St.  John's 
Lutheran  Church  (German).  The  building,  a  substantial  brick,  was 
erected  in  1854.  The  church  society  dates  back  to  the  year  1833,  when 
organized  by  Rev.  Frederick  Rice.  Of  the  original  membership  is 
remembered  George  Knear  and  wife,  John  Goodapple  and  wife,  Feldie 
Goodapple  and  wife,  Philip  Weis  and  wife,  and  Mr.  Gunshear  and  wife. 
Among  the  pastors  of  the  church  have  been  Revs.  Mr.  Weaver,  August 
Miller,  —  Aulthauf  and  John  T.  Esensy,  the  latter  serving  the  congre- 
gation upward  of  twenty  years.  The  first  house  of  worship  was  a  log 
one,  and  stood  a  little  east  of  the  present  building,  on  gi'ound  given  by 
John  Engle  for  both  church  and  burial  purposes.  The  hewed  log- 
church  was  erected  in  1833.  The  congregation  now  numbers  about  sixty. 
Near  by  the  church  is  a  neat  brick  schoolhouse,  erected  in  1861,  the 
property  of  the  society,  in  which  is  taught  a  German  school.  On  either 
side  of  the  church  is  a  place  for  burial,  both  well  cared  for;  the  old 
graveyard  is  to  the  east,  and  a  cemetery  to  the  west;  over  the  gate  of 
the  latter  is  the  inscription,  "  Vereinegter  Evangel ischer  Friedhof. " 

Another  Lutheran  Church  is  located  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
township,  just  south  of  the  Franklin  County  line.  The  society  was 
organized  in  1839.  The  following  families  were  identified  with  this 
society  in  an  early  day:  the  Hoovers  (several  families),  the  Krummels 
(several  families),  the  Fettigs,  the  Challanbes  and  the  Brosases.  The  first 
church  erected  by  the  society  was  a  hewed  log  building  in  1839.  This 
was  used  until  the  present  brick  structure  was  built  in  1884.  There  is  a 
graveyard  at  the  church,  established  at  the  time  of  the  building,  of  the 
old  log  meeting-house.  The  second  person  buried  in  it  is  thought  to 
have  been  the  father  of  G.  Kummel.  The  ground  was  given  by  Conrad 
Weiler  and  John  Schlicht. 

Some  years  prior  to  1856  a  Baptist  society  worshiped  in  the  little 
frame  church,  located  at  Lawrenceville.  Jonathan  Lawrence,  with 
others,  was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  society  worshiping  there, 
which  was  short  lived.  This  building,  about  1856,  was  purchased  by  a 
society  of  German  Methodists,  who  had  formerly  worshiped  at  Fennsyl- 
vaniaburg,  in  Ripley  County.  Among  them  were  Jacob  Hornberger  and 
wife,  Martin  Christman  and  wife,  Henry  Gretzmyer  and  wife,  Frederick 
Gretzmyer  and  wife.     The  pastors  have  been  Henry  Cook,  Louis  Miller, 


598  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Henry  Leach,  John  Haas,  John  Huneke,  Mathias,  George  and  Jacob  Gab- 
ler.  The  graveyard  was  started  by  the  present  occupants  of  the  house, 
the  first  burial  in  the  yard  being  the  body  of  a  child  of  Frederick 
Kretchmeier. 

INDUSTRIES. 

For  some  time  after  the  Lawrence  settlement  was  made,  in  1818,  the 
neighborhood  used  for  grinding  corn,  a  hand-mill,  in  possession  of  the 
family  named.  The  stones  then  used  are  now  kept  as  relics  of  "ye 
olden  time,"  by  Mr.  Isaac  S.  Lawrence.  Later  Daniel  Lawrence  built  a 
corn-mill  and  a  saw-mill  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township,  on  Tanner's 
Creek,  run  by  water-power.  Philip  Weis,  who  settled  here  in  1832,  soon 
afterward  built  a  grist  and  saw-mill  on  the  West  Fork  of  Tanner's  Creek 
(in  Section  31),  which  were  run  by  water,  and  operated  until  1854,  when 
the  business  was  given  to  his  sons,  Christian  and  Philip,  who  in  that 
year  erected  a  more  commodious  grist  and  saw-mill,  which  was  run  by 
steam-power.  The  milling  business  was  here  carried  on  by  these  broth- 
ers until  1879,  when  they  dissolved  partnership,  Philip  retaining  posses- 
sion of  the  mill  property.  In  1881  the  mill  was  removed  to  Weisburg, 
where  it  is  now  operated  by  the  same  gentleman.  Until  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  war,  Philip  Weis,  Sr.,  operated,  in  connection  with  the  mill, 
a  distillery. 

Daniel  Lawrence,  too,  operated  a  copper  still  in  connection  with  his 
mill. 

The  large  steam  flouring-mill  located  at  Morgantown,  and  operated 
by  Adam  Sahn,  was  built  about  the  beginning  of  the  late  war,  by  John 
Stinger,  the  neighborhood  donating  11 ,000  toward  the  enterprise, 

Joseph  Haines  operated  a  copper  still  in  an  early  day.  Also  another 
of  the  Lawrences. 

One  of  the  Lawrences  for  years  carried  on  the  tanning  business  at 
Lawrenceville,  or  Morgantown,  for  many  years,  using  at  first  a  large  ket- 
tle for  a  vat.  The  present  tannery,  and  the  only  one,  we  believe,  now  in 
operation  in  the  county,  operated  at  Morgantown,  by  George  S.  Will- 
iams, had  its  origin  in  the  Lawrence  Tannery.  Mr.  Williams  erected 
buildings,  and  equipped  them  and  the  yard  for  tanning  purposes,  in 
1838,  in  which  he  carried  on  the  business  until  1875,  when  the  buildings 
now  there  were  built,  which  are  of  a  more  modern  and  improved  plan. 

Jacob  V.  Lawrence  was  the  early  blacksmith  for  the  neighborhood  for 
miles  around. 

In  the  early  history  of  the  village  of  Lawrenceville,  the  coopering 
business  was  carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent  by  Daniel  G.  Lawrence, 
David  Sweesy  and  R.  Alexander.  Many  barrels  were  sent  from  this  point 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


JACKSON  TOWNSHIP.  599 


The  hamlets  of  Morgantown  and  Lawrenceville  are  almost  one  and 
the  same  place,  being  separated  by  a  road  only.  They  are  situated  north 
of  the  center  of  the  township,  and  are  about  five  and  a  half  miles  nox'th 
of  the  "Big  Four"  Railroad.  They  were  begun  at  about  one  and  the 
same  time  as  opposition  towns.  The  former  was  regularly  laid  out  and 
platted  by  Jonathan  Lawrence,  as  proprietor,  and  designated  as  part  of 
the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  7  laid  out  November  5,  1836,  thirty- 
eight  lots  sui-veyed  by  Robert  Rowe.  It  is  said  that  the  place  was 
so  called  after  Daniel  R.  L.  Morgan,  a  nephew  of  the  noted  guerrilla, 
John  Morgan.  James  and  Philip  Lawrence  were  the  proprietors  of  the 
first  store  kept  in  the  place,  which  was  run  by  Mr.  Morgan  referred  to. 
At  the  present  writing  are  located  here  in  line  of  business  one  tan-yard, 
one  grist  and  saw-mill,  and  one  spoke  factory, 

Lawrenceville  was  laid  out  by  John  K.  Lawrence  at  about  the  same 
time  as  the  other  place  mentioned.  Isaac  Johnson,  John  Bird  and 
Lewis  Snyder  were  early  merchants  here.  The  hamlet  now  has  one 
store,  a  postoffice  and  two  blacksmith  shops. 

Hubbell's  Cross  Roads,  situated  south^of  the  center  of  the  township 
was  so  called  after  Merritt  Hubbell,  who  located  there  as  a  squire  and 
store-keeper  soon  after  1832.  Some  later  the  postoffice  was  established 
at  that  point,  with  Mr.  Hubbell  as  postmaster. 

Weisburg,  a  hamlet  some  larger  than  any  mentioned  above  is  situated 
on  the  Big  Four  Railroad,  to  the  building  of  which  it  owes  its  origin. 
The  road  was  built  through  at  this  point  in  1852  or  1853,  and  although 
some  business  sprang  up  at  once,  the  place  was  not  laid  out  until  1858, 
when  it  was  surveyed  and  acknowledged  by  Samuel  M.  Kennedy,  Jan- 
uary 7,  of  that  year  (eleven  lots).  It  is  now  quite  a  flourishing  little 
place  with  several  stores  and  a  number  of  industries. 


600  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 
LOGAN   TOWNSHIP. 

Boundaries  and  Organization— Land  Sales— Early  Settlers— Com- 
mercial —  Churches,  Graveyards  and  Schools  —  Logan  Cross 
Roads. 

~r  OGAN  TOWNSHIP  lies  south  of  Franklin  County  and  the  White 
-LJ  water  River,  west  of  Harrison  Township,  north  of  Miller  Township 
and  east  of  Kelso  Township.  In  November,  1826,  its  boundaries  were 
thus  described  by  the  board  of  county  supervisors:  "  Commeacing  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Congressional  Township  No.  7,  Range  1,  west  of  a 
meridian  line  drawn  from  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami  River;  thence 
due  west  with  the  north  line  of  the  county  of  Dearborn  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  said  township.  No.  7,  Range  1  west;  thence  east  with  the  town- 
ship line  dividing  Indiana  and  Ohio;  thence  north  with  said  line  to  the 
place  of  beginning,"  Logan  was  then  a  congressional  township,  being 
six  miles  either  way,  and  included  thirty-six  sections  of  land.  In  1844, 
on  the  organization  of  Harrison  Township,  it  was  reduced  to  its  present 
size  and  boundaries. 

LAND    SALES. 

The  lands  of  the  township  as  disposed  of  by  the  government  with  the 
year  of  sale  and  the  purchasers'  names  are  set  forth  in  the  following  list: 

Township  7,  Range  1  west. 

A    portion  of    Section   5,  sold  in    1808,  to  William  Smith  and  Hugh 

Brison;  in  1816-34,  to  John  Barber;  in  1818,  to  Joseph  Paris;  in  1832, 
to  William  Choppdor. 

A  portion  of  Section  6,  in  1818,  to  John  Clifton,  Cornelius  Rinerson; 
in  1819,  to  John  and  Benjamin  Clifton;  1820,  to  John  Peterson;  in  1832, 
to  John  H.  Oleman;  in  1831,   to  John  Clifton. 

A  portion  of  Section  7,  in  1825,  to  Robert  Davidson;  in  1831,  to 
Stephen  Thorn;  in  1832,  to  Amos  Sparks;  in  1834,  to  Frederick Hywhol- 
krig  and  Christopher  Hymilan;  in  1834,  to  Robert  Davidson;  in  1835,  to 
Isaac  Barkharst;  in  1836,  to  Herman  Frederick  Spangenburg;  in  1831 
to  Daniel  Symmes  Major. 

A  portion  of  Section  8,  in  1813,  to  Wliliam  Smith  and  William  S 
White;  in  1815,  to  Samuel  B.  Looker  and  Carlton  Clark;  in  1818,  to  John 
Barkalow,  Phineas  and  Orin  Judd» 


LOGAN  TOWNSHIP.  601 

A  portion  of  Section  9,  August  13,  1801,  to  John  Brown;  in  1812, 
to  John  Purcell;  in  1814,  to  John  Hinkson. 

A  portion  of  Section  14,  in  1804,  to  James  McCoy;  in  1816-31,  to 
James  Cloud;  in  September  16,  1801,  to  Baylis  Ashby.  - 

A  portion  of  Section  15  (part  in  Harrison  Township),  in  1806,  to 
Thomas  Skinner;  in  1813,  to  William  Major;  also,  in  1818,  and  in  1827, 
to  Abraham  Briggs. 

A  portion  of  Section  17,  in  1818,  to  William  Hornedy;  in  1819,  to 
William  and  Samuel  Hallowell;  in  1826,  to  Daniel  Symmes  Major, 
Jonathan  Hallow;  in  1835,  to  Jas.  H.  Bonham,  Jesse  Sparks,  Jona- 
than Hallow;  in  1836,  to  A.  A.  Storms,  James  H.  Bonham. 

A  portion  of  Section  18,  in  1816,  to  William  Laighman;  in  1818,  to 
William  Rowland,  John  McMahon;  in  1833-34,  to  William  Dunn  and 
William  Burgoyne. 

A  portion  of  Section  19,  in  1814,  to  William  Cloud,  John  Lambdin; 
in  1816,  to  P.  S.  Symmes  and  Hugh  Moore. 

A  portion  of  Section  20,  in  1814,  to  George  P.  Terrence,  James  Mc- 
Clure:  in  1816,  to  Farran  andHobbs;  in  1817  to  Emory  Hobbs;  in  1829, 
to  Henry  Harpham  and  Abraham  Briggs. 

A  portion  of  Section  21,  in  1814,  to  Denis  Clark;  in  1824,  to  Robert 
Bradshaw;  in  1828,  to  Anthony  Brodrick;  in  1832,  to  John  Cassady;  in 
1834,  to  Jacob  Rudicel;  in  1835,  to  William  Cassady  and  William  A. 
Bodine;  in  1836,  to  Jacob  Rudicel. 

A  portion  of  Section  28,  in  1811,  to  Baylis  Cloud;  in  1814,  to  Joseph 
Wooley,  Elijah  Garrison,  Matthew  and  Samuel  Lambdin. 

A  portion  of  Section  29,  in  1814,  to  Joel  Dicken,  Robert  Myers, 
Thomas  Watts;  in  1816,  to  John  Gibson;  in  1831,  to  John  French. 

A  portion  of  Section  30,  in  1815,  to  John  L.  Watkins,  Jonathan 
Lewis,  Zedekiah  Bonham  and  Aquilla  Cross;  in  1818,  to  Henry  Miller; 
in  1819,  to  Israel  W.  Bonham. 

A  portion  of  Section  31,  in  1814,  to  William  Webb;  in  1817,  to  Ezekiel 
Jackson;  in  1818,  to  Stephen  Wood,  Aquilla  Cross;  in  1832,  to  Isaac 
Taylor. 

A  portion  of  Section  32,  in  1817,  to  Casper  Johnson;  in  1818,  to  A. 
Cross;  in  1832,  to  George  Tuttle,  William  Storms;  in  1835,  to  William 
Davis. 

A  portion  of  Section  33,  in  1814,  to  Aaron  R.  Bonham;  in  1815,  to 

James  Cole,  Locker  Nelson;  in   1818,   to  J.  Bufifun,  Henry  Diffendeffer. 

"A  portion  of   Section  34  (part  in  Harrison  Township),  in   1814,  to 

Benjamin  Reiby;  in   1815,  to  Joseph  A.  Loyd,  Alex.  White;  in  1817,  to 

James  Cloud. 

A  portion  of   Section   22   (part  in  Harrison  Township),  in  1829,  to 


602  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Lewis  Jolly;  in  1830,  to  Jacob  Storms;  in  1831,  to  Benjamin  Morgan, 
Jr.,  Anthony  Harkness;  in  1832,  to  Elijah  Lake,  Jacob  Shots,  James 
Anderson,  F.  J.  Smith;  in  1833,  to  James  Markland. 

A  portion  of  Section  27  (part  in  Harrison  Township),  in  1810,  to 
"Willoughby  Tebbs;  in  1812,  to  James  Cloud;  in  1814,  to  James  Jones 
and  Joshua  Paris. 

EAKLY    SETTLERS. 

Thomas  Watts  and  family,  removing  from  Ohio,  settled  on  White- 
water River,  in  the  year  1807,  having  stopped  a  short  time  in  the 
bottoms  near  Lawrenceburgh.  Mr.  Watts  took  a  lease  on  land  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  river  and  here  resided  some  three  years;  lived  for  a 
time  at  the  mouth  of  Crane's  Kun  and  in  about  the  year  1812  located  at 
what  is  now  known  as  Logan  Cross  Eoads. 

Baylis  Cloud,  a  Virginian,  and  family  settled  in  the  vicinity  of 
Logan  Cross  Roads  in  1812.  He,  with  his  father's  family  removed  from 
Virginia  to  Boone  County,  Ky.,  in  1793,  where  they  all  experienced 
frontier  life.  Mr.  Cloud's  death  occurred  on  the  farm  where  he  located, 
one  mile  east  of  the  cross  roads,  in  1860,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
four  years. 

Among  the  families  locating  in  the  township  under  consideration  at 
about  the  period  last  named  (1812),  were  those  of  Robert  Myers,  John 
Hinkston,  Matthew  Lanman,  Solomon  Cole,  Aquilla  Cross,  L.  Moore, 
Cooper  Johnston,  James  Owens,  Joseph  McClure,  James  McClure  and 
another  of  the  same  name. 

John  Wason,  Michael  Ferron,  the  Hallowells,  Bradfords,  Thorntons? 
Fitzgeralds  and  Wooleys  were  all  early  settlers  of  Logan.  All  above 
mentioned  located  along  Logan  Creek. 

In  1815  Warren  Tebbs  located  in  the  township  along  Whitewater,  he 
with  his  father's  family  having  come  to  Indiana  Territory  in  1807  and 
located  in  Harrison  Township  (see  Harrison  Township). 

Benjamin  Southard  and  family,  from  the  State  of  New  York,  located 
in  York  Township  in  1816,  and  later  settled  in  this  township  and  cleared 
up  and  improved  land. 

Edward  Grubbs  from  New  Jersey  also  settled  in  the  township  and  im- 
proved land. 

A  family  of  Briggses,  from  England,  settled  here  in  1818.  Charles 
built  a  steam  saw-mill,  thought  to  be  the  first  run  by  steam-power  in  the 
township. 

COMMERCIAL. 

The  first  mill  on  the  Whitewater,  in  what  is  now  Logan  Township,  is 
thought  to  have  been  built  by  John  Hinkston  at  the  mouth  of  Logan 
Creek.     This  mill  was  in  operation  as  early  as  1813. 


LOGAN  TOWNSHIP.  603 

In  the  early  history  of  the  township  salt  was  made  for  a  number  of 
years  at  the  mouth  of  Crane's  Run.  Here  James  Logan  dug  two  wells 
and  carried  on  the  business  until  the  water  from  Whitewater  River  so 
encroached  on  them,  that  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  the  enterprise. 

A  distillery  was  early  put  in  operation  on  Crane's  Run,  about  one- 
half  mile  from  Whitewater  River,  by  Solomon  Rude. 

Jacob  Hollowell  established  and  operated  a  tannery  for  years  at  what 
is  called  "Stone  Jug,"  on  Logan  Creek. 

The  first  steam  saw-mill  operated  in  the  township  is  thought  to  have 
been  built  by  Charles  ^riggs. 

CHURCHES,    GRAVEYARDS    AND  SCHOOLS. 

Among  the  first  settlers  of  the  township  were  many  holding  the  faith 
of  the  Regular  Baptist  denomination,  and  so  a  church  was  soon  organ- 
ized and  house  of  worship  erected.  Baylis  Cloud,  referred  to  above, 
was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  movement,  he  having  previously 
been  a  member  of  the  Bullettsburg  church  in  Kentucky. 

The  first  meeting-house  was  built  of  logs  and  stood  probably  one-half 
mile  west  of  the  Logan  Cross  Roads.  This  was  built  very  early  in  the 
settlement  of  that  section.  Elder  Palmer  was  one  of  the  regular  minis- 
ters. Later,  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  frequently  adminis- 
tered to  the  congregation  worshiping  there.  Years  afterward  the  pres- 
ent frame  church  of  the  denomination  was  erected,  but  no  regular  serv- 
ices have  been  held  in  it  for,  perhaps,  twenty  years,  the  society,  by  rea- 
son of  deaths  and  removals,  having  been  so  reduced  as  to  disband. 

Located  near  the  cross  roads  is  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which 
is  on  the  same  circuit  tvith  the  societies  at  Guilford,  Bright,  Bellevue 
and  Elizabethtown.  The  building  was  erected  about  the  year  1843. 
The  society  first  worshiped  in  a  log  meeting-house,  located  at  the  grave- 
yard half  a  mile  south  of  the  cross  roads,  and  was  built  at  least  forty 
years  ago.  The  Horners,  the  Lairds,  the  Shanes,  and  the  Johnstons 
were  among  the  families  belonging  to  this  society.  The  graveyard 
referred  to,  is  on  land  formerly  owned  by  and  given  for  church  and  burial 
purposes  by  Mathew  Lamden.  It  began  to  be  used  prior  to  1820,  The 
Stormses,  the  Lairds,  the  Kernses  and  Jollys  are  among  the  interments 
made  here,  whose  graves  are  marked  by  lettered  tombstones. 

One  of  the  earliest  school  houses  erected  in  the  township  was  situa- 
ted on  the  creek  near  the  cross-roads.  It  was  built  expressly  for  school 
purposes,  and  was  of  the  rude  log  pattern.  Solomon  Cole  is  remembered 
as  the  first  master  in  this  house.  One  McGlaughery  was  the  second 
teacher. 

Both  the  old  Baptist  and  the  old  Methodist  log  meeting-houses  were 


604  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

used  for  school  purposes,  and  in  them  are  remembered  as  early  teachers : 
John  Wilkinson,  Mason  J.  Cloud  and  Nancy  Morgan. 

LOGAN  CROSS  ROADS. 

This  point  is  situated  south  of  the  center  of  the  township,  where  is 
one  store,  in  which  is  kept  the  postoffice,  and  several  houses.  It  has 
been  known  as  Shane's  Cross  Roads,  Hubbell's  Cross  Roads,  and  the 
name  it  now  bears,  respectively.  The  Shanes  were  early  settlers  at  this 
place.  Merritt  Hubbell  was  a  squire  and  merchant  there  upward  of 
half  a  century  ago.  James  Solomon,  Charles  Jolly  and  John  Gibson 
have  each  served  as  postmaster  at  this  point. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES, 


REV.  LUCIEN  ALDEN,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  and  a  gentle- 
man of  high  scholasticjaccomplishments,  removed  from  Boston  to  Aurora, 
and  opened  the  seminary  established  through  the  efforts  of  Judge  Hol- 
man,  in  1826.  In  1828  Mr.  Alden  removed  to  Rising  Sun,  and  took 
charge  of  the  seminary  at  that  place,  which  had  just  been  completed. 
He  conducted  the  institution  with  marked  success  for  two  years,  when, 
in  the  fall  of  1830,  he  returned  to  Boston,  from  which  city  he  had  been 
sent  to  this  part  of  the  country  as  a  missionary,  and  wore  back  a  full  suit 
of  blue  jeans,  woven  by  Mrs.  Judge  Holman,  on  the  old  hand-loom. 
During  his  sojourn  in  this  section  of  the  country,  Mr.  Alden  preached  at 
Aurora,  Rising  Sun,  Hartford,  Dillsborough,  and  other  points,  as  oppor- 
tunity was  afforded  him.  After  returning  to  Boston,  he  was  pastor  of  a 
church  there  many  years. 

HARTZELL  ABBOTT,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Dear- 
l)orn  County,  Ind. ,  July  6,  1835.  His  parents,  William  L.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Naylor)  Abbott,  were  both  natives  of  New  Jersey,  where  they  mar- 
ried, and  from  thence,  in  1816,  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
where  they  resided  until  their  deaths,  which  occurred,  the  mother  August 
1,  1854,  and  the  father  July  4,  1860.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  viz.:  Elias,  Henry  H,  Enoch,  William  N.,  Mary,  Eliza  A.,  and 
Hartzell,  our  subject.  He,  the  youngest  member  of  the  family,  was 
married  at  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  August  15,  1861,  to  Nora  A.,  daughter 
of  James  and  Nora  (O'Conner)  Johnson.  She  was  born  in  this  county, 
January  26,  1843.  After  Mr.  Abbott's  marriage  he  settled  on  his  present 
farm,  his  father's  old  homestead,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns 
165  acres  of  tine  land,  and  his  wife  owns  forty  acres.  They  have  had 
born  to  them  tive  children,  viz:  Frank  L.,  Sheridan  S.,  James  S.,  Will- 
iam N.  (deceased),  and  Demas  H.  Mr.  Abbott  is  a  member  of  the  order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  and  also  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

HARRISON  ABBOTT,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  resides  on 
Section  9,  and  has  a  tine  body  of  land,  all  under  a  good  state  of  cultiva- 
tion.     He  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  April  21,  1814.     His  parents,  Will 


606  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

iam  and  Elizabeth  (Nay lor)  Abbott,  were  born  in  New  Jersey,  and 
moved  to  this  county  in  18]  6,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  up  to 
his  death,  July  4,  1860,  being  seventy- two  years,  seven  months  and 
eighteen  days  old.  The  mother  died  August  1,  1854,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
one  years.  Mr.  Harrison  Abbott  was  married  December  29,  1839,  to 
Miss  Mary  Smith,  a  native  of  Washington  Township,  who  was  born 
August  19,  1821.  By  this  union  seven  children  were  born,  viz.:  Enoch, 
Rufus,  Sarah  A.,  William,  Rafe,  Hartsell,  and  Marietta.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Abbott  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  During  his  life 
Mr.  Abbott  has  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  in  which  industry 
he  has  creditably  succeeded.  As  a  citizen  he  has  been  no  less  fortunate 
in  gaining  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  men. 

J.  H.  ABBOTT,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  March  10,  1839.  He  is  one  of  four  children,  born  to  Elias 
and  Nancy  (McComas)  Abbott.  His  father  was  a  son  of  William  L. 
Abbott,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  where  he  married  Elizabeth  Naylor,  and 
from  thence  in  an  early  day,  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where 
he  afterward  resided  until  his  death.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  viz.:  Harrison,  Enoch,  William  N.,  Mary,  Eliza  A.,  Hartzell, 
and  Elias,  the  father  of  our  subject,  the  eldest  member  of  the  family. 
He  was  boi-n  in  New  Jersey,  February  3,  1812,  and  came  with  his  parents 
to  this  county  when  a  small  boy.  He  and  the  above  Nancy  McComas, 
were  united  in  marriage  in  this  county,  and  afterward  settled  on  the 
same  farm  on  which  our  subject  now  lives.  She  was  born  September  8, 
1815.  In  1867  they  moved  to  Dillsborough  where  he  died  January  28, 
1869.  His  widow  still  survives,  and  resides  at  Dillsborough.  Their  chil- 
dren were  Mary  A.,  James  H.,  Elizabeth  A.,  and  Sarah  F.  J.  H.,  our 
subject,  enlisted  in  the  service  August  11,  1862,  in  Company  B,  Eighty- 
third  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers,  and  served  until  June,  1865,  at 
which  time  he  was  discharged,  and  returned  to  Dearborn  County  where 
he  was  married  December  24,  1866,  to  Emma  L.,  daughter  of  Nathan, 
and  Sarah  (Powell)  Smith.  She  was  born  in  Clay  Township,  this  county, 
October  22,  1846.  After  our  subject's  marriage,  he  first  settled  at  Dills- 
borough where  he  clerked  in  John  M.  Hoover's  store  until  November, 
1868,  at  which  time  he  purchased  an  intei'est  in  the  store,  which  they 
continued  together  until  the  spring  of  1871,  when  he  sold  out  his  inter- 
est in  the  store  and  moved  on  the  farm  where  he  at  present  lives,  and 
has  since  resided.  They  have  had  born  to  them  three  children,  namely: 
Orrin  M.,  L.  A,  and  Charley  E.  Mr.  Abbott  is  a  tine  man;  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  G.  A.  R.,  also  the  Masonic  Order  and  Odd  Fellows. 

LEONARD  ADKINS,  retired,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Worcester 
County,  Md.,  February  16,  1812.     The  parents,  from  whom  he  descended. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  607 

w  ere  William  P.  and  Ebby  (McGee)  Adkins,  both  natives  of  Worcester 
Co  unty,  Md.  The  former  was  a  son  of  Nimrod  and  Elizabeth  (Parsons) 
Adkins,  who  were  also  natives  of  Maryland.  He  and  the  above  Ebby 
McGee  were  united  in  marriage  in  Worcester  County,  Md.,  and  there 
resided  until  their  deaths.  Their  children  were  as  follows:  Maria, 
Leonard,  James,  Sarah,  William  B.,  Samuel,  and  Hannah.  Leonard, 
our  subject,  moved  to  Maysville,  Mason  Co.,  Ky.,  in  1838,  where  he 
learned  the  mason  trade,  which  he  has  pursued  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  life.  In  the  spring  of  1843,  he  moved  to  Moore's  Hill,  and  has 
resided  there  principally  ever  since.  He  was  united  in  marriage  August 
23,  1843,  to  Mary  Davis,  who  was  born  in  this  township  December  14, 
1821,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Spencer  and  Elizabeth  Davis.  After  Mr. 
Adkins's  marriage  he  settled  at  Moore's  Hill,  and  has  resided  there  the 
greater  part  of  the  time.  He  formerly  dealt  quite  extensively  in  real 
estate.  He  is  an  excellent  man,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  him.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  They  have  had  born  to  them  nine  children,  viz. :  Ma- 
ria P.  (deceased),  Elizabeth,  Laura  A.  (deceased),  James  M. ,  William 
S.,  Charles  R.,  Flora  B.,  Edward  S.,  and  Abraham  L. 

WILLIAM  S.  ADKINS,  dealer  in  meats,  Sparta  Township,  is 
one  of  the  most  wide-awake  and  accommodating  young  men  of  the 
place;  born  at  Moore's  Hill,  Dearborn  Co,  Ind.,  May  30,  1854. 
He  is  one  of  seven  children  born  to  Leonard  and  Mary  (Davis)  Adkins, 
of  Moore's  Hill,  whose  sketch  appears  above.  He  was  educated  in  the 
district  schools  and  at  Moore's  Hill  College.  He  first  opened  a  meat  mar- 
ket in  1876,  which  he  continued  for  a  short  time  only,  and  afterward 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  In  1878,  he  again  engaged  in  selling 
meats,  which  business  he  has  since  followed.  He  is  doing  an  extensive 
business  here,  and  is  also  carrying  on  a  meat  market  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  at  Osgood.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  1880-81, 
he  held  the  office  of  marshal  of  Moore's  Hill,  and  at  present  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  town  board.     He  is  a  genial  young  fellow. 

ADAM  ADLER,  farmer  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Germany, 
March  22,  1813.  He  was  the  second  of  eight  children,  born  to  Andrew 
and  Barbara  Adler,  who  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  where  they  resided 
during  their  lives.  Our  subject  was  married  in  Germany  in  1846,  to 
Catherine  Tronsier,and  in  the  same  year  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
landing  at  New  York  City  in  November  of  that  year.  He  shortly  after- 
ward came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  in  1853  moved  to  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  settling  on  the  same  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  which  he  had 
purchased  in  1849.  He  owns  sixty  acres  of  good  land,  which  is  well 
improved.      Himself  and  wife  have  had  born  to  them  five  children,  viz. : 


608  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Thomas,  Peter  (deceased),  Nicholas,   Catherine,  and  Henry,     Mr.  Adler 
and  family,  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

JAMES  AIKEN,  a  farmer  of  Manchester  Township,  and  a  native  of 
this  county,  born  November  15,  1822,  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (John- 
ston) Aiken,  natives  of  Fermanagh  County, Ireland.  The  maternal  grand- 
father, James  Johnston,  With  his  wife  and  part  of  his  family,  immigrated 
to  America  in  1818,  landing  at  New  York,  thence  came  to  Pittsburgh, 
where  he  built  a  family  boat  and  came  down  the  Ohio  River  to  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  left  his  family  and  walked  to  Manchester,  this  county, 
and  stopped  with  Daniel  Plummer,  an  early  settler,  and  a  Methodist 
minister.  Soon  after,  he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Section  3,  this 
township,  where  he  erected  a  log-cabin  opening  out  right  in  the  woods, 
into  which  he  moved  with  his  family,  and  commenced  the  work  of  mak- 
ing a  farm.  He  was  then  sixty  years  of  age,  yet  he  performed  much 
hard  pioneer  work.  He  lost  his  wife  by  death,  in  1839.  He  died  in 
1848,  aged  ninety  years.  There  were  two  of  his  sons,  Jarret  and  Charles, 
who  came  to  this  county  soon  after  their  father,  the  former  died  at 
Louisville,  and  the  latter  settled  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  resided  till 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  since  which,  nothing  has  been  heard  of 
him.  Mr.  John  Aiken  came  to  America  in  1821,  was  married  at  Phila- 
delphia, and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  came  to  Indiana,  and  settled 
with  his  father-in-law,  James  Johnston,  on  Section  3,  living  in  their 
house  until  he  built  a  log  house  near  where  Mr.  James  Aikens'  present 
residence  stands.  Here  he  resided  until  his  death,  July  2,  1860,  aged 
sixty-five  years.  His  widow  died  April  2,  1865,  aged  seventy-one  years. 
They  had  two  sons,  and  two  daughters:  James,  Marvin  Irvin,  who,  in  April, 
1859,  went  to  California,  where  he  resided,  the  last  known  of  him;  Eliza- 
beth Ann,  wife  of  Nathaniel  Lewis,  who  resides  in  McDonald  County, 
Mo.,  and  Mary  Jane,  who  died  young.  James  Aiken,  the  eldest  of  his 
father's  family,  has  never  removed  from  the  old  home  place  where  he 
was  boi'n  and  raised,  having  resided  here  sixty-two  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried May  11,  1865,  to  Miss  Eliza  Strain,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary 
Strain,  natives  of  Ireland,  he  being  of  Scotch  descent;  they  lived  and 
died  in  their  native  land.  Mrs.  Aiken  has  one  sister,  Mary,  wife  of 
William  R.  McConnel,  residing  in  Dearborn  County.  Mr.  Aiken  and 
wife,  have  six  children:  Robert  James,  Mary  E.,  Jennie,  Aggie,  Hattie, 
and  William  Marvin.  Mr.  Aiken  has  devoted  his  life  to  farming  and 
stock  raising,  and  by  industry  and  close  application  to  business,  has  been 
very  successful.  He  now  owns  220  acres  of  land,  with  good  new  build- 
ings, which  he  has  erected,  with  other  improvements.  His  farm  now 
embraces  all  the  land  that  was  in  possession  of  his  ancestors.  It  is  a 
pleasant  farmer's  home.  Mr.  Aiken  is  one  of  the  prominent,  reliable  and 
honored  farmers  of  Manchester  Township. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  609 

ALVIN  J.  ALDEN,  farmer,  Jackson  Township,  is  a  native  of  Jack- 
son Township,  born  January  16,  1823;  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Ruth  (Mor- 
gan) Alden,  he  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  she  of  New  York.  In 
the  spring  of  1817  Mr.  Alden,  then  a  young  single  man,  with  his  cousin, 
Samuel  Alden,  left  their  homes  and  native  State,  and  came  to  Cincinnati, 
and  soon  after  to  Dearborn  County,  lud.  Alvin  entered  seventy -five  acres 
of  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  23,  and  Samuel  the  southwest  quar- 
ter of  the  same  section.  They  erected  a  small  cabin  near  the  line 
between  their  lands,  where  they  lived  together  and  kept  bachelors'  hall. 
At  that  time  the  country  was  all  one  dense  forest,  the  nearest  neighbor 
being  three  miles  distant,  and  to  get  to  them  and  back  without  losing 
their  course,  they  made  a  blazed  path  through  the  woods.  These  were 
probably  the  first  settlers  in  Jackson  Township.  Mr.  Alden,  during  the 
first  two  or  three  years,  returned  to  Cincinnati  during  the  winter  season 
where  he  could  procure  employment  and  earn  some  money  to  carry  on 
his  improvements  during  the  summer  season  upon  his  land.  Subse- 
quently he  erected  another  log-cabin  on  his  land,  and  in  1822  he  married 
and  located  in  his  new  home,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  June  5, 
1844,  in  his  forty- ninth  year.  His  death  occurred  very  suddenly,  as  follows: 
He  had  killed  a  calf,  and  in  the  act  of  dressing  it  he  made  a  stroke  with 
his  knife  which  passed  through  the  hide  and  entered  his  own  body, 
severing  the  femoral  artery,  and  he  died  in  a  few  minutes  from  loss  of 
blood.  His  widow  still  survives,  and  resides  with  her  daughter  in 
Missouri,  aged  eighty  years.  They  had  twelve  children,  ten  now  living: 
Alvin  J.,  George  and  Warren  (twins),  the  former — George — resides  in 
Illinois;  Lydia,  now  the  widow  Wade,  resides  in  California;  Samuel  J., 
also  in  California;  Mary,  wife  of  Jesse  Ehler,  residing  in  Missouri; 
Jonathan,  residing  in  Kansas;  Caroline,  wife  of  John  Tangman,  of  Rip- 
ley County;  Eliza,  wife  of  George  Jeter,  residing  in  Missouri,  and  Isaac, 
now  at  the  Black  Hills.  Of  those  deceased,  Phineas  was  scalded  to 
death  by  falling  into  a  kettle  of  hot  water,  when  about  four  years  of  age, 
and  Louisa,  twin  sister  of  Eliza,  who  grew  to  womanhood,  married  John 
T.  Jackson,  removed  to  Missouri,  where  she  died  in  the  spring  of  1884. 
Alvin  J.  Alden,  the  eldest  child  of  his  parents,  born  and  reared  here, 
was  fully  acquainted  with  the  early  scenes  of  this  county.  December 
5,  1847,  Mr.  Alden  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Cutchall,  born  Novem- 
ber 27,  1827,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (McKinly)  Cutchall,  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania,  who  became  early  settlers  of  Franklin  County, 
Ind.,  where  he  died  in  May,  1832  or  1833.  She  still  survives,  and  re- 
sides in  Jackson  Township,  aged  eighty-five  years.  They  had  four  chil- 
dren, three  now  living:  Ann,  now  the  widow  Homer,  residing  in  Ripley 
County;    Sarah   Jane,    and  Rachel,  now  wife  of  William   Ehler.     Mr. 

37 


610  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES.     . 

Alden  and  wife  have  had  seven  children,  four  now  survive:  Alice,  now 
the  wife  of  William  H.  Woods,  residing  in  Chicago,  111.,  Ruth  E.,  wife 
of  William  Ahrends,  Orpha  I.  and  Carrie  E.  The  three  deceased,  Mary 
L.,  Samuel  E.,  and  Ida  E.,  all  died  within  four  weeks'  time,  in  May  and 
June  of  1860,  of  diphtheria.  Mr.  Alden  has  passed  his  entire  life  in 
Jackson  Township,  a  period  of  sixty-two  years,  has  given  his  principal 
attention  to  farming,  and  has  lived  at  his  present  place  of  residence 
thirty-six  years.  He  has  served  in  the  State  Legislature  three  terms; 
waa  first  elected  in  1848,  then  in  1854,  and  again  in  1878,  serving^ 
to  the  general  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  In  1863  he  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  recorder  of  Dearborn  County,  and  served  four  years. 

JAMES  AMDOR,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Dearborn  County,  born  November  17,  1854;  is  a  son  of  Bennett  and 
Saphronia  (Manley)  Amdor.  He  is  a  native  of  Saxony,  Germany,  and 
she,  of  Hamilton,  Ohio.  In  1837  Mr.  Amdor,  then  nineteen  years  of 
age,  immigrated  to  America  with  his  parents,  Michael  and  Mary  S. 
Amdor,  and  two  sisters,  Christiana  and  Anestina.  They  landed  at  Balti- 
more, thence  came  to  Pittsburgh,  and  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  settled  on 
the  farm  where  James  Amdor  and  his  mother  now  reside,  and  here 
Michael  Amdor  and  wife  died.  Subsequently  Bennett  Amdor  married 
and  settled  on  the  home  place  where  he  resided  till  his  death  September 
28,  1883,  aged  sixty-five  years.  He  was  the  father  of  nine  children — six 
now  living:  Nancy  Caroline,  wife  of  Elwin  Day,  residing  in  Adams 
County,  Iowa;  Mary  S.,  now  the  widow  of  Samuel  Day;  Edward  R. ; 
Franklin  P.,  now  a  practicing  physician;  Rhoda  J,,  wife  of  Valentine 
Vogel,  and  James,  all  of  whom  reside  in  Iowa,  but  the  latter,  James, 
who  is  the  youngest  child,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  grew  to 
manhood,  and  remained  with  his  father  until  bis  death,  since  which  he  has 
taken  charge  of  the  farm  which  contains  160  acres  of  land  with  good 
buildings  and  improvements,  and  is  a  very  pretty  home  and  farmer's 
residence.  Mr.  Amdor  was  united  in  marriage  February  6,  1879,  with 
Miss  Mary  inegard,  born  in  Manchester  Township  August  30,  1862,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  W inegard,  natives  of  Germany,  who  came 
to  America  while  young  with  their  parents,  who  settled  in  Ripley  and 
Dearborn  Counties;  here  they  grew  to  maturity,  married  and  settled  in 
the  western  part  of  this  township  on  the  place  where  they  still  reside. 
They  have  had  eleven  children— nine  now  living:  Mary,  Jane  (wife  of 
Frederick  Killman),  Sarah,  William,  Sophia,  Emma,  Maggie,  Edith  and 
Arthur.  Mr.  Amdor  and  wife  have  four  children:  John  Bennett,  Rhoda 
Jane,  Bertha  May  and  Charles  Edwards. 

JAMES  A.  ANGEVINE,  of  York  Township,  and  one  of  the  old  res- 
idents of  this  county,  was  born  in  New  York  City,  in  1814.      His  parents. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  611 

James  and  Susan  (Montfort)  Angevine,  were  both  born  in  the  same  city. 
His  grandfather,  John  A.ngevine,  was  a  native  of  France,  and  came  to 
America  prior  to  the  Revolution,  in  which  he  participated  as  a  soldier. 
He  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children — eleven  daughters  and  one  son — the 
latter  being  the  youngest  of  the  family.  He  was  a  shoe-maker  by  trade, 
and  in  1818,  came  to  this  county  with  his  son  James,  with  whom  he  re- 
sided till  his  death,  in  1831.  His  wife  survived  two  years,  passing 
away  in  1833.  James  Angevine,  the  father  of  our  subject,  James  A., 
grew  to  maturity  in  New  York,  and  in  his  earlier  years  was  a  sailor.  It 
is  said  that  he  passed  through  many  disasters  during  his  seafaring  life. 
He  finally  abandoned  the  water,  and  with  a  capital  of  $500,  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business,  meeting  with  excellent  success.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  three,  he  married  his  first  wife,  who  died  eleven  years  later, 
childless.  At  thirty-six,  he  married  Susan  Montfort,  whose  parents  were 
from  Pennsylvania,  and  whose  ancestors  were  from  Holland.  Of  the 
twelve  children  born  to  them,  eleven  grew  to  maturity.  The  deceased 
was  an  infant.  On  moving  to  this  county  in  1818,  he  purchased  1,100 
acres  of  land  in  York  Township,  where  he  afterward  engaged  in  farming, 
till  old  age  compelled  him  to  retire.  His  wife  died  July  2,  1869.  In  his 
ninety-third  year  he  was  taken  by  his  relatives  and  others,  to  La  Salle 
County,  111.,  where  he  died  July  10,  1874.  November  9,  1862,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Angevine,  celebrated  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  marriage, 
and  there  were  present  the  entire  family — sons,  daughters,  sons-in-law, 
daughters-in-law,  and  grandchildren,  twenty-one  of  the  latter,  and 
thirty-five  in  all.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  character,  and  all  his 
life  was  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  his  family  and  the  community. 
James  A.  Angevine,  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch,  grew  up  in  the 
quiet  walks  of  rural  life.  He  resided  with  his  parents  till  1844,  when 
he  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Davis,  and  established  a  home  of  his  own. 
Her  parents  were  William  and  Ann  (Jenkins)  Davis,  who  were  natives  of 
Morganshire,  Wales.  They  were  married  April  20,  1814,  and  in  1816 
immigrated  to  the  United  States.  They  located  for  a  short  time,  in  New 
York,  and  then  moved  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  their  oldest 
daughter,  Mrs.  Angevine,  was  born,  in  1821.  In  the  following  year 
they  settled  in  this  county,  where  they  purchased  land,  and  resided  till 
their  death,  the  mother  passing  away  April  19,  1867  the  father  June 
13,  1868.  They  reared  a  family  of  ten  children,  nine  still  living,  name- 
ly: George,  John,  Thomas,  Griffith,  David,  Mary  A.,  Elizabeth,  Helen 
and  Jennie.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Angevine  rented  land  for  a  time 
and  by  hard  labor,  aided  by  an  industrious  wife,  gradually  worked  his 
way  up  to  the  front  rank.  In  1850  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of 
ninety   acres,   on  which   he   has  since    conducted   a  prosperous  farming 


612  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

business.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  in  1874,  he  inherited  120  acres, 
and,  besides  these  two  tracts,  owns  another  of  forty  acres  in  this  town- 
ship. 

THOMAS  T.  ANNIS,  farmer  and  ex-county  commissioner,  Lawrence- 
burgh  City,  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  in  1836.  His  parents,  Thomas 
aod  Rhoda  (Fairbanks)  Annis,  were  natives  of  the  Genesee  Valley,  N.  Y., 
and  Green  River  Valley,  Mass.  His  grandfather,  Annis,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  revolution  and  died  in  the  locality  of  his  birth — the  valley  of  the 
Genesee.  His  grandfather,  Fairbanks,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
married  there,  but  subsequently  moved  to  the  Genesee.  In  1822  the  two 
families  immigrated  to  this  county,  the  country  having  been  inspected  two 
years  previous  by  Thomas  Annis  and  two  brothers-in-law,  Sheldon  and 
Lucius  Fairbanks.  Their  tour  was  made  by  wagons  over  the  mountains 
to  Pittsburgh  where  they  constructed  their  own  flat-boats,  and  from  which 
point  they  floated  down  the  Ohio  to  Lawrenceburgh.  On  their  way  they 
fell  in  company  with  the  Buell  family  which  afterward  became  quite 
prominent  in  this  locality.  Thomas  Annis  remained  with  his  family  in 
Lawrenceburgh  about  one  year.  He  had  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in 
the  East  under  the  old  sevea-year  apprenticeship  rule  and  this  trade  he 
followed  the  fortunes  of  for  about  twenty-five  years.  His  first  purchase 
of  land  was  made  in  1824,  when  he  obtained  eighty  acres  which  he  paid 
for  by  ship-carpentering  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  subsequently  added  to 
this  tract,  till  he  owned  about  255  acres,  besides  some  town  property  in 
Lawrenceburgh  and  Aurora  and  some  western  land.  He  reared  a  family 
of  four  children  who  grew  to  maturity:  David,  Thomas  T.,  Clarissa 
(wife  of  Ferris  Blasdel),  and  Cordelia,  wife  of  E.Biitterfield.  He  was  an 
industrious  and  energetic  citizen  and  did  much  work  in  his  line,  erecting 
hay-presses,  houses,  barns,  mills,  etc.  He  built  the  frame  work  of  the  old 
mill  between  Elm  and  Short  Streets;  Lawrenceburgh,  the  site  of  which 
is  now  marked  only  by  the  stone  foundation.  His  death  occurred  in 
1874  his  widow  survived  till  January,  1881.  Thomas  T.  Annis,  the  sub- 
ject proper  of  this  notice,  grew  to  matiarity  on  his  father's  farm,  and  was 
there  chiefly  employed  till  he  was  thirty-one  years  of  age.  In  1870  he 
married  Mary  Heustis,  a  daughter  of  Elias  Heustis,  who  is  elsewhere 
mentioned  in  this  work.  After  his  marriage  he  resided  on  the  home- 
stead one  year,  when  he  purchased  the  Buell  farm  in  this  township. 
Here  he  resided  till  1882,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  then  moved 
to  Lawrenceburgh  which  is  now  his  place  of  abode.  He  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  commissioner  in  the  fall  of  1882,  which  he  is  still  holding, 
his  term  of  service  not  having  expired  yet.  He,  with  his  brother,  owns 
several  tracts  of  land  in  Iowa,  Kansas  and  Dakota,  and  his  good  manage- 
ment of  his  business  aff'airs  generally  has  not  been  without  its  reward. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  ,        613 

DAVID  A.  ANNIS,  farmer,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  one  of  its 
most  substantial  residents,  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  in  1829.  He  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  Annis,  and  grew  to  maturity  on  his  father's  farm.  He 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  from  his  youth  up  has  made 
farming  his  chief  occupation.  He  married,  in  1862,  Mary  Pearson,  a 
native  of  this  county,  and  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Emiline  (Ayres;  Pear- 
son, natives  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio.  Her  mother  was  born  and  reared 
in  Cincinnati  till  grown,  then  moved  to  College  Hill,  nine  miles  from 
the  city,  on  a  farm.  Her  parents  resided  in  this  county  for  a  time,  and 
then  returned  to  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Annis  have  had  tive  children  born 
to  them:  Kalph  W.,  Harry,  Louie,  Elvin,  and  Mary  Belle.  Two  are 
deceased.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Annis  began  business  for  himself  on 
the  old  homestead,  to  which  he  has  made  some  additions  by  purchase. 
He  has  always  devoted  most  of  his  attention  to  general  agriculture,  in  which 
he  has  been  quite  successful,  now  owning  an  excellent  farm  in  this  county, 
besides  a  large  tract  in  Pratt  County,  Kas.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  farmers  of  the  township,  and  in  every  respect  an  exemplary  citizen; 
and  having  resided  in  the  county  of  his  birth  all  his  life,  is  well  worthy 
of  taking  a  creditable  position  in  its  history. 

MASON  W.  ANDERSON,  of  Rising  Sun,  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  Anderson  &  McHenry  Omnibus  Line,  was  born  in  Boone  County, 
Ky.,  September  28,  1827.  His  parents  were  Henry  and  Mildred  (Cor- 
nelius) Anderson,  the  latter  born  in  Kentucky.  Mr.  Anderson,  left  an 
orphan  in  childhood,  was  reared  chiefly  by  an  uncle  in  Boone  County, 
where  he  resided  till  about  twenty  years  of  age.  At  eighteen  he  began 
the  butcher's  trade  in  Covington,  in  which  place  he  continued  the  same 
about  fifteen  years.  He  was  married,  in  September,  1849,  to  Emma 
Newman,  of  this  county,  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  and  daughter  of  Tim- 
othy Newman,  who  came  into  this  locality  about  1837.  After  his  mar- 
riage he  began  the  butchering  business  in  Rising  Sun,  continuing  till 
1861,  He  then  clerked  for  four  years  for  H.  S.  Espey,  and  subsequently 
took  up  the  cleaver  again  for  a  short  time.  He  still  does  some  ' '  ham 
trimming "  for  shippers  of  pork,  of  Rising  Sun,  being  quite  an  adept 
at  that  business.  In  1867  Mr.  Anderson  started,  on  a  limited  scale,  the 
Aurora  &  Rising  Sun  Omnibus  Line,  which  has  developed  in  efficiency 
till  almost  an  equal  to  steam  railway  as  a  means  of  passenger  transporta- 
tion. This  line,  started  with  much  opposition,  Mr.  Anderson  has  contin- 
ued from  the  "beginning,  never  having  missed  but  one  trip  from  the  first 
to  the  present.  In  1875  the  Aurora  &  Rising  Sun  Turnpike  was  con- 
structed by  a  company  composed  of  W.  B.  Sinks,  Dr.  H.  T.  Williams, 
and  Mr.  Anderson,  at  a  cost  of  about  $10,000,  this  being  one  of  the 
most  important  improvements  of  the  county.     Mr.  Anderson  has  been  a 


614  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  for  thirty-five  years,  and,  with  Mrs,  Anderson, 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  a  man  of  jovial 
disposition,  and  relates  many  amusing  incidents  of  his  bus  line  expe 
rience,  which  "our  limited  space  forbids  us  to  repeat." 

CHARLES  F.  ARING,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the  members  of 
the  Rodenberg  Distilling  Company,  was  born  in  Ohio  in  the  year  1860, 
and  has  resided  most  of  his  life  in  a  small  town  called  Chiviott  where  he 
received  his  education.  In  1880  he  invested  in  the  Rodenberg  Distillery, 
in  which  institution  he  has  since  been  employed.  He  was  married,  in 
1882,  to  Miss  Emma  Brandstettmer,  and  they  have  one  child — Estella. 
Mr.  Aring  is  a  young  man  of  sterling  qualities  and  bids  fair  to  succeed 
in  all  his  business  enterprises.  The  establishment  with  which  he  is  con- 
nected was  built  at  a  cost  of  some  $15,000  by  himself,  Frederick  and 
Christ.  Rodenberg,  and  has  a  capacity  of  320  bushels  of  grain  per 
day,  employing  eight  persons.  Considering  his  age  it  is  creditable  to  Mr. 
Aring's  honor  and  abilities  that  he  sustains  an  interest  in  an  enterprise 
of  such  proportions. 

HENRY  C.  ASSCHE,  farmer,  of  Jackson  Township,  was  born  June 
15,  1850,  in  New  Orleans,  on  the  old  battle  ground  of  the  war  of  1812; 
is  a  son  of  Christian  and  Louizette  (Heemann)  Assche,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. In  1842  Mr.  Assche  left  his  native  land  for  London,  England, 
where  he  spent  three  years  in  a  sugar  refinery,  thence  he  immigrated  to 
New  York  City;  remaining  there  but  a  short  time  he  went  to  Charleston 
S.  C,  where  he  joined  the  Militia  Guards  and  served  with  them  until  in 
1847,  when  he  came  to  New  Orleans  and  there  went  to  work  at  his  former 
trade  in  the  Battle  Ground  Sugar  Refinery,  where  he  continued  until  the 
business  was  closed  by  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  the  capture  of  the 
city  by  the  Federal  troops.  Then  he  entered  upon  the  mercantile 
trade,  in  which  he  continued  until  1867  when  he  sold  his  stock  of  goods 
and  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  and  purchased  the  property  now 
owned  by  D.  Brinkmier,  in  Jackson  Township.  In  1869,  having  sold  the 
above  property,  he  purchased  the  farm  of  eighty-two  acres  where  he  now 
resides.  Mr.  Assche  is  now  an  invalid  from  rheumatism,  contracted  by 
overheating  his  blood  while  working  in  the  sugar  refining  business,  and 
is  sometimes  confined  to  his  bed  for  several  months,  and  at  times  suffers 
excruciating  pains.  He  was  married  in  1849  and  became  the  father  of 
three  children,  one  only  now  living — Henry  C.  Mr.  Assche  was  a  Union 
man  during  the  late  war,  but  was  compelled  to  serve  in  the  Confederate 
Home  Guards,  and  after  the  capture  of  New  Orleans  by  the  Federals  he 
was  drafted  into  service  by  the  Government,  but  on  account  of  his  rheu- 
matic affection  was  exempted.  Henry  C,  the  only  surviving  child  of  his 
father,  received  a  good  commercial  education  at  New  Orleans, and  at  fifteen 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  615 

years  of  age  entered  into  the  employ  of  the  Atlantic  &  Mississippi  Steam- 
ship Company,  with  whom  he  continued  till  they  closed  up  in  bankruptcy. 
In  1868  he  came  to  his  father's,  where  he  has  since  resided,  assisting  on 
the  farm  and  teaching  school.  He  has  taught  school  eveiy  winter  since 
1869,  and  anticipates  continuing  in  the  profession.  He  was  married, 
June  7,  1877,  to  Caroline  Schweitzer,  born  in  Cincinnati,  October  6. 
1850,  a  daughter  of  Henry  andChristena  Schweitzer,  natives  of  Germany. 
They  came  to  Ohio  in  1848,  and  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  in 
1859,  where  he  died  August  9,  1882,  of  cancer  of  the  stomach.  They 
had  four  children:  Caroline,  Henry,  William  and  Emma.  Mr.  Assche 
and  wife  have  four  children:  Henry,  William,  Louizette  and  Emma. 

NOAH  L.  BABBS,  of  Rising  Sun,  and  one  of  the  oldest  residents 
of  the  place,  was  born  in  Hampshire  County,  Va.,  November  13,  1794. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Rebecca  (Lane)  Babbs,  natives  of  Virginia 
and  Maryland  respectively,  and  of  English  and  Irish  descent.  In  1803 
his  parents  removed  from  Virginia  to  Cincinnati.  Here  the  family  re- 
sided until  1819,  when  they  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Rising  Sun  and 
purchased  forty  acres  of  land,  where  the  parents  passed  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  the  father  dying  at  the  remarkable  age  of  one  hundred  and 
three  years.  Our  subject  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  of  his  parents, 
remaining  until  nineteen  years  of  age.  During  the  war  of  1812  he 
was  in  New  Orleans,  and  saw  Jackson  after  he  had  won  that  battle  which 
has  almost  immortalized  him.  Returning  North,  Mr.  Babbs  went  to 
Ohio,  and  during  the  building  of  the  Miami  Canal,  he  worked  on  it  as 
one  of  the  bosses.  Next  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  several  miles  back 
of  the  Ohio  River,  north  of  Cincinnati,  and  followed  gardening  for 
thirty  odd  years.  In  1871  he  again  purchased  property  in  Rising  Sun, 
where  he  has  since  resided,  living  a  retired  life,  though  by  proxy  deal- 
ing some  in  real  estate.  Mr.  Babbs  first  married  Nancy  Smith,  who 
died  one  year  later.  He  then  married  Kittie  Ann  Phares,  who  died  in 
1832,  there  having  been  born  to  the  union,  five  children,  viz. :  Charles 
P.,  William,  Emeline,  John  and  Susan.  His  third  wife  was  Amey 
(Tucker)  Rawlson;  one  child  was  born  to  them — Virginia.  His  fourth 
marriage  occurred  in  1868,  to  Mrs.  Catharine  Hyner.  Mr.  Babbs  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church. 

ANDREW  J.  BARRICKLOW,  of  Randolph  Township,  was  born  in 
Ohio  County  in  1825.  His  parents,  John  and  Mary  A.  (Emmerson) 
Barricklow,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Massachusetts,  respectively. 
His  father  was  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Judith  Barricklow  who  was 
born,  reared  and  married  in  Pennsylvania,  and  immigrated  to  this  county 
about  1808  or  1809,  coming  via  the  Ohio  River  in  a  little  float-boat.  He 
purchased  land  here,  some  of  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family.    He 


616  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

reared  a  family  of  eight  children,  only  one  of  whom  is  now  living,  viz. : 
Merribah  Hanna,  wife  of  David  Hanna,  of  Union  Township.  The 
deceased  are  Edward,  Coonrod,  John,  Henry,  Farrington,  Joseph  and 
Sallie.  Our  subject's  father  was  but  eight  or  nine  years  of  age  when  he 
came  to  this  county  and  here  grew  to  maturity  and  married,  rearing  four 
children:  Andrew  J.,  Daniel,  Hiram  and  John,  all  still  living  in  the 
county.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  was  quite  prosperous,  leaving 
a  creditable  competence  at  his  death,  which  occurred  about  1873.  His 
widow  is  still  living  in  her  seventy-ninth  year,  though  in  a  helpless 
condition  from  paralysis,  cared  for  by  her  son,  Andrew,  at  his  home. 
Andrew  J.  Barricklow  grew  up  on  the  farm  in  this  township.  Being  of 
a  studious  turn  of  mind  he  acquired  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  by  self-help  at  the  fireside,  and  in  1847  began  the  profession 
of  teaching,  which  be  continued  to  follow  up  to  1876,  teaching  twenty- 
eight  winter  terms.  He  obtained  a  portion  of  his  father's  estate,  the 
father  and  sons  working  together  till  the  latter  were  all  married,  whea 
the  property  was  divided.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Barricklow  has  given  his 
chief  attention  to  farming.  He  now  owns  223  acres.  Mr.  Barrick- 
low was  married,  in  1849,  to  Nancy  Oglevee,  of  this  county,  daughter  of 
John  and  Margaret  (Marnock)  Oglevee,  her  father,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  her  mother,  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  were  early  settlers  of  this 
county,  and  later  moved  to  Ripley  County,  Ind. .  where  they  died.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Barricklow  have  but  one  child  living,  namely — Hiram.  Mary  A., 
a  daughter  of  rare  musical  attainments  as  well  as  other  accomplishments, 
died  at  the  age  of  about  twenty-two  years.  Hiram  was  married,  in  1876, 
to  Elizabeth  Corson,  daughter  of  Albert  Corson,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren: Jackson  A.  and  Mary  A.  Mr.  Barricklow  is  an  enthusiastic 
Democrat  and  takes  some  interest  in  local  politics.  He  has  served  two 
terms  as  township  trustee  since  1875.  During  the  war  Mr.  Barricklow 
was  commissioned  lieutenant  of  the  "Bough  and  Ready  Rifles,"  and  was 
subsequently  made  captain  of  the  same.  The  company  was  regularly 
drilled  and  met  Morgan  at  old  Vernon,  capturing  twenty-nine  men  and 
several  horses.  Mr.  Barricklow  has  always  been  a  lover  of  out-door 
sports,  and  has  quite  a  local  reputation  as  a  modern  Nimrod;  is  said  to 
have  killed  the  last  wild  deer  in  this  locality.  In  early  years,  with  his 
father  and  brothers,  he  caught  forty  wild  turkeys  at  a  single  trap. 
He  has  been  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  about 
thirty-five  years,  and  during  that  time  has  officiated  for  many  years  as 
class- collector,  steward  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 

JOHN  W.  BARRICKLOW,  brother  to  the  above,  was  born  in  Ohio 
County  in  1831.  He  grew  up  on  the  homestead,  which  was  divided 
among  the  children  of  the  family,  as  stated  above.     He  was  married,  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  617 

1857,  to  Lucy  Ann  Richardson,  daughter  of  Joseph  P.  Richardson,  an 
early  settler  of  this  county.  This  marriage  was  fruitful  in  the  birth  of  six 
children,  three  still  living:  Zoah  E.,  wife  of  William  Hastings;  John 
and  James.  March  5,  1872,  Mrs.  Barricklow  departed  this  life,  death 
ensuing  from  "spotted  fever."  In  1873  Mr.  Barricklow  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Jane  Nelson,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Nelson,  native  of 
County  Armagh,  Ireland.  Mr.  Barricklow  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  one  of  the  thrifty  farmers  of  this  township, 
having  always  given  his  attention   to  agricultural  pursuits. 

HIRAM  BARRICKLOW,  Rising  Sun,  one  of  the  representative  men 
of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  the  same  in  1829.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Bar- 
ricklow, who  was  born  in  1800,  and  who  came  to  this  county  with  his  father? 
Daniel  Barricklow,  from  Pennsylvania  in  1815.  Oar  subject  grew  up  on 
his  father's  farm  in  Union  Township,  and  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an 
education  in  the  common  schools.  He  began  business  operations  for  him- 
self about  1857,  inheriting  a  small  portion  from  his  father's  estate.^ He 
tirst  purchased  a  farm  valued  at  about  $2,000,  and  by  his  able  manage- 
ment of  business  affairs  he  has  increased  his  realty  in  this  county  to  265 
acres,  besides  owning  some  valuable  town  property  in  Rising  Sun,  and 
some  Western  land.  For  twenty  years  Mr.  Barricklow  has  done  quite  an 
extensive  business  in  dealing  in  stock,  and  also  in  real  estate  and  securi- 
ties, being  generally  successful  in  his^business  enterprises.  He  served 
for  some  time  as  trustee  of  Union  Township,  and  was  three  years  com- 
missioner of  the  county.  Mr.  Barricklow  was  first  mai-ried  to  Sarah  A. 
Pate,  daughter  of  William  T.  Pate,  and  they  had  five  children:  Rebecca, 
wife  of  Stephen  Hastings;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  David  Hanna;  William  T., 
who  married  Agnes  Fisher;  George  G.,  who  married  Laura  Turner;  and 
Anna  M.,  wife  of  Lawrence  Turner.  Mrs.  Barricklow  departed  this  life 
in  18 — ,  and  Mr.  Barricklow  has  since  been  united  in  marriage  to  Lizzie 
Pate,  a  native  of  the  county  and  a  most  excellent  lady.  Mr.  Barricklow 
ranks  among  the  most  thrifty  business  men  of  Ohio  County. 

WILLIAM  H.  BAINBRIDGE,  Lawrenceburgh,  judge  incum- 
bent of  the  Seventh  Judicial  Circuit  Court,  and  an  able  mem- 
ber of  the  Dearborn  County  bar,  is  a  descendant  of  the  old  English 
stock  of  Bainbridges,  of  which  his  second  cousin,  Com.  Bain- 
bridge,  of  Tripoli  fame,  is  perhaps  the  most  conspicuous  member.  He 
is  a  son  of  P.  W.,  and  Catharine  (Palmer)  Bainbridge,  and  was  born 
in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  Jime  5,  1829.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Maryland,  and  his  mother  was  reared  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  her  parents 
both  living  to  the  advanced  age  of  over  ninety  years.  His  paternal  an- 
cestors were  a  hardy  and  intelligent  class  of  people,  though  his  parents 
died  when  he  was  in  childhood,  and    he  was    reared  by  a  family  by  the 


618  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

name  of  Goode,  from  the  age  of  six  to  thirteen  years,  at  which  time  Mr. 
Goode  died.  This  period  of  Judge  Bainbridge's  life  was  passed  on  the 
farm.  He  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  during  the  winter 
terms  of  the  district  schools,  and  with  this  as  a  basis,  by  close  applica- 
tion to  his  books  during  every  moment  of  his  leisure  time,  he  acquiretl  a 
thorough  general  knowledge  such  as  is  rarely  attained  outside  of  a  regu- 
lar collegiate  course,  of  which  latter  advantage  he  was  never  able  to 
avail  himself.  Mr.  Bainbridge  resided  in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  till 
nineteen  years  of  age.  He  then  spent  three  years  in  Rushville,  Ind., 
moving  to  Shelby ville,  Ind.,  in  1851.  Here  he  began  the  study  of  law 
with  Judge  Cyrus  Wright,  an  able  lawyer  of  that  county,  and  in  the 
meantime  was  also  engaged  in  editing  a  political  paper  called  the  Banner, 
and  which  he  says  is  the  only  act  of  his  life,  in  a  political  way,  that  he  has 
any  reason  to  regret;  that  he  undertook  the  enterprise  without  due  con- 
sideration, but  soon  saw  the  error  of  his  position  as  the  editor  of  a  "Na- 
tive American,"  or  "Know-nothing"  paper,  and  true  to  his  convictions 
of  right,  abaudoned  the  whole  thing  as  soon  as  he  could  possibly  dispose 
of  his  press  and  office.  From  the  fall  of  1855  to  the  spring  of  1858, 
Judge  Bainbridge  spent  most  of  his  time  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  engaged 
mostly  in  reading,  returning  to  Indiana  in  the  spring  of  1858,  and  lo- 
cating at  Martinsville.  While  at  this  point  he  was  engaged  to  edit  the 
Martinsville  Monitor,  the  Democratic  paper  of  Morgan  County,  which  he 
did  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  of  his  party  and  friends.  In 
the  fall  of  1859  he  removed  to  Nashville,  lud.,  where  he  continued  the 
practice  of  his  profession  till  in  January,  1864,  when  he  was  appointed 
county  recorder  over  ten  other  applicants,  the  regular  official  having 
been  removed  by  death.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  circuit  court  of  that  county,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  and 
he  tilled  that  office  and  practiced  his  profession  till  1866,  when  he  came 
to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided,  giving  his  entire 
attention  to  his  professional  business.  He  served  live  years  as  city  at- 
torney for  Lawrenceburgh,  and,  in  the  fall  of  1884,  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  judge  of  the  Seventh  Judicial  Circuit  of  Indiana,  cemprising 
the  counties  of  Dearborn,  and  Ohio,  the  duties  of  which  office  he  as- 
sumed October  22 ,  1885.  On  that  date,  the  Lawrenceburgh  correspond- 
ent to  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer  referred  to  his  character  and  abilities  in 
the  following  complimentary  terms:  "This  morning  Judge  Given  retires 
from  the  circuit  court  bench,  and  Hon.  William  H.  Bainbridge  dons 
the  judicial  ermine,  and  for  the  next  six  years  will  preside  over  the 
counties  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio,  as  sole  judge.  Judge  Bainbridge  goes 
upon  the  bench  with  a  mind  possessed  of  superior  legal  attainments, 
having  for  nearly  thirty  years,  been  an  active  and    leading    practitioner 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  619 

in  all  the  courts.  Always  a  close  and  hard  student,  as  well  as  a  deep 
thinker  and  a  forcible  speaker,  he  made  his  mark  as  an  attorney,  and 
those  who  know  his  abilities  as  a  jurist,  predict  for  him  a  high  place 
among  the  judges  of  the  land.  A  man  of  faultless  character,  pure  mo- 
tives and  the  strictest  sense  of  justice  and  right,  fair  minded  and  impar-. 
tial;  the  litigants  in  his  courts  will  never  be  able  to  even  reflect  against 
his  honesty  or  judicial  fairness  in  administering  the  law.  Having  ex- 
perienced the  hardships  of  poverty  in  his  youth,  and  being  compelled 
through  misfortune  early  in  life  not  only  to  earn  his  own  living,  but 
under  the  most  adverse  circumstances  acquire  by  his  own  exertions  an 
education,  he  is  in  every  respect  a  self  made  man,  and,  although  but 
fifty -three  years  of  age,  has  filled  a  number  of  important  positions,  be- 
ing elected  at  different  times,  recorder  and  clerk,  of  Brown  County,  Ind. 
For  thirty  years  he  has  been  a  wheel  horse  in  the  ranks  of  Democ- 
racy, and  in  every  campaign  and  upon  every  stump  his  voice  has  been 
lifted  fearlessly  and  eloquently  advocating  Democratic  principles.  At 
different  localities  he  has  edited  Democratic  papers,  while  at  the  same 
time  keeping  up  with  his  legal  business,  thus  evincing  the  tireless  en- 
ergy of  the  man. "  Judge  Bainbridge  was  married  in  1855,  to  Lucre- 
tia  A.  Wright,  of  Quaker  extraction,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  Wright,  a 
man  of  fine  mental  attainments,  and  niece  of  Rev.  George  W,  Maley,  a 
former  prominent  Methodist  minister  of  Cincinnati.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bainbridge,  are  parents  of  five  children,  Maley,  Cora  and  Lulu,  living. 
An  interesting  little  son  of  five  years,  and  an  infant  daughter  are  de- 
ceased. Miss  Cora  Bainbridge  is  a  young  lady  of  rare  musical  attain- 
ments, and  devotes  some  time  in  giving  instructions  in  that  most  civiliz- 
ing of  all  arts,  and  is  now  in  Europe  prosecuting  her  musical  studies. 
In  manners  Judge  Bainbridge  is  affable;  in  principle,  firm  and  decisive; 
in  business,  active  and  energetic;  in  heart  generous  and  kind.  He  is  a 
firm  believer  in  the  religion  of  Christ,  he  and  his  entire  family  being 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

CONWAY  BAINUM,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  is  a  native  of  West 
Virginia,  born  August  9,  1809.  His  parents  William,  and  Elizabeth 
(Bryan)  Bainum  were  born  in  Wilmington,  Delaware ;  father  February 
29,  1765,  mother  in  October,  1790.  They  came  to  this  county  in  1810, 
where  he  farmed  all  his  life.  Conway  was  educated  at  Wilmington.  His 
father  built  the  first  cabin  on  the  ridge  between  the  two  Hogan  creeks. 
His  parents  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  father 
was  an  official  member  and  his  house  was  a  home  for  the  preachers.  The 
first  quarterly  meeting  in  this  locality,  was  held  in  his  house.  He  was  a 
zealous  worker  in  the  church.  Mr.  Conway  Bainum  was  married  April 
11,  1832,  to  Sarah  Deshiell,  who  was  born    in  Maryland,  February  10, 


620  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AKD  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1812.  By  this  union  four  children:  Elizabeth,  Alfred  H.,  Mary  J. 
and  Charles  W.  The  wife  died  October  15,  1868.  October  21,  1869, 
he  married  Mrs.  Harriet  (Hayes)  Swing.  She  was  born  near  Delhi,  Ky., 
February  27,  1834.  The  entire  family  belong  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Bainum  is  an  active,  energetic,  well-preserved 
man,  and  bids  fair  to  endure  the  frosts  of  many  more  winters  before 
passing  to  his  reward. 

J.  W.  BAINUM,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Hogan  Town- 
ship, Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  September  15,  1851.  His  parents,  William 
and  Aloveda  (Williams)  Bainum,  were  natives  of  Indiana  and  England. 
The  former  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  in  the  year  1810,  and 
the  latter  in  Cornwallshire,  England,  in  the  year  1815.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Dearbox'n  County,  Ind.,  and  afterward  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Hogan  Township,  where  they  still  reside.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children;  Elizabeth,  Benjamin,  Martha,  Mary,  Louisa,  James  W., 
Vienna,  Agnes,  and  one  infant  daughter  (the  eldest  of  the  family), 
who  died  in  infancy  unnamed.  J.  W.,  our  subject,  was  united  in 
marriage  at  Aurora,  Ind.,  October  15,  1879,  to  Harriet,  daughter  of  John 
and  Catherine  (Lindsay)  Spidell.  She  was  born  in  Hogan  Township, 
this  county,  August  27,  1851.  After  our  subject's  marriage  he  first  set- 
tled at  Wilmington,  where  he  x-esided  until  March,  1881,  at  which  time 
he  moved  to  Clay  Township  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives 
and  has  since  resided.     He  owns  155  acres  of  fine  land. 

THOMAS  L.  BAKER,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  owns  eighty  acres 
in  Section  26,  which  is  well  improved  and  under  a  good  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  was  born  on  the  same  section  in  April,  1840,  and  received  a 
fair  education.  His  father,  Thomas  Baker,  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1790;  mother,  Rachel  (Powell)  Baker,  in  Pennsylvania,  December  20, 
1797.  They  came  to  Indiana  in  an  early  day  and  located  in  Hogan 
Township,  where  he  farmed  all  his  life,  although  he  was  a  shoe-maker  by 
trade.  The  father  died  in  1853.  The  mother  is  still  living,  and  enjoy- 
ing good  health  in  the  town  of  W^ilmington.  Thomas  L.  enlisted  in  the 
war,  in  1861,  in  Company  D,  Third  Indiana  Cavalry,  and  served  three 
years  and  two  months.  He  was  wounded  in  the  arm  at  White  Oak 
SwaxQps  in  Virginia,  which  renders  that  member  almost  useless.  With 
the  exception  of  his  army  experience,  he  has  followed  farming  all  his 
life.  Since  the  war  he  has  been  compelled  to  farm  mostly  by  proxy  on 
account  of  his  crippled  arm.  He  is  an  active,  energetic  man,  and 
devotes  a  portion  of  his  time  and  talent  to  handling  stock,  at  which  he  is 
able  to  secure  a  good  living  outside  of  his  farming  interest.  Mr.  Baker 
was  married,  November  15,  1866,  to  Miss  Celestia  Cantield,  a  native  of 
Hogan   Township,  and   four  children  were  born  to  them:    Mittie,  Ada, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  621 

Gatch  L.  and  Irena.  The  family  is  endowed  with  considerable  natural 
musical  talent,  which  is  being  cultivated  as  a  part  of  their  general  edu- 
cation. 

COL.  E.  D.  BANISTER,  Lawrenceburgh,  at  present  inspector  of 
Indian  agencies,  has  been  a  resident  of  Dearborn  County  for  the 
past  twelve  years.  He  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  in  1873  and  for 
several  years  was  engaged  as  manager  of  the  Walsh  Distillery. 
He  was  prominent  in  the  revival  of  the  Dearborn  County  Agricultural 
Society  of  which  he  was  president  three  years,  and  is  notable  for  his 
ability  in  the  management  of  business  details.  He  is  an  active  worker 
as  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention  held  at  Chicago  in  1884,  and  also  a  member  of  the 
notifying  committee  to  inform  Grover  Cleveland  of  his  nomination  to 
the  presidency.  In  1885,  Col.  Banister  was  appointed,  by  President 
Cleveland,  inspector  of  Indian  agencies  and  he  is  now  engaged  in  the 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  this  oflfice. 

JOSEPH  BARTHOLOME,  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the  oldest  land- 
lords of  this  city,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1819.  He  immigrated  to 
America  in  1836  with  his  step-father  and  mother,  and  thereafter  spent 
several  years  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  locating  in  Lawrenceburgh 
in  1840.  He  was  employed  as  a  laborer  till  1848,  when  he  assumed 
charge  of  the  Bartholome  House,  the  proprietor  of  which  he  continued 
to  be  for  about  thirty-three  years.  In  1877  he  retired,  placing  the  house 
in  charge  of  his  son-in-law,  Frank  Weikle.  Mr.  Bartholome  was  mar- 
ried January  23,  1843,  to  Anna  Mary  Josephine  Scholle,  and  fourteen 
children  have  blessed  their  union,  twelve  of  whom  are  still  living: 
Simon,  Joseph,  Reinhold,  William,  Albert,  Edward,  Frank,  Margaret, 
Josephine,  Augusta,  Mary  and  Ida.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartholome  are  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  They  have  labored  hard  to  maintain  their  children 
and  gain  the  competency  which  they  are  now  enjoying  in  their  declining 
years. 

JAMES  S.  BARNS,  retired  minister,  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  Marion 
County,  W.  Va.,  May  6,  1812.  His  parents  were  William  and  Jane  (Gra- 
ham) Barns,  natives  of  Maryland  and  West  Virginia,  respectively,  and  of 
English,  Welsh  and  Irish  extraction.  They  were  married  in  Marion  County, 
W.  Va.,  where  they  remained  until  about  1817,  at  which  time  they 
moved  to  Madison  County,  Ohio,  and  from  thence,  in  the  following 
year,  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1830  to  Brown  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  died  in  1833,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  His  wife  moved  to  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  in  1840,  and  there  died  in  1843,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five 
years.  He  was  a  physician  by  profession,  and  a  local  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.       Their  famiiy  consisted  of  Thomas  F., 


622  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

John  W.,  Eebecca  A.,  Phebe  S.,  Frances  S.,  William  A.,  Rachel  S., 
Thornton  S.,  Reason  M.,  and  James  S.,  our  subject,  the  third  member 
of  the  family.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  the  vicinity 
where  he  was  raised,  and  in  them  acquired  quite  a  thorough  education. 
But  after  reaching  the  years  of  maturity,  he  turned  his  attention  to  mill- 
ing, farming  and  trading.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  Clermont 
County,  Ohio,  September  11,  1838,  to  Miss  Lydia  A.,  daughter  of  Elijah, 
and  Nancy  (Champion)  Applegate.  She  was  born  in  Clermont  County, 
Ohio,  August  3,  1819.  After  Mr.  Barns'  marriage,  he  settled  in  Brown 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  milling,  and  in  3841  moved  to  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade.  In  1845  he  removed 
to  Switzerland  County,  Ind. ,  and  purchased  a  farm  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  shortly  afterward  was  licensed  to  preach,  as  a  local  minister,  in 
that  county,  and  in  1849  was  admitted  in  the  Indiana  Conference  as  a 
traveling  minister,  a  calling  pursued  till  1862,  in  this  State,  and  was 
then  sent  to  southern  Illinois,  and  in  1875  was  transferred  back  to 
the  Southeastern  Indiana  Conference,  and  then  settled  at  Moore's  Hill 
Ind.,  where  he  resided  until  the  spring  of  1885,  at  which  time  he  re- 
moved to  Rising  Sun,  where  he  at  present  resides.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barns 
have  had  born  to  them  five  children,  viz.:  Carroll  C,  Maria  B.,  Olive  E., 
Florence  A.,  aud  Emma  M. ;  of  whom  the  latter  two  only  are  living. 

JAMES  H.  BALDWIN,  Sparta  Township,  retired,  was  born  in 
Franklin  County,  Ohio,  September  8,  1814.  His  parents,  Samuel  and 
Flora  (Woodruff)  Baldwin,  were  both  natives  of  Connecticut  and  of  Eng- 
lish extraction,  and  were  born  as  follows:  the  former  in  1777,  and  the 
latter  in  1780.  They  were  married  at  Avon,  Conn.,  in  1799,  and  after- 
ward settled  at  Branford,  where  they  remained  until  1814,  at  which  time 
they,in  company  with  several  other  families, immigrated  to  Worthington, 
Franklin  Co.,  Ohio,  and  from  thence,  in  1827,  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  until  their  deaths.  He  died  in  1840,  and  his  widow 
in  1862.  They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  viz.:  Almon, 
Sarah,  Joseph,  Serene,  Emily,  Libanius,  Serenna,  Arden  W.,  James  H., 
Nancy  M. ,  Samuel  D.,  Lysander  and  Abel.  James  H.,  our  subject,  was 
educated  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  was  a  student  in  the  first  public 
school  of  the  city,  which  was  taught  by  Thomas  Jennings  of  this  county. 
He  completed  a  classic  course  in  the  old  college  building  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  after  which  he  engaged  in  painting  for  some  time,  and  also  read- 
ing medicine.  He  then  attended  the  Eclectic  Medical  (College  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  after  which  he  traveled  for  a  few  years,  returning  to  Cincin- 
nati again  in  1838,  resuming  the  study  of  medicine,  which  he  com- 
pleted, but  has  never  engaged  in  practice.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  May  13,  1847,  to  Rhoda  L.,  daughter  of  John  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  62B 

Huldah  (Townsend)  Spencer.  She  was  born  in  Switzerland  County,  Ind., 
February  1,  1823.  Her  father  was  born  at  Providence,  K.  I.,  in  1775, 
and  her  mother  in  Duchess  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1776.  They  were  married 
in  New  York,  and  from  thence  in  a  very  early  day  moved  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  from  there  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  in  1819,  to  Switzerland 
County,  Ind.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  viz.:  Miliicent, 
John  W.,  Daniel,  Miriam,  Almira,  Miranda,  Lawnton,  Huldah,  Eli, 
Emily,  Peter  L.,  and  Rhoda  L.  In  1865  Mr.  Baldwin  moved  to  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  purchased  and  settled  on  the  same  property  where 
he  now  resides,  and  has  since  remained.  They  have  had  born  to  them 
three  children,  viz.:  Samuel  S.,  Henriette  L.,  and  Jeannette  D.  Mr. 
Baldwin  is  a  man  of  good  general  information,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by 
all  who  know  him. 

CHARLES  BAUER,  carpenter,  Aurora,  a  native  of  Germany,  born 
in  Wurtemberg,  March  9,  1825.  His  parents  Christian  and  Catharine 
Bauer,  were  born  in  Wurtemberg,  the  former  in  1800  and  the  latter  in 
1802.  The  father  died  in  1826  and  the  mother  in  1869.  Charles  came 
to  America  in  1847,  located  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained 
even  years  and  followed  carpentering.  In  1854  he  moved  to  Aurora, 
and  carried  on  a  sash  and  door  factory  for  eighteen  years.  In  1872  he 
sold  out  and  engaged  in  house  building  and  contracting.  He  built 
the  Catholic  Chm-ch,  priest's  house,  schoolhouse,  Indiana  House,  brew- 
ery and  several  other  buildings.  He  was  a  stockholder  in  the  brewery 
when  first  built.  He  was  married,  January  6,  1850,  to  Miss  Catharine 
Schultzheis,  who  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  June  9,  1826.  Himself  and 
wife  are  the  parents  of  several  children,  namely  :  Mary  F,,  born  Novem- 
ber 21,  1850,  died  March  6,  1867;  Louisa  C,  Therissa,  Harriet,  Emily, 
Carrie  and  Charles.  In  1865  Mr.  Bauer  was  elected  councilman  from 
Second  Ward,  and  served  eighteen  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Chosen 
Friends  Lodge  No.  13,  L  O.  O.  F.;  also  the  Druids,  and  Druid  En- 
campment and  the  Liitheran  Church. 

JOHN  G.  BAUER,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  president  and  secretary  of 
the  Bauer  Cooperage  Company,  was  born  in  Cincinnati  in  1856,  and  his 
parents  are  still  residents  of  that  city.  His  father  is  Jacob  Bauer  who 
is  well  known  in  business  circles  there  but  now  retired.  Mr.  Bauer 
passed  his  early  years  in  his  native  city  in  whose  public  schools  he  was 
educated,  supplimenting  this  by  a  course  of  study  in  the  Cincinnati 
Business  College.  Up  to  1882  he  was  engaged  in  the  coopering  bus- 
iness in  Cincinnati,  coming  to  Lawrenceburgh  at  the  above  date  and 
since  remaining  in  the  establishment  with  which  he  is  now  connected,  a 
sketch  of  which  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mr.  Bauer  was  mar- 
ried in  1881  to  Anna  DeBenath,  a   native  of  France   and  a  daughter  of 


624  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

August  and  Anoa  DeBenath,  her  mother  now  being  a  resident  of  Cincin- 
nati. He  is  an  energetic  business  man,  of  fine  executive  ability  and 
alive  to  every  interest  of  the  enterprise  under  his  supervision. 

T.  J.  BACHMAN.  In  1845  Mr.  Bachman  came  to  Aurora  and  en- 
gaged in  the  distilling  business  with  T.  &  J.  W.  Gaff,  and  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  in  1862.  He  was  a  man  remarkable  for  his  energy 
and  enterprise.  No  transaction  in  the  complicated  business  in  which  he 
was  engaged  escaped  his  observation .  Quick  in  perception,  punctual  in 
attendance  to  bis  duties,  he  never  wanted  in  determination  to  accomplish 
whatever  he  undertook.  He  was  a  warm-hearted,  kind  and  generous 
man,  and  assisted  much  in  giving  life  and  activity  to  the  business  of 
Aurora.     He  died  January  11,  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

GEORGE  W.  BAKER,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County,  lud.,  January  19,  1818.  His  parents  were  the  old  and  highly  es- 
teemed pioneers — Thomas  and  Rachel  (Powell)  Baker,  natives  of  Virginia 
and  Pennsylvania,  respectively.  The  former  was  a  son  of  John  Baker,  an 
old  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  emigrated  from  Virginia  to  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  about  the  year  1801,  settling  near  Wilmington,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death.  He  was  the  father  of  six  children,  viz.: 
Thomas,  John,  Elizabeth,  George,  William  and  Sarah.  Thomas  (the 
father  of  our  subject,  the  eldest  member  of  the  family)  came  with  his 
parents  to  this  county  in  1801,  where  he  and  the  above  Rachel  Powell 
were  united  in  marriage  in  about  1812,  after  which  they  settled  near 
Wilmington,  and  there  remained,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  in 
Ripley  Countj,  until  their  deaths.  He  died  July  11,  1853.  His  widow 
still  survives,  and  resides  at  Wilmington.  They  were  the  parents  of 
twelve  children,  namely:  Elizabeth  (deceased),  Susan,  George  W., 
Sarah  J.,  Angeline,  Nelson  T.,  Huldah  A.  (deceased),  John  E.,  William, 
James  M.,  Thomas  L.  and  Josephine.  George  W.,  our  subject,  was 
married  in  Hogan  Township,  this  county,  February  11,  1841,  to  Marga- 
ret A.,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Margaret  (Higbee)  Hannegan.  She  was 
born  in  this  county  February  3,  1828.  After  our  subject's  marriage,  he 
first  settled  in  Hogan  Township,  this  county,  and  in  the  fall  of  1842 
moved  to  Ohio  County,  where  he  remained  about  four  years,  and  from 
thence  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In 
1867  he  purchased  his  present  farm,  and  in  the  following  year  moved 
on  it,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  eighty  acres  of  tine  land, 
which  is  well  improved,  a  part  of  which  is  located  in  Sparta  Township, 
and  a  part  in  Clay  Township.  They  have  had  born  to  them  eleven  chil- 
dren, viz.:  Martha  A.,  Harlan  P.,  Thomas  E.  (deceased),  Zada  M.,  Lewis 
W.  (deceased),  Ella  F.,  Mary  A.,  Dollie  C,  Hattie  E.,  George  M.  and 
Carrie  E.     Mr.  Baker  is  a  fine  man,  and  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  625 

know  him.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

HORACE  BASSETT,  see  page  149. 

D.  B.  BEATY,  Sparta  Township,  farmer  and  dealer  in  agricultural 
implements,  Moore's  Hill,  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  February  14, 
1842.  His  parents  were  William  and  Mary  A.  (Herron)  Beaty,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively.  The  former  was  a  son  of  Hugh 
Beaty,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  from  thence,  in  an  early  day,  immigrated 
with  his  parents  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  married  Margaret 
Smith,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  afterward  settled  in  Lancaster 
County,  where  they  resided  until  about  the  year  1815,  at  which  time 
they  immigrated  to  what  is  now  Randolph  Township,  Ohio  Co. ,  Ind. ,  enter- 
ing land  and  afterward  resided  thereuntil  death.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  viz.:  Jane,  Rosanna,  John,  George,  Mary,  Margaret, 
Nancy  and  William,  the  father  of  our  subject.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Penn.,  in  the  year  1805,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Ohio 
County,  Ind.,  in  1815,  where  he  and  the  above  Mary  A.  Herron,  were 
united  in  marriage  and  afterward  purchased  a  farm  in  Randolph  Town- 
ship and  remained  there  until  1855,  when  he  removed  to  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  and  from  thence,  in  1859,  to  Harrison  County,  Ind. ,  where 
he  afterward  resided  until  death,  which  occurred  in  July,  1865.  The 
following  spring  of  1866,  his  widow  removed  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  where  she 
resided  until  1881,  when  she  went  to  live  with  her  daughter  at  Johnson 
City,  Mo.,  where  she  still  resides.  Ten  children  were  born  to  them, 
viz.:  Hugh  S.,  John  H.,  Lydia,  David  B.,  Elisha  G.,  William  E.,  Mar- 
garet J.,  Mary  E.,  Jesse  T.  and  an  infant  son,  who  died  in  infancy  and 
unnamed.  D.  B.,  our  subject,  in  1866  began  the  tinner's  trade,  but 
continued  the  business  only  about  two  years,  when  he  and  his  brother 
purchased  the  harness  shop  of  I.  T.  Campbell,  of  Aurora,  Ind.,  which 
they  continued  together  for  about  one  year,  when  our  subject  purchased 
his  brother's  interest  and  carried  on  the  business  himself  until  1872,  at 
which  time  he  sold  out  and  in  the  following  spring  turned  his  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  has  since  continued.  '  He  was  united 
in  marriage,  near  Aurora,  Ind.,  December  19,  1872,  to  Nancy  M., 
daughter  of  Edward  T.  and  Elizabeth  (Dowden)  Hubbartt.  She  was 
born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  December  4, 1850.  Thi-ee  children  bless 
their  union,  viz.:  Carrie  M.,  Walter  E.  and  Edith  L.  In  the  springy, 
of  1885,  Mr.  Beaty  purchased  a  farm  in  Section  9,  Sparta  Township, 
where  he  removed  and  has  since  resided.  He  owns  ninety-five  acres  of 
fine  land,  which  is  well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  be  is 
also  a  member  of  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


626  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

GEORGE  BECKENHOLDT,  Lawrenceburgh,  of  the  firm  of 
George  Beckenholdt  &  Co.,  coal  dealers,  was  born  in  Dearborn  County  in 
1848.  His  father,  John  Beckenholdt,  immigrated  to  this  country  from 
Germany  about  1830,  and  was  for  some  time  engaged  in  farming  in  this 
county.  About  1845  he  built  the  Beckenholdt  Brewery  in  "Newtown" 
and  for  many  years  did  quite  an  extensive  brewing  business  in  that 
city.  He  died  in  1860.  George  Beckenholdt  grew  up  on  the  farm 
and  received  the  ordinary  common  school  education.  He  continued  hia 
agricultural  pursuits  up  to  1877,  when  he  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh. 
In  1881  he  began  operations  in  the  coal  and  produce  business,  in  which 
he  is  still  engaged.  Mr.  Beckenholdt  is  a  reliable  business  man  and  an 
enthusiastic,  Democrat.     Mrs.  Beckenholdt  was  Miss  Mary  Harrey. 

WILLIAM  P.  BECKETT,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  was  born 
in  this  township,  June  14,  1853,  and  completed  his  education  at  Moore's- 
Hill  College.  His  father,  Joe  S.  Beckett  was  born  in  England,  October 
8,  1816,  and  came  to  America  in  1841.  His  mother,  Mary  (Abbott) 
Beckett,  was  born  in  Clay  Township  in  1824.  They  were  married  in 
September,  1843.  Mr.  William  P.  Beckett,  was  married  in  March,  1874, 
to  Miss  Lydia  A.  Herron,  a  native  of  this  township,  born  August  29, 
1852,  and  two  children  were  born  to  them:  Stella,  December  10, 
1874,  and  Gracie,  February  12,  1879,  died  December  3,  1881.  The 
mother  died  April  26,  1883,  and  he  married  Miss  Mollie  A.  Herron^ 
March  26,  1884,  who  was  born  January  14,  1862.  The  happy  couple 
are  favorably  located  and  surrounded  with  all  the  necessary  comforts  of 
life.  Mr.  Beckett  is  secretary  of  the  Mount  Tabor  Cemetery  Association, 
and  belongs  to  Dillsborough  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  was  elected  steward  in  Mount  Tabor 
Church  in  1878,  which  position  he  has  since  filled  acceptably. 

JOE  S.  BECKETT,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born  at  Wakefield, 
Yorkshire,  England,  October  8,  1816.  His  parents,  William  P.  and 
Mary  (Harrison)  Beckett,  were  also  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England,  where 
they  married  and  from  thence,  in  1841,  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
landing  at  New  York  City,  and  from  there  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  shortly  afterward  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eighteen  children,  viz.:  Samuel,  William,  Joe  S.,  George,  Elizabeth, 
Mary,  Emma,  Ellen,  John,  Alfred,  Annie,  Arthur,  Hannah  M.,  and  five 
who  died  in  infancy.  Joe  S.,  our  subject,  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  early  life,  while  in  England,  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  in 
1841  immigrated  with  his  parents  to  this  county,  where  he  was  united  in 
marriage,  September  14,  1843,  with  Mary,  daughter  of  William  L.,  and 
Elizabeth  (Naylor)  Abbott.  She  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
June  27,  1824.     After   Mr.  Beckett's    marriage   he  first   settled   on   his 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  627 

father's  farm,  and  in  the  following  year  purchased  a  farm  in  Washington 
Township,  where  he  moved  in  January,  1845,  and  resided  until  April, 
1871,  when  he  moved  on  his  present  farm,  which  he  had  purchased  pre- 
viously, and  on  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  at  present  Q-il^ 
acres  of  line  land,  which  is  well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  They  have  had  born  to  them  seven  children,  viz.:  Komnald 
A.,  Mary  E.,  Eliza  A.  (deceased),  Dorathy,  William  P.,  John  H.  and  Joe  W. 

ALEXANDER  BECKMAN,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  junior  member 
of  the  firm  of  George  Beckenholdt  &  Co.,  coal  dealers,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  born  in  1825.  His  father  died  in  Germany,  and  in 
1832,  Mr.  Beckman  with  his  mother  immigrated  to  America,  landing  at 
Baltimore,  from  which  point  they  came  by  wagon  over  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  to  Cincinnati,  which  city  they  reached  June  10,  of  the 
above  year.  He  resided  in  Cincinnati  (in  "the  bloody  Fourth  Ward"), 
till  1848,  in  which  year  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh.  In  this  latter  city, 
for  about  thirty  years  he  acted  as  proprietor  of  the  wharf-boat,  and  also 
did  a  flat-boating  business  during  that  time.  In  1880  he  engaged  in  the 
coal  business  and  has  since  been  thus  employed.  In  June,  1862,  he 
organized  Company  E.,  Sixteenth  Indiana,  and  was  commissioned  cap- 
tain of  the  same.  He  did  active  duty  in  the  field  till  December,  1863, 
when  he  resigned  his  commission,  having  been  captured  by  Gen.  Bragg, 
at  the  battle  of  Mumfordsville.  Mr.  Beckman  was  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  the  Miami  Valley  furniture  enterprise  and  has  always  taken 
an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  city.  He  served  eight  years  as 
township  trustee.  He  was  married,  November  28,  1847,  to  Catharine  M. 
Berte,  and  they  have  eight  children  living:  William  H,  George  W., 
Alice  E.,  Emma,  Jeannette,  Maggie,  Myron  H.  and  Laura. 

ROBERT  A.  BELL,  packer  in  the  Aurora  Furniture  Factory, 
Aurora,  was  born  in  Evansville,  Ind.,  January  3,  1854,  where  he 
received  a  good  common  school  education.  His  parents.  Joseph  G. 
and  Jane  E.  (Campbell)  Bell,  were  both  natives  of  Indiana.  Robert 
served  an  apprenticeship  at  engineering,  after  which,  in  1872,  he  located 
in  Aurora,  and  has  since  worked  for  the  Aurora  Furniture  Company.  He 
was  married,  December  10,  1876,  to  Miss  Flora  L.  Wood,  who  was  born 
in  Sparta  March  5,  1856.  By  this  union  two  children,  Clarence  A.  and 
Harry  H.,  have  been  born.  Mr.  Bell  is  an  industrious  and  peaceable  cit- 
izen, and  labors  diligently  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  his  employers. 

ABIJAH  BENNETT,  of  Rising  Sun,  a  native  of  Fairfield  County, 
Conn. ,  died  in  the  place  of  his  adoption  February  7,  1846,  aged  seventy- 
eight  years.  Mr.  Bennett  settled  in  Rising  Sun  in  1817,  by  the  citizens 
of  which  place  he  was  at  several  different  times  entrusted  with  impor- 
tant civil  stations,  which  he  performed  to  their  satisfaction.  He  was 
universally  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him. 


628  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

EDWARD  BENNETT,  farmer,  Clay  Township, was  born  in  Yorkshire, 
England,  July  25,  1827.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Charlotte  (Otley) 
Bennett,  both  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England.  The  former  was  a  son  of 
Edward  Bennett,  also  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  where  he  was 
born  about  the  year  1768,  and  was  married,  in  1794,  to  Fanny  Brooke, 
who  was  also  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  and  was  born  about  the 
year  1768.  He  was  a  cloth  manufacturer,  and  after  his  marriage  located 
at  Harbury,  where  he  carried  on  a  large  manufacturing  establishment,  and 
where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  September,  1841,  and 
that  of  his  widow  in  October,  1851.  Their  children  were  Mary,  Fanny,  John, 
Edwai'd,  Susan,  Abraham,  Hannah,  William  and  Joseph.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  the  eldest  member  of  the  family.  He  was  born  at 
Horbuiy,  England,  February  8,  1795,  and  was  there  married  about  the 
year  1818  to  Charlotte  Otley,  who  was  born  also  at  Horbury,  England, 
in  October,  1795.  In  1842  Mr.  Bennett  immigrated  to  the  United 
States,  and  in  the  following  year  moved  his  family  over,  and  located  in 
Dearborn  County,  where  he  afterward  resided  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  September  22,  1860,  followed  by  his  widow  November  2,  1873,  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  she  was  living  with  her  daughter.  They  were 
the  parents  of  five  children,  viz.:  John  B.,  George,  Sarah  A.,  Martha, 
and  Edward,  our  subject.  He  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  in 
company  with  his  father  in  1842,  where  he  was  married,  September  25, 
1851,  to  Catherine  Huddart,  who  was  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  August 
18,  1831.  After  our  subject's  marriage  he  settled  on  a  part  of  the  same 
tract  of  land  on  which  he  now  lives,  which  had  been  purchased  by  his 
father  in  1843.  In  1869  he  sold  hia  land  there,  and  purchased  from  his 
brother  the  adjoining  farm,  on  which  he  now  lives.  They  have  had  born 
to  them  ten  children,  viz.:  William  H.,  Charles  E.,  Thomas  B. ,  Mar- 
tha, George  W.  (deceased),  Albert  (deceased),  Joseph,  Julian,  James 
(deceased)  and  Harry. 

THOMAS  A.  BENNETT,  of  Rising  Sun,  and  sheriff  of  Ohio  County 
and  a  native  of  Ohio,  was  born  in  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and 
Mary  E.  (Stanley)  Bennett,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia.  His  parents 
were  married  in  the  latter  State,  moved  to  Ohio  and  later  to  Ohio  county, 
where  his  father  died  in  1864  and  where  his  mother  is  still  living.  There 
are  four  children  in  the  family;  James  W.,  Thomas  A.,  Laura  and  Will- 
iam E.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Thomas  A.,  grew  to  maturity  in  Ohio 
county,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Rising  Sun.  After 
abandoning  his  educational  pursuits,  and  for  a  time  before,  he  was  em- 
ployed by  Martin  &  Sullivan  in  the  Rising  Sun  Tanyard,  in  all  about 
three  years.  He  next  engaged  with  R.  H.  Gould,  proprietor  of  the 
Gould  Livery  and  Feed  Stable,  Rising  Sun,  in  whose  employ  he  remained 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  629 

about  six  yeai's.  In  November,  1884,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
sheriff  of  Ohio  County,  and  since  that  time  to  the  present  his  official 
duties  have  claimed  his  entire  attention,  and  in  their  discharge  he  has 
played  a  very  creditable  part.  In  May,  1885,  Mr.  Bennett  forsook  the 
barren  paths  of  celibacy,  and  on  the  3d  of  that  month  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Cora  Goodner,  of  Rising  Sun. 

SIMON  BEYMER,  president  of  the  National  Bank  of  Rising  Sun, 
Ind.,  is  a  native  of  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  in  1834. 
His  parents,  Henry  and  Sarah  (Clark)  Beymer,  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  moved  to  New  Albany,  Ind.,  from  Wheeling,  Va.,  about 
1850,  and  from  there  S.  Beymer,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  came  to 
Vevay  in  1853,  having  spent  two  years  previous  as  clerk  of  a  steam- 
boat plying  on  the  Wabash  River.  He  began  clerking  in  a  store  at 
Vevay  when  about  twenty  years  of  age,  and  soon  after  established  him- 
self in  business  by  buying  out  his  employer,  having  as  a  partner  in  the 
transaction  Mr.  L.  Bledsoe,  with  whom  he  continued  in  business  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  at  Florence,  Ind.,  for  twenty-eight  years.  During 
the  late  war  the  iirm  did  considerable  business  in  flat-boating  produce, 
and  of  late  Mr.  Beymer  has  given  some  attention  to  the  hay  and  grain 
trade.  In  1872  he  took  stock  in  the  National  Bank  of  Rising  Sun,  which 
he  still  has  invested,  and  since  January,  1885,  has  officiated  as  president 
of  that  institution.  Mr.  Beymer  was  married,  March  4,  1857,  to  Caro- 
line Harris,  daughter  of  Jacob  R.  Harris,  an  old  and  esteemed  resident 
of  Switzerland  County.  They  have  one  child,  Lettie  R.,  wife  of  A.  P. 
Twineham,  of  Princeton,  Gibson  Co.,  Ind.,  an  attorney  at  law  and  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature  fi-om  that  county.  Mr.  Beymer  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  a  man  of  excellent  character  as  a  cit- 
izen. In  1884  he  was  a  prominent  candidate  for  representative  to  the 
State  Legislature,  but  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority. 

PETER  BIDNER,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, April  25,  1834,  is  a  son  of  John  Bidner,  a  native  of  Germany, 
who  with  his  family  immigrated  to  America  in  the  spring  of  1840,  land- 
ing at  Baltimore,  then  came  to  Pittsburgh,  then  to  Cincinnati  and  Ham- 
ilton, Ohio,  and  soon  after  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land,  being  a  part  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section 
29  and  a  part  of  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  30,  Manchester  Town- 
ship. Here  his  wife  died.  After  residing  here  two  or  three  years  he 
sold  his  land,  and  returned  to  Hamilton,  Ohio,  where  he  married  Barbara 
Wise.  After  residing  there  two  or  three  years  he  returned  to  this  town- 
ship and  purchased  eighty  acres,  the  north  half  of  the  southwest  quarter 
of  Section  20,  and  subsequently  the  south  eighty  acres,  thus  owning  the 
full  quarter  section.     Here  he  spent  most  of  his  life.     About  two  years 


630  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

prior  to  his  death  he  removed  to  his  son  John's  place  on  Section  30, 
where  he  died  in  December,  1867,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  He  was  the 
father  of  three  sons  who  survived  and  are  still  living,  all  married  and 
residents  of  Manchester  Township — John,  Peter  and  Michael.  Peter 
Bidner,  our  subject,  was  married  May  2,  1858,  to  Dora  Fillanwarth,  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Fillanwarth,  a  native  of  Germany,  but  who  came  to 
America  and  became  quite  an  early  settler  of  Manchester  Township.  By 
this  marriage  Mr.  Bidner  was  the  father  of  six  children,  five  now  living: 
John  J. ;  Anna  K.,  now  the  wife  of  William  Busse;  Mary  K. ;  Elizabeth 
and  Emma  M.  Mrs.  Bidner  died  November  27,  1880,  aged  forty  years. 
Mr.  Bidner  has  made  farming  his  business  through  life,  and  by  his 
industry  and  good  management  he  has  been  financially  successful  and  is 
now  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  Manchester  Township.  He  owns 
250  acres  of  land  well  improved,  and  property  in  Lawrenceburgh. 

GEORGE  M.  BILL,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
where  he  was  born  October  12,  1811.  His  parents,  Philip  G.  and  Barbara 
Bill,  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  where  they  resided  until  their  deaths. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  viz. :  Christian,  Lawrence,  Bar- 
bara, and  George  M.,  our  subject,  the  eldest  member  of  the  family.  He 
was  married,  in  Germany,  November  5,  1832,  to  Caroline  Marcey,  who 
was  born  in  Germany,  June  13,  1807.  In  1844,  Mr.  Bill  and  family 
immigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  New  York  City  in  June  of 
that  year;  from  thence  they  moved  to  Stark  County,  Ohio,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1845  they  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  settling  in  Sparta 
Township,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  210  acres  of  fine  land, 
the  greater  part  of  which  he  has  improved  himself.  He  lost  his  wife  by 
death,  June  10,  1869,  having  had  by  her  five  children,  viz.:  Caroline 
(deceased),  George  M.  (deceased),  Charles,  Solomon  (deceased)  and  Mary. 
Mr.  Bill  was  again  married, at  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  November  3,  1874,  to 
Rosanna  Mendel,  widow  of  John  Mendel,  deceased,  and  daughter  of  David 
and  Susanna  (Poe)  Wilson.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  March  18,  1824. 
Mr.  Bill  is  a  highly  respected  man.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

JAMES  BILLINGSLEY,  of  Ohio  County,  died  August  30,  1873. 
He  was  born  at  what  was  designated  as  Old  Redstone  Fort  (now  Browns- 
ville), Penn.,  in  the  spring  of  1776,  while  the  parents  were  on 
their  journey  from  Virginia  to  the  Northwest  Territory.  After  a  voyage 
of  two  weeks  the  family  landed  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  located  on  the 
site  of  the  present  town  of  Reading,  where  they  cleared  up  a  farm  and 
tilled  it,  operating  for  a  period  of  seven  years,  in  connection  with  farm- 
ing, a  saw-mill.  In  1803,  the  family  removed  to  what  was  then  Dear- 
born County,  and  our  subject  since  that  period,  until  death,  resided  in 
the  counties  of  Dearborn  and  Ohio. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  631 

OTHA  BILLINGSLEY,  farmer,  Center  Township,  resides  on  Sec- 
tion 29,  and  possesses  300  acres  of  land,  was  born  in'Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  in  February,  1829,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education. 
He  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  was  married,  September  10,  1858, 
to  Miss  Priscilla  J.  Mefiford,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  was  born  in  New- 
port, December  10,  1837.  Eleven  children  have  been  born  to  their  mar- 
riage, namely:  Elizabeth,  George,  Rebecca  A.,  Mary  J.,  Eliza  B.,  Will- 
iam, James,  Emily,  Otha,  Inez,  Joseph.  Mrs.  Billingsley's  father,  James 
P.  Mefford,  was  born  in  1808,  and  was  killed  in  California,  in  1856. 
while  blasting  a  mine.  Mr.  Billingsley's  father,  John,  was  born  in  Red 
Stone,  Va. ,  in  February,  1790,  and  as  was  very  common  in  his  day, 
received  no  education.  The  mother,  Elizabeth  Stitt,  died  June  6,  1866. 
They  raised  seven  children:  James,  Thomas,  Otha,  Mary,  Nancy,  Eliz- 
abeth, Emily  P.  Four  have  passed  beyond  the  river:  Thomas,  Mary, 
Nancy  and  Elizabeth.  Father  Billingsley  flat-boated  in  early  life,  and 
walked  from  New  Orleans  to  this  county.  The  balance  of  his  life  has 
been  devoted  to  farming,  at  which  he  has  been  successful. 

JOHN  BLACK,  superintendent  Iron  and  Nail  Company,  Aui'ora 
City,  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  February  2,  1840.  His 
father  Thomas,  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  and  mother, 
Susan  Fredly,  was  born  in  Germany.  The  father  was  a  farmer. 
John  not  being  favorably  impressed  with  the  idea  of  tilling  the  soil, 
left  the  farm  in  1846  and  began  working  in  the  nut  and  bolt  works  at 
which  he  continued  for  nine  years.  In  April,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany A,  Twelfth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  served  three 
months  as  corporal.  September  15,  1861,  he  re-enlisted  in  Company 
K,  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  ana  was 
appointed  sergeant,  serving  in  that  capacity  three  years.  He  received  a 
flesh  wound  at  Malvern  Hill.  After  returning  home  he  learned  the 
machinist  trade,  and  worked  at  it  for  eight  and  a  half  years.  In  1873 
he  went  to  Covington,  Ky.,  as  foreman  in  nut  and  bolt  works,  thence 
to  Aurora,  Ind.,  in  1875,  and  officiated  as  foreman  in  O.P.  Cobb  &  Co's. 
mill.  In  1878  he  was  promoted  to  the  office  of  superintendent  of  the 
nail  works,  which  position  he  has  since  held.  Mr.  Black  was  married 
in  1867,  to  Miss  Catharine  Rolland,  a  native  of  Canada.  Unto  them 
have  been  born  six  children:  Anna,  John,  Charles,  Roy,  Jessie  and 
Glenn.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  Aurora 
Chapter  No.  13,  and  Aurora  Commandery  No.  17,  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  of 
Pittsburgh,  Penn.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Mr.  Black  invented  the  cylinder  nail  picker  in  1880,  which  is  now  in 
use  at  Cobbs'  nail-mill.  He  is  j  now  perfecting  a  system  to  remove  the 
carbon  from  steel  rails,  which  will  enable  them  to  make  nails  from  the 


632  "         HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OEIIO  COUNTIES. 

same  by  rendering  the  steel  soft  and  pliable  to  the  rolls,  Mr.  Black  is 
truly  has  inventive  genius.     He  has  also  completed  an  emery  wheel. 

ROBERT  R.  BLAIR,  of  the  firm  Blair  Bros.,  inventors  of  and 
manufacturers  of  revolving  cylinder  engines,  headquarters,  Eagle 
Hotel,  Aurora,  Ind.,  with  factory  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ripley 
County,  Ind.,  January  1,  1854.  His  early  training  was  upon  the  farm, 
but  his  education  was  completed  in  college,  after  which  he  taught  school 
for  two  winters.  In  1876,  he  engaged  in  selling  threshers  and  engines 
in  Kentucky,  at  which  he  succeeded  admirably.  He  then  read  medicine 
under  Dr.  William  Anderson,  of  Versailles,  Ind.,  and  attended  lectures 
at  Miami  Medical  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  not  liking  the  profession 
he  abandoned  the  practice.  In  the  fall  of  1878,  he  began  traveling  for 
Aultman,  Taylor  &  Co. ,  of  Mansfield,  Ohio,  remaining  with  that  firm 
until  in  1881  when  he  began  traveling  for  C.  &  G.  Cooper  &  Co.,  Mount 
Vernon,  Ohio,  with  whom  he  remained  until  November,  1883,  at  which 
time  he  located  in  Aurora  to  develop  the  invention  of  the  present  firm. 
His  father,  Robert  C.  Blair,  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  Janu- 
ery  18,  1814.  His  mother,  Elizabeth  (Fisher)  Blair,  was  born  in  Rising 
Sun,  Ind.,  in  1820.  They  were  married  in  1837;  the  father  came  to 
Indiana  in  1818.  He  followed  the  river  for  years  and  has  farmed  all 
through  life.  He  raised  six  children.  The  parents  are  members  of  ^he 
Christian  Church,  and  are  an  exemplary  couple.  Our  subject  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Friendship  Lodge  No.  68,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Milan  Chapter,  No.  32, 
at  Moore's  Hill,  and  Aurora  Commandery  No.  17,  Aurora,  Ind.  He  at- 
tended the  conclave  at  San  Francisco  in  1883,  withRaper  Commandery, 
which  was  a  great  treat.  Mr.  Blair  is  a  shrewd  and  thorough  young 
business  man,  with  genial  and  affable  manners  that  endear  him  to  his 
many  friends  and  acquaintances  and  make  him  a  popular  gentleman. 

SHERWOOD  F.  BLASDEL,  farmer,  Miller  Township,  and  assessor 
of  the  same,  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  December  8,  1848.  He  is 
a  son  of  John  F.  and  Mary  J.  (Hampson)  Blasdel,  the  former  born  in 
this  county  in  1821,  son  of  Enoch  Blasdel,  the  latter,  a  native  of  West 
Virginia,  but  who  came  to  this  county  in  an  early  day  with  her  people. 
John  F.  was  educated  in  the  Cambridge  Academy,  and  after  his  marriage, 
taught  school  a  few  years,  though  his  chief  occupation  from  his  youth 
up  was  farming.  He  reared  eight  children:  John  C.  (now  of  Chicago), 
Mary  S.,  Sherwood  F.,  William  H.,  Ambrose,  Jennie,  Pamelia  and 
Albert,  nearly  all  of  whom  are  school  teachers.  After  abandoning  the 
school  work,  Mr.  B.  purchased  land  in  Kelso  Township,  where  he  resided 
rill  1862,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  government  as  a  member  of 
the  Eighty-third  Indiana  Regiment.  He  served  about  seven  months  and 
died  in  the  spring  of  1863,  of  typhoid  fever,  contracted  while  acting  as 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  633 

hospital  steward.  His  remains  were  brought  home  and  interred  in  the 
Pella  Cemetery  on  the  same  portion  of  land  on  which  he  was  born  and 
reared.  Mrs.  Blasdel,  died  in  February,  1884,  in  her  sixty-first  year. 
Sherwood  Blasdel,  with  the  rest  of  the  family,  was  brought  up  on  the 
farm  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  He  was  married  in  1878 
to  Elizabeth  Kirkwood,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza  (McGahan)  Kirk- 
wood,  her  mother  and  herself  both  natives  of  this  county.  Since  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Blasdel  has  been  farming  and  trading,  owning  a  farm  of 
forty  acres.  He  served  his  first  term  as  township  assessor  in  the  spring 
of  1885,  which  is  sufficient  evidence  of  his  good  judgment  in  matters 
of  business  as  well  as  his  character  and  popularity  as  a  citizen.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Blasdel  have  two  children,  Nora  and  Arthur. 

CHARLES  B.  BLASDEL,  of  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  a  member 
of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  this  county  was  born  in  Miller  Town- 
ship, April  19,  1846.  He  is  a  son  of  Franklin  T.  Blasdel,  of  the  old 
Blasdel  family,  which  was  prominent  in  the  early  settlement  of  the 
county,  and  is  elsewhere  referred  to  in  this  work.  Our  subject  was 
reared  on  the  farm  and  educated  in  the  township  and  district  schools, 
with  the  advantage  of  two  years  in  the  public  schools  of  Lawrenceburgh. 
In  the  fall  of  1862  he  entered  the  war,  enlisting  in  Company  H,  Eighty- 
third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infanti-y,  and  serving  almost  three  years.  He 
took  part  in  some  of  the  most  important  battles  of  the  war  among  which 
were  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  the  engagements  of  Sherman  on  his 
famous  march  to  the  sea.  On  his  retirement  from  the  service  Mr.  B.  taught 
school  five  terms,  and  in  1875  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land,  which  he  has 
since  been  engaged  in  cultivating.  He  was  married,  October  4,  1870,  to 
Mary  E.  Leming,  daughter  of  Lorenze  D.  Leming,  of  Miller  Township, 
an  old  resident  of  the  county.  They  have  six  children:  Flora  E.,  Mabel 
A.,  Emma  G.,  Quincy  E.,  Franklin  T.  and  Charles  D.  Mr.  Blasdel  is 
a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  Baptist  Church,  and  is  an  industrious,  re- 
liable citizen  in  every  particular. 

DANIEL  BOHL,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  Dearborn  County,  was 
born  in  the  county  and  township  July  81,  1889.  His  parents,  Mathias 
and  Margaret  (Hare)  Bohl,  were  both  natives  of  Germany,  and  from 
thence,  in  1830,  immigrated  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  they  resided 
until  1885,  in  which  year  they  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  Our 
subject  is  the  only  member  of  six  children  born  to  them.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Gilmann  in  1861,  and  afterward  settled 
on  the  farm  where  he  at  present  lives.  She  was  born  in  Germany  August 
8,  1834.  They  have  had  born  to  them  seven  children:  Annie  M.,  Mary 
D.  (deceased),  Mary,  Elizabeth  (deceased),  Catherine  and  Peter,  and  one 
that  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Bohl  and  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 


634  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

RICHARD  C.  BOND,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon  Aurora, 
was  born  in  Wood  County,  W.  Va.,  March  22,  1822.  He  is  the  sev- 
enth son  of  Lewis  and  Lydia  (John)  Bond.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
and  Baptist  minister;  he  was  of  English  descent,  and  spent  his  early 
life  in  Maryland.  The  mother  was  of  Welsh  ancestry,  and  was  born  in 
Fayette  County,  Penn.  The  Doctor's  early  education  was  received  under 
his  mother's  kind  and  intelligent  instructions,  which  impressed  upon  his 
mind  that  love  of  truth  which  has  marked  all  his  subsequent  career.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen,  he  was  sent  to  New  Geneva  Seminary,  Penn.,  where 
he  remained  three  years,  pursuing  scientific  and  literary  studies.  In  1843, 
he  began  reading  medicine  with  Dr.  James  Stevenson,  of  Greensboro, 
Penn. ,  and  completed  the  course  with  Dr.  Nicklin,  of  Virginia.  He  had 
early  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  the  Bible,  and  was  always  regarded 
as  a  pious,  and  worthy  young  man;  and  when  twenty  years  old,  was 
baptized  by  his  father,  and  received  into  the  church.  When 'about  thirty- 
two,  he  was  seized  with  the  conviction,  that  he  was  called  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  and  after  consultation  and  prayer,  submitted  himself  to  the 
church  for  ordination.  He  was  for  several  years  pastor  in  charge  of  the 
churches  at  Wilmington,  Rising  Sun  and  Aurora,  Ind. ,  practicing 
medicine  at  the  same  time.  Becoming  convinced  that  the  duties  of  one 
profession  were  ample  for  a  man  of  the  largest  capacity,  he  reluctantly 
gave  up  his  pastorates.  In  1846  he  settled  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  and 
located  in  Aurora,  in  July,  1848,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
in  successful  practice.  By  his  skill  in  the  treatment  of  cholera  during 
the  great  epidemic  of  1849,  he  saved  many  lives,  and  gained  a  wide  rep- 
utation. In  1857  he  attended  lectures  at  the  Miami  Medical  College, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from  which  he  graduated  with  honor.  In  1878  he 
received  the  ad  eundem  degree  from  the  Medical  College  of  Ohio.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Miami  Medical  Association,  Dearborn  County  Medical 
Society,  and  of  the  State  Medical  Association.  He  was  chosen  to  deliver 
the  oration  at  the  annual  reunion,  of  the  Miami  Alumni  Association,  at 
Cincinnati,  in  1876,  and  acquitted  himself  with  distinction.  He  is  past 
president  and  vice-president,  of  the  Dearborn  Medical  Society,  and  past 
vice-president  of  the  Miami  Alumni  Association.  In  1861  he  was 
appointed  surgeon  of  the  Fifteenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  with  it  in  the  battles  of  Cheat  Mountain,  Laurel  Hill, Rich  Mountain, 
Green  Brier,  and  in  the  campaign  of  West  Virginia.  Later  was  attached 
to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  served  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,and  the 
siege  of  Corinih.  In  June,  1863,  his  health  failed,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  resign  and  return  home,  where  after  recovering  in  a  measure,  resumed 
practice.  He  has  served  several  terms  as  a  member  of  the  city  council, 
and  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  board  of  health    for  a  number  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  635 

years.  His  good  judgment  and  efficient  co-operation  in  all  worthy 
enterprises,  make  him  a  power  for  good  in  the  community.  On  April, 
1,  1847,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Bevan,  only  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  Bevan,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  She  was  born  June  11,  1829; 
by  their  marriage  have  been  born  Flora  B.,  now  Mrs.  John  A.  Conwell; 
Charles  R.,  Harry  E..  Fanny  M.,  Marc  L.,  Elizabeth  B.  Marc  L.,  read 
medicine  under  his  father,  and  graduated  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College, 
in  March,  1882.  Dr.  Bond's  professional  reputation  is  of  the  very 
highest  order;  he  is  of  strong  character  and  sympathetic  heart;  always 
calm  in  the  sick  room,  he  is  the  typical,  family  physician,  and  his  con- 
scientious fidelity  to  duty  and  principle,  has  won  for  him  the  love  and 
confidence  of  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him,  either  socially,  or  in  his 
capacity  of  medical  adviser.  In  1854  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Sam- 
uel L.  Jones  he  having  purchased  the  drug  store  of  P.  B.  Vail  and  John 
Bevin.  The  firm  existed  until  1856,  when  Mr.  Jones  was  elected  county 
clerk,  at  which  time  Dr.  Bond  purchased  his  partner's  interest  in  the 
drug  store,  and  continued  to  do  a  prosperous  business  up  to  1857,  when  on 
account  of  not  having  time  to  superintend  the  same  sold  out,  and  has 
since  devoted  his  entire  time  and  talent  to  his  profession.  The  Doctor  is 
a  member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Aurora, 
Chapter  No.  13. 

JACOB  BOURQUEIN,  farmer,  Harrison  Township,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1831.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  country,  and  in  1851 
immigrated  to  the  United  States  and  spent  three  years  in  Ohio 
and  thence  to  Dearborn  County.  He  purchased  forty  acres  of  land 
in  Miller  Township,  which  he  sold  a  few  years  later,  and  in 
April,  1871,  purchased  his  present  farm  of  ninety-five  acres  on 
which  he  has  since  resided.  He  does  a  general  farming  business  and 
devotes  some  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  grapes  and  other  small 
fruits.  Mr.  Bourquein  was  married,  in  1854,  to  Margaret  Weist,  a 
daughter  of  John  Weist,  who  immigrated  to  America  about  1853.  They 
have  eight  children  :  Lizzie,  wife  of  Jacob  Kolb;  Rosa,  George,  John, 
Jacob,  Kate,  Mary  and  Bena.      The  family  is  highly  respected. 

DR.  HENRY  J.  BOWERS,  see  page  173. 

HON.  A.  J.  BOWERS,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Moore's 
Hill,  Ind.,  was  born  in  that  village  August  17,  1827.  His  par- 
ents were  the  old  and  highly  esteemed  pioneers,  Dr.  Henry  J.  and 
Rizpah  (Morgan)  Bowers,  natives  of  Massachusetts  and  Pennsylvania, 
respectively.  The  former  was  a  son  of  Rev.  James  D.  Bowers,-  a 
native  of  Maine,  and  from  thence  immigrated  to  Massachusetts  in 
a   very  early  day.     He  was   educated  at  the  Harvard  University,   and 


636  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

afterward  located  at  Cambridge,  where  be  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Elizabeth  Richardson,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  In  about  the 
year  1831,  Rev.  James  Bowers  immigrated  to  the  State  of  Ohio,  locating 
near  Cincinnati,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occui-red  in 
March,  1833,  aged  sixty-five  years.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  intellect,  of 
good  general  information,  and  of  strong  moral  convictions,  always 
decided  and  positive  on  all  questions  of  political  or  religious  significance. 
He  was  a  thorough  Bible  scholar,  and  for  many  years  previous  to  his 
death  was  a  minister  in  the  Episcopal  Church.  After  his  death,  his  widow 
moved  to  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  where  she  departed  this  life  in  1849.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz:  Mary  E.,  Julia  A.,  Augustus, 
Charlotte  and  Henry  J.,  the  father  of  our  subject,  the  eldest  member  of 
the  family.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  April,  1801,  was  educated  at 
Cambridge,  Mass. ,  after  which  he  began  reading  medicine,  completing  his 
studies  in  Massachusetts,  and  from  thence  immigrated  to  Lawrenceburgh, 
Ind.,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage at  Lawrenceburgh,  July  17, 1822,  to  the  above  Rizpah  Morgan,  who 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  October,  1803.  In  about  1824,  Dr.  Bowers, 
Si'.,  moved  to  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  where  he  resumed  his  practice,  which 
he  continued  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  scientific  and 
practical  physician,  and  an  enterprising  citizen,  was  highly  esteemed  by 
all  who  knew  him,  and  during  his  life  held  many  offices  of  honor  and 
trust.  He  was  three  times  elected  to  the  Legislature,  in  1840-41-42; 
in  1842-43  was  elected  to  the  Senate,  and  in  1852,  was  a  member  of 
the  constitutional  convention.  He  departed  life,  January  23,  1866,  to 
the  regret  of  all,  his  wife  having  died  February  23,  1865;  nine  children 
were  born  to  them,  who  were  named  as  follows:  Lydia  A.  (deceased),  was 
born  July  15,  1823;  Elizabeth  C.  (deceased),  was  born  August  15,  1824; 
James D.  (deceased),  was  born  July  18,1826,  and  Andrew  J.,  our  subject; 
Marmion  H.  (deceased),  was  born  April  22,  1829;  Mary  J.  (deceased), was 
born  August  4, 1831;  Rizpah  C.  (deceased),  was  born  April  13,  1833;  Cath- 
erine (deceased),  was  born  August  17,  1835,  and  Josiah  A.,  born  July  8, 
1842.  Our  subject  was  educated  at  Farmer's  College,  College  Hill,  Ohio,and 
in  1848,  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  his  father,  under  whose  instruc- 
tion he  remained  about  five  years,  during  which  time  he  did  some  prac- 
tice. He  was  united  in  marriage  at  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  April  17,  1851, 
to  Margaret  A.,  daughter  of  William  N.  and  Elizabeth  (Livingston) 
Shockley;  she  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  February  7,  1828.  In 
the  winter  of  1853-54,  he  attended  the  Miami  Medical  College  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  where  he  graduated;  and  in  the  winter  of  1857-58,  attended 
the  Ohio  Medical  College,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  graduated  with 
high  honors,    March    2,   1858.     He  then   returned  to  Moore's  Hill   and 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  637 

resumed  the  practice  of  medicine,  which  he  has  since  successfully  pur- 
sued. He  is  a  thorough  medical  scholar,  and  a  scientific  and  practical 
physician.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Dearborn  County  Medical  Society, 
Indiana  Medical  Society,  and  also  a  member  of  the  American  Medi- 
cal Association;  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1882.  He  is 
a  man  of  good  general  information,  and  in  politics  a  Democrat. 
His  wife  died  November  27,  1875.  The  Doctor  and  wife  had  seven 
children  born  to  them,  viz.:  Lydia  A.,  born  February  22,  1852, 
and  died  January  26,  1855;  Milliard  N.,  born  November  25,  1853, 
and  died  April  18,  1855;  Henry  A.,  born  October  9,  1856,  and 
died  February  23.  1858;  Ella  F.,  born  August  12,  1858,  and  died  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1860;  Carrie,  born  September  2,  1863,  and  died  June  11,  1880; 
Eddie,  born  November  6,  1865,  and  died  August  1866,  and  Charles  M., 
the  only  one  now  living,  born  November  18,  1860.  He  was  educated 
at  the  Moore's  Hill  College,  and  has  since  turned  his  attention  to  the 
di-ug  trade,  and  is  also  reading  medicine.  He  is  doing  business  in  his 
father's  old  stand  at  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  and  has  a  fine  and  well-arranged 
stock  of  drugs,  medicines,  stationery,  tobaccos,  cigars,  fancy  articles, 
etc.,  in  which  he  is  commanding  an  extensive  trade.  He  is  an  obliging 
gentleman,  and  is  one  of  the  most  wide-awake  and  enterprising  young 
business  men  of  the  place  well  understanding  his  vocation.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  at  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  October  7,  1884,  to  Miss  Flora  A., 
daughter  of  John  and  Angeline  (Wilson)  Crozier.  She  was  born  in 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  September,  27,  1859. 

CHARLES  BOWTON,  another  leading  agriculturist  of  Miller  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  Essex  County,  England,  in  1823.  His  parents,  Mark 
and  Mary  (Nash)  Bowton,  immigrated  to  this  country  in  1833,  being  six 
weeks  and  four  days  on  the  voyage.  They  landed  at  New  York  and  came 
via  Lake  Erie  and  Erie  Canal  to  Cincinnati,  where  they  resided  one  year, 
the  father  being  a  cabinet-maker  by  trade.  In  the  following  year  they 
removed  to  Miller  Township, where  Mr.  Bowton  purchased  land  on  which 
the  family  afterward  resided.  Mr.  Bowton  was  engaged  at  his  trade  in 
Lawrenceburgh,  and  was  there  attacked  by  cholera  during  the  rage  of 
that  disease,  and  died  from  its  effects  September  19,  1834.  His  widow 
survived  till  April  18,  1871.  Charles  Bowton  grew  into  manhood  on  the 
farm,  beginning  operations  for  himself  at  the  age  of  eighteen  with  only 
his  willing  hands  for  a  fortune.  He  worked  for  several  years  by  the  day 
or  month  for  different  farmers  in  his  neighborhood,  and  after  his  mar- 
riage to  Nancy  Craig  in  1844,  he  rented  land  of  his  father- in  law,  James 
Craig,  for  a  time.  He  then  purchased  fifty  acres  which  he  paid  for  in 
two  years,  much  to  the  surprise  of  many  of  his  friends  who  knew  of  his 
humble    beginning.     Since  that  time  prosperity  has  seemed  to  smile  upon 


b38  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

him  and  success  has  crowned  his  efforts.  He  has  continued  in  farm- 
ing and  stock  raising,  adding  to  his  original  purchase  till  he  now  owns 
about  480  acres,  160  of  which  lie  near  the  State  line  between  Indiana 
and  Illinois.  Through  the  generous  use  of  his  name  and  a  bank  failure 
Mr,  BowtoD  has  met  with  heavy  losses,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to 
near  the  value  of  his  present  estate.  Mrs.  Bowton  was  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Jane  (Irvin)  Craig,  and  by  this  wife  were  born  five  children, 
all  living;  namely:  James;  Mary  J.,  widow  of  Allen  Grubbs;  Sarah  and 
Lizzie,  the  latter  now  the  wife  of  William  Harper.  Mrs.  Bowton  de- 
parted this  life  June  24,  1884,  after  a  long  period  of  suffering  from 
rheumatism  and  paralysis.  Mr.  Bowton  is,  in  the  truest  sense,  a  self- 
made  man.  Beginning  poor  he  has  gradually  worked  his  way  into  the 
front  rank  of  the  farmei's  of  this  county,  every  step  of  his  advancement 
being  won  by  hard  labor  and  the  closest  management  of  business  affairs. 
He  has  surmounted  all  the  obstacles  of  an  active  business  life,  is  pro 
vided  with  a  bountiful  supply  of  the  world's  be^t  gifts,  and  though  some- 
what broken  in  health  is  still  full  of  energy  and  enterprise. 

GEORGE  E.  BRADFORD,  baker  and  confectioner,  Rising  Sun,  was 
born  in  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  in  1853.  His  parents  were  Jesse  and 
Harriet  (Pocock)  Bradford.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  in  the  spring  of 
1865  moved  to  Rising  Sun,  where  he  died  two  years  later.  His  mother 
de^^arted  this  life  in  1858.  Mr.  Bradford  was  brought  up  on  the  farm, 
and  was  there  engaged  till  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  receiving  his 
education  chiefly  in  the  public  schools  of  Rising  Sun.  He  spent  a  few 
years  in  nomadic  pursuits,  and  in  February,  1884,  purchased  the  con- 
fectionery establishment  of  S.W.  Lostutter,  which  he  has  since  conducted, 
carrying  a  nice  stock  of  goods  and  doing  a  good  business.  Mr.  Bradford 
married  Miss  L.  A.  Hemphill,  daughter  of  William  Hemphill,  in  1878, 
and  they  have  one  child — Jessie. 

ALBERT  N.  BRADLEY,  painter,  foreman  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
shops,  Cochran,  was  born  in  New  London,  Huron  Co.,  Ohio, 
November  23,  1845.  He  received  a  limited  education.  His  parents, 
David  and  Mary  (Merritield)  Bradley,  were  born  in  New  York.  They 
immigrated  to  Ohio  in  1840,  and  he  followed  carpentering,.  The  subject 
of  our  sketch  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Twenty- fifth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  was  transferred,  in  April,  1862,  to  the  Twelfth  Ohio 
Independent  Battery,  serving  his  country  four  years,  three  months 
and  ten  days.  He  participated  in  thirteen  battles,  the  warmest  of 
which  were  Second  Bull  Run,  Cheat  Mountain,  Green  Brier,  Alle- 
gheny, Fredericksburgh,  Slaughter  Mountain,  and  White  Sulphur 
Springs.  After  returning  home  he  went  to  Michigan,  where  he 
received    instruction    in    painting.       May    11,    1867,    he    returned    to 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  63i> 

Ohio,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Ella  A.  Gregory.  To  them  have 
been  born  David  A.,  Fred,  Maud  A.,  Sadie  and  Willie.  fMr.  Bradley 
went  to  Bloomington,  111.,  in  1871,  and  worked  for  the  Chicago  & 
Alton  Railroad  for  fourteen  months;  thence  to  Pana,  in  1872,  and 
worked  until  1874  for  the  same  company.  At  this  date  the  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Company  bought  that  road,  and  he  has  worked  for  them  ever 
since.  In  June,  1876,  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  officers  transferred  him  to 
the  Cochran  shops  where  he  has  since  worked.  Mr.  Bradley  is  a  member 
of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  Aurora 
Commandery  No.  17,  and  G.  A.  R.  Post  No.  85. 

PETER  BRAUN,  Lawrenceburgh,  cashier  of  the  People's  Na- 
tional Bank,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  was  born  in  1826.  His 
parents  were  Johann  and  Nettie  Catharine  (Gceble)  Braun,  who 
passed  their  entire  lives  in  Germany.  Our  subject  passed  the  years 
of  his  minority  in  his  native  country,  receiving  there  a  common  school 
education.  In  1848  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  but  returned  to 
Europe  in  the  following  year,  immigrating  a  second  time  to  this  country 
in  1851.  He  was  employed  awhile  in  the  furniture  store  of  Brown  & 
Tate  as  clerk;  spent  about  one  year  in  the  Branch  Bank;  three  years  in  the 
grocery  business  and  contracting  on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad;  kept 
books  one  year  for  Dunlevy  &  Fowler,  of  Cincinnati;  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Lawrenceburgh  from  1863  to  1874,  and  superintendent 
of  foundry  at  Evansville,  Ind.,  for  Frederick  Browneler  till  1875.  In 
the  latter  year,  with  Wi  lliam  Probasco,  he  established  the  bank  with 
which  he  has  ever  since  been  connected.  Mr.  Braun  was  married,  in 
1860,  to  Sarah  R.  Browneler,  daughter  of  Frederick  Browneler,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, and  their  four  children  are  Lizzie  K.,  Fannie  W.,  William  F. 
and  Phillip  C.  Mr.  Braun  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  a  man  of 
excellent  character  and  business  qualifications. 

EGIDIUS  BRAUNAGEL,  Aurora,  proprietor  of  saloon,  billiard 
parlor  and  summer  garden,  was  born  in  Baden  Baden,  Germany,  August 
31,  1822.  He  came  to  America  in  1849,  locating  in  Ripley  County,  Ind., 
where  he  farmed.  In  1850  located  in  Aurora,  and  followed  engineering, 
for  five  years.  In  1856  he  engaged  in  draying,  and  continued  at  that 
until  1869,  when  he  opened  a  saloon  and  run  one  pool  table.  After 
operating  for  three  years  he  put  in  four  tables,  and  in  1880  opened  the 
garden.  Mr.  Braunagel  was  married,  December  11,  1851,  to  Miss  Eva 
B.  Siemantel,  who  was  born  in  Bavaria  August  6,  1834.  Her  parents, 
John  and  Anna  K.  Siemantel,  were  born  in  Bavaria,  the  father  in  1785, 
and  the  mother  in  1797.  They  were  married  in  1815,  and  came  to 
America  in  1846.  He  was  a  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  and  died  February 
8,  1847;    the  mother   died  Jane  9,    1870.     To  the  marriage  have  been 


640  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

born  the  following  children:  Leonard,  born  May  9,  1853,  died  November 
18,  1854;  Mary,  born  September  17,  1855;  Michael  G.,  born  May  25, 
1857;  Edward,>born  March  20,  1859;  Anna,  born  March  15,  1861;  Simon, 
born  June  30,  1863,  died  October  10,  1865;  John  V.,  born  December  4, 
1872.  Mr.  B.  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Druids,  and  his  wife  and 
children  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

ELENORA  (LaMAR)  BREWINGTON,  Aurora,  widow  of  William 
Brewington,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  August  6,  1836,  and  was  edu- 
cated at  the  Wesleyan  Female  College  of  that  city,  where  she  graduated 
in  1854,  and  faithfully  continues  to  hold  her  membership  with  the 
Alumni.  Her  father,  William  W.  LaMar, "  was  born  near  Salisbury, 
Md.,  December*  8,  1811,  and  her  mother,  Elizabeth  (Blake)  LaMar,  was 
born  in  Salisbury,  Md.,  August  20,  1816.  They  were  married  August 
27,  1835,  and  raised  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living. 
The  family  moved  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  October  30,  1866.  Miss  Elenora  La- 
Mar was  married,  May  15,  1855,  to  William  Brewington,  a  native  of  Wil- 
mington, Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  where  he  was  born,  August  16,  1830. 
Seven  children  were  born  to  the  marriage,  namely:  Charles  H. ,  born 
July  17,  1858,  died  December  3,  1860;  Ella  S.,  born  October  2,  1860, 
now  Mrs.  F.  Clark;  Elizabeth  L. ,  born  July  13,  1863;  Levina  A.,  born 
July  28,  1865,  died  May  15,  1869;  William  K,  born  December  11,  1867; 
Elenora,  born  March  12,  1870;  Frank,  born  April  14,  1872.  Mr.  Brew- 
ington engaged  in  business  in  Wilmington  when  twenty-one  years  old, 
and  continued  for  seven  years.  In  1858  he  moved  on  a  farm,  where  he 
remained  until  1870,  at  which  time  he  opened  a  general  store  in  Aurora. 
He  also  speculated  in  real  estate,  and  was  very  successful  in  all  his 
operations,  leaving  his  family  a  competency  at  his  death,  which  occurred 
February  14,  1878.  He  was  an  active,  energetic  business  man,  a  kind 
father,  and  an  affectionate  husband.  Mrs.  Brewington  is  an  active 
worker  and  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 

FRANCIS  C.  BRIDDELL,  proprietor  of  livery,  sale  and  feed  stable, 
Aurora,  was  born  in  Aurora,  February  4,  1852,  where  he  received  the 
best  education  the  public  schools  afforded.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
engaged  in  his  present  business.  For  several  years  he  has  acted  as  assist- 
ant book-keeper  and  collector  for  the  Aurora  Gas  Company.  He  was 
married,  October  16,  1877,  to  Miss  Carrie  L.  Hitzfeld,  who  was  born  in 
Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.  To  the  marriage  has  been  born  York  L.  Briddell, 
January  10,  1880.  Mr.  Briddell  has  a  fine  stable,  in  size  106x53  feet, 
which  will  accommodate  fifty  head  of  horses.  He  has  done  a  fair  bus- 
iness from  the  start  and  prospered  in  life.  His  residence  is  in  Walker 
Town,  an  addition  to  the  city  proper  Further  particulars  as  to  ances- 
tors will  be  found  elsewhere. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  641 

HENRY  W.  BRODBECK,  dentist,  Aurora,  office  over  O.  P. 
Cobb  &  Go's,  hardware  store,  corner  of  Second  and  Main  Streets.  Dr. 
Brodbeck  was  born  in  Lawrenceburgh  and  received  his  education  in  the 
high  school  of  that  city.  His  preceptors  in  his  profession  were  Drs. 
Samuel  E.  Harryman  and  J.  P.  Ulrey,  of  Lawrenceburgh.  He  com- 
pleted his  course  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  graduating  March  3,  1881,  with 
honors,  at  the  Ohio  College  of  Dental  Surgery.  Immediately  there- 
after, he  located  in  Aurora,  and  by  thoroughness  in  the  treatment  of 
irregularities  has  succeeded  in  building  up  a  lucrative  practice.  His 
office  is  supplied  with  the  latest  dental  appliances  and  modern  improve- 
ments, which  enable  him  to  work  with  neatness  and  dispatch.  He  has 
demonstrated  beyond  any  question  of  doubt,  that  he  is  skilled,  thorough 
and  careful  in  all  departments  of  his  profession,  and  is  warranted  in 
looking  forward  to  a  bright  and  prosperous  future,  which  he  richly  de- 
serves on  account  of  his  close  application  to  business,  strict  integrity 
and  moral  character.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Union  Lodge  No. 
8,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  of  the  County  Medical  Society; 
also  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His  parents,  John  G.  and  Mary 
D.  (Hass)  Brodbeck,  were  born  in  Germany,  the  father  being  a  harness- 
maker. 

WILLIAM  BROWN,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery  County,  Va.,  June  28,  1811.  His  parents,  George  and  Mary 
(Raburn)  Brown  were  also  natives  of  Virginia,  and  were  born,  the  former 
in  Culpepper  County,  in  1782,  and  the  latter  in  Montgomery  County,  in 
1792.  They  were  married  in  Montgomery  County,  where  she  died  in 
about  1826;  and  in  1887  he  moved  to  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  and  later  made 
his  home  with  our  subject,  where  he  died  in  1859.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  war  of  1812;  was  the  father  of  nine  children,  viz.:  Margaret,  James, 
George,  William,  Joseph,  Elizabeth,  Nancy,  John  and  Mary.  William, 
our  subject,  came  with  his  father  to  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  in  1837,  where 
he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  improving  land.  He  was  married 
in  Dearborn  County,  in  1842,  to  Martha  A.  Boston,  after  which  he 
settled  at  Milton  where  he  resided  about  two  years,  when  he  rented 
a  farm  in  Dearborn  County,  where  he  moved,  and  in  1852  he  purchased 
and  moved  on  his  present  farm,  where  lie  has  since  resided.  He  lost  his 
wife  by  death,  July  7,  1881.  They  have  raised  to  maturity  two  orphan 
children.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  fine  man,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  him.  He  owns  sixty- seven  acres  of  land. 
JAMES  T.  BROWN,  see  page  153. 

ROBERT  D.  BROWN  attorney,  Hogan  Township.  For  forty-three 
years  Mr.  Brown  has  resided  in  the  town  of  Wilmington;  he  was  born  in 
Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  April  13,  1814.     His  parents,  Robert  D.  and  Sarah 


642  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

(Bartlett)  Brown,  were  natives  of  York  State,  the  father  died  in  1817  and 
the  mother  February  4, 1829.  Mr.  Brown  being  left  an  orphan  immigrated 
to  Ohio  in  the  spring  of  1829,  thence  to  Indiana  in  1837,  after  losing  his 
wife  (Mary  Cummings)  in  1836,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  New  Haven, 
Ohio,  in  1835.  After  locating  in  the  then  prosperous  and  enterprising 
town  of  "Wilmington,  Mr.  Brown  married  Mary  Hubbard  Harwood, 
and  unto  them  was  born  a  son,  Jason  B.,  February  26,  1889,  who  is  to- 
day one  of  Indiana's  most  successful  legal  practitioners  and  an 
active  worker  in  local  politics.  Mrs.  Brown  died  December  16 
1839.  In  1841  Mr.  Brown  married  Mrs.  Orena  Churchill.  Unto  them 
were  born  two  children :  Emma  and  Latham  B.  This  wife  died  in  1847. 
Not  being  willing  to  endure  the  trials  of  this  life  alone  Mr.  Brown  was  mar- 
ried, in  1848,  to  Elizabeth  J.  Mills,  his  present  helpmate,  who  has  been  to 
him  a  faithful  and  valuable  counselor.  Mr.  Brown  read  law  in  Wil- 
mington, and  wate  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Lawrenceburgh  in  1852.  He 
was  elected  magistrate  in  1843,  and  served  for  seventeen  years.  In 
1861-62  he  was  State  librarian,  and  was  gauger  under  Andrew  Johnson 
for  five  months,  which  was  the  most  lucrative  position  of  his  life.  He  is 
and  has  been  for  some  time,  president  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the 
Knightstown  Soldiers'  and  Orphans'  Home  and  Asylum  for  feeble-minded 
people.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  was  the  first  mason  in  the  town.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  Democrat. 

CAPT.  GEORGE  W.  BROWNE,  late  of  Aurora,  was  born  in  Law- 
rence County,  111.,  February  28,  1831.  His  father,  Aaron  Browne,  was 
born  in  New  York  City  in  1793.  His  mother  Elizabeth  (Wilcox)  Browne, 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1803.  His  father  came  to  Indiana  in  1823  and 
located  at  Vincennes,  where  he  followed  milling  and  farming.  He  was  a 
lieutenant  in  the  war  with  the  Indians,  and  died  April  3,  1858,  the 
mother  died  in  1856.  In  1852  Capt.  Browne  run  a  fiat-boat  for  Glass  & 
Brown  of  Metropolis,  111.,  and  followed  the  river  up  to  1859.  He  then  be- 
gan working  in  the  blacksmith  department  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
shops  at  Vincennes.  He  enlisted  as  private  in  Company  M,  First  Heavy 
Artillery,and  served  until  January  10, 1866.  He  then  took  charge  of  a  hotel 
at  Cairo,  111.,  where  he  remained  five  years.  From  there  he  went  to  Me- 
tropolis, and  engaged  in  dairy  and  saw-mill  business,  continuing  up  to 
1874,  since  which  he  has  kept  hotel  in  Martinsville,  and  Greensburgh, 
Ind.;  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  and  in  Aurora.  Mr.  Browne 
was  married,  March  15,  1855,  to  Miss  Emily  C.  Sellers,  who  was  born  in 
Logansport,  Ind.,  January  3,  1837.  To  the  marriage  the  following 
named  children  have  been  born:  George  E.,  Fannie  A.,  and  Charles  S. 
The  latter,  a  promising  young  man,  died  at  Washington  C.  H.,  Ohio,  iu 
November,  1885,  aged  seventeen  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  643 

J.  P.  AND  JOHN  F.  BRUCE,  farmers,  Hogan  Township,  reside  upon 
Section  16.  Their  parents,  Isaac  and  Julian  (Fahrand)  Bruce,  were  born 
in  Hogan  Township;  the  father  December  4,  1808,  mother  February,  12, 
1811.  They  were  married  August  27,  1829,  and  raised  a  family  of 
twelve  children.  Father  Bruce  was  pilot  on  the  river  for  sixteen  years, 
during  which  time  he  shipped  cattle  and  produce  for  himself.  He  was 
captain  of  State  militia  for  some  time,  and  was  an  active  worker  in  the 
cause  of  education  and  church  affairs;  cleared  up  most  of  his  land  and 
left  plenty  for  his  children;  was  one  of  the  three  school  trustees  under 
the  old  law;  and  both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  were  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  honored  him  with  a  stewardship  for 
years.  He  died  August  13,  1880,  Mrs.  Bruce,  March  13,  1874.  Mr. 
John  F.  Bruce  enlisted  in  March,  1862,  in  Company  F,  Third  Indiana 
Cavalry,  as  a  private,  and  served  three  years  in  the  civil  war.  The 
above  named  brothers  are  leading  a  quiet  life,  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits. 

JONATHAN  B.  BRUCE,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  was  born  there 
July  14,  1828,  his  educational  advantages  being  very  limited.  His 
father,  Charles  Bruce,  was  born  in  Gallatin  County,  Ky.,  March  20, 
1798;  his  mother,  Phebe  Mclntire,  in  Kentucky  in  1794.  They  were 
married  in  1819,  and  raised  a  family  of  nine  children:  Thomas  M., 
Anna,  Henry,  Nancy,  Jonathan  B.,  Jane,  Nelson  T.,  Benjamin  R.  and 
Davis  W.  Mr.  Bruce  flat-boated  for  twelve  years  and  served  the  people 
as  constable  for  several  years.  He  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life,  and 
owns  the  first  land  he  entered,  which  is  well  improved  and  under  good 
state  of  cultivation.  His  wife  died  in  1875,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Union  Church;  Mr.  Bruce  also.  Mr.  Charles  Bruce  has  been 
a  powerful  man  in  his  day;  has  done  much  hard  work;  had  many  a  fight 
and  never  was  whipped.  In  politics  he  has  always  voted  the  Democratic 
ticket.  Mr.  Jonathan  B.  Bruce  was  married  October  29,  1854,  to  Mrs. 
Angeline  (Baker)  Glass.  She  was  born  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  April  3, 
1825,  and  had  two  children  by  her  first  husband — John  M.  Glass,  who 
was  born  November  25,  1845,  and  was  killed  on  the  railroad  in  1855. 
Mr.  Bruce  has  followed  farming  all  his  life,  and  has  never  united  with 
any  secret  organization  or  church,  his  motto  being  to  do  unto  others  as 
he  would  have  others  do  unto  him  under  like  circumstances.  Mrs. 
Bruce  has  one  child,  Joan,  by  her  first  husband.  Ella  F.,  a  daughter  by 
her  second  husband,  died  in  infancy. 

JANE  (ROSS)  BRUCE,  Aurora,  is  the  widow  of  John  Bruce,  and 
was  born  July  26,  1820.  Her  father,  Amos  L.  Ross,  was  born  near 
Lebanon,  Ohio,  in  1794,  and  died  March  28,  1866.  Her  mother, 
Eleanor  (Shumaker)  Ross,  was  born   in  Ohio,  March  25,  1797,  and  died 


644  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

August  18,  1864.  Her  uncle,  David  Ross,  was  born  April  12,  1835, 
and  resides  in  Peoria,  III,  where  he  practices  medicine,  and  has  a  wide 
reputation  in  removing  cancers.  Mrs.  Bruce  was  married,  April  25, 1841, 
to  John  Bruce,  and  by  their  happy  union  had  eight  children:  Louisa, 
born  July  2,  1842,  died  January  4,  1883;  John,  Jr.,  born  November  29, 
1843,  died  April  24,  1846;  Amos,  born  December  3,  1845,  died  August 
8,  1847;  Amor  L.,  born  November  8,  1847;  Adam,  born  March  9,  1852; 
Sarah  E.,  born  October  23,  1854;  Landy  H.,  born  April  24,  1857;  Cal- 
vin R.,  born  April  25,1861.  Her  husband  was  a  farmer,  trader  and 
flat-boat  pilot.  He  made  twenty-three  trips  to  New  Orleans.  In  early 
times  he  was  school  director  and  school  trustee.  He  was  successful  and 
honest  in  life.  His  word  was  as  good  as  the  best  bond  ever  made.  He 
died  November  10,  1870. 

AMOR  L.  BRUCE,  Hogan  Township,  is  the  son  of  John  and  Jane 
(Ross)  Bruce,  whose  sketch  appears  above.  Amor  received  a  good 
common  school  education,  and  has  been  a  farmer,  and  stock  raiser  and 
trader  all  his  life.  He  was  married,  February  20,  1883,  to  Miss  Lizzie 
Myers,  who  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  April  3,  1856.  Unto 
them  has  been  given  one  child— James  Blaine,  born  October  4,  1884. 
Amor  L.  Bruce  was  born  November  8,  1847.  He  takes  delight  in 
squeezing  the  juice  from  the  cane  and  producing  the  best  sorghum 
molasses  in  these  [parts.  His  present  turn  of  mind  toward  future 
development  seems  to  be  for  trading  in  stock,  at  which  he  has  been  very 
successful.  He  is  like  his  father— honest  and  upright  in  all  his  business 
operations.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  his 
devoted  wife  is  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

BOLIVER  BRUCE,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  Section  23,  owns  a 
comfortable  home.  Mr.  Bruce  was  born  in  Hogan  Township,  August 
7,  1833,  and  received  a  fair  education.  He  is  the  son  of  William 
Bruce,  whose  sketch  will  be  found  elsewhere.  On  the  14th  of  February, 
1869,  Mr.  Bruce  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Hiner,  a  native  of  Indiana, 
who  was  born  September  10,  1847,  and  there  were  born  to  them  two  chil- 
dren—Floyd H.,  born  April  30,  1870;  Wilber  B.,  born  February  20, 
1883.  Mr.  Bruce  is  a  member  of  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  336, 1.  O.  O.  F. 
His  wife's  parents,  John  A.  and  Eliza  (Garrison)  Hiner,  were  born  in 
Indiana,  the  father,  September  18,  1824,  the  ^mother,  February  21, 
1826.  Mr.  Hiner  enlisted  in  August,  1861,  in  Harris'  Cavalry,  and  was 
killed  June  26,  1863,  in  a  skirmish  before  Gettysburg.  The  mother 
died  June  13,  1849,  being  a  member  of  the  ]\Iethodist  Episcopal  Church. 
LOVEY  (DURHAM)  BRUCE,  Hogan  Township,  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, July  22,  1809,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  Her  par- 
ents John  and  Catharine  (Conaway)  Durham,  were  born  in  Delaware,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  645 

came  to  this  State  about  1815,  locating  in  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1819  they 
moved  to  Washington  Township,  near  Mount  Tabor  Church.  He  was  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Miss  Lovey  Durham  was  married  December  25, 1825, 
to  William  Bruce,  who  was  born  in  this  (Hogan)  Township,  September 
10,  1804.  By  the  happy  union  ten  children:  Catharine,  John  W., 
Simon  B.,  Martin  V.,  William  F.,  James  C,  Melissa,  Isabelle,  Mary  M. 
and  Eliza.  Mr.  Bruce  was  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  was  justice  of  the 
peace  for  years.  He  and  his  wife,  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  She  u»ited  with  the  church  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  Mr. 
Bruce  departed  this  life,  August  6,  1878,  leaving  a  competency  for  the 
entire  family. 

NICHOLAS  BRUM,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  was  born  in  France 
June  11,  1820.  His  parents,  Adam  and  Magdalena  (Gruf)  Brum,  were 
also  natives  of  France,  and  from  thence  in  1831  immigrated  to  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  settling  in  York  Township,  where  they  resided  until  their 
deaths.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children — Peter,  Magdalena, 
Louisa,  Catherine,  John,  Jacob,  and  Nicholas.  Our  subject  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  county  in  1831,  and  was  here  married.  May  18,  1850, 
to  Margaret  Miller,  and  afterward  moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he 
resided  about  live  years,  and  from  thence  removed  to  Dearborn  County, 
Indiana,  and  has  since  resided  here.  He  purchased  his  present  farm  in 
Kelso  Township  in  1858,  consisting  of  ninety-eight  acres  of  fine  land, 
which  he  has  improved.  They  have  had  born  to  them  seven  children,  viz. : 
Nicholas  (deceased),  Adam  (deceased),  Nicholas,  Sarah  (deceased), 
Charles,  William,  and  Jacob  (deceased). 

JOHN  BUCHANAN,  news-dealer  and  confectioner,  Aurora,  (place 
of  business  is  in  the  postoffice  building,  where  all  the  delicacies  of  the 
season  can  be  found,  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  March  4,  1827,  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  His  father  was  born  in  North 
Carolina,  June  7,  1780.  The  mother,  Anna  (Sturman)  Buchanan,  was 
born  in  Virginia,  July  16,  1784.  They  were  married  February  12, 
1801.  In  early  life  the  father  was  a  miller,  but  awhile  before  his  death, 
which  occurred  April  24,  1828,  he  was  engaged  in  farming.  Mr.  John 
Buchanan  was  a  farmer  until  1878,  when  he  followed  gardening  for  three 
years.  In  1881  he  moved  to  Aurora  and  opened  up  a  general  agency, 
which  he  conducted  up  to  March,  1884,  at  which  time  he  added  his 
present  business  and  has  prospered  even  better  than  he  hoped  for.  He 
was  married,  November  4,  1856,  to  Miss  Isabella  Gregory,  a  native  of 
Rising  Sun.  To  them  have  been  born  Mark,  April  16,  1858,  died 
February  29,  1860;  Jennie,  September,  23,  1860,  died  December  21, 
1875;  Frank,  July  29,  1863.  Our  subject  was  appointed  county  super- 
intendent by  the  county  commissioners  of  Ohio  County,  after  which  he 
was  elected,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  five  years. 


846  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

JOSEPH  BUCHERT,  proprietor  hotel  and  farmer,  Jackson  Town- 
ship, a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  born  in  1832,  is  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Mary  (Egby)  Buehert,  he  a  native  of  Germany  and  she  of  France.  They 
were  married  in  France,  and  in  1826,  with  a  family  of  five  children,  immi- 
grated to  America,  landing  at  New  York;  thence  by  team  came  to  Cincin- 
nati where  they  remained  one  year,  and  in  the  fall  of  1827  came  to  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  and  purchased  forty-six  acres  of  land  on  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  30,  in  Jackson  Township,  upon  which  he  resided  through 
life.  When  he  located  upon  this  land  there  was  but  little  cleared,  upon 
which  was  a  log-cabin  into  which  they  moved  and  commenced  their  pioneer 
work.  Their  first  milling  was  done  on  the  Whitewater,  corn-bread  and 
meat  being  their  principal  articles  of  food.  Subsequently  he  purchased 
more  land,  erected  a  good  log-house,  and  before  his  death  he  had  a  good 
farm  and  comfortable  home.  After  Mr.  Buehert  had  purchased  his  land 
and  moved  on  to  it  with  his  family  he  had  $4.75  left,  all  the  money  he 
had  in  the  world,  and  no  way  to  get  any  more  but  to  make  from  the  land, 
then  all  in  the  woods — a  condition  which  would  discourage  most  men  of 
the  present  day.  But  the  result  of  his  life  proved  him  equal  to  the 
undertaking.  The  first  plow  he  had  he  brought  on  his  back  from  Cin- 
cinnati ;  also  the  first  grindstone  he  brought  in  the  same  way.  He  died 
in  February,  1854,  aged  seventy-five  years.  His  wife  survived  him  and 
died  September  24,  1874,  aged  eighty-three  years.  They  were  parents  of 
eleven  children.  All  grew  to  maturity,  married  and  had  families;  six  now 
living:  Frances,  now  widow  Miller;  Joseph;  Catharine,  wife  of  Frank 
Sinderberger,  residing  in  Cincinnati;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  M.  Hoffrider, 
residing  at  Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  Caroline,  wife  of  Charles  Schott,  living  in 
Shelby  County,  Ind.,  and  Morton,  also  in  Shelby  County.  The  latter 
married  and  resided  in  Jackson  Township  until  the  spring  of  1883, 
when  he  removed  to  Shelby  County.  In  1880  he  was  elected  township 
trustee  and  had  served  three  years.  After  he  moved  away  his  brother 
Joseph,  was  appointed  to  serve  the  balance  of  the  unexpired  term. 
Tho  se  deceased  were  Peter,  Mary,  who  married  Joseph  Brandt;  Anna, 
who  married  Lawrence  Siefort,  John  and  Terris,  the  latter  married  John 
Idoux.  Peter,  the  eldest  son,  while  young  followed  steam-boating  from 
Cincinnati  to  New  Orleans  for  several  years.  Subsequently  he  settled  in 
Iowa,  married  and  had  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  In  1853,  in  at- 
tempting to  swim  across  Turkey  Rivei',  when  about  the  middle  of  the 
stream  was  seen  to  sink  and  was  drowned,  it  is  believed  from  cramps,  as 
he  was  known  to  be  an  excellent  swimmer.  John,  the  other  son  deceased, 
married  and  had  one  child,  Anna,  who  survived  and  is  now  the  wife  of 
Simon  Zinser;  John  was  a  stove  molder  by  trade.  He  was  elected 
county  commissioner   in  the  fall  of  1882,  and  was   serving  in  that  oflSce 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  647 

at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  died  March  2,  1884,  aged  sixty-two  years. 
Joseph,  our  subject,  was  the  seventh  child  of  his  father,  and  was  born 
in  the  log-cabin  on  his  father's  place  and  grew  to  manhood  familiar  with 
pioneer  life.  He  remembers  well  when  a  child  of  running  after  the 
wild  deer  and  turkeys,  trying  to  catch  them,  and  of  the  extensive  forests 
that  then  covered  almost  the  entire  country.  He  was  married,  September 
6,  1859,  to  Caroline  Huber,  born  January  20,  1839,  a  daughter  of 
Damas  and  Catharine  Huber,  he  a  native  of  Germany  and  she  of  France. 
They  came  to  America  in  1833.  They  had  seven  children,  six  now  living: 
Caroline;  Joseph;  Catharine,  wife  of  F.  Houseman;  Lewis;  Louisa,  wife 
of  Christian  Schook,  and  Anna,  wife  of  F.  Knoepfler.  The  one  de 
ceased,  Mary,  married  M.  Brisbo.  By  this  union  Mr.  Buchert  has  had 
nine  children,  seven  now  living:  Emma  M.;  Louisa  E.,  wife  of  George 
H.  Koenig;  Frank  J.,  Pauline  A.,  Richard  L.,  Martha  A.  and  Edmond 
S.  In  the  spring  of  1859  Mr.  Buchert  purchased  one  acre  of  land  upon 
which  was  a  large  building,  part  log  and  part  frame.  Here  in  partner- 
ship with  John  Medosch  he  opened  out  a  hotel  and  grocery.  Soon  after 
Mr.  Buchert  bought  the  interest  of  his  partner  and  continued  the  busi- 
ness till  1876,  when  he  closed  out  his  grocery  stock,  erected  his  present 
large  and  commodious  brick  house  in  which  he  has  continued  the  hotel 
business  to  the  present  day.  In  1856  Mr.  Buchert  made  a  trip  to  Cali- 
fornia and  returned  in  1859,  prior  to  the  purchase  above  mentioned. 
Mr.  Buchert  started  in  life  with  very  little  capital.  Now  he  owns  111 
acres  of  land  and  has  one  of  the  best  and  largest  brick  houses  in  Jackson 
Township,  with  other  good  improvements,  the  result  of  industry  and  a 
carefully  conducted  business. 

GEORGE  P.  BUELL,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Scipio,  Cayuga 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1801.  He  moved  to  Indiana  in  1820  with  his  father, 
Judge  Salmon  Buell,  who  had  come  West  to  invest  the  remnant  of  a  for- 
tune. Judge  Buell's  large  family  scattered  through  the  Western  States  of 
Ohio  and  Indiana;  Barnum  and  Salmon  D.  Biiell  in  Marietta,  and  George 
P.  and  Almira  Dunn  at  Lawrenceburgh.  Our  subject,  in  1820,  in  con- 
nection with  his  brother-in-law,  Luther  Geer,  who  had  been  a  wealthy 
mei-chant  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  brought  a  large  stock  of  goods  to  the  village  of 
Lawrenceburgh  and  embarked  in  business.  At  this  time  very  little 
attention  had  been  paid  to  the  raising  of  hogs,  although  the  country 
about  the  place  of  his  adoption  was  particularly  adapted  for  that  feature 
of  agriculture,  and  hogs  were  exceedingly  low,  owing  to  the  difficulty  in 
getting  them  to  market.  While  pork  here  was  only  bringing  from  $1  to 
$1.50  per  barrel,  it  commanded  the  high  price  in  New  York  City  of  from 
$10  to  $11  per  barrel.  Mr.  Buell  at  once,  on  his  arrival,  began  purchas- 
ing all    the  hogs  in  the  surrounding  country,  had  them  slaughtered  and 


648  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

packed  into  barrels,  and  taken  by  impromptu  boats  to  New  Orleans,  and 
thence  conveyed  by  ships  to  New  York  City.  This  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  experiment  in  the  West,  that  later  opened  up  the  way  and  led  to 
that  very  important  trade  and  commercial  enterprise  which  for  many 
years  made  Cincinnati  famous,  and  gave  her  the  soubriquet  of  "Porkopo- 
lis."  This  first  enterprise  of  the  kind  in  the  West  made  by  Mr.  Buell 
proved  so  successful  that  he  continued  the  business  at  Lawrenceburgh, 
and  thereby  furnished  a  home  market  for  this  character  of  agricultural 
product,  which  induced  the  farmers  in  the  Miami  Valley  to  engage  exten- 
sively in  the  raising*  of  hogs.  For  a  number  of  years  Lawrenceburgh 
was  the  center  and  monopoly  of  trade  in  pork  packing  and  shipping  to 
distant  markets,  exceeding  and  preceding  this  branch  of  business  at  Cin- 
cinnati. In  this  business  Mr.  Buell  continued  for  many  years,  having  at 
different  times  associated  with  him  as  partners  Robert  Buchanan  and 
James  M.  Armstrong,  president  of  the  old  Commercial  Bank  of  Cincin- 
nati. To  Mr.  Buell,  James  H.  and  Geo.  W.  Lane  each  were  indebted 
for  their  start  in  life,  as  he  gave  them  their  first  start  in  business,  the 
latter  of  whom,  it  may  be  said,  in  due  appreciation  of  the  many  kind- 
nesses received  at  Mr.  Buell's  hands,  and  from  the  admiration  he  had  for 
the  man,  and  respect  for  his  memory,  here  preserves  the  facts  connected 
with  the  beginning  of  the  Western  pork  trade,  giving  credit  to  him  to 
whom  it  justly  belongs.  Mr.  Buell  was  twice  marr'ed.  His  first  wife 
was  Ann  Lane,  who  died  in  1844,  after  they  had  lived  happily  together 
for  twenty  years.  He,  being  left  with  seven  little  children,  in  1845, 
married  Mary  St.  Clair,  who  with  all  the  love  of  aunt  and  mother,  made 
him  happy  by  her  solicitude  for  his  children.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1859.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Buell  embraced  religioQ,  and 
ever  after  led  the  life  of  a  Christian.  Next  to  his  family  Mr.  Buell  was 
devoted  to  his  country,  which  he  loved  as  only  a  patriot  could  love.  Ae 
a  part  of  that  country  he  had  loved  Indiana.  From  the  time  of  its 
adoption  until  his  death  he  devoted  himself  to  her  interests.  With  her 
was  spent  his  manhood  and  his  riper  years,  and  with  this  people  were 
his  feelings  and  his  "home,"  to  him  truly  "the  dearest  spot  on  earth." 
He  had  watched  his  adopted  State  from  her  infancy  to  her  maturity,  and 
it  was  the  interest  he  felt  in  her  welfare  that  induced  him  to  take  the 
part  in  politics  which  he  often  did,  with  influence;  for  he  was  far-seeing 
and  energetic.  Though  he  filled  a  seat  in  the  State  Senate  for  several 
years,  to  the  credit  of  his  constituents,  yet  he  was  not  a  partisan  from 
love  or  desire  of  office.  Through  bitter  experience  in  early  life,  and 
great  industry  in  later  years,  Mr.  Buell  amassed  a  handsome  competency- 
His  death  occurred  at  Lawrenceburgh  Dec.  31,  1862.  Says  a 
writer:     "The    year    1862    will    long    be    remembered     for    the     sad 


BIOGRAPHICAX   SKETCHES.  649 

record  it  made  in  the  memory  of  many  of  the  citizens  of  this  county,  and 
rapidly  as  calamity  has  followed  calamity,  and  numberless  as  have  been 
the  hearts  that  have  been  made  to  bleed  during  this  terrible  year,  how 
peculiarly  is  this  the  case  with  a  family  to  which  the  writer  will  call 
attention;  and  with  what  sadness  of  heart  will  its  members  call  to  mind 
1862.  At  the  close  of  the  year,  and  on  the  last  day  of  the  same,  the  only 
remaining  son  of  the  once  large  and  influential  family  of  Judge  Salmon 
Buell  of  Iltica  Lake,  N.  Y.,  expired,  and  during  the  year,  commencing 
with  its  first  week,  seven  of  the  family  traveled  the  same  road.  Lieut. 
Julius  Octavus  Buell,  youngest  son  of  George  P.  Buell,  Esq.,  of  Law- 
renceburgh,  Ind.,  died  Jan.  6,  1862,  at  Denver,  Col.,  aged  twenty 
years;  George  P.  Buell,  Esq.,  oldest^son  of  P.  Barnum  Buell  of  Lowell, 
Ohio,  who  fell  from  a  boat  in  the  Ohio  River  opposite  Cincinnati  and  was 
drowned,  January  1862,  aged  thirty-five  years;  Cadet  James  P.  Drake, 
Jr.,  only  son  of  Gen.  Drake  and  Priscilla  H.  Drake,  who  was  Priscilla 
H.  Buell,  youngest  daughter  and  only  remaining  member  of  a  family  of 
twelve,  of  Judge  Salmon  Buell;  young  Drake  died  in  Tennessee,  after  a 
lingering  illness,  in  February,  1S62,  aged  twenty-two  years;  Don  Carlos 
Curtis,  son  of  William  F.  Curtis  and  Amelia  A.  Curtis,  formerly  Amelia 
A.  Buell,  granddaughter  of  Judge  Buell,  who  died  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  June 
7,  1862,  aged  fourteen  years;  Captain  Frank  Buell,  who  closed  his  bright 
career  in  August,  1862, , on  the  field  of  battle,  while  protecting  the  retreat 
of  Pope's  army,  aged  twenty-six  years;  P.  Barnum  Buell  died  December 
5,  1862,  at  Lowell,  Ohio,  aged  sixty-six  years;  George  P.  Buell  died  De- 
cember 31,  1862,  at  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  aged  sixty-one  years." 

JOHN  BUFFINGTON,  of  Dearborn  County,  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  section  of  the  country,  and  for  more  than  forty  years 
maintained  his  place  among  her  most  pi'ominent  and  influential  citizens. 
His  history,  as  it  is  connected  with  the  most  thrilling  incidents  of 
Western  life  and  involves  all  the  varied  interests  of  a  protracted  and 
useful  life,  merits  a  more  extended  notice  than  can  here  be  given  it. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Virginia  March  7,  1784,  and  he  removed  to  the  West 
in  1797.  He  spent  several  years  with  the  settlers  of  North  Bend  and  on 
the  Miami,  after  which  he  moved  to  Dearborn  County  and  entered  land 
on  North  Hogan  Creek,  where  he  opened  a  farm  and  upon  which,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  years,  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
March  10,  1852.  Mr.  Buffington  planted  himself  in  the  wilds  of  Indiana, 
endured  all  the  perils,  privations  and  toils  of  a  pioneer  life,  cleared  up  a 
beautiful  farm,  raised  and  educated  a  large  and  respectable  family,  and  . 
lived  long  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  industry  and  the  labor  of  his  hands,  and 
to  repose  in  the  happy  consciousness  of  a  virtuous  and  honorable  career. 


650  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

JOHN  BUFFINGTON  retired,  Hogan  Township,  resides  in  Wil- 
mington. Through  life  he  was  a  farmer,  blacksmith  and  flat-boat  pilot. 
He  was  born  in  Washington  Township  November  17,  1818.  His  father, 
Jonathan,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  immigrated  to  this  county  in 
1807,  where  he  followed  farming  in  summer  and  piloted  on  the  river  in 
the  winter.  The  mother,  Jane  (Moore)  Buffington,  was  born  in  Kentucky 
August  22,  1800,  and  came  to  this  county  in  1805  with  her  parents. 
They  raised  a  family  of  six  children,  the  father  dying  in  1827,  the 
mother  in  1882.  Mr.  John  Buffington  was  married  July  1,  1852,  to  Miss 
Eliza  Jane  Carabaugh,  who  was  born  in  Hogan  Township  April  4,  1826. 
By  this  union  three  children  were  born:  William  H. ,  Oscar  D.  and  John. 
The  first  and  third  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Buffington  began  as  river  pilot 
in  the  spring  of  1844  and  continued  as  such  until  1879,  being  compelled 
to  abandon  his  chosen  occupation  on  account  of  cataract,  which  destroyed 
the  vision  of  one  eye  and  materially  damaged  the  other.  Otherwise  he 
is  well  preserved  and  enjoys  good  health.  He  joined  Dearborn  Lodge 
No.  536,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  1855,  and  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  in  1860.  His  amiable  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

WILLIAM  H.  BUNGER,  Randolph  Township,  one  of  the  thrifty 
farmers  of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1832.  He 
remained  in  his  native  country  till  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  was  there 
educated.  In  1849  he  immigrated  to  America,  leaving  his  parents,  Fred- 
erick and  Catharine  Bungei',  behind.  He  landed  at  New  Orleans,  and 
from  that  point  came  direct  to  Rising  Sun  in  the  same  year.  He  after- 
ward spent  one  year  in  Illinois,  and  then  returned  to  this  county,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  married,  in  1855,  Flora  Stegemiller,  daughter 
of  Frederick  Stegemiller,  and  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  and  they 
have  six  children:  John  W.,  George  H.,  Frederick,  William,  Wesley  and 
Flora  A.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Bunger  rented  land  till  1861,  when  he 
purchased  a  farm  of  sixty-eight  acres,  on  which  he  resided  thirteen  years, 
increasing  it  by  purchase  to  ninety  acres,  which  he  still  owns.  In  1874 
he  moved  to  his  present  farm  of  197  acres,  adding  forty-seven  acres  by  a 
later  purchase.  He  has  confined  his  attention  exclusively  to  farming  and 
stock  raising  except  while  engaged  in  constructing  two  miles  of  turn- 
pike. By  industrious  efifort  and  good  management,  assisted  by  an  exem- 
plary wife  and  a  group  of  sober,  reliable  children,  Mr.  Bunger  has  gained 
a  handsome  competency,  and  is  still  prospering.  The  family  is  associ- 
ated with  the  Baptist  Church. 

JOSEPH  H.  BURKAM,  capitalist  and  lumber  dealer,  Lawrence- 
burgh,  was  born  in  Dearborn  County  in  1838.  He  is  a  son  of  Elzie  G. 
Burkam,  who  came  to  Dearborn   Countv  about  1820.     Elzie  G.  was  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  651 

prominent  man  of  Dearborn  County  for  many  years.  He  removed  from 
the  country  to  the  city  in  1846,  and  was  made  president  of  the  Lawrence- 
burgh  Branch  of  the  State  Bank,  and  served  as  such  until  1865.  He 
had  also  a  banking  house  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  fifteen  years,  and  was 
interested  in  the  banking  firm  of  Burkam  &  Sons,  of  Chicago.  In  1865 
he  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  has  since  resided,  a 
wealthy  banker  of  that  city.  Our  subject,  Joseph  H.  Burkam,  is  one  of 
the  prominent  and  most  active  business  men  of  the  city  of  Lawrence- 
burgh.  His  early  life  was  passed  in  Dearborn  County.  He  was  chiefly 
educated  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  before  of  age  he  began  the  banking 
business  with  the  firm  of  E.  G.  Burkam  &  Co.,  of  which  he  was  a  mem- 
ber. In  1861  Mr.  Burkam  came  *o  the  city  and  accepted  the  vice-presi- 
dency of  the  branch  of  the  Bank  of  State  located  here,  in  which  bank 
he  remained  until  1865.  When  the  Lawrenceburgh  National  Bank  was 
organized  that  year  (1865),  he  established  the  present  extensive  lumber 
yards  of  the  Burkam  Lumber  Company,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
engaged  in  this  business  in  connection  with  real  estate  transactions,  and 
has  also  carried  on  farming  extensively.  Col.  Burkham  was  a  member 
of  the  first  board  of  directors  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  National  Bank,  and, 
in  1872,  was  one  of  the  principals  in  the  Lawrenceburgh  Banking  Com- 
pany, controlled  and  managed  by  Elzie  G.  and  J.  H.  Burkham.  He  has 
also  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  manufacturing  business  of  Lawrence- 
burgh; was  active  in  the  establishment  of  the  woolen-mills  of  the  city, 
and  invested  a  large  amount  of  capital  in  the  enterprise;  he  also  took 
an  active  part  in  having  the  Miami  Stove  Works  located  at  Lawrence- 
burgh. During  the  war  he  was  a  strong  Unionist,  and  as  colonel  of  a  reg- 
iment of  the  Indiana  Legion,  in  command  of  several  companies  did 
good  service  in  repelling  Morgan's  forces  in  their  invasion  of  south- 
eastern Indiana.  Col.Biirkam  was  married  in  1860  to  Miss'Kate  Collins, 
whose  death  occurred  in  1881,  leaving  four  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely: 
William  F.,  Frank  M.,  Joseph  H.,  Ezie  and  Kate  C. 

FEANCIS  BUSALD,  merchant,  Jackson  Township.  This  gentleman 
and  prominent  business  man  of  Jackson  Township  was  born  in  Germany, 
September  24,  1824,  is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Catharine  Busald,  natives  of 
Germany,  but  who,  in  the  spring  of  1840,  immigrated  to  America,  landing 
at  New  York,  from  whence  they  came  to  Cincinnati,  thence  to  Lawrence- 
burgh, arriving  at  the  latter  place  about  the  1st  of  September  of  the 
same  year.  Mr.  Busald  then  settled  on  a  piece  of  rented  land  in  Jackson 
Township.  He  died  in  1858,  aged  fifty-six  years.  His  wife  who  sur- 
vived him,  subsequently  purchased  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Ripley  County, 
Ind.,  but  finally  sold  her  farm  and  removed  to  St.  Peter's,  in  Franklin 
County,  Ind.,  where   she  died  aged  sixty- eight   years.       They  were  the 


652  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

parents  of  eight  children,  five  now  living:  Francis;  Barbara,  wife  of 
William  Heim,  residing  in  Cincinnati;  Margaret,  wife  of  Arnold 
Reigger,  residing  in  Bloomington,  111.;  John  A.  and  George;  the  two  last 
now  reside  in  Franklin  County,  Ind.  Mr.  Francis  Busald,  the  eldest  son 
of  his  father,  has  remained  a  resident  of  Jackson  Township  ever  since 
the  arrival  of  their  family  in  1840,  a  period  of  forty-five  years.  While 
young  he  learned  the  carpentering  trade,  which  business  he  followed  sev- 
eral years, by  which  he  earned  his  first  money  and  purchased  a  house  and 
lot  in  Lawrenceville  for  |300,  and  soon  after  sold  it  for  $400.  He  then 
purchased  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  for  $1,000.  In  1856  he  traded  this 
farm  for  the  store  property  and  stock  of  goods,  where  he  still  continues 
conducting  a  general  mercantile  tradfi.  He  has  now  been  in  business 
here  twenty-nine  years;  he  has  had  a  large  and  extensive  trade,  having 
won  the  confidence  of  the  community  by  the  honest  and  upright  manner 
of  his  transactions,  and  by  his  industxy  and  close  application  to  business 
he  has  accumulated  a  good  and  ample  competency.  He  owns  a  good 
farm,  of  170  acres,  adjoining  the  village  of  Lawrenceville,  upon  which  he 
has  erected  a  fine  and  commodious  brick  residence,  and  is  now  comfort- 
ably situated  to  enjoy  the  balance  of  his  live  in  peace  and  plenty.  On 
January  23,  1849,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Meis- 
ter,  a  natiye  of  Germany,  by  whom  he  has  had  thirteen  children,  nine 
now  living,  viz.:  Frank;  Margaret,  wife  of  Adam  Sahm;  Catharine,  wife 
of  Simon  Whipple;  Barbara,  wife  of  John  Riepberger;  Mary,  wife  of 
Peter  Schneit;  John;  Josephine;  Caroline,  wife  of  Frank  Duell,  and 
George. 

HENRY  C.  BUSSE,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  was  born  in  Prussia, 
September  23,  1834,  and  received  a  good  English  and  German  education. 
His  parents,  Rev.  Christian  and  Dorothea  (Poos)  Busse,  were  born  in 
Prussia,  his  father,  November  11,  1806,  mother,  March  10,  1806,  They 
were  married  December  27,  1826,  and  were  parents  of  four  children: 
Dorothea,  born  in  1827,  died  in  1831 ;  Christena,  born  February  24,  1832, 
died  June  24,  1850;  Johanna,  now  Mrs.  Henry  Engelkinge,  and  Henry 
C.  Father  Busse  was  a  farmer  in  early  life.  He  immigrated  to  America 
in  October,  1844,  and  came  to  this  county;  located  in  Manchester  Town- 
ship. In  1846  he  was  ordained  as  a  Lutheran  Evangelical  minister.  His 
first  pastorate  was  St.  Stephen's  Church,  in  Manchester  Township,  where 
he  preached  for  twenty-eight  years.  In  addition  to  his  ministerial  duties, 
he  taught  school  from  1846  to  1869.  Success  crowned  his  every  effort  as 
a  minister,  and  he  received  many  into  the  church  during  his  labors. 
Since  1874  he  has  led  a  retired  life.  His  wife  died  January  3,  1877. 
He  now  makes  his  home  with  his  son,  Henry  C,  who  cheerfully  gratifies 
his  every  desire.     Mr.  Henry  C.  Busse  was  married,  April  27,  1854,  to 


BIOGKAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  658 


Miss  Anjelica  GesoU,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  was  born  March  22 
1833  By  this  union  nine  children  were  born;  Henry  P.,  born  June  ^  , 
1856';  Caroline,  born  December  4,  1858;  William  born  January  3 
1861;  John,  born  March  27,  1863;  Louisa,  born  December  12,  1865, 
Georl^e,  bom  March  16,  1868;  Anna,  born  May  16,  1870;  Abalona,  born 
June'20  1872;  Matilda,  born  January  4, 1875.  The  entire  famdy  belong 
to  the  Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Busse  has  been  one  of  the  trustees  m  the 
church  for  the  past  si.teen  years.  He  is  a  quiet,  i"<i-ta°»;  <"'-»•  ^-"^ 
evervthin.^  about  the  farm  gives  evidence  of  taste  and  thritt. 

EPHBAIM  BUTTEBFIELD,   farmer,    Manchester  Township,  was 
born  in  Franklin  County,  Me.,  January  11,1831;  is  a  son  of  Ingols  and 
Khoda   (Tufts)   Butterileld,    natives  of   Maine.     The   paternal   grand- 
parents were  Ephraim  and  Ziporah  Butterfield,  who  .lived  and  died  m 
Restate  of   Maine.     The  maternal  gi-andparents  John  and  Prudence 
Tufts  removed  to  Indiana  in  1837,  and  settled  in  Washington  Tovvnship,  ^ 
this  county,  where  they  resided  until '.their  death.     Mr.   I^go'^J"**-^ 
field  removed  with  his  family  from  Maine  to  Indiana,  ,n  the  spi  ng  of 
1837,  and  settled  in   Washington  Township,   on  the   ''James  Walker 
farm  "  in  the  southeast  quarter   of  Section  2,  where  he  resided  anfl 
1852      He  removed  to  Manchester  Township  and  purchased  the  farm 
where  his    son,    the   subject  of   this   biography   now  lives.     Here    he 
located    and   remained    a    resident    until   his  death,    July   28,    1867 
a.ed    sixty-seven    years.        His    wife    still    survives  and  resides    with 
hlr   daughter    in   Champaign  County,    111.      They    were    parents    of 
six  children,  three  now  living;    Ephraim,   Sarah  T.,  now  the   widow 
of    fnthony  Chase,  and  resides  in  Illinois,    and  Manly  T.,   residing 
at  Fort  Madison.  Iowa,  but  is  at  present  in  Arizona    serving  as  see- 
retary  of  the  Mineral  Mountain  Mining  Company.  Of  those  deceased, 
two  died  in  infancy,  and  Augusta  M..   who  married  John  M.   Palmer, 
and  died  March  17.  1884.     Mr.  Butterfield  was  one  of  the  active,  prom  - 
•nent  men  of  this  county  and  community  and  held  several  of  the  impor- 
tant offices  of  his  township,  and  received  the  nomination  as  a  candidate 
(or  several  county  offices,    showing  his  popularity  among  his  politica 
friends;  but  as  he  belonged  to  the  minority  party  of  this  county    first  as 
a  Whi^and  then  an  uncompromising  Republican,  he.  of  course  failed  to 
be  elected.     In  his  early  life  in  Maine  he  was  commissioned  as  a  captain 
in  the  militia  of  that  State,  which  office  he  resigned  on  his   --°™'   *« 
Indiana.     Ephraim  Butterfield,  our  subject,  was  six  years  of  age  when 
th™  'o  tl'-  "O-^^y^  ^'O"  '"  "^°''°"'  familiar  with  the  scenes  of 
eaX  life  here;  was  married  August  7,  1856,  to  Cordelia  Annisboim  m 
Ihs  county,  F  brnary  28,  1834,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Khoda  (Fair- 
banks)  Annis.       By  thi.  union  they  have  had  seven  children.     Three 


654  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

died  in  infancy,  four  now  survive:  Emma  Ann;  Melvin  A.,  now  in  com- 
mercial college  at  Quincy,  111. ;  Manly  I.  and  John  Elmer.  Mr.  Butter- 
field  has  now  been  a  resident  of  this  county  nearly  half  a  century  and 
has  made  farming  and  stock  raising  his  business  through  life.  His 
farm,  which  consists  of  160  acres  situated  half  a  mile  north  of  Wright's 
Corners,  is  well  improved,  being  provided  with  good  buildings, 
a  neat,  pleasant  home  and  residence.  Mr.  Buttertield  is  giving 
especial  attention  to  the  raising  of  Merino  sheep,  he  being  one  among 
the  first  farmers  to  introduce  them  in  Dearborn  County.  He  is  one  of 
the  best  farmers,  and  as  a  neighbor  and  citizen  is  held  in  high  esteem 
throughout  his  large  and  extended  circle  of  acquaintances. 

JOHN  CAIRNS,  farmer  and  justice  of  the  peace,  Jackson  Township, 
born  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  May  13,  1824,  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Maria  Cairns,  natives  of  New  Jersey,  settling  in  this  county  in  1818,  en- 
tering the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  31,  Jackson  Township,  upon 
which  he  located,  being  one  among  the  earliest  settlers.  Subsequently 
he  relinquished  one-half  of  his  land,  and  after  residing  on  the  other 
half  about  three  years  sold  it,  and  removed  into  Ripley  County,  near 
Pennsylvaniaburg,  where  he  resided  till  1828.  Here  turned  to  this  county 
and  settled  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  30.  In  1831  he  traded 
his  land  for  land  in  Section  31,  where  his  son,  our  subject,  now  resides, 
and  here  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  May  20,  1848^ 
aged  sixty  years.  He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  died  in  1827, 
by  whom  he  had  four  children,  three  grew  to  maturity:  Harriet,  mar- 
ried Joseph  Regan,  and  resides  in  Franklin  County,  Ind. ;  Elizabeth, 
married  Joseph  Meister,  is  now  deceased,  and  John.  His  second  wife 
was  Mrs.  Mary  Engel.  She  died  March  25,  1868,  aged  nearly  eighty- 
eight  years.  Mr.  Cairns  was  a  painter  by  trade,  which  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed several  years  in  his  native  State.  After  settling  in  Indiana  he  gave 
his  attention  principally  to  farming,  also  doing  some  work  as  a  mason, 
at  which,  in  laying  brick  and  stone,  he  was  a  proficient  workman.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  for  many  years,  John  Cairns, 
Esq.,  was  the  youngest  child  of  the  family,  and  here  grew  to  manhood. 
October  12,  1843,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Jane  Anderson,  born 
in  1821,  a  daughter  of  Claudius  and  Jane  Anderson,  natives  of  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland,  becoming  settlers  of  this  county  in  1831,  where  they 
resided  till  death.  He  died  January  11,  1874,  aged  eighty-three  years. 
His  widow  died  January  25,  1881,  aged  eighty  years.  They  had  ten 
children,  six  now  living:  Jane,  Sarah,  William  B.,  George,  John  and 
Robert.  Squire  Cairns  and  wife  have  had  eight  children,  four  of  whom 
survive:  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Henry  Kretzmeir;  Jane;  Caroline,  wife  of 
Edward  O'Brien,  and  Robert.     Mr.  Cairns  taught  school  seventeen  win- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  655 

ters,  all  in  three  school  districts.  He  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
twenty-four  years,  being  first  elected  in  1859.  This  long  period  of  serv- 
ice by  re-elections,  exhibits  a  popularity  and  a  confidence  won  which  is 
rarely  found.  He  has  also  held  the  office  of  township  trustee,  and  other 
minor  offices.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Cairns  took  the  home 
place.  To  the  original  farm  he  has  added  by  purchase  till  it  now  em- 
braces 147  acres,  upon  which  he  has-  erected  good  buildings  and  made 
many  improvements.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
forty-six  years,  and  his  wife  of  the  Methodist   Episcopal   Church  many 

years. 

BENJAMIN  C.   CALKIN,  of  Rising  Sun,  one  of  the  older  of  the 
native  residents  of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  1823  near  Rising  Sun.   His 
parents  were  Elijah  and  Charlotte  (Thompson)  Calkin,  the  former  a  na- 
tive  of  Litchfield,   Conn.,   the  latter  of  Dutchess  County,   N.  Y.     His 
father  remained  in  his  native  locality  till  grown  to  maturity,   and  then 
took  up  his  residence  in  Dutchess  County,  where  he  married,  and  in  1819 
with  his  family  started  West,  coming  by  wagon  to  Pittsburgh,  and  then 
down  the  Ohio  River,  locating  at  Rising  Sun.     He  first  settled  on  a  sec- 
tion of  land  owned  by  the  Browns,  adjoining  the  town,    and   afterward 
purchased  land  in  the  neighborhood,  where  he  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits all  the  remainder  of  his  life,  being  an  industrious  farmer  addicted 
to  no  bad  habits.    He  reared  a  family  of  nine  children:  Sidney  (deceased), 
Emiline,  widow  of  Henry   Clore;  Miss   Lois;    Zoda,    widow  of    Daniel 
Thorn,  Rising  Sun;  Caroline,  widow  of  Thomas  Garland,  Madison,  Ind. ; 
David  L. ,  a  thrifty  farmer  of  Pope  County,  111.;    Benjamin  C,   Rising 
Sun;    Mary  Ann,    deceased  wife    of    Uriah   Freeman,   of  Illinois,    and 
Richard  (deceased)  formerly  a  farmer  of  Pope   County,  111.,  his   widow 
now  a  resident  of  Rising  Sun.     The  father  of  these  died  in  1867,  in  this 
county,  the  mother  also   passing   away   at  the   advanced   age  of  eighty- 
three  years.      Benjamin  C.  Calkin,  whose  name   introduces  this    sketch, 
passed  his  earlier  years  on  the  farm  with   his   parents,  being  constantly 
employed  in  farm  labor  till  his  seventeenth  year.     He  then  began  his 
flat-boating  career,  which  ended  only  when  his  failing  health  and  strength 
compelled  him  to  retire  from  the  business  about  1873.    He  dealt  in  prod- 
uce, shipping  to   the  Southern  markets,   and   in  general   met  with   fair 
success.      By  careful  attention  to  his  business,  by   economy  and  a  great 
deal  of  hard  labor,  he  has  been  able  to  retire  with  a  reasonable  assurance 
of  having  a  comfortable  living  during  the  remainder  of  his  days.     Mr. 
Calkin  was  married,  in  1853,  to  Miss  Ann  Ryle,  daughter  of  Larkin  Ryle, 
of  Boone  County,  Ky.,  and  they  have  no  children.     They  are  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Universalist  Church,  and  have  the  general  esteem  of  their 
community. 


Q56  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

JOHN  CALLAHAN,  the  oldest  resident  of  Lawrenceburgh  City,  was 
born  in  Jefferson  County,  Ky.,  November  16,  1798.  His  parents,  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Phillips)  Callahan  were  natives  of  Virginia,  where  they  were 
reared  and  married,  moving  from  that  State  to  Kentucky  about  1780  to 
1790.  They  were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  two  dying  in  infancy 
and  nine  growing  to  maturity  and  marrying.  Our  subject  is  now  the 
only  surviving  member  of  the  family,  his  father  having  died  in  1832,  in 
his  sixty-third  year,  his  mother  in  1841,  in  her  seventy-third.  His 
parents  were  of  Irish  and  Scotch  descent.  In  February,'  1806,  the  family 
moved  from  Jefferson  County,  Ky. ,  to  this  locality  and  located  above 
Lawrenceburgh,  where  th e  father  died.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  though  not  wealthy  was  considered  in  good  circumstances.  John 
Callahan,  our  subject,  spent  his  early  years  on  the  farm  engaging  in 
agricultural  pursuits  till  about  1837.  In  the  meantime  he  took  up  the 
river  traffic  as  a  business,  and  this  he  contiDued  successfully  for  many 
years,  giving  up  the  trade  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war.  His  first 
shipments  were  chiefly  live-stock,  but  later  were  of  pork  and  flour,  New 
Orleans  being  his  chief  market.  Fi'om  that  city  he  once  came  on  foot 
and  twice  by  barge  to  this  place.  Since  1860  Mr.  Callahan  has  not  been 
actively  engaged  in  business,  but  has  lived  in  quiet  retirement  in  the 
town,  which  has  been  his  home  since  his  boyhood.  In  his  business  en- 
terprises he  has  always  been  quite  successful,  and  though  having  started 
in  life  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  with  not  a  dollar's  worth  of 
assistance,  he  has  accumulated  a  handsome  competency  for  his  support 
in  his  declining  years.  Mr.  Callahan  was  married,  April  13,  1823,  to 
Mary  Swift,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  daughter  of  Paul  and  Eliza 
Swift,  natives  of  the  same  State,  the  family  moving  to  this  county  about 
1820.  Her  father  was  a  hatter  by  trade,  and  conducted  that  business  in 
Hardinsburgh  for  several  years.  There  were  six  children  in  the  family, 
Mrs.  C.  now  being  the  only  one  surviving.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Callahan  had 
two  children,  both  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  but  they  have  reared 
ten  foster  children — all  nephews  or  nieces  but  one.  Their  names  are  as 
follows:  Henry  Swift,  William  Callahan,  James  Callahan,  Eliza  Spooner, 
Cynthia  A.  Callahan,  Margaret  French,  Ann  French,  John  Spooner, 
Anna  Lee  and  Lily  B.  Callahan.  The  first  five  named  of  the  above 
(except  William  Callahan)  are  deceased.  These  children  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
C.  have  reared  as  their  own,  and  at  their  maturity  have  given  them 
assistance  in  founding  homes  for  themselves.  Mr.  Callahan  is  one  of 
the  most  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Lawrenceburgh.  He  was  for  more 
than  twenty  years  officially  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  he  and  Mrs.  C.  have  been  active  members  for  forty - 
seven  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  657 

JOHN  N.  CALVERT,  merchant,  Clay  Township,  dealer  in  general 
merchandise,  Dillsborough,  Ind.,  is  a  native  of  Macon  County,  Mo., 
where  he  was  born  October  24,  1844.  His  parents,  John  and  Sarah 
(Sanders)  Calvert,  were  both  natives  of  England,  the  former  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  June  9,  1794  ;  the  latter  in  Lanarkshire  September 
23,  1815.  They  were  married  at  Toronto,  Canada,  July  8,  1837,  and 
shortly  afterward  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind. ;  thence  to  Macon 
County,  Mo.,  and  subsequently  returned  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
where  she  still  resides.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  viz.: 
Lowery,  James,  Mary  J.,  Lydia  K.,  Fannie,  and  John  N.  our  subject. 
He  was  educated  at  Aurora,  Ind.,  and  when  about  fourteen  years  of  age, 
went  in  the  store  of  T.  and  J.  W.  Gaff,  of  Aurora,  as  a  clerk,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  1862,  then  worked  for  Jesse  Younker  about  one 
year  in  the  hay  business;  after  this  he  clerked  for  John  1^.  Milburn,  in  a 
jewelry  store  at  Aurora;  for  Samuel  Triswell  in  a  grocery  store;  for  Wil- 
liam Leive  in  a  jewelry  store;  and  in  1869,  went  to  Dillsborough,  Ind., 
and  began  business  for  himself,  which  he  has  since  continued.  He 
was  married  near  Dillsborough,  December  5,  1872,  to  Annie  Leasure, 
who  was  born  in  this  county,  April  24,  1852,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Elias  and  Sarah  (Evans)  Leasure.  Mr.  Calvert  has  had  born  to  him  four 
children,  viz.:  Lucy,  (deceased)  John,  (deceased)  George  and  Benjamin. 

CHAJiES  R.  CAMPBELL,  Miller  Township,  was  born  in  Franklin 
J?  ---County,  Penn.,  August  3,  1815,  and  in  Antrim  Township,  on  the  fork  of 
the  Conococheague  Creek,  grew  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  In  1831  his 
parents,  Allen  K.  and  Esther  R.  (Berryhill)  Campbell,  with  their  seven 
children,  came  to  Ohio  and  stopped  near  Fort  Harrison  about  ten 
months,  and  in  the  spring  of  1832  came  to  this  locality  and  purchased 
land  on  Georgetown  Ridge.  He  subsequently  sold  out  and  moved  to  the 
present  site  of  Guilford,  where  he  died  February  20,  1837.  His  widow 
died  in  December,  18G5.  They  reared  seven  children,  four  now  living. 
Our  subject  remained  with  his  parents  till  1833,  and  then  began  boating 
on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  continuing  till  1849,  in  which  busi- 
ness he  was  fairly  successful.  He  then  engaged  in  railroading  for  a 
time,  and  in  1857,  in  partnership  with  James  H.  Skatts,  erected  the 
store  building  in  Guilford,  now  occupied  by  Robert  Hargitt  and  took  up 
merchandising,  which  he  continued  till  1863-64  with  excellent  success. 
After  that  Mr.  Campbell  purchased  a  farm,  which  he  cultivated  till  1884, 
when  he  sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  home.  He  was  married, 
February  26,  1846,  to  Catharine  Ewbank,  of  this  county,  daughter  -of 
Thomas  Ewbank,  an  early  English  settler  of  Dearborn  County.  They 
had  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living:  Thomas  D,, 
station    agent    and  telegraph   operator,   Boylston,  Ind.;    Mary,  wife   of 


658  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

William  D.  Hammel,  Lexington,  Ind. ;  Charles  G.,  bridge  repairer,  west 
end  "Big  Four''  Railroad,  and  Lizzie,  who  is  still  at  home.  Mr. 
Campbell  has  always  been  an  active  business  man,  and  he  takes^a  keen 
interest  in  passing  events.  He  is  of  Presbyterian  faith  religiously,  a 
strict  temperance  man  and  an  enthusiastic  Democrat. 

CLARK  CANFIELD,  painter,  city  of  Avu-ora,  was  born  near  Aurora^ 
September  11,  1842,  and  obtained  common  school  education.  His  father, 
Newton  Canfield,  was  born  in  Boone  County,  Ky.,  June  7,  1813.  His 
mother,  Susan  (Baker)  Canfield,  was  born  in  Wilmington  March  28, 
1816.  They  were  married  April  26,  1835.  The  father  was  a  stone 
mason  by  trade.  Clark  followed  farming  up  to  1876,  since  then,  to  1881, 
was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  In  1881  he  began  painting  and 
has  since  followed  that  trade.  In  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
I,  Eighty-third*Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  his  country  until 
May,  1865.  He  was  married,  December  27,  1866,  to  Miss  Diannah 
Olney,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  December  3,  1843.  By  this  upion  one 
child — Hamilton  A. — has  been  born.  His  wife  died  February  13,  1875. 
He  married,  August  17,  1876,  Miss  Sallie  Griffin,  who  was  born  January 
1,  1843.  By  this  marriage  one  child,  Perry  P.,  was  born.  In  1881  Mr. 
Canfield  was  elected  councilman  from  the  Third  Ward,  and  has  since 
been  re-elected.  He  is  Post  Commander  of  John  A.  Piatt  Post  No.  82, 
having  been  elected  in  1884.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge 
No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

ISAAC  CANNON,  of  Aurora,  a  native  of  Delaware  and  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolution,  settled  here  at  an  early  day.  He  had  married  an  English 
lady  of  rare  and  elegant  accomplishments,  a  member  of  the  famous 
Bathurst  family  of  England.  His  patriotic  devotion  to  the  cause  of 
Independence  had  reduced  him  from  affluence  to  poverty,  and  forever 
separated  his  accomplished  wife  from  her  English  kindred.  His  exposure 
in  the  service  of  his  country  had  impaired  his  health  and  ultimately 
paralyzed  his  limbs.  He  came  West,  hoping  to  improve  the  future  of 
his  family,  and  landed  his  little  flat-boat,  containing  his  wife,  children 
and  worldly  goods,  after  a-weary  journey  from  Pittsburgh,  at  the  mouth 
of  Hogan  Creek,  in  1812.  He  lived  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  in 
a  humble  cabin  on  Holman's  Hill.  While  able  to  walk  to  the  school- 
house  in  sight  of  his  home  he  taught  the  neighborhood  school,  but  for 
many  years  his  enfeebled  health  confined  him  to  his  room,  where  he 
instructed  a  few  pupils  in  the  higher  mathematics.  He  survived  his  wife 
many  years,  and  died  in  1839.  A  literary  work  recently  published,  and 
claimed  as  one  of  the  works  of  imagination  of  our  day,  is  founded  exclu- 
sively on  the  vicissitudes  of  his  fortunes.  This  venerable  patriot,  scholar 
and  Christian  gentleman  was  the  oracle  of  his  neighborhood,  beloved  and 
venerated;  only  an  extended  history  would  do  justice  to  his  memory. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  659 

JOSIAH  CHAMBEKS,  of  Aurora,  was  born  in  November,  1807,  near 
Steubenville,  Ohio.  His  father's  family  moved  to  Virginia,  from  whence 
young  Josiah  started  West  to  try  his  fortune,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  began  to  work  on  a  farm  near  North  Bend,  Ohio.  He  soon  went  to 
Cincinnati  to  live  with  Mr.  Isaac  White,  father-in-law  of  Rev.  T.  M. 
Eddy.  Here  his  religious  career  commenced.  He  united,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  what  was  then  termed 
Brimstone  Corner.  On  the  7th  of  February,  1827,  he  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Martha  Jane  Howard.  In  1830  he  was  employed  by  Judge 
Short,  near  North  Bend,  and  soon  after  he  rented  the  farm,  and  each 
fall,  for  four  or  five  seasons,  took  his  produce  down  the  river  on  a  flat- 
boat.  During  one  trip  he  met  with  a  serious  accident,  which  rendered  him 
unlit  for  that  business.  Without  a  dollar  in  money,  and  depending  upon 
his  growing  crops  and  farm  produce,  he  bought  a  store  on  Dry  Kidge, 
near  Cheviot,  Ohio,  and  took  into  partnership  Reuben  Rogers.  At  this 
time  his  family  consisted  of  John  and  Mary,  now  Mrs.  F.  Wymond, 
having  buried  three  children.  In  1838  he  moved  to  Wilmington,  Ind. 
There  he  bought  out  the  store  of  T.  John  Taylor  for  $200  or  $300.  In 
1840  he  sold  to  Daniel  Edwards,  to  whom  he  had  sold  his  former  store, 
and  moved  to  Aurora.  He  was  now  worth  about  11,000.  His  health  was 
so  poor  that  he  thought  it  was  probable  he  would  soon  die.  A  deep 
seated  cough  and  bleeding  at  the  lungs  had  reduced  him  considerably. 
He  rallied  in  health,  and  buying  a  new  stock  of  goods,  he  entered  upon 
a  career  of  great  prosperity.  His  cognomen  of  captain  was  acquired 
during  the  years  18-41  to  1844,  when  he  owned,  together  with  Mr.  Will- 
iam Glenn,  an  interest  in  the  steamer  "Fashion,"  a  packet  running  from 
Cincinnati  to  Madison;  Mr.  Glenn  was  captain,  Mr.  Levi  Stevens  was 
clerk  and  occasionally  Mr.  Chambers  acted  as  captain.  About  1844  or 
1845  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Levi  Stevens,  the  name  of  the  firm 
being  J.  Chambers  &  Co.  In  1851  it  was  changed  to  Chambers,  Stevens 
&  Co.,  taking  John  Chambers  and  W.  F.  Stevens  into  the  firm.  Soon 
after  the  death  of  John  Chambers,  which  occurred  June  21,  1856,  Frank 
Wymond  bought  an  interest  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm.  The 
firm  entered  •into  the  wholesale  trade  at  Cincinnati  in  1857,  Mr.  Theodore 
Shotwell  becoming  a  member  in  1858.  Josiah  Chambers  was  a  man  of 
very  decided  character,  the  most  prominent  feature  being  devotion — first 
to  Christ  and  next  to  business;  a  man  of  single  aim,  namely,  success  in 
whatever  he  undertook;  naturally  a  gentleman,  kind,  prudent,  patient, 
full  of  tact;  he  conducted  all  his  affairs  on  religious  business  principles, 
unswerving  integrity  and  candor;  a  man  of  great  energy  and  untiring 
industry,  it  seemed  almost  impossible  to  discourage  him;  he  adopted 
right  and  righteous  counsels  and  adhered  to  them  rigidly  and  with  a  faith 


660  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

unshaken  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  business;  he  rigidly  adhered  to 
his  business  rules,  would  enter  into  no  business  speculations  whatever, 
and  to  this  he  owes  in  a  great  measure  his  success  in  times  of  financial 
pressure.      His  death  occurred  March  25,  1876. 

W.  E.  CHABERLAIN,  furniture  dealer,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  was 
born  in  Johnson  County,  Ind.,  October  11,  1849.  His  parents  were 
Rev.  Samuel  B.  and  Esther  (Moore)  Chamberlain,  natives  of  England 
and  Kentucky,  respectively;  the  former,  born  in  Northamptonshire, 
November  8,  1824,  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Bollard)  Chamberlain, 
also  natives  of  England,  where  the  former  died  in  1828,  the  latter  sub- 
sequently immigrating  to  Ohio,  where  she  departed  this  life  in  1882. 
Their  children  were  Daniel  B.,  Isaac  C.  and  Samuel  B.,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  the  eldest  member  of  the  family.  He,  in  1835,  immigrated  with 
his  uncle,  Benjamin  Bollard,  to  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  and  was  there 
educated  at  the  Kingsville  Academy,  and  in  1848  went  to  Marion 
County,- Ind. ,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  was  there  married,  December  21,  1848,  to  the  above  Esther 
Moore,  a  native  of  Campbell  County,  Ky.,  born  June  6,  1825,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Alexander  and  Rhoda  (Miner)  Moore.  In  1851  Mr.  Chamberlain 
moved  to  Greenwood,  Johnson  Co.,  Ind.,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school  and  selling  goods,  and  in  1853  was  licensed  to  preacli  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  that  place,  having  united  with  the  church 
in  1850.  In  1855  he  was  taken  into  the  southeastern  Indiana  Con- 
ference, in  which  he  served  about  ten  years.  In  1859  ho  began  reading 
medicine,  and  in  1861  began  the  practice  of  medicine,  which  he  has 
since  pursued.  In  1862  he  moved  to  Manchester,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind., 
and  in  1884  to  Moore's  Hill,  where  he  now  resides.  He  is  at  present  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  he  is  an  ordained  minister,  hav- 
ino'  united  with  them  in  1883,  and  was  ordained  February  14,  1885.  He 
was  united  in  marriage.  September  24,  1873,  to  Cynthia  I.  Davis,  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Narcissa  (Akens)  Davis.  In  October,  1883,  Mr. 
Chamberlain  moved  to  Moore's  Hill  and  established  his  present  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  since  pursued.  He  is  an  accommodating  and  enter- 
prising citizen,  and  is  highly  respected  in  his  community.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Chamberlain  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz.:  William  E.,  John 
C.  (deceased),  Charles  W.,  Clara  E.  (deceased),  and  George  C.  (deceased). 
JAMES  CLARK,  Randolph  Township,  one  of  the  typical  pioneers  of 
Ohio  County,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1810.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  Clark, 
who  came  to  this  part  of  the  country  with  his  brother,  Isaac  Clark,  and 
was  accidentally  drowned  in  the  Ohio  River  between  Cincinnati  and  Ris- 
ing Sun,  leaving  a  wife  and  four  children;  our  subject,  James  being  the 
eldest.     His  mother  passed  away  sood  after  his  father's   death,   and  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  661 

was  reared  by  his  uncle,  Isaac.  The  latter  was  also  born  in  Virginia,  and 
mai'ried  there.  He  came  West  and  located  for  a  short  time  in  Ohio,  and 
in  1814,  settled  in  this  county,  entering  the  quarter-section  of  land  now 
owned  by  William  Stopher.  James  Clark  remained  with  his  uncle  till 
twenty-live  years  of  age.  He  soon  after  purchased  a  portion  of  his  pres- 
ent farm,  which  now  comprises  130  acres,  and  here  he  has  ever  since 
resided.  The  land  on  which  he  now  lives  was  entered  by  John  Dixon 
about  1816,  and  the  log-house,  in  which  Mr.  Clark  now  lives,  was  built 
by  Mr.  Dixon  about  1817-18.  Mr.  Clark  has  always  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. He  married  Nancy  Dixon  in  1835.  She  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
daxighter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Garrison)  Dixon,  who  settled  in  this 
county  as  stated  above,  and  reared  a  large  family,  his  eldest  daughter, 
Tamson  (who  afterward  married  John  Hunter),  said  to  have  been  the  third 
child  born  in  Cincinnati.  Her  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution, 
going  into  that  war  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  He  also  assisted  in  erecting 
Fort  Washington  at  Cincinnati,  when  that  locality  was  yet  a  wilder- 
ness. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  were  born  five  children:  Mary,  wife  of 
Thomas  Jackson;  William  D. ;  Ellen;  Lavina,  wife  of  John  T,  Johnson, 
residents  of  Harvey  County,  Kas.,  and  Sarah  J.,  deceased  wife  of  Will- 
iam L.  Monroe.  Mrs.  Clark  departed  this  life  April  6,  1881,  in  her 
seventy -fourth  year,  having  been  married  almost  fifty  years.  Mr.  Clark 
is  still  living,  and  for  one  of  his  years  is  well  preserved.  He  remembers 
distinctly  when  the  wolves,  deer  and  bears  thickly  infested  this  locality, 
which  he  has  done  his  full  share  toward  redeeming  from  its  native  wild- 
ness. 

GEORGE  W.  CLARK,  farmei',  Manchester  Township,  born  near 
Cincinnati,  March  5th,  182-4,  is  a  son  of  Jedde  and  Mary  (Barker)  Clark, 
natives  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  who,  in  1822,  immigrated  to  Ohio,  and  settled 
in  Hamilton  County,  near  Cincinnati,  where  they  resided  till  the  fall  of 
1824,  when  they  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  this  township  on  land 
now  owned  by  H.  Elinghouse  on  Section  4,  where  he  resided  till  his 
death  in  1856,  aged  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  survived  him,  and  died 
at  her  son's  (George  W.  Clark),  in  1876,  aged  eighty-six  years.  They 
had  twelve  children,  five  now  surviving:  Catharine,  wife  of  David  Dur- 
ham, residing  at  Seymour,  Ind. ;  Keturah  Jane,  wife  of  Mr.  Bowen,  re- 
siding in  Iowa;  George  W.;  William  A.,  residing  at  Moore's  Hill;  and 
Phebe  Emily,  wife  of  John  E.  Boes,  residing  in  Butler  County,  Ohio. 
Mr.  Clark  was  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade,  and  followed  that  business  in 
Cincinnati,  where  he  helped  to  build  the  first  steam  boat  that  ever  went 
down  the  Ohio  River.  After  settling  his  family  on  the  farm  above  men- 
tioned he  still  continued  at  his  trade  in  Cincinnati,  walking  from  his 
home  in  Manchester  to  Cincinnati  in  the  morning,  and  then  performing 


662  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

a  half  clay's  work  that  day.  This  feat  he  performed  several  times  while 
working  in  the  city;  the  clearing  up  of  his  farm  from  the  woods,  and 
the  general  farm  work  being  performed  by  his  sons  and  hired  men  for 
several  years,  until  becoming  advanced  in  age,  he  returned  to  his  farm. 
He  and  his  wife  were  active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
for  many  years.  George  W.  Clark  grew  to  m_arjhood  brought  up  to  farm 
labor.  In  1852  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Lurinda  Wicks,  a  native 
of  this  county,  born  December  18,  1825,  a  daughter  of  Silas  and  Martha 
(Austin)  Wicks,  he  a  native  of  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  and  she  of  Vermont. 
They  came  to  this  county  when  young,  in  1818,  wei-e  married  here,  and 
lived  here  through  life.  He  died  October  31,  1880,  and  she  December 
31,  of  the  same  year,  aged,  respectively,  eighty-five  and  eighty  years. 
Mr.  Wicks  and  his  brother,  Melanktou  Wicks,  at  abave  date,  I8l8, 
entered  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  30,  Manchester  Township,  Silas 
taking  the  north  half  of  the  quarter-section,  commenced  clearing  up 
his  farm,  cutting  the  first  stick  ever  taken  from  that  land.  He  was  the 
father  of  twelve  children,  five  now  living:  Gilbert,  residing  in  Daven- 
port, Iowa;  Albert,  residing  in  Shelby  County,  Iowa;  Piatt,  residing  in 
Shelby  County,  Iowa;  Clark,  residing  in  Nemaha  County,  Neb.;  and 
Lurinda.  Mr.  Clark  and  wife  have  had  two  children:  Fabius  M.,  a 
resident  of  Topeka,  Kan.,  and  Feronia,  who  married  Henry  Conger. 
She  died  December  19,  1873.  Mr.  Clark  is  a  carpenter  by  trade,  which 
business,  in  connection  with  farming,  he  followed  several  years.  He 
purchased  the  place  where  he  now  resides  in  1852.  He  has  since  added 
more  land  by  purchase,  until  he  now  owns  229  acres;  has  erected  new 
and  commodious  buildings,  with  other  improvements,  now  constituting  a 
pleasant  farmer's  home.  Mr.  Clark  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  thirty-three  years.  His  wife  was,  with  her  parents, 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  but  since  their  death  she  has  united 
with  her  husband  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

WILLIAM  J.  CLEMENTS,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  near 
Baltimore,  Md.,  January  14,  1828.  His  parents  were  Charles  and 
Rachel  Clements,  natives  of  England  and  Maryland.  He  was  married 
in  Sparta  Township,  March  9,  1859,  to  Emeline,  daughter  of  Abraham 
and  Elizabeth  Carbaugh,  who  was  born  in  this  county  January  29,  1836- 
In  March,  1861,  Mr.  Clements  moved  on  his  farm,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased in  1860,  and  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  eighty  eight 
acres  of  land,  well  improved.  They  have  had  born  to  them  six  children, 
viz.:  Elizabeth  L.,  Charles  H.,  Zadie  D.,  Emma  F.,  Minnie  J.,  Maggie  A. 
THE  COVINGTONS,  of  Rising  Sun.  The  brothers  Robert  E.  and 
Thomas  Covington  emigrated  from  Somerset  County,  Md.,  and  came  to 
Boone  County,  Ky.,  arriving  there  about  the  time   Gen.  Harrison  made 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  663 

a  call  on  the  governors  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky  for  re-enforcements,  in  the 
war  with  the  Indians  and  British,  in  northwestern  Ohio,  in  1813.  They 
joined  the  Kentucky  militia  called  out  at  that  time,  and  served  several 
months,  a  part  of  it  being  at  the  siege  of  Fort  Meigs.  Soon  after  their 
return  from  this  service,  two  of  their  sisters,  Eunice,  who  was  married 
to  Henry  Hayman,  and  Polly,  who  was  married  to  James  Hayman,  came 
from  Maryland  and  settled  in  Rising  Sun.  This  was  in  1816.  Robert 
then  made  his  home  in  Rising  Sun,  and  Thomas  went  to  the  vicinity  of 
Hartford.  Robert  was  married  to  Mary  Fulton,  daughter  of  Col.  Samuel 
Fulton,  January  7,  1819.  He  was  a  carpenter,  and  built  the  frame 
house  on  the  west  side  of  Poplar  Street,  between  Main  and  Grand  Streets, 
on  Lot  No.  57,  and  moved  into  it  the  same  year.  He  died  in  the  same 
house  August  26,  1825,  in  the  thirty- sixth  year  of  his  age,  having  been 
born  October  31,  1789.  His  widow  occupied  the  house  until  July  26, 
1875,  when  she  died  in  the  same  room  where  her  husband  died,  and  of 
the  same  disease,  dysentery,  fifty  years,  lacking  one  month,  to  a  day, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband.  Robert  Covington  was  one  of  the  work- 
men on  the  first  hotel  built  ht  Big  Bone  Springs,  then  a  noted  and  fash- 
ionable watering  place,  and  which  was  burned  in  1819.  Thomas  Cov- 
ington married  Polly  Nichols,  a  daughter  of  Maj.  Geoi-ge  Nichols,  who 
had  also  served  in  the  Indian  wars,  about  1819,  and  lived  about  one 
mile  east  of  Hartford.  In  that  year  he  sold  his  farm  to  Mr.  Harpham, 
and  went  to  the  vicinity  of  Mendoria,  111.,  and  bought  land,  with  the  in- 
tention of  removing  there.  On  the  eve  of  his  departure  for  his  new 
home,  his  eldest  son,  George  N.  Covington,  was  taken  sick  of  a  fever 
and  died.  Before  he  could  arrange  to  start  to  his  new  home,  after  such 
a  misfortune,  he  was  also  taken  sick  of  a  fever,  and  died.  The  widow 
decided  to  remain  near  her  father  until  her  younger  sons  would  be  old 
enough  to  take  charge  of  the  new  farm.  Some  years  afterward  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  the  Illinois  home. 

S.  F.  Covington,  now  residing  at  Cincinnati,  and  John  B.  Coving- 
ton, of  Rising  Sun.  are  sons  of  Robert  E.  and  Mary  Covington,  and  the 
only  children,  except  one  son  who  died  in  early  infancy.  Hon.  Samuel 
F.  Covington,  wiio  has  won  considerable  distinction  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
is  a  native  of  Rising  Sun.  His  early  boyhood  and  manhood  were  passed 
in  the  village,  as  were  his  maturer  years.  He  received  the  benefit  of 
the  excellent  schools  which  Rising  Sun  was  fortunate  in  having,  then 
completed  his  education  at  Miami  University,  located  in  the  town  of 
Oxford,  Ohio.  In  early  life  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  some  of  the 
village  stores,  for  a  time  was  clerk  on  a  steamboat,  edited  and  pub- 
lished a  weekly  newspaper  styled  the  Rising  Sun  Blade,  and  subsequently 
the  Madison  Courier.     As  editor  of  the  SZade  he   played   a  conspicuous 


664  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

part  in  affecting  tbe  division  of  Dearborn  County,  and  the  formation  of 
Ohio  County.  In  tbe  absence  of  the  sheriff,  as  deputy,  Mr.  Covington 
was  the  officer  who  organized  the  new  county,  and  served  as  its  first 
auditor.  He  later  represented  the  legislative  district,  composed  of  the 
counties  of  Switzerland  and  Ohio,  in  the  State  Legislature.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  at  Rising  Sun,  in  1845.  While  a  resident  of  that  place, 
he  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  Ohio  River  trade,  and  was  connected 
with  the  Rising  Sun  Insurance  Company.  His  name  is  identified  with 
the  growth  and  improvement  of  the  city  which  he  yet  retains  great  inter- 
est in,  and  a  most  kindly  feeling  for  her  citizens.  To  such  an  extent  is 
this  the  case  that  he  keeps  up  his  identity  with  the  place,  and  is  proba- 
bly better  posted  in  the  history  of  Rising  Sun  and  the  surrounding 
country,  than  any  man  in  it,  as  the  reader  of  the  foregoing  general  his- 
tory may  infer  from  the  copious  quotations  from  his  writings.  He  mar- 
ried his  wife  in  Rising  Sun,  who  was  a  Miss  Hamilton,  a  daughter  of 
one  of  the  merchants  of  the  village.  Of  Mr.  Covington's  more  recent 
life,  reference  can  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  journalism,  in  the  history 
proper  of  this  volume. 

At  the  death  of  a  son  of  Mr.  Covington  the  following  in  memoriam 
appeared  in  one  of  the  Rising  Sun  papex's  under  date  of  June  11,  1864: 

"Lieut.  George  B.  Covington,  adjutant  of  the  Seventeenth  Indiana 
Volunteers  (Wilder' s  Mounted  Infantry),  was  wounded  in  an  engagement 
near  Dallas,  Ga.,  on  the  24th  of  May.  The  regiment  was  forming  in 
line  of  battle,  and  Lieut.  Covington  was  engaged  in  correcting  the  line 
when  he  was  shot  by  a  rebel  sharpshooter.  The  ball  entered  the  left 
breast,  passed  through  the  left  lobe  of  the  lungs  and  lodged  in  the  spinal 
column.  The  surgeon  pronounced  the  wound  inevitably  fatal,  the  only 
hope  was  that  he  might  possibly  live  to  see  home,  Wheeler's  rebel  caval- 
ry had  made  a  raid  in  the  rear  of  our  army,  so  that  he  could  not  be  started 
home  till  the  30th.  He  had  to  be  transported  in  an  ambulance  a  distance 
of  thirty  miles,  to  Kingston,  where  he  was  put  on  the  cars  for  Chatta- 
nooga. While  on  the  cars,  between  Dalton  and  Resaca,  on  the  1st  of 
June,  he  died.  The  detail  which  had  started  home  with  him  had,  under 
instructions  of  Col.  Wilder,  in  event  of  death  on  the  way*  home,  the  body 
embalmed  at  Chattanooga  and  brought  on  to  Nashville,  where  they  were 
met  by  Lieut.  Covington's  parents.  The  body  was  brought  to  this  city 
and  interred  on  the  9th  inst.  George  B.  Covington  was  born  in  Rising 
Svm,  March  28,  1845,  so  that  he  had  but  a  short  time  since  entered  upon 
his  twentieth  year.  He  first  entered  the  service  July  4,  1861,  and  went 
into  West  Virginia  with  Col.  (now  General)  Hascal,  then  commanding 
the  Seventeenth.  He  afterward  returned  home,  but  rejoined  the  regi- 
ment, then   under   Col.   Wilder,  September,   1862,    and  was  with   Col. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  665 

Wilder  at  the  several  days  battle  at  Mumfordsville,  and  was,  at  the  sur- 
render of  that  place,  made  a  prisonex".  He  was  exchanged  at  the  same 
time  with  Col.  Wilder,  in  November,  and  proceeded  with  him  to  the 
front,  and  was  in  various  engagements  preceding  the  battle  of  Stone 
River.  The  brigade  commanded  by  Col.  Wilder,  being  mounted,  was 
assigned  hazardous  duties,  and  was  engaged  in  a  great  many  skirmishes, 
some  of  which,  in  other  times,  would  be  set  down  as  battles  of  consider- 
able importance.  It  was  Wilder's  brigade  that  checked  the  rebel  advance 
at  Chickamauga  when  Davis'  and  McCook's  divisions  fell  back,  and  dealt 
such  deadly  shots  into  the  rebel  lines.  The  brigade  being  armed  with 
Spencer  rifles,  six-shooters,  felt  themselves  competent  to  cope  with  six 
rebel  brigades,  and  fchey  did  even  more  at  Chickamauga.  It  was  for  gal- 
lant conduct  at  this  battle  that  Col.  Wilder  had  Lieut.  Covington  pro- 
moted to  the  adjutancy  of  the  Seventeenth.  Lieut.  Covington  fell  at  his 
post  and  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty.  He  made  no  complaint  of  his 
fate.  During  the  several  days  he  was  detained  in  starting  home,  after 
being  wounded,  the  battles  were  continued,  and  he  was  within  hearing 
of  the  roar  of-  cannon  and  the  rattle  of  musketry.  He  several  times  re- 
marked that  he  wished  he  was  able  to  be  with  his  regiment.  He  met 
death  calmly  and  quietly,  as  he  had  of  tea  braved  dangers  He  felt  that 
he  was  about  to  die  in  a  holy  cause  and  in  the  conscientious  discharge 
of  a  noble  duty.  His  last  words,  sent  through  Col.  Wilder  to  his  friends 
at  home,  were  'Tell  father  and  mother  that  I  have  tried  to  do  my  duty, 
and  that  I  die  a  Christian  soldier.'  The  large  and  solemn  concourse  that 
attended  his  funeral  asserts  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  here, 
the  place  of  his  birth,  and  the  fondness  with  which  his  memory  will  be 
cherished  by  those  who  knew  him."  On  the  day  of  his  funeral  at  Ris- 
ing Sun,  both  the  circuit  court  and  the  commissioner's  court,  both  of 
which  were  in  session,  adjourned  to  attend  the  funeral,  and  that,  on 
motion  of  Judge  Downey,  suitable  testimonial  to  his  character  was  placed 
upon  the  records  of  the  circuit  court,  and  a  like  testimonial,  on  motion 
of  Henry  Brown,  one  of  the'  commissioners,  was  placed  upon  the  records 
of  the  commissioner's  court. 

WILLIAM  H.  CLORE,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  William  Clore's 
Sons,  plow  manufacturers.  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  the  latter  town  in 
1857.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Clore,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  grandson 
of  Jeremiah  and  Sarah  (Deer)  Clore,  natives  of  Virginia,  who  came  to 
Kentucky  in  1817,  and  to  this  county  in  1828.  His  grandfather  was  a 
farmer  all  his  life,  and  died  about  1880,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
one  years,  his  widow  surviving  two  years  and  dying  at  the  same  age. 
His  father,  William  Clore,  was  born  in  1823,  and  spent  his  early  life  on 
the  farm.     He  married  Mary  McGuffin,  and  came  to  Rising  Sun,  where 


666  HISTORY  OF    DEAHBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

he  learned  the  implement  trade,  and  afterward  purchased  the  Clore 
Plow  manufacturing  establishment  about  ]850,  remaining  in  control  of 
the  same  till  his  death  in  September,  1884.  Eeferring  to  his  death,  the 
Rising  Sun  Recorder  said:  "The  death  of  "William  Clore,  proprietor  of 
the  Rising  Sun  Plow  Manufactory,  is  a  public  loss.  He  was  a  strictly 
honest,  honorable  and  warm  hearted  man;  public  spirited,  and  in  every 
way  a  valuable  man  to  the  community.  Since  1847  he  has  been  the 
manager  of  the  plow  factory,  and  his  good  judgment  and  close  atten- 
tion to  the  needs  of  farmers.  North  and  South,  and  the  superiority  of  his 
implements  have  given  the  business  a  wide  notoriety."  William  Clore, 
whose  name  introduces  this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Rising  Sun,  and  since  1876  has  been  identified  with  the  plow  manufac- 
turing business.  He  was  married  in  1882,  to  Mary  B.  Buchanan,  of 
Ohio  County,  daughter  of  Reese  A.  and  Lena  (Bush)  Buchanan;  her  father 
was  for  many  years  a  merchant  of  Rising  Sun,  but  now  deceased.  They 
have  one  child — Edward.  Harry  G.  Clore,  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
William  Clore' s  Sons,  was  born  in  Rising  Sun  in  1863.  He  obtained  a 
practical  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  since 
1880  has  been  engaged  in  the  plow  manufacturing  business.  The  insti- 
tution is  the  chief  manufacturing  establishment  of  Rising  Sun,  and  is 
well  cared  for  under  its  present  management. 

O.  P,  COBB  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  April  25,  1817,  and 
began  his  business  career  in  Aurora  in  1843  or  1844,  and  has  ever  since 
been  actively  engaged  and  connected  with  Aurora's  greatest  industries, 
being  among  her  most  enterprising  and  public-spirited  citizens.  Soon 
after  the  Gaff  Bros,  erected  their  flouring-mill  and  distillery,  the  Cobb 
Bros,,  our  subject  and  John,  built  a  pork  house  and  engaged  in  pork  pack- 
ing quite  extensively,  shipping  South,  where  they  also  had  a  business 
house.  During  the  war  O.  P.  Cobb  was  appointed  by  the  United  States 
Government  an  agent  for  furnishing  forage  for  it,  which  required  consid- 
erable business  capacity.  Aurora,  at  this  time,  was  the  second  hay  market 
in  the  Western  States.  Mr.  Cobb  has  served  in  different  capacities  in 
the  Aurora  Iron  and  Nail  Company,  of  which  he  was  president.  To  fa- 
cilitate the  work  of  that  industry  he  at  various  times  invented  and  had 
patented  machinery  for  different  purposes. 

LOUIS  W.  COBB,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Dearborn  Independ- 
eni,  Aurora,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Aurora,  April  29,  1847,  of  parents 
Oliver  P.  and  Caroline  S.  (Foulk)  Cobb,  mention  of  whom  is  made  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Our  subject  in  his  early  boyhood  received  the 
benefit  of  the  excellent  public  schools  of  his  native  town,  and  was  sub- 
sequently sent  to  Chickering  Institute,  a  school  of  some  note  in  Cincin- 
nati,  Ohio.     He   next  entered   Yale  College  and  pursued   a   course  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  667 

study,  and  thereafter  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  the  Hon.  T. 
D.  Lincoln  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  April,  1873,  he  purchased  a  weekly 
newspaper  at  Aurora  styled  the  Dearborn  Independent,  which  he  has 
since  conducted  with  ability.  Under  his  wise  management  and  good 
judgment  the  paper  has  continually  grown  in  interest  and  size  until  it  is 
now  one  of  the  largest,  most  newsy  and  popular  papers  in  southeastern 
Indiana,  and  enjoys  a  large  circulation.  Young  Cobb  is  scholarly,  and 
possesses  other  requisites  that  particularly  adapt  him  to  his  profession. 
He  is  a  man  of  fixed  principles  and  purposes  and  bold  in  advocating 
them.  He  is  both  affable  and  courteous,  and  a  popular  gentleman  with 
the  masses.  On  the  30th  of  September,  1875,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Emma  C.  McCreary,  who  was  born  at  the  village  of  Moore's 
Hill  June  13,  1854,  and  to  the  marriage  have  been  born  the  following 
children:  Iniz  S.,  Frank  McCreary  and  Williard  M.  Mr.  C.  has  been 
twice  chosen  as  alumnial  poet  of  Chickering  Institute,  and  is  the  only 
one  thus  far  who  has  the  second  time  received  such  distinction. 

GEOKGE  W.  COCHRAN  died  at  his  home  in  Covington,  Ky.,  in 
1884  aged  seventy-three  years.  It  may  be  said  that  Mr.  Cochran  was 
the  original  builder  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  during  the 
building  of  which  he  often  made  trips  in  his  carriage  from  Cincinnati  to 
St.  Louis.  By  his  energy  the  road  was  built  after  much  opposition  from 
business  men.  He  purchased  30,000  acres  of  land  along  the  line  of  the 
road  and  adjacent  to  it,  and  laid  out  several  towns  and  named  them  after 
his  friends.     The  town  of  Cochran  was  named  after  him. 

JOHN  W.  COFIELD,  farmer,  Cass  Township,  born  in  Crittenden 
County,  Ky.,  June  14,  1826;  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Amanda  (Walling- 
ford)  Cofield,  he  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  she  of  Kentucky. 
They  were  married  in  Kentucky,  and  in  th6  spring  of  1835,  removed  to 
Indiana,  and  settled  in  Union  Township,  Ohio  County,  on  the  place 
where  Jesse  Cooper  now  lives,  where  he  died,  March  8,  1850,  in  the 
fiftieth  year  of  his  age.  His  widow  still  survives,  and  resides  on  the 
home  place,  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Jesse  Cooper.  In  early  life  Mr. 
Cofield  followed  boating  on  the  river;  thence  he  entered  upon  farming, 
which  business  he  followed  the  balance  of  his  life.  He  was  a  man  of 
industrious  habits,  possessed  of  a  high  moral  character,  and  a  most  ex- 
cellent citizen.  He  and  wife  were  lifelong  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  was  a  class  leader  many  years.  He  was 
the  father  of  nine  children,  all  now  living,  viz.:  John  W.,  Robert  H., 
Caroline  (now  the  wife  of  J.  Billingsly), William  W.,  Margaret  and  Eliz- 
abeth (twins,  the  former  the  wife  of  Jessie  Cooper,  the  latter  the  wife 
of  L.  J.  Wilson),  Stephen,  Eliza  (wife  of  John  Hannah),  and  Samuel  D. 
John  W.,  the  eldest  child,  grew  to   manhood,    and  April   23,  1848,  was 


668  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

married  to  Clara  Rutledge,  a  daughter  of  Emmons  and  Hannah  (Rogers) 
Rutledge,  natives  of  Ohio,  but  who,  in  1837,  removed  to  Indiana, 
where  he  became  a  minister  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  being 
in  active  service,  and  filling  the  pulpits  on  different  circuits  in  several 
of  the  counties  of  southeastern  Indiana  for  thirteen  years.  His  wife 
died  at  Brownstown,  Jackson  County,  Ind.,  in  1837.  Subsequently  he 
married  Mrs.  Eliza  Garner.  She  died,  and  he  married  his  third  wife. 
He  died  at  Fairfield,  Franklin  County,  Ind.,  February  8,  1850,  in  the 
forty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  having  been  a  good  and  faithful  minister, 
and  greatly  esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  By  his  first 
wife  he  had  five  children,  three  now  survive:  Harriet,  wife  of  Theo- 
dore Kessinger;  Clara  M.,  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Mr.  Leet.  By  his 
second  wife,  he  had  three  children,  two  now  living:  Lydia  and  Susan 
A.,  wife  of  William  Crooker.  Mr.  Cotield  and  wife  have  had  thirteen 
children,  twelve  now  survive — Robert  E. ;  William  R.;  Mary  C,  wife  of 
Lewis  F.  Works;  Ella  F.,  wife  of  O.  A.  Woods;  Hattie  S.,  wife  of  C. 
E.  Elliott;  Stephen  K.,  Charles  J.,  Anna  E.,  John  D.,  Jesse  F.,  Harry 
D.,  and  Maggie;  Atlanta,  deceased,  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Cofield 
started  in  life  poor,  but  has  been  very  successful,  and  has  a  fine  farm  of 
175  acres,  with  good  buildings  and  improvements.  He  has  filled  many 
of  the  offices  of  his  township,  was  real  estate  appraiser  two  terms; 
county  commissioner  three  years,  and  is  director  on  the  board  of  ag- 
riculture. He  has  been  a  war  Democrat,  and  popular  with  both  parties 
in  his  county.  He  and  wife,  have  been  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  many  years.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  Laughery  Lodge 
No.  246,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  passed  through  all  the  degrees  of  the  En- 
campment. 

CAPT.  JOHN  R.  COLE,  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  Washington  Town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  born  in  Wilmington,  Dearborn 
Co.,  Ind.,  March  16,  1824;  his  parents,  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Johnson) 
Cole,  were  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Va.,  the  father  in  1797,  and 
the  mother  in  1801.  They  came  to  Indiana,  in  1815,  and  were  married 
in  1819;  he  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  but  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
was  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  also  a  local  preacher  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  died  February  24,  1854;  his  widow  united  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  over  sixty  years  ago,  and  resides  now  with 
her  son  Samuel  D.  Cole,  upon  Section  14,  and  is  an  active,  intelligent 
old  lady.  In  1842,  Mr.  John  R.  Cole,  engaged  in  business  with  E.  G. 
Herron,  in  Hartford,  and  continued  up  to  1849,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  a  farmer,  stock  raiser  and  dealer.  He  was  marl-ied  December  13, 
1848,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Pugsley  (daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Fugsley),  a 
native  of  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  born  in  Union  Township,  March  6,  1828;  to 


BIOGRAFHICAL   SKETCHES.  669 

them  have  been  born  three  sons:  John  S.,  October  25,  1849;  Seymour  S., 
May  13,  1854,  and  Charles  P.,  January  15,  1860;  John  S. ,  married 
Miss  Jennie  Worley,  who  lived  only  a  short  time,  his  second  marriage 
was  December  19,  1871,  to  Miss  Jane  Sanks.  He  and  Charles  P.  are 
located  as  agriculturists,  in  the  fertile  Laughery  Creek  Valley,  four 
miles  from  the  Ohio  River;  Seymour  S.,  was  married  December  2,  1880, 
to  Miss  Abbie,  daughter  of  Will  F.  and  Mary  A..  (Scott)  Stevens,  a  native 
of  Aurora.  He  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Chambers;?,  Stevens  &  Co., dealers 
in  general  merchandise.  He  is  also  an  inventor,  and  has  patented  a 
number  of  useful  articles.  His  ably-written  manuscripts  for  agricultural 
and  stock  journals,  are  always  instructive  and  interesting.  Mr.  John  R. 
Cole  is  a  skilled  worker  in  wood,  and  is  seldom  equaled  as  a  manipulator 
of  agricultural  implements,  but  his  greatest  tact  is  displayed  in  his  abil- 
ity  to  judge  of  the  respective  parts  which  go  to  make  up  the  perfect 
horse.  To  him,  probably  more  than  any  other  man,  belongs  the  credit  of 
the  improvement  of  the  stock  of  horses  in  Dearborn  County.  At  an  early 
age,  he  evinced  good  judgment  in  management  of  horses,  and  was,  when 
quite  young,  placed  in  charge  of  the  famous  old  racer  "  Chief  Justice,  ' 
which  he  controlled  until  the  death  of  this  noted  animal.  Mr.  Cole  has 
at  different  times  kept  such  horses  as  most  tended  to  improve  the  qual- 
ity of  the  stock  in  his  native  county.  Among  them,  there  being  rep- 
resentatives of  such  families  as  the  Messengers,  North  Kentuckys,  Crowd- 
ers.  Blue  Bulls,  Stock  Bridge  Chief,  Abdallahs  and  Denmarks.  Mr.  Cole 
was  township  trustee  for  three  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Indiana 
Legion  for  four  years,  and  held  the  responsible  position  of  captain  of  a 
company.  He  is  a  member  of  Hai'tford  Lodge  No.  151,  F,  &  A.  M., 
and,  with  his  wife,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mrs. 
Cole's  parents,  John  and  Mary  (Smith)  Pugsley,  were  natives  of  Duchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  the  father  born  in  1775,  mother  in  1784.  They  wer°e  mar- 
ried in  1812,  and  immigrated  to  Ohio  County,  in  1823.  The  father  died 
in  1849;  he  was  an  esteemed  neighbor,  an  amiable  and  intelligent  gentle- 
man, and  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  best  citizens  of  Ohio  County. 
The  mother  died  at  her  son-in-law's,  Mr.  J.  M.  Stewart,  near  Danville, 
Montgomery  Co.,  Mo.,  March  25,  1871. 

HIRAM  J.  COLE,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  that  town- 
ship, Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  January  1,  1839.  His  parents  were  Isaac 
T.  and  Ann  (Wintro)  Cole,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  respect- 
ively; former  born  in  Greene  County,  Penn.,  October  20,  1806,  the  lat- 
ter in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  April  4,  1809.  David  and  Polly  Cole,  and 
Adam  and  Mary  Wintro  were  the  grandparents.  The  parents  were 
married  in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  and  from  thence,  in  about  the  year  1834, 
moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  and  purchased  and  settled  on  the  same 


670  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

farm  on  which  our  subject  now  lives,  and  afterward  resided  there  until 
their  deaths,  the  mother  passing  away  November  16,  1863,  the  father 
February  8,  1883.  Their  children  were  John,  James  E.,  Harvey  T., 
Mary  L.,  Martha,  Hiram  J.,  Rebecca  A.,  Samuel,  William  H.,  David, 
Sarah  J.  and  Laura  E.  Hiram  J.,  our  subject,  was  brought  up  a  farmer, 
and  he  has  engaged  in  that  pursuit  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life. 
He  received  a  thorough  common  school  education  in  the  district  schools, 
and  then  attended  for  some  time  the  Moore's  Hill  College,  after  which 
he  turned  his  attention  to  teaching  school  in  winters,  and  working  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  summers  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1858  he  went  to 
Boone  County,  Ky.,  where  he  was  married  December  23,  i860,  to  Mar- 
garet E.,  daughter  of  John  A.  C.  and  Martha  (Connley)  Adams.  She 
was  born  in  Boone  County,  Ky. ,  January  8,  1843.  After  his  marriage 
he  settled  near  Verona,  Ky.,  where  he  remained  until  1864,  engaging  in 
farming  and  teaching  school.  From  thence  in  that  year  he  moved  to 
Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  and  settled  on  his  father's  farm,  whei'e  he  re- 
mained about  three  years,  then  removed  to  Boone  County,  Ky.,  residing 
there  until  December,  1883,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  and  settled  on  his  father's  farm  of  145  acres,  which  he  at 
present  owns.  They  had  three  children,  viz. :  DoraD.  (deceased),  Denton 
A.  (deceased),  and  Nora  E. 

CAFT.  JOHN  B.  COLES,  Rising  Sun,  one  of  the  leading  attorneys 
of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  Bloomington,  111.,  September  27,  1836. 
His  parents,  Thomas  K.  and  Cynthia  (Wilbur)  Coles,  were  natives  of 
Long  Island  and  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. ,  respectively.  The  two 
families  came  West  in  an  early  day,  the  latter  about  1813,  and  located  in 
Dearborn  County,  where  the  marriage  of  the  above  occurred.  They 
resided  in  Wilmington  till  1835,  when  they  moved  to  Illinois,  where  Mr. 
Coles  died  in  1845.  While  in  this  county  he  was  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising, but  in  Illinois  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  Our  subject  was 
a  lad  of  nine  years,  when  his  father  died.  He  soon  afler  returned  to 
this  county  with  his  mother  and  remained  here  till  1857,  when  he  again 
removed  to  Bloomington.  In  1860  he  began  the  study  of  law,  with  the 
firm  of  Sweat  &  Orm,(now  of  Chicago),  continuing  his  reading  with  this 
firm  about  eight  months.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Missouri  In- 
fantry as  private  and  served  four  years,  participating  in  many  of  the 
heaviest  battles  of  the  war,  including  that  of  Fort  Henry,  Shiloh  and 
all  the  important  engagements  during  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea.  He 
received  a  severe  wound  in  the  left  calf  at  the  battle  of  Vicksburg  and 
served  his  last  year  in  the  quartermaster's  department.  February  4, 
1863,  he  was  promoted  from  the  ranks  to  second  lieutenant,  and  on  the 
24th  of  same  month  was  made  captain.     He  was  present  at  the  grand 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  671 

review  in  Washington,  May,  1865,  and  in  the  fall  of  1866  returned  to 
Indiana,  locating  in  Rising  Sun  in  1868.  He  was  here  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  has  since  engaged  here  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Mr- 
Coles  was  married  in  1876  to  Fanny  A.  McAdams,  a  daughter  of  James 
D.  McAdams,  of  Cass  Township,  her  father  being  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  the  county.  They  have  four  children:  Cynthia,  Mary,  Robert 
and  Lizzie.  Capt.  Coles  is  a  member  of  Benjamin  North  Post,  G.  A.  R., 
which  he  assisted  in  organizing  and  officiated  as  its  lirst  captain.  He 
ranks  among  th  e  first  of  the  legal  profession  in  Ohio  County,  and  as  a 
citizen  hia  character  is  above  reproach. 

RALPH  COLLIER,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  was  born  in  Pitts- 
bm-fh,  Pean.,  October  7,  1  819.     He  was  the  eldest  son  of  John  and  Jane 
(Hodo-son)  Collier.      His  grandfather  was  also  John   Collier,  who   was  a 
native  of,  and  lived  and  died  in  England.     He  was  a  local    Methodist 
minister  and   a  contemporary  of  Rev.  John  Wesley.      John  Collier,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  the  only  son,  and   was   born   in  England  in 
1775.       In   1817  he   came  on  a  prospecting  tour  to    America,    visited 
Dearborn  County  and  returned  to  England  the  same  year,  then  a  single 
man.      He  was  married  in  18 19,   and   accompanied  by  two  sisters,  Mrs. 
Ann    Hansen  and  Mrs.  Jane  Cornforth,  and  their  families,  with  a  num- 
ber of  o  ther  persons  from  the  immediate  neighborhood,  all  of  whom  settled 
in  Dearborn  County  in  the  autumn  of  1819.     By  way  of    contrasting  the 
facilities  for  travel  between  then  and  now,  it  may  be  stated  that  when 
John  Collier  came  to  this  country,  in   1817,  he   walked  over  the  moun- 
tains, and  in  company  with  a  fellow-traveller  came  in  a  skiff  from  Pitts- 
buro-h  to  Lawrenceburgh.     On  his  return  to   England  he   walked  all  the 
distance  from  Tanner's  Creek,  Dearborn  County,  to  Philadelphia.     John 
Collier  died  at  his  home  on  Tanner's    Creek  in   1846,  aged   seventy-two 
years.  Jane  Collier  died  in  1858,  in  the  seventy-first  year  of  her  age.   Two 
sons  and  two  daughters  (Mrs.  Ann  H.  Hall  and  Mary  J.  Chamberlin),  still 
survive.     Ralph  Collier  was  an  infant  in  his  mother's  arms  when  he  came 
to  Dearborn  County,  and  enjoyed  only  such  educational  advantages  as  the 
country  at  that  time  afforded.     By  his  own  exertions  principally  he  fitted 
himself  to  teach,  and  was  popular  as  a  teacher.     He  taught  under  the 
old  regime,   when   subscription  schools   were    in   vogue:     His  wife,  is  a 
daughter  of  Reuben  and  Betsey  L.  (Goodwin)  True,   natives   of  Maine, 
who  settled  on  the  farm   adjoining  the  one  on   which  Mr.   Collier  now 
resides.      After  his  marriage,  which  occurred  October  8,  1840,  he   began 
life  for  himself,  so  to  speak;  at  present  he  owns  100  acres  of  excellent  land, 
well  improved.      Ralph  and  Mary  D.  Collier  are  the  parents  of  ten  living 
children,  namely:     George  G.,  now  a  resident    of    Missouri;    John   T., 
William  G.,  R.  Frank,  S.  P.  Chase,  Clara  J.,  Mary  L.,  Sebra  E.,  Harriet 


672  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

B.  S.  and  Susie  E.  Mr.  Collier  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Church,  with  which  he  has  been  connected  about  forty  years.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics.  His  father  before  him  was  a  "Whig  in  political 
principle. 

SAMUEL  H.  COLLINS,  M.  D. ,  physician  and  surgeon,  Lawrence- 
burgh,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  1851,  and  son  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Samuel  A.  Collins,  who,  for  several  years,  was  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church,  of  Cincinnati.  His  mother  was  Mary  F.  Covington.  Dr. 
Collins  received  a  classical  education  at  the  Dennison  College,  Granville, 
Ohio,  graduating  in  1874.  He  began  reading  medicine  in  1873,  entered 
the  Miami  College,  of  Cincinnati,  in  1874,  passed  the  Cincinnati  Hospi- 
tal in  1875,  and  in  the  following  year  took  his  diploma.  From  1876  to 
1878  he  practiced  his  profession  at  Westwood,  a  suburb  of  Cincinnati, 
and  in  August  of  theJatter  year  went  to  Memphis  to  practice  during  the 
yellow  fever  epidemic,  serving  in  the  National  Board  of  Health,  on  duty 
along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  Mississippi  River.  In  1881  he  located 
in  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  has  since  conducted  a  very  successful  prac- 
tice. In  1883  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr.  M.  H.  Harding,  which 
continued  till  the  death  of  the  latter,  in  1885.  He  is  an  active  member 
of  the  American  Public  Health  Association,  and  of  the  Indiana  State 
Medical  Society,  also  member  and  secretary  of  the  Dearborn  County 
Medical  Society.  Dr.  Collins  was  married,  in  1879,  to  Miss  C.  E. 
Myrick,  of  La  Grange,  Tenn.,  daughter  of  Edward  N.  Myrick,  and  they 
have  two  children:  Lena  L.  and  Mary  E. 

GEORGE  B.  COLT,  Sr.,  engineer,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in 
Covington,  Ky.,  September  9,  1830.  His  parents  were  John  D.  and 
Frances  (Mills)  Colt,  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  Maysville,  Ky.,  respect- 
ively. The  father,  when  quite  young,  went  to  sea,  and  grew  up  to  a  sea- 
faring life.  Prior  to  1830  he  had  become  a  steamboat  captain,  and  was 
plying  on  the  Ohio  River.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mills  at  Cincinnati, 
and  not  long  thereafter  they  removed  to  a  farm  at  Lyme  Landing,  in 
Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  though  the  husband  continued  his  vocation  as 
captain  of  steamboats,  plying  at  diflerent  times  on  the  rivers  Ohio,  Upper 
Mississippi,  Tennessee,  and  Cumberland.  His  death  occurred  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  while  engaged  in  the  river  trade.  Two  sons  and  a  daughter 
were  born  to  this  union,  the  mother  of  whom  died  at  Lawrenceburgh, 
Ind.,  in  the  winter  of  1866.  George  B.  Colt,  Sr.,  grew  up  in  the  city  of 
Louisville  (to  which  place  the  family  removed  not  long  after  the  death 
of  his  father),  where  schooled.  He  in  early  life  learned  engineering,  em- 
barking on  the  steamboat  "  Empress,"  which  was  then  plying  between 
Louisville  and  New  Orleans.  He  followed  engineering  on  the  river  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  then  and  thereafter  followed  the  same  business, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  673 

though  with  stationary  engines,  being  employed  at  Patriot,  Cincinnati, 
and  at  Lawrenceburgh.  On  the  26th  of  January,  1856,  Mr.  Colt  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Aurelia  Hubbell,  daughter  of  Richard  S. 
and  Martha  E.  (Fisher)  Hubbell,  the  parents  being  natives — the  father  of 
Seneca  County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  mother  of  Orange  County,  Va.,  and  both 
families  early  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Petersburgh,  Ky.,  where  Mrs. 
Colt  was  born  February  15,  1837.  Martha  E.  Hubbell  died  in  1871,  and 
her  husband,  Richard  S.  Hubbell,  died  in  1874.  To  the  union  of  George 
B.  Colt,  Sr.  and  Aurelia  Hubbell  have  been  born  Ralph,  Robert  H., 
George  B.,  Martha  F.,  Gertrude,  Mary,  Annie,  and  Jennie  M.  Ger- 
trude, Mary  and  Annie  are  deceased.  Both  parents  are  identified  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the  husband,  in  politics,  is  a  Democrat. 
They  are  esteemed  and  respected  citizens,  and  kind  neighbors. 

JOHN  T>.  COLT,  engineer,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  a  son  of  John  D. 
and  Frances  (Mills)  Colt,  whose  history  is  given  in  the  preceding  sketch, 
was  born  in  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  April  18,  1832.  He  received  his 
scuooling  in  his  native  county  and  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  and,  like  his 
brother,  in  early  life  learned  the  occupation  of  an  engineer,  starting 
first  on  the  steamboat  "  Sam  Cloon,"  then  engaged  in  the  Cincinnati  & 
Nashville  trade.  He  continued  his  occupation  on  the  river  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  civil  war,  having  become  an  experienced  and  expert 
engineer,  and  having  run  on  the  waters  of  the  Ohio,  Mississippi,  Tennes- 
see, Cumberland,  Red,  and  other  rivers.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war,  Mr.  Colt  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Ninety-first  Indiana  Volunteers, 
serving  for  nearly  three  years,  and  participating  in  the  battles  and  skir- 
mishes in  which  the  command  was  engaged,  and  finally  was  discharged 
on  account  of  disability.  Since  his  return  from  the  United  States  serv- 
ice, Mr.  Colt  has  been  engaged  principally  as  a  stationary  engineer.  In 
politics  he  is  identified  with  the  Democratic  party. 

WILLIAM  COLTHAR,  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Rising 
Sun,  Ind.,  is  a  native  of  Brown  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  in 
1852.  He  is  a  son  of  Jasper  and  Sarah  (Sammes)  Colthar,  his  father 
having  been  a  farmer  and  stock  dealer  in  Brown  County  previous  to  his 
death,  which  occurred  about  1857.  His  mother  is  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  still  living.  Mr.  Colthar  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
county,  where  he  resided  till  about  twenty-four  years  of  age,  gradually 
building  up  his  business  interests,  having  begun  his  mercantile  trade  in 
a  very  humble  manner.  By  dint  of  hard  labor,  shrewd  management  and 
a  close  attention  to  his  business  in  all  its  details,  he  succeeded  in  over- 
coming all  obstacles,  and  soon  ranked  among  the  first  of  the  business 
men  of  that  locality.  In  the  fall  of  1875  he  came  to  Rising  Sun  and 
purchased  the  Hathaway  Building,  a   part  of  which   he  now  occupies. 


674  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Here  he  placed  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  and  soon  established  a 
flourishing  trade,  which  by  fair  dealing  he  has  ever  since  been  able  to 
hold  and  gradually  increase,  doing  an  annual  business  of  160,000  to 
$70,000.  In  April,  1884,  he  disposed  of  the  dry  goods  department  of 
his  establishment  in  Rising  Sun,  and  established  a  branch  store  at  Cha- 
nute,  Kas.,  placing  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  valued  at  $20,000. 
Since  that  time  he  has  confined  his  trade  in  this  place  to  the  sale  of 
ready-made  clothing,  ladies'  wraps,  boots  and  shoes,  hats,  caps,  etc.,  car- 
rying a  stock  of  about  $14,000,  with  an  annual  trade  of  $37,000  to 
$40,000.  Mr.  Colthar  may,  with  commendable  pride,  point  to  his  busi- 
ness success,  which  indeed  has  few  parallels.  Besides  his  mercantile  inter- 
ests he  owns  a  good  farm  in  Brown  County,  Ohio,  valued  at  $4,000;  double 
store-rooms  and  vacant  lot  in  Rising  Sun,  valued  at  $6,000,  and  six  town 
lots  in  Attica,  a  growing  town  of  Harper  County,  Kas.  Our  subject  was 
married,  September  6,  1876,  to  Laura  Gilmore,  a  native  of  this  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  H.and  Letitia  (Doud)  Gilmore.  Her  father,  a 
bricklayer  by  trade,  subsequently  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in 
this  place,  served  as  sheriff  of  the  county  several  years,  and  also  as  one 
of  the  associate  judges  of  the  probate  court  of  Indiana.  He  died  in 
1864,  his  widow  still  surviving.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colthar  have  but  one 
child — Jessie.  Mr.  Colthar  has  the  leading  mercantile  establishment  in 
the  city,  and  doubtless  fl^lly  merits  the  extensive  and  lucrative  trade 
which  he  has  founded. 

JOHN  COLUMBIA,  Lawrenceburgh,  now  one  of  the  oldest  res- 
idents of  that  city,  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Penn.,  October 
20,  1799.  His  parents,  William  and  Susanna  (Jones)  Columbia,  came 
from  Pennsylvania  with  their  children  in  1800,  and  located  in  Hamilton 
County,  above  Cincinnati,  where  they  resided  many  years,  and  where  his 
father  died.  Here  our  subject  passed  the  years  of  his  minority.  At  the 
age  of  twenty  he  married  Sarah  Chambers,  of  York  State,  daughter  of 
James  and  Lydia  Chambers,  and  soon  after  he  came  to  this  county  and 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  Government  land,  beginning  work  on  his  own 
resources.  In  October,  1824,  Mrs.  Columbia  died,  leaving  two  children^ 
one  of  whom  is  still  living — Julia  Ann,  wife  of  Jacob  Miller,  of  Sparta 
Township.  March  31,  1825,  Mr.  Columbia  was  married  to  Sarah  Shead, 
daughter  of  William  Shead,  of  York  State,  and  six  children  were  born 
to  them,  two  now  living:  Rebecca  (Radspinner)  and  George  C.  Mr. 
Columbia  added  lifty  acres  to  his  original  purchase,  now  owning  130 
acres  of  good  land.  In  1843  he  was  elected  county  commissioner  for  a 
term  of  three  years;  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  fifteen  years,  and  as 
township  trustee  for  several  years,  being  one  of  the  old  and  venerable 
land-marks    of  Sparta    Township.      Mr.   Columbia's    second    companion 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  675 

departed  this  life  March  9,  1873,  and  he  has  since  resided  with  his  son, 
having  long  since  retired  from  active  service. 

GEORGE  C.  COLUMBIA,  son  of  John  Columbia,  recorder  incum- 
bent of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  1835.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm 
in  this,  his  native  county.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Seventh 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  three  years.  He  was  taken  pris- 
oner at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  paroled  and  returned  to  his  regi- 
ment, and  participated  in  some  of  the  most  important  battles  of  the  war. 
He  received  his  discharge  September  20,  1864,  returned  home  and 
resumed  farming.  He  was  elected  county  superintendent  of  schools  in 
1872,  serving  three  years,  and  in  1878  was  chosen  coanty  recorder,  being 
re-elected  to  the  same  office  in  1882.  Mr.  Columbia  was  married,  in 
1877,  to  Nettie  Churchill,  daughter  of  Julius  Churchill,  and  they  have 
one  child  living — Emma.  Mrs.  Columbia  passed  away  October  26,  1881. 
In  politics  Mr.  Columbia  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  and  as  a  public  officer  is 
above  reproach  or  criticism. 

HAIVOLTON  CONAWAY,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  an  old  and  highly 
esteemed  pioneer  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Clay  Township, 
December  25,  1812.  His  parents,  Robert  and  Edith  (Weathers)  Cona- 
way,  were  both  natives  of  Virginia,  the  former  a  son  of  John  and  Rachel 
Conaway,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland  and  Wales,  from  where  they  immi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  a  very  early  day,  and  settled  in  Virginia. 
Their  children  were  John,  Daniel,  James,  Simon,  Eliza  and  Robert,  the 
latter,  the  father  of  our  subject.  He,  when  a  young  man,  emigrated 
from  Virginia  to  Kentucky,  where  he  and  the  above  Edith  Weathers, 
were  united  in  marriage,  and  from  thence  came  in  a  very  early  day  to 
Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  where  they  afterward  resided  until  death.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  viz. :  Rhoda,  Preston,  Harriet,  Hamil- 
ton, Parthena,  Robert,  James  and  Simon  B.  Hamilton,  our  subject, 
was  brought  up  as  a  farmer,  but  in  later  years  turned  his  attention  to 
the  mercantile  business  at  Guionsviile,  this  county,  which  he  pursued 
for  a  number  of  years,  beginning  as  early  as  1839,  during  which  time, 
and  also  afterward,  he  held  the  office  of  justice  of  peace  for  about  four- 
teen years.  About  1855  he  begao  the  practice  of  law,  which  he  has 
continued  more  or  less  since.  He  also  has  engaged  in  flat-boating  on 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  during  a  number  of  years  of  his 
younger  life,  beginning  as  early  as  1832.  He  and  Miss  Harriet  Lemon 
were  united  in  marriage  in  Clay  Township,  this  county,  about  1840. 
They  had  born  to  them  two  children,  viz. :  Eliza  and  Robert.  This  wife 
died  about  1856,  and  he  subsequently  married  Elizabeth  E.  Harper,  by 
whom  he  had  born  to  him  four  children,  viz.:  John  S.,  Charles,  Ralph 
P.  and  Alhama  E.     Mr.  Conaway  is  a  man  of  excellent  character,  and 


676  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

is  highly  respected  by  all  who  know  him.  He  owns  160  acres  of  fine 
land  in  Clay  Township,  Section  29,  on  which  he  resides;  also  owns  280 
acres  in  Coffee  County,  Kas. 

SIMON  CONAWAY,  merchant  and  postmaster.  Clay  Township, 
was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  October  6,  1835.  He  is  the  eldest 
of  five  children  born  to  John  and  America  (Wilson)  Conaway. 
He  was  brought  up  as  a  farmer,  and  pursued  that  occupation  until 
1860,  in  which  year  he  opened  up  a  general  merchandise  store  at 
Guionsville,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  He  was  married  at  Guions- 
ville,  in  1865,  to  Arena  C.  Thatcher,  from  whom  he  was  divorced,  and 
December  2,  1881,  married  to  Mrs.  Amanda  Smith,  by  whom  he  has  had 
born  to  him  two  children — twins — viz. :  America  A.  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Conaway  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Guionsville  office  in 
1872,  which  he  has  since  held. 

ELIAS  CON  WELL  died  at  Napoleon,  Ind.,  in  1862,  aged  seventy - 
three  years.  He  was  a  native  ^of  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  removed  to 
Aiirora  in  1819,  erecting  the  building  at  the  corner  of  First  and  Main 
Streets,  said  to  be  the  first  mercantile  house  established  in  Aurora,  and 
in  it  he  kept  the  postoffice  for  eight  years.  His  house  was  the  resort  of 
politicians  and  others,  and  his  estimable  lady,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Ta- 
tem  of  Cincinnati,  made  their  abode  the  seat  of  refined  hospitality.  For 
a  quarter  of  a  century  before  his  death,  Mr.  Conwell  was  a  resident  of 
Napoleon.  Esther  Conwell,  the  wife  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware in  1797,  and  died  at  Aurora  in  1882. 

A.  D.  COOK,  proprietor  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Machine  Shop,  Law- 
renceburgh,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1850.  He  came  to  America,  with 
his  parents,  when  a  child,  and  grew  up  in  the  town  which  has  ever  since 
been  his  home.  He  was  educated  in  the  Lawrenceburgh  public  schools, 
and  in  his  youth  learned  the  tinner's  trade  in  which  he  continued  exclu- 
sively, till  about  1882.  He  then  began  operations  as  a  machinist  and 
has  gradually  increased  his  business  till  the  present  time.  In  1881  he 
invented  "Cook's  Patent  Well  Strainer"  and  began  the  manufacture 
of  the  same,  and  the  article,  which  is  of  unquestionable  merit,  is  gradu- 
ally coming  into  general  use.  In  1884  he  took  out  a  patent  for  a  strainer 
to  be  used  in  driving  tubular  wells,  and  these  with  others  he  is  manu- 
facturing in  large  quantities.  His  establishment  is  making  fair  prog- 
ress, and  is  destined,  in  the  near  future,  to  become  one  of  the  import- 
ant institutions  of  Lawrenceburgh.  He  manufactures  pumps  of  superior 
quality,  also  tubular  well  fixtures,  and  does  all  kinds  of  repairing,  oper- 
ating about  fifteen  workmen.  The  shops  occupy  three  large  rooms  on 
Walnut  Street,  and  are  receiving  a  liberal  patronage.  Mr.  Cook  was 
married  in  November,  1882,  to  Miss  Anna  Hassner,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  this  community — a  daughter  of  Tony  Hassner,  now  a  resident 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  677 

of  Versailles,  lad.  In  the  business  interests  of  Lawrenceburgh,  Mr. 
Cook  takes  quite  a  prominent  place,  and  with  his  ecergy  and  business 
tact  will,  no  doubt,  soon  be  the  peer  of  any  of  his  cotemporaries.  He  is 
chief  of  the  tire  department  and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  the  general  wel- 
fare of  his  adopted  town. 

F.  W.  COOK  (also  written  Koch),  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the 
older  business  men  of  that  city  (now  retired),  is  a  native  of  Bremen, 
Germany,  born  April  30,  1816.  His  parents,  Frederick  William  and 
Margaret  Cook,  were  highly  connected  in  the  old  country,  some  of  his 
relatives  possessing  large  fortunes.  He  learned  the  tinner's  trade 
in  his  native  country,  and  followed  the  same  there  until  1851,  when  he 
immigrated  to  the  United  States  to  seek  his  fortune  in  "the  land  of 
Uncle  Sam."  He  landed  at  New  Orleans,  where  he  resided  not  quite 
one  year,  working  at  his  trade  for  a  Frenchman,  who  defrauded  him  of 
most  of  his  earnings.  He  then  went  into  business  for  himself,  at  Carle- 
ton,  La.,  but  about  one  year  later  sold  out  and  moved  to  Lawrenceburgh, 
where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  He  conducted  a  successful  hardware 
and  tinware  business  up  to  1877,  when  he  taraed  the  stock  over  to  the 
management  of  his  son,  and  retired  from  active  business  life.  Mr.  Cook 
was  married  in  his  native  country  to  Anna  Bottler,  by  whom  he  had  six 
children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living:  John,  August,  Henry,  William, 
and  Margaret.  Mrs.  Cook  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Bottler,  a  farmer  in 
Germany.  She  and  Mr.  Cook  have  always  labored  hard  and  honestly, 
and  are  wholly  entitled  to  the  comfortable  circumstances  in  which  their 
life  long  labors  have  placed  them. 

JOHN  F.  COOK,  dry  goods  merchant,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in 
Germany,  in  1847,  son  of  F.  W.  Cook  (or  Koch).  He  was  brought  to  this 
country  by  his  parents,  and  educated  in  the  Lawrenceburgh  schools.  In 
1867,he  began  the  clothing  business,  which,  in  connection  with  dry  goods, 
he  has  ever  since  continued,  except  one  year,  in  the  hardware  trade.  In 
1868,  he  married  Anna  E.Vogel,  daughter  of  George  P.  Vogel,  and  they 
have  two  children — Frederick  J.,  and  Elsie.  Mr.  Cook  carries  an  elegant 
stock  of  dry  goods,  dress  goods,  velvetines,  etc.,  and  enjoys  a  full  share 
of  the  general  patronage. 

W.  F.  COOK,  Lawrenceburgh,  dealer  in  hardware,  stoves,  tin 
ware,  galvanized  cornice,  etc.,  was  born  in  Lawrenceburgh  in  1860,  and 
grew  to  maturity  in  h  is  native  city  in  whose  public  schools  he  was  edu- 
cated. When  about  fourteen  years  of  age  he  began  learning  the  tinner's 
trade,  and  in  this  capacity  he  was  employed  till  1882, when  he  assumed 
charge  of  the  entire  business.  He  carries  a  full  stock  valued  at  $3,000 
to  $4,000,  and  has  a  liberal  share  of  the  general  patronage  in  his  line 
He  is  a  young  man  of  good  business  qualifications  and  is  bound  to  suc- 
ceed. 


678  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

JACOB  COOPER,  Randolph  Township,  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Kulp)  Cooper,  was  born  in  Ohio  County  in  1851.  His  parents  were  both 
natives  of  Indiana,  his  father  of  Ohio  County.  His  grandfather,  Corne- 
lius Kulp,  settled  in  this  locality  in  a  very  early  day,  coming  from  Penn- 
sylvania prior  to  1820.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  followed  that 
pursuit  all  his  life.  He  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  after  his  marriage 
and  resided  on  the  same  for  a  short  period  when  he  removed  to  Iowa. 
About  one  year  later  he  died  in  this  county,  while  here  transacting  some 
business  pertaining  to  his  property,  about  1856.  His  widow  who  subse- 
quently married  James  Chambers  is  still  living  and  is  again  a  widow, 
her  second  husband  having  died  in  the  late  war.  By  the  first  marriage 
six  children  were  born:  Charles,  Nancy,  Winnie,  Jacob,  Flora  and  Mary, 
the  latter  deceased.  After  the  father's  death  the  family  returned  to  this 
county,  where  our  subject  Jacob  Cooper,  has  since  resided.  For  a  time 
he  worked  for  wages  and  made  his  home  with  his  mother.  He  subse- 
quently rented  land  for  some  years,  and  in  March,  1883,  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  Ohio  County  Infirmary,  which  institution  he  has 
since  had  charge  of,  conducting  the  same  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner. 
He  is  firm  in  his  discipline  yet  kind  in  its  exercise,  and  under  his 
charge  the  inmates  have  little  reason  to  complain.  Mr.  Cooper  was  mar- 
ried in  1875  tc  Sarah  Fuller,  of  this  county,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Catharine  (Kittle)  Fuller,  old  and  esteemed  residents  of  the  same.  By 
this  union  were  born  four  children:  John  W.,  Pearl,  Grace,  and  Hattie. 
Mr.  Cooper  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  a  man  of  sterling  quali- 
ties as  a  citizen. 

THOMAS  W.  COTTINGHAM,  merchant  and  blacksmith,  Wil- 
mington, was  born  near  Moore's  Hill,  in  Sparta  Township,  March  24, 
1838.  His  parents,  Caleb  T.,  and  Jane  (Mitchell)  Cottingham,  were  na- 
tives of  Maryland,  his  father  born  in  1805,  mother  in  1812.  They 
were  married  December  25,  1835,  and  raised  seven  children.  Their  par- 
ents moved  to  this  State  in  1823.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cottingham  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  was  killed  by  a  falling 
limb  November  2,  1867,  the  mother  died  in  1877.  Mr.  Thomas  W.  Cot- 
tingham, was  raised  on  a  farm  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time 
he  went  to  blacksmith  trade  and  started  in  business  in  1876.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Lucy  Lenover,  April  20, 1865.  She  was  born  in  Dillsborough, 
October  10,  1845.  By  this  union  were  born  three  children:  Anna  T., 
Minnie  S.  (born  November  17,  1867,  died  June  20,  1884),  and  Ordell. 
Minnie  S.,  was  the  wife  of  Edward M.  Congor,  and  Mr.  C,  is  raising  his 
grandchild,  Edna  P.  Congor,  who  was  born  June  1,  1884.  Mr.  Cotting- 
ham has  been  a  resident  of  Wilmington  since  February  25,  1867.  He 
is  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  536,1.  O.  O.  F.      The  entire  family 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  679 

belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal   Church.     He   was  elected  township 
trustee  in  1882. 

JAMES  P.  COULTER,  master  car-builder,  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Rail- 
road shops,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  Philadelphia 
May  29,  1835,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education.  His  par- 
ents, James  and  Jane  (Moore)  Coulter,  were  natives  of  Ireland;  the  for- 
mer was  born  October  21,  1797,  the  latter  October  10,  1796.  They  came 
to  America  in  1821,  and  located  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade,  bricklayer.and  stonemason,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  June 
24,  1846,  a<id  the  mother  followed  August  10,  1860.  James  P.  learned 
house  carpentering  when  fifteen  years  old,  and  followed  the  same  for  a 
livelihood  up  to  1863,  when  he  entered  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad 
shops  as  carpenter,  working  one  and  a  half  years  in  that  capacity,  then 
was  placed  in  charge  of  part  of  the  work  as  gang  foreman.  In  1873  he 
took  charge  of  the  car  department  on  the  Springfield  &  Illinois  South- 
eastern Railroad,  serving  there  for  three  years  and  nine  months,  until 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  purchased  the  road;  then  was  transferred  to 
Aurora,  Ind.,  and  given  charge  of  the  main  road  and  branches,  690 
miles  in  all.  December  9,  1853,  Mr.  Coulter  was  married  to  Miss  Cath- 
arine A.  Roan,  who  was  born  at  East  Greenville,  Stark  Co.,  Ohio,  Octo- 
ber 29,  1834.  They  are  the  parents  of  the  following  named  children: 
Emma  J.  M.,  Ida  E.,  Mary  A.,  George  P.  and  Ella  M.  C.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13; 
Aurora  Commandery  No.  17,  and  of  the  Indiana  Consistory,  at  Indiana- 
polis, and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

WILLIAM  H.  CRAIG,  M.  D.,  Rising  Sun,  is  a  native  of  Boyle 
County,  Ky.,  and  son  of  AVilliam  and  Sarah  J.  (Handley)  Craig,  the 
former  a  native  of  Rockcastle  County,  Ky.;  the  latter  of  New  Jersey. 
He  was  born  February  5,  1829.  Before  William  H.  was  born,  his 
father  died.  His  mother  remarried  and  died  in  Oakland,  Cal.,  in  July, 
1884,  at  the  age  of  seventy- eight  years.  Dr.  Craig's  early  years  were 
spent  in  school  at  Hanover  College,  Indiana,  and  Center  College,  Dan- 
ville, Ky.  On  giving  up  his  literary  studies,  he  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine with  Dr.  William  Palding,  of  Danville,  Ky.,  with  whom  he  remained 
two  years.  He  then  entered  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  of  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  spent  two  years,  graduating  in  1857.  After  two  years 
in  Mexico  he  went  to  California,  in  1859,  and  began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  the  Sacramento  County  Hospital,  where  he  remained  four 
years,  when  he  removed  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  continued  practice 
till  1866.  At  this  time  he  went  to  South  America  on  a  mining  expedi- 
tion in  the  United  States  of  Columbia  and  Ecquador,  being  gone  three 
years.     April  1,  1869,  he  landed  in  New  York,  and  in  June  of  the  same 


680  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

year  came  West  to  Stanford,  Ky.,  where  he  remained  about  two  years, 
spending  a  short  time  later  at  Petersburg.  About  1872  he  located  in 
Rising  Sun,  where  he  is  at  present  engaged  in  his  practice,  taking  rank 
among  the  best  practitioners  of  the  place.  Dr.  Craig  was  married  in 
December,  1869,  to  Mary  A.  Carson,  daughter  of  Judge  William  Carson, 
of  Eock  Castle  County,  Ky.  Three  children  were  born  to  them,  all  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Craig  passed  away  March  19,  1872. 
The  Doctor  is  a  man  of  rare  good  sense  and  principle,  and  possesses  con- 
siderable professional  skill.  His  brother.  Gen.  James  B.  Craig  (deceased 
since  1880),  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  of  New  York  City. 

THOMAS  E.  CRAIG,  M.  D.,  physician,  Manchester,  was  born  in 
Glenville  County,  Canada,  March  24,  1836,  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret 
Craig,  he  a  native  of  the  north  part  of  Ireland,  and  she  of  Canada.  Mr. 
John  Craig  was  born  in  1802,  and  immigrated  to  Canada  with  his  parents 
about  1820,  where  he  subsequently  married  and  settled  as  a  farmer,  as 
one  of  the  pioneers,  the  country  there  being  mostly  a  wilderness,  very 
sparsely  settled,  and  here  he  resided  until  near  the  close  of  his  life.  In 
1871  he  sold  his  farm  and  visited  his  son,  Dr.  T.  E.  Craig,  of  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  went  to  Cass  County, 
Mo.,  where  several  of  his  children  were  then  living,  where  he  died  in 
October,  1872.  His  widow  still  survives  and  resides  with  her  son.  They 
had  nine  children,  five  now  surviving — Thomas  E. ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
Dr.  Cunningham,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal. ;  Samuel  E.,  a  resident  of  Oregon; 
John  A.,  a  resident  of  Missouri  and  William  H.,  a  resident  of  Holden, 
Mo.  Dr.  Thomas  E.  Craig,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  after  completing 
his  studies  in  the  common  schools,  entered  the  grammar  school  of  Kempt- 
ville,  where  he  entered  upon  a  course  of  study  preparatory  to  entering 
college.  From  this  school  he  entered  Victoria  College  at  Coburg,  where 
he  spent  two  years;  thence  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  Toronto 
University,  at  Toronto,  where  he  spent  four  years,  graduating  in  1864. 
In  January,  1865,  he  came  to  this  county  and  formed  a  partnership  with 
Dr.  W.  H.  Terrell,  for  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Manchester. 
This  partnership  was  dissolved  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  Dr.  Terrell 
moving  away.  Dr.  Craig  continuing  his  practice  here.  Dr.  Craig  was 
united  in  marriage,  July  26,  1866,  with  Miss  Hattie  McMullen,  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  Ann  McMullen.  By  this  union  they  have  two  sons: 
Carlton  Sims,  born  February  22,  1869,  and  J.  Moray,  March  2,  1874. 

DANIEL  H.  CROZIER,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  resides  upon  Sec- 
tion 20,  the  old  home,  where  he  was  born  June  10,  1855.  His  parents, 
John  and  Angeline  (Wilson)  Crozier,  were  born  in  Miller  Township; 
father  January  10,  1809.  He  was  a  farmer  and  flat-boatman.  They 
raised  a  family  of  twelve   children.      He  served   as   representative  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  681 

term.  All  through  life  he  was  a  hard  working  man,  and  was  highly  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  January  2,  1882,  and  his  wife 
April  17,  1881 — Universalists  in  faith.  Mr.  Daniel  H.Crozier  was  mar- 
ried April  9,  1879,  to  Miss  Agnes  L.  Bainum,  daughter  of  Mr.  William 
Bainum,  who  was  born  May  15,  1857,  By  this  union  four  children: 
Blanche  L.,  Gracie  A.,  Franklin  D.,  Ethel  B.  Mr.  Crozier  is  a  member 
of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  536,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158, 
F.  &  A.  M.     Mrs.  Crozier  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

MARGARET  (ELDER)  CROZIER,  Hogan  Township,  resides  upon 
Section  23,  and  owns  160  acres.  She  is  the  widow  of  David  D.  Crozier, 
to  whom  she  was  married  December  15,  1874,  and  by  whom  she  had  four 
children-.  Edna,  Alma,  Maud  and  Carrie.  Her  husband  was  a  farmer, 
and  a  member  of  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  died  July 
11,  1883.  Mrs.  Crozier's  parents,  L.  G.  and  Jane  (Record)  Elder,  were 
natives  of  Maryland.  Her  father  was  born  in  1800,  and  died  in  Novem- 
ber, 1876;  her  mother  died  in  November  1878.  They  were  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

DAVID  V.  CULLEY,  see  page  180. 

THOMAS  CURTIS,  of  Center  Township,  was  born  near  Yorkshire, 
England,  in  1792,  and  immigrated  to  this  country  in  1810;  removed  to 
Dearborn  County  in  1824,  and  settled  in  Center  Township  on  the  farm 
that  his  son,  Joseph  D.  Curtis,  subsequently  lived  on.  He  was  a  man  of 
extraordinary  gifts.  Early  in  life  he  connected  himself  with  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  in  the  year  1826  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
and  continued  to  labor  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1843.  He  was  a  man  possessed  of  great  power  as  a  pulpit  orator,  and 
there  are  many  citizens  of  the  present  day  who  will  remember  his  power; 
a  man  who  will  ever  be  remembered  for  his  many  acts  of  charity,  and 
for  all  his  labors  in  the  church.  He  never  made  any  charge  or  received 
any  recompense,  and  no  man  in  his  day  possessed  more  power  and  influ- 
ence for  good  with  the  early  pioneers,  who  had  learned  to  honor  him  for 
the  many  noble  traits  of  his  character. 

JOSEPH  D.  CURTIS,  farmer,  Center  Township,  was  born  in  the 
same  on  Section  17,  January  9,  1826.  His  parents  were  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  (Adams)  Curtis,  the  former  being  for  years  one  of 
the  most  prominent  and  talented  ministers  in  the  Baptist  Church  in  the 
W^est.  A  sketch  of  him  will  be  found  above.  The  mother  was  born 
July  18,  1790,  and  the  marriage  was  celebrated  in  New  York  State  in 
1816.  She  died  May  31,  1873.  Our  subject  was  married  October  18, 
1849,  to  Miss  Armida  Rise,  who  was  born  on  Hogan  Creek  in  Manches- 
ter Township,  November  9,  1831.  By  this  union  four  children  have 
been  born,  namely:     Cell  H.,  bora  October  13,  1850,  now,in  Indianapo- 


682  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

lis;  E.  H.,  born  October  15,  1852,  now  in  Atlanta;  Henry  W.,born  Sep- 
tember 26,  1856,  now  in  Kansas  City;  Mamie  C,  born  March  1,  1865, 
now  Mrs  R.  E.  Chaffin,  at  Chester,  Ohio.  Mr.  Curtis  united  with  the 
Baptist 'Church  in  184-9,  and  his  estimable  wife  in  1848.  They  have 
been  consistent  members  ever  since.  He  is  one  of  the  church  trustees. 
He  has  been  school  trustee  and  reporter  for  the  agricultural  department 
at  Washington  City  for  years.  He  has  a  fine  body  of  land,  consisting  of 
148  acres  all   under  good  state  of  cultivation. 

FKANK  C.  DAM,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  was  born  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Denmark  February  13,  1855,  where  he  received  a  four 
years'  collegiate  course  at  Horsens  College.  His  parents,  Peter  J.,  and 
Wilhelmina  (Gyslofif)  Dam,  were  born  in  Denmark,  father  December  9, 
1821,  mother  January  25,  1827.  They  were  married  April  24,  1851,  and 
raised  eight  children,  the  mother  of  whom  died  August  7,  1881.  Mr. 
F.  C.  Dam  came  to  America  April  4,  1874,  and  located  near  Paris, 
III,  where  he  farmed  until  the  spring  of  1876,  at  which  time  he  moved 
to  Hogan  Township.  He  was  married,  December  28,  1876,  to  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Bruce,  a  native  of  Hogan  Township,  born  October  23,  1854, 
and  of  this  union  one  child  was  born — Peter  B.- -October  7,  1877.  Mr. 
Dam  is  an  industrious,  quiet,  law  abiding  citizen,  and  is  making  valu- 
able changes  upon  his  premises  in  the  way  of  improvement. 

JAMES  DANIEL,  retired.  Clay  Township,  an  old  and  highly  esteemed 
pioneer  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Va.,  May  7, 
1806.  His  parents,  William  and  Rebecca  (Ellis)  Daniel,  were  both  natives 
of  Virginia,  and  from  thence  in  about  1813,  immigrated  to  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  where  they  afterward  resided  until  death.  The  former 
was  three  times  married  and  was  the  father  of  twelve  children,  viz.: 
John,  Thomas,  James,  Elizabeth,  William,  Mary,  Joseph,  George  R., 
Tamson,  Johnson,  Susanna  and  Rachel.  James,  our  subject,  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  county  in  1813,  and  has  since  resided  here.  When 
about  sixteen  years  of  age  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  stonemason 
trade,  which  he  has  engaged  in  more  or  less  during  his  whole  life.  He 
was  married  in  this  county,  February  14,  1828,  to  Paulina  Morris,  by 
whom  he  had  eleven  children,  viz.:  Nathaniel  G-.,  John  W.,  David  M., 
William  H.,  Sarah  F.,  George  R.,  James,  Jesse,  Phebe  J.,  Robert  and 
Joseph.  His  wife  was  born  in  Tennessee,  September  16,  1809.  After 
his  marriage  he  settled  near  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  where  he  resided 
about  ten  years,  and  from  thence  removed  to  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  and  af- 
terward made  several  other  moves,  and  in  1850,  purchased  and  settled 
on  his  present  farm.  He  lost  his  wife  by  death,  June  25,  1872,  caused 
by  a  team  of  horses  running  off  and  throwing  her  out  of  the  wagon.  Mr. 
Daniel  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  683 

OAPT.  JOHN  DANIELS  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Dearborn 
County.  He  was  born  on  the  Brandywine,  noar  Chad's  Ford,Chester  Co., 
Penn.,  November  23,  1777.  His  mother  saw  the  British  cross  the  Ford, 
and  witnessed  the  progress  of  the  battle  till  the  smoke  of  the  pieces  ob- 
scured the  armies  from  view.  He  grew  up  in  his  native  county,  subse- 
quently moved  to  Virginia  and  there  married  Mary  Baldwin,  by  whom  he 
had  seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  living:  Belinda,  Maria,  William  A., 
Sarah  A.  and  Mary.  In  June,  1812,  he  came  with  the  family  to  Indiana 
and  located  in  this  county,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  August  26, 
1872.  In  1815  he  was  commissioned  captain  of  a  company  of  militia 
by  Gov,  Posey,  and  the  title  continued  in  full  recognition  by  bis  friends 
till  his  death.  Mrs.  Daniels  passed  away  in  1850.  Capt.  Daniels  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  till  his  farming  business 
became  so  extensive  as  to  demand  his  entire  attention.  He  accumulated 
considerable  property  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-live  years. 

DR.  A.  P.  DAUGHTERS,  physician  and  surgeon,  Moore's  Hill,  was 
born  near  that  village  August  12,  1831.  His  parents,  James  and  Sarah 
(Phillips)  Daughters,  were  natives  of  Delaware.  The  former  was 
a  son  of  Hudson  Daughters,  a  native  of  England,  and  was  born  about 
the  year  1760.  About  1774  he  and  one  of  his  brothers  were  stolen  from 
their  home  and  brought  to  the  United  States.  The  former  afterward 
settled  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  where  he  was  united  in  marriage,  and 
afterward  remained  until  death,  which  occurred  in  1840.  He  was  the 
father  of  eight  children,  viz.:  Samuel,  Hiram,  Gillis,  Randolph,  White- 
field,  Elizabeth,  Tobitha  and  James,  the  father  of  our  subject,the  second 
member  of  the  family.  He  was  born  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  December 
21,  1788.  When  about  nineteen  years  of  age  he  began  sailing  on  the 
seas,  which  he  followed  for  nine  years,  and  in  nearly  every  capacity  from 
a  common  sailor  to  a  sea  captain.  After  he  retired  from  the  sea  he  again 
located  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  and  was  there  united  in  marriage  Janu- 
asy  21,  1818,  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  Phillips;  she  was 
also  born  in  Sussex  County,  Del.,  August  11,  1797.  In  1820  Mr. 
Daughters  and  his  family  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  first 
locating  at  Lawrenceburgh  for  a  few  months,  and  from  thence  in  the 
same  fall  settled  on  land  in  Sparta  Township,  where  he  afterward  re- 
mained until  death.  He  was  among  the  early  pioneers  of  Dearborn 
Covmty,  and  well  understood  the  hardships  and  inconveniences  of  a  fron- 
tier life.  He  labored  hard  to  subdue  the  forest  and  cultivate  the  land, 
which  was  then  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness.  He  was  an  en- 
terprising and  accommodating  citizen,  and  was  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  died  February  17,  1843,  his  widow  surviving  until  Octo- 
ber 6,  1878.  They  were  both    devoted    members  of  the   Baptist  Chui'ch; 


684  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  namely:  Keturah  A.,  James,  Eliza- 
beth,  Franklin,  William  T.,  Sarah  R.  and  Andrew  P.,  our  subject,  be- 
ing^ the  fifth  member  of  the  family.  He  was  educated  at  Asbury 
University,  of  Greencastle,  Ind ,  after  which  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school  for  some  time,  and  in  the  spring  of  1854  began  the  study  of  med 
icine,  William  H.  Terrill,  M.  D.,  of  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  being  his  pre- 
ceptor. In  the  same  fall  he  attended  the  Miami  Medical  College  of  Cin 
cinnati,  Ohio,  taking  the  fall  and  spring  course,  and  afterward  resum- 
ing his  studies.  In  the  fall  of  1857  he  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
at  Moore's  Hill.  November  29,  1860,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Altha  A.,  daughter  of  Morton  and  Dorcas  (Eaton)  Justis;  she  was  born 
in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  July  4,  1842.  In  1861  Dr.  Daughters  entered 
the  war,  enlisting  in  May  in  Company  A,  Eighteenth  Indiana  Infantry. 
He  was  made  first  lieutenant,  and  October  10  of  the  same  year  was 
promoted  to  assistant  surgeon,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  December 
6,  1862,  at  which  time  he  was  promoted  to  surgeon,  and  served  in  this 
capacity  until  after  the  close  of  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  when  he  re- 
signed on  account  of  poor  health  and  returned  to  Moore's  Hill.  After 
the  restoration  of  his  health  he  resumed  his  practice,  which  he  has  since 
pursued.  May  14.  1881,  Mrs.  Daughters  departed  this  life.  Their 
nine  children,  were:  Perry  M.  (deceased),  Frank  H.  (deceased),  De- 
borah J.,  Peter  B.,  Andrew  N.,  Sarah  B.,  James  E.,  Eugene  P.  and  Anna 
P.  Dr.  Daughters  is  a  highly  respected  citizen,  and  is  regarded  as  a 
skillful  and  scientifie  physician.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
also  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  a  man  of  ripe  experience  and  general  in- 
formation.    In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

HARRISON  DAWSON,  farmer,  Miller  Township,  one  of  the  oldest 
native  residents  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  the  house  in  which  he 
now  resides,  in  the  year  1813.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Jackson) 
Dawson,  his  father  being  the  first  settler  on  Tanner's  Creek.  He  was 
born  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  where  there  is  still  a  large  family 
of  the  descendants,  the  Jacksons  a  Iso  coming  from  Maryland.  He  was 
reared  in  Loudon  County,  Va. ,  and  when  a  young  man  immigrated  to 
Tennessee  and  from  there  to  Georgetown,  Ky.,  where  he  married  and 
immediately  after  came  to  this  locality  in  1799,  making  the  trip  on  horse- 
back and  bringing  his  effects  by  that  method  of  transportation.  He  en- 
tered all  the  land  in  the  vicinity  of  "Georgetown,"  this  county,  which 
was  afterward  settled  by  the  Jacksons  and  a  few  other  families.  He 
also  entered  other  tracts  in  later  years  and  owned  at  the  time  of  his 
death  about  2,000  acres,  his  business  having  been  confined  chiefly  to 
dealing  in  real  estate.  He  died  in  April,  1848,  leaving  eight  chil- 
dren, only    two   of  whom  survive,  Harrison  and  Huldah   Johnston,  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  685 

latter  now  a  resident  of  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  departed  this  life  in  1822.  His  second  was  Rachel  Blackwell  (nee 
Downing).  He  was  a  man  of  great  power  of  endurance,  force  of  char- 
acter and  intellect,  and  was  possessed  of  a  large  fund  of  information, 
considering  his  educational  facilities.  He  first  settled  at  "Cambridge" 
(now  Pella),  and  afterward  kept  a  hotel,  having  a  government  lease,  on 
which  he  lived  about  seven  years  prior  to  his  moving  to  the  Guilford 
neighborhood  in  1806,  in  which  year  he  built  the  house  still  standing, 
in  which  our  subject  was  born,  as  stated  above.  He  was  residing  at 
"Cambridge"  when  Kibbie,  the  French  emigrant  passed  through  this 
county  from  Cincinnati  to  Vincennes.  Reuben  Dawson,  his  eldest  son, 
studied  law,  and  in  1832  went  to  Ft.  Wayne  as  clerk  to  his  brother-in- 
law,  Spenper,  who  was  appointed  receiver  of  public  money  at  that  point 
by  President  Jackson.  He  subsequently  became  judge  of  the  circuit  court 
for  the  District  of  Ft.  Wayne,  and  died  in  that  locality  in  the  fall  of 
1848.  A  younger  son,  John  Dawson,  also  became  a  lawyer  and  in  1862 
was  appointed  Governor  of  Utah  Territory,  officiating  as  such  till  his 
opposition  to  the  Mormom  Church  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  flee  the 
country.  He  subsequently  became  editor  of  the  Ft.  Wayne  Times  and 
died  in  1879.  Harrison  Dawson,  the  pioneer  whose  name  begins  this 
sketch  was  reared  to  maturity  in  the  vicinity  of  "Cambridge,"  working 
on  the  farm  with  his  father  till  twenty- one  years  of  age,  and  receiving 
his  education  in  the  "Cambridge  Academy."  He  was  married  in  1833  to 
Charlotte  J.  Dowden, daughter  of  Samuel  H  Dowden,  and  by  this  wife  he 
has  eight  children  living :  John  H. ;  Susanna,  wife  of  Thomas  Hall ;  Thomas 
J.;  Hannah  A.,  wife  of  R.  H.  Smith;  Ruth,  wife  of  Theodore  Smith; 
William  H. ,  Ella  G.,  wife  of  Charles  Jenkins,  and  Huldah  J.,  wife  of 
Wylie  Liddle.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Dawson  settled  down  on  the  farm 
and  began  operations  for  himself,  having  always  conducted  a  general 
farming  business  in  which  he  has  been  very  successful.  He  inherited 
one-eighth  of  his  father's  estate,  purchased  the  shares  of  the  other  heirs, 
and  now  owns  250  acres  of  land,  thus  being  well  provided  for  in  his  late 
years.  A  part  of  his  residence  was  built  in  1806,  its  walls  containing 
the  port  holes  which  were  made  to  render  service  in  defense  against  the 
Indians  of  that  day.  On  the  farm  was  also  erected  a  government  block- 
house which  was  intended  for  a  similar  purpose.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dawson 
have  shared  the  trials  as  well  as  the  joys  of  life  together  for  more  than 
fifty  years,  and  are  now  enjoying,  so  far  as  health  and  age  will  permit, 
the  reward  of  their  long  period  of  industrious  sacrifice. 

THOMAS  DAVIS,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  resides  on  his 
farm  of  eighty-one  acres  in  Section  10,  and  also  owns  seventy  acres  in 
-Section  3.     His  premises  are  well  improved,  and  land  under  a  good  state 


686  HLSTORV  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

of  cultivation.  He  is  one  of  the  active,  leading  farmers  of  the  township, 
and  was  born  in  Kent  County,  Del.,  March  29,  1816.  His  parents, 
Thomas  and  Levicy  (Guilett)  Davis,  were  born  in  Delaware,  where  his 
father  followed  farming  up  to  his  death.  In  1834  his  mother  with  the 
children  moved  to  this  county,  where  she  died  March  1,  1860,  in  her 
eighty-third  year.  In  1836  Mr.  Davis  began  fiat-boating,  at  which  he 
continued  up  to  1859,  since  then  has  been  a  farmer.  He  was  married, 
April  18,  1844,  to  Miss  Temperance  Wheeler,  who  was  born  June  29, 
1827,  and  by  this  union  were  born  thirteen  children:  Elizabeth,  Thomas, 
John  W.,  Mary,  Wilson  W.,  Levicy,  William,  Joseph,  Julia,  Anna,  Mar- 
garet and  Emma  T.  One  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Davis  has  always  en- 
deavored to  encourage  every  laudable  enterprise.  He  and  his  wife  are 
now  enjoying  the  fruit  of  a  well  spent  life. 

WILLIAM  T.  DAY,  undertaker,  Aurora,  oflSce  on  Main  between 
Second  and  Importing  Streets,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Delhi  Town- 
ship, Hamilton  County  (near  Cincinnati),  June  20,  1820,  and  obtained  a 
very  limited  education.  His  father,  John  Day,  was  born  in  Red  Stone, 
Penn.,  and  his  mother,  Ruth  (Terry)  Day,  was  born  in  Ohio.  His  father 
came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1812,  and  followed  farming.  William  T. 
Day  came  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  in  the  fall  of  1854,  and  began  carpentering. 
He  was  married,  December  18,  1858,  to  Miss  Mary  Mophamore,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania.  To  them  have  been  boi-n  nine  children:  William  D., 
George,  Ida,  Callie,  Harry,  Charlie,  Jennie,  Blanche  and  Eddie.  Mr. 
Day  continued  carpentering  up  to  1873,  when  he  engaged  in  his  present 
business.  He  attends  promptly  to  all  calls  in  his  line,  making  use  of  one 
of  the  best  embalming  processes.      He  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  citizen. 

CHARLES  DECKER,  superintendent  and  manager  of  the  Ohio  Val- 
ley Coffin  Manufactory,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Germany,  in  the 
year  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Diedrich  Decker,  who  is  a  native  of  the  same 
country,  and  also  a  resident.  In  1856  Mr.  Decker  bade  adieu  to  "  father- 
land,'' and  immigrated  to  Canada,  where  he  learned  the  cabinet-maker's 
trade,  remaining: there  till  1863,  when  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh.  He 
was  here  employed  in  a  furniture  factory  till  1872,  when  he  purchased 
an  interest  in  the  Ohio  Valley  Coffin  Factory,  and  began  work  in  the 
same  at  the  bench,  which  he  has  since  continued,  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent.  In  1874  the  company  manifested  its  appreciation  of  his  honor 
and  ability  by  making  him  superintendent  and  manager  of  the  estab- 
lishment, which  position  his  efficiency  has  since  warranted  his  holding. 
Mr.  Decker  was  married,  in  1866,  to  Mary  Brauer,  by  whom  he  has  four 
children — George,  Katie,  Emma,  and  Charles.  He  is  a  live,  energetic 
business  man,  and  an  important  factor  in  the  enterprise  with  which  he  is 
connected. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  687 

SAMUEL  DICKINSON,  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the  older  residents 
of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  1832.  His  father,  Townsend  Dickin- 
son, came  from  Onondaga,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  in  this  county  in  1816 
or  1818,  and  resided  here  till  his  death,  in  1863.  His  mother,  Sophia 
(Sterns)  Dickinson,  was  also  a  native  of  New  York,  and  died  when  our 
subject  was  a  child.  IMr.  Dickinson  grew  up  on  the  farm,  but  learned 
the  carpenter  trade  with  his  father  when  quite  young,  and  followed  this 
occupation  for  several  years.  In  1873  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and 
began  business  as  an  undertaker,  or  funeral  director,  and  this  he  has 
since  continued  very  successfully.  In  1883  his  stock  of  goods  was  des- 
troy ed!JorMamaged  by  the  flood  of  that  year,  and  since  that  time  he  has 
not  kept  the  usual  supply  on  hand,  although  giving  his  attention  to  the 
regular  management  of  the  business.  Mr.  Dickinson  was  married,  in 
January,  1857,  to  Catherine  E.  Marsh,  a  native  of  Union  County,  Ind., 
daughter  of  Abraham  and  Hannah  (Suman)  Marsh,  both  natives  of 
England.  Her  father  died  at  Wichita,  Kas.,  in  1878;  her  mother  was 
accidentally  killed  by  a  railroad  train,  September  11,  1880.  Of  the 
five  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickinson,  but  two  are  living — 
Anna  and  Mabel.  The  deceased  are  Townsend,  Helen  and  Katie.  Mr. 
Dickinson  is  now  serving  as  township  trustee,  holding  the  office  for  a 
second  term.  He  is  an  affable  gentleman,  a  live  business  man,  an  ear- 
nest political  worker  of  the  Democratic  persuasion,  and  is  held  in  high 
esteem  by  the  citizens  of  his  community. 
GEN.  JAMES  DILL,  see  page  148. 

EDWIN  B.  DOBELL,  manufacturer,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in 
Staplehurst,  Kent  County,  England,  in  1818— forty-eight  miles  from 
London.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Dobell,  who  was  born,  lived  and  died 
in  England.  His  grandmother  was  named  Hyde — a  sister  to  the  two 
Hjde  brothers,  who  left  the  immense  fortune  in  England.  In  1829  Mr. 
Dobell  immigrated  to  this  country  with  an  uncle  and  aunt,  and  came 
down  the  Ohio  in  a  boat  constructed  by  themselves.  He  resided  with  his 
uncle  during  his  minority,  who  educated  him  in  the  Granville  (Ohio) 
College.  His  uncle  conducted  a  furniture  store,  with  whom  he  worked 
eleven  years.  In  1840  he  was  married  (October  5),  to  Harriet  Luck,  a 
resident  of  Cincinnati,  daughter  of  William  Luck,  who  kept  a  hotel  on 
Sycamore  Street,  opposite  the  National  Theatre.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
Dobell  began  business  for  himself.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
and  worked  at  the  same  for  some  time.  He  then  purchased  some  lum- 
ber and  began  the  manufacture  of  furniture  in  a  small  way.  His  business 
gradually  and  rapidly  increased  till  he  became  the  proprietor  of  two  ex- 
tensive factories.  In  1863  one  of  these  was  destroyed  by  lire,  resulting 
in  a  loss  of  $30,000,  and  in  1864  he  came  to  Lawrencebui-gh,    where  he 


688  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

purchased  the  Lawrenceburgh  factory  of  J.  H.  Burkam,  and  proceeded  to 
business  again.  In  1875  this  factory  was  destroyed  by  the  flames  by 
which  Mr.  Dobell  incurred  a  second  loss  of  about  $30,000.  The  insti- 
tution was  again  rebuilt  and  refurnished,  and  he  continued  the  business 
till  the  fall  of  1884,  when  it  passed  out  of  his  hands.  Mr.  Dobell's  in- 
terests suffered  largely  by  the  recent  floods,  and  with  his  declining  years 
the  business  of  his  manufactory  also  became  reduced,  forcing  him  to  an 
assignment  at  the  date  above  given.  In  his  time  he  has  done  an  exten- 
sive business.  In  his  old  age  he  counts  his  total  losses  by  tire,  flood  and 
securities,  at  not  less  than  $165,000.  He  bears  hie  reverses  with  forti- 
tude, however,  and  even  in  the  ruins  of  a  fortune  which  was  earned  by 
honest  industry,  he  still  preserves  the  equanimity  of  mind  and  the  gen- 
tleness of  spirit  which  have  characterized  him  in  every  relation  and  con- 
dition of  life. 

EDWARD  DOBER,  merchant  tailor,  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  business  men  of  that  city,  is  a  native  of  Germa- 
ny, born  in  1851.  He  was  educated  in  his  native  country  and  there 
learned  his  trade,  tailoring.  In  1872  he  immigrated  to  America  and 
came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  was  employed  by  the  firm  of  Coch  & 
Klepper  till  1878,  when  he  purchased  Coch's  interest  and  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  establishment,  continuing  two  years.  He  then  withdrew  from 
the  firm  and  returned  to  Germany  to  restore  his  failing  health,  but  came 
back  in  the  same  year  and  worked  in  the  employ  of  Klepper  till  July, 
1884,  when  he  established  himself  in  business  at  No.  36  Walnut  Street, 
where  he  still  remains.  By  fair  dealing  and  first-class  work  he  has 
gained  a  liberal  patronage,  which  a  continuation  of  his  honorable  policy 
is  sure  to  increase.  Mr.  Dober  was  married  in  1874,  to  Catharine  Gard- 
ner, who  died  in  1880,  leaving  one  child,  Eda,  born  in  1876.  In  May, 
1881,  he  was  wedded  to  Josephine  Morgan  and  they  have  two  children: 
Frederick  and  Edward.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dober  are  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church. 

HAZELETT  E.  DODD  of  Rising  Sun,  is  a  son  of  David  and  Lutitia 
(Hazelett)  Dodd,  both  natives  of  Ireland  ;  the  former  coming  to  America 
in  1798.  Their  marriage  occurred  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  and  next 
they  settled  at  Limestone,  Ky.  (now  Maysville).  In  1811  or  1812,  the 
family  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  in  1823  to  Rising  Sun,  the 
father  dying  in  Kentucky.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Pittsburgh,  Penn., 
June  19,  1808.  He  received  but  a  limited  education  and  learned  the 
tanning  business  partly  in  Cincinnati  and  partly  at  Rising  Sun.  For  six 
years  from  1828,  Mr.  Dodd  was  engaged  in  carrying  on  a  tannery  at  Cross 
Plains  in  Ripley  County,  he  then  returned  to  Rising  Sun  and  for  two 
years  carried  ou  a  store  aboard   a  flat-boat  on  the  river  ;  he  next  located 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  689 

at  RisiDg  Sun  and  up  to  1844  flat-boating  was  his  principal  occapation, 
in  the  meantime  he  was  engaged  in  building  a  number  of  houses  in  the 
village  which  contributed  to  the  spread  and  growth  of  the  place.  From 
1845  to  1866,  Mr.  Dodd  was  one  of  the  most  active  of  the  business  men 
of  Rising  Sun,  during  which  period  he  carried  on  an  extensive  drv  goods 
and  grocery  store  on  what  is  known  as  the  Gibson  Corner.  In  the  fall 
of  1852  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  serving  in  the  session  of 
1853,  was  made  chairman  of  the  important  committee  of  ways  and 
means.  In  politics  our  subject  is  a  Democrat,  and  for  twenty  years  or 
more  was  chairman  of  the  central  committee  of  Ohio  County.  He  has 
been  closely  identified  with  the  internal  improvements  of  the  county  and 
the  general  growth  of  the  city  of  Rising  Sun.  Mr.  Dodd  has  been  three 
times  married,  his  first  wife  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Hart,  whom  he  married, 
in  1831,  and  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  William.  His  second  wife 
was  Anna  Belle  Boyd,  the  marriage  occurring  in  1845.  Two  children 
were  born  to  this  union,  both  now  dead.  In  1853  he  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  Cornelia  A.  Craft,  to  which  union  five  children  have  been 
born.      In  1866  Mr.  Dodd  retired  from  active  business. 

HENRY  DOERFLIN,  blacksmith,  St.  Leon,  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Penn.,  July  15,  1835.  His  parents,  John  and  Lucy  Doerflin, 
were  both  natives  of  Germany,  and  from  thence  immigrated  to  the  Uni- 
ted States  in  about  1833,  settling  first  in  Pennsylvania.  From  there  they 
removed  to  St.  Peters,  Franklin  Co. ,  Ind. ,  where  he  died,  she  after- 
ward moving  to  St.  Leon,  where  she  also  passed  away.  Their  children  were 
Mary  Ann,  Heury,  Joseph,  John,  Michael,  Adam,  Elizabeth  and  Mary. 
Henry,  our  subject,  the  second  member  of  the  family,  came  with  his 
parents  to  Franklin  County,  Ind.,  and  in  1851  to  St.  Leon,  and  began 
the  blacksmith  trade.  In  1857  he  opened  up  a  shop  for  himself,  and 
has  since  continued  the  same,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years.  He 
was  married  in  St.  Leon,  Ind.,  in  1859,  to  Mary  Wilhelm,  by  whom  he 
has  had  born  to  him  ten  children,  viz.:  Henry  J.,  Elizabeth,  Jacob, 
Michael  (deceased),  Alfred,  Isabelle,  John,  George,  Caroline  and  Hugo. 
Mr.  Doerflin  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  He  is  a 
gentleman  in  character,  and  is  well  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

JOHN  H.  DONSELMANN,  miller  and  farmer,  Clay  Township,  is  a 
native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  where  he  was  born  November  20,  1827. 
His  parents  John  D.  and  Margaret  S.  Donselmann  were  natives  of  the 
same  place,  and  immigrated  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in.  1847,  where  they 
afterward  resided  until  death.  The  mother  died  in  the  year  1351,  at 
the  age  of  fifty- two  years;  the  father,  in  1853,  at  the  age  of  fifty  five 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  viz.:  Caroline,  Eliza- 
beth, and  John  H.     The  latter,  the  eldest  member  of  the  family,  and  the 


690  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

only  son,  came  with  his  parents  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1847,  where  he  in 
partnei'ship  with  his  father,  carried  on  a  tailoring  establishment  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  was  married  at  Cincinnati,  March  13,  1850,  to 
Sophia Klinkarmann,  who  was  also  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  September 
4,  1830.  In  1854  Mr.  Donselmann  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  and 
purchased  and  settled  on  the  same  farm  where  he  at  pres.ent  resides,  and 
has  engaged  in  farming  and  milling  since.  He  owns  seventy  acres  of 
land,  on  which  stands  the  large  and  commodious  flouring  and  saw-mill, 
known  as  Donselmann's  Mills,  and  where  he  also  resides.  He  also  owns, 
in  partnership  with  his  son-in-law,  Herman  Droge,  the  Aurora  Flouring 
Mills.  He  has  had  born  to  him  eight  children,  viz. :  John  H.  (de- 
ceased), Anna  M.,  Margaret  (deceased),  Margaret  C,  Frederick  (deceased), 
William  F.,  Emma  C.  and  Marmon  G.  Mr.  Donselmann  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  DORMAN,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  son  of  Elijah  and 
Elizabeth  (Shockley)  Dorman,  who  immigrated  to  Sparta  Township, 
Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  in  the  twenties,  from  near  Salisbury,  Worcester 
Co.,  Md.,  lives  on  the  same  farm  he  moved  to  when  married,  in  1832,  in 
Manchester  Township,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.  His  wife  was  Jane  Truitt,  a 
daughter  of  Riley  and  Elizabeth  Truitt,  who  immigrated  with  his  wife 
and  her  widowed  mother  from  near  Salisbury,  Worcester  Co.,  Md.,  in 
I8l8,  and  settled  in  the  unbroken  wilderness  near  the  spot  now  occupied 
by  the  village  of  Sparta,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.  Jane  (Truitt)  Dorman 
remembers  many  of  the  stirring  incidents  of  that  early  period.  John 
Dorman  and  wife  reared  a  family  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  The 
sons  are  Frank  R.,  John  S.,  H.  J.  and  Charles  W. ;  the  daughter,  Amer- 
ica A.  Frank  R.  Dorman,  the  eldest  son,  was  educated  at  Asbury  (since 
Depauw)  University,  Greencastle,  Ind.,  and  at  the  Indiana  State  Univer- 
sity at  Bloomington,  holding  diplomas  and  degrees  from  both  uni- 
versities; has  held  many  positions  of  trust  through  the  preference  of 
his  fellow  citizens;  served  ^several  years  as  township  trustee,  and  sheriff 
of  Dearborn  County  two  terms;  is  at  present  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising in  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  stands  deservedly 
high  for  enterprise  and  integrity.  His  grandfather,  referred  to  above, 
was  the  first  white  man  known  to  have  died  in  Sparta  Township,  and  his 
funeral  was  pi'eached  by  Daniel  Plummer,  a  pioneer  preacher  of  fine 
ability,  who  spent  his  life  in  the  county.  John  S.  Dorman,  the  third 
son,  is  a  flourishing  merchant  in  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  is 
held  in  high  esteem  for  his  sterling  qualities.  He  was  educated  at 
Moore's  Hill  College.  H.  J.  Dorman,  the  secoud  son,  was  educated  at 
what  was,  in  its  prime,  the  first  educational  institution  in  the  county, 
the  Wilmington  Academy,  and   afterward  studied   medicine   with  Dr.  S. 


BIOGEArHICAL   SKETCHES.  691 

B.  Chamberlain;  graduated  in  the  Chicago  Medical  School,  and  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  half  of  the  States  and  Territories,  until  broken  in 
health  he  returned  to  the  farm  where  he  was  born.  Charles  W.  Dor- 
man  was  educated  at  iVIoore's  Hill  College;  learned  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness with  his  brother,  and  now  has  a  government  position  in  the  railway 
postal  service.  John  Dorman  and  his  estimable  lady,  Jane  (Truitt) 
Dorman,  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  in  February,  1883,  and  every 
child  ever  born  to  them  sat  down  to  dinner  with  them  that  day,  after 
fifty  years  of  married  life.  None  of  their  children  or  grandchildren 
ever  having  died  up  to  that  time. 

J.  S.  DORMAN,  the  popular  dry  goods  and  clothing  dealer  of  Law- 
renceburgh,  is  a  native  of  Dearborn  County.  He  is  a  son  of  John  S.  Dor- 
man, of  Manchester  Township,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  esteemed 
residents  of  this  county.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  and 
at  Moore's  Hill  College,  wielding  the  pedagogic  wand  occasionally  in  the 
meantime.  In  1873  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  opened  up  a  dry 
goods  store  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  Frank  Dorman,  with  whom 
he  continued  in  business  till  1879.  He  then  became  sole  proprietor  of 
the  establishment,  and  now  has  one  of  the  leading  mercantile  houses  of 
Lawrenceburgh.  He  is  located  on  the  corner  of  High  and  Short  Streets,, 
and  carries  a  full  stock  of  dry  goods,  notions,  clothing,  etc.,  valued  at 
$10,000  to  $15,000.  In  1882  the  original  building  was  destroyed  by 
tire,  and  the  present  substantial  brick  structure  has  since  been  erected. 
Mr.  Dorman  was  married,  in  1878,  to  Mrs.  Nancy  (Hayes)  Guard, 
daughter  of  Isaac  Hayes,  her  father,  an  old  and  esteemed  resident  of 
this  county.  Mr.  D.  is  one  of  the  most  genial  and  substantial  merchants 
of  the  town,  and  well  merits  the  large  and  lucrative  patronage  which  his 
fair  dealing  and  other  sterling  qualities  as  a  business  man  and  citizen 
have  secured  to  him.  Mr.  Dorman  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
also  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

DANIEL  DORREL,  of  Rising  Sun,  one  of  the  older  residents  and 
substantialjfarmers  of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio, 
in  1815.  His  parents,  William  and  Mary  (Light)  Dorrel,  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  respectively;  his  grand- 
father, Jacob  Light,  having  laid  out  the  town  of  New  Richmond,  in  the 
latter  county.  His  father  came  West  to  Ohio,  when  a  young  man,  and 
married  in  Clermont  County,  and  in  1819,  came  to  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  settling  seven  miles  west  of  Rising  Sun.  He  there  purchased 
land  and  reared  a  family  of  twelve  children,  who  grew  to  maturity  and 
married,  a  thirteenth  dying  at  seventeen  years  of  age.  The  father  died 
in  1854;  the  mother  about  1859.  Daniel  Dorrel.  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  resided  with    his   parents   till 


692  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he  began  operations  on  his  own  respon- 
sibility. For  many  years  he  was  a  keeper  of  tine  breeding  horses  and 
did  much  in  his  line  to  improve  the  stock  of  Ohio  County  and  vicinity. 
Later,  he  dealt  in  real  estate,  buying  and  selling  several  small  tracts,  being 
fairly  successful  in  his  deals.  Up  to  the  age  of  nearly  forty  years,  Mr. 
Dorrel's  household  was  in  charge  of  two  maiden  sisters,. but  in  March, 
1855,  he  married  Rebecca  Rand,  of  Dearboi-n  County,  Inc.,  daughter  of 
Corder  and  Mary  (Keffer)  Rand,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in 
1800,  the  latter,  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  1808.  Her  grandfather, 
Thomas  Rand,  settled  in  this  county  with  his  family,  in  1811,  locating 
on  Laughery  Creek.  He  served  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  it  is 
believed  in  the  war  of  1812.  also.  Mrs.  Dorrel's  parents  were  married 
November  15,  1827.  Her  father  died  October  28,  1882,  her  mother  Jan- 
uary 3,  1879.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dorrel  have  four  children  living:  Mary 
Ann,  wife  of  Ed  P.  Gleaaon;  Eugene,  who  married  Anna  B.  Collins; 
Josephines.  R.,  and  William  R. ,  who  are  still  at  home.  Mr.  Dorrel 
has  been  chiefly  engaged  in  farming,  but  spent  five  years  in  the  butcher- 
ing business,  and  seven  years  in  dairy.  He  has  now  practically  retired 
from  active  labor,  and  with  Mrs.  Dorrel  is  enjoying  the  comforts  obtained 
by  their  earlier  years  of  industry. 

JACOB  DORREL,  of  Ohio  County  was  born  at  New  Richmond,  Ohio, 
in  1801,  and  came  with  his  father  William  Dorrel,  to  Ohio  County  in 
1820.  They  settled  on  what  was  subsequently  called  the  Dorrel  home- 
stead, near  the  old  Richardson  farm,  where  they  lived  for  some  time  in 
a  log  hut,  without  floor,  door,  windows  or  chinking,  covered  with  bnish, 
doing  their  cooking  out  of  doors,  by  a  log  heap.  Their  meat  they  pro- 
cured in  the  woods,  and  bread  from  corn  which  they  bought  in  Ken- 
tucky and  had  ground  at  Lawrencebiirgh.  Our  subject  was  married  to 
Polly  Alexander,  and  in  1830  removed  to  Johnston  County,  this  State, 
where  he  accumulated  considerable  wealth  and  raised  a  family  of  four- 
teen children, twelve  of  whom  reached  man  and  womanhood  and  he  lived 
to  see  them  married.     His  death  occurred  in  1881. 

DANIEL  DORREL,  stock  dealer,  Washington  Township,  was  born 
in  Ohio  County,  November  11,  1840,  where  he  received  a  common 
school  education.  His  father  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  July  12, 
1813;  mother,  Rebecca  (Dowman)  Dorrel,  in  West  Virginia,  March 
4,  1811.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  raised  a  family  of  nine 
children:  Cyrus,  William,  Isabella,  Daniel,  Polly,  Samuel,  Rebecca, 
Peter  and  Isaac.  The  mother  died  August  22,  1882.  She  lived  to  see 
twenty-three  out  of  twenty-five  of  her  grandchildren  grow  up,  and 
the  two  who  failed  to  survive  her  died  in  infancy.  Daniel  has  always 
dealt  in  stock.      He  came  to  this    countv  in  1875.      He  was    married. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  693 

November  22,  1865,  to  Miss  Nancy  Baker,  who  was  bora  in  Switzer- 
land County,  Ind.,  May  8,  1848.  By  this  union  there  are  two 
bright  children:  Arnold  W.,  born  December  31,  1866,  Relle,  born  Janu- 
ary 8,  1870.  Mr.  Dorrel  is  a  very  successful  farmer  and  enjoys  an  ex- 
cellent reputation  for  citizenship. 

VIRGIL  DOWDEN,  Guilford,  a  native  of  Dearborn  County  was 
born  in  1813,  on  the  site  of  what  is  now  the  Greendale  Cemetery.  His 
father,  Samuel  H.  Dowden,  came  to  this  county  from  Hampshire  County, 
Va.,  in  1810.  He  was  of  English  descent,  the  family  having  long  been 
residents  of  that  part  of  Virginia.  His  mother  was  Sophia  McCracken, 
of  Irish  parentage.  His  father  entered  land  (160  acres),  on  which  tract 
one  of  the  old  government  block- houses  was  stationed.  He  was  engaged 
chiefly  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  reared  a  family  of  nine  children  by 
his  first  wife  and  three  by  his  second,  whose  maiden  name  was  Ann  Eliza 
Holton.  The  first  wife  died  at  Westport,  Decatur  Co.,  Ind.,  in  1842, 
whither  Mr.  Dowden  had  moved  in  1841.  He  departed  this  life  in  1855. 
Like  most  other  farmer's  boys,  Virgil  Dowden  worked  with  his  parents 
on  the  farm  till  grown  to  maturity,  in  fact  till  his  twenty-fourth  or 
twenty-fifth  year.  He  then  began  business  on  his  own  resources  and 
judgment,  farming  and  trading,  and  thus  he  has  since  successfully  con- 
tinued for  a  period  of  near  fifty  years.  In  1838  he  purchased  a  portion 
of  the  home  farm,  and  in  1840  the  remainder,  but  subsequently  sold  out 
though  he  still  owns  a  portion  of  the  old  farm.  His  real  estate  comprises 
about  210  acres,  most  of  which,  if  not  all,  he  has  earned  by  hard  labor, 
Mr.  Dowden  was  married  in  1838,  to  Margaret  Jackson,  a  daughter  of 
Ezekiel  Jackson,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  this  county.  Their  three 
living  children  are  Amos,  Jane  and  Fannie,  the  latter  now  the  wife  of 
James  H.  Hayes.  Ezekiel  Jackson  came  to  this  locality  with  his  father 
about  1798  or  1800,  from  Maryland.  There  were  three  brothers,  and 
each  had  quite  a  large  family.  Mr.  Dowden  has  always  been  a  hard 
worker  and  is  rewarded  for  his  labor  by  a  handsome  competency  for  his 
closing  years.  For  forty-sis  years  he  has  had  the  society  of  the  wife  of 
his  youth  and  their  prospects  for  a  "golden  wedding"  seem  fair.  He  is 
serving  a  second  term  as  justice  of  the  peace,  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  a  true  rejiresentative  of  one  of  the  real  pioneer  families,  a 
class  of  citizens  fast  passing  from^the  scenes  of  their  early  trials. 

"MAJOR"  DOWDEN,  saddler  and  harness- maker  of  Lawrenceburgh, 
is  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  that  city  and  Dearborn  County.  He 
was  born  near  Lawrenceburgh,  and  in  his  early  years  learned  the  saddler's 
trade,  which  has  been  the  chief  occupation  of  his  life.  By  industry 
and  a  well  regulated  economy  he  ^has  amassed  a  comfortable  fortune, 
in    the    management    of    which    he   judiciously    holds    an    eye   on   the 


694  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

future.  The  "  Major  '  has  always  been  an  acute  observer  and  a  close, 
intelligent  reader,  noting  carefully  the  drift  of  events  through  which  he 
has  passed;  and  within  the  court  of  his  own  mind  he  has  developed  a 
philosophy  that  rivals  that  of  the  Greek  stoics.  He  discusses  general 
topics  with  much  ease  and  cleverness,  and  though  rather  eccentric  and 
of  an  acetic  cast  of  mind  the  "  Major "  yet  possesses  a  vein  of  socia- 
bility and  good  cheer  quite  Falstatfian  in  its  robustness,  and  which  is 
seldom  equalled  even  by  those  who  are  posses'sed  of  a  less  stern  ex- 
terior. Mr.  Dowden  retains  a  large  proportion  of  the  youthful  vigor 
which  so  characterized  his  earlier  years.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth 
of  character  and  in  the  community  in  which  he  moves  is  held  in  high 
esteem  as  a  citizen.      He  is  a  brother  of  Virgil  Dowden. 

DANIEL  T.  DOWNEY,  attorney  at  law,  Aurora,  is  the  son  of 
Judge  Alexander  C.  Downey,  of  Rising  Sun,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears 
below.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Ohio  County,  born  at  Rising  Sun  on 
the  4th  of  November,  1850.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  na- 
tive village,  and  completed  his  education  at  Asbury  University  at  Green- 
castle,  this  State  (now  DePauw  University),  from  which  institution  he 
was  graduated  in  1870.  After  his  graduation  he  read  law  under  the  in- 
struction of  his  father,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1871,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  engaged,  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  is  a 
young  man  of  tine  intellect,  and  possesses  a  good  knowledge  of  the  law. 
His  wife  was  Miss  Caroline  Backman.  Two  children  have  been  born  to 
the  marriage,  namely:  Carrie  and  Mary.  Mr.  Downey  is  identified  with 
the  orders  of  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  K.  of  P. 

JOHN  DOWNEY,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  a  native  of  Hagerstown,  Md., 
born  August  12,  1786.  While  a  child  his  parents  removed  to  Washing- 
ton County,  Penn.,  and  subsequently  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where 
September  7,  1807,  he  was  married  to  her  who  has  since  been  his  com- 
panion. Soon  after  his  marriage  he  became  identified  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  In  1818  he  settled  on  a  farm  ten  miles  back 
of  the  village  of  Rising  Sun,  where  he  resided  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  until  about  1850.  "As  a  Christian  his  character  was  marked  for  its 
uniformity.  Never  demonstrative— always  unpretending,  the  consistent 
steadiness  of  his  life  still  gave  him  a  large  influence  for  good  wherever 
he  was  known.  His  brethren  appreciated  his  worth,  and  consequently, 
until  disqualified  by  the  disabilities  of  age,  he  constantly  held  official 
relations  in  the  church.  At  an  earlier  period  his  house  was  open  to  re- 
ceive the  'weary  itinerant,'  and  often  as  a  place  of  preaching.  'In  this 
way'  says  bis  son,  'he  enjoyed  the  society  of  those  sainted  men,  Cummins, 
Strange,  Goddard,  Wright,  Wiley,  Jones  and  others.'  As  a  citizen  he  held 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens." 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  695 

ALEXANDER  C.  DOWNEY.  Rising  Sun,  dean  of  DePauw  Uni- 
versity, and  ex-judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Indiana,  was  born  in 
Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  September  10,  1817.  His  parents  were  John 
and  Susannah  (Selwood)  Downey,  the  former  born  August  12,  1786,  the 
latter  October  28,  1791.  Theycame  to  Dearborn  County  in  1818,  andhere 
our  subject  grew  to  manhood.  He  attended  the  common  schools  of  that 
period  and  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  which  ho  supple- 
mented by  a  course  of  study  at  Wilmington  Seminary,  under  the  able  in- 
struction of  Prof.  Lawrence.  In  his  earlier  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
various  occupations  of  farming,  coopering  and  flat-boating,  but  these 
he  abandoned  for  the  study  of  law  under  the  tutelage  of  James  T.  Brown, 
and  in  1841  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  practiced  in  pai'tnership  with 
Amos  Lane  for  a  time,  also  with  Theodore  Gazlay,  moving  to  Rising 
Sun  after  the  organization  of  Ohio  County,  in  184:4.  In  August,  1850, 
Mr.  Downey  was  appointed  judge  of  the  circuit  court  by  Gov.  Wright, 
and  in  the  following  winter  was  elected  to  the  same  office  by  the  State 
Legislature  under  the  old  constitution,  and  by  popular  vote  in  1852,  serv- 
ing till  1858 — the  district  first  comprising  the  counties  of  Ohio,  Switzer- 
land, Jefferson  and  Jennings  to  which  were  subsequently  added  Ripley 
and  Brown  Counties.  In  1854  Judge  Downey  organized  the  law  school 
at  Asbury  University  continuing  in  charge  of  the  same  till  1858,  the 
annual  terms  continuing  from  November  till  February.  In  the  fall  of 
1862  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  on  the  Union  ticket  and  voted 
for  the  resolution  adopting  the  thirteenth  amendment.  He  served  as 
senator  till  1866.  Was  appointed  one  of  three  commissioners  constitut- 
ing a  board  of  control  of  a  house  of  refuge  for  the  correction  and  re- 
formation of  juvenile  offenders  by  Gov.  Baker  in  1867,  and  also  rendered 
valuable  service  in  advice  as  to  the  management  of  the  same,  serving 
till  1870,  in  which  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  Indiana 
serving  six  years  and  declining  arenomination  in  1876.  In  1861  Judge 
Downey  joined  the  Indiana  Legion  as  private  and  was  soon  after  pro- 
moted to  brigadier-general  by  Gov.  Morton.  He  received  the  degree  of 
LL.  D.  by  the  Asbury  University  in  1858  and  by  the  Indiana  University  in 
1871.  A  mehiber  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  for  many  years  he 
has  officiated  as  trustee  of  Asbury  University  and  president  of  the  joint 
board  of  trustees  and  visitors.  Judge  Downey  was  married  April  19, 
1846  to  Sophia  J.  Tapley,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Susan  (Chandler) 
Tapley,  the  former  a  native  of  Danvers,  Mass.  Their  eight  children  are 
named  as  fo'lows:  Samuel  R.,  Daniel  T.,  Harry  S.,  Alexander  C,  George 
E.,  John  C,  Anna  W.  and  Frank  M.  Of  these  Alexander  C.  and  John 
C.  are  deceased.  The  three  oldest  living  were  educated  to  the  law  and 
are  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  that  profession.     As   a   member  of 


696  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  Masonic  fraternity  Judge  Downey  ranks  among  the  most  prominent 
of  the  State.  The  above  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  life  work  of  a  man 
who  is  foremost  among  the  citizens  of  southeastern  Indiana,  and  whose 
long  official  career  is  sufficient  evidence  of  the  merit  of  his  character 
both  as  a  citizen  and  public  servant. 

THOMAS  DOWNTON,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Wales,  and  was  born  near  Pontapool,  October  27,  1827.  His  parents, 
James  and  Martha  (Edwards)  Downton,  were  both  natives  of  England, 
the  former  born  in  1790,  and  the  latter  in  1797.  They  immigrated  to 
Wales,  where  they  were  united  in  marriage  and  remained  until  about 
the  year  1850,  at  which  time,  they  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  first 
settling  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  a  short  time,  and  from  thence  removing  to 
Covington,  Ky.,  where  he  died  in  1856.  His  widow  still  survives  and 
resides  at  Covington.  Their  children  were  Charles,  Mary  A.,  John, 
Thomas,  James,  William,  Susan,  Priscilla  and  Martha.  Thomas,  our 
subject,  when  a  young  man  turned  his  attention  to  mechanical  work. 
He  learned  the  rolling-mill  trade  in  AVales,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
business  until  1848,  at  which  time  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
locating  at  Pittsburgh,  Penn. ,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  about  one 
year,  and  from  thence  in  1849  he  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  worked 
at  his  trade  in  the  Globe  Rolling-mills  for  about  twenty-six  years.  He 
then  moved  to  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  and  purchased  a  farm  which  he 
turned  his  attention  to  and  resided  upon  until  1880,  at  which  time  he 
moved  to  Dearborn  County,  purchasing  and  settling  on  his  present  farm, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  ninety-one  acres, 
which  is  well  improved  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  with  a 
beautiful  and  commodious  residence  just  outside  the  limits  of  Moore's 
Hill.  Mr.  Downton  is  a  man  of  considerable  general  information, 
and  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him.  He  is  a  man  of  extraor- 
dinary business  capacity,  a  fine  mechanic  and  an  enterprising  citizen. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  has  been  four  times  married  (the 
three  former  wives  all  deceased),  and  has  had  born  to  him  two  children: 
Josephine  and  Carrie  O. 

ENOCH  DRAKE,  of  Rising  Sun,  said  to  be  the  first  white  child 
born  in  what  is  now  Ohio  County,  was  born  August  28,  1803.  His  par- 
ents were  Robert  and  Mary  (Pickett)  Drake,  natives  of  North  Carolina 
and  Maryland  respectively.  An  account  of  their  settlement  in  this  county 
is  given  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  father  died  in  Switzerland  County 
in  1844,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  three  years.  Our  subject  grew 
up  on  the  farm  of  his  father  and  in  1829  married  Sallie  Huston,  also  a 
native  of  this  county,  born  in  1810,  a  daughter  of  Christopher  and 
Mary  Crawford,  and  granddaughter  of  Col.  Crawford  of  Wyandot  fame. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  697 

With  the  exception  of  the  decade  between  1836  and  1846,  Mr.  Drake 
has  lived  in  this  county  through  his  long  life,  residing  in  Switzerland 
County  during  the  interval.  To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  have 
been  born  eleven  children,  of  whom  the  following  named  five  are  living: 
Melissa,  Delilah,  Sarah,  Belle,  and  Allen.  Since  1846  Mr.  Drake  has 
resided  in  Rising  Sun  engaged  as  a  wagon-maker. 

LAWRENCE  DUESCHLE,  who  was  once  one  of  the  former 
business  men  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Germany  in  April,  1814' 
He  grew  to  maturity  in  his  native  country,  was  educated  in  its  schools,  and 
there  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  several  years.  In 
the  year  1850  he  immigrated  to  America  to  better  his  fortune  in  the  free 
land  of  the  United  States.  He  located  first  in  Cincinnati,  where  for  eight 
years  he  conducted  successfully  a  business  in  groceries.  He  then  came 
to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  established  himself  in  the  grocery  and  baking 
business,  which  he  continued  till  his  death  in  1874.  He  married 
Maria  Shopper,  and  she  still  survives  him.  Their  seven  children  are  John, 
George,  Joseph,  William,  Lena,  Minnie  and  Carrie.  George  was  a 
soldier  of  the  civil  war,  a  member  of  Company  D,  Thirty-second  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  spending  about  three  years  in  the  service,  in  which 
he  died  in  1865.  John,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1837, 
and  came  to  America  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He 
learned  the  baker's  trade  in  Cincinnati,  and  was  there  engaged  in  the 
same  eight  years,  when  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh.  He  began  business 
here  with  his  father,  but  since  1876  he  has  benn  sole  proprietor  of  the 
establishment  which  he  conducts.  He  carries  a  full  stock  of  groceries, 
provisions,  cigars,  tobaccos  and  liquors,  and  also  does  a  baking  business 
in  connection  with  the  other  trade,  having  fair  patronage.  Mr.  Dueschle 
was  married,  in  1868,  to  Dora  Kastcer,  by  whom  he  has  six  children.- 
William,  Carrie,  Ettie,  Carl,  Cecilia  and  Lena.  Mrs.  L.  Dueschle 
carries  a  full  line  of  millinery  and  dry  goods,  and  is  also  doing  a  pros- 
perous business.  The  family  is  well  respected,  and  well  merits  the  high 
standing  it  has  always  sustained  in  the  community. 

EBENEZER  DUMONT,  see  page  155. 

JUDGE  ISAAC  DUNN,  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers 
of  the  Miami  country,  and  one  of  the  most  successful  merchants  of  Law- 
renceburgh, was  born  in  New  Jersey,  September  25,  1782,  and  immigrated 
to  the^Wostern  country  with  his  parents,  Capt.  Hugh  Dunn  and  wife,  and 
three  brothers  and  one  sister.  Their  family  boat,  after  being  fired  into 
by  the  Indians,  and  partly  wrecked  in  a  storm,  arrived  at  Columbia, 
December  15,  1788,  just  twenty-seven  days  after  the  first  settlement  had 
been  made  between  the  Miamis  by  Benjamin  Stites.  After  a  sojourn  of 
five  years  at  Columbia,  in  March,  1793,  their  household  goods  were  put 


698  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

on  board  of  two  canoes  lashed  together,  and  the  family  removed  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Great  Miami,  where  they  found  Joseph  Hayes  and  others 
at  a  well  fortified  station.  Capt.  Dunn  located  his  station  and  block- 
house on  the  northwest  side  of  the  hill  just  north  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Great  Miami.  At  this  station,  besides  Capt.  Dunn's  family,  the  persons 
now  remembered  were  Joseph  Kitchel,  Joseph  Randolph,  Isaac  Mills, 
Benjamin  Cox  and  Thomas  Walters.  In  the  spring  of  1796,  Capt.  Dunn 
removed  to  the  west  side  of  the  Great  Miami  and  settled  near  where 
Elizabethtown  now  is.  He  had  been  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  lost 
his  property  by  the  depreciation  of  the  continental  currency.  He  died 
in  1804,  and  his  wife  died  in  1810.  Judge  Isaac  Dunn  was  truly  a  self- 
made  man;  having  no  opportunities  for  a  scholastic  education  he  became 
a  fair  scholar,  read  much,  was  a  good  scribe  and  a  ready  reckoner.  In 
1804  he  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Piatt,  daughter  of  Capt.  Jacob 
Piatt,  of  Boone  County,  Ky.  She  died  in  1840.  In  1806  he  commenced 
the  mercantile  business  in  Lawrenceburgh,  with  John  R.  Beaty  and 
Stephen  Ludlow.  In  a  few  years  Beaty  removed  to  Brookville,  and 
Dunn  &  Ludlow  continued  the  business  at  Lawrenceburg  until  1819. 
In  1812  he  was  appointed  by  the  governor  a  judge  of  the  court  of  Dear- 
born County,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  1817.  He  was  also 
elected  an  associate  judge  under  the  State  Government,  and  served  in 
that  office  for  over  sixteen  years.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  fourth 
Territorial  Legislature,  and  served  as  Speaker  of  the  House  in  that  body. 
In  1820  he  became  president  of  the  Branch  of  the  Farmers  and 
Mechanics  Bank,  of  Indiana.  In  company  with  others  he  started,  at  New 
Lawrenceburgh,  the  first  woolen  factory  in  the  State.  He  made  several 
trips  to  New  Orleans,  sometimes  coming  home  on  foot  throiigh  Indian 
nations.  He  made  several  trips  to  Philadelphia  on  horseback,  to  pur- 
chase goods  for  his  store.  He  was  commissioned  postmaster  of  Law- 
renceburgh in  1813,  and  held  that  position  for  sixteen  years.  In  1843 
he  was  married  to  his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Harriet  Hunter,  widow  of  Maj. 
James  W.  Hunter.  He  joined  the  Methodist  Church  in  1811.  In 
politics  he  was  an  old  line  Whig,  and  afterward  a  Republican.  Finally, 
after  a  long,  active  and  useful  life,  he  died,  July  17,  1870,  in  the  eighty- 
eighth  year  of  his  age. 

GEORGE  H.  DUNN,  see  page  153. 

GERSHOM  DUNN,  farmer,  Manchester,  born  in  Hamilton  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  August  4,  1809,  is  a  son  of  Micajah  and  Sarah  (Torrence) 
Dunn,  he  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  she  of  Pennsylvania.  About  1790 
they  were  among  the  early  settlers  at  Columbia,  Ohio;  were  united  in 
marriage  about  1799,  and  settled  west  of  Cincinnati,  six  miles  north  of 
the  Ohio  River.     About  1813  they  removed   to  Dearboi'n  County.  Ind. , 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


699 


and  settled  on  land   upon  whioh  the  villaore  of  Guilford  now  stands, 
there  being  but  three  or  four  other  families  in  that  vicinity.      The  block- 
houses we°e  still  there  for  the  protection  of  the  settlers  against  the  Indi- 
ans.    About  1823  Mr.  Dunn  purchased   the  northwest   quarter  of    Sec- 
tion 19,  in  Manchester  Township,  upon  which  he  settled  with  his  family, 
where   he  resided  till  his  death  January  12,   1844,   aged   seventy-five 
years.      His  wife    died  September    1,    1849.     Tbey  had   nine    children: 
Mercy,   Nancy,    Elizabeth,   Samuel,  Gershom,  Letitia,  Mary  Jane,  John 
and  William'     Of  these  Letitia  and  William  residing  in  Nebraska,  and 
Gershom,  our  subject,  are  all   that  now  survive.     Mr.  Dunn   and  wife 
were    active    members  of    the   Methodist   Episcopal    Church   for    many 
years.     The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  raised  from  infancy  to  manhood 
familiar  with   pioneer   life.      June   20,   1833,  he  was   united   in    mar- 
riage with  Miss  Jane  Freeland.  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Freeland, 
natives  of  New  York,  but  who  became  early  settlers  of  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  and  then  of  this  county.     By  this  union  they  have  had  eleven 
children,  ten  now  living:  George  H.,  Mary  Eliza,  Samuel,  Hannah  Ann, 
Micajah,  Sarah  Jane,  William  Henry,  Elizabeth.  Elvira  P.  and  Amos  M. 
Of  these  Micajah  is  a  merchant  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  William  Henry 
a  physician  in  Wilmington.      Samuel,  Micajah  and  John   served  their 
country  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  the  latter  losing  his  life  by  disease 
contracted  in  the  service.     Mr.  Dunn  has  spent  a  long  and  active  busi- 
ness life,   making  farming  the  base   of  his  operations.      He  has   also 
dealt*  largely  in  stock,  and  for  a  period  of  fifteen  years  or  more,  com- 
mencing In  1832,   did  quite  an  extensive  boating  business  on  the  river. 
In  all  his  business  he  has  been  very  successful ;  has  raised  and  educated 
a  large  family  of  children;  has  a  tine  home,  and  farm  of  225  acres,  and 
a   sufficient  competency  for  life.     He   and  wife  are   active  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  for  forty  years  he  has  been  a  prom- 
inent member  of   the  Masonic  fraternity,  Lodge  No.  503,  and  one  who 
has  given  freely  of  his  means   and  influence  to  all  moral  and  Christian 
causes  of  his  neighborhood  and  community. 

WILLIAM  H.  DDNN,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Wilmington, 
a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Manchester  Township,  April 
29,  1847.  In  education  he  received  an  irregular  course,  selecting  that 
which  would  be  most  beneticial  in  his  chosen  profession.  The  Doctor 
was  raised  upon  a  farm,  but  not  being  satisfied  with  that  occupation,  he 
began  reading  medicine  under  Drs.  Gatch  and  Miller,  of  Lawi'ence- 
burgh,  after  w°hich  with  Dr.  T.  M.  Kyle,  under  whom  all  preparatory  steps 
were  completed.  '"He  attended  lectures  at  Ohio  Medical  College,  and 
graduated  in  the  spring  of  1874.  Immediately  thereafter  he  began  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  Decatur  County,  continuing  up  to  1879,  when  he 


700  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

located  in  Wilmington,  where  he  has  since  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his 
way,  establishing  a  good  patronage.  The  Doctor  was  married,  September 
16,  1874,  to  Miss  Vaverella  J.  Ludlow,  who  was  born  in  Springfield, 
Ohio,  December  22,  1855.  Three  cliildren  have  been  born  to  them: 
Lamotte,  born  July  14,  1875,  died  May  16,  1880;  Carrie,  born  March  6, 
1881;  Ferrel,  born  October  26,  1882.  The  Doctor  is  a. member  of  Wil- 
mington Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  with  Mrs.  Dunn  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

COL.  J.  W.  EGELSTON,  retired.  Clay  Township,  was  born  in 
Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  May  28,  1802.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and 
Hannah  (Tripp)  Egelston,  natives  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  respect- 
ively. The  former  was  a  son  of  Amos  Egelston,  who  in  an  early  day 
settled  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  for  many  years  previous  to  his  death 
was  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  was  the  father  of  nine  chil- 
dren, viz.:  Benjamin,  Abbie,  Phebe,  Ephraim,  Deborah,  Amos,  Joseph, 
Jonathan  and  Samuel.  He  and  Hannah  Tripp  were  united  in  marriage  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  subsequently  settled  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y. ,  where 
they  resided  until  the  spring  of  1814,  at  which  time  they  immigrated  to 
what  is  now  Kenton  County,  Ky. ,  where  he  died  in  the  following  year, 
leaving  a  family  of  eleven  children,  viz. :  Hannah,  Lydia,  Benjamin,  Jacob 
W., Charles,  William,  Silas,  Sarah,  Amos,  Mary  and  Clarissa.  His  widow 
subsequently  married  John  Clement,  and  had  by  him  three  children,  viz. : 
Joseph,  Albert  and  Mahlon.  Col.  J.  W.  Egelston  went  with  his  par- 
ents to  Kenton  County,  Ky.,  and  after  his  father's  death  was  bound  out 
to  a  farmer  by  the  name  of  Scott,  for  |25  per  year.  In  about  1820  he 
began  as  an  apprentice  to  the  carpenter  trade,  which  he  completed,  ,  and 
engaged  in  the  occupation  for  a  number  of  years  afterward.  In  October, 
1824,  he  came  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, October  24,  1824,  to  Desire  Corbin,  a  widow.  In  1825  he^  and 
I.  Bisbee,  erected  a  flouring  and  saw-mill,  on  what  is  known  as 
Laughery  Creek,  near  Milton,  which  they  continued  to  operate  two  or 
three  years,  after  which  Mr.  Egelston  again  worked  at  his  trade,  and  in 
1830  purchased  a  farm  in  Clay  Township  (the  same  farm  on  which  he 
now  lives),  where  he  moved  and  began  the  improvements,  also  woi'king  at 
his  trade.  In  about  1834  he  moved  to  Dillsborough,  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business,  and  also  carried  on  a  blacksmith  shop.  In  1838  he  re- 
moved back  on  his  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  His  wife  died 
June  29,  1855,  having  borne  him  three  children,  viz.:  Hiram  W. , 
Jphn  Q.,  and  Charles  B.  April  25,  1858,  our  subject  married  Fanny 
Martin,  a  native  of  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  where  she  was  born,  April 
24.  1836,  to  which  marriage  were  born  three  children,  viz.:  Harry  C,  Cas- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  701 

sius  G.J  and  Jessie  W.  In  1827  Mr.  Egelston  was  commissioned  by 
Gov.  Ray  as  colonel  of  the  State  militia,  and  in  1838  he  was  elected  to 
the  State  Legislature  from  Dearborn  County.  In  1862  he  entered  the 
war,  enlisting  August  11,  as  captain  of  Company  B,  Eighty-third  Reg- 
iment Indiana  Volunteers,  and  as  such  served  until  April,  1863,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  and  as  such  served  until  May  17,1864, 
when  he  resigned  and  returned  home.  In  1872  he  was  commissioned  as 
government  store- keeper,  which  he  held  three  years,  after  which  he  was 
put  on  the  retired  list.  Col.  Egelston  is  deserving  of  more  than  a  pass- 
ing notice.  He  came  to  the  West  when  the  country  was  in  its  primitive 
state.  He  was  not  college-bred,  neither  had  he  riches,  but  being  dis- 
posed to  do,  he  improved  his  time  and  talents,  was  industrious,  and  so 
lived  as  to  have  left  his  impress  upon  the  community  in  which  he  has 
moved,  and  which  to-day  points  with  pride  to  his  worth  as  a  citizen, 
friend  and  neighbor.  He  has  long  been  identified  with  the  people  of 
Dearborn  County  and  with  her  growth  and  progress.  He  helped  in 
clearing  away  her  forests,  building  up  her  institutions  of  learning,  her 
churches,  and  his  name  is  connected  with  her  various  internal  improve- 
ments. He  has  occupied  civil  positions  of  honor  and  trust,  and  enjoyed 
the  full  confidence  of  the  people  in  his  official  relations.  Col.  Egelston 
is  a  patriot.  His  love  of  country  was  so  great  as  to  leave  home  and 
loved  ones  for  the  tented  field,  when  his  hair  was  silvered  by  the  frosts 
of  three-score  winters.  He  was  a  good  soldier,  served  his  country  faith- 
fully, has|been  a  good  citizen,  a  kind  friend  and  neighbor,  and  a  useful 
man.  He  was  a  strong  anti-slavery  man,  and  since  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party  has  been  in  this  line  of  politics.  He  is  modest 
and  unassuming.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  of 
the  Masonic  order. 

WILLIAM  H.  ELLIOTT,  coal  dealer.  Rising  Sun,  is  a  native  of 
Ohio  County,  born  in  1840.  His  parents,  George  and  Catharine  (Welsh) 
Elliott,  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  this  locality,  his  father  locating 
here  about  1818  with  his  father,  Robert  Elliott.  The  latter  purchased 
government  land  here,  but  soon  after  died,  and  the  sons  paid  for  the  land 
and  retained  it,  the  old  homestead  eventually  falling  to  George,  the 
father  of  our  subject.  William  H.  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm,  sharing 
the  limited  advantages  of  education  then  afforded  by  the  district  schools. 
He  continued  agricultural  pursuits  up  to  1881  when  he  removed  to  Ris- 
ing Sun  and  began  dealing  in  coal.  He  has  held  several  different  tracts 
of  land,  and  now  owns  a  farm  of  108  acres  in  Randolph  Township.  Mr. 
Elliott  was  married,  in  1863,  to  Clara  Hamilton,  of  Ohio  County,  daughter 
of  Charles  E.  Hamilton,  an  old  and  esteemed  resident  of  this  vicinity. 
In    1879  his   wife   died,  and   Mr.  Elliott   married  Josephine  Silvy,  of 


702  HISTORY  OP  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Ohio  Coaaty,  daughter  of  Louis  and  Eliza  (Furgeson)  Silvy,  now  resi- 
dents of  Rising  Sun,  also  early  settlers  in  this  locality.  By  this  latter 
union  three  children  were  born:  Robert,  Ada  and  an  infant;  the  first  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Elliott  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  serving  as 
city  councilman,  in  which  capacity  he  has  officiated  for  several  years. 

A.  M.  ELLIOTT,  dealer  in  agricultural  implements,  wagons  and 
buggies,  corner  of  Second  and  Judiciary  Streets,  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Ohio  County,  January  12,  1848,  where  he  enjoyed  common  school 
privileges.  His  father,  John  H.,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  his  mother 
Elizabeth  (Shannon)  Elliott,  in  West  Virginia.  Mr.  Elliott  was  raised 
on  a  farm  and  farmed  up  to  1875,  at  which  time  he  was  appointed  sheriff 
of  Ohio  County  and  served  for  two  years.  In  1877  he  came  to  Aurora 
and  engaged  in  his  present  business,  and  in  1881  opened  a  butcher  shop, 
on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Judiciary  Streets.  He  was  married,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1871,  to  Miss  Anna  B.  Downey,  a  native  of  Ohio  County,  who  was 
born  June  20,  1850.  To  them  have  been  born  five  children,  namely: 
Daniel  O.,  June  5,  1872;  Harry  E.,  born  February  9,  1877;  Nelly  M., 
born  June  20,  1878;  Rufus  G.,  born  October  9,  1879;  Edwin  C,  April 
7,  1884.     His  wife  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

P.  J.  EMMERT,  proprietor  of  one  of  the  leading  mercantile  estab- 
lishments of  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  where  he 
was  born  in  1841.  When  about  five  years  of  age  he  immigrated  with 
his  parents  to  the  United  States,  and  resided  with  them  in  Maryland  and 
Delaware  till  about  1854,  when  they  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  in  which 
place  he  began  selling  goods,  in  his  thirteenth  or  fourteenth  year. 
He  has  ever  since  continued  in  the  mercantile  business,  and  has  now  sold 
goods  longer  than  any  other  merchant  of  the  place.  His  store  occupies  the 
corner  of  High  and  Short  Streets,  where  he  keeps  an  immense  stock  of  dry 
goods,  notions,  carpets,  boots  and  shoes,  clothing,  gents'  furnishing  goods, 
etc., and  is  doing  a  large  business.  He  is  a  cautious,  energetic  business  man, 
and  fully  merits  the  extensive  patronage  which  his  fair  dealing  through 
a  long  period  of  years  has  won  for  him.  He  began  operations  in  1869,' 
by  buying  out  the  firm  of  Lewis  &  Moore,  the  former  at  one  time  one  of 
the  foremost  business  men  of  Lawrenceburgh.  Mr.  Emmert  was  married, 
in  1865,  to  Miss  C.  Hodel,  who  died  about  one  year  later.  He  subse- 
quently married  Miss  Mary  M.  Dueschle,  by  whom  he  has  one  son— 
'  Edward,  aged  thirteen  years. 

HUGH  S.  ESPEY,  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Rising  Sun, 
was  born  in  the  same,  in  1822.  His  parents,  Hugh  and  Agnes  (Gaut) 
Espey,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  where  they  were  married,  and  came 
down  the  river,  in  1816,  to  this  locality,  and  for  several  years  his  father 
was  engaged  in  milling,  about  three  and  one-half  miles   back  of  town, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  703 

operating  ooe  of  the  first  grain-mills  in  that  vicinity.  He  also  did  some 
farming,  and  entered  and  bought  land  in  Ohio  County.  After  practically 
retiring  from  business  he  moved  back  to  Rising  Sun,  where  he  resided 
for  about  twenty  years  before  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1870.  Mrs. 
Espey  died  ^ about  1868.  Hugh  S. ,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  re- 
mained at  the  mill  and  on  the  farm  till  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  then 
began  flat- boating,  making  his  first  trip  in  1840,  and  for  ten  years  he 
followed  the  river  trade  exclusively.  He  then  established  himself  in  the 
mercantile  business,  in  which,  with  his  sons,  he  has  since  been  more  or 
less  extensively  engaged.  In  the  produce  line  he  has  done  a  considera- 
ble business  in  pork  packing,  dealing  in  hay,  potatoes,  flour,  etc.,  and 
this  branch  of  trade,  as  well  as  the  merchandising  in  retail  groceries, 
provisions,  etc.,  he  still  continues.  Mr.  Espey  has  been  connected  with 
the  Rising  Sun  Bank,  as  director,  since  its  organization,  and  was  two 
years  vice-president  of  the  same.  In  1864  he  was  elected  treasurer  of 
Ohio  County,  and  in  1868  was  re-elected  to  the  same  oflBce.  He  has 
served  as  city  treasurer,  in  the  council,  and  has  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  the  business  affairs  of  the  town.  Mr.  Espey  was  married,  in 
1853,  to  Abigail  L.  Haines,  a  daughter  of  Joshua  Haines,  who,  with  his 
twin  brother,  Dr.  Haines,  came  here  from  New  England  in  1816.  Her 
father  erected  a  store  on  the  Ashman  corner,  and  for  many  years  did  an 
extensive  dry  goods  business,  remaining  a  resident  of  Rising  Sun  till  his 
death.  Mrs.  Espey  was  born  in  1832,  and  was  married  in  the  same 
house,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  They  have  reared  eight  children: 
Frank  F.,  Louise  H,  Hugh  S.,  J.  Haines,  John  R, ,  Abigail  May,  Eu- 
gene S.,  and  James  G.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Espey,  with  others  of  the  family, 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Espey  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  F.  &  A.  M.  since  1844. 

H.  S.  ESPEY,  Jb.,  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  that  city  in  1858, 
and  is  a  son  of  Hugh  S.  and  Abigail  L.  (Haines)  Espey.  He  grew  up  in  the 
town  of  his  birth,  in  whose  schools  he  was  educated,  receiving  additional 
instruction  to  the  extent  of  junior  year  in  Wabash  College.  In  the  fall 
of  1879  he  became  a  partner  in  his  father's  produce  business  having 
spent  two  years  previously  as  a  clerk.  He  was  married,  January  23, 1884, 
to  Mary  H.  Humphrey,  of  Patroit,  Ind.,  daughter  of  Cornelius  H.  and 
Jane  A.  Humphrey,  old  residents  of  Switzerland  County,  her  father,  de- 
ceased since  1872,  her  mother  still  surviving.  The  firm  of  H.  S.  Espey 
&  Son  does  a  thriving  business  in  groceries,  provisions,  etc.,  also  an  ex- 
tensive business  in  pork  packing  and  produce  genei-ally.  The  firm  is  one 
of  the  most  substantial  in  Rising  Sun. 

MARTIN  C.  EWBANK,  Miller  Township,  one  of  the  oldest  farmers 
of   Dearborn  County,  was  born   in  Yorkshire,   England,  in    November, 


704  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1804.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Ann  (Chapman)  Ewbank,  both  of  English 
parentage.  In  1806  John  Ewbank  left  his  native  country  for  America 
on  a  prospecting  tour,  leaving  his  family  behind  till  he  should  determine 
the  chances  for  their  better  support  in  the  new  country.  He  landed  in 
New  Jersey,  where  he  began  work  immediately  as  an  overseer  of  a  farm 
belonging  to  one  of  his  countrymen,  and  in  the  following  year  he  sent 
for  his  wife  and  children  who  joined  him  in  New  Jersey,  where  they  re- 
sided till  the  autumn  of  1811,  when  they  migrated  westward  and 
located  in  Dearborn  County.  Here  he  entered  land  on  which  he 
resided  till  his  death  in  1832,  his  wife  siirviving  till  1848.  Until  the 
death  of  his  father,  Martin  C.  Ewbank  resided  on  the  farm  with  his  par- 
ents. In  1826  he  married  Rebecca  Clark,  a  daughter  of  George  Clark, 
who  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  immigrated  to  America  in  his  earlier 
years  and  located  in  Virginia,  where  be  reared  his  family,  subsequently 
moving  to  this  State.  By  this  wife,  who  died  in  1838,  two  children  were 
born:  Sarah  and  Margaret.  October  12,  1841,  Mr.  Ewbank  was  again 
married,  this  time  to  Mary  Hunt,  daughter  of  Robert  Hunt,  and  five 
children  resulted  from  this  union:  Matilda,  Francis,  Robert  J.,  Martin  L., 
and  Sarah,  all  now  living  with  homes  in  different  parts  of  the  United 
States.  January  19,  1852,  his  second  wife  departed  this  life,  and  in 
August,  1854,  Mr.  Ewbank  was  joined  in  marriage  to  his  present  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Hannah  Liddle,  daughter  of  Stephen  Liddle, 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Miller  Township.  Five  children  were  born 
to  this  union:  Findlay,  Ida,  Russel,  Raper  and  Florence.  On  the  death 
of  his  father,  in  1832,  Mr.  Ewbank  came  into  possession  of  a  portion  of 
the  old  homestead,  which  he  has  since  cultivated,  making  some  addition 
by  later  purchases.  He  now  owns  140  acres  of  valuable  land  from  which 
he  derives  a  comfortable  support  in  his  declining  years.  Mi\  Ewbank 
has  always  engaged  in  farming,  in  which  occupation  he  has  been  moder- 
ately successful,  though  he  has  met  with  some  reverses.  He  is  remarkably 
strong  aod  active  for  one  of  his  age,  the  writer  finding  him  in  the  woods 
on  a  cold  December  day  busily  engaged  in  chopping,  perched  u])on  a  log 
more  than  two  feet  in  diameter,  which  he  had  twice  severed  by  the  well 
directed  and  vigorous  blows  of  his  ax.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ewbank  are  both 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  this  organization  Mr. 
Ewbank  has  been  associated  with  during  most  of  his  life. 

JOHN  W.  FACEMIRE,  ex- treasurer  of  Ohio  County,  Rising  Sun,  is 
a  native  of  Switzerland  County,  born  in  1843.  His  parents  were  Abra- 
ham and  Ludisa  (Kilgore)  Facemire,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio,  the 
latter  of  Indiana.  His  father  was  of  German  descent  and  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  He  was  accidentally  killed  in  1853  in  a  paper-mill  in  Jeffer- 
son   County.      His    mother   died   when   Mr.  Facemire  was  a  child.     He 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  705 

spent  his  earlier  years  on  the  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
enlisted  in  Company  C,  Eighty- third  Indiana  Volunteei's,  and  entered  the 
service  in  which  he  remained  about  thirteen  months,  participating  in 
some  of  the  heavier  battles  and  several  skirmishes.  He  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Vicksburg  in  the  left  elbow,  which  resulted  in  the  ampu- 
tation of  the  arm  and  three  month's  confinement  in  the  hospital.  Return- 
ing home  he  taught  school  several  terms,  and,  in  1869,  married  Miss 
Mary  Kelly,  who  died  in  1873,  leaving  two  children:  Nathan  and 
Perry,  the  former  deceased  at  three  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Facemire  was 
a  native  of  Switzerland  County,  and  daughter  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth 
(Miller)  Kelly,  natives  of  Indiana  and  Kentucky,  respectively.  In  1874 
Mr.  Facemire  was  elected  recorder  of  Ohio  County  and  served  four 
years;  was  elected  city  treasurer  of  Rising  Sun  in  1880,  serving  two 
years;  and  elected  treasurer  of  Ohio  County  in  1882,  always  discharging 
the  duties  of  his  trust  with  efficiency  and  integrity.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  G.  A.  R.  and  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  in  politics  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Face- 
mire was  married,  in  1881,  to  Mattie  Crouch,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth  (O'Neal)  Crouch,  and  they  have  one  child— Guy.  Mrs.  Face- 
mire was  born  in  Switzerland  County. 

JOHN  H.  FANGMANN,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  born  in  the  same,  March  25,  1844  His 
parents  were  John  B.  and  Annie  M.  C.  (Busch)  Fangmann,  both  natives 
of  Oldenburgh,  Germany,  and  were  born — the  former,  October  31,  1795, 
and  the  latter,  December  8,  1809.  They  were  united  in  marriage  in 
Germany,  and  from  thence,  in  the  spring  of  1832,  immigrated  to  the 
United  States,  settling  on  the  same  farm  where  our  subject  now  lives, 
and  there  they  resided  until  their  deaths,  which  occurred — the  father, 
October  28,  1877,  and  the  mother,  November  23,  1881.  Fifteen  chil- 
dren were  born  to  the  union,  viz. :  Catherine,  Elizabeth,  Dora,  Mary, 
Bernedine,  Magdalena,  Frances,  Annie,  Agnes,  John  H.,  Bernard, 
Lewis,  Christena,  William  and  Christena  E.  John  H,  our  subject, 
the  eldest  son,  was  educated  at  New  Alsace.  He  was  married  in  Kelso 
Township,  this  county,  February  5,  1867,  to  Theresia  L.  Lange,  who 
was  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  April  16,  1849,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Charles  H.  and  Mary  A.  (Keller)  Lange.  After  his  marriage  he  settled 
on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  They  have  had  born  to 
them  six  children,  viz.:  Mary  A.  C,  Caroline  B.,  Charles  W.,  Annie  J., 
Bernard  H.,  Charles  H.  Mr.  Fangmann  is  a  highly  esteemed  young 
man,  and  a  man  of  good  general  information.  He  was  elected  -trustee 
of  Kelso  Township  in  1880,  and  re-elected  in  1882.  Himself  and  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 


706  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

JOHN  FEIST,   county  commissioner,  York  Township,  was  born  in 
Cincinnati  in  1834.     His  parents,   John  and  Barbara  (Lemmel)  Feist, 
were  both  natives  of  Germany,  and  came  to  America  while  yet  unmar- 
ried, in  1832.    His  father  was  born  in  1804,  his  mother  in  1805;  the  for- 
mer in  Baden,  the  latter   in   Bavaria.      On  immigrating  to  America  the 
father  landed  at  New  York  the  mother  at  New  Orleans,  and  they  met  in 
Cincinnati  about  one  year  later,  and   in  July,  1833,    were  married.      In 
1834,  they  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  and  located   in  York  Township, 
where  Mr.  Feist  purchased  forty  acres  of  Government  land  on  which  he 
resided  about  five  years,  after  which  he  purchased  another  tract  of  eighty 
acres  which  served  as  his  homestead  about  twenty -five  years.      He  then 
moved  to  Yorkville,  where,  in  1870,  his  life  peacefully  closed.     His  wid- 
ow  is   stiJl    living  in    her  seventy-sixth   year.     In  his  earlier  years  Mr. 
Feist  was  a  stone  cutter  by  trade,  but  his  health  failed  and  he   adopted 
farming  as  a  pursuit.     On  the  farm  John  Feist  grew  to   maturity,  shar- 
ing but  limited  advantages  of  schooling    in  his  youth.     At  the  age  of 
nineteen  years  he  married  Frances  Miller,  a  native  of  this  township,  and 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  A.  (Schultzer)  Miller,  both  natives  of  Ba- 
varia, who  immigrated  to  America  in  1832.  After  his  marriage,  in  1853, 
Mr.  Feist  continued  his  work  in  various  places  for  some  time,  and  then 
engaged  in  brick-making,  gradually  working  his  way  up.     He  first  pur- 
chased a  lot  of  two  acres,  then  another  of  forty,  then  eighty,  and  so  on 
with  gradual  gain  till  he  now  owns  ninety-six  acres  of  valuable  land  well 
improved  in  buildings  and  cultivation.     He  has  since  bought  and  sold 
another  farm  of  forty-five  acres.      His  first  tax  receipt  was  for   14  cents, 
and  this  has  gradually  increased    till  it  now  approximates  the  sum  of 
$50.  He  has  always  taken   an  active  interest  in   politics,    never  having 
missed  a  vote  since  casting  his  first  one  in  1855,  always  giving  his  influ- 
ence in  favor  of  the  Democratic  party.     As  an  evidence  of  his  popular- 
ity, and  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  as  a  citizen,  it  will  be  noted  that 
he  has  served  as  township  assessor  eight  years,  and  as  township  trustee 
eleven  years.     In  March,  1884,  he  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  in 
the  ofiice  of  county  commissioner,  caused  by  the  death  of  John  Buchert, 
and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  was  elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of 
one  year.      In  public  as  well  as  private  life  Mr.  Feist   is  a  man  of  un- 
blemished reputation,  which  gives  to  him  the  credit  of  always  doing  his 
conscientious  duty  both  as  citizen  and  public  servant.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Feist 
have  three  children:  Paul,  Clara  and  Theodore.     The  eldest  son   is  now 
a  resident  of  Hastings,  Neb. 

PIEERE  FERMIER,  physician,  Jackson  Township,  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  March  25,  1825,  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  Magdalina 
(Martin)  Fermier,  natives  of  Bavaria,  he  being  a  descendant  of  the  Hu- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  707 

guenots.  They  lived  and  died  in  their  native  land,  reaching  the  ad- 
vanced ages  of  one  hundred  and  one  and  one  hundred  and  three  years, 
respectively.  Their  children,  seven  in  number,  all  grew  to  maturity; 
three  now  survive:  Henry,  now  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania;  Christena, 
now  widow  Klein,  residing  in  Philadelphia,  and  Dr.  Pierre.  Of  those 
deceased,  two  died  in  their  native  country,  and  two:  Charles  and  Jack- 
son, came  to  America.  The  former  died  in  Philadelphia  and  the  latter  in 
Mobile,  Ala.  One  remarkable  incident  connected  with  this  family  is  the 
fact  that  the  three  sous  who  came  to  America,  all  in  different  years,  yet 
all  came  over  in  the  same  vessel — the  "St.  Nicholas."  Charles  had,  how- 
ever, contracted  to  come  in  another  vessel,  but  when  it  came  to  sail  he 
refused  to  go  aboard  of  her,  believing  her  to  be  unsafe,  which  proved 
true,  as  she  was  lost  on  the  voyage.  Dr.  Fermier  came  to  America  in 
1849,  a  young,  single  man.  He  had  received  a  very  liberal  education  in 
Germany,  first  taking  a  thorough  classical  course  at  Kaiser's  Lautern, 
and  at  Zweibruecken,  thence  graduating  at  the  University  of  Munich.  In 
1849  he  was  engaged  as  the  first  examining  physician  for  the  army  of 
the  Revolution,  he  being  a  strong  Republican,  from  powerful  convictions 
brought  upon  him  by  the  laws  and  customs  of  that  kingdom — Bavaria — 
in  being  compelled  to  make  obeisance  to  an  infant  babe,  the  future  heir 
to  the  throne.  Immediately  upon  the  completion  of  the  above  duties  as 
examining  physician,  the  Doctor  came  to  America,  landing  in  New  York, 
from  whence  he  went  to  Boston  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. Remaining  there  but  a  few  months,  he  came  to  Indiana  and 
settled  in  Jackson  Township;  where  he  has  had  a  large  and  successful 
practice  for  thirty- five  years,  and  is  now,  by  appointment  of  the  commis- 
sioners, the  attending  physician  for  the  paupers  of  Jackson  Township. 
The  Doctor  was  united  in  marriage  April  2,  1857,  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Elher,  born  September  11,  1834,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Catharine 
(Fastnacht)  Ehler,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1817  Mr.  Ehler 
settled  in  Dearborn  County,  entering  eighty  acres  of  land  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  Section  1,  Jackson  Township,  being,  it  i& 
believed,  the  second  settler  in  this  township.  His  nearest  neighbor 
was  in  Manchester  Township,  one  and  a  half  miles  distant,  and  the 
nearest  mill  for  grinding,  twelve  miles,  on  the  Whitewater,  with  onlv 
a  blazed  path  leading  to  it  through  the  unbroken  forest.  Here  Mr> 
Ehler  performed  much  hard  work  opening  out  his  farm,  and  here  he  re- 
sided through  life.  His  wife  died  about  1863,  aged  sixty-three  years. 
He  died  in  1877,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  They  were  parents  of  eight 
children;  all  grew  to  maturity,  six  now  living:  Rosanna,  wife  of  Will- 
iam O'Brien,  residing  in  Ripley  County,  Ind. ;  William;  Jesse,  residing 
in    Missouri;    Elizabeth;  Catharine,  wife   of    John  Alden,   residing   in 


708  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Kansas,  and  Jane,  wife  of  George  Need,  residing  in  California.  Mr.  Ehler 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  St.  John's  Lutheran  Church,  formerly 
known  as  the  Engel  Church,  of  which  he  and  his  wife  were  active  mem- 
bers through  life,  and  they  were  interred  in  their  burying  ground  by  the 
church.  By  this  union  the  Doctor  has  seven  children:  Mary,  wife  of 
Aaron  Keller,  of  Lawrenceburgh;  Cordelia,  Pierre  G-.,  George,  Emile 
(the  last  three  are  now  in  college  at  Valparaiso.  Ind.),  Alma  and  Eich- 
ard.  Dr.  Fermier  was  the  first  regular  physician  ever  located  in  Jack- 
son Township,  and  although  there  have  been  other  physicians  located 
here  in  practice  since,  yet  he  is  the  only  one  who  has  remained  perma- 
nently.    He  has  a  large  practice,  and  holds  the  confidence  of  the  people. 

DR.   EZRA  FERRIS,  see  page  167. 

WILLIAM  T.  FERRIS,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  died  in  that  city,  Au- 
gust 1,  1883,  aged  seventy  years.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris,  one 
of  the  prominent  and  useful  citizens  of  the  same  city,  whose  sketch  will 
be  found  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Our  subject  commenced  business  for 
himself  at  Hartford  before  he  had  reached  his  majority,  but  after  three 
or  four  years,  he  returned  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
was  engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  business  with  John  Wymond,  the 
firm  being  Wymond  &  Ferris,  which  met  with  great  success.  He  was 
next  in  business  in  Cincinnati,  then  for  a  time  farmed,  and  for  many 
years  prior  to  his  death,  he  was  connected  with  the  revenue  service.  He 
passed  a  long  life  of  usefulness  and  died  leaving  a  name  unsullied. 

CHARLES  E.  FERRIS,  druggist,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of 
Dearborn  County,  born  in  1850.  His  father  was  John  Ferris,  and  his 
grandfather,  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  West,  and  a 
man  of  prominence  and  great  worth  in  the  early  settlement  at  Lawrence- 
burgh, a  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  the  medical  chapter  of  this  volume. 
Our  subject  grew  up  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  the  place.  In  1869  he  began  clerking  in  the  drug 
store,  then  the  property  of  his  father,  and  has  since  continued  in  the 
same  business,  the  store  having  been  first  established  by  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris 
early  in  the  present  century,  and  since  carried  on  in  the  Ferris  name, 
having  descended  from  father  to  son  and  to  grandson,  and  now  carried 
on  by  the  Ferris  Bros.,  who  are  genial  and  affable  gentlemen. 

GERHARD  FETTE,  proprietor  of  the  New  Alsace  Flouring-mills, 
Kelso  Township,  was  born  at  New  Alsace,  Ind.,  October  6,  1841.  His 
parents  were  Frank  and  Mary  A.  (Volmering)  Fette,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
manv,  where  they  were  born,  the  father  January  6,  1811,  and  the  mother 
September  29,  1812.  They  were  united  in  marriage  in  Germany,  and 
from  thence,  in  1839,  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  Balti- 
more, from  which  city  they  came  to  Cincinnati,  and  about  one  year  later 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  .       709 

moved  to  New  Alsace,  Dearborn  County,  where  the  father  worked  at  his 
trade,  he  being  a  blacksmith.  In  1846  he  moved  to  Oldenbui'g,  Franklin 
County,  this  State,  and  in  1852  moved  to  New  Alsace,  where  he  after- 
ward resided  until  death,  which  occurred  June  11,  1877.  His  wife  still 
survives,  and  resides  at  New  Alsace.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children:  Henry  (deceased),  Gerhard,  Annie,  Agnes  (deceased),  Elizabeth, 
Mary  and  Kosa.  Gerhard,  our  subject,  the  second  member  of  the 
family,  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  and  carriage-making  with  his 
father  when  a  young  man,  and  afterward  engaged  in  the  business  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  was  united  in  marriage  at  New  Alsace  November 
28,  1865,  to  Elizabeth  Klee,  who  was  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Septem- 
ber 1,  1846,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Margaret  (Hartig)  Klee. 
After  his  marriage  he  first  settled  at  Weisburg,  this  county,  where  he 
carried  on  blacksmithing.  In  1872  he  moved  to  Washington,  Daviess  Co., 
Ind.,  and  from  thence,  in  1874,  to  Weisburg,  and  in  1878  to  Ripley 
County,  Ind.,  and  purchased  a  mill  and  engaged  in  milling  two  years, 
then  moved  his  mill  to  New  Alsace  and  erected  the  building  where  it 
now  stands.  He  is  doing  an  extensive  business  at  present.  He  is  an 
estimable  man,  and  is  well  respected  by  all  who  know  him.  They  have 
had  born  to  them  ten  children:  George  T.,  Nicholes  H.,  Frank  J.,  An- 
drew E.,  John  H.,  Mary  C,  Dora  M.,  Margaret  M.,  Martin  I.,  Anthony 
A.     Mr.  Fette  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

MICHAEL  FICHTER,  Lawrenceburgh,  the  oldest  shoe-maker  in 
business  in  the  town,  was  born  in  Straasburg,  France  (now  Germany), 
in  1826,  and  learned  his  trade  in  his  native  country.  He  continued  his 
trade  in  that  country  till  1847,  when  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
coming  direct  to  Lawrenceburgh.  He  first  engaged  here  with  one  Har- 
baugh,  with  whom  he  was  employed  till  1854,  when  he  opened  up 
a  shop  of  his  own.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Fichter  has  conducted  a  fairly 
successful  business  in  the  boot  and  shoe  line  in  Lawrenceburgh.  He  is 
now  located  at  No.  80  High  Street,  which  building  he  owns,  and  keeps 
on  hand  a  good  stock  of  custom  made  and  eastern  goods  valued  at  about 
$1,000.  Mr.  Fichter  was  married,  in  1852,  to  Sophia  Wagner,  who  was 
born  in  Baden,  Germany,  and  who  immigrated  to  this  country  in  1846. 
Their  children  are  Henry,  Mary  (Mrs.  Garner),  Sarah,  Alice,  Lily,  John, 
Emma  and  Charles,  the  eldest  son  being  a  workman  on  a  passenger  train 
between  Cincinnati  and  Vinceunes.  John  Fichter  is  a  printer  by  trade, 
at  present  employed  in  the  office  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Register.  The 
family,  is  associated  with  the  German  Methodist  Church.  Mr.  Fichter's 
business  room  is  a  part  of  the  first  brick  tavern  which  was  built  in  Law- 
renceburgh in  1818. 

DR.  DAVID  FISHER,  see  page  169. 


710  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

NELSON  FISK,  a  leading  farmer  of  Randolph  Township,  was  born 
in  New  York  State,  in  1814.  His  parents  were  William  and  Christina 
(Pfieffer)  Fisk,  natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  York,  respectively,  and 
were  married  in  the  latter  State.  His  mother's  people  resided  on  the 
Delaware  River,  her  father  keeping  a  hotel,  in  which  occupation  he  ac- 
cumulated considerable  wealth.  In  1817  Mr.  Fisk  migrated  with  his 
family  from  New  York  State,  coming  down  the  Ohio  River  to  Cincinnati 
and  soon  after  Ohio  County,  where  he  purchased  a  quarter  section  of  land 
on  which  he  remained  till  his  death.  At  the  age  of  forty-five  Mrs.  Fisk 
returned  to  her  old  home  on  the  Delaware,  to  secure  her  portion  of  the 
estate,  going  all  the  way  alone  on  horseback  and  carrying  home  with  her 
$1,500  in  gold.  She  lived  to  be  ninety-six  years  old  and  was  noted  even 
to  her  last  days  for  her  fastidious  tastes.  Of  their  twelve  children  but 
five  are  living:  Samuel,  Nathaniel,  Hiram,  Amy  (wife  of  John  Mc- 
Closky)  and  Nelson.  The  latter,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was 
brought  up  on  the  farm,  in  which  occupation  be  has  ever  since  engaged. 
In  1839  he  married  Francina  Baker,  daughter  of  Joshua  Baker,  and  in 
1855  his  wife  passed  away,  leaving  seven  children — five  still  living: 
Samuel,  Brow,  Mahlon  D.,  Silas  B.,  Lana  (wife  of  David  L.  Wade).  In 
1862  Mr.  Fisk  was  married  to  Julia  A.,  daughter  of  William  Hanna. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Delaware  in  1804,  moved  to  Pennsylvania  when 
about  eight  years  old  with  his  father,  Samuel  Hanna,  who,  in  1813. 
migrated  to  Ohio  County  and  died  in  1859,  having  been  a  farmer 
all  his  life.  William  Hanna  died  in  1881.  By  his  last  marriage 
Mr.  Fisk  has  three  children  living,  namely:  Malvin  W.,  Lizzie  and 
Arthur.  In  his  business  pursuits  Mr.  Fisk  has  been  blessed  with  ample 
success.  He  owns  an  excellent  farm  and  has  provided  each  of  his 
children  at  maturity  with  a  desirable  inheritance.  He  has  always  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  The  family  is  associated  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

SAMUEL  FISK,  son  of  Nelson  Fisk, was  born  in  Ohio  County  in  1840. 
He  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture  he  has  ever 
since  engaged.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six  years  he  married  Eliza  Lostuter 
and  they  have  two  children:  John  N.  and  Fannie.  After  his  marriage, 
Mr.  Fisk  began  farming  on  his  own  responsibility,  owning  a  tine  farm 
in  this  township,  which  he  sold  in  1884.  He  also  did  considerable  busi- 
ness dealing  in  stock.  Mr.  F.  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  has  always  had  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  thriftiest 
young  farmers  of  Randolph  township. 
ffNELSON  D.  FOLBRE,  see  page  183. 

AGNES  G.  (FLANNIGAN)  FISHER,  farmer,  Union  Township,  was 
born  in  Cable  County,  W.  Va.,  October  3,  1837.    Her  father,  John  Flan- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  711 

nigan,   was  born  near  Clarksburgh,   Va.,    in  1812;  mother,   Agnes    B. 
Ross,  near  Glasgow,  Scotland,  August  15,  1813.     Her  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  August,  1836,  and  raised  three  children:     Agnes    G.,    Eliza    G. 
and  James  V.  R.      They  moved  to  Ohio  County,  Ind. ,  in   1844,   and  her 
father  died  the  same  year.     Agnes  G.    Flannigan  was  married  to  John 
Fisher  March  23,    1862;  he  was  born  in  Randolph  Township,  Ohio  Co., 
Ind.,  June  28, 1816.     By  their  union  were  born  five  children :     Aggie  H. . 
born  December  28,  1862;  John  J.  A.,  July  28,  1864;  MinnieB.,  born  No- 
vember 17,1866  (died  October  16,  1867);  Fannie  E.,  March  2,  1869;  Cora 
L.,  February  3,  1872.     Her  husband  farmed  all  his   life  and  was  very 
successful.     He  was  a  stockholder  in  and  president  of  the  Hartford  & 
Rising  Sua  Turnpike  Company;  was  school  director  several  times,   and 
an  active,  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  Church.     He  died  April  3, 
1881,  and  left  quite  a  landed  estate,  which  the  widow  has  managed  very 
successfully  ever  since.     She  possesses  wonderful  financiering  ability, 
and    is   a   close    figurer  in  all  her  management      Their  eldest  daughter, 
Aggie  H,  was  married  January  30,  1881,  to  Mr.  Taylor  W.   Barricklow. 
Unto  them  has  been  given  one  child,  Aggie  L.,  born  January   11,    1882. 
Mrs.  Fisher  is  a  faithful  and  examplary  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 
HARRY  FISK,   postmaster, City  of  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Kenton 
County,  Ky.,  born  March  11,  1840,  and  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.     His  father,  William  B.    Fisk,   was  born  in 
Maine  in  1803,  and  his  mother,  Cynthia  Stevens,  was  born  in  Kentucky. 
The  former  was  a  carpenter,  and  the  family  moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
in  1843,  where  they  remained  until  1858,  at  which  time  they  moved  to 
Indianapolis,  thence  to  Kansas  in  1870,  where  the  father  died  in  1872.  In 
1855  Harry  Fisk   engaged  in   carriage   painting,  and  continued  at  his 
trade  up  to  1861.     At  this  period  of  life  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army, 
in  the  three  months'  service,  as  a  private  soldier.     At  the    expiration  of 
this  term  of  service  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Seventh  Regiment  Indi- 
ana Volunteers  for  three  years.     He  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of 
Port  Republic,  and  escaped  after  six  weeks'  incarceration   in  prison  at 
Lynchburgh,  and  returned  to  his  regiment.      Immediately  thereafter  he 
was  commissioned  second  lieutenant.     Od  the  8th  of  May,  1864,  he  was 
wounded  in  one  limb  at  Spcttsylvania  Court  House.     His  army  experi- 
ence as  a  private  soldier  and  officer  was  enviable,  having  participated  in 
many  important  battles.     In  1865  he,  with  three  brothers,  started  a  car- 
riage factory  in  Aarora,  all  being  mechanics,  took  charge  of  separate 
branches  and  worked   faithfully,   which  enabled  them  to  surmount  all 
obstacles  and  prosper  in  the  enterprise.     In  1883  Harry  withdrew  from 
the  firm,  and  accepted  the  office  of  postmaster  at  Aurora,  which  position 
he    is    now    holding.      He    was  married,   November    15,  1864,   to   Miss 


712  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Ludici  Crowley,  a  native  of  Missouri,  who  was  born  December  13,  1849. 
By  the  union  five  children  have  been^born,  namely:  George  W.,  Frank, 
Harry,  Kate  and  Anna.  His  estimable  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  In  1868  he  was  appointed  United  States  Ganger  and  served  for 
two  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  city  council  from  the  Third  Ward 
from  1876  to  1880,  and  oflBciated  as  treasurer  of  the  Agricultural  Society 
from  3873  to  1883.  He  is  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442,  F. 
&  A.  M.  From  ^1880  to  1883  he  filled  the  important  office  of  deputy 
collector,  and  is  a  quiet,  law-abiding  citizen. 

GEORGE  B.  FITCH,  attorney,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of  the 
city  in  which  he  now  resides,  and  in  which  the  greater  portion  of  his 
life  has  been  passed.  His  birth  occurred  in  1823,  His  parents  were 
Harris  and  Hannah  (Biggs)  Fitch,  natives  of  New  York  and  Virginia, 
respectively,  though  the  latter  was  raised  in  the  State  of  Kentucky. 
Harris  Fitch  settled  in  Dearborn  County  in  1817.  He  was  an  active 
business  man,  engaged  in  various  pursuits,  as  merchant,  landlord  and 
river  trader.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children,  some  of  whom  be- 
came men  of  some  prominence  in  business  circles.  The  father,  perhaps, 
was  better  known  as  a  landlord,  having  for  many  years  kept  the  "Fitch 
House,"  which  continues  to  be  one  of  the  hotels  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and 
bears  the  name  of  its  past  proprietor.  Our  subject  in  his  earlier  'life 
was  engaged  in  clerking  and  as  a  business  man.  He  read  law  with 
Theodore  Gazlay,  then  an  attorney  of  Dearborn  County,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  about  1850,  since  which  time  he  has  pursued  that 
profession.  In  1854  Mr.  Fitch  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Annie 
Burkam,  a  daughter  of  E.  G.  Burkam,  elsewhere  mentioned  in  this  vol- 
ume; three  children  have  been  born  to  the  union,  namely:  Mary  B. , 
Jeannett  and  Laura. 

AVESLEY  FLEMING,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  is  a  native  of  Ham- 
ilton County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  June  28,  1827.  His  parents 
were  Rev.  William  J.  and  Amelia  (Rickards)  Fleming,  both  natives  of 
Delaware.  The  former  was  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Charlotte  (Johnson) 
Fleming,  who  were  also  natives  of  Delaware,  where  she  died.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz. :  William  J.,  John,  Cynthia,  Mary, 
and  James.  After  the  death  of  Mrs.  Fleming,  Mr.  Fleming  married  Mary 
Gullett,and,  in  about  the  year  1822,  immigrated  to  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  and  from  thence,  in  about  1828,  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where 
they  resided  until  their  deaths.  They  had  born  to  them  five  children, 
viz.:  Robert,  Rebecca,  Jacob,  Elizabeth  and  Louisa.  William  J.,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Kent  County,  Del.,  January  23,  1800. 
He  came  with  his  parents  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  in  1822,  where  he 
and  Amelia  Rickards  were  united  in   marriage,    xiugust  25,  1825.     She 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  713 

was  born  in  Kent  County,  Del. ,  August  20,  1808,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Leven  and  Rebecca  (Riggs)  Rickards,  both  natives  of  Delaware.  After 
Mr.  Fleming's  marriage  he  first  settled  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  resided  until  March,  1828,  at  which  time  they  moved  to  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  settling  in  Clay  Township,  where  he  purchased  land 
and  resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  June  9,  1877.  His  wife 
still  survives,  and  at  present  resides  at  Dillsborough.  He  was 
a  thorough  Bible  scholar,  and  for  many  years  previous  to  his  death  was 
a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  church  he  was  a 
devoted  and  zealous  member  from  his  sixteenth  year.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  children,  viz. :  Eliza,  Sarah  A.,  and  Wesley.  He  spent  a 
part  of  his  early  li  Ee  at  the  carpenter' s  trade,  and  of  late  years  has  de- 
voted his  entire  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  married  in 
Ohio  County,  Ind.,  May  26,  1856,  to  Martha  J.,  daughter  of  James  aud 
Sarah  M.  (Gullett)  Westcott.  She  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
February  17,  1835.  After  Mr.  Fleming's  marriage  he  first  settled  in 
Ohio  County,  where  he  resided  until  1858,  in  which  year  he  moved  to 
Dearborn  County  and  purchased  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Clay  Township, 
Section  17,  which  he  improved.  He  subsequently  purchased  and  settled 
on  his  father's  old  homestead  in  Section  8,  where  he  at  present  resides. 
He  owns  143  acres  of  tine  land,  which  is  well  improved  and  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  They  have  had  born  to  them  four  children, 
viz. :  Lillias  A.,  Olive  A.  (deceased),  Tillis  S.,  and  Amelia  O.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics  a  Republican. 
JOSEPH  FOLZENLOGEL,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  was  born  at  Alsace,  in  March,  1824.  His  parents,  Nich- 
olas and  Mary  (Grusenmier)  Folzenlogel,  were  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many. They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  viz. :  Martin,  Mary  A, 
Dora,  Catherine,  Nicholas,  Joseph,  Magdalena,  Michael,  Frances  and 
Elizabeth.  Joseph  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1849,  first  set- 
tling at  New  York  City,  where  he  engaged  in  cabinet-making,  following 
it  about  four  years.  From  thence  he  went  to  Illinois,  where  he  worked 
at  the  carpenter  trade  one  year.  He  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade  about  two  years.  From  thence  he  went 
to  Kansas,  where  he  also  engaged  in  the  same,  and  from  thence,  in  1858, 
he  came  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and  purchased  and  settled  on  his 
present  farm.  May  4,  1858,  he  married  Magdalena  Sibler,  by  whom 
he  has  had  born  to  him  eleven  children,  viz. :  Mary  A.,  Frances,  Mag- 
dalena, Joseph,  Elizabeth,  Caroline,  Catherine,  Annie,  Edward,  George 
and  Dora  B.  (deceased).  Mr.  Folzenlogel  and  family  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 


714  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ROBERT  H.  FOWLER,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the  few  surviv- 
ing pioneers  and  venerable  raen  of  the  city  and  county,  is  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Ann  (King)  Fowler,  natives  of  Prince  Williams  County,  Va.,  and  of 
Fairfax  County,  Va. ,  respectively,  of  French  and  Scotch  descent,  was 
born  at  Charlestown,  near  Harper's  Ferry,  Va.,  October  9,  1803.  His 
father,  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  in  1810  settled  on  Wilson's  Creek,  in 
Lawrenceburgh  Township,  where  his'  death  occurred  June  22,  1815. 
The  mother  died  in  1858,  aged  eighty-three  years.  Our  subject  was  the 
eldest  of  six  children,  and,  through  necessity,  began  the  battle  of  life 
young  and  with  little  education,  having  gone  to  school  probably  not 
more  than  nine  months  in  all.  Until  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  re- 
mained on  the  farm  with  his  mother,  and  assisted-  in  raising  the  younger 
members  of  the  family.  For  twenty  years  he  followed  flat-boating  on 
the  Ohio  River,  being  engaged  as  a  pilot  the  greater  part  of  the  time. 
In  the  meantime,  October  12,  1826,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Mary  Ann  Butteriield,  a  Virginian  by  birth.  To  this  union  were 
born  three  daughters,  viz.:  Emily  M.,  Caroline  S.  and  Margaret  J.,  all 
of  whom  are  now  living.  Since  leaving  the  river  trade  Mr.  Fowler  has 
farmed  until  recent  years,  when  he  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he 
is  now  spending  the  evening  of  his  life  in  a  comfortable  home  with  a 
daughter;  Mrs.  Emily  Gray.  The  death  of  his  wife  occurred  at  Law- 
renceburgh, January  19,  1883.  Mr.  Fowler  cast  his  first  vote  in  1824, 
for  John  Quincy  Adams,  for  President  of  the  United  States,  and  has 
ever  since  sustained  the  doctrines  advocated  by  the  old  Whig  party  until 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  when  he  became  identified 
with  that  party,  and  has  since  acted  with  it.  All  of  the  family  were 
Baptists,  our  subject  having  been  identified  with  that  church  since  1839. 
Mr.  Fowler  is  well  preserved  in  mind  and  body  for  one  of  his  years,  and 
the  writer  is  indebted  to  him  for  many  facts  contained  in  this  volume,  and 
will  ever  refer  with  pleasure  to  the  friendly  calls  exchanged  during  its 
preparation. 

JAMES  B.  FOX,  Harrison  Township,  one  of  the  well  to  do  farmers  of 
this  township  and  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  war,  was  born  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  in  1830.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Rebecca  (Polan)  Fox, 
are  both  natives  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  German  and  English  descent, 
respectively.  His  mother  was  born  September  19,  1801,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing, well  preserved  for  one  of  her  years.  Her  grandfather  was  a  com- 
missioned officer  in  command  of  a  naval  vessel  in  the  Revolution  and  was 
lost  in  battle.  Her  relatives  all  reside  in  New  Jersey,  and  there  she 
grew  to  womanhood.  During  the  war  of  1812,  she  was  an  eye  witness 
of  the  engagement  between  the  naval  vessels  "  Wasp"  and  "  Frolic," 
which  scene  she  still  vividly  recalls.     Her  father  died  while  she  was  yet 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  715 

a  child,  and  she  was  reared  by  her  mother  with  three  other  sisters,  only 
two  of  whom  are  now  living.  In  her  twenty-second  year  she  married 
Jacob  Fox,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  a  blacksmith  by 
trade.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  were  born  in 
the  same  house  and  in  their  youth  playmates.  In  1825  the  family  which 
then  included  four  children  emigrated  westward,  going  by  wagon  to 
Pittsburgh,  thence  by  steamboat  to  Cincinnati.  They  located  in  Hamil- 
ton County,  Ohio,  where  they  resided  some  five  years  and  then  moved  to 
this  county.  Here  the  father  gave  up  his  trade  and  engaged  in  keeping 
hotel  at  the  old  country  stand  where  his  widow  still  resides.  He  died 
here  in  September,  1845,  and  the  business  was  conducted  for  many  years 
after  by  Mrs.  Fox.  Before  his  death  Mr.  Fox  had  purchased  160  acres 
of  land,  and  this  homestead  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family.  In 
his  day  Jacob  Fox  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  attaining 
the  "royal  arch"  degree,  and  his  acquaintanceship  extended  over  the 
greater  portion  of  southeastern  Indiana.  James  B.  Fox,  the  subject 
proper  of  this  notice,  remained  under  the  paternal  roof  till  his  seven- 
teenth year  when  he  enlisted  in  the  war  against  Mexico,  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated in  six  general  battles — four  under  Taylor  and  two  under  Scott. 
He  was  a  member  of  Company  C,  Third  Artillery,  Bagg's  Battery,  and 
fired  the  first  cannon  between  the  American  and  Mexican  Armies  at  Palo 
Alto,  May  8, 1846.  He  took  part  in  the  engagement  at  Kesaca  de  laPalma, 
Monterey,  Beuna  Vista,  Tampico  and  Sierra  Gorda;  all  are  famous  in 
the  history  of  our  country.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  for  some 
time  employed  as  mail  carrier  between  Santa  Fe  and  Fort  Leavenworth, 
and  in  the  Southwest  he  remained  about  two  years.  In  October, 
1851,  he  was  commissioned  by  Burnside  to  carry  a  government  dispatch 
to  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  the  distance  of  800  miles  he  covered  on  horse- 
back in  eleven  days.  In  the  following  January  he  went  with  a  govern- 
ment train  into  Texas,  and  in  June  returned  to  his  present  home,  where 
he  has  since  remained,  engaged  in  the  quiet  pursuit  of  agriculture.  Mr. 
Fox  is  now  fifty-five  years  old,  a  genial  bachelor,  free  from  family  care, 
and  he  has  voted  for  every  Democratic  President  since  the  campaign  of 
Franklin  Pierce. 

MARTIN  V.  FOX,  Harrison  Township,  one  of  the  best  farmers  of 
the  same,  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  near  Cincinnati,  in 
1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Rebecca  (Polao)  Fox,  natives  of  Salem 
County,  N.  J.,  near  the  Delaware.  Mr.  Fox  grew  up  on  the  farm  with 
his  parents  and  has  always  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  100  acres  in  1865,  and  since  that  time  has 
never  moved  his  effects  but  once.  He  was  married,  in  November,  1865,  to 
Cornelia  Gritfith  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  David  and 


v=. 


716  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Eliza  (Lawrence)  Griffith,  her  father  of  Ohio,  her  mother  from  Mas- 
sachusetts. BeBJamin  Griffith,  her  grandfather,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Hamilton  County,  and  is  said  to  have  taught  the  first  school 
of  that  county  in  a  flat-boat  which  was  made  fast  to  a  tree  by  a  grape- 
vine. Her  parents  remained  residents  of  Hamilton  County.  Her  father 
died  in  1844;  her  mother  in  1881.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  have  six  children: 
Henry,  Adna,  Martin  V.,  Walter,  Carrie  and  Eddie.  They  are 
rewarded  for  their  industry  by  a  liberal  share  of  the  comforts  of  life  in 
the  way  of  a  comfortable  home,  and  they  enjoy  the  esteem  of  a  large  cir- 
cle of  friends. 

PHILIP  FKEIBERGER,  retired,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  in  Bavaria,  March  28,  1823,  where  he  received  a  common  school 
education.  His  parents,  John  and  Catharine  (Schemlin)  Freiberger  were 
natives  of  Bavaria,  the  father  was  born  in  1790,  and  died  in  1838;  the 
mother  was  born  in  1801,  and  died  in  1849.  Philip  came  to  America 
in  1846,  and  located  in  Somerset  County,  Penn.,  where  he  worked  at  the 
carpenter's  trade,  and  manufactured  cigars.  He  was  married,  August  18, 
1846,  to  Miss  Mary  Harring  at  Chambersburgh,  Penn. ;  she  was  born  Sep- 
tember 23,  1825.  Eight  children  have  been  born  to  the  marriage,  namely: 
Elizabeth,  born  February  24,  1847;  Caroline,  born  January  18,  1849; 
John,  born  October  13,  1850;  Philip,  born  July  22,  1852,  died  February 
10,  1861;  Mary  A.,  born  August  20,  1854;  Andy,  born  July  22,  1858; 
Lillie,  born  June  2,  1861;  George,  born  June  5,  1863.  Michael  Harring, 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Freiberger,  was  born  in  1790  and  her  mother,  Catharine 
(Kruitzer)  Harring  was  born  in  1800.  They  came  to  America  in  1846. 
Philip  came  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  in  1847,  and  followed  carpentering,  and 
various  branches  of  business.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Druids  and  Ger- 
man Reformed  Church. 

CAPT.  JOHN  I.  FRENCH,  of  Rising  Sun,  died  in  that  village  in 
1874,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  four  score  and  six  years  less  four  months.  In 
1817  he  removed  from  New  York  State,  and  settled  on  the  ridge  near  Law- 
renceburgh,  and  in  1830  he  moved  to  what  is  now  Ohio  County.  He 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  In  1870  it  was  stated  that  he  was  the 
oldest  Mason  in  the  State,  having  been  connected  with  the  order  sixty- 
one  years.     He  was  made  a  Mason  in  New  York  City. 

REUEL  W.  FUGITT,  county  recorder  of  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  was 
born  in  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  May  25,  1842,  grew  to  manhood  on 
a  farm,  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Twenty-second  Indiana  In- 
fantry. He  served  till  June,  1865,  when  he  was  honorably  discharged, 
having  taken  part  in  some  of  the  strongest  battles  of  the  war.  Among 
these  were  the  the  battles  of  Pea  Ridge,  Corinth,  Perry  ville.  Stone  River, 
Jackson  and  many  minor  engagements;  was  wounded  at  Perry  ville  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  717 

also  at  Stone  River,  though  not  seriously.  Returninor  home  Mr.  Fugitt 
engaged  in  saw-milling  in  Ripley  County  until  1868,  when  he  removed 
to  Ohio  County  and  followed  agricultural  pursuits  until  elected  to  the 
recorder's  office  in  1882,  which  he  still  holds.  Was  married  in  1872  to 
Miss  Nora  Trader,  of  Ohio  County,  daughter  of  Isaac  Trader.  By  this 
union  have  been  born  four  children:  Mary  E.,  Susan,  Elmira  and  John. 
Mr.  Fugitt  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Benjamin  North  Post,  also  of  the 
F.  &  A.  M.  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 

ELIJAH  FULLER,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  November  10,  1835.  His  parents,  Elijah  and  Azubah 
(Gloyd)  Fuller,  were  natives  of  New  York  and  Massachussetts  respect- 
ively, and  were  born,  the  former  May  19,  1783,  and  the  latter  December 
11,  1798.  They  wei-e  married  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  June  15,  1823, 
and  settled  in  Sparta  Township,  where  he  engaged  in  saw-milling  and 
farming,  and  where  they  resided  until  their  deaths,  which  occurred,  the 
mother  August  5,  1854,  and  the  father  August  8,  1858.  They  were 
the  parents  of  six  children,  viz. :  Amanda,  Eliza,  Truman,  Martha, 
Emily  and  Elijah.  The  latter  was  united  in  marriage  in  Sparta  Town- 
ship, December  5,  1858,  with  Mary  J.,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Eliza- 
beth Noble.     She  was  born  in    Dearborn   County,  Ind.,   September  23, 

1839.  After  our  subject's  marriage  he  settled  on  the  old  homestead 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  ninty-seven  acres  of  land,  has  a 
family  of  four  children,  namely:  Ella  F.,  born  August  29,  1859;  John 
M.,  born  April  15,  1862;  Elizabeth  P.,  born  December  13,  1865;  Anna 
B.,  born  June  6, 1867.  Mr.  Fuller  is  a  gentleman  and  he  and  his  family 
highly  esteemed. 

THOMAS  &  J.   W.   GAFF,   of  Aurora,  the   latter  locating  here  in 

1840,  and  the  former  soon  after,  have  been  conspicuous  characters  in 
Aurora's  history.  Thomas  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  1808,  and 
with  his  parents  James  and  Margaret  immigrated  to  America  in  1811. 
J.  W.,  was  born  in  Springfield,  N.  J.,  in  1816,  and  both  were  here  edu- 
cated, Thomas  first  learning  the  trade  of  his  father,  paper-making,  and 
both  that  of  distilling,  which  business  they  engaged  in  together  in  the 
city  of  Philadelphia, and  in  1843  located  in  Aurora  in  the  same  business, 
establishing  the  widely  known  firm  of  T.  &  J.  W.  Gaff  &  Co.  These 
men  by  their  extensive  improvements,  industry  and  enterprise  did  much 
for  the  advancement  of  the  town.  They  were  the  first  to  undertake  the 
construction  of  turnpikes  and  to  establish  daily  communication  by  steam- 
boat between  Aurora  and  Cincinnati.  Thomas  was  one  of  the  original 
stockholders  and  directors  of  the  Ohiotfe  Mississippi  Railroad.  Their  en- 
terprises were  various — farming,  mining,  foundry  and  machine  works, 
mercantile  business,  banking,  etc.    Tbomas  was  president  of  the  First  Na- 


718  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

tional  Bank;  vice-president  of  the  Gas  Light  &Coke  Company;  he  was  a 
man  of  remarkable  executive  ability,  and  was  considered  one  of  the  best 
financiers  in  the  country.  During  the  war  he  strongly  supported  the  cauHe 
of  the  Union.  His  death  occurred  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati  within  the 
past  year.  James  W.  was  a  man  eminently  fitted  for  business  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Cincinnati  in  1879,  he  was  engaged 
in  thirty-two  distinct  firms  and  lines  of  business,  and  was  possessed  of 
great  wealth.  He  was  extremely  industrious  and  very  careful  about  de- 
tails, giving  to  them  the  minutest  attention.  He  held  various  offices 
in  the  county,  among  them  State  Senator,  member  of  school  board  and 
president  of  the  agricultural  society.  lie  was  a  generous  and  benevo- 
lent man.      He  removed  to  Cincinnati  before  the  late  war. 

JOHN  H.  GAFF,  of  Lawrenceburgh  (brother  of  Thomas  and  J. 
W.),  was  born  in  Springfield,  N.  J.,  September  13,  1820.  He  received 
a  common  school  education,  and  in  1835  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the 
jeweler's  trade  with  a  Mr.  Ackerman  in  New  York  City,  with  whom  he 
remained  six  years,  then  he  spent  four  years  in  the  City  of  Mexico.  In 
1845  he  returned  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Aurora,  and  en- 
gaged with  his  brothers  in  the  distilling  business,  and  while  a  resident 
of  that  place  served  two  terms  as  mayor  of  Aurora.  In  1864,  with  his 
family,  Mr.  Gaff  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  resided  until  his 
death  in  1879.  On  his  removal  to  Lawrenceburgh  he  continued  in  busi- 
ness with  his  brothers  and  Mr.  Anson  Marshall,  and  on  the  withdrawal  of 
the  latter  a  new  firm  was  organized,  consisting  of  John  H.  Graff  and 
Charles  L.  Howe,  under  the  firm  name  of  John  H.  Graff  &  Co.  Mr. 
Graff  was  actively  identified  with  all  of  the  interests  of  Lawrenceburgh. 
He  was  for  some  some  years  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  of  the 
city. 

GEORGE  W.  GALLOWAY,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  is  a  native 
of  Jennings  County,  Ind.,  born  August  20,  1834.  His  parents,  Elihue 
and  Mary  (Elliott)  Galloway,  were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Kentucky, 
respectively.  They  were  married  in  Kentucky,  and  in  1817  immigrated 
to  Jennings  County,  Ind.,  where  he  died  in  June,  1863,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three,  and  she  moved  to  Dearborn  County  in  1870  and  remained 
until  her  death.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  namely: 
William,  Sarah  A.,  Samuel,  Martha,  John,  Elisha,  Joseph,  Elijah, 
Ephraim,  George  W.,  Robert  and  Harriet.  George  W.  was  married  in 
Jennings  County,  Ind.,  May  23,  1867,  to  Rosealtha  M.,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  H.  and  Nancy  A.  (Robinson)  Myers.  She  was  born  at  Law- 
renceburgh December  31,  1851.  After  this  marriage  Mr.  Galloway  set- 
tled in  Jennings  County  and  remained  until  1871,  in  which  year  he 
moved  to  Dearborn  County,  purchasing  and  settling  on  his  present  farm. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  719 

He  owns  ninety-two  acres  of  fine  land.  They  have  had  born  to  them 
four  children,  viz. :  James  H.,  Samuel  G.,  Zina  B.  and  Inez  P.  Mr, 
Galloway  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

JOHN  W.  GAREY,  baker,  dealer  in  staple  and  fancy  groceries,  and 
proprietor  of  news  stand.  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  New  York  State  in 
1829,  and  came  in  1835  with  his  parents,  Charles  G.  and  Unis  (Spald- 
ing) Garey,  to  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  where  the  latter  resided  till 
their  respective  deaths,  his  father  October  14,  1874,  in  his  seventy-ninth 
year,  his  mother  August  21,  1881,  in  her  eighty-third  year.  His  parents 
were  farmers  and  in  the  occupations  peculiar  to  that  line  of  work  Mr. 
Garey's  earlier  years  were  spent.  In  1846  he  went  to  Cincinnati  and 
learned  the  baker's  trade,  which  he  has  ever  since  continued.  In  1852 
he  went  from  Cincinnati  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  from  that  point  to  Rising 
Sun  in  1857,  where  since  which  time  he  has  carried  on  a  successful  trade 
in  his  line.  He  carries  a  full  stock  of  groceries  and  provisions,  keeps  a 
bakery  in  full  blast,  acts  as  special  agent  for  the  sale  of  the  Cincinnati 
Enquirer,  Commercial  Gazette,  Times  and  Post,  and  does  a  thriving  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Garey  was  married,  in  1852,  to  Elizabeth  A.  Reynolds,  of  near 
Hamilton,  Ohio,  and  they  have  three  children  living:  Frank  O.,  baker, 
Wellington,  Kas.;  Ida  M.,  wife  of  Rev.  W.  T.  Jolly,  Ashland,  Ky. ; 
Hugh  T.,  who  is  still  at  home.  Mr.  Garey  served  two  years  in  the  city 
council  and  four  years  as  city  treasurer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Baptist  Church,  of  which  latter  society  Mrs. 
Garey  is  also  a  member. 

JOHN  B.  GARNIER,  brewer.  City  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in 
France  in  1817.  His  early  life  was  passed  on  a  farm.  He  immigrated 
to  this  country,  and  in  1840,  located  in  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh,  where 
he  began  the  brewing  business,  which  he  has  since  continued,  although 
at  times  otherwise  engaged.  In  1866,  in  connection  with  a  brother, 
August  Garnier,  he  established  his  present  extensive  bi'ewery,  a  sketch  of 
which  appears  in  the  history  of  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1848  Mr.  Garnier 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Maiy  Dififner,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  by  the 
marriage  there  were  born  two  children — a  son  and  daughter — named 
John  and  Anna.  Mr.  Garnier  is  one  of  the  capitalists  of  Lawrenceburgh, 
and  one  among  her  leading  and  influential  citizens.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  and  wields  a  strong  influence  in  his  party  in  Dearborn 
County. 

JAMES  M.  GARRIGUS,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  born  in 
New  Jersey,  November  25,  1815,  is  a  son  of  James  and  Elizabeth 
(Godden)  Garrigus,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
Jacob   Garrigus,  was    also  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a  soldier  in  the 


Y20  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

war  of  the  Eevolution.  He  lived  and  died  in  his  native  State.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  Joseph  Godden,  also  died  in  New  Jersey,  his  na- 
tive State.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  the  eldest  surviving  son  of  his 
parents,  left  his  home  and  native  State  in  the  fall  of  1839,  coming  to 
Wheeling,  Va.,  by  stage;  thence  by  Springfield,  Ohio,  to  Cincinnati; 
thence  by  boat  to  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  and  then  on  foot  to  his  sister's, 
Mrs.  John  Jackson,  now  Mrs.  Samuel  Conger,  in  Manchester  Township, 
this  county.  In  the  spring  of  1841  his  father  and  family  came,  and 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  Section  24,  this 
township,  where  he  remained  till  his  death,  four  or  five  years  later.  His 
wife  survived  many  years,  and  died  at  her  son  James'  residence.  They 
had  seven  children,  the  eldest,  Jacob,  died  in  his  native  State;  Amza 
settled  in  Mississippi,  where  he  still  resides.  Those  who  came  to  this 
county,  are  Mabel  G.,  James  M.,  Joseph,  Elmer,  and  Israel;  the  latter 
died  in  Illinois,  Joseph  now  resides  at  Trenton,  111.,  and  Elmer  in  Bar- 
ton County,  Kas.  Mr.  James  M.  Garrigus  after  his  arrival  taught  school 
several  winters  in  the  old  pioneer  log  schoolhouses.  Soon  after  his 
father  purchased  and  settled  on  his  land,  Mr.  Garrigus  bought  the 
eighty  acres  adjoining  his  father's  oa  the  east.  After  the  death  of  his 
parents,  Mr.  Garrigus  became  owner  of  the  entire  quarter  section, 
where  he  has  resided  to  the  present  time.  He  has  erected  new  and  com- 
modious buildings,  and  made  other  improvements  constituting  a  pleas- 
ant home  and  residence.  May  30,  1844,  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Tuttle, 
born  in  1826,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Theodosia  (Conger)  Tuttle,  na- 
tives of  New  Jersey,  but  became  early  settlers  of  this  county,  and  died, 
leaving  Harriet,  a  young -child,  who  was  raised  by  her  uncle,  Samuel 
Conger.  By  this  union  they  have  had  six  children,  five  now  survive: 
Amza;  James  E.,  now  an  attorney  residing  at  Greeley,  Col.;  Israel 
Dayton;  Fannie  M.,  wife  of  Charles  Cai'penter,  residing  in  Knox  County, 
Ind.,  and  Hattie  E.  The  one  deceased,  Jacob  Henry,  was  in  the  war  of 
the  Rebellion,  in  Company  C,  Seventh  Indiana  Calvary.  He  was  under 
Col.  Shanks  in  Missouri,  and  while  out  on  a  foraging  expedition  it  is 
believed  was  shot  by  guerrillas,  as  he  never  returned  and  nothing  has 
ever  been  heard  of  him.  He  was  under  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he 
enlisted;  was  a  brave  soldier  whose  young  life  was  sacrificed  in  the  de- 
fense of  his  country. 

LEWIS  D.  GARRISON,  farmer,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was 
born  in  the  same  in  1838.  His  parents  were  Marvel  and  Sarah  (Groves) 
Garrison,  who  died  while  he  was  a  child.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
found  employment  with  Hazel  Suit,  with  whom  he  remained  for  some 
time.  He  then  went  to  Iowa  and  while  there  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
Fourth  Iowa  Cavalry,  and  spent  about  four  years  in  the  service  of  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  721 

country.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  this  county  and,  in 
1866,  was  married  to  Mrs.  Priscilla  (Hayes)  Suit,  daughter  of  Joseph 
Hayes,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  county.  He  has  since  resided 
chiefly  in  this  locality,  engaged  in  farming,  in  which  pursuit  he  has  been 
quite  successful.  He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  K.  T.  degree, 
and  also  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garrison  have  but  one  child, 
Lewis,  born  June  17,  1870.  By  her  former  husband  Mrs.  Garrison  had 
eight  children — five  living:  William,  Joseph,  Nancy,  Calvin  and  Sarah 
J.,  the  latter  now  wife  of  Irvin  Miller. 

SUMNER  C.  GASKILL,  farmer,  Randolph  Township,  was  born  in 
New  Hampshire  in  1825.  His  parents  were  David  and  Mary  (Eaton) 
Gaskill,  the  former  a  native  of  Essex  County,  Vt.,  the  latter  of  Wooster 
County,  Mass.  His  father  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  State,  from 
which,  after  his  marriage,  he  removed  to  New  Hampshire  and  in  1835 
immigrated  to  Ohio  county,  where  he  purchased  land  and  remained  till 
his  death  in  May,  1855.  George  Gaskill,  brother  to  David,  settled  in 
Ohio  County  as  early  as  1818  and  was  a  physician  of  some  note,  having 
acted  as  surgeon  in  the  war  of  1812.  A  sister,  who  married  Jonas  Men- 
dell,  also  settled  in  Ohio  County  about  1833.  David  and  Mary  (Eaton) 
Gaskill  reared  a  family  of  six  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Sumner  C.  and  Marietta  Boyle,  now  a  resident  of  Jefferson  County,  Ind. 
The  mother  died  in  1864  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 
Sumner  Gaskill  was  ten  years  old  when  he  came  to  Ohio  County.  He  had 
obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  New  England  schools,  and 
subsequently  shared  the  advantages  of  a  sister  and  brother  who  were 
well  educated,  both  becoming  teachers.  Mr.  Gaskill  himself  subsequent- 
ly took  up  the  profession  and  taught  seventeen  terms,  twelve  of  which 
were  taught  in  two  districts — six  consecutive  terms  in  the  district  in 
which  he  lives.  During  the  summer  seasons  he  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  in  1850  he  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land,  which  he  sold 
about  four  years  later  to  Ohio  County,  after  which  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent home  of  ninety  acres,  on  which  he  has  since  resided.  Mr.  Gaskill 
was  married,  in  1862,  to  Sarah  J.  Gregory,  of  Rising  Sun,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Gregory,  one  of  the  old  residents  of  this  county.  They  have  no 
children.  Mr.  Gaskill  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  one  of 
the  progressive  citizens  of  his  county. 

JAMES  D.  GATCH,  M.  D.,  Lawrenceburgh,  son  of  Lewis  and  Ma- 
riah  (Newton)  Gatch,  was  born  March  5,  1831,  at  Milford,  Clermont  Co., 
Ohio.  His  father  was  born  and  raised  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  his  moth- 
er, at  Cape  May,  N.  J.  They  immigrated  to  the  above  named  place  in 
1809.  Having  settled  at  so  early  a  date  in  the  West,  they  did  much  to 
develop  the  industry  and  intelligence  of  their  section.     Both  were  well 


722  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

educated,  and  more  particiilarly  Mrs.  Gatch,  as  she  had  been  educated  in 
the  schools  of  Philadelphia,  giving  her  superior  advantages  over  many 
of  that  early  day.  She,  as  well  as  her  husband,  was  a  person  of  much 
dignity.  Active  participants  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  their 
home  was  the  home  of  the  pioneer  preachers.  Rev.  Nicholas  Gatch 
attended  the  first  conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
held  in  America  at  Baltimore,  in  1775,  before  the  declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence. And  for  over  100  continuous  years  there  has  been  a  Gatch 
minister  in  some  one  of  the  families  of  that  name.  Dr.  Gatch  was 
raised  upon  a  farm,  received  an  academic  education,  after  which  he  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  city  school  of  his  native  place,  and  made  a  fine 
reputation  as  an  instructor.  In  1851  he  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  L.  A. 
Hendricks,  Sr.,  where  he  read  medicine  during  his  course  of  studies 
until  he  graduated  at  the  Miami  Medical  College  in  1854.  He  had  pre- 
viously attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Medical  Institute  of  Cincin- 
nati in  1852,  and  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Medical  College  of  Ohio  in 
1852-53.  He  was  presented  with  a  diploma  from  the  latter  in  1858,  and 
immediately  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  and  met  with  good  success.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion 
he  offered  his  services,  and  was  commissioned  first  assistant  surgeon, 
August  19,  1862,  to  the  Sixteenth  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
Col.  T.  J.  Lucas,  commanding.  He  was  actively  engaged  as  medical 
officer  in  charge  of  the  regiment  (the  same  month)  at  the  disastrous  battle 
of  Richmond;  Ky.,  where  the  gallant  Sixteenth  suffered  a  loss  of  175  in 
killed  and  wounded.  He  was  assigned  to  one  of  the  operating  boards, 
which  honor  he  had  conferred  upon  him  in  every  battle  in  which  he  was 
engaged.  He  remained  at  Richmond,  Ky. ,  until  October  12,  most  of  the 
time  in  charge  of  the  Smith  Hospital.  In  November,  1862,  the  command 
was  ordered  to  the  Department  of  the  Mississippi,  and  he  was  engaged  in 
the  battles  of  Yazoo  River,  Arkansas  Post,  Grand  Gulf,  and  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  and  by  direct  orders  from  Gen.  Grant,  through  Maj. 
Holstein,  established  a  general  hospital  at  the  Ion  plantation  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  near  New  Carthage,  La. ,  where  he  received  the  sick  of 
the  Thirteenth,  Fifteenth  and  Seventeenth  Army  Corps,  together  with  the 
wounded  at  the  engagements  of  Grand  Gulf  and  Port  Gibson,  in  all 
1,010,  in  twenty- four  hours,  and  all  of  them  comfortably  provided  for. 
Dr.  Gatch  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  has  been 
since  1856,  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order;  is  a  member  and  ex- 
vice-president  of  j  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society;  member  and  ex- 
president  of  the  Dearborn  County  Medical  Society;  member  of  the 
American  Public  Health  Association;  member  of  the  Tri-State  Medical 
Society  of    Indiana,  Illinois    and   Kentucky;   honorary   member    of    the 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  723 

Sanitary  Council  of  the  Mississippi  Valley;  member  and  secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Health  of  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.  He  has  performed  many  sur- 
gical operations,  some  of  them  very  difficult.  His  contributions  to 
medical  science,  although  not  numerous,  have  been  able  and  were  well 
received.  He  took  a  lively  and  influential  interest  in  the  formation  of 
the  State  Board  of  Health,  and  contributed  some  articles  touching  upon 
the  subject,  one  on  sanitary  science,  read  at  Tri-State  Medical  Society 
meeting  at  Evansville,  Ind,  November,  1879,  and  one  upon  harmony 
and  associated  action  in  connection  with  State  medicine  read  before  the 
State  Medical  Society  in  May,  1880;  these  papers  were  highly  endorsed, 
and  it  was  said  did  much  good  in  assisting  to  accomplish  the  desired 
result.  He  has  twice  married,  first  in  May,  1856,  to  Annie  E.  Cordry, 
daughter  of  Abel  Cordry,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  to  whom  was  born  one  son, 
Enoch  L.,  an  excellent  young  man,  and  successfully  engaged  in  farming. 
His  second  marriage  was  to  Fannie  M.  Lozier,  April  25, 1861,  the  accom- 
plished daughter  of  the  Hon.  George  M.  Lozier,  of  Wright's  Corner,  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  to  whom  one  son  has  been  born,  George  L.,  a  young 
man  of  sterling  qualities,  who  at  this  time  is  married  and  employed  in 
the  county  treasurer's  office.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Gatch, 
Jacob  Blasdel,  was  one  of  the  indefatigable  pioneers  of  the  county,  ever 
ready  and  willing  to  advance  the  moral  and  intellectual  interests  of  his 
community.  He  gave  the  first  temperance  lecture  that  was  delivered  in 
the  State  of  Indiana.  Her  father,  G.  M.  Lozier,  has  been  all  through 
his  life  one  of  the  active  and  pushing  men  in  church  matters,  school  or 
anything  that  would  promote  the  welfare  of  society.  He  has  held  posi- 
tions of  prominence  and  trust,  also  has  represented  his  county  in  the 
State  Legislature.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  Dr.  Gatch,  has  been  twice 
elected  to  the  treasurer's  office  of  his  county,  which  he  has  tilled  and  is 
filling  with  marked  energy  and  ability;  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  which  he  has  a  tine  reputation,  and  from  his  present 
appearance,  we  should  think,  has  many  years  of  usefulness,  of  happi- 
ness and  prosperity  before  him. 

ENOCH  L.  GATCH,  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  Washington  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  Dillsborough,  July  1,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  James  D. 
Gatch.  Enoch  L.  was  reared  by  his  aunt,  Harriet  E.  (Gatch)  Lindsay, 
who  has  cared  for  him  with  a  mother's  interest,  from  the  time  he  was 
eleven  days  old.  She  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  May  18,  1826. 
Miss  Harriet  E.  Gatch  was  married  September  25,  1849,  to  Enoch  M. 
Lindsay,  who  was  born  in  Henry  County,  Ky.,  May  22,  1811.  They  lo- 
cated in  Washington  Township,  December  1,  1849,  where  he  followed 
farming,  very  successfully.  Unto  them  was  born  a  son,  James  L.,  who 
died  in  infancy.     IMi's.   Lindsay  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


724  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Church  when  quite  young.  After  they  had  moved  to  this  State,  she  ob- 
tained a  church  letter  bearing  date  December  3,  1850,  which  certified 
"that  Harriet  Lindsay  had  been  an  acceptable  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  Milford  Circuit,  East  Cincinnati,  Ohio  Annual 
Conference,"  duly  signed.  When  she  presented  the  certificate  to  the 
Aurora  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  spring  of  .1851,  she  was  re- 
fused admission,  because  she  would  not  say  that  "  she  was  sorry  that  her 
husband  was  not  a  member  of  the  church."  This  refusal  has  kept  her 
outside  the  church  ever  since,  but  has  not  broken  her  faith  in  God.  As 
for. Mr.  Lindsay,  he  was  a  good  man,  with  an  abiding  faith  in  the  future 
life,  and  believed  the  best  preparation  for  the  unknown  to-morrow  to 
consist  in  performing  to  the  best  of  his  ability  the  duties  of  to-day. 
This  philosophy  sufficed  during  health,  and  did  not  fail  him  even  when 
passing  into  the  shadows  of  death,  October  15,  1878.  Mr.  Lindsay  com- 
manded universal  respect,  as  in  all  the  transactions  of  life  he  was 
actuated  and  governed  by  a  sense  of  personal  honor,  and  of  the  rights  of 
others.  He  loved  his  home  better  than  any  spot  on  earth.  Mr.  E.  L. 
Gatch  was  married  October  6,  1881,  to  Miss  Luella  Mason,  who  was  born 
in  Hogan  Township,  November  25,  1859.  Her  father,  Mathew  B.  Mason, 
was  born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  June  10,  1829;  her  mother,  Emily  (Spi- 
dell)  Mason,  in  Hogan  Township,  September  20,  1838.  They  were  mar- 
ried June  11,  1856,  and  raised  four  children.  The  mother  died  Septem- 
ber 28,  1875. 

GEORGE  B.  GIBSON,  dealer  in  hardware,  stoves  and  farming  im- 
plements. Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  Ohio  county  in  1831.  His  father, 
John  I.  Gibson,  was  born  February  28,  1797,  and  his  mother,  Jane 
Beaty,  June  13,  1795.  His  grandfather,  James  Gibson,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  his  grandmother,  Sallie  Ireland,  was  born  at  sea.  His 
father  came  to  this  locality  with  his  parents,  James  and  Sallie  (Ireland) 
Gibson,  in  1814,  from  Georgetown,  Ky.,  and  his  mother's  people  came 
from  Pennsylvania  in  a  very  early  day.  John  I.  and  Jane  (Beaty)  Gib- 
son were  married  December  15,  1815,  and  were  residents  of  Ohio  County 
till  their  deaths,  Mr.  Gibson  dying  in  1852,  and  Mrs.  Gibson  in  1850. 
George  B.,  the  subject  of  our  notice,  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  followed 
that  occupation  till  thirty-seven  years  of  age.  He  then  abandoned  the 
farm  and  moved  to  Rising  Sun,  in  order  to  give  his  children  greater  ad- 
vantages of  education,  and  after  some  time  spent  in  the  produce  busi- 
ness, in  1872  purchased  the  stock  of  hardware  owned  by  James  Reister, 
and  embarked  in  that  business,  which  he  has  since  continued,  greatly 
increasing  his  stock.  He  has  the  only  hardware  emporium  of  the  town, 
and  carries  a  stock  valued  at  $10,000,  besides  a  large  line  of  farming 
implements,  for  the  sale  of  which  he  acts  as  agent.       Mr.  Gibson  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  725 

married,  in  1856,  to  Elizabeth  Stopher,  a  daughter  of  William  Stopher,  an 
old  resident  of  Ohio  County,  and  they  have  six  children:  William,  Charles, 
Matthias  S.,  Hugh,  John  and  Harry.  Mr.  Gibson  is  a  member  of  the 
1.  O.  O.  F.  and  F.  &  A.  M. ,  and  a  Democrat. 

THOMAS  H.  GIBSON,  Miller  Township,  a  member  of  one  of  the 
old  families  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  here  in  1838.  He 
grew  to  maturity  a  farmer,  remaining  with  his  parents,  John  and  Ann 
(Hargitt)  Gibson,  till  his  twenty-sixth  year.  In  1864  he  went  to  Cin- 
cinnati, where,  with  his  three  brothers,  George  H.,  John  B.  and  Dennis 
W.  Gibson,  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale  hat  trade.  Here  he  conducted 
a  successful  business  until  July,  1883,  when  he  withdrew  from  the  firm 
and  retired.  He  is  interested  somewhat  in  Florida  orange  culture,  and 
still  retains  his  farm  in  this  township,  but  is  not  paying  especial  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits.  Mr.  Gibson  was  married,  in  1865,  to  Anna 
Ewbank,  native  of  this  county  and  daughter  of  William  Ewbank,  one  of 
the  early  settlers.  Three  children  are  the  result  of  this  union:  Clara  D., 
Thomas  B.  and  George  D.  The  family  is  identified  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  of  which  Mr.  Gibson  is  quite  an  energetic  member. 

HENRY  GIEGOLDT,  saloonist,  Aurora,  proprietor  of  the  National 
House,  corner  Third  and  Judiciary  Streets,  is  a  native  of  the  city  and 
born  April  1,  1853.  He  was  the  recipient  of  a  common  school  education. 
His  father  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  April  28,  1817,  and  his  mother 
Margaret  (Kammerer)  Geigoldt  was  born  in  Schwarzenbach,  Germany, 
February  18,  1821.  The  parents  immigrated  to  America  in  1832,  and 
located  in  Aurora,  where  the  father  followed  butchering  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  April  25,  1876.  Henry  was  raised  to  the  business  of  his 
father,  and  followed  the  same  up  to  1881,  when  he  engaged  in  his 
present  occupation.  He  was  married,  in  1877,  to  Miss  Christena 
Strasinger,  a  native  of  Ripley  County,  this  State, who  was  born  May  20, 
1853.  To  this  union  have  been  born  five  children:  William,  born  Octo- 
ber 29,  1877;  Charles,  born  May  10,  1879;  Tilda,  born  August  25,  1880; 
Joseph,  born  February  2,  1881  (died  April  12,  1883);  Albert,  born  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1882.  Mr.  Giegoldt  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Druids 
and  K.  of  P.,  and  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

DR.  ROBERT  GILLESPIE,  see  page  174. 

FREDERICK  GINTER,  dealer  in  general  merchandise  and  pro- 
prietor of  hotel,  Dillsborough,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  born 
near  Berlin,  October  12,  1828.  His  parents  were  Henry  G.  and  Louisa 
(Ladd)  Ginter,  also  natives  of  Prussia,  Germany,  where  they  were  born, 
the  father  in  1800,  and  the  mother  in  1797.  They  were  also  married  in 
Prussia  and  settled  near  Berlin,where  they  resided  until  the  spring  of  1833, 
at  which  time  he  and  wife  and  one  child  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 


726  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

leaving  our  subject  and  his  elder  brother  behind  with  their  grandparents 
and  uncle.  Mr.  Ginter  landed  at  Baltimore,  Md. ,  and  shortly  after 
located  near  the  city,  where  they  remained  about  one  year  and  engaged 
in  fishing,  from  thence  he  came  to  Cincinnati.  Ohio,  and  from  there, 
shortly  afterward,  settled  at  Cleves,  where  he  carriedon  merchant  tailor- 
ing and  remained  there  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1837  Mr.  G.  sent  for 
the  balance  of  his  family,  two  sons,  who  emigrated  in  that  year  in  company 
with  their  grandfather  and  uncle,  landing  at  Baltimore,  and  from  thence 
came  to  Pittsbiirgh  over  the  mountains  by  wagon,  and  thence  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  and  on  to  Cleves,  where  the  parents  resided.  In  1841  they  moved  to 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  locating  in  Cesar  Creek  Township,  where  the 
father  purchased  land  and  remained  until  1846,  then  removed  to  Cleves, 
and  died  in  that  village.  Their  children  were  Henry,  Frederick,  Will- 
iam, Lewis,  John  and  Chai;les.  Frederick  remained  with  his  parents 
until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  be- 
gan the  shoe-making  trade,  which  he  completed  and  followed  there 
until  1854,  in  which  year  he  came  to  Dillsborough,  and  worked  for  Will- 
iam Lemon  about  six  months,  and  in  1855,  he  and  his  brother,  William, 
purchased  the  shop  of  Lemon,  and  they  carried  on  the  business  together 
until  1856,  when  our  subject  purchased  his  brother's  interest  and  ran 
the  business  himself.  Mr.  G.  was  married,  November  26,  1857,  to 
Martha  -E.  Morris ,  widow  of  Daniel  Morris,  and  daughter  of  William 
Farsith.  She  was  born  January  1,  1830.  They  had  born  to  them  two 
daughters,  Iva  and  Laura.  The  wife  died  April  22,  1863,  and  he  was 
again  married,  September  19,  1866,  to  Jane  E.  Eowland,  who  was  born 
July  22,  1840.  They  had  eight  children:  Grace,  Amy,  Susan  E., 
Frank  R.  (deceased),  Fred  L.,  Maud,  Glenn  E.  (deceased)  and  Blanche. 
In  1864  Mr.  Ginter,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  purchased  the  store 
of  G.  V.  Denton  and  soon  thereafter  a  stock  of  goods  from  Samuel  Wy- 
mond,  of  Dillsborough,  consolidated  the  two  and  carried  on  a  large  mer- 
cantile business  together  until  1866,  when  our  subject  purchased  his 
brother's  interest  and  has  since  carried  on  the  business  himself.  He  is 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  wide-awake  business  men  of  the  place' 
and  has  done  much  toward  improving  the  town.  He  is  a  man  of  good 
general  information.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  is  highly  esteemed 
by  all  who  know  him.      He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

JOSHUA  GIVAN,  of  Manchester  Township,  was  born  in  Maryland 
July  2,  1788,  and  departed  this  life  January  31,  1874.  He  was  married, 
in  1811,  to  Miss  Henrietta  Davis,  who  died  June  14,  1876,  aged  nearly 
eighty-one  years.  Mr.  Givan  moved  to  this  county  in  the  spring  of 
1825,  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Manchester  Township,  on  which  he  lived 
until  his  death,  retiring   some  years  prior  from  active  life,  owing  to  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  .  727 

advanced  age,  and  resided  with  a  son,  George.  His  recollection  went 
back  vividly  to  the  early  history  of  the  country.  He  recollected  the  fierce 
political  contest  that  occurred  during  the  administration  of  Jefferson, 
and  the  excitement  it  occasioned  at  the  time,  as  well  as  the  incidents  of 
the  war  of  1812.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  President  for  James  Madi- 
son, the  second  time  he  was  elected  President  and  the  last  vote  he  gave 
for  a  candidate  for  President  was  Horace  Greeley,  in  1872.  When  he 
came  to  this  county  he  interested  himself  in  educational  matters,  and  the 
first  schoolhouse  that  was  erected  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  he  set- 
tled was  built  on  his  land,  and  mainly  through  his  influence  and  exer- 
tions. Having  but  a  limited  education  himself,  he  was  desirous  that  his 
own  children,  as  well  as  those  of  his  neighbors,  should  have  a  better 
advantage  than  he  had  in  his  early  life,  if  possible.  He  was  ever  a  friend 
to  the  unfortunate,  and  ready  to  assist  those  who  needed  assistance.  Mr. 
Givan  was  of  a  domestic  turn  of  mind.  He  rarely  ever  left  home  unless 
business  called  him  away,  and  then  he  staid  no  longer  than  business 
required.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  when  there  was 
no  church  building  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  to  hold  meeting,  he 
often  had  preaching  at  his  house,  and  he  would  go  around  and  invite  his 
neighbors  to  come  with  their  families,  saying  that  if  they  did  not  agree 
with  all  the  preacher  might  say  it  would  do  them  no  harm  to  attend  wor- 
ship. His  object  and  aim  in  life  was  to  benefit  his  fellow-men,  to  do 
good  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  Honest  in  all  his  dealings, 
charitable  in  his  giving,  and  religious  in  his  every  day  life,  he  died 
in  a  ripe  old  age,  honored  and  .respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  To  the 
marriage  of  IVIr.  and  Mrs.  Givan  six  children,  who  grew  to  the  age  of 
maturity,  were  born,  namely:  George,  William  L.  H.,  Martha,  Noah 
S.,  Robert  and  Mary  A.  The  parents  were  active  members  of  the  Hogan 
Hill  Baptist  Church.  They  were  pillars  in  the  church,  and  among  its 
main  supporters.  Both  had  been  identified  with  that  denomination  for 
sixty  years. 

GEORGE  GIVAN,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  born  in  Maryland, 
December  1,  1816,  is  a  son  of  Joshua  and^Henrietta  Givan,  mention  of 
whom  is  made  in  the  preceding  sketch.  Mr.  George  Givan  was  in  his 
ninth  year  when  his  father  settled  in  Dearborn  County.  Here  he  grew  to 
manhood,  fully  acquainted  with  pioneer  life;  was  married  February  16, 
1840,  to  Sabrina  Jane  Hall,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Sabrina  (Knocks) 
Hall,  natives  of  Maine,  who  settled  in  what  was  then  Dearborn  County, 
now  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  about  1818,  and  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Ohio 
and  Dearborn  Counties.  She  died  on  the  place  now  owned  by  Lewis 
Drake,  April  8,  1836,  aged  forty-two  years.  He  died  at  Mr.  George 
Givan's  June  2,  1853,  aged  sixty-five  years.      They   had  nine  children, 


728  HISTOKY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

six  now  living,  viz.:  Hezekiah,  Sabrina,  Daty  M.,  Laura,  'Lydia  and 
Daniel  K.  By  this  union  Mr.  Givan  has  had  nine  children,  six 
now  survive:  Noah  M.,  Melissa  H.,  Sanford  E.  Joshua  J.  Martha 
A.  and  Sampson  Douglass.  Of  those  deceased  two  died  young,  and  the 
other,  John  W.,  died  in  the  army  in  the  service  of  his  country  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion,  near  Brownsville,  Tex.,  January  19,  1864,  from 
disease  contracted  in  the  service,  and  his  remains  were  buried  there. 
Mr.  Givan  has  now  resided  here  sixty  years  upon  the  purchase  his  father 
made,  of  which  he  now  owns  a  half  section  of  land,  being  the  south  half 
of  Section  26,  this  township.  He  has  adhered  to  the  old  maxim, 
"a  rolling  stone' gathers  no  moss,"  and  in  his  case  it  has  proved 
well,  as  he  now  has  a  fine  body  of  land,  a  good  home  and  an  ample  com- 
petency. He  served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  eight  years,  from  1855  to 
1863.  He  and  wife  are  active  members  of  the  Hogan  Hill  Baptist 
Church;  have  been  identified  with  that  denomination  forty-two  years. 

WILLIAM  L.  H.  GIVAN,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  was  born  in 
Maryland  April  22,  1820,  a  son  of  Joshua  and  Henrietta  (Davis)  Givan, 
whose  sketch  has  been  given  above.  William  L.  H.  grew  to  manhood  under 
the  austere  influences  of  a  pioneer  life,  a  true  helper  of  his  father  in  his 
arduous  labors, obtaining  but  a  limited  education  in  the  rude  schoolhouses 
of  that  day.  He  was  united  in  marriage  October  19,  1843,  with  Jane  M. 
Ferris,  daughter  of  Sylvester  and  Rhoda  (King)  Ferris,  natives  of  New 
York,  who  settled  in  this  county  in  1838.  By  this  union  they  had  seven 
children,  six  now  survive:  Cornelia,  Laura,  Heman,  George,  Rhoda 
and  Connelly.  Mr.  Givan  has  continued  a  resident  upon  land  of  bis 
father's  first  purchase,  where  he  has  erected  good  buildings  and  improve- 
ments, constituting  a  pleasant  home.  He,  like  his  father  before  him,  is 
an  active  member  and  supporter  of  the  Baptist  Church,  having  been  a 
member  since  1842.  He  lost  his  wife  by  death  July  20,  1862.  She  was 
a  devoted  Christian,  and  an  earnest  worker  in  the  church,  having  united 
with  it  prior  to  her  marriage. 

NOAH  S.  GIVAN,  Lawrenceburgh,  ex-judge  of  the  Seventh  Judicial 
District,  was  born  in  Dearborn  Pounty,  September  30,  1833.  He  is 
a  son  of  Joshua  and  Henrietta  (Davis)  Givan.  The  early  years  of  our 
subject  were  passed  on  a  farm,  sharing  the  advantages  of  the  common 
schools.  He  entered  Franklin  College  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  and 
spent  three  years  in  study  at  that  institution.  He  then  took  a  two  years' 
course  in  the  State  University  at  Bloomington,  Ind.,  graduating  in  1858. 
He  studied  law  with  Judge  Buskirk,  attended  the  law  school  at  Bloom- 
ington, Ind.,  and  in  1859  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  beginning  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  ^yashington,  Daviess  Co.,  Ind.  Five  years  later  he 
removed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided   and  con- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  729 

ducted  his  practice.  He  served  two  years  as  prosecuting  attorney,  and 
in  1802  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  on  the  Democratic  ticket. 
Resuming  his  practice  he  continued  the  same  till  1872,  when  he  was 
again  chosen  representative,  serving  two  years.  In  1874  his  abilities 
and  faithfulness  were  further  complimented  by  his  being  elected  State 
Senator  from  Dearborn  and  Franklin  Counties  for  a  term  of  four  years. 
He  left  the  Senate  only  to  be  elected  to  the  position  of  judge  of  the 
Seventh  Judicial  District,  in  which  position  he  discharged  his  duties 
with  marked  ability  and  satisfaction  to  the  people.  In  1876  Mr.  Givan 
was  nominated  for  elector  on  the  Tilden  national  ticket.  He  has  served 
as  councilman  and  school  trustee,  and  for  several  years  officiated  as 
county  examiner.  Judge  Givan  is  a  man  of  integrity  and  honor,  and 
his  long  career  in  public  life  is  sufficient  evidence  of  his  merits  and  pop- 
ularity as  a  citizen.  He  was  married,  October  17,  1866,  to  Mary  Mar- 
tin, and  they  have  four  children:  Martin  J.,  Retta  A.,  Maggie  J.  and 
Frank  M. 

GEORGE  M.  GIVAN,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  that 
township  June  19,  1827.  His  parents,  Gilbert  T.  and  Sarah  C.  (Mer 
rill)  Givan,  were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Virginia,  respectively.  The 
former  was  a  son  of  Robert  and  Catherine  (Duncan)  Givan,  who  were 
both  natives  of  Maryland,  and  were  born,  the  former  March  12,  1760> 
and  the  latter  September  3,  1763.  They  were  married  in  Maryland, 
January  6,  1781,  and  had  born  to  them  six  children,  namely:  Hetty, 
Sallie,  Margaret,  Gilbert  T.,  Elizabeth  and  Matilda.  The  mother  died 
July  13,  1795,  and  the  father  was  again  married,  October  28,  1795,  to 
Rosey  Burton,  by  whom  he  had  one  child — Nancy.  This  wife  died  May 
5,  1797,  and  he  subsequently  married  Ruth  Robinson.  She  died  April 
12,  1817,  and  he  again  married,  January  ^28,  1818,  Priscilla  Cotting- 
ham,  and  in  1828  started  for  Indiana,  and  died  April  26,  1828,  .while  en 
route,  about  ninety  miles  from  Baltimore,  Md.  His  wife  came  on 
through  to  Indiana,  in  company  with  John  Burbage  and  family,  and 
died  in  Dearborn  County  January  8,  1829.  Gilbert  T.,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Worcester  County,  Md.,  July  31,  1789,  and  was 
married  in  Accomac  County,  Va.,  December  2,  1813,  to  Sarah  C.  Mer- 
rill, who  was  born  in  Accomac  County,  Va.,  September  6,  1795,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  George  and  Charlotte  Merrill.  After  their  marriage 
they  settled  in  Worcester  County,  Md.,  where  they  remained  until  April, 
3818,  at  which  time  they  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he 
entered  eighty  acres  of  laud  in  Sparta  Township,  which  he  improved 
and  resided  on  until  his  death,  February  8,  1862.  His  wife  died  July 
28,  1861.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  viz. :  Margaret 
M.,  Albert  G.,  John  W.,  Robert  H.,  Elizabeth  A.,  Maria  J.,  George  M. 


Y30  HISTQRY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Sarah  R. ,  Adoniran  J.,  Peter  M.,  Alfred  B.  and  Sanford  G.  George  M. 
was  married  in  Dearborn  County,  January  6,  1848,  to  Ann  E. ,  daughter 
of  Nathaniel  T.  and  Harriet  L,  (Sage)  Jaquith.  She  was  born  in  Man- 
chester Township  February  25,  1830.  In  1850  he  moved  on  his  father's 
old  homestead,  of  which  he  purchased  sixty-five  acres  in  1863,  and  has 
since  resided  there.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  Their  children  are  John  F.,  Mary  B.,  Sanford  E.,  Harriet  J., 
Sarah  E.,  Eva  A.,  Charles  M.,  Ella  J.,  Harry  R.,  Irving  P.,  Cora  A. 

CHARLES  E.  GLASS,  railroad  police,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
born  in  Cincinnati,  February  2,  1850,  and  received  a  common  school 
education.  His  father,  Michael  Glass,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  near 
Mifflin  December  28,  1816,  and  his  mother,  Mary  L.  (Kissinger)  Glass, 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  September  17,  1820.  Mr.  Glass  moved  to  Aurora 
in  1857,  and  has  worked  at  coopering  all  his  life.  Charles  learned  the 
cooper  trade  and  worked  at  it  eighteen  years.  He  was  married,  Novem- 
ber 8,  1870,  to  Miss  Florence  R.  North,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1852.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  this  marriage:  Charles  L. , 
Oliver  and  Flora  M.  The  wife  died  January  5,  1880,  and  he  married, 
May  16,  1880,  Miss  Laura  Lukins,  who  was  born  in  Rockport,  N.  Y., 
December  12,  1854.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  the  last  marriage: 
Anna  and  Harry.  Mr.  Glass  was  appointed  by  the  mayor  and  council 
in  1882  to  the  police  force,  and  served  two  years.  In  June,  1884,  he 
received  his  present  position  by  appointment,  and  has  met  with  good 
success  during  his  entire  term  of  office.  He  is  a  member  of  Chosen 
Friends  Lodge  No.  13,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Bethlehem  Encampment  No.  3, 
L  O.  O.  F. 

ALEXANDER  E.  GLENN,  see  page  184. 

JACOB  GOENAWEIN,  dealer  in  and  manufacturer  of  boots  and 
shoes,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  the  kingdom  of  Wurtem- 
berg  January  19,  1843,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education. 
His  parents,  Goutlib  and  Rosena  (Dane),  were  born  in  the  same  province, 
the  former  in  1819,  and  the  latter  in  1822.  The  father  was  a  contractor 
and  builder,  and  died  in  1862.  Jacob  came  to  America  in  October, 
1857,  and  located  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  he  learned  the  shoe-maker 
trade.  He  enlisted  April  16,  1861,  in  Company  E,  United  States  Heavy 
Artillery,  with  Pattison,  under  Gen.  McClellan.  Subsequently  the  or- 
ganization was  fitted  out  as  flying  artillery,  and  he  served  as  such  until 
April  16,  1864,  when  he  was  discharged.  He  then  worked  in  the  Gov- 
ernment employ  at  the  Washington  Arsenal  for  fourteen  months,  covering 
saddle  trees.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where 
he  worked  at  shoe-making.  Thence  he  went  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  Booneville    and  St.    Joseph,  Mo.,  and   back   to  Cincinnati,   Ohio, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  731 

working  journeyman  work  all  the  time.  In  the  fall  of  1866  he  located 
in  Cochran,  Ind.,  and  followed  his  trade  up  to  July,  1881,  when  he  be- 
gan business  in  Aurora  and  settled  permanently.  Mr.  Goenawein  was 
married,  April  14,  1867,  to  Miss  Louisa  B.  Spicer,  who  was  born  in  Car- 
rollton,  Ohio,  November  25,  1847.  Seven  children  have  been  born  to 
the  marriage,  namely:  Rosa,  Arthur,  May,  Louisa,  Ruth,  Jacob  and 
Carl  C,  Mr.  Goenawein  is  a  member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  & 
A.  M.,  of  Chosen  Friends  Lodge  No.  13,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  G.  A.  R. 
Mr.  Goenawein  is  also  extensively  engaged  in  the  bee  business,  producing 
several  thousand  pounds  of  honey  annually. 

WILLIAM  GOLDSON,  of  Rising  Sun,  died  in  that  village  October 
3,  1884,  in  the  ninety-fourth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  born  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  and  from  there  removed  to  Philadelphia,  thence  to  Cin- 
cinnati and  to  Rising  Sun  upward  of  a  half-century  ago.  He  was  a 
patriot  of  the  war  of  1812.  On  coming  to  the  village  of  Rising  Sun, 
he,  being  an  engineer,  served  as  such  in  the  cotton  and  woolen  factories, 
distillery  and  flour-mills  of  the  place  and  also  served  as  engineer  on  the 
Rising  Sun  steam-boats. 

GEORGE  A.  GOLDING,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  March  10,  1833.  His  parents,  George  and  Jane 
(Jackson)  Golding,  were  natives  of  Kentucky,  and  of  Irish  and  German 
extraction.  The  former  was  born  December  28,  1791,  and  the  latter 
March  5,  1792.  They  were  married  in  Kentucky,  and  in  1814  removed 
to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  settling  on  Hogan  Creek,  in  Hogan  Township, 
where  he  entered  land  and  there  resided  until  their  deaths.  He  died 
February  14,  1848,  and  his  wife  March  4,  1857.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  viz.:  Nancy,  William,  Sarah,  Jackson  S.,  John, 
George  A.,  Sarah  J.  and  Rachel.  George  A.  was  married  in  Dearborn 
County  May  13,  1855,  to  Barbara  A.  Howard,  who  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County  August  5,  1837,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah 
(Thornton)  Howard,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  respectively. 
The  former  was  born  in  1801  and  the  latter  in  1802.  They  immigrated 
to  Dearborn  County  in  a  very  early  day,  where  they  were  married  and 
resided  until  their  deaths,  which  occurred,  the  mother  in  1871  and  the 
father  in  1876.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children:  George, 
Elizabeth,  James,  Samuel  L.,  Barbara  A.,  Benjamin  and  John.  After 
the  marriage  of  George  A.  he  settled  on  his  father's  old  homestead  in 
Hogan  Township,  where  he  resided  a  number  of  years.  In  1861  he  en- 
tered the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  enlisting  in  August,  1861,  in  Company 
D,  Third  Regiment  Indiana  Cavalry  as  a  private.  He  was  subsequently 
made  corporal.  He  was  taken  prisoner  near  Fredericksburg,  Va., 
while  on  a  scout,  and  was  confined  in  Libby  and  Belle  Island  prisons  for 


732,  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

three  months.  He  was  honorably  discharged  at  Indianapolis,  lud.,  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  and  from  thence  returned  home,  and  in  December,  1866, 
purchased  and  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  Section  29,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  owns  102  acres  of  line  land,  which  is  well  improved 
and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  is  an  excellent  man  and  is 
highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.      He  is  also  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

R.  H.  GOULD,  proprietor  of  the  Gould  Livery  and  Feed  Stable,  Law- 
renceburgh,  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Ind. ,  in  1841.  His  father,  Ben- 
jamin Gould,  is  a  resident  of  Rising  Sun.  His  grandfather  was  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Manchester  Township,  and  used  to  walk  from  that 
locality  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  employed  in  ship- building.  Mr. 
Gould  grew  to  maturity  in  his  native  county,  from  which  in  1862  he  en- 
listed in  Company  E,  Sixty-eighth  Indiana  under  Capt.  Alexander  Beck- 
man,  and  served  three  years  in  the  United  States  service,  receiving  an 
honorable  discharge  in  1865.  He  participated  in  some  of  the  principal 
battles  of  the  war,  and  at  Chickamauga  was  wounded  in  the  thigh.  He 
engaged  for  some  time  in  the  livery  business  at  Rising  Sun,  locating  in 
Lawrenceburgh  in  1882,  purchasing  the  Walker  stock  of  the  stable 
which  he  is  now  conducting.  Mr.  Gould  was  married,  in  September, 
1872,  to  Mahala  Stevens,  daughter  of  Charles  Stevens,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Switzerland  County,  and  they  have  two  children:  Charles  and 
Ella.  Mr.  Gould  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  active  in 
his  attention  to  his  business. 

LOUIS  GRAF,  gunsmith  and  dealer  in  guns,  ammunition, 
cutlery,  hai'dware,  sewing  machine  supplies,  etc.,  Aurora.  He  was 
born  in  Baden,  Germany,  January  10,  1860,  ^where  he  received  a 
good  education.  His  parents,  Charles  and  Magdalena  (Palmer)  Graf, 
were  natives  of  Baden;  the  father  was  born  December  10,  1810,  and  the 
mother,  in  September,  1833.  Louis  came  to  America,  May  19,  1880, 
and  located  in  New  York,  where  he  worked  in  a  machine  shop.  In  1881, 
he  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  worked  in  different  places  up  to  July 
1,  1883,  when  he  located  in  Aurora,  and  opened  his  present  business.  He 
was  married,  April  7,  1881,  to  Miss  Barbara  Robinstine,  who  was  born 
in  Aurora  May  7,  1854.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  them,  namely: 
Enoch  and  Barbara,  and  an  infant  (deceased).  His  wife  died  November 
19,  1884.  Husband  and  wife  belonged  to  the  German  Baptist  Church. 
She  died  in  the  faith  of  a  blessed  immortality. 

JOHN  GRAY,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  died  in  that  city  in  1854;  his 
father's  family,  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County  near  the  close  of  the  last 
century,  but  after  a  short  residence  he  removed  to  Kentucky  with  his  father, 
where  he  resided  several  years  and  returned  to  Lawrenceburgh,  in  1804, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  733 

to  receive  the  benefit  of  a  school  then  taught  in  the  neighborhood.  At 
an  early  period  Mr.  Gray  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  with  John  H. 
and  Benjamin  Piatt,  and  after  they  had  been  driven  by  fire  from  their 
business  at  Lawrenceburgh,  he  accompanied  Mr.  John  H.  Piatt  to  Cin- 
cinnati, and  there  engaged  with  him  in  business.  Subsequently  he 
returned  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  continued  in  mercantile  business 
for  many  years.  Honesty  was  a  marked  trait  of  his  life.  He  at  one  time 
represented  Dearborn  County  in  the  Legislature. 

MILTON  GREGG,  see  page  180. 

ELIJAH  N.  GREER,  farmer  and  dairyman,  Washington  Township, 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  born  in  Alleghany  County,  September  30, 
1822,  where  he  received  a  liberal  education.  His  parents,  George  and 
Susannah  (Newlin)  Greer,  were  born  in  the  same  county,  father  in  1784 
and  mother  in  1794;  they  moved  to  this  county  in  1841.  His  father  was 
color  bearer  in  a  cavalry  battalion,  under  Gen.  Harrison,  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  was  wounded  in  the  arm  at  Mississinnowa.  He  died  in  1876, 
mother  died  in  1870.  Mr.  Elijah  N.  Greer  was  married  September 
7,  1848,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Wheeler,  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
and  three  children  born  to  them  were  Levi,  William  and  John.  Mrs. 
Greer  died  in  March,  1861.  Mr.  Greer  engaged  in  the  dairy  business, 
and  began  the  delivery  of  milk  in  Aurora  September  7,  1884.  He  has 
a  herd  of  seventeen  fine  cows,  and  proposes  to  increase  the  number  as 
rapidly  as  the  demand  will  justify.  Mr.  Greer  has  been  a  great  friend 
to  education,  has  given  his  children  its  full  benefit,  regardless  of 
expense,  and  is  proud  of  the  investment. 

EDWARD  H.  GREEN,  attorney  at  law,  Aurora,  was  born  at  Aurora 
March  1,  1837,  and  is  the  youngest  son  of  Stephen  and  Martha  J.  Green. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  removed  to  Indiana  at  an  early 
period;  he  was  for  many  years  treasurer  of  the  city  of  Aurora,  and  held 
various  ofi&cial  positions  for  a  great  part  of  his  life;  having  never  biTt 
once  been  defeated  when  a  candidate.  Edward  H.  Green  took  the 
scientific  course  of  study  at  Franklin  College,  Indiana,  under  Presi- 
dent Silas  Bailey.  He  then  read  law  in  the  office  of  Judges  Holman  and 
Haynes,  and  commenced  the  practice  in  Aurora.  In  1861  he  enlisted  for 
one  year  in  Company  I,  Sixteenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was 
appointed  orderly  sergeant.  He  was  with  his  regiment  in  Virginia  and 
Maryland,  and  for  a  time  was  located  at  Harper's  Ferry.  His  regiment 
was  mustered  out  in  June,  1862,  and  Mr.  Green  immediately  assisted  in 
raising  a  company  of  cavalry  which  was  tendered  to  Gov.  Morton, 
but  was  refused  unless  it  should  be  used  in  filling  out  depleted  companies 
of  regiments  already  in  the  field.  The  company  was  then  accepted  by 
the  governor  of  Kentucky,  armed  with  Spencer  carbines  and  assigned  to 


734  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  Eleventh  Kentucky  Cavah-y  as  Company  E.  Sergt.  Green  was 
commissioned  second  lieutenant  of  cavalry  volunteers,  and  afterward 
captain.  He  was  with  Burnside  at  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  with  Sherman 
at  Atlanta  and  its  approaches,  and  was  engaged  at  Kesaca,Da]ton, Dallas, 
Big  Savannah  and  Kenesaw  Mountain.  His  company,  for  a  time,  formed 
the  escort  of  Maj.-Gen.  J.  F.  Reynolds.  After  the  battle  of  Stone  River, 
he  pursued  Morgan  through  Kentucky,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  and  assisted  in 
his  capture.  Upon  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law. 
In  1866-67  he  served  as  representative  in  the  Legislature.  In  1877  he 
was  elected  mayor  of  his  native  city,  Aurora,  and  i-e-elected  in  1879.  He 
has  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  law  most  of  the  time  since  the  close  of 
the  war.  Capt.  Green  is  a  public  speaker  of  acknowledged  ability,  clear, 
logical  and  forcible  in  Lis  delivery.  In  1862  he  was  married  to  Mias 
Lizzie  Shirley,  of  Jefifersonville,  Ind. 

JOSIAH  C.  GREEN,  dealer  in  groceries  and  provisions,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  the  Washington  &  Aurora  Turnpike,  Cochran  was  born  in 
Aurora,  March  2,  1851,  where  he  received  a  common  school  edu- 
cation. Prom  1868  to  1881  he  worked  at  carpentering  in  the  Cochran  Car 
Shops.  In  October,  1881,  he  opened  up  his;  present  business  and  has 
succeeded  in  building  up!a  satisfactory  trade.  He  was  married,  June  26^ 
1873,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Rhein,  who  was  born  in  Wilmington,  Del.,  Octo- 
ber 24,  1854.  He  and  his  estimable  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  He  is  a  member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M., 
Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  and  Aurora  Commandery  No.  17. 

GEORGE  S.  GREEN,  engineer  at  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Car 
Shops,  Cochran,  was  born  in  Aurora,  February  13,  1854,  of  parents 
William  and  Elizabeth  (Gullett)  Green,  born,  the  former  on  South  Hogan 
Creek,  Dearborn  County,  August  12,  1817,  and  the  latter  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  November  12,  1823.  William  Green  was  a  stone  mason 
by  trade.  For  fourteen  years  he  served  as  coroner  of  the  county.  He 
was  a  Mason  and  a  Knight  Templar  and  in  1847  filled  the  office  of  W. 
M.  His  death  occurred  October  15,  1871.  Both  William  and  wife  were 
identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  latter  still  survives. 
Our  subject  learned  the  painting  trade,  serving  three  years,  and  in  1873 
began  work,  as  a  laborer,  at  the  rolling-mill  in  Aurora.  In  1876  he  be- 
gan as  engineer  at  the  same  mill,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  over 
four  years,  when  he  began  his  present  relation  with  the  car  shops.  On 
the  19th  of  April,  1876,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Agnes  McConnell,  a 
daughter  of  William  R.  McConnell.  Her  birth  occurred  October  23, 
1854.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  the  marriage,  viz. :  William 
F.,  Carrie  and  Mary.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal   Church.       Mr.   Green  is  now   serving  by  appointment  as  school 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  735 

trustee.  For  the  year  1883  be  was  treasurer  of  the  village  of  Cochran. 
He  is  a  member  of  Lodge  :'no.  51,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13 
and  Aurora  Commandery  No.  17.  He  is  a  temperate  and  industrious  man. 
FIELDING  W.  GRIMSLEY,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in 
Jackson  County,Ind.,  April  7,1885.  His  parents  were  the  old  and  highly  es- 
teemed pioneers,  James  and  Eunice  (Heaton)  Grimsley,native8  of  Kentucky 
and  New  "York,  respectively.  The  former  was  a  son  of  Silas  Grimsley,  a 
native  of  Culpepper  County,  Va.,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1792. 
His  father,  James  Grimsley,  was  also  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  from 
thence,  in  a  very  early  day  immigrated  to  Boone  County,  Ky.,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death.  He  was  shot  and  killed  by  the  Indians  at 
Petersburg,  Ky.  He  was  the  father  of  five  children,  viz. :  Feilding, 
Nelson,  Elizabeth,  Polly  and  Silas,  the  latter  being  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject.  He  immigrated  with  his  parents  to  Boone  County,  Ky.,  and 
was  there  married,  in  about  the  year  1812,  to  Jane  Moore,  a  native  of 
Ireland,  where  she  was  born  in  1796.  In  about  the  year  1816  Mr. 
Grimsley  and  family  immigrated  from  Kentucky  to  Ripley  County,  Ind. , 
where  he  resided  until  his  death.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  viz. :  Elizabeth,  Joseph,  Sarah,  Winlock,  Roxy  A.,  Nancy  and 
James.  The  latter,  the  eldest  member  of  the  family,  was  born  in 
Boone  County,  Ky. ,  June  10,  1814,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Ripley 
County,  Ind.,  when  about  two  years  of  age.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
in  Ripley  County,  in  about  1834,  to  the  above  Eunice  Heaton,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Titus  and  Phebe  (Blaxley)  Heaton.  She  was  born  in  Green 
County,  N.  Y.,  June  20,  1818,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  when  about  three  years  of  age.  After  Mr.  Grimsley's 
marriage  he  first  settled  in  Ripley  County,  where  he  resided  about  one 
year  when  he  moved  to  Jackson  County,  Ind.,  and,  in  1837,  removed  to 
Ripley  County.  The  following  year  he  moved  to  Boone  County,  Ky., 
and  in  1840  back  to  Ripley  County,  and  in  1844  to  Dearborn  County, 
where  he  purchased  land  and  resided  until  1853,  when  he  went  to  Her- 
mann, Mo., for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  land,  and  there  died  December 
10,  of  that  year,  his  wife  still  survives,  and  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Dearborn  County,  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  viz. : 
Nelson  R.,  Joseph,  James,  Cynthia  A.,  Mary  E.,  Susan  J.,  John  M., 
Edward,  Eben  and  Fielding  W.,  the  latter  was  the  eldest  of  the  chil- 
dren. He  was  educated  at  Moore's  Hill  College,  and  for  many  years 
turned  his  attention  to  teaching.  He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Boone 
County,  Ky.,  October  13,  1861,  to  Amelia  E.,  daughter  of  -Alfred  J.  N. 
and  Mary  A.  (Harrison)  Piatt.  She  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  March 
27,  1843.  In  1864  Mr.  Grimsley  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and 
settled  on  his  present  farm,  which  he  had  purchased  the  year  previous. 


736  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

In  1864  he  entered  the  United  States  service,  enlisting,  October  4,  in  the 
Twenty-second  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers,  and  served  until  May 
18,  1865.  He  had  born  to  him  four  children,  viz. :  Annie  L.  (deceased), 
William  G.,  Flora  B.  and  Fielding  W.  Mr.  Grimsley  is  identified  with 
the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  respected  citizen. 

JOSEPH  GROFF,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in  1813. 
In  1820  his  parents  moved  West  and  located  in  Elizabethtown,  Ohio, 
where  he  resided  with  them  till  1834,  in  which  year  his  father  died,  his 
mother  having  passed  away  about  1826.  In  early  years  Mr.  Groff  at- 
tended the  schools  of  the  village  above  mentioned,  and  in  the  same  vil- 
lage began  the  hatting  business  which  he  conducted  there  till  1834.  He 
then  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  continued  the  hatter's  trade 
till  1847,  manufacturing  all  kinds  of  hats — wool,  silk  and  fur.  He  had 
begun  boating  on  the  Ohio  prior  to  that  time,  and  did  quite  a  successful 
business  in  the  produce  trade.  He  was  also  engaged  in  pork  packing 
for  a  time,  shipping  to  New  York.  About  I860  Mr.  Groff  having  given 
up  flat-boating  and  packing,  purchased  616  acres  of  good  land  near  An- 
derson, Madison  Co.,  Ind.,  and  has  since  been  devoting  his  attention 
chiefly  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  always  been  alive  to  his  busi- 
ness interests;  was  one  of  the  first  stockholders  of  the  I.  &  C.  R.  R., 
and  has  always  been  foremost  in  the  enterprises  of  the  city  of  whose 
council  he  was  formerly  a  member.  Mr.  Groflf  was  married,  in  1834,  to 
Delilah  Nowlin,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  esteemed 
families  of  this  county.  Eight  children  were  born  to  them,  four  of 
whom  are  still  living,  viz.:  Mary,  Cordelia,  William  and  George.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Groff  may  be  regarded  as  pioneers.  They  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  highly  respected  as  citizens  in  their 
community. 

OTHO  W.  GRUBBS,  Miller  Township,  is  a  native  of  Dearborn 
County,  born  in  1834,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  early  settlers 
here.  His  parents  were  Richard  and  Susan  (White)  Grubbs,  the  former 
deceased,  but  the  latter  still  living  near  Bright,  this  county.  Mr. 
Grubbs,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  grew  to  maturity  on  a  farm, 
and  having  but  a  limited  advantage  of  schools.  In  1855  he  married 
Margaret  McCracken,  a  native  of  this  county  and  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Lucy  (Carberry)  McCracken,  also  early  settlers  in  this  county — es- 
pecially her  mother's  people.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Grubbs  spent 
about  five  years  in  assisting  his"father  in  paying  for  a  farm  of  which  he 
subsequently  received  sixty  acres  as  his  share,  and  this  tract  he  has  since 
resided  upon  and  cultivated,  meeting  with  such  a  degree  of  success  as  to 
enable  him  to  add  forty-two  acres  more  to  his  original  tract.  Except 
about  three  years  occupied  in  operating  a  portable  saw-mill,  Mr.  Grubbs 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  737 

has  always  given  his  attention  to  farming.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  a  man  of  liberality  and  enterprise,  and  self-made  in  the 
truest  sense.  Assisted  by  an  excellent  wife,  they  have  worked  their  way 
from  the  humblest  sort  of  a  log  cabin  to  a  well-appointed  home  supplied 
with  all  the  necessaries  of  life.  Their  ten  children  who  are  all  living 
are  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Samuel  Hunkhouser;  Susan,  wife  of  William  Cor- 
san;  Owen  W. ;  Anna  W.,  wife  of  George  W.  Truitt;  Alice,  Mattie, 
Joseph  P.,  Cortes,  Carrie  and  Iowa. 

DAVID  GUARD,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County  June  20,  1826.  He  was  a  son  of  Ezra  and  Polly  Guard,  the 
former  born  in  1786,  the  latter  in  1791,  and  who  were  among  the  first 
settlers  of  the  county.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  continued  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  during  his  life.  He  married,  in  1848,  Miss  Nancy 
Miller,  daughter  of  Mahlon  B.  and  grand -daughter  of  Thomas  Miller, 
the  pioneer  settler  of  this  locality,  and  after  his  marriage  continued  his 
farming  business  on  land  inherited  from  his  father.  They  reared  four 
children  who  are  still  living:  Simeon,  Joseph,  Sherman  and  Isadora,  the 
latter  now  the  wife  of  Warren  Bennett.  Mr.  Guard  died  in  March,  1867, 
leaving  behind  him  many  friends  who  will  long  cherish  his  memory. 
Mrs.  Guard  subsequently  married  Louis  Hayes,  born  in  the  county  in 
1837,  and  son  of  Van  Hayes,  who  died  in  1848.  He  resided  about  four 
years  at  "  Georgetown,"  where  he  took  up  his  abode  with  Abiah  Hayes, 
with  whom  he  remained  till  twenty-five  years  of  age.  In  1862  he  enlisted 
in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  served  in  the  war  about  three  years,  participating  in  some 
of  the  most  important  battles.  Receiving  an  honorable  discharge  he 
returned  home  and  since  his  marriage  has  been  engaged  in  farming. 

DANIEL  M.  GUARD,  Lawrenceburgh,  sheriff  of  Dearborn  County, 
and  native  of  the  same,  was  born  in  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Timothy  and 
Rebecca  (Hayes)  Guard,  the  former  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  the 
latter  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio.  His  father  was  a  son  of  Ezra  Guard, 
and  his  mother  a  daughter  of  Enoch  Hayes,  both  of  old  and  distinguished 
families  of  the  county.  Our  subject  spent  his  early  years  on  a  farm, 
receiving  a  common  school  education  with  one  "  quarter  "  at  College  Hill. 
In  1859  he  was  married  to  Ruth  M.  Miller,  a  daughter  of  Mahlon  B. 
Miller,  and  they  reared  one  child,  Eliza  E.,  now  wife  of  Jacob  H.  Miller. 
Mrs.  Guard  died  in  1862,  and  in  1863  Mr.  Guard  married  Eliza  H.  Mil- 
ler, daughter  of  Enoch  H.  Miller,  one  of  the  old  residents  of  the  county. 
Seven  children  have  been  born  to  them:  Sallie,  Hiram,  Anthony  and 
llnoch,  and  three  others  deceased.  Mr.  Guard  has  been  engaged  chiefly 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  served  about  five  years  as  township  assessor, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1884  was  elected  sheriff  of  Dearborn  County,  in  which 

45 


738  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

capacity  he  is  still  officiating.      He  is  a  strong  Democrat  and  has  always 
taken  an  active  part  in  local  politics. 

CHARLES  GULLETT,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  July  28,  1810,  where  he  received  a  fair  education.  His  par- 
ents, Robert  and  Sarah  (Morrison)  GuUett,  were  natives  of  Delaware, 
where  his  mother  died.  His  father  came  to  this  State  in  1828.  His  sec- 
ond wife  was  Rebecca  Gullett,  with  whom  he  lived  until  his  death  March 
28,  1843.  His  second  wife  died  May  2,  1870,  in  her  eighty-fifth  year. 
Mr.  Charles  Gullett  was  married,  February  11,  1836,  to  Miss  Anna  Smith, 
a  native  of  the  township,  born  March  6,  1818.  To  them  were  born  five 
children:  Mary  E.,  born  November  29,  1836;  Sarah  E.,  born  April  11, 
1842;  Rebecca,  born  June  12,  1845;  Minnie,  born  January  29,  1848; 
Robert,  born  June  12,  1850.  Mr.  Gullett  has  been  a  hard  working 
farmer  all  his  life,  and  in  his  old  age  is  enjoying  good  health.  He  and 
his  excellent  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Gul- 
lett's  father  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  but  was  discharged  in  a  short  time. 
The  old  gentleman  was  a  farmer  all  through  life,  and  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

A.  R.  GULLETT,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  August  14,  1819.  His  parents  were  Robert  and  Rebecca 
(Riggs)  Gullett,  natives  of  Delaware,  where  they  were  married,  and  in 
an  early  day  immigrated  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  settling  on  Mill 
Creek,  which  is  now  within  the  limits  of  Cincinnati.  In  1827  they 
moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  they  resided  until  their  deaths. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  viz.:  Mary,  Charles,  Sarah, 
Anna,  Abraham  R.,  Ruth,  Elizabeth  and  Robert.  A.  R.  came  with  his 
parents  to  this  county  in  1827,  where  he  was  married,  March  11,  1846, 
to  Miss  Susan  Columbia,  who  was  born  in  this  county,  June  14,  1826, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  Columbia.  After  Mr.  Gullett's 
marriage  he  settled  on  the  same  farm  where  he  now  lives  and  has  resided 
principally  since.  His  wife  died  July  30,  1878.  To  their  marriage  were 
born  seven  children,  viz.:  George  R.,  John  C,  William  L.,  Charles  W., 
Thomas  P.,  Anna  E.  and  Sarah  R.  Mr.  Gullett  is  a  member  of  the 
Methdist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  GUTZWILLER,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  is  one  of  six 
children  born  to  John  and  Anna  Gutzwiller,  who  were  natives  of  Switz- 
erland. Our  subject  is  also  a  native  of  Switzerland,  where  he  was  born, 
June  21,  1816,  and  from  thence,  in  1832,  immigrated  to  Dearborn'County, 
Ind.,  settling  in  Kelso  Township,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was 
married  in  this  township,  June  10,  1845,  to  Helena  Winter,  and  had  by 
her  eight  children:  Jonn,  Jacob  (deceased),  Joseph,  Martin,  Rosie, 
Christena  (deceased),  Mary  E.  (deceased),  and  Caroline  (deceased).     His 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  739 

wife  died  June  29,  1858.  He  was  again  married,  June  4,  1861,  to  Mrs. 
Mary  Frohliger,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Mary  L.  Mr.  Gutzwiller  is 
a  good  citizen  and  has  a  respected  family.  They  are  all  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  are  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them. 

JOSHUA  HAINES,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New 
Hampshire,  December  30,  1785,  and  there  resided  until  twenty  years  of 
age,  when  he  removed  to  Salem,  Mass.,  and  there  he  resided  seven  years, 
and,  in  1816,  settled  in  Rising  Sun.  In  1821  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Louisa  Smith,  who  survived  him.  During  his  residence  in  Ris- 
ing Sun  up  to  about  1851,  "he  was  one  of  the  leading  and  most  substan- 
tial merchants  of  that  place.  As  a  business  man  he  was  of  uncompromis- 
ing integrity;  he  was  foremost  among  the  citizens  of  Rising  Sun  in  efforts 
to  promote  the  public  interest,  and  particularly  so  in  the  advancement  of 
education  and  correct  moral  deportment." 
DR.  MATHIAS  HAINES,  see  page  170. 

ABRAHAM  B.  HAINES,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Aurora,  is 
a  native  of  Indiana,  born  in  Rising  Sun,  November  29,  1823.  His 
father  was  Mathias  Haines,  a  skillful  physician,  who  in  1816  located  at 
Rising  Sun,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  the  medical  chapter  of  this 
work.  The  wife  of  Mathias  Haines  was  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Haines,  a 
native  of  New  York  City.  Our  subject  received  the  benefit  of  the  then 
excellent  schools  of  his  native  village,  and  then  was  sent  to  Miami  Uni- 
versity, at  Oxford,  Ohio,  where  he  completed  his  education.  He  read 
medicine  under  his  father,  and  attended  lectures  at  the  Ohio  Medical 
College  one  year,  then  was  one  year  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
Western  Reserve  College,  graduating  in  March,  1846.  In  April,  1846, 
he  located  in  Aurora  and  began  the  practice,  devoting  his  entire  time 
and  ability  to  his  chosen  profession.  He  was  married,  in  October,  1847, 
to  Miss  Julia  P.  Loring,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  November 
9,  1824,  by  which  union  three  children,  Mathias  L.,  Thomas  H.  and 
Mary  have  been  born.  Dr.  Haines  was  appointed,  in  July,  1862,  sur- 
geon of  the  Ninteenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  as  such 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  after  which  he  returned  to  Aurora  and  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery,  in  his  quiet  way,  without 
any  ostentation  whatever.  He  has  received  his  full  share  of  practice, 
which  his  skill  and  ability  justly  merits.  He  is  a  member  or  the  Dear- 
born County  Medical  Society,  and  of  the  State  Medical  Society.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which  he  was  made  an  elder  in 
1848.     The  Doctor  is  an  exemplary  Christian  gentleman  and  a  worthy 

citizen. 

DANIEL  T.  HALL,  justice  of  the  peace,  an  old  and  esteemed  na- 
tive resident  of    Rising  Sun,  was  born   in  1828.     His    father,  Gilbert 


740  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Hall,  and  his  mother,  Rachel  Chandler,  were  both  born  in  Accomac  Coun- 
ty., Va. ,  whei'e  they  grew  to  maturity  and  married,  removing  with  their 
three  children  from  that  State  to  Maysville,  Ky.,  in  1814.  In  1815  they 
came  to  Rising  Sun,  where  they  resided  till  their  respective  deaths  in 
1835  and  1852.  Daniel  T.  Hall,  our  subject,  has  nearly  always  resided 
in  Rising  Sun.  When  a  boy  he  learned  the  shoe-making  trade  here,  and 
this  has  been  his  life  occupation,  except  during  a  few  years  of  ill  health 
which  prevented  the  pursuance  of  his  trade.  Ee  was  married,  in  1849, 
to  Miss  Louisa  Campbell,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Catherine  (Seward)  Campbell.  Seven  children  were  born  to  them,  six 
of  whom  are  still  living:  Thomas,  George  B.,  Eliza,  Kate,  Rachel  and 
Ruth.  The  deceased  was  Fanny.  In  1884  Mr.  Hall  was  elected  justice 
of  the  peace  and  he  is  now  officiating  in  that  capacity.  He  is  among  the 
oldest  native  residents  of  Rising  Sun,  in  the  esteem  of  whose  citizens 
he  holds  a  creditable  place. 

GEORGE  B.  HALL,  Rising  Sun,  clerk  of  court,  Ohio  County,  was 
born  in  Rising  Sun  in  1856,  son  of  Daniel  T.  Hall,  who  is  mentioned 
above.  So  far  his  life  has  been  passed  in  his  native  town,  in  whose  pub- 
lic schools  he  was  educated,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  was  engaged 
in  teaching  for  about  six  years.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  suffered  the 
misfortune  of  losing  his  left  arm  by  accident  while  engaged  in  work 
about  a  saw-mill,  and  this  has  since  prevented  his  performing  manual 
labor  of  the  heavier  sort.  In  1878  Mr.  Hall  was  elected  recorder  of 
Ohio  County,  resigning  this  office  in  1880  to  accept  the  more  remunera- 
tive office  of  clerk  of  courts,  to  which  he  had  been  elected  in  that  year. 
In  this  latter  capacity  he  is  still  officiating,  having  been  re-elected  in 
1882.  He  has  discharged  the  duties  of  his  office  with  credit  to  himself 
and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents,  thus  placing  his  reputation  as  a  pub- 
lic servant  in  an  enviable  light.  Mr.  Hall  was  married  August  8,  1880, 
to  Elizabeth  Cooper,  native  of  Ohio  County  and  daughter  of  Eli  and  Mar- 
garet (Marker)  Cooper,  old  residents  of  the  same.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren: Vei-a  V.  and  Ouida.  Mr.  H.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
in  politics  a  Republican.. 

D.  B.  HALL,  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Rising  Sun  Local, 
is  a  native  of  Ohio  County,  and  was  born  in  Rising  Sun  in  1844. 
His  parents  were  Washington  and  Cassandra  (Cornelius)  Hall,  his 
father  a  native  of  Rising  Sun,  his  mother  born  elsewhere  in  the 
State.  His  father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  spent  his  entire  life  in 
his  native  town.  Banner  Hall,  as  he  is  most  popularly  known,  passed  his 
youth  in  common  with  other  boys  in  and  about  his  native  town,  in  whose 
schools  he  was  given  a  fair  education.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began 
work  at  the  printing  trade  in  the  old  Visitor  office,  in  which  he  remained 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  741 

till  the  opening  of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Sixteenth  Indiana 
Regiment  as  a  member  of  the  regimental  band  for  one  year,  serving 
about  eight  mouths,  being  discharged  at  the  expiration  of  his  time.  In 
1863  he  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Indiana  Cavalry,  and  served  fifteen 
months,  being  discharged  on  account  of  sickness.  He  returned  home, 
and  with  John  Lemon  established  the  Hoosier  Paper,  but  soon  after  sold 
out  to  his  partner,  and  in  August,  1864,  enlisted  again  in  the  service, 
this  time  as  musician  on  Admiral  Lee's  flagship  "Blackhawk,"  serving  till 
the  close  of  the  war.  On  his  last  return  to  Rising  Sun  he  was  employed  on 
the  home  papers  and  the  Cincinnati  CommercialiiW  1879,  when  he  estab- 
lished the  Local  as  elsewhere  stated.  Mr.  Hall  was  married,  in  1867,  to 
Miss  Ella  Clore,  of  Rising  Sun,  daughter  of  Reuben  Clore,  who  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  river  trader.  They  have  three  children:  Hay- 
den,  Reuben  and  Halstead.  Mr.  Hall  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  the 
G.  A.  R.  and  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Mrs.  Hall  also  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  latter  society.  In  the  management  of  his  paper  he  has 
achieved  a  creditable  success  both  as  editor  and  publisher. 

H.  D.  HANOVER,  general  roadmaster  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
Railroad,  with  headquarters  at  Aurora,  Ind.,  was  born  in  Wilmington, 
Conn. ,  in  1836,  and  is  the  son  of  Charles  and  Candace  (Clough)  Han- 
over. The  father  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  April  3,  1797,  the  mother 
in  Belchertown,  Mass.,  September  1,  1801.  The  parents  were  married 
March  26,  1817;  the  father  died  November  8,  1861,  and  mother  August 
21,  1871.  Mr.  H.  D.  Hanover's  early  life  was  spent  in  Wilmington, 
where  he  acquired  a  common  school  education,  and  as  is  customary  with 
boys  he  could  be  found  at  the  station  forming  the  acquaintance  of  fire- 
men and  engineers,  one  of  whom  he  persuaded  to  secure  for  him  a  place 
as  fireman.  In  1853  his  career  as  a  railroad  man  began  in  the  capacity 
of  fireman  on  the  old  Western  Road  (now  the  Boston  &  Albany)  under 
Wilson  Eddy,  master  mechanic,  first  firing  the  engine  "Alabama"  for 
one  year  at  %l  per  day  between  Springfield  and  Worcester.  He  was  com- 
pelled to  give  up  his  position  on  account  of  being  too  young  to  endure 
the  hard  labor.  In  1854  he  went  to  the  N.  L.  W.  &  P.  Railroad  as  fire- 
man and  brakeman,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  would  like  to  be  a  track  man,  and  went  to 
work  on  section  at  Stafford  Springs,  Conn.,  and  worked  for  three 
years.  In  1858  he  was  persuaded  to  go  West  under  promise  of  a  position 
as  section  foreman,  which  he  accepted,  and  started  for  Wisconsin  and 
landed  at  Zanesville,  which  was  the  terminus  of  the  Illinois  &  Wisconsin 
Railroad,  later  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  &  Fond  du  Lac,  and  now  the 
great  system  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway,  where  he  was  put 
on  a  section  at  Spopiere  under  Clark  Lipe,  roadmaster,    remaining  one 


742  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

year,  after  which  he  returned  East  and  remained  eight  months,  thence 
West,  and  was  given  a  section  at  Woodstock,  111. ;  from  there  he  went  to 
Chicago.  Mr.  Hanover  was  soon  changed  to  a  section  at  Milton  Junction, 
Wis.,  and  remained  there  on  section,  extra  gang  track  laying,  and  con- 
ductor on  gi-avel  train  until  1866,  when  he  branched  out  to  see  if  he 
could  not  better  his  condition,  and  chanced  to  meet  an  acquaintance,  who 
interceded  for  him,  and  through  his  kind  assistance  he  obtained  a  situa- 
tion as  conductor  on  a  construction  train  on  a  division  of  the  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Kailroad,  which  position  was  held  for  six  months.  Then 
Mr.  Hanover  was  promoted  to  division  roadmaster  on  the  Western  Divis- 
ion, thence  Eastern  Division,  officiating  in  that  capacity  for  fourteen 
years.  In  December,  1880,  he  was  promoted  to  general  roadmaster,  hav- 
ing 629  miles  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  under  his  supervision, 
the  duties  of  which  office  are  being  faithfully  discharged  at  present,  mak- 
ing nearly  twenty  years'  service  with  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad, 
and  during  all  this  term  of  service  he  has  not  lost  one  day's  time,  and 
has  the  good  will  and  hearty  support  of  his  subordinates.  By  constant 
care  and  faithfulness  to  his  employers  all  these  meritorious  promotions 
have  been  made  as  a  reward  for  valuable  services  rendered.  Mr,  Han- 
over has  had  over  thirty  years'  actual  experience  in  the  track  department, 
and  is  recognized  as  being  thoroughly  competent  and  duly  qualified  for 
the  duties  of  his  responsible  position.  No  reference  is  needed  or  further 
evidence  required  proving  the  sterling  worth  and  great  public  benefit  of 
such  representative  men.  The  smoothness  with  which  the  affairs  of  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  move  along  (so  far  as  they  come  under  the 
management  of  Mr.  Hanover)  is  proof  positive  that  he  is  the  right  man 
in  the  right  place,  and  under  his  able  supervision  the  business  interests 
of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  cannot  but  go  forward  to  prosperity.  Mr. 
Hanover  was  married,  April  29,  1859,  to  Miss  Margaret  Hamilton.  He 
has  taken  all  the  degrees  in  Masonry,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Indiana 
Consistory  at  Indianapolis. 

DR.   MYRON  H.  HARDING,  see  page  174. 

SAMUEL  HARRIS  settled  in  Aurora  in  1821,  emigrating  from  near 
Leeds,  England.  He  had  been  for  many  years  a  clergyman  of  the  Church 
of  England.  After  settling  in  Aurora  he  became  a  member  and  then 
pastor  of  the  Aurora  Baptist  Church.  He  was  a  man  of  great  learning. 
His  library  was  for  many  years  the  most  extensive  and  valuable  one  in 
the  State,  and  especially  rich  in  theological  works,  which  were  presented 
after  his  death,  by  his  son  W.  T.  Harris,  to  the  Hamilton  Theological 
Seminary.      Rev.  Samuel  Harris  died  in  1832. 

WILLIAM  TELL  HARRIS,  was  an  Englishman  by  birth,  and  son  of 
Rev.  Samuel  Harris:  a  gentleman  of  refined  social  qualities,  great  learn- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 


743 


ing,  and  an  author  of  some  note.     Mr.  Harris  was  an  eccentric  man  in 
many  respects,  but  that  eccentricity  never  led  him  to  wound  the  feelings 
of  the  most  sensitive— always  the  polite  and  dignified  gentleman,  friendly 
to  all,  but  familiar  with  none.     He  was  born  in  London  in  1796,  and  at 
an  early  age  was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Oxford.      At  the  end 
of  his  collegiate  course  he  was  indentured  to  an  apothecary,  and  serving 
a  full  apprenticeship  received  a  diploma  as   a  physician.     In  1817   he 
came  to  America  and  spent  a  year  in  traveling  through  the  West,  mostly 
on  foot,  returning  to  England  the  following  spring.     Shortly  after,   ac- 
companying his  father's  family,  he  immigrated  to  this   country,  and  the 
family  took  up  their  residence  in   Aurora,  and  for  forty-five  years,  our 
subject  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Aurora.     "Punctual  in  his  engage- 
ments, precise  in  his  business  matters  and  guarded  in  his  expressions." 
The  following  extract  from  a  memorial  of  him  by  Geo.  W.  Lane,  shows 
that  he  was  "not  only  gifted  in  his  memory  of  local   facts,  but  was  un- 
surpassed in  a  much  higher  sense:"  "In  1843  Gov.  Whitcomb  with   a 
friend  visited  Aurora.     I  proposed  to  them  a  call  on  Mr.  Harris.     They 
consented,  and  after  an  introduction,  the  Governor  noticed  the  extensive 
library  which  adorned  the  room,  and  walking  up  to  its  heavily  laden 
shelves  with  all  the  cheer  and  familiarity  of  a  child  with  its  toys,  spoke 
of  their  value.      Mr.  Harris  replied,  '  These  are  my  household  gods,  heir- 
looms of    an  ancient  descent,  with  the   additions  of  each  generation.' 
Gov.    Whitcomb  responded,  'I  envy  you  your  pleasure  in  your  retire- 
ment, with  this  ancient  lore  for  your  companions;'  and  placing  his  hand 
on  a  book,  continued,  'this  would  be  my  favorite  pastime.     Do  you  re- 
member where  the  author  says ?'  quoting  from  a  passage  of  thril- 
ling beauty.     'Certainly,'   said  Mr.    Harris,    'but  that  does  not  equal 
'  and  he  repeated  some  eloquent  sentences.     Gov.  Whitcomb  re- 
plied, 'You  quote  from ,'  naming  the  author  and   the  period,  with 

the  remark  that  he  had  not  been  attracted  by  their  beauty  until  repeated 
by  him.  Mr.  Harris,  with  a  formal  bow,  'Thank  you,  sir.'  And  thus 
they  continued  to  quote,  the  other  naming  the  author  and  the  period, 
and  mentioning  some  circumstances  connected  with  it,  until  Mr.  Harris 
told  an  interesting  story  which  a  remark  of  Whitcomb  had  called  to 
mind.  Whitcomb  was  silent;  he  did  not  know  the  author  or  the  period 
in  history  referred  to.  His  face  became  rigid  as  marble,  and  he  stood  a 
statue  of  surprise.  Mr.  Harris,  seeing  this,  came  to  his  relief  with  a 
cheerful  remark  in  a  foreign  tongue.  Whitcomb  was  himself  again,  and 
came  at  him  with  a  flash  of  his  black  eye  as  if  it  said,  '  now  I  will  have 
my  reveno-e,'  and  replied  in  another  language  Mr.  Harris,  receiving 
the  charge  in  all  the  self-confidence  of  a  prophet  who  knew  the  result, 
replied  in  still  another.     Whitcomb  answered  in  yet  another  language, 


744  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  how  often  it  was  repeated  I  do  not  remember,  but  I  well  recollect 
that  the  two  silent  spectators  were  astonished.  But  it  was  Mr.  Harris's 
time  to  reply;  he  did  so  in  pleasant  accents.  Whitcomb  again  was 
silent;  he  understood  it  not.  The  statue  resumed  its  position,  and  it  is 
not  for  me  to  say  how  long  it  would  have  remained  had  not  a  remark 
about  books  of  ancient  date  galvanized  it  to  life  again.  Now,  it  was 
well  known  that  Whitcomb  had  one  of  the  best  selected  libraries  in  the 
State,  and  had  reason  to  be  proud  of  it.  He  referred  to  a  valuable  book 
of  a  certain  edition;  Mr.  Harris  had  the  same  of  an  older  date,  and  thus 
the  unequal  war  was  resumed,  until  Indiana's  most  learned  governor  be- 
gan to  show  signs  of  a  drooping  crest,  when,  as  if  reminded  by  a  new 
thought,  he  triumphantly  referred  to  an  old  copy  of  the  Bible  that,  at 
great  expense,  he  had  sent  a  special  messenger  to  some  distant  country 
to  purchase  for  him.  Mr.  Harris  let  him  tell  his  story,  as  if  loath  to  de- 
prive him  of  his  well-earned  laurels,  then  slowly  took  from  a  shelf  a 
strange -looking  book  and  remarked:  '  Governor,  had  you  called  on  me,  I 
could  have  shown  you  a  copy  of  much  older  date,'  and  turning  its  leaves 
read  some  familiar  passages.  One  glance  at  its  pages  satisfied  Whit- 
comb— it  was  a  sealed  book  to  him." 

ROBEET  A.  HARRIS,  North's  Landing,  a  native  of  Switzerland 
County,  Ind.,  was  born  in  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Gertrude 
(Scott)  Harris,  who  came  into  Switzerland  County  with  their  parents 
about  1816.  His  parents  married  in  Switzerland  County,  purchased  land 
there,  and  reared  their  family,  his  father  being  a  farmer  and  dealing  con- 
siderably in  real  estate;  he  died  in  1885,  aged  eighty-three  years.  They 
reared  eight  children;  all  of  whom  are  still  living.  Robert  A.,  whose 
name  appears  at  the  head  of  this  notice,  grew  up  in  his  native  county 
and  resided  there  till  April,  1881.  He  has  always  given  his  attention 
chiefly  to  farming  and  stock  dealing,  but  has  also  done  considerable  bus- 
iness in  the  produce  trade,  in  which  he  is  now  engaged.  In  1853  Mr. 
Harris  was  married  to  Elvira  Palmer,  a  native  of  Switzerland  County, 
and  daughter  of  George  and  Phoebe  Palmer,  and  three  children  were 
born  to  them:  Jennie,  Jacob  and  Effie  B.  In  April,  1880,  Mrs.  Harris 
passed  away,  and  Mr.  H.  has  since  been  united  in  marriage  with  Jemima 
Hayes,  of  Ohio  County,  and  daughter  of  Jesse  Hayes.  Mr.  Harris  is  one 
of  the  most  substantial  citizens  and  business  men  of  the  county. 

ORVILLE  J.  HARRIS,  farmer,  Randolph  Township,  son  of  Jacob 
R.  Harris,  is  a  native  of  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  born  in  1841. 
He  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  remained  with  his  parents  until  twenty-five 
years  of  age.  In  1865  he  married  Miss  Kate  Hobbs,  of  Gallatin  County, 
Ky. ,  daughter  of  Emory  Hobbs,  and  after  his  marriage  removed  to  Boone 
County,  Ky.,  where  he  resided  till  1881,  when  he  came  to  his   present 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  745 

farm  near  Rising  Sun.  He  has  always  engaged  in  farming,  in  which 
pursuit  he  has  been  quite  successful.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  have  two 
children:  Harry  and  Bennie. 

EGBERT  HARGITT,  merchant,  Guilford,  one  of  the  older 
residents  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Miller  Township  in  1826. 
His  father,  Thomas  Hargitt,  located  in  the  same  township  in  1814.  He 
was  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  and  is  still  living  in  his  eighty- 
seventh  year.  He  married  Ann  Mason  when  about  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  and  located  on  land  deeded  to  him  by  his  grandfather,  Thomas  Har- 
gitt, and  has  since  chiefly  resided  in  the  same  locality.  From  early  man- 
hood he  was  engaged  in  the  local  ministry,  until  his  advanced  age  com- 
pelled him  to  retire  from  that  field  of  labor.  His  wife  passed  away  many 
years  ago.  Robert  Hargitt,  whose  name  begins  this  notice,  passed  his 
early  years  on  the  farm,  and  received  the  ordinary  common  school  edu- 
cation of  those  days.  In  1851  he  married  Eliza  Fuller,  a  native  of  this 
county,  and  they  have  three  children  living:  Allie  (wife  of  John  Eagle), 
Harry  M.  and  Dolly.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Hargitt  took  up  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  which  he  followed  till  1862,  when  he,  with  his  brother, 
George  W.  Hargitt,  purchased  the  stock  of  general  merchandise  owned  by 
Daniel  Chitister,  at  Guilford,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  that 
village.  In  this  pursuit  he  has  since  continued,  except  during  two  years 
spent  in  the  West,  and  his  efforts  have  met  with  fine  success.  His  stock 
of  goods  is  valued  at  about  $3,000,  and  he  enjoys  a  tine  country  trade. 
For  fifteen  years  Mr.  Hargitt  acted  as  agent  for  the  American  Express 
Company  at  Guilford.  He  spent  about  twenty  years,  more  or  less, 
engaged  in  the  local  ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  but 
has  given  up  work  in  that  capacity.  He  was  for  many  years  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  but  at  length  asked  and  received  a  card  from  that 
organization. 

GEORGE  W.  HARGITT,  York  Township,  is  a  native  of  Miller 
Township,  born  in  1832.  He  resided  in  his  native  neighborhood  till 
1855,  and  was  employed  on  the  farm  under  the  ordinary  parental 
guidance.  At  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  about  three  years  and  then  removed  to  Illinois,  where 
he  operated  one  year  in  the  lumber  business.  He  then  returned  to  this 
county,  and  has  ever  since  been  a  resident  of  the  same.  He  worked  at 
his  trade  up  to  1863,  when  he  purchased,  in  partnership  with  his  brother, 
Robert  Hargitt,  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  of  Daniel  Chitister,  and 
began  his  mercantile|pursuit  at  Guilford,  where  he  has  continued  the  same 
about  eighteen  months.  He  then  withdrew  from  the  firm,  and  invested 
in  a  portable  saw-mill,  which  he  operated  till  1872.  In  1874  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  forty-seven  acres,  on  which  he  has  resided 


746  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

since  1873,  chiefly  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  but  occasionally 
working  at  his  trade.  Mr.  Hargitt  was  married,  January  26,  1854,  to 
Jane  M.  Hansel,  a  native  of  this  county  and  daughter  of  William  Han- 
sel, one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county.  Their  five  children  living 
are  William  T.,  Mercer  F.,  Anna  M.,  Bertha K.  and  Emma  A.  The  two 
sons  are  now  engaged  in  raising  cattle  in  western  Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hargitt  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  and  are  well 
provided  with  the  comforts  of  life  as  a  reward  for  their  industry.  Mr. 
Hargitt  has  not  been  an  aspirant  to  office,  but  has  affiliated  with  the 
Republican  party  on  all  questions  of  national  issue.  His  only  part  in 
the  late  war  was  a  slight  skirmish  during  Morgan's  raid,  the  incidents 
of  which  are  to  him  the  source  of  more  amusement  than  terror.  In  all 
his  dealings  with  his  fellow  men  Mr.  Hargitt  has  never  resorted  to  anv 
litigation  whatever,  which  is  perhaps  as  good  a  recommendation  for  his 
citizenship  as  could  be  given. 

SHADRACH  HATHAWAY,  of  Rising  Sun.  This  truly  aged  and 
venerable  citizen  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  born  at 
New  Bedford,  January  19,  1794.  His  father  was  a  tanner,  and  at  the 
age  of  eleven  years,  young  Shadrach  commenced,  under  his  father's 
gviidance,  that  trade  in  connection  with  the  making  up  of  the  leather 
into  shoes,  which  occupation  he  pursued  until  his  twentieth  year,  spend- 
ing a  portion  of  the  falls  and  winters  in  traveling  through-  the  State  of 
Georgia,  working  at  his  trade  and  purchasing  hides  and  peltries  for  his 
father's  tannery.  In  the  summer  of  1814,  he  removed  to  the  West,  stop- 
ping for  some  months  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  continued  his  occu- 
pation as  a  shoe-maker.  While  at  this  point  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  John  James,  the  proprietor  of  the  then  recently  laid  out  village  of 
Rising  Sun,  and  of  him  bargained  for  a  lot  on  the  corner  of  Front  and 
Fourth  Streets,  paying  for  the  same  1100.  On  the  16th  of  February,  1815, 
Mr.  Hathaway  removed  to  the  new  village,  being  then  in  his  twenty- 
second  year,  removed  a  two-story  log  house  on  his  lot,  and  in  it  opened 
a  shoe  shop,  and  carried  on  his  business  for  five  years.  He  next 
embarked  in  the  business  of  general  merchandising  as  a  partner  with 
Caleb  A.  Craft,  the  firm  occupying  the  Craft  Building  on  the  upper  end 
of  Front  Street,  which  yet  stands  as  a  land-mark  of  bygone  days.  In 
this  old  building  was  kept  the  postoffice,  and  also  a  hotel  or  "  inn  "  by 
Mr.  Craft.  The  partnership  of  Craft  &  Hathaway  lasted  but  about  one 
year,  when  Mr.  Hathaway  returned  to  his  shoe  shop  in  the  old  log-cabin 
and  followed  his  trade  for  another  year;  then  in  connection  with  Daniel 
Wicks,  a  brother-in-law,  and  their  families,  they  went  East  by  wagons 
to  visit  their  old  home.  While  in  New  York  City  Mr.  Hathaway  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  goods,  which  was  conveyed  by  wagons  to  the  city  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  747 

Pittsburgh,  and  from  thence  by  boat  to  Rising  Sun.  The  goods  were 
placed  in  his  former  place  of  business,  on  the  corner  of  Foiirth  and  Main 
Streets,  and,  in  connection  with  general  merchandising,  he  followed  his 
trade.  About  1823  a  partnership  was  formed,  consisting  of  our  subject 
and  Mr.  A.  Moore,  their  place  of  business  being  on  Front  Street, 
between  Second  and  Main  Streets.  Not  long  subsequent  to  this  Mr. 
Hathaway  again  returned  to  his  first  love  and  removed  back  to  the  old 
log  house,  continuing  his  old  line  of  business  until  1827.  This  year  he 
erected  on  that  site  the  large  and  commodious  brick  business  house 
and  residence,  which  still  stands  as  a  monument  to  his  enterprise  and 
public  spirit.  In  this  building  for  twenty  years  he  carried  on  quite  an 
extensive  general  store.  In  1849,  convinced  that  the  business  of  the 
village  was  moving  farther  down  town,  he  purchased  the  Decoursey 
property  on  Main  Street,  and  built  the  large  business  house  now  occu- 
pied by  the  store  of  William  Colter;  he  here  removed  his  stock  of  goods, 
greatly  increasing  the  same,  and  for  years  did  a  very  successful  busi- 
ness, and  carried  one  of  the  most  extensive  stock  of  goods  in  southeast- 
ern Indiana.  Owing  to  the  business  depression  at  the  close  of  the  war 
and  financial  troubles  generally,  Mr.  Hathaway,  with  many  others,  had 
to  succumb  to  the  pressure.  Since  that  period  he  has  not  engaged  in 
active  business,  though  now  can  be  seen  at  almost  any  time  seated  on 
his  shoe  bench,  which  was  made  for  him  by  the  late  Prince  Athearn  in 
Cincinnati  in  1814.  Our  subject  has  been  one  of  Rising  Sun's  most 
active,  enterprising  and  public  spirited  citizens.  His  name  is  coupled 
with  all  movements  that  have  had  for  their  object  the  building  up  of  the 
city,  and  the  best  interests  of  her  citizens — giving  his  aid,  through  a 
longer  identity  to  one  place  than  is  often  recorded,  to  all  steps 
taken  in  the  direction  of  progress  and  development  of  the  county  and 
the  improvement  of  its  citizens,  morally,  religiously  and  intellectually. 
He  is  the  last  of  his  time;  the  associates  of  his  early  years  have  all  passed 
away,  and  alone  he  stands  venerable  and  grand,  like  the  old  oak  of  the 
forest — a  fit  representative  of  his  time.  Though  burdended  with  cares 
of  only  eight  years  less  than  the  seldom  attained  five  score,  our  venera- 
ble friend  is  cheerful  and  enjoys  good  health.  He  is  in  the  possession 
of  all  his  faculties  to  a  remarkable  degree.  The  following  letter  was 
written  to  Mr.  Hathaway  by  Hon.  S.  F.  Covington,  of  Cincinnati,  on 
the  ninetieth  anniversary  of  his  birth: 

Cincinnati,  Ohio,  January  18,  1884. 

Dear  Sir:  Please  accept  my  congratulations  on  the  occasion  of  the  celebration 
of  your  ninetieth  birthday,  and  permit  me  to  express  the  hope  that  you  may  cele- 
brate many  more,  retaining  your  present  vigorous  mental  and  bodily  health. 

Forty-six  years  ago  I  was  In  your  employ  as  a  clerk  in  your  store.  I  learned 
then  to  respect  and  honor  you;  and  in  all  the  intervening  years,  because  of  your 


748  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

many  acts  of  kindness  and  friendship  to  me,  that  feeling,  mingled  with  gratitude, 
has  grown  stronger  and  stronger. 

As  a  testimonial  of  friendship,  I  send  you  by  your  daughter,  Mrs.  Wiswell,  a 
cane,  which  I  trust  may  serve  in  aiding  to  support  your  steps  for  many  years  to 
come.  Respectfully  yours, 

S.  F.  Covington. 

JOHN  J.  HAUCK,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1816. 
He  was  reared  to  early  manhood  in  his  native  country,  immigrating  to 
the  United  States  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  He  located  in  Cincinnati 
and  was  there  engaged  four  years  in  the  baker's  trade,  which  he  learned 
of  his  father  in  the  old  country.  In  1836  he  married  Anna  M.  Horn- 
berger  and  in  the  same  year  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  opened  up  a 
bakery  and  confectionery,  which  he  conducted  for  several  years.  He  en- 
tered the  hardware  trade  subsequently  and  also  carried  a  stock  of  dry 
goods,  conducting  these  lines  of  business  from  1843  to  1859,  when  his 
failing  health  compelled  him  to  retire  from  active  business.  Mr.  Hauck 
served  in  the  city  council  for  several  years,  and  in  1873  was  elected 
mayor  of  Lawrenceburgh,  holding  the  office  for  a  period  of  six  years, 
and  discharging  his  duties  fearlessly  and  creditably.  In  1880  his  health 
failed  entirely,  and  he  departed  this  life  February  2d  of  that  year.  He 
was  an  enterprising  business  man,  and  always  made  his  influence  felt  in 
the  progressive  measures  relating  to  the  city.  He  was  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  Miami  Valley  Furniture  Factory,  and  to  his  energy  its  ulti- 
mate success  was  largely  due.  Mr.  Hauck  was  the  father  of  eight  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  are  still  living,  namely:  John,  John  J..  Caroline 
M.,  Henrietta  M.,  George  F.,  Emma  C.  and  Warren  N.  Two  of  the  sons 
are  grocers,  located  at  Greenville,  Ind.,  and  a  thii'd  at  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
In  1847  Mr.  Hauck,  with  George  Ross'  assistance,built  the  first  Reformed 
Church  in  Lawrenceburgh.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed  society 
for  eleven  years,  but  subsequently  joined  the  Presbyterians.  Both  as  busi- 
ness man  and  citizen  Mr.  Hauck  occupied  an  enviable  position  in  the 
esteem  of  his  associates.  Warren  N.  Hauck,  son  of  John  J.  Hauck,  and  city 
attorney  for  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  the  said  city  in  1860.  He  grew  to 
maturity  in  the  town  of  his  birth,  and  w^as  educated  in  its  public  schools, 
graduating  in  1878.  In  1880-81  he  took  a  course  in  the  Nelson  Business 
College,  Cincinnati,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  latter  year  entered  the  Cincin- 
nati Law  School,  graduating  in  1883.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  Cincinnati  and  continued  the  same  in  that  city  one 
year,  when  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  May,  1884.  Previous  to  this 
he  had  in  1882-83  attended  for  a  time  the  McMichen  University  of  Cin- 
cinnati. In  the  spring  of  1884  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  city  attor- 
ney of  Lawrenceburgh,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  A.  W.  Ganes,  who 
had  tendered  his  resignation,   and   in  this  position  he  is  now  employed. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  749 

He  is  a  young  man  of  excellent  character,  and  with  the  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  calculated  to  secure  for  him  success  of  the  highest  order, 

ABIAH  HAYES  was  born  December  18,  1780,  in  Washington 
County,  Penn.,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  near  his  twentieth 
year,  when  he  removed  to  the  Big  Bottom,  where  his  grandfather  (Joseph 
Hayes),  and  four  of  his  uncles,  had  settled  some  years  previously.  He 
located  in  the  valley  of  the  Big  Miami,  not  far  from  where  Thomas  Mil- 
ler, Sr.,  first  settled.  Here  he  invested  all  his  money  in  the  purchase 
of  two  and  one-tenth  acres  of  land,  whereon  he  reared  his  log-cabin.  This 
two  and  one-tenth  acres  formed  the  nucleus  of  his  future  fortune.  With 
untiring  energy  and  perseverance,  which  he  possessed  in  a  high  degree, 
he  made  thirty-three  trading  voyages  to  New  Orleans,  and  sixteen  times 
returned  home  on  foot,  through  the  Indian  nations,  and  once  he  went 
around  by  sea  with  his  cargo,  which  he  disposed  of  at  Norfolk,  Va.,  Alex- 
andria and  Geoi'getown,  D.  C,  returning  home  by  Washington  and 
Brownsville,  paying  a  visit  to  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  burial  place 
of  his  father,  thence  from  Pittsburgh,  by  the  Ohio  River  home.  Thus, 
at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years,  he  had  become  the  richest  man  in  Dearborn 
County,  He  was  cool  and  collected,  never  suffering  himself  to  be  car- 
ried away  by  passion,  he  seemed  to  meditate  much,  and  converse  spar- 
ingly and  never  was  taken  at  a  nonplus.  During  the  war  of  1812  Mr. 
Hayes  belonged  to  what  was  called  the  Rangers,  served  one  trip  around 
by  Brookville.  Pipe  Creek,  and  the  head  of  Tanner's  Creek,  Seeing  no 
enemy  they  returned  home.  Maj.  McHenry  was  the  captain;  Mr.  Hayes 
hired  a  substitute  to  finish  his  term  of  service,  thus  bidding  adieu  to  the 
profession  of  arms.  Mr.  Hayes  raised  a  large  family,  seven  of  whom 
lived  to  womanhood  and  manhood  and  were  married.  But  three  of  them  sur- 
vive him — two  sons  and  one  daughter.  About  eight  years  since  he  lost  his 
wife,  the  companion  of  his  youth.  Some  four  or  five  weeks  passed,  he 
complained  of  a  pain  in  the  side  of  his  face,  which  was  supposed  to  be  a 
boil;  it  grew  worse  and  broke.  On  Monday  the  19th  Samuel  Morrison 
and  Henry  Hardin  visited  him ;  he  conversed  freely  and  sensibly  with  them, 
recounting  the  reminiscences  of  the  past  as  vividly  as  though  they  had 
just  transpired;  he  retained  the  full  enjoyment  of  his  mental  faculties  to 
the  last.  He  was  taken  with  a  congestive  chill  on  Monday  the  26th  (hav- 
ing had  two  chills  previously),  which  terminated  his  pilgrimage  on  earth. 
He  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  Abiah  Hayes,  Jr.,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Hardinsburg,  July  27,  1858,  in  the  seventy- eighth  year  of  his  age.  His 
funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev,  E.  D.  Long,  attended  by  two  other 
clergyman,  at  the  Bellevue  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  a  very  lai-ge 
audience,  among  whom  were  to  be  seen  pioneers  Judge  Isaac  Dunn,  who  has 
been  in  the  Miami  Valley  over  sixty-nine  yeai's;  Job  Miller  and  his  sis- 


750  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ter-in-law  Sarah  Miller,  over  sixty-eight  years;  Bailey  Guard,  sixty-seven 
years;  Thomas  Miller,  Joseph  Hayes,  Walter  Hayes,  Jesse  Hunt,  Thomas 
Hunt,  over  sixty  years;  Jonathan  Blasdall,  Elizabeth  Blasdall,  JohnCull- 
ahan, fifty-five  years,  and  Samuel  Morrison,  a  native  of  the  county  of  Dear- 
born, born  in  1796.  Thus  another  of  our  number  has  been  called  away.  Peace 
be  to  his  sleeping  dust.  He  has  felled  the  last  oak,  reared  the  last  log-cabin, 
plowed  his  last  furrow,  his  corn  is  laid  by,  his  harvest  is  passed,  he 
sleeps  his  last  sleep. 

JACOB  HAYES  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Penn.,  Jan.  8, 1791,  and 
immigrated  with  his  parents  to  Dearborn  County  in  1804.  They  settled 
in  the  "Big  Bottom,"  on  land  owned  by  Joseph  Hayes,  Jr.,  and  Thomas 
Miller,  Sr.  Here,  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  he  began  the  labor  of 
felling  the  trees  of  this  grand  old  forest,  and  clearing  up  the  land  for 
cultivation;  this  business,  alternately  with  farming,  he  pux'sued  diligently 
until  he  became  of  age.  He  now,  without  any  education,  without  means 
or  influence,  commenced  his  career  and  struggles  through  life.  His  first 
trip  to  New  Orleans  was  as  a  hand,  with  his  cousin.  Job  Miller,  who 
made  his  first  trip  in  1812.  Jacob  Hayes  traveled  by  land  three  times, 
the  whole  distance,  through  the  Indian  nations  that  embraced  the  dense 
wilderness  that  lay  between  here  and  there.  In  the  summer  of  1813 
business  of  a  private  nature  called  him  back  to  Chester  County,  the  scenes 
of  his  early  childhood,  traveling  the  whole  distance  on  horseback,  and 
at  a  time  too  when  the  roads  were  new  and  bad,  and  no  bridges;  but  this 
was  thought  nothing  of  "in  the  days  when  we  were  pioneers,  fifty  years 
ago. "  He  was  a  very  active  and  prominent  trader  on  the  river,  from  1820  to 
1848,  having  from  two  to  five  flat-boats  loaded  with  produce  on  the  river  at 
onetime.  He  wasprominent  in  establishing  the  Lawrenceburgh  Insurance 
Company,  and  was  a  large  stockholder,  both  in  it  and  in  the  Lawrence- 
burgh Branch  of  the  State  Bank.  "When  the  pioneers  of  our  county 
drop  off  one  by  one,  and  especially  those  who  have  spent  a  long  life  of 
usefulness,  in  rearing  the  first  log-cabins,  clearing  away  this  immense 
forest,  making  '  the  wilderness  to  blossom  as  the  rose,'  and  in  changing 
it  from  the  home  of  roaming  savage  tribes, to  the  abode  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty,  their  histories  should  be  written.  The  history  of  Jacob  Hayes  is 
the  history  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived  among  us,  and  also  the  history 
of  the  county.  Go  back  seventy  years  and  you'will  see  the  little  family 
boat  of  Solomon  and  Mary  Hayes,  with  their  five  children,  descending 
the  Ohio  River  and  landing  at  Lawrenceburgh.  Seventy  years  of  his 
life  have  been  spent  here  among  us,  within  four  miles  of  Lawrenceburgh. 
Should  these  things  not  be  noted?  He  has  done  his  work,  he  has  finished 
his  course,  and  what  his  head  and  hands  have  failed  to  do,  his  money  has 
done."     Our  subject  was  married  three  times,  having  by  each  of  hisfirgt 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  751 

two  wives  two  children,  and  six  by  his  third  wife.  He  left  three  daugh- 
ters and  four  sons  living,  and  three  dead,  twenty-one  grand,  and  two  great- 
grandchildren. By  his  industry  and  frugality  he  amassed  quite  a  for 
tune,  estimated  at  $80,000  which  he  leaves  to  his  widow  and  seven 
children.  By  his  kind  and  obliging  nature,  and  under  the  guise  of  friend- 
ship he  has  suffered  a  loss  of  $20,000  within  the  last  three  years.  His  boat- 
ing expeditions  and  extensive  farming  operations  made  him  a  good 
judge  of  human  nature;  he  was  a  man  above  mediocrity,  and  had  he  received 
the  advantages  of  an  early  education,  and  the  opportunity  occurred  for 
bringing  out  his  active  mind  and  talents,  he  would  have  made  his  mark 
in  the  world.  In  addition  to  this  he  had  been  blind  for  eighteen  years 
previous  to  his  death,  which  occurred  February  25,  1874,  his  fun- 
eral sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  S.  Tincher;  services  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  attended  by  a  large  congregation,  among  whom  were  the 
following  pioneers  and  children  of  pioneers ;  John  Oallahan,  Reuben  Jack- 
son, William  Dils,  Norval  Sparks,  David  Nevitt,  Joseph  Groff,  A.  F.  Gage, 
Joseph  Stevens,  Alexander  Guard,  John  Ferris,  J.  C.  Craig,  Dr.  M.  H. 
Harding,  E.  Crosby  and  Mr.  Roberts. 

EDWARD  HAYES,  farmer,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was  boi-n 
October  11,  1837,  near  where  he  now  resides,  his  parents  being  Jacob 
and  Leah  (Hayes)  Hayes.  His  father  settled  in  this  county  in  1793,  and 
lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  Mr.  Hayes  was  reared  on  a  farm, 
and  remained  with  his  parents  till  about  thirty-five  years  of  age.  He  inher- 
ited a  considerable  tract  of  land  from  his  father's  estate,  and  by  his  own 
exertion  has  since  made  additions  to  this,  till  he  now  owns  about  400 
acres.  He  was  married,  in  1859,  tft  Jane  E.  Nield,  daughter  of  James 
and  Hannah  (Whiteley)  Nield,  both  natives  of  England.  Their  children 
are  Edward,  born  in  1864;  Silas  V.,  born  in  1867,  and  Joseph,  born  in 
1869.  Mr.  Hayes  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
one  of  the  many  thrifty  farmers  of  Dearborn  County. 

GEORGE  HAYES,  a  thrifty  farmer  of  Lawrenceburgh  Township, 
was  born  here  in  1832.  He  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Hayes,  with  whom  he 
remained  on  the  farm  till  about  thirty  years  of  age,  sharing  the  advan- 
tages of  the  common  schools.  He  learned  the  wagon  trade,  and  this,  in 
connection  with  the  manufacture  of  a  patent  corn-drill,  which  he  invented 
himself,  he  was  for  some  time  engaged  in.  As  early  as  the  age  of  four- 
teen years  he  made  a  trip  to  New  Orleans  with  his  father,  who  did  an 
extensive  flat-boating  business  at  that  time,  carrying  stock  and  produce 
to  that  city.  On  his  first  trip  their  cargo  consisted  of  196  head  of  cat- 
tle and  a  number  of  hogs.  Mr.  Hayes  was  married,  in  1859,  to  Martha 
A.  Bales,  a  native  of  Hancock  County,  Ind.,  daughter  of  Abijah  and 
Amelia  Bales,  and  they  have  three  children:  Jacob,  Leah  and  Isaac.      Mr. 


752  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Hayes  owns  nearly  500  acres  of  land,  and  is  an  industrious  and  energetic 
farmer. 

J.  W.  HAYMAN,  merchant,  Moore's  Hill,  an  old  and  highly 
respected  citizen  of  that  village,  was  born  in  Worcester  County,  Md., 
July  31,  1816.  His  parents,  Levin  and  Martha  (Walston)  Hayman, 
were  both  natives  of  Maryland,  where  they  resided  during  their  entire 
lives.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  viz.:  Robert  R.,  Jacob 
H.,  Levin  P.,  Edward  W.,  Leah  C,  Susan  R.,  Ann  M.,  Rufus  M.,  Maha- 
la  C,  and  Jesse  W.,  our  subject,  being  the  sixth  member  of  the  family. 
He  was  educated  in  Maryland,  and  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age  began 
learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  completed,  and  also  the  cabinet- 
making  and  millwright  trade,  and  afterward  engaged  in  the  same  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  April,  1838, he  came  to  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  and  was  here 
married,  November  29,  1839,  to  Fannie  C,  daughter  of  John  and  Amelia 
(Duncan)  Dashiell,  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  July  16, 
1820.  Soon  after  Mr.  Hayman's  marriage  he  located  at  Dillsborough, 
whei-e  he  engaged  in  milling  a  short  time,  after  which  he  removed  to 
Wilmington,  where  he  remained  until  1840,  at  which  time  he  moved  back 
to  Moore's  Hill,  where  he  has  since  resided.  After  moving  there  in  1840, 
he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  some  time,  teaching  the  lirst  public 
school  at  that  place.  He  subsequently  opened  up  a  store  there,  and  has 
since  engaged  in  merchandising.  In  February,  1863,  he  was  appointed 
postmaster  at  Moore's  Hill,  and  still  retains  the  office.  Mr.  Hayman  is 
respected  by  all  who  know  him.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
namely:  Thomas  L.  (died  in  the  war),  Luther  T.,  John  E.,  Alice  M., 
George  H.,  Ernest  O.,  Milna  D.  (deceased). 

D.  H.  HELMS,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  the  same 
September  21,  1838.  He  is  one  of  twelve  children  born  to  the  old  and 
highly  esteemed  pioneers  of  that  locality,  Alfred  and  Eliza  W.  (Jones) 
Helms.  The  former  was  born  in  Lincoln  County,  N.  C,  in  the  year 
1816,  and  the  latter  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  in  the  same  year.  They 
were  married  in  Dearborn  County  in  1837,  after  which  they  settled  on  a 
farm  on  the  banks  of  what  is  known  as  "  Hayes  Branch,"  Clay  Township, 
where  they  have  since  resided.  They  have  had  born  to  them  twelve  chil- 
dren, viz.:  John  W.,  David  H,  William  H.,  Andrew,  Philip,  Mary  J., 
Isaac  T.,  Clarissa,  Levi,  Charles  B.,  Albert  S.  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy.  D  H.,  our  subject,  was  brought  up  as  a  farmer.  He  received 
a  good  common  school  education,  and  after  reaching  the  yeai's  of  matur- 
ity, left  the  "  land  of  steady  habits,"  and  turned  the  greater  part  of  his 
attention  to  teaching  school,  beginning  the  profession  as  early  as  1858. 
He  has  taught  149  months  of  school,  all   in   Dearborn  County,  with  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  753 

exception  of  three  terms.  In  1862  he  entered  the  war,  enlisting  August 
11,  in  Company  B,  Eighty-third  Indiana  Volunteers,  as  a  private, 
and  in  August,  1863,  was  made  orderly  sergeant,  and  May,  1865, 
he  received  the  commission  of  second  lieutenant,  in  which  capacity 
he  served  until  his  discharge,  June  2,  1865.  After  his  discharge  he 
returned  to  Dearborn  County  and  resumed  his  school  work  and  also  farm 
ing.  In  October,  1865,  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides. 
He  was  married  at  Lawrenceburgh,  October  17,  1867,  to  Jane  T.,  daugh- 
ter of  Williarn  C.  and  Sarah  (Spangler)  Johnson.  She  was  born  in 
Cesar  Creek  Township,  Dearborn  Co.,  May  18,  1840.  The  following 
spring,  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Helms  moved  on  his  farm,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  They  have  had  born  to  them  nine  children,  viz. :  Light- 
burn,  John  F.,  Lewis  (deceased),  Benjamin  (deceased),  Arthur  L. 
(deceased),  Charles,  Orville  D.,  Annie  M.  and  Victor  H.  Mr.  Heli^is  is 
a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  and  an  esteemed  citizen  of  the  township. 

H.  R.  HELMUTH,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of  Bremen,  Ger- 
many. He  was  born  in  1815,  September  4,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  immigrated  to  America.  He  remained  east  of  the  mountains  till  1832 , 
and  then  came  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  resided  until  1837.  He  learned 
the  cooper  trade,  and  pursued  that  occupation  for  several  years,  and  for 
a  few  months  conducted  a  distillery  at  Rising  Sun,  but  gave  up  the  lat- 
ter business  from  conscientious  scruples.  In  1837  he  located  in  Law- 
renceburgh, where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  His  father  died  in  1845. 
In  1850  Mr.  Helmuth  opened  up  a  dry  goods  and  grocery  store  in  Law- 
renceburgh, and  has  ever  since  engaged  in  mercantile  business.  He 
closed  out  the  stock  of  dry  goods  several  years  ago,  and  has  since  dealt 
only  in  staple  and  fancy  groceries,  carrying  one  of  the  neatest  and  best 
selected  stocks  in  his  line  in  the  city.  His  son,  William  Helmuth,  or 
"Will,"'  as  he  is  popularly  termed,  has  recently  been  admitted  to  the 
firm,  which  is  now  known  as  H.  R.  Helmuth  &  Son.  They  are  doing  a 
prosperous  business,  which  is  the  result  of  a  strict  attention  to  the  same, 
together  with  the  pluck  and  energy  which  they  have  exercised  in  carrv- 
ing  it  forward.  H.  R.  Helmuth  was  married,  in  1839,  to  Mary  Sartwell, 
a  native  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  daughter  of  Justice  and  Dorsie  Sartwell, 
her  parents  being  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Dearborn  County.  Her 
mother's  people  were  from  Pennsylvania,  and  her  father's  from  New  Eng- 
land. This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four  children,  who  are  now 
living,  viz. :  Maggie  J.. widow  of  Hugh  Thompson;  Louis;  Ella,  wife  of 
D.  G.  Justice,  and  William.  The  latter,  who  is  now  a  partner  in  the 
business,  as  stated  above,  was  born  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  educated  in 
its  schools,  and  in  that  city  his  entire  life  has  been  passed.  He 
was  married,  October  11,  1883,  to  Miss  Anna  Dewers,  of  Aurora,    Ind 


754  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

a  daughter  of  Henry  Dewers,  of  that  city.  Mr.  Helmuth  is  a  young 
man  of  energy  and  good  business  qualifications,  and  these  qualities, 
coupled  with  affable  and  obliging  manners,  are  sure  to  gain  for  him  that 
success  in  his  business  which  nature  has  so  well  fitted  him  to  achieve. 
The  family  generally  is  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  in  the  commu- 
nity. 

JAMES  Q.  HELPHENSTINE,  piano  and  organ  dealer,  Wilmington, 
is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  born  in  Madison  County  December  27, 
1837.  His  father,  William,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1801,  and  was 
drowned  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  1848.  His  mother,  Mary  (Powell)  Helphen- 
stine,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1815,  and  died  in  July,  1862.  James  Q.  came 
to  Wilmington  in  1846,  and  worked  upon  a  farm  until  1855;  then  engaged 
in  butchering,  continuing  up  to  1863.  He  was  married,  December  24, 
1863,  to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Shank.  She  was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ind., 
August  18,  1838,  and  one  child,  Belle,  now  Mrs.  Johnson,  was  born  to 
them.  In  1864  Mr.  H.  moved  to  Ohio,  kept  hotel,  was  city  weighmaster, 
and  bought  hay  for  the  Government.  He  returned  to  Wilmington,  May 
11,  1866,  and  butchered  up  to  1868;  then  went  into  the  sewing  machine 
business.  January  11,  1871.  he  engaged  in  his  present  business,  and 
has  succeeded  very  well  in  the  undertaking.  His  estimable  wife  was 
appointed  postmistress  at  Wilmington  in  1882.  The  entire  family  belong 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

WILLIAM  HEMPHILL,  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  Eising 
Sun,  was  born  in  Huntington  County,  Penn.,  in  1820.  His  parents, 
James  and  Catharine  (Moore)  Hemphill,  were  natives  of  Pennsyhania 
and  of  Irish  extraction.  The  family  moved  from  Pennsylvania  in  1821, 
and  located  at  Cincinnati,  where  they  resided  till  1834,  when  they  came 
to  this  locality,  locating  back  of  Rising  Sun,  where  the  father  did  shoe- 
making  and  kept  a  country  store.  While  in  Cincinnati  he  was  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business.  He  subsequently  moved  to  Rising  Sun,  where 
he  died  in  1874,  aged  seventy-nine  years.  His  widow  is  still  surviving, 
in  her  ninety-third  year.  William  Hemphill,  whose  name  begins  this 
notice,  grew  up  under  "the  parent  roof -tree,"  and  in  his  earlier  life 
worked  four  or  five  years  on  the  bench.  In  1845  he  married  Polly  Ann 
Richardson,  daughter  oO  Joseph  P.  and  Polly  Ann  (Keffer)  Richardson, 
who  settled  in  Ohio  County  in  1817.  Mrs.  H.  was  born  in  Ohio  County, 
but  her  parents  were  natives  of  Virginia.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
Hemphill  purchased  land  in  Switzerland  County  and  began  farming. 
He  made  two  or  three  changes  of  location,  and  in  1856  purchased  his 
farm  of  100  acres,  which  he  still  owns,  near  Rising  Sun,  and  on  which 
he  resided  till  about  1875,  when  he  purchased  a  home  in  town.  He  has 
since  given  up  agricultural  pursuits,  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  prod- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  755 

uce  trade,  making  an  annual  trip  to  New  Orleans  and  other  points  of 
Southern  market.  He  made  his  first  trip  in  1841.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hemp- 
hill have  seven  children:  Rebecca  J.,  wife  of  William  Lostutter;  Davis 
County,  Ky. ;  Mary,  wife  of  Charles  W.  Croft ;  Joseph  P. ;  James  S. ; 
Lucy  A.,  wife  of  George  E.  Bradford;  Fanny  B.,  wife  of  S.  M.  Seward, 
and  Grant.  One  son,  William  T.,  is  deceased.  Mr.  Hemphill  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of  the  Universalist  Church.  He 
served  about  ten  ye^rs  as  commissioner  of  the  county,  refusing  a  further 
continuance  in  the  oflSce.  His  father  also  served  several  years  in  the 
same  capacity. 

JOSEPH  P.  HEMPHILL,  auditor  of  Ohio  County,  a  resident  of 
Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  Ohio  County  in  1853.  He  is  a  son  of  William 
Hemphill,  whose  sketch  appears  above.  Joseph  P.  grew  up  in  his  na- 
tive county,  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm,  and  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Rising  Sun.  In  November,  1879,  he  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  county  auditor,  and  in  1882  was  re-elected  to  the  same 
office,  the  duties  of  which  be  is  still  performing  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  county  in  general.  He  is  an  afifable  gen- 
tleman and  an  obliging  and  courteous  officer.  Mr.  Hemphill  was  mar- 
ried, December  31,  1879,  to  Miss  Joanna  Fisher,  a  daughter  of  John 
Fisher  (deceased),  of  Ohio  County.  He  is  identified  with  the  order  of 
F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  votes  in  the  interest  of  the  Repub- 
lican party. 

W.  C.  HENRY,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Wayne  County,  Ohio,  February  1,  1841,  and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction; 
his  ancestors  settled  in  the  United  States  early  in  the  history  of  the  country. 
During  his  boyhood  he  attended  the  public  school,  where  he  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  usual  English  branches,  including  the  higher  mathemat- 
ics, and  also  studied  Greek  and  Latin,  besides  paying  some  attention  to  ele- 
mentary anatomy, with  a  view  to  entering  the  medical  profession.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  left  school  and  enlisted  for  three  years  as  a  private  in 
Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twentieth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  sergeant,  and  participated  in  Grant's 
campaign  against  Vicksburg  and  its  approaches,  until  after  the  fall  of 
the  place  in  1863.  W^hile  in  the  army, his  health  having  become  impaired, 
he  was  sent  home  on  sick  leave,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  reported  at 
Indianapolis,  and  was  detailed  to  hospital  duty,  in  which  he  was  engaged 
during  the  remainder  of  his  term  of  service.  While  thus  employed  he 
gave  special  attention  to  his  duties,  with  the  view  of  making  the  profes- 
sion of  medicine  his  vocation  in  life,  and  on  leaving  the  seryice  imme- 
diately entered  the  Vermilion  Institute  at  Hayesville,  Ohio.  There  he 
pursued  a  preparatory  course  for  two  years,  after  which  he  studied  medi- 


756  HISrORY  OF  dearborn  and  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

cine  with  Drs.  Baker  and  Barrett,  of  Wooster,  Ohio.  Subsequently  he 
attended  two  courses  of  lectures  at  the  Miami  Medical  College,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  graduated  in  1870.  He  first  practiced  at  Tipton,  Mo., 
about  eighteen  months,  and  then  removed  to  Aurora,  Ind. ,  where  he  has 
since  been  one  of  the  most  successful  physicians.  His  course  of  study 
included  special  instruction  on  treatment  of  diseases  oE.  the  eye  and  ear, 
under  Dr.  E.  Williams,  and  he  has  since  given  much  attention  to  this 
branch  of  the  profession.  During  the  prevalence  of  the  epidemic  in  the 
State  in  1874,  Dr.  Henry  contributed  a  valuable  paper  on  trichinae  to 
local  journals,  which  attracted  much  attention  at  the  time  and  was 
favorably  commented  on  by  the  profession  generally.  Immediately  after 
his  graduation  in  1870  he  married  Miss  Kate  Lindsay,  daughter  of  John 
F.  Lindsay,  contractor  and  builder  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Dr.  Henry 
enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  public  as  a  skillful  and  pains- 
taking physician.  He  is  an  active  member  of  Dearborn  County  Medical 
Society  and  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society,  having  been  for  the 
past  five  years  secretary  of  the  former  body.  He  is  also  city  physician 
of  Aurora,  surgeon,  by  appointment,  of  the  eastern  division  of  the  Ohio 
&  Mississippi  Kailroad,  and  has  been  for  two  years  member  of  the  city 
council,  in  which  he  takes  an  active  and  prominent  place.  In  politics 
Dr.  Henry  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442, 
F.  &  A.  M. ;  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  and  Aurora  Commandery  No.  17,  K. 
T.,  also  K.  of  H. ,  in  which  he  is  dictator  of  his  lodge.  He  is  an  active 
member  and  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

ELISHA  G.  HERRON,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  was  born  in 
Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  August  19,  1815,  and  received  a  partial  educa- 
tion in  Clermont  Academy,  completing  his  studies  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  His 
parents,  David  and  Lydia  (Griswold)  Herron,  were  also  born  in  same  coun- 
ty in  Pennsylvania,  the  father  in  1788,  the  mother,  1790.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  181 2,  and  raised  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  alive.  They  moved 
to  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  in  February,  1834,  where  he  followed  farming  until 
his  death,  which  was  in  1846;  mother  died  in  1857.  They  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  father  a  class  leader  all  his  life. 
Mr.  E.  G.  Herron  was  raised  on  a  farm.  He  taught  school  in  early  life, 
and  began  clerking  in  Rising  Sun.  In  April,  1840,  he  engaged  in  busi- 
ness in  Hartford  and  continued  until  1849,  at  which  time  he  sold  out 
and  located  upon  the  farm  where  he  has  resided  ever  since.  His  consort 
departed  this  life  April  '1,  1854,  and  he  was  married  June  1,  1856,  to 
Aminta  Wilson,  who  was  born  in  this  township  February  21,  1832. 
Their  four  children  are  Emma,  John  W.,  Mary  A.  and  Maggie  F.  He 
was  appointed  clerk  by  the  commissioners  and  was  elected  township 
trustee,  when  the  services  of  three  men  were  required  to  look  after  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  757 

business.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for 
fifty  six  years.      His  wife  and  children  are  also  members  of  that  society. 

ALBERT  HEUCK,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  June  6,  1817.  His  parents  were  Herman  H.  and  Rosanna 
(Grane)  Heuck,  natives  of  Germany  and  France.  They  were  the  parents 
of  six  children:  William,  Henriette,  Justine,  Babbete,  Adaline  and 
Albert,  our  subject,  the  next  to  the  youngest  member  of  the  family  He 
immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  in  1839,  and  shortly  afterward 
went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  in  a  store.  In  1842  he 
returned  to  Dearborn  County,  and  was  here  married,  December  23, 
1842,  to  Elizabeth  Probst,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  January  17,  1826, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  John  G.  and  Margaret  (Nuss)  Probst.  After  his 
marriage  he  engaged  in  farming  one  year,  and  then  removed  to  Cincin- 
nati. Ohio,  where  he  again  worked  in  a  store  for  some  time,  and 
subsequently  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  and  from  here  to  Harding 
County,  111.;  returned  later  and'  settled  on  his  present  farm,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  has  had  born  to  him  eighteen  children,  viz. : 
Louisa  (deceased),  Amelia,  Karl  W.  (deceased),  Josephine,  Catherine, 
Magdalena  F.,  Adaline.  Emma,  Louisa,  Elizabeth  (deceased),  William 
E.,  Wilhelmina  (deceased),  John  A.,  Rosina,  George  L.  (deceased), 
Charles  H.,  Ludwig  H.  (deceased),  and  George  P.  (deceased).  Mr. 
Heuck  was  elected  trustee  of  Kelso  Township  in  1856,  and  held  the  office 
two  years,  after  which  he  was  again  elected  in  1860,  and  held  the  office 
for  a  number  of  years  afterward. 

THOMAS  HIBBERT,  foreman  freight  department  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  shops,  Cochran,  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in  county 
of  Lancashire  August  9,  1829,  and  received  a  very  limited  educa- 
tion. His  father.  Joseph,  was  born  io  1796,  and  mother,  Nannie 
Hardman,  were  also  of  English  birth.  They  came  to  America  in 
July,  1854,  and  located  at  Taunton,  Mass.,  where  he  followed  the 
trade  of  a  hatter  up  to  his  death  in  1874.  Thomas  worked  in 
a  cotton-mill  at  Taunton  until  1855,  then  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
worked  in  Diston  Saw  Works.  In  1856  he  returned  to  Massachusetts, 
and  worked  in  woolen-mills  at  North  Deighton  until  July,  1857,  at 
which  date  he  removed  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  and  began  working  for  the  Ohio 
&  Mississippi  Railroad  as  a  carpenter  on  car  work.  In  1862  he  was 
promoted  to  foreman  of  shops  in  freight  department,  which  position  he 
has  since  filled  with  entire  satisfaction  to  the  company.  He  was 
married,  August  8,  1852,  to  Miss  Sarah  Schotield.  She  was  born  in 
Feilsworth,  England,  September  10,  1828.  Seven  children  have  been 
born  to  them:  Stamford,  born  December  5,  1853,  died  July,  1854;  Emma, 
born  March  17,  1856;  Melanctham,  born  March  25, 1858,  died  August  14, 


758  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1859;  Angelo,  boru  March  21,  1860;  Agnes,  born  August  14,  1863 
(deceased);  Edith,  born  August  2,  1864;  Cora,  born  August  21,  1869. 
He  is  a  Master  Mason,  and  member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51.  Also  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

CAPT.   JOHN  C.   HIBBITS,  insurance  agent,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a 
native  of  Dearborn  County,  born  on  the  homestead   farm  in  Lawrence- 
burgh  Township,    July  18,  1834.     His    parents  were  John  and  Susan 
(Ridinger)   Hibbits,  of    Welsh   and   Scotch-German    extraction.     James 
Hibbits  was  born  in  Delawai*e,  and  in  1804  came  as  far  West  as  Cincin- 
nati on  a  trading   expedition  from   Pittsburgh,  then   a  single  man.     He 
subsequently  married  Susan  Ridinger  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  In  1814 
or  1815,  James  and  family  located  in  Dearborn  County,  stopping  for  a 
year  or  two  near  the  hamlet  of  Hardinsburgh  (often  called  Hardintown), 
then  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  in  Section  8,  of  the  Rees  purchase,   where 
he  resided  the  rest  of   his  life,  occupied  principally  as   a  farmer,  though 
by  trade  he  was  a  cooper.    He  was  a  man  of  intelligence,  and  a  respected 
and  esteemed  citizen.     His  death   occurred  on  the  homestead  in   1863. 
His  widow  survived  him  a  number  of  years  and  died  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
in  1879.       John  C.  grew  up  on  the  farm,  received  such  schooling  as  the 
country  Mchools  of  his  neighborhood  afforded;  then  he  was  sent  to  Moore's 
Hill  College  where  he  completed  his  education,  and  was  for  a  number  of 
years  engaged   in  teaching   in  the  counties  of  Jefferson  and  Dearborn. 
August,  1861,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  in  Company  F,  Thirty-fifth 
Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  throughout  the  entire 
struggle,  having  been  with  the  army  in  the  Department  of  the  Cumber- 
land, and  participating  in  all  of  the  engagements  of  his  regiment,  begin- 
ning with    Stone  River  and    closing  with  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  and  also 
taking  part  in   the  battles  of   Franklin   and   Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  all  of 
which  he  bore  an  honorable  part,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain.      He 
was  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  and  captain,  commanding  Companies 
A.,  F.  and  D.  of    his  regiment,  and   led    the   assault  at  Lookout  Moun- 
tain,  being  in   command  of  the  three  companies.     He  received  several 
slight  wounds.     On   his  return  from  the  United  States  service,    Capt. 
Hibbits  accepted  the  agency  at  Lawrenceburgh  of  the   Merchant  Union 
Express,  and  later  of  the  American  and  Adams  Express  Companies,  the 
business  of  which  he  conducted   until  1879.     Since  which  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  a  general  insurance  business.      May  23,  1878,  he  was 
united  in  marriage   with  Mrs.    A.  G.    Bioadwell.      Capt.  Hibbits    is  a 
member    of    the  Episcopal  Church,  is  identified  with  the  G.  A,  R.,   and 
with  the  Masonic  order.     In   politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

EPHRAIM  J.  HIGBEE,    Randolph    Township,  one  of  the  represen- 
tative farmers  of  Ohio  County,  was  born  here  in  1824.     He  is  a  son  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  759 

William  and  Rebecca  (Jacobs)  Higbee,  natives  of  New  York  and  Ohio 
respectively.  His  father  came  West  from  New  York,  married  in  Ohio, 
and  in  1823  located  in  Union  Township,  Ohio  County,  where  he  purchased 
land  and  resided  until  his  death,  about  1875.  Ephraim  Higbee,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  grew  up  on  the  farm,  and  has  always  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  married  in  1850  to  Ann  Kemp,  daughter 
of  John  Kemp,  and  by  this  union  two  children  were  born,  Mary  and 
Charley.  The  mother  died  in  1878,  and  in  1880  Mr.  Higbee  was  married 
to  Susan  Lotton  nee  Kemp,  sister  of  his  first  wife.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
H.  began  business  on  his  own  responsibility.  He  obtained  some  property 
from  his  father's  estate  and  this  he  has  gradually  increased  by  dint  of 
hard  labor,  industry  and  economy,  till  he  now  owns  290  acres  of  valuable 
land.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higbee  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
are  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  people  of  their  community. 

ADAM  K.  HILL,  farmer  and  wharf  boatman,  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Manchester  Township,  December  27,  1848,  and  completed  his  education 
at  Moore's  Hill  College.  His  father,  Abram  Hill,  was  born  in  Lawrence - 
burgh  Township,  November  10,  1821,  where  he  received  a  common 
school  education,  and  farmed  for  a  livelihood.  He  was  married,  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1846,  to  Miss  Manerva  Kerr.  She  was  born  in  Hogan  Town- 
ship, September  3,  1824,  and  to  them  were  born  nine  children:  Amanda, 
October  13,  1847;  Adam  K.,  December  27,  1848;  Milton  V.,  December 
22,  1850;  Harry  B.,  September  30,  1852;,  Alice,  February  25,  1856; 
Aitha,  November  20,  1858;  Mary  E.,  December  27,  I860;  Lewis  W., 
August  16,  1862;  Jennie,  July  8,1867.  In  1861  Mr.  Hill  enlisted  in 
Company  K,  Twenty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  one 
year  as  first  lieutenant;  after  which  he  re-enlisted  in  1862,  in  the  Seventh 
Cavalry,  and  served  nineteen  months  as  first  Lieutenant,  and  was  pro- 
moted to  captain,  and  served  eleven  months  in  that  capacity.  In  1864 
he  received  a  slight  flesh  wound  in  the  wrist,  but  participated  in  nine- 
teen severe  fights  with  his  regiment,  without  another  scratch.  In  1874 
he  took  charge  of  the  wharf -boat  in  Aurora.  The  business  increased  so, 
that  in  1877  he  was  compelled  to  move  to  the  city,  which  would  enable 
him  to  handle  the  business  more  successfully.  He  is  a  member  of  Wil- 
mington Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  G.  A.  R.  His  estima- 
ble wife  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our 
subject  was  raised  a  farmer,  and  was  married  February,  1872,  to  Miss 
Ella  S.  Worley,  daughter  of  Francis  Worley.  She  was  born  September 
27,  1851,  in  Center  Township,  and  to  them  "has  been  born  one  child, 
Gracie  G.  (July  15,  1874).  Mr.  Hill  is  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No. 
442,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  has  been  in  the  stock  trade  for  many  years  with 
his  father,  and  is  connected  with  the   wharf-boat  interests,  buying  hay 


760  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  grain  and  running  delivery.  The  firm  has  facilities,  which  enable 
them  to  deliver  merchandise  promptly  in  any  part  of  the  city.  In  1884 
Mr.  A.  K.  Hill  was  chairman  of  the  county  Republican  Central  Commit- 
tee, and  has  always  been  an  active,  working  Republican. 

EDWIN  A.  HILLMAN,  merchant,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of 
Birmingham,  England,  born  in  1842.  His  father,  John  Hillman,  was  a 
locomotive  builder  in  England,  married  there  AnnRubotom  and  in  1851, 
immigrated  to  the  United  States.  The  family  located  at  Metamora,  Ind., 
where  Mr.  Hillman  engaged  in  the  milling  and  mercantile  business.  In 
1867  he  moved  to  Lawrenceburgh  where  he  resided  till  his  death  in  1881. 
Mrs.  Hillman  passed  away  in  1876.  E.  A,  Hillman  was  about  nine  years 
of  age  when  he  arrived  in  America.  He  grew  to  manhood  with  his  par- 
ents at  Metamora,  and  in  1862  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Sixth  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  entered  the  war,  serving  about  three  years,  taking 
part  in  the  battles  of  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Nashville  and  other 
minor  engagements,  and  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  in  June,  1865. 
After  the  war  he  returned  to  Metamora  from  which  point  he  moved  to 
Lawrenceburgh  in  1867,  and  engaged  in  various  lines  of  business  till 
1872,  when  he  began  the  glassware  and  queensware  trade  in  which  he  is 
now  engaged.  In  his  business  enterprises  Mr.  Hillman  has  been  quite 
successful.  He  was  married,  in  1868,  to  Roselia  M.  Ransom,  daughter 
of  Daniel  Ransom,  of  York  State,  and  they  have  four  children:  Anna, 
Mary,  Edwin  and  Emma.  The  two  eldest  daughters  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hillman,  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Hill- 
man is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  and  a  reliable  business  man. 

REIZEN  HINDS,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  January  29,  1818.  His  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Eliza- 
beth (Hash)  Hinds,  natives  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  respectively. 
They  were  united  in  marriage  in  Washington  County,  Penn.,  and  from 
thence,  about  1812,  moved  to  Ohio,  settling  near  what  is  known  as  Seven- 
Mile,  where  he. purchased  land  and  remained  until  after  the  close  of  the 
war  of  1812,  and  then  moved  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  until  1825,  at  which  time  he  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
entering  land  and  settling  in  Sparta  Township,  Section  14,  where  he 
afterward  resided  until  death.  He  was  among  the  early  settlers  in  that 
vicinity,  and  well  understood  the  hardships  and  inconveniences  of  a  pioneer 
life.  He  was  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  August 
5,  1835,  mourned  by  many  friends.  He  was  twice  married  and  was  the 
father  of  thirteen  children,  viz.:  Elizabeth,  Ann,  Mary,  James,  Sarah, 
John,  Henry,  Reizen,  Emily,  Jane  and  three  who  died  in  infancy. 
Reizen,  our  subject,  was  married  in  Sparta  Township  December  3,  1837, 
to  Mary,  daughter  of  Eben  and  Sarah  (Streeter)  Heaton.     She  was  born 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  761 

in  Dearborn  County  September  29,  1819.  After  his  marriage  he  settled 
on  the  same  farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  and  has  since  resided.  He  has 
had  born  to  him  thirteen  children,  viz. :  Benjamin,  Sarah  E.,  Harriet  L., 
Mary  J.  (deceased),  Julia,  Rachel  A.  (deceased),  Melissa  M.,  William  F., 
Emma  E.,  Margaret  A.,  Thomas  J.,  Charles  E.  and  Flora  B.  Mr.  Hinds 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  He  held  the  office  of  township  trustee 
in  1844-45. 

C.  A.  H.  HITZFELD,  cabinet-maker,  Lawrenceburgh  City,  was  born 
in  Bremen,  Germany,  September  30,  1819.  He  is  a  son  of  Jiirgen  H. 
Hitzfeld,  and  was  reared  to  maturity  in  his  native  country,  where  he 
learned  the  cabinet  trade.  In  1840  he  immigrated  to  America  to  view 
the  prospects,  and  three  years  later  returned  to  Germany,  coming  again 
to  this  country  with  his  parents  about  two  years  later.  The  family  lo- 
cated at  Fort  Wayne,  where  Mr.  Hitzfeld  resided  till  1850,  when  he 
moved  to  Cincinnati.  One  year  later  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  here 
he  has  since  been  employed,  chiefly  in  the  carpenter's  trade.  From  1855 
to  1860  was  engaged  in  factory  work;  built  the  German  Methodist  Church 
and  Lutheran  Church,  and  many  other  edifices  in  Lawrenceburgh.  In 
1849  Mr.  Hitzfeld  married  Caroline  Hornberger,  daughter  of  Nicholas 
Hornberger,  and  four  of  their  seven  children  are  living:  Mary,Caroline, 
Louisa  A.  and  George  N.  Mrs.  Hitzfeld  passed  away  in  the  winter  of 
1884-85,  deeply  mourned  by  many  friends.  Mr.  Hitzfeld  has  been  a 
member  of  the  German  Methodist  Church  for  fifty  years,  and  is  one  of 
Lawrenceburgh' s  most  worthy  citizens. 

LOUIS  HITZFIELD,  proprietor  of  the  Hitzfield  Hotel,  Lawrence- 
burgh, was  born  in  Germany  in  1833.  He  resided  in  his  native  country 
till  1845,  having  been  reared  by  his  grandfather,  his  mother  having  died 
while  he  was  an  infant  and  his  father  soon  after  immigrating  to  this 
country.  Mr.  Hitzfield  sailed  for  America  in  1845,  and  located  first  at 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  where  the  majority  of  the  family  still  reside.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  he  left  home  to  carve  out  a  fortune  for  himself,  and 
about  two  years  later  "brought  up"  in  Cincinnati.  He  spent  about  three 
years  in  the  two  cities  alternately,  chiefly  engaged  in  attending  store, 
and  in  1857  located  in  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1861  he  joined  the  United 
States  Army  and  pushed  westward  to  California,  remaining  in  the  region 
of  the  Territories  till  1864.  He  then  returned  to  Cincinnati,  clerked  a 
few  months  in  a  wholesale  grocery  store,  spent  a  few  months  in  Memphis, 
and  in  Februaiy,  1865,  returned  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  assumed  charge 
of  the  Hitzfield  House,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  Mr.  Hitzfield 
was  married,  in  1865,  to  Miss  Kate  Wilke,  daughter  of  John  Wilke,  a 
substantial  business  man  of  Aurora  at  that  time.     Of  their  nine  children 


762  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

six  are  still  living:  Carrie,  Anna,  Louis,  Albert,  Charles  "\V.  and  an 
infant.  The  "Hitzfield  House"  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage,  both  regular 
and  transient,  its  success  being  largely  due  to  the  able  assistance  rendered 
its  proprietor  by  his  estimable  wife  and  eldest  daughter,  Carrie. 

CHAKLES  H.  HOFF,  farmer,  Jackson  Township,  born  in  Cincin- 
nati, July  24,  1836,  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Catharine  Hoff,  natives  of 
Bavaria,  Germany.  Michael  Hoff  immigrated  to  America  while  a 
young  man;  arriving  at  Cincinnati  he  remained^there  some  time  and 
worked  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  shoe-maker.  About  1835  he'^married,  and 
about  1837  he  purchased  land  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  near  Lawrence- 
ville,  where  he  settled  and  resided  through  life.  He  died  March  25, 
1882,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  widow  still  survives  and  resides  on  the 
old  home  place.  They  were  parents  of  eleven  children,  nine  now  sur- 
vive: Charles  H.,  John  H.,  Mary  E.  (wife  of  George  Schlicht), Michael, 
Mary  (wife  of  John  Gutapple),  George,  Valentine,  Louisa  (wife  of  Will 
iam  Blasdel)  and  John.  Mr.  Hofif  was  quite  a  prominent  citizen  and 
well-known  throughout  Dearborn  County.  He  filled  some  of  the  most 
prominent  offices  of  his  township,  serving  as  trustee  several  years.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  serving  in  his  second  term  as  county  com- 
missioner. Under  his  administration  of  the  office  several  important 
works  were  constructed,  of  which  were  the  building  of  the  bridge  across 
Tanner's  Creek  at  Guilford  and  the  erection  of  the  countj'  asylum, 
each  of  which  evinces  creditable  management  and  careful  attention 
of  the  commissioners  in  charge.  Mr.  Charles  H.  Hoff,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  and  the  eldest  child  of  Michael  Hoff,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Jackson  Township  forty- eight  years.  He  was  married,  September  6, 
1857,  to  Harriet  Bolsey,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Harriet  Bolsey,  na- 
tives of  Germany,  who  became  settlers  of  this  county,  and  died  here  of 
cholera  during  the  prevalence  of  that  epidemic  in  1849.  They  had  seven 
children,  six  now  living:  Caroline  (wife  of  Henry  Coppfa,  who  resides 
in  Cincinnati),  Harriet,  George,  Elizabeth  (wife  of  Charles  Mayer,  who 
resides  in  Cincinnati),  Lewis  and  Henry.  Mr.  Hofi'  and  wife  have  had 
fourteen  children,  twelve  now  living:  Catharine  (wife  of  Frederick 
Huber),  Mena  (wife  of  C.  S.  Sprague),  Lewis,  Lizzie,  Charles,  Anna. 
Henry,  Louisa,  Ida,  Albert,  Perley  and  Lydia.  Mr.  Hoff  has  made 
farming  his  business  through  life;  has  a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres  with 
good  buildings  and  improvements,  and  is  well  known  as  one  of  the 
prominent  and  reliable  citizens  of  Jackson  Township. 

GEORGE  HODEL,  president  of  the  Miami  Valley  Furniture  Manu- 
facturing Company,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  1840.  At  the  age  of 
nineteen  years  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  employed  in  the 
banking  house  of    E.  G.  Burkam  till  April  of   1861,  when  he  enlisted  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  763 

the  Eighth  Regiment  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  and  entered  the  war, 
serving  about  four  years — one  year  as  hospital  stewai-d — taking  part  in 
some  of  the  most  important  battles.  He  then  returned  home  and  soon 
after  assisted  in  establishing  the  furniture  factory  with  which  he  has 
since  been  connected.  He  was  also  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Ohio 
Valley  Coffin  Company,  and  has  been  in  the  city  council  for  many  years. 
He  ranks  among  the  first  of  the  citizens  and  business  men  of  Lawrence- 
burgh.  Mr.  Hodel  was  married,  in  1867,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Shumaker,  by 
whom  he  has  three  children:  Anna  C,  Charles  W.  and  George  F. 

JUDGE  JESSE  L.  HOLMAN,  see  page  152. 

HON.  WILLIAM  S.  HOLMAN,  attorney  at  law,  Aurora,  is  a  native 
of  Dearborn  County  and  was  born,  September  6,  1822,  at  his  father's 
homestead,  Veraestau,  on  the  Ohio  River  hills  near  Aurora.  He  was 
the  son  of  Judge  Jesse  L.  and  Elizabeth  (Masterson)  Holman.  He  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  neighborhood  and  at  Franklin 
College,  Ind.,  where  he  studied  two  years.  When  he  was  twenty  years 
of  age  his  father  died,  and  this  prevented  his  completing  the  college 
course.  He  studied  law,  and  when  of  age  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
at  once  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his  native  county.  In 
the  same  year  in  which  he  was  admitted  to  practice,  1843,  he  was  elected 
probate  judge  of  Dearborn  County.  In  1849  he  was  chosen  prosecuting 
attorney,  and  in  1850  was  elected  senatorial  delegate  from  Dearborn 
County  in  the  constitutional  convention.  In  1851  he  was  elected  a  re- 
presentative in  the  first  Legislature  under  the  new  constitution;  and,  al- 
though one  of  the  youngest  members  of  the  House,  was  made  chairman 
of  the  judiciary  committee.  He  supported  most  of  the  measures  of  re- 
form which  were  incorporated  into  the  revised  statutes,  and  secm'ed  the 
passage  of  the  bill  which  extended  the  township  system  to  the  several 
counties  of  the  State.  In  1852  he  was  elected  common  pleas  judge,  and 
served  until  1856.  During  his  incumbency  he  received  a  commission  as 
circuit  judge,  but  held  the  office  of  common  pleas  judge  until  the  end 
of  his  term.  In  1858  he  was  first  elected  to  Congress  from  the  Fourth 
District,  and  in  1859  took  his  seat  in  the  Thirty-sixth  Congress.  He 
has  been  elected  to  Congress  eleven  times,  being  a  member  of  the  Thirty- 
sixth,  Thirty-seventh,  Thirty-eighth,  Fortieth,  Forty-first,  Forty  second, 
Forty-third,  Forty- fourth,  Forty -seventh,  Forty-eighth  and  Forty-ninth 
Congresses,  and  has  served  as  a  representative  for  a  longer  period  than 
any  other  Western  man.  He  has  always  acted  with  the  Democratic  party. 
During  the  war  he  was  a  Union  Democrat  and  supported  the  war  meas- 
ures of  Mr.  Lincoln's  administration  and  voted  for  all  the  appropriations 
made  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion.  He  brought  forward  many 
of  the  measures  which  became  laws,  touching  the  increase  of  pay  and 


764  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  bounties  of  the  Union  soldiers.  Judge  Holman  earnestly  opposed 
the  subsidy  system  from  the  public  resources,  either  in  bonds,  lands  or 
money,  to  promote  private  enterprises;  and  it  has  been  claimed  for  him 
that  the  series  of  resolutions  on  that  subject  which  he  succeeded  in 
carrying  through  the  house,  broke  down— for  the  time  at  least — the  en- 
tire system  of  subsidies.  He  has  opposed  all  forms  of  class  legislation. 
He  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  homestead  policy,  and  opposed  any 
other  method  of  disposing  of  the  public  lands  except  as  bounties  to  the 
soldiers  of  the  Union  army.  He  introduced  and  carried  through  the 
measures  which  relieved  the  commerce  of  the  Ohio  River  from  the  op 
press! ve  tax  imposed  on  it  at  the  Louisville  &  Portland  Canal.  He 
h  as  generally  been  a  member  of  the  committees  on  war  claims,  com- 
merce and  appropriations.  At  the  last  session  of  the  Forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, he  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  appropriations,  and  also  of 
the  committee  on  public  buildings  and  grounds.  He  was  chairman  of 
the  committee  appointed  by  the  Forty-eighth  Congress  to  inquire  into 
Indian  affairs.  Judge  Holman  was  a  formidable  candidate  for  the  United 
States  Senate  in  1875,  and  for  governor  in  1876  and  1880,  and  was  the 
favorite  of  the  New  York  Sim  for  the  Democratic  nomination  for  presi- 
dent in  1884.  As  a  lawyer  he  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  his  profes- 
sion. Before  reaching  his  majority  he  was  married  to  Miss  Abigail 
Knapp,  a  young  lady  of  excellent  education  and  refinement.  AVhen  not 
absent  on  public  duties,  with  strong  attachment  for  the  place  of  his 
birth,  he  resides  at  Veraestan,  engaging  in  the  delightful  employments 
of  rural  life,  and  being  still  in  the  enjoyment  of  vigorous  health.  His 
home  is  situated  on  a  breezy  and  romantic  eminence  overlooking  the 
Ohio,  and  commanding  a  view  of  wonderful  beauty  stretching  away  for 
many  miles. 

JAMES  HOLMES,  Randolph  Township,  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
and  stock  dealers  of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ky.,  in 
1822,  the  youngest  of  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living,  viz. : 
Polly,  wife  of  Absalom  Adams,  married  in  Harrison  County, [Ky.,  in  1827, 
and  moved  to  Laughery  in  1828;  William,  born  in  181U,  married  to  Celia 
Ricketts  in  1832,  and  moved  to  Woodford  County  and  purchased  land, 
clearing  up  three  different  farms,  and  working  up  from  poverty  to  a  for- 
tune, accidentally  killed  in  1876  by  a  load  of  lumber  falling  upon  him, 
was  a  firm  Democrat,  and  noted  for  his  liberality  (sent  one  son  to  the 
war,  and  he  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain);  Sarah,  wife 
of  Morgan  Robinson,  married  in  1833,  husband  died  in  1880;  Nancy, 
wife  of  William  Burns  (who  died  in  September,  1853),  and  is  now  a  res- 
ident of  Bellevue,  Ky;  Robert,  who  married  Margaret  Moreland  in 
1840,  and  died  of  cholera  in   1849.     James  Holmes,  the  father  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  765 

above  named  children,  was  born  in  Virginia.  His  father,  of  Irish 
descent,  moved  to  Kentucky  when  a  young  man,  and  there  married 
Prudence  Klampet,  a  native  of  Delaware,  and  in  1824  moved  to  Ohio, 
in  which  State  they  resided  four  years,  in  Clermont  County.  They  came 
to  Dearborn  County  in  1828,  where  Mr.  Holmes  purchased  120  acres  of 
land  on  either  side  of  Laughery  Creek,  when,  in  March,  1829,  death 
took  him  from  his  toil.  His  widow  survived  till  September,  1879,  dying 
at  the  age  of  ninety-four  and  a  half  years.  James  Holmes,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  grew  up  in  the  woods  on  the  farm,  residing  with  his 
mother  till  January,  1849,  when  he  married  Charity  Ann  Myers,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Joel  and  Lydia  (Rand)  Myers.  He  began  very 
poor,  and  worked  hard  to  make  a  start  in  business.  He  chopped  cord- 
wood  at  35  cents  per  cord,  and  by  the  greatest  economy  and  labor  saved 
from  his  earnings  1500  in  ten  years,  and  bought  fifty  acres  of  land- 
Since  that  time  his  advancement  has  been  more  rapid,  and  he  has  added 
to  his  original  purchase  at  intervals  till  he  now  owns  300  acres.  He  has 
done  some  flat-boating  and  has  dealt  extensively  in  stock  and  produce, 
buying  in  every  part  of  the  country  for  many  miles  around.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Holmes  have  had  ten  children,  two  deceased;  the  eldest,  Lauretta, 
at  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  Mary,  the  third  daughter,  who  died  in  1875 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  The  living  are  Prudence  (wife  of  John 
McQuary,  Switzerland  County),  Emma  J.  (wife  of  Edwin  Tinker,  this 
township).  Belle,  Anna  (wife  of  Joseph  Pate),  Elizabeth,  Rubert,  George 
and  James  A.  Mr.  Holmes  takes  an  active  part  in  local  politics,  and  is 
a  Democrat  of  the  most  pronounced  order.  As  a  citizen  his  character 
is  above  reproach,  and  his  naturally  social  nature  has  won  to  him  a  large 
circle  of  personal  friends. 

JOHN  F.  HOMANN,  merchant  and  postmaster,  Sparta  Township, 
was  born  in  the  county  of  Meinersen,  Hanover,  Germany,  December  20, 
1848.  His  parents,  John  F,  and  Frederick  (Wrede)  Homann,  were  both 
natives  of  Germany,  former  born  in  1824,  the  latter,  in  1826.  They 
resided  in  Germany  their  entire  lifetime,  the  former  dying  in  1875,  the 
latter  in  1881.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  viz. :  Caroline, 
and  John  F. ,  our  subject,  the  eldest.  He  was  educated  in  Germany,  and 
when  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  began  the  shoe- making  trade,  which 
he  completed,  and  in  1870  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing  at 
New  York  City  May  7,  of  that  year;  from  thence  he  came  immediately 
to  Chicago,  111.,  and  after  traveling  through  Illinois,  Michigan,  Tennes- 
see, Mississippi  and  Arkansas,  in  the  spring  of  1871,  landed  at  Cincin 
nati,  Ohio.  He  worked  at  his  trade  there  for  about  four  years,  and  was 
there  married,  October  13,  1874,  to  Emma  Schilling.  She  was  born  near 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  August  24,  1855,  and  was  a  daughter  of  August  and 


766  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Dorothea  (Ideker)  Schilling,  who  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County  in  the 
year  1861.  In  1877  Mr.  Homann  moved  to  Cold  Spring,  and  in  the 
same  year  purchased  the  store  of  Henry  Wilkening,  which  he  has  since 
conducted  with  vigor  and  success,  and  is  now  doing  a  large  business  in 
general  merchandise.  June  2,  1884,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
this  place,  which  office  he  at  present  holds.  Mr.  Homann  is  a  good  cit- 
izen, and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  is  the  father  of  four 
children,  namely:  John  F.,  George  A.,  Augusta  E.  and  Charlotte  M. 

ANDEEW  D.  HOPPING,  farmer.  Centre  Township,  resides  on 
Section  5,  possessing  160  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  was  born  August  29, 
1817.  He  attended  school  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  and  received  only  a  lim- 
ited education.  His  father,  Ephraim  Hopping,  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
August  29,  1775,  and  his  mother  was  born  in  the  same  State  April  29, 
1778.  They  came  to  Indiana  in  the  fall  of  1816,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1817  to  this  locality.  The  father  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  but  followed 
farming.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  school  board  in  Aurora.  He 
died  October  22,  1848.  The  mother  slipped  and  fell,  and  broke  her  hip, 
which  caused  her  death  October  29,  1870.  She  never  lost  a  tooth  from 
childhood,  and  all  were  perfect,  except  one,  at  her  death.  Mr.  Hopping 
was  married,  October  10,  1848,  to  Miss  Jane  N.  Greer,  who  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  July  24,  1826.  They  have  been  blessed 
with  eleven  children,  namely:  Mary  F.,  Lewis,  George,  James,  Laura, 
Harvey,  Elizabeth  (born  April  15,  1864,  died  June  28,  1882),  Jesse,  Net- 
tie, John  and  Edward.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
JOHN  HORNBERGER,  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  Lawrence- 
burgh,  is  .a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  where  his  forefathers  for  many 
generations  had  lived  and  died.  He  was  born  at  5  o'clock  P.  M.,  August 
16,  1817,  according  to  the  old  record  which  he  still  has  in  his  possession. 
His  parents,  George  N.  and  Anna  M,  (Forster)  Hornberger,  natives  of 
Steinweiler  and  Minnfeld,  Bavaria,  respectively,  the  former  born  Octo- 
ber 24,  1788;  the  latter  January  7,  1797.  Their  parents  were  Nicholas 
and  Margaret  (Fiever)  Hornberger  and  Jacob  and  Margaret  Forster.  His 
grandfather  died  in  Steinweiler.  March  19,  1865,  his  father  passed  away 
being  then  a  resident  of  this  county,  having  immigrated  with  his  family 
in  1881.  There  were  six  children,  four  born  in  Germany:  John,  Anna 
M.  (Mrs.  Hauck),  Mary  C.  (Mrs.  Schulze),  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Widelstadt). 
Mary  C.  and  George  N.  were  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  family  landed 
in  New  York  in  June  or  July,  1831,  and  reached  Cincinnati  August  8,  the 
same  year.  Here  they  resided  till  1837,  the  father  following  the  cabinet 
trade  for  a  time  and  also  conducting  a  hotel  in  the  city.  They  theu 
moved  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  Mr.  Hornberger  died  as  stated  above, 
after  having  entered  about  1,000  acres  of  government  land  in  Dearborn  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  767 

Franklin  Counties.  John  Hornberger,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  grew 
to  manhood  in  Cincinnati,  being  about  fourteen  years  of  age  when  he 
came  to  America.  He  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  with  his  parents  in  1837, 
having  first  married  in  the  city  Mary  E.  Loge,  May  14,  of  that  year. 
She  was  a  native  of  Steinweiler,  County  Condel,  Germany,  and  daughter 
of  John  and  Anna  M.  (Odenbach)  Loge.  Her  father  died  in  this  country 
in  1873,  her  mother  in  1865.  Her  grandparents  were  John  and  Mary 
Loge  and  Carl  and  Catharine  Odenbach.  On  locating  in  Lawrenceburgh 
Mr.  H.  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  which  he  continued  with  marked 
success  till  November,  1851,  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  He  then  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  grocery  and  liquor  trade  and 
continued  this  till  1868,  doing  a  prosperous  business.  From  1846  to 
1858  he  was  also  engaged  at  intervals  in  flat- boating  produce  on  the 
Ohio  River,  and  in  this  occupation  he  was  also  largely  successful,  his 
most  profitable  trip  being  made  in  1855,  the  net  proceeds  of  the  same 
amounting  to  more  than  $3,000.  In  1853  Mr.  Hornberger  manufact- 
ured about  1,000,000  bricks  in  connection  with  his  other  business  opera- 
tions, and  in  the  winter  of  1855-56  was  engaged  in  the  rendering  busi- 
ness at  Cincinnati.  From  1860  to  1865  he  did  a  large  business  in  con- 
tracting and  filling,  operating  as  many  as  forty  men  and  twenty-five 
carts  in  his  railroad  and  other  engineering  constructions.  His  last  work 
in  this  line  was  done  in  1874.  Besides  his  business  operations  Mr. 
Hornberger  has  been  largely  identified  with  the  official  interests  of 
Lawrenceburgh  and  vicinity.  In  1859  he  was  elected  township  assessor 
of  real  estate  and  re-elected  to  the  same  office  in  1864.  Was  elected  to 
the  Lawrenceburgh  city  council  in  1859,  and  so  faiihful  was  he  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duties  in  this  capacity  that  he  was  sustained  in  this 
position  by  his  constituents  for  sixteen  consecutive  years,  and  is  now  a 
member  of  the  same  body.  He  officiated  as  controller  and  manager  of 
the  Greendale  Cemetery  for  about  eighteen  years,  and  was  for  some  time 
director  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Gas  Company.  In  all  his  official  trans- 
actions he  has  discharged  his  duty  with  faithfulness  and  integrity,  and 
in  both  capacities  of  citizen  and  public  servant  he  has  fully  merited 
the  esteem  and  honor  which  attaches  to  his  name.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horn- 
berger were  married  May  15,  1837,  and  eight  children  have  blessed  their 
union,  namely:  Mary  Louise,  born  July  23,  1842,  now  the  wife  of 
Valentine  J.  Koehler;  John  William,  December  17,  1843;  John  F., 
January  14,  1845;  Caroline,  April  8,  1847;  George  N.,  November  2, 
1848;  Henry,  February  9,  1850;  Richard  W.,  July  18,  1851;  Mary  C, 
September  30,  1853.  Five  of  these  children  are  deceased,  viz. :  John 
William,  Caroline,  George  N.,  Mary  C.  and  Richard  W.  In  politics 
Mr.  Hornberger  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  firm   in  the  faith  of  the  prin- 


768  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ciples  of  his  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  having  joined 
the  society  in  1839  and  now  the  oldest  member  of  the  Lawrenceburgh 
lodge.  He  has  practically  retired  from  active  business,  his  chief  employ- 
ment now  being  to  look  after  the  property  which  by  a  long  life  of  in- 
dustry he  has  been  able  to  accumulate,  and  he  may  therefore  be  aptly 
termed  a  landlord. 

JOHN  F.  HORNBERGER,  the  popular  jeweler  of  Lawrenceburgh 
was  born  in  the  same  city  in  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Hornberger, 
whose  notice  appears  above.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  town,  and  for  several  years  was  engaged  in  the  various  county 
ofl&ces  as  clerk  or  deputy.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  began  the 
jeweler's  trade  with  John  Goessler,  of  Newport,  Ky. ,  with  whom  he 
remained  about  two  years.  He  then  went  to  Cincinnati  for  a  time, 
opening  his  shop  in  Lawrenceburgh  in  1869.  His  establishment  is  locat- 
ed at  No.  71  High  Street,  where  he  carries  a  stock  of  general  jewelry 
valued  at  about  $5,000.  He  does  all  kinds  of  work  peculiar  to  the  trade, 
and  has  a  liberal  patronage.  Mr.  Hornberger  was  married,  in  1869,  to 
Buena  Vista  McCright,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Nancy  McCright,  well  known  residents  of  the  place,  and  they  have  four 
children:  Katie,  Nanna,  George  and  John.  Mr.  Hornberger  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  K.  of  P.,  and  one  of  the  live  business  men  of  the  town. 

ROBERT  HUDDLESTON.  one  of  the  truly  representative  citizens  of 
Miller  Township,  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1820.  His  parents 
were  Robert  and  Mary  (Ward)  Huddleston,  both  natives  of  England, 
where  his  mother  died.  His  father  and  four  children  immigrated  to 
America  in  1831,  and  located  in  this  township,  where  the  father  pur- 
chased land  and  resided  till  his  death,  which  occurred  soon  after.  The 
children,  thus  left  in  their  early  years  without  paternal  guidance, 
engaged  in  work  among  the  farmers  of  the  community  till  grown  to 
maturity,  when  the  old  homestead  being  divided,  they  established  them- 
selves in  homes  of  their  own.  Robert  Huddleston,  the  subject  of  this 
notice,  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  to  Mary  J.  Ewbank, 
native  of  this  county,  and  daughter  of  Thomas  Ewbank,  an  early  set- 
tler of  English  birth.  Her  father  was  born  in  1793,  and  emigrated 
from  England  with  his  parents  in  1807,  settling  in  New  Jersey.  In  1811 
the  family  moved  to  Indiana  Territory,  and  settled  on  Tanner's  Creek, 
in  this  county.  In  his  twenty-fourth  year  (1817)  Thomas  Ewbank 
married  Elizabeth  Anderson,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  they  began 
house-keeping  in  the  same  place  in  which  Mr.  Ewbank  closed  his  earthly 
career  November  26,  1857.  In  his  sixteenth  year  he  joined  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  his  walk  thereafter  was  that  of  the  conscien- 
tious Christian.     He  also  assisted  in  organizing  the  Methodist  Protest- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  769 

ant  Cliurch,  in  this  county,  at  the  time  of  the  division  between  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  the  Methodist  Protestant  denomina- 
tions, and  was  warmly  attached  to  the  cause  of  religion.  After  his  mar- 
riage Robert  Huddleston  took  possession  of  his  portion  of  the  home 
farm,  erected  a  cabin  on  the  same  in  the  winter  of  1842-43,  and  with  a 
very  small  outfit  of  furniture  (which  included  a  new  cook  stove,  then  a 
great  curiosity  to  the  whole  noighboi'hood,  and  the  first  in  the  commu- 
nity), began  housekeeping  and  farming  in  real  pioneer  style.  The  old 
cabin  is  still  standing  as  a  monument  to  the  early  sacrifices  endured 
within  its  humble  walls;  but  its  day  of  usefulness  has  long  since  gone 
by,  and  it  has  given  place  to  a  comfortable  brick  residence  of  modern 
design.  A  life  of  industry  has  rewarded  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huddleston  with 
a  fair  portion  of  worldly  comforts,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  by 
eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living:  Sarah  C,  wife  of  M.  B. 
Wood;  T.  Henry;  Carrie  G. ,  wife  of  John  Kuntz;  Martin  V.  who  mar- 
ried Mary  J.  Hansel;  John  F.,  who  married  Ella  Cook;  Ida  M.,  wife  of 
Dora  Hansel,  and  Anna  B.  who  is  still  at  home.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that 
Mr.  Huddleston  owned  the  second  wagon  made  at  the  Guilford  shop  and 
the  first  iron  toothed  harrow  used  in  the  community.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H. 
were  formerly  members  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church  but  are  now 
associated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  society,  with  which  they  have 
been  connected  many  years. 

HENRY  HUDDLESTON,  merchant,  Guilford,  of  the  firm  of  Rob- 
ertson &  Huddleston,  born  in  Dearborn  County  in  1847,  is  a  son 
of  Robert  Huddleston,  and  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm  with  his  par- 
ents. At  Indianapolis  he  learned  the  art  of  telegraphy,  which  he  en- 
gaged in  about  two  years,  in  Ohio,  and  then,  after  a  few  months  at  home 
for  recuperating  his  health,  went  to  Fort  Gibson,  Ind.  T.,  where  he  was 
employed  three  years  as  operator  and  express  agent.  Failing  in  health, 
he  returned  home  in  1876,  and  after  a  long  period  of  suffering  from  spi- 
nal affection,  in  baffling  which  he  displayed  great  pluck  and  tenacity,  his 
health  was  so  far  restored  as  to  permit  him  to  resume  work  of  a  light  na- 
ture, and  in  1884  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  Robertson  store,  of 
Guilford,  and  has  since  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  married 
Emma  Sparks  in  1871,  and  they  have  two  children:    Mertie  and  Alice. 

ELIJAH  HUFFMAN,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  resides  upon  Sec- 
tion 21.  He  was  born  one  mile  west  of  Aurora,  July  26,  1818.  His 
education  was  very  limited.  His  father,  Conrad,  was  born  on  the  south 
branch  of  the  Potomac  River,  Virginia,  in  1770.  His  mother,  Elizabeth 
(Carbangh)  Huffman,  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ky.,  in  June,  1798. 
His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  came  here  in  1803,  and  nearly  every  year 
he  built  boats  and  took  his  crops  South.      He  was  a  scout  in  the  war  of 


770  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1812,  under  Gen.  Dill,  and  died  June  30,  1862;  his  mother  died 
July  17,  1884.  Mr.  Huffman  was  married  May  5,  1836,  to  Miss  Rachel 
Buffington.  She  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  January  29,  1818,  and 
to  their  union  six  children  were  born:  Andrew  J.,  William  B.,  Daniel, 
Mary  A.,  E.  Homer  and  Nancy  J.  Andrew  J.  served  three  years  in 
Company  I,  Eighty-third  Indiana  Volunteers.  William  B.,  enlisted  in 
the  Sixteenth  Indiana  Volunteers,  served  ninety  days,  then  went  into  the 
gunboat  service,  and  served  over  two  years.  E.  Homer  served  three  months 
in  the  Ninety-first  regiment,  then  went  into  the  gunboat  service  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Mr.  Huffman  was  congressional  town- 
ship trustee  from  August,  1839,  to  1845,  and  justice  of  the  peace  from  1845 
to  1854.  He  was  elected  State  Senator  in  1866,  and  resigned  to  defeat 
the  Fifteenth  Amendment;  after  which  he  was  re-elected  by  a  larger 
majority  than  before,  showing  that  he  was  fully  indorsed  by  his  constit- 
uents, who  honored  him  with  the  office  for  six  years.  Again  Mr.  Huff- 
man resigned  his  seat  and  returned  home,  feeling  that  he  had  accom- 
plished all  the  good  he  could  for  his  friends  and  neighbors.  He  has 
always  been  a  warm  friend  to  education,  and  has  served  as  school  direc- 
tor for  many  years.  He  was  county  assessor,  by  election,  for  two  years. 
He  was  the  originator  of  the  Grange  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
framed  all  the  papers,  and  was  the  first  secretary,  holding  that  position 
for  four  years,  and  is  now  vice-president  of  the  organization.  He 
also  has  an  interest  in  the  Grange  Supply  Store,  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
He  cleared  most  of  his  present  farm,  and  built  all  his  own  buildings,  as 
well  as  many  other  permanent  improvements  in  the  neighborhood.  He 
is  a  member  of  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M.  Both  he  and 
Mrs.  Huffman  are  members  of  the  Christian  Union  Church.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Huffman  are  a  well  preserved  old  couple,  and  enjoy  life,  having 
plenty  to  meet  their  every  want  whilst  serving  out  their  pilgrimage  here 
below. 

BENJAMIN  F.  HUNDLEY,  proprietor  of  the  Hundley  livery  and 
feed  stable,  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  in  1854,  son  of 
Thomas  and  Sarah  (Mendell)  Hundley.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
tive county  and  was  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  during  all  the 
earlier  portion  of  his  life.  He  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  general  store 
at  Elrod  postofiice  about  two  years,  and  except  that  time  was  engaged  in 
farming,  receiving  the  essentials  of  an  education  in  the  common  schools. 
In  the  fall  of  1883  he  came  to  Rising  Sun  and  purchased  the  livery 
stock  of  R.  H.  Gould,  and  since  that  date  has  continued  in  the  livery 
business,  meeting  with  merited  success.  Mr.  Hundley  was  married  in 
September,  1874,  to  Miss  Esther  A.  Johnson,  daughter  of  Reizin  and 
Esther  (Van  Dolah)  Johnson,  her  father  a  native  of  Ohio,  her  mother  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  771 

Dearborn  County,  Ind.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  old  and  esteemed 
residents  of  Ripley  County — at  once  a  tanner,  farmer  and  merchant. 
Mr.  H.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  encampment,  and  is  an  active, 
energetic  citizen,  well  adapted  to  his  business. 

JESSE  HUNT,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New 
Jersey  in  the  year  1787,  and  immigrated  west  with  his  father's  family  in 
the  year  1806,  and  located  at  Elizabethtown,  Ohio.  He  moved  to  this 
city  in  the  year  1817,  and  rented  the  Horner  Hotel,  and  in  less  than  a 
year  bought  it.  In  1819  he  removed  the  old  log  building,  and  erected 
the  three-story  building  on  the  corner.  It  was  the  first  three-story  brick 
building  ereete'd  in  the  city,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  in  the 
State.  He  continued  to  keep  hotel  up  to  1848,  with  a  few  years  of  inter- 
mission during  that  time.  He  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  energy  and 
mechanical  genius.  He  invented  and  used  the  first  hay  press  that  was 
ever  used  in  the  United  States,  and  was  the  pioneer  of  the  hay  trade  to 
the  Southern  market.  In  the  year  1823  he  erected  his  first  hay  press  on 
the  lot  where  Epstien's  store  is.  It  was  a  wooden  screw,  and  his  first 
bales  pressed  weighed  from  two  to  three  hundred  pounds,  and  were  tied 
with  withes.  His  trial  trip  down  was  composed  of  thirty  tons.  The 
next  year  he  improved  and  reconstructed  his  press,  and  conceived  the 
idea  of  using  hoops  and  nailing  them,  for  the  bales.  He  pursued  that 
business  for  nearly  five  years,  when  he  retired  from  it,  and  confined  him- 
self entirely  to  the  management  of  his  hotel,  and  the  improvement  of 
his  property  in  the  city.  At  the  organization  of  the  branch  of  the  State 
bank  at  Lawrenceburgh,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  State  directors  of 
said  bank,  and  continued  in  that  position  for  over  twelve  years,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  was  president  of  the  board  of  town  trustees.  He  al- 
ways took  a  great  interest  in  the  improvement  of  the  city,  and  aided  in 
every  effort  to  advance  its  prosperity.  Prompt  in  all  his  business  en- 
gagements with  his  fellow  men,  he  possessed  enough  common  sense  to 
act  the  part  of  an  honest  man  in  all  his  private  and  public  trusts.  He 
died  in  April,  1873,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years,  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him. 

MAJ.  JAMES  W.  HUNTER,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  the  son  of  Rob- 
ert and  Letitia  (Walker)  Hunter,  and  was  born  in  Harrisburg,  Penn., 
December  16,  1796.  When  a  small  boy  his  parents  moved  to  Wellsburg, 
Va.,  near  Wheeling,  where  they  lived  and  died.  On  a  visit  to  Steuben- 
ville,  Ohio,  during  a  revival  of  religion  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  that  city,  James  Hunter  became  acquainted  with  Miss  Har- 
riet Protzman  to  whom  he  was  afterward  married,  August  31,  1815, 
Thomas  Shaw  having  married  Sophia  Protzman,  a  sister  of  Harriet; 
Hunter  and  Shaw  concluded  to  start  out  into  the  world  together.     They 


772  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

constructed  a  flat-boat  and  gathered  together  their  little  stock  of  house- 
hold goods,  loaded  them  on  the  boat  at  Stenbenville,  and  with  the  two 
young  brides  and  their  mother  they  launched  their  boat  upon  the  waters 
of  life  and  the  beautiful  Ohio,  and  floated  down  the  stream  until  they 
came  to  Cincinnati.  Here  they  landed,  but  remained  but  a  short  time, 
when'they  started  out  into  the  country  to  seek  a  home.  They  stopped  at 
Brookville,  Ind.,  and  after  remaining  there  but  a  few  months  came  to 
Lawrenceburgh,  some  time  in  the  year  1817,  where  they  each  located, 
lived,  raised  a  family  and  died  within  a  year  or  two  of  each  other,  hon- 
ored and  respected  by  all  who  knew  them.  James  Hunter  was  a  carpen- 
ter by  trade,  and  though  he  was  a  skilled  draftsman  and  an  architect  of 
reputation  in  the  community  where  he  lived,  he  gave  up  his  trade  in 
early  life  and  sought  other  channels  in  which  he  was  enabled  to  secure  a 
competency,  and  leave  his  family  in  comfortable  circumstances.  During 
the  latter  part  of  John  Quincy  Adams'  administration,  and  after  the 
election  of  Gen.  Jackson  to  the  Presidency,  Judge  Isaac  Dunn,  who 
was  then  postmaster  at  Lawrenceburgh,  appointed  Maj.  Hunter  his 
deputy,  and  on  Jackson's  inauguration  to  the  Presidency  Maj.  Hunter, 
who  had  been  a  warm  supporter  of  Gen.  Jackson,  was  appointed  post- 
master, a  position  he  held  until  his  death,  September  14,  1835,  and 
which  was  continued  by  his  widow  until  the  close  of  Gen.  Jackson's 
last  administration.  During  the  period  he  was  postmaster  he  was  also 
mail  agent  for  this  section  of  the  country,  and  his  house  was  the  head- 
quarters of  the  mail  lines  and  stage  coaches  for  southeastern  Indiana. 
He  was  a  man  of  an  affable  and  genial  nature,  and  exceedingly  popular, 
though  he  never  held  any  State  office  other  than  justice  of  the  peace. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  when  his  health  had  been  impaired  by 
disease,  he  accepted  the  office  of  magistrate,  which  he  also  held  until  his 
death.  He  had  a  great  fondness  for  military  tactics,  and  for  many  years 
made  it  a  study,  and  when  the  organization  of  the  militia  of  the  State 
was  in  force,  during  the  vigorous  part  of  his  life,  he  was  an  active  par- 
ticipant in  all  of  its  drills,  encampments  and  displays,  and  was  the  lead- 
ing spirit  in  its  movements  in  southern  Indiana.  On  the  12th  day  of 
December,  1825,  he  was  commissioned  a  major  of  ^the  Fifty  fifth  Regi- 
ment of  Militia  of  the  State  of  Indiana  by  James  B.  Ray,  then  gover- 
nor of  the  State,  a  position  he  held  until  his  resignation  July  2,  1831. 
He  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  only  thirty-eight  years  of  age,  leaving  a 
widow  and  six  children,  five  of  whom  lived  to  mature  age,  honored  and 
respected;  the  youngest  died  in  infancy.  Isaac  W.  Hunter,  the  eldest, 
who  died  in  Lawrenceburgh  in  1861,  was  a  business  man,  and  at  one 
time  was  sheriff  of  Marion  County;  and  he  also  represented  that  county 
in  the  State  Legislature.     Dr.  Lazarus  N.  Hunter,  who  died  in  Texas  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  773 

1860,  was  a  prominent  and  successful  physician  of  Missouri;  Dr.  Will- 
iam D.  H.  Hunter,  whose  biography  can  be  found  in  this  work,  has 
attained  to  considerable  distinction.  James  J.  Hunter  was  a  farmer  well 
and  favorably  known  in  Dearborn  County,  where  he  lived  and  died,  and 
Mrs.  Harriet  J.  O'Brien,  the  only  daughter,  widow  of  the  Hon.  Corne- 
lius O'Brien,  is  still  living  in  Lawrenceburgh,  highly  esteemed  by  her 
many  friends.  The  widow,  now  Mrs.  Isaac  Dunn,  is  also  living,  nearly 
the  last  of  the  noble  pioneers  that  have  given  character  to  the  commu- 
nity in  which  they  have  spent  their  eventful  lives,  and  in  the  future  will 
be  kindly  remembered  by  coming  generations.  No  man  has  ever  lived 
in  Lawrenceburgh  who  left  a  better  name  or  whose  character  shone  out 
more  brightly  in  its  indueace  on  society  than  his.  He  lived  and  died  a 
noble  Christian  man,  and  the  few  that  now  remember  him,  speak  of  him 
as  a  man  perfect  in  life,  and  call  him  to  mind  with  none  but  pleasing 
recollections.  Ex-Gov.  Albert  G.  Porter,  of  Indiana,  in  writing  to  Mr. 
F.  E.  Weakley,  in  regard  to  a  notice  of  the  death  of  Maj.  Hunter,  in  a 
letter  dated  October  17,  1885,  says:  "I  have  not  been  able  to  find  any 
other  notice  of  Maj.  Hunter  in  the  Palladium.  I  am  surprised,  as  Maj. 
Hunter,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  postmaster,  and  had  long  been  one 
of  the  most  prominent,  useful  and  estimable  men  in  Lawrenceburgh.  I 
was  a  boy  when  he  died,  but  I  remember  him  distinctly,  because  he  was 
a  man  whom  boys  liked.  His  name  should  be  long  preserved  on  account 
of  his  many  tine  qualities." 

W.  D.  H.  HUNTER,  United  States  revenue  collector.  Sixth  Indiana 
District,  born  in  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh  January  8,  1830,  is  a 
son  of  James  W.  (whose  biography  appears  above)  and  Harriett  Hunter. 
Dr.  Hunter  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  best  schools  of 
Lawrenceburgh,  which  was  before  the  days  of  public  schools,  and  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  entered  Asbury  University,  at  Greencastle,  Ind.,  taking 
a  scientific  course.  In  the  spring  of  1851  he  moved  to  Mexico,  Mo., 
where  he  engaged  in  the  study  of  medicine  with  an  elder  brother,  subse- 
quently, attending  lectures  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  Cincinnati. 
Returning  to  Missouri  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he 
continued  but  a  brief  period  when  he  entered  the  drug  business,  owing 
to  the  unpleasant  features  connected  with  the  medical  practice  of  that 
locality.  He  remained  a  resident  of  Mexico  till  1871,  and  became  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  that  part  of  the  State,  and  during  his  residence 
there  occupied  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust  at  the  hands  of  an  ap- 
preciative people.  He  was  several  times  mayor  of  Mexico;  was  a  long 
time  member  of  the  city  council  and  served  one  term  as  clerk  of  the 
couuty  court.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Mexico  by  President  Pierce; 
was  nominated  to  represent  the  counties  of  Audrain,  Lincoln  and    Pike 


774  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

in  the  constitutional  convention  called  to  consider  the  position  of  Missouri 
in  relation  to  the  Civil  war,  but  declined;  in  1SG4  was  elected  repre- 
sentative of  Audrain  County  to  the  State  Legislature,  taking  a  prominent 
part  in  the  deliberations  of  the  House;  in  1866  was  appointed  assessor  of 
internal  revenue  for  the  Fourth  District  of  Missouri  by  President 
Johnson;  was  made  representative  of  the  Ninth  Congressional  District 
of  Missouri  in^the  National  Democratic  Convention  of  1868,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  permanent  organization  of  that  body,  and 
in  the  meantime  was  fourteen  years  editor  of  the  Mexico  Ledger.  During 
his  term  of  service  in  the  Legislature  Dr.  Hunter  officiated  as  chairman  of 
some  of  the  most  important  committees,  and  his  public  career  generally 
has  been  commended.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  board  of  managers 
of  the  Missouri  State  Insurance  Company,  and  was  president  of  the  local 
board  for  Audrain  County;  also  director  of  the  life  association  America 
of  St.  Louis.  In  1871  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  to  assume  the  man- 
agement of  his  mother's  estate  left  to  her  control  by  the  death  of  her  late 
husband,  Judge  Isaac  Dunn,  and  since  that  time  has  been  a  resident  of  his, 
native  town.  He  purchased  the  Lawrenceburgh  Register,  the  official 
paper  of  Dearborn  County  in  1877,  and  this  journal  he  has  since  ably 
edited,  assisted  in  its  management  by  his  son-in-law,  W.  H.  O'Brien. 
In  the  journalistic  iieid  his  reputation  is  also  something  more  than  local. 
He  has  officiated  as  president  of  the  southeastern  Indiana  Editorial  As- 
sociation and  vice-president  of  the  southern  Indiana  Editors'  Association, 
and  was  also  president  of  the  State  Democratic  Editorial  Association.  In 
the  State  politics  of  Indiana,  Dr.  Hunter  has  also  been  recognized.  At 
the  Democratic  State  convention  of  Indiana,  held  at  Indianapolis  June 
9,  1880,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  State  central  committee  for  the 
Fourth  Congressional  District  to  serve  two  years,  and  in  1884  was  chosen 
one  of  the  electors  at  large  for  the  State  of  Indiana  in  the  national 
election  of  that  year.  In  public  enterprises  Dr.  Hunter  is  always  in  the 
foremost  rank,  having  taken  an  active  part  in  the  locating  of  the  North 
Missouri  Kailroad  (now  known  as  the  Kansas  City  &  Northern  Railroad) 
as  early  as  1854,  and  was  for  some  time  director  of  the  company.  He  was 
also  among  the  first  projectors  of  the  Louisiana  &  Missouri  River  Railroad, 
now  the  western  extension  of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad,  of  which  he 
was  also  a  director  and  took  an  active  part  in  raising  subscriptions  to  its 
stock.  In  1885  was  appointed  collector  of  internal  revenue  for  the  Sixth 
District  of  Indiana  by  President  Cleveland,  and  in  this  capacity  he  is 
now  officiating  in  connection  with  his  editorial  work.  The  Doctor  was 
first  married,  November  21,  1854,  to  Lucy  J.  White,  of  Audrain  County, 
Mo.,  who  lived  but  a  few  months  after  her  marriage.  October  15, 
1857,  he   was   married  to  his  present  wife,    Miss  Fannie  A.  Cauthorn, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  '^^^ 

daucrhter  of  Ross  and  Sarah  Cauthorn,  of  Esses  County,  Va.  Their  two 
children  are  Hattie,  now  the  wife  of  William  H.  O'Brien,  and  Bessie. 
Dr.  Hunter  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  also  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  aad  is  in  every  respect  an  honorable  gentleman, 
and  exemplary  citizen. 

JOHN  D.   HUNTER,  Rising  Sun,  one  of  the  thrifty  farmers  of  Ohio 
County,  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  in  1819.     He  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Tamson   (Dixon)   Hunter,  and  his  early  years  were  passed  with  his 
parents  in  farm  labor,  attending  the  common  schools  to  a  limited  extent. 
He  was  married  at  the   age  of  twenty-eight  years  to  Miss  Christiana 
Griswold,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mar- 
garet (Corson)  Griswold.     Her  parents  married  in  Beaver  County,  Penn. , 
came  to  Ohio,  and  later  to  Ohio  County,  about  1838.     They  both  died  in 
Risinc^  Sun.     After  his  marriage  Mr.  Hunter  began  the  work  of  gaining 
a  competency,  and  this  was  done  by  following  agricultural  pursuits.     He 
soon  made  a  purchase  of  fifty  acres  of  land,  and  his  success  was  such  that 
in  ten  vears  he  was  worth  as  many  thousand  dollars.      He  has  continued 
tarmm'cT  from  the  first,  and  has  added  to  his  original  purchase  till  he 
now  owns  350   acres,   which  he    still    oversees,  two  of  his  sons  being 
engaged  in  the  farming  business.     He  ranks  among  the  most  prosperous 
farmers  of  the  county,  and  having  always  been  punctual  in  meeting  his 
obligations  enjoys  the  confidence  of  a  large  circle  of  business  men.    Mr. 
and°Mrs.   Hunter   have    four   children:     Thomas,  Elmer,    Charles    and 
Margaret,   the  daughter,  now  the  wife  of  William  Higbee,    a    carriage 
dealer    and  manufacturer  of  Newcastle,   Ind.     Thomas   married  Lizzie 
Gibson,  daughter  of  Hugh  Gibson,   and  Elmer  married  Jennie   Miles, 
daughter  of" Jonas  Miles.     Mr.  and   Mrs.   Hunter  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  worthy  citizens,  having  the  full  esteem  of  their 
community. 

ALEXANDER  HUNTER,  Randolph  Township,  son  of  John  Hunter, 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  Switzerland 
County,  Ind.,  in  1822.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1788,  and  was  brought  to  this  country  by  his  parents  while  an 
infant.  '  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Tamson  Dixon,  was  born 
in  Ohio,  and  died  at  about  seventy  years  of  age.  His  father,  who 
located  near  the  Switzerland  County  line  in  1822,  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five,  having  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  served  many  years  as 
a  justice  of  the  peace  and  was  a  strong  Democrat,  and  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  but  later  of  the  Christian  denomination. 
Our  subject  worked  on  the  farm  with  his  parents  till  twenty-one  years  of 
acre.  He  then  worked  three  years  for  his  father  at  a  salary  of  $100  per 
year,  after  which  he  purchased  100  acres  of  land.     He  has  always  fol- 


776  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

lowed  agricultural  pursuits;  has  owned  several  different  tracts,  and  now 
has  a  farm  of  160  acres  of  good  land,  besides  being  otherwise  comforta- 
bly provided  for.  Mr.  Hunter  was  married,  in  1852,  to  Mary  J.  Rogers, 
a  native  of  Ohio  County  and  daughter  of  Parker  Rogers,  and  their  union 
has  been  blest  by  three  children:  Anna  Belle,  wife  of  George  Oxley, 
Adair^  County,  Mo. ;  Ida  H.,  wife  of  William  Powell,  residents  of 
Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  and  John  P.,  a  resident  of  Kansas.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hunter  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

GEORGE  HUSCHART,  of  the  firm  of  George  Huschart  &  Co.,  mar- 
ble dealers,  Lawrenceburgh  City,  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  born  May  11, 
1819.  He  immigrated  to  America  in  1833  with  his  parents,  his  father 
entering  Congress  land  in  this  county.  He  lived  on  the  farm  till  eight- 
een years  of  age,  and  then  took  up  the  trade  of  marble  cutting,  in  which 
he  has  since  been  engaged.  Mr.  Huschart  was  married,  in  1841,  to  Mar- 
garet Lang.  Their  children  are  George  ^H.,  Michael  M.,  Frank  M., 
Henry  A.,  Margaret,  Frances,  Mary,  Lana  M.  and  Clara.  These  are 
engaged  as  follows:  Michael  M.,  in  the  marble  business,  Lawrenceburgh; 
Frank  M.,  salesman  for  Roth  &  Myer,  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  George  H., 
commission  merchant,  Baltimore;  Frances,  wife  of  John  P.  Georgen, 
Chicago;  Mary,  a  sister  in  the  convent.  Fort  Wayne;  Lana,  wife  of 
Marks  Keiffer,  Camden,  N.  J.  Mr.  Huschart  is  one  of  Lawrenceburgh's 
most  worthy  citizens.  He  began  the  marble  business  with  one  "Umpstead 
in  1840.  The  firm  deals  in  the  best  foreign  and  domestic  marble,  statu- 
ary, tombstones  and  granite  monuments,  freestone  building  work,  etc., 
doing  a  flourishing  business. 

CHRISTOPHER  HUSTON,  of  Ohio  County,  died  June  1,  1845, 
aged  seventy-five  years.  He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  West, 
having  come  to  the  vicinity  of  Rising  Sun  about  the  year  1800.  He  was 
a  man  universally  esteemed,  and  although  his  health,  for  some  time  pre- 
vious to  his  death,  had  been  i_such  as  to  prevent  him  from  ming- 
ling much  with  his  fellow  men,  there  are  many  who  do  and  will  long 
remember  him  as  one  of   "God's  noblest  work,  an  honest  man." 

JOHN  ISHERWOOD,, Lawrenceburgh,  grocer,  and  president  of  the 
Lawrenceburgh  Gas  Company,  is  a  native  of  Lancashire,  England,  born 
in  1820.  He  grew  into  manhood  in  his  native  country,  being  chiefly 
engaged  there  in  the  cotton  business.  In  October,  1848,  he  immigrated 
to  America,  his  objective  point  being  Boston,  whei'e  he  was  employed  to 
set  up  the  machinery  of  the  Atlantic  Cotton  Mills,  of  Lawrence,  Mass. 
He  next  removed  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  Arknes 
Locomotive  Shops,  till  about  1858  or  1859,  when  he  located  in  Lawrence- 
burgh, where,  excepting  about  two  years  in  grocery  business  at  Indianap- 
olis, he  has  since  remained,  chiefly  engaged  in  the  grocery  and  produce 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  777 

trade.  He  has  had  charge  of  the  gas  works  since  1877,  and  has  held 
stock  in  the  institution  for  about  seventeen  years.  He  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the  city,  and  has  given 
aid  to  most  of  its  enterprises  tending  toward  its  improvement.  Mr.  Ish- 
erwood  was  married,  in  England,  December  25,  1827,  to  Miss  Diana  Ken- 
yon,  a  daughter  of  James  Ren  yon,  and  they  have  two  sons:  James  W. 
and  Thomas  W.,  both  at  present  engaged  in  the  gas  works,  the  former 
superintendent  of  the  same.  Mr.  Isherwood  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.0. 
F.,  and  though  well  along  in  years,  is  still  one  of  the  most  active  business 
men  of  the  town  in  which  he  resides.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Isherwood  are 
active  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

JOSEPH  A.  JACKSON,  farmer,  Miller  Township,  was  born  in 
Dearborn  County  in  1823,  and  is  among  its  oldest  native  residents.  His 
parents  were  John  H.  and  Rachel  (Parker)  Jackson,  his  father  also  a 
native  of  this  county.  Our  subject  grew  to  maturity  in  this  township, 
his  parents  both  having  died  when  he  was  a  child,  not  two  years  of  age. 
He  grew  up  under  the  care  of  his  grandparents  till  sixteen  years  of  age, 
and  then  began  the  battle  of  life  for  himself,  finding  employment 
wherever  he  could.  For  about  ten  or  twelve  years  he  followed  the  Ohio 
River  flat-boating,  and  after  abandoning  that  pursuit  began  farming, 
having  purchased  some  land  in  the  meantime.  He  married,  in  1857, 
Miss  Hester  Tebow,  a  native  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  she  was 
reared  to  twenty -four^y ears  of  age.  This  union  has  resulted  in  a  family 
of  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are  living:  Uriah,  Olive,  Amos,  Clara 
B.,  Harvey  and  Allen  O.  Thurman.  Since  his  first  purchase,  by  con- 
stant labor  and  economical  management  of  business  affairs  Mr.  Jack- 
son has  increased  his  possessions  till  he  now  owns  347  acres  of  land, 
which  is  under  a  fair  state  of  improvement.  He  has  always  been  a  hard 
worker,  and  the  competency,  which  by  the  assistance  of  his  estimable 
wife  he  has  been  able  to  accumulate,  is  nothing  more  than  the  just  reward 
for  their  combined  labor  and  sacrifices.  Mr.  Jackson  is  not  an  active 
political  worker,  but  in  all  State  and  national  elections  casts  his  vote  in 
favor  of  Democratic  principles. 

COL.  PINKNEY  JAMES,  Rising  Sun,  was  bred  to  the  law,  but  not 
liking  the  practice,  soon  abandoned  it  after  being  admitted.  The  train- 
ing, and  his  acquaintance  with  the  law  were  afterward  of  great  service 
to  him  in  his  active  mercantile  and  manufacturing  business  life.  The 
inclination  of  Col.  James'  mind  was  to  mechanism,  and  it  might  be  said 
of  him  that  he  was  a  natural  mechanic.  In  an  emigrant's  guide,  pub- 
lished in  1817,  mention  is  made  of  Rising  Sun,  in  which  it  is  stated  that 
it  "  has  a  floating  mill  anchored  abreast  of  the  town."  This  mill  was 
constructed  by  Col.  James,  the  power  being  derived  from  the  swift  cur- 


T78  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

rent  in  the  river  in  front  of  the  town.  A  few  of  the  older  inhabitants 
will  probably  remember  the  saw-mill  that  once  stood  on  Arnold's  Creek, 
a  short  distance  back  of  town.  That  was  built  by  Col.  James.  Some 
time  previous  to  1830,  Col.  James  built  the  flouring-mill  at  the  place 
now  called  Milton.  It  was  for  many  years  known  as  "James'  Mill,"  and 
had  a  reputation  for  good  work  that  brought  customers  from  many  miles 
distant.  This  mill  was  at  first  an  exclusively  water  power  mill,  but  its 
business  grew  to  such  proportions  that  steam  machinery  had  to  be  placed 
in  it  to  provide  against  the  contingency  of  a  scarcity  of  water.  He  was 
one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  steam  flouring-mill  erected  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Front  and  Second  Streets.  In  1S33  he  erected  and  put  in 
operation  the  cotton  factory  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  above  Fifth 
Street.  The  business  was  so  successful  that  in  a  few  years  he  more  than 
doubled  its  capacity.  About  1843  he  built  the  large  brick  cotton  factory 
on  the  west  side  of  Market  Street,  between  Fifth  and  Sixth  Streets,  and 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1849.  Col.  James  established  the  first 
steamboat  packet  line  between  Rising  Sun  and  Cincinnati  in  1834,  and 
maintained  it  uninterruptedly  for  some  ten  years.  Several  unsuccessful 
efforts  to  establish  a  steam  packet  between  the  two  places  had  proven 
failures.  His  first  boat  was  the  "  Dolphin,"  which  made  the  round  trip 
daily,  except  Sunday,  between  the  two  places.  The  "Dolphin  "  was  built 
in  1834,  at  James'  Mill,  on  Laugh rey  Creek,  and  brought  out  on  the 
spring  flood  of  that  year.  Her  architect  was  Prince  Athearn,  who  had 
worked  ag  an  apprentice  on  the  famed  United  States  frigate  "  Constitu- 
tion." The  steamboat  "Renown,"  of  which  Col.  James  was  one  of  the 
owners,  was  built  at  the  same  place  in  the  winter  of  1835-36  under  the 
same  superintendence,  and  floated  to  the  river  also  on  the  spring  flood. 
The  "  Renown  "  was  a  large  boat  for  the  period  and  intended  for  the  Cin- 
cinnati and  New  Orleans  or  the  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis  trade.  In  1838 
Col.  James  built  the  "Herald,''  and  extended  his  trade  to  Warsaw,  Ky., 
making  tri- weekly  round  trips.  She  was  a  larger  and  better  boat  than 
the  "  Dolphin."  The  "  Herald  "  ran  but  a  few  months.  She  was  burned  and 
sunk  some  ten  miles  below  Cincinnati,  on  a  downward  trip,  without  any 
loss  of  life.  The  work  of  enlarging  the  "  Dolphin"  was  nearly  finished 
when  the  "  Herald  "  burned.  It  was  hurried  to  completion  and  she  was  put 
in  as  a  Rising  Sun  and  Cincinnati  packet.  The  next  spring,  1839,  the 
"Indiana"  was  built  at  Rising  Sun,  and  put  in  as  a  packet  the  succeeding 
fall,  and  continued  in  the  trade  until  1843,  when  she  was  sold  to  the 
trade  between  Maysville  and  Cincinnati.  In  1838  Col.  James  estab- 
lished an  iron  foundry  at  Rising  Sun,  under  the  management  of  Mr.  N. 
R.  Stedman,  recently  deceased  at  Aurora,  chiefly  for  the  making  of  cook- 
ing stoves,  and  which  they  shipped  to  all    parts    of  the  country.     The 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  779 

foundry  also  did  a  considerable  business  in  making  cotton-press  screws. 
During  all  these  years,  and  with  steamboat  and  manufacturing  interests 
to  look  after,  Col.  James  was  largely  and  almost  all  the  time  engaged  in 
merchandising  and  shipping.  He  was  a  man  of  wonderful  energy  and 
errterprise  and  of  great  industry.  As  extensive  and  varied  as  was  his 
business,  he  always  held  it  under  his  own  control  and  directed  the  man- 
agement of  it.  Col.  James  was  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  in  that 
respect  a  public  man.  He  was  foremost  in  every  enterprise  calculated  to 
improve  or  benefit  the  town,  but  he  had  an  aversion  to  holding  public 
offices.  He  was  several  times  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  but 
accepted  the  place  only  when  he  could  serve  in  the  interest  of  some 
important  local  matter,  and  was  generally  supported  for  that  purpose  by 
both  political  parties.  He  was  several  times  urged  to  become  a  candidate 
for  Congress,  but  always  refused.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  natural  ability, 
well  educated,  a  fluent  and  forcible  speaker,  and  if  he  had  so  chosen, 
could  have  been  a  power  at  the  bar  or  in  the  State  and  national  legisla- 
tive halls.  He  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md.,  May  6,  1794,  and 
died  December  25,  1851.  "Col.  James  was  long  known  as  one  of  our 
most  active  business  men.  The  deceased  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  city  ia  which  he  died,  and  was  industriously  engaged  for  a  lifetime 
in  building  up  and  increasing  the  trade  of  Rising  Sun.  The  community 
will  sustain  a  loss  in  the  death  of  this  distinguished  individual  that  we 
fear  will  not  soon  be  replaced." 

DR.  BASIL  JAMES,  see  page  173. 

CAPT.  HENRY  JAMES,  a  pioneer  citizen  of  southeastern  Indiana, 
died  at  Rising  Sun,  Dec.  2,1880,  in  his  eighty-fourth  year.  He  has  been 
long  identified  with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  Rising  Run,  his  father, 
John  James,  being  its  founder.  Capt.  Henry  James  was  the  father  of 
Dr.  L.  A.  James,  of  Cincinnati.  Capt.  James,  until  within  a  few  years 
past,  had  been  identified  with  some  of  the  prominent  and  active  business 
interests  of  that  section,  having  been  engaged  in  merchandising,  milling 
and  as  owner  of  steamboats,  and  having,  by  his  intelligent  business 
management,  added  largely  to  the  prosperity  of  the  vicinity  of  his  home. 
He  and  his  brother,  Col.  Pinkney  James,  now  near  thirty  years  deceased, 
and  his  brother,  Dr.  B.  James,  who  died  some  three  or  four  years  ago, 
were  well  known  to  the  early  settlers  of  Cincinnati,  as  well  as  this  vicin- 
ity, having  been  educated  in  the  schools  there,  and  later  as  they  entered 
upon  active  business,  to  the  merchants  of  thirty  years  ago. 

EDWIN  L.  JAQUITH,  farmer,  a  native  of  Manchester  Township, 
born  May  6,  1837,  is  a  son  of  G.  Sullivan  and  Lucy  (Grant)  Jaquith, 
natives  of  the  State  of  New  York.  The  paternal  grandparents,  Reuben 
and  Lucy  Jaquith.  natives  of  the  same  State,  about   1820  removed   to 


780  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Indiana  and  settled  in  Manchestei*  Township,  a  short  distance  north  of 
Wright's  Corners,  where  they  resided  until  their  death.  Mr.  G.  Sullivan 
Jaquith  was  but  a  boy  when  brought  to  this  county;  here  he  grew  to 
manhood,  and  subsequently  married  and  spent  his  life  in  this  township. 
He  died  February  5,  1878,  aged  sixty-eight  years.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives, aged  sixty -eight  years  and  resides  with  her  daughter  at  Aurora. 
They  had  eleven  children,  six  now  living:  Edwin  L. ;  Phebe  Ellen,  now 
the  wife  of  Hugh  D.  McMullen,  of  Aurora;  Cyrena  H.,  wife  of  William 
H.  Kyle;  Mary  Emma,  wife  of  John  Emmerson;  Anna  P.,  wife  of  Frank 
Strieker,  residing  in  Ohio,  and  Fanny  T.,  wife  of  George  W.  Martin, 
also  residing  in  Ohio.  Mr.  Jaquith  engaged  in  farming  several  years, 
but  subsequently  entered  upon  the  mercantile  trade  at  Wright's  Corners, 
in  which  he  was  engaged  for  twenty  years.  He  started  in  life  without 
means,  but  by  industry  and  good  management  in  business,  he  became 
quite  wealthy,  owning  250  acres  of  land,  his  store  and  other  property, 
enabling  him  to  enjoy  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  life.  He  and 
wife  were  active  members  of  the  Providence  Free  Will  Baptist  Churcli, 
of  which  they  were  among  the  constituent  members  and  in  which  he 
served  as  deacon  many  years.  Our  subject,  the  eldest  surviving  child, 
has  spent  his  entire  life  upon  the  farm  where  he  was  raised,  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  married  March  1,  1860,  to  Miss  Ann  E. 
Howerton,  born  January  21,  1839,  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Elizabeth 
Howerton,  he  a  native  of  Virginia  and  she  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Mr. 
Howerton,  while  a  young,  single  man,  came  to  this  county,  was  married 
at  Lawrenceburgh  and  soon  after  settled  in  this  township  on  a  farm  half 
a  mile  west  of  Wright's  Corners,  and  spent  his  life  in  this  neighborhood. 
He  was  engaged  many  years,  especially  in  the  winter  seasons,  in  boating 
on  the  river  to  New  Orleans.  By  this  business  and  farming  in  summer, 
conducted  with  energy  and  care,  he  accumulated  an  ample  com- 
petency, leaving  to  his  children  property  sufficient  for  a  good  start  in 
life.  He  and  wife  were  early  members  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church. 
He  died  May  5,  1862,  aged  fifty-six  years.  His  widow  still  survives, 
aged  seventy  years.  Of  their  eleven  children  seven  are  living:  Omer,  a 
resident  of  Kansas;  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  Henry  Mason;  Ann  E. ;  Frank 
D.,  living  in  Nebraska;  Lorinda,  wife  of  Samuel  Darling,  of  Indianapolis; 
Albert  E.  and  George  F.  Mr.  Jaquith  and  wife  have  eight  children: 
Cora  Estella,  Clemintine  A.,  Iva  Pearl,  Nellie  Gertrude,  Orville,  Sulli- 
van Frank  Edwin,  Libbie  May  and  Leoline, 

MAJ.  JAMES  JELLEY,  Sk.,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  July  1, 
1768,  was  married  in  Fayette  County,  Penn.,  and  in  the  year  1813 
removed  to  the  site  of  Rising  Sun.  He  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and  for 
years  was  engaged  in  the  tanning  business  in  his  adopted  village.      He 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  781 

was  a  member  of  the  convention  that  framed  the  State  Constitution  in  1816. 
In  1822  Maj.  Jelley  was  a  representative  from  Dearborn  County  in  the 
State  Legislature.  For  many  years  he  was  brigade  major  in  the  State 
militia,  comprising  the  counties  of  Jefferson,  Switzerland  and  Dearborn. 
He  was  the  first  probate  judge  of  Ohio  County,  serving  from  1844  to 
1851.  His  wife,  Isabella,  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  first 
Presbyterian  Church  organized  iu  Rising  Sun,  with  which  denomination 
she  had  been  identified  sixty  years.  Her  death  occurred  November  12, 
1855,  aged  sixty- seven  years.  Maj.  Jelley  died  February  6,  1864,  hav- 
ing been  a  Freemason  for  upward  of  half  a  century. 

CHARLES  S.  JELLEY,  attorney  at  law,  Aurora,  son  of  Hugh 
Jelley  and  grandson  of  Maj.  Samuel  Jelley,  late  of  Rising  Sun,  was 
born  in  the  vicinity  of  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  May  16,  1849.  He  attended 
the  public  schools  of  that  village  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1864, 
and  two  years  later  was  graduated  from  Hopkins  Grammar  School  at 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  after  which  he  entered  Asbury,  now  Depauw  Uni- 
versity, at  Greencastle,  Ind.,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  two  years, 
then  went  East  and  entered  Yale  College,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1871.  He  read  law  at  Wilmington,  Ohio,  and  was  there 
admitted  to  the  bar,  May  16,  1872,  in  which  place  he  began  the  practice 
of  law,  and  continued  until  March  1,  1874.  He  then  removed  to  Aurora, 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  been  engaged 
in  active  practice.  On  the  11th  of  November,  1875,  he  was  married,  at 
Wilmington,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Hughes,  a  daughter  of  Judge  Hughes. 
Mr.  Jelley  is  a  scholarly  young  man  of  fine  intellect  and  promising  in 
his  profession.      He  has  served  as  city  attorney  of  Aurora  for  seven  years. 

THOMAS  JENNINGS,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  an  old  and  highly 
esteemed  citizen  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Indiana  County, 
Penn.,  October  25,  1807.  His  father,  Isaac  Jennings,  was  a  native  of 
Cecil  County,  Md.,  and  was  born  in  1766.  He  was  one  of  four  children, 
viz. :  Thomas,  James,  Isaac  and  Deborah,  born  to  Isaac  and  Sarah 
(Dick)  Jennings.  He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Cecil  County,  Md.,  in 
1788,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Thompson)  Camp- 
bell, who  was  born  in  Ireland  in  the  year  1766.  Shortly  after  their 
marriage  they  located  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn,,  after  which  the 
county  was  divided,  and  they  resided  in  Indiana  County  until  1820,  at 
which  time  they  moved  to  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1825  to  Hamilton 
County,  where  he  died  in  1828,  and  she  in  1829.  Their  children  were 
David,  Deborah,  Sarah,  Isaac,  Elizabeth,  Ann,  James,  Susan  and 
Thomas,  our  subject,  the  youngest  member  of  the  family.  He  came 
with  his  parents  to  Ohio  in  1820,  where  he  was  educated,  and  afterward 
engaged  in  teaching  school  for  a  number  of  years,  beginning  as  early  as 


782  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUxNTIES. 

1826.  He  taught  the  first  free  school  that  was  taught  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  In  1830  he  engaged  in  the  dairy  business,  which  he  continued 
for  some  time,  and  August  13,  1833,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Emeline 
L.  S.  Jones,  and  in  1835  moved  to  Wilmington,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind., 
where  he  engaged  in  the  merchandise  business  for  about  five  years. 
His  wife  died  in  1836,  and  he  was  subsequently  married  to  Catherine 
Quarry.  In  1840  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  resumed  the 
dairy  business,  and  in  1857  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  purchased  and 
settled  on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  had  born 
to  him  seven  children,  viz. :  Thomas  W.  (deceased,  by  first  wife),  and 
Samuel  G. ,  Rebecca  A.,  Thomas  A.,  Isaac  (deceased),  Sarah  L.  and 
Susan.  Mr.  Jennings  is  a  worthy  citizen  and  highly  esteemed  by  all. 
He  and  wife  are  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  ho  has  been  a  devoted  and  zealous  member  since  1829.  He  owns 
a  pleasant  home  and  farm  of  110  acres. 

THOMAS  JOHNSTON,  retired  miller,  Manchester  Township,  was 
born  January  1,  1828,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Karney)  Johnston,  he 
a  native  of  Virginia  and  she  of  Kentucky,  About  1810  three  brothers, 
David,  George  and  Joseph  Johnston,  with  their  mother,  Elizabeth  John- 
ston, emigrated  from  Virginia  to  Ohio,  where  they  spent  a  short  time, 
thence  in  1812  they  moved  westward  through  Indiana  till  they  reached 
Vincennes,  where  they  stopped  and  raised  one  crop;  thence  removed  into 
Kentucky,  near  Louisville,  and  spent  one  season,  and  in  1814  came  to 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  locating  on  land  near  Aurora,  known  as  the  Reese 
land,  where  they  raised  one  crop,  and  during  this  time  they  entered 
from  Government  240  acres  of  land  on  North  Hogan  Creek,  in  Section 
10,  Manchester  Township.  This  country  was  then  all  in  the  woods  with 
few  roads.  They  cut  out  a  new  road  from  the  block-house  by  which  to 
reach  their  land  and  location.  In  1815  they  moved  to  their  new  home, 
where  they  had  already  erected  a  log  house.  This  location  had  been 
selected  by  them,  not  for  its  beauty  or  value  for  farming  purposes,  but 
as  an  eligible  site  for  milling  purposes,  and  they  immediately  commenced 
digging  a  race,  and  making  other  preparations  for  the  erection  of  a 
grist-mill,  subsequently  employing  a  millwright  from  Hamilton,  Ohio. 
This  mill,  which  was  at  first  erected  with  a  single  run  of  buhrs,  was 
ultimately  increased  to  four  run  of  buhrs,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  and 
most  important  mills  in  this  section  of  the  country.  This  mill  continued 
to  be  run  by  the  Johnston  family  for  nearly  sixty-six  years,  until  in 
December,  1882,  the  mill  was  destroyed  by  fire.  In  1843  Joseph  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  his  brother  George,  and  continued  to  run  the  mill 
till  his  death  in  October,  1873,  aged  eighty-one  years.  From  that  time 
till  the  mill  was  burned  it  was  run  by  the  sons.     Mr.  Johnston's  life  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  783 

one  of  great  activity,  and  all  his  business  conducted  with  prudence  and 
good  management,  and  as  a  result  he  became  wealthy,  having  accumu- 
lated a  large  competency.  He  was  the  father  of  nine  children — seven 
sons  and  two  daughters — five  now  living:  John,  George,  Thomas,  Colum- 
bus and  Joseph  M.,  all  of  whom  live  upon  the  old  home  place  but 
George,  who  resides  one-fourth  of  a  mile  above  on  Hogan  Creek. 
Thomas  Johnston,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  mai'ried,  in  September, 
1867,  to  Miss  Abigail  Heustis,  a  daughter  of  Elias  and  Sarah  Heustis, 
he  a  native  of  New  York  and  she  of  ^Massachusetts,  who  were  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Manchester  Township.  By  this  union  they  have  had 
four  children:  Eobert  Cave,  Anna  Mary,  David  Thomas  and  Joseph  E. 
(twins);  the  latter  died  aged  three  months.  Mr.  Johnston  filled  the  office 
of  county  treasurer  by  appointment  from  May  till  November,  1855, 
thence  by  election  from  that  date  till  November.  1857. 

COLUMBUS  JOHNSTON,  miller,  Manchester  Township,  is  a  son 
of  Joseph  and  Mary  Johnston,  whose  history  appears  in  biographical 
sketch  of  Thomas  Johnston.  He  was  born  January  7,  1834,  on  his 
father's  place  on  North  Hogan  Creek,  where  he  grew  to  manhood, 
brought  up  to  the  milling  business  in  his  father's  mill,  receiving  a  good 
common  education,  such  as  the  district  school  of  their  neighborhood 
afforded.  After  arriving  at  his  majority  he  continued  his  labors  with  his 
father  and  brothers  in  conducting  the  milling  business,  which  had  been 
for  many  years  and  stiil  continued  to  be  conducted  by  them,  with  no 
special  partnership  or  company  organized,  but  all  working  together  as 
one  family  in  friendly  unison  upon  the  confidence  and  honor  each  placed 
in  the  other,  all  property  and  its  income  being  enjoyed  in  common  by  all, 
which  exhibited  the  unusual  feature  of  family  honor  and  confidence 
worthy  of  imitation.  In  1874  Mr.  Johnston  was  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, serving  in  the  session  of  1875,  and  re-elected  in  1876,  serving  in 
the  session  of  1877,  his  services  giving  general  satisfaction  to  his  con- 
stituents. In  1882  he  was  elected  as  senator;  has  served  two  years,  with 
two  years  more  to  serve.  Mr.  Johnston  is  also  held  in  such  high  estima- 
tion in  his  community,  upon  the  principle  of  his  honesty  and  integrity, 
that  he  is  entrusted  with  much  public  business  for  others;  is  now  serving 
as  guardian  for  a  large  estate  which  takes  considerable  time  and  atten- 
tion. In  all  of  Mr.  Johnston's  business  relations,  whether  for  himself, 
for  others,  or  in  his  official  capacity  for  his  constituents,  he  carries  for- 
ward his  work  in  an  unassuming  yet  prompt  and  straightforward  manner 
that  wins  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has  dealings.  Mr.  John- 
ston was  united  in  marriage,  January  4,  1870,  with  Miss  Ella  J.  Brum- 
blay,  a  daughter  of  Davis  M.  and  Sarah  C.  (Givan)  Brumblay,  natives  of 
this  county.      By  this  union  they  have  had  two  children,  one  now  living. 


784  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Edgar  F.,  born  May  23,  1874;  Florence  (deceased).  Mr.  J.  is  a  member 
of  Burs  Lodge,  No.  55,  F.  &  A.  M.     Is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

ADAM  JOHNSON,  baker  and  confectioner,  .Aurora,  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  January  7,  1821,  where  he  received  a  common  education.  His 
father,  Adam,  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1795,  and  died  in  1848;  his 
mother  Catherine  (Kuentzer)  Johnson,  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1796,  and 
died  in  1837.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  came  to  America  in  1840,  land- 
ing in  New  York,  and  worked  in  the  water-works  for  three  months. 
Thence  he  went  to  Philadelphia  where  he  began  the  baker  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  for  six  months,  then  moved  to  the  country,  and  followed 
weaving  until  in  1848,  when  he  moved  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  and  has  followed 
baking  ever  since.  He  was  married,  August  12,  1850,  to  Mrs.  Eliza  N. 
(Steuzart)  Cassner;  she  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  May  31, 
1828,  and  had  two  children  by  her  first  marriage,  Sophia  and  Francis  J. ; 
by  her  union  with  Mr.  Johnson,  six  children:  Eliza  B.,  Albert,  Phoeba, 
Christ,  Addie  and  Abbie  have  been  born.  Mr.  Johnson  runs  a  delivery 
wagon  and  delivers  bread  to  all  parts  of  the  city.  In  connection  with 
his  bakery  he  has,  during  the  season,  an  oyster  saloon. 

J.W.JOHNSON,  farmer, Sparta  Township, was  born  in  the  same.  May 
31, 1835.  His  parents  were  the  old  and  highly  esteemed  pioneers,  John  D. 
and  Sarah  I'Brumblay)  Johnson,  who,  with  their  parents,  emigrated  from 
Maryland  to  Dearborn  County  in  a  very  early  day.  The  former  was  a 
son  of  Benjamin  Johnson,  a  native  of  Worcester  County,  Md.,  and  was 
born  February  1,  1778.  He,  also,  married  in  the  same  county,  a  Miss 
Sarah  Dashiel,  a  native  of  the  same  county,  born  August  22,  1777.  In 
1817  they  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  settling  in  Sparta 
Township,  where  they  resided  until  about  1848,  at  which  time  they  re- 
moved to  Jackson,  Iowa,  where  he  died  August  30,  1852,  she  surviving  him 
about  two  years.  They  had  born  to  them  eight  children,  namely:  W^ill- 
iam  P.,  Anna,  Margaret,  Samuel.  Edward  K. ,  Elizabeth,  Benjamin  and 
John  D.  the  father  of  our  subject  and  the  eldest  member  of  the  family. 
He  was  born  in  Worcester  County,  Md.,  in  1808,  and  came  with  his 
parents,  in  1817,  to  Dearborn  County,  where  he  learned  the  stone 
cutting  trade,  which  he  afterward  engaged  in  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  and  Sarah  Brumblay  were  united  in  marriage  in  Sparta  Township, 
October  23,  1828.  She  was  born  in  Worcester  County,  Md.,  April  29, 
1809,  and  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (McGee)  Brumblay,  who 
immigrated  to  this  county  from  Worcester  County,  Md. ,  in  1817.  They 
were  both  natives  of  that  county,  the  former  born  January  15,  1781;  the 
latter,  September  23,  1787.  They  were  parents  of  sijt  children,  viz.: 
Sarah,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  John,  Anna  and  David  M.  On  immigrating  to 
Dearborn  Count3%  Mr.  Brumblay  settled  in  Sparta  Township  on  a  farm, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  785 

where  he  died  July  31,  1853,  his  widow,  October  11,  1854.  After  Mr. 
Johnson's  marriage  he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Sparta  Township,  Section  12, 
where  he  remained  until  about  1836,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  Wil- 
mington, but  subsequently  removed  to  Sparta  Township  and  purchased  a 
farm  in  Section  18,  where  he  settled  and  afterward  resided  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  January,  1878.  He  held  a  number  of  oflfices 
of  trust,  was  twice  elected  to  the  Legislature  and  once  to  the  constitutional 
convention.  His  widow  survived  him  three  years  and  died  March  12,1881. 
They  had  born  to  them  twelve  children,  viz.:  Sarah  E.  (deceased),  Mar- 
garet (deceased),  Francis  M.,  John  W.,  Joseph  S.,  Benjamin  F.,  Mahala 
J.,  Mary  J.  (deceased),  Edward  P.,  Charles  J.,  William  C.  and  Anna. 
J.  W,,  our  subject,  attended  the  district  schools  and  received  a  fair  edu- 
cation, and  afterward  completed  his  education  at  the  Franklin  Colleo-e. 
He  was  united  in  marriage,  October  2,  1856,  to  Henrietta,  daughter  of 
Noah  and  Sarah  (Montgomery)  Davis,  and  a  native  of  Hogan  Township, 
born  October  30,  1836.  After  his  marriage  he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Sparta 
Township,  where  he  remained  six  years,  when  he  sold  it  and  purchased 
and  moved  on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Mr.  John- 
son is  an  energetic  and  extensive  farmer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  also,  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  order.  He  began  teach- 
ing school  in  1856,  and  has  since  taught  sixteen  terms,  ten  in  Sparta 
Township.  He  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  from  1878  to  1884. 
Has  raised  six  orphan  children  but  is  the  father  of  none. 

CHARLES  W.  JOHNSON,  harness- maker,  Moore's  Hill,  was  born  in 
Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  May  28,  1836;  his  parents,  William  P.  and 
Maria  L.  (Olmsted)  Johnson,  were  natives  of  Maryland  and  Indiana 
respectively,  the  former  being  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  (Dashiel) 
Johnson,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere.  Our  subject's  mother  died 
when  he  was  about  one  year  old,  and  he  was  afterward  brought  up  and 
educated  by  his  grandparents,  John  S.  and  Hattie  Olmsted,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  he  reached  the  years  of  maturity,  and  with  whom  he 
moved  to  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  in  1843.  He  devoted  the  greater 
part  of  his  early  life  to  farming,  and  in  1861,  entered  the  war,  enlistino- 
July  22  of  that  year  in  Company  C,  Third  Indiana  Cavalry,  and  served 
in  the  rank  of  a  non-commissioned  officer  until  the  battle  of  Upperville,  Va. 
Here  he  was  wounded,  July  22,  1863,  shot  by  a  musket  ball  in  the  right 
thigh,  which  resulted  in  the  amputation  of  his  limb,  eight  inches  from 
the  body.  This  disabled  him  from  further  service  and  he  was  taken  to 
the  hospital,  where  he  remained  until  his  discharge,  March  7,  1864.  Mr. 
Johnson  was  a  brave  soldier,  and  participated  in  all  the  engagements  of 
his  regiment,  until  the  date  of  his  wound,  passing  through  thirteen 
general  engagements  and  thirty  two  skirmishes.      After  his  discharge  in 

48 


786  HlSruRY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1864,  he  retui'ned  to  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  and  the  same  year  was 
elected  assessor  ^of  the  township  in  which  he  resided,  which  oifice  he 
held  for  four  years.  He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Switzerland  County, 
March  7,  1865,  to  Matilda  L.,  daughter  of  Jordan  and  Susan  (Cole) 
Wainscott.  She  was  born  in  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  May  17,  1846. 
In  1869,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected  real  estate  appraiser  of  Switzerland 
County, and,  in  1870,'  took  the  census  of  that  county.  In  1871  he  began 
his  present  trade  at  Bennington,  that  county,  which  he  pursued  there 
for  about  ten  years,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  he  held  the 
office  of  township  trustee.  In  September,  1881,  he  moved  to  Moore's 
Hill,  Ind.,  for  the  purpose  of  educating  his  children,  of  whom  the 
two  eldest  are  now  students  of  Moore's  Hill  College;  he  also  re- 
sumed the  harness  trade  on  moving  there.  His  children  are  John  W., 
Flora  C,  Margaret  P.  and  Lillian  G.  Mr,  Johnson  is  one  of  the  most 
sociable  and  accomodating  business  men  of  Moore's  Hill,  and  is  highly 
respected.  He  is  a  man  well  informed  on  general  topics,  and  in  politics 
is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
also  a  member  of  the  I.  O  .  O.F.,  and  G.  A.   R. 

KE  V.  JAMES  JONES  of  Rising  Sun,  a  philanthropist  patriot,  a 
Christian,  and  last  but  not  least,  a  devout  and  effective  minister  of  the 
Gospel,  was  born  in  Herefordshire,  England  March  22, 1790,  and  came  with 
his  parents  to, the  United  States  in  1803,  and  settled  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more. In  1807,  the  family  moved  to  Milford,  Ohio.  In  1810  under  the 
preaching  of  Rev.  Jesse  Justice,  he  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  a  camp  meeting  near  Milford;  in  1811  he  was  licensed  to 
exhort,  and  six  year  later  (1817),  was  licensed  to  preach.  He  removed 
the  same  year  to  Rising  Sun,  Ind. ,  where  he  found  a  small  class  of  four- 
teen members  which  had  been  organized  by  Rev.  John  Strange.  In  1820  he 
was  received  into  the  Ohio  Conference,  and  appointed  to  Whitewater  Cir- 
cuit. The  next  year  he  was  sent  to  Madison  Circuit.  The  two  succeed- 
ing years  he  traveled  Oxford  Cix'cuit.  His  next  appointment  was  on  the 
Lawrenceburgh  Circuit,  and  then  was  stationed  at  the  Rising  Sun  charge. 
For  eight  years  following  his  ministry  at  Rising  Sun,  he  was  out  of  the 
work,  and  was  occupied  as  a  carpenter,  that  being  his  trade.  He  went 
to  New  Orleans  during  the  winters,  worked  at  his  trade  and  preached  on 
the  deck  of  flat-boats,  on  the  wharves,  levies  and  in  churches.  During  all 
this  time  he  never  lost  the  itinerant  fire,  and,  in  October,  1834,  he  joined 
the  Indiana  Conference,  and  was  appointed  to  Vevay  Circuit  for  two 
years.  In  1836-37,  he  traveled  Lawrenceburgh  Circuit,  with  an  increase 
of  nearly  700  members;  next  work  was  Brookville  Circuit,  in  1838-39; 
and  next  was  the  Vevay  Circuit  again;  next  was  Wilmington  Circuit 
two  years;   in  1844  was  appointed  to  Rising  Sun  District,  and  in  1845 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  787 

was  stationed  at  Jefferson vi lie;  in  18 46-47, to  Patriot  Circuit,  and  in  1848 
to  Elizabethtown  Circuit,  where  in  a  protracted  meeting  he  received  his 
first  paralytic  stroke,  from  which  he  never  fully  recovered.  In  1849  he 
was  sent  to  Vernon  Circuit;  and  in  1850,  he  received  his  last  station  at 
North  Madison,  and  closed  his  twenty  second  year  of  active  labor  in  the 
church;  from  1851  he  sustained  a  superannuated  relation  to  the  confer- 
ence, till  the  day  of  his  death  which  occurred  in  Rising  Sun,  November 
7,  1856.  Mr.  Jones  served  in  the  war  of  1812,  under  Harrison.  "  He 
manifested  by  his  conduct  in  life,  that  he  meant  to  fulfill  all  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  a  good  man,  and  he  did  accomplish  them  all  to  the  letter.  He 
possessed  all  of  the  qualities  of  head  and  heart  eminently  calculated  to 
fit  him  for  usefulness  in  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  and  the  circumstan- 
ces that  surrounded  him.'' 

JOHN  H.  JONES,  of  Rising  Sun,  is  a  son  of  Rev.  James  Jones, 
and  is  a  native  of  Milford,  Ohio,  born  August  20,  1814.  In  1817  his 
parents  settled  in  the  village  of  Rising  Sun,  the  family  being  composed 
of  the  parents  and  two  or  three  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
eldest.  The  latter  when  very  small,  obtained  employment  in  the  little 
woolen  factory  of  the  village  operated  by  John  and  Harvey  Aikens.  He 
received  but  a  limited  education  owing  to  the  circumstances  surrounding 
him.  In  1828  Mr.  Jones  began  clerking  for  Mr.  Shadrach  Hathaway,  a 
merchant  of  the  village,  who,  after  a  trial  of  four  weeks,  bargained 
with  the  father  of  our  subject  for  the  latter's  services  for  one  year,  agree- 
ing to  pay  for  the  same  $25,  and  one  quarter's  schooling  in  the  seminary. 
This  was  accepted  and  ended  Mr.  Jones  school  days.  For  the  succeed- 
ing seven  years  Mr.  J.  remained  with  Mr.  Hathaway,  and  subsequently 
clerked  for  Moses  Turner.  Next  he  bought  some  stock  in  the  steamboat 
•'Alpha,"  built  in  the  village,  and  was  her  clerk  for  a  period.  He  sub- 
sequently clerked  for  different  persons  in  Rising  Sun,  and  in  1846,  in 
connection  with  Capt.  D.  J.  Rabb,  went  into  the  grocery  and  general 
produce  trade,  which  firm  did  an  extensive  business  for  about  five 
years,  when  they  sold  to  the  Espeys.  One  year  later,  Mr.  Jones  again 
engaged  in  the  same  vocation  and  continued  until  after  the  late  war. 
Since  that  time  he  has  given  up  the  more  active  and  heavy  pursuits,  and 
been  employed  in  agencies  and  a  general  real  estate  line.  Mr.  Jones  has 
been  the  kind  husband  of  four  wives,  the  first  being  Miss  Precepta  C. 
Bailey,  of  Cincinnati;  the  second  was  Miss  Jane  Murray;  the  third, 
Mrs.  Sarah  Guard,  and  the  present  one  was  Ruth  Gullitt.  He  is  the 
father  of  seven  children,  only  two  of  whom  survive.  Mr.  Jones  has 
long  baeu  identified  with  the  interests  of  Rising  Sun  and  ever  active  in 
taking  part  in  all  movements  looking  to  the  development  of  the  place. 
He  has  long  been  active  iu  trying  to  get  a  railroad  to  the  city,  and  is  yet 


/88  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

untiring  and  hopeful.  He  has  served  the  people  in  various  offices  to 
their  satisfaction  and  to  his  own  credit;  has  been  one  of  the  leading 
spirits  in  church  vi'ork,  having  been  since  youth  identified  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.      He  is  a  respected  and  esteemed  citizen. 

OSCAK  JONES,  dealer  in  staple  and  fancy  groceries,  Rising  Sun, 
was  born  in  the  same  square  on  which  his  store  is  located,  in  3854.  He 
grew  up  in  his  native  town  and  obtained  a  limited  education  in  its  pub- 
lic schools./  In  his  fourteenth  year  he  began  operations  in  flat-boating, 
trading  in  produce,  and  in  this  business  he  continued  about  nine  years. 
He  then  established  himself  in  the  grocery  business,  purchasing  his  first 
stock  from  Mr.  Hewitt.  He  has  gradually  increased  his  stock  and  trade, 
and  now  ranks  among  the  most  prospei'ous  grocers  of  Rising  Sun.  Mr. 
Jones  was  married,  May  19,  1875,  to  Mary  E.  Hamilton, 'of  Ohio  county, 
and  daughter  of  John  E.  Hamilton.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O  F. 
and  encampment,  having  been  twice  to  the  grand  lodge,  and  with  Mrs. 
Jones,  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

ORIN  JUDD,  Miller  JjTownship,  was  born  in  Dearborn  County  in 
1831.  His  father,  Orin  Judd,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  1796, 
came  to  this  locality  at  twenty-one  years  of  age,  purchased  land  and 
married  Nancy  A.  Gibson,  by  whom  eight  children  were  born:  Erastus, 
Charlotte,  Mary  A.,  Job,  Louise,  Orin,  Nancy  E.  and  Harriet,  the  two 
eldest  now  deceased,  the  others  living  in  various  parts  of  the  West.  The 
father  died  in  December,  1848;  the  mother  in  September,  1843.  Our 
subject  grew  up  on  the  farm  and  has  ever  since  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  After  his  father's  death  he  took  charge  of  the  estate,  of  which 
he  subsequently  inherited  fifty  acres.  In  1852  he  sold  his  interest  in  the 
homestead  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  ninety-four  acres,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  was  married,  April  11,  1851,  to  Mary  J.  Cook,  of 
this  county,  daughter  of  George  and  Priscilla  (Ewbank)  Cook,  natives 
of  England,  and  among  the  first  settlers  of  this  locality.  Her  father  is 
still  living  in  his  eighty-fifth  year.  Her  mother  died  August  31,  1879. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judd  have  five  children:  George,  Morris,  Anna,  Josie  and 
Emma.  The  family  is  associated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
of  which  Mr.  Judd  has  occasionally  officiated  as  local  minister  for  the 
past  twenty- five  years.  Besides  his  property  in  this  county  Mr.  Judd 
owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Livingston  County,  111.,  on  which  Mor- 
ris, the  youngest  son,  resides.  He  married  Sarah  B.  Hawk,  of  this  coan- 
ty,  in  February,  1883.  George  A.  married  Jennie  Shaw,  of  this  county, 
in  February,  1879,  and  now  resides  in  McLean  County,  111.  Anna  was 
married  in  February,  1880,  to  Whitfield  Nowlin,  and  resides  in  this 
township.  Josie  was  married  in  October,  1884,  to  Leonard  Blasdel,  and 
also  lives  in  this  township. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  789 

EDWABD  E.  JUSTIS,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  near 
Moore's  Hill,  June  29,  1S37.  His  parents  were  Martin  and  Dorcas  T. 
(Eaton)  Justis,  natives  of  Delaware  and  Virginia,  respectively,  the  former 
born  in  Delaware,  December  1,  1788,  and  from  thence  immigrated  with 
his  parents,  John  and  Susan  (Turner)  Justis,  to  Pittsbux-g,  Penn.,  in  a 
very  early  day.  From  Pittsburg  they  removed  to  Columbia,  Hamilton 
Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  learned  the  shoe-making  and  tanning  trade,  which  he 
afterward  engaged  in  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
in  Union  County,  Ind.,  November  7,  1817,  to  the  above  Dorcas  T.Eaton, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia,  March  29,  1799,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Margaret  (Gossom)  Eaton,  natives  of  Virginia.  In  March, 
1821,  Mr.  Justis  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  settling  on  a  quarter 
section  of  land  in  Sparta  Township,  a  part  of  which  is  now  within  the 
limits  of  Moore's  Hill.  After  erecting  a  small  log-cabia  and  opening 
out  a  few  acres  of  ground,  he  in  company  with  his  brother,  prepared  a 
tan-yard,  on  which  they  built  a  shop,  and  for  many  years  afterward  en- 
gaged in  tanning  and  shoe-making,  supplying  the  pioaeer  neighbors  with 
boots  and  shoes.  He  subsequently  retired  from  his  trade,  and  turned 
his  attention  to  farming.  Later  he  erected  a  pleasant  and  commodi- 
ous residence,  in  which  he  resided  until  his  death,  December  24,  1872. 
His  widow  succeeded  him  in  death,  February  23,1883.  Eighteen  children 
were  born  to  tlrem,  who  were  named  as  follows:  William,  John,  Thomas, 
Nancy,  Sarah,  Margaret,  Jesse  T.,  Squire,  Mary  H.,  Sanna  S.,  Samuel 
N.,  Elizabeth,  Permelia  D.,  Harriet,  Edward  E.,  Deborah,  Louisiana 
and  Altha  G.  Mr.  Justis  was  a  man  of  many  good  qualities.  His  wife, 
an  exceedingly  intelligent  and  amiable  lady,  was  loved  by  everybody. 
They  were  among  the  early  pioneers  of  this  vicinity,  and  well  under- 
stood the  hardships  and  inconveniences  of  a  pioneer  life. 

HERMAN  H.  KAMPING,  merchant,  Dillsborough,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  August  14,  1840.  His  parents,  John  H.  and  Margaret 
E.  (Orthmann)  Kamping,  were  both  natives  of  Germany,  where  they 
resided  until  death.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of  whom 
our  subject  was  the  youngest.  He,  when  about  fifteen  years  of  age, 
turned  his  attention  to  the  tailor's  trade,  which  he  completed  and  has  en- 
gaged in  more  or  less  since.  In  1864  he  immigrated  to  the  United 
States,  landing  in  October  of  that  year  at  New  York  City,  and  a  few 
days  later  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  the  follow- 
ing spring,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Dillsborough,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  In  1868  he  opened  a  general  mercantile  store,  which  he  has 
since  continued,  and  also  does  merchant  tailoring.  He  married  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  October  8,  1868,  Emma  E.  Struve,  by  whom  he  has  had 
born  to  him  seven  children,  viz.:     Anna  M.  E.,  William  H. ,  Henry  H., 


790  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Amelia  M.,  Lula  I.,  Emma  S.  and  one  infant  daughter  who  is  not  yet 
named. 

FREDERICK  W.  KASSEBAUM,  marble  dealer,  Aurora,  was  born 
in  Hanover,  Germany,  October  29,  1843.  His  parents,  Frederick  W. 
and  Mary  E.  (Prassen)  Kassebaum  were  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany, 
the  father  was  born  August  25,  1809,  and  the  mother  February  23,  1811. 
The  former  was  a  landscape  gardener.  The  family  immigrated  to  America 
in  1845,  locating  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  1850  they  moved  to  Switzer- 
land County,  Ind.,  and  followed  farming  up  to  1858,  thence  to  Indian- 
apolis, where  the  father  is  now  leading  a  retired  life;  the  mother  died 
July  8,  1856.  In  the  fall  of  1856  Mr.  Kassebaum  commenced  his  trade 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  After  learning  the  same  he  worked  journey  work 
in  Vevay,  Ind.,  up  to  July  4,  1861,  at  which  time  he  enlisted  in  Company 
A,  Third  Regiment  Indiana  Cavalry,  serving  twenty  months  as  private. 
He  was  wounded  near  Portville,  Md.,  in  the  shoulder  and  head.  In 
1863  he  went  to  Indianapolis,  and  worked  for  Ware  &  Co.,  with  which 
firm  he  remained  until  January,  1865,  when  he  located  in  Switzerland 
County,  engaging  in  the  marble  business,  continuing  for  eleven  years, 
after  which  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Indianapolis  and  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business.  In  1879  he  came  to  Aurora  and  began  business  in  this 
city.  He  was  married,  October  29,  1866,  to  Miss  Martha  H.  Vandevier, 
who  was  born  in  Switzerland  County,  February  18,  1849.  Eight  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  the  marriage,  namely:  John  L.,  Anna  E,,  Carrie 
J.,  Mary  B.,  Earnest  Albert  F.,  Jessie  and  Fred  W.  Mr.  Kassebaum 
was  deputy  collector  of  internal  revenue  for  six  months.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  school  board.  He  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  encamp- 
ment, K.  of  H.,  G.  A.  R.  and  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51  F.  &  A.  M.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  PHILIP  KASTNER,  baker  and  ice  dealer,  Aurora,  was  born 
in  Bavaria,  November  19,  1819,  where  he  received  a  common  school 
education.  His  father,  Godfrey,  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1790  and  died 
in  1860;  his  mother,  Savilla  Miller,  was  born  in  the  same  province  in  1795 
and  died  in  1865.  John  Philip  came  to  America  in  1839  and  worked  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  four  years.  He  then  came  to  Aurora  and  engaged  in 
the  grocery  and  bakery  business  with  a  brother.  In  1846  he  sold  out  and 
went  to  Germany,  returned  in  1847  and  worked  for  his  brother.  He  was 
married  March  15,  1848,  to  Miss  Mary  Huckery,  who  was  born  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  in  1834.  Unto  them  have  been  given  eight  children:  Dor- 
othea, Mary,  Andy,  Louisa,  Matilda,  Igena,  Gustave  and  Edward.  Mr. 
Kastner  started  in  the  ice  business  in  1854,  and  is  the  oldest  business 
man  of  German  extraction  in  the  city.  He  was  school  trustee  in  1864, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Pioneer  Society  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  His  wife 
and  daughter  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  791 

GEORGrE  H.  KEENEY,  Rising  Sun,  county  surveyor,  undertaker 
and  produce  dealer,  is  a  native  of  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  born  in  1848. 
He  is  a  son  of  Hiram  B.  and  Delilah  (Humphrey)  Keeney,  his  father  a 
native  of  Neve  York,  his  mother  of  Switzerland  County,  Ind.  His 
father,  Hiram  B.  Keeney,  born  in  New  York  in  1820,  came  to  Switzer- 
land County  with  his  parents  in  1835.  He  farmed  with  his  brother, 
William,  for  several  years  and  then  purchased  the  farm,  where  his  widow 
now  lives,  on  which  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1866.  He  owned  170 
acres  of  good  land.  Mr.  Keeney  married  Delilah  Humphrey  in  1845. 
She  was  a  daughter,  of  Stephen  Humphrey,  of  an  old  family  in 
Switzerland  County.  Mr.  Keeney  was  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and 
one  of  the  most  thrifty  farmers  and  esteemed  citizens  of  the  county  in 
which  he  lived.  He  had  four  children:  Laura,  wife  of  P.  North;  George 
H. ,  hosier,  who  married  Lena  Cunningham;  and  Jacob,  who  married 
Mollie  Moore.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Keeney  was  holding  the 
office  of  surveyor  of  Switzerland  County.  George  H,  our  subject,  grew 
up  on  the  farm,  where  he  remained  till  his  father's  death.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  and  subsequently  taught 
several  terms.  He  acquired  a  knowledge  of  surveying  and  civil  engineer- 
ing and  has  since  done  considerable  work  in  that  line.  He  served  as  dep- 
uty surveyor  in  Switzerland  County  from  1869  to  1880,  when  he  located 
in  Rising  Sun.  He  was  appointed  surveyor  of  Ohio  County  in  1883  and 
has  since  served  by  election  as  regular  surveyor.  From  1873  to  1877  he 
was  employed  in  the  United  States  revenue  service.  In  connection  with 
his  official  work  as  surveyor  and  engineer,  Mr.  Keeney  does  undertaking 
and  officiates  as  a  funeral  director,  besides  doing  quite  an  extensive  produce 
business  in  partnership  with  Simon  Beymer,  president  of  the  Rising  Sun 
National  Bank,  under  the  firm  name  of  Keeney  &  Beymer.  Mr.  Keeney 
was  married  in  1873  to  Miss  Mary  Shafer,  of  Aurora,  Ind.,  daughter  of 
Andrew  Shafer,  and  they  have  five  children:  Burke,  Bayard,  Hale,  Mabel 
and  Denver.  Mr.  Keeney  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  Patriot,  Ind., 
and  of  the  Universalist  Church,  clerk  of  the  latter  society. 

WILLIAM  C.  KEMP,  Randolph  Township,  one  of  the  foremost 
farmers  of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  the  same  in  1823.  He  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Huldah  (Lampkin)  Kemp,  the  former  a  native  of  England,  the 
latter  of  New  York.  His  father  came  to  Dearborn  County  about  1806-07 
and  entered  land  there,  for  a  time  keeping  "bachelor's  hall."  He  be- 
came one  of  the  prominent  farmers  and  died  in  1865,  his  wife  passing 
away  a  few  years  previous  to  that  date.  William  C,  whose  name  heads 
this  notice,  spent  his  early  years  in  assisting  his  parents  on  the  farm  in 
Ohio  County  where  he  has  nearly  ever  since  resided.  He  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  day  and  learned  the  coopering  trade  also,  which 


792  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

he  continued  to  work  at  for  some  time  in  connection  with  his  farming.  In 
1846,  Mr.  Kemp  purchased  108  acres  of  land  in  Switzerland  County  a* 
$1,400,  this  being  his  first  investment  in  real  estate.  He  resided  several 
years  at  different  times  in  Switzerland  County,  but  'finally  located  per- 
manently in  Randolph  Township.  He  has  dealt  to  a  considerable  extent 
in  real  estate  and  now  owns  about  800  acres  of  choice  laud  which  he  has 
obtained  by  hard  labor,  good  management  and  economy  combined.  Mr. 
Kemp  was  married  in  1846  to  Content  L.  Hastings,  daughter  of  James 
Hastings,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this  county.  She  is  a  grand- 
daughter also  of  Prince  Athearn  who  assisted  in  laying  the  keel  of  the  old 
warship  "Constitution,"  and  afterward  built  several  river  steamboats  at 
Rising  Sun.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kemp  were  born  eight  children,  all  liv- 
ing and  all  married  but  one,  their  names  being  as  follows:  James, 
Charles,  Harry,  Edward,  Lucian,  Laura  (wife  of  Henry  Sparks),  Mollie 
(wife  of  Mahlon  Fisk)  and  Maggie  (wife  of  William  Wade).  Mr.  Kemp 
ranks  among  the  most  successful  farmers  of  the  county  and  his  reputation 
as  a  citizen  is  no  less  enviable. 

SAMUEL  M.  KENNEDY,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  born  in 
Franklin  County,  Penn.,  July  6,  1813,  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(McMath)  Kennedy,  he,  a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  she  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Mr.  John  Kennedy  had  one  brother,  William,  who  was  in  the 
battle  of  Tippecanoe  and  many  others,  and  at  the  close  of  that  war,  enlist- 
ed in  the  regular  army  in  which  he  served  through  life.  He  also  had  one 
sister,  Eleanor,  who  married  W^illiam  Mackey,  and  lived  and  died  in 
Franklin  County,  Penn.  Mr.  John  Kennedy  came  to  Pennsylvania,  when 
a  young  man,  married  and  resided  there  until  1839,  when  be  immigrated 
with  his  family  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Dearborn  County  on  land  now 
owned  by  James  McMullen  in  Section  32,  Manchester  Township,  where 
he  died  in  the  summer  of  1850,  aged  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  died 
in  1848,  aged  sixty-four  years.  They  had  ten  children:  John,  Margaret, 
Eliza,  Mary,  Samuel  M. ,  Williarti,  Robert,  Nancy,  James  and  Catharine, 
of  whom  five  now  survive:  Eliza,  now  widow  Bair,  residing  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, with  her  son,  Samuel  M. ;  Robert,  now  a  resident  of  Illinois;  Nancy, 
wife  of  James  McMullen,  and  James.  Mr.  Samuel  M.  Kennedy  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  state.  In  1840  he  came  to  this  county,  where  in 
1842,  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Ellingwood,  by  whom  he  had  three  chil- 
dren, Elizabeth,  wife  of  Sylvanus  Palmer,  now  a  resident  of  Burling- 
ton, Ky. ;  Nancy,  now  widow  Pratt,  holding  a  position  in  the  Soldiers' 
Orphan  Home  at  Knightstown,  Ind. ,  and  John  B.,  a  teacher  in  the 
High  School  at  Batesville,  Ind.,  also  a  partner  in  the  Co£Sn  Manufac- 
tory of  the  same  place.  Mrs.  Kennedy  died  in  1846.  March  4,  1849, 
Mr.  Kennedy  married  for  his  second  wife,  Margaret  Barton,  a  daughter 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  793 

of  William  and  Jane  Barton,  natives  of  Ireland,  who  settled  in  Dear- 
born County  in  1818.  By  this  union  they  have  three  children:  William, 
Harriet  and  Samuel.  Mr.  Kennedy  has  now  been  a  resident  of  this 
county  forty-five  years,  owns  a  good  farm  of  100  acres  with  good 
buildings  and  improvements,  constituting  a  pleasant  farmer's  home.  He 
was  elected  county  surveyor  in  1852,  since  which  he  has  served  several 
terms  by  reelection.  And  of  him  in  this  capacity  it  is  said  that  he  sel- 
dom made  an  error,  being  one  of  the  most  correct  surveyors  the  county 
ever  had.  He  has  served  as  clerk  and  trustee  of  his  township  besides 
filling  other  minor  ofiices,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  citizens  of 
Manchester  Township. 

WALTER  KERR,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  was  born  in  Gilford 
County,  N.  C,  April  23,  1799,  and  received  no  education  save  what  he 
gathered  up  in  life  himself.  His  father,  William,  was  born  in  North 
Carolina,  June  2,  1756;  his  mother,  Elizabeth,  in  Ireland  in  1757.  They 
were  married  in  1784  The  mother  died  in  1814,  and  the  father  moved 
to  this  county  in  1816  with  his  children.  He  was  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  All  through  life  he  was  a  farmer.  He  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  died  January  1,  1843.  Mr.  Walter 
Kerr  was  married  September  13,  1821,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Russell,  who 
was  born  on  Licking  River  in  Campbell  County,  Kj.,  June  14,  1803. 
Ten  children  were  born  to  them :  Mary  A. ,  Minerva,  Mahlon  B.,  Catharine, 
Rachel,  Nancy  J..  Elizabeth,  William,  Charles  and  David.  In  1861 
Charles  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Eighteenth  Indiana  Volunteers  as  a 
private  soldier,  and  died  at  Vicksburg  in  July,  1864,  from  sickness  and 
exposure.  jMr.  Kerr  was  constable  from  1834  to  1836  and  deputy  sherifi 
from  1836  to  1840.  He  flat-boated  for  twenty  years  and  speculated  in 
hay,  oats,  corn,  cattle,  hogs,  apples,  and  potatoes  and  was  on  the 
"McGregor"  when  it  blew  up  February  22,  1830.  He  had  an  arm  broken, 
was  blown  into  the  river,  and  saved  his  life  by  clinging  to  broken  frag- 
ments of  the  boat.  He  improved  his  farm,  educated  his  children,  and 
did  all  the  work  himself,  and  has  lived  in  his  present  house  since  1840. 
He  was  a  Democrat  up  to  Buchanan's  time,  but  since  a  Republican.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Know-nothing,  and  S.  of  T.  lodges;  joined 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  when  thirty-nine  years  old;  was 
class  leader  for  many  years,  and  has  tilled  other  responsible  positions  in 
the  church.  His  amiable  helpmeet  goes  hand  in  hand  with  him  in  every 
undertaking.  She  has  also  been  an  active  member  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  for  years. 

JAMES  AND  AARON  KERR,  farmers,  reside  in  Hogan  Township. 
They  are  natives  of  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  James  was  born  May  14 
1837;  Aaron,  May  16,    1833,    and  both  are  well  educated.     Their  father 


794  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

was  born  in  North  Carolina,  November  29,  1795;  their  mother,  Sarah 
(Peters)  Kerr,  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  June  9,  1802.  They  were 
married  September  10,  1820,  and  raised  eight  children.  The  father  came 
to  this  county  in  1816  and  followed  farming  all  his  life.'  The  mother  and 
her  people  were  driven  twice  by  the  Indians  into  the  block-house,  near 
Spidells,  which  was  their  only  secure  refuge.  The  father  died  Septem- 
ber 29,  1874;  the  mother  died  August  25,  1884.  The  old  pioneer  couple 
endured  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  frontier  life  from 
choice,  that  their  children  might  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their  labor. 

H.  G.  KIDD,  the  jovial  dealer  in  stoves,  tinware  and  house- furnish- 
ing goods,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Cincinnati  in  1839,  and  resided 
there  till  six  years  of  age.  His  father  died  about  1843,  and  the  family 
subsequently  resided  in  several  different  localities.  He  learned  the  tin- 
ner's trade  about  1855  at  St.  Mary's,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  about  eight 
years,  and  after  that  time  was  engaged  in  various  towns — Covington, 
Louisville,  Lima,  Ohio;  Evansville,  Ind.,  and  others — till  1860,  when 
he  located  in  Lawrenceburgh,  working  four  years  with  a  Mr.  Sheldon. 
In  1864  he  began  business  for  himself,  and  has  since  continued  as  sole 
proprietor  of  the  establishment.  His  store-room  at  No.  73  High  Street, 
is  well  filled  with  a  full  line  of  goods  valued  at  $3,500  to  $4,000,  and 
his  patronage  is  in  keeping  with  tlie  inducements  offered  by  his  complete 
stock  and  close  attention  to  business.  Mr.  Kidd  was  married,  in  1862, 
to  Maggie  T.  Hoter,  who  came  to  Dearborn  County  with  her  parents  in 
1847.  Her  father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  conducted  that  business 
for  a  time  in  Lawrenceburgh,  but  his  shops  were  destroyed  by  floods. 
He  subsequently  entered  the  war,  and  is  now  at  Dayton.  Her  mother 
passed  away  in  1860.  Mr.  Kidd  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  0.  F.,  G. 
T.,  K.  of  L.,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  good  fellow  on  general 
principles. 

THOMAS  KILNER,  farmer,  resides  in  Hogan  Township,  and  owns 
the  old  homestead  in  Section  33.  He  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
was  born  in  Boston,  July  19,  1825.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Marion 
(Thorn)  Kilner,  were  born  in  England.  His  father  was  an  actor,  and 
after  his  arrival  in  this  country,  traveled  through  the  East,  and  played 
with  Booth,  Forrest,  and  other  celebrated  characters.  He  was  on  the 
stage  when  Forrest  made  his  first  appearance.  He  retired  from  the  stage, 
in  1825,  and  in  1839  located  upon  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Section  33, 
Hogan  Township,  Ind.,  and  raised  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  two  of 
whom  survive — Thomas  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Marion  E.  Squibb,  widow  of 
Edmond  Squibb  (deceased).  His  father  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church;  mother,  a  Baptist.  Thomas  farmed  and  taught  school 
up  to  1862,  at  which  time  he  enlisted   in  Company  E,  Sixteenth  Indiana 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  795 

Infantry,  under  Col.  Lucas.  August  30,  1862,  he  lost  a  leg,  and  was 
discharged  on  accoant  thereof  in  October,  1862,  and  returned  home,  a 
cripple  for  life.  In  a  short  time  after  his  arrival  at  home,  he  was 
elected  township  trustee,  and  in  1865  was  elected  county  treasurer  and 
served  two  terms  with  honor  to  himself,  and  entire  satisfaction  to  his 
constituents.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Armstrong,  a  native  of 
Delaware,  and  by  this  union  six  children  were  born:  Edmund,  J.  Will- 
iam, Arthur  F.,  Edwin,  Mary  E.  and  Ada  May.  Since  his  wife's  death 
Mr.  Kilner  has  been  endeavoring  to  keep  his  children  together,  and 
educate  them  for  usefulness  in  life.  Mr.  Kilner  is  a  leading  and  active 
citizen,  and  is  highly  respected  by'all  who  know  him. 

WARREN  KINCAID,  retired,  Dillsborough,  one  of  the  old  and 
highly  esteemed  pioneers  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Greene 
County,  N.  Y. ,  June  12,  1804.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Marion 
(Stewart)  Kincaid,  natives  of  New  York,  the  former  born  in  1768;  the 
latter  in  1775.  After  their  marriage  they  settled  in  Greene  County,  and 
remained  until  1808,  in  which  year  they  immigrated  to  Ashtabula  County, 
Ohio,  and  from  thence,  in  1817,  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  Mrs. 
K.  died  in  1855.  He  subsequently  made  his  home  with  his  son,  Warren, 
in  Ripley  County,  Ind. ,  where  he  died  in  1865.  They  were  among  the 
first  settlers  of  Dearborn  County.  They  were  both  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  were  highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  them.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  viz. :  Didamah,  Alexander, 
Anna,  Elizabeth,  Warren,  Amanda,  George,  Samuel,  William,  Maria, 
and  Stewart.  Warren,  our  subject,  came  with  his  parents  to  this  county 
in  1817,  and  has  ever  since  resided  in  this  and  Ripley  County.  He  was 
married  at  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  August  7,  1827,  to  Lucinda,  daughter  of 
Joshua  and  Hannah  (Sweet)  Peck.  She  was  a  native  of  New  York,  where 
she  was  born,  June  9,  1811.  After  his  marriage  he  first  settled  at  Law 
renceburgh  and  engaged  in  boating  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers, 
and  also  farming  part  of  the  time.  In  1839  he  purchased  a  farm  in 
Ripley  County,  where  he  moved  and  turned  his  attention  wholly  to  farm- 
ing until  1867,  in  which  year  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Dills- 
borough,  Ind.,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  enjoyed  a  retired  life.  He 
lost  his  wife  January  2,  1879.  She  was  the  tender  mother  of  ten  chil- 
dren, viz.:  William  v.;  George,  deceased;  Amanda,  deceased;  Hannah; 
Lewis,  deceased;  Susan  W.;  Hellen  T. ;  Mary,  deceased;  Oscar,  deceased; 
and  Anna  T.  Mr.  Kincaid  has  done  much  hard  labor  in  his  time,  and  in 
his  early  days  was  subjected  to  all  the  trials  and  hardships  incident  to 
pioneer  life. 

SOLOMON  KITTLE,   of  Ohio  County,  was  born   in  Wood  County, 
Va.,  in  September,  1793.     At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  moved  to  Ohio,  and 


796  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

in  1814  came  to  Ohio  County,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  His  wife  was 
boru  in  Kentucky  in  the  year  1795.  When  he  came  to  Indiana  he  landed 
at  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek  and  rowed  their  boat  up  that  stream  to 
Hanover  Landing.  He  had  thirteen  children,  seventy-six  grandchildren, 
a  majority  of  whom  are  still  living.     Mr.  Kittle  was  living  in  1876. 

FEEDERICK  KLEINHANS,  foreman  of  the  La wrenceburgh  Furni- 
ture Factory,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  1835.  He  spent  his  early 
years  in  his  native  country,  where  he  was  educated  and  learned  the  trade 
of  carriage  manufacturer.  In  1856  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
and  located  at  once  in  Lawrenoeburgh,  where,  for  six  years,  he  followed 
the  business  of  mill-wrighting.  after  which  he  began  work  at  the  furni- 
ture trade  which  he  has  since  continued.  Mr.  Kleinhans  was  married,  in 
1859,  to  Miss  Martha  Ekil,  who  came  from  Germany  to  this  country  in 
1858.  They  have  seven  children  living:  Mina,  Anna,  Rosa,  Tillie, 
Freddie,  Hermann  and  Charley.  Louise  is  deceased.  Mr.  Kleinhans 
is  an  industrious  worker,  and  well  qualided  no  doubt  for  the  discharge 
of  the  duties  devolving  upon  him  in  his  position. 

HERMAN  KLEFPER,  the  leading  merchant  tailor  of  Lawrence - 
burgh,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  May  29,  1841.  He  grew  to  maturity 
in  his  native  country,  learned  his  trade  there,  and  was  there  engaged  in 
its  pursuit  till  1864,  when  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  locating 
at  Lawrenceburgh,  but  subsequently  spending  three  years  in  Cincinnati. 
He  began  business  in  1868,  and  has  since  continued,  meeting  with  fair 
success.  The  firm  was  originally  Cook  &  Klepper,  but  was  dissolved  as 
such  in  April,  1876,  since  which  time  Mr.  Klepper  has  been  sole  proprietor 
of  the  establishment.  He  is  located  at  No.  84  High  Street,  and  carries  a 
fine  line  of  goods  valued  at  about  $5,000,  consisting  of  fine  cloths, 
gent's  furnishings,  hats,  caps,  etc.,  enjoying  a  well  merited  trade.  Mr. 
Klepper  was  married,  to  Rebecca  Hartre,  who  is  also  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  by  whom  he  has  four  children:  Ella,  Henry,  Carl  and 
George.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Druid's  society,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
as  a  citizen. 

LEONARD  KLINGELHOFFER,  carpenter,  contractor  and  archi- 
tect, Aurora,  shop,  corner  of  George  and  Morrison  Streets,  is  a  native  of 
Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  born  on  King's  Ridge,  August  12,  1850,  where 
he  received  a  common  school  education.  His  parents,  Charles  and 
Barbara  (Kinshire)  Klingelhoffer,  were  born  near  Hamburg,  Germany, 
and  came  to  America  in  1834,  locating  in  Arkansas,  thence  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  In  1847  they  settled  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  followed  farming 
up  to  1852.  at  which  time  they  located  in  Aurora,  and  the  father  led 
a  retired  life  up  to  his  death.  Leonard  came  to  Aurora,  in  1864,  and 
followed  carpentering  up  to   1875,  at  which  time  ho  branched  out  for 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  797 

himself,  and  has  been  successful  in  all  his  undertakings.  He  was  mar- 
ried, November  9,  1871,  to  Miss  Emma  Camptield,  who  was  born  in 
Dearborn  County,  October  14,  1852.  To  them  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren Jessie,  Maggie  and  Lida.  Mr.  Klingelhoflfer  is  a  member  of  the 
following  secret  organizations:  Druids,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  K.  P.  and  K.  of  H. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

CORNELIUS  KLUMP.  blacksmith,  New  Alsace,  was  born  in  Jack- 
son Township,  September  29,  1830,  son  of  Morris  and  Catherine  (Gep- 
hard)  Klump,  who  were  natives  of  Germany;  the  former  born  in  1803. 
the  latter  in  1813.  They  were  married  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1833, 
and  moved  to  Dearborn  County  in  1835.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  viz. :  Elizabeth,  Catherine,  Michael,  Helena,  John, 
Lewis,  Josephine,  Clara,  and  two  which  died  in  infancy.  Cornelius, 
our  subject,  the  next  to  the  eldest  member  of  the  family,  learned  the 
blacksmith  trade  with  his  father,  which  trade  he  has  since  followed. 
He  was  married  at  New  Alsace,  in  January,  1860,  to  Margaret  Niters, 
by  whom  he  has  had  born  to  him  seven  children,  viz. :  Frank,  Lewis, 
Mary,  Catherine,  Rosie,  John  and  Michael. 

JOHN  B.  KNEEVEN,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  was  born  in 
Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  November  22,  1841.  His  parents,  John  H.  and 
Susanna  Kneevan,  wore  both  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany,  the  former 
born  October  22,  1804,  the  latter,  April  2,  1808.  They  were  married  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  February,  1840,  and  resided  in  Hamilton  County  five 
years,  when  they  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and  purchased 
and  settled  on  the  same  farm  where  our  subject  now  lives  and  where  the 
father  died  March  12,  1881,  the  mother  still  surviving.  They  were  the 
parents  of  four  children,  viz. :  Mary,  Margaret,  Benjamin  O.  and  John  B. , 
our  subject,  the  second  member  of  the  family.  He  was  married,  October 
17,  1865,  to  Thrase  Klanka,  who  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany.  Mav 
13,  1840.  They  have  had  eight  children,  namely:  Herman  (deceased), 
Mary,  Martin/Carry,  Albert  (deceased),  Henry,  Benjamin  (deceased),  and 
Catherine.  Mr.  Kneeven  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

JOHN  C.  KNIGHT,  iron  worker,  Aurora,  was  born  in  London,  Eng- 
land, Jamiary  28,  1837,  where  his  educational  advantages  were  very 
limited.  His  parents,  Charles  and  Sarah  (Rosetter)  Knight,  were  drowned 
when  John  was  but  a  mere  child,  and  he  possesses  no  trace  of  their 
genealogy.  Mr.  Knight  started  out  as  a  sailor  when  very  young,  and 
during  his  boyhood  days  visited  China,  East  India  and  other  foreign 
countries.  He  finally  landed  in  Americain  1856  at  port  of  New  Orleans, 
thence  he  went  to  New  York,  where  he  enlisted  in  the  navy  on  the  Unit- 
ed States  frigate  "Niagara"'  which  was  engaged  in  laying  United  States 


798  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

telegraph,  remaining  nine  monthp.  He  next  went  on  the  Paraguay  ex- 
pedition underAdmiral  Shubrick  on  United  States  ship  "Caldeonia,"  and 
was  absent  nine  months.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  navy  for  three 
years,  on  the  United  States  frigate  "Sabine,"  spent  over  two  years  on  the 
Gulf  station.  In  February,  1862,  he  shipped  again  at  Boston  on  the 
United  States  steamer  "San  Jacinta,"  Gulf  squadron.  In  fifteen 
months  he  was  sent  to  New  York,  disabled,  and  was  sent  to  hospital  and 
discharged.  One  year  after  he  passed  an  examination  and  went  into 
gunboat  service  under  Porter  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war; 
after  which  he  located  in  Newport,  Ky, ,  where  he  remained  until 
1876,  when  he  came  to  Aurora,  and  secured  work  in  the  rolling-mill. 
Mr.  Knight  was  married,  October  17,  1864,  to  Miss  Sarah  Boden, 
daughter  of  Major  Boden,  of  Kentucky  ;  she  was  born  June  7,  1844.  By 
this  marriage  six  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Blanche,  Charles  W., 
Marion,  Jane,  Willie  and  Alta.  Mr.  Knight  belongs  to  Chosen  Friends 
Lodge  No.  13,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the  G.  A.  R. 

R.  T.  KNOWLES,  cooper,  Dillsborough,  was  born  at  Chesterville, 
Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  March  31,  1838.  His  parents  were  William  and 
Henrietta  (Moore)  Knowles,  natives  of  Sussex  County,  Del.,  father  born 
August  23,  1804,  the  mother  October  12,  1814.  They  were  married 
in  Sussex  County,  October  24,  1832,  and  from  thence  immigrated  to 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  in  1835,  where  he  resided  until  1873,  in  which 
year  he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  died  March  29,  1873.  His 
widow  still  survives  and  lives  among  her  children.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  twelve  children,  namely:  William  deceased;  Daniel  E. ; 
Robert  T. ;  William  F.,  deceased;  Sarah  J.,  deceased;  Amanda, 
deceased;  Emeline,  deceased;  Isabelle,  deceased;  Leucretia,  de- 
ceased; Luck,  deceased;  Martha  W.  and  Charley.  He  was  previously 
married  to  a  sister  of  his  last  wife  and  had  by  her  four  children, 
viz.:  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Catherine  and  David.  R.  T.,  our  sub- 
ject, when  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  began  the  cooper  trade,  and  has 
engaged  in  the  same  principally  since.  He  enlisted  in  September,  1861, 
in  Company  F,  Thirty-seventh  Indiana  Volunteers,  and  served  until 
August,  1862,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  disability  and  re- 
turned home.  He  was  married  at  Dillsborough,  in  1859,  to  a  Miss 
Hickman,  by  whom  he  had  one  [child,  Albert  V.  November  12,  1870, 
he  was  again  married  to  Phebe  Osborn,  by  whom  he  had  one  child, 
Walter  L.  In  December,  1883,  he  opened  up  a  cooper  shop  at  Dills- 
borough, which  he  is  at  present  carrying  on  quite  extensively. 

VALENTINE  J.  KOEHLER,  Lawrenceburgh,  book-keeper  and 
cashier,  was  born  in  Munchberg,  kingdom  of  Bavaria,  July  23,  1842,  of 
parents  Carl  G.    and  Barbara   (Huth)    Koehler      The  father    held  many 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  799 

positions  of  honor  and  trust,  among  which  was  the  captaincy  of  land- 
wehr  in  Munchberg.  He  was  a  business  man,  the  proprietor  of  a  soap 
and  candle  factory.  Valentine  J.  received  a  collegiate  education,  after 
which  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  his  native  city.  He  immigrated  to  this  country  in  1860,  landino- 
at  New  York  in  April  of  that  year,  and  in  a  few  days  came  to  join 
friends  and  acquaintances  in  Aurora,  Ind.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  in 
Dearborn  County  he  began  clerking  for  John  Hornberger,  who  was  in 
the  grocery  business  and  an  extensive  contractor,  engaged  in  filling  up  the 
streets  of  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh.  In  August,  1861,  Mr.  Koehler 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Thirty-second  Eegiment  Indiana 
Volunteers.  He  was  subsequently  promoted  to  sergeant,  quartermaster- 
sergeant  of  the  regiment,  second  lieutenant  of  Company  A,  Thirty- 
second  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers,  first  lieutenant  and  aid-de-camp  to 
Gen.  August  Willich,  in  the  Department  of  the  Cumberland,  having 
served  in  all  three  years  and  three  months,  and  having  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Stone  River,  Liberty  Gap,  Chickamauga, 
Missionary  Ridge,  and  other  engagements  in  which  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland took  part.  On  the  22d  of  May,  1864,  Capt.  Koehler  received  a 
slight  wound  in  the  head,  and  was  hit  with  a  spent  ball  on  the  right  side 
of  the  collar  bone,  he  was  also  wounded  in  front  of  Atlanta  on  the  22d 
of  July,  1864,  by  the  explosion  of  a  shell  which  killed  his  horse  from 
under  him,  and  by  which  the  Captain  sustained  a  broken  leg.  Capt. 
Koehler  was  tendered  the  lieutenant-colonelcy  of  his  i-egiment,  but  de- 
clined it.  He  was  honorably  discharged  in  November,  1864,  and  for  a 
period  of  five  years  was  engaged  in  business  in  Knoxvilie,  Tenn.  He 
then  returned  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  from  1869  to  1875  he  was  employed 
in  the  United  States  revenue  service.  In  1875  he  resigned  his  position 
and  accepted  a  position  in  the  distillery  of  John  H.  Gaff  &  Co.  of 
Lawrenceburgh,  and  remained  in  that  company's  employ  until  February, 
1878,  when  he  became  connected  in  a  like  capacity  with  the  distillery  of 
James  W.  Gaff  &  Co.,  which  firm,  in  1880,  merged  into  the  Mill  Creek 
Distilling  Company,  of  Cincinnati,  and  with  which  he  is  now  em- 
ployed as  cashier  and  book-keeper.  Capt.  Koehler  retains  his  residence  at 
Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  is  a  citizen  of  influence  and  high  standing. 
In  ]  866  he  was  married  to  Miss  M.  Louise  Hornberger,  a  daughter  of 
John  Hornberger  and  a  native  of  Lawrenceburgh,  born  on  the  same  day 
of  the  month  and  year  as  was  her  husband — July  23,  1842.  Three 
children  have  been  born  to  the  marriage:  John  H.,  Carl  R.  and  Louisa. 
Capt.  Koehler  cast  his  first  vote  for  President  Lincoln  and  has  since 
voted  the  Republican  ticket. 

LOUIS  KOHLERMANN,  proprietor  of  livery   and  feed  stable  and 


800  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

undertaker,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  1823.  His 
father  was  steward  to  the  emperor  of  Hesse  Darmstadt  in  whose  employ 
his  life  was  chiefly  spent,  following  his  sovereign  in  the  wars  of  Hun- 
gary. Mr.  Kohlermann  grew  to  maturity  in  his  native  country,  where  he 
was  educated  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  learned  the  brass  turner's  trade. 
He  pursued  this  vocation  till  twenty-one  years  of  age,  in  Germany;  he 
then  immigrated  to  America  and  for  eleven  years  followed  the  same  occu- 
pation with  Cornelius  Becker  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  then  the  largest 
chandelier  manufacturing  establishment  in  the  United  States.  Mr. 
Kohlerraan  then  removed  to  Putnam  County,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  two 
years,  when  he  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh  about  1858.  He  was  em- 
ployed at  common  labor  till  1865,  when  he  began  the  livery  business, 
admitting  his  son  as  partner  in  1884.  Mr.  Kohlermann  was  married  in 
Philadelphia  about  1845  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Rexroth,  a  native  of  Germany 
and  who  immigrated  to  Trinidad,  S.  A.,  from  which  place  she  afterward 
came  north.  They  have  four  children  living:  Charles,  Rudolph,  Mary, 
and  Emma.     The  family  has  the  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

BERNARD  KUNE,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  born  December  30,  1823.  His  parents,  Theodore  and  Mary 
(Theders)  Kune,  were  also  natives  of  Hanover,  where  they  married,  and 
from  whence,  in  1849,  they  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing  at 
New  Orleans,  and  from  thence  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  in  March, 
1852,  to  Dearborn  County,  where  they  both  died  in  1859.'  Bernard,  our 
subject,  one  of  six  children  born  to  them,  immigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  1846.  He  first  landed  at  Galveston,  Tex.,  and  from  thence,  about 
two  weeks  later,  came  to  New  Orleans,  La.  From  there  he  came  to  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  where  he  was  united  in  marriage,  January  6,  1850,  to  Dora 
M. ,  daughter  of  John  B.  and  Annie  M.  C.  (Busch)  Fangmann;  she 
was  born  in  Oldenburgh,  Germany,  September  30,  1830.  In  March,  1852, 
Mr.  Kune  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  and  settled  on  his  present 
farm,  which  he  had  purchased  in  1851,  and  where  he  has  since  resided. 
Mrs.  K.  departed  this  life  January  30,  1870,  and  in  February,  1871,  Mr. 
Kune  married  Annie  Martin  (widow  of  Frank  Martin),  daughter 
of  Bernard  and  Magdalena  (Koch)  Kramer.  She  was  born  in  Hano- 
ver, Germany,  July  11,  1822.  Mr.  Kune  and  family,  consisting  of  six 
living  children,  viz.:  Frank,  Christena,  Louisa,  John,  Philemena,  and 
Joseph,  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

THOMAS  KYLE,  of  Dearborn  County,  was  the  son  of  John  Kyle,  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  who  served  under  Gen.  Washington,  and  assisted 
in  storming  the  Britinh  redoubts  at  Yorktown,  and  witnessed  the  sur- 
render of  Gen.  Cornwallis.  He  died  August  31,  1845,  aged  eighty-nine 
years.     He  was  born  near  Winchester,  Va.,  March  24,  1785,  where  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  801 

spent  the  early  part  of  his  life.  In  the  year  1809  he,  together  with  his 
father  and  a  company  of  friends,  started  to  the  then  far  off  West.  In 
their  rude  country  wagons  they  embarked  on  their  long  journey,  crossing 
the  mountains  coming  to  Pittsburgh;  thence  to  Cincinnati,  and  from 
there  through  an  unbroken  forest  to  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  So 
great  were  the  perils  from  the  Indians,  that  Gen.  Harrison  advised  the 
party  to  return  to  Kentucky,  and  to  protect  them  sent  seventy-five  armed 
men.  They  reached  Kentucky  in  safety.  But  Mr.  Kyle  chose  to 
cast  his  lot  with  the  pale  face,  and  joined  Gen.  Harrison's  command  as 
a  soldier,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  November  7,  1811, 
where  he  had  three  horses  killed  after  the  treaty  of  peace  with  Tecum- 
seh,  at  Vincennes.  He  returned  in  the  following  year  to  Dearborn 
County,  and  entered  a  section  of  land  in  Town  6,  Range  2  west,  in  a 
dense  and  unbroken  forest.  He  immediately  set  to  work  to  clear  a  farm. 
In  the  year  1815  he  married  Elizabeth  Kerney,  of  Kentucky.  There 
were  born  to  them  two  sons  and  four  daughters.  They  began  the  hard- 
ships of  a  pioneer  life  with  but  a  few  neighbors  to  enjoy  their  friendship 
or  hospitality.  The  nights  were  made  hideous  by  the  howling  of  wolves; 
wild  game  abounded  in  plenty  and  furnished  the  new  emigrants  plenty 
of  meat.  Bread  stuff  was  scarce  and  mills  far  back  in  Ohio.  They 
raised  their  family  to  man  and  womanhood,  and  gave  each  as  good  an 
education  as  possible  in  those  times.  About  the  year  1849  consump- 
tion made  its  appearance  in  the  family,  unbidden  by  any  heriditary 
tendencies,  and,  strange  to  say,  in  the  short  space  of  six  years,  they  had 
passed  to  that  far  off  country.  Thus,  in  old  age,  he  and  his  beloved 
wife  were  left  to  enjoy  the  comforts  oP  a  snug  little  fortune,  which  they, 
by  industry,  had  accumulated.  On  the  14th  day  of  October,  1858,  his 
beloved  wife  died,  leaving  him  alone.  Two  years  after  he  married  Mrs. 
Mary  Burkdoll,  a  lady  of  refinement,  with  whom  he  lived  pleasantly 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  old  homestead,  January  6,  1861, 
aged  seventy-five  years,  ten  months  and  twelve  days.  His  eldest  son, 
John,  was  married  to  Margaret  Harrison,  July  30,  1842.  He  bought  a 
farm  near  the  old  homestead ,  and  settled  on  it.  He  was  a  man  univer- 
sally beloved  by  all  who  knew  him,  taking  an  active  interest  in  the 
improvement  of  society,  especially  public  schools.  His  education  was 
limited  to  the  branches  taught  in  the  public  schools,  which  created  in 
him  a  great  desire  for  a  higher  education  for  his  children.  Honest  and 
industrious,  he  had  accumulated  considerable  property.  Four  sons  were 
born  to  them,  namely:  T.  M.,  W.  H.,  L.  B.  and  J.  J.,  the  youngest 
dying  in  infancy.  L.  B.,  the  next  yoangest,  was  afflicted  in  early  life 
from  disease  of  the  hip  joint,  and  was  compelled  to  go  on  crutches 
through  life.     He  gained  a  good  educatioD.  and  was  thoroughly  active  to 


802  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

whatever    interested    society,  but  disease    blighted    his    prospects.     He 
died  April  10,  1879.     John  suffered   like  his  brother  9,nd  sisters  from 
that  blighting  consumption,  although  everything  in  the  way  of  medicine 
and  travel    could  do  availed  nothing,  and  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-six 
years  he  closed  his  eventful  life.     William    Kyle,  his  second  son,  was 
born  in  Manchester  Township,  April  2,  1821,  and  was  married  to  Melissa 
Milburn  on  the  28th  of  August,  1844.     One  daughter  was   the  result 
of  this  marriage.      The   daughter   died   before  she  arrived  at  the  ago  of 
twenty-one.      He  departed  this  life  on  the  6th  of  January,  1850.     Mar- 
garet, his  eldest  daughter,  was  united  in   marriage  with  Thomas  Harri- 
son, September  8,  1844.      Two  daughters  were  born  to  them.     She  died 
on  the  same  day  as  her  brother  William,  and   side  by  side  they  were 
consigned  to  their  last  resting  place  in  the  family  cemetery.      Rebecca, 
his  second  daughter,  was  married  to  George  Mental.     Four  children  con- 
stituted  their    family — two   sons    and   two    daughters.      She  died  from 
consumption  on  the  30th  of  April,  1854.      Jane  and  Elizabeth,  although 
full  of   life  and  promise,  fell   early  victims  to   consumption,  the   former 
dying  at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  the  latter  at  the  age  of  thirty.      Dr.  T. 
M.  Kyle,  eldest  son  of  John  and  Margaret  Kyle,  was  born  in  Manches- 
ter Township  on  the  30th  of  April,  1842.      Although  deprived  of  the  bene- 
fits of  a  father's  advice  at  the  age  of   twelve  years,  his  dutiful  mother 
thoroughly  mastered  her  situation,  and    that   of  her  family    gave    early 
character  to  the  life  of   her  son.      He  was  kind  and  dutiful,  assisting  his 
mother  in  carrying  on  the  interest  of  the  farm.     He,  in  early  life,  mani- 
fested great  desire  for  knowledge,  attending  the   district  schools  during 
the  winter  until  fifteen  years  of  age,   when  he  entered  college  for  three 
years.     He  made  rapid  advancement  in  all  the  bi'anches  of  science.     He 
taught  two  terms  in  the  public  schools  of  the  township.      But  his  early 
love  for  the  science   of  medicine  made  it  possible  for  him  to  enter  as  a 
student  the  ofi&ce  of  Dr.  Chamberlain.      He  read   with   him  but  a  few 
months,  and  went  to  Cincinnati,  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  College  as  a. 
matriculant  during  the  session   of  1864-65.     During  the  next  year  he 
engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Vincennes;  but  in  the  autumn  entered 
the  Miami   Medical  College,  where  he  took  two  courses,  and  graduated 
in  that    institution;  moved   to   Manchester;  bought  the  property  of  his 
preceptor,  and  began  the  practice  of  his   chosen   profession,  in  the  sight 
of  where  he  spent  his  childhood  days.      He  was  married  to   Miss  Anna 
Johnson,  youngest  daughter  of  Hon.  J.  D.  Johnson,  of  Sparta,  Septem- 
ber 27,  1866.     Miss   Johnson   was   a  young  lady  of  refinement  and  cul- 
ture, and  added  great  promise  to  the  Doctor's  success.     Her  father  had 
served  the  people  of  this  county  in  the  Legislature,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  constitutional  convention  who  framed  our  present  constitution.      He 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  803 

was  a  gentleman  of  influence,  and  took  great  interest  in  the  success  of  his 
children.  The  Doctor  has  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He 
takes  great  delight  in  the  practice  of  surgery,  and  makes  a  specialty  of 
treatment  of  all  forms  of  malignant  diseases  and  tumors.  He  has  per 
formed  some  of  the  most  difficult  operations,  one  in  particular  which  he 
claims  is  the  first  of  the  kind  on  record.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Dear- 
born County  Medical  Society,  Indiana  State  Society,  Mitchell  District 
Society,  American  Association  of  the  United  States.  He  is  in  no  way 
inclined  to  office  seeking,  but  rather  follow  his  chosen  profession.  He, 
like  all  his  ancestors,  is  Democratic.  He  is  a  strong  believer  in  the  doc- 
trines taught  by  the  Methodist  Church,  an  ardent  lover  of  Free  Masonry, 
and  thrice  elected  Master.  Besides  his  active  professional  duties  he  has 
time  to  devote  to  the  Sabbath-school  work,  and  his  public  speaking  is 
done  in  the  interest  of  the  Sabbath-school  work.  Four  children  bless 
their  home:  John  J.,  Maggie  F.,  Jennie  M.  and  Claudia  B.  John  J., 
born  May  27,  1868,  is  a  young  man  of  fine  promise,  and  is  on  his  fourth 
and  last  year  in  college.  The  girls  are  bright,  and  bid  fair  to  be  useful. 
They  are  great  lovers  of  home.  The  Doctor  and  his  good  wife  try  to 
make  their  home  so  attractive  that  their  children  prefer  it  to  the 
homes  of  others.  "W.  H.  Kyle,  second  son  of  John  Kyle,  was  born  in 
Manchester  Township,  August  28,  1845.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools.  He  attended  commercial  college  at  Indianopolis, 
and  graduated  in  the  year  1863.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Serena  Jaquith, 
May  19,  1867.  He  immediately  engaged  in  trade  with  the  South,  ship- 
ping hay  and  produce,  which  was  the  chief  export  from  Dearborn  County. 
lie  continued  in  that  business  until  1879,  when  he  was  elected  county 
treasurer,  «vhich  position  he  tilled  for  two  terms.  During  his  adminis- 
tration the  county  debt  was  funded,  and  an  exact  amount  of  the  indebted- 
ness of  the  county  was  ascertained.  And  when  his  time  had  expired  the 
county  papers  joined  in  saying  that  William  Kyle  had  filled  the  office  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  people  of  the  county.  After  his  term  of 
office  he  removed  to  his  native  township,  and  is  engaged  in  agriculture 
and  stock  raising.  He  has  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Frankie, 
the  eldest  son,  is  taking  a  commercial  course  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  from 
which  he  expects  to  graduate  at  the  close  of  the  college  year. 

JAMES  LAMB,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Aurora,  office  cor- 
ner of  Main  and  Second  Streets,  over  O.  P.  Cobb  &  Co.'s  store,  was 
born  on  Oil  Creek,  Venango  County,  Penn.,  February  15,  1818,  and  was 
the  eldest  son  of  the  thirteen  children  of  David  H.  and  Margaret  (Kidd) 
T^amb.  His  paternal  ancestors  emigrated  from  the  north  of  Ireland  be- 
fore the  Revolutionary  war,  and  Gen.  John  Lamb  was  the  first  collector 
of  the  port  of  New  York   under  Washington.     Both  his  grandmothers 


804  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

were  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  In  1827  his  parents  moved  to  Jefferson 
County,  Ind.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods 
house  in  the  village  of  Canaan,  and  after  one  year's  experience  was  sent 
with  Mr.  Goodrich  on  a  coasting  trading  boat  down  the  Ohio  River. 
Although  among  other  duties,  he  was  obliged  to  sell  intoxicating  liquors, 
he  never  indulged  in  their  use.  After  disposing  of  his  goods  and  boat 
he  entered  the  employment  of  two  brothers  who  were  extensive  operators. 
He  took  charge  of  their  store,  and  all  the  money  received  in  their  ex- 
tended business  passed  through  his  hands.  His  employers  offered  to 
educate  him  at  the  Catholic  institution  at  Beardstown,  Ky.,  but, owing  to 
severe  and  continued  sickness,  he  was  compelled  to  reject  their  kind  of- 
fer and  return  home.  His  educational  advantages  were  very  limited. 
After  mastering  Pike's  and  Smiley's  arithmetics  he  wished  to  procure  a 
grammar,  and  in  order  to  do  so,  took  corn  on  horseback  nine  miles  to 
Madison,  where  he  sold  it  at  20  cents  per  bushel.  Then  purchased 
Kirkham's  grammar,  and  by  close  application  mastered  it.  At  the  age 
of  nineteen  he  began  teaching  school,  which  he  continued  for  twelve 
years,  spending  his  leisure  time  in  study.  In  1845  he  began  the  study 
of  medicine,  reciting  to  Dr.  John  Home,  of  Mooretield.  He  afterward 
studied  with  Drs.  Eastman  and  Tevis,  both  gentlemen  of  culture  and 
ability.  He  began  the  practice  in  May,  1849,  just  previous  to  the  great 
cholera  epidemic  of  that  year,  and  treated  many  cases  successfully. 
Feeling  a  desire  for  a  more  thorough  medical  education,  he  took  a  course 
of  lectures  at  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
graduating  in  1853.  He  resumed  the  practice  in  the  spring  of  1856  at 
Allensville,  Switzerland  Co.,  Ind.  In  1858,  in  company  with  Dr.  Butz 
(since  deceased),  opened  a  preparatory  college  of  medicine,  supplying  it 
with  a  very  valuable  anatomical  museum  and  laboratory,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,600.  They  had  six  students  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  five  of 
whom,  including  a  brother  of  Dr.  Lamb,  entered  the  army,  and  either 
were  killed  on  the  field,  or  died  of  disease  or  wounds.  Dr.  Lamb  was  a 
warm  friend  of  the  Union  in  the  late  civil  war,  and  was  only  prevented 
from  enlisting  by  the  care  of  his  family  and  aged  pai-ents.  He  had  four 
brothers  in  the  army,  two  escaped  unhurt.  In  1862  Dr.  Lamb  was  a 
delegate  to  the  United  States  General  Assembly  at  Cincinnati, and  also  to 
Philadelphia  in  1870,  and  was  a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee, 
composed  of  the  ablest  churchmen  of  America  and  Europe.  He  assisted 
in  reorganizing  the  Dearborn  County  Medical  Society,  which  now  num- 
bers about  fifty  members.  He  has  contributed  many  papers  to  this 
society,  and  is  alM'ays  ready  to  defend  the  honor  and  integrity  of  the 
profession.  In  November,  1841,  Dr.  Lamb  married  Miss  Sarah  A.  Car- 
nine,  of  Switzerland  County,  Ind.     By  the  marriage  four  children  were 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.      '  805 

born,  two  of  whom  survive.  The  son,  Lamartine  K.,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Ohio  Medical  College,  and  has  a  good  practice  in  Tolona,  111.  The 
daughter,  America  C,  who  completed  her  musical  education  under  Prof. 
Andre,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  is  the  wife  of  Frederick  Treon,  M.  D.,  who  is 
also  a  graduate  of  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  and  in  practice  with  his 
father-in-law  at  Aurora.  Dr.  Lamb  cast  his  first  vote  for  Gen.  Harrison 
in  1840.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  he  having  united  with  it  whem  twenty -four  years  old,  and  she  in 
early  youth,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

HUDSON  G.  LAMKIN,  carpenter,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Dearborn 
County,  born  January  31,  1841,  and  received  a  common  school  education. 
His  parents,  Thomas  and  Eliza  A.  (Graves)  Lamkin,  were  both  born  in 
Dearborn  County,  the  father  May  15,  1817,  and  the  mother  May  10, 
1817.  The  father  was  steam-boat  mate  for  thirty-five  years.  He  was 
wharf  master  from  1846  to  1856,  and  served  for  one  and  a  half  years  as 
corporal  in  the  Eleventh  Kentucky  Cavalry  during  the  Eebellion,  and 
was  discharged  on  account  of  disability.  His  death  occurred  in  March, 
1873.  The  mother  died  in  March,  1884.  For  several  years  Hudson 
G.  Lamkin  followed  draying,  after  which  he  began  the  carpenter  trade. 
He  enlisted  July  12,  1861,  in  Company  D,  Third  Indiana  Cavalry  as  a 
private,  serving  three  years  and  two  months.  In  November,  1863,  he  was 
promoted  to  brigade  wagon  master,  and  was  mustered  out  as  such.  He 
was  married  December  12,  1864,  to  Miss  Rebecca  J.  Bowman,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio  County,  August  26,  1843.  By  the  union  eight  children 
have  been  born,  namely:  Gladys  I.;  William  T.,  born  May  1,  1867, 
died  in  infancy;  Hattie;  Emma;  Grier,  born  October,  1875,  died  May, 
1876;  George;  Elias,  born  May,  1880,  died  May,  1882,  and  Susie.  Mr. 
Lamkin  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P.  Lodge  No.  34,  of  which  he  is  past 
grand  representative,  also  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post  No.  82,  of  which  he  is 
now  adjutant. 

AMOS  LANE,  see  page  150. 

MRS.  MARY  LANE.  In  1804  Amos  Lane  was  married  at  Ogdens- 
burgh,  N.  Y. ,  to  Mrs.  Mary  Howes,  a  daughter  of  John  Foote,  a  soldier 
of  the  Revolution;  they  moved  West  in  1808.  While  living  in  Kentucky, 
opposite  Lawrenceburgh,  and  afterward  at  Burlington,  Ky.,  Mrs.  Lane 
taught  a  school,  which  at  one  time  numbered  seventy  pupils.  Mrs.  Lane 
was  a  remarkable  woman.  Her  attainments  in  education  and  literature 
were  considerably  above  those  of  most  women  of  her  time.  She  wrote 
well  both  in  prose  and  poetry;  accomplished  in  her  manners,  she  pos- 
sessed fine  conversational  powers.  Her  figure  was  large  and  her  mien 
always  dignified  and  stately,  but  the  tenderness  of  her  spirit  made  her 
genial  and  kind  to  every  one  about  her.      The  mother  of  six  children  and 


806  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

never  rich,  Mrs.  Lane  devoted  her  efforts  to  so  raise  her  family,  that 
they  might  occupy  positions  of  honor  and  respectability.  Her  husband 
became  a  distinguished  lawyer,  a  leading  politician  and  a  member  of 
Congress;  her  eldest  son  graduated  with  honor  at  West  Point,  and  died  in 
the  service  of  his  country;  another  son  represented  iu  Congress  the  dis- 
trict in  which  he  was  born,  and  died  a  member  of  the  United  States  Sen- 
ate, and  the  remaining  and  only  living  son  has  occupied  many  honorable 
and  responsible  position  of  public  trust.  Her  three  daughters  became 
the  wives  of  Arthur  St.  Clair,  Esq.,  Judge  Huntington  and  Hon.  George 
P.  Buell;  all  of  them  ladies  of  fine  accomplishments,  inheriting  from 
their  mother  many  of  her  best  traits.  Mrs.  Mary  Lane  died  at  the  resi- 
dence of  her  son-in-law,  George  P.  Buell,  near  Lawrenceburgh,  Decem- 
ber 27,  1854,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

JOHN  FOOTE  LANE,  eldest  son  of  Amos  and  Mary  Lane,  was  born 
at  Touseytown,  Ky. ,  opposite  Lawrenceburgh,  December  24,  1810.  He 
entered  West  Point  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  and  graduated  with 
honor  when  seventeen.  Col.  J.  F.  Lane  died  in  Florida,  in  1836,  at  the 
early  age  of  twenty-six. 

COL.  JAMES  H.  LANE  was  born  in  Lawrenceburgh,  in  1814.  He 
was  a  merchant  at  Lawrenceburgh,  and  afterward  studied  law.  He  was 
colonel  of  the  Third  Indiania  Regiment,  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  after- 
ward of  the  Fifth  Regiment.  His  gallantry  at  Buena  Vista  retiected 
great  credit  on  his  native  State.  He  was  lieutenant  governor  of  Indiana^ 
from  1849  to  1853.  He  represented  his  district  in  Congress,  from  1853- 
1855.  He  was  elected  as  a  Democrat,  and  in  Congress  voted  for  the 
Kansas,  Neb.,  bill.  He  subsequently  went  to  Kansas,  and  there  became 
noted  as  a  leader  of  the  Free-State  party.  When  he  went  to  Kansas,  he 
had  no  expectation  of  leaving  the  Democratic  party:  he  desired  by  a  con- 
servative course  to  make  Kansas  a  free  State  and  a  Democratic  State,  but 
when  he  got  there,  he  found  that  no  man  could  occupy  a  middle  ground, 
much  less  a  conservative  position.  He  was  compelled  to  choose  between 
the  pro-slavery  cause  and  the  Republican  party;  he  became  a  Republican 
more  from  necessity  than  choice,  and  when  once  inside  of  that  party  he 
remained.  Gen.  James  H.  Lane  was  as  brave  a  man  as  ever  faced  an 
enemy,  as  those  associated  with  him  will  cheerfully  testify,  and  as  String- 
fellow  and  Atchinson  found  to  their  cost.  He  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate  from  Kansas,  and  was  serving  his  second  term  in  that  body 
when  he  ended  his  life  by  suicide.  While  in  Mexico,  he  contracted 
from  (drinking  poisoned)  water  a  diarrhoea,  which  became  chronic  and 
affliced  him  to  the  grave,  and  no  doubt  produced  that  aberration  of  mind 
which  was  apparent  on  a  number  of  occasions  for  several  years  before  his 
death,  and   which  prevented  him  from   gaining  high  rank   in  the  civil 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  807 

war.  "He  was  a  man  of  restless  ambition,  unconquerable  energy  and 
imperious  will.  For  his  services  in  repelling  '  the  border  ruffians'  of 
Kansas,  and  preserving  that  beautiful  country  from  the  curse  of  slavery, 
he  deserved  well  of  his  country,  and  will  occupy  a  prominent  and  honor- 
able position  in  the  history  of  the  great  struggle  between  freedom  and 
bondage."  He  shot  himself  in  the  mouth  and  died  Sunday  afternoon, 
July  1,  1866,  near  Lawrence,  Kas.  James  H.  Lane  was  married  in  1841 
to  Miss  Mary  Baldridge,  a  grand -daughter  of  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair.  Of 
their  children  three  are  living  at  this  time:  Lieut.  James  H.  Lane,  late 
of  the  regular  army;  Thomas  Davies  Lane  and  Mrs.  Annie  E.  Johnson. 
GEO.  W.  LANE,  second  son  of  Amos  and  Mary  Lane,  was  born 
at  Burlington,  Ky.,  in  a  log-cabin  on  the  outskirts  of  that  village, 
November  7,  1812.  When  he  was  two  years  of  age,  his  parents  came  to 
Lawrenceburgh,  and  since  that  time  George  W.  has  had  his  residence  in 
Dearborn  County.  He  now  resides  west  of  Aurora,  in  an  old  fashioned, 
comfortable  and  substantial  brick  house,  on  an  elevation  commanding  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  valley  of  South  Hogan  Creek  and  distant  hills.  In 
«arly  life  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Lawrenceburgh.  While 
at  that  place,  he  erected  the  large  brick  bnsiness  house  on  High  Street, 
adjoining  the  Ferris  drug  store.  In  1834  he  was  one  of  the  first  direct- 
ors of  the  old  Lawrenceburgh  &  Indianapolis  Railroad  Company.  In 
December,  1835,  he  removed  to  Aurora,  and  while  there  devoted  his  time 
largely  to  building  up  the  material  and  educational  interests  of  that  pros- 
perous city.  At  the  time  Mr.  Lane  removed  to  Aurora,  nearly  all  the 
business  of  that  part  of  the  county  was  transacted  at  Wilmington.  Owing 
to  the  expenses  and  difficulty  of  crossing  the  different  streams  emptying 
into  the  Ohio,  above  and  below  Aurora,  there  was  little  travel  by  land  on 
the  river  road  through  the  town.  In  1836  he  built  a  bridge  across  the 
mouth  of  Hogan  Creek,  which  opened  the  way  of  communication  and 
travel  through  Aurora  to  Lawrenceburgh.  While  in  the  Legislature  Mr. 
Lane  obtained  charters  authorizing  the  construction  of  turnpike  roads 
from  Aurora  to  Dillsboro,  to  Hart's  Mill  and  to  Moore's  Hill,  the  last  via 
Wilmington;  these  were  soon  after  constructed  and  were  of  great  conven- 
ience to  Aurora.  While  in  the  Legislature  Mr.  Lane  aided  in  obtaining 
the  charter  for  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  and  on  the  organization 
of  the  company  for  its  construction,  he  was  made  one  of  the  first  direct, 
ors.  In  1850  he  became  the  owner  and  publisher  of  the  Lawrenceburgh 
Register.  In  1841  he  was  elected  the  first  auditor  of  Dearborn  County 
and  held  that  office  for  four  years.  He  was  elected  a  representative  in 
the  Legislature  in  1847,  and  again  in  1856.  Be  was  superintendent  of 
the  United  States  Mint  at  Denver,  and  also  assistant  treasurer  of  the 
United  States,  which  position  he  held  for  eight  years.    As  a  public  offi- 


808  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

cer  it  is  believed  that  his  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  the  public  and  his 
integrity  have  never  been  questioned  even  by  his  political  opponents. 
Educated  in  the  school  of  Andrew  Jackson,  in  politics,  he  is,  as  vras  his 
father,  a  Democrat,  but  is  not  a  narrow  partisan  and  has  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  men  of  all  parties.  In  Dearborn  County,  especially,  where  he 
has  been  so  long  and  so  well  known,  he  is  highly  esteemed,  not  only  as 
a  good  man,  but  also  as  a  man  of  ability.  He  has  l6ng  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  every  thing  relating  to  the  pioneer  times  and  early  history  of 
Dearborn  County  and  southeast  Indiana.  He  collected  and  preserved 
the  valuable  historical  papers  of  Dr.  Ezra  Ferris.  He  has  written  many 
interesting  and  important  sketches  of  local  history,  some  of  which  have 
been  published  in  the  Aurora,  Lawrenceburgh  and  Cincinnati  newspapers, 
and  he  has  furnished  important  contributions  to  this  volume.  Mr.  Lane 
is  now  living  in  the  peaceful  retirement  of  his  rural  home,  more  than 
three-score  and  ten,  yet  his  interest  in  current  events  is  unabated.  He 
is  a  man  of  medium  stature  with  animated  eyes,  and  in  personal  appear- 
ance is  said  to  strongly  resemble  his  distinguished  father.  He  is  the 
last  of  his  father's  family, which  once  held  a  high  position  in  the  aristoc- 
racy of  intellect  and  intelligence  in  the  |oId  county  of  Dearborn;  the 
rest  are  all  gone,  and  the  old  family  mansion  in  Lawrenceburgh,  in  which 
the  father  and  mother  entertained  Gen,  Jackson,  looks  as  if  it  too  would 
soon  go  to  the  dust  with  those  who  once  inhabited  it.  Geo.  W.  Lane 
was  married  to  Miss  Sally  Maria  Buell,  a  daughter  of  Salmon  D.  Buell, 
of  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  sister  of  Gen.  Don  Carlos  Buell.  Nine  children 
were  born  to  them,  two  of  whom,  Mary  E.  and  Buell  L.,  died  young; 
seven  are  living  viz. ;  Amos,  Anna,  George  B. ,  Mary  Eliza,  Gertrude  B. , 
Julia  and  Jane  Alma. 

JOHN  LANIUS,  of  Eising  Sun,  died  on  the  9th  of  April,  1846,  aged 
seventy-three  years.  He  emigrated  from  Reisterstown,  Md.,  in  1812, 
and  settled  in  Circleville,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1818,  when  he 
removed  to  Rising  Sun  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  at 
which  time  he  was  serving  as  the  village  postmaster.  Mr.  Lanius  was 
remarkable  for  habits  of  industry,  veracity  and  integrity  in  all  his  deal- 
ings with  his  fellow  men.  He  lived  with  the  widowed  relict  then  left  to 
mourn  his  loss,  fifty-two  years  in  the  strictest  harmony.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  The  writer  of  this  notice  has 
known  Mr.  Lanius  for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  he  verily  believes 
that  but  few  men  have  lived  so  many  years  and  left  as  many  examples 
worthy  of  imitation,  as  a  citizen,  a  neighbor,  a  patriot   and  a  Christian. 

R.  G.  LANGSDALE,  M.  D.,  a  popular  druggist  and  pharmacist, 
Rising  Sun,  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  in  1851,  He  was  educated 
at  Moore's  Hill  College,  and  for  seven  years  was  engaged  in  teaching 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  809 

"the  young  idea  how  to  shoot."  In  1879  he  entered  the  Ohio  Medical 
College,  of  Cincinnati,  and  took  a  thorough  course  in  the  study  of  medi- 
cine, graduating  March  4,  1881.  He  then  sold  out  his  interest  in  the 
drug  business  at  Florence,  Ind.,  and  located  in  the  same  year  in  Rising 
Sun.  In  Januaiiy,  1882,  he  purchased  a  stock  of  drugs  of  B.  F. 
Buchanan,  and,  since  that  date,  has  done  a  good  business  in  the  drug 
line,  keeping  a  full  stock  of  goods  peculiar  to  the  trade.  Dr.  Langsdale 
began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Drs.  Fairhurst  &  Mantle,  of  Vincennes, 
Ind.,  and  later,  with  Dr.  J.  M.  W.  Langsdale,  of  Florence,  Ind.  He 
now  confines  his  prof  essional  services  to  city  practice  exclusively.  In  the 
fall  of  1885  Dr.  Langsdale  was  married  to  Miss  Carrie  Enochs,  one  of 
the  most  prepossessing  young  ladies  of  Rising  Sun. 

GEORGE  H.  LANKFORD.  river  trader,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of 
Maryland,  born  in  Somerset  County,  November  29,  1832.  His  educa- 
tion was  very  limited.  His  parents,  Littleton  and  Adaline  (Townsend) 
Lankford,  were  born  in  Maryland,  the  father  in  1800  and  the  mother  in 
1802.  They  raised  a  family  of  six  children.  The  parents  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Chvirch,  in  which  the  father  was  an  officer  for 
years.  He  died  in  1858,  and  the  mother  in  1858.  George  H.,  in  early 
life,  left  the  farm  and  served  a  four  years'  apprenticeship  at  bricklaying, 
and  received  as  compensation  for  his  services  in  addition  to  the  knowl- 
edge acquired,  one  pair  of  boots.  He  came  to  Indiana  in  1855,  and  fol- 
lowed his  trade,  and  boarded  for  fourteen  years  at  the  Eagle  Hotel  in 
Aurora.  September  4,  1865,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Adaline  Pusey,who 
was  born  in  Maryland,  January  15,  1835.  Mr.  Lankford  began  operat- 
ing on  the  river  in  1859,  and  has  followed  flat  boating  and  steam-boating 
ever  since.  He  was  in  the  Government  service  for  three  years  as  pilot, 
and  ran  the  blockade,  at  Vicksburg,  in  perfect  safety,  without  even  a 
scratch.  He  holds  a  license  as  pilot  from  Cincinnati  to  New  Orleans. 
For  the  last  few  years  he  has  been  spending  his  winters  south.  Mr. 
Lankford  is  a  worthy  member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M., 
Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  Aurora  Council  and  Aurora  Commandry  No.  17, 
K.  T.      His  estimable  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

JAMES  E.  LARIMER,  editor  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Press,  the 
Republican  organ  of  Dearborn  County,  is  a  descendant  of  a  large  family 
of  that  name  who  were  pioneers  of  Fairfield  County,  Ohio;  his  father, 
James  Larimer,  having  been  born  and  reared  there.  The  family  subse- 
quently moved  to  Elkhart  County,  Ind.,  where  James  E.  was  born  in 
1840.  The  death  of  his  father  broke  up  his  home  when  he  was  seven 
years  of  age,  and  thereafter  he  knocked  about  with  the  ordinary  expe- 
rience of  a  homeless  orphan,  finally  picking  up  the  trade  of  blacksmith. 
Though  of  unbroken  Democratic  stock  he  was  an  abolitionist   from  the 


810  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

first.  When  the  war  began  he  laid  down  the  hammer  and  joined  the  first 
company  Ohio  sent  into  the  conflict,  Company  A,  First  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
three  days  after  his  time  had  expired.  It  was  his  company  that  first  de- 
veloped the  enemy,  and  his  regiment  that  caused  the  retreat  and  protected 
the  panic-stricken  mob  from  the  Black  Horse  Cavalry.  At  the  close  of 
the  three  months'  service  he  spent  all  his  money  to  enlist  men  for  three 
years,  and  when  sent  home  on  recruiting  service  in  1862,  he  spent  all  his 
wages  up  to  that  time  enlisting  men.  He  re-enlisted  as  a  veteran  in 
1863,  and  was  mustered  out  July  20,  1865,  having  been  in  many  of  the 
engagements  participated  in  by  the  Fourteenth  Corps  between  "Wildcat" 
in  1861  and  the  surrender  of  Johnston  in  1865;  and  the  only  per- 
sonal matter  he  takes  any  pride  in  is  the  fact  that  he  did  faithfully  what 
one  man  could  do  in  the  war  for  the  Union.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr. 
Larimer  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rhoda  Ward,  daughter  of 
William  S.  Ward,  ex-commissioner,  and  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed 
citizens  of  Dearborn  County.  Laura,  their  only  child,  is  now  ten  years 
of  age.  In  1866  and  again  in  1884  he  was  Republican  nominee  for 
representative  to  the  State  Legislature,  which  fact  attests  to  the  confidence 
placed  in  him  by  his  party.  In  1869  he  entered  the  internal  revenue 
service  as  ganger,  and  served  fifteen  years,  ranking  among  the  most  effi- 
cient officers  in  the  service.  His  best  friends  were  among  his  fellow 
officers  and  the  men  with  whom  he  had  to  do  officially.  In  1878  he 
purchased  the  Press  office,  which,  with  his  wife,  a  valuable  assistant,  he 
has  since  ably  and  successfully  conducted,  being  thoroughly  devotad  to 
his  party,  always  active  in  its  support,  and  fearless  almost  to  a  fault  in 
opposing  what  he  thinks  to  be  wrong.  Besides  his  newspaper  work,  Mr. 
Larimer  has  also  given  some  attention  to  the  manufacturing  interests  of 
Lawrenceburgh.  He  holds  some  stock  in  the  Ohio  Valley  Coffin  Company, 
to  the  success  of  which  he  has  contributed  his  full  share.  A  mind  serious 
and  philosophic,  firm  and  conscientious  in  his  convictions,  he  is  well  cal- 
culated for  usefulness  as  a  balance-wheel  of  public  sentiment  in  the  field 
of  labor  which  he  has  chosen. 

JOSEPH  LARKINS,  foreman  molder,  Ohio  &  Mississippi  shops, 
Cochran,  is  a  native  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  born  in  Cincinnati 
April  19,  1850.  He  obtained  a  common  school  education.  His  parents, 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (McGuire)  Larkins,  were  born  in  Ireland.  They 
came  to  America  in  1847,  locating  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  fol- 
lowed brick-making,  building,  contracting  and  farming.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  worked  on  the  farm  until  1865,  when  he  learned  plumbing 
and  gas  fitting,  at  which  he  worked  for  two  years;  then  clerked  in  a 
grocery  for  five  years.      In  1872   engaged   in  business  for  himself;   in 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  811 

1873  sold  out  and  came  on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Road;  in  1874  went  to 
I.e.  &  St.  L.Road,  worked  for  three  years  in  molder's  department;  August 
26,  1877,  retiirned  to  Aurora  and  worked  as  freight  hand  for  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Railroad;  December  14,  1878,  was  transferred  to  molder's 
department,  and  in  1881  was  promoted  to  foreman,  which  position  he 
has  held  ever  since.  He  was  married,  May  13,  1870,  to  Miss  Nellie  Dews, 
a  native  of  Aurora.  To  them  have  been  born  two  children:  Anna  and 
Robert. 

WIT;LIAM  G.  LAYCOCK,  retired  carpenter,  Hogan  Township, 
resides  in  Wilmington.  He  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  April 
3,  1802.  His  parents,  Nathan  and  Ann  (Gregory)  Laycock's  record  has 
been  lost,  but  the  father's  nativity  was  Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother's, 
Maryland.  They  wore  married  and  moved  to  Kentucky  in  1796,  and  in 
two  years  thereafter  to  Ohio,  where  they  raised  a  family  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren. He  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  under  Gen.  Harrison,  in  cavalry 
department,  and  furnished  his  own  equipments.  The  parents  were  both 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  William  G.  Laycock 
learned  the  tanner's  trade  in  boyhood.  Having  left  home  when  only 
fifteen  years  of  age,  he  knows  almost  nothing  about  his  ancestors.  He 
was  married,  February  17,  1822,  to  Miss  Nancy  Higbee,  who  was  born  in 
1806.  There  were  born  of  this  union  seven  children:  James,  Nathan, 
William,  Eliza,  Francis,  Charles  and  Ann  M.  The  mother  died  August 
25,  1846.  He  remarried,  October  3,  1847,  Mrs.  Ann  (Dreper)  Tufts, 
who  was  born  in  Temple,  Franklin  Co.,  Me.,  July  13,  1810.  She  came 
to  Indiana  in  1836.  They  have  one  child,  Olive  E.  Mr.  Laycock 
came  to  Indiana  in  1846,  and  has  resided  here  ever  since.  He  has 
framed  many  a  house  and  barn,  and  done  much  hard  work  in  his  day. 
He  is  a  member  of  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  also  Aurora  Council.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  was  steward  and  trustee 
when  the  church  was  built,  and  be  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in 
religious  matters. 

CHARLES  LEIBECKE,  druggist,  Aurora,  on  Second  Street,  where 
can  always  be  found  pure  drugs,  paints,  oils,  varnishes  and  glass,  surgi- 
cal instruments  and  surgeon's  supplies,  and  all  standard  pharmaceutical 
preparations,  was  born  in  Germany,  August  25,  1846,  where  he  received 
a  collegiate  education,  taking  a  special  course  in  chemistry  and  phar- 
macy. He  clerked  four  years  in  his  native  land,  and  came  to  America 
in  1864;  landed  in  New  York  and  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Forty-fifth 
Regiment  New  York  Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  In 
the  fall  of  1865  he  began  clerking  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  re- 
mained up  to  the  spring  of  1872,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Aurora,  and 


812  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

opened  up  his  present  business.  He  was  married,  December  4,  1873,  to 
Mitis  Christena  Wellman,  who  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  December 
10,  1848.  To  them  have  been  born  three  children:  Harry,  Charley  and 
Mamie.  The  members  of  the  family  are  identified  with  the  Catholic 
Church. 

WILLIAM  LEIVE,  watch-maker  and  dealer  in  jewelry,  silverware, 
books,  stationery,  wall  and  window  paper,  pianos,  organs,  etc.,  Aurora, 
was  born  in  the  Province  of  Hanover,  January  13,  1838,  where  he  re  - 
ceived  a  common  school  education.  His  father,  John  Leive,  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  July  7,  1817,  and  his  mother,  Anna  C.  G.  Ober- 
mueller,  was  born  in  the  same  province  in  1816.  They  came  to  America 
in  1860  and.  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  Germany,  the  father  of 
our  subjectj  followed  engineering,  and  in  this  country  farming.  The 
mother  died  January  13,  1873.  Mr.  Leive  came  to  Aurora  in  the  spring 
of  1861  and  worked  for  a  Mr.  Milburn,  with  whom  he  learned  his  trade. 
In  1865  he  began  business  for  himself,  and  gradually  worked  up  from 
nothing  to  his  present  truly  enviable  position  in  life.  He  was  married, 
October  24,  1867,  to  Sophia  F.  Resing,  a  native  of  Ohio.  She  was  born 
in  Cincinnati,  January  24,  1847.  To  the  marriage  three  children  have 
been  born:  Charles  H.,  December  6,  1868;  Alvina  M.,  August  26, 
1872,  and  William  H.,  August  15,  1874,  Mr.  Leive  and  family  are 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

JAMES  LIDDLE,  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  Miller  Township, 
was  born  in  Dearborn  County  in  1824.  His  father,  Steven  Liddle,  was 
a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  born  in  1780,  and  came  to  this  county  in 
1819,  bringing  his  father  with  him.  The  family  was  of  Scotch  and  En- 
glish parentage,  the  ancestors  having  been  residents  of  those  countries 
through  time  immemorial.  Steven  Liddle  was  a  local  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  had  considerable  reputation  in  a  local 
sense,  as  a  laborer  in  that  capacity.  He  purchased  land  in  Miller  Town- 
ship, and  did  quite  a  farming  business  in  connection  with  his  ministerial 
work.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  having  beea  Isabelle  Clark, 
who  died  in  England,  leaving  one  child — Elizabeth.  His  second  wife 
was  Sarah  Thompson,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children.  He  died  June 
27,  1851.  James  Liddle,  whose  name  begins  this  notice,  grew  to  matu- 
rity in  his  father's  home,  and  was  early  inured  to  the  toils  and  trials  of 
farm  life.  He  married,  in  1848,  Miss  Sarah  J.  Ewbank,  daughter  of  Mar- 
tin C.  Ewbank,  and  they  have  reared  six  children:  Charles,  Howard, 
Ella,  Anna,  Marian  and  Laura.  After  his  marriage  he  began  operations 
on  his  own  responsibility,  making  his  start  in  a  very  humble  manner  in- 
deed. His  first  purchase  of  land  was  made  about  1852,  and  consisted  of 
112   acres.     By  industry,  perseverance   and  good  management  he  has 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  813 

added  at  intervals  to  his  original  possessions  till  he  now  owns  480  acres, 
and  with  his  son,  600  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  has  always  dealt  quite 
extensively  in  stock,  and  the  rank  he  is  now  able  to  take  anaong  other 
farmers  of  the  county  is  sufficient  evidence  of  his  general  success.  The 
family  is  associated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

LEANDER  LINDSAY,  farmer  and  dairyman,  Washington  Township, 
was  born  in  Gallatin  County,  Ky. ,  December  23,  1843,  and  completed  .his 
education  at  Georgetown  College.  His  father,  Charles,  was  born  in  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  January  27,  1807,  and  immigrated  to  Kentucky  when 
quite  young,  where  he  followed  farming  and  school  teaching.  The 
mother,  Minerva  Williams,  was  born  in  Scott  County,  Ky.  They  were 
married  in  1837,  and  raised  a  family  of  five  children.  His  father  was 
sheriff  for  four  years  in  Gallatin  County,  Ky. ,  and  made  a  prompt  and 
efficient  officer.  Mr.  Leander  Lindsay  began  farming  in  Center  Town- 
ship in  1855,  and  located  in  Washington  Township,  where  he  now  resides, 
in  1872.  He  was  married,  April  12,  1870,  to  Miss  Harriet  J.  Dils,  who 
was  born  in  Centre  Township,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  January  22,  1843. 
Five  children  resulted:  William  L.,  born  February  24,  1871,  died  March 
5,  1872;  Mary,  born  February  9, 1873;  Paul,  born  May  11, 1878;  Gracie, 
born  March  16,  1882.  Mr.  Lindsay  is  a  member  of  Pleasant  View 
Grange  No.  237.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
He  has  a  fine  herd  of  Alderny  cows,  and  splendid  facilities  for  taking 
care  of  the  milk.  He  churns  by  horse-power,  and  makes  a  specialty  of 
furnishing  his  patrons  with  good  butter  and  rich  buttermilk.  He  was 
raised  a  farmer,  but  has  found  his  present  employment  more  lucrative 
than  tilling  the  soil,  hence  he  devotes  his  time  and  talent  to  the  butter 
and  buttermilk  business,  which  he  began  in  1877. 

JOHN  F.  LINDSAY,  retired,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  May  16,  1823,  and  received  an  ordinary  English  education.  His 
father,  Thomas  Lindsay,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1793,  and  came  to 
Aurora  in  1811,  and  followed  carpentering  up  to  1829,  when  he  returned 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  lived  unti.1  his  death,  in  1870.  The  mother,  Eliz- 
abeth (Fulton)  Lindsay,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  came  here,  in 
1798,  with  her  father.  Judge  Samuel  Fulton,  son  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier, 
who  was  one  of  the  first  associate  judges  of  Ohio  County,  Ind. ,  and  served 
for  many  years  as  justice  of  the  peace.  John  F.,  at  the  age  of  ten  years, 
began  the  carpenter  trade,  and  followed  it  up  to  1882.  He  was  married, 
September  3,  1845,  to  Lucinda  Powers;  she  was  born  in  Boone  County, 
Ky.,  July  21,  1824.  Mr.  Lindsay  moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1852, 
and  remained  until  1870;  then  returned  to  his  native  playgrounds,  and 
now  resides  on  the  place  where  he  was  born.  He  owns  twenty-three  acres 
of  land  within  the  city  limits,  and  has  opened  a  stone  quarry  upon  the 


814  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

same,  and  superintends  the  business  himself.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  and  he  of  the  Universalist  Church.  Mr,  Lindsay  is 
a  well-preserved,  elderly  gentleman,  and  bids  fair  for  many  years  of 
usefulness  to  his  family  and  friends. 

THOMAS  O.  LINDSAY,  attorney,  real  estate  and  insurance  agent, 
Aurora,  ofi6.ce  on  Main  Street  in  Dr.  Henry's  block.  Mr.  Lindsay  was 
born  in  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  October  17,  1849,  and  completed  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  His  father,  John  F.,  was  born 
in  Aurora,  Ind.,  May  16,  1823;  mother,  Lucinda  (Powers)  Lindsay,  was 
born  in  East  Bend,  Boone  Co.,  Ky.,  July  21,  1824.  In.  1865  Thomas  O. 
began  the  carpenter  trade,  which  he  followed  for  years,  and  became  a 
very  successful  architect.  In  J  870  he  came  to  Aurora  as  contractor  and 
builder,  and  has  built  over  180  houses,  including  the  Opera  House,  all  of 
which  stand  as  monuments  to  his  skill  and  ability  as  an  architect  and 
builder.  Mr.  Lindsay  abandoned  manual  labor  in  1881,  and  engaged 
in  his  present  business.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1882.  He  was 
married,  in  1877,  to  Miss  Vina  Cunningham;  she  was  born  in  Wilming- 
ton January  17,  1854.  To  them  was  born  one  child — Lillian.  He  is  a 
member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Chosen  Friends 
Lodge  No.  13,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  also  Harmony  Lodge  No.  69,  K.  of  P. 

JOB  LITTLE,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  the  same, 
March  20,  1828.  His  parents,  Elias  and  Kebecca  (Mulford)  Little,  were 
both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  migrated  from  then ce  to  Dearborn  County  in 
a  very  early  day,  settling  on  the  same  farm  on  which  our  subject  now 
lives.  They  were  among  the  early  pioneers  of  this  county,  and  at  the 
time  the  settlement  was  made  the  county  was  almost  an  unbroken  wilder- 
ness. The  father  died  in  1869,  his  wife  having  died  in  1829.  He  was 
afterward  married  to  Mrs.  Nancy  Hubbard,  who  died  about  1843,  and  he 
then  married  Betsy  Shedd,  who  still  survives.  He  was  the  father  of 
twenty-one  children,  namely:  Mulford,  Ephraim,  William,  Archibald, 
Julia,  Phebe,  Mary,  Martha,  Esther  and  Job,  by  his  first  wife;  Jackson, 
Rebecca,  Myer,  Sarah,  Amos,  Elias  and  David  by  second  wife,  and 
George,  John,  Aan  and  Elizabeth  by  third  wife.  Our  subject  purchased 
the  old  homestead  after  his  father's  death,  where  he  has  always  resided. 
He  was  married  in  Sparta  Township,  in  1850,  to  Elizabeth  Lind- 
say, by  whom  he  had  born  to  him  two  children,  viz.:  Elias  W.  and 
Esther  J.,  the  latter  deceased.  Mrs.  Little  died  in  1854,  and  in  the 
same  year  he  married  Harriet  Lindsay,  a  sister  of  the  first  wife,  by  whom 
he  has  had  nine  children,  viz.:  James  F.,  Sarah  F.,  Archibald,  Ebben 
B.,  George  B.,  William  A.,  Charles  S.,  Oscar  E.  and  Fladilla  M. 

CHARLES  LODS,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  was  born  in  France 
January   15,    1825.     His   parents  were   John  P.   and  Mary  Lods.  both 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  815 

natives  of  France,  where  they  married  and  from  where,  in  1827,  they 
immigrated  to  the  United  States.  Landing  at  New  York  City;  from  there 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  they  came  by  flat  boat,  the  mother  dying  on  the 
way,  the  father  came  immediately  to  Dearborn  County,  settling  in  Logan 
Township,  where  he  purchased  land  and  was  married  to  Margaret 
Christopher.  In  1837  he  moved  to  Kelso  Township,  purchasing  the 
farm  and  settling  where  our  subject  now  lives,  and  where  he  resided 
until  death.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children,  viz.:  Susan,  Cather- 
ine, Joseph,  Elizabeth,  Rosanna,  James,  Charles  and  Louisa.  Charles, 
our  subject,  came  with  his  father  to  this  township,  where  he  was  united 
in  marriage,  May  16,  1850,  to  Isabelle  Hudson,  who  was  born  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  March  3,  1824,  a  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Ann  Hud- 
son. After  his  marriage  be  settled  on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  at 
present  lives  and  has  resided  principally  since.  He  was  elected  township 
assessor  of  Kelso  Township  in  1855,  and  in  1860  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature.  In  1872  he  was  elected  treasurer  of  Dearborn  County, 
which  office  he  held  two  terms.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lods  are  parents  of  five 
children,  viz.:  Louisa  (deceased),  born  March  2,  1851;  Elizabeth,  born 
September  8,  1853;  Catherine,  born  October  15,  1855;  Charles  J.,  born 
September  29,  1862;  Josephine,  born  April  26,  1866.  Mr.  Lods  owns 
240  acres  of  fine  land,  well  improved.  He  holds  a  high  rank  in  the  cit- 
izenship of  his  township,  and  in  both  his  legislative  and  official  career 
he  has  merited  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  interested. 

CHRIST  LOMMEL,  Lawrenceburgh,  the  able  superintendent  and 
treasui-er  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Furniture  Manufacturing  Company,  was 
born  in  Germany,  in  1834,  and  grew  up  to  early  manhood  in  his  native 
country.  In  1851  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  soon  after 
located  at  Lawrenceburgh.  He  was  variously  employed  till  1868,  when 
he  began  operations  with  the  above  named  company,  with  which  he  has 
since  been  connected.  Mr.  Lommell  is  among  the  foremost  citizens  of 
Lawrenceburgh,  both  in  civil  affairs  and  business  enterprise,  having  for 
some  time  represented  one  of  the  wards  in  the  city  council,  of  which  he 
is  at  present  a  member.  He  was  married,  in  1868,  to  Miss  Lena  Kirsch, 
by  whom  he  has  seven  children  living,  namely:  Louise,  Charles,  Katie, 
Henry,  Edward,  Tina  and  Arthur.  Amelia  is  deceased.  Mr.  Lommel  is 
a  member  of  the  Druid's  society,  and  a  gentleman  of  excellent  standing 
as  a  citizen. 

NIMROD  LOTTON,  grocer,  Lawrenceburgh,  born  in  Ohio  County, 
Ind.,  in  1837,  is  a  son  of  William  and  Julia  (Jenkins)  Lotton.  He  grew 
to  maturity  in  his  native  locality,  in  whose  schools  he  obtained  the  rudi- 
ments of  an  education.  He  resided  on  a  farm  till  1866,  when  he  removed 
to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  engaged  in   the   cooperage    business,  operating 


816  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

from  fifteen  to  twenty  workmen.  In  1873  the  panic  brought  on  reverses 
which  compelled  him  to  curtail  his  business,  and  he  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  beer  casks  till  1882,  when  he  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business,  in  which  he  still  continues.  Mr.  Lotton  was  married,  July  29, 
1869,  to  Luella  G.  fSwope,  who  was  reared  in  Lawrenceburgh,  and  three 
years  teacher  in  the  public  schools.  Her  father  was  James  Swope,  a 
merchant  of  Lawrenceburgh  for  twenty  live  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lotton 
have  two  children:  lola  G.  and  William.  Mr.  Lotton  was  four  years  a 
member  of  the  city  council,  and  is  generally  regarded  as  an  enterprising 
business  man. 

BENJAMIN  F.  LOTTON,  Rising  Sun,  dealer  in  groceries  and 
provisions,  was  born  in  Ohio  County  in  1854.  He  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Lucy  (Mendell)  Lotton,  both  natives  of  the  same  county.  He  grew 
up  on  the  farm  with  his  parents,  remaining  under  the  care  of  the  pater- 
nal roof  till  twenty-three  years  of  age.  He  obtained  a  good  practical 
education  in  the  common  schools,  and  at  Moore's  Hill  College,  with  a 
short  term  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  Normal  School,  and  subsequently  taught 
eight  terms.  For  about  four  years  he  was  engaged  during  the  summer 
seasons  in  running  a  wholesale  and  retail  dry  goods  and  notion  wagon. 
In  November,  1883,  he  established  himself  in  the  grocery  and  provision 
trade  in  Rising  Sun,  where  he  has  since  conducted  a  profitable  business, 
making  a  specialty  of  goods  in  job  lots. 

JOHN  LOFTUS,  farmer,  of  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Ireland 
in  May,  1827.  His  parents,  W^illiam  and  Catherine  (Collins)  Loftus, 
were  also  natives  of  Ireland,  and  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  viz. : 
Patrick,  America,  Thomas,  William,  Mary,  and  John,  our  subject,  the 
second  member  of  the  family.  He  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1848,  landing  at  New  Orleans  in  May  of  that  year.  Shortly  afterward 
he  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  amd  from  thence  to  Aurora,  Ind. ,  where 
he  was  married  to  Betsy  Heflfrein,  by  whom  he  has  reared  four  sons,  viz. : 
Michael,  John,  James  and  Thomas.  In  about  1865  Mr.  Loftus  pur- 
chased and  moved  on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
owns  140  acres  of  fine  land,  well  improved,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  thrifty  agriculturists  of  the  township. 

HENRY  LONGCAMP,  farmer  of  Clay  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  May  14,  1843.  His  parents,  Frederick  and  Mary 
(Sheibumb)  Longcamp,  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  and  immigrated 
to  Dearborn  County  in  the  year  1843,  settling  in  Cesar  Creek  Township, 
where  he  died  in  Febraary,  1881,  his  widow  subsequently  moving  to  Ris- 
ing Sun,  Ind.,  where  she  now  resides.  Their  children  were  Frederick, 
Mary,  Henry,  Eliza,  Louisa,  Minnie,  William  and  Rosena.  Henry,  our 
subject,   enlisted  in  the  war    August  14,  1862,  in  Company  E,  Eleventh 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  817 

Kentucky  Cavalry,  as  a  private,  and  served  until  July  15,  1865,  at  which 
time  he  was  discharged  and  returned  home,  where  he  was  married,  March 
14,  1867,  to  Catherine  Rullman,  who  was  born  in  Dearborn  County 
June  28,  1846.  Shortly  after  his  marriage  he  purchased  and  settled  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns 
ninety-six  and  a  half  acres  of  fine  land.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  are  parents  of 
three  children:  Henry  W.,  deceased;  John  H.  and  Annie  M. 

GEORGE  C.  LONGENECKER,  farmer  and  grain  dealer,  Harri- 
son Township,  was  born  in  this  township  January  12,  1861.  His  parents, 
Solomon  and  Mary  (McManaman)  Longenecker,  were  natives  of  Adams 
County,  Penn.,  and  this  county  respectively.  His  paternal  grandpar- 
ents came  to  this  county  with  their  children  about  1845-46,  his  father 
being  then  a  small  boy,  though  he  became  a  prominent  farmer,  owning 
512  acres  of  land.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  a 
time,  and  in  all  his  enterprises  was  quite  successful.  He  reared  four  chil- 
dren: Rebecca  H.,  Solomon,  Mary  E.  M.  and  George  C  He  died 
September  13,  1884.  His  wife  still  survives  and  resides  at  Metamora, 
Ind. ,  with  her  son  and  two  daughters.  Geoi'ge  C. ,  our  subject,  grew  to  the 
age  of  seventeen  on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  now  temporarily  resides. 
In  1877  he  moved  to  Metamora  with  his  parents,  and  was  then  married. 
May  27,  1884,  to  Hattie  L.  McGuire,  of  that  place,  daughter  of  Dr. 
William  W.  and  Angeline  (Martindale)  McGuire.  Since  his  marriage  Mr. 
Longenecker  has  been  engaged  in  this  township  in  farming  and  buying 
grain  and  stock  at  Longenecker  Station.  He  is  a  young  man  of  energy, 
good  character,  and  good  business  qualifications. 

OTHO  LOWE,  an  energetic  farmer,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was 
born  in  Dearborn  County  in  1844.  He  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm,  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  in  1863  married  Mary  S.  Guard, 
and  began  business  on  his  own  responsibilities.  He  rented  land  a  few 
seasons  and  in  1879  made  a  purchase  to  which  he  has  since  added  till  he 
now  owns  about  238  acres,  ranging  in  value  from  $40  to  $100  per  acre. 
In  1879  Mr.  Lowe  was  married  to  Bartha  Wamsley,  daughter  of  Moses 
B.  Wamsley,  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  his  first  wife  having  passed  away 
previously,  leaving  three  children:  William,  Lucy  and  Anna.  Mr.  Lowe 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  farmers  of  Dearborn  County. 
He  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  one  of  the  earliest  settlers.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  holds  a  ranking  position  in  the  citizenship  of  his 
community. 

FREDERICK  F.  LUCAS.  Among  the  pioneers  of  Lawrence- 
burgh, Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  was  Frederick  F.  Lucas,  a  Frenchman  of 
education  and  culture,  a  watchmaker  and  jeweler  by  occupation,  a  native 
of  Rennes,   France,  and    son    of  (ex-notary  public)  John  Baptiste  and 


818  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Elizabeth  Lucas  (nee  St.  Clare),  two  families  of  distinction  in  that  city 
occupying  official  positions  in  the  Government,  church  and  army.  To 
them  were  born  seven  children — three  sons  and  four  daughters — namely: 
John  Baptiste,  Frederick  Francis,  Charles  August,  Johanna  Elizabeth, 
Marie  Angelique,  Anna  Marie  and  Marie  Josephine.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  years  Frederick  enlisted  in  the  French  Army,  under  Napoleon, 
and  followed  the  fortunes  of  that  illustrious  leader  through  the  last 
scenes  of  his  warfare.  He  was  one  of  the  sufferers  of  the  terrible  scourge, 
the  small-pox,  which  so  weakened  the  army,  and  fought  at  the  battle  of 
Waterloo.  After  Napoleon's  defeat,  political  differences  caused  him, 
with  many  others,  to  immigrate  to  the  United  States,  arriving  at  Baltimore 
about  1817,  where  he  remained  some  time  and  learned  the  trade  of  watch- 
maker. From  there  he  removed  to  Marietta,  Ohio,  then  to  Cincinnati, 
and  from  there  to  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  in  the  year  1820  where  he  set- 
tled for  life.  In  1824'  he  married  Letitia  Nethery,  a  granddaughter  of 
Maj.  Walter  Craig,  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  who  was  an  officer  of  tbe  Revo- 
lution and  for  meritorious  services  rendered  at  the  battle  of  Brandywine» 
was  awarded  a  large  tract  of  land,  to  which  she  is  an  heir.  To  Frederick 
and  Letitia  Lucas  were  born  five  children — three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
The  two  youngest  sons  died  in  childhood.  The  daughters,  Mrs.  Laura 
M.  Cheek  and  Mrs.  Josephine  A.  Dumont,  are  still  living. 

GEN.  THOMAS  J.  LUCAS,  postmaster  at  Lawrenceburgh  and  native 
of  that  city,  was  born  in  1826.  His  parents,  Frederick  F.  and  Letitia 
(Nethery)  Lucas,  are  mentioned  in  the  above  sketch.  Ho  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Lawrenceburgh,  in  which  city  also  he  learned 
the  jeweler's  trade  with  his  father,  and  for  many  years  he  conducted  that 
business.  His  father,  born  and  reared  during  the  period  of  the  greatest 
military  excitement  of  France,  and  directly  under  the  influence  of  the 
genius  of  the  great  Napoleon,  of  whom  he  was  a  great  admirer,  trans- 
mitted to  his  son,  in  no  mean  degree,  the  tastes  and  talents  of  the  soldier. 
At  the  early  age  of  seveteen  years  he  enlisted  as  drummer  boy  in  the 
Mexican  war,  joining  Company  C,  Fourth  Kegiment  Indiana  Volun- 
teers, commanded  by  Willis  A.  Gorman  and  was  soon  promoted  to  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  acting  at  one  time  as  assistant  commissary  and  later  in  the 
service  as  adjutant.  He  served  the  first  year  of  the  war  under  Gen. 
Taylor  and  subsequently  under  Gen.  Scott,  and  participated  in  several 
spirited  engagements.  In  the  month  of  August,  1847,  he  was  landed  at 
Vera  Cruz  and  marched  to  the  City  of  Mexico  in  pursuit  of  Santa  Anna. 
He  fought  in  the  battles  of  Broken  Bridge,  Cerro  Gordo,  Wamantla, 
Eclisco,  Pueblo  and  various  other  minor  engagements.  After  the  close 
of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  home  and  former  occupation  in  Lawrence 
burgh.     In  1848  he  married  Miss  Ann  E.   Munson,  who  has  since  borne 


I 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  '  819 

him  live  children— three  sons  and  two  daughters— the  latter  only  now  liv- 
ing: Mrs.  Emma,  wife  of  Frederick  Kinsinger,  of  Cincinnati,  and  Miss 
Florence  F.,  who  is  still  at  home.  Mrs.  Lucas  was  a  daughter  of  Ira 
Munson,  a  pioneer  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio.  Her  parents  came  orig- 
inally from  New  Jersey,  entered  land  in  Hamilton  County,  losing  five 
of  their  children  by  death  from  disease  during  the  first  year  of  their  set- 
tlement there.  Gen.  Lucas  continued  the  jewelry  business  in  Lawrence - 
burgh  till  1861,  April  18,  of  which  year,  ^on  theeveut  of  the  fall  of 
Sumter,  he  began  the  organization  of  a  company  for  military  service. 
From  this  time  until  mustered  out,  January  15,  1866,  he  did  efficient 
service  for  the  Government,  being  almost  constantly  in  the  field,  and  ever 
ready  to  do  his  whole  duty  in  whatever  department  assigned  him.  The 
following  editorial,  taken  from  the  Lawrenceburgh  Press  of  September 
24,  1885,  is  a  brief  but  concise  summary  of  his  military  record  during 
the  late  war  and  will  give  the  reader  a  fair  iaea  of  his  military  capacity 
and  of  the  extent  of  the  invaluable  services  rendered  his  country  during 
those  tremendous  times:  "A  man  more  modest  with  respect  to  his  military 
services  never  drew  a  sword.  Few  even  in  his  own  county  know  that  he 
was  the  most  distinguished  officer  it  produced,  and  at  least  equaled  any  man 
of  his  state.  This  was  partly  because  of  his  reluctance  to  parade  his  rank 
and  his  work,  but  more  because  that  part  in  which  his  capacity  was 
proved  and  he  earned  the  notice  of  his  commanders,  was  in  the  far  South, 
and  overshadowed  by  the  nearer  and  greater  operations  of  Sherman  and 
Grant.  Pages  of  newspapers  made  us  familiar  with  the  Atlanta  and  the 
Richmond  campaigns,  where  a  line  got  in  about  the  details  of  Banks'  and 
Canby's  operations.  We  knew  the  Red  River  campaign  was  a  failure  for 
which  Banks  was  responsible,  but  we  never  heard  of  the  Custer  of  that 
bootless  but  bloody  march.  *  *  *  * 

A  strong  Democratic  partisan  when  the  war  begun,  he  was  not 
deceived  or  misled,  as  to  his  duty,  an  instant.  He  went  for  the  flag,  and 
made  no  constitutional  quibble.  He  helped  organize  two  companies  here, 
raised  a  third,  was  elected  captain,  joined  the  Sixteenth  Indiana,  and 
because  of  his  qualifications  was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel.  In  the 
battle  of  Ball's  Bluff,  made  as  a  diversion  to  cover  another  move,  he  cov- 
ered the  retreat  across  the  Potomac  with  1,100  men,  and  retired  in  the 
last  boat.  His  capacity  here  made  him  a  colonel,  and  he  was  sent  home 
to  reorganize  his  one  year  regiment  into  a  three  years  one.  Before  it  was 
fairly  seasoned  he  met  Kirby  Smith's  invading  army  at  Richmond,  Ky. , 
and  though  defeated  as  the  little  force  was  certain  to  be,  the  Sixteenth, 
on  account  of  confidence  in  its  commander,  met  the  brunt  of  the  fight  in 
trying  to  delay  Smith's  advance,  to  give  time  for  our  forces  to  gather, 
and  in  the  first   of   three  fights    in    one    day,     lost    200    killed    and 


820  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

wounded.  Reorganizing  again  after  the  wounded  were  well  and  the 
captured  exchanged,  he  went  to  Grant  and  fought  in  all  the  operations 
about  Vicksburg,  generally  in  advance  on  account  of  the  good  discipline 
and  drill  of  his  command.  He  was  wounded  three  times  in  charges  on 
the  works  of  Vicksburg,  but  never  left  the  front.  After  the  surrender  he 
was  sent  to  New  Orleans  and  put  in  command  of  a  brigade  of  cavalry, 
and  did  the  cavalry  service  for  Franklin's  operations  in  the  Teche  coun- 
tiy.  While  the  work  was  of  a  skirmishing  character,  it  was  wide  spread 
and  deveolped  his  military  instinct.  In  the  winter  of  1863-64  and  spring 
of  1864,  in  the  Red  River  campaign,  he  commanded  two  brigades  of 
cavalry  and  two  batteries,  in  the  advance,  fighting  every  day.  Many  of 
these  engagements  were  small  cavalry  battles,  and  they  always  ended 
in  the  enemy  being  swept  from  the  field  by  the  skill  and  dash  of  his 
forces.  After  Banks  met  the  rebel  army  at  Pleasant  Hill  and  was 
defeated,  rather  by  his  own  fears  than  by  the  enemy,  and  ordered  the 
withdrawal,  Lucas  covered  the  retreat  of  the  demoralized  forces,  and  to 
turn  and  charge  the  pursuing  and  jubilant  enemy  was  of  almost  hourly 
occurrence.  At  Alexandria  Banks  was  driven  into  the  works,  but  the 
same  force  that  drove  him  in  was  repulsed  and  driven  off  the  field  by 
Lucas'  pluck  and  his  skill  in  handling  his  division.  Indeed  a  historian 
of  this  campaign,  in  the  St.  Louis  Globe- Democrat,  declares  that  but  for 
Lucas'  courage  and  capacity  with  cavalry,  Banks'  army  would  have  been 
ruined  if  not  captured.  From  Alexandria  to  the  Mississippi  Lucas  had 
the  advance,  to  clear  the  way  of  the  enemy  that  had  surrounded  Banks. 
After  this  campaign  he  was  commissioned  a  brigadier- general  on  the 
recommendation  of  officers  who  had  seen  his  fitness  for  cavalry  work 
With  a  division  of  cavalry  he  entered  upon  the  campaign  of  Mobile,  and 
his  rapidity  and  strategy  so  confused  the  enemy  that  he  thoroughly  invested 
Fort  Blakely  and  was  about  to  charge  it  when  Gen.  Steele's  infantry 
arrived.  After  the  fall  of  Blakely,  Lucas  was  brevetted  major-general 
'for  meritorious  conduct, '  and  sent  to  intercept  the  expected  retreat  of 
the  Mobile  forces;  and  at  an  engagement  at  Claiborne  two  rebel  regi- 
ments were  utterly  annihilated.  Seventy-five  of  the  prisoners  captured 
had  sabre  wounds,  showing  the  sort  of  fighting  that  was  done.  Being 
chief  of  an  independent  command  reporting  direct  to  Canby  and  receiv- 
ing orders  direct  from  him,  Lucas  raided  western  Florida,  southern 
Georgia,  and  Alabama,  destroying  railroads,  munitions  of  war,  and  cap- 
turing or  routing  the  troops  that  tried  to  protect  them.  Being  in  middle 
Mississippi  when  hostilities  ceased,  he  marched  west  to  Vicksburg, 
mustered  out  his  command,  whose  time  was  expired,  and  was  himself 
ordered  to  New  Orleans  to  await  the  issue  of  the  threatened  complica- 
tions with  the  French   in   Mexico;  and  not  until  that  threatened  cloud 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  821 

passed  was  he  ordered  to  be  [iiustered  out,  January  15,  1866.  Sheridan, 
who  was  on  the  Mexican  frontier,  had  heard  of  him,  and  had  indicated 
to  Canby  that  he  was  the  sort  of  man  he  might  want."  Since  the  close 
of  the  war,  which  diminished  rather  than  increased  his  fortunes,  Gen. 
Lucas  has  been  variously  employed.  Four  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
United  States  revenue  service.  In  1881  he  was  appointed  postmaster 
at  Lawrenceburgh,  and  the  business  of  that  office  he  has  since  faithfully 
attended  to.  Though  an  ardent  Democrat  prior  to  1881,  he  has  since 
that  date  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party. 

STEPHEN  LUDLOW,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  an  early  pioneer  of 
Dearborn  County.  He  was  born  at  Long  Hill,  Morris  Co.,  N.  J.,  May 
5,  1778.  He  emigrated  West  with  his  parents  in  1789,  and  settled  in 
Columbia.  His  father,  John  Ludlow,  was  the  first  sherifi  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio,  appointed  in  1790.  Mr.  Ludlow,  in  the  seventeenth  year 
of  his  age,  entered  upon  the  duties  of  assistant  United  States  surveyor 
with  his  uncle,  Isaac  Ludlow,  and  upon  his  death  continued  with  his 
uncle,  William  Ludlow,  and  served  in  this  capacity  for  the  period 
of  twelve  years,  surveying  in  the  Western  wilderness.  On  the 
dissolution  of  partnership  between  Isaac  Dunn  and  John  R.  Beaty 
in  1808,  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with  Isaac  Dunn  in  the 
mercantile  business,  and  continued  it  until  1819;  during  that  period  he 
made  several  trips  to  New  Orleans,  and  walked  back  through  the  Indian 
nations  that  were  between  here  and  there,  and  several  trips  East  to  buy 
goods.  He  was  married  to  Misa  Porter,  daughter  of  John  Porter,  Esq. 
After  her  decease  he  married  Miss  Leah  Ann  Bell.  He  was  appointed 
one  of  the  commissioners  by  the  Legislature  of  Indiana  in  1820,  to  make 
a  selection  of  the  four  sections  granted  by  Congress  to  the  State  for  a 
seat  of  government.  The  commissioners  met  at  the  junction  of  Fall 
Creek  and  White  River  in  June,  1820,  and  after  an  examination  of  the 
country  made  their  selection  of  the  present  site  of  Indianapolis,  June  7, 
1820.  Mr.  Ludlow  was  a  stout,  robust  man,  above  the  medium  size.  By 
his  untiring  energy,  perseverance  and  economy,  he  became  one  of  the 
wealthiest  men  of  the  county,  a  useful  citizen,  a  good  neighbor,  kind  and 
affectionate  husband  and  father.  He  died  March  22,  1855,  lamented  by 
all  who  knew  him. 

JOHN  R.  LYNN,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  was  born  in  the 
same,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  July  28,  1842.  He  attended  common 
school  and  completed  his  education  at  Farmer's  College  in  Ohio.  He 
is  also  a  competent  and  well  qualified  book-keeper,  having  graduated 
February  22,  1861,  in  Bacon's  Commercial  College.  In  early  life  he 
kept  books  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  clerked  on  steamboats,  and  settled  down 
to  farming  in  1876.      Mr.  Lynn  was   married,  August  31,  1875,  to  Miss 


822  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Kate  Hannah,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  March  8,  1853. 
Their  three  children  are  Mabel  V.,  born  September  2,  1876;  Jessie  R., 
born  June  10,  1878;  Julia  F.,  born  June  16,  1880.  Mrs.  Lynn's  father, 
William  I.  Hannah,  was  born  in  Delaware,  March  18,  1804,  and  her 
mother,  Maribah  (Barricklow)  Hannah,  was  bom  in  Pennsylvania  Sep- 
tember 24,  1811.  They  were  married  February  26,  1826,  and  raised  four 
sons  and  four  daughters.  The  father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  but  followed 
farming  up  to  his  death,  September  4,  1881.  His  parents  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Lynn's  father  was  born  on 
Arnold's  Creek,  Ohio  County,  and  died  April  2,  1868.  His  mother,  Eliz- 
abeth (Walker)  Lynn,  was  born  in  Washington  Township.  Mr.  Lynn  is 
an  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  member  of  Hartford  Lodge  No.  151,  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  was  elected  W.  M.  of  Hartford  Lodge  in  December,  1882,  and  re- 
elected each  following  year  up  to-  the  present,  which  proves  his  good 
qualities  as  a  presiding  officer,  and  that  he  is  duly  appreciated  by 
the  brethren.  He  is  truly  a  self-made  man.  Mrs.  Lynn  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

ROBERT  LYTLE,  foreman  in  blacksmith  shops  of  the  Ohio  &  Miss- 
issippi Railroad,  Cochran,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  was  born  in 
County,  Tyrone,  April  17,  1847,  and  received  only  a  common  education. 
His  parents,  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Mills)  Lytle,  were  born  in  same 
locality.  The  father  came  to  America  in  1847,  and  mother  in  1849, 
locating  in  Aurora,  Ind.  The  former  was  a  linen  weaver  by  trade,  and 
died  March  29,  1855.  The  mother  resides  in  Aurora,  and  is  enjoying 
good  health,  being  now  about  seventy  years  of  age.  The  subject  of  our 
sketch  has  always  worked  hard,  and  never  sought  preferment.  He  lived 
economically,  and  gave  nearly  every  dollar  of  his  hard  earnings  to  his 
good  mother  up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage.  In  1860  he  began  as  a 
laborer  at  T.  &  J.  W.  Gaff' s  Mill,  and  in  1864  commenced  the  black- 
smith trade  under  William  McClelland.  In  June,  1864,  he  changed  to 
Steadman's  Foundry  and  worked  until  1865;  then  engaged  with  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  Company  at  the  Cochran  shops  to  complete  his 
trade.  In  1876  he  was  promoted  to  foreman  of  the  blacksmith  shops, 
and  has  held  the  position  ever  since.  Mr.  Lytle  was  married.  May  4, 
1880,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Treon.  She  was  born  in  Bartholemew  County, 
Ind.,  April  2,  1860.  By  the  union,  one  child — Jennie  T. — has  been 
born.  Mr.  Lytle  is  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M. , 
Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  Chosen  Friends  Lodge  No.  13,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
Aurora  Commandery  No.  17,  and  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
DANIEL  S.   MAJOR,  see  page  154. 

JUDGE    SOLOMON   MANWARRING,   late  of    Dearborn   County, 
died  in  Logan   Township    February,  1836,  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of   his 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  823 

age.  He  emigrated  from  the  State  of  Delaware  to  this  county  in  1803, 
and  about  1810  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  members  of  the  Legisla- 
tive Council  of  Indiana  Territory,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  the 
change  of  government,  with  the  universal  approbation  of  his  immediate 
constituents  and  the  Territory  generally.  In  1812  Judge  Manwarring 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  convention  for  Dearborn  County,  which 
framed  the  State  constitution.  After  the  change  of  government  he  was 
elected  an  associate  judge  of  the  Dearborn  Circuit  Court  for  two  suc- 
cessive periods  of  seven  years  each,  which  position  he  tilled  with 
punctuality  and  to  the  universal  satisfaction  of  those  who  placed  him  in 
that  position.  "  Judge  Manwarring  was  hospitable,  charitable,  and 
invariably  kind  to  all  his  acquaintances,  punctual  and  honest  in  all 
his  dealings,  sincere  in  his  friendships;  he  may  be  truly  pronounced  one 
amongst  the  'noblest  works  of  God '  —an  honest  man."  He  died  univer- 
sally regretted  by  all  who  knew  him. 

CHARLES  MARMET,  York  Township,  was  born  in  Hamm,  Prov- 
ince of  Westphalia,  Prussia,  November  1,  1821.  He  received  a  good 
education  in  his  native  country  and  in  1850  sailed  for  America,  landing 
in  New  York,  August  15,  of  that  year.  He  came  direct  to  Cincin- 
nati, where  after  clerking  about  two  years  in  a  commission  house,  he  es- 
tablished himself  in  the  commission  business  in  1852,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother,  Florence.  The  business  of  the  firm  was  soon  extended 
to  New  Orleans,  where  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time  till  the 
beginning  of  the  civil  war,  when  he  returned  to  Cincinnati  and  retired 
from  the  commission  business  to  the  farm  near  Yorkville,  where  his 
widow  now  resides.  He  was  married  August  18,  1863,  to  Rosa  Ege,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Ege,  one  of  the  old  and  esteemed  residents  of  York- 
ville. Her  father  was  born  in  Alsace,  France,  in  1813,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Barbara  (Ober)  Ege.  He  married,  in  1839,  Magdalena  Heim- 
burger,  daughter  of  John  G.  Heimburger,  and  in  1833  immigrated  to 
America,  came  to  Indiana  and  located  where  he  has  since  resided.  In 
1862  Mr.  Marmet  purchased  the  farm  where  Mrs.  Marmet  now  lives, 
and  here  he  made  his  home  till  his  death  in  1881.  They  had  seven 
children,  four  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  living  are  Florence,  Wil- 
helmina  and  Matilda.  Mr.  Marmet  was  an  enterprising  farmer,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Church  and  left  behind  him  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

CHARLES  H.  MARSH,  foreman  machinist,  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
8hops,Cochran  Town^ip,is  a  native  of  Dearborn  Conn ty,Ind., born  Decem- 
ber 9,  1845,  and  received  a  good  common  school  education.  His  parents, 
Zachariah  and  Mary  (Decker)  Marsh,  were  natives  of  Ohio,  and  New 
York.  He  followed  the  river  as  mate  and  captain.  Charles  went  to  his 
trade  in  1864,  in    the  ;^Ohio  &  Mississippi  shops  at  Cochran.      In  June, 


824  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1883,  he  was  promoted  to  foreman,  and  has  worked  in  the  same  shop 
since  1864.  He  was  married  May  22,  1879,  to  Miss  Alice  A.  Forsythe, 
a  native  of  Illinois,  and  to  them^has  been  born  one  son,  Carl  W., 
March  2,  1880.  Mr.  Marsh  served  nine  months  in  Company  H,  Ninety- 
first  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  is  a  member  of  Aurora 
Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13.'  His  estimable 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

HENRY  V.  MARSHALL,  farmer,  was  born  in  Sparta  Township, 
December  3,  1822.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Lydia  (Cook)  Mar- 
shall, natives  of  England  and  New  York,  the  former  an  only  child  born 
to  Samuel  and  Mary  Marshall,  of  London,  England.  He  was  born  in 
London,  May  29,  1789.  His  parents  died  when  he  was  very  young,  and 
he  was  brought  up  by  his  uncle  and  aunt,  and  when  about  eleven  years 
of  age  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  New  Y'"ork  City, 
where  he  afterward  engaged  in  the  mercantile  trade,  and  he  was  there 
united  in  marriage  to  the  above  Lydia  Cook,  who  was  born  in  August, 
1790.  In  1818  they  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  settling  on 
a  quarter  section  of  land  in  Sparta  Township,  where  they  afterward 
resided  until  death.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  viz.: 
Joseph,  Samuel,  George,  Henry  V.,  Harriet,  Jane,  James  and  Charlotte. 
H.  v.,  our  subject,  was  married  in  Sparta  Township,  March,  1844,  to 
Jane  Hodshier,  by  whom  he  had  nine  children,  viz. :  Augusta,  Hattie, 
Charles  L.  (deceased),  Cordelia,  Clark,  Eva  M.,  Seward  L.  Morton  and 
Clarence.  Mrs.  Marshall  died  in  August,  1879,  and  in  June,  3883,  Mr. 
M.  married  Mrs.  Anna  S.  Parks,  widow  of  John  Parks,  deceased,  and 
to  them  were  born  two^  sons:  Howard  and  Thomas.  In  1852,  Mr.  Mar- 
shall went  in  company  with  sixteen  other  men  from  Chesterville  to 
California,  where  he  remained  about  twenty-five  months  and  engaged  in 
trading,  after  which  he  returned  to  this  county.  He  owns  160  acres  of 
land.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  a  straight- 
forward citizen. 

CHARLES  MARTIN,  proprietor  of  billiard  hall  and  the  Germania 
Assembly  Rooms  on  Second  Street,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany, 
July  23,  1847,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education.  His  father 
was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1823,  and  died  in  1877.  His  mother,  Magdalena 
(Riedinger)  Martin,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  and  died  in  1851.  The  father 
was  a  book-binder  and  printer.  Mr.  Martin  came  to  America  in  1863,  and 
located  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  where  he  worked  at  cigar- making  up  to 
1873.  He  was  then  appointed  to  the  free  delivery  department  of  United 
States  mail  service  in  Poughkeepsie,  at  which  he  continued  until  May,  1874, 
when  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars]^for  himself,  continuing 
eighteen    months.       He   next  came  to  Aurora,    where    he    engaged    in 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  825 

the  same  business.  In  1876  he  began  his  present  business,  at  which  he 
has  since  continued.  He  was  married  February  12,  1873,  to  Miss  Louisa 
Bauer,  daughter  of  Charles  Bauer,  who  was  born  April  6,  1852.  Five 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  namely:  Lizzie  H.,  Charles  G.,  Will 
iam,  Gus  and  Edna.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  P.  and  Druid 
organizations. 

PHILLIP  L.  MATHEUS,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  December  2, 
1829,  at  Klingenmlinster,  near  Landau,  in  Rhenish  Bavaria,  Germany, 
and  was  the  youngest  son  of  Wendel  Matheus  and  his  third  wife, 
Katharina  F.  Conradi;  her  father,  George  M.  Conradi,  was  em- 
ployed as  surveyor  and  geometrical  engineer  to  lay  out  the  frontier 
line  of  France  and  Germany,  between  Alsace  and  Rhenish  Bavaria. 
Our  subject  was  educated  at  the  village  school  and  the  college  at 
Bergzabern,  a  few  miles  from  Rome,  leaving  school  at  fourteen  to 
clerk  in  a  store  in  the  latter  city.  After  three  jears  of  hard  work 
here  he  obtained  a  situation  in  the  city  of  Manheim,  on  the  Rhine. 
While  in  the  latter  city  Mr.  Matheus  took  sufficient  part  in  the  political 
revolution  of  1847-48-49  to  make  it  necessary  for  him  to  flee  the  coun- 
ry,  as  did  such  men  as  Hecker,  Struve,  Blind  and  others,  some  of  whom 
were  his  playmates  in  boyhood.  Accordingly  he  left  the  "Vaterland, " 
April  16,  1850,  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  in  June  of  the 
same  year  located  in  Lawrenceburgh.  Here  he  has  since  resided,  except 
four  years  (1857-61),  in  Boonville,  Mo.,  engaged  in  merchandising.  He 
has  been  employed  as  salesman  in  a  number  of  different  establishments, 
built  the  "Rossville  Exchange,"  and  for  a  time  operated  the  old  brewery 
— always  industrious  and  true  to  the  interests  of  his  employers.  From 
September,  1862,  to  1866,  he  served  as  assistant  revenue  assessor  for 
Dearborn  County,  and  in  the  latter  year  was  elected  city  treasurer  of 
Lawrenceburgh,  serving  eleven  years  and  declining  further  service,  at 
the  same  time  acting  as  city  civil  engineer.  In  1863  was  Independent 
candidate  for  county  auditor,  and  though  defeated,  polled  a  large  vote; 
in  1869  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Porter  to  sell  the  Omer  Tousey  estate; 
in  1873  was  chosen  cashier  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  National  Bank,  and 
served  three  years  without  being  asked  for  a  bond,  "and  carried  the  bank 
through  the  panic  of  'black  Friday'  without  trouble  or  loss."  In  the  fall 
of  1873  Mr.  Matheus  took  stock  in  the  Dearborn  Furniture  Company, 
which  finally  led  him  into  an  investment  with  the  McLean  Chair  Com- 
pany. The  failure  of  the  latter  enterprise,  caused  by  the  floods  of  1882- 
83-84,  and  the  general  depression  of  business,  turned  him  back  to  the 
insurance,  European  steam  passage  and  exchange  agency  business,  in 
which  he  is  now  engaged  in  connection  with  the  Matheus  &  Minick  Fil- 
ler   Company,    manufacturers    of  wood    tillers,    wood    stains,   etc.     Mr. 


826  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Matheus  was  lirst  married,  in  1855,  to  Margaret  Hauck,  daughter  of 
Johannes  Hauck,  a  teacher  in  the  German  schools,  and  their  children 
were  Emil  F.,  who  was  born  April  30,  1856,  and  died  in  1875,  having 
spent  two  years  in  school  in  Germany,  and  later  assisting  his  father  as 
clerk  iu  the  bank;  Louisa  M. ,  who  died  at  two  years  of  age;  Gustave  G., 
born  in  Boonville,  Mo.,  in  1860,  married  Anna  Kleinhans;  Louis  L., born 
in  Lawrenceburgh  in  1862;  Charles  W.,  born  in  1864;  Matilda  M.,1869; 
Albert  G. ,  born  in  1873,  and  died  in  infancy.  The  cherished  mother  of 
these  children  passed  away  June  16,  1873,  in  her  forty-third  year.  After 
being  ten  years  a  widower,  April  12,  1883,  Mr.  Matheus  was  married  to 
Miss  Mina  Hertle,  who  was  born  at  Bergzabern  in  1842,  niece  of  Dr. 
Daniel  Hertle,  of  German  literary  fame,  and  an  estimable  wife  of  ex- 
perience and  decision.  In  this  country  "Mr.  Matheus  had  one  brother 
and  two  sisters:  Fritz,  Katharina  and  Henrietta,  the  latter  only  living. 
His  mother  immigrated  here  in  1856  and  was  buried  in  the  old  cemetery 
at  Lawrenceburgh  in  1860.  In  the  formation  of  societies  Mr.  Matheus 
has  been  quite  prominent,  having  assisted  in  organizing  the  first  singing 
society  in  1852;  the  Turn  Verein  in  1853;  Columbia  Grove  of  Druids, 
1853;  Fortuna  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  1867;  the  German  Building  Company. 
1869;  was  director  in  the  gas  company,  and  is  one  of  the  incorporators 
of  Greendale  Cemetery.  He  is  a  member  of  the  German  Pioneer  Soci- 
ety of  Cincinnati. 

JAMES  D.  McADAMS,  farmer,  of  Cass  Township,  a  native  of  Ohio 
County,  born  in  Cass  Township,  March  12,  1820,  is  a  son  of  Sooter  and 
Ann  (Downey)  McAdams,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Ohio 
when  children  in  an  early  day  with  their  parents,  and  settled  at  Colum- 
bia, where  they  grew  to  maturity,  he  being  apprenticed  to  learn  the 
shoe-making  trade  at  Lebanon,  Ohio.  They  were  married  in  Ohio,  and 
in  1819  removed  to  Indiana,  and  settled  in  Hartford,  Union  Township, 
but  soon  after  removed  into  Cass  Township,  and  settled  in  the  Downey 
neighborhood,  where  they  resided  several  years;  thence  returned  to 
Union  Township,  where  in  August,  1854,  Mrs.  McAdams  died,  aged 
fifty-five.  He  died  in  1874,  aged  eighty-two  years.  He  had  followed  his 
trade,  that  of  a  shoe-maker,  the  greater  portion  of  his  life;  had  pro- 
cured a  small  yet  comfortable  home,  but  a  few  years  prior  to  his  death, 
suffered  a  severe  loss  by  the  burning  of  his  house,  upon  which  he  had  no 
insurance.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  one  of 
the  number  who  volunteered  to  enter  Canada,  and  make  aggressive  war- 
fare there,  and,  as  a  reward  at  the  close  of  the  war,  received  a  discharge 
giving  special  credit  for  that  daring  feat,  of  which  his  descendants  may 
well  feel  proud.  He  was  twice  married,  and  the  father  of  twenty- three 
children.     By  the  above,  his  first  wife,  he  had  eighteen  children;  sixteen 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  827 

grew  to  near  maturity;  seven  now  survive,  viz. :  Elizabeth,  now  widow 
of  Walter  Suits;  James  D. ;  Catharine;  Susanna,  wife  of  Lyman  Smith; 
Sooter;  Mary,  wife  of  John  Ake,  and  Walter  S.  By  his  second  wife, 
Elizabeth  Mulford,  he  had  five  children.  James  D.  McAdams,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biography,  was  the  first  child  born  to  his  parents  after  they 
settled  in  Ohio  County,  and  here  grew  to  manhood,  brought  up  to  his 
father's  trade,  which  business  he  followed  several  years;  then  he 
entered  upon  farming  and  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Ohio  County. 
The  farm  where  he  now  lives  he  purchased  in  1867.  It  consists  of  190 
acres  with  good  improvements.  December  31,  1843,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Downey,1born  in  New  Kichmond,  Ohio, 
April  16,  1826,  a  daughter  of  Amos  and  Mary  (Sargeant)  Downey,  she 
being  their  only  child.  By  this  union  they  have  had  five  daughters, 
three  now  living:  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Samuel  Scott;  Fannie  A.,  wife  of 
John  B.  Cowles,  and  Susanna,  wife  of  William  T.  Wilbur.  Mr.  Mc- 
Adams is  one  of  the  prominent  and  well  to  do  farmers  of  Cass  Town- 
ship. Starting  in  life  a  poor  boy,  by  his  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment, with  the  help  of  a  frugal  wife,  he  has  accumulated  a  comfortable 
fortune. 

GEORGE  McAROY,  druggist  and  pharmacist,  Rising  Sun,  Tnd., 
was  born  in  Franklin,  Warren  County,  Ohio,  in  1835.  His  parents  were 
George  and  Sarah  (Bowne)  McAroy;  both  were  natives  of  Monmouth 
County,  N.  J.  His  father  was  a  physician,  born  in  the  town  of  Cran- 
berry in  1790,  and  a  graduate  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  and  served  as  assistant  surgeon  during  the  war 
of  1812,  with  Great  Britain,  and  stationed  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  with  a 
corps  of  physicians  and  surgeons.  The  family  came  to  Franklin,  Ohio, 
in  1820,  where  the  parents  died.  Our  subject  grew  to  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years  in  his  native  town,  and  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  where  he 
learned  the  drug  business,  which  he  has  ever  since  conducted.  In  1856 
he  went  east  to  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  where  he  remained  one 
year;  came  to  Rising  Sun  in  1857.  In  the  latter  place  Mr.  McAroy  has 
since  carried  on  a  successful  business,  which  he  has  gradually  gained  by 
carefulness  and  efficiency  in  his  semi-professional  business.  His  establish- 
ment is  complete  in  every  particular,  and  is  kept  in  order  and  style  in  a 
manner  equal  to  a  first-class  city  drug  store.  Mr.  McAroy  also  owns  a 
one  half  interest  in  the  large  drug  house  of  H.  J.  Marshall  &  Co., 
Aurora,  Ind. ;  his  interests  are  represented  by  his  son.  Will  B.  McAroy. 
Mr.  McAroy  was  married  in  1858  to  Eliza  J.  Best,  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  (Green)  Best,  one  of  the  old  families  of  Ohio  County.  His 
grandfather,  Samuel  Best,  emigrated  from  London,  England,  in  a  very 
early  day,  and  on    arriving  in  this  country    located  in  Cincinnati,  where 


©lis  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

he  was  associated  in  business  with  Nicholas  Longworth  and  other  pio- 
neers of  that  city.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McAroy  have  been  born  nine  chil- 
dren: Nellie,  Bella  H.,  William  B.,  George,  Harry,  Sarah  B.,  Charles, 
Margaret  E.  and  Tetta.  Mr.  M.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  one 
of  the  most  wide-awake  citizens  of  Rising  Sun.  His  dwelling  house, 
which  is  located  on  High  Street,  in  one  of  the  pleasant  parts  of  the 
town,  is  characterized  by  the  good  tast-e  and  neatness  peculiar  to  his 
business  establishment,  being  provided  with  a  fine  conservatory  and 
other  arrangements  of  elegance  and  convenience. 

NEWTON  McCLAIN,  proprietor  of  St.  Charles  Hotel,  Aurora. 
On  the  20th  of  April,  1885,  ilr.  McClain  took  charge  of,  and  assumed 
all  the  duties  as  landlord,  of  the  above  house.  He  has  been  engaged  in 
the  hotel  business  since  1874,  first  at  Versailles,  next  at  Osgood  With 
his  past  experience,  the  traveling  public  will  be  carefully  looked  after, 
and  their  every  want  supplied.  Mr.  McClain  was  bom  in  Eipley  County, 
Ind.,  October  29,  1836,  and  received  a  common  school  education.  His 
parents,  John  and  Jane  (McCormick)  McClain  were  born  in  Virginia, 
and  immigrated  to  this  State  in  early  life.  Newton  McClain  was  mar- 
ried, August  27,  1856,  to  Miss  Eunice  M.  Crandell,  a  native  of  Dearborn 
County.  By  the  union  four  children  have  been  bom,  namely:  Anna  B., 
Elizabeth,  Agnes  and  Charles.  Mr.  McClain  left  the  farm,  in  1852,  and 
engaged  in  milling  at  Friendship,  where  he  continued  up  to  1874.  He 
is  a  member  of  Friendship  Lodge  No.  36,  F.  &  A.  M. ,  and  has  also 
taken  chapter  degrees. 

ROBERT  A.  McCONNELL,  merchant,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Belfast, 
Ireland,  June  3,  1851.  His  parents  were  William  E.  and  Mary  (Strain) 
McConnell,  mention  of  whom  is  made  below,  our  subject  completed  his 
education  at  Bloomington,  this  State,  and  taught  school  from  1S68  to 
1871,  then  accepted  a  position  as  book-keeper  and  cashier  for  Gaff,  Lozier 
&  Co.,  which  he  held  with  pleasure  to  himself,  and  to  the  entire  satisfac- 
tion of  his  employers  until  1879,  when  he  engaged  in  business  for  him- 
self, carrying  a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  In  May,  1882,  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  George  A.  McAvoy,  and  opened  an  extensive  clothing 
house  in  Lawrenceburgh,  which  Mr.  McAvoy  superintends.  Both 
stores  are  doing  a  successful  and  prosperous  business,  which  the  firm 
justly  merits.  Mr.  McConnell  was  maiTied,  June  3,  1872,  to  ^liss  Ella 
F.  Trester  (daughter  of  Capt.  Martin  Trester),  who  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  December  20,  1855.  By  their  marriage  two  children: 
Laura  F.  and  Mabel  M.  have  been  born.  Mr.  McConnell  is  a  member  of 
Aurora  Lodge  No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13  and 
Aurora  Commandry  No.  17.  He  and  his  estimable  wife  belong  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  is  one   of    the  trustees.     His 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  829 

place  of  business  is  in  Mitchel's  block  on  Second  Street,  and  upon  his 
shelves,  and  counters,  can  be  found  a  full  assortment  of  imported,  and 
domestic  piece  goods,  and  goods  from  his  house  are  always  guaranteed 
to  give  satisfaction,  as  repi'esented.  In  addition  to  his  other  business, 
he  represents  fire  and  life  insurance  in  the  best  companies  of  this  and 
foreign  countries. 

WILLIA.M  R.  McCOXNELL,  real  estate  agent  and  collector,  Aurora, 
was  born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  September  16,  1821,  where  he  received  a 
common  school  education.  His  parents,  James  and  Agnes  (Kennedy) 
McCoonell  were  natives  of  Ireland,  died  years  ago.  Our  subject  came  to 
America  in  1844,  and  located  in  Lawrenceburgh  with  Daniel  Majors, 
where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1846,  at  which  time  he  returned 
to  his  fatherland,  and  was  married,  May  19,  1846,  to  Miss  Mary  Strain, 
a  native  of  Belfast,  who  was  born  June  26,  1822.  Eight  childi-en  were 
born  to  the  marriage,  namely:  James  R.,  Robert  A.,  Mary  J.,  Agnes, 
John,  Thomas,  Carrie  and  TTilliam  E.  Father  McConnell  returned  to 
Lawrenceburgh,  in  1856,  with  his  family,  and  farmed  up  to  1865,  when 
they  moved  to  Aurora,  and  he  endeavored  to  earn  a  livelihood  in  an  easier 
manner.  For  seven  years  he  served  the  people  of  Aurora  as  constable. 
He  has  also  served  as  assessoi-,  and  during  1884-85,  as  deputy.  Him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  They  are 
highly  respected  citizens. 

TVILLIAM  McCOXNELL,  farmer.  Washington  Township,  was  bom 
in  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  February  20,  1831,  and  immigrated  to  this 
county  with  his  parents,  April  20,  1839,  and  received  his  education  at 
Farmers  College,  Cincinnati.  His  parents,  Maj.  John  McConnell  and 
Martha  Robinson,  were  natives  of  Fayette  County,  Penn.,  his  father 
born  in  1797.  After  his  wife's  death,  the  Major  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Robbins,  a  native  of  Allegheny  County,  Penn.,  born  in  1801.  She  died 
March  21,  1843,  and  he  March  26,  1864.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  William  McConnell  was  married  October  27, 
1869,  to  Miss  Dorothea  Beckett,  a  native  of  this  township,  bom  July  10, 
1849,  and  daughter  of  Joe  S.  Beckett.  Mr.  McConnell  owns  154  acres 
of  valuable  land,  which  he  is  engaged  in  cultivating,  having  followed 
agricultural  pursuits  chiefly  during  his  life.  He  is  comfortably  situated 
and  seems  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  industry.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  McCon- 
nell are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHX  C.  McCULLOUGH,  druggist  and  at  present  stamp  deputy  in 
the  Sixth  Indiana  District  revenue  oflBce,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of 
Washington  County,  Penn.,  born  in  1850.  At  the  iige  of  five  years  he 
removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  and  resided  in  Belmont  and  Morrow 
Counties  up  to  1867.     He  then  came  to  Indiana,  where  he  has  since  been 


830  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

chiefly  engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Osgood  and  Lawrenceburgh, 
having  been  now  eleven  years  in  the  latter  place.  Mr.  McCuUough  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  at  the  Ohio  Central  College,  at 
Iberia.  He  has  served  four  years  as  clerk  of  the  city  of  Lawrenceburgh, 
and  in  July,  1885,  was  appointed  stamp  deputy  in  the  revenue  office  un 
der  Dr.  Hunter  at  Lawrenceburgh,  now  discharging  the  duties  of  that 
position.  Mr.  McCullough  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Louisa  Koons,  of 
Vincennes,  Ind.,  daughter  of  Charles  T.  Koons,  a  prominent  official  of 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad.  They^have  three  children:  Edwin  C, 
John  and  William.  Mr.  McCullough  is  an  elder  and  active  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  is  district  president  of  the  Sunday-school 
union,  and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

MARTIN  McDERMOTT,  tie  inspector  for  the  Ohio  &  Mis- 
sissippi Railroad,  with  headquarters  at  Aurora,  Center  Township, 
was  born  at  White  Park,  Ireland,  November  1,  1852.  He  com- 
pleted his  education  by  graduating  from  Christian  Brothers'  Semi- 
nary. In  1872  he  came  to  America,  and  located  in  Boston.  In  the  fall 
of  same  year  he  moved  to  Aurora,  where  he  worked  as  common  laborer 
for  awhile,  then  as  section  boss,  next  as  gang  foreman,  and  in  1880  was 
promoted  to  his  present  responsible  position,  which  he  has  held  for  the 
entire  road  ever  since.  By  being  patient  and  thorough,  coming  up  step 
by  step,  successfully'mastering  every  undertaking,  he  has  achieved  a  rep- 
utation in  railroad  circlesj'and  justly  merits  his  present  position.  Octo- 
ber 20,  1875,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Bannon,  who  was  born  in 
Cochran,  Ind.,  May  20,  1854.  Unto  them  have  been  born  three  children, 
namely:  Thomas,  born  September  1,  1876;  James,  born  March  12,  1879; 
Mary,  born  February  21,  1882.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church.     He  is  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's  Benevolent  Society. 

ENOCH' McELFRESH,  Hardiutown,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was 
born  in  Dearborn  County  in  1841.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  McElfresh,  who 
located  in  this  county  about  1835,  and  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm  with 
his  parents.  In  1863  he  married  Eliza  Miller,  daughter  of  Mahlon  and 
Eliza  (Hayes)  Miller,  and  began  operations  as  a  farmer  on  his  own  re- 
sources. He  has  since  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  has  met 
with  fair  success,  now  owning  sixty  acres  of  good  land.  Mrs.  Eliza  Mc- 
Elfresh passed  away  in  June,  1866,  and  in  December,  1867,  Mr.  Mc. 
was  married  to  Jane  Marquett,  a  native  of  this  county  and  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Priscilla  (Miller)  Marquett.  They  have  five  children:  Sam- 
uel, Eliza  M..  Joseph,  Helen  B.  and  Mary.  Four  others  ai'e  deceased. 
Mr.  McElfresh  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  a  citizen  in  good 
standing  in  his  community. 

SAMUEL  McElfresh,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Ohio  Valley 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  831 

Cofl&D  Company,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  near  this  place  January  22, 
1844  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Abigail  McElfresh,  were  natives  of 
Kentucky  and  this  county  respectively,  his  grandfather,  Job  McElfresh, 
being  one  of  the  first  to  settle  in  this  locality.  His  father  died  of  lock- 
jaw in  1876,  his  mother  still  surviving.  Mr.  McElfresh  passed  bis  early 
years  on  the  farm  and  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the  common  schools, 
supplementing  this  by  taking  a  course  in  the  commercial  college,  of  Cin- 
cinnati. In  1865  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  engaged  as  clei-k  and 
book-keeper  in  a  grocery  establishment  in  which  he  continued  three 
years,  then  purchased  the  store  in  partnership  with  a  Mr.  Beckman  and 
remained  in  the  business  one  year  as  proprietor.  He  was  next  employed 
in  the  Rossville  Distillery  as  book-keeper  at  the  same  time,  having  an  inter- 
est in  the  cattle  fed  at  the  establishment.  He  operated  in  this  manner 
two  years,  then  began  buying  grain  for  the  distillery,  following  this 
work  about  four  years,  when  he  took  stock  in  the  Ohio  Valley  Coffin 
Factory,  with  which  he  has  been  connected  since  1875.  Mr.  McElfresh 
was  married  in  September,  1868,  to  Helen  HoDister,  of  Lawrenceburgh, 
daughter  of  Russel  and  Alvira  Hollister,  who  are  still  residents  of  the 
place.  Their  two  children  are  Harry  J.  and  George  R.  Mr.  McElfresh 
is  a  man  of  sterling  qualities  both  as  a  citizen  and  business  man,  and 
he  has  doubtless  contributed  a  full  share  to  the  success  of  the  manufac- 
turing establishment  with  which  he  is  identified. 

CAPT,  JOHN  McGUIRE,  superintendent  of  the  Aurora  Distilling 
Company,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  September  16,  1810, 
where  he  received  a  good  common  school  education.  His  father, 
John  Q.  McGuire,  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  September  25, 
1819,  and  his  mother,  Margaret  (Cole)  McGuire,  was  born  in  Ohio 
County,  Ind.,  near  Rising  Sun,  September  30,  1822.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  1839.  The  father  was  a  prosperous  farmer  and  resided  in  Ohio 
County  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  The  mother  died  June  11,  1885. 
Capt.  McGuire  was  raised  on  a  farm  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  went 
to  Missouri,  where  he  remained  for  six  years,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Ohio  County,  where  he  farmed  and  traded  up  to  1872.  In  1872  he 
was  elected  sheriff  of  Ohio  County,  and  served  two  years,  March  18, 
1873,  he  moved  to  Aurora  and  took  charge  of  the  Aurora  Distilling  Com- 
pany as  its  superintendent,  which  position  he  has  since  held.  In  1883 
the  Captain  took  an  interest  in  the  business,  and  has  been  vice-president 
in  addition  to  superintendent  since  that  date.  He  was  married,  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1863,  to  Miss  Margaret  Grace,  a  native  of  Ohio  County,  Ind. 
(daughter  of  Capt.  John  W.  Grace).  By  the  marriage  the  following 
children  have  been  born:  Harry,  born  June  14,  1864;  Everett,  born 
November  18,  1866,  and  Grace,   born  October  14,  1872.     His  wife  died 


832  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

July  30,  1875,  and  he  was  married,  December  16.  1877,  to  Miss  Sue 
Grace,  also  a  native  of  Ohio  County,  Ind.  This  union  has  been  blessed 
with  one  child,  Peninah,  born  January  2,  1881.  Capt.  McGuire  all 
through  life  has  been  an  active,  enterprising  business  man,  and  by  his 
own  industry  and  correct  business  management  has  secured  a  compe- 
tency as  a  reward  for  his  labors.  He  is  the  true  type. of  an  honest  man 
and  worthy  citizen.  Ail  his  investments  have  proved  successful,  and  of 
great  benefit  to  the  community  in  which  he  has  resided.  He  has  always 
taken  a  great  interest  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  has  been  president  of 
the  Dearborn  County  Agricultural  Society  for  the  last  three  years.  The 
society  has  prospered  under  his  careful  and  energetic  management.  He 
is  a  member  of  Hartford  Lodge  No.  151,  F.  &  A.  M. 

MICHAEL  McGUIRE,  Pike  Township,  treasurer  of  Ohio  County, 
was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  in  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Mc- 
Guire, who  was  born  in  the  same  county.  The  latter,  his  father,  was 
a  son  of  Maj.  James  McGuire,  elsewhere  mentioned  in  this  work,  and  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  living  his  entire  lifetime,  except  three  years  in  Iowa, 
from  1855  to  1858.  After  the  formation  of  Ohio  County,  in  1844,  he 
moved  into  the  same  and  here  he  died.  He  married  Sarah  Reser, 
daughter  of  Michael  Reser,  and  they  reared  six  children  to  matur- 
ity: Susanna,  Michael,  Margaret,  James,  Ada  and  John  R.  Mrs. 
McGuire  was  born  near  Frankfort,  Ky.  Michael  McGuire,  whose 
name  introduces  this  sketch,  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm.  In 
1861  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Thirty-seventh  Indiana,  and  served 
three  years,  taking  part  in  many  of  the  most  important  battles,  among 
which  were  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  and  others  in  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign. He  left  the  army  at  Jonesboro,  his  time  of  service  expiring,  and 
received  his  discharge  in  1864.  Returning  home  Mr.  McGuire  engaged 
about  three  years  in  saw-milling  and  farming,  engaging  in  the  latter  oc- 
cupation exclusively  after  that  time  to  the  present,  except  during  his 
ofl&cial  career.  In  1880  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff,  re-elected 
in  1882,  and  m  1884  to  the  treasurer's  office,  which  he  now  holds.  His 
farm  in  Pike  Township  comprises  172  acres,  and  he  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  substantial  farmers  of  Ohio  County.  His  official  career  is  sufficient 
evidence  of  his  standing  as  a  citizen  and  his  record  as  a  public  servant. 
Mr.  McGuire  was  married,  in  1866,  to  Missouri  A.  Burgess,  an  accom- 
plished daughter  of  John  G.  Burgess,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a  resident 
of  Dearborn  County.  Their  only  son  and  child  is  Newton  J.  Mr.  Mc- 
Guire is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  I  O.  O.  F.  and  G.  A.  R. 

WILLIAM  J.  McHENRY,  lumber  dealer,  Aurora,  office  on  Main 
between  Importing  and  Second  Streets,  was  born  at  Martin's  Ferry, 
Belmont  Co.,  Ohio,  November  5,  1839,  and  obtained  a  common    school 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  833 

education.  His  father,  Basil  N.  McHenry,  was  born  in  Wheeling,  "W. 
Va.,  February  18,  1814.  and  his  mother,  Olive  G.  (Wells)  McHenry,  was 
bom  in  1821.  His  parents  were  married  May  18,  1837;  mother  died  in 
1876,  and  the  father  is  retired.  William  J.  followed  the  river  as  flat- 
boatman  for  a  few  years,  and  in  1863  enlisted  in  the  Ninety-first  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  served  one  year,  then  entered  gunboat  service,  and 
remained  until  the  close  of  the  war,  after  which  he  returned  to  Aurora, 
and,  in  1866,  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  at  which  he  has  continued 
ever  since.  He  was  married,  October  15,  1867,  to  Miss  Carrie  A.  Gresey, 
who  was  born  in  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  June  10,  1849.  By  the  union 
two  children,  Charles  B.  and  William  J.,  Jr.,  have  been  born.  Mr.  Mc- 
Henry is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.,  and  his  wife  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

TIMOTHY  McHENRY,  of  Rising  Sun,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the 
Anderson  and  McHenry  Omnibus  Line,  was  born  in  Switzerland  County, 
Ind. ,  in  1849.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Jane  McHenry,  both  natives 
of  Ohio,  and  with  his  parents  he  worked  on  the  farm  till  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  obtaining  a  practical  education  in  the  common  schools. 
He  worked  at  farming  for  wages  after  his  maturity,  continuing  in  this 
manner  till  1879,  when  he  purchased  a  half-interest  in  the  Anderson  Bus 
Line,  with  which  he  has  since  been  connected.  In  1882  he  established  a 
livery  and  feed  stable,  of  which  he  is  sole  proprietor,  and  which  he  is  still 
keeping  in  operation  to  a  good  advantage,  having  a  first-class  outfit  in 
horses  and  vehicles.  Mr.  McHenry  is  a  reliable  citizen,  and  the  start  he 
has  gained  in  the  business  world  has  been  made  by  discreet  management 
and  the  hard  labor  of  his  own  hands. 

JOSEPH  McHENRY,  of  Rising  Sun,  son  of  Joseph  and  Jane 
McHenry,  was  born  in  Switzerland  Co.,  Ind.,  in  1856.  He  was  reared 
on  the  farm  and  remained  with  his  parents,  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, till  his  father's  death,  July  12,  1882.  The  family  then  moved  to 
Rising  Sun,  where  they  now  reside,  and  Mr.  McHenry  engaged  with  the 
firm  of  Anderson  &  McHenry,  in  whose  employ  he  has  since  been 
retained.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  a 
young  man  of  sterling  qualities  as  a  citizen.  Mr.  McHenry  obtained 
the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  common  schools,  and  he  has  always 
sustained  a  reputation  for  industry  and  good  habits  generally. 

C.  A.  McINTYRE,  jeweler,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  the  Dominion 
of  Canada  in  1862.  He  is  a  son  of  J.  A.  Mclntyre,  a  furniture  dealer 
of  Aurora,  in  which  latter  city  he  grew  from  childhood  to  maturity. 
His  early  years  were  spent  in  attending  the  Aurora  public  schools  and 
assisting  his  father  in  the  furniture  business,  in  which  he  still  controls 
an  interest.  He  learned  the  jeweler's  trade,  and  in  1884  located  in 
Rising  Sun   for  the   purpose  of  doing  a  general  business  in  that  line. 


834  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Mr.  Mclntyre  was  married  in  1883  to  Miss  Lulu  Miller,  of  Rising  Sun, 
daughter  of  William  W.  Miller,  now  a  resident  of  Wellington,  Kas.  Her 
father  was  twelve  years  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars  at  Rising 
Sun.  Mr.  Mclntyre  is  a  young  man  of  a  genial  disposition,  and  has 
every  promise  of  a  successful  future  in  his  business  enterprise. 

JAMES  McKINNY,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  a  native  resident 
of  the  county,  was  born  here  in  Arpil,  1822.  He  is  a  son  of  Col. 
James  McKinny,  who  settled  in  Hardintown  about  1806  or  1807,  and 
became  a  prominent  business  man.  He  kept  a  large  general  store  (part 
of  the  time  two  stores),  packed  pork,  farmed  and  did  a  large  business 
generally.  He  died  in  1838.  Our  subject  grew  to  maturity  in  his 
native  county,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided,  except  five  years  which 
he  passed  in  Piqua,  Ohio  (from  1838  to  1843).  He  was  educated  in  the 
district  schools,  and  in  early  life  did  some  trading  in  connection  with 
his  farm  work,  which  was  his  chief  occupation,  He  was  married,  in 
March,  1853,  to  Elizabeth  Hayes,  daughter  of  Mahlon  and  Sarah  (Mil- 
ler) Hayes,  who  were  natives  of  Dearborn  County,  and  consequently 
among  the  first  of  the  native-born  citizens  of  the  same.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  McKinny  continued  his  agricultural  pursuits,  and  his 
labors  have  been  rewarded  by  success.  He  owns  at  present  about  300 
acres  of  excellent  farming  land,  well  improved,  and  is  otherwise  well 
provided  with  the  comforts  of  life.  He  belongs  to  that  class  of  careful, 
economical  farmers,  whose  untiring  industry  and  perseverance  have  dur- 
ing the  past  half  century  converted  the  swamps  and  forest  lands  of  the 
better  portions  of  the  United  States  into  fertile  fields  of  bountiful  har- 
vests and  gardens  of  blooming  flowers,  and  who  as  a  class  are  fast  dis- 
appearing from  the  field  of  action.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKinny  have  eight 
children  living:  Thomas,  Mahlon,  Katie  (wife  of  Isaac  Stevens),  Dan- 
iel, Calvin,  James,  Pearl  and  Abigail.  Three  others  are  deceased. 
They  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  the  family  takes  rank 
among  the  first  of  the  county. 

SAMUEL  McMULLEN,  merchant,  Manchester,  is  a  son  of  Hugh  and 
Nancy  (Mc'Math)  McMullen,  natives  of  Ireland.  They  came  to  America 
when  young,  and  were  married  in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  resided  until 
the  fall  of  1817,  when  they  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Dearborn 
County.  Further  reference  to  their  settlement  is  made  in  the  history  of 
York  and  Manchester  Townships.  Samuel  McMullen  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Penn.,  June  21,  1803,  and  was  but  a  lad  of  fourteen  when  he 
Ccime  with  his  parents  to  Dearborn  County.  Here  he  assisted  his  father 
in  rearing  the  little  cabin  in  the  primeval  forest,  and  here  his  long  life 
has  been  passed  and  witnessed  the  wonderfiil  change  in  advancement 
and   progress  almost  incredulous  to  behold.     He  assisted  his  fat*  er  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  835 

opening  up  a  farm,  and  remained  with  him  until  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years.  March  9,  1826,  he  was  married  to  Nancy  Dunn,  a  daughter  of 
Micajah  and  Sarah  Dunn,  and  to  their  marriage  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  still  survive.  Mrs.  McMullen  died  January  8, 
1880,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  Mr.  McMullen  was  married,  August 
19,  1883,  to  Mrs.  Adda  Dressel.  Our  subject  is  now  one  of  the  oldest 
living  pioneers  of  Dearborn  County,  where  nearly  three  score  years  and 
ten  of  his  life  have  been  passed — man's  allotted  time.  His  life  has 
mainly  been  passed  in  farming.  Since  1851  he  has  been  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  by  President  Lin- 
coln, and  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time  under  the  Johnson  adminis- 
tration, he  has  since  held  the  office  until  the  present  administration  of 
President  Cleveland,  on  the  incoming  of  which  he  tendered  his  resigna- 
tion. He  has  been  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for 
over  half  a  century. 

HON.  HUGH  D.  McMULLEN,  attorney  at  law,  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Manchester  Township,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  December  11,  1836,  of  par- 
ents Samuel  and  Nancy  (Dunn)  McMullen,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears 
above.  Our  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  1860.  He  received,  in  his  early  boyhood,  such  educational 
advantages  as  the  neighborhood  schools  afforded,  then  entered  the  State 
"University,  from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1862.  During 
the  years  1860  and  1861  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  vicinity  of 
Greensbm-gh,  this  State,  and  in  the  State  of  Kentucky,  the  proceeds  of 
which  enabled  him  to  pursue  his  college  course.  While  in  college  Mr. 
McMullen  began  reading  law,  which  was  subsequently  followed  up,  and 
in  1864  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1863  he  was  elected  surveyor  of 
Dearborn  County,  and  re-elected  in  1864.  In  1868  he  was  elected  pros- 
ecuting attoraey  for  the  court  of  common  pleas  of  the  district  composed 
of  the  counties  of  Dearborn,  Ohio,  Switzerland  and  Jefferson,  which 
office  he  filled  for  two  years  with  marked  ability  and  to  the  satisfaction 
of  his  constituents.  Since  1878  he  has  been  the  attorney  for  the  county. 
In  1882  he  was  elected  from  Dearborn  County  to  the  State  Legislature, 
and  was  re-elected  as  a  representative  in  the  fall  of  1884,  and  at  the 
last  session  of  the  General  Assembly  his  name  was  prominently  urged  for 
the  speakership  of  the  house.  Mr.  McMullen  is  in  every  sense  a  self- 
made  man,  and  stands  deservedly  high  in  his  profession,  and  the  several 
civil  positions  with  which  he  has  been  honored  have  been  so  adminis- 
tered as  to  reflect  credit  to  himself  and  to  his  constituents,  h-aving  per- 
formed the  duties  with  ability  and  good  judgment.  June  25,  1862,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Ella  Jaquith,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  to  the  mar- 
riage six  children  have  been  born,  namely:     Hany  R.,  William,  Cassius 


836  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

W.,  Stanley  H.,  Arthur  B.  and  Ned  C.  He  and  his  wife  are  identified 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  identified  with  the  College 
Greek  fraternity,  Sigma  Chi;  is  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Lawrenceburgh  Chapter,  and  of  the  K.  of  P. 

SANFORD  MENDEL,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Man- 
chester Township,  September  12,  1826.  His  parents,  George  and  Mar- 
garet (Huffman)  Mendel,  were  natives  of  Virginia,  the  former  born  in 
1785,  the  latter  in  1794.  They  were  united  in  marriage  in  Virginia,  and 
in  1816  immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  settling  in  Hogan  Township  on 
what  is  known  as  North  Hogan  Creek.  In  1818  they  removed  to  Ripley 
County,  but  returned  to  Dearborn  County  subsequently,  and  purchased 
a  farm  in  Manchester  Township,  where  the  father  died  in  1861,  the 
mother  in  1880.  Their  children  were  thirteen  in  number,  our  subject 
being  the  sixth.  He  spent  several  years  of  his  early  life  in  boating  on 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  and  was  married  in  Manchester  Town- 
ship, this  county,  February  21,  1861,  to  Lovina  Heustis,  who  was  born 
in  Manchester  Township,  December  12,  1833,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Elias  and  Sarah  (Ellis)  Heustis.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Mendel  pur- 
chased and  settled  on  the  same  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  M.  are  parents  of  four  children,  viz.:  Ella  J.,  Louisa  C,  Sarah  A. 
and  Margaret  M. 

ADOLPH  H.  MERKEL,  grocer,  notary  public  and  insurance  agent, 
Aurora,  was  born  in  Saxony  July  3,  1820,  where  he  received  a  collegiate 
education.  His  father,  John  T.,  was  born  in  the  same  kingdom  Febru- 
ary 28,  1790,  and  died  March  25,  1822.  His  mother,  Johanna  L. 
Merkel,  was  born  in  Saxony  November  22,  1786,  and  died  in  1863. 
The  parents  were  married  November  22,  1814.  The  grandfather.  Chris- 
tian Merkel,  was  born  in  Germany  September  1,  1765,  and  died  in  Janu- 
ary, 1840.  The  grandmother,  Johanna  (Eilitz)  Merkel,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  died  there  March  11,  1807.  The  grandparents  were  married 
January  12,  1786.  Adolph  was  a  surveyor  and  farm  overseer  in  Ger- 
many. He  came  to  America  June  17,  1849,  locating  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  up  to  October  18,  1849;  thence  he  came  to  Aurora, 
Ind.,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  been  variously  employed.  He 
was  married,  January  24,  1854,  to  Miss  Catharine  M.  Steiger,  who  was 
born  in  Bavaria,  November  14,  1835,  and  to  their  marriage  have  been 
born  six  children:  Louisa,  Enlily  (born  November  2,  1856,  died  January 
January  2,  1865),  Kate,  Amelia  M.,  Anna  R.  P.  and  Bertie  E.  E.  Mr. 
Merkel  is  a  member  of  the  L  O.  O.  F.  and  encampment;  also  the  Dru- 
ids and  Druid  Chapter,  and  German  Reformed  Church.  His  place  of 
business  is  on  the  corner  of  4th  and  Front  Streets. 

MORRIS  MERRILL  died  December  31,  1872,  in  the  ninety- fourth 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  837 

year  of  his  age.  He  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y. ,  August  13, 
1779;  was  married  in  1807,  to  Rhoda  Robbins;  was  converted  to  God 
in  1811,  and  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  1814  he  volun- 
teered in  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  was  honorably  discharged  at  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  joined  the  Masonic  order  in  1813,  in  the  Farmer's  Lodge, 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  He  left  New  York  in  1823,  and  settled  in  Rising 
Sun;  was  one  of  the  first  commissioners  of  Ohio  County;  also  filled 
other  offices.  "  He  died  a  good  man,  venerated  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him." 

NOAH  MILLER,  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  died  in  Randolph  Town- 
ship, September  12,  1838,  aged  eighty-one  years,  was  born  on  the  Scotch 
Plains,  N.  J.,  in  1756;  was  about  twenty  years  of  age  when  war  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  commenced.  He  was  among  the 
first  to  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  his  country,  and  was  continually  on 
the  scout  until  the  battle  of  Long  Island.  On  the  day  that  battle  was 
fought  about  200  persons  had  collected  together  about  nine  miles  from 
the  battle  ground  to  hear  a  Presbyterian  minister  preach.  The  preacher 
urged  them  to  fight  for  their  freedom.  During  the  sermon  nearly  the 
whole  assembly  stood  upon  one  rock,  and  the  roaring  of  the  cannon  at 
Long  Island  was  so  distinctly  heard  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  hear  what 
the  preacher  said.  The  next  day  Mr.  Miller  and  about  twenty  others 
went  and  enlisted  in  the  Jersey  line,  and  continued  to  serve  in  the  reg- 
ular ai-my  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  a  great  many  skirmishes, 
and  was  in  the  hard- fought  battle  of  Monmouth  in  New  Jersey,  and  suf- 
fered very  severely  in  the  engagement.  In  1800  Mr.  Miller  removed  to 
Fayette  County,  Penn.,  where  he  resided  until  1815,  when  he  removed 
to  Dearborn  County.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church; 
latterly  was  a  strong  advocate  of  the  temperance  cause.  "  He  left  behind 
him  an  unsullied  reputation  for  morality  and  honesty.  He  died  as  he 
had  lived,  an  honest  man." 

CHARLES  B.  MILLER,  M.  D.,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of 
Dearborn  County,  born  September  15,  1840.  He  is  a  son  of  William  B. 
and  Sarah  A.  (Gullett)  Miller.  His  father  settled  early  in  Sparta  Town- 
ship, and  has  for  many  years  been  there  engaged  in  the  milling  business, 
which  he  continues  to  the  present  time.  Dr.  Miller  grew  up  as  a  miller 
by  occupation  as  well  as  name.  He  received  a  common  school  education, 
and  subsequently  took  a  course  of  instruction  at  Moore's  Hill  College, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  teaching,  first  in  the  district  schools,  and  later 
as  assistant  in  the  high  school  of  Rising  Sun.  In  April,  1861,  he 
entered  the  United  States  service  for  three  months  in  Company  E,  Sev- 
enth Indiana  Volunteers.  He  had  begun  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr. 
J.  D.  Gatch,  and   in  the  winter   and   spring   following  attended  lectures 


838  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

at  the  Ohio  Medical  College.  In  August,  1862,  he  assisted  in  organizing 
Company  E,  of  the  Sixteenth  Indiana,  and  ten  days  after  the  regiment 
was  mustered  into  service  he  was  wounded  severely  in  the  neck,  breast 
and  right  shoulder  in  the  battle  of  Richmond,  Ky.,  August  30,  1862. 
However,  in  less  than  tive  weeks,  he  had  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  at 
Indianapolis  doing  double  duty,  drilling  his  company  and  attending  the 
sick.  He  remained  with  his  regiment  till  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post, 
after  which  he  was  detailed  for  duty  as  assistant  surgeon  on  hospital  boats 
until  May  1,  1863,  when  he  was  promoted  to  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
United  States  Army  in  which  he  served  till  May,  1865,  on  duty  in  the 
general  hospitals  in  the  vicinity  of  and  at  Vicksburg.  While  acting  as 
surgeon  he  performed  nearly,  or  quite,  every  variety  of  operation  inci- 
dent to  the  war,  and  with  gratifying  success.  Returning  home  he  located 
in  Lawrenceburgh,  in  August,  1865,  where  he  resumed  his  practice,  and 
has  since  remained.  In  March,  1866,  he  married  Helen  Wymond,  of 
Aurora,  daughter  of  James  Wymond,  who  for  many  years  was  prominent 
in  the  cooperage  business  in  that  city.  Their  only  child  and  son  is  Will 
W.  In  1872  Dr.  Miller  formed  a  partnership  with  his  former  preceptor, 
Dr.  Gatch,  with  whom  he  has  since  continued,  the  firm  having  a  large 
practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Dearborn  County  Medical  Society,  the 
Indiana  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical  Association. 
The  doctor  takes  an  active  interest  in  educational  matters,  and  has  sei'ved 
twelve  consecutive  years  as  a  member  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  School 
Board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  of  the  Grand  Lodge; 
also  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum,  of  which  he  has  officiated  as 
Grand  Regent  of  the  State.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Miller  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JOHN  C.  MILLER,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  November  22,  1827.  His  parents,  Ira  B.  and  Caroline 
(McKinney)  Miller,  were  natives  of  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  the  former 
born  in  1806,  the  latter  in  1816.  They  were  also  married  there,  and  in 
1829  moved  to  Susquehanna  County,  Penn.,  where  she  died  in  1841.  He 
subsequently  moved  to  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  and  there  died  in  1864. 
Their  children  were  Joseph,  Sarah  J.,  Nicholas,  Lovina  E.,  Maria, 
George  and  John  C.  our  subject,  the  second  member  of  the  family.  He 
went  with  his  parents  to  Pennsylvania  and  in  1847,  to  Wayne  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  bridge  building,  having  learned  the  trade 
previously.  About  one  and  a  half  years  later,  he  went  to  Chemung 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  work  until  1853,  on  the 
New  York  &  Erie  Railroad.  He  then  came  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  and  en- 
gaged in  same  work  on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  until  1854,  at 
which  time  he  located  at  Cold  Springs  and  took  charge  of  a  section  on 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  839 

the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  for  about  two  years.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  in  Sparta  Township,  April  5,  1855,  to  Emma  J.,  daughter  of 
Elisha  and  Luciilda  Jones.  She  was  born  in  this  township  August  30, 
1837.  In  1856  Mr.  Miller  purchased  and  moved  on  the  farm  where  he 
at  present  lives,  and  has  since  engaged  in  farming  and  carpentering. 
He  was  elected  trustee  of  Sparta  Township,  in  1882,  which  office  he 
at  present  holds.  Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  also 
of  the  K.  of  P.    His  children  are  Ira  B.,  Mary  L.  and  Lillie  M. 

D.  H.  MILLER,  proprietor  of  livery  and  feed  stable,  Lawrence- 
burgh,  is  a  native  of  the  county,  born  in  1842,  and  here  his  entire  life 
has  been  spent.  He  passed  his  earlier  years  on  the  farm  with  his  par- 
ents, Thomas  and  Emeline  (Wilson)  Miller,  continuing  his  agricultural 
pursuits  till  1869,  when  he  began  operations  in  the  livery  business  which 
he  still  continues.  He  was  married  in  May,  1866,  to  Miss  Caroline 
Hauck,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Johanna  (Hornberger)  Hauck,  and  they 
have  six  children  living:  Johan  E.  F.,  Emory  F.,  Ira  L.,  Scott,  Pearl 
and  an  infant.  Mr.  Miller  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and  the  K. 
of  L.  and  keeps  a  full  line  of  first  class  stock  in  his  adopted  vocation, 
doing  a  full  share  of  the  livery  business  of  the  place. 

JOB  MILLER,  Hardiusburgh,  one  of  the  most  prominent  farmers 
of  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  pioneer 
families  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  in  June,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of 
Job  and  Elizabeth  (Hayes)  Miller,  who  came  here  with  their  parents  in  a 
very  early  day.  His  grandfather,  Thomas  Miller,  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  the  county,  coming  here  with  his  father-in-law  Capt  Joseph 
Hayes,  a  Revolutionary  soldier  in  1791.  He  entered  considerable  land 
in  this  county,  built  the  stone  house  now  occupied  by  Otho  Lowe,  and 
continued  farming  on  an  extensive  scale  till  his  death.  Job  Miller,  Sr., 
the  father  of  our  subject,  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents  in  an 
early  day  as  stated  above.  He  married  Elizabeth  Hayes  and  began  farm- 
ing, in  which  occupation  he  was  highly  successful,  besides  doing  a  large 
business  in  stock  and  river  traffic.  He  bought  100  acres  of  land,  which 
by  the  help  of  his  older  sons,  he  cleared  up,  and  reared  a  family  of  eight 
children  by  his  first  wife  (who  was  a  daughter  of  Enoch  Hayes),  and  three 
by  his  second  wife,  Sarah  Morrison, to  whom  he  was  married  about  1831; 
his  first  wife  died  in  1829.  He  died  in  1865,  leaving  his  children  a 
handsome  inheritance.  Job  Miller,  Jr.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  grew 
to  manhood  on  the  farm  with  his  parents.  He  married  in  1854,  Rachel 
Whipple,  daughter  of  Willard  and  Nancy  Whipple,  who  were  also  early 
settlers  of  this  county.  He  inherited  a  moderate  fortune  from  his  father's 
estate,  and  to  this  he  has  since  made  a  creditable  addition,  almost  doub- 
ling his  original  possessions.    He  has  always  engaged  in  farming,  except 


840  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

two  years  spent  in  operating  a  flonring-mill,  and  has  been  generally  suc- 
cessful, now  owning  about  $450  acres  of  land  valued  at  $80  to  $100  per 
acre.  Mr.  and  Mi*s.  Miller  have  seven  children  living:  Abbie,  Harriet, 
Isaac,  Job,  Thomas,  Charles  R.  and  Carrie;  six  others  are  deceased.  Mr. 
Miller  is  fully  entitled  to  a  place  in  the  front  rank  among  the  farmers  of 
the  county. 

OLIVER  H.  MILLER,  Rising  Sun,  ex- auditor  and  ex-clerk  of  Ohio 
County,  is  a  native  of  the  same,  born  in  1833.  His  parents,  James  and 
Eliza  (McArdle)  Miller,  were  both  natives  of  the  county  also,  and  his 
grandfather,  Beverly  Miller,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Ohio  County. 
His  father  was  a  merchant  at  Millersburgh  for  many  years,  and  in  honor 
of  him  the  village  received  its  name.  He  died  in  Rising  Sun  about  1873, 
his  wife  having  passed  away  about  1836.  Oliver  H.,  our  subject,  spent 
his  early  years  in  school  and  attending  his  father's  store,  remaining  in 
the  latter  till  1859.  In  that  year  he  was  elected  auditor  of  the  county, 
and  in  this  and  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  court,  alternately,  he  served 
twenty  consecutive  years.  He  was  next  employed  as  deputy  auditor  of 
Dearborn  County  for  one  year,  served  from  1881  to  1883  as  mayor  of 
Rising  Sun,  and  since  the  former  date  has  been  engaged  more  or  less  in 
merchandising.  He  is  now  employed  as  book-keeper  for  the  firm  of 
William  Colter.  Mr. Miller  was  married,  in  1854,  to  Melissa  Lemon,  of 
Ohio  County,  daughter  of  James  and  Catharine  (Larr)  Lemon,  and  they 
have  two  children  living:  Ella  M.,  wife  of  P.  P.  Stultz,  superintendent 
of  the  Mount  Vernon  (Ind.)  public  schools,  and  Ettie.  Mr.  Miller  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  his  long  continuance  in  the  offi- 
cial service  of  the  county,  fully  attests  to  the  esteem  with  which  he  is 
regarded  by  its  citizens. 

JAMES  R.  MILLER,  carpenter  and  stair  builder,  Aurora,  is  a  native 
of  Dearborn  County,  born  in  Washington  Township  December  18,  1846, 
where  he  received  common  school  education.  His  father  was  born  in 
New-House,  England,  March  4,  1811,  and  came  to  America  in  1820, 
locating  in  this  county  where  he  farmed  until  his  death.  The  mother, 
Malinda  C.  (Nole)  Miller,  was  born  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  1820.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  followed  the  plow  until 
1865,  when  he  chose  his  present  vocation  and  has  pursued  it  faithfully 
and  successfully  ever  since,  working  during  the  last  eight  years  for  Mr. 
L.  Klingelhoffer.  In  1865  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-fourth  Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  four  months 
without  having  received  a  scratch.  He  was  married,  January  7,  1869, 
to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Hubbard,  and  to  them  a  son  was  born,  Everett  H.  Mr. 
Miller  is  an  active  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist,  Episcopal  Church.  Our  subject 
is  always  ready  to  assist  an  unfortunate  and  needy  brother. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  841 

JACOB  MILLER,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  one  of  the  old  and  highly 
esteemed  pioneers  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  near  Wheeling,  W.  Va., 
February  22,  1820.  His  parents  were  Jacob  and  Margaret  (Blume) 
Miller,  both  natives  of  Switzerland,  former  born  March  9,  1778;  the 
latter  October  12,  1772.  They  were  also  married  in  Switzerland,  and  in 
1817  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Virginia,  and  from 
thence,  a  few  years  later,  removed  to  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  and  in  1835 
to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  the  mother  died  September  25,  1838; 
the  father  May  22,  1860.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  was  the  youngest.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  Dear- 
born County  in  1835,  and  has  since  resided  there.  He  was  married  in 
Sparta  Township  November  7,  1841,  to  Julia  A.,  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Chambers)  Columbia.  She  was  born  in  Hogan  Township  June 
7,  1821.  After  this  marriage  he  settled  on  a  farm  in  Section  5,  Sparta 
Township,  which  he  had  purchased  previously,  improving  the  farm  and 
remaining  on  it  for  about  eight  years.  He  subsequently  purchased  and 
settled  on  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  200 
acres  of  fine  land  in  Sparta  Township  and  sixty  in  Clay  Township,  which 
is  well  improved.  Mr.  and  Mi*s.  Miller  are  parents  of  twelve  children, 
viz.:  John  W.  (deceased),  Mary  Ann  E.,  Andrew  J.  (deceased),  Susan  R. 
(deceased),  George  L.  (deceased),  Sarah  J.  (deceased),  Hannah  A. 
(deceased),  Matilda  C,  Amelia  F.,  George  C,  Charles  M.  and  Flora   J. 

HENRY  CLAY  MILLER,  farmer,  Washington  Township.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  one  of  the  leading  enterprising  farmers  of  Washington 
Township.  He  has  taken  pride  in  storing  his  mind  with  useful  informa- 
tion, and  has  a  fine  collection  of  Indian  relics  and  fossil  remains;  all  his 
specimens  are  perfect  and  valuable.  He  was  born  September  9,  1850, 
and  received  a  common  school  education.  His  father,  Henry  Miller,  was 
born  in  Beaver  County,  Penn.,  in  1809;  his  mother,  Catharine  (McGuire) 
Miller,  in  Cesar  Creek  Township  February  18,  1812.  Mr.  Henry  C. 
Miller  was  married  September  7,  1875,  to  Miss  Jennie  Squibb,  who  was 
born  in  Randolph  Township,  Ohio  County,  September  15,  1859.  Mr. 
Miller  has  farmed  all  his  life,  and  moved  upon  present  farm  March  7, 
1883.  He  is  a  member  of  Hartford  Lodge  No.  151,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Aurora 
Chapter  No.  13  and  Aurora  Council.  He  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

F.  H.  MINNEMAN,  farmer,  and  agent  for  agricultural  implements, 
Jackson  Township.  Among  the  enterprising  and  active  men  of  Jack- 
son Township  is  F.  H.  Minneman,  who  was  born  in  Franklin  County, 
Ind.,  March  12,  1844,  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Minnie  (Beckman) 
Minneman,  natives  of  Germany.  He  came  to  America  while  a  young 
man,  and   remained  in   Cincinnati  for  several  years.     Subsequently  he 


842  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

entered  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Franklin  County,  Ind.,  married  and 
settled  upon  the  same.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  that  county,  has 
raised  a  large  family,  giving  each  child  $1,000  as  a  start  in  life,  and 
still  owns  a  fine  farm  and  home  with  an  ample  competency,  which  he  ac- 
cumulated by  his  industry  and  good  management.  He  is  the  father  of 
twelve  children,  nine  now  survive:  F.  H.,  our  subject,  Lewis,  Christian, 
Just,  Susan  (wife  of  Herman  Wulber),  Angelus  (now  a  minister  residing 
at  Jackson,  Ohio),  Elwina  (wife  of  William  Butt),  Rufine  (wife  of  A. 
Gesell),  and  David.  Mr.  Minneman,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  at  eighteen 
years  of  age  started  in  life  for  himself.  At  twenty,  he  took  a  course  of 
study  in  the  high  school  at  Springfield,  Ind.  Then  for  several 
years  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Ripley  County.  Subsequent- 
ly he  purchased  a  farm  near  St.  Nicholas  and  engage'1  in  farming. 
There  he  was  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace,  in  which  he  served  three 
years,  until  he  sold  his  farm  and  removed  to  Dearborn  County.  Mr. 
Minneman,  although  owning  and  residing  upon  a  good  farm  which  he 
superintends,  his  leading  business  is  selling  agricultural  implements. 
He  has  now  been  engaged  in  this  line  of  business  ten  or  twelve  years, 
has  established  a  good  trade,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known  over  a 
large  scope  of  country,  and  possesses  the  general  confidence  of  the  farm- 
ing community.  Mr.  Minneman  was  united  in  marriage,  April  10,  1866, 
with  Miss  Louisa  Wulber,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  Wulber,  natives 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  but  now  residents  of  Ripley  County,  Ind. 
They  had  ten  children,  four  now  living:  John,  Catharine,  Louisa  and 
Herman.  Mr.  Minneman  and  wife  have  had  fourteen  children,  seven 
now  living:  Gusta  Adolf,  Ida,  Ira,  Alpha,  Alfred  Hugo,  Addison  and 
Ora. 

ISAAC  MILES  died  at  his  residence  in  Clay  Township,  Dearborn 
Co.,  Ind.,  October  4,  1881.  The  deceased  was  born  in  Woodford 
County,  Ky.,  October  26,  1804,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
seventy.six  years,  eleven  months  and  nine  days  old.  At  the  age  of  twenty - 
two  he  mustered  with  a  battalion  of  Kentucky  militia  in  the  city  of  Lex- 
ington, called  out  in  honor  of  Gen.  LaFayette,  then  in  the  city,  on 
his  second  visit  to  the  United  States  after  the  close  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war.  Col.  Dudley,  commanding,  announced  that  Gen.  LaFayette 
had  a  present  to  make  to  each  soldier  of  the  command,  and  beginning 
at  the  head  of  the  battalion  his  hand  was  presented  and  shaken  by  the 
entire  soldiery.  The  present  he  received  on  that  occasion  he  treasured 
as  one  of  the  richest  mementoes  of  his  life.  He  came  to  Indiana  in 
1828,  and  the  same  year  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Miles,  in  Jefferson 
County,  near  Madison,  and  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  about 
six  years.      At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  moved  to  Versailles,  Ripley 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  843 

County,  where  he  engaged  into  mercantile  pursuits.  In  1839  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  Dillsboro,  and  reopened  the  sale  of  merchandise.  The 
law  of  this  State  at  that  time  acted  as  a  bolster  to  economy  and  human 
integrity,  and  goods  were  sold  on  credit  to  nearly  every  applicant  for 
time.  But  a  strange  freak  of  legislative  wisdom  struck  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, and  it  passed  an  exemption  act.  The  Legislature  cancelled  in  a 
single  act  the  majority  of  the  people's  obligations.  This  sudden  revolu- 
tion swept  like  a  besom  of  destruction  the  business  enterprises  of  the  cit 
izens  of  the  State.  He  was  left  in  debt  and  made  penniless,  but  possess- 
ing an  indomitable  will  and  great  muscular  strength,  he  collected  a  four- 
horse  team,  and  through  rain,  snow,  sleet,  ice  and  mud,  by  day  and  night, 
.he  went  forth  until  the  clouds  of  adversity  gave  way  to  sunshine  of  mea- 
ger prosperity.  He  then  began  the  cancellation  of  his  own  indebted- 
ness, and  in  a  few  years  every  creditor  was  honorably  paid.  Without 
the  advantages  of  education  he  began  the  study  of  elementary  principles 
of  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Common  Pleas  Court  of  Dear- 
born County,  in  1844  He  moved  to  Aurora  in  1847,  and  for  many  years 
was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  and  hotel  pursuits,  and  occasionally  prac- 
ticed law.  In  1865  he  moved  to  his  farm,  near  Dillsboro,  where  he 
remained  away  from  the  active  scenes  of  life  till  his  death.  His  mother's 
lessons  of  morality,  engrafted  early  in  life,  took  root  in  his  mind  and 
grew  with  his  youth,  and  strengthened  with  his  strength,  and  shed  their 
refulgence  through  and  at  the  sunset  of  his  life.  He  accepted  the  Bap- 
tist faith,  and  was  united  to  the  church  and  baptized  in  1830.  He  lived 
and  died  in  the  unswerving  belief  that  the  Bible  is  a  Divine  revelation 
to  man,  and  that  it  gives  abundant  evidences  of  the  immortality  of  the 
soul.  Being  disciplined  in  the  severe  school  of  the  vicissitudes  of  life 
and  the  fickleness  of  fortune,  economy  became  his  beacon  in  the  after- 
noon of  life.  He  felt  it  a  duty,  he  said,  he  owed  to  his  God,  to  his  coun 
try,  and  to  his  fellow  man,  to  attend  the  memorial  services  of  President 
Garfield. 

FRANCIS  M.  AND  ALLEN  W.  MILES,  of  Clay  Township,  were 
born  at  Versailles,  Ripley  Co.,  Ind.,  September  28,  1831  and  February 
27,  1835,  respectively.  Their  parents  were  the  old  and  highly  esteemed 
pioneers,  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  Miles,  referred  to  above.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Joseph  D.,  born  April  18,  1830;  Francis 
M.,  born  September  28,  1831;  Evan  C,  born  July  20,  1833;  Allen  W., 
born  February  27,  1835;  Samuel  W.,  born  January  2,  1837;  Sarah  E., 
born  September  14,  1844.  Allen  \V.  was  educated  in  the  graded  schools 
of  Aurora  and  the  Franklin  College,  of  Johnson  County,  Ind. ;  also  in 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  where  he  afterward  engaged  some  time  in  book- 
keeping.     He  subsequently  came  to  Dearborn  County,  and  was  united  in 


844  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUxNTIES. 

marriage  in  Clay  Township,  January  7,  1868,  to  Mary  A,  Bruce,  after 
which  he  settled  with  his  brother  on  the  old  homestead,  a  part  of  which 
he  now  owns.  Francis  M.,  when  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  learned 
the  printer's  trade,  which  he  has  engaged  in  oflf  and  on  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  entered  the  service  in  1862,  enlisting  in  August,  in  Company 
F,  Seventy- ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  being  discharged  June  9,  1865.  He  was  maiTied  in  Jennings 
County,  Ind.,  November  14,  1871,  to  Chloe  A.  Pierce,  who  died  Febru- 
ary 11,  1872.  He  was  married  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  April  13, 
1877,  to  Mary  Powell,  who  died  in  November,  1882.  Mr.  Miles  is  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  and  an  excellent  citizen.  He  now  resides  upon 
the  old  homestead,  a  part  of    which  he  owns. 

ROBERT  T.  MOORE,  see  page  187. 

L.  S.  MOORE,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in  the  same,  June  22, 
1819.  His  parents  were  the  pioneers,  Adam  and  Judith  (Smith)  Moore, 
who  emigrated  from  Maryland  to  Dearborn  County  in  3818,  and  settled 
near  where  Moore's  Hill  is  located,  from  him  the  beautiful  little  town 
receiving  its  name.  He  and  a  Mr.  Stevens  were  the  parties  who  located 
and  laid  out  the  town,  the  former  being  the  first  postmaster  of  the  place. 
He  also  owned  the  first  mill  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  a  man  highly 
esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him,  was  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  for  a  number  of  years  previous  to  his  death.  He  was 
the  father  of  ten  children,  viz.:  Isaac,  William,  Betsy,  John  C,  Har- 
riet, Mary,  Levin  S.,  Nancy,  Benjamin  and  Jane.  L.  S.,  our  subject, 
was  united  in  marriage  in  Sparta  Township,  July  5,  1844,  to  Anna 
Dowden,  and  afterward  settled  on  the  same  farm  where  he  at  present 
lives,  and  where  he  has  since  resided.  His  wife  died  October  28,  1853, 
leaving  six  children,  namely:  Otho  W.,  Mary,  Sophia,  Benjamin  S., 
Isaac  T.  and  John  C.  He  was  again  married  April  24,  1855,  to  Mary 
R.  Sparks,  a  daughter  of  Hamlet  and  Elizabeth  (Chisman)  Sparks,  by 
whom  he  has  six  children:  Anna,  George,  Josephine,  Harriet,  Charles 
(deceased),  and  Carrie.  Mr.  Moore  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  and  also  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  wide-awake  citizens  of  his  community. 

INDIANA  R.  MOORE,  Sparta  Township  (wife  of  John  C.  Moore, 
deceased),  and  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers  of  Dearborn  County  now  liv- 
ing, was  born  near  Lawreneeburg,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  January  16,  1811. 
Her  parents,  Samuel  H.  and  Sophia  (McCrackin)  Dowden,  were  both 
natives  of  Virginia,  where  they  were  united  in  marriage  and  from  which 
State,  in  the  year  1810,  they  immigrated  to  what  was  known  then  as  the 
far-off  West  wilderness,  Indiana  Territory.  They  settled  in  Dearborn 
County  in  1810,  resided  there  until  about   1842,  at  which  time  they  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  845 

moved  to  Decatur  County,  Ind.  There  Mrs.  Moore  died  shortly  after- 
ward. He  subsequently  married  a  Miss  Nolten,  by  whom  he  had  three 
children,  viz. :  Francis  M.,  Henry  H.  and  Lucinda  E.  By  his  first  wife 
he  had  eleven  children,  viz.:  Michael  A.,  Indiana  R. ,  Virgil  Mc,  Char- 
lotte J.,  John  H.,  Otho  W.,  Anna  G.,  Isaac  T.,  Thomas,  Emily  and 
Sarah.  Indiana  R. ,  our  subject,  and  Mr.  John  C.  Moore  were  united  in 
marriage  in  Dearborn  County,  December  23,  1834.  He  was  a  native  of 
Maryland  and  was  born  February  8,  1810.  His  parents  Adam  and  Judith 
(Smith)  Moore  were  natives  of  Maryland,  where  they  married.  In  1818 
they  immigrated  to  Dearborn^Co.,  Ind.,  settling  in  Sparta  Township,  and 
afterward  entered  the  land  which  now  is  occupied  by  the  beautiful  little 
village  of  Moore's  Hill  and  its  suburbs.  Here  he  toiled  and  labored 
hard  to  earn  a  home  and  accumulate  a  competency,  in  which  he  succeed- 
ed, and  here  he  remained  until  death.  He  was  a  man  of  good  sense, 
general  information  and  strong  moral  convictions,  always  decided  and 
positive  on  all  questions  of  political  or  religious  significance.  He  was  a 
thorough  Bible  scholai',  and  for  many  years  previous  to  his  death  was  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  John  C,  referred  to 
above,  when  a  young  man,  learned  the  saddler's  trade,  which  he 
engaged  in  for  a  number  of  years,  but  subsequently  turned  his  attention 
to  merchandize  and  coopering  business  which  he  continued  till  his  death 
Jane  4,  1871.  He  was  an  enterprising  man,  exceedingly  skillful  in  busi- 
ness, and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  Moore's  Hill  College,  and  for  many  years  previous  to  his  death 
was  a  devoted  and  zealous  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
His  widow,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  a  highly  esteemed  and  amiable 
lady,  resides  in  the  old  and  commodious  mansion  within  the  limits  of 
Moore's  Hill,  where  she  enjoys  a  quiet  and  retired  life.  She  is  a  devoted 
Christian  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for 
a  number  of  years.  She  is  a  lady  of  unusual  intellect  and  her  faculties 
are  well  preserved  for  one  of  her  age.  'Her  eight  children  are  Isaac  S., 
Hanson  D.,  America  S.,  Helena  J.,  Benjamin  F.,  John  W.,  Vii-gil  Mc.  and 
Mary  T. 

ANDREW  MORGAN,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
in  1789,  and  in  early  life  removed  with  his  parents  to  Pennsylvania.  In 
1815  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  made  his  home  with  Eli  Guard. 
On  the  establishment  of  the  first  postoffice  at  Lawrenceburgh,  in  1804, 
Mr.  Morgan  mailed  the  first  letter  that  ever  passed  through  the  office — 
one  he  had  written  to  his  parents.  From  1804  to  1810  Mr.  Morgan  was 
on  the  river  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  and  in  1810  made  his  first  trip 
to  New  Orleans.  From  1810  until  1820  he  was  engaged  in  commerce 
on  the  Ohio  River.     By  means  of  pirogues,  flat  and  keel-boats,  he  navi- 


846  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

gated  the  Ohio  River  and  Kanawha  from  Pittsburgh,  Kanawha  Salt  Works 
to  Cincinnati,    Lawrenceburgh,    Louisville,  New  Orleans  and   St.  Louis 
and  other  points,  and  for  a   considerable  time  he  did  most  of  the   salt 
trade  between  the  Kanawha  and  Cincinnati,  in  which  business  he  was 
successful   and   accumulated   quite  a  fortune.      He  had  but  little  educa- 
tion, was  a  man  of  natural  talent,  of  untiring  energy  and  perseverenee, 
and  of  sound  judgment.     His  death  occurred  at  Lawrenceburgh  in  1865. 
ARMATAGE  MORGAN,  Harrison  Township,  one  of  the  old  settlers 
of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Penn.,  in  1816. 
His  parents,  Enoch  and  Margaret  (Moss)  Morgan,  were   also  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  were  there  married.     In    1818   the  family  left  their 
home  near   Philadelphia   to  seek  a  home   in  the  West.      They  came  by 
wagons  over  the  mountains  to  Pittsburg,  and    from  there  by  a  keel-boat 
down  the  Ohio   River  to  Cincinnati.      The  next  move  was  to  Harrison, 
where  Enoch  Morgan  and  his  brother,  together,  entered  160  acres,  which 
they  subsequently  divided,  after  selling  twenty  acres  to  a  third  brother, 
a   blacksmith   by    trade,    and  who,  when  he  first  came  to  this    county, 
plied  his  trade  for  some  time  with  an  iron  wedge  driven  into  a  block  of 
wood  to  serve  for  an  anvil.      On  the   farm   above  referred   to   Mr.  and 
Mrs.    Morgan  resided  till  their  deaths,  and  here  our  subject  grew  into 
manhood,    working   for  his  parents   till  twenty-two  years  of  age.     He 
then  purchased  a   farm  of  120   acres  of  Robert  Cassidy,  for  whom  he 
labored   five    years    as    payment    for   the  same.      In   his  thirtieth    year 
(February  5,  1846),  he  married  Hannah  Lynas.  a  native  of  this  county, 
and  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (White)  Lynas;  her  father,  a  native 
of  England  and  an  old  Revolutionary  soldier.      Her  parents  were  early 
settlers  of  this  county.     This  union   has   been    blessed  by  six  children, 
three  of  whom  are  still  living:    Joseph,    Jennie  and   George  W.     The 
two   sons   are    both    farmers;    the    daughter,    a   teacher   in  the   Harri- 
son  high  school.     After  his  marriage,  in  1846,  Mr.  Morgan  settled  on  his 
present  farm,  and,  for  about  six  years,  lived  in  an  old  log-cabiu  of  the 
reo-ular  pioneer  sort,  when  he  moved  in  a  wheelbarrow  to  the  comfortable 
residence  which  has  since  sheltered  his  family.      By  dint  of  hard  labor, 
industry  and  economy,  assisted  by  a  faithful  and  persevering  wife,  Mr. 
Morgan  has  provided  well  for  the  frosts  of  old  age,  and  is  now  enjoying 
the  fruits  of  his  earlier  labors.     For  many  years   Mr.  Morgan  was  quite 
extensively  engaged  in  the  culture  of  small   fruit,  and  at  one  time  had 
twenty- nine  different  species  of  the  cherry  on  his  premises,  and  other 
fruits  accordingly.     It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  family  seems  doomed 
to  accidents,  several  members  having  thus  lost   their   lives.     The   father 
was  drowned  in  a  canal;  his  brother  Edward  was  killed  by  striking  a  tree 
while  riding  rapidly  by  it  on  horseback;  a  third,  Benjamin,  was  killed 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  847 

in  falling  down  a  stairway,  and  a  brother-in-law  of  our  subject  was 
killed  by  a  falling  tree.  Mr.  Morgan's  family  are  associated  with  the 
Christian  Church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  worthy  member  for  more  than 
half  a  century. 

EPHRAIM  MORRISON.  *  Samuel  Morrison  my  grandfather  had 
one  daughter  and  six  sons,  five  of  whom  were  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 
My  father,  Ephraim  Morrison,  was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  June 
5,  1758,  and  served  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Brandy  wine,  September  11,  1777,  and 
narrowly  escaped  the  massacre  of  Paoli,  where  fifty-three  soldiers  were 
massacred  in  cold  blood  by  the  British,  September  20,  1777.  These 
fifty-three  soldiers  were  so  badly  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Braadywine, 
that  they  could  not  help  themselves  from  being  placed  in  a  barn  as  a 
hospital  near  Paoli.  The  English  slipped  up  a  narrow  valley  in  the 
night  and  brutally  murdered  the  fifty-three  disabled  soldiers.  The 
family  after  the  Revolutionary  war,  removed  to  the  west  branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  River  and  settled  just  below  the  mouth  of  Pine  Creek. 
Here  Mercy  Morrison  (grandmother)  died  October  30,  1798,  and  Samuel 
Morrison  (grandfather)  died  May  5,  1801,  aged  one  hundred  years  and 
four  months.  Ephraim  Morrison  was  married  to  Mrs.  Nancy  Hettick 
(whose  maiden  name  was  Forster)  July  1,  1787.  Here  Samuel,  Jr.  and 
Ephraim  Morrison  bought  land,  but  failed  to  pay  for  it  as  they  were 
ruined  by  the  depreciation  of  the  continental  money,  which  they  had 
received  for  their  services  in  the  army.  They  resolved  to  immigrate  to 
the  West  and  began  their  journey  in  1794  and  came  as  far  as  Pittsburgh, 
where  they  remained  during  the  year  1795,  to  await  the  result  of  the 
Greenville  treaty  of  August  3,  1795.  Ephraim  Morrison  embarked 
with  several  other  families  in  a  keel-boat  for  the  Western  country,  on  the 
Ist  of  February.  It  was  said  to  be  mild  and  delightful  weather.  They 
tarried  a  day  at  Marietta;  thence  to  the  Stites  and  Gano  settlement  at 
Columbia,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami  River,  where  they  tarried 
two  days;  thence  to  Cincinnati,  where  father  met  with  Joel  Williams, 
whom  he  knew  in  Pennsylvania.  Next  they  stopped  at  North  Bend  to  see 
Judge  John  Cleves  Symmes;  thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami 
River,  where  there  was  a  station  that  had  been  established  by  Capt. 
Joseph  Hayes  and  associates,  consisting  of  some  eight  or  ten  families. 
They  then  proceeded  to  Tanner's  Station  (now  Petersburg),  where  they 
arrived  on  the  9th  of  February.  Here  father  concluded  to  stop,  on 
account  of  mother's  sickness.  The  other  immigrants  went  on  to  the 
falls  of  the  Ohio.  Here  was  John  Tanner,  John  Watts  (both  Baptist 
ministers)  a  Mr.  Voden,  Mr.  Eads,  Daniel  Moseby,  William  Caldwell,  a 

*By  Samuel  Morrison. 


848  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Mr.  Kirtly,  Mr.  Ashby,  Maj.  Israel  Sebree,  Capt.  William  Sebree  (broth- 
ers of  Mrs.  Frances  Watts);  Mr.  Alloway  lived  just  about  one  mile  above 
the  station.  On  the  river  bank,  just  below  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek, 
there  stood  an  Indian  hut  about  sixteen  feet  square,  without  floor  or 
roof;  father  and  my  eldest  brother  repaired  it  and  moved  into  it  ou  Val 
entine's  day  (February  14,)  1796.  Here,  it  was  said,  there  were  three  or 
four  acres  of  ground  that  had  been  cleared  off"  by  the  Indians;  about  the 
same  number  of  acres  above  the  creek.  Here  father  met  Adam  Flake, 
who  told  me  that  he  settled  on  South  Hogan  Creek  in  January,  1796, 
about  a  month  previous  to  father's  settlement.  He  often  told  me  that 
he  and  my  father  were  the  two  first  families  that  ventured  northwest  of 
the  Ohio  River.  There  were  great  numbers  of  Indians  encamped  in  the 
vicinity.  Among  their  chiefs  were  Black  Hoof,  an  old  man,  Blue  Jacket 
and  Capt.  Bill,  a  very  large  Indian.  With  the  Indians  here  was  the 
notorious  Simon  Girty.  The  Indians  were  of  the  tribe  called  Shawneese. 
In  the  latter  part  of  1796,  Blue  Jacket  borrowed  a  saddle  of  father  to 
accompany  Simon  Girty  to  Detroit.  He  came  back  faithfully  and  re- 
turned the  saddle,  but  Girty  never  came  back,  that  I  know  of,  though 
he  had  a  son.  who  was  reared  mostly  in  Dearborn  County,  and  went  by 
the  name  of  Simon  Peters,  and  was  married  in  Dearborn  County,  thence 
removed  to  Marion  County,  where  he  ended  his  days,  leaving  a  family. 
Mr.  Adam  Flake  informed  me  of  the  families  as  they  came.  In  1798, 
Ebenezer  Foot  (step-father  of  the  Peterses  and  Mahala  Butler),  David 
Butler  and  step-sons,  John  Jonathan  and  Johiel  Buffington,  George  and 
Henry  Grove,  George  Glenn,  Abner  Gray  and  family,  three  sons  and 
one  daughter,  to  wit:  Abner,  John  and  Moses  Gray,  who  settled  just 
above  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek;  Daniel,  Robert  and  James  Conaway ; 
Francis  and  Nicholas  Cheek  and  their  families;  James,  Henry  and  Amor 
Bruce  and  families. 

Ephraim  Morrison  assisted  Col.  Benjamin  Chambers  in  surveying 
the  public  land  of  Dearborn  County;  he  carrying  the  hind  end  of  the 
chain  and  keeping  tally  of  site  trees,  brooks,  quality  of  soil  and  timber. 
Col.  Chambers  was  a  first  cousin  to  Mrs.  Ephraim  Morrison.  The  sur- 
veys were  commenced  by  Israel  Ludlow,  October  11,  1798,  who  began 
the  first  meridian  line  from  the  center  of  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami 
River.  The  variation  of  the  compass  was  ascertained  to  be  5°  10'  east 
of  the  true  north.  The  surveys  were  all  completed  within  the  years 
from  1798  to  1805  inclusive.  To  these  surveys  there  is  no  base  line,  the 
townships  number  north  from  the  Ohio  River,  and  the  ranges  are  num- 
bered west  from  the  first  meridian  line. 

The  land  was  not  yet  surveyed,  and  of  course  no  claims  could  be 
perfected.      Father  sold  his   impi'ovements   below  the  mouth  of  Hogan 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  849 

Creek  to  old  Ebenezer  Foot,  and,  in  1799,  moved  about  ten  miles  north, 
into  what  was  afterward  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  a  contract  of  getting  out  timber,  and  to  assist  a  man  by  the  name 
of  Smith  to  build  a  grist-mill  on  Whitewater  River.  He  settled  in  a 
neighborhood  where  Mr.  Smith  and  Mr.  Bonham  lived.  Here  he  and 
his  family  remained  one  year,  and  while  here  he  killed  a  very  large 
buck  elk.  My  eldest  brother,  who  accompanied  father  in  his  hunting 
expeditions,  said  that  he  once  counted  seventeen  elks  in  a  drove  before 
they  mixed  up  so  that  he  could  not  count  any  more.  He  said  that  there 
were  at  least  thirty  elks  in  the  drove.  Deer  also  went  in  droves.  The 
early  settlers  made  a  rule  that  they  would  not  kill  a  female  elk  or  deer, 
therefoi'e  only  the  bucks  were  killed,  the  does  being  left  to  breed.  It 
was  said  that  the  Indians  originated  this  custom.  This  is  why  the 
dressed  leather  from  deer  skins  is  called  "buckskin."  Father  built  a 
double  log-cabin,  stable  and  sheep  house  on  a  tract  of  land  he  had  chosen 
to  be  his  future  home.  It  was  situated  on  fractional  Section  22,  Town- 
ship 5,  of  Range  1  west.  He  made  his  improvements  on  the  west 
bank  of  Tanner's  Creek,  which  meandered  nearly  through  the  cen- 
ter of  the  section.  Here  the  Indians  had  cleared  up  some  ten  or  twelve 
acres  of  land,  and  on  one  edge  of  it  stood  a  mound  of  mussel  or  clam 
shells  eight  feet  high.  Blue  Jacket  told  my  father,  in  the  presence  of. 
my  eldest  brother,  that  the  Indians  made  a  feast  of  roasted  clams  every 
twelve  moons,  in  remembrance  of  the  great  Manitou,  who  ruled  the 
fishes  and  the  clams. 

At  this  place  my  father  and  brothers  cleared  up  and  put  under  fence 
thirty  acres  of  land.  Our  sheep  had  to  be  housed  every  night  on  ac- 
count of  the  wolves.  A  bear  came  into  our  door  yard  and  took  a  hog  that 
would  weigh  fifty  pounds,  stood  on  its  hind  legs  squeezing  the  hog  in 
its  hug  and  biting  it.  On  hearing  the  hog  squeal  father  took  down  his 
rifle  and  shot  and  killed  the  bear. 

The  land  sales  took  place  at  Cincinnati.  April,  1801,  and  father  at- 
tended them.  Fractional  Section  22  contained  511.81  acres,  and  father 
had  money  enough  to  enter  half  of  it,  255.90  acres,  which  lay  on  the 
west  side  of  the  creek,  on  which  were  all  his  improvements,  the  creek 
divided  it  about  equally.  Gen.  James  Finley,  the  laud  officer,  told  father 
that  the  treasury  board  had  ordered  him  to  sell  nothing  less  than  a 
whole  section,  and  that  all  fractional  sections  must  be  sold  with  the 
whole  section  to  the  rear  of  and  adjoining  them.  Section  21  and  fractional 
Sections  22  and  23  containing  in  all  1,183.77  acres  by  the  maps,  and 
1,197.22  acres  by  the  tract  books  (true  contents  1,181.13  acres),  at  $2 
per  acre  amounted  to  $2,367.54.  The  whole  1,183.77  acres  was  bid  off 
by  Charles    Wilkins,  who  paid   on  it   1598.61.     Father   returned  home 


850  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

with  a  broken  and  subdued  spirit,  to  think  that  all  of  his  hard  labor  and 
that  of  his  sons  was  lost.  That  year  (1801)  they  raised  an  excellent 
crop  of  corn,  a  patch  of  flax  and  a  patch  of  cotton.  Wilkins  charged 
father  for  the  rent  of  his  own  improvements.  Father  then  resolved  to 
leave  the  Territory  as  soon  as  he  could  make  arrangements  and  hear  from 
his  brother  Samuel,  who  had  settled  somewhere  in  Ohio.  Father  was 
forced  to  pay  rent  on  his  own  improvements  and  support  a  family  of 
nine  persons,  when  all  that  they  wore  and  ate  had  to  be  made  within  the 
family  circle.  Each  family  then  had  to  live  as  an  independent  nation 
of  people.  They  carded,  spun  and  wove  all  their  wool  and  cotton, 
dressed,  spun  and  wove  their  linen;  tanned  and  made  their  own  leather 
and  shoes;  dressed  and  made  their  own  buckskin,  which  was  used  much 
for  pantaloons,  moccasins  and  sack  coats  for  boys  and  men.  Mother  died 
December  18,  1803,  leaving  father  with  a  family  of  six  children  to  pro- 
vide and  care  for.  In  the  summer  of  1804,  father  and  my  two  eldest 
brothers  got  out  the  timber  and  built  the  first  jail  in  Lawrenceburgh. 
It  was  built  of  logs  a  foot  square  and  notched  at  the  corners,  so  that  the 
logs  fit  close  together;  the  two  floors,  above  and  below,  were  laid  with 
logs  a  foot  square  and  close  together.  Two  windows,  one  on  each  side 
of  the  door  ;  each  window  was  one  foot  perpendicular  by  two  feet  hori- 
zontal, each  filled  with  iron  gratings.  The  door  was  made  of  three-inch 
oak  plank,  the  battons  were  of  bar  iron,  three  inches  broad  by  one  inch 
thick,  which  also  formed  a  part  of  the  hinges. 

On  the  organization  of  Dearborn  County,  March  7,  1803,  Gov.  Will- 
iam Henry  Harrison  offered  to  Ephraim  Morrison  the  appointment  of 
judge  of  the  court  of  general  quarter  sessions  of  the  peace  and  common 
pleas,  which  said  position  he  declined,  because  he  had  lost  his  land  and 
home.  In  November,  1804,  father  made  a  sale  and  sold  all  his  loose  prop- 
erty, including  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs,  reserving  a  yoke  of  oxen,  wagon 
and  mare,  and  began  his  journey  to  Ohio  December  1,  of  that  year.  On 
the  third  day  we  reached  Hamilton,  and  on  the  sixth  Dayton,  and  on  the 
7th  of  December,  our  new  home  on  Mad  River,  in  Clark  County,  Ohio. 
This  home  we  occupied  one  year,  one  month  and  twenty-six  days,  when 
father  died  (February  2,  A.  D.  1806),  of  an  injury  received  at  a  house 
raising.  He  was  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  weight  175  pounds, 
brown  hair  and  blue  eyes.  He  never  aspired  to  oflSce,  or  to  be  a  leader 
in  politics  or  religion,  though  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church; 
he  was  a  man  of  worth  and  skill,  and  should  not  be  forgotten,  or  pass 
into  oblivion  unnoticed.  For  a  life  of  modest  toil  and  persevering  in- 
dustry in  the  period  he  lived  in,  was  of  great  value  to  the  country;  be- 
sides his  service  in  the  Eevolutionary  war,  for  naught,  as  the  continen- 
tal money,  with  which  he  was  paid  proved  worthless. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  851 

Ephraim  Morrison  and  sons  cleared  up  and  put  under  cultivation 
sixty  acres  of  land,  built  two  good  double  log-cabins,  made  plows, 
looms  with  their  equipments,  hand-mills,  etc.,  during  their  eight  years 
residence  in  Dearborn  County.  He  left  the  county  because  he  had  to  be 
a  tenant  on  his  own  labor  and  improvements,  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment requiring  him  to  pay  $2  per  acre  for  1,183.77  acres  or  none,  when 
it  sold  land  east  of  the  Great  Miami  to  Judge  John  Cleves  Symmes  for 
66|  cents  per  acre,  and  at  the  same  time  agreeing  with  him  to  receive 
soldier  warrants,  which  were  selling  at  5  shillings  on  the  pound,  for  the 
pay  of  one  entire  range  of  townships,  extending  from  the  Great  to  the 
Little  Miami  River,  amounting  to  80,640  acres  and  costing  $13,440. 
Father  was  a  remarkably  stout  and  strong  man.  Nicholas  Cheek  told  me 
that  father  carried  on  his  shoulders  800  bushels  of  corn  (in  the  ear) 
and  put  it  into  a  keel  boat  in  one  day.  Cheek  said  that  they  had  two 
bed  ticks  that  would  hold  about  six  bushels  of  corn  each.  They  filled 
one,  Cheek  and  another  man  helping  to  put  it  on  father's  shoulders,  who 
then  carried  it  to  the  boat  where  two  other  men  took  and  emptied  it, 
giving  father  the  empty  bed  tick  and  he  took  it  to  Cheek  and  partner  who 
had  another  bed  tick  tilled,  and  they  put  it  on  father's  shoulders,  who 
took  it  to  the  boat,  and  so  on  until  the  boat  was  loaded. 

Among  other  things  Ephraim  Morrison  was  a  great  hunter,  Mr. 
Isaac  Mills  staid  one  winter  with  him,  and  the  two  men  did  nothing  but 
hunt  and  kill  bears  for  their  skins.  It  was  said  that  they  killed  twenty 
bears  besides  keeping  the  family  in  deer  meat.  There  was  a  deer  lick 
not  far  from  the  mouth  of  Hogan  Creek  where  father  would  go  whenever 
it  was  necessary  to  supply  the  family  with  meat.  At  one  time  when  he 
went  to  the  lick  he  saw  a  large  panther  crouched  on  a  leaning  tree,  that 
bent  over  the  lick,  watching  also  for  deer.  He  did  not  see  it  until  he 
was  too  close  to  risk  a  shot,  he  thought  if  he  did  not  kill  it,  in  a  couple 
of  bounds  it  would  be  upon  him.  He  looked  it  in  the  face,  slowly 
moving  backward,  until  he  felt  himself  safe  in  trying  to  scare  it  away 
without,  risking  a  shot,  which  he  did  by  breaking  a  limb  and  throwing 
toward  it,  it  leaped  ofif  and  ran  away.  On  the  side  of  the  hill  just  be- 
low the  first  little  brook  below  Aurora,  father  shot  a  bear,  it  fell  down, 
kicked  and  at  last  lay  still,  he  reloaded  his  gun,  went  up  to  the  bear  and 
gave  it  a  poke  with  his  gun;^the  bear  sprang  to  its  feet  and  pursued  him 
for  some  distance,  after  giving  up  the  pursuit  he  wheeled  and  gave  it  a 
second  shot,  down  it  tumbled,  kicking  and  quivering  as  before;  thinking 
it  dead  for  certain  this  time  he  punched  it  again,  when  it  sprang  to  its 
feet  and  gave  him  a  much  closer  chase  than  before,  he  was  obliged  to 
drop  his  gun  and  save  himself  by  running  over  a  deep  ravine  on  a  slim 
pole  that  lay  over  it.  He  succeeded  in  getting  around  to  his  gun  and  by 
a  third  shot  killed  the  bear. 


852  HISTORY  OF  dearborn  and  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Gen.  James  Dill,  clerk  of  the  court  in  Dearborn  County,  told  me  that 
my  father,  Ephraim  Morrison,  saved  his  life  once,  with  that  of  three 
others.  I  asked  him  how.  He  replied  that  Mr.  Morrison  was  bringing 
a  pirogue  load  of  stone  from  the  Kentucky  shore,  there  were  in  the 
pirogue  with  him  only  three  men  as  hands,  who  could  swim;  myself  and 
three  others  as  passengers,  who  could  not  swim.  As  we  left  the  Ken- 
tucky shore  the  wind  arose  and  by  the  time  we  reached  the  middle  of  the 
river  the  wind  became  a  gale,  the  pirogue  began  to  fill  with  water,  those 
that  could  swim,  wanted  to  leave  the  pirogue  and  let  those  who  could 
not  swim  drown.  But  Mr.  Morrison  took  command  and  would  not  allow 
any  to  leave,  and  commanded  that  every  man  should  apply  himself  to 
the  oars  with  all  his  might,  and  by  so  doing  they  could  run  the  pirogue 
into  shallow  water  before  it  would  sink.  They  did  as  he  commanded, 
and  never  did  men  labor  and  row  for  life  as  they  did.  We  reached  shoal 
water  before  sinking,  where  the  water  was  but  three  feet  deep.  We  all 
had  to  wade  out  with  grateful  hearts  that  we  were  saved. 

GEORGrE  C.  MULLEN,  Aurora,  clerk  in  the  office  of  Aurora  Dis- 
tilling Company,  is  a  native  of  Marble  Head,  Mass.,  born  September 
22,  1855.  His  parents,  James  and  Mary  (Connell)  Mullen,  were  born  in 
Ireland,  and  came  to  America  in  1840.  The  father  was  a  contractor,  and 
came  to  Aurora  in  1865.  After  concluding  to  locate  in  Aurora  he  wrote 
for  his  family,  and  went  to  Cincinnati  to  meet  them,  where  he  fell  from 
the  steamer  "St.  Charles,"  and  was  drowned.  The  mother  came  on  to 
Aurora,  and  by  the  assistance  of  George  (then  a  mere  boy),  kept  the  fam- 
ily together,  and  raised  them  by  hard  labor  and  strict  economy.  George 
was  industrious,  and  gave  all  his  earnings  to  his  kind  mother,  without 
which  she  could  not  have  kept  the  family.  His  first  work  was  watching 
hogs  from  the  corn  at  the  distillery.  In  1868  he  met  with  a  misfortune, 
which  resulted  in  a  stiff  knee  joint.  The  skill  and  ability  of  the  faculty 
at  the  Indianapolis  Institute  could  not  save  his  limb.  He  returned  to 
Aurora  in  1871,  and  was  taken  in  the  office  of  the  distilling  company  as 
office  boy.  In  1875  for  good  behavior,  accuracy  and  rapidity  in  figures, 
he  was  promoted  to  paying  and  receiving  clerk,  which  position  he  has 
since  held.  His  position  is  one  of  great  responsibility,  as  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars  pass  through  his  hands  every  year.  Mr.  Mullen  was  mar 
ried  October  15,  1879,  to  Miss  Anna  McGraw,  a  native  of  Aurora,  who 
was  born  August  4,  1856.  By  the  happy  marriage  four  children  have 
been  born,  namely:  James,  born  January  26,  1880;  Mary,  born  June 
29,  1882;  Sarah,  born  August  17,  1883,  and  Kate,  December  23,  1884. 
Mr.  Mullen  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber and  secretary  of  the  Catholic  Knights  of  America,  Branch  No.  115; 
also  belongs  to  the  Irish  Catholic  Benevolent  Union  No.  292,  in  which 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  853 

he  has  tilled  all  the  offices.  He  was  chosen  as  trustee  in  the  Catholic 
Church  in  1879,  again  in  1880,  1883  and  1884,  and  is  secretary  of  the 
board  of  trustees  at  the  present;  is  secretary  of  the  Mutual  Loan 
Association;  is  truly  a -self  made  man,  having  worked  himself  up  to 
an  enviable  position  in  the  estimation  of  business  men,  who  have  always 
reposed  full  confidence  in  him  as  an  honest  and  faithful  man.  He  is 
and  always  has  been  a  true  Democrat,  and  has  labored  zealously  for  the 
advancement  of  the  party. 

AKCHIE  C.  MURDOCK,  grocer  (corner  of  Main  and  Third  Streets), 
Aurora,  was  born  in  Warsaw,  Ky.,  October  9,  1863,  and  received  a  com- 
mon school  education.  His  father,  Christopher  C,  was  born  in  Harrison 
County,  Ky.,  July  29,  1821.  His  mother,  Mary  J.  (Winters)  Murdock, 
was  born  in  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  May  12,  1826.  They  were  married  Sep- 
tember 6,  1842,  and  raised  seven  children:  Janette,  Olpha  (born  May  2, 
1847,  and  died  October  7,  1864),  George,  Ira,  John,  Charles  (born  Novem- 
ber 22,  1854,  and  died  March  23,  1862),  and  Archie  C.  The  latter  began 
life  by  clerking  for  Wm.  Coulter,  a  dry  goods  merchant  at  Rising  Sun, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  six  years.  He  came  to  Aurora  in  April, 
1883,  and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  was  married  December 
4,  1884,  to  Miss  Ella  M.  C.  Coulter  (daughter  of  J.  P.  Coulter).  She 
was  born  March  3,  1866.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and 
his  wife  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  At  the  store  of  our  sub- 
ject can  be  found  choice  groceries,  and  in  season  oysters,  vegetables  and 
fruits. 

JAMES  MURDOCK,  farmer,  Manchester,  born  in  County  Antrim, 
Ireland,  is  a  son  of  William  and  Aan  Murdock,  natives  of  Ireland,  who 
immigrated  to  America  and  settled  in  Dearborn  County  in  1847,  and  re- 
sided here  several  years,  thence  removed  to  Missouri,  where  Mrs.  Mur- 
dock died  January  25,  1869.  He  died  in  1876.  They  had  born  to  them 
nine  children,  five  now  living:  Ann  Jane,  now  Widow  Steele,  residing 
in  Sullivan  County,  Ind.;  George  and  William,  now  residents  of  Sulli- 
van County,  Mo. ;  Matilda,  wife  of  James  Boreland,  also  residing  in  Sul- 
livan County,  Mo.,  and  James,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  married 
Ann  Russell.  She  was  born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  November  27, 
1837,  a  daughter  of  James  A.  and  Elizabeth  Russell,  natives  of  the 
same  locality,  who  came  to  America  in  1844  and  settled  in  Dearborn 
County,  where  Mr.  Russell  died  March  15,  1855,  aged  forty  years.  Mrs. 
Russell  still  survives  and  resides  on  the  old  home  place.  They  had  eight 
children,  five  now  living:  Ann,  William,  Hugh,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah 
Jane.  Of  those  deceased,  John  and  Robert  died  in  the  war  of  the  Re- 
bellion; John  dying  in  Andersonville  prison  and  Robert  at  Vicksburg, 
from  the  efifects  of  wounds  received   in  battle.     Mr.  Murdock  and  wife 


854  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

spent  one  year  in  Missouri,  then  came  back  to  Indiana  and  resided  about 
fourteen  years  in  Sullivan  County.  In  July,  18S1,  they  located  on  the 
place  where  they  now  live.  This  farm  they  purchased  the  winter  previous. 
It  consists  of  127  acres  of  good  land  with  good  improvements. 

JOHN  A.  NEES,  proprietor  of  Union  Hotel,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of 
Bavaria,  born  November  2,  1829.  His  father,  Thomas  Nees,  was  born 
in  Germany,  died  in  1842.  His  mother  who  was  also  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, died  in  1846.  Mr.  John  A.  Nees  came  to  America  in  1847,  locating 
in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  where  he  taught  school.  In  1867  he  located  in 
Aurora,  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  In  1877  he  built  his 
present  hotel,  and  has  run  the  same  ever  since.  Mr.  Nees  was  married, 
May  31,  1852,  to  Miss  Amelia  Koch,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  August  18, 
1835.  Eleven  children:  Amelia,  Thomas,  Hellen,  William,  John, 
Frank,  Josephine,  Emma,  George,  Henry  and  Anna  have  been  born  to 
the  marriage.  Mr.  Nees  has  a  large  and  commodious  hotel,  with  livery 
stable  connected,  which  enables  him  to  accommodate  man  and  beast 
with  the  best  the  city  affords.  He  belongs  to  the  Catholic  Church,  and 
has  been  the  organist  for  thirteen  years. 

DAVID  NEVITT,  of  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was  born  in  Ohio 
County,  W.  Va.,  in  1795;  at  an  early  age  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  hatter, 
which  trade  he  learned,  and  in  1816  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  by 
the  aid  of  Abram  Roland  he  carried  on  the  trade.  Subsequently  he  en- 
gaged in  produce,  and  did  an  extensive  business  in  the  pork  line. 
While  carrying  on  this  business  he  opened  and  cleared  up  a  farm,  to 
which  he  moved  in  1836,  yet  continued  his  business  in  Lawrenceburgh. 
His  death  occurred  in  1878. 

WILLIAM  NENTRUP,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany,  March  1,  1835.  His  parents,  Joseph  and  Hannah 
Nentrup,  were  also  natives  of  Hanover,  Germany,  and  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1852,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  and  from  thence  up  the 
Mississippi  and  Ohio  Rivers  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  locating  in  Clay  Township, 
Dearborn  County,  where  they  subsequently  resided.  The  mother  died 
in  1860.  The  husband  still  survives,  and  resides  at  Dillsborough.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children:  Henry  and  William.  The  latter 
came  to  Dearborn  County,  in  1852,  with  his  parents,  and  has  since  re- 
sided here.  In  1859  he  purchased  his  present  farm,  and  in  October,  1860, 
was  married  to  Louisa  Linkmeier,  after  which  he  settled  on  his  farm, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  They  have  had  born  to  them  one  son,  Henry 
W.  Our  subject  owns  eighty  acres  of  fine  land.  The  family  is  identified 
with  the  Lutheran  Church. 

HENRY  NEWTON,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  a  native  of  the  State  of 
Vermont.      In    his  early   youth  he  resided  near  the  city  of  Erie,  Penn., 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  855 

and  assisted  in  getting  out  timber  for  the  purpose  of  building  United 
States  vessels,  to  be  used  in  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  which  were  used 
by  Commodore  Perry  at  his  victory  on  Lake  Erie.  Mr.  Newton  joined 
the  army  and  marched  to  Detroit  to  the  relief  of  Hull.  He  lived  in  the 
vicinity  of  Lawrenceburgh  upward  of  sixty  years.  His  death  occurred 
in  1881,  aged  ninety-one  years. 

R.  D.  NEWTON,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  near  Rising 
Sun,  Ohio  County,  Ind. ,  September  16,  1821.  His  parents,  George  and 
Lucretia  (Drake)  Newton,  were  natives  of  Massachusetts  and  Virginia, 
respectively,  and  from  thence  immigrated  to  Ohio  County  in  an 
early  day,  where  they  were  married.  They  were  the  parents  of  Diana, 
Asa,  Delila  and  Robert  D.  Newton.  The  latter  was  brought  up  a  farmer, 
and  when  about  twenty  years  of  age  began  working  at  the  carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  about  three  years  only,  when  he  turned  his 
attention  to  coopering,  which  he  engaged  in  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
was  married  in  Dearborn  County  November  18,  1852,  to  Mary  Headly, 
and  settled  at  Patriot,  Switzerland  County,  where  he  remained  about 
eight  years,  after  which  he  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  and  purchased 
and  settled  on  the  same  farm  where  he  dow  lives  and  has  since  resided. 
He  has  fifty-four  acres  of  well  improved  land. 

E.  H.  NIEBAUM,  of  the  firm  of  McCrarey  &  Niebaum,  dealers  in 
dry  goods,  boots  and  shoes,  hats  and  caps,  carpets,  cloaks  and  fancy 
goods,  located  in  the  opera  house  building,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Hano- 
ver, Germany,  December  27,  1839.  His  parents,  John  F.  and  Louisa 
(Marsh)  Niebaum,  were  both  natives  of  Hanover,  and  came  to  America  in 
1845  and  located  at  Farmer's  Retreat,  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  Here 
our  subject  received  the  ordinary  training  given  by  the  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  He  resided  on  a  farm  until  1859,  when  he  came  to 
this  place  and  began  clerking  for  Chambers,  Stevens  &  Co.,  with  which 
firm  he  remained  until  January,  1876.  November  11,  1862  he  was 
married  to  Clara  E.  Rieman,  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  born  on 
Christmas  day,  1843.  To  the  marriage  have  been  born  Frank  W., 
Charles  H.  and  Willie  E.  Mr.  Niebaum  is  an  active  member  of  "St. 
John's  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

Among  the  leading  firms  of  the  city  representing  the  dry  goods 
trade,  we  mention  that  of  McCrarey  &  Niebaum.  This  firm  was  organ- 
ized in  January,  1876,  and  at  once  took  rank  as  one  of  the  ruling  houses. 
In  a  few  months  after  opening  up,  it  was  found  to  be  necessary  to  re- 
move to  more  commodious  quarters,  in  order  to  meet  the  wants  of  a  rap 
idly  developing  trade.  That  their  extensive  trade  may  be  promptly 
served,  they  require  the  aid  of  six  hands  in  their  various  departments 
No  reference  is  needed  or  further  evidence  required,  proving  the  sterling 


856  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

commercial  worth  aud  great  public  benefit  of  such  representative  men  to 
the  general  trade  of  both  city  and  surrounding  country. 

HENRY  NIEBEUGGE,  proprietor  livery  and  sale  stable,  Dillsbor 
ough,  is  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  where  he  was  born  April  1, 1827. 
His  parents,  Herman  and  Maria  (Nentrup)  Niebrugge,  were  also  natives 
of  Germany,  where  they  resided  until  their  deaths.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Bernard,  Minnie,  Catherine,  William, 
Frederick  and  Henry.  The  latter,  the  eldest  member  of  the  family, 
immigrated  to  the  United  ^  States  in  1845,  landing  at  New  York  City, 
where  he  remained  one  year  and  engaged  in  the  carpenter  trade  (having 
learned  the  trade  in  Germany).  In  1846  he  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  married,  January  3,  1850,  to  Henriette  Schwenkmyer,  who 
was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  November  11,  1829.  In  June,  1850, 
Mr.  Niebrugge  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind,,  where  he  purchased 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Section  23,  Clay  Township,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  remaining  until  1865,  in  which  year  he  sold  his  farm,  and  pur- 
chased the  coopering  establishment  of  Samuel  Wymond  at  Dillsborough, 
which  he  operated  until  1878,  also  engaging  in  the  mercantile  business. 
In  1881  he  opened  a  livery,  feed  and  sale  stable  at  Dillsborough,  which 
business  he  now  follows  and  is  prospering  in.  They  have  had  born  to 
them  ten  childreu,  viz.:  Aaron  H.,  Bernard  H.,  Charles  F.,  Henriette 
M.,  William  G.,  Lizzie  K.,  Annie  M.,  Mary,  Gustie  L.  and  Louisa  M. 
Mr,  Niebrugge  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  H.  NOBLE,  carpenter,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  at  Che- 
viot, Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  March  29,  1834.  The  parents,  from  whom 
he  descended,  were  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Dashiell)  Noble,  natives  of 
Maryland,  and  were  born  near  Salisbury,  Wicomico  County,  the  former 
in  1807,  and  the  latter  in  1812,  Mr.  Noble  was,  by  occupation,  a  car- 
penter and  house-builder.  He  emigrated  from  Maryland  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  in  1832,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade,  and  soon  thereafter  came 
to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  Here  he  and  Miss  Dashiell  were  united  in 
marriage  in  March,  1833,  after  which  they  moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  remained  until  1834.  when  they  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
locating  near  Moore's  Hill,  where  they  remained  for  a  short  time,  and 
from  thence  removed  to  Wilmington,  Ind.,  and  in  1843  returned  to  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  where  she  died  in  1843,  and  in  1844  he  returned  to  Aurora. 
He  was  again  married,  at  Aurora,  in  1844,  to  Isabelle  Hiatt,  and  in 
1849  moved  to  Petersburg,  Ky.,  where  he  remained  until  1851,  at 
which  time  he  returned  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he  died  in 
March,  1857.  He  was  a  man  of  good  moral  character,  was  a  member  of 
the   Methodist    Episcopal    Church,  and   also    a  member  of  the  Masonic 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  857 

order,  was  a  skillful  mechanic,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  had  born  to  him  by  his  first  wife:  John  H.,  Amelia  A., 
Mary  J.  and  Elizabeth;  and  James  R.,  William  P.  and  Sarah  M.  by  his 
second  wife.  John  H.,  our  subject,  was  the  eldest  of  the  children.  He 
was  educated  iu  the  public  schools  of  Aurora,  and  in  1851  began  boating 
on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  which  he  followed  until  1855,  when 
he  engaged  in  the  carpenter  trade,  which  he  has  pursued,  more  or  less, 
since.  He  is  a  skillful  and  scientific  workman,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  and  accommodating  citizens  of  Moore's  Hill.  He 
was  iinited  in  marriage  at  Moore's  Hill,  June  4,  1857,  to  Louis- 
iana, daughter  of  Morton  and  Darcus  T.  (Eaton)  Justis,  She  was 
born  near  Moore's  Hill,  August,  1840.  After  Mr.  Noble's  mar- 
riage he  settled  at  Moore's  Hill,  where  he  has  since  resided,  with  the 
exception  of  one  year,  when  he  lived  at  Aurora.  In  1861  he  en- 
tered the  war,  enlisting,  August  5,  in  the  Eighteenth  Regiment  Indi- 
aua  Volunteers  as  a  musician,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  Decem- 
ber 25,  1861,  at  which  time  he  was  discharged;  and  in  September,  1864, 
he  re-enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy  as  a  musician  and  served 
until  May,  1865,  when  he  was  discharged,  and  returned  to  Mooi'e's 
Hill,  where  he  has  since  resided.  /  He  has  had  born  to  him  eleven 
children,  namely:  Lilian  M.,  John  M. ,  Henry  E.,  Eva  J.,  George  F. 
(deceased),  Chai'les  A.,  Daisy,  Etta,  Maud,  Ned  and  Glenn  B.  Mr. 
Noble  owns  tine  property  in  Moore's  Hill,  where  he  resides.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  also  of  the  G.  A.  R.  He  is  a  man  who 
is  highly  respected  by  all,  and  has  held  many  offices  of  trust  in  the 
county,  and  at  present  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Moore's  Hill. 

CHARLES  C.  NOLTE,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Cesar 
Creek  Township,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  August  24,  1854.  His  parents, 
John  H.  and  Margaret  (Rullman)  Nolte,  were  natives  of  Germany,  and 
from  thence  in  an  early  day  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  locating  in 
Dearborn  County,  where  they  married,  and  settled  in  Cesar  Creek 
Township,  where  they  resided  until  1856,  in  which  year  they  purchased 
and  settled  on  the  same  farm,  on  which  our  subject  now  lives,  which  they 
improved,  and  on  which  they  lived  until  1879,  when  they  removed  to 
Cesar  Creek  Township,  where  he  died  December  19,  1882,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-three  years.  His  widow  still  survives.  Their  children  were  Louisa, 
William  and  Charles  C,  the  latter  the  eldest  member  of  the  family.  He 
was  married,  in  Dearborn  County,  January  9,  1879,  to  Mary  S.  Schriefer, 
who  was  born  in  Spencer  County,  Ind. ,  June  16,  1854,  and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Ernest  and  Sena  Schriefer.  After  Mr.  Nolte's  marriage  he  settled 
on  the   farm  where  he  now   lives  and  has  since  resided.     He  owns  232 


858  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

acres  of  fine  land.  Has  had  born  to  him  three  children,  viz.:  John  H.. 
Herman  E.  and  Laura  M.  Mr.  Nolte  and  family  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

NATHAN  H.  NORTH,  merchant,  Randolph  Township,  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  locality,  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  near 
the  site  of  his  present  store-room  at  North's  Landing,  in  1835.  He  is  a 
son  of  Levi  and  Rachael  (Rude)  North,  natives  of  ConHecticut.  His 
parents  died  when  he  was  but  ten  years  old,  and  he  was  thus  left  in  his 
boyhood  to  take  care  of  himself.  He  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  spent  a  short  time  in  the  Greencastle 
schools.  When  about  sixteen  years  old  he  began  clerking  in  the  store,  of 
which  he  is  now  proprietor,  and  continued  in  that  capacity  till  his  twenty- 
first  year,  when  the  property  fell  to  him  by  the  division  of  the  family 
estate.  He  then  followed  store-boating  about  three  years,  and  in  1860, 
established  himself  as  proprietor  of  the  store  of  which  he  has  since  been 
owner  and  manager.  He  carries  a  full  line  of  general  merchandise,  his 
stock  valued  at  about  $2,000,  and  has  a  fair  patronage.  He  is  also  deal- 
ing quite  extensively  in  produce  in  partnership  with  R.  A.  Harris.  Mr. 
North  was  married  in  1859  to  America  J.  Searcy,  a  native  of  Switzerland 
County,  daughter  of  Moses  and  Mary  (Jones)  Searcy,  early  settlers  in 
that  locality.  Four  children  were  born  to  this  union:  Ira  L.,  Benjamin 
G.,  Fannie  M.  and  Moses  F.  Mr.  North  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  one  of  the  live  business  men  of  the  county.  He  has  served  as  post- 
master at  North's  Landing  since  1865. 

SILAS  NOWLIN,  farmer,  Miller  Township,  is  another  of  the  ven- 
erable pioneers  of  Dearborn  County.  He  was  bom  in  Garnett  County. 
Ky.,  in  1809.  His  parents  were  Zachariah  and  Mary  E.  (Pride)  Nowlin, 
natives  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  respectively,  and  came  over  into  this 
locality  in  1818.  His  father  died  in  1824;  his  mother  in  1847.  Our 
subject  grew  from  boyhood  to  manhood  in  this  county.  He  worked  by 
the  month,  and  at  flat-boating  for  some  years,  and  in  this  way  made  his 
start  in  the  business  world.  In  1835  he  was  able  to  purchase  140  acres, 
and  in  the  following  year  bought  eighty  acres  more,  and  thus  by  indus- 
try and  shrewd  business  management  he  continued  to  add  to  his  posses- 
sions, till  he  owned  about  800  acres  in  this  county,  besides  a  considerable 
tract  in  Illinois.  He  continued  his  river  traffic  for  several  years  after 
purchasing  his  first  land,  making  his  last  trip  in  1849.  Since  that  time 
he  has  devoted  his  time  and  attention  exclusively  to  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  Mr.  Nowlin  was  married  in  June,  1835,  to  Eleanor  C.  Blasdel, 
born  in  Dearborn  County,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Blasdel,  one  of 
Dearborn's  earliest  settlers.  Seven  children  were  born  to  them,  four  of 
whom  are  now   living:  Nancy  E.,  Mary  E. ,  Elijah   B.  and  Jonathan  B. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  859 

The  mother  of  this  group  passed  away  in  July,  1846,  and  in  September, 
1849,  Mr.  Nowlin  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Martha  J.  Hargitt,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Hargitt,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county,  and  now  one  of  the  oldest  men  within  its  limits. 
Seven  children  are  living  as  a  result  of  this  marriage:  Emma,  Jeremiah 
T.,  Charles  W.,  Silas  W.,  Anna  J.,  Everett  and  Kobert  S.  Mr.  Nowlin 
has  labored  long  and  hard  to  build  up  his  property  interests  and  provide 
for  his  latter  days,  but  his  too  generous  nature  has  been  imposed  upon 
much  to  his  disadvantage,  losing  him  a  large  portion  of  his  former  pos- 
sessions. However,  he  is  still  in  control  of  a  good  farm,  and  it  is  hoped 
may  yet  be  able  to  retain  a  comfortable  allowance  for  his  declining  years. 

ENOCH  B.  NOWLIN,  a  leading  farmer  of  Miller  Township,  was 
born  in  the  same  in  the  year  1832.  He  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  Nowlin, 
who  came  to  this  country  with  his  mother,  three  brothers  and  two  sisters, 
in  1818.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm  with  his  father  and  obtained  the  edu- 
cation then  afforded  by  the  common  schools,  beginning  business  opera- 
tions on  his  own  responsibility  at  twenty-two  years  of  age.  About  two 
years  later  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  Kansas,  but  his  agricultural 
enterprises  have  been  confined  chiefly  to  this  county.  He  now  owns 
about  500  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  besides  his  Kansas  property, 
which  fact  attests  to  his  ability  and  success  in  the  management  of  busi- 
ness affairs.  He  assisted  in  constructing  the  Lawrenceburg  &  Guil- 
ford Turnpike,  and  has  generally  been  alive  to  the  best  interests  of  that 
portion  of  the  public  domain  of  which  he  is  a  resident.  Mr.  Nowlin 
was  married,  in  1859,  to  Jane  H.  Langdale,  a  native  of  Cincinnati  and 
daughter  of  Robert  H.  Langdale,  who  moved  to  Dearborn  County  soon 
after  her  birth.  Of  the  four  children  born  to  them  three  are  yet  living, 
viz.:  Harry,  Robert  J.  and  Anna.  Mrs.  Nowlin  departed  this  life  in  July, 
1884,  after  twenty-tive  years  of  wedded  life  spent  in  faithful  service  as 
a  wife  and  mother.  A  daughter,  Mary  P.,  is  also  numbered  among  the 
deceased.  Harry  Nowlin,  the  eldest  son,  was  married  in  1882  to  Lana 
Smith,  daughter  of  David  Smith,  who  was  of  one  of  the  old  and 
esteemed  families  of  the  county,  now  deceased.  They  have  one  child, 
Archie,  born  in  October,  1884.  In  politics,  Mr.  Nowlin  has  not  taken 
a  very  active  part,  though  he  is  warmly  devoted  to  the  interests  and  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party. 

FERRIS  J.  NOWLIN,  Miller  Township,  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  of  this  township,  and  a  member  of  an  old  and  esteemed  family, 
was  born  in  May,  1839.  His  early  years  were  passed  on  the  farm  with 
his  parents  with  whom  he  remained  till  he  reached  his  majority,  attend- 
ing the  district  schools  and  the  schools  of  Manchester,  this  county.  In 
1862  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Eighty-third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 


860  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  entered  the  service  in  which  he  continued  about  six  months^ 
being  most  of  the  time  incapacitated  by  sickness  in  the  South,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1862,  Mr.  Nowlin  was  married  to  Elsie  J.  Voshell,  of  this  county, 
daughter  of  Obidiah  and  Ann  Voshell.  Her  parents  are  both  deceased; 
her  mother  died  in  1844,  her  father,  who  was  bom  in  1802,  died  April  6, 
1878.  Soon  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nowlin  established  them- 
selves in  a  home  of  their  own  and  since  April  1,  1864,  have  been 
installed  in  their  present  quarters.  Mr.  N.  has  devoted  his  attention 
chiefly  to  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  though  having  met  some  heavy 
reverses,  he  is  still  doing  quite  an  extensive  business,  owning  about  390 
acres  of  land.  He  has  also  been  alive  to  public  interests  as  well  as 
private.  Was  one  of  the  principal  movers  in  the  construction  of  the 
Lawrenceburgh  &  Guilford  Turnpike,  owns  considerable  stock  in  the 
road  and  has  been  its  superintendent  since  it  was  built.  He  has  been 
treasurer  of  the  company  since  its  formation,  and  was  superintendent  of 
the  construction  of  the  Salt  Fork  bridge  in  1883.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nowlin 
have  six  children  living:  Pemma,  Max  A.,  Louis  M.,  Emma  J.,  Otto  and 
Clyde. 

AMBEOSE  E.  NOWLIN,  farmer,  stock  dealer  and  general  trader, 
Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  and  was  born  in  1843, 
son  of  Jeremiah  Nowlin.  He  grew  up  a  farmer  boy  and  received  a 
common  school  education  with  the  advantage  of  a  two  years'  course  of 
study  in  the  Miami  University,  of  Oxford,  Ohio,  in  1863  and  1864.  On 
reaching  his  majority  Mr.  Nowlin  began  business  operations  for  himself. 
He  taught  three  terms  of  school,  when,  becoming  convinced  that  that 
occupation  was  not  his  forte,  he  began  farming  and  stock  dealing,  which 
he  has  ever  since  continued  with  marked  success.  Mr.  Nowlin  was 
married  in  August,  1870,  to  Miss  Flora  B.  Baker,  daughter  of  William 
H,  Baker,  of  Manchester  Township,  Dearborn  County,  and  two  children 
have  been  born  of  this  union:  Oakey  B.  and  Margaret  P.  In  former 
years  Mr.  Nowlin  rented  land  of  his  father,  but  on  the  death  of  the 
latter  he  received  his  portion  of  the  general  estate,  which  the  heirs 
divided  among  themselves  without  the  aid  of  court,  lawyer  or  adminis- 
trator. In  1880  he  purchased  his  farm  of  eighty  acres  near  Greendale 
and  has  since  resided  there.  About  the  same  year  he  purchased  a  farm  on 
Tanner's  Creek.  Mr.  Nowlin  takes  an  active  interest  in  local  politics 
and  has  served  two  years  as  chairman  of  the  Republican  Central  Commit- 
tee of  Dearborn  County.  He  is  one  of  the  seven  stockholders  of  the 
People's  National  Bank,  a  director  of  the  same,  and  as  a  citizen,  a  repre- 
sentative man  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term. 

HON.  CORNELIUS  O'BRIEN,  Lawrenceburgh,  who,  during  his 
lifetime,  became  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Dearborn   County,  was  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  861 

native  of  Ireland,  born  in  Callan,  Kilkenny  County,  October  10,  1818. 
His  youth  was  passed  in  his  native  Erin,  from  which  he  immigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1835-36,  and  located  in  Dearborn  County  where 
he  ever  after  resided.  From  early  youth  he  was  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources,  and  thus  in  the  fullest  sense  he  may  be  considered  as  having 
been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune.  For  a  number  of  years  after  his 
location  at  Lawrenceburgh,  he  filled  the  position  of  deputy  in  the  clerk's 
and  treasurer's  office  in  the  county,  and  in  1847  was  elected  to  the  latter 
office  by  a  large  majority.  In  1850,  before  the  expiration  of  his  term 
as  treasurer,  he  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  clerk's  office,  being 
re  elected  in  1852.  In  1856  Mr.  O'Brien  was  chosen  delegate  to  the 
Democratic  National  Convention  at  Cincinnati  from  the  Fourth  Con- 
gressional District.  In  1858  he  was  elected  State  Senator  from  Dearborn 
County,  and  during  his  entire  official  career  he  discharged  the  duties  of 
the  trusts  reposed  in  him  with  complete  satisfaction  to  the  people  he 
represented.  At  the  Democratic  State  Convention  in  January,  1860,  he 
received  the  nomination  for  clerk  of  the  supreme  court,  which  nomina- 
tion was  heartily  approved  by  the  party  throughout  the  State,  though  he 
was  defeated  through  general  causes  affecting  the  democracy  of  the  whole 
State  in  that  year,  and  not  from  any  personal  considerations.  During 
his  services  as  county  treasurer  and  clerk  he  fitted  himself  for  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  which  he  subsequently  engaged  in  with  marked  success, 
establishing  for  himself  a  most  creditable  reputation  in  that  profession. 
Beginning  life  unaided  he  became  an  eminently  practical  and  useful 
man,  his  course  through  life  being  marked  by  consistency  and  integrity. 
After  leaving  the  State  Senate  Mr.  O'Brien  took  charge  of  the  auditor's 
office  and  served  out  Elias  T.  Crosby's  term.  He  married  Harriet  J. 
Hunter,  April  14,  1852,  and  died  February  2,  1869. 

WILLIAM  H.  O'BRIEN,  editor  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Register, 
was  born  in  Lawrenceburgh  in  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Cornelius  and 
Harriet  (Hunter)  O'Brien,  referred  to  above.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  his 
native  town,  sharing  the  advantages  of  its  public  schools,  and  subse- 
quently finishing  the  sophomore  year  at  the  Asbury  (now  Depauw)  Uni- 
versity, in  1874.  After  about  one  year's  service  as  assistant  deputy 
clerk  of  Dearborn  County  he  formed  a  partnership,  in  1877,  with  Dr. 
William  D.  H.  Hunter,  and  purchased  the  Lawrenceburgh  Register, 
which  he  has  aided  in  conducting  ever  since.  In  1885,  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  Dr.  Hunter  to  the  United  States  revenue  collectorship  of  the 
Sixth  Indiana  District,  Mr.  O'Brien  succeeded  to  the  chief  editorship  of 
the  Register.  In  the  same  year  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Lawrenceburgh 
City,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  that  office,  dischai'ging  the  same  in 
a  manner  entirely  satisfactory  to  all  interested.      He  was   married,  May 


862  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

9,  1882,  to  Miss  Hattie  Hunter,  daughter  of  Dr.  William  D.  H.  Hunter, 
and  they  have  two  children:  Cornelius  and  Fannie.  Mr.  O'Brien  has 
been  secretary  of  the  Dearborn  County  Agricultural  Society  for  the  past 
few  years,  and  in  general  has  been  alive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  resides. 

FKEDERICK  OPPEKMAN,  merchant,  Cochran,  is  a  native  of 
France,  born  in  Alsace,  November  16,  1844,  where  he  received  a  collegi- 
ate education.  His  parents,  John  B.  and  Fredericka  (Gonzer)  Opperman, 
were  born  in  France;  father  in  1812,  mother,  1807.  Father  was  a  sad- 
dler and  harness- maker,  mother  died  in  1840,  and  in  1852  the  surviving 
members  of  the  family  immigrated  to  America  and  located  at  Harrison, 
Ohio,  where  the  father  died  in  1873.  Frederick  farmed  and  taught 
school  up  to  1865,  at  which  time  he  engaged  in  general  merchandising 
at  New  Haven,  Ohio,  continuing  up  to  1877,  then  moved  to  Cochran  and 
opened  up  his  present  business,  in  which  has  met  with  merited  success. 
He  was  married  December  26,  1872,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Scoble;  she  was 
born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  June  6,  1845.  Two  children — Ella  S.  and 
Katie  M. — have  been  born  to  them.  His  business  demands  two  spacious 
rooms,  20x50,  and  he  employs  four  clerks.  The  entire  family  belong  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

WILLIAM  F.  ORCHARD,  foreman  tin  department  Ohio  &  Missis- 
sippi Shops,  Cochran,  is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  Clay  County 
December  24,  1852,  and  received  a  common  school  education.  His 
parents,  James  and  Matilda  (Barnes)  Orchard,  were  born  in  England. 
They  came  to  America  in  1850,  and  located  in  New  York,  where  he 
worked  as  a  machinist.  William  came  to  Indiana  in  1863,  locating  in 
Aurora,  where  he  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  at  his  trade,  beginning 
in  December,  1864,  with  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Company.  He  was 
married,  April  27,  1871,  to  Miss  Mary  F.  Ferrin,  a  native  of  Boston, 
Mass.  She  was  born  October  11,  1853.  They  have  been  blessed  with 
three  children:  Matilda,  Mamie  and  Willie.  Mr.  Orchard  is  a  sober, 
industrious  man,  and  commands  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  commun- 
ity in  which  he  resides. 

SIMEON  S.  OVERHOLT,  principal  of  the  Rising  Sun  Public 
Schools,  was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  in  1830.  He  grew  to  maturity 
in  his  native  county,  where  he  obtained  his  education,  chiefly  by  self 
exertion,  and  later  supplemented  his  stock  of  information  by  instruction 
in  the  Upland  Normal  School.  He  began  teaching  early  in  life,  and  has 
ever  since  continued  in  the  profession.  He  served  nine  years  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  schools,  and  since  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  service  in  that  capacity  has  been  engaged  in  graded  schools 
elsewhere.    In  1872  he  came  to  Ohio,  in  the  schools  of  which  State  he  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  863 

employed  eight  years,  three  years  of  which  time  he  was  located  at  Har- 
rison, and  the  same  period  as  principal  of  the  schools  at  Bond  Hill,  Ohio. 
In  the  fall  of  1882  Mr.  Overholt  took  chargo  of  the  Rising  Sun 
schools,  which  he  has  since  conducted  with  efficiency,  being  a  teacher  of 
culture  and  large  experience.  Mr.  Overholt  was  married,  in  1862,  to 
Martha  C.  Smith,  of  Bucks  County,  Penn.,  and  three  children  have  been 
born  to  them,  only  one  of  whom  is  now  living,  namely:  Hasseltine  C. 

WILLIAM  L.  OWNBY,  merchant,  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  W.  Va. 
in  1839.  His  father,  James  L.,  and  his  mother,  Mary  J.  (Matthews),  were 
also  natives  of  the  same  State.  In  1841  his  parents  located  in  Lawrence- 
burgh,  where  his  father  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  distilling,  in  partner- 
ship with  Marshall  &  Shepherd,  in  the  earlier  buildings  of  the  Walsh  Dis- 
tillery at  that  place.  In  1854  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Mattoon, 
111.,  where  he  engaged  in  farming,  and  where  his  widow  is  still  living, 
he  himself  having  died  there  in  1870.  William  L.,  the  subject,  of  our 
sketch,  grew  to  manhood  under  the  care  of  his  parents  and  was  chiefly 
educated  in  the  Lawrenceburgh  schools.  He  spent  some  time  on  the  farm 
iu  Illinois  and  then  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  continued 
till  1881,  when  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Fisher,  111.  In  the 
spring  of  1884  he  came  to  Rising  Sun,  and  with  his  brother-in  law, 
Ira  Powell,  purchased  a  stock  of  dry  goods,  carpets,  etc.,  of  William 
Colter,  and  has  since  been  merchandising.  The  firm  carries  a  large  stock 
and  does  an  extensive  business.  Mr.  Ownby  was  married,  in  1872,  to 
Sarah  J.  Powell,  daughter  of  James  A.  Powell,  an  early  resident  of  this 
place,  and  later  of  Illinois.  They  have  one  child,  Hazlett,  a  lad  five 
years  of  age. 

LYTLE  W.  PARKS,  farmer  and  stock  dealer,  of  Hogan  Township. 
Prominent  among  the  names  worthy  of  honorable  mention,  is  that  of  L. 
W.  Parks,  a  native  of  Lawrenceburgh,  born  January  6,  1824.  He  was 
educated  at  Wilmington  Seminary,  and  resided  upon  the  farm  from  1832 
to  manhood.  In  1844  he  went  on  the  river  as  produce  dealer,  and  con- 
tinued until  1859,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  farmer.  He  was  mar- 
ried, April  9,  1854,  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Bruce,  who  was  born  in  Hogan  Town- 
ship August  21,  1824.  Their  five  childi-en  were  James,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Laura,  now  Mrs.  Lewis  Bailey;  Myra,  now  Mrs.  Joseph  Todd; 
Joseph  and  Lewis.  Mr.  Parks  was  in  the  Mexican  war  in  1847-48  under 
Gens.  Joseph  Lane  and  Wintield  S,  Scott,  participating  in  the  battles  of 
Tisco  and  Wamantla,  and  helped  raise  the  seige  of  Pueblo,  and  took 
part  in  other  slight  skirmishes.  During  the  Rebellion,  he  was  captain 
of  the  Hogan  Township  Militia,  and  with  his  little  force  succeeded  in 
keeping  Kirby  Smith  from  invading  the  township.  Mr.  Parks  was  school 
director  several  times,  and  has  always  been  a  strong  advocate  of  thorough 


864  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AXD  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

education.  He  and  his  estimable  lady  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Chm-ch. 

JOSEPH  G.  PARKS,  fanner,  of  Hogan  Township,  was  born  in  Law- 
renceburgh  December  25,  1828.  His  father.  John,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1796;  his  mother.  Margaret  Kitchel.  in  Indiana  in  1799. 
Father  Parks  came  to  Indiana  in  1S15,  and  located  in  Lawrenceburgh, 
where  he  followed  carpentering  up  to  1832,  the  year  of  the  flood,  at 
which  time  he  moved  to  Hogan  Township,  where  he  died  in  1S6S;  mother 
died  in  1876.  Mr.  Parks  built  the  first  schoolhouse  in  Hogan  Town- 
ship. He  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  cause  of  education,  and  served 
as  school  director  for  many  years.  The  old  pioneer  couple  were  both 
faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Joseph  G. 
Parks  was  married.  November  13,  1849.  to  Miss  Yliva  Bruce,  who  was 
born  in  Hogan  Township  November  13,  1829,  on  the  present  homestead, 
and  was  the  fifteenth  child  of  Amor  Bruce,  who  made  a  handsome  fortune 
upon  the  home  farm.  He  raised  twelve  of  the  fifteen  children,  and 
gave  each  one  eighty  acres  of  land  and  some  cash.  Ry  their  union  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Parks  were  blessed  with  three  children:  John  A.,  born  August 
18,  1850;  Aaron  F.,  born  December  25,  1856:  Joseph  G..  born  January 
27,  1868.  John  A.  left  the  farm,  read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  October.  1875.  He  has  prospered  in  life,  and  secured  a  competency, 
which  will  enable  him  to  pass  his  pilgrimage  in  ease  and  affluence. 
Aaron  F.  attended  school  at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  and  Moore's  Hill.  Ind. , 
after  which  he  taught  several  years,  and  traded  considerable.  In 
the  spring  of  1882  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  Aurora,  and  made 
many  friends;  but  his  health  failed,  and  he  was  compelled  to  dispose  of 
the  business  and  travel  for  his  health.  The  fell  destroyer  had  too  firm  a 
hold  upon  him,  and  realizing  the  fact,  he  started  from  Kelley,  N.  M..  in 
a  buggy  for  home  July  21,  1884,  and  drove  to  Tunnelton,  Ind.,  a  dis- 
tance of  over  1,500  miles.  On  account  of  being  so  very  weak  he  took 
the  train  at  Tunnelton  and  arrived  in  Aurora  November  6,  1884.  and  died 
at  the  residence  of  his  brother,  John  A.  Parks,  the  following  day.  The 
youngest  of  the  family  is  at  home  with  his  parents,  to  minister  to  them 
in  their  old  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parks  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

R.  H.  PARRY,  Lawrenceburgh.  a  retired  dry  goods  merchant  of 
that  city,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  Penn. .  in  the  year  1813. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  Wales,  and  came  to  the  United  States  about 
1793.  He  located  in  Pittsburgh,  and  was  there  engaged  in  building  and 
contracting,  erecting  the  first  court  house  in  that  city.  He  married  Sarah 
Cadwalider,  a  daughter  of  Gen.  John  Cadwalider.  and  there  were  born 
to  them  eleven  childi'en.  onlv    four  of  whom  are  now    livinc':     Sarah. 


•       BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  865 

widow  of  Enoch  D.  John,  Clarksville,  Tenn. ;  Rees  H. ;  Mary  P., 
widow  of  John  Dilworth,  Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  and  Thomas  J.,  Con- 
nersville,  Ind.  Henry  Parry,  the  father,  died  in  Pittsburgh,  Penn., 
October  7,  1847,  aged  eighty-six  years;  his  wife  who  was  born  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  March  3,  1777,  died  April  27,  1842.  In 
1830  R.  H.  Parry  came  west  to  Cincinnati,  and  with  his  brother,  Will- 
iam, established  himself  in  the  dry  goods  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
William  &  R.  H.  Parry.  Here  they  conducted  a  profitable  business  till 
1843,  in  July  of  which  year  our  subject,  R.  H.  Parry,  came  to  Lawrence- 
burgh,  and  with  another  brother,  O.  Parry,  continued  the  same  line  of 
merchandising,  under  the  firm  name  of  R.  H.  &  O.  Parry,  till  1873, 
when  they  sold  out  and  retired.  The  firm  did  a  flourishing  business, 
and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  and  most  substantial  mercantile 
establishments  of  the  town.  R.  H.  Parry  was  married,  September  1, 
1853,  to  Mary  P.  Piatt,  a  daughter  of  Abraham  Piatt,  of  Boone  County, 
Ky.,  and  granddaughter  of  Col.  Jacob  Piatt,  the  veteran  of  the  Revolu- 
tion and  the  ancestor  of  the  distinguished  family  now  bearing  his  name 
throughout  the  West.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  and  died  at  his  home  in 
Kentucky;  her  mother  is  still  living.  Her  grandfather  located  in  Boone 
County,  Ky. ,  in  1795,  and  in  1804  built  the  stone  mansion  opposite 
Lawrenceburgh,  ktiown  as  "Federal  Hall,"  where  he  died  in  his  eighty- 
eighth  year.  His  son,  John  H.  Piatt,  was  the  first  banker  of  Cincinnati 
— established  the  first  private  bank  west  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains — 
and  was  known  as  a  "millionaire  of  1812."  He  aided  the  United  States 
Government  during  the  war  of  1812  by  furnishing  supplies  to  the  Amer- 
ican Army,  and  after  having  rendered  invaluable  assistance  as  a  commis- 
sariat, was  thrown  into  prison  for  some  technical  violation  of  the  law, 
and  died  a  prisoner  for  debt  within  the  prison  bounds  of  the  city  of 
Washington,  February  12,  1822;  all  this  while  the  government  owed  him 
more  than  $100,000.  Mrs.  Parry  passed  away  in  1865,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren: Rees  H.,  now  an  attorney  at  law,  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  Mary  P., 
wife  of  Benjamin  W.  Vandergrift,  an  extensive  oil  dealer  of  the  Stand- 
ard Oil  Company,  of  Pittsburgh.  Since  1873  Mr.  Parry  has  not  been  ac- 
tively engaged  in  business  more  than  to  look  after  the  interests  of  his 
property,  but  is  passing  his  latter  days  in  quiet  retirement  in  the  town 
of  Lawrenceburgh,  which  has  been  his  home  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
HENRY  S.  PATE,  farmer.  Rising  Sun,  was  born  August  2,  1811, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  Pate.  He  was  one  of  the  two  children  brought 
over  the  mountains  by  wagon  from  Virginia.  He  resided  with  his 
parents  on  the  old  homestead  on  the  Laughery  till  the  fall  of  1850,  He 
was  married,  in  1832,  to  Rebecca  D.  Johnson,  daughter  of  Roswell  and 
Mary  (Baruett)  Johnson,  early  settlers  of  Ohio  County  (1814-15),  from 


866  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

Virginia.  By  this  wife  were  born  four  children:  Mary,  Sarah  A.,  Will- 
iam H.,  George  W.,  all  deceased  but  one,  William  H.  After  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Pate  bought  a  farm  of  200  acres  adjoining  his  father's,  and  be- 
gan the  improvement  of  the  same,  remaining  till  1850,  in  the  mean- 
time adding  eighty  acres,  all  of  which  he  sold  at  the  above  date,  and 
then  purchased  on  the  "Miller  Eidge"  260  acres,  which  he  sold  and  left 
in  1874.  He  did  considerable  flat-boating  while  on  the  Laughery,  and 
has  since  dealt  more  or  less  in  stock,  with  fair  success  in  all  his  business 
enterprises.  He  is  now  living  in  retirement,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his 
life-long  term  of  labor.  His  wife,  who  had  shared  his  joys  and  sorrows 
for  about  fifty- two  years,  passed  away  November  30,  1884.  Mr.  Pate 
has  always  ranked  among  the  most  substantial  business  men  of  the  coun- 
ty, and  is  a  fair  type  of  the  pioneer  and  thrifty  agriculturists  of  his 
time.  He  and  Mrs.  Pate  were  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 

PETER  S.  PATE,  of  Rising  Sun,  has  long  been  known  as  one  of 
the  most  prominent  and  successful  business  men  of  Ohio  County,  in 
which  he  was  born  in  1825.  The  Pate  family  were  early  settlers  on 
Laughery  Creek.  Jeremiah  Pate,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  came 
from  Montgomery  County,  Va.,  with  his  wife  Elizabeth,  in  1813.  He 
entered  a  quarter  section  of  land,  being  a  farmer  by  occupation;  they 
reared  ten  children;  Jeremiah  died  about  1824,  and  Elizabeth  passed 
away  about  ten  years  later.  George  Pate,  their  eldest  son,  and  father  of 
the  older  stock  of  the  family,  now  living  in  Ohio  County,  was  born  in 
Virginia,  in  March,  1787;  married  there  Sarah  R.,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Watterson,  who  was  born  in  July,  1791,  and  came  to  Ohio  County  with 
his  two  children  and  his  parents  as  stated  above.  He  also  entered  land 
about  eleven  miles  west  of  Rising  Sun  on  Laughery  Creek,  and  here  he 
was  chiefly  engaged  in  farming  till  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Rising 
Sun  about  1852.  He  did  some  flat-boating  from  Laughery  Creek,  and 
during  his  life  added  278  acres  to  his  original  entry  of  160  acres.  There 
were  nine  children  in  the  family:  Henry  S.,  William  T.,  John  F.,  James 
D.,  Thomas  W.,  Jonathan  T.,  Mary  T.,  Peter  S.  and  Benjamin  F.,  all 
of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  Peter  S.  Pate,  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch,  spent  his  early  years  on  the  farm  in  common  with  other  country 
boys.  In  1846  he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Reed  and  Mary 
Crandle,  from  Virginia,  and  three  children  were  born  to  them,  but  one 
now  living,  Sarah,  wife  of  John  K.  Corson,  of  Ripley  County,  Ind., 
two  sons — James  R.  and  James  W. — are  deceased.  After  his  marriage 
Mr.  Pate  bought  thirty-five  acres  of  land  in  Switzerland  County  as  his 
first  purchase,  selling  out  ten  months  later  and  returning  to  the  old 
homestead  where  he  virtually  made  his  home  till  1884.     He  obtained  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  867 

portion  of  bis  father's  estate  at  the  latter's  death,  but  his  start  in  busi- 
ness was  made  by  his  own  earnings,  his  first  payment  on  land  being 
made  by  the  sale  of  his  first  corn  crop  at  $100.  Mr.  Pate  has  been  chiefly 
engaged  in  farming,  but  during  the  war  dealt  some  in  horses.  He  has 
also  dealt  considerably  in  other  stock — cattle  and  hogs — doing  consid- 
erable shipping.  By  industry  and  good  management  he  has  occumulat 
ed  real  estate  to  the  amount  of  1, 180  acres,  and  a  comfortable  fortune  in 
other  property.  He  took  quite  an  amount  of  stock  in  the  Rising  Sun 
National  Bank  at  the  time  of  its  incorporation,  and  this  he  has  since  in 
creased.  He  was  chosen  vice-president  of  the  bank  in  1884,  and  is 
still  serving  in  that  capacity.  Mr.  Pate  served  as  trustee  of  Pike  Town- 
ship for  many  years,  and  during  the  war  officiated  as  its  enrolling  officer. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  M.  E.  Church  to 
which  latter  society  he  has  liberally  contributed.  Mrs.  Pate  died  May 
14,  1870,  after  nearly  twenty-five  years  of  faithful  duty  as  a  wife  and 
mother.  In  point  of  liberality,  progressiveness  and  keen  business  judg- 
ment Mr.  Pate  has  few  superiors. 

JACKSON  J.  PATE,  Randolph  Township,  son  of  William  T.  Pate, 
was  born  in  Ohio  County  in  1842.  He  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm  and 
obtained  a  practical  education  in  the  common  schools,  remaining  with 
his  parents  till  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Seventh  Indiana 
Infantry,  and  entered  the  late  war.  He  served  three  years,  and  took 
part  in  some  of  the  most  important  engagements,  among  which  were 
Gettysburg,  Antietam,  Winchester  and  others.  In  1864  Mr.  Pate 
received  his  discharge  and  returned  home,  and  in  the  same  year  was 
married  to  Sarah  Miller,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Miller,  an  old  resident 
of  Ohio  County.  Her  people  came  originally  from  Virginia,  and  settled 
in  this  county  in  a  very  early  day,  her  father  subsequently  removing  to 
Missouri,  where  he  still  resides.  Her  mother  is  deceased.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Pate  moved  to  his  present  farm,  where  he  has  ever  since 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  owns  390  acres  of  good  land,  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  thrifty  farmers  of  the  county,  dealing  consider- 
ably in  stock.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pate  have  two  children:  Louella  and  Will- 
iam T.  Mr.  Pate  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  politically  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. 

J.  C.  PENNINGTON,  lumber  dealer,  Moore's  Hill,  was  born  at 
New  Paris,  Preble  Co.,  Ohio,  May  5,  1830.  The  ancestry  of  the  Penn- 
ington family  in  the  United  States  dates  back  to  1682,  in  which  year 
Edward  Pennington  emigrated  with  William  Penn  from  England  to  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania.  He  located  at  Philadelphia,  where  he  died 
in  1701.  He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1699,  to  Sarah  Jennings, 
daughter  of  Samuel   Jennings,  the  Quaker  governor  of  New  Jersey,  by 


868  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

whom  he  had  one  son.  Isaac,  from  whom  the  Penningtons  of  Philadelphia 
descended.  His  son,  Daniel,  settled  in  Maryland,  where  he  raised  a 
large  family.  Amos,  his  son,  settled  in  Huntingdon  County,  Penn.,  and 
from  thence,  in  an  early  day,  immigrated  to  Barnes ville,  Belmont  Co., 
Ohio,  where  he  died.  He  left  four  sons,  viz.:  Daniel,  Joshua,  James,  and 
John,  the  latter  the  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  born  in  Huntingdon 
County,  Penn.,  October  19,  1797,  and  immigrated  with  his  parents  to 
Belmont  County,  Ohio,  where  he  married,  in  1820,  Elizabeth  Thompson, 
and  in  1826  moved  to  Richmond,  Ind.  He  subsequently  moved  to  New 
Paris,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  some  time,  and  after  various  other  moves 
in  1844,  he  located  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  where  Mrs.  P.  died  December 
13,  1847.  He  survived  her  until  March  26,  1856,  and  died  at  the 
residence  of  our  subject,  in  Ripley  County.  He  was  the  father  of  eight 
children,  viz.:  Eli,  Ellen,  Mary,  Deborah  M.,  Joel  C,  Bryce  C,  William 
G.,and  Isaac  C.  J.  C,  our  subject,  was  married  in  Ripley  County,  Ind., 
September  24,  1851,  to  Catherine,  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine 
(Risinger)  Dorsh,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  September  27,  1830. 
In  January,  1852,  Mr.  Pennington  purchased  a  farm  in  Ripley  County, 
whex-e  he  moved  and  engaged  in  farming  till  September,  1873,  at  which 
time  he  moved  to  Moore's  Hill,  where  he  now  resides.  His  wife  died 
November  30,  1867.  Their  eight  children  were:  Medora  D.  (deceased), 
John  C,  Ella  M.  (deceased),  Joel  E.,  Laura  H.,  Mary  L.,  Charles  M. 
(deceased),  and  Martha  A.  (deceased).  Mr.  Pennington  was  again  married 
at  Moore's  Hill,  March  12,  1874,  to  Elizabeth  F.,  daughter  of  Morton 
and  Dorcas  T.  (Eaton)  Justis,  who  was  born  in  Dearborn  County, Novem- 
ber 7,  1832.  They  have  one  child,  Walter  E.  Mr.  Pennington  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  is  highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

ABEL  C.  PEPPER,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1793.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  having  been  for  one  year  a 
private  in  Capt.  William  Garrard's  troop  of  Volunteer  Light  Dragoons. 
He  immigrated  to  Indiana  Territory  in  1815,  settling  in  that  part  of 
Dearboi-n  County  that  subsequently  became  Ohio  County,  and  soon  after- 
ward became  one  of  her  leading  citizens.  He  had  a  taste  for  military 
affairs,  and  had  been  in  the  Territory  but  a  short  time  when  he  became  a 
militia  captain.  He  subsequently  was  promoted  to  the  office  of  colonel, 
and  advanced  to  that  of  brigadier-general,  though  generally  known  under 
the  title  of  colonel.  He  served  as  one  of  the  county  commissioners  of 
Dearborn  County,  also  as  sheriff,  and  for  several  terms  represented  her 
people  in  the  State  Legislature.  In  1828  he  was  a  candidate  for  lieuten- 
ant-governor, but  was  defeated  by  Milton  Stapp  a  few  hundred  votes. 
In  1829  Col.  Pepper  was  appointed  sub-Indian  agent  at  Fort  Wayne,  by 
Gen.  Jackson;  he  was  afterward  promoted  to  the  office  of  Indian  agent,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  869 

then  superintendent  for  the  removal  of  the  Indians  in  Indiana,  Michigan, 
Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  resigning  the  office  in  1889.  Subsequently  he  was 
elected  a  sinking  fund  commissioner,  and  in  1845  was  appointed  by 
President  Polk  United  States  marshal  for  Indiana,  which  office  he  held 
until  1849.  In  1850  he  represented  the  counties  of  Ohio  and  Switzer- 
land in  the  constitutional  convention,  and  took  an  active  part  in  its 
proceedings.  He  served  on  the  committees  of  election  franchises,  appor- 
tionment and  representation,  banks  and  banking,  arrangement  and 
phraseology,  and  of  the  militia,  being  chairman  of  the  latter.  In  the 
convention  he  took  a  decided  stand  against  a  State  bank  and' made  a 
speech  in  support  of  his  own  resolution,  in  which  he  declared  himself  in 
favor  of  free  banks  and  opposed  to  a  State  bank.  He  was  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  becoming  a  member  in  1816.  He 
afterward  served  as  grand  master  and  grand  high  priest  of  the  order  in 
the  State,  and  was  one  of  the  brightest  and  most  zealous  Masons  ever 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Indiana.  Col.  Pepper,  for 
a  time,  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  medicine,  and  later  read  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Rising  Sun,  but,  we  believe,  never  practiced. 
He  abandoned,  too,  the  study  of  medicine.  The  Colonel  was  occupied, 
when  not  in  public  life,  as  a  merchant.  He  was  slighty  above  medium 
height,  spare  and  sinewy,  of  easy  and  pleasing  address.  He  was  urbane 
and  dignified  in  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow  men,  and  was  particularly 
polite  to  ladies.  He  was  a  useful  and  patriotic  citizen.  His  death 
occurred  at  his  home  in  Rising  Sun,  March  20,  1860. 

CAPT.  JAMES  H.  PEPPER,  formerly  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in 
that  city  in  1821,  and  received  a  thorough  edacation  in  the  village 
schools  and  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  being  educated  for  the  law,  which  was 
distasteful  to  him,  and  the  profession  was  abandoned  and  he  engaged  in 
flat-boating.  In  1842  he  became  the  clerk  on  a  steam-boat  belonging  to 
Col.  P.  James,  which  plied  between  Rising  Sun  and  Cincinnati.  In 
1844  he  was  chosen  the  first  clerk  of  the  new  county  of  Ohio,  serviag 
three  years.  He  re-engaged  in  merchandising  on  the  river,  and  in  1855 
began  steam- boating  in  the  Cincinnati  and  Memphis  trade,  soon  earning 
the  promotion  to  captain.  Previous  to  the  war  he  left  the  river  for  a 
brief  period  to  take  the  management  of  the  Memphis.  He  was  one  of 
the  incorporators  of  the  Globe  Insurance  Company,  of  Cincinnati.  Ohio. 
He  built  and  owned  some  of  the  finest  boats  ever  built  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  Latterly  he  commanded  the  great  steamers  "J.  M.  White"  and 
"James  Howard,"  in  the  New  Orleans  and  Vicksburgh  trade.  "He  was 
a  man  of  noble  instincts  and  generous  impulses.  He  was  warm  in  his 
attachments  and  sincere  in  his  friendships.  In  matters  of  business  he 
was  the  very  soul  of  honor  and  integrity.     In  all  of    his  dealings  he  was 


870  PIISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHlO  COUNTIES. 

open  and  fair  and  frank,  and  whatever  he  gained  in  business,  was  gained 
in  an  honorable  way.  As  a  steamboat  commander,  he  stood  at  the  top 
of  his  profession."  *  *  He  died  in  1881,  in  Colorado,  where  he  had 
gone  for  the  benefit  of  health. 

DR.  JABEZ  PERCIVAL,  see  page  165. 

JAMES  N.  PERKINS,  cashier  of  the  National  Bank,  Rising  Sun, 
was  born  in  Boone  County,  Ky.,  in  1849.  His  parents,  James  and 
Mildred  (Calvert)  Perkins  were  natives  of  the  same  county,  and  are  now 
residents  of  Rising  Sun.  Mr.  Perkins  passed  the  early  part  of  his  life 
in  his  native  county.  He  came  to  Rising  Sun  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  and  began  clerking  in  a  dry  good's  store,  in  which  vocation  he 
was  chiefly  employed  till  1872,  when  he  was  given  the  position  which 
he  still  holds  as  cashier  of  the  Rising  Sun  Bank.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
the  youngest  cashier  in  the  State  of  Indiana  at  the  time  of  his  assuming 
the  duties  of  his  position,  being  then  twenty-three  years  old.  Mr. 
Perkins  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Harriet  Spencer,  of  Rising  Sun,  daugh- 
ter of  John  W.  Spencer.  Her  father  was  the  first  mayor  of  Rising 
Sun,  and  her  mother  afterward  officiated  as  postmistress.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Perkins  have  five  children:  Alice,  Hugh,  Joshua,  Harold  and  James. 
Mr.  Perkins'  long  term  of  service  in  the  employ  of  the  bank  is  the  best 
evidence  we  can  cite  as  to  his  sterling  integrity  as  an  official,  and  his 
character  as  a  citizen. 

DEM  AS  PERLEE,  farmer  and  blacksmith,  Dillsborough,  was 
born  in  Clay  Township,  April  17,  1828.  His  parents,  Peter  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Woodruff)  Perlee,  were  natives  of  Ohio,  the  former  a  son  of 
Benjamin  Perlee,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  Mary  (Peterson)  Perlee. 
His  parents  moved  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  his  father  died. 
Peter,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
June  10,  1800,  and  was  there  married  to  Elizabeth  Woodruff,  who  was 
born  April  14,  1803.  In  1825  Mr.  Perlee  moved  to  Dearborn  County, 
settling  in  Clay  Township,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  May  14,  1883. 
His  wife  still  survives  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead.  They  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  viz. :  John,  Benjamin  (dead),  Demas,  William, 
David,  Elizabeth  W.,  Mary,  Martha  and  Peter.  Demas,  our  subject, 
began  as  an  apprentice  at  the  blacksmith  trade  when  about  seventeen 
years  of  age,  at  Lawrenceburg,  and  this  has  since  been  his  chief 
occupation.  In  1850  he  moved  to  Dillsborough,  where  he  opened  up  a 
blacksmith,  plow  and  wagon-shop,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  He 
also  owns  a  small  farm  near  Dillsborough.  He  was  married  in  Novem- 
ber, 1853,  to  Rebecca  A.,  daughter  of  Silas  and  Maria  (Butterworth) 
Wheaton,  by  whom  he  has  had  born  to  him  nine  children,  viz. :  Ida  M., 
Frank,  Emma,  Lizzie,  Nellie,  Bertha,  Edith,  Bennie  W.  and  George  W. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  871 

Mr.  Perlee  enlisted  August  11,  1S62,  in  Company  B,  Eighty-third  Indi- 
ana Volunteer  Infantry,  as  a  private,  and  in  1864  he  was  promoted  to 
sergeant,  which  rank  he  served  in  until  June  2,  1865,  at  which  time  he 
was  discharged,  and  i-eturned  to  DiUsborough,  and  resumed  his  trade, 
which  he  has  since  engaged  in.  Mr.  Perlee  is  a  highly  esteemed  citizen. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Gr.  A.  R.  and  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

JOHN  PETSCHER,  saloonist,  Aurora,  was  bora  in  Baden,  Germany, 
November  28,  1838,  where  he  obtained  a  common  school  education.  He 
immigrated  to  America  in  1854,  locating  in  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he 
for  twenty  years  followed  making  malt  in  a  brewery.  He  was  married, 
June  28,  1857,  to  Miss  Catharine  Oswalt,  who  was  born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, February  15,  1836,  the  fruits  of  their  marriage  being  four  chil- 
dren: Minnie,  John,  William  and  Louisa.  In  1874  Mr.  Petscher  moved 
to  Aurora  and  worked  one  year  in  the  distillery;  after  which  he  engaged 
in  his  present  business.  After  many  years'  experience  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  fine  beverages,  Mr.  Petscher  knows  just  how  to  meet  the  demands 
of  his  many  customers. 

RICHARD  PLATT,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  born  on  Long 
Island,  N.  Y. ,  September  14,  1816,  is  a  son  of  Gilbert  and  Keziah 
(Purdy)  Piatt,  natives  of  the  same  locality.  Gilbert  Piatt,  still  in  his 
youth  during  the  war  of  1812,  rendered  assistance  to  the  army  in  remov- 
ing cannon  and  stores  in  the  vicinity  of  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.  In  1818  he, 
with  his  family,  immigrated  to  Indiana,  and  entered  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  18  in  Manchester  Township,  where  he  opened  out 
right  in  the  woods,  "not  a  stick  amiss,"  erected  a  log-cabin,  and  com- 
menced the  life  of  a  pioneer,  and  here  he  remained  through  life.  He 
died  February  16,  1867,  in  the  ninety-fourth  year  of  his  age.  Mr.  Piatt 
was  thrice  married.  His  last  wife,  Margaret  Millikin,  survived  him  sev- 
eral years.  He  was  the  father  of  eight  children,  three  now  living:  Richard, 
Seth  and  Peter.  He  was  a  man  of  powerful  constitution,  and  performed 
a  great  amount  of  hard  labor  in  opening  out  his  farm  from  the  woods, 
and  lived  to  see  five  of  his  children  settled  near  him  and  doing  well. 
Smith  Piatt,  one  of  his  oldest  sons,  spent  his  life  in  this  township  and 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years.  He  was  a  prominent  farmer 
and  a  leading  citizen  of  the  county.  He  served  two  terms  as  county 
commissioner  and  was  highly  esteemed.  His  son,  Oliver,  served  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  in  Company  E,  Sixteenth  Regiment  Indiana  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  He  enlisted  for  three  years,  and  served  till  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  now  resides  in  Decatur  County,  Ind.  Peter,  one  of  the 
surviving  sons  of  Gilbert  Piatt,  and  now  a  resident  of  Nebraska,  also 
served  in  the  late  war  in  Company  C,  Seventh  Indiana  Cavalry.      Enlist- 


872  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ing  as  a  private  he  was  promoted  from  time  to  time  till  he  was  captain 
of  the  company.  His  son,  Purdy,  also  served  in  the  war  in  Company  E, 
Sixteenth  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry  three  years.  He  was 
severely  wounded  in  the  Eed  River  campaign  in  a  battle  in  Arkansas, 
and  being  unfit  for  further  duty  was  sent  home.  He  is  now  a  resident  of 
Nebraska.  Richard  Piatt,  a  child  of  two  years  of  age,  when  his  parents 
settled  in  this,  then  new  country,  grew  to  manhood  familiar  with  pio- 
neer life.  He  was  married,  September  24,  1840,  to  Elizabeth  Cotton,  a 
daughter  of  Judge  A.  J.  Cotton,  by  whom  he  had  two  children:  Lewis 
M.  and  Elizabeth  D.  K.,  now  the  wife  of  David  Sloan,  residing  in 
Nebraska.  Mrs.  Piatt  died  February  10,  1843,  aged  twenty  years. 
August  6,  1843,  Mr.  Piatt  married  for  his  second  wife,  Emiline  Clark,  a 
daughter  of  Josiah  E.  and  Elizabeth  Clark,  he  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  she  of  New  Hampshire,  and  who  settled  in  this  county  in  1837.  By 
this  union  they  had  eight  children,  seven  now  surviving:  Isaac  Sylves- 
ter, now  a  resident  of  Nebraska;  Phebe  E.,  wife  of  Dr.  S.  E.  Givan, 
residing  in  Ripley  County,  Ind. ;  Franklin  P.;  James  M.,  a  resident  of 
Nebraska;  Omer  M.,  aleo  in  Nebraska;  Purdy  P.  and  Cory  E.  The 
eldest  son,  Lewis  M.,  was  in  the  war  of  the  EebellioD,  enlisting  in 
August,  1862,  in  Company  E,  Sixteenth  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  serving  till  the  close  of  the  war.  Mr.  Piatt  has  now  been 
a  resident  of  this  township  sixty-six  years,  and  upon  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives,  forty-one  years.  Besides  his  possessions  here  he  also  owns  a 
half  section  of  land  in  Nebraska,  besides  what  he  has  given  his  children. 
Thus  Mr.  Piatt's  life  has  been  a  financial  success,  and  as  a  citizen  and  a 
neighbor  he  is  held  in  high  esteem. 

SETH  PLATT,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  was  born  in  the  same 
November  24,  1818,  is  a  son  of  Gilbert  and  Keziah  Piatt.  He 
grew  to  manhood  fully  acquainted  with  pioneer  life.  February  27, 
1842,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Rebecca  Southard,  born  June  27, 
1815,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Temperance  Southard,  natives  of 
Long  Island,  N.  Y.  They  came  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Kelso  Town- 
ship, among  the  earliest  settlers  of  that  locality,  and  spent  their  lives 
there  and  in  Logan  Township,  being  residents  of  the  latter  township  at 
the  time  of  their  deaths.  They  were  parents  of  seven  children,  all  of 
whom  grew  to  maturity.  Four  are  now  living:  Isaac,  Jane,  Martha  (now 
the  widow  of  Charles  Jolly,  residing  in  Iowa),  and  Rebecca.  By  this 
union  Mr.  Piatt  has  had  eight  children,  one  died  in  infancy,  seven 
grew  to  maturity,  five  now  survive:  William,  a  resident  of  Aurora; 
Isaac,  a  resident  of  Kansas;  Charles  Sumner;  Eva,  wife  of  James 
Vaughn,  and  Mary  BeJle,  wife  of  Benjamin  Manliff.  Of  these  William 
enlisted    in     Company   K,    Twenty-sixth    Regiment    Indiana   Volunteer 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  873 

Infantry,  under  Col.  Wheatly,  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  in  the 
early  campaign  in  Missouri  was  taken  sick  with  the  measles,  and  became 
incapacitated  for  duty,  was  sent  home,  and  after  recovering  to  some  extent 
he  Rtarted  to  return  to  his  regiment,  but  was  considered  unfit  for  duty 
and  sent  back  again,  and  subsequently  discharged.  Of  those  deceased 
Benjamin  enlisted  in  the  Eighty-third  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, was  engaged  in  the  first  battle  at  Vicksburg,  and  subsequently  taken 
sick  with  typhoid  pneumonia,  and  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Memphis, 
where  he  died  March  25, 1863,  his  remains  being  sent  home  and  interred  in 
the  old  Piatt  Cemetery.  Mr.  Piatt  has  now  been  a  resident  of  Manches- 
ter Township  sixty-six  years,  and  believes  he  is  the  oldest  native  now 
i-esiding  there.  Although  owning  and  residing  on  a  good  farm  his  prin- 
cipal business  is  contracting  and  building  brick  and  stone  work,  and 
many  schoolhouses  and  other  buildings  are  evidences  of  his  skill  and 
faithfulness  as  a  workman.  The  Baptist  Church,  at  Aurora,  was  erected 
by  Mr.  Piatt,  and  the  Dearborn  asylum,  just  recently  completed,  is  a 
fine  structure,  and  the  commissioners,  in  accepting  the  building  from  Mr. 
Piatt's  hands,  gave  him  a  high  recommendation  for  the  honesty  of  his 
workmanship. 

WILLIAM  H.  PLATT,  brick  mason,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Dear 
born  County,  born  in  Manchester  Township,  December  8,  1842.  His 
parents  were  Seth  and  Rebecca  (Southard)  Piatt,  sketches  of  whom  appear 
above.  William  has  been  a  brick  mason  all  his  life,  and  came  to  Aurora 
in  1876.  He  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Twenty-sixth  Regiment,  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  August  11,  1861,  and  was  mustered  out  in  1862,  on 
account  of  being  disabled  by  rupture  and  disease.  He  was  married 
February  29,  1863,  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Palmer,  who  was  born  in  Manchester 
Township,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind. ,  April  4,  1844.  The  following  children 
have  been  born  to  the  marriage:  Harry  W.,  born  August  29,  1865;  Alice 
M.,  born  May  29,  1869;  Herbert  L.,  born  September  4,  1873,  died  March 
14,  1877;  Frank  M.,  born  October  16,  1875.  The  wife  died  January  14, 
1884.  Her  parents,  John  and  Amanda  (Dorsey)  Palmer,  were  born  in 
Cleves,  Ohio,  the  former  April  11,  1819  and  the  latter  February  6,  1818. 
They  were  married  September  12,  1839.  Mr.  Piatt  is  a  member  of 
Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M.;  Chosen  Friends'  Lodge  No.  13,  I.  O. 
O.  F. ;  Encampment  No.  3;  Daughters  of  Rebecca  No.  63,  and  of  the  G. 
A.  R. 

DANIEL  PLATT,  mechanic  and  township  trustee,  Manchester  Town- 
ship, born  in  the  same,  January  26,  1850,  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Susan 
(Millikin)  Piatt,  also  natives  of  Dearborn  County,  he  being  the  youngest 
surviving  son  of  Gilbert  and  Keziah  Piatt.  Peter  Piatt,  the  father  of  our 
subjectjgrew  to  manhood, married  and  lived  in  Manchester  Township  till  in 


874  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1873,  when  he  removed  to  Nebraska.  He  was  a  stone  mason  and  plas- 
terer by  trade,  which  business  he  followed  during  his  residence  in  this 
county,  but  since  his  settlement  in  Nebraska  he  has  followed  agricultural 
pursuits.  They  are  parents  of  eight  children:  Purdy,  Sarah  Jane,  now 
the  wife  of  Clark  Wicks;  Alfred;  Daniel;  Victoria,  wife  of  Ennis  Lester; 
John;  Emma,  wife  of  Ora  Lester;  and  Ennis  K.,  all  of  whom  are  residents 
of  Nebraska  except  Daniel.  He  was  married,  March  2,  1873,  to  Miss 
Jennie  Bodine,  a  native  of  this  county,  born  March  30,  1853,  a  daughter 
of  Francis  A.  and  Harriet  (Wicks)  Bodine.  They  have  five  children: 
Mary,  now  the  widow  of  Sanford  Burton;  Catharine;  Jennie;  Hettie,  wif e 
of  J.  L.  Freeland,  and  Francis.  Mr.  Piatt  learned  the  trade  of  his 
father,  which  he  has  followed  as  his  principal  business.  He  is  now  serv- 
ing as  trustee  of  Manchester  Township,  having  been  elected  to  that  office 
in  April,  1884. 

ALBERT  POHL,  resident  piano  tuner  and  salesman  with  William 
Lieve  &  Bro.,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  in  the  Province  of 
Saxony,  September  17,  1849,  where  he  received  a  collegiate  course.  His 
parents,  Charles  F.  and  Dorothea  (Traflfehn)  Pohl,  were  natives  of  Prus- 
sia, the  former  was  born  in  1801,  and  the  latter  in  1809;  the  father  died 
in  Frankfort  on  the  Main,  in  July,  1868,  and  the  mother  died  in  the 
city  of  Berlin,  in  December,  1870.  Albert  came  to  America,  July  18, 
1870,  and  located  in  New  York,  where  he  remained  one  year,  and  in  1871, 
he  came  to  Aurora,  where  he  was  married,  April  16,  1874,  to  Miss  Kate 
S.  Siemantel.  She  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  October  28, 1853.  Her  par- 
ents, George  and  Catharine  (Lochner)  Siemantel,  were  born  in  Bavaria, 
the  father  in  Obernzenn,  March  17,  1826,  and  the  mother  November  2, 
1829.  Her  grandparents,  John  and  Catharine  (Stahl)  Siemantel,  were 
born  in  Bavaria,  the  former  in  1782.  and  the  latter  in  1792;  grandfather 
died  in  1847,  grandmother  in  1870.  To  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Pohl  have  been  born  five  children:  Oscar  H,  Anna,  Charles,  Kate  and 
Albert. 

CAPT.  THOMAS  PORTER,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Lan- 
caster County,  Penn.,  July  31,  1789.  In  his  youth  he  went  from  there 
to  Oliphant's  Iron  Works  in  Fayette  County  in  that  State,  where  he  was 
for  several  years  employed  as  a  clerk.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of 
1812,  he  enlisted  in  Capt.  James  A.  McClelland's  company  of  Ball's  reg 
iment  of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  continuing  in  the  war  one  year.  He 
was  badly  wounded  in  the  thigh  at  an  engagement  on  the  Mississinewa 
River  in  this  State  (then  a  Territory)  December  19,  1812,  his  horse  being 
killed  from  under  him,  the  camp  having  been  surprised  before  daylight 
by  an  attack  of  hostile  Indians.  He  was  borne  from"the  battle  ground  to 
Dayton,  Ohio,  on   a  litter,  thence  to  a  hospital   at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  in  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  875 

sleigh,  where  he  remained  until  able  to  resume  service.  The  following 
spring  he  joined  his  company  and  marched  to  Fort  Meigs,  where  he  par- 
ticipated in  the  first  siege  and  was  again  slightly  wounded  by  a  cannon 
ball,  which  killed  a  second  horse  for  him,  while  in  the  act  of  marching. 
He  continued  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  campaign  participating 
in  all  the  engagements  of  bis  squadron  and  terminating  with  the  battle 
of  the  Thames,  after  which  he  was  discharged.  The  wound  broke  out 
afresh  a  few  years  afterward,  compelling  him  to  walk  with  crutches,  and 
it  gave  him  much  pain  at  intervals  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In 
1814  he  received  an  appointment  in  the  regular  army  as  ensign  Sixteenth 
United  States  Infantry,  and  remained  in  that  service  for  several  years. 
Having  resigned  from  that  army,  he  came  to  the  West  to  join  his  father's 
family,  which  had  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Boone  County,  Ky.  He 
took  up  his  residence  soon  after  at  Lawrenceburgh,  and  was  for  several 
years  cashier  of  the  branch  at  Lawrenceburgh  of  the  Farmers  and 
Mechanics  Bank  of  Indiana.  Ho  resigned  this  office,  and  for  about  a 
year  was  engaged  with  a  Mr.  Amos  Beeson,  in  carrying  on  a  tannery  and 
dry  goods  store  at  Elizabethtown,  Ohio.  Thence  he  returned  to  Law- 
renceburgh and  was  in  1830  elected  recorder  of  Dearborn  County.  He 
was  offered  by  President  Jackson  the  appointment  of  receiver  of  public 
moneys  at  Fort  Wayne.  The  office  was  then  a  lucrative  one,  but  as  the 
journey  to  that  place  then  had  to  be  made  on  horseback,  he  declined  the 
appointment  because  his  wound  was  too  painful  to  enable  him  to  make 
the  journey.  While  serving  as  recorder  of  Dearborn  County,  his  father- 
in-law,  Mr.  Moses  Tousey,  who  owned  a  large  farm  and  the  ferry  oppo- 
site Lawrenceburgh,  died,  and  purchasing  the  interests  of  the  heirs,  Capt. 
Porter  resigned  the  office  of  recorder  and  removed  to  Kentucky.  Before 
he  purchased  the  farm  and  ferry,  a  common  "  flat "  and  a  skiflf  only  had 
been  employed  as  the  ferry,  but  Capt.  Porter  promptly  purchased  a  fine 
horse-ferry-boat,  and  made  the  crossing  of  the  river  so  prompt  and  con- 
venient as  greatly  to  increase  the  trade  of  Lawrenceburgh.  His  boys, 
Oliphant  and  Albert,  were  drafted  into  service  as  ferrymen  and  ran  the 
l?oat  a  long  while.  In  1839  Mrs.  Porter  died,  and  Capt.  Porter,  after 
this  bereavement,  soon  determined  to  relinquish  farming,  and  not  long 
afterward  returned  to  Lawrenceburgh.  He  was  subsequently  engaged  in 
the  business  of  pork-packing  with  Col.  James  H.  Lane  for  two  or  three 
seasons,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  time  after  his  removal  from  Kentucky, 
he  was  not  in  active  employment.  He  died  at  the  residence  of  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Thompson,  on  the  6th  of  February,  1854,  Capt.  Porter  Was  twice 
married.  His  first  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Tousey,  and  a  sister 
of  Oliver  Tousey;  his  second  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Moses  Tousey,  and 
a  sister  of  Omer  and   George    Tousey.     Capt.  Porter  was  the  father  of 


876  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ex-Gov.  Albert  G.  Porter,  of  Indianapolis,  whose  youth  was  passed  in 
L  a  wrenceburgh. 

WILLIAM  H.  POWELL,  Randolph  Township,  was  born  in  Mary- 
land in  December,  1806.  He  came  here  from  Ohio  with  his  parents  when 
a  small  boy,  grew  to  manhood  in  what  is  now  Switzerland  County,  and 
was  married,  September  24,  1835,  to  Lucinda  North,  a  daughter  of  Levi 
North.  He  followed  farming,  and  also  did  an  extensive  milling,  mer- 
chandising and  distilling  business.  Six  of  his  seven  children  are  still 
living:  Rosanna,  John  H,  George  W.,  Mary  E.,  Marcus  L.  and  William 
J.  The  deceased  was  Sarah  J.  The  father  died  in  1866.  George  W. 
and  Marcus  L.  grew  up  on  the  old  homestead,  and  are  still  there,  owning 
four  shares  in  the  estate.  They  were  educated  in  the  common  schools, 
and  have  been  chiefly  engaged  in  farming,  though  having  done  some 
trading  on  the  rivex-.  Recently  have  been  dealing  to  a  considerable  extent 
in  tobacco  baying  and  shipping  to  the  Cincinnati  market.  George  W. 
was  married,  November  21,  1877,  to  Cynthia  A.  Lostutter,  daughter  of 
David  Lostutter,  who  died  in  1878.  Marcus  L.  was  married,  October  13, 
1880,  to  Mary  A.  Dibble,  daughter  of  George  and  Margaret  Dibble,  and 
they  have  one  son — Louis  L.  The  Powell  brothers  are  stirring  business 
men,  and  own  182  acres  of  land. 

HIRAM  F.  POWELL,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  was  born  in  Dear- 
born County  July  5,  1824.  His  father,  James,  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Penn.,  in  1789,  and  came  to  this  State  in  1801.  He  returned  to 
his  native  State,  and  again  came  to  Indiana  and  located  in  Dearborn 
County,  upon  North  Hogan  Creek  in  1807,  and  purchased  one  section  of 
land  at  $2. 25  per  acre.  He  farmed  and  flat-boated  before  steam-boats  ran 
on  the  river.  He  was  in  the  war  of  1812  under  Capt.  Sargent.  Mr. 
Hiram  F.  Powell  started  as  engineer  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  followed  the 
river  for  twenty-two  years.  He  was  married,  November  21,  1864,  to 
Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Davis,  who  was  born  in  Dearborn  County  in  1840.  Their 
three  children  are  Jedediah,  Mary  J.  and  Lewis;  the  latter  deceased. 
Mr.  Powell  was  justice  for  several  years,  and  also  served  as  deputy  sherifi. 
He  belongs  to  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  536,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Farmers'  Insur- 
ance Company.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 

IRA  POWELL,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  that  city  in  1858.  His 
parents,  James  A.  and  Martha  (Dodd)  Powell,  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Lexington,  Ky.,  respectively,  and  i-esided  in  Ohio  County  till 
1861,  engaged  in  farming.  In  1861  he  removed  to  Mattoon,  111.,  where 
he  purchased  land  and  carried  on  a  successful  farming  business  till  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1879.  His  widow  is  still  living,  now  a  resident 
of  Rising  Sun.     Mr.  Powell  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  followed  that 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  877 

occupation  till  he  came  to  Rising  Sun  in  the  fall  of  1880.  He  was 
employed  as  salesman  by  William  Colter  till  the  spring  of  1884,  when 
he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  stock  and  began  merchandising  for  him- 
self as  related  elsewhere. 

C.  M.  PRICHARD,  Lawrenceburgh,  secretary  of  the  Miami  Valley 
Furniture  Manufacturing  Company,  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1843.  He 
spent  his  early  years^in  bis  native  State,  where  up  to  1870  he  was  chiefly 
engaged  in  telegraphing  at  different  points.  At  the  latter  date  he  came 
to  Lawrenceburgh  and  took  stock  in  the  above  named  furniture  factory, 
with  which  he  has  since  been  connected,  having  been  secretary  of  the 
company  since  1873.  Mr.  Prichard  was  married,  in  1867,  to  Elizabeth 
Channell,  of  Newark,  O.,  and  they  have  three  children,  Mabel,  Grace 
and  Chauning. 

LEVIN  D.  PRICHARD,  farmer,  Hogan  Township.  Mr.  Prichard 
resides  with  Mr.  F.  C.  A.  Dam,  upon  Section  23,  Hogan  Town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  February  6,  1860,  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  His  parents  were  James  and  Mar- 
garet (Parker)  Prichard,  both  of  whom  died  when  he  was  a  mere  lad,  and 
he  has  had  to  look  out  for  himself  ever  since.  He  has  been  truly  suc- 
cessful in  forming  correct  habits,  and  is  an  industrious,  energetic  young 
man.  Six  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Kansas,  farming,  and  with  that 
exception  he  has  resided  in  Dearborn  County,  Mr.  Prichard  has  care- 
fully saved  his  earnings,  and  his  frugal  habits  in  the  past  have  secured 
to  him  a  comfortable  share  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 

WILLIAM  PROBASCO,  president  of  the  People's  National  Bank, 
Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in'New  Jersey  in  1821.  He  remained  in  the 
East  till  1846,  when,  without  means  or  assistance,  he  crossed  the  moun- 
tains and  came  West  to  this  county.  He  served  an  apprenticeship  as 
millwright  and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  the  milling  business  — 
eight  years  at  Harrison,  Ohio.  He  subsequently  went  to  Lawrenceburgh 
and  engaged  in  the  distillinglbusiness  about  four  years,  after  which  he 
began  the  banking  business  with  Peter  Braun,  in  the  People's  Bank, 
which  was  established  in  1875  and  reorganized  about  a  few  years  later 
as  the  People's  National  Bank.  Mr.  Probasco  was  married,  in  1855,  to 
Miss  R.  E.  Morgan, 

JOHN  PROBST,  of  the  firm  of  Probst  &  Doyle,  saw-milling,  black- 
smithing  and  dealei's  in  all  kinds  of  lumber,  Dover,  was  born  in  Kelso 
Township,  October  12,  1842.  His  parents  were  the  highly  esteemed 
pioneers  John  and  Julia  (Heisler)  Probst,  natives  of  Germany.  The 
former  was  a  son  of  John  G.  and  Margaret  (Nuce)  Probst,  who  were  also 
natives  of  Germany,  and  from  thence  in  1835  immigrated  to  the  United 
States,  landing  at  New  Orleans;  thence  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  in  the 


878  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

same  year  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  parcbasing  land  and  settling  in  Kelso 
Townsbip,  wbere  tbey  resided  until  deatb.  Tbey  Avere  tbe  parents  of 
four  cbildren.  viz. :  George,  Elizabeth,  Jacob  and  John.  The  latter  im- 
migrated to  the  United  States  in  1832,  first  settling  at  Cincinnati,  where 
he  learned  the  baker's  trade  which  he  followed  a  few  years,  and  in  1839, 
came  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  andsettled  on  a  part  of  his  father's  old 
homestead,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  and  Julia  Heisler 
were  married  in  Dearborn  County,  and  here  resided  during  their  lifetime. 
She  died  in  December,  1854,  and  he  in  March,  1858.  Their  children 
were:  John,  Michael,  Louisa,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Nicholas,  Catherine  and 
an  infant  (deceased).  John,  our  subject,  when  fifteen  years  of  age, 
becran  as  an  apprentice  at  the  blacksmith  trade,  which  he  completed  and 
engaged  in  for  a  number  of  years.  In  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  service  in  Company  H,  Eighty-third  Regiment  Indiana 
Volunteers,  was  mustered  in  the  service  September  4,  1862,  and  served 
as  a  private  until  June  2,  1865,  when  he  was  discharged  and  returned 
home;  after  which  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  resumed  his  trade. 
In  1866  he  returned  to  Dover,  and  in  partnership  with  John  Andres, 
opened  a  blacksmith  and  wagon-making  shop  which  they  carried  on  until 
1870,  since  which  time  Mr.  Probst  has  continued  the  business  alone 
until  1874,  when  Thomas  Doyle  entered  a  business  partnership  with 
him,  and  since  which  they  have  conducted  their  present  business.  Our 
subject  was  married  in  Frajiklin  County,  this  State,  April  30,  1868,  to 
Amelia  Fender,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Mettel)  Fender.  To 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Probst,  one  child,  John  E.,  was  born, 
Mrs.  Probst  died  March  7,  1869,  and  July  28,  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  P. 
was  married  to  Elizabeth  Bussard.  For  eight  years,  beginning  in  1876, 
our  subject  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  He  is  at  present  the 
trustee  of  Kelso  Township. 

GEORGE  C.  PROBST,  secretary  of  the  Aurora  Valley  Furniture  Com- 
pany, is  a  native  of  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  born  April  19,  1859.  His 
parents  were  Fred  and  Elizabeth  (Weachman)  Probst,  of  foreign  birth. 
George  C.  received  the  benefits  of  graded  schools  of  his  native  county,  and 
in  1876  he  became  connected  with  the  Aurora  Valley  Furniture  Company, 
and  in  1881  he  took  charge  of  the  books  of  the  company.'  He  is  a 
young  man  of  good  business  capacity,  and  of  enterprise  and  public 
spirit.  The  history  of  this  manufactory,  with  which  Mr.  Probst  is  con- 
nected, will  be  found  among  the  industries  of  Aurora. 

DAVID  G.  RABB  died  of  consumption  at  Maple  Grove,  near  Ris- 
ing Sun,  Ohio  Co.,  Indiana,  October  7,  1874,  aged  sixty-two  years 
and  two  months.  He  was  born  in  Staunton,  Va.,  but  moved  with 
his    parents  to  Dearborn  County,   Indiana,    in  1816;    thus  having  been 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  879 

for  half  a  century  identified  with  and  actively  interested  in  the  affairs  of 
this  region  of  country.  At  the  early  age  of  twelve  years  the  disease 
which  eventually  caused  his  death  made  its  first  attack  on  his  system,  in 
an  aggravated  form  of  bronchitis,  which  so  afi'ected  his  voice  as  to  ever 
after  unfit  him  for  any  public  use  of  it.  His  early  education  was  obtained 
from  the  schools  of  Hardintown  and  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1828  he 
went  to  Cincinnati,  spending  two  years  at  the  Cincinnati  English  and 
Mathematical  Academy,  then  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Winright,  but 
afterward  known  as  "Woodward  College."  His  health  becoming  again 
seriously  impaired,  he  joined  the  American  Fur  Company,  and  spent  six 
months  with  them  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  among  the  head- waters  of 
the  Missouri,  gaining  thus  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  country,  which 
was  of  great  service  to  him  in  after  years,  when  a  prisoner  of  the  Con- 
federate Army.  Afterward  he  was  for  a  while  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  in  Cincinnati;  then  returning  to  the  home  of  his  father,  who 
was  a  wagon- maker  by  trade,  and  worked  with  him  for  some  months.  Find- 
ing active  out- door  exercise  needful  for  his  health,  he  made  choice  of 
farming  for  his  life  employment,  purchased  land  below  Laughery  Creek, 
in  what  is  now  Ohio  County,  and  with  $400,  obtained  from  his 
father,  commenced  clearing  and  farming  quite  an  extensive  tract 
of  land.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  married  Miss  Abigail  Scoggin, 
of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  and  made  his  home  at  the  Laughery 
Island  farm,  now  owned  by  Mr.  Thomas  Pate.  Here  he  buried  his  first 
child,  George,  at  the  age  of  one  year,  from  consumption,  his  wife  dying 
soon  after  from  the  same  disease.  Subsequently  he  marrried  Miss  Mar- 
garet H.  Jelley,  of  Rising  Sun.  To  the  last  years  of  his  life,  Mr.  Rabb 
was  actively  engaged  in  extensive  farming  and  flat-boating,  meeting 
with  the  vicissitudes  of  loss  and  gain  incident  to  such  pursuits,  but  ac- 
cumulating sufficient  property  to  enable  himself  and  numerous  family 
to  enjoy  all  needed  advantages  of  education  and  refined  society.  In 
1847  he  purchased  and  moved  upon  the  farm  known  as  "Maple  Grove 
Farm,"  naturally  one  of  the  most  beautiful  locations  for  a  home,  on  the 
Ohio  River,  between  Cincinnati  and  Louisville.  Here  his  second  wife 
died  from  consumption,  leaving  six  children,  three  of  whom  have  since 
died  from  the  same  disease.  In  1856  he  married  Miss  Rachel  A.  Fitch, 
of  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  who,  with  five  children,  survives  him.  Im- 
mediately on  his  removing  to  Rising  Sun,  by  his  active  interest  in  public 
afi'airs  and  liberal  aid  to  all  pertaining  to  the  religious,  intellectual  and 
social  wants  of  the  community,  he  became  so  influential  a  citizen  that 
his  death  was  indeed  a  public  loss.  For  some  years  he  was  engaged  in 
the  dry  goods  business  in  Rising  Sun,  with  Mr.  J.  H.  Jones.  For  many 
years  previous  to  the  late  war  he  was  a  member  and  acting  officer  of  the 


880  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

State  Board  of  Agriculture,  often  contributing  to  the  columns  of  the 
Indiana  Farmer.  With  all  the  nobler  qualities  of  manhood  the  charac- 
ter of  Mr.  Rabb  abounded.  A  man  of  great  benevolence — but  caring  not 
to  make  his  charities  public — in  him  the  needy  always  found  a  friend. 
He  was  alive  to,  and  ready  to  aid  materially  in,  all  new  industries  which 
promised  good  to  the  public.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican,  and  the 
same  hatred  of  slavery  which  led  his  parents  to  leave  Virginia  manifest- 
ed itself  in  his  early  identifying  himself  with  the  anti-slavery  cause,  and 
the  numerous  colored  people  who  gathered  at  his  funeral  to  take  a  fare- 
well look  at  his  form,  testified  to  the  fact  that  in  his  death  they  had  lost 
one  of  their  firmest  friends.  His  patriotism  caused  him  ever  to  actively 
engage  in  the  maintenance  of  his  country's  rights.  For  a  time  he  acted 
as  a  scout  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  During  the  Mexican  war  he  raised 
a  company  of  artillery,  and  received  his  commission  as  captain,  but,  on 
arriving  at  Indianapolis,  the  peaceful  adjustment  of  difi&culties  rendered 
their  services  needless,  and  they  were  disbanded.  Immediately  on  the 
call  for  troops  in  the  late  war,  he  was  ready.for  action,  but  did  not  enter 
service  until  August  5,  1861,  when  he  received  his  commission  as  cap- 
tain of  Second  Indiana  Battery,  and  went  into  camp  at  Indianapolis. 
He  was  soon  removed  to  St.  Louis,  attached  to  Gen.  Fremont's  staff, 
and  with  him  made  the  famous  hundred  days'  march  through  Missouri. 
From  the  hardships  there  endured,  and  subsequent  exposures,  he  never 
fully  recovered.  Returning  from  St.  Louis,  where  he  had  accompanied 
Fremont,  to  his  command,  stationed  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kas. ,  he 
was,  with  two  other  officers,  on  November  24,  taken  prisoner  from  the 
cars  at  Weston,  Mo.,  by  Si.  Gordon's  guerrilla  band.  After  suffer- 
ing many  hardships,  insults  and  frequent  threats  of  death,  he  was 
paroled  by  Gen.  Price,  to  remain  within  the  limits  of  Fort  Leavenworth. 
Gordon's  band  being  dissatisfied  with  this,  he  made  his  escape  with  great 
difficulty,  most  of  the  way  on  foot,  to  the  fort,  his  former  knowledge  of 
the  country  doing  him  great  service.  From  there  he  was  transferred  to 
the  camp  of  paroled  prisoners.  Camp  Chase,  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  of 
which  he  had  command  four  months.  Here  he  received  surgeon's  certi- 
ficate for  discharge,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  an  exchange  with  a 
rebel  officer,  on  Kelly's  Island,  Lake  Erie;  but  he  having  made  his  escape, 
it  was  never  effected.  Mr.  Rabb  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

JOHN  E.  RANDALL,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Dearborn  County,  and  was  born  October  1,  1828.  His  father,  George, 
was  born  in  Kent  County,  England,  March  3,  1796.  His  mother  was 
Rhoda  (Ewbank)  Randall.  They  were  married  September  2,  1827, 
and  came    to    this    county  about    1822.      In    early   life  George    Randall 


BlOGRArHlCAL   SKETCHES.  881 

preached,  latterly  farmed.  He  died  April  22,  1869;  the  mother  also 
deceased.  Mr.  John  E.  Randall  has  lived  in  the  county  all  his  life,  and 
followed  farming  and  stock  raising  exclusively.  He  was  married,  Janu- 
ary 1,  1856,  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Wilson,  a  native  of  the  county,  who  was 
born  March  17,  1837.  There  were  born  to  them  two  children:  Thomas  R. 
and  William  J.  Mrs.  R.  died  in  December,  1858.  Mr.  Randall  was  hon- 
ored with  the  office  of  township  treasurer,  and  is  a  member  of  Hartford 
Lodge  No.  151,  F.  &  A.  M.  Mr.  Randall  is  a  quiet  and  highly 
respected  citizen.  His  course  through  life  is  truly  commendable,  and 
worthy  of  emulation. 

MATHIAS  RATZ,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  September  21,  1823.  He  was  the  youngest  of  two  children  V)orn  to 
Valentine  and  Matilda  Ratz.  He  immigrated  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in 
1846,  where  he  was  married,  May  6,  1850,  to  Margaret  Miller,  and  in 
1855  moved  to  Dearborn  County.  In  1869  he  purchased  and  settled  on 
his  present  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  owns  100  acres  of  fine 
land,  which  is  well  improved.  Their  children  were  Margaret  (deceased), 
John,  Joseph,  Robert,  Conrad  (deceased),  Mathew,  Annie  and  Nicholas. 
Mr.  Ratz  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

THOMAS  RECORD,  retired,  Sparta  Township,  one  of  the  oldest 
pioneers  of  Dearborn  County  now  living,  and  an  honorable  and  highly 
esteemed  citizen,  was  born  near  Wilmington  November  6,  1810.  His 
parents  were  William  and  Margaret  (Lillis)  Record,  natives  of  England 
and  Ireland.  The  former  was  one  of  three  children  born  to  John  and 
Mary  Record,  also  natives  of  England.  He,  in  an  early  day,  immigrated 
to  the  United  States,  and  was  married,  at  Philadelphia,  to  Mrs.  Margaret 
Vaneck,  wife  of  Capt.  Vaneck,  and  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Lillis,  who  immi- 
grated from  Ireland  to  the  United  States  in  an  early  day.  In  about  the 
year  1808  Mr.  Record  removed  to  Pittsburgh,  and  thence  in  a  short  time 
to  Cincinnati,  and  from  there  came  down  the  Ohio  River  to  Aurora  in  a 
little  family  boat,  in  company  with  David  G.  Boardman  and  others. 
Shortly  after  his  arrival  Mr.  Record  entered  160  acres  of,  wild  land,  about 
one  mile  north  of  where  Wilmington  now  stands,  on  North  Hogan  Creek, 
where  he  labored  in  clearing  off  the  forests  and  cultivating  the  land,  and 
resided  until  his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  mind,  of  good  general 
information,  and  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  They  were  the 
parents  of  Jane  and  Thomas  Record.  The  latter  was  married,  in  Dear- 
born County,  July  10,  1832,  to  Hannah  M.  Sanders,  who  was  born  in 
New  York,  October  6,  1814.  A  part  of  Mr.  Record's  early  life  was  spent 
in  flat-boating  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers.  In  1835  he  settled 
in  Sparta  Township,  on  what  is  known  as  King's  Ridge,  where  he  has 
since  resided.     His  wife  died  September  25,  1871.      Seven  children,  viz.: 

54 


882  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

George  W.  (deceased),  Mary  J.,  William  (deceased),  John  F.,  Lemuel  E. 
(deceased),  Adelia  A.  and  an  infant  (deceased)  were  born  to  the  marriage. 
Our  subject  is  an  esteemed  citizen  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church. 

FREDERICK  RECTANUS,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon.  Aurora, 
is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  Bavaria,  May  29,  1836,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  collegiate  course  in  1853.  His  parents,  Frederick  and  Chris- 
tena  (Peters)  Rectanus,  were  born  in  Germany,  the  father  in  1813,  and 
the  mother  in  1819;  the  father  died  in  Germany  in  18G7,  and  the  mother 
resides  at  present  in  Louisville,  Ky.  The  Doctor  came  to  America  in 
1856  and  located  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  clerked  in  a  wholesale 
grocery.  In  the  spring  of  1858  he  moved  to  Louisville,  Ky. ,  where  he 
read  medicine  with  R.  J.  Breckenridge,  Jr.,  surgeon  of  the  Marine  Hos- 
pital, and  attended  lectures  at  the  Louisville  University,  graduating  in 
March,  1861.  Immediately  thereafter  he  entered  the  army  as  assistant 
suro-eon  of  the  Second  Kentucky  Regiment,  serving  in  that  capacity  for 
four  years  and  one  month.  In  the  spring  of  1866  he  located  in  Aurora, 
and  has  been  very  successful  in  all  his  undertakings,  and  built  up  a  very 
satisfactory  and  lucrative  practice.  Dr.  Rectanus  was  married,  December 
19,  1864,  to  Miss  Charlotte  L.  Langley,  anativeof  this  city,  and  who  was 
born  upon  the  premises  where  they  now  reside,  in'  September,  1840.  By 
the  marriage  they  have  raised  one  child,  Franklin.  The  Doctor  was 
elected  mayor  of  the  city  of  Aurora  in  the  spring  of  1870,  and  re  elected 
in  1872.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  faithfully  and  honestly, 
and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  In  1880  he  was  elected 
township  trustee  and  served  four  years,  after  which  he  retired  from  the 
political  field.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Druids  and  Druid  Chapter,  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  the  G.  A.  R. 

DAVID  REES,  of  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was  born  near  Chester, 
Penn.,  in  1766,  and  removed  with  his  father's  family  to  Berkley  County, 
Va.,  in  the  year  1775.  In  the  year  1794  he  proceeded  on  horseback  on 
a  prospecting  tour,  with  no  companion  but  his  trusty  rifle.  He  passed 
through  southwestern  Virginia,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  through  the  Cum- 
berland Gap,  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  crossing  the  river  he  proceeded  through 
the  State  of  Indiana  to  Cincinnati.  He  returned  to  Berkley,  Va. ;  the 
entire  route  traveled  was  an  unbroken  wilderness,  inhabited  by  the 
Indians  and  wild  animals.  In  1804  he  returned  to  the  West  and  pur- 
chased the  fine  tract  of  bottom  land,  now  owned  by  his  descendants,  and 
in  the  year  1807,  removed  to  it  with  his  family.  He  was  a  man  of 
indomitable  courage  and  energy,  of  that  type  of  men  of  moral  honesty 
and  integrity,  that  laid  the  deep  foundation  of  good  government,  of 
which  the  benefits  are  realized  by  his  descendants   of  this  day.      (^hari- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  883 

table  and  humane,  he  possessed  the  power  of  wielding  an  influence 
among  his  fellow  men,  for  the  best  interests  of  all.  He  died  in  the  year 
1820,  and  by  acts  and  deeds,  left  behind  him  a  remembrance  that  will 
survive  the  destroying  hand  of  time. 

REZIN  REES,  farmer,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  was  born  in  Dear- 
born County,  November  20,  1819.  His  father,  David  Rees,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  county,  and  is  mentioned  above.  The  family  came 
originally  from  below  Philadelphia,  being  Quakers  and  refusing  to  fight  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  settled  in  Virginia.  David  Rees  died  in  1820 
and  Mrs.  Rees,  whose  maiden  name  was  Susana  Daniel,  after  the  death  of 
her  first  husband,  married  in  1825,  Joshua  Sanks,  and  died  in  1856.  David 
Rees  accumulated  considerable  property,  being  a  farmer  and  miller,  and  as 
his  children  grew  to  maturity,  this  was  divided  among  them,  our  subject 
receiving  his  share  with  the  rest,  a  portion  being  the  old  farm  on  which 
he  was  born.  He  subsequently  followed  farming  till  disease  compelled 
him  to  give  up  active  labor.  He  was  married  in  1849,  to  Mary  Daniel, 
daughter  of  John  Daniel,  who  settled  in  this  county  in  1812,  and  by  thi& 
union  there  was  born  one  son,  Ralph  W.,  a  young  man  of  sterling  qual- 
ities. This  son  was  married  in  1878,  to  Emma  Stratton,  of  Aurora,  and 
they  have  two  children:  R.  Holman  and  Loren  Stratton.  In  his  business 
enterprises,  Mr.  Rees  has  been  quite  successful,  having  accumulated  a 
comfortable  fortune,  though  his  severe  affliction  in  the  latter  years  of 
his  life  prevents  him  from  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  early  toil. 

PHILIP  RENCK,  of  Harrison  Township,  was  born  in  Germany, 
November  1,  1811,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and-  Margaret  (Devine)  Renck. 
who  immigrated  to  America  in  1838.  His  father  died  in  1862  at  eighty- 
four  years  of  age.  Philip  emigrated  in  1836.  He  was  a  farmer  in 
the  old  country  and  has  always  followed  that  pursuit  in  this.  He  was 
married  in  1836  to  Elizabeth  Kuhn  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and  sailed 
for  America  on  the  same  ship  in  which  Mr.  Renck  came  over.  On  arriv- 
ing in  this  country  Mr.  Renck  worked  one  year  in  a  Cincinnati  foundry 
and  one  year  in  a  tannery  in  the  same  city.  He  then  moved  to  this 
township  and  with  his  brother-in-law,  V.  Hey,  purchased  80  acres  of 
land,  43  of  which  Mr.  Renck  now  owns.  He  has  since  added  40  acres 
more,  which  he  assigned  to  his  son,  and  120  acres  more,  which  is  now 
owned  by  John  Renck,  of  Logan  Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Renck  have 
four  children  living:  Mary,  wife  of  Charles  Reichenbach;  Frances,  wife 
of  John  Lutz;  John  and  Michael.  Two  children  died  in  childhood. 
Mrs.  Renck  died  in  April  1884.  Michael  Renck,  with  whom  his  father 
now  lives,  was  born  in  1847.  He  grew  up  in  this  vicinity  and  has  al- 
ways been  a  farmer,  also  operating  a  steam  thresher  the  past  ten  seasons. 
He  was  married  May  27,  1873,  to  Mary  Schaick,  daughter   of    Lawrence 


8-^4  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Schaick,  and  they  had  four  children:  Emma,  Albert,  Elizabeth  and  Clara. 
John  died  in  childhood. 

WILLIA.M  RICKETTS,  hack  driver,  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in 
Ohio  County,  August  19,  1846,  son  of  Shadrach  and  Eliza  (Lambert) 
Ricketts,  his  parents  born  and  reai-ed  in  the  same  county.  William 
grew  up  on  the  farm  and  followed  agricultural  pursuits  till  twenty  years 
of  age.  In  May,  1868,  he  began  driving  for  the  Anderson  Omnibus 
Line  and  in  this  occupation  he  has  since  continued,  having  been  in  the 
service  seventeen  years.  Mr.  Ricketts  was  married  April  5,  1875,  to 
Addie,  daughter  of  Willis  Griffey,  and  they  have  four  children:  Lulie, 
Flora,  Emma  and  Cort. 

JOHN  H.  RIGG,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  resides  on  Section  13  and 
owns  ninety-four  acres;  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  born  in  Phila- 
delphia, April  14,  1804.  His  father  was  born  in  Liverpool,  England, 
and  came  to  America  when  a  young  man.  The  mother,  Sarah  (Howard) 
Rigg,  was  born  in  Philadelphia.  The  father  was  a  shipping  merchant 
and  died  in  1810.  The  mother  died  in  1818.  Mr.  John  H.  Rigg  came 
to  Indiana  in  1814,  and  has  lived  within  two  miles  of  his  present  home 
ever  since.  He  was  married  September  27,  1826,  to  Azubah  Richardson. 
She  was  born  December  20,  1809,  and  they  have  had  twelve  children 
born  to  them,  ten  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  William  was  killed  in 
battle  at  Prairie  Grove,  Mo.  Mrs.  Rigg  died  September  13,  1863, 
and  Mr.  Rigg  remarried  March  19,  1864,  Miss  Frances  Herbert,  born  in 
Loudon  County,  Va.,  December  30,  1811,  daughter  of  John  Herbert,  who 
came  from  Wales  when  quite  young  and  settled  in  Virginia.  He  was  in 
the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Rigg  has  twenty-four  grand  children,  and  six- 
teen great-grandchildren,  scattered  over  the  West  and  South.  He  never 
was  sworn  as  a  witness,  nor  was  he  ever  on  a  regular  jury.  Has  farmed 
all  his  life.  He  cleared  his  fai-m  with  his  own  ax,  and  has  led  a  quiet, 
industrious  life.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  for  over 
forty  years.  His  estimable  wife  belongs  to  the  same  society.  He  is  a 
member  of  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M. 

EPHRAIM  ROBBINS,  of  Ohio  County,  died  in  the  vicinity  of  Ris- 
ing Sun,  June  16,  1844,  aged  eighty-four  years.  He  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  and  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  engaged  in  several 
skirmishes  and  was  wounded  in  one  in  Rhode  Island.  He  was  an  exem- 
plary man  in  all  his  conduct  through  life,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  the  last  tifty-two  years.  He  was  buried 
with  the  honors  of  war,  the  funeral  procession  being  very  large,  attended 
by  some  600  or  700  persons. 

JUDGE  OMAR  F.  ROBERTS,  attorney  at  law,  Aurora,  was  born 
in  Manchester  Township,  Dearborn  County.  June  17,  1834,  son   of  Rev. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  8^*5 

Daniel  and  Abigail  (Goodwin)  Koberts,  both  natives  of  Durham,  Me. 
Vinson  Roberts,  grandfather  of  Judge  Koberts,  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  the  town  of  Durham,  Me.,  and  owned  and  cultivated  a  farm 
one  mile  west  of  Durham's  Corners.  Rev.  Daniel  Roberts  was  a  soldier 
in  the  war  of  1812,  and  served  at  Portland,  Me.  He  came  West  in  1818, 
and  in  1820  settled  near  Manchester,  Dearborn  County.  He  was  one  of 
the  most  eloquent  and  useful  of  the  ministers  of  the  Christian 
Church  in  the  West,  and  during  his  long  continued  labors,  organ- 
ized over  200  churches,  and  baptized  upward  of  2,000  converts. 
Omar  F.  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  where  he  attended  the  common 
schools  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  entered  the  Lawrenceburgh  Institute, 
where  he  remained  three  years.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  com- 
menced the  study  of  law  in  the  ofl&ce  of  Holman  &  Haynes.  He  there 
continued  two  years,  when  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  uni- 
versity at  Bloomington,  where  he  graduated,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
at  Lawrenceburgh — March,  1857.  He  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
at  Versailles,  but  in  December,  1859,  opened  an  office  in  Aurora.  In 
1860  he  was  elected  a  representative  in  the  Legislature  and  was  re-elect- 
ed in  1862.  In  1865  he  was  elected  in  anticipation  of  a  called  session 
of  the  Legislature,  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  in  the  house.  In  1873  he 
was  appointed  by  Gov.  Hendricks  judge  of  the  Seventh  Circuit,  and  in 
October  of  the  same  year  was  elected  to  the  same  office,  and  served  six 
years  from  the  date  of  his  commission,  October  21,  1873.  In  May,  1876, 
he  was  a  delegate  in  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at  St.  Louis. 
During  the  civil  war  Judge  Roberts  was  a  war  Democrat,  and  introduced 
into  the  Legislatui'e  a  joint  resolution  tendering  to  the  General  Govern- 
ment all  the  aid  necessary  both  in  men  and  means  to  put  down  the  Rebel- 
lion, which  was  unanimously  adopted.  In  the  Legislature  he  advocated 
the  removal  of  restrictions  upon  the  admission  of  testimony  in  courts  of 
justice,  and  as  a  judge  his  most  prominent  characteristic  was  his  dislike 
of  legal  technicalities  which  would  tend  to  defeat  the  ends  of  justice. 
Judge  Roberts,  after  a  long  struggle  with  poverty  and  ill  health,  has 
reached  an  honorable  position  in  his  profession.  On  Christmas  day,  1860, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  J.  Elden;  she  died  July  23,  1870.  He 
again  married,  his  second  wife  being  Miss  Mary  McHenry,  of  Aurora. 

GEORGE  M.  ROBERTS,  attorney,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  Dearborn  County  bar.  He  is  a  native  of  Ripley 
County,  Ind.,  and  was  born  in  1843.  His  boyhood  was  spent  in  his  na- 
tive county  and  his  youth  in  Illinois.  He  was  educated  at  Knox  Col- 
lege, Galesburg,  111.,  and  studied  law  at  the  Albany  Law  School  in  New 
York,  graduating  from  the  same  in  1865,  in  which  year  he  began 
practice  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  where  he  continued  the  same  with  creditable 


^86  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

success  till  July,  1869,  in  the  meantime  being  elected  laayor  of  the  city. 
From  May  to  October,  1864,  he  served  in  the  United  States  Army  as  first 
lieutenant  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  In  1870  he  located  in  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  has 
since  conducted  a  successful  and  lucrative  practice  in  his  profession,  and 
in  1879  was  elected  mayor  of  that  city,  serving  till  1885..  He  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  the  business  progress  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  holds 
stock  in  both  the  Miami  Valley  Furniture  Factory  and  the  Ohio  Valley 
Coffin  Factory,  a  director  in  the  management  of  the  latter.  In  1880 
Mr.  Roberts  married  Kate  Harding,  daughter  of  William  Harding,  of 
Cincinnati,  and  they  have  one  son,  Frank. 

GEORGE  ROBERTSON,  of  Guilford,  was  born  in  Frederick  County 
Md.,  December  8,  1800.  His  father  died,  leaving  him  an  infant,  to  be 
reared  by  an  aunt.  His  mother,  of  Irish  descent,  married  Samuel  Right, 
a  Kentuckian,  and  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  after  spending  some  time 
in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  Mr.  Robertson  grew  to  manhood  in  Canton,  Ohio, 
and  there  married  Nancy  McBee  in  1821.  He  resided  in  Starke  County 
about  sixteen  years  engaged  in  shoe-making.  In  1837  he  moved  with 
his  family,  to  Dearborn  County  and  located  iu  Yorkville,  where  he  re- 
sided till  1853,  when  he  sold  out  his  interests  in  that  village  and  moved 
to  Guilford.  There  he  conducted  a  country  store  and  officiated  as  post- 
master till  age  compelled  him  to  retire  from  active  service,  and  he  turned 
the  business  over  to  his  son,  Clement  W,  By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Robertson 
had  eight  children,  four  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  By  his  second 
wife,  Phoebe  Tucker  nee  Brower,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1838,  ten 
children  were  born,  seven  still  living:  Clement  W.,  Mary  J.  (wife  of 
William  Lazenby),  Elizabeth  Ann  (wife  of  JohnN.  Brooks),  Charles  D., 
Harriet  A.,  Alvin  B.  and  Harry  B.  Mrs.  Robertson  was  born  in  New 
York  in  1815  and  came  to  Dearborn  County  about  three  years  later  with 
her  parents,  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  Brower, who  settled  on  York  Ridge. 
Mr.  Robertson  is  now  in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  and  the  shadow  which 
lengthens  in  the  setting  sun  of  life  is  stretching  into  the  Beyond.  He 
has  always  been  an  earnest  Republican,  and,  with  his  aged  wife,  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

CLEMENT  W.  ROBERTSON,  merchant,  Guilford,  was  born  in 
Dearborn  County  in  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  George  Robertson,  who 
is  referred  to  above.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  the  locality  in  which  he 
now  resides,  and  his  early  years  were  spent  in  day  labor  and  as  clerk  in 
his  father's  store.  In  1866  he  emigrated  South  and  located  at  Nashville 
Tenn.,  from  which  point  he  was  employed  as  sleeping-car  conductor  on 
different  routes  through  the  Southern  States.  In  1868  he  returned  to 
Dearborn  County  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Guilford,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  887 

this  he  has  since  conducted  with  fair  success.  In  February,  1884,  Henry 
Huddleston  was  admitted  as  a  partner  in  the  business,  and  the  firm  has 
since  been  known  as  Robertson  &  Huddleston.  They  carry  a  stock  of 
general  merchandise  valued  at  $4,000  or  $5,000  and  enjoy  a  fine  country 
trade.  Mr.  R.  was  married  in  1864  to  Martha  H.  Mulliner,  a  native  of 
New  York,  daughter  of  John  Mulliner,  and  they  have  two  children:  John 
B.  and  Charles  H.  Mrs.  Robertson's  parents  were  natives  of  New  York 
City,  her  mother's  name  Susan  Bostwick,  and  they  were  of  Scotch  and 
Welsh  ancestry,  respectively.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  and  owned  the 
land  on  which  the  city  of  Rochester  is  built.  He  is  said  to  have  sold 
the  first  lot  from  the  tract  for  building  purposes.  He  died  in  1842,  his 
wife  surviving  till  December  25,  1879.  They  reared  a  family  of  six 
children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living.  Mrs.  P.  J.  Tibbets,  Mrs.  Har- 
riet Fuller,  John  R.,  Miss  Maria  Mulliner  and  Mrs.  Robertson.  Mr. 
Robertson  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  a  genial  business  man 
and  a  good  citizen. 

LeROY  ROBERTS,  tinner,  Dillsborough,  was  born  at  Lawrence- 
burgh,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  March  8,  1844.  He  was  one  of  four  children 
born  to  John  and  Rachel  (Ricketts)  Roberts,  natives  of  this  State.  The 
former  was  a  son  of  Aaron  and  Matilda  Roberts,  who  settled  in  Dear- 
born County,  in  a  very  early  day,  and  from  here  moved  to  Ashland  County, 
Ohio,  where  they  resided  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  They  were  the 
.parents  of  seven  children,  viz. :  Ezekiel,  Lewis,  Sarah,  Hannah,  Harvey, 
Amanda  and  John.  The  latter  was  born  near  Guilford,  Dearborn  County, 
this  State,  December  12,  1816,  and  moved  with  his  parents  to  Ashland 
County,  Ohio,  and  when  about  eighteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Ashland 
and  began  as  an  apprentice  at  the  tinners'  trade,  which  he  completed,  and 
subsequently  followed  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  returned  to 
Dearborn  County  and  resumed  his  trade  at  Lawrenceburgh,  and  was 
there  married,  August  20,  1840,  to  Rachel  Ricketts,  a  native  of  Switzer- 
land County,  this  State,  where  she  was  born.  May  20,  1823.  In  1847  Mr. 
Roberts  moved  to  Batavia,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  1850, 
then  removed  to  Aurora,  where  his  wife  died  December  29,  1851. 
He  was  married,  August  4,  1853,  to  Deliah  Ricketts,  an  aunt  of  his  first 
wife.  In  1856  he  moved  to  Dillsborough,  where  he  opened  a  tin 
shop,  and  in  1867  he  removed  to  Friendship,  and  there  died  October 
15,  1878.  His  children  were  Harvey,  LeRoy,  Buena  V.  and  an  infant 
daughter.  Our  subject  learned  thetitiner's  trade  with  his  father,  and  has 
been  engaged  in  the  business  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  In  August,  186L 
he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Thirty-seventh  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers 
as  a  private,  and  served  until  October  27,  1864,  at  which  time  he  was 
discharged  and  returned  to  Dillsborough,  where  he  resumed  his  trade, 


888  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  in  October,  1867,  he  opened  up  a  tin  shop,  which  he  has  since  con- 
ducted. He  was  married  at  Dillsborough,  December  24,  1867,  to  Helen, 
daughter  of  George  and  Margaret  (Eider)  Procter.  She  was  born  in 
Scotland.  In  March,  1881,  he  and  William  B.  Suits  purchased  the  Dills- 
borough  Mills,  which  they  now  command  and  are  doing  a  large  and  exten- 
sive business.  He  has  had  born  to  him  four  children,  viz.:  John  L., 
George  P. ,  Margaret  and  James  G.  B. 

HANNANIAH  ROLLINS,  of  Ohio  County,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  died  in  Randolph  Township  August  4,  1836,  aged  seventy- 
five  years.  Little  is  known  of  the  character  of  the  deceased  until  his 
sixteenth  year,  when,  fired  by  patriotic  zeal  for  freedom,  he  entered  the 
Revolutionary  army  in  the  "Jersey  line,''  and  was  shortly  afterward  at- 
tached to  the  music  as  a  fifer.  This  was  about  1777.  He  was  promoted 
to  fife-major,  and  served  his  country  faithfully  to  the  end  of  the  war, 
partaking  in  all  the  privations  and  hardships  of  the  army  during  the 
struggle  for  independence,  and  was  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at 
Yorktown.  At  the  end  of  the  war  he  retired  to  private  life  as  an  hum- 
ble citizen  of  that  republic  which  he  assisted  to  establish.  His  charac- 
ter was  that  of  an  honest  man  and  a  patriot,  universally  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  him.  His  patriotism  never  failed  him,  and  although  the  Gov- 
ernment made  ample  provision,  by  which  he  could  have  received  a  pen- 
sion, he  refused  to  make  application  for  that  small  debt  of  gratitude  un- 
til at  a  very  late  date,  and  then  he  yielded  to  the  urgent  solicitations  of 
his  friends  and  neighbors.  He  was  a  zealous  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  "The  church  has  to  lament  one  of  its  fathers  ;  his  neighbors 
have  to  lament  a  good  counselor  and  kind  friend,  and  all  lament  him  as 
a  friend  to  liberty." 

WILLIAM  M.  ROWLAND,  merchant,  Dillsborough,  was  born  in  Clay 
Township,  Dearborn  County,  September  10,  1843.  His  parents,  John  P. 
and  Sarah  R.  (McComas)  Rowland,  were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  former 
was  a  son  of  Philip  and  Rebecca  (Perlee)  Rowland,  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  who  removed  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  in  an  early  day, 
where  they  were  married  and  resided  until  the  year  1821,  at  which 
time  they  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  where  they  resided  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  They  were  the  parents  of  Mary  A.,  John 
P.,  Martha,  Sarah,  Peter,  Perlee,  Rebecca,  Elizabeth  and  Lucretia. 
John  P.  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  March  24,  1816,  and  came 
with  his  parents  to  this  county  in  1821,  where  he  and  Sarah  R.,  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  and  Susanna  ( Justis)  McComas  were  married  June  26,  1839. 
She  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  April  20,  1819.  Her  parents  re- 
moved to  Dearborn  County  in  1822.  After  Mr.  Rowland's  marriage  he 
settled  in  this  township,  where  he  resided  until  1864,  in  which  year  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  889 

removed  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  where  he  at  present  resides.  His  wife 
died  May  27,  1876.  Their  children  were  Jane  E.,  Mary  F.,  William 
M.,  Susanna  M.,  Harriet  C,  Philip  M.,  Alice  R.,  Lucy  F.,  Lucretia  E. 
and  Alancin  C.  Our  subject  was  brought  up  a  farmer  until  his  sixteenth 
year,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Dillsborough  and  began  the  blacksmith's 
trade  with  the  Perlee  Bros.,  which  he  continued  until  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war.  September  20,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Thirty- 
seventh  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteers  as  a  private,  in  which  regiment  he 
remained,  and  participated  in  all  the  battles  and  engagements  of  the 
command  until  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  December  31,  1862,  in  which 
battle  he  was  wounded  by  a  musket  ball,  which  took  effect  in  his  left 
arm,  thereby  causing  amputation  of  the  arm  close  to  the  shoulder.  He 
was  discharged  May  31,  1863,  after  which  he  returned  to  Dearborn 
County.  Being  disqualified  for  following  his  trade  or  any  other  man- 
ual labor,  he  prepared  himself  for  school  teaching,  attending  first  a  pre- 
paratory school  at  the  Gaff  Schoolhouse.  He  then  attended  Moore's 
Hill  College,  and  on  moving  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  with  his  parents, 
he  completed  his  education  in  the  graded  schools  of  Augusta,  that  State. 
He  then  taught  school,  and  in  1867  returned  to  Dearborn  County, 
where  he  was  employed  in  teaching.  July  18,  1867,  he  was  married  to 
Josephine,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Orpha  (Courtney)  Martin.  She  was 
born  in  Ohio  County,  October  23,  1848.  Shortly  after  his  mar- 
riage he  removed  to  Hancock  County,  111.,  where  he  taught  one  term  of 
school,  and  in  1868  removed  to  Dearborn  County  again,  where  he  resumed 
his  profession.  In  January,  1871,  he  purchased  the  drug  store  of  Jo- 
seph Easier,  at  Dillsborough,  which  business  he  carried  on  until  1883,  when 
he  sold  out,  and  in  November,  1884,  opened  a  general  merchandise  store 
in  the  same  village,  in  which  business  he  is  now  engaged,  and  has  an 
extensive  trade.  He  also  owns  a  fine  farm  in  Clay  Township,  which  he 
purchased  in  1876.  Mr.  Rowland  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Dills- 
borough in  September,  1871,  which  ofldce  he  held  until  July,  1883,  when 
he  resigned.  He  assessed  Clay  Township  in  1870-71.  He  is  a  good 
citizen,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  the  community.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rowland  are  Walter  M.,  Frank  W\,  Ber- 
tie S.  and  Horace  W. 

FREDERICK  W.  RUHLMAN,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born 
in  Germany  in  April,  1833,  and  in  1841  immigrated  with  his  parents, 
Barnet  and  Ella  Ruhlman,  to  the  United  States,  and  located  in  Dear- 
born County,  this  State,  where  he  has  since  resided.  January  8,  1857, 
he  was  married  to  Katie  Bahma  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides.      To  the   marriage   have  been   born  Minnie,  Elizabeth,   Mary 


890  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

John   and  Anna.      The  parents    are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Mr.  R.  owns  a  farm  of  109  acres  of  well  improved  land. 

AMER  W.  RUMSEY,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  was  bora  in 
Dearborn  County,  January  16,  1840;  is  a  son  of  John  and  Rosanna 
(Bruce)  Rumsey,  he  a  native  of  Wales  and  she  of  Dearborn  County, 
daughter  of  Amer  Bruce,  one  of  the  early  settlers.  Mr.  John  Rumsey 
came  to  America  with  his  father,  Watkin  Rumsey,  and  settled  in  Dear- 
born County,  on  Section  9,  on  North  Hogan  Creek,  in  1817,  where  Mr. 
Watkin  Rumsey  died.  John  Rumsey,  who  was  but  eight  years  of  age 
when  they  settled  here,  grew  to  manhood,  fully  acquainted  with  pioneer 
life;  married  Miss  Bruce  and  settled  on  land  in  Section  8,  west  of 
where  his  father  settled,  and  there  he  resided  through  life.  He  opened 
out  his  farm  from  the  woods,  made  good  improvements;  and  became  the 
owner  of  between  500  and  600  acres  of  land,  besides  considerable 
land  in  Iowa  and  Kansas.  Starting  out  in  life  a  poor  man, 
by  his  own  industry,  energy  and  good  management,  he  became  a  large 
land-holder,  and  died  possessed  of  an  ample  competency.  He  died  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1879,  aged  seventy  years,  and  his  remains  now  rest  in  Hogan 
Hill  Cemetery.  His  wife  still  survives  and  resides  on  the  home  place, 
now  aged  seventy  years.  They  had  ten  children,  five  now  living:  Cath- 
arine, Amer,  Susan,  John  and  George  F.,  all  residents  of  this  township. 
Amer  Rumsey  was  married  February  18,  1863  to  Rhoda  F.  Ellis,  born 
February  13,  1844,  daughter  of  David  and  Lavina  Ellis,  he  a  native  of 
Maine  and  she  of  New  York,  becoming  settlers  of  Dearborn  County 
about  1829.  Mr.  Ellis  was  twice  married  and  was  the  father  of  fourteen 
children,  seven  now  living:  Catharfne,  Benjamin  (now  living  in  Ne- 
braska), Margaret,  Abby,  Rhoda,  Ida  and  Luella.  By  this  union  (Mr. 
Rumsey  has  three  children:  Lillie  A.,  Hattie  and  Frank  Floyd.  In 
1864  Mr.  Rumsey  piirchased  and  located  upon  the  place  where  he  now 
resides.  The  farm  consists  of  125  acres  of  land,  with  good  improve- 
ments. He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  Union  Church,  with 
which  they  have  been  identified  for  twenty  years. 

JOHN  W.  RUMSEY,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Rosanna  Rumsey,  whose  history  and  early  settlement  is  given  in 
sketch  of  Amer  Rumsey.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  on  the 
old  Rumsey  place,  in  Manchester  Township,  January  10,  1853,  and  grew 
to  manhood,  brought  up  to  labor  on  his  father's  farm;  was  married  De 
cember  21,  1876  to  Arminda  J.  Shuter,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Sophia 
Shuter,  whose  history  appears  in  the  sketch  of  Henry  Shuter.  By  this 
marriage  Mr.  Rumsey  had  one  child.  Alma  P.,  born  February  1,  1879. 
Mrs.  Rumsey  died  March  13,  1879,  in  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  her  age, 
and  her  remains  rest  in   the  Ebenezer  Cemetery.     October  5,  1882,  Mr. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  891 

Rumsey  married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Mary  D.  Walser,  born  Decem- 
ber 31,  185U,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Amanda  (Jackson)  Walser, 
natives  of  Dearborn  County.  His  father,  James  W.  Walser,  settled  in 
this  connty,  on  Hogan  Creek,  in  1812,  one  of  the  true  pioneers.  Benja- 
min Walser  by  the  above  marriage  had  six  children,  four  now  living: 
Charles  L.,  Mary  D.,  Annu  I.  and  Americus  D.  Mrs.  Walser  died  in 
1865.  In  1866  Mr.  Walser  married  for  his  second  wife,  Anna  M.  Case, 
daughter  of  George  W.  Case.  By  her  he  has  one  child,  Nancy  W.  Mr. 
Rumsey  by  this  marriage  has  one  child,  Florence  A.,  born  September  14, 
1883.  Mr.  Rumsey  has  always  remained  a  resident  of  Manchester 
Township,  and  made  farming  his  occupation.  He  located  upon  his 
present  place  in  1877,  where  he  has  a  good  farm  of  ninety  acres,  with 
good  improvements.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Union  Church, 
and  his  wife  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

FRED  H.  RUSHER,  saloonist,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Germany, 
March  6,  1846.  His  parents,  John  and  Louisa  Rusher,  were  born  in 
Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  1847,  locating  in  New  Orleans,  thence 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  the  father  died  in  1847.  The  father  was  a 
tombstone  cutter.  His  mother  and  family  moved  to  Dearborn  County  in 
1858,  where  they  followed  farming.  Fred  H.  enlisted  in  1863  under 
Deloss  Brown  in  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Indiana 
Regiment  and  served  twenty-three  months.  During  his  term  of  service, 
he  contracted  the  rheumatism  and  heart  disease,  which  have  ever  since 
been  an  annoyance  to  him.  He  was  discharged  with  his  regiment.  Mr. 
Rusher  was  married  October  1,  1874,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Tibbetts,  who  was 
born  in  Dillsborough,  October  3,  1852.  By  the  union  four  children 
have  been  born:  Jellett,  Maggie,  Arthur  and  Fred.  Our  subject  fol- 
lowed contracting  as  carpenter  and  builder  up  to  the  time  of  engaging 
in  his  present  business.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  and  K.  of  P. 
lodges. 

JOHN  H.  RUSSE,  deputy  clerk,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  at  Cin- 
cinnati,  Ohio,  July  14,  1849.  His  education -was  acquired  by  attend- 
ance at  the  public  schools  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  until  the  age  of  fourteen, 
when  he  was  forced  to  battle  with  the  world  in  the  great  struggle  for  a 
livelihood.  He  learned  the  business  of  cigar-making  and  followed  the 
trade  for  twelve  years  or  longer  through  its  various  branches,  and  for  a 
year  or  more  was  engaged  in  the  leaf  tobacco  trade.  In  September,  1868, 
came  to  Lawrenceburgh.  July  14,  1870,  he  was  married  to  Mary 
Eliza  Ransom,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  and  two  children,  a  boy  and  a 
girl,  are  the  results  of  said  union:  John  and  Mary  J.  In  October,  1878, 
he  was  appointed  deputy  clerk  of  Dearborn  Circuit  Court,  which  position 
he  still  occupies.     He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Dearborn  Circuit  Court 


892  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

in  1879.  He  is  a  very  prominent  member  of  the  K.  of  P.  in  this  Stale,  and 
for  two  years  last  past  has  been  the  grand  prelate  of  the  Grand  Lodge. 
F.  H.  SALE,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Dillsborough,  Ind.,  is  a 
native  of  Owen  County,  Ky.,  born  May  17,  1828.  His  parents  were 
James  H.  and  Elizabeth  T.  (Elliston)  Sale,  natives  of  Virginia  and 
Kentucky,  respectively;  the  former,  a  son  of  Robert  S'ale,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  born  in  1747.  Robert  and  Jane  Sale  were  natives  of  Wales 
and  Holland,  respectively.  They  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
a  very  early  day,  settling  in  Virginia,  where  they  afterward  resided  until 
their  deaths.  Robert  Sale  was  married  in  Virginia  to  Jennie  Hoard, 
and  in  1793  immigrated  to  Scott  County,  Ky.,  and  from  thence,  in  1812, 
to  Owen  County,  Ky.,  where  he  afterward  resided  until  his  death.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  viz. :  Elizabeth,  Lucy,  William,  James 
H.,  Gincie,  and  Fleetwood  H.  James  H.  Sale  was  born  in  Culpepper 
County,  Va.,  March  5,  1793.  When  about  three  months  old  his  parents 
moved  to  Kentucky,  where  he  was  brought  up  as  a  farmer.  He  eu listed 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of  1812  and  served  during  the  entire  war 
under  Col.  Hamilton.  He  was  married,  in  1817,  to  Elizabeth  T.  Elliston, 
who  was  born  in  Owen  County,  Ky.,  January  1,  1801,  and  was  one  of 
eight  children  born  to  John  and  Nancy  (Sneed)  Elliston,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  who  immigrated  to  Kentucky  in  1793.  After  Mr.  Sale's  mar- 
riage he  settled  in  Owen  County,  where  he  owned  an  extensive  plantation, 
and  remained  until  1832,  in  which  year  he  moved  to  Gallatin  County, 
and  while  on  a  visit  in  Deai-born  County,  died  November  23,  1854.  His 
widow  still  survives.  Their  children  were  Jane  H.,  Allen,  Susan  A., 
Eliza,  Fleetwood  H.,  Lucy  H.,  Artamissa  L.,  Emma  G.,  Robert  W.  and 
James  H.  Dr.  F.  H.  Sale  was  educated  at  Warsaw,  Ky. ,  and  in  1844 
began  reading  medicine  with  a  Dr.  McClure  of  that  place,  under  whose 
instructions  he  remained  until  1849,  at  which  time  he  attended  lectures 
at  the  Louisville  University,  and  in  the  spring  of  1850, he  located  at 
Wilmington,  Ind.,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  the 
following  July  he  located  at  Elrod,  Ind. ,  where  he  was  married,  May  15, 
1851,  to  Mary  C. ,  daughter  of  James  G.  H.  and  Eliza  (Pool)  Morrison. 
She  was  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  October  5,  1837.  In  February,  1854, 
Dr.  Sale  moved  to  Dillsborough,  where  he  resumed  his  practice,  and  has 
since  resided.  His  wife  died  March  5,  1856,  leaving  one  child,  Alice  M. 
In  the  winter  of  1856-57,  he  attended  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  of 
Cincinnati,  graduating  in  February  of  the  latter  year.  He  was  married, 
November  28,  1857,  to  Mary  V.  Johnson,  of  Ripley,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of 
Marion  and  Mary  (Osborn)  Johnson.  Dr.  Sale  is  a  highly  esteemed 
citizen,  and  is  regarded  as  a  reliable  physician  and  surgeon.  He  was 
in  the  United  States  service  as  an  assistant  surgeon  from  April,  1862, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  893 

until  March,  1864,  when  he  resigned;  but  in  November,  1864,  he  re- 
turned and  served  until  June,  1865. 

CONRAD  SANDER,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  the  efficient  president  of  the 
Lawrenceburgh  Furniture  Manufacturing  Company.  He  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  in  1833,  and  is  therefore  now  fifty-two  years  of  age. 
He  grew  to  maturity,  and  was  educated  in  his  native  country,  where  he 
also  learned  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  in  which  occupation  he  was  engaged 
till  after  his  immigration  to  the  United  States  in  1853.  On  reaching 
this  country  he  located  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  where  for  four  years  he 
followed  the  fortunes  of  the  tailoring  business,  after  which  he  learned 
the  art  of  scroll  sawing,  which  he  continued  as  a  business  till  1860,  when 
he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the 
Government,  and  served  faithfully  till  1864,  participating  in  some  of  the 
heaviest  battles  of  the  war,  among  which  were  that  of  Mumfordsville, 
Murfreesboro  and  others.  He  was  a  member  of  Company  D,  Thirty- 
second  Regiment  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  did  efficient  service 
till  he  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  and  confined  in 
Libby  prison,  from  which,  after  two  weeks,  he  was  liberated  on  parole 
and  not  returned  to  active  service.  On  his  return  to  Lawrenceburg,  Mr. 
Sander  began  work  in  the  furniture  factory  of  E.  B.  Dobell,  with  whom 
he  was  engaged  till  1869,  when  he  purchased  stock  in  the  establishment 
with  which  hehas  since  been  connected.  In  1871  he  was  chosen  president 
of  the  company,  and  this  position  he  has  since  held,  having  served  two 
years  previous  as  secretary  of  the  same.  Mr.  Sander  was  married,  in 
1859,  to  Phillipena  Scholly,  a  native  of  Germany  and  resident  of  Cin- 
cinnati. Five  children  have  been  born  to  them,  viz. :  Lena,  Henry, 
Joseph,  Louie  and  Herman.  Mr.  Sander  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R., 
and  one  of  the  live,  energetic  business  men  of  the  city. 

THOMAS  JEREMIAH  SARGENT,  Aurora,  whose  parents  were  of 
English  birth,  was  born  in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  in  1741,  and  when 
America's  great  struggle  for  liberty  began,  he  fell  into  the  ranks  under 
Gen.  Washington,  and  served  through  the  entire  war;  was  severely  wounded 
in  the  battle  of  Brandy  wine,  but  recovered,  however,  and  was,  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  united  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Armadilla  Enochs,  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  which  State  they  resided  until  their  removal  to  the  old 
fort  in  Virginia,  near  where  the  present  city  of  Parkersburg  is  now  situ- 
ated in  Wood  County,  W.  Va.,  and  cultivated  the  land  on  which  that 
city  is  built.  He  helped  to  build  the  block-house  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and 
built  the  first  log  house  at  the  mouth  of  the  Licking  River;  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life  in  what  is  now  Wood  County,  W.  Va.,  farming. 
He  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-nine,  his  wife  having  departed 
this  life  August,  1824.      They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children.      The 


894  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

fourth  child,  Henry  Enoch  Sargent,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  March  30, 
1789.  He,  like  his  father,  was  a  farmer  through  life;  was  married  to 
Mary  Steele  June  15,  1813,  and  to  them  were  born  the  following  chil- 
dren: Abraham  Enoch,  Iiemuel  Hamilton,  David  Harris,  Oscar  Fitzallen, 
John  Brown,  William  Henry,  Joseph  F.,  Thomas  Tavenor,  Mary  Eliza- 
beth, George  Rockhold  and  Lucinda  M.  Oscar  F.  died  at  New  Orleans; 
John  B.,  died  at  Sacramento,  Cal.,  March  19,  1851;  William  H.,  died 
May  10,  1848;  Joseph  F.,  died  in  Wood  County,  W.  Va.,  in  1838;  Mary 
E.,  the  eldest  sister,  and  a  bright  and  promising  girl,  was,  after  a  short 
illness,  called  to  that  far  away  home,  May  11,  1850,  while  nearing  the 
close  of  her  schooldays  at  Wesleyan  Female  College  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio; 
Lucinda  M.  and  George  R.  died  at  the  home  of  their  father.  Pleasant 
View,  Jackson  Co.,  W.  Va.,  the  latter,  who  served  in  the  late  war,  never 
having  recovered  from  cold  contracted  in  the  army.  Henry  Enoch  Sar- 
gent, who  was  three  times  married,  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son  Lem- 
uel, Walnut  Hills,  Cincinnati,  after  several  months  of  painful  illness.  The 
first  wife  and  mother,  Mary  (Steele)  Sargent,  departed  this  life  Decem- 
ber 31,  1837.  The  second,  nee  Miss  Eliza  Barnes,  died  at  Pleasant  View, 
W.  Va.  The  third  still  survives.  But  four  of  this  large  family  now 
remain:  Judge  T.  T.  Sargent,  of  Hutchinson,  Minn.;  Rev.  David 
H.  Sargent,  of  Lebanon,  Ohio;  Lemuel  H.  Sargent,  formerly  of 
Cincinnati,  and  Abram  E.  Sargent,  the  eldest  son,  who  was  born 
July  10,  1814.  He  grew  to  manhood  on  the  farm  of  his  father, 
in  Jackson  County,  W.  Va.,  assisting  in  all  labor  common  to  this  partic- 
ular occupation,  obtaining  his  education  from  the  common  schools  of 
that  day.  Being  full  of  energy,  and  having  a  desire  for  a  change  in 
business,  removed  to  Kanawha  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  for  a  number  of  years,  also  figured  extensively  in  the  salt 
business  of  that  day,  being  employed  for  a  number  of  months  locating 
wells  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  also  engaged  in  steam- boating  in  connec- 
tion with  this  business,  until  the  purchase  of  the  foundry  and  machine 
shops  at  Salines,  Va.,  now  Maiden,  W.  Va.,  where  he  manufactured  until 
the  year  1853,  when  he  removed  to  Mason  County,  W.  Va.,  and  pur- 
chased the  foundry  at  West  Columbia,  and  engaged  in  this  and  the  coal 
business  until  1874,  when  the  -entire  structure,  with  all  of  its  valuable 
contents,  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  iron  business  of  the  Ohio  Valley 
being  depressed  at  this  time,  and  Mr.  S.  being  well  advanced  in  years, 
never  rebuilt,  but  continued  in  the  coal  business;  was  also  postmaster  at 
West  Columbia  one  term,  having  resigned  to  remove  to  his  present  home 
in  Aurora.  Abram  E.  Sargent  and  Amelia  Frances  Payne,  were  married 
at  Salines,  Kanawha  Co.,  W.  Va. ,  January  17,  1843,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  William   Henry,  Mary  Dillon,  John 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  895 

Newlon,  Joseph  Payne  (deceased;,  Josephice,  Frances,  Goodno,  Abraham 
(deceased),  McManus  Parks  (deceased),  Thomas  Walter,  Lucie  Catherine 
and  Amelia  Gertrude.  Mrs.  Sargent  was  born  April  6,  1824,  in  Shenan- 
doah County,  Va.,  is  the  daughter  of  Col.  William  and  Amelia  (Gaw) 
Payne,  both  now  deceased.  William  Henry,  their  eldest  son,  and  Ida  F. 
McDaniel,  were  married  at  Mason  City,  W.  Va.,  April  3,  1867,  and  the 
names  of  their  children  are  as  follows:  Lemuel  H.,  Ida  F.,  Blanche  and 
William.  Mr.  Sargent  is  engaged  in  steam-boating  in  the  South,  where 
he  resides  in  the  winter,  the  summer  being  spent  at  the  old  home  in 
Mason  City,  W.  Va.  His  two  boats,  the  "Ike  Bonham"  and  "L.  H.  Sar- 
gent "  are  running  between  Vicksburg  and  Davis  Bend.  Mary  Dillon, 
the  eldest  daughter,  and  Rev.  E.  Barnard,  of  Maryland,  were  married 
June  17,  1871,  and  now  reside  at  Westerville,  Ohio,  the  names  of  their 
children  being  Lawrence  L.  and  Ernest  S.  Thomas  W.,  the  youngest  son 
left  school  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  for  several  years  was  engaged  with 
his  father  in  the  coal  business.  In  1877  he  located  in  Aurora,  and  began 
doing  business  for  himself.  He  commenced  in  a  limited  way,  but  by 
industry  and  enterprise  he  has  built  up  an  extensive  business  in  the  coal 
line,  and  also  deals  largely  in  salt,  his  sales  reaching  annually  to  upward 
of  300,000  bushels  of  coal  and  200,000  barrels  of  salt.  Since  1880,  in 
connection  with  his  trade  at  Aurora,  he  has  had  branches  at  Ghent  and 
at  Warsaw,  Ky. 

JAMES  SATER,  Harrison  Township,  an  enterprising  young  farmer, 
was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  in  1856.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Pottinger)  Sater,  both  natives  of  the  same  county;  his  father, 
a  farmer,  and  still  living,  his  mother  is  deceased.  Mr.  Sater  grew  to 
maturity  in  his  native  county,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools, 
subsequently  spending  three  years  at  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University.  He 
was  married,  in  1878,  to  Elizabeth  Crocker,  of  Des  Moines  County,  Iowa, 
and  in  the  same  year  began  business  on  the  farm,  where  he  has  resided 
ever  since,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  three  children: 
Arthur,  May  and  Francis.  He  owns  with  his  grandmother  355  acres  of 
good  laud,  is  a  Democrat,  and  takes  a  lively  interest  in  local  politics. 

WILLIAM  SAWDON,  farmer,  Washington  Township.  Prominent 
among  the  names  worthy  of  honorable  mention,  is  that  of  William 
Sawdon,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  born  December  24,  1811.  His 
parents,  William  and  Martha  (Boddy)  Sawdon,  were  natives  of  England, 
father  born  March  21,  1786.  On  account  of  his  mother's  poor  health, 
his  parents  started  for  America,  but  in  June,  1830,  while  on  the  voyage, 
she  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  bosom  of  the  ocean.  The  father  located 
in  Dearborn  County  in  1830,  and  married  Miss  Mary  Liddle,  who  was 
born  October  16,  1807.     He  farmed  all  his  life,  and  died  November  27,. 


896  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OFIIO  COUNTIES. 

1870.  Mr.  William  Sawdon,  Jr.,  came  to  America  with  an  uncle,  who 
raised,  and  educated  him,  so  that^he  knew  but  little  of  his  parents.  He 
learned  the  shoe-maker's  trade  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Dearborn 
County  after  the  flood  of  1832,  and  has  resided  in  the  county  ever  since. 
He  was  married,  March  4,  1835,  to  Hannah  Cornforth,  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Jane  Cornforth.  Her  father  died  August  .18,  1835,  in  his 
fifty-ninth  year;  her  mother  died  September  4,  1855,  aged  seventy- three 
years,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sawdon  had  eight  children:  Thomas  H.,  Robert 
C,  Sarah  J.,  Martha  A.,  Mary  E.,  George  W.,  Hattie  E.  and  Emma  H 
Mrs.  Sawdon  was  born  April  27, 1815,  in  England,  and  died  in  Dearborn 
County  December  29,  1874.  Mr.  Sawdon  remarried  March  26,  1876, 
Mrs.  Eliza  Ann  Shoup,  who  was  born  near  Wilmington  July  15,  1826, 
and  had  by  her  first  marriage  three  children:  Edward,  Thomas  and 
James.  Mr.  Sawdon  was  a  justice  for  eight  years,  also  township  trus- 
tee for  a  period.  He  is  a  member  of  Pleasant  View  Grange  No.  237. 
He  and  his  wife  belong  to  Mount  Tabor  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  he  was  steward  for  twenty  years,  and  is  class  leader  at  present.  He 
has  always  been  a  friend  to  any  public  improvement,  and  ever  willing  to 
extend  the  hand  of  charity  in  time  of  need.  His  life  has  been  one  that 
is  well  worthy  of  emulation.  His  son,  George,  was  a  member  of  Col. 
Lucas'  regiment  in  the  late  war. 

GEORGE  SCHABEL,  tinner,  Moore's  Hill,  Ind.,  was  born  in  Wur- 
temberg,  Germany,  March  26,  1836.  His  parents,] John  E.  and  Elizabeth 
(Gabler)  Schabel,  were  natives  of  Germany,  where  they  resided  during 
their  entire  lives,  the  former  born  in  1804,  the  latter  in  1809.  Their 
children  were^John  E.,  Mary,  George  and  Charlie  T.  The  father  died 
in  1840,  and  the  mother  subsequently  married  Lewis  Schweble,  by 
whom  she  had  one  child,  Lewis.  George,  our  subject,  learned  the  tin- 
ner's trade  in  Germany  when  quite  a  small  boy,  and  has  since  engaged 
in  the  same.  In  1854  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing  at 
New  York  City,  and  from  thence  came  immediately  to  Cincinnati,  where 
he  worked  at  his  trade  until  1856,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Lawrence- 
burg.  He  was  there  united  in  marriage  November  22,  1859,  to  Margaret 
Strattner,  a  daughter  of  jGeorge  M.  and  Elizabeth  Strattner.  She  was 
born  in  Germany,  March  30,  1843.  Li  1860  Mr.  Schabel  located  in 
Moore's  Hill  and  opened  his  present  business,  which  he  has  since  pur- 
sued, and  is  doing  an  extensive  business.  He  has  seven  children, 
namely:  Mary  M.,  Elizabeth,  Margaret,  Caroline,  Charles  G.,  Clara  J. 
and  Bertha  M.  Mr.  Schabel  is  a  highly  respected  citizen.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  the  L  O.  O.  F.  and  also  of  the  V.  A. 
O.  D. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  897 

LilWRENGE  SCHAIGH,  Harrison  Township,  was  born  in  1823. 
He  is  a  native  of  Germany  and  was  there  employed  in  a  wine  dairy  till 
1846,  when  he  immigrated  to  America  and  located  in  Cincinnati.  He  was 
working  in  and  about  Cincinnati  about  two  yeai's  when  he  came  to  this 
township  and  purchased  twenty  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  has  since  added 
sixty  acres  more  at  different  intervals.  He  married  Sophia  Haine  in  1849 
and  they  have  six  children:  Elias;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Frederick  Kohl- 
man;  Kate,  wife  of  Henry  Benininger;  Mary,  wife  of  Michael  Renck; 
Louise,  wife  of  Henry  Valtz,  and  John.  Mrs.  Schaich  was  born  in 
Germany  and  immigrated 'to  America  in  1848.  The  family  is  well 
respected  and  well  provided  with  the  necessaries  of  life  as  a  result  of 
many  years  of  hard  labor. 

AUGUST  SCHILLING,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  December  9,  1825.  In  1849  he  immigrated  to  the 
United  States,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  La.,  and  soon  after  came 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  June  23,  1854,  to  Dora  Ideker,  who  was  also  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  January  5,  1829.  After  their  marriage  they  settled  in  Delhi 
Township,  Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  resided 
until  1858,  in  which  year  they  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  purchased 
and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  at  present  lives.  He  owns  ninety  acres 
of  line  land.  He  has  five  children,  viz. :  Emma,  August,  John,  Dora 
and  Henry.  Mr.  Schilling  is  a  good  citizen  and  the  family  is  well 
respected.     He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

BERNARD  SCHIPPER,  contractor,  and  dealer  in  lime  and  stone,  Au- 
rora, was  born  in  Bavaria,  January  19,  1822,  where  he  received  a  common 
school  education.  His  parents,  George  and  Catharine  (Kluever)  Schip- 
per,  were  natives  of  Bavaria.  The  mother  was  born  in  1795  and  died 
September  24,  1842.  Bernard  came  to  America  October  18,  1838,  and 
located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1839; 
thence  he  went  to  Cleves,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  on  the  canal  and 
farmed  up  to  the  spring  of  1848,  when  he  located  })ermanently  in  Aurora, 
engaging  in  teaming  and  quarrying  stone,  which  he  followed  up  to  1871, 
when  he  began  taking  contracts  in  building  houses  and  streets,  succeed- 
ing admirably  up  to  1877.  at  which  time  he  was  taken  sick  on  account  of 
exposure  and  excessive  labor,  and  has  since  been  an  invalid.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  C.  Schumm,  January  23,  1844.  She  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
February  4,  1820.  The  following  children  have  been  born  to  them: 
Catharine,  John  M.,  Mary  A.,  Frank,  Bernard,  Elizabeth,  Amelia,  Will- 
iam and  Rosalia.  They  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Mr. 
Schipper  was  one  of  the  active  and  liberal  members  in  building  up  the 
church.      He  donated  a  lot  to  the  church;  was  president  of  the  board  of 

55 


898  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

trustees  and  building  committee,  and  labored  zealously  in  the  cause.  He 
acted  as  one  of  the  trustees  for  six  years. 

REV.  JOHN  J.  SCHOENTRUP,  Catholic  priest,  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  January  23,  1853.  He  attended  St.  Joseph  College  in 
Kentucky  for  three  years;  then  St.  IMeinrad  College  in  Spencer  County, 
where  he  graduated  and  completed  his  studies  for  the  priesthood,  being 
ordained  priest  in  1877.  His  first  parish  was  at  Mount  Vernon,  Posey 
Co.,  this  State,  where  he  remained  until  June  5,  1882,  at  which  time  he 
came  to  Aurora,  and  took  charge  of  this  parish,  laboring  ardently  and 
faithfully  to  harmonize  and  build  up  the  church.  His  parents,  John 
and  Adaline  (Wilnes)  Schoentrup,  were  born  in  Hanover,  Germany;  the 
father  was  born  April  14,  1818,  the  mother  May  26,  1818.  They  left 
their  native  land,  immigrated  to  America  in  1847,  locatijig  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  In  1854  they  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  locating  perman- 
ently. In  the  fatherland  and  this  country  his  vocation  has  been  farm- 
ing for  a  livelihood. 

ANTONY  SCHOTT,  farmer,  York  Township,  was  born  in  Germany, 
January  1,  1838.  His  j)arents,  Antony  and  Frances  (Ott)  Schott,  who 
were  both  natives  of  Germany,  came  to  America  in  1845.  They  located 
in  Cincinnati,  where  they  resided  ten  years,  when  they  purchased  land 
in  York  Township,  where  they  subsequently  lived  till  their  respective 
deaths;  the  mother  March  11,  1870,  the  father  in  April,  1876.  Antony 
Schott,  the  subject  of  this  brief  notice,  was  brought  up  to  the  years  of 
maturity  by  his  parents.  At  the  age  of  thirty-three  years  he  married 
Cecilia  Feist,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  this  county,  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Phillippa  (Schoenetzer)  Feist,  who  were  natives  of  Germany. 
They  have  five  children  living:  William,  Frank,  John,  Henry  and  Ottil- 
lia.  In  1872  Mr.  Schott  purchased  his  present  farm  of  105  acres,  on 
which  he  has  since  resided,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The 
family  is  associated  with  the  Catholic  Church  and  Mr.  Schott  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. 

ADOLPH  A.  SCHULZE,  retired,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Saxony,  Ger- 
many, August  16,  1818,  where  he  received  a  common  school  education. 
His  father,  John  G.  Schulze,  was  born  in  1773  and  died  in  1837.  His 
mother,  Caroline  (Waber)  Schulze,  was  born  in  1774  and  died  in  1837. 
The  father  followed  farming  all  his  life.  Adolph  came  to  Aurora,  Ind., 
in  1849,  and  followed  carpentering  up  to  1853.  Then  he  started  a  cof- 
fee house  and  continued  in  that  line  of  business  up  to  1878.  He  was 
married,  February  10,  1853,  to  Mrs.  Louisa  Brixner,  who  was  born  in 
Wartemberg,  Germany,  November  14,  1820.  Adolph,  by  economy  and 
industry,  has  accumulated  a  competency,  so  that  he  can  live  in  ease 
and   comfort  during  his  old  age.     He  is  a  well  preserved  old  gentleman 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  899 

and  enjoys  life.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Druids  and  German   Reformed 
Church,  of  which  latter  he  is  the  treasurer, 

ALBERT  M.  SCHUMACHER,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  is  a  native 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  born  February  11,  1827.  His  father,  Frederick 
•J.  Schumacher,  was  born  in  Hanover  in  1799,  and  was  there  united  in 
marriage  to  Catherine  Eberwein  about  1822.  She  was  also  born  in 
Hanover  in  1802.  After  their  marriage  they  settled  at  Gettingen,  where 
she  died  in  March,  1833.  In  1837  he,  with  his  children,  immigrated  to 
the  United  States,  and  settled  first  at  Philadelphia,  Penn.,  where  he 
married  Catherine  L.  Erdman,  and  soon  after  moved  to  Butler  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  purchased  a  small  farm.  In  March,  1838,  he  moved  to 
Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  and  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  in 
Kelso  Township,  Section  27,  and  where  he  died  in  March,  1853.  Albert 
M. ,  our  subject,  was  educated  at  Gettingen  College,  Hanover,  Germany, 
and  came  with  his  father  to  Dearborn  County  in  1888.  In  1848-49  he 
engaged  in  boating  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  after  which  he 
returned  to  this  county.  He  was  here  married,  December  26,  1849,  to 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  George  and  Barbara  (Kallenberger)  Folanens, 
who  was  born  June  3,  1832,  After  his  marriage  he  settled  where  he 
now  lives.  Mrs.  Schumacher  died  November  28,  1869,  the  mother  of 
eleven  children,  viz.:  Frederick  B.,  born  February  16,  185,1;  Edward  L., 
December  3,  1852;  Elizabeth  M.,  June  15,  1854,  died  February  12, 
1855;  Catherine  F.,  December  11,  1855,  died  June  12,  1882,  Albert  H, 
June  18,  1858;  Adaline  C,  January  20,  1860;  William  H.,  November 
15,1861;  Philip,  March  16,  1863;  Christopher  H.,  January  8,  1865; 
Elizabeth,  October  19,  1866;  George,  October  6,  1868.  November  29, 
1870,  Mr.  Schumacher  was  again  married, _to  Catherine  Deitz,  who  was 
born  in  Germany,  October  11,  1844,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Annie  E. 
(Huck)  Deitz.  To  them  were  born  four  children,  viz. :  Annie  E. ,  March 
25,  1871;  George  J.,  July  31,  1872,  died  October  11,  1872;  Conrad  A., 
born  July  13,  1873,  and  Charles  F.,  October  27,  1881. 

JOHN  SCHWARTZ,  see  page  157. 

FRED  SCHWENDENMANN,  tinner  and  dealer  in  stoves  and 
tinware,  New  Alsace,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  June  7,  1825. 
His  parents,  Zafere  and  Frances  (Kramer)  Schwendenmann,  were  also 
natives  of  Baden,  where  the  former  died  in  1833,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years.  The  mother,  with  her  children,  immigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  1847,  landing  at  New  York  City,  and  from  thence  came  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  she  died  in  1849.  Our  subject  was  the  eldest  of  nine  chil- 
dren. He  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  with  his  mother,  where  he  worked 
at  the  tinner's  trade,  which  he  learned  in  Germany.  He  was  married  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  May  11,  1852,  to  Annie  M.  Wingerter,  who  was  born 


900  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

in  Germany,  December  17,  1832,  a  daughter  of  Anthony  and  Anna  M. 
(Folk)  Wingerter,  natives  of  Germany,  and  who  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1835.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Schwendenmann  settled 
at  Cincinnati,  where  he  remained  until  1854,  in  which  year  he  removed 
to  Dearborn  County,  locating  at  New  Alsace,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  first  opened  a  tin  shop  and  grocery,  which  he  carried  on  for  some 
time,  after  which  he  sold  out  his  groceries,  now  conducting  a  large  bus- 
iness in  stoves  and  tinware.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schwendenmann  are  parents 
of  twelve  children:  Joseph,  Frederick  (deceased),  Frank  J.,  Louisa  M., 
Mary  T.,  Adam  (deceased),  John,  Anthony,  George,  Susan  M.,  Fred  and 
Charles.  Mr.  Schwendenmann  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

EDWARD  SEEKATZ,  baker  and  confectioner,  Lawrencewburgh.  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1849.  In  1856  he  immigrated  to  this  country  with  his 
parents,  who  located  in  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  grew  to  maturity  and  was 
educated.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  learned 
the  trade  of  baker,  which  he  has  continued  since  November,  1883.  He 
also  learned  the  cabinet  trade,  which  he  pursued  for  twelve  years  prior  to 
his  entering  his  present  occupation.  He  occupies  the  corner  of  Walnut 
and  Center  Streets,  carries  a  full  line  of  fresh  bread,  confectionery^ 
cigars  and  tobaccos,  and  does  a  profitable  business.  Mr.  Seekatz  was 
married  in  1880  to  Sophia  Gose,  and  they  have  two  children  :  Harry  and 
Albert.  Mr.  S.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  R.  A.,  and  an  ener- 
getic business  man. 

FRANK  F.  SEIFERT,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, March  6,  1840.  His  parents,  Frederick  C.  and  Fredireka 
(Leopold)  Seifert,  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  and  immigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1854,  landing  at  Baltimore  in  August  of 
that  year,  and  coming  thence  immediately  to  Dearborn  County,  set- 
tling in  Sparta  Township,  where  his  father  died  in  1870.  His 
mother  is  still  living.  Their  children  were  Edward  F.,  Lewis  H., 
Herman  B.,  Frank  F.,  Augusta,  Anthony,  Emma  and  Anna.  Frank 
F.,  our  subject,  came  with  his  parents  to  Dearborn  County  in  1854, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  married  in  Sparta  Township  Jan- 
uary 4,  1866,  to  Catherine  M.  Zea,  by  whom  he  has  had  two  children,  viz. : 
Harry  F.  and  Alvin  F.  Mr.  Seifert  is  a  good  citizen,  and  is  highly  es- 
teemed by  all  who  know  him.  He  and  Mrs.  Seifert  are  members  of  the 
German  Methodist  Church. 

SAMUEL  SEWARD,  who  for  many  years  has  been  one  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  near  New  Philadelphia,  Ohio,  in 
1811.  Elijah  Seward,  his  father,  was  born  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Mary- 
land; his  mother,  Starling  Seward,  is  a  native  of  the  same  State,  in  which 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  901 

they  were  married,  and  from  which  they  moved  to  Ohio  about  1801.  The 
family  consisted  of  nine  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living  :  Samuel, 
Stephen,  Matilda  (Mrs.  Noble)  and  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Blake).  In  1825 
the  family  moved  to  Ohio  County,  where  the  father  died  on  the  old  Brown 
farm  in  1842,  the  mother  surviving  about  twenty  years.  Our  subject 
was  fourteen  years  old  when  he  came  to  the  county,  and  he  remained 
with  his  parents  on  the  farm  till  1839.  In  1834  he  began  trading  on 
the  river,  and  this  traffic  he  continued  successfully  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  making  his  last  trip  in  1858.  About  _1842  he  began  dealing  in 
lumber  and  coal  in  Rising  Sun,  and  this  he  also  continued  with  equal 
success  for  a  period  of  thirty  years.  He  has  now  practically  retired 
from  business,  except  to  look  after  the  creditable  fortune  which,  in  a 
long  lite  of  industry  and  good  management,  he  has  accumulated.  At  the 
organization  of  the  Rising  Sun  National  Bank,  Mr.  S.  took  stock  to  the 
amount  of  $10,000.  He  was  eight  years  president  of  the  institution  and 
has  been  a  director  since  it  was  founded.  He  served  twenty  years  as 
trustee  of  the  Union  schools,  and  over  thirty  years  as  trustee  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  was  also  president  of  the  Rising  Sun 
Insurance  Company  for  more  than  twenty  years,  and  has  served  many 
years  in  the  city  council.  Mr.  Seward  was  married,  in  1844,  to  Susanna 
J.  Jones,  daughter  of  Rev.  James  Jones,  a  pioneer  Methodist  minister  of 
this  locality.  Their  five  children  are  James,  William  R.,  Morris  J.,  S. 
Mills  and  J.  Jones — the  latter  a  practicing  physician  of  Erie,  Penn.  Mr. 
Seward  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  also  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F. ;  having  joined  the  latter  society  in  1840. 

STEPHEN  SEWARD,  one  among  the  older  residents  of  Rising  Sun, 
was  born  in  Tuscarawas  CouQty,Ohio,  in  1819.  His  parents  were  Elijah 
and  Starling  (Bright)  Seward,  natives  of  Queen  Anne's  County,  Md.,  and 
of  English  parentage.  The  family  located  in  Rising  Sun  in  1825,  the 
father  a  farmer  by  occupation,  in  which  vocation  uur  subject,  Stephen 
Seward,  spent  the  earlier  portion  of  his  life.  Before  twenty  years  of  age, 
however,  he  began  fiat- boating  on  the  Ohio  River,  which  he  continued 
successfully  till  1859.  He  then  engaged  in  saw-milling  about  six  years 
and  since  that  time  has  been  variously  employed.  Mr.  Seward  was  mar- 
ried, in  1846,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Dickinson,  native  of  Ohio,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Mason)  Dickinson,  both  natives  of  England.  Her 
father  immigrated  to  America  in  1818,  her  mother  in  1817.  They 
located  in  Elizabeth  town,  Ohio,  were  married  there  in  1819,  and  in  1835 
moved  to  this  locality.  The  father  was  a  cabinet  and  wagon-maker  and 
subsequently  purchased  land  in  Dearborn  County,  departing  this  life  in 
1843;  the  mother  died  in  1845.  Mi-,  and  Mrs.  Seward  have  tive  children 
living:  Jennie,  wife  of   J.    Dalrymple;   Matilda,  Stephen,    Sherman  and 


902  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Rea.  Three  sons  are  deceased.  Mr.  Seward  and  his  eldest  son  are 
members  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the  family  is  associated  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Seward  has  been  a  steward  for 
about  thirty  years.  He  has  also  served  four  years  as  a  member  of  the 
Rising  Sun  city  council. 

MORRIS  J.  SEWARD,  son  of  Samuel  Seward,  was  born  in  Rising 
Sun  in  1850.  He  was  educated  in  the  Rising  Sun  public  schools  and 
at  Moore's  Hill  College,  and  in  1870  began  business  with  Robert  Jones, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Jones  &  Seward,  dry  goods.  In  1878  Mr.  Jones 
withdrew  from  the  firm  and  the  business  was  conducted  four  years  under 
the  firm  name  of  M.  J.  Seward  &  Co.  Mr.  Seward  then  withdrew  from 
the  firm  and  for  the  past  two  years  has  been  employed  as  salesman  only. 
He  was  married,  in  November,  1871,  to  Emma  Croft,  of  Rising  Sun, 
daughter  of  George  H.  and  Bersheba  Croft,  the  former  now  deceased  and 
the  latter  a  resident  of  Indianapolis.  In  1874  Mrs.  Seward  died,  leaving 
one  child — Bertha,  and  in  1877,  Mr.  Seward  married  Miss  Fannie  Kane, 
of  Jeflfersonville,  Ind.  Mr.  Seward  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

SAMUEL  M.  SEWARD,  dry  goods  dealer,  was  born  July  3,  1859. 
and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Seward,  Sr.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  Rising  Sun, 
the  place  of  his  birth,  obtained  a  practical  education  in  the  Rising  Sun 
public  schools,  also  taking  a  commercial  course  of  study  at  Columbus, 
Ohio.  In  1873  he  began  business  with  his  brother,  with  whom  he  has 
since  continued.  He  was  married,  in  September,  1882,  to  Fannie  Hemp- 
hill, daughter  of  William  Hemphill,  a  leading  citizen  of  Rising  Sun. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
a  young  man  of  considerable  business  energy  and  enterprise. 

W.  R.  SEWARD,  of  the  firm  of  W.  R.  Seward  &  Co.,  was  born  in 
Rising  Sun  in  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Seward,  whose  sketch 
appears  above.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Rising  Sun,  and 
took  a  commercial  course  in  Lebanon  Normal  also.  He  was  employed  in 
the  coal  and  lumber  business  till  1873,  when  he  began  operations  in  the 
grocery  and  provision  trade,  which  he  has  since  continued.  He  married 
Miss  Belle  Gillespie,  daughter  of  Dr.  Gillespie,  in  1872,  and  they  have 
one  child  living — Earl  M.  Two  others  are  deceased.  Mr.  Seward  is  one 
of  the  live  business  men  of  the  town,  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JULIUS  SEVERIN,  auditor  of  Dearborn  County,  and  a  leading 
manufacturer  of  Aurora,  Ind.,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  where  he  was 
born  in  1830.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  his  native  country,  where  he  ob- 
tained the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  common  schools,  after 
which,  being  of  an  energetic,  studious  turn  of  mind,  he  took  a  course  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  903 

study  in  the  Polytechnic  Institute  of  Hagen,  Prussia.  While  here  he 
worked  as  copper-smith,  and  after  serving  the  required  time,  in  1850,  he 
immigrated  to  the  United  States,  to  seek  a  more  favorable  field  for  the 
full  range  of  his  capacities.  After  being  engaged  in  the  various  cities 
of  New  York,  Meriden,  Conn.,  Boston,  Norfolk,  Va.,  Cleveland,  Gallon, 
Ohio,  for  seven  years,  he  located  in  Aurora,  which  has  since  been  his 
place  of  residence,  save  during  temporary  engagements  abroad.  In  1858 
he  established  the  Boiler  &  Copper  Works  in  Aurora  and  two  years  later 
built  the  efficient  Gas  Works  of  that  city.  He  was  employed  about 
eighteen  months  by  the  Keystone  Patent  Company  and  in  1862  repre- 
sented that  firm  at  the  World's  Exposition  at  London,  England,  for  the 
purpose  of  exhibiting  and  explaining  their  machinery.  In  1805  Mr. 
Severin  established  the  Copper  &  Sheet  Iron  Works  in  Aurora  and  in 
1873  was  one  of  the  nine  men  who  built  the  Aurora  Rolling-mills.  He 
still  controls  the  Excelsior  Iron  &  Copper  Works  at  Aurora,  and,  in  con- 
nection with  his  sons,  operates  the  same,  manufacturing  all  kinds  of  iron 
roofing,  buildings,  chimneys,  tanks  etc.,  and  copper  work  for  distilleries 
and  breweries.  The  enterprise,  though  in  its  infancy,  is  assuming  pro- 
portions, and  its  projectors  are  building  up  an  extensive  trade,  which 
extends  throughout  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States,  and  are  receiving 
business  communications  from  foreign  countries.  The  Messrs.  Severin 
are  active  and  thorough -going  business  men,  and  their  enterprise  ranks 
among  the  leading  industries  of  Aurora.  The  office  of  the  works  is 
located  on  Main  between  Importing  and  Second  Streets.  As  a  business 
man  Mr.  Severin' s  usefulness,  enterprise,  energy  and  liberality  have  added 
greatly  to  his  popularity  as  a  citizen.  Recognizing  this  the  Democracy 
of  Dearborn  County  in  1882  chose  him  their  candidate  for  auditor  and 
he  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  m*ajority.  The  duties  of  this  office 
he  has  discharged  with  signal  ability,  promptness  and  success,  and  in  a 
manner  entirely  satisfactory  to  all  the  people  interested.  In  1855  Mi-. 
Severin  married  Catharine  Horn,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  seven  chil- 
dren are  the  fruit  of  this  union — all  living  and  well  educated.  Their 
names  are:  Lena,  Emil,  Eugene,  Louise,  Julius,  Huldah  and  Louis. 
Louise  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal  School  and  received  the  first 
teacher's  license  for  three  years  granted  in  the  county.  The  two  sons, 
Emil  and  Eugene,  are  associated  with  their  father  in  business.  The 
family  enjoys  a  high  standing  socially  in  the  community,  and  from  the 
father  down  to  the  youngest  son  is  no  less  fortunate  in  its  range  of  in 
tellectuality  and  moral  influence. 

JOHN  S.  SHATTUCK,  plasterer  and  contractor,  Aurora,  was  born 
in  Aurora  September  2,  1821,  and  is  represented  as  being  the  oldest 
native  resident  of  this  city.  He  received  instruction  in  the  common  English 


904  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

branches,  and  began  learning  the  plastering  trade  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  which  trade  he  successfully  followed  for  many  years.  In  1856  he 
engaged  in  the  drug  business,  in  connection  with  keeping  the  telegraph 
and  Adams  Express  offices.  This  combination  of  business  was  run  until 
1863;  then  he  sold  out  the  drug  department,  but  retained  the  telegraph 
and  express  positions  until  1870,  at  which  time  he  was  appointed  gauger 
by  the  Government.  In  1875  he  resigned  his  government  position,  and 
engaged  with  Gaffs  as  their  private  gauger  for  five  years;  then  was  reap- 
pointed gauger  by  the  Government,  and  served  in  that  capacity  up  to 
August,  1884,  since  which  time  he  has  been  contractor  and  builder.  His 
father,  Asa  Shattuck,  was  born  in  Middlesex  County,  Mass.,  July  8, 
1789;  he  settled  in  Aurora,  January  1,  1820.  The  mother,  Prudence 
(Harding)  Shattuck,  was  born  in  New  York;  mother  died  in  1833  and 
father  died  in  1867,  his  death*being  caused  by  a  fall  from  a  building. 
John  S.  Shattuck  was  married  July  8,  1847,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Hill.  She 
was  born  in  Marion,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  2,  1825.  To  them  seven 
children  have  been  born,  viz.:  Charles  S.,  infant  son.  Flora,  Lelia, 
Carrie,  John  H.,  Permelia.  Mr.  Shattuck  is  a  member  of  Dearborn 
Lodge  No.  442,  F.  &  A.  M.;  Chosen  Friends  Lodge  No.  13,  L  O.  O.  F., 
and  the  Baptist  Church. 

WILLIAM  SHAW  was  born  December  15,  1802,  in  the  city  of 
Paisley,  Scotland.  He  immigrated  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents 
in  1816,  stopping  at  Philadelphia,  remaining  there  about  five  months, 
and  then,  coming  to  Pittsburgh  in  a  butcher  wagon,  they  pi'oceeded  down 
the  Ohio  River  in  a  keel -boat  to  Vevay,  and  located  upon  a  farm  in 
Craig  Township.  William  Shaw  was  married  to  Linda  Rous,  of  Vevay, 
Ind.,  April  14,  1825;  moved  to  Vevay  in  1831,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  engaged  in  merchandising;  when  he  purchased  a  good  farm  about 
two  miles  north  of  Vevay,  upon  which  he  moved  with  his  family,  where 
he  resided  till  his  death,  August  25,  1873.  Mr.  Shaw  joined  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  at  Vevay,  in  1839,  and  became  a  most  devout 
Christian.  He  was  kind  and  agreeable  in  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow 
men;  and  contributed  liberally  of  his  means  to  all  public  enterprises. 
Mrs.  Linda  (Rous)  Shaw  was  born  December  6,  1805,  in  Bradford,  York- 
shire, England.  She  immigrated  to  the  United  States  with  her  mother 
and  other  members  of  the  family  in  1812,  embarking  at  the  city  of  Liv- 
erpool on  the  merchant  vessel  "Packet."  The  war  of  1812  between  Eng- 
land and  the  United  States  having  been  declared,  the  vessel  was  detained 
at  Liverpool  about  five  weeks,  when  it  was  allowed"  to  sail.  On  account 
of  its  being  an  American  vessel,  and  when  within  four  days'  sail  of  New 
York,  it  was  captured  by  a  British  frigate,  and  all  on  board  taken  as  pris- 
oners of  war  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  they  were  detained  about  five  weeks. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  905 

They  were  released,  however,  upon  finding  that  their  passports  were  law- 
fully executed,  and  were  permitted  to  pursue  their  way  unmolested  to 
New  York.  Mrs.  Eous  and  her  children,  upon  laoding  at  New  York, 
repaired  to  Poughkeepsie,  joining  her  husband  who  had  preceded  her 
to  America  several  years.  In  1814  they  came  to  Pittsburgh  in  wagons 
and  thence  down  the  Ohio  in  a  flat-boat,  arriving  at  Vevay  June  9,  1814, 
where  they  remained  till  1818;  then  located  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Switzerland  County  Infirmary,  in  Craig  Township.  Mrs.  Shaw  joined 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  with  her  husband,  William  Shaw,  at 
Vevay,  in  1839,  and  has  always  been  noted  for  her  kind  Christian 
spirit,  as  manifested  upon  all  occasions.  She  now  lives  in  her  pleasant 
home  at  Vevay,  honored  and  loved  by  her  children,  relatives  and  friends. 

A.  SHAW,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  son  of  William  Shaw,  was  born  in 
Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  in  1847,  and  his  early  years  were  spent  in 
that  locality.  He  was  given  the  rudiments  of  an  education  ia  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Switzerland  County,  and  subsequently  spent  four  years 
in  study  at  Asbury  University,  Greencastle,  Ind.  He  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  his  native  county  till  1874,  when  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where 
he  conducted  the  hotel  business  two  years  in  connection  with  the  regular 
operations  of  the  farm.  In  1882  he  began  the  grocery  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  Fitch  &  Shaw,  purchasing  the  intei-est  of  his  partner  in 
September,  1884.  He  occupies  the  corner  of  High  and  Short  Streets, 
and  carries  a  stock  valued  at  $2,000  to  $2,500,  doing  a  good  business. 
Mr.  Shaw  was  married,  in  1873,,  to  Hannah  V.  Fitch,  daughter  of 
De  Witt  C.  Fitch,  who  is  well  known  in  this  county,  and  by  this  union 
there  were  born  four  children:  Ida  C,  Cora  L.,  Harris  F.  and  Edward  R. 

HOEACE  SHAW,  with  E.  S.  Downey,  dealer  in  agricultural  imple- 
ments, Aurora  (residence  in  Rising  Sun),  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in 
Mount  Pleasant,  Hamilton  County,  July  22,  1840,  and  received  an  acad- 
emic education.  His  father  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  August  15, 
1802.  His  mother,  Susan  (Janks)  Shaw,  was  born  in  Providence, 
R.  I.,  in  1806,  and  died  in  1844.  His  father  was  a  jeweler,  and  he 
moved  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1833.  January  1,  1864,  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  moved  to  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  and  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandise, continuing  up  to  1871,  at  which  time  he  went  West,  and 
remained  for  four  years;  thence  he  went  to  New  York  as  an  accountant 
in  Brooks'  Locomotive  Works.  In  1877  he  returned  to  Rising  Sun,  and 
entered  the  field  as  a  commercial  traveler,  continuing  as  such  up  to 
1881,  when  he  engaged  with  Mr.  E.  S.  Downey.  Mr.  Shaw  was  married, 
December  8,  1869,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Whitlock,  who  was  born  in  Rising 
Sun,  November  28,  1846.  One  child,  Julia,  was  born  to  the  marriage. 
Mr.  Shaw  belongs  to  Friendship  Lodge  No.  6,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Rising  Sun, 
and  his  estimable  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


906  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

GEORGE  B.  SHELDON,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  the  3''ear 
1812,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  removed  with  his  father's  family 
when  quite  young  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  learned  the  tinner's  trade. 
In  the  year  1835  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  worked  for  a  Mr.  Hood. 
In  1840  he  established  the  business  of  a  tinner  on  High  Street,  in  a 
building  known  as  "Lane's  Salt  Warehouse,"  and  continued  the  busi- 
ness until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  27th  of  March,  1865.  Mr. 
Sheldon  was  one  of  our  business  men,  who  by  his  energy,  did  much  to 
benefit  our  city.  He  was  foremost  in  every  good  work  that  would  be 
beneficial  to  the  community.  Early  in  life  he  connected  himself  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  no  person  ever  labored  more  sin- 
cerely to  live  and  act  in  accordance  with  the  teachings  of  Christianity. 
Kind  and  generous,  charitable  to  a  fault,  he  was  often  imposed  on  by 
designing  persons,  who  knew  his  confiding  nature.  In  his  business 
transactions  he  was  the  soul  of  honor,  and  the  word  of  George  B.  Shel- 
don possessed  an  intrinsic  value,  more  precious  than  gold,  and  when  he 
was  called  to  cease  his  labors, our  city  sustained  the  loss  of  an  honorable, 
enterprising  citizen,  Christianity  one  of  its  brightest  lights,  the  poor  and 
suffering  a  steadfast  friend. 

WILLIAM  SHOLEY,  Rising  Sun,  manufacturer  of  cigars  and  dealer 
in  cigars  and  tobaccos,  was  born  in  Prussia  in  1850.  He  passed  his 
childhood  and  youth  in  his  native  country,  remaining  there  till  sixteen 
years  of  age.  In  1866  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  located 
in  Ohio  County.  He  followed  farming  up  to  1874,  when  he  began  the 
manufacture  of  cigars,  which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time, 
having  learned  the  trade  himself  in  Prussia.  His  establishment  is  located 
near  the  corner  of  Main  and  Walnut  Streets,  Rising  Sun,  and  he  manu- 
factures 75,000  to  100,000  cigars  per  year.  Mr.  Sholey  was  married,  in 
1884,  to  Julia  L.  James,  daughter  of  Edwin  James,  of  Aurora. 

ABRAHAM  P.  SHUTTS,boot  and  shoe  dealer  and  postmaster,Cochran, 
is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  July  9, 1841,  where  he  received  a  common 
school  education.  His  parents,  John  and  Ada  (Hitchcock)  Shutts,  were 
born  in  York  State,  the  former,  in  1801;  latter,  August  .25,  1805.  In 
1842  they  emigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he  followed 
farming.  Abraham  farmed  up  to  1861,  at  which  time  he  enlisted  in 
Company  F,  Thirty-seventh  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  three 
years.  After  returning  home  he  learned  his  trade,  and  has  worked  at  it 
ever  since.  He  married  Miss  Amanda  J.  Barker,  November  18,  1879; 
she  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  August  8,  1845.  To  them  have 
been  born  four  children:  Frank,  Blanche,  Maud  and  Earl.  He  was 
appointed  postmaster  in  July,  1878,  and  officiated  as  city  treasurer  during 
1880  and  1881.      He  is  also  a  member  of  Chosen  Friends'  Lodgre,  No.  13 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  907 

I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  of  the  Methodist EpiscopalChureh.  He  is  an  active  busi- 
ness man  and  faithful  public  official. 

HENRY  SHUTER,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  born  in  Hanover, 
Grermany,  January  26,  1812,  is  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Mary  Shuter, 
natives  of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  were  parents  of  two  children:  Henry 
and  Frederick.  Mrs.  Shuter  died,  aud  he  subsequently  married  Margaret 
Imhofif,  and  in  1830,  with  his  family,  immigrated  to  America,  landing  at 
Baltimore,  where  they  remained  till  1832,  when  they  came  to  Cincin- 
nati. In  1834  they  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Jackson  Township, 
Dearborn  County,  where  they  resided  till  death.  By  his  last  wife  Mr. 
Shuter  had  two  children:  William  and  Sophia.  Of  the  four  children, 
Frederick  and  Sophia  are  deceased.  William  resides  on  the  home  place 
in  Jackson  Township.  Mr.  Shuter  came  to  his  death  very  suddenly  by 
falling  from  a  load  of  wheat.  He  was  an  industrious  farmer,  a  good  citi- 
zen, and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that  neighborhood.  He  and  wife 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Henry  Shuter  remained  in 
Cincinnati  about  two  years  after  his  father  moved  to  Jackson  Township, 
after  which  he  worked  out  for  various  farmers  for  a  time.  January  14, 
1840,  he  married  Sophia  Poos,  who  was  born  in  Meslingen,  Prussia,  June 
7,  1818,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Christena  Poos,  natives  of  Prussia,  but 
who  came  to  America  in  1839  and  settled  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.  (where 
two  of  their  children  had  previously  settled),  and  there  remained  till  death. 
They  had  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  two  daughters  died  in 
Germany;  the  others  came  to  Indiana,  four  of  whom  now  survive:  Freder- 
ick, Henry,  Sophia  and  Hannah.  Mr.  Shuter  and  wife  have  had  seven  chil- 
dren, four  now  surviving:  William,  Henry,  Hannah  and  Eliza.  John 
and  Lizzie  died  in  infancy;  Arminda,  who  married  John  Rumsey,  and 
had  one  child.  Alma,  is  also  deceased.  Mr.  Shuter  resides  upon  the 
place  where  he  settled  after  marriage,  which  he  had  previously  pur- 
chased, and  where  he  now  has  a  tine  farm  of  220  acres.  He  also  owns 
another  farm  near  Wright's  Corners  of  110  acres,  besides  having  given 
his  children  other  lands  and  money.  He  also  owns  400  acres  in  Illinois. 
All  of  this  property  they  have  accumulated  by  industry  and  economy. 
They  are  worthy  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  faith  they 
have  reared  their  children,  all  of  whom  have  united  with  the  church. 

SIMON  SIEMANTEL,  grocer  and  saloonist,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of 
middle  Bavaria,  was  born  July  5,  1828,  and  received  a  common  school 
education.  His  parents,  John  and  Catharine  (Stahl)  SiemanteJ,  were 
born  in  Bavaria,  the  former  in  1782  and  the  latter  in  1795.  They  came 
to  America  July  3,  1846,  landing  in  Baltimore,  thence  to  Lawrenceburgh 
July  14,  1846,  where  they  settled  on  a  farm.  The  father  died  in  1847, 
and  the  mother  in  1873.     Simon  was  raised  on  a  farm,  but  in  1847 


908  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

learned  the  cooper  trade.  In  1851  he  went  into  the  grocery  and  bakery 
business,  at  which  he  continued  for  four  years.  He  then  went  to  Rising 
Sun,  where  he  engaged  in  butchering.  In  1857  he  came  to  Aurora  and 
purchased  the  old  Methodist  Church  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Bridge- 
water  Streets,  and  converted  it  into  a  mill,  which  he  operated  up  to  1870. 
At  this  date  he  sold  the  mill  and  started  his  present  business.  He  was 
married,  January  8,  1852,  to  Miss  Anna  Barbara,  who  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  February  25,  1831.  By  the  union  eleven  children  have  been 
born,  viz. :  John  (born  February  5,  1853,  died  April  3,  1878),  Anna  K., 
Margaret  (born  in  1856,  died  in  September,  1857),  Margaret  K.,  Lizzie, 
Simon  (died  in  infancy),  Simon  K.,  Carrie,  Mamie,  Charles  W.  and 
Albert.  Mr.  Siemantel  was  elected  in  1862  from  the  First  Ward  as 
councilman  and  held  the  position  for  four  years.  He  was  also  appointed 
township  trustee  in  1868  and  elected  in  1869.  He  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  and  directors  of  River  View  Cemetery,  organized  in  1869. 
He  has  been  identified  for  years  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Aacient  Order  of  Druids,  of  which  order  he  was  made  grand  mas- 
ter in  1863. 

JOHN  AND  PETER  SINGER,  Harrison  Township,  two  good- 
natured  bachelors  of  that  locality,  were  both  born  in  Germany,  the 
former,  February  12,  1830,  the  latter,  October  13,  1833.  Throughout 
their  lives  their  two  paths  have  been  in  the  same  line.  They  immigrated 
to  America  with  their  parents,  Peter  and  Mary  (Hahn)  Singer,  in  1841, 
and  located  on  the  farm  where  the  two  sons  now  reside.  Their  father 
died  soon  after  locating  here,  and  they  grew  to  maturity  under  the  guid- 
ance of  their  widowed  mother,  who  died,  May  15,  1883,  and  left  them 
alone  indeed,  the  home  of  the  family  becoming  the  "hall  of  the  bachelor." 
They  have  always  followed  agricultural  pursuits  and  now  own  the  old 
homestead  of  115  acres.  Since  the  death  of  their  faithful  mother,  under 
whose  care  they  were  nurtured  from  infancy  to  maiUhood,  they  have  lived 
in  that  state  of  blessed  singleness  which  all  poor  mortals  enjoy  who  have 
no  gentle  hands  of  the  tender  sex  to  sew  buttons,  darn  socks,  wash  linen 
and  stew  hash.  They  propose  to  change  their  mode  of  living  soon  as 
circumstances  determine,  and  it  is  hoped  the  future  may  bring  them  the 
happiness  which  they  merit. 

COL.  FREDERICK  SLATER,  merchant  and  postmaster,  Sparta, 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  October  6, 1828.  His  parents,  Frederick 
and  Matilda  (Reape)  Slater,  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  and,  in  1835, 
immigrated  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  in  Novem- 
ber of  that  year.  They  then  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  to  Lawrence  County, 
Ohio,  and  in  1840  to  Alexandria,  Campbell  Co.,  Ky.,  where  the  mother 
died  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  and   the  father  in  1876, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  909 

at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  They  had  born  to  them  five  children, 
viz:  Henry  H.,  Matilda,  Emily,  John  G.  and  Frederick.  The  latter 
came  with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  in  1835,  remaining  with  them 
until  1849,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Aurora  and  clerked  in  the  store  of 
Fred  Huckery  for  about  ten  months;  he  then  returned  to  Campbell  County, 
Ky.,  and  engaged  in  farming  until  1852,  at  which  time  he  went  to  El 
Dorado  County,  California,  and  engaged  in  mining  until  1856,  when  he 
returned  to  Campbell  County.  There  he  united  in  marriage,  June  25, 
1856,  with  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Williams)  Carbert, 
who  was  born  in  Philadelphia  County,  Penn.,  August  23'  1833.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1856,  Mr.  Slater  moved  to  Aurora  and  purchased  the  grocery 
store  of  Frederick  Huckery  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  there  until 

1861,  at   which   time  he   was   elected  mayor  of  the  city.     In  September, 

1862,  he  resigned  the  office  of  mayor  and  entered  the  war,  enlisting  in 
Company  E,  Eleventh  Kentucky  Cavalry  as  a  private  and  after  the  organ- 
ization of  the  company  was  chosen  captain,  which  capacity  he  served 
Id  until  June,  1863,  at  which  time  he  was  promoted  to  major  and  in 
December,  1864,  to  lieutenant-colonel,  which  rank  he  served  in  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  discharged  at  Louisville,  Ky. ,  July  14, 1865,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Aurora,  Ind.,  and  in  September  of  the  same  year 
moved  to  Sparta,  where  he  at  present  lives,  and  opened  his  present  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  since  pursued.  In  1874  he  was  elected  commissioner 
of  Dearborn  County,  which  office  he  held  until  1880.  Col.  Slater  is  a 
highly  respected  citizen,  and  an  enterprising  and  accomodating  business 
man.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  He  and  Mrs.  Slater  are 
parents  of  six  children,  viz.  :WilliamH.,  Frederick  A.,  James  C.  (deceased), 
Emily  M.,  Lawrence  (deceased)  and  Sarah  A. 

R.  EMMET  SLATER,  Lawrnceburgh,  attorney  at  law,  and  prose- 
cutor for  Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties,  was  born  in  Yorkville,  Dearborn 
County,  in  1848.  He  is  a  son  of  Richard  D.  Slater,  who  was  many 
years  an  influential  citizen  of  Dearborn  County,  and  the  years  of 
his  minority  were  chiefly  spent  in  his  native  village.  He  received 
the  ordinary  common  school  education  and  subsequently  taught 
five  winter  terms,  engaging  in  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  meantime 
about  two  years.  Conscious  that  he  had  not  yet  found  the  proper  field 
for  operation,  he  abandoned  the  medical  study  and  took  up  the  law,  first 
by  private  reading  and  later  under  the  tutelage  of  Judge  Givan  and  last 
with  Judge  Bainbridge,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  April  12,  1869,  He 
entered  immediately  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  continuing 
about  one  year,  when  he  accepted  a  position  as  deputy  sheriff  of  Dearborn 
County,  in  which  capacity  he  officiated  four  years.  His  official  duties 
having  somewhat  interfered  with  his  law  studies, he  temporarily  abandoned 


910  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  same  and  for  two  years  .conducted  a  cigar  factory  on  rather  an 
extensive  scale,  operating  as  many  as  twenty  workmen.  In  1878  he 
returned  to  the  law  practice  again,  accepting  the  appointment  of  deputy 
prosecuting  attorney  for  the  Seventh  Judicial  Circuit,  and  formed  a  silent 
partnership  with  Judge  Atkinson,  which  continued  till  the  latter 
removed  to  Montana  as  land  register.  He  then  continued  his  practice 
individually,  and'in  1882  was  elected  prosecutor  for  the  district  comprising 
Dearborn  and  Ohio  Counties,  and  in  1884  was  re-elected  to  the  same 
ofl&ce,  having  previously  served  four  years  under  appointment  by  R.  L. 
Davis,  his  predecessor.  In  1876  Mr.  Slater  edited  and  published  the 
Lawrenceburgh  Herald,  a  lively  campaign  sheet,  and  during  1880,  the 
Lawrenceburgh  Democrat,  a  spicy  paper  of  similar  cast.  He  has  held  a 
position  on  the  regular  staff  of  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer  for  the  past 
seven  years  as  local  correspondent  and  is  a  ready  and  effective  writer. 
In  his  earlier  years  Mr.  Slater  spent  a  short  time  in  the  ministry,  and  in 
all  the  various  vocations  of  teacher,  preacher,  doctor,  lawyer  and  journa- 
list he  has  achieved  a  creditable  success,  entirely  commensurate  with 
the  time  and  attention  devoted  to  the  respective  fields  of  labor.  Mr. 
Slater  was  married,  in  1873,  to  Mary  Miller,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Emeline  (Wilson)  Miller,  and  granddaughter  of  Thomas  Miller,  one  of 
the  original  settlers  of  this  county.  They  have  two  children,  Everett  E. 
and  Grace  E.  Mr.  Slater  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
Royal  Arcanum  and  K.  of  P.,  and  'an  earnest  advocate  of  Democratic 
principles.  He  is  a  shrewd  politician  and,  we  believe,  as  a  public  official, 
has  always  discharged  his  duties  with  satisfaction  to  the  people. 

FRANK  A.  SLATER,  general  foreman  of  O.  &.  M.  shops,  Cochran, 
is  a  native  of  Prussia  and  was  born  September  20,  1837.  He  received  a 
good  common  school  education.  His  father,  Charles,  was  born  in  north- 
ern Prussia  in  1796.  His  mother,  Caroline  Schonert,  was  born  in  the 
same  province  in  1798.  They  came  to  America  in  1846,  locating  in 
Naumburg,  Lewis  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  followed  farming  and  weaving 
up  to  his  death  in  1862;  mother  died  in  1872.  Frank  in  early  manhood 
learned  cabinet-making  and  piano  building.  In  1850  he  returned  to 
Europe,  remaining  four  years.  After  his  return  to  America  he  worked  at 
various  points  until  March  3,  1865,  at  which  date  he  located  permanently 
at  Aurora,  Ind,  ,with  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  Company,  starting 
in  at  cabinet  work  June,  1869,  he  was  promoted  to  foreman  of  the 
cabinet  department,  which  position  was  held  until  April,  1871.  At  this 
date  the  company  promoted  him  to  general  foreman  and  draughtsman,  on 
account  of  faithfulness  and  close  application  in  guarding  their  interests. 
His  labor  in  his  present  position  began  January,  1871,  at  which  time  he 
took    up    and    completed    all  drafting  for  the  shops.     His  indomitable 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  911 

energy  and  natural  talent  have  caused  him  to  be  numbered  among  the 
most  proficient  of  the  profession  in  this  country.  He  has  never  been 
away  from  the  shops  or  off  duty  since  he  began  working  for  the  company; 
neither  has  he  been  suspended  nor  discharged.  At  present  he  has  super- 
vision over  180  hands,  on  an  average.  He  was  married,  March  29, 1859, 
to  Miss  Mary  Cowau.  She  was  born  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  April  2,  1838, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  three  children:  Charles  F.,  born  August  20. 
1860;  Susan,  born  in  1862  and  died  in  1866;  Caroline,  born  February 
8,  1863.  Our  subject  is  both  an  Odd  Fellow  and  Mason,  having  taken 
the  thirty-second  degree  in  the  latter  order. 

ELIAS  SMALL,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  resides  upon  Section 
24  and  owns  130  acres.  He  was  born  in  the  township,  July  30, 
1850,  and  received  a  common  school  education.  He  has  farmed  all  his 
life.  Mr.  Small  was  married  August  24,  1872,  to  Miss  Emma  Durham. 
She  was  born  ia  Hogan  Township,  December  27,  1855,  and  they  have 
three  children:  Harry,  David  and  Addie.  Mr.  Small  is  an  active  young 
man  and  is  the  son  of  William  H.  Small,  an  old  pioneer  farmer  of  Dear- 
born County,  who  by  industry  and  economy  has  laid  up  a  competency, 
and  is  enjoying  his  journey  homeward  as  the  sands  of  life  gently  flow 
out  through  the  glass  of  time. 

CHRISTOPHER  SMITH,  farmer,  York  Township,  was  born  in  1821, 
on  the  farm  on  which  he  still  resides.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Smith,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  here,  and  with  whom  he  resided  till  his  parents' 
death.  He  inherited  the  old  homestead  of  160  acres,  on  which  he  is 
now  located,  and  where  he  has  conducted  a  fairly  successful  agricultural 
business  for  many  years.  He  was  married  about  1845  to  Sarah  Dedas,  a 
native  of  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Eliza  Dedas, 
and  by  this  union  were  born  four  children:  W.  A.;  Eliza  J.,  wife  of 
Lewis  Rollin;  Calvin  H.  and  George  H.,  the  two  elder  sons  residing 
in  Illinois  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Smith  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
representative  farmers  of  the  township,  and  is  entirely  worthy  of  a  place 
in  the  annals  of  the  county.  He  has  always  resided  on  the  same  farm, 
and  is  ever  ready  to  encourage  such  enterprises  as  tend  to  advance  the 
interests  of  the  county  and  community  in  which  he  lives. 

WILLIAM  J.  SMITH,  farmer.  Miller  Township,  was  born  in  this 
county  in  1847,  near  where  he  now  resides.  He  received  a  common 
school  education  and  was  early  inured  to  the  labors  of  the  farm  to 
which  he  has  since  devoted  his  attention.  He  was  married,  in  1870,  to 
Adaline  Hansel,  a  native  of  this  county  and  daughter  of  Robert  Hansel 
an  early  settler  and  prominent  farmer  of  this  township.  They  have  two 
children:  Arthur  and  Alma.  In  the  same  year  of  his  marriage  Mr. 
Smith  purcliased  seventy -five  acres  of  land  which  he  has  since   been  en- 


^ 


912  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

gaged  in  cultivating.     In  1882  he  was   elected   trustee   of  Miller  Town- 
ship and  in  1884  was    re-elected  to  the  .same  office  in   which  he  is  still 
serving.     He  is  an  active    and  public-spirited    citizen,   a  Kepublican  in 
politics  and  a  good  fellow  generally. 
"^  EDWIN    SMITH,    M.     D.,    homoeopathic    physician     and   surgeon, 

v9  Aurora,  office  in    Mitchel's  block,   over    the    postoffice,  was  born  in  Con- 

|;^  way,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass.,  April  29,  1832,  where  he  improved  the  limited 

advantages  afforded  by  the  public  schools.  His  parents  were  Riifus  and 
Polly  (Foskett)  Smith,  the  former  of  whom  was  of  an  old  Massachusetts 
family  and  the  latter  of  Welsh  descent.  His  father  was  a  shoemaker 
and  died  in  1843.  His  mother  being  left  in  very  moderate  circum- 
stances, Edwin  assisted  in  supporting  the  family.  After  he  had  attained 
his  eighteenth  year  he  received  private  instructions  from  his  pastor  for 
two  years,  during  which  time  he  pui'sued  a  scientific  and  literary  course, 
with  a  view  to  the  study  of  medicine.  He  afterward  traveled  two  years 
in  the  life  insurance  business,  and  then  spent  some  time  with  a  relative 
who  was  a  merchant.  In  1852  he  located  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  en- 
gaged in  business,  which  he  prosecuted  some  four  years,  but  finding  that 
it  did  not  agree  with  him  he  retired.  He  then  took  a  thorough  course  in  a 
commercial  college  and  attended  two  courses  of  lectures  on  commercial 
law,  after  which  ho  located  in  Canton,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  teaching 
from  1857  to  1876.  He  had  nearly  all  his  life  been  a  student  of  the 
science  of  medicine  after  the  old  school,  and  had  intended  to  prepare 
himself  for  that  form  of  practice,  when  he  became  interested  in  homcBO- 
pathy.  At  this  juncture  in  life  he  purchased  Dr.  Pulte's  books  and  a 
case  of  medicines  and  in  due  time  commenced  treating  himself  and 
friends.  Being  favorably  impressed  with  the  results  he  gave  up  teach- 
ing and  entered  Pulte's  Medical  College  of  Cincinnati.  In  addition  to 
the  regular  course  he  gave  special  attention  to  gynecology  and  diseases 
of  the  eye  and  ear,  and  received  a  special  diploma  in  the  former  branch. 
He  graduated  in  May,  1877,  and  was  awarded  the  prize  for  his  thesis  on 
the  eye  and  ear.  In  July,  1877,  he  located  in  Aurora,  Ind.,  and  began 
the  practice.  He  has  strong  faith  in  the  virtue  of  electricity,  the  appli- 
ance of  which  he  considers  indespenaable  in  the  treatment  of  certain 
diseases.  His  laboratory  and  dispensary  are  supplied  with  every  appli- 
ance of  modern  excellence,  and  his  library  is  one  of  the  most  complete 
to  be  found  in  the  city.  His  good  judgment  and  leniency  toward 
those  holding  different  opinions  from  his  own  have  won  him  honor  and 
friendship.  He  has  succeeded  in  his  profession  and  built  up  a  lucrative 
practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Hamilton  County  Pulte  Association, 
the  State  Medical  Association,  and  the  ^American  Institute  of  Homoe- 
opathy.    He  has  been  a  member   of  the    Baptist  Church  (of  which   his 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  913 

parents  were  life  long  members)  since  attaining  his  fifteenth  year.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  was  secretary  of  the  chvirch  at  Canton,  Ohio,  and 
has  been  secretary  of  the  Wooster  Baptist  Association  and  of  the  Sab- 
bath-school convention.  He  has  occasionally  contributed  to  the  church 
journals  and  has  been  an  earnest  worker.  Dr.  Smith  has  been  twice 
married;  first  to  Miss  Mary  Andrews,  daughter  of  Hon.  Luther  Andrews, 
of  Queensbury,  Warren  Co.,  N.  Y.  She  died  January  11,  1861,  leaving 
an  infant  son,  Edwin  R.,  Jr.  In  1867  he  married  Miss  Cornelia 
Whitmore,  daughter  of  Russell  and  Jane  Whitmore,  of  Georgetown, 
N.  Y.,  she  died  Jamiary  1,  1877.  Dr.  Smith's  mother  is  still  living  and 
resides  with  her  eldest  daughter,  who  is  the  wife  of  Prof.  Charles  E. 
Hamlin,  of  Harvard  College,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

WILKISON  SMITH,  farmer,  is  a  native  and  resident  of  Washiogton 
Township,  and  was  born  December  8,  1815.  His  parents,  Ralph  and 
Easter  (Hubbard)  Smith,  were  born  and  raised  in  North  Carolina,  and 
immigrated  to  this  State  and  Township  in  1813.  The  parents  endured 
all  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life,  and  left  plenty 
for  their  family,  which  consisted  of  twelve  children.  The  mother  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Wilkison 
Smith  was  married  March  8, 1844,  to  Miss  Julia  Ann  Powell,  who  was  born 
in  Hogan  Township  in  1814.  By  this  union  were  three  children:  Hiram. 
Sarah,  James.  Mrs.  S.  died  in  1843,  and  our  subject  re-married  June 
22,  1844,  to  Miss  Ann  C.  Duvall,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  March 
15,  1826.  By  this  union  three  children:  Jehue,  Margery,  Mary.  He 
has  farmed  all  his  life,  and  served  his  constituents  for  eighteen  years  as 
township  trustee.  Everything  about  his  home  indicates  thrift  and  enter- 
prise.    He  is  an  active  and  highly  respected  citizen. 

GEORGE  A.  SMITH,  farmer,  of  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Dear 
born  County  August  26,  1830.  He  is  one  of  ten  children  born  to  the 
esteemed  pioneers,  William  and  Mary  (Britton)  Smith,  who  were  natives 
of  Yorkshire,  England;  the  former  born  May  25,  1787,  and  immigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1817.  In  1818  he  located  in  Dearborn  County, 
where  he  afterward  resided  until  death.  He  and  Mary  Britton  were 
united  in  marriage  in  Clay  Township,  June  27,  1819.  She  was  born 
May  24,  1803,  and  immigrated  with  her  parents  from  England  to  the 
United  States  in  1818.  locating  in  Dearborn  Coimty  in  the  same  year. 
After  Mr.  Smith's  marriage  he  settled  on  the  same  farm,  on  which  our 
subject  now  lives,  and  died  there  July  24,  1862.  Mrs.  S.  still  survives 
and  resides  on  the  same  farm.  Their  children  were:  Mary  J. .  deceased; 
Thomas,  deceased;  Sarah;  Samuel,  deceased;  George  A.;  Jane; Charles  B., 
deceased;  James,  deceased,  and  two  died  in  infancy.     George  A.  is   still 


914  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

unmarried  and  is  living  at  home  with  his  mother  and  two  sisters  on    the 
old  homestead,  which  he  now  owns. 

WILLIAM  B.  SUITS,  miller,  Dillsborough,  Ind.,  of  the  firm  of 
Roberts  &  Suits,  is  the  eldest  of  nine  children,  born  to  David  K.  and 
Mary  (Barker)  Suits,  natives  of  Deai'born  County.  The  former  was  a 
son  of  William  and  Catherine  (Karr)  Suits,  who  immigrated  to  Dearborn 
County  in  1816.  He  was  born  June  12,  1817,  and  when  a  young  man 
learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his  father,  which  he  afterwards  en- 
gaged in  for  some  time.  He  and  Mary  Barker  were  united  in  marriage 
in  Dearborn  County,  December  13,  1838.  She  was  born  January  30, 
1822,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Hester  A.  (Davis)  Barker.  After  Mr. 
Suit's  marriage  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Clay  Township,  where  he  engaged 
in  farming  until  1844,  in  which  year  he  moved  to  Bellevue,  Ky.  Here 
he  engaged  in  blacksmithing  and  mercantile  business  until  1848, 
then  removed  to  Dearborn  County,  and  settled  upon  bis  farm  in  Clay 
Township,  where  he  resided  until  1849,  at  which  time  he  moved  Lo  Dills- 
borough,  and  engaged  in  coopering  and  mercantile  business  until  1854,  he 
traded  his  store  for  a  farm  in  this  township,  and  there  resided  until  his 
death  March,  20,  1868,  followed  by  that  of  his  widow  January  15,  1876. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  viz.:  William  B.,  born  August 
10,  1841;  Rebecca,  March  17,  1844;  Catherine  E.,  February  7,  1847; 
Esther  A.,  July  17,  1849;  Samuel  W.,  June  16,  1851;  Walter  C,  De- 
cember 31,  1856;  Sarah  E.,  November  26,  1853;  Mary  A.,  December  26, 
1860,  and  Artimissa,  December  9,  1863.  William  B.,the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  and  after  reaching  maturity 
engaged  in  carpenter  work  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  en- 
listed August  10.  1862,  in  Company  B,  Eighty-third  Indiana  Volunteers 
as  a  private  and  served  until  his  honorable  dischargB,  June  2,  1865.  He 
participated  in  all  the  engagements  of  his  company,  and  was  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Vicksburgh.  May  19,  1863,  in  the  right  side  by  a  musket 
ball,  which  disabled  him  for  a  short  time.  After  his  discharge  he  returned 
to  Dearborn  County,  where  he  was  united  in  marriage,  September  6, 
1866,  to  Agnes  B.,  daughter  of  George  and  Margaret  (Elder)  Proctor, 
who  was  born  in  Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  March  21,  1839.  Her  parents 
were  both  natives  of  Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  where  they  were  married, 
and  from  whence  they  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1849,  settling 
first  in  West  Virginia,  moving  to  Dearborn  County  in  1861.  They  had 
born  to  them  eight  children,  viz:  Agnes  B.,  Margaret  E.,  James,  Mary 
E.,  Hellen,  John,  George  and  Mary  E.  After  our  subject's  marriage  he 
settled  on  his  father's  farm  in  this  township,  and  engaged  in  farming 
until  1881,  in  which  year  he  moved  to  Dillsborough,  and  in  partnership 
with   his   brother-in-law,    Leroy    Roberts,  purchased    the    Dillsborough 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES,  915 

Mills,  which  they  have  since  conducted.  Mr.  Suits  is  a  highly  esteemed 
citizen,  and  is  one  of  the  most  social  and  enterprising  men  of  the  place. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  also  the  Masonic  order.  Has  had 
born  to  him  five  children,  viz.:  Maggie  E.,  June  20,  1867;  Mary  B., 
May  9,  1869;  Ellen,  July  17,  1873;  Georgeanna,  April  1,1875,  and  Gert- 
rude, October  17,  1882. 

RALPH  SUITS,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  July  30,  1830.  He  is  one  of  the  ten  children  born  to 
William  and  Catherine  (Karr)  Suits,  who  were  natives  of  North  Caro- 
lina, the  former  born  January  18,  1791,  and  the  latter  April  17,  1791. 
They  were  married  in  North  Carolina,  and  in  1816  immigrated  to  Dear- 
born County,  where  they  resided  until  their  deaths,  the  mother's  occurr- 
ing December  6,  1856,  and  the  father's  March  17,  1881.  Their  children 
were:  Martha,  David,  Betsey  A.,  Emsley,  Nancy,  William,  Alfred,  Wal- 
ter, Ralph  and  America  J.  Ralph,  our  subject,  was  married  in  this 
county,  September  20,  1854,  to  Ruth  Arthur,  by  whom  he  has  seven 
children,  viz.:  William  G.,  Emma  A.,  Arabell,  Mary  E.,  Adaline,  Ella 
F.  and  Hattie  M.  Mr.  Suits  has  always  engaged  in  farming,  and  ranks 
among  the  most  exemplary  citizens  of  his  township. 

JOHN  SNYDER,  manager  of  the  Walnut  Street  Mills,  Lawrence- 
burgh,  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  1825.  He  resided  in  his  native 
county  till  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  his  father  died,  and  he  soon  after 
removed  to  Boone  County,  Ky.,  with  his  mother,  locating  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Worthington,  where  they  resided  seven  years.  They  then 
moved  to  Ripley  County,  and  from  there  in  1868  to  Ohio  County.  In 
1884  he  located  in  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mill- 
ing business,  an  occupation  he  has  followed  since  his  boyhood,  being 
also  a  mill-wright  by  trade.  In  1868  he  invented  what  is  known  to  mil- 
lers as  the  "cockhead  balance,"  now  largely  used  in  mill-stones  through 
out  the  country.  He  commanded  a  company  of  militia,  home  guards, 
during  the  rebellion,  and  has  always  been  an  active,  industrious  citizen. 
Mr.  Snyder  was  married,  in  1846,  to  Martha  Stewart,  a  daughter  of 
Wilson  Stewart,  of  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  and  they  had  four  children: 
Mary  E.,  William,  Paris  F.  and  John  L.  Mrs.  Snyder  passed  away  in 
1854,  and  in  1855  Mr.  Snyder  was  united  in  marriage  with  Harriet  Hart, 
of  Hamilton,  Ohio,  They  have  six  children  living — three  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Mr.  Snyder  has  been  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  since 
1853,  and  both  he  and  Mrs.  Snyder  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church. 

JUDGE  ELIJAH  SPARKS,  see  page  149. 

DAVID  E.  SPARKS,  grocer,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  that  city 
in  1828,  and  grew  to  maturity  in  that  place.     His  grandfather,  Elijah 


916  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Sparks,  was  a  native  of  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  was  married  there,  and  in 
a  very  early  day  came  West  with  his  family,  locating  at  Bank  Lick,  Ky.. 
near  Covington.  He  was  quite  prominent  as  a  Methodist  minister,  cir- 
cuit rider,  and  also  became  a  Territorial  judge.  He  located  with  his  fam- 
ily at  Lawrenceburgh  about  1806,  and  died  about  1815,  while  on  his 
journey  back  to  Virginia,  which  trip  he  was  making  on  horseback.  His 
wife  was  Elizabeth  Weaver,  sister  of  Capt.  John  Weaver,  who  was  for 
some  time  in  command  of  troops  at  block-house  stations  along  the  river. 
Nerval  Sparks,  the  father  of  David  E.  Sparks,  was  the  youngest  son  of 
the  family;  six  years  of  age  when  they  came  to  Lawrenceburgh.  He  was 
born  at  Bank  Lick,  Ky.,  in  1800.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  this  county, 
and  while  a  youth  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  mercantile  house  of  George  P. 
Buell,  one  of  the  first  merchants  of  Lawrenceburgh.  He  subsequently 
spent  about  two  years  at  Connersville,  Ind.,  but  after  that  time  remained 
a  resident  of  Lawrenceburgh  till  his  death.  About  1822-23  he  engaged 
in  the  dry  goods  trade,  and  continued  in  the  same  till  1838,  when  he 
failed  in  the  general  business  crash,  which  swept  the  country  at  that 
time.  His  brother-in-law  had  established  the  grocery  and  seed  business 
about  the  same  time,  and  died  in  1838.  Norvai  Sparks  then  took  charge 
of  his  deceased  brother- in  law's  store,  and  conducted  the  same  till  his 
death  in  1877,  having  been  a  resident  of  Lawrenceburgh  seventy -one 
years.  His  wife  was  Jane  Johnston,  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  and  they 
reared  four  children:  Margaret  J.,  David  E.,  Ann  E,  and  John  W. 
Four  others  died  in  childhood.  Mrs.  Sparks  passed  away  in  1855. 
David  E.  Sparks,  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch,  began  business  for 
himself  in  1857,  under  the  firm  title,  David  E.  Sparks  &  Co.,  having 
been  employed  as  clerk  in  a  store  for  several  years  previous.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  partner,  John  Hunt,  in  1860,  and  entered  the  service  of 
the  Government,  enlisting,  in  1861,  in  the  Seventh  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  serving  till  1865.  He  enlisted  as  private,  but  was  pro- 
moted to  lieutenant,  serving  in  the  quartermaster's  department.  He  sub- 
sequently raised  a  company  called  Cincinnati  National  Guards,  and  was 
commissioned  captain  of  the  same,  which  was  afterward  consolidated 
with  the  Thirteenth  Kentucky,  under  command  of  Capt.  Mark  Monday. 
He  served  as  master  of  transportation,  and  was  subsequently  employed 
in  the  United  States  railway  service  at  Nashville.  From  1865  to  1870 
he  was  engaged  in  the  wholesale  drug  business  at  Evansville,  Ind.  From 
1870  to  1877  he  was  employed  by  the  Shilito  firm,  of  Cincinnati,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  engaged  at  Lawrenceburgh.  Mr.  Sparks  was 
married,  in  1863,  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  to  Miss  Josephine  Beckel,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, daughter  of  Prof.  J.  C.  Beckel,  a  music  publisher  and  teacher 
for  many  years  in  that  city,  where  he  still  resides.  Her  mother  was 
Charlotte  Eicholz,  of  an  esteemed  family  of  that  locality. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  917 

JOHN  W.  SPARKS  was  bora  in  Dearborn  County,  in  1840.  He  grew 
to  maturity  in  his  native  town,  Lawrenceburgh,  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  His  father,  being  a  merchant,  he  was  brought  up  in  the 
mercantile  business,  spending  most  of  his  time,  when  not  in  school,  in 
his  father's  store.  He  entei-ed  the  service  in  1862,  being  employed  in 
the  quartermaster's  department  under  Gen.  Carr,  and  served  about  one 
year,  being  also  a  participant  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  returned 
home  soon  after  this,  and  entered  the  grocery  business,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued till  1866;  engaged  in  the  drug  business  till  1870,  and  since  the 
latter  date  has  been  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  at  Lawrenceburgh. 

LEONARD  SPICKNALL,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  resides  in 
Section  26,  and  owns  160  acres  of  land.  He  was  born  where  he  now 
resides,  November  9,  1828,  and  received  a  fair  education  in  the  com- 
mon branches.  His  father,  Thomas,  was  born  in  Virginia,  June  2,  1801, 
mother,  Elizabeth  (Williams)  Spicknall,  in  Cornwall,  England,  Febru- 
ary 25,  1802.  They  were  married  May  21,  1826,  and  raised  eight  out  of 
a  family  of  nine  children.  The  father  came  to  this  county  in  1818,  and 
was  a  hard-working  farmer  all  his  life.  He  and  his  wife  were  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Both  parents  are  deceased. 
Leonard  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life.  He  was  married  December  19, 
1849,  to  Miss  Rachel  Sellers,  a  native  of  Hogan  Township,  who  was 
born  December  5,  1826.  By  this  union  eight  children  were  born  :  Ro- 
sanna,  Mary  E.  (died  in  July,  1879),  Sarah  C. ,  William,  Clara,  Alice 
(died  in  infancy),  Thomas  L.  and  Ida.  Mrs.  S.  passed  away  Febru- 
ary 10,  1885.  Mr.  Spicknall  was  township  trustee  for  seven  and  one- 
half  years.  He  belongs  to  Wilmington  Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A,  M.  and 
the  Grange  No.   477. 

JACOB  SPIELMAN,  of  Hartford,  is  a  native  of  Westmoreland 
County,  Penn.,  born  Nov.  22,  1800.  His  parents  died  when  he  was 
young,  and  he  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh  with  a  cousin,  George  T. 
Bushj&eld,  early  in  the  present  century.  After  remaining  at  Lawrence- 
burgh five  or  six  years,  Mr.  S.  went  out  on  Laughery  Creek,  and  for  six 
or  eight  years  was  engaged  in  farm  labor  with  Robert  Conaway,  with 
whom  he  made  his  home.  While  with  Mr.  Conaway  he  made  two  trips 
to  the  South  with  flat-boats — one  to  New  Orleans  and  one  to  Natchez,  see- 
ing Gen.  LaFayette  at  the  former  place.  In  1830  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Ann  McAdams,  of  Ohio  County,  and  to  the  union 
were  born  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  S.  set- 
tled on  a  farm  at  the  mouth  of  South  Fork  Creek,  and  for  years  attended  a 
mill  at  Milton.  In  1845  Mrs.  Spielman  died,  and  in  1847  Mr.  Spielman  was 
married  to  a  Mrs.  Chessman,  a  widow.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to  the 
Sate  of  Iowa,    where  he   resided,  and  occupied  a  farm  principally  until 


918  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

1882,  when  he  removed  to  the  scenes  of  his  younger  years,  and  has  since 
made  his  home  with  a  son  John  H.  Spielman,  a  resident  of  Hartford,  and 
by  the  way  a  clever  gentleman  and  an  esteemed  citizen — one  of  the  active 
business  man  of  the  village.  Our  subject  is,  strictly  speaking,  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  the  Western  country,  and  fully  acquainted  with  the  pri- 
vations and  hardships  incident  to  pioneer  times.  He  enjoys  goodhealth, 
possesses  a  good  physique,  and  with  the  exception  of  his  hearing,  has  his 
faculties  almost  unimpaired,  though  his  hair  is  white  with  the  frost  of 
nearly  eighty-live  winters. 

GEN.  BENJAMIN  SPOONER,  see  page  156. 

FRED.  SPREKERHOFF,  Sparta  Township,  section-foreman  on  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  June  8, 
1833.  He  is  the  youngest  of  six  children  born  to  Henry  and  Sophia 
Sprekerhoff.  In  the  spring  of  1848  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
landing  at  New  Orleans,  La.,  where  he  remained  about  two  years,  work- 
ing at  sugar  manufacturing.  He  next  went  to  Galveston,  Tex.,  and 
about  six  months  later  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  farming 
in  Hamilton  County.  He  was  there  united  in  marriage,  December  24, 
1857,  to  Mary  Reck,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  September  8,  1833.  In 
the  fall  of  1859  Mr.  Sprekerhoff  moved  to  Dearborn  County  and  settled 
in  Sparta  Township,  Section  1,  where  he  purchased  a  small  farm,  and 
has  since  resided.  In  September,  1861,  he  entered  the  war,  enlisting  in 
Company  C,  Thirty -seventh  Indiana,  and  served  until  September,  1864  ; 
was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  and  for  some  time  was 
an  inmate  of  the  horrible  Libby  Prison.  After  his  discharge  he  returned 
home,  and  was  immediately  employed  as  a  section  hand  on  the  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Railroad,  and  in  1871  was  promoted  to  foreman  of  the  sec- 
tion, which  he  has  since  continued.  Mr.  Sprekerhoff  is  a  man  highly 
esteemed  by  the  people  of  his  communty.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A. 
R.,  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Masonic  order.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sprekerhoff  are  the 
parents  of  ten  children,  viz. :  Fred,  Dora,  Henry,  Ida,  John  (deceased), 
William,  Mary,  Emma,  Anna  and  Frank. 

JESSE  STAGE,  night  policeman,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Sparta  Town- 
ship, Dearboru  Co.,  Ind.,  December  26,  1833,  and  received  a  common 
school  education.  His  father,  Hugh,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1812, 
and  died  in  1849  of  cholera.  The  mother,  Elizabeth  (Daugherty) 
Stage,  was  born  in  Maryland,  June  17,  1804.  Jesse  followed  coopering 
up  to  1849,  then  went  to  flat-boating,  which  he  continued  up  to  1851. 
He  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  clerked  in  a  wholesale  house 
until  1857,  when  he  returned  to  Aurora  and  flat-boated  until  1861.  At 
which  time  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Sixteenth  Regiment,  Indiana  Vol- 
unteers and  served  one  year.      He  re-enlisted  in  Company  A,  Seventeenth 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  919 

Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteers.  After  the  consolidation  of  the  regiment  he 
was  in  Company  G,  Twentieth  Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry 
and  served  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  present  at  the  surrender  of  Lee,  and  was  wounded  twice  during  the 
war.  In  1866  Mr.  Stage  engaged  in  flat-boating,  and  continued  up  to 
1872.  He  married  Miss  Clara  J.  Sisson,  March  16,  1872,  who  was  born 
in  this  county,  April  25,  1844.  They  have  been  blessed  with  four  chil- 
dren: Jesse  M.,  Fannie  A.,  Elizabeth  B.  and  Milo  E.  Mr.  Stage  is 
a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442,  Chosen  Friends  Lodge  No.  13, 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the  G.  A.  R. 

JOSEPH  STAPP,  farmer,  Centre  Township,  resides  on  Section  20. 
possessing  forty  acres,  was  born  in  Scott  County,  Ky. ,  November  27, 
1816,  and  received  a  common  school  education.  His  father,  Ellas  Stapp, 
was  born  in  Scott  County,  Ky.,  in  1787.  His  mother,  Susan  (Branham) 
Stapp,  was  born  in  Scott  County,  Ky. ,  in  1786.  The  father  was  a  far- 
mer all  his  life.  He  moved  to  this  State  in  1820,  and  located  in  Madi- 
son. The  mother  died  in  North  Madison  in  1858,  after  which,  the 
father  moved  to  Switzerland  County,  and  died  in  1868.  Mr.  Joseph 
Stapp  began  clerking  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  continued  for  five  years. 
Then  he  opened  a  country  store  for  himself  and  conducted  the  same  for 
seven  years.  He  was  married,  October  12,  1845,  to  Miss  Indiana  Watts, 
who  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  April  19,  1824.  Six  children 
have  been  born  to  the  marriage,  namely:  Newton  H.,  born  August  4, 
1846,  died  July,  4,  1879;  David  H. ;  Abraham  H.;  Charles  W.;  Susan 
B.;  Elizabeth  A.,  born  March  9,  1853,  died  March  3,  1856.  Mr.  Stapp 
moved  to  this  county  in  1847,  and  ran  a  hotel  for  six  months,  since 
which  time  has  been  a  farmer.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church  at  Aurora. 

DAVID  H.  STAPP,  attorney  at  law,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Ripley 
County,  Ind.,  August  29,  1850,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm.  In  1867  he 
entered  Hanover  College  in  this  State,  where  he  took  a  collegiate  course, 
graduating  in  1872.  Immediately  thereafter  he  read  law  with  A.  D. 
Vanosdol  at  Madison,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Madison  in  1872. 
He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  Dearborn  County  in  1874, 
at  which  time  he  located  permanently,  and  began  the  practice  in  Dear- 
born County.  Mr.  Stapp  was  married,  October  20,  1874,  to  Miss  Jennie 
Merit,  a  native  of  Switzerland  County,  Ind.,  where  she  was  born  Decem 
ber  19,  1852.  By  the  union  one  child.  Plume,  has  been  born  to  them. 
Mr.  Stapp  is  a  young  man  of  public  spirit  and  enterprise,  and  has  been 
identified  with  the  erection  of  several  creditable  buildings  by  which  the 
city  has  been  greatly  improved.  As  an  attorney  he  has  thus  far  met 
with  success.     He  is  identified  with  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442.  F.  &  A.  M. 


920  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

CHARLES  W.  STAPP,  attorney  at  law,  Lawrencebui'gh,  and  a  son 
of  Joseph  Stapp,  a  farmei",  who  resides  near  Aurora,  was  born  in  Ripley 
County,  this  State,  in  1859.  His  boyhood  was  passed  on  a  farm,  resid- 
ing in  the  counties  of  Ripley,  Dearborn  and  Ohio.  He  received  a  good 
English  education,  attending  first  the  district  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, then  the  graded  schools  at  Patriot,  Ind. ;  after  which  he  was 
engaged  for  two  years  in  teaching,  his  leisure  hours  being  passed  in 
reading  law.  In  1878  he  entered  the  law  school  at  Cincinnati,  from 
which  institution  he  was  subsequently  graduated,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  February  12,  1880,  and  passed  one  year  in  study  with  Judge 
Givan,  of  Lawrenceburgh.  He  then  located  in  the  practice  at  Comanche, 
Iowa,  where  he  was  so  occupied  for  two  years,  when  he  returned  to  Law- 
renceburgh and  formed  a  partnership  with  George  M.  Roberts,  which 
still  exists.  Young  Stapp  is  a  man  of  good  ability,  and  a  hard  student, 
and  bids  fair  for  usefulness  and  success. 

NATHAN  R.  STEDMAN,  of  Aurora,  was  born  in  New  York  in  1814. 
In  early  life  he  went  to  Connecticut,  where  he  learned  his  trade,  a 
molder  in  foundry.  In  1837  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  soon  there- 
after to  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  where  with  Col.  Pinknej'  James  as  a  partner, 
he  started  the  first  foundry  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Upon  the  death 
of  Mr.  James,  W.  H.  Lamdins  was  taken  into  partnership,  but  in  the 
spring  of  J849  his  interest  was  purchased  by  Thomas  and  J.  W,  Gafif, 
and  the  foundry  was  removed  to  Aurora.  Mr.  Stedman's  was  a  long, 
busy  and  eventful  life.  He  was  generous  to  the  needy  and  undemon- 
strative in  the  bestowal  of  charity.  "He  has  left  behind  him  the 
imclouded  and  undimmed  record  of  a  noble  life  for  others  to  follow,  full 
of  patient  industiy,  honorable  execution  in  business  pursuits,  noble  deeds 
in  benevolence  and  charity,  and  all  that  goes  to  make  up  the  full  meas- 
ure of  a  noble  manhood."     His  death  occurred  in  1884. 

HENRY  STENGER,  mill-wright,  Harrison  Township,  one  of  the  rep- 
resentative men  of  the  county,  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1832,  son  of 
Henry  and  EvaM.  (Rising)  Stenger,  both  of  Bavaria,  who  married  in  their 
native  country,  and  immigrated  to  America  in  1840  with  their  seven  chil- 
dren: John,  Peter,  Barbara,  Joseph,  John  C,  Henry  and  Susan.  They 
located  ia  Kelso  Township,  where  the  father  died  in  1867,  the  mother  in 
1805.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  Henry  Stenger  went  to  Iowa,  and  leai-ned 
the  wagon  trade  at  Fort  Madison.  In  1852  he  returned,  and  after  two  years 
drifted  back  into  the  milling  business,  which  he  learned  from  his  father, 
who  was  a  miller  in  Germany.  He  and  his  brothers,  John  C.  and  Joseph 
started  the  St.  Leon  Mill,  which  they  operated  together  for  some  time, 
John  still  owning  it.  In  1861  Mr.  Stenger  bought  the  Weaver  Mill  on 
the  canal,  one  mile  above  the  site  of  his  present  residence,  but  a  year 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  921 

later  the  canal  was  abandoued  and  the  mill  stopped.  He  then  followed 
mill-wrighting  for  about  ten  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  this  locality 
and  assisted  his  brother  John  in  erecting  the  hydraulic  mill  which  was 
to  be  fed  by  the  Harrison  Hydraulic,  which  was  then  under  course  of 
construction  by  J.  B.  Smith.  After  an  expense  of  vast  labor  and  sums 
of  money,  Mr.  Smith  was  accidentally  killed  and  the  project  failed,  after 
being  taken  up  by  Thomas  Calaway.  Another  company  was  then  formed 
and  steam  fixtures  were  put  in  operation  by  Mr.  Stenger  and  his  brother 
John,  who  sold  out  to  the  present  proprietors,  Miller  &  Knecht,  in  1882. 
Since  the  latter  date,  Mr.  Stenger  has  been  conducting  his  farm  of  100 
acres  and  working  some  at  mill-wrighting.  In  1857  Mr.  Stenger  married 
Catharine  Knecht  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Schnoeble)  Knecht,  of 
Bavaria,  Germany,  and  they  have  eight  children:  Lizzie,  Rosa,  Anna, 
Helena,  Caroline,  Albert,  Henry  and  Frank  E.  Mr.  Stenger  is  an  indus- 
trious, energetic  citizen,  and  has  served  his  township  twice  as  trustee, 
being  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  The  family  is  associated 
with  the  Catholic  Church. 

JOSEPH  STENGER.,  general  merchant,  St.  Leon,  is  a  native  of 
Bavaria,  Germany,  born  June  3,  1828.  His  parents,  Henry  and  Eva 
(Reising)  Stenger,  were  also  natives  of  Bavaria,  the  former  born  February 
18,  1792,  the  latter  January  28,  1796.  They  immigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1840  and  located  in  Kelso  Township,  where  Mr.  Stenger  pur- 
chased land,  and  where  he  remained  until  his  death.  He  died  April  24, 
1868,  and  Mrs.  Stenger  October  9,  1865.  Twelve  children  blessed  their 
union,  five  of  whom  died  in  Germany,  the  remaining  seven  immigrating 
with  their  parents  to  this  country.  Josejih,  our  subject,  was  married  at 
St.  Leon,  Ind.,  February  25,  1851,  to  Magdalena  Herbert,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  December  5.  1832.  After  his  marriage  he  purchased  a  farm 
of  his  father,  on  which  he  resided  until  1864,  in  which  year  he  went  to 
Braysville,  Ind.,  where  he  and  his  brother  purchased  a  flouring-mill, 
which  was  shortly  afterward  destroyed  by  floods.  In  May,  1865,  he 
removed  to  St.  Leon  and  purchased  the  store  in  which  he  has  since 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  Mrs.  Stenger  died  January  4,  1884, 
having  been  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  viz.:  John  H.,  Catharine, 
Peter,  Charles,  Frank,  Mary  (deceased),  Alice,  Henry,  Joseph,  Victoria 
and  Mary  B. 

JOHN  C.  STENGER,  proprietor  of  flouring-mill  and  saw-mill,  and 
dealer  in  all  kinds  of  lumber  and  grain,  St.  Leon,  Ind.,  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  February  1,  1830.  He  was  one  of  twelve  childi'en  born 
to  Henry  and  Eva  (Rising)  Stenger,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  Dear- 
born County  in  1840.  He  began  the  blacksmith  trade  in  1842,  and 
engaged  in  the  same  for  a  number  of  years.     In  1847,  he  went  to  Cin- 


922  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

cinnati,  Ohio,  and  worked  at  the  trade  one  year,  when  he  located  at  St. 
Leon,  erected  a  shop  and  carried  on  business  for  himself  for  some  time. 
July  29,  1851,  he  married  Miss  Kanigunda  Knecht,  who  was  born  in 
Germany  March  3,  1833,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Schnable) 
Knecht.  In  1854  Mr.  Stenger  erected  a  saw-mill  at  St.  Leon,  and  in 
1855  added  to  it  a  flouring-mill,  since  doing  an  extensive  business.  He 
is  the  father  of  ten  children,  viz. :  William  C.  (deceased),  John,  Mary 
A.,  Elizabeth,  Louisa,  Joseph,  Lena,  Barbara,  Emma  and  Francis 
(deceased).  Mr.  Stenger  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  He  is  an  excellent  business  man  and  highly  esteemed  as  a  citi- 
zen. Recognizing  his  merits  the  people  of  the  county  in  1865  elected 
him  to  the  State  Legislature.  He  held  the  office  of  trustee  of  Kelso 
Township  from  1868  until  1870,  and  in  1872  was  elected  county  commis- 
sioner.    He  owns  330  acres  of  fine  land  in  Dearborn  County. 

JESSE  W.  STEWART,  farmer,  Cass  Township,  born  in  Pennsylva- 
nia September  17,  1825,  is  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Oglevie)  Stew- 
art, natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Ralph  Stewart, 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  it  is  believed  he  married,  and  subsequently 
immigrated  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died.  William  Stewart  was  mar- 
ried in  his  native  State,  where  four  of  his  children  were  born,  and  in 
1829  removed  to  Indiana,  coming  down  the  river  in  a  small  family 
boat,  landing  at  the  mouth  of  Laughery  Creek,  and  settling  in  Union 
Township,  Ohio  County.  Soon  after  the  family  removed  into  Ripley 
County,  where  Mr.  S.  purchased  land  and  resided  till  his  death  about 
two  years  later,  being  killed  at  a  house-raising  by  the  rolling  of  a  log, 
which  threw  him  from  the  building.  His  wife  survived  him  about  two 
years.  One  child  was  born  to  them  after  they  came  to  Indiana,  thus 
leaving  at  their  deaths  five  small  children,  who  were  brought  up  by  rela- 
tives and  acquaintances.  The  children,  all  living,  are  as  follows  : 
Joseph  A.,  Sarah,  wife  of  Mr.  Crouse,  who  resides  in  Missouri;  Jesse  W., 
John  and  Maria,  wife  of  Ezra  Hastings.  Jesse  W.  was  about  four  years 
of  age  when  brought  to  Ohio  County,  and  after  the  death  of  his  parents, 
was  reared  to  manhood  by  Levi  Scranton,  then  a  resident  of  Union  Town- 
ship. Mr.  Stewart  was  married,  March  2,  1848,  to  Louisa  Hastings,  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  and  Ruth  Hastings.  He  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  she  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They  were  married  in  Ohio 
County  and  settled  in  Union  Township,  where  he  died  in  1873,  aged 
seventy-five  years.  His  widow  still  survives,  aged  eighty-five  years. 
They  had  eight  children,  five  now  living:  Ezra;  Louisa;  Sarah,  wife  of 
Robert  Cofield;  Stephen  M.,  and  Eliza,  now  widow  of  Thomas  McCoI- 
lum.  Mr.  Hastings  and  wife  were  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  have  had  five  children,  four  now  living:     Ruth, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  923 

wife  of  Jackson  Stewart;  Stephen  M.,  Benjamin  F.  and  Jennie  M.  Mr. 
Stewart  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  during  life,  and  all 
in  Ohio  County,  except  three  years — 1849  to  1852 — which  he  spent  in 
the  mines  of  California.  He  started  in  life  with  but  little  capital,  and 
now  has  a  good  farm  of  fifty-seven  acres,  with  good  improvements, 
constituting  a  very  pleasant  farmer's  home.  He  and  his  wife  are  worthy 
members  of  the  Christian  Church,  having  been  such  for  forty  years. 

ISAAC  STEVENS,  see  page  184. 

JAMES  M.  STODGHILL,  warehouse  foreman  for  the  Aurora  Dis- 
tilling Company,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Gallatin  County,  Ky.,  April  25, 
1850.  His  father,  Martin,  was  born  in  Madison,  Ind.,  and  his  mother, 
Louisa  Carr,  in  Henry  County,  Ky.  In  1862  James  M.  started  out  to 
be  a  plasterer,  and  followed  that  trade  for  six  years.  In  1868  he  went 
to  Kansas,  remaining  some  time,  then  returned  to  Paoli,  Ind.,  where  he 
acted  as  night  clerk'in  hotel  for  four  years.  He  then  went  to  Florence 
where  he  commenced  running  on  the  river.  October  8,  1879,  he  came 
to  Aurora,  and  began  working  in  the  foundry.  He  continued  up  to  1880, 
at  which  time  he  began  with  his  present  employers,  and  has  been  with 
them  ever  since.  He  was  married  July  5,  1875,  to  Miss  Clara  A.  Robin- 
son, of  Florence,  Switzerland  Co.,  Ind.,  who  was  born  April  25, 
1856.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  this  marriage:  Roy  J.  and 
Pearl.  Mr.  Stodghill  is  a  member  of  the  Lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  at 
Patriot,  Ind. 

WILLIAM  STOPHER,  Randolph  Township,  one  of  the  oldest  resi- 
dents of  Ohio  County,  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1810.  His  parents,  Mathias  and  Mary  (Black)  Stopher,  were 
natives  of  Virginia  and  Maryland  respectively,  his  father  moving  to 
Pennsylvania  after  growing  to  maturity  in  his  native  State.  In  earlier 
years  Mary  Black  had  moved  from  Maryland  to  Pennsylvania, 
and  there  she  and  Mr.  Stopher  were  married.  In  1818  they 
came  with  their  children  to  Rising  Sun,  and  Mr.  Stopher  took  a 
lease  of  land  for  five  years,  after  which  he  purchased  a  tract  of  his  own 
which,  by  the  aid  of  his  sons,  he  cultivated  till  his  death,  which  occurred 
between  his  seventy-fiftli  and  eightieth  year.  His  widow  lived  to  the 
remarkable  age  of  more  than  one  hundred  years.  Of  their  ten  children, 
six  are  still  living,  our  subject,  William  Stopher,  being  the  oldest.  He 
was  eight  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Ohio  County.  The  years  of  his 
minority  were  passed  on  the  farm,  under  the  guidance  of  his  parents. 
He  then  spent  about  half  his  time  for  a  period  of  ten  years  in  flat-boat- 
ing, making  several  trips  to  the  Crescent  City,  He  then  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  exclusively  till  his  failing  strength  compelled  him 
to  retire  from  active  business  and  labor.  Mr.  Stopher  was  married,  when 


924  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

about  thirty  years  of  age,  to  Miss  Sallie  Clark,  who  was  born  on  his 
present  farm  in  the  year  1815.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Eliza- 
beth (McCullum)  Clark,  who  were  very  early  settlers  of  Ohio  County,  and 
natives  of  Virginia.  On  the  death  of  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Stopher 
purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  has  since  resided,  and  to  which  he  has 
since  added  100  acres,  his  wife  receiving  her  portion  of  her  father's  estate. 
He  has  been  quite  successful  in  his  business,  but  the  competency  which 
he  has  gained  has  been  obtained  only  by  a  long  life  of  hard  labor.  Mrs. 
Stopher,  after  maijy  years  of  faithful  duty  as  a  wife  and  mother,  passed 
away  about  1877,  and  Mr.  S.  is  now  residing  with  his  son,  who  conducts 
the  farm.  Four  children  are  still  living:  Mathias,  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
George  B.  Gibson;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Myric  Hastings,  and  Stephen.  Mr. 
Stopher  recalls  with  pleasure  the  long,  hard  struggles  of  his  busy  life, 
and  is  cheerful  in  the  enjoyment  of  its  well-earned  comforts. 

S.  STRASBURGER,  one  of  the  leading  dry  goods  merchants  of 
Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  nativeof  Fi-ance,  born  in  1837.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
years  he  immigrated  to  America  and  located  in  Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  where 
he  was  employed  as  cabin  boy  on  the  steam  boat  "Diurnal,"  plying  between 
Pittsburgh  and  Wheeling.  After  two  years  (1854)  he  moved  West  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  for  about  seven  years  engaged  in  mining  in  California, 
with  fair  success.  He  then  returned  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  married 
Emma  Adler  in  February,  1865,  and  settled  down  to  a  permanent  resi- 
dence and  business.  He  began  the  dry  goods  trade  in  1864,  adding  a 
stock  of  boots  and  shoes  about  two  years  later,  and  from  that  time  to  the 
present  has  kept  one  of  the  leading  stores  of  Lawrenceburgh,  al^vays 
giving  his  entire  attention  to  his  business  interests.  Mrs.  Sti'asburger 
is  a  daughter  of  Henry  Adler,  a  prominent  merchant  of  Lawrenceburgh 
for  twenty  years,  now  a  resident  of  Cincinnati.  They  have  one  child, 
Rosa.  Mr.  Strasburger  has  been  twenty- three  years  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  afiiliates  with  the  Republican  party. 

ELDER  WILLIAM  P.  STRATTON,  see  page  185. 

W.  H.  SULLIVAN,  M.  D.,  Rising  Sun,  is  a  native  of  Mason  County, 
Ky.,  born  in  1822.  His  parents,  Austin  and  Catharine  (Hiles)  Sullivan, 
were  both  born  in  the  same  State.  His  mother  died  in  1855  in  her 
eighty- fourth  year.  In  his  early  days  his  father  was  a  farmer,  and  later 
in  life  turned  his  attention  to  building  flat-boats,  operating  a  large  force 
of  men.  Dr.  Sullivan  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm.  He  was  educated 
in  the  Transylvania  University  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  graduated  in  the 
medical  department  of  that  institution,  March  3,  1848.  He  immedi- 
ately entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  locating  in  Rising  Sun 
during  the  first  year  of  his  practice.  Having  been  a  regular  practitioner 
here  for  almost  forty  years.  Dr.  S.  has  built  up  a  considerable  reputa- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  925 

tion  for  skillfulness  in  his  profession,  especially  in  the  treatment  of 
throat  diseases.  The  Doctor  was  married  in  1849  to  Miss  Mary  Jelley, 
daughter  of  Major  Jelly,  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  this  locality.  Of 
their  four  children  but  one  is  living — William  L.  Dr.  Sullivan  owns  a 
good  farm,  but  devotes  almost  all  his  time  and  attention  to  his  profes- 
sion. Since  his  seventeenth  year  he  has  been  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  society  Mi's.  Sullivan  is  also  a 
member. 

GEORGE  SUTTON,  M.  D.,  physician  and  surgeon,  Aurora,  was 
born  in  London,  England,  June  16,  1812.  His  parents  were  George 
and  Elizabeth  (Ives)  Sutton,  who  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1819.  The  former  was  born  in  London,  England,  March  1,  1788. 
They  spent  the  winters  of  1819  and  1820  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and 
in  the  spring  of  the  latter  year  the  family  removed  to  a  farm  in  the 
valley  of  the  Whitewater,  in  Franklin  County,  Ind.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  of  a  literary  turn  of  mind,  was  possessed  of  a  good  library 
and  was  remarkable  for  his  memory  and  colloquial  powers.  His  death 
occurred  in  1850.  The  mother  received  her  education  at  one  of  the 
fashionable  boarding  schools  near  London,  England,  and  was  accom- 
plished in  music,  drawing  and  needle  work.  The  Doctor  has  now  a 
piece  of  her  needle  work  representing  an  Egyptian  scene.  It  is  up- 
ward of  eighty  years  old,  adorns  his  parlor  and  is  regarded  as  a  master- 
piece of  art.  Her  death  occurred  in  1827.  Young  Sutton  received  such 
educational  advantages  as  the  times  and  neighborhood  then  afforded — 
the  day  of  the  old  log-cabin  schoolhouse.  He  was  fond  of  field  sport 
and  became  a  successful  hunter  of  deer  and  wild  turkeys,  then  in  abun- 
dance throughout  that  section  of  the  country.  In  1828  he  was  sent  to 
Miami  University  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  Latin  and  mathematics. 
In  the  winter  of  1832-33  his  father  with  family  removed  to  the  city  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  in  the  following  summer  he  commenced  the  study 
of  medicine  under  Dr.  Jesse  Smith,  which,  however,  was  of  only  short 
duration,  as  his  preceptor  died  suddenly  of  cholera,  then  prevalent  in 
the  city  as  an  epidemic.  Subsequently  he  became  a  pupil  of  Prof.  John 
Eberle,  and  also  attended  a  course  of  private  lectures  given  to  a  small 
class  by  Prof.  S.  D.  Gross,  now  of  Philadelphia.  During  the  winter 
young  Sutton  attended  lectures  at  the  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  and 
spent  most  of  his  time  in  the  spring  and  fall  in  the  dissecting  room.  In 
the  spring  of  1835,  having  been  a  close  student  he  needed  a  change  and 
rest,  and  for  this'purpose  and  also  to  look  at  the  country,  he  made  an  ex- 
cursion with  gun  and  knapsack,  going  from  Cincinnati  by  the  Miami 
Canal  to  St.  Mary's,  down  the  St.  Mary's  River  in  a  flat-boat  to  Fort 
Wayne,  thence  on  foot  to  Huntington.     Here  he  purchased  a  small  canoe 


926  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  floated  down  the  Wabash  to  New  Harmony.  From  Huntington  to 
Logansport  the  river  ran  through  an  almost  unbroken  forest.  He  left 
Huntington  in  the  afternoon,  intending  to  stop  for  the  night  at  La  Grove, 
about  twelve  miles  distant;  but  the  Wabash  was  at  flood  height,  and 
the  branches  of  the  trees  on  either  side  of  the  river  hung  down  in  the 
swift  current,  making  it  safer  to  keep  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  than 
to  attempt  to  stop.  Night  and  a  thunder  storm  coming  on  just  before 
he  reached  La  Grove,  he  saw  the  lights  of  the  town  as  he  floated  by, 
without  attempting  to  land.  By  the  flashes  of  lightning  and  the  wall  of 
trees  on  either  side  of  the  river,  he  kept  in  the  middle  of  the  stream 
until  some  time  in  the  latter  part  of  the  night,  when  he  lodged  on  the  head 
of  an  island.  To  keep  his  canoe  from  turning  he  pushed  his  paddle 
down  in  the  sand,  and  with  his  head  resting  on  its  end  and  an  umbrella 
over  him  he  dozed  till  morning.  At  daylight  he  pushed  away  the  drift- 
wood that  had  lodged  against  the  canoe,  swung  out  into  the  river  and 
resumed  his  journey.  He  stopped  a  short  time  at  Peru,  and  visited  the 
Indian  village,  as  the  natives  at  that  time  had  not  left  the  Reserve.  On 
this  solitary  voyage  of  several  hundred  miles  down  the  Wabash,  he  shot 
wild  turkeys  and  wild  geese,  and  saw  other  game  in  abundance.  As 
night  approached  he  occasionally  built  a  tire  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
made  a  temporary  shelter  and  remained  at  this  camp  until  morning,  then 
embarked  in  his  canoe  and^continued  his  journey.  Invigorated  in  health 
he  returned  to  Cincinnati,  after  an  absence  of  about  two  months,  and  re- 
sumed his  studies. 

The  following  spring  he  graduated  at  the  Ohio  Medical  College  after 
having  attended  three  full  courses  of  lectures,  the  title  of  his  thesis 
being  "The  Relations  between  the  Blood  and  the  Vital  Principle."  In 
the  spring  of  1836  Dr.  Sutton  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Aurora,  Ind.  He  sooa  obtained  an  extensive  practice,  as  there  was  at 
that  time  a  large  amount  of  sickness  on  the  low  malarial  bottom  lands 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Aurora.  June  7,  3838,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Sarah  Folbre,  of  Aurora,  and  by  the  union  four  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter were  born,  out  of  which  number  one  daughter  and  one  son  survive. 
Mrs.  Sutton  died  in  1868.  In  the  winter  of  1838,  Dr.  Sutton,  after 
failing  to  obtain  &  post  mortem  examination  oE  a  case  in  which  he  felt 
much  interested,  wrote  a  series  of  articles  on  the  "Importance  of 
Post  mortem  Examinations  to  the  Public."  These  papers  were  published 
in  the  Dearborn  Democrat  during  the  months  of  December,  January  and 
February,  and  were  his  first  literary  efforts  for  publication.  In  1839  the 
citizens  of  Aurora  celebrated  the  Fourth  of  July  in  grand  style,  and  on 
the  occasion  Dr.  Sutton  was  one  of  the  orators  of  the  day,  and  delivered 
an  address  to  an  audience  of  many  thousands.      In  1840  he  published  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  927 

paper  in  the  American  Journal  of  Medical  Science,  Vol.  XXVI,  on 
"Enlarged  Prostrate  Gland  Connected  with  Thickened  and  Sacculated 
Bladder."  In  the  winter  and  spring  of  1843,  epidemic  erysipelas, 
known  by  the  popular  name  of  "black  tongue,"  prevailed  at  Aurora,  and 
also  in  the  surrounding  country,  in  Dearborn  and  Ripley  Counties. 
Neighboring  physicians  were  attacked  with  the  disease.  It  caused  the 
death  of  one  who  resided  a  few  miles  from  Aurora.  The  only  physician 
in  Wilmington,  a  little  town  two  miles  from  Aurora,  also  had  a  severe 
attack,  and  at  one  time  it  was  thought  would  not  recover.  The  illness 
of  these  physicians  enlarged  the  range  of  practice  for  Dr.  Sutton,  and 
gave  him  an  extensive  experience  with  the  epidemic.  In  the  fall  of 
1843  he  published  his  observations  on  this  epidemic  erysipelas  in  the 
Western  Lancet.  He  directed  attention  to  the  various  forms  assumed  by 
erysipelas.     He  said: 

"This  disease  has  either  assumed  several  characters,  or  we  have  had 
several  epidemics  traversing  the  county  together.  *  *  *  jt 
attacks  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  respiratory  passages,  the  tongue, 
the  gland  of  the  throat,  the  skin  in  the  form  of  erysipelas,  the  lungs 
and  thoracic  viscera,  the  uterus  and  its  appendages  producing  puerperal 
fever,  as  this  last  disease  in  several  places  has  also  accompanied  the 
epidemic." 

At  the  time  this  paper  was  published  these  were  advanced  views.  The 
paper  immediately  atti-acted  attention,  and  extracts  from  it  were  repub- 
lished in  medical  journals,and  also  in  "Copland's  Medical  Dictionary, "and 
it  was  reprinted  in  full  in  Bell's  edition  of  "Nunnerly  on  Erysipelas."  Dr. 
Sutton  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  formation  and  growth  of  the 
Dearborn  County  Medical  Society,  which  now  ranks  among  the  most 
prosperous  county  medical  societies  in  the  State.  In  the  spring  of  1844 
he  issued  a  circular,  which  was  sent  to  physicians  in  Dearborn  and  ad- 
joining counties,  and  the  first  meeting  of  the  first  medical  society  formed 
in  Dearborn  County  was  organized  at  his  residence  in  Aurora  on  the  first 
Monday  in  June,  1844.  At  this  time  he  had  a  large  and  lucrative  prac- 
tice, and  gave  much  attention  to  surgery.  He  was  frequently  selected  to 
deliver  public  addresses,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  temperance 
movement.  In  the  summer  of  1849  cholera  made  its  appearance  at 
Aurora  in  its  most  malignant  form.  His  labor  was  incessant  night  and 
day,  and  while  attending  patients  he  was  suddenly  attacked  with  the  dis- 
ease himself.  This  was  about  2  o'clock  in  the  morning.  He  had  been 
up  during  the  whole  night,  and  for  a  number  in  succession  his  rest  had 
been  broken.  The  epidemic  was  most  violent  in  that  portion  of  the  town 
in  which  he  resided.  More  than  half  of  his  immediate  neighbors  died. 
His  whole  family  were  stricken  down  one  after  another.     His  eldest  son 


928  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

died  after  ouly  a  few  hours'  illness,  and  his  youngest  son  sank  into  col- 
lapse so  low  that  his  recovery  was  despaired  of  for  nearly  twenty-four 
hours.  Dr.  Sutton  partially  recovered  from  the  attack,  and  although 
feeble  and  emaciated,  again  assisted,  as  far  as  he  was  able,  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  sick.  The  distress  and  anxiety  of  the  citizens  of  Aurora  at 
this  time  can  scarcely  be  realized,  for,  in  the  midst  of  the  pestilence, 
the  destruction  of  the  town  by  fire  seemed  at  one  time  to  be  almost  in- 
evitable. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  while  Dr.  Sutton  was  rendering  all  the  assist- 
ance that  he  could  in  his  feeble  health,  at  the  bedside  of  a  patient  in  the 
collapse  stage  of  cholera,  the  alarm  of  fire  was  given,  and  he  was  hur- 
riedly called  from  this  patient  to  attend  one  of  the  citizens  who  had 
received  fatal  injviries  and  burns  at  the  conflagration.  The  flames  for  a 
time  were  uncontrolable,  and  the  destruction  of  property  was  great.  A 
large  planing-mill,  distillery,  corn-house  and  a  number  of  other  build- 
ings were  destroyed.  Seeing  the  difficulty  citizens  occasionally  had  in 
procuring  a  physician  to  attend  immediately  on  the  sick,  Dr.  Sutton, 
while  convalescing  from  his  illness,  issued  in  pamphlet  form  for  gratui- 
tous circulation:  "A  Summary  of  the  Symptoms  and  Treatment  of  Asiatic 
Cholera,''  intended  for  a  guide  in  the  treatment  of  the  disease  until  a 
physician  could  be  procured.  In  1852  he  delivered  a  Fourth  of  July 
oration  at  Aurora  "On  the  Danger  of  Dissolution  of  the  Union  from  the 
Question  of  Slavery,"  which  oration  was  published  in  the  newspapers 
and  in  pamphlet  form.  The  danger  of  civil  war,  which  occurred  nine 
years  afterward,  was  forcibly  predicted.  This  year  he  joined  the  Indiana 
State  Medical  Society,  and  was  appointed  chairman  of  a  committee  to 
report  on  the  "medical  history  of  cholera  in  Indiana."  He  issued  a 
circular,  which  he  sent  to  physicians  throughout  the  State.  It  contained 
a  series  of  questions  with  blank  spaces  for  answers.  He  succeeded  in 
obtaining  answers  and  communications  from  forty-six  physicians,  show- 
ing the  extent  to  which  the  epidemic  had  prevailed  in  thirty-eight 
counties.  A  number  of  these  communications  were  from  the  most  em- 
inent practitioners  in  the  State,  and  the  report,  it  is  believed,  contains 
the  largest  amount  of  trustworthy  information  concerning  the  prevalence 
of  Asiatic  cholera  within  the  State  of  Indiana  that  has  yet  been  published. 
The  report  was  presented  to  the  State  Medical  Society  at  its  meeting  in 
May,  1853,  and  is  published  in  its  transactions.  In  that  report  he 
advocated  the  view  that  cholera  was  an  infectious  disease,  and  was  dif- 
fused over  the  globe  by  human  agency.  He  also  advanced  the  idea  that 
cholera,  like  other  diseases,  presents  difi'erent  grades  of  severity;  and 
that  the  choleraic  diarrhoea,  which  at  that  time  was  regarded  as  a  pre- 
monitory system  only,   was  in  reality  a  mild  form  of  the  disease.      He 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  929 

divided  cholera  into  four  phases:  the  form  of  diarrhoea;  the  form  of 
dysentery;  a  mild  form  resembling  cholera  morbus;  and  the  malignant 
form,  where  there  was  failure  of  the  circulation,  in  connection  with 
vomiting  and  purging,  blueness  of  the  skin,  cramps  etc.  He  argues  at 
some  length  to  show  how  the  disease  may  be  spread  over  the  country  by 
persons  laboring  under  diarrhoea,  and  how  difficult  it  is  to  trace  the  man- 
ner of  its  diffusion.  (See  page  168,  Transactions  of  Indiana  State  Med- 
ical Society.)  He  also  advanced  the  idea,  which  has  since  become  wide- 
ly believed,  that  infection  arose  from  the  evacuations;  and  he  directed 
attention  to  the  local  malignancy  of  cholera,  and  how  this  local  malig- 
nancy may  arise  from  the  accumulation  of  infection,  either  from  the 
soiled  clothes  or  bedding  of  the  sick,  or  from  throwing  the  cholera  evac- 
uations upon  the  ground.  (See 'pages  162,  163  and  164.)  He  says  in 
that  report  that  "six  or  seven  hours  before  the  first  case  terminated 
fatally,  the  evacuations  from  the  bowels  passed  involuntarily  into  the 
bed;  consequently,  the  bed  and  straw  became  saturated  with  these 
discharges.  Immediately  after  the  death  of  this  patient  the  straw  in 
this  bed  was  emptied  upon  a  vacant  lot  on  the  west  side  of  this  house. 
Now,  if  we  can  conceive  that  from  this  straw  there  emanated  a  poison 
capable  of  producing  cholera,  that  portion  of  the  town,  which  became 
infected  is  just  that  portion  which  a  vapor,  emanating  from  this  place, 
would  be  most  likely  to  pass  over."  Continuing  to  discuss  this  subject 
through  several  pages,  he  says: 

"When  the  disease  prevails,  each  house  at  which  a  fatal  case  has 
occured  becomes  a  source  of  infection — first  from  the  patient,  next  from 
the  bed  and  bedding,  and  also  from  the  excretions,  which  from  their 
watery  appearance  are  generally  emptied  on  the  ground."  (Seepage  163.) 

He  believed  that  cholera  could  be  spread  through  the  community 
from  the  clothing  of  an  individual  being  slightly  soiled  by  this  painless 
or  choleraic  diarrhoea,  while  the  person  himself  wearing  the  clothing, 
although  laboring  under  an  infectious  diarrhoea  would  scarcely  be  aware 
that  he  was  unwell.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  views  were 
formed  in  1849,  to  account  for  the  introduction  and  prevalence  of  cholera 
at  Aurora.  They  were  presented  to  the  profession  in  May,  1853,  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Indiana  State  Society.  It  is  believed  that  in  this  report 
is  found  the  first  warning  of  danger  arising  from  cholei-aic  evacuations, 
and  consequently  the  danger  of  throwing  them  upon  the  ground.  Dr. 
Snow,  of  London,  in  1854,  one  year  afterward,  presented  his  theory 
that  cholera  poison  emanated  from  the  evacuations,  but  that  this  poison 
must  be  swallowed,  either  in  drinking  water  or  otherwise,  to  produce  its 
specific  effect.  Dr.  Sutton's  report  is  full  of  original  observations,  and 
is  suggestive  in  the  highest  degree.     It  was   read  to   the  society  at  a 

57 


930  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

morning  session,  and,  as  the  views  presented  were  new  at  that  time,  it 
was  made  the  order  of  the  day  at  '2  o'clock  for  discussion.  It  was 
taken  up,  and  "discussed  at  large  by  Drs.  Harding,  Moffatt,  Lomax,  Bobbs, 
Clark,  Kilter,  Keid,  Demming,  Mears,  Yeakle,  Sutton  and  other  mem- 
bers of  the  society,  when  the  report  was  referred  to  the  committee  on 
publication,  and  the  committee  requested  to  continue  the  investigation,  and. 
report  at  the  next  session.''  On  motion  of  Dr.  Lomax,  the  thanks  of  the 
society  were  "tendered  to  Dr.  Sutton  for  his  able  and  interesting  report 
on  the  medical  history  of  the  cholera,"  (see  pages  12  and  13,  ibid).  In 
the  spring  of  1856  he  was  selected  by  Prof.  S.  D.  Gross  as  one  of 
collaborators  for  the  Louisville  Revieiv,  and  also,  in  1857,  for  the  North 
American  Medico -Chirurgical  Review,  published  at  Philadelphia.  To 
both  of  these  journals  he  contributed  papers.  This  year  he  furnished  a 
report  to  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  on  erysipelas,  which  is  pub- 
lished in  the  transactions  for  1857.  About  this  time  the  remarkable 
epizootic  known  by  the  name  of  "hog-cholera"  made  its  appearance,  not 
only  in  Dearborn  County,  but  in  other  portions  of  the  State,  also  in  Ohio 
and  Kentucky.  The  disease  spread  over  the  county,  and  the  swine  died 
by  hundreds  and  thousands.  But  little  was  definitely'  known  at  that  time 
of  the  nature  of  this  disease.  Some  writers  thought  it  was  a  species  of 
cholera  resembling  the  Asiatic,  from  which  it  took  its  name,  and  depend- 
ed upon  an  "epidemic  influence;"  others,  that  it  arose  from  crowding 
hogs  together  in  the  pens  at  the  large  distilleries.  Some  thought  that 
the  slop  fed  to  hogs  at  the  distilleries  gives  rise  to  the  disease,  but  none 
at  that  time  had  proved  that  it  was  a  contagious  or  infectious  disease. 
Dr.  Sutton  made  a  series  of  experiments;  he  ascertained  the  disease  to  be 
highly  infectious,  that  it  is  self-limited,  that  this  infection  had  a  latent 
period  seldom  exceeding  twenty  days,  and  that  an  attack  exempted  the 
animal  from  a  second.  He  also  presented  evidence  to  show  'that  the 
disease  could  not  be  communicated  to  the  human  system.  From  the 
dissection  of  sixty-seven  hogs,  he  ascertained  that  it  was  not  a  disease 
confined  to  the  alimentary  canal, but  that  nearly  every  tissue  bore  evidence 
of  inflammatory  action.  He  came  to  the  conclusion  that  "this  disease 
appears  to  be  intermediate  between  the  specific  eruptive  diseases  and 
erysipelas,  pai'taking  of  the  nature  of  each,  and  not  having  its  exact  re- 
semblance among  the  diseases  to  which  the  human  system  is  subject." 
The  first  notice  of  these  investigations  was  published  in  the  Cincinnati 
Gazette,  January  14,  1857.  It  was  copied  into  several  agricultural  papers. 
A  more  extended  series  of  experimentu  and  observations  was  published 
in  the  May  (1858),  number  of  the  North  American  Medico- Chirurgical  Re- 
view. Quotations  were  given  in  the  agricultural  reports  and  newspapers, 
and  a  lengthy  review  was  printed  in  the  Sanitary  Review    and   Journal 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  931 

of  Public  Health,  for  October,  1858,  published  in  London,  England,  and 
edited  by  Prof.  B.  W.  Richardson,  M.  D.      Prof.  Richardson  says: 

"In  pursuance  of  our  previous  observations,  we  this  time  offer  some 
account  of  a  remarkable  epizootic  amongst  svs^ine  in  the  United  States  of 
America.  We  had  heard  of  the  disease  incidentally  at  our  last  issue, 
but  not  with  sufficient  accuracy  of  detail  to  warrant  any  description. 
This  quarter  we  are  more  fortunate.  The  North  American  Medico-  Chi- 
rurgical  Review  for  May, contains  an  able  article  on  the  subject  from  the 
pen  of  Dr.  George  Sutton,  of  Aurora,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.  Dr.  Sutton 
has  made  a  long  series  of  researches  on  the  epizootic,  and  has  contributed 
a  paper  which  will  not  soon  be  lost  in  the  rolls  of  scientific  history. 
From  this  paper  we  shall  borrow  in  full  all  the  information  as  to  the 
origin, nature  and  transmission  of  the  new  disease- visitor."  In  concluding 
a  very  lengthy  review,  Dr.  Richardson  says:  "We  place  its  history,  there- 
fore, before  our  epidmeioiogists,  as  a  record  of  great  importance,  and  in 
doing  so  we  beg  to  offer  to  Dr.  Sutton  our  respectful  and  earnest  appre- 
ciation of  his  laborious  and  carefully  conducted  researches."  Twenty- 
odd  years  have  passed  away  since  these  investigations  were  made,  and 
time  has  confirmed  the  correctness  of  the  conclusions  then  arrived  at.  The 
epizootic  still  prevails  and  may  now  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable known  to  have  occurred  upon  our  globe.  Millions  on  millions 
of  swine  have  died  from  the  disease,  producing  a  loss  to  our  country 
almost  incalculable.  When  the  history  of  this  epizootic  comes  to  be 
wx'itten,  it  will  be  found  that  the  researches  of  Dr.  Sutton  were  the  first 
that  unraveled  the  mysteries  surrounding  the  disease,  and  gave  the  prop- 
er direction  for  further  investigation.  Having  had  much  experience 
with  scarlatina  in  its  most  malignant  form,  he  published  in  the  North 
American  Medico-Chirurgical  Revieiv  for  November,  1857,  his  observa- 
tions on  the  diversity  of  symptoms  in  scarlatina  maligna.  He  directed 
attention  to  the  four  following  modifications:  1.  Where  the  system  is 
suddenly  prostrated  at  the  commencement  of  the  disease,  as  if  from  a 
severe  shock  upon  the  organic  nervous  system.  2.  Where  the  violence 
of  the  disease  is  directed  to  the  brain,  producing  congestion  or  inflam- 
mation of  that  organ.  3.  Where  the  alimentaiy  canal  is  the  principal  seat 
of  irritation,  producing  symptoms  resembling  a  violent  cholera  morbus. 
4.  Where  the  disease  is  principally  directed  to  the  throat  and  respiratory 
passages.  He  presented  cases  to  show  that  these  symptoms  were  occa- 
sionally as  distinct  as  those  upon  which  scarlatina  is  divided  into,  the 
mild,  the  anginose,  and  the  malignant  varieties.  Dr.  Sutton  was  fond 
of  the  natural  sciences,  and,  although  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  he  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time  to  their  study  and  inves- 
tigation.    In  1859  he  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  on  geology,  embrac- 


932  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

ing  the  physical  history  of  his  own  neighborhood,  with  which,  from 
careful  study,  he  had  made  himself  familiar.  These  lectures  were  de- 
livered in  behalf  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  advisory  committee  for  Indiana  (see  Mount  Vernon  i^ecord 
for  May,  1859).  A  synopsis  of  these  lectures  was  published  in  the  Aurora 
Commercial  at  the  time.  This  year  he  sent  to  the  secretary  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institute  his  observations  of  the  great  Auroral  display  of  Septem- 
ber 1  and  2,  1859.  Prof.  Henry  sent  extracts  from  this  paper  for  publi- 
cation to  the  American  Journal  of  Science  and  Arts  (SilUmayi^s  Journal), 
which  may  be  seen  in  the  November  number  for  1860,  page  354.  In 
1862,  a  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Pittsbiirgh  Landing  (Shiloh),  Tenn., 
he  offered  his  services  to  the  United  States  Sanitary  Committee,  visited 
the  field  of  battle,  and  was  assigned  the  surgical  ward  of  one  of  the  hos- 
pital boats,  which  were  at  that  time  conveying  the  wounded  and  sick  from 
the  field  of  battle  to  the  hospital  at  New  Albany,  Louisville,  etc.  During 
the  same  year  he  wrote  a  series  of  articles  of  local  interest  on  the  finan- 
cial complications  of  the  city  of  Aurora  with  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi 
Kailroad  and  certain  individuals.  The  papers  were  published  in  the 
Aurora  Commercial  and  presented  the  subject  of  dispute  in  so  clear  a 
form  that  at  the  next  election,  he  was  brought  out  as  a  candidate  for 
mayor,  and,  although  contrary  to  his  own  wishes,  was  elected  by  an 
almost  unanimous  vote,  only  twenty- four  votes  out  of  the  whole  city 
being  cast  for  the  opposing  candidate. 

He  was  elected  three  times  in  succession,  the  last  time  without  op- 
position. He  refused  to  serve  longer,  as  the  office  interfered  with  the 
duties  of  his  profession.  In  1866  as  cholera  was  again  approaching 
the  county,  he  published  a  summary  of  observation  on  cholera,  in  which 
he  reitei'ated  the  views,  presented  in  1853,  with  additional  observations. 
{See  Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter,  of  Philadelphia  for  April  14,  1866.) 
In  August,  1866,  cholera  was  again  introduced  into  the  city  of  Aurora. 
The  experience  which  the  citizens  had  had  with  this  disease  caused  the 
city  council  to  give  the  board  of  health  unlimited  power  to  prevent  its 
spread.  Dr.  Sutton,  being  a  firm  believer  in  the  efficacy  of  sanitary 
measures,  and  the  power  in  a  great  measure  to  "stamp  out"  the  disease, 
superintended,  as  president  of  that  board,  the  disinfection  of  all  the 
houses  and  premises,  at  which  the  disease  had  appeared;  and  a  general 
system  of  disinfection  over  the  whole  city  was  adopted.  The  disease  was 
confined  to  a  small  locality,  and  only  twelveldeaths  occurred.  In  1877  he 
presented  a  report  to  the  Indiana  State  Medical  society  on  cholera,  show- 
ing its  introduction  and  the  extent  to  which  it  prevailed  in  Dearborn, 
Ohio,  and  Kipley  Counties,  Ind.,  in  1866.  (See  Transactions  of  Indiana 
State  Medical  Society  for  1867.)     In  1868  he  presented  another   report 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  933 

to  the  State  society,  the  object  of  which  was  to  show  that  cholera  was  not 
a  zymotic  or  blood  disease,  in  which  the  poison  germ  is  redeveloped 
within  the  blood,  but  that  its  development  was  from  the  mucous  mem- 
brane of  the  alimentary  canal,  and  that  the  presence  of  the  poison  germ 
within  the  mucous  membrane  poisons  the  nerves  of  the  part,  and  this 
abnormal  condition  favors  its  re- development  by  producing  a  local 
hypersemia  of  the  tissue,  from  which  it  is  produced.  (Transactions  of 
Indiana  State  Medical  Society  for  1868.)  This  year  he  also  published  a 
new  method  of  reducing  dislocation  of  the  hip-joint,  by  using  the 
femur  as  a  lever  over  a  fulcrum  placed  in  the  groin.  The  paper  was 
delayed  in  its  publication,  but  appeared  in  the  number  of  the  Western 
Journal  of  Medicine  published  at  Indianapolis  in  September,  1868,  in 
1869  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society,  an 
honor  he  highly  appreciated,  as  he  was  not  even  present  that  year  at  the 
meeting  of  the  society  over  which  he  was  chosen  to  preside.  Dr.  Sutton 
has  full  faith  in  the  mission  of  the  medical  profession  to  prevent  and 
cure  disease;  and,  as  president  in  1870  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical 
Society,  he  delivered  an  address,  in  which  he  discussed  the  power  which 
mind  has  over  the  laws  of  nature,  and  that  medicines  were  means,  when 
properly  used,  by  which  we  could  aid  and  control  the  laws  of  human  life. 
(See  Transactions  of  Indian  State  Medical  Society  for  1870.)  In  1871 
he  attended  the  meeting  of  the  American  Medical  Association  at  San 
Francisco,  Cal.,  as  a  delegate  from  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society, 
and  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  section  on  medical  topography, 
meteorology  and  epidemics.  He  wrote  letters  describing  his  trip  to 
California,  which  were  published  in  the  Dearborn /ndependen^.  In  1872 
he  attended  the  meeting  of  the  American  Medical  Association  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  presided  over  the  section  on  medical  topography,  meteoro- 
logy and  epidemics.  Valuable  papei's  were  read  before  the  section, 
which  are  published  in  the  transactions.  He  was  re-appointed  chairman 
of  the  same  section  for  1873.  (See  Transactions  of  the  American  Medi- 
cal Association  for  1871  and  1872.)  In  1873  he  attended  the  meeting  of 
the  American  Medical  Association  at  St.  Louis,  and  presided  over  the 
section  on  psychology,  medical  jurisprudence,  physiology  and  hygiene. 
(See  Transactions  of  the  American  Medical  Association  for  1873.)  This 
year  he  presented  to  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society,  a  lengthy  report 
on  the  medical  topography  and  diseases  of  Indiana.  He  sent  circulars  to 
a  large  number  of  physicians,  and  procured  valuable  information  relating 
to  this  subject  in  forty-two  counties,  and  also  the  prevailing,  diseases. 
(See  Transactions  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  for  1873.)  In 
August,  1873,  cholera  was  again  introduced  into  the  city  of  Aurora.  The 
Board  of  Health,  of    which  he  was  president,  adopted  the  same  vigorous 


934  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

course  of  disinfection  that  was  pursued  in  1866,  and  with  the  same  ex- 
cellent effects.  There  was  the  most  conclusive  evidence  of  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  disease  this  year  into  the  city  by  infection,  and  its  spread 
throughout  the  county  by  human  agency. 

He  read  a  paper  before  the  society  of  Natural  History  at  Cincinnati, 
the  object  of  which  was  to  show  that  we  occasionally  haye  local  thunder- 
storms which  present  evidence  of  a  strong  wind  blowing  outwardly  in 
all  directions  from  the  center.  This  paper  was  published  in  the  Amer- 
ican Journal  of  Science  and  Arts  (see  July  number  for  1873).  In  1874 
he  made  the  discovery  that  hogs  in  the  neighborhood  of  Aurora  were 
infected  with  trichinae.  He  was  also  called  to  attend  a  number  of  cases 
of  trichinosis,  produced  from  eating  diseased  pork.  He  published  sev- 
eral articles  on  this  subject  in  the  Aurora  i^^armer  ayid  Mechanic.  These 
contributions  were  republished  in  the  Cincinnati  Commercial,  Gazette, 
and  Enquirer,  and  other  papers,  in  January  and  February,  1874.  He 
continued  his  investigations,  and  in  May,  1875,  presented  a  report  on 
trichinosis  to  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society.  In  this  report  he 
directed  attention  to  the  fact,  which  he  had  discovered,  that  from  three 
to  ten  per  cent  of  the  hogs  in  southeastern  Indiana  were  infected  with 
trichinae,  the  number  of  hogs  diseased  varying  greatly  in  different  locali- 
ties; and  also  that  it  was  highly  probable  that  trichinous  pork  was  one 
of  the  causes  of  gastro-enteritis,  diarrhoea  and  dysentery — diseases  so 
prevalent  in  our  country.  (See  Transactions  of  the  Indiana  Medical 
Society  for  1875;  also  extracts  republished  in  the  London  Lancet  and  a 
large  number  of  medical  journals.)  On  the  21st  of  December,  1874,  he 
read  a  paper  before  the  Academy  of  Medicine  at  Cincinnati  on  "  The 
Fulcrum  as  an  aid  to  Manipulation  in  the  Reduction  of  Dislocation." 
He  directed  attention  to  its  assistance  in  the  reduction  of  dislocation  of 
the  hip-joint,  as  well  as  its  aid  to  manipulation  without  force  in  the 
reduction  of  dislocations  of  the  shoulder-joint.  (See  Clinic  for  January 
2  and  9,  1875.)  In  the  Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter  for  January  23, 
1875,  he  published  his  second  case  of  successful  reduction  of  dislocation 
of  the  hip- joint  by  manipulating  the  femur  over  a  fulcrum.  This  case 
had  resisted  the  usual  methods  recommended  to  effect  the  purpose,  but 
was  reduced  by  this  plan  in  a  few  moments.  In  May,  1876,  he  read  a 
paper  before  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  on  the  manner  of  reduc- 
ing dislocations  of  the  hip-joint.  In  this  paper  he  presents  seven  rules 
to  guide  in  the  reduction  of  the  different  forms  of  dislocation  of  the 
hip-joint  by  manipulations  over  a  fulcrum.  He  presented  additional 
cases  of  success  in  the  April  and  also  in  the  September  numbers  of  the 
American  Practitioner  for  1876.  One  of  these  cases  was  of  twenty- 
eight  days'  standing,  and  had  resisted  all  efforts  to  effect  reduction.     On 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  935 

the  18th  of  November,  1876,  he  reduced,  at  the  Philadelphia  Hospital,  a 
dislocation  of  the  hip-joinl  of  ninety-eight  days'  duration.  From  its 
long  standing  and  the  extensive  adhesions  which  had  formed,  and  from 
the  fact  that  it  had  resisted  all  the  scientific  efforts  made  at  this  hospital 
to  effect  reduction,  he  regards  this  as  a  most  conclusive  test  case,  and  as 
establishing  beyond  all  doubt  the  efficacy  of  this  mode  of  reducing  dis- 
locations of  the  hip-joint.  His  son,  Dr.  H.  H.  Sutton,  assisted  in  the 
reduction  and  made  this  case  the  subject  of  his  thesis,  as  he  was  at  that 
time  attending  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  and  graduated  in  the 
spring  of  1877.  Dr.  H.  H.  Sutton  watched  the  case  from  the  time  of 
its  reduction  up  to  the  10th  of  March,  when  the  man  was  able  to  go 
about.  The  hospital  record  shows  that  he  was  discharged  cured.  In  the 
summer  of  1877  Dr.  Sutton  published  additional  evidence  of  the  efficacy 
of  this  mode  of  reducing  dislocation  of  the  hip  joint.  (See  Cincinnati 
Lancet  and  Observer  for  September,  1879.)  On  the  23d  of  February, 
1875,  he  read  a  paper  before  the  Dearborn  County  Medical  Society  on 
the  fulcrum  as  an  aid  in  manipulating  without  resorting  to  force  in  the 
reduction  of  dislocation  of  the  shoulder-joint.  (See  records  of  the 
society  for  February  23,  1875.)  Dr.  Sutton  had  succeeded  in  reducing 
several  cases  of  dislocation  of  the  shoulder- joint  by  the  method  proposed, 
but  did  not  regard  them  as  test  cases. 

June  25,  1878,  Dr.  H.  C.  Vincent,  of  (iui If ord,  president  of  the  Dear- 
born County  Medical  Society,  brought  before  the  society  a  patient  in 
which  the  humerus  was  dislocated  on  the  10th  of  March,  and  had 
resisted  all  the  usual  efforts  to  effect  reduction  by  extension  and  counter- 
extension,  with  a  ball  or  fulcrum  in  the  axilla.  From  its  long  stauding, 
extensive  adhesions  and  the  unsuccessful  efforts  that  had  already  been 
made  to  effect  reduction,  it  was  thought  by  a  number  of  the  members, 
that  no  further  effort  should  be  made  to  effect  reduction.  As  Dr.  Sutton 
was  not  present  that  day  at  the  society,  it  was  decided  to  take  the  patient 
to  Aurora,  on  Thursday,  June  27,  and  if  reduction  should  be  attempted, 
this,  at  least,  would  be  a  test  case  for  the  plan  which  he  had  presented  to 
the  society.  The  man  lived  about  twelve  miles  from  Aurora,  and  on  the 
day  appointed.  Dr.  H.  C.  Vincent,  accompanied  by  the  patient  and  by 
Dr.  T.  M.  Kyle,  of  Manchester,  and  also  Dr.  W.  C.  Henry,  Dr.  R.  C. 
Bond  and  Dr.  H.  H.  Sutton,  met  at  the  office  of  Dr.  Sutton.  The  dislo- 
cation was  of  110  days'  duration,  and  difficulty  was  anticipated.  The 
patient  was  brought  under  the  influence  of  chloroform,  and,  assisted  by 
these  gentlemen,  Dr.  Sutton  reduced  the  dislocation,  by  his  peculiar  mode 
of  manipulating,  in  less  than  tive  minutes.  Three  months  the  patient 
was  again  brought  to  the  society  by  Dr.  Vincent,  perfectly  recovered, 
with  perfect  use  of  his  arm,  showing  that  this  plan  of  reducing  disloca- 


936  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

tion  of  the  shoulder-joint  is,  at  least,  worthy  of  a  trial.  As  a  member 
of  the  committee  on  necrology  in  the  American  Medical  Association,  he 
presented  biographical  sketches  of  Drs.  Isaac  Casselberry,  Thomas  Fry, 
James  P.  Debruler,  and  also  G.  W.  Mears.  (See  transactions  of  the 
American  Medical  Association  for  1875  and  1880.)  He  has  also  furnished 
a  number  of  biographical  sketches  of  physicians  of  this  region  of  coun- 
try. At  the  meeting  of  the  American  Association  for  the  advancement 
of  Science,  held  in  Buffalo  in  August,  1876,  he  read  a  paper  on  the 
"  evidence  in  Boone  County,  Ky.,  of  glacial  or  ice  deposits  of  two  distinct 
and  widely  distant  periods."  This  paper  was  published  in  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  association  of  1876,  and  reviewed  in  the  American  Journal 
of  Science,  for  September,  1877,  page  239,  and  also  republished  in  full 
in  the  geological  report  of  Indiana  for  1878.  In  1878  he  read  a  paper 
before  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  on  "Placenta  Praevia  and  its 
Treatment,"  which  was  published  in  the  tx'ansactions  of  the  society  for 
1878,  and  also  in  pamphlet  form.  In  this  paper  he  suggested  the  impor- 
tance of  collecting  statistics  on  this  subject,  which  has  since  been  done. 
He  kept  a  meteorological  journal  for  over  thirty  years,  and  furnished  to 
the  Smithsonian  Institute  regular  meteorological  observations  for  many 
years.  (See  Smithsonian  reports  from  1859  to  1873.)  Dr.  Sutton  is  an 
independent  thinker;  has  been  remarkable  for  his  indefatigable  energy, 
industry  and  love  of  science.  Although  engaged  in  a  large  practice  in 
the  different  branches  of  his  profession,  he  found  time  to  devote  a  portion 
of  his  attention  to  geology,  meteorology  and  archaeology,  and  also  to 
write  for  the  newspapers  on  a  great  variety  of  subjects.  Some  of  those 
articles  were  his  best  productions.  He  has  written  on  sanitary  science, 
scarlatina,  cholera,  geology,  a  series  of  articles  on  the  graded  school  sys- 
tem, railroad  obligations  of  Aurora,  excursion  to  Niagara  Falls,  to  Can- 
ada, to  California,  and  other  articles  too  numerous  to  mention.  He  has 
been  selected  as  orator  for  a  large  number  of  public  celebrations,  and 
has  delivered  addresses  and  orations,  many  of  which  were  published  in 
pamphlet  form.  As  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  college  of 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Indiana,  he  delivered  an  address  to  the  grad- 
uating class  of  Indianapolis  in  1877,  and  also  in  1878,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Indianapolis  papers.  (See  Sentinel  and  Indianapolis  Jour- 
nal of  February  22,  1878.)  He  has  given  much  attention  to  the  micro- 
scope, and  has  made  valuable  discoveries  and  suggestions  on  trichinse 
and  trichinosis,  to  which  allusion  has  already  been  made.  He  has  made 
surgery  a  specialty,  is  an  expert  operator,  and  has  had  a  large  surgical 
practice.  The  machine  shops  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Kailway  are 
situated  near  Aurora,  and,  as  might  be  expected,  many  accidents  occur 
at  them,  requiring  prompt  surgical  aid.     Much  of  this  has  fallen  to  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL.   SKETCHES.  937 

care,  and  he  has  performed  a  large  variety  of  surgical  operations.  His 
suggestions  in  relation  to  the  reduction  of  dislocations  have  been  exten- 
sively republished,  and  Prof.  Pooley,  in  the  Practitioner  of  December, 
1876,  says: 

"It  seems  to  me,  therefore,  that  we  are  indebted  to  Dr.  Sutton  for  a 
valuable  improvement;  and  I  do  not  know  a  more  beautiful  and  philo- 
sophical piece  of  practical  surgery  than  the  reduction  of  a  dislocated  hip 
by  Dr.  Reid's  manipulation,  performed  over  Sutton's  fulcrum." 

Dr.  Sutton  is  remarkable  for  his  independence  in  thought  and  action. 
He  has  had  the  confidence  of  the  public  for  nearly  a  half  century  and 
from  an  extensive  and  consulting  practice  and  lucrative  business  as 
surgeon  and  physician  has,  although  a  poor  collector,  been  able  to  acquire 
ample  means  to  live  comfortably  in  his  old  age.  He  has  always  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  the  subject  of  education;  was  connected  with  the  board  of 
school  trustees  of  Aurora  for  over  sixteen  years,  and  was  instrumental  in 
erecting  at  Aurora  one  of  the  finest  school  buildings  in  southeastern 
Indiana.  He  directed  his  attention  many  years  ago  to  the  antiquities 
of  his  neighborhood — made  notes  and  drew  sketches  of  the  fortifications 
and  earthworks  then  to  be  seen,  as  it  was  evident  that  from  the  progress 
of  improvement  all  trace  of  these  monuments  would,  in  time,  be  lost.  He 
made  collections  of  the  antiquities,  fossils  and  geological  specimens 
found  in  the  neighborhood  of  Aurora,  and  has  now  a  cabinet  of  many 
thousand  specimens  valuable  for  their  local  interest.  He  has  a  fine 
equatorial  telescope,  five  feet  long,  object  glass,  three  and  one-half 
inches,  finely  mounted  for  celestial  observations,  which  he  places  at  the 
disposal  of  the  astronomical  class  in  the  high  school  of  Aurora.  Sketches 
of  his  life  have  already  been  published  by  the  Rocky  Mountain  Medical 
Association,  and  also  in  the  "Biographical  Sketches  of  Physicians  of 
the  United  States. "  In  the  sketch  of  his  life  in  the  transactions  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Medical  Association,  Dr.  Toner  says  that  "all  of  his 
papers  have  the  rare  merit  of  being  original  and  practical."  In  1881, 
Dr.  Sutton  read  a  paper  before  the  American  Association  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science  on  the  gold  bearing  drift  of  Indiana.  In  this 
paper  he  presents  evidence  to  show  that  this  drift  was  brought  from  the 
northwest.  The  paper  is  published  in  the  transactions  of  the  Associa- 
tion and  also  in  pamphlet  form.  During  the  same  year  he  was  elected  a 
fellow  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science.  In 
1883,  after  the  great  freshet  in  the  Ohio  River,  he  discussed  in  the 
Cincinnati  Commercial,  the  laws  governing  our  great  continental  storms. 
A  theory  was  advocated  at  that  time  that  the  removal  of  the  forests  was 
the  cause  of  our  great  floods  in  the  Ohio  River,  He  endeavored  to  show 
that  the  clearing  of  the  forests  had  but  a  slight  influence  in  producing 


938  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUxNTIES. 

our  great  freshets,  but  that  these  floods  depended  upon  great  continental 
storms  which  produced  fluctuations  in  the  amount  of  rainfall,  and  that 
such  fluctuations  had  occurred  in  all  ages  and  over  different  portions  of 
the  globe.  (See  Cincinnati  Commercial  Gazette  for  April  16,  1883.) 
He  also,  in  1883,  read  a  paper  before  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society 
on  parasites,  which  is  published  in  the  transactions  of  the  society,  and 
also  in  pamphlet  form.  Extracts  from  this  paper  and  the  paper  in  full 
were  republished  in  several  medical  journals.  In  this  paper  he  endeav- 
ors to  give  a  classification  of  human  parasites  and  the  different  diseases 
produced  by  micro-organisms.  On  the  7th  of  March,  1884,  as  president 
of  the  society  of  alumni  of  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  he  delivered  the 
annual  address  at  the  college.  (See  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  the 
alumni  for  1884.)  He  also,  in  1884,  presented  a  report  to  the  American 
Medical  Association,  which  was  read  before  the  section  on  State  medi- 
cine. In  this  report  he  directed  attention  to  the  necessity  of  providing 
better  county  hospital  accommodations  for  our  pauper  population  in 
Indiana,  and  directed  attention  to  other  reforms  that  should  be  made  in 
our  State.  (See  journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  Vol. 
1^5  P^g®  217.)  In  1884,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Eocky 
Mountain  Medical  Association,  and  on  May  6,  1885,  he  delivered  the 
annual  address  before  the  society  at  New  Orleans.  May  13,  1885, 
he  read  a  paper  before  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society  on  the  epidem- 
ics that  have  occurred  in  southeastern  Indiana  during  the  last  fifty 
years,  and  also  presented  observations  on  the  changes  of  type  in  some  of 
our  endemic  malarial  diseases.  (See.  transactions  of  the  Indiana  State 
Medical  Society  for  1885.)  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Dearborn 
County  Medical  Society  and  also  a  member  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical 
Society,  and  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  International  Medical  Congress  of  1876,  as  a  delegate  from  the 
Indiana  State  Medical  Society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cincinnati 
Society  of  Natural  History,  of  the  Archaeological  Association  of  Indiana, 
and  of  the  American  Association  for  the  advancement  of  science.  He  is 
an  honorary  member  of  the  Ohio  State  Medical  Society,  California  State 
Medical  Society  and  also  of  several  other  societies. 

FRANCIS  SWALES,  veterinary  surgeon  and  farmer,  Harrison  Town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  England  where  he  was  born  in  1823.  He  immigrated 
to  the  United  States  with  his  parents,  George  and  Mary  (Wilson)  Swales, 
in  1831,  the  family  coming  via  New  York  and  locating  on  the  farm 
where  Mr.  Swales  now  resides  and  which  the  father  purchased  in  the 
year  of  his  immigration.  George  Swales  was  a  man  of  extraordinary 
attainments;  being  at  once  a  physician  and  veterinary  surgeon  and 
a  chemist,  having  spent  seven  years  in  the  study  of  medicine,  five  years 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  939 

in  veterinary  surgery  and  two  years  in  chemistry.  He  was  considered 
one  of  the  most  successful  practitioners  in  Europe  and  was  equally  suc- 
cessful in  his  practice  in  this  country.  In  his  later  years  he  abandoned 
his  regular  practice  as  a  physician  and  turned  his  attention  wholly  to 
veterinary  practice,  gaining  a  wide  reputation  for  his  skill  and  learning. 
He  reared  nine  children  to  maturity,  six  now  surviving:  Sarah,  wife  of 
James  Pruden;  Dr.  Wilson  H. ;  Francis;  Mary,  wife  of  George  W.  Robin- 
son; David  W.  and  Christopher  A.  Mr.  Swales  met  his  death  by  drown- 
ing in  the  AVhitewater  River  in  attempting  to  ford  that  stream,  January 
1,  1832.  His  body  was  found  nine  days  later  near  where  the  present 
Harrison  bridge  spans  the  river.  Francis  Swales,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm  with  his  parents  and  except  tive 
years  has  resided  all  his  life  on  the  old  homestead.  He  began  the  study 
of  veterinary  surgery  quite  young  under  his  father's  instruction  and  has 
ever  since  been  a  faithful  and  earnest  student  of  the  profession.  As 
soon  as  of  sufficient  age  to  warrant  confidence  he  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession  and  since  1831  has  made  it  a  specialty.  His  services  are 
in  demand  throughout  a  wide  scope  of  territory  and  he  is  almost  con- 
stantly employed.  He  treats  both  horses  and  cattle  for  all  diseases 
peculiar  to  the  species  and  is  regarded  as  very  successful  in  his  pro- 
fessional work.  In  connection  with  his  practice  Mr.  Swales  has  also 
found  time  to  oversee  the  work  on  his  farm  which  now  comprises  about 
428  acres,  on  parts  of  which  his  two  sons  and  two  daughters  now  reside. 
He  began  life  in  a  very  humble  way,  earning  his  first  eighty  acres  of 
land  by  coopering  and  some  blacksmithing,  and  his  entire  possessions, 
which  are  now  considerable,  may  be  said  to  have  been  earned  by  hard 
and  continued  labor  both  of  head  and  hand.  Mr.  Swales  was  married 
in  1845,  to  Hannah  Grubbs,  a  daughter  of  James  Grubbs,  who  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  the  covmty  and  is  still  living.  Mrs.  Swales  was 
born  in  this  county,  and  died  May  28,  1880,  leaving  four  children,  only 
three  of  whom  are  now  living:  David,  Jane  (wife  of  Edward  Jackson) 
and  James  W.  Mary  Eveline,  wife  of  William  Haddock,  recently 
passed  away.  Mr.  Swales  is  still  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and 
his  large  experience  in  treating  maladies  peculiar  to  horses  and  cattle 
render  his  services  almost  invaluable  to  the  stock  owners  of  the  surround- 
ing country.  His  son,  William  Swales,  is  also  engaged  in  the  same 
profession  located  at  Bright,  Dearborn  County,  and  is  said  to  be  very  pro- 
ficient. 

WILSON  H.  SWALES,  M.  D.,  Logan  Township,  born  in  York- 
shire, England,  March  9,  1818,  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Wilson) 
Swales,  mentioned  above.  He  was  thirteen  years  of  age  when  witb  his 
father's  family  he  arrived  in  Dearborn  County.     He   had  laid  the  foun- 


940  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

dation  of  a  good  education  in  England  and  after  arriving  here  he  added 
to  it  what  he  could  under  the  limited  opportunities  afforded  in  Dear- 
born County  at  that  early  day.  Subsequently  he  entered  upon  a  course 
of  medical  study  under  Dr.  Crookshank,  one  of  the  earliest  physicians 
of  Harrison,  Ohio.  Finally  he  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  College  at 
Cincinnati,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1851.  He  had  begun  the 
practice  of  medicine  prior  to  going  to  College  and  now  returned  home 
and  again  took  up  the  practice  of  his  profession  which  he  has  continued 
with  marked  success  for  nearly  forty  years.  In  1842  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Sarah  Ann  Pruden,  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1819,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Ann  (Miller)  Pruden*  natives 
of  New  Jersey.  Her  parents  died  of  cholel-a  in  1850,  in  Hamilton 
County,  Ohio.  They  were  parents  of  eight  children,  four  now  surviv- 
ing: James,  Ann,  Henry  and  Lozier.  Dr.  Swales  and  wife  have  been 
blessed  with  eight  children  of  whom  only  three  now  sux'vive:  John  H., 
George  A.  and  Wilson  H.,  the  latter  a  practicing  physician.  Dr.  Swales 
is  a  member  of  Harrison  Lodge  No.  17,  F.  &  A.  M.  with  which  he  has 
been  identified  since  1846.  As  a  citizen  he  stands  deservedly  high  in 
the  esteem  of  the  people  of  the  county. 

LINEAS  SWIFT,  Lawrenceburgh  Township,  a  thrifty  farmer  of 
Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  the  same  in  1845.  His  fathei',  Henry 
Swift,  settled  at  the  mouth  of  Laugherey  Creek  in  a  very  early  day  and 
died  at  the  age  of  about  seventy  years.  Mr.  Swift  grew  up  in  the 
county  and  was  engaged  in  common  labor  till  the  spring  of  1864,  when 
he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Sixty-second  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
serving  one  year  in  the  late  war.  He  received  his  discharge  June  9, 
1865,  and  returned  to  Hardintown.  He  had  spent  some  time  in  corn 
weighing  for  James  Gaff,  the  distiller,  and  on  his  return  home  was  thus 
employed  with  Hiram  Cox  in  the  river  trade,  loading  and  weighing 
produce.  He  was  married  in  February,  1868,  to  Eliza  Hayes,  daughter 
of  Isaac  Hayes,  and  they  have  four  children:  Isaac,  Bertha,  Eva  and 
John.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swift  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  he  being  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  energetic  farmers  of  the 
community,  which  occupation  he  has  given  his  exclusive  attention  to  for 
some  time. 

JAMES  H.  SWOPE,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Madison 
County.,  Ky.,  in  1817.  His  parents  died  when  he  was  eight  years  old. 
He  was  married  in  1843  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  to  Sarah  P.  Perrine 
and  but  two  of  six  children  are  now  living:  Louella  G.,  wife  of  N.  Lot- 
ton,  and  Sarah  V.,  now  Mrs.  Wiley.  In  1844  Mr.  Swope  came  to  Law- 
renceburgh, and  this  he  has  since  made  his  home.  From  1850  to  1858 
he  was    chiefly   engaged  in  coopering,  and    from  1858  to  1873  in  the 


BlOGRArmCAL   SKETCHES.  941 

grocery  business.  He  has  served  in  nearly  all  the  city  offices:  Was 
mayor  of  Lawrenceburgh  in  1855  and  again  in  1859  to  1861.  In  the 
city  council  he  served  fourteen  years.  Mr.  Swope  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  and  though  now  old  and  broken  in  health  has  been  an 
industrious  and  useful  citizen. 

JOHN  TAIT,  Sb.  ,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  in 
1810  immigrated  to  America,  subsequently  he  settled  near  the  village  of 
Rising  Sun,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  his  death 
occurring  March  11,  1868.  Mr.  Tait  in  1832  became  one  of  the  first 
members  of  the  Christian  Church  of  Rising  Sun,  and  thereafter  lived  for 
Christ  ahd  became  an  ornament  to  society  and  one  of  the  pillars  of  the 
church. 

DANIEL  TAPLEY,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  Essex  County, 
Mass.,  in  1791.  In  1815  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  one  year  later 
settled  in  Rising  Sun.  December  10,  1820,  Mr.  Tapley  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Susan  Chandlen,  a  native  of  Acomac  County,  Va., 
and  this  couple,  in  1870,  celebrated  their  golden  wedding,  the  first  cel- 
ebrated in  Rising  Sun.  Mr,  Tapley  was  a  resident  of  Ohio  County  from 
1816  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1878.  Mrs.  Tapley 
died  in  1879,  aged  eighty  years.  Our  subject  was  three  times  elected  mayor 
of  his  adopted  city  and  served  as  deputy  sheriff  under  James  B.  Smith 
in  1845-1847. 

TOWNSEND  J.  TAYLOR,  retired  merchant,  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  September  4,  1811.  His  limited  education  was  obtained 
after  arriving  at  mature  age.  His  parents,  Townsend  and  Elizabeth 
(Moore)  Taylor,  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania.  The  father 
came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1807,  and  died  with  cholera,  May  7,  1833. 
Townsend  J.  began  clerking  in  1882,  for  W.  F.  Gibbs  in  the  salt  busi- 
ness. In  1833  he  engaged  with  a  Mr.  Wooley  in  the  dry  goods  business, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  August  1834,  when  he  engaged  in  the  dry 
goods  and  grocery  business  at  Wilmington  with  a  brother,  Thomas  J. , 
with  whom  he  continued  until  1837,  when  they  sold  out  to  Jennings  & 
Brewington.  Immediately  thereafter  he  bought  out  William  Glenn  of 
Wilmington,  and  condvicted  the  business  for  himself  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  On  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Lawrenceburgh,  he  moved 
to  Aurora  and  there  engaged  in  business  with  his  brother,  the  partner- 
ship continuing  until  1840,  when  Townsend  J.  withdrew,  and  purchased 
a  lot  on  which  he  erected  a  business  house  and  again  engaged  in  busi- 
ness by  himself,  which  he  conducted  very  successfully  up  to  1854,  when 
he  began  operating  in  real  estate.  For  a  time  during  the  Mexican  war 
he  acted  as  agent  in  purchasing  hay  and  grain,  subsequently  he  had  an 
interest    in    a   store  in    Canton,  Mo.,  which  he  disposed  of  in  1855  and 


942  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

the  same  year  started  a  store  in  Rockport,  Indiana,  which  was  continued 
until  1864,  his  business  being  very  profitably  carried  on  during  the  war. 
In  1864  he  opened  an  extensive  store  at  Aurora,  but  one  year  later  he 
removed  the  goods  to  Rockport  in  charge  of  a  son,  who  has  since  success- 
fully conducted  the  business.  The  store  is  now  carried  on  by  the  brothers 
B.  M.  and  John  E.  Taylor,  who  employ  six  clerks.  Ovir  subject  was 
married,  November  26, 1835,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  E.  Moore,  who  was  born  in 
Maryland,  February  19,  1817.  They  had  four  children,  namely:  Ben- 
jamin, born  December  1,  1837;  William  S.,  born  March  15,  1840;  Mary 
J.,  born  May  26,  1844;  Sarah  E.,  born  October  15,  1846,  died  October 
23,  1851.  The  wife  died,  March  10,1849,  and  Mr.  Taylor  was  married, 
February  21,  1850,  to  Miss  Harriet  C.  Dean,  who  was  born  in  New  "York, 
January  27,  1826.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  the  union,  namely: 
Townsend  E.,  born  June  18,  1851,  died  July  9,  1851;  John  E.,  born 
August  17,  1851;  James  Gr.,  born  October  19,  1858;  Jesse  D.,  born  No- 
vember 16,1860.  Mr.  Taylor  never  went  into  a  saloon  and  asked  for  a 
drink.  He  never  smoked,  or  chewed  tobacco,  nor  played  a  game  of 
cards,  and  has  been  at  the  head  of  a  firm  for  over  fifty  years.  He  has 
never  been  sued  for  debt.  He  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M. , 
and  has  been  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  nearly 
half  a  century. 

GEORGE  W.  TAYLOR,  proprietor  of  livery,  sale  and  feed  stable, 
Aurora,  was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  December  22,  1819.  His 
parents,  John  and  Marilda  (Fitch)  Taylor,  were  natives  of  ?sew  York,  the 
former  was  born  in  1788  and  died  in  September,  1846.  The  mother  was 
born  in  1798  and  died  in  October,  1875.  The  family  moved  to  Dear- 
born County  in  1832,  where  the  father  farmed  until  his  death.  George 
"W.  was  raised  on  a  farm.  In  1856  he  engaged  in  the  livery  business 
in  Aurora,  and  has  continued  in  livery  and  farming  ever  since.  During 
the  vear  1870  he  moved  to  town,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  citizen 
of  the  city.  He  was  married,  March  22,  1838,  to  Miss  Nancy  J.  Mill- 
burn,  who  was  born  July  26,  1821,  and  to  the  union  five  children  were 
born,  namely:  Mary  L. ,  Harriet  E.,  John  M. ,  George  W.  and  Ella. 
John  M.  served  three  years  in  the  Eighty-third  Indiana  Regiment  as  a 
private  soldier.  He  went  through  with  Gen.  Sherman,  and  participated 
in  many  a  hard  fought  battle.  When  Mr.  Taylor  first  came  here, 
there  were  only  twelve  houses  in  this  township,  six  being  all  round-log 
one  of  which  every  stick  was  buckeye,  and  was  located  near  where  Sted- 
man's  foundry  is  sitviated.  Mr.  Taylor's  father,  served  all  through  the 
war  of  1812.  He  was  a  quiet,  industrious,  law  abiding  citizen,  whose 
good  qualities,  the  son,  George  W.  is  endeavoring  to  emulate.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  Republican,  ever  upholding  his  country,  first,  l^st  and  all 
tthe  ime. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  943 

MICHAEL  TEANEY,  city  marshal,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Aurora, 
Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  August  21,  1833.  The  coimtry  being  new  he 
received  only  a  limited  education.  His  parents,  A.  and  Margaret 
(Cox)  Teaney,  were  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  immigrated  to  Indiana, 
locating  in  Aurora  in  1816.  The  father  followed  farming  for  a  liveli- 
hood up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1839.  At  the  age 
of  eleven  Michael  deserted  the  farm,  and  followed  flat-boating  up  to 
1870.  From  1870  to  1875  he  acted  as  steward  on  several  steamers.  In 
1875  he  learned  the  cooper  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for  several  years 
very  successfully.  He  was  elected  councilman  from  the  First  Ward  in 
1875  and  served  for  two  years.  In  1880  he  was  elected  assessor,  which 
office  he  filled  for  three  years.  In  1883  he  was  elected  marshal,  and  has 
since  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  faithfully.  Mr.  Teaney  was 
married  August  22,  1854,  to  Miss  Mary  Carbaugh,  a  native  of  this 
county.  She  died  August  6,  1857.  He  married  for  his  second  wife 
(December  24,  1859)  Miss  Elizabeth  Christy,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  to 
this  union  were  born  two  children,  namely:  Alfaretta,  now  Mrs.  Dewey, 
and  John  W.  Mr.  Teaney  enlisted  in  June,  1861,  in  Company  A,  Eight- 
eenth Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  as  a  private  soldier  and  was  mustered 
out  as  first  lieutenant.     In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

MAJ.  WARREN  TEBBS,  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in 
Prince  Williams  County,  Va.,  in  1791.  While  quite  young,  his  father, 
Moses  Tebbs,  removed  to  North  Carolina,  where  he  resided  until  1807, 
when  he  removed  to  the  Territory  of  Indiana,  coming  by  the  way  of 
Cumberland  Gap,  through  Kentucky,  and  settling  on  Whitewater,  in  Har- 
rison Township.  At  that  time  game  of  all  kinds  was  very  plenty,  and 
the  male  portion  of  the  Tebbs  family  became  expert  hunters.  When 
the  Indian  war  broke  out  in  1811,  Warren,  with  his  brother  Will oughby 
and  most  of  the  young  men  in  the  neighborhood,  joined  the  Rangers 
and  were  stationed  at  the  various  block- houses.  W.irren  made  several 
expeditions  out  beyond  the  Wabash,  near  Fort  Harrison  (now  Terre 
Haute),  and  while  on  one  of  these  expeditions  he  contracted,  from 
exposure,  a  disease  from  which  he  never  fully  recovered,  and  from  the 
effect  of  which  he  complained  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  After 
the  war  he  returned  home,  and  in  1815  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Ashby; 
she,  too,  having  had  some  experience  in  frontier  life,  as  she  was  born  in 
the  block-house  across  the  river,  in  Petersburgh  Ky.,  in  1795,  about  the 
time  the  Indians  were  stealing  horses  at  the  mouth  of  Tanner's  Creek, 
on  this  side  of  the  river.  After  their  marriage  they  went  to  live  on  the 
farm  in  Logan  Township,  recently  owned  by  James  K.  Pruden,  where 
their  eldest  son,  Alvin  Grant  (father  of  the  Tebbs  brothers,  present  resi- 
dent of  Dearborn  County)  was  born.     He  soon  after  moved  to  Harrison, 


944  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

and  kept  tavern  in  the  old  stone  building  from  about  this  time  until 
1822.  He  made  several  trips  to  New  Orleans,  trading  on  flat-boats,  and 
on  two  trips  he  walked  back  through  the  Cherokee  territory.  He  was  a 
farmer  from  this  time  on  until  1835,  and  during  this  time  was  elected 
and  served  two  or  three  terms  in  the  Indiana  Legislature.  A  few  years 
before  he  died  he  removed  to  Williamsport,  Warren  Co.,  Ind.,  where  he 
died  in  1868. 

WARREN  TEBBS.  Lawrenceburgh,  clerk  of  Dearborn  County 
Court,  was  born  in  1841,  son  of  Alvin  G.  and  Maria  (Snyder)  Tebbs,  and 
grandson  of  Warren  Tebbs,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  above.  Mr. 
Tebbs  is  a  native  of  Dearborn  County.  He  obtained  a  good  educa- 
tion, and  early  in  life  engaged  in  merchandising,  which  he  has  continued 
almost  to  the  present  time.  His  father  and  grandfather  both  served  in 
the  State  Legislature,  the  former  from  1846  to  1850,  and  in  1866  Mr. 
Tebbs  was  elected  representative  from  Dearborn  County,  serving  till 
1872,  representing  also  the  third  generation  of  the  family  which  had 
been  thus  honored.  In  1878  he  was  elected  to  the  clerk's  office, 
and  in  1882  was  re-elected  to  the  same,  the  duties  of  which  he  is  now 
engaged  in  discharging.  As  a  civil  officer  he  is  held  in  high  esteem,  his 
conduct  as  such,  we  believe,  having  ever  been  above  criticism.  The  fact 
of  the  trusts  which  have  been  reposed  in  him  is  the  best  evidence  of  his 
standing  as  a  citizen.  Mr.  Tebbs  was  married,  in  1872,  to  Elma  S.  Ley- 
man,  of  Attica,  Fountain  Co.,  Ind.,  daughter  of  Dr.  W.  L.  and  Rebecca 
(Turner)  Leyman,  her  father  an  ex-member  of  the  State  Legislature  and 
one  of  the  first  physicians  of  that  county.  Their  two  children  are  War- 
ren Leyman  and  Corinne  Race. 

JESSE  B.  THOMAS,  see  page  149. 

TIMOTHY  THOMAS,  Harrison,  one  of  the  older  residents  of  Dearbrn 
County,  was  born  in  Wales  in  1815,  and  when  about  eleven  months  old 
was  brought  to  this  country  by  his  parents,  William  and  Eleanor  (Davis) 
Thomas,  who  were  also  natives  of  Wales.  His  father  was  born  about 
1785,  and  immigrated  to  this  country  in  1816,  locating  first  at  Pittsburgh 
and  moving  West  to  Butler  County,  Ohio,  about  nine  months  later.  Here 
he  was  chiefly  engaged  in  cloth  dressing,  which  was  his  trade.  He  first 
rented  a  small  establishment  near  Indian  Creek,  Butler  County,  and  in 
1824  erected  a  small  mill  on  Dry  Fork,  same  county,  continuing  his 
operations  there  till  1832,  when  he  moved  to  Harrison,  where  he  followed 
the  same  occupation,  including  wool-carding.  In  the  meantime  he  pur- 
chased 160  acres  of  land  in  this  township,  and  after  four  years'  i-esidence 
in  Butler  County,  to  which  he  had  returned,  he  took  up  his  abode  on  this 
farm  and  resided  there  till  his  death,  about  1867.  He  married  Eleanor 
Davis  in  1813.      She  was  a  daughter  of  Timothy  Davis,   was  born  about 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  945 

1788,  and  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  They  reared 
a  family  of  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living:  Timothy, 
Thomas  D.,  Mary  and  Jemima  M,  William  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four,  and  three  others  died  in  infancy.  In  his  earlier  years  Timothy 
Thomas  was  engaged  in  the  carding  and  fulling  business  with  his  father, 
with  whom  he  remained  till  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  followed 
farming  about  six  years,  after  which  he  spent  about  ten  years  in  the 
carding  and  fulling  business  with  his  brother,  Thomas  D.,  iii  Decatur 
County,  Ind.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  constantly  employed  in  agri- 
culture, and  has  resided  about  thirty-three  years  in  Harrison  Township. 
He  was  married,  in  1843,  to  Mary  E.  Davis,  of  Decatur  County,  Ind., 
daughter  of  Jonathan  Davis  and  Susanna  (Baker)  Davis.  Twelve  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  them,  nine  of  whom  are  now  living:  William, 
Thomas  D.,  Timothy,  George,  Susan  M.  (wife  of  John  T.  Estell,  Cin- 
cinnati), Eleanor  (wife  of  S.  K.  Gold,  Harrison),  Maria,  Ruth  and  Lulu. 
Part  of  the  family  is  associated  with  the  Christian  Church.  Mr.  Thomas, 
though  not  a  member  of  any  religious  organization,  is  a  man  of  strict 
moral  principles  and  a  firm  believer  in  the  merits  of  the  church. 

JOHN  K.  THOMPSON,  Lawrenceburgh,  one  of  the  leading  attorneys 
of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  the  same  in  1830.  His  parents,  Dorus 
and  Sarah  (King)  Thompson  were  natives  of  New  York,  and  immigrated 
to  this  county  in  1816.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  mechanic,  and  died 
in  1843.  Five  of  the  family  are  still  living,  John  K.,  our  subject, 
being  the  youngest.  He  was  reared  to  the  age  of  eighteen  years  on  the 
farm,  and  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  primitive  qom- 
mon  schools  of  his  time,  subsequently  taking  a  regular  course  of  study 
at  the  Asbury  University,  Greeneastle,  Ind.  He  read  law  under  his  own 
tutilage  for  a  time,  and  in  1855  entered  the  University  of  Albany,  N.  Y., 
where  he  received  further  instructions  in  the  profession,  taking  the 
prescribed  course,  which  he  completed  in  one  year.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  the  supreme  court  of  New  York,  and  in  1857,  to  the  courts  of 
this  State.  Since  the  above  date  he  has  been  constantly  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  this  and  adjoining  counties,  with  abil- 
ity and  success.  He  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation  among  the  legal 
pi'actitioners  of  this  section  of  the  State,  and  the  rank  of  citizenship 
which  he  holds,  is  no  less  creditable.  Mr.  Thompson  has  officiated  as 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Moore's  Hill  College  since  it  has 
been  in  active  session,  but  has  not  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  polit- 
ical and  official  affairs  of  the  county.  He  pleads  guilty  to  having  taught 
one  term  of  district  school,  but  claims  to  have  been  the  recipient  of  full 
absolution  for  his  guilt.  Mr.  Thompson  was  married,  in  1858,  to 
Mary  Stevens,  daughter  of    Rana  C.  Stevens,  and  sister  of  Levi  E.  and 


946  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

William  F.  Stevens,  the  former  of  the  wholesale  dry  goods  firm  of 
Chambers,  Stevens  &  Co.,  Cincinnati;  the  latter  of  Aurora.  Mrs.  Thompson 
is  deceased,  having  left  no  children  of  her  own.  Miss  Flora  Thompson 
is  an  adopted  daughter. 

F.  H.  THUERMER,  Randolph  Township,  professor  of  music  and 
lately  a  farmer,  is  a  native  of  Sajony,  Germany,  born  in  1816.  He  grew 
to  maturity  in  his  native  country,  and  was  there  educated  in  the  Freiberg 
Seminary.  After  completing  his  education  he  engaged  in  teaching  the 
art  of  music  in  the  graded  schools  of  Germany,  in  which  vocation  he 
continued  about  ten  years,  spending  one  year  in  Belgium  and  Antwerp. 
Mr.  Thuermer  was  a  strong  friend  and  advocate  of  the  Union  cause  in 
Germany  in  1848,  and  when  the  Revolution  began  he  was  imprisoned  at 
Meisen,  and  subsequently  sentenced  to  death.  He  remained  in  bonds 
from  the  first  of  1849  to  Christmas  eve  of  1850,  when  he  made  his 
escape  by  strategy,  just  prior  to  the  appointed  time  for  his  execution. 
He  made  his  way  to  Belgium,  and  soon  after  sent  for  his  family,  then 
consisting  of  a  wife  and  two  children,  and  with  them  immigrated  to  the 
United  States,  coming  to  Indiana  and  locating  at  Aurora.  After  a  short 
residence  at  the  latter  place  he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  returning  again  to 
Aurora,  and  from  there  to  his  present  home  about  1852.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  musical  profession  about  thirty  years  in  this  country,  and  has 
been  very  successful  in  its  pursuit.  He  was  for  a  time  employed  as  prin- 
cipal of  the  musical  department  of  Moore's  Hill  College,  and  a  few 
months  teacher  in  the  orphan  asylum  at  Mount  Auburn,  Cincinnati. 
In  the  old  country  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Richard  Wagner,  the 
celebrated  musical  composer,  who  was  also  an  active  worker  in  the  Union 
cause  during  the  German  revolution.  Mr.  Thuermer  now  owns  a  farm 
of  230  acres,  the  fruits  of  his  long  term  of  earnest  professional  labor, 
and  with  a  fair  prospect  for  a  comfortable  living  during  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  he  has  retired  from  the  field  of  active  service.  He  was  married, 
in  1842,  to  Hedwig  Schneider,  and  they  have  four  children,  two  born  in 
Germany:  Arthur  and  Robert,  and  two,  in  this  country:  Camillo  and 
Alma,  the  latter,  a  teacher  of  music. 

WILLIAM  WIRT  TILLEY,  of  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  George- 
town, D.  C,  February  24,  1830.  At  an  early  age  he  came  to  Indiana, 
and  entered  Asbury  University.  After  graduating,  he  studied  law  at 
Centr.eville,  Wayne  County.  On  the  completion  of  his  studies,  he  came 
to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  Shortly  after 
establishing  himself  here,  he  married  the  wife  who  survives  him,  at 
Centreville.  At  his  death  Mr.  Tilley  left  a  widow  and  five  children. 
Mr.  Tilley  was  a  man  of  fine  education  and  unusual  natural  abilities, 
which  enabled  him  to  attain  a  very  respectable  position  among  the  law- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  947 

yers  of  Dearborn  County.  His  social  qualities  were  not  strongly  devel- 
oped, and  he  had  but  few  intimate  acquaintances.  He  was,  however, 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  will  long  be  remembered  as  one  of 
the  ablest  young  men  of  Dearborn  County.  His  death  occurred  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  the  result  of  injuries  received  in  jumping  from  a  train  of 
cars.  The  remains  were  taken  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  there  interred  in 
Green  Dale  Cemetery. 

MARTIN  TITTEL,  contractor  and  builder,  is  one  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  Lawrenceburgh.  He  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  in 
1826,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  T.  and  Barbara  (Kaikher)  Tittel,  who  were 
also  born  in  Baden.  He  was  reared  to  maturity,  educated,  and  learned  his 
trade  in  his  native  country  and  was  also  engaged  there  about  three  years 
in  a  brewery,  working  at  intervals.  In  1847  he  immigrated  to  America 
to  better  his  fortune.  He  landed  at  New  York  and  then  proceeded 
directly  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  first  employed  by  Mr.  Sedam  in 
what  is  now  the  prosperous  suburb  of  Sedamsville.  In  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  he  located  in  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  has  ever  since  con- 
ducted his  business.  He  has  always  engaged  in  the  mason's  trade — 
bricklaying,  stonelaying  and  plastering — and  has  built  nearly  all  of  the 
important  buildings  of  Lawrenceburgh,  including  the  distilleries,  facto- 
ries, business  blocks  and  churches.  He  is  without  doubt  the  most  exten- 
sive contractor  in  the  town  and  the  many  structures  he  has  erected  are 
the  best  evidence  that  his  work  is  of  the  best  quality  throughout.  Mr. 
Tittel  learned  his  trade  from  his  father  and  from  the  same  source 
imbibed  his  lessons  of  industry,  which  have  been  the  groundwork  of  his 
success  through  life.  He  has  bought  and  sold  considerable  property, 
and  though  having  met  with  some  reverses,  still  possesses  a  fair  share  of 
this  world's  goods,  all  of  which  he  has  honestly  earned  by  strict  atten- 
tion to  his  business  interests.  Mr.  Tittle  was  married,  in  1849,  to 
Gugunda  Bechtel,  of  Ripley  County,  Ind.  She  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  her  parents,  on  immigrating  to  this  country,  located  at  Pitts- 
burgh, where  her  father  was  many  years  employed  in  a  foundry  of  that 
city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  have  five  children  living:  Emily,  wife  of  Antony 
Lux;  Josephine,  wife  of  August  Geager;  John,  who  married  Elizabeth 
Fitterer;  Frank  A.  and  Louise.  The  family  is  highly  esteemed,  and  Mr. 
Tittle,  who  has  served  the  public  as  a  councilman,  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  leading  spirits  of  the  business  affairs  of  Lawrenceburgh. 

JOSEPH  TITTEL,  contractor  and  builder,  dealer  in  doors,  sash, 
blinds,  lumber,  etc.,  Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany, 
February  6,  1831.  He  learned  the  trade  of  cai-penter  and  builder  in  his 
native  country,  and  in  1852  immigrated  to  the  United  States.  He  came 
directly  to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  resided  about  two  years,  when  he 


948  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

went  West,  and  located  at  Leavenworth,  Kas.  Here  he  did  a  large  bus- 
iness in  his  line,  and  was  constantly  engaged  till  1859,  when  he  made  a 
trip  to  Europe  to  visit  the  home  of  his  boyhood.  In  1860  he  returned 
to  Lawrenceburgh  and  married  Christina  Naerror,  whose  parents,  Paul 
and  Christina  Naerror  (natives  of  Luttring,  France),  were  long  residents 
of  Yorkville.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Tittel  returned  with  his  wife  to 
Leavenworth,  Kas.,  where  he  resumed  his  trade,  and  where  their  two 
eldest  children,  Josephine  and  Joseph,  were  born.  In  1864,  he  returned 
to  Lawrenceburgh,  where  he  has  since  resided  and  conducted  his  busi- 
ness in  the  building  line,  operating  from  four  to  fifteen  workmen.  The 
large  number  of  buildings  erected  by  him  in  Lawrenceburgh  and 
vicinity,  strongly  attest  both  his  honesty  as  a  contractor  and  his  efficien- 
cy as  a  workman.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  have  eight  children  all  living  :  Jo- 
sephine, Joseph,  Carolina,  Amelia,  Charles,  Ada,  Augusta  and  Agata. 
The  family  is  associated  with  the  Catholic  Church,  and  is  well  re- 
spected. 

NATHANIEL  TODD,  farmer,  Hogan  Township,  was  born  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  in  1819.  His  parents,  Nathaniel  and  Margaret  (McGeug- 
hen)  Todd,  were  born  in  Ireland  in  1785.  They  came  to  America  in  1829, 
and  located  in  Hogan  Township,  and  raised  a  family  of  nine  children: 
Jennie,  born  May  3,  1813;  James,  March  10,  1815;  Eliza,  May  2,  1817; 
Nathaniel;  Agnes,  Feb,  27,  1819;  John,  March  25,  1823;  Mary,  February 
22,  1825;  Samuel,  April  15,  1827;  Matilda,  August  18,  1834;  all  of  the 
children,  except  Matilda  were  born  in  Ireland.  Mr.  Nathaniel  Todd  is 
one  of  those  mild,  good-natured  old  bachelors  that  takes  the  world  easy 
and  frets  about  nothing,  and  is  constantly  adding  to  his  earthly  possess- 
ion by  his  frugal  habits  of  life. 

JOHN  TOOHEY,  proprietor  of  the  Eising  Sun  Marble  Works,  was 
born  in  1833.  He  is  a  native  of  Ireland  and  son  of  Michael  and  Bridget 
(Welsh)  Toohey,  also  natives  of  Ireland  where  his  mother  still  resides; 
his  father  having  died  about  1844-45.  Mr.  Toohey  immigrated  to  this 
country  when  a  mere  boy.  He  learned  the  stone  cutting  trade  in  Cin- 
cinnati, and  in  1863  came  to  Rising  Sun,  where  he  has  since  continued 
in  the  marble  business.  He  was  married,  in  1865,  to  Eliza  McConnel  (a 
native  of  Virginia,  but  reared  in  this  locality),  daughter  of  John  and 
Harriet  McConnell,  and  seven  children  are  the  result  of  this  union:  Will- 
iam, John,  Frank,  Anna,  Mary,  Lulu  and  George.  Mr.  Toohey  keeps 
on  hand  a  good  quality  of  marble  and  granite,  and  does  work  neatly  and 
promptly  on  order. 

OLIVER  B.  TORBETT,  see  page  181. 

OMER  TOUSEY  was  born  in  Greene  County,  N.  Y.,  December  21, 
1800.     His  father  immigrated  to  Kentuck}^  in  1802  with  his  family,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  949 

.purchasing  a  farm  in  Boone  County,  opposite  Lawrenceburgh,  settled 
upon  it,  and  remained  there  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1832.  His 
father,  in  early  life,  was  not  only  a  farmer,  but  a  prosperous  merchant, 
and  Omei",  when  a  mere  child,  was  put  into  the  store,  and  before  he  was 
fairly  a  youth  had  acquired  that  thorough  knowledge  of  the  dry  goods 
business  which  enabled  him  to  carry  it  on  with  such  success  after  he 
commenced  business  on  his  own  account.  Not  a  few  of  our  old  in- 
habitants remember  "  Tousey  Town,"  once  a  flourishing  village  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  whose  chimneys  still  stood  not  many  years  ago. 
Not  a  trace  of  the  old  village  now  remains.  There  his  father  conducted 
his  then  widely  known  store,  and  there  young  Omer  took  his  first  business 
lessons.  In  1822  Omer  Tousey  came  to  Lawrenceburgh,  and  started  in  busi- 
ness as  a  merchant  on  his  own  account.  October  23, 1823,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Lucinda  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Col.  Carl  Johnson,  of  Boone  County, 
Ky.,  who  still  survives  him.  Mr.  Tousey  continued  in  the  dry  goods 
business  until  1834,  and  until  his  capital  had  so  increased  that  he  found 
he  could  employ  it  otherwise  more  profitably.  His  success  as  a  merchant 
was  unbroken.  No  man  had  better  credit.  In  those  days  Western  mer- 
chants laid  in  their  stocks  in  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Tousey  used  to  make  his 
annual  journey  to  Philadelphia  on  horseback.  He  was  twice  president 
of  the  Lawrenceburgh  branch  of  the  State  Bank  of  Indiana,  and  was 
placed  in  charge,  years  afterward,  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  branch  of  the 
Bank  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  in  order  to  extricate  it  from  embarrassments 
into  which  it  had  fallen  by  injudicious  management.  In  these  positions, 
as  in  all  others,  in  which  he  was  ever  placed  he  was  equal  to  the  exi- 
gency. The  bank  prospered  under  his  wise  direction.  In  1839  Mr. 
Tousey  connected  himself  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death  he  was  an  efficient  and  zealous  member. 
His  judgment  was  so  sound  that  his  advice  was  sought  on  every  important 
occasion,  and  his  liberality  to  his  church  never  failed.  Mr.  Tousey  was 
remarkable  for  a  sober  and  quiet  dignity,  yet  he  was  entirely  devoid  of 
ostentation.  His  home  was  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  he  furnished  it 
with  every  material  comfort  ;  yet  nothing  was  provided  for  mere  display. 
His  charities  were  large,  but  secret.  Many  poor  people  testified  to  them 
after  his  death,  whom  he  had  enjoined  not  to  speak  of  them  while  he  was 
living.  His  love  of  his  kindred  was  great  and  enduring,  and  expressed 
itself  in  deeds  rather  than  professions.  He  repeatedly  enjoined  that 
when  he  died  his  remains  should  be  deposited  in  the  private  graveyard 
on  the  old  farm  of  his  father,  where  x-eposed  the  remains  of  his  father, 
mother  and  sisters.  Mr.  Tousey  died  March  28,  1868.  He  left  no  chil- 
dren. His  estate  was  large,  and  after  bestowing  the  bulk  of  it  upon  his 
widow  and  nearest  kindred,  he  gave  the  remainder  to  remote  kindred  who 
were  poor,  and  to  faithful  domestics. 


950  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

FREDERICK  TREON,  M.  D.,  physiciau  and  surgeon,  Aurora,  was 
born  in  Shelby  County,  Ind.,  August  12,  1855,  and  received  his  educa- 
tion at  Frauklin  Academy,  after  which  he  engaged  in  the  machine  shops 
as  car  builder  with  Hasklin  &  Barker,  at  Michigan  City,  where  he  com- 
pleted a  special  course  in  geometry,  trigonometry,  and  civil  and  mechan- 
ical engineering.  Not  being  contented  with  his  occupation  he  began  the 
study  of  anatomy  under  the  personal  supervision  of  Dr.  J.  Saddler,  of 
Edinburg.  Ind.,  with  whom  he  continued  for  nearly  two  years;  in  the 
meantime  he  clerked  in  a  drug  store,  and  acquired  a  knowledge  of  drugs 
and  their  effects.  In  the  fall  of  1S76  Mr.  Treon  came  to  Aurora,  and 
began  a  more  systematic  study  of  medicine  under  Drs.  J,  and  L.  K. 
Lamb.  In  the  fall  of  1877  he  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  and 
two  years  later  he  was  gi-aduated  from  the  institution,  receiving  his  di- 
ploma March  1,  1879,  and  at  once  entered  into  a  professional  partnership 
with  his  father-in-law,  Dr.  James  Lamb,  with  whom  he  has  since  contin- 
ued. Dr.  Treon  is  an  active  member  of  the  Dearborn  County  Medical 
Society,  and  also  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Society,  by  which  latter 
connection  he  is  made  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 
The  Doctor  was  iinited  in  marriage,  May  29, 1878,  with  Miss  America  C, 
daughter  of  Dr.  James  and  Sarah  A.  Lamb;  Mrs.  Treon's  birth  occurring 
April  30,  1847.  To  the  marriage  has  been  born  a  son — James  F.  (June 
29,  1880).  Dr.  Treon's  father,  Andrew  Treon,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Leb- 
anon County,  Penn.,  April  27,  1804,  in  the  same  house  in  which  his 
father  was  born.  His  grandfather  came  from  France  near  Paris,  at  an 
early  date,  and  remained  in  Pennsylvania  until  his  death.  Dr.  Andrew 
Treon  acquired  his  first  knowledge  of  medicine  from  Dr.  John  Treon, 
who  is  still  living  at  Miamisburg,  Ohio,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
five  years.  He  was  in  the  active  practice  of  medicine  sixty-six  years, 
and  accumulated  a  large  fortune.  Di'.  Andi-ew  Treon  was  twice  married; 
his  second  wife.  Miss  Lydia  Steinberger  (the  mother  of  Dr.  Frederick 
Treon),  was  born  in  Bartholomew  County,  Ind.,  May  6,  1822.  Her  fa- 
ther, Frederick  Steinberger,  was  born  in  Ohio.  His  parents  came  from 
Germany,  and  settled  in  Ohio  at  an  early  day.  Dr.  Treon's  mother  was 
a  neice  of  Dr.  Steinberger,  professor  of  surgery  at  "Wurtemberg,  Ger- 
many. Dr.  Frederick  Treon  has  been  very  successful  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  and  surgeiy.  He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  Lodge 
No.  1084,  and  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  has  always  taken  an  active 
part  in  religious  matters,  and  was  elected  assistant  superintendent  of 
the  Sabbath-school  in  1879,  and  superintendent  in  1880,  which  position 
he  has  held  ever  since,  and  has  succeeded  in  building  itp  a  large  and  pros- 
perous Sabbath-school,  with  135  scholars  enrolled. 

CAPT,    MARTIN    TRESTER,    farmer,   Washington     Township,    is 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  951 

a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  nearMillersburgh,  May  27,  1806.  His  parents 
were  of  German  extraction  and  were  born  in  Pennsylvania.  His  father, 
"William,  was  born  near  Northumberland  in  1761;  mother,  Elizabeth 
(Hesler)  Trester,  in  1764.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  mill-wright. 
He  died  in  Kentucky  in  1814.  The  mother  with  nine  sons  and  one 
daughter,  moved  to  Dearborn  County  in  1815.  She  invested  the  family 
fund  in  land  and  put  the  boys  to  work,  cleared  up  the  land,  and  raised  the 
family  successfully  to  economy  and  industry.  Before  her  death,  which 
occurred  in  1838,  she  saw  her  family  all  comfortably  situated  in  life. 
Capt.  Trester  was  married  September  26,  1833,  to  Mary  Ann  Winkley, 
who  was  born  April  6,  1815.  Eight  children  resulted:  Emma  M.,  Oliver 
H.,  Lewis  M.,  Albert  E.,  Milton  L.,  Mary  J.,  James  M.,  Ella  F.  Oliver 
H,  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  Third  Indiana  Cavalry  for  three 
years,  and  was  killed  at  Antietam,  September  14,  1862.  Albert  E. 
was  in  the  Sixteenth  Infantry  under  Gen.  Hackelman,  served  one  year, 
then  enlisted  in  the  Seventh  Indiana  Cavalry  and  served  one  year  after 
the  war  closed  under  Gen.  Custer.  Milton  L.  was  in  the  100  days'  ser- 
vice as  a  private  soldier.  In  1826  Capt.  Trester  began  flat-boating  as  a 
hand.  In  1828  he  branched  out  in  the  same  business  for  himself  and 
continued  for  fifteen  years.  The  balance  of  his  life  has  been  spent 
upon  the  farm.  He  was  commander  of  the  militia  for  years,  and  when 
the  Black  Hawk  war  caused  a  draft  to  be  made,  nearly  all  of  his  soldiers 
were  cripples.  One  of  the  company  offered  the  Captain  a  farm  if  he 
would  not  draft  him.  Peace  being  declared,  all  became  exempt,  and 
happiness  reigned  supreme  in  the  militia  camp.  Capt.  Trester  was  el- 
ected county  commissioner  in  1847  and  served  three  years.  He  was 
school  trustee  for  many  years.  When  the  township  had  three  trustees  he 
served  as  one  for  eight  or  ten  years;  he  assessed  the  township  ten  years  in 
succession;  afterward  served  as  school  director  for  six  years.  The  Cap- 
tain cleared  up  his  farm,  and  in  early  life  built  a  good  brick  house  to 
raise  his  family  in.  He  has  lived  to  see  them  all  grown  and  comfortably 
settled  in  life.  Now  the  old  people  are  left  alone,  with  a  big  house  and 
no  family,  except  two  grandchildren  they  have  kindly  taken  to  raise. 
Although  well  advanced  in  years,  they  have  lost  but  little  of  the 
vigor  and  vivacity  of  their  younger  days,  neither  have  they  forgotten 
the  sports  of  their  youth.  The  Presbyterian  Church  is  the  society  of 
their  faith.  Politically  Capt.  Trester  has  been  a  Republican  since  the 
war,  before  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Gen,  Andrew 
Jackson.  Mrs.  Trester  was  horn  within  a  mile  of  her  present  home 
April  6,  1815,  and  has  always  lived  within  the  locality  Her  parents 
settled  on  Holman's  Ridge,  south  of  Aurora,  in  1813.  Her  father  died 
in  1833,  her  mother  in  1857.  They  had  four  children,  viz. :  William, 
Joseph  W.,  John  L.  and  Mary  Ann. 


952  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

BENJAMIN  F.  TRESTER,  Jr.,  architect,  contractor  and  builder, 
shops  corner  of  Main  and  Mill  Streets,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Washing- 
ton Township,  Dearborn  County,  born  May  7,  1847.  He  is  a  graduate 
of  the  high  school.  His  father,  Edward  H,  was  born  in  Kentucky 
October  24,  1815.  His  mother,  Sarah  (Green)  Trester,  was  born  in 
Dearborn  County  October  21,  1819.  The  parents  were  married  July  7, 
1836.  Mother  died  October  21,  1881.  Benjamin  F.  farmed  up  to  1866, 
at  which  time  he  commenced  his  trade.  He  located  in  Aurora  in  1873, 
and  was  married  July  30,  of  that  year,  to  Miss  Hannah  A.  Winkley,  a 
native  of  Dearborn  County,  born  January  20,  1854.  Mr.  Trester  was 
elected  to  the  council  from  the  Third  Ward  May  3,  1882,  and  re-elected 
May  7,  1884.  He  belongs  to  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  encampment,  to  the  K.  of 
P.,  K.  of  H.  and  the  Presbyterian  Church, 

LEVI  P.  TRESTER,  foreman  woodworker  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Shops, 
Cochran,  is  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  and  was  born  May  22,  1832. 
In  his  boyhood  the  country  was  new  and  he  only  received  a  limited 
schooling.  His  father,  Samuel  Trester,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1808. 
The  mother,  Sophia  (Briddle),  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  She  died  in 
1849.  Levi  learned  the  carpenter  trade  in  1854.  He  was  married 
August  17,  1857,  to  Miss  Virginia  Christian,  a  native  of  Virginia.  She 
was  born  May  7,  1838.  Unto  them  were  given  two  children:  Nettie  and 
Arka.  In  1869  Mr.  Trester  abandoned  the  carpenter  business  and 
accepted  a  position  in  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Shops  as  machine  hand. 
In  1874  was  promoted  to  foreman  of  shops  (known  as  saw  shops).  In 
1862  his  patriotic  heart  became  tired  and  he  flew  to  his  country's  rescue, 
by  enlisting  in  Company  E,  Eleventh  Kentucky  Cavalry,  and  served 
faithfully  for  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  51  F. 
&  A.  M.,  also  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13. 

CHARLES  M.  TUFTS,  farmer,  a  resident  and  native  of  Washington 
Township,  was  born  February  27,  1842.  He  was  married,  July  27, 1865,  to 
Miss  Maggie  E.  Howe,  who  was  born  near  Marietta,  Ohio,  April  5,  1842. 
They  had  five  children :  Maud,  born  October  7,  1866,  died  September 
10,  1867;  Edwin  O.,  born  September  4,  1867;  Arthur  D.,  born  March 
14,  1870;  Willie  L.,  born  September  5,  1875;  Guy  B.,  born  May  23, 
1877.  Mr.  Tufts  has  been  an  enterprising  farmer  all  through  life,  and^ 
has  his  broad  fields  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  His  excellent 
residence,  and  good  improvements  generally,  indicate  thrift,  of  which  we 
feel  justified  in  making  mention,  as  he  is  always  prompt  in  lending  a 
helping  hand  to  every  good  work,  that  is  calculated  to  promote  and 
develop  the  interests  at  large  of  his  neighborhood  and  county.  He  and 
his  excellent  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

MOSES  TURNER,  of  Randolph  Township,   was  born   in  Pennsyl- 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  953 

vania  in  1792,  removed  to  Ohio  when  about  twenty-live  years  of  age, 
where  he  resided  several  years,  and  removed  to  Rising  Sun,  Ind. , 
where  he  engaged  in  the  milling  business  and  subsequently  in  merchan- 
dising. In  about  1846  he  purchased  a  mill  at  Milton  and  moved  to 
that  place.  In  1854  he  returned  to  Rising  Sun  and  subsequently  re- 
moved to  a  farm  five  miles  above  the  river,  where  he  resided  twelve  year  s 
In  1849  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  S.  Beckett,  who  died  in  1862. 
He  again  returned  to  Rising  Sun  and  about  1870  he  purchased  and 
removed  to  a  farm  one  mile  above  Rising  Sun,  where  his  death  occurred 
July  28,  1879.  He  was  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
"In  his  general  character  he  was  industrious  and  frugal.  As  a  citizen 
and  neighbor  he  w.as  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  communities  where  he 
from  time  to  time  resided." 

W.  S.  TYIER,  farmer,  a  native  and  resident  of  Sparta  Township, 
was  born  August  6,  1829.  His  parents,  William  and  Gertrude  (Davis) 
Tyier,  were  natives  of  Maryland,  there  married,  and  in  an  early  day 
immigrated  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  settling  on  the  same  farm  on 
which  our  subject  now  resides,  where  he  died  in  1843,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three  years,  and  his  widow  in  1866,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz.;  Eliza  A.,  deceased; 
John  T. ;  Jane,  deceased;  William  S.  and  Amelia  M.  William  S.,  our 
subject,  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  young  days  in  coopering  and  grain 
threshing,  and  at  present  devotes  his  time  to  raising  stock,  especially 
mules  and  horses.  He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Clay  Township,  De- 
cember 31,  1848,  to  Martha  E.,  daughter  of  Elliott  and  Sarah  (Nelson) 
Wills,  who  was  born  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  September  16,  1830.  After 
his  marriage  he  settled  on  his  father's  old  homestead,  his  present  farm, 
which  he  had  purchased  previously,  and  on  which  he  erected  a  fine  brick 
house  at  an  expense  of  over  $4,000.  He  owns  a  tine  farm  of  222  acres, 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
and,  with  his  wife,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Tyier  have  reared  five  orphan  children  to  maturity,  though  they  are  par- 
ents of  none. 

LEONARD  ULLRICH,  cooper,  Aurora,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born 
in  Bavaria,  August  5,  1834,  where  he  obtained  a  common  school  educa 
tion.  His  father,  Frederick  A.  Ullrich,  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1774, 
and  died  in  June,  1853.  His  mother,  Apolloaa  (Fritch)  Ullrich,  was 
born  in  France  in  1793,  and  died  in  February,  1853.  Leonard  came  to 
America,  November  27,  1853,  landing  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained 
until  May,  1854;  thence  to  Petersburg,  Ky.,  where  he  remained  until 
June  1856;  then  moved  to  Lawrenceburgh,  remaining  one  year,  after 
which  returned  to  Petersburg,  Ky.     In  1861  he  moved  to   Aurora,  Ind., 


954  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

■where  he  has  resided  ever  since.  He  followed  coopering  in  all  the 
meanderings  of  his  life.  He  married  Miss  Margaretta  Gies  January  8, 
1854;  she  was  born  in  Bavaria  July  19,  1832.  To  tbem  have  been 
born  six  children,  all  deceased,  except  Frank  G:  Jacob,  born  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1855,  died  May  16,  1855;  Frank  G.,  born  July  26,  1861; 
infant,  deceased;  Mary  A.,  born  July  22,  1864,  died  July  29,  1864;  John 
A.,  born  May  23,  1865,  died  October  9,  1883;  Louie,'  born  April  3,  1867, 
died  October  31,  1867.  Mr.  Ullrich  and  family  belong  to  the  Catholic 
Church.  His  father  was  working  in  Strasbarg,  at  the  cooper  trade, 
when  the  first  three  men  were  beheaded  by  the  Republican  Government 
of  1793,  and  was  there  when  the  second  execution  took  place  of  ten 
councilmen  and  the  mayor. 

FRANK  ULLRICH,  cooper,  Aurora,  was  born  in  Bavaria  June  3, 
1828,  where  he  obtained  a  common  school  education.  He  came  to  Amer- 
ica, January  15,  1854,  and  landed  at  New  Orleans.  In  two  months  he 
went  to  Arkansas  Post,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  one  year;  thence 
to  Norfolk  River,  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill  until  1856;  then  moved  to 
Lawrenceburgh,  Ind.,  where  he  remained  one  month;  thence  to  Peters- 
burg, Ky. ,  and  worked  in  the  distillery  and  learned  the  cooper  trade. 
September  13,  1861,  he  moved  to  Aurora,  and  has  followed  coopering 
ever  since.  Mr.  Ullrich  was  married,  in  the  fall  of  1848,  to  Anna  M. 
Kinscherf  who  was  born  in  Bavaria  January  20,  1824.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ullrich  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  viz.:  Frank  J.,  Kate,  Margar- 
etta and  John:  Frank  J.  was  in  Company  G.,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
fifth  Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  eight  months. 
He  died  in  the  spring  of  1884.  They  are  all  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

DR.  JOEL  P.  ULREY,  dentist,  of  Rising  Sun,  is  a  native  of  Leba- 
non, Warren  Co. ,  Ohio,  born  in  May,  1817.  His  father,  Daniel  Ulrey, 
was  a  Pennsylvanian,  and  moved  with  his  parents  to  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory about  1800,  having  for  a  time  stopped  in  Kentucky.  They  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  what  is  now  the  heart  of  Cincinnati.  The  father  later 
turned  his  attention  to  boating  on  the  Ohio  River.  The  parents  of  the 
Doctor  died  at  Rising  Sun,  Ind. ;  the  mother  in  1869  and  the  father  in 
1879.  Dr.  Ulrey  spent  his  early  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati, and 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Lebanon.  In  boyhood  he  worked  about 
six  years  in  printing  oiSces  at  Lebanon  and  ^Cincinnati,  and  at  the  latter 
place  he  began  the  study  of  dentistry,  which  was  at  that  time  struggling 
for  a  place  among  the  professions,  and  could  not  claim  a  college  in  its 
interest  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  Dr.  Ulrey  rendered  valuable  assist- 
ance in  the  establishment  of  the  Ohio  College  of  Dental  Surgery,  and  for 
his  enterprise  in  that  direction   was  awarded  an   honorary  diploma   by 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  955 

that  institution.  He  has  been  in  practice  for  almost  fifty  years,  forty  of 
which  he  has  been  located  in  Rising  Sun,  and  in  all  that  long  period  has 
failed  in  his  visits  at  Aurora  and  Lawrenceburgh  only  five  weeks  on 
account  of  ill-health.  Under  his  present  arrangements  the  Doctor  passeH 
Mondays  and  Tuesdays  at  home;  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  at  Aurora, 
and  Thursdays  and  Fridays  at  Lawrenceburgh,  thus  reaching  a  large 
number  of  patrons,  among  whom  he  has  established  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion. Dr.  Ulrey's  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  Igoe,  a  lady  of  French  descent. 
CORNELIUS  VAN  HORN,  York  Township,  was  born  in  New  York 
City  May  15,  1806,  and  is  a  son  of  Cornelius  and  Eve  (Vanzile)  Van 
Horn,  both  natives  of  New  Jersey.  His  great-grandfather,  whose  name 
was  also  Cornelius,  came  from  Holland  and  located  in  New  Jersey,  near 
New  York  City,  where  he  reared  his  family.  His  grandfather, Cornelius, 
and  also  his  father,  Cornelius,  were  born  there,  the  former  dying  at  the 
home  of  the  latter,  while  our  subject  was  but  a  child.  The  family  on 
both  sides  were  of  Hollandese  descent.  Cornelius  Van  Horn,  Sr. ,  was 
a  farmer  and  real  estate  dealer  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  and 
resided  in  the  East  till  1817,  when  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Dearborn 
County.  They  came  by  the  usual  route  over  the  mountains  by  wagon  to 
Pittsburgh,  from  which  place,  with  two  other  families — headed  by  James 
Skates  and  Mr.  Davison — they  came  by  flat-boat  to  Cincinnati.  Soon 
after  Mr.  Van  Horn  purchased  land  in  York  Township  and  came  into 
the  woods  to  build  up  a  home.  In  a  period  of  less  than  two  years  he 
purchased  six  quarter  sections,  and  he  continued  farming  until  his  death, 
which  occurred,  January  15,  1835,  his  widow  surviving  till  1847.  He 
was  a  great  trader,  and  being  endowed  with  large  business  capacity  was 
generally  successful  in  his  enterprises.  Cornelius  Van  Horn,  whose 
name  introduces  this  sketch,  resided  with  his  parents  until  his  twenty- 
fourth  year.  He  was  married,  July  18,  1830,  to  Lydia  Ayres,  who  was 
born  in  Walnut  Hills,  Cincinnati,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Myers)  Ayres,  natives  of  Virginia.  Her  father  was  a  shoe-maker  by  trade, 
and  for  many  years  worked  at  that  business,  in  which  he  was  quite  success- 
ful. He  subsequently  did  quite  a  business  in  keel-boating  on  the  Ohio, 
and  was  for  some  years  afterward  employed  in  the  county  offices  of  Ham- 
ilton County  as  deputy.  In  his  later  years,  however,  he  did  little  but 
collect  his  rents  and  look  after  his  property  interests.  In  the  spring 
following  his  marriage  Mr.  Van  Horn  moved  to  the  farm  on  which  he 
has  ever  since  resided.  He  inherited  a  quarter  section  from  his  father, 
and  by  his  industry  he  was  able  to  add  to  his  original  possession  till  he 
owned  350  acres,  from  which  he  has  since  sold  some  small  lots  for  the 
accommodation  of  his  neighbors.  The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Horn 
was  fruitful  in  the  birth  of  ten  children,  six  now  living:  John.  Samuel, 


956  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Mary,  Angeline,  Harrison  and  George.  After  a  period  of  nearly  fifty 
years  of  faithful  duty  as  a  wife  and  mother,  Mrs.  Van  Horn  passed 
away  October  31,  1879.  As  a  reward  for  their  long  years  of  incessant 
toil  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Horn,  in  their  old  age,  found  themselves  well  pro- 
vided with  the  comforts  of  life,  which  only  Mr.  Van  Horn  now  lives  to 
enjoy,  and  upon  him  the  shadows  of  old  age  are  stealing;  though  he  is 
well  preserved  in  both  body  and  mind  for  one  of  his  years.  He  remem- 
bers many  incidents  of  pioneer  life,  which  he  relates  with  vividness,  so 
firmly  are  they  impressed  upon  his  memory. 

SAMUEL  A.  VAN  HORN,  dealer  in  hay  and  grain.  Lawrence- 
burgh,  was  born  in  York  Township,  Dearborn  County,  in  1833.  He 
is  a  son  of  Cornelius  Van  Horn,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  York  Town- 
ship, and  his  early  life  was  passed  on  the  farm  with  his  parents.  He 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools  at  College  Hill  and  Hartsville,  and 
he  remained  on  the  homestead  with  his  parents  till  thirty  years  of  age. 
In  1865  he  came  to  Lawrenceburgh  and  engaged  in  the  hay  and  grain 
business,  which  he  has  since  conducted,  handling  annually  about  2,000 
to  3,000  tons  of  hay,  and  wheat,  oats  and  barley,  50,000  to  60,000  bush- 
els. Mr.  Van  Horn  was  married,  in  1862,  to  Elizabeth  Emerson,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Lockwood)  Emerson,  natives  of  England 
and  residents  of  Miller  Township,  where  her  father  still  resides.  Two 
children  are  living — Fannie  Belle  and  Willie  Ayres.  Mr.  Van  Horn  is 
a  live  business  man  and  useful  citizen.  He  has  served  many  years  as 
clerk  of  Greendale  and  contributed  liberally  to  the  building  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

NATHAN  ALLEN  VAN  OSDOL,  farmer,  Cass  Township,  born  in 
Fayette  County,  Penn.,  May  25,  1813,  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Rebecca 
Van  Osdol,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who  removed  to  Indiana  in  1816, 
coming  down  the  river  in  a  flat-boat  to  Rising  Sun,  where  they  landed 
in  the  summer  of  that  year  and  located  about  three  miles  west  of  Rising 
Sun.  Mr.  Van  Osdol  was  a  carpenter  and  mill-wright  by  trade,  which 
occupation  he  followed  the  greater  portion  of  his  life.  He  was  a  true 
type  of  the  pioneer — an  honest,  hard  working  man.  They  brought  four 
children  with  them  from  Pennsylvania,  of  whom  Nathan  Allen  was  the 
youngest,  and  is  the  only  one  now  living.  Mr.  Van  Osdol  died  Septem- 
ber 12,  1848,  aged  seventy-one  years.  His  widow  died  March  5,  1844, 
aged  sixty-five  years.  Nathan  Allen,  who  was  a  child  of  three  years  of 
age  when  brought  to  this  then  wildernes,  grew  to  manhood,  fully 
acquainted  with  pioneer  life,  and  has  remained  a  citizen  of  Ohio  County 
through  his  entire  life.  For  several  years,  in  his  early  life,  he  followed 
boating  on  the  river,  then  settled  upon  a  farm,  and  has  since  made  farm- 
ing his  principal  business.     He  started  out  in  life,  when  sixteen  years  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  957 

age,  with  a  capital  consisting  of  one  calf,  which  he  '  sold  for  $1. 
He  worked  by  the  month,  for  which  he  was  paid  $3. 50,  and  the  highest 
wages  he  ever  obtained  was  $8  per  month.  In  the  harvest  field  he  could 
sometimes  get  50  cents  for  reaping  hard  all  day.  Through  all  these 
experiences  Mr.  Van  Osdol  has  passed,  and  by  industry  and  economy  has 
accumulated  a  competency,  now  owning  a  farm  of  155  acres,  with  good 
improvements.  He  was  married  June  30,  1836;  to  Elizabeth  Crowley, 
a  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  Crowley,  natives  of  Virginia.  Mr. 
Crowley  was  drowned  in  the  river,  in  his  native  State,  in  1817.  Subse- 
quently Mrs,  Crowley  married  David  Mulford,  and  in  1820  removed  to 
Indiana  and  settled  near  Dillsborough,  and  there  and  in  Ohio  County 
spent  the  balance  of  her  life.  She  died  February  6,  1868,  aged  seventy- 
seven  years.  By  her  first  husband  she  had  one  son  and  three  daughters; 
two  now  survive.  Van  S.  and  Elizabeth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Osdol  are 
parents  of  twelve  children,  seven  now  survive:  Melissa,  wife  of  Peter 
Kichmond;  Boston  W.,  John,  William  Wesley,  Charles  L.,  Mary  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Andrew  Sedam,  and  Benjamin  Franklin.  Of  these  John 
and  Charles  L.  are  practicing  physicians  in  Allensville,  Switzerland  Co., 
Ind.  Of  those  deceased,  three  died  young,  two  grew  to  womanhood: 
Margaret  Ann  and  Nancy  Jane;  the  former  died,  aged  twenty-seven 
years,  the  latter  at  nineteen  years  of  age.  Mr.  Van  Osdol  and  wife  have 
been  active  members  of  the  New  Hope  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for 
forty- five  years,  in  which  he  has  been  a  pillar,  doing  much  for  the  best 
interests  of  the  society, 

LEWIS  VAN  WEDDING,  farmer,  Jackson  Township,  born  in  New 
Orleans,  La.,  February  7,  1829,  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Vogel)  Van 
Wedding,  he  a  native  of  Brussels,  Belgium,  and  she  of  France.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  army  under  Napoleon;  was  taken  prisoner  and  carried 
to  Ireland,  but  subsequently  released.  In  1814  he  immigrated  to  America, 
landing  at  New  York  City,  where  he  remained  some  time  and  learned 
the  business  of  refining  Hugar.  Thence  he  removed  to  New  Orleans, 
where  he  engaged  as  foreman  in  a  large  sugar  refining  establishment. 
Subsequently  he  married,  remaining  a  resident  there  until  in  the  fall  of 
1832;  he  removed  to  Indiana,  where  he  had  previously  purchased  land 
in  Dearborn  County,  where  he  settled  and  remained  until  his  death,  in 
1858,  aged  seventy-eight  years.  His  widow  died,  January  5,  1880,  aged 
seventy  eight  years.  They  were  parents  of  nine  children,  two  now  sur- 
viving: Lewis  and  Catharine,  the  latter  the  wife  of  Franklin  H.  Bush. 
Of  those  deceased,  there  were  three  pair  of  twins.  One  daughter,  Mary, 
died  of  cholera,  in  New  Orleans,  in  1832.  Lewis,  the  eldest  child,  who 
came  to  this  county,  grew  to  manhood,  fully  acquainted  with  pioneer 
life.     His  first  schooling  was  obtained  in  a  log  schoolKouse,  four  miles 


958  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

distant,  in  Manchester.  February  4,  1851,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Victoria  Gutzwiller,  born  May  24,  1831,  a  daughter  of  Louis  and 
Mary  Gutzwiller,  he  a  native  of  France  and  she  of  Switzerland.  They 
were  married  in  Switzerland,  and  in  1832  became  settlers  of  this  county^ 
where  he  died,  in  1853,  and  she  December  25,  1863.  Mr.  Gutzwiller 
was  also  a  soldier  under  Napoleon.  They  had  ten  children,  five  now 
living:  Joseph,  Philip,  Victoria,  John  and  George;  the  latter  served 
in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  in  Company  E,  Sixteenth  Regiment  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  until  the  war  closed.  Mr.  Van  Wedding  and  wife 
have  four  children:  Jacob  P. ;  Mary  L. ,  wife  of  Nicholas  Lang;  Louisa, 
wife  of  William  C.  Lewis,  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Clinton  S.  Ward. 
Mr.  Van  Wedding  has  made  farming  his  principal  business,  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  Jackson  Township  more  than  half  a  century.  He 
enlisted  in  the  war,  in  1862,  in  Company  E,  Sixteenth  Regiment  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry;  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Richmond,  Ky. ; 
taken  prisoner,  paroled,  and  finally  discharged  on  account  of  disability. 
He  enlisted  as  a  private  and  was  promoted  to  second  sergeant.  He  has 
held  several  offices  of  his  township.  Mr.  Van  Wedding  is  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  Jackson  Township.  Reliable  and  careful  in  all  his  busi- 
ness transactions,  he  holds  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of 
his  community. 

H.  C.  VINCENT,  M.  D.,  Guilford,  a  physician  of  thirty-five  years 
practice,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1826.  The  paternal  ancestors 
of  his  family  were  of  English  descent  and  may  be  traced  back  to  the 
time  of  the  invasion  of  Britain  by  the  Romans.  The  modern  lineage  is 
traced  from  three  brothers,  Daniel,  Samuel  and  a  third  whose  name  is 
unrecalled.  Daniel  and  Samuel  immigrated  to  this  country  in  the  early 
part  of  the  seventeenth  century  and  settled  on  Martha's  Vineyard  Island 
and  from  that  point  the  descendants  radiated,  most  of  them  moving 
westward.  Dr.  Vincent  seems  to  have  descended  from  the  line  founded 
by  Daniel  Vincent,  a  branch  of  whose  posterity  settled  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cincinnati  about  the  time  that  city  adopted  its  present  name.  His  pa- 
ternal ancestors  in  Massachusetts  were  all  sailors,  and  after  the  death  of 
his  grandfather  in  that  State  his  grandmother  removed  with  her  family 
to  Ohio  to  prevent  her  sons  from  adopting  a  seafaring  life.  The 
family  consisted  of  the  following  children:  Jane,  Thomas,  Jere- 
miah, Bartlet,  Elizabeth,  Louise,  Elias  and  Daniel;  the  latter  and 
Louise  are  now  the  only  ones  living  and  reside  on  the  old  home- 
stead near  Cincinnati,  each  now  being  near  ninety  years  of  age. 
Among  the  list  of  descendants  are  some  men  of  national  reputation. 
Henry  Vincent,  the  celebrated  English  lecturer  and  Dr.  Vincent  of 
Chatauqua  fame,  being  examples.     Jeremiah  Vincent  was  sixteen  years 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  959 

of  age  when  he  arrived  at  Cincinnati  with  his  mother  with  whom  he 
resided  on  a  farm  till  he  reached  his  majority.  He  then  went  to  work 
with  his  brother-in-law,  William  Grossman,  a  carpenter  and  contractor, 
with  whom  he  was  engaged  till  about  1825,  when  he  married  Elizabeth 
Golden  and  soon  after  began  his  career  as  pilot  on  a  river  steamboat 
plying  between  Cincinnati  and  New  Orleans.  About  1835-36  he  aban- 
doned the  river  and  took  up  agricultural  pursuits  near  Cincinnati,  on 
land  inherited  by  his  wife,  and  here  he  closed  his  busy  life  in  1859. 
His  wife  was  of  Irish  and  Hollandese  parentage,  her  mother's  name  being 
Von  Vance.  Her  people  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Pennsylvania 
and  her  mother  came  to  Cincinnati  as  early  as  1796,  and  died  there  in 
1878,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-nine  years  and  eleven  months. 
Mrs.  Jeremiah  Vincent  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  in  1806,  and  died  in 
October,  1884.  Dr.  H.  C.  Vincent,  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch, 
passed  his  first  nine  years  in  Cincinnati.  He  then  went  to  the  farm  four 
miles  from  the  city  with  his  parents  and  was  in  this  locality  educated  in 
the  Carey  Academy,  beginning  his  studies  in  1844.  Two  years  later  he 
began  the  stady  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Jacin  Brevort,  under  whose  direc- 
tion he  continued  his  reading  two  years.  In  1848  he  entered  Starling 
Medical  College,  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  in  the  following  year  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Dover,  this  county,  where  he  resided  till  1856, 
except  two  years,  1851-52,  which  were  spent  in  California.  In  1856  he 
located  at  Yorkville  where  he  continued  his  practice  till  1861,  when  here- 
moved  to  Guilford  which  has  since  been  his  place  of  abode.  Soon  after 
locating  at  Guilford  Dr.  Vincent  was  commissioned  assistant  surgeon  of 
the  Eighty-third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  entered  the  service.  In 
February,  1863,  he  was  sent  home  wounded,  but  returned  in  the  follow- 
ing June  and  was  present  at  the  capture  of  Vicksburg  and  Jackson  but 
was  unable  to  join  in  the  Atlanta  campaign.  In  the  winter  of  1864  he 
resigned  his  commission,  returned  home  and  has  since  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Dearborn  County.  In  1850 
he  married  Mary  L.  Ward,  of  this  county,  daughter  of  William  S.  Ward, 
and  by  this  union  there  were  born  five  children:  Blanche,  Charles, 
Edwin,  Sherman  and  Edith.  Charles  is  deceased,  Blanche  is  now  the 
wife  of  E.  Chaplin,  a  most  excellent  gentleman,  and  resides  at  Guilford 
where  her  husband  is  engaged  in  merchandising.  Dr.  Vincent  ranks 
among  the  leading  physicians  of  the  county  and  has  an  extensive  prac- 
tice. He  is  a  member  of  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and  is  an  active  worker  in  the 
interest  of  the  Republican  party. 

VINCENS  FRANK,  foreman  in  distillery,  Aurora,  was  born  in 
Baden,  Germany,  February  2,  1832,  where  he  received  a  good  common 
school    education.     His  parents,  Xavier  and  Rachel  (Maui'ath)   Frank, 


960  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

were  born  in  the  same  kingdom,  the  father  in  1801.  The  subject  of  our 
sketch  came  to  America  in  1852,  and  located  in  Clinton,  Ripley  County, 
lad.,  where  he  remained  about  a  year  and  a  half;  thence  he  went  to 
Greensburgh  on  five  months'  probation,  after  which  he  removed  to  Deca- 
tur County,  where  he  farmed  for  three  years.  In  February,  1857,  he 
moved  to  Aurora,  Ind. ,  where  an  engagement  was  consummated  with 
the  Aurora  Distilling  Company,  in  whose  employ  he  has  since  remained 
as  yeast-maker,  having  acquired  the  reputation  of  producing  more  spirits 
from  the  grain  than  any  man  in  this  country.  He  was  married,  June 
10,  1856,  to  Miss  Margaret  Snider,  who  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
September  23,  1836.  Eight  children,  Mary,  William,  Elizabeth,  Carrie, 
Peter,  Maggie,  Catharine  and  Joseph  have  been  born  to  them.  Mr. 
Frank  and  family  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church.  He  has  been  trustee 
in  the  church  for  several  years.  At  pi'esent  he  is  one  of  the  directors  in 
the  Aurora  Fair  Association.  Politically  he  has  been  a  life-long  Demo- 
crat.     By  industry  and  economy  he  has  secured  a  competency. 

JAMES  C.  VINSON,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  September  16,  1838.  His  parents,  Simeon  and  Rebecca 
A.  (Bruce)  Vinson,  were  natives  of  Dearborn  County.  The  former  born 
October  4,  1811;  the  latter,  May  12,  1817.  They  were  married  in  Dear- 
born County,  August  20,  1837,  and  first  settled  in  Washington  Town- 
ship, where  they  resided  until  1844,  at  which  time  they  moved  to  their 
present  residence.  They  had  born  to  them  nine  children:  Abigail, 
William  C,  Caroline,  Mary,  Alanson,  B.  C,  and  three  which  died  in 
infancy.  James  C.  began  work  for  himself  when  about  seventeen  years 
of  age,  always  engaging  in  farming.  He  was  married  in  Hogan  Town- 
ship, September  14;  1862,  to  America  Carbaugh,  who  was  born  March  8, 
1838,  and  by  whom  he  has  had  born  to  him  five  children,  viz. :  Delia  C, 
William  B.,  Herman  D.  (deceased),  Simeon  J.  and  Minnie  E.  After  his 
marriage  he  settled  on  his  father's  farm,  where  he  remained  about  four 
years;  then  he  purchased  and  moved  on  a  farm  in  Sparta  Township,  and 
resided  until  1871,  when  he  purchased  his  present  farm  there. 

NICHOLAS  VOGELGESANG,  one  of  the  board  of  commissioners  of 
Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1827.  He  is  a  son  of  George 
and  Elizabeth  Vogelgesang,  with  whom  he  immigrated  to  this  country  in 
1833.  His  parents  first  located  in  Hamilton,  Ohio,  where  they  resided 
two  years,  after  which  they  removed  to  Kelso  Township,  this  county. 
Here  the  father  purchased  laud  and  resided  till  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1876.  The  mother  is  still  surviving,  in  her  eighty-fourth  year. 
Nicholas  Vogelgesang  grew  up  with  his  parents,  residing  with  them  till 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  with  his 
father,  and  the  fortunes  of  this  vocation   he  followed  for  about  twenty 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  961 

years.  He  then  purchased  a  farm  of  nineU'  acres  (on  which  he  is  still 
residing),  and  began  operations  in  agricultural  pursiiits,  which  he  has 
since  continued.  In  all  his  business  operations  he  has  been  quite  suc- 
cessful, and  as  a  reward  for  his  industry  and  perseverance  he  is  provided 
with  a  comfortable  share  of  wordly  goods.  He  married,  in  1847,  Eliz- 
abeth Blattner,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  daughter  of  Sebastian  Blattner, 
who  has  for  many  years  been  deceased.  By  this  union  six  children  were 
born  who  are  still  living:  George,  a  resident  of  Cincinnati;  Nicholas, 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Antony  Orcheid,  of  Cincinnati;  Frank,  Mary  and 
Joseph.  In  local  politics,  Mr.  Vogelgesang  has  always  taken  some  inter- 
est, and  has  served  his  township  ;in  the  offices  of  assessor,  trustee,  etc. 
As  a  further  compliment  to  his  charactar  as  a  citizen  and  his  judgment 
in  public  affairs,  the  people  of  the  county  in  the  fall  of  1884  elected 
him  to  the  responsible  position  of  commissioner,  the  duties  of  which 
office  he  assumed  in  December,  1885.  Mr.  Vogelgesang  has  always  been 
a  firm  adherent  to  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  loyal  in 
its  support. 

FREDERICK  J.  WALDO,  Rising  Sun,  editor  and  publisher  of 
the  Rising  Sun  Recorder,  was  born  in  Switzerland  County,  Ind., 
in  1831,  in  which  county  his  parents,  Otis  and  Sarah  (Smith)  Waldo, 
settled  about  1816.  His  father  died  when  Frederick  J.  was  an  infant, 
and  his  mother  subsequently  married  Jacob  Keefer,  surviving  till  about 
1879.  Mr.  Waldo  was  reared  to  maturity  in  his  native  county,  and  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Vevay.  He  began  the  printer's  trade  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  and  continued  at  the  cases  till  1853,  when  he  purchased  The 
Ohio  Valley  Gazette  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  changed  the  name 
of  the  paper  to  the  Vevay  Reveille  and  continued  its  publication  till 
1864;  his  brother  continuing  in  the  partnership  but  a  few  months.  He 
nest  spent  about  two  and  one- half  years  as  postmaster  at  Vevay,  receiv- 
ing his  appointment  in  1864.  In  1867  he  was  appointed  assistant  as- 
sessor of  internal  revenue,  for  Division  No.  4,  of  the  Third  Indiana 
District,  serving  in  this  capacity  six  years,  having  a  silent  interest  in 
the  newspaper  business  during  part  of  that  time.  In  1873  he  purchased 
the  Rising  Sun  Recorder,  which  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  editing 
and  publishing.  The  paper  is  pronounced  in  its  discussion  of  all  cred- 
itable enterprises  and  the  public  morals  generally,  and  takes  rank  with 
the  best  country  publications.  Mr.  Waldo  was  married  December  22, 
1852,  to  Martha  J.  Eggleston,  a  native  of  Latonia  Springs,  Ky.,  and 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Eggleston,  for  many  years  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
of  Covington,  Ky.  They  have  eight  children:  Emerson  G.,'John  F., 
INIattie,  lo,  William  W.,  Otis  B.,  Sarah  and  Jessie. 


962  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

HENRY  WALKER  was  born  in  what  is  now  Dearborn  County  in 
1799.  His  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Anna  Walker,  among  the  first 
pioneers  of  the  West.  Our  subject  was  one  of  the  city's  most  noted  citi- 
zens, one  who  took  an  active  part  in  every  enterprise  for  the  improvement 
of  the  city  and  the  advancement  of  morality  and  religion.  For  forty 
years  he  was  identified  with  Aurora's  history,  coming  here  in  1834,  when 
it  was  but  a  village,  with  comparatively  little  business  and  less  enter- 
prise; without  bridges,  and  the  two  most  important  roads  almost  impas- 
sable to  reach  Manchester  up  the  steep  point  above  Mr.  L.  Cheek's;  the 
other,  west,  up  the  hill  by  Joseph  Tresters'  and  through  Dr.  Sutton's 
pasture  field.  To  change  these  roads  was  of  the  utmost  importance,  and 
Mr.  W.  being  elected  to  the  Legislature  the  next  year,  had  laws  passed 
relocating  both  these  highways,  and  the  Manchester  Pike  and  Sunnyside 
are  the  result  on  that  route,  while  the  turnpike  to  Wellsboro  and  Hart's 
Mill  and  the  improvements  on  the  other  side  followed  as  a  consequence, 
Mr.  Walker  served  as  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1835,  as  school 
commissioner  in  1837  and  from  1840  to  1843,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
as  postmaster  of  Aurora.  He  became  identified  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  of  Aurora  in  1838.  Mr.  Walker  was  married  to  Miss  Har- 
riet Bisbee  December  11,  1822.  Her  father  was  a  pioneer,  and  settled 
with  the  very  first  on  Laughery  Creek.  Mr.  Walker's  death  occurred 
March  21,  1876. 

JOHN  P.  WALKER,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  was  born  in 
Lawrenceburgh  Township  February  22,  1816.  His  father,  Robert 
Walker,  was  born  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  August  7,  1779,  and  came 
to  Indiana  in  1810  and  followed  farming.  His  mother,  Theodosia 
(Cook)  Walker,  was  born  in  Virginia  February  3,  1793.  They  were  mar- 
ried February  25,  1813,  and  raised  a  family  of  nine  children:  Matilda, 
John  P.,  William,  Sylvester,  Nancy  J.,  Catharine,  Sarah  and  Thomas  J. 
The  parents  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the 
father  dying  August  7,  1865,  the  mother  March  22,  1843.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  the  second  child,  and  in  early  life  learned  the  saddle 
and  harness  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for  twenty-five  years.  In  early 
days  he  owned  a  shop  in  Wilmington,  and  made  dray  harness  for  the 
infant  Aurora  market.  He  also  flat-boated  some  up  to  1848.  In  1848 
he  moved  to  Washington  Township,  and  has  lived  there  ever  since  and 
followed  farming  almost  exclusively.  Mr.  Walker  was  married,  Novem- 
ber 10,  1837,  to  Miss  Mary  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Washington  Town- 
ship in  July,  1820.  Their  three  children  were  Frances  (now  Mrs.  B. 
Wcthered),  Irvin  S.  and  Elizabeth  A.  Mr.  Walker  was  appointed 
assessor  twice,  and  filled  the  oflSceof  township  trustee  one  term.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  life,  and  in  addition  to  his  landed  estate  owna 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  963 

valuable  town  property  and  chattels.  He  is  a  member  of  Wilmington 
Lodge  No.  158,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13,  and  Aurora  Council. 
In  his  charity  he  took  an  orphan  boy,  Louis  Martin,  to  raise,  whom  he 
treats  as  an  own  son. 

EUDOLPH  WALTER,  druggist  and  apothecary,  Lawrenceburgh, 
was  born  in  Germany  in  1825.  He  obtained  his  education,  literary  and 
professional,  in  the  schools  of  his  native  country,  from  which  he  emi- 
grated in  1852,  locating  for  the  first  year  in  Cincinnati,  then  removing 
to  Lawrenceburgh.  He  at  once  began  the  drug  business,  renting  rooms 
from  1853  to  1860,  in  which  year  he  erected  the  building  he  has  since 
occupied.  He  carries  a  full  stock  of  goods  pertaining  to  the  drug  trade, 
and  has  a  liberal  patronage.  Mr.  Walter  was  married,  in  1857,  to  Caro- 
line Hodel,  born  in  Dearborn  County,  daughter  of  George  Hodel,  an 
they  have  four  children:  Charles  A.,  Matilda,  Flora  M.  and  George  R. 
Mr.  Walter  is  president  of  the  Union  School  Board,  a  position  he  has 
held  for  several  years,  and  ranks  among  the  first  of  the  business  men  of 
Lawrenceburgh. 

PETER  WALTHER,  blacksmith,  wagon-maker  and  implement  dealer, 
Lawrenceburgh,  was  born  in  Alsace,  France  (now  Germany),  in  1831.  He 
is  a  son  of  Michael  Walther,  who  died  in  Alsace  many  years  a^o.  Mr. 
Walther  learned  his  trade  in  his  native  country,  from  which  he  emigrated 
in  1852  to  the  United  States.  He  located  first  in  Ripley  County,  Ind., 
where  he  resided  till  1857,  when  he  removed  to  Lawrenceburgh,  which 
has  since  been  his  home.  He  followed  his  trade  in  wagon-makino-  ex- 
clusively till  1882,  when  he  added  farming  implements,  and  in  general 
has  been  fairly  successful,  Mr.  Walther  was  married,  in  1856,  to  Miss 
Caroline  Fike,  by  whom  he  had  three  children:  George,  Katie  and  Ma- 
tilda. Mr.  Walther  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  a  hard  worker  and 
an  exemplary  citizen.  His  energy  and  industry  fully  entitle  him  to  the 
success  he  has  achieved  in  his  line  of  business. 

C.  G.  WALTER,  M.  D.,  Lawrenceburgh,  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  widely  known  physicians  of  Dearborn  County.  He  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1820,  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  country,  in 
both  literary  and  professional  studies,  under  instructors  at  Berlin,  Halle 
Rostock,  graduating  with  the  highest  honors.  He  immediately  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  city  of  Berlin,  where  he  continued 
with  marked  success  up  to  1852,  when  he  immigrated  to  the  United 
States.  He  located  in  Cincinnati,  on  his  arrival  in  this  country,  but 
remained  there  only  two  years,  when  he  located  (1854)  in  Lawrencebargh. 
Here  he  has  ever  since  conducted  his  practice,  which  has  grown  to  exten- 
sive and  profitable  proportions.  Dr.  Walter  makes  the  diseases  of  females 
and  children  a  special  study,  and  in  all  the  years  of  his  wide  range  of 


964  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

practrce  has  lost  but  very  few  cases.  His  professional  skill  has  gained 
for  him  something  more  than  a  local  reputation  and  is  recognized  quite 
generally  in  southeastern  Indiana.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Indiana  State 
Medical  Society,  with  which  organization  he  has  been  connected  since 
1867;  is  the  oldest  member  of  the  Dearborn  County  Medical  Society;  is 
president  of  the  Lawrenceburgh  Board  of  Health;  and  was  formerly  em- 
ployed here  as  physician  for  the  Dearborn  County  Infirmary.  Dr.  Wal- 
ter was  married,  in  1859,  to  Lucy  Knapp,  a  native  of  this  county,  and 
they  have  one  child — Carrie  G.  The  Doctor  enjoys  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion, which  he  has  most  fairly  won  by  close  application  to  the  study  of 
his  profession,  together  with  a  disposition  to  aid,  for  humanity's  sake, 
all  those  who  might  avail  themselves  of  his  efficient  services.  In  connec- 
tion with  her  household  duties,  Mrs.  Walter,  since  1875,  has  found  time 
to  conduct  a  dry  goods  establishment,  carrying  a  stock  ranging  in  value 
from  $1,500  to  $2,000,  the  same  being  the  recipient  of  a  very  fair  patron- 
age. In  social  as  well  as  in  professional  and  business  circles,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Walter  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

JAMES  N.  WALTON,  photographer,  Aurora,  was  raised  on  a  farm, 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  commenced  to  take  lessons  in  the  art  of  pho  - 
tography.  By  close  application  and  hard  study  he  became  quite  effi- 
cient in  his  chosen  vocation.  About  the  year  1861  he  opened  a  small 
gallery  in  Rising  Sun,  afterward  traveling  through  the  country  with 
William  Davis  in  a  portable  photograph  car.  In  the  fall  of  1862  he 
went  with  the  Nineteenth  Michigan  Regiment  as  photographer,  and  on 
his  return  located  in  Aurora,  Ind.,  November  5,  1863,  where  he  opened 
up  a  gallery,  and  continued  until  1865,  at  which  time  he  sold  out  and 
moved  to  Cincinnati,  remaining  there  two  years,''then  returning  to  Aurora, 
and  opening  up  business,  fully  determined  to  become  a  permanent  fixt- 
ure. His  success  in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  has  been  flat- 
tering in  the  extreme,  and  in  artistic  photography  he  has  not  a  rival  in 
the  West.  His  work  in  all  its  details  shows  a  perception  of  true  artistic 
effects.  His  management  of  light  and  shadow  is  excellent,  and  the  whole 
furnishes  a  composition  most  pleasing.  While  many  photographers 
seem  to  possess  a  good  mastery  of  the  methods  of  manipulating,  yet  of- 
ten there  is  lacking  what  may  be  termed  "  finish. "  Again,  while  the 
workmanship  may  be  pronounced  perfect,  grace  in  position  is  often  lack- 
ing, and  an  ungainly  pose  will  often  spoil  the  effect  of  an  otherwise  good 
work.  Such  faults  are  never  to  be  found  in  the  work  of  Mr.  Walton. 
The  most  trifling  detail  is  not  omitted,  and  the  result  is  a  work  showing 
harmony  in  its  composition,  beauty  in  its  finish  and  truth  in  its  outlines. 
His  apartments  are  well  fitted  up  and  possess  every  facility  for  the  con- 
venience of  patrons;  and  in  calling  the  attention  of  our  readers  to  the 


BIOGEAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  965 

high  excellence  of  his  work,  we  are  only  paying  a  just  tribute  to  his  efforts, 
which  have  brought  him  a  patronage  he  richly  deserves.  Mr.  Wal- 
ton was  born  in  Ohio  County,  October,  31,  1842,  and  may  be  classed  a 
self-made  man.  By  hard  study  at  night  he  acquired  a  common  school 
education,  his  school  privileges  being  limited,  owing  to  the  duties  de- 
volving upon  him,  being  the  eldest  of  six  children.  On  account  of  the 
failing  health  of  his  father  he  was  obliged  to  assist  his  mother  in  the 
care  of  the  family  and  the  farm,  at  the  tender  age  of  seven  years.  Be- 
ing of  English  descent,  and  possessing  that  indomitable  will  so  charac- 
teristic of  the  English  people,  in  all  of  his  undertakings  he  has  never 
known  such  a  word  as  fail.  During  his  boyhood  days  he  was  a  great  lov- 
er of  the  Sunday-school,  and  had  read  the  Bible  through  before  the  age 
of  nine  years.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  joined  the  Christian  Church 
at  Rising  Sun  under  the  preaching  of  Elder  Tears,  and  has  been  a  devot- 
ed member  of  the  church  up  to  he  present  time.  It  was  through  his 
exertions  that  the  congregation  of  the  Christian  Church  of  Aurora  was 
organized.  He  was  elected  elder  in  the  church  March  14,  1880,  and 
trustee  in  1882.  He  is  a  member  of  the  K.  of  H.  and  has  filled  every 
office  wilhin  the  gift  of  the  lodge.  His  father,  Alfred  A.,  was  born  in 
Rising  Sun,  April  10,  1816,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  male  child 
born  in  that  city.  The  mother,  Elizabeth  (Kompton)  Walton,  was  born 
in  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  July  16,  1822.  Mr.  Walton  was  married, 
December  17,  1865,  to  Miss  Fannie  L.  Plummer,  who  was  born  in  Man- 
chester, Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.  She  is  a  lady  of  artistic  taste  and  culture, 
and  by  her' assistance  in  her  husband's  business,  has  very  materially  in- 
creased the  high  grade  of  his  work.  She  is  also  a  devoted  member  and 
organist  of  the  Christian  Church.  To  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mi-s 
Walton  one  son,  Clifford  D.,  has  been  born. 

ISAAC  B.  WARD,  farmer,  York  Township,  was  born  in  Essex 
County,  N.  J.,  August  3,  1819.  His  father,  William  S.  Ward,  was  a 
native  of  New  York  City,  and  his  mother,  Sarah  Doyle,  was  born  in 
Rheinbeck,  N.  J.,  the  latter  in  1796.  The  ancestors  of  the  family  were 
a  mixture  of  Scotch-Irish  and  the  Amsterdam  Dutch,  the  latter  branch 
establishing  themselves  in  this  country  at  the  time  of  the  early  settle- 
ment of  New  York.  William  S.  Ward  was  a  shoe-maker  by  trade,  and 
early  in  life  moved  into  New  Jersey,  where  he  married  Sarah  Doyle. 
In  the  fall  of  1822,  with  their  three  children,  they  moved  by  wagon  to 
Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  and  from  thence  to  Cincinnati  in  a  family  boat,  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Kenedy's  family.  They  took  up  their  abode  in  the  old 
Bonte  house  on  York  Ridge  and  in  the  following  year  Mr.  Ward  erected 
the  first  frame  dwelling  in  that  locality.  He  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits chiefly  during  the  rest  of  his  life,  though  he  did  some  work  at  his 


966  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

trade  for  the  neighborhood,  and  for  many  years  kept  the  postofSce  of 
that  vicinity.  As  a  citizen  Mr.  Ward  was  exceedingly  popular.  A  con- 
firmed Whig  in  politics  he  was  several  times  elected  commissioner,  with 
one  exception,  being  the  only  repi'esentative  of  that  party  ever  elected 
to  office  in  the  county.  He  reared  a  family  of  eleven  children:  Jane 
Ann  (wife  of  John  Fagan),  Isaac  B.,  William  H.,  Charles,  Richard, 
Caroline  (wife  of  Josiah  Campbell),  Mary  E.  (wife  of  Dr.  Vincent), 
Sarah  M.  (widow  of  Frank  Riddle),  George  W.,  Addie  (wife  of  Samuel 
Metzger),  and  Rhoda  A.  (wife  of  J.  E.  Larimer).  In  1857  Mr.  Ward 
departed  this  life,  but  his  aged  widow  still  survives  and  is  at  this  time 
(November,  1885)  making  her  annual  visits  to  her  relatives  in  Kansas. 
The  mother  of  eleven  children  she  has  forty-nine  grandchildren  and 
thirty-nine  great-grandchildren.  Since  the  marriage  of  her  youngest 
daughter,  Mrs.  R.  A.  Larimer,  associate  editor  of  the  Lawrenceburgh 
Press,  she  has  made  her  home  with  her.  At  the  meeting  of  the  pioneer 
association  in  the  summer  of  1885,  Mrs.  Ward  received  the  gold  specta- 
cles, a  prize  offered  to  the  oldest  person  present.  Isaac  B.  Ward,  whose 
name  introduces  this  sketch,  grew  to  maturity  on  the  farm  with  his 
parents  in  York  Township.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  fol- 
lowed the  fortunes  of  the  same  for  about  twenty  years,  then  took  up  the 
horticultural  and  florist  business,  which  he  is  still  more  or  less  engaged 
in.  He  purchased  his  present  home  in  1857.  Mr.  W^ard  was  married, 
in  1850,  to  Emma  Taylor,  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  daughter  of  Townsend 
Taylor,  a  hatter  of  that  city,  where  her  early  years  were  passed.  Their 
children  living  are  Charles  P.,  William  F.  and  Edward  K.  Lizzie,  the 
first  born,  is  deceased.  Mr.  Ward  is  an  intelligent  reader  and  possesses 
a  good  stock  of  general  information.  He  is  a  close  observer  and  thinker, 
and  ranks  above  the  average  intellectually.  In  his  religions  views  he  is 
decidedly  liberal. 

REV.  JUDGE  JOHN   WATTS,   of  Dearborn  County,  who  lived  a 

/  life  of  extensive  usefulness  both  in  church  and  state,  was  born  in  Cul- 

,./         pepper  County,  Va,,  March  22,  1767.     In  December,  1788,  he  was  unit- 

,J"^  ed  in  marriage  to  Frances  ^^Sbeau,  both  then  members  of  the  Baptist 

^  *  Church.     She  is  an  exemplary,  pious  woman.     In  1789  they  removed  to 

Kentucky,  then  almost  a  wilderness,  and  the  pioneers  severely  harassed 
by  Indians.  Judge  Watts  settled  near  Lexington,  and  was  among  the 
most  active  and  enterprising  in  defending  the  infant  settlements  from 
the  savage  invaders.  He  was  engaged  in  several  skirmishes  with  the 
Indians,  and  was  in  Gen.  Harmar's  disastrous  campaign.  In  1796  he 
removed  to  Boone  County,  same  State,  and  served  for  a  number  of  years 
as  associate  judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  that  county.  Some  time  in 
1800  he  engaged  in  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel.      In  1816  he  became  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  967 

resident  of  Dearborn  County,  Ind. ,  and  two  years  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Legislature.  The  next  year  he  was  appointed  presiding  judge 
of  the  Indiana  Circuit  in  which  he  resided.  Subsequently  he  served  the 
people  of  his  county  for  six  years  in  the  State  Senate,  and  then  retired 
from  public  office  of  a  civil  nature.  Shortly  after  settling  in  Dearborn 
County,  Judge  Watts  collected  a  small  church  oa  Laughei'y  Creek  called 
the  Bear  Creek  Church,  which  at  first  consisted  of  but  seven  members. 
He  also  preached  for  several  churches  that  grew  up  in  that  vicinity;  was 
one  of  the  delegates  that  framed  the  Laughery  Association  in  1818,  and 
was  chosen  its  moderator,  which,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  until 
he  removed  out  of  its  bounds  in  1834  remained.  Though  destitute  of 
a  classical  education.  Judge  Watts  possessed  a  strong,  active  and  dis- 
criminating mind.     His  death  occurred  September  5,  1834. 

COL.  JOHNSON  WATTS,  of  Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  Fayette 
County,  Ky.,  July  7,  1794.  His  parents  were  Judge  John  and  Fannie 
(Sebree)  Watts.  Judge  Watts  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Kentucky  and 
Indiana  Territory,  a  man  of  ability  and  of  great  usefulness  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  preceding  sketch.  His  wife  was  an  orphan  girl,  whose 
father's  life  was  sacrificed  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  She  was  raised 
to  womanhood  by  Col.  Robert  Johnson,  the  father  of  Col.  R.  M.  Johnson. 
Our  subject's  boyhood  was  passed  amid  frontier  life  along  the  Kentucky 
side  of  the  Ohio  River  below  the  now  village  of  Petersburg,  to  which 
place  his  father  removed  about  1799,  having  for  several  years  previously 
resided  at  Petersburg.  His  playmates  were  Indian  boys,  and  he  became 
well  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow.  His  early  years  were 
passed  in  assisting  his  father  clear  up  a  farm.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  he  enlisted  in  his  country's  service,  in  the  second  war  with  Eng- 
land, under  Capt.  Urial  Sebree.  He  fought  under  Col.  Lewis  at  French- 
town,  near  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee,  January  13,  and  in  that  vicinity 
on  the  22d,  1813,  and  'on  the  latter  day  received  a  wound  by  a  musket 
ball  in  one  leg,  by  which  he  was  disabled,  and  resulted  in  his  return 
home  in  the  spring  of  1813.  Young  Watts  suffered  from  hunger,  expos- 
ure and  want  of  attention  during  the  marches  of  that  winter  made  neces- 
sary from  the  surrounding  circumstances.  After  his  return  to  his  father's 
farm  in  the  spring  of  1813,  he  received  three  or  four  months'  schooling 
which,  with  the  exception  of  very  little  instruction  before  entering  the 
service,  was  the  extent  of  his  educational  advantages.  November  3,  1814, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  McClain,  whose  father  resided  on  an 
adjoining  farm.  His  father  had  purchased  land  on  Laughery  Creek  in 
Dearborn  County,  and  a  portion  of  which  was  given  to  the  son,  who  in 
1815  had  built  thereon  a  cabin  to  which  he  removed,  and  there  began 
life   for  himself.      His  father  erected  a  saw-mill,  and  later  established   a 


968  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO   COUNTIES. 

tan- yard,  and  in  and  about  these  in  connection  with  farming,  our  subject 
was  employed  for  some  years,  subsequently  purchasing  the  same,  and  in 
addition  operated  a  distillery.  Soon  after  settling  in  Indiana,  he  was 
elected  a  colonel  of  militia,  which  office  he  held  for  five  years.  About 
1825  Col.  Watts  began  flat-boating,  having  perhaps,  made  the  first  effort 
in  starting  boats  from  up  Laughery  Creek,  which  business  he  was 
engaged  in  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1832  he  moved  to  Hartford,  and 
was  there  for  a  time  engaged  in  merchandising,  having  gone  to  that 
place  more  for  the  purpose  of  schooling  his  children,  then  eight  in  all 
— three  sons  and  five  daughters.  Subsequently  he  purchased  his  father's 
farm  on  Laughery  Creek,  and  moved  upon  it,  and  in  connection  with 
other  business  and  his  official  duties,  he  was  chiefly  occupied  during 
life.  In  1825  Col.  Watts  served  as  a  representative  from  Dearborn 
County  in  the  State  Legislature,  and  from  1838  to  1843,  in  the  State 
Senate.  At  the  time  of  his  election  to  the  Senate  in  1837,  the  county 
was  Democratic  by  from  300  to  400  majority,  though  Watts  was  a  Henry 
Clay  Whig.  In  1850  Col.  Watts,  with  William  S.  Holman  and  James 
D.  Johnson,  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention,  and  in 
the  same  year  he  was  made  the  Whig  candidate  for  Congress  in  the 
Fourth  District,  but  was  defeated  by  sixty-seven  votes  only.  Col. 
Watts  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war,  was  a  supporter  of  the  Union 
and  of  President  Lincoln's  administration,  and,  fired  by  the  same 
patriotism  as  led  him  on  to  battle  in  1813,  when  but  a  lad,  he,  although 
nearing  man's  allotted  time  on  earth,  offered  his  services  to  Gov.  Mor- 
ton, but  which  on  account  of  advanced  years  were  declined.  Col.  Watts 
was  a  man  of  considerable  native  ability,  of  good  character  and  of  un- 
questioned integrity.     He  closed  a  useful  life,   May  27,  1871. 

SQUIRE  WATTS,  son  of  Thomas  Watts,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
January  22,  1803.  About  1807  the  family  moved  to  Indiana,  and 
located  for  a  short  time  in  the  "bottoms"  above  Lawrenceburgh ;  then 
moved  up  on  Whitewater,  where  they  took  a  lease  for  three  years  and 
then  purchased  a  farm  near  Logan  Cross  Roads.  Thomas  Watts  went  to 
the  West  about  1822,  and  his  son  Squire  remained  in  Dearbora  County 
ever  since.  He  has  followed  farming  most  of  his  life,  and  did  much 
hard  work  in  clearing  the  forest  and  tilling  the  soil.  About  1825  he 
came  down  from  Logan  Cross  Roads  and  soon  after  purchased  land  in  the 
vicinity  of  Lawrenceburgh,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  has 
been  a  thrifty  farmer,  and  has  divided  considerable  property  among  his 
children.  He  was  married,  in  1828,  to  Isabella  Hayes,  a  native  of  this 
county,  and  daughter  of  Abiah  Hayes.  By  this  wife  there  are  six  chil- 
dren living:     Thomas,  Warren,  Howard,  Morgan,  Anna  and  Ellen. 

S.   M.  WEAVER,  M.  D.,  Dillsborough,  Ind.,  was  born  near  Batavia, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  969 

Ohio,  February  24,  1834.  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Catherine 
(Kobinson)  "Weaver,  were  natives  of  Berkley  County,  W.  Va.,  and  were 
of  German,  Irish  and  Scotch  extraction.  They  were  united  in  mai'riage 
in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  and  settled  near  Batavia,  where  they  resided 
until  their  respective  deaths,  the  mother  in  1859,  at  sixty,  the  father,  in 
1863,  aged  sixty-six.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  viz.: 
Charles  H.,  William,  Asenath,  Sarah,  Amanda,  Elijah,  Catherine  M., 
Rebecca,  Samuel  M.,  Margaret,  Francis  C.  and  Elizabeth.  S.  M.,  our 
subject,  received  a  common  school  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
Clermont  County,  Ohio,  and  then  completed  his  education  at  what  is 
known  as  Farmer's  College,  College  Hill,  Ohio,  after  which  he  turned 
his  attention  to  teaching  school,  and  at  the  same  time  reading  medicine. 
In  1855  he  went  to  Owensville,  Ohio,  where  he  turned  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  the  study  of  medicine,  Dr.  B.  Blythe,  being  his  preceptor, 
under  whose  instructions  he  remained  about  two  years,  during  which 
time  he  attended  medical  lectures  at  Cincinnati.  In  the  winter  of 
1855-56  he  attended  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
after  which  he  returned  to  Owensville  and  resumed  his  studies.  In  the 
fall  of  1856  he  returned  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  entered  the  College 
of  Medicine,  of  that  place,  where  he  graduated  in  the  spring  of 
1857,  after  which  he  returned  to  Owensville,  and  did  some  practice.  In 
May,  1857,  he  went  to  Indianapolis  and  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  partnership  with  Dr.  J.  N.  Green.  The  following  spring  they  dis- 
solved partnership,  and  Dr.  Weaver  located  at  Bi'ownsburg,  Ind.,  where 
he  began  practice  independently,  which  he  continued  very  successfully 
for  several  years.  He  was  united  in  marriage  at  Dillsborough,  Novem- 
ber 11,  1857.  to  Sallie  A.  F.,  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  (Cleaver) 
Abraham,  born  at  Dillsborough,  April  21,  1830.  After  his  marriage  he 
settled  at  Brownsburg,  where  he  resided  until  1863,  in  which  year  he 
moved  to  Dillsborough,  where  he  resumed  his  practice,  and  has  since 
resided.  In  December,  1864,  he  was  commissioned  assistant  surgeon  in 
the  Rebellion,  which  rank  he  served  in  until  the  close  of  the  war.  In 
January,  1866,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Dillsborough.  In  August, 
1867.  he  resigned  and  accepted  the  appointment  of  United  States  general 
inspector.  In  August,  1868,  the  office  was  changed  to  United  States  ganger, 
to  which  he  was  recommissioned  and  served  until  December,  1868.  He 
then  resumed  his  practice  at  Dillsborough.  In  1870  he  was  elected  trustee 
of  Clay  Township,  which  office  he  held  two  years,  and  in  July,  1883,  was 
appointed  postmaster  at  Dillsborough,  which  office  he  at  present  holds. 
Dr.  Weaver  is  a  thorough  medical  scholar,  and  a  successful  practitioner. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  and  Masonic  order,  and  with  Mrs. 
Weaver  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.     They  have  had 


970  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

born  to  them  three  children,  viz.:  May  J.,  now  Mrs.  W.  H.  Haynes; 
Maggie  (deceased),  and  Carrie  G. 

WILLIAM  WEBBER,  salesman,  Aurora,  said  to  be  the  second  old 
est  native  born  citizen  of  that  city,  was  born  October  30,  1821,  within 
the  corporate  limits  of  the  city.  He  received  instruction  in  the  common 
branches  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  began  the  printing  trade  in  Law- 
renceburgh.  Subsequently  he  togk  charge  of  a  newspaper  in  Aurora,  for 
Mr.  Lancaster.  His  next  field  of  labor  was  flat-boating,  which  he  continued 
for  years,  engaging  for  a  time  in  the  business  for  himself.  He  then 
traveled  two  years  for  Mr.  Dean.  In  1847  he  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  with  his  brother,  continuing  for  years.  In  the  winter  of  1857 
he  engaged  with  Gaff  &  Co.,  and  remained  up  to  1875.  Then  the  duties 
and  responsibilities  of  his  present  position  assumed,  with  Chambers, 
Stevens  &  Co.,  looking  after  their  interests,  with  fervency  and  zeal,  ever 
laboring  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  his  employers.  Under  his  hon- 
est and  efficient  management,  all  business  is  transacted  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  give  entire  satisfaction.  His  parents,  Jonas  and  Sarah 
(White)  Webber,  were  boi'n  in  Massachusetts,  and  came  to  this  town  in 
1819.  Mr.  William  Webber  was  married,  July  14,  1852,  to  Miss  Mary 
Jane  Davis,  who  was  born  in  Massachusetts  April  12,  1831.  To  them 
have  been  born  six  children — Charles  D.,  William  V.,  George  B.,  Harris 
W.,  Sallie,  and  Curtis  C.  Mr.  Webber  belongs  to  Chosen  Friends  Lodge 
No.  13, 1.  O.  O.  F.  He  and  his  estimable  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  have  always  been  identified  with  church  and  Sunday-school 
work. 

FRANK  WEIKLE,  Lawrenceburgh,  proprietor  of  the  Bartholome 
House,  was  born  in  Germany,  1849.  He  was  brought  to  this  country  in  1853 
by  his  parents  who  now  reside  in  Cincinnati.  In  1872  he  came  to  Lawrence- 
burgh, where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars  till  1877,  when 
he  took  charge  of  his  present  house.  May  28,  1874,  he  married  Josephine 
Bartholome,  and  they  have  three  children:  Theodore,  Albert  and  Frank. 
Three  others  are  deceased.  Mr.  W.  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
Benevolent  Society  and  the  Liedertafel  Singing  Society,  also  of  the  St. 
Boniface  Catholic  Life  Insurance  Association  of  Indiana. 

LOUE  WEISS,  saloonist,  Aurora,  is  a  nativeof  Germany,  born  on  the 
24th  of  September,  1845,  of  parents,  Philip  and  Maggie  Weiss,  both  na- 
tives of  Germany.  They  immigrated  to  America  in  1854,  and  located 
in  Ripley  County,  this  State,  he  being  occupied  as  a  farmer.  The  mother 
died  in  1854.  Our  subject  came  to  Aurora  in  1863,  and  was  employed 
as  molder  in  Stedman's  Foundry.  He  embarked  in  his  present  busi- 
ness in  the  fall  of  1882.  His  marriage  occurred  on  the  27th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1882,  his  wife  being  Caroline  Huppmier,  whose  birth  occurred  No- 
vember 27,  1859. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  971 

CHRISTIAN"  WEIS,  farmer  and  lumber  dealer,  Weisburg,  born  in 
France,  September  10,  1831,  is  a  son  of  Philip  and  Margaret  Weis, 
natives  of  France,  who,  in  1832,  immigrated  to  America,  landing  at  New 
York.  In  August  of  the  same  year  located  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind., 
having  purchased  eighty  acres  in  Jackson  Township,  upon  which  they 
settled,  and  where  they  remained  till  their  death.  He  died  in  1865, 
aged  fifty-eight  years;  his  widow,  February ^^ 3,  1881,  aged  eighty- two 
years.  They  had  three  children — two  now  surviving:  Christian  and 
Philip.  Mr.  Weis,  a  few  years  after  locating  here,  erected  a  grist  and 
saw-mill  on  the  west  branch  of  Tanner's  Creek,  which  he  operated  till 
1854.  This  was  the  first  mill  for  grinding  in  Jackson  Township,  and 
proved  a  great  convenience  to  the  neighborhood.  In  1854  his  sons 
erected  a  new  steam-mill,  their  father  leaving  the  business  to  be  con- 
ducted by  them.  Mr.  Weis  had,  from  time  to  time,  purchased  more 
land  until,  at  his  death,  he  owned  345  acres.  In  1849  be  commenced 
the  distilling  business,  which  he  conducted  very  successfully  until  the 
war  and  the  levying  of  heavy  tax  upon  all  liquors  when  he  discontinued 
the  business.  He  was  an  active,  industrious  man,  and  prosperity  crowned 
his  labors.  Since  Mr.  Weis'  death  his  sons  have  continued  the  milling 
business  in  connection  with  farming.  In  1879  the  sons  dissolved  part- 
nership, Philip  continuing  the  milling  business,  and  Christian  giving 
his  attention  to  dealing  in  lumber  in  connection  with  farming.  In  1881 
the  mill  was  removed  to  Weisburg,  as  a  more  convenient  point  and  on 
the  railroad.  In  1854  Mr.  Weis  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mar- 
garet Krouse,  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Margaret  Krouse,  natives  of 
France.  She  died  in  her  native  country.  Subsequently  Mr,  Krouse  and 
two  surviving  daughters,  Margaret  and  Elizabeth,  came  to  America,  and 
he  died  in  Jackson  Township.  Elizabeth  is  now  the  wife  of  Philip 
Weis.  By  this  marriage  Christian  Weis  and  wife  have  had  sixj' children 
— five  now  living:  Caroline,  wife  of  E.  T.  Stohlman;  Jacob,  residing  at 
Indianapolis;  Margaret,  wife  of  M.  Sitz;  Louisa  and  Lewis. 

RICHARD  H.  WELLS,  Rising  Sun,  died  in  that  city,  October  15. 
1863,  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  In  March,  1862,  he  entered 
the  United  States  naval  service,  and  was  in  command  of  the  steam  tug 
"Spiteful"  at  the  siege  of  Island  No.  10,  and  in  the  engagement  at 
Fort  St.  Charles  on  White  River,  at  which  place,  as  at  others,  he  ren- 
dered important  services.  For  a  year  prior  to  his  death  he  had  been 
engaged  as  pilot  on  the  United  States  steamer  "Gen.  Lyons,"  which  posi- 
tion he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  fervently  attached  to  his 
country,  and  fought  for  and  served  her  faithfully,  and  was  bui'ied  with 
her  glorious  flag  lightly  o'er  him.  He  has  fought  in  his  last  fight,  and 
piloted  his  bark  into  the  serene  and  peaceful  harbor  of  his  father  in 


972  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

heaven.  His  widow  and  two  daughters  are  living  at  Rising  Sun,  a  third 
daughter  at  Aurora,  and  one  in  Cincinnati. 

HENRY  F.  WENCKE,  foreman  of  the  Miami  Valley  Furniture  Fac- 
tory, Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  born  in  1821. 
He  there  grew  to  maturity,  and  received  the  tuition  of  the  public  schools. 
He  also  learned  the  cabinet  trade,  and  was  thus  employed  till  1848,  in 
which  year  he  sailed  for  America.  Landing  in  New  York,  he  came  soon 
after  to  New  Orleans,  thence  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  1851  to  Lawrence- 
burgh, where  he  has  since  been  employed  in  the  cabinet  business.  In 
1868  he  assisted  in  founding  the  Miami  Valley  Furniture  Factory,  and 
since  that  time  has  officiated  as  its  foreman,  with  excellent  success.  Mr. 
Wencke  was  married,  in  1850,  to  Magdalena  Kolbe,  who,  when  three 
years  of  age,  immigrated  to  this  country  with  her  parents.  Of  the  nine 
children  born  to  them  six  are  still  living:  William,  Matilda,  George, 
Henry,  Albert  and  Emma.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  are  members  of  the  Ger- 
man Methodist  Church. 

JAMES  WERTS,  farmer.  Clay  Township,  was  born  in  Preble 
County,  Ohio,  October  26,  1837.  His  parents  were  John  C.  and  Eliza- 
beth J.  (Weaver)  Werts,  both  natives  of  Ohio,  where  they  married,  and 
from  which  place  they  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  in  1846.  In 
1854  they  removed  to  Ohio  County,  where  they  resided  until  1868,  in 
which  year  they  moved  to  Brown  County,  Ind.,  where  they  now  reside. 
They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  viz.:  William,  Maria,  James, 
Susan,  George  W.,  Amanda,  Charles,  Arabelle,  Isabelle,  Thomas,  Har- 
vey and  Eliza.  James  grew  to  manhood  with  his  parents.  He  entered 
the  war  in  1861,  enlisting  July  9th,  in  Company  A,  Eighteenth 
Indiana  Volunteers,  and  served  till  August  20,  1864,  at  which  time  he 
was  discharged  and  returned  home.  He  was  married  at  Lawrenceburgh 
November  9,  1865,  to  Mary  Stevenson,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Eliza 
Stevenson,  and  native  of  Dearborn  County.  Since  his  marriage  he  has 
continued  farming  in  Ohio  and  Dearborn  Counties.  He  moved  in  1879 
to  his  present  farm,  which  he  purchased  in  1883.  He  owns  eighty-three 
acres  of  land,  which  is  well  improved.  He  has  had  born  to  him  eight 
children,  viz. :  Gelette  V.,  Maggie,  Millie,  Emma,  Minnie,  John  C, 
Clarence  and  Clyde.  Mr.  Werts  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and 
highly  esteemed  as  a  citizen. 

JAMES  M.  WHEELER,  grocer,  Cochran,  was  born  in  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  November  21,  1834,  and  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion. His  father,  John  Wheeler,  was  born  in  Virginia  January  20, 
1790,  and  his  mother,  Margaret  (Miller)  Wheeler,  was  born  in  England 
January  30,  1815.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  came  to  this  county  in 
1802.     His  mother  died  March   15,    and   his  father  March   25,   1843. 


,  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  973 

James  M.  was  raised  on  a  farm  and  followed  farming  until  1849,  when 
he  began  clerking  for  a  Mr.' Hunter,  in  Chillicothe,  111.,  a  dealer  in  gen- 
eral merchandise.  In  1864  he  came  to  Aurora,  and  engaged  with  Will- 
iam Leive.  In  1867  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with  Mr. 
Greer,  continuing  for  three  years;  then  sold  out  to  Appleton  &  Co.,  and 
opened  a  store  in  Cochran  for  himself.  He  was  married  in  May,  1871, 
to  Miss  Selina  H.  Greer,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  November  1, 
1837.  She  died  in  March,  1875,  and  April  16,  1878,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Margaret  Newlan,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  December  21, 
1851.  He  is  a  member  of  Dearborn  Lodge  No.  442,  F,  &  A.  M., 
A^^rora  Chapter  No.  13,  and  Aurora  Commandery  No.  17;  also  of  Chosen 
Friends  Lodge  No.  13,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Encampment.  His  wife  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

JAMES  WHITE,  Miller  Township,  one  of  the  first  residents  of 
Dearborn  County,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  January  28,  1793.  His  par- 
ents, John  and  Abigail  White,  were  natives  of  New  Jersey,  the  former 
born  January  13,  1763,  the  latter  September  23,  1766.  They  were 
among  the  first  two  or  three  families  who  settled  this  side  of  the  Miami 
River,  their  daughter  Sallie  believed  to  be  the  first  white  child  born  this 
side  of  that  stream.  They  first  located  near  Elizabethtown,  in  the  "  big 
bottoms,"  where  they  resided  about  three  years,  then  moved  to  Miller 
Township,  where  the  parents  ended  their  days.  James  White  grew  to 
maturity  a  farmer,  and  married  Mary  Grubbs,  by  whom  he  reared  nine 
children.  Mrs.  White  died  in  1855,  and  in  1869  Mr.  White  was  again 
married,  his  second  wife  being  Mrs.  Mary  Bonham  nee  Van  Dolah, 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Lucinda  (Watson)  Van  Dolah,  who  came  to  this 
county  in  1823.  After  his  first  marriage  Mr.  White  moved  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Johnson  County,  Ind. ,  where  he  purchased  a  large  forest  farm 
and  began  the  task  of  clearing  it  up,  which  he  accomplished  only  by 
many  years  of  hard  labor.  He  subsequently  sold  the  farm,  and  moved 
to  Franklin,  the  county  seat,  and  ten  years  later  to  this  county,  where 
he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  his  widow  now  resides.  He  died  in 
1877.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  held  in  high 
esteem  by  the  citizens  of  the  community  in  which  he  resided.  John  H. 
Bonham,  son  of  Elijah  and  Mary  (Van  Dolah)  Bonham,  was  born 
in  this  county  in  1859,  and  has  resided  in  this  community  on  the 
farm,  most,  if  not  all,  of  his  life.  His  father  was  born  in  this 
county,  and  his  grandfather,  Aaron  Bonham,  came  here  with  his  father, 
John  Bonham,  who  was  of  the  first  few  settlers  of  the  county.  In  1874 
John  H.  Bonham  married  Sarah  A.  Hargitt,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Har- 
gitt,  another  pioneer  of  this  county,  and  they  have  three  children:  Amy 
B.,  Charles  T.  and  Nora  E. 


974  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

JOHN  T.  WHITLOCK,  a  resident  and  native  of  Eising  Sun,  dealer 
in  groceries,  hardware  and  agricultural  implements,  was  born  in  1847. 
His  parents  were  John  T.  and  Susanna  K.  (Yonge)  Whitlock,  natives  of 
New  Jersey  and  New  York  City  respectively.  They  were  married  in  New 
York  and  came  to  Rising  Sun  about  1836.  His  father  was  a  cabinet- 
maker, and  followed  that  business  for  about  thirty  years,  serving  two 
terms  as  treasurer  of  Ohio  County.  He  died  in  1882,  his  wife  having 
departed  this  life  in  1877.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  the 
vicinity  of  Rising  Sun,  and  educated  in  its  public  schools.  He  worked 
with  his  father  in  the  cabinet  trade  til)  1870,  when  he  established  him- 
self in  the  business,  which  he  has  since  continued.  Mr.  Whitlock  was 
married  in  1872  to  Flora  H.  Brett,  of  Warsaw,  Ky.,  who  died  in  1877, 
leaving  one  child,  Harry.  November  26,  1884,  he  married  Maggie  B. 
Rabb,  of  Rising  Sun,  daughter  of  Capt.  David  G.  Rabb  (deceased),  a 
former  citizen  of  prominence  in  Ohio  County.  Mr.  Whitlock  is  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  G.  A.  R.,  and  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of 
Risino-  Sun.  He  served  in  the  late  war  from  August  2,  1862,  to  Febru- 
ary 28,    1863,  being  a  member  of  the  Fourth  Indiana  Cavalry. 

FREDERICK  WIDAU,  farmer,  Logan  Township,  one  of  the  most 
substantial  farmers  of  the  township,  was  born  in  the  same  in  1837. 
His  parents  were  Christopher  and  W^ilhelmina  Widau,  both  natives  of 
Germany,  who  immigrated  to  this  country  in  1832,  purchasing  land  in 
this  township  in  the  same  year.  He  died  in  1870.  Frederick  Widau 
was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  district  schools.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  four  he  married  Caroline  Yager,  and  rented  land  till  about 
1864,  when  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  160  acres,  which  he  has 
since  improved  and  cultivated.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Widau  have  seven  chil- 
dren: Albert,  John,  Emma,  August,  Kate,  Elizabeth  and  William. 
Mrs.  W,  is  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  Yager,  of  Kelso  township.  The  fam- 
ily is  associated  with  the  Lutheran  Protestant  Church. 

JOHN  F.  WILBER,  of  Rising  Sun,  was  born  in  New  York  State, 
March  14,  1816.  His  parents  moved  to  Indiana  in  1823,  and  located 
near  Rising  Sun,  and  after  renting  land  a  few  years,  purchased  a  farm 
of  John  Tait,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Ohio  County  where  his  fatber, 
Benjamin  Wilber,  died.  Jonathan  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  with 
James  Tait,  in  Rising  Sun,  and  in  January,  1839,  married  Mary  Ann 
Jones.  He  followed  his  trade  about  twenty  years  in  various  places,  and 
then  bought  a  farm  in  Ohio.  Later  he  moved  back  to  Rising  Sun, 
where  he  died  April  30,  1884. 

DAVID  S.  WILBER,  attorney  at  law,  Rising  Sun,  is  a  native  of 
Ohio  County  and  son  of  Robert  E.  Wilber,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
this  region.     He  spent  his  early  years  on  the  farm  and  obtained  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  975 

rudiments  of  an  education  in  the  district  schools,  subsequently  taking  a 
partial  course  of  study  at  Moore's  Hill  College.  He  was  instructed  in 
the  law  by  Judge  Downey,  and  in  1880  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Rising  Sun,  where  he  has  since  been  located.  For  a  time  he 
was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  but  abandoned  mercantile  pursuits 
to  give  his  entire  attention  to  his  profession.  In  May,  1883,  he  was 
elected  to  the  mayorship  of  Rising  Sun,  and  in  May,  1885,  was  re-elected 
without  opposition,  his  administration  having  been  generally  approved. 
Mr.  Wilbur  was  married  in  1867,  to  Mary  French,  a  native  of  Miss- 
issippi, and  daughter  of  John  Q.  French,  her  grandfather  having  settled 
in  Ohio  County  about  1815.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  have  four  children:  Liz- 
zie, Quincy,  Emma  and  Robert.  The  family  is  associated  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

ROBERT  E.  WILBER  born  in  Duchess  County,  N.  Y.,  June  21, 
1806,  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Smith)  Wilber,  also  natives  of  New 
York,  and  who,  in  the  fall  of  1813,  removed  to  Indiana,  traveling  over 
the  mountains  to  Pittsburgh  by  wagon,  thence  by  flat-boat  to  Roger 
Brown's,  near  Rising  Sun.  Their  horses  were  sent  overland  through 
Ohio.  Mr.  Wilber  remained  on  the  river  one  year  and  raised  one  crop, 
then  purchased  160  acres  on  Laughery  Creek  about  one  mile  below  Hart- 
ford, where  he  located  with  his  family  in  the  spring  of  1815.  Here  he 
resided  about  twelve  or  fifteen  years  when  he  purchased  160  acres  about 
one  mile  above  Hartford,  where  he  resided  till  his  death.  Mr.  Wilber 
was  a  man  of  much  native  ability,  and  during  his  residence  in  Duchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  he  held  the  o£Sce  of  deputy  sheriff  and  also  served  as 
collector.  Through  all  his  business  life  he  was  noted  for  his  honesty 
and  uprightness.  After  he  settled  in  Ohio  County  he  was  appointed  a 
justice  of  the  peace  by  the  governor  of  this  then  Territory,  and  served 
until  Indiana  was  organized  as  a  State.  His  wife  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  before  they  came  to  this  State,  and  sub- 
sequently he  united  with  that  society.  He  was  the  father  of  seven 
children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  four  now  surviving:  Eliza  A. 
now  widow  of  Benjamin  Walker,  residing  at  Madison;  Allen  B. ;  Robert 
E.  and  Dewitt  C.  Robert  E.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  grew  to  man- 
hood fully  acquainted  with  pioneer  life.  He  was  married,  September 
30,  1841,  to  Elizabeth  Newman,  a  native  of  England,  and  a  daughter  of 
Timothy  and  Frances  Newman,  natives  of  England.  By  this  union  they 
had  six  children,  four  now  svirviving:  David  S.,  Robert  C,  Ethan  A. 
and  William  T.  Mrs.  Wilber  died  May  29,  1883,  aged  sixty-four  years. 
In  1833  Ml'.  Wilber  and  his  brother  entered  upon  the  general  mercantile 
trade  in  Hartford, where  they  continued  in  business  (except  from  1839  to 
1844)  until  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  when  they  sold  their  stock. 


976  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

In  connection  with  their  merchandising  they  have  loaned  a  great  deal  of 
money,  and  thus  carried  on  quite  a  brokerage  business.  In  all  their 
transactions  they  have  met  with  excellent  success,  having  a  wide  reputa- 
tion as  a  business  firm. 

JOHN  WILDRIDGE,  groceries,  Aurora,  of  the  firm  of  Wildridge 
&  Buffington,  was  born  in  Harrison  Township,  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  No- 
vember 27,  1843,  and  obtained  a  common  school  education.  His  father 
was  born  in  Berks  County,  Penn.,  in  1807,  and  died  in  1850.  The 
mother,  Eliza  Bowman,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  in  1814.  Mr.  Wild- 
ridge was  brought  to  this  county  in  1810  by  his  parents,  and  followed 
farming  up  to  his  death.  He  was  a  peaceable,  quiet  citizen,  and  was  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him.  John  was  married,  February  13,  1867,  to 
Miss  Caroline  Buffington,  who  was  born  in.  Center  Township,  February 
13,  1845.  Four  children  are  the  fruit  of  the  marriage:  Frank,  born 
December  4,  1867;  Edith,  born  November  2,  1868,  died  November  4, 
1869;  Daisie,  born  June  14,  1873;  Stella,  born  November  24,  1878.  Mr. 
Wildridge  has  always  kept  himself  aloof  from  all  secret  organizations. 
He  is  a  careful,  prudent  business  man  and  a  respected  citizen. 

JOSEPH  WILHELM,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  was  born  in  Dear- 
born County,  June  5,  1837.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Caroline  (Fry) 
Wilhelm,  were  natives  of  France  and  Ohio  respectively.  The  former 
was  born  in  November,  1811,  and  immigrated  to  this  county  with  his 
parents  in  1831,  where  he  and  Caroline  Fry  were  united  in  marriage  in 
1835.  She  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1820.  After  their  marriage  they  settled 
first  in  York  Township,  where  they  resided  but  a  short  time,  thence  mov- 
ing to  Kelso  Township,  where  Mrs.  W.  died  in  1860,  Elizabeth  Young, 
a  second  wife,  died  in  1863,  and  in  1874  Mr.  W.  moved  to  Franklin 
County,  Ind.,  where  he  at  present  resides..  He  had  born  to  him  seven 
children,  viz.:  Joseph,  Charles,  Mary,  Catherine,  John,  Jacob  and  Caro- 
line. Joseph  was  married  in  Kelso  Township,  this  county,  April  23, 
1861,  to  Mary  A.  Blattner,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  A.  Blattner. 
She  was  born  in  Dearborn  County,  June  30,  1839.  After  his  marriage 
he  settled  in  St.  Leon,  where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  learned  when  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  1868  he  purchased  and  settled 
on  his  present  farm,  and  engaged  in  farming,  he  and  Mrs.  Wilhelm, 
being  parents  of  seven  children,  viz. :  Mary  A.,  Anna  C.  (deceased),  Phile- 
mena  L.,  Edward  A.,  Anna  E.  and  Charles  J.  Mr.  Wilhelm  and  family 
are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  He  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
township  assessor  in  1882,  and  is  still  serving  in  that  capacity. 

CHARLES  WILHELM,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  was  born  in  Dear- 
born County,  March  14,  1839.  He  is  one  of  seven  children,  born 
to  Jacob  and  Caroline  (Frey)  Wilhelm.     He  was  united    in  marriage 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  977 

at  St.  Leon,  Kelso  Township,  November  13,  18G0,  to  Magdalena  Ren- 
ner,  who  was  born  in  Dearborn  County  June  20,  1842,  a  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Cevila  (Hahn)  Renner.  After  his  marriage  he  settled  at  St. 
Leon,  and  has  since  resided  there.  He  owns  134  acres  of  land,  and  is 
the  father  of  six  children,  viz. :  Henry  V.,  Magdalena,  Charles  J., 
Elizabeth,  Albanner  H.  and  Caroline.  Mr.  Wilhelm  and  family  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

DR.  HUGH  T.  WILLIAMS,  see  page  174. 

WILLIAM  W.  WILLIAMS,  attorney  and  mayor  of  Rising  Sun,  was 
born  in  Switzerland  County,  in  1853,  son  of  Thomas  M.  and  Anna  C. 
(Murray)  Williams.  He  has  chiefly  resided  in  Ohio  County.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Rising  Sun  and  at  Greencastle,  Ind. , 
his  earlier  years  being  spent  in  farming,  clerking,  etc.  In  1875  he 
began  the  study  of  law  under  the  tutalage  of  Judge  A.  C.  Downey  and 
in  1876  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  court  of  Ohio  County.  In  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  he  was  elected  to  the  same  office  and  served  four  years. 
Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
and  in  the  insurance  business.  Mr.  Williams  is  a  member  of  the  F.  & 
A.  M.  in  which  society  he  has  held  all  the  offices. 

MURRAY  T.  WILLIAMS,  local  editor  of  the  Rising  Sun  Local,  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  M.  and  Anna  C.  (Murray)  Williams,  his  father  a  native 
of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  his  mother  of  Ohio  County,  Ind.  He  was 
born  in  Greencastle,  Ind.,  August  30,  1858,  and  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  place  and  of  Rising  Sun  he  was  educated.  In 
1872  he  was  employed  as  messenger  in  the  Rising  Sun  bank, 
I'etaining  that  position  four  years.  He  was  next  engaged  three 
years  as  deputy  clerk  of  Ohio  County,  under  his  brother  Will- 
iam Williams,  and  in  1879  accepted  a  position  on  the  Rising  Sun 
Local  as  local  editor,  which  he  surrenderred  in  March,  1881,  to 
assume  the  duties  of  deputy  postmaster  at  Rising  Sun.  From  May, 
1882,  to  October,  1883,  he  was  employed  in  the  same  capacity  at  Aurora, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  constantly  engaged  in  "pencil  pushing"  at 
his  former  post  as  local  editor  of  the  Local.  Murray  is  a  young  man  of 
sterling  qualities,  and  with  a  brain  no  less  fertile  than  his  quill  is 
facile,  he  never  fails  to  present  to  his  readers  the  local  happenings  in 
their  most  readable  style.  Notwithstanding  his  susceptibility  to  the 
tender  sentiment,  and  the  fact  that  he  has  already  passed  the  twenty- 
seventh  mile  post  of  his  life,  he  is  still  treading  in  the  lonely  walk  of 
single  infelicity. 

JAMES  B.  WILSON,  farmer,  was  born  in  Ohio  County,  Ind.,  Sep- 
tember 2,  1834.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Matilda  (Wethers)  Wilson, 
were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Indiana,   respectively,  the  former  born  in 

60 


978  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

Trimble  County,  Ky.,  November  6,  1803;  the  latter  in  Ohio  County, 
Ind.,  November  3,  1806.  They  were  married  in  Ohio  County,  1828,  and 
resided  there  during  the  greater  part  of  their  lives.  The  mother  died 
August  27,  1837.  He  afterward  lived  with  his  children  until  his  death, 
in  February,  1879.  He  was  the  father  of  four  children,  viz. :  Eliza,  Ada- 
line,  James  B.  and  Margaret.  James  B.  was  married  near  Rising  Sun, 
October  16,  1862,  to  Rachel  Barricklow,  by  whom  he  has  had  four  chil- 
dren, viz.:  John  B.,  Robert  P.,  Daniel  C,  and  Mary  A.,  deceased.  Af- 
ter his  marriage  he  first  settled  at  Milton,  Ohio  County,  and  in  December 
1865  settled  on  his  present  farm. 

GEORGE  B.  WILSON,  farmer.  Clay  Township,was  born  at  Wakefield, 
Yorkshire,  England,  April  18,  1826.  His  parents,  James  and  Sarah  H. 
(Spink)  Wilson,  were  also  natives  of  Yorkshire,  where  the  father  was  born 
October  12,  and  the  mother  May  11,  1792.  They  were  married  April 
18,  1816,  and  resided  in  Yorkshire  until  their  deaths.  The  father  died 
July  23,  1846,  and  the  mother  August  22,  1877.  They  were  the  parents 
of  twelve  children,  viz.:  James,  William,  Sarah  H.,  Ann,  Thomas,  Mary, 
George  B.,  Margaret,  Henry,  John,  Robert  P.  and  Alfred.  George  B.,  our 
subject,  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1850.  Landing  at  New  York 
City  he  came  to  Cincinnati,  and  to  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  He  was  married  in  this  township  June  13,  1858,  to  Abi- 
gal,  daughter  of  Simeon  and  Rebecca  (Bruce)  Vinson.  She  was  born  in 
this  county  August  2,  1840,  one  of  six  children,  viz. :  James,  Abigal, 
William,  Caroline,  Mary  and  Clark.  After  Mr.  Wilson's  marriage  he 
purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  owns  143  acres  of  fine 
land.  He  has  had  bom  to  him  seven  children,  viz. :  Anna  (deceased), 
Mac,  Ann,  Roy,  Alta,  Ada,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

BENJAMIN  WILSON,  Jr.,  farmer,  Washington  Township,  is  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  and  was  born  May  20,  1804.  His  parents,  Benja- 
min and  Margaret  (Armstrong)  Wilson,  were  born  in  Pennsylvania,  the 
father,  February  15,  1771;  mother,  April  1771.  They  were  married 
February  15,  1792,  and  moved  to  Kentucky  in  1795,  and  to  this  town- 
ship in  1805.  He  was  a  farmer  all  his  life.  The  mother  died  in  April, 
1843;  father,  July  29,  1861.  Mr.  Benjamin  Wilson,  Jr.,  was  married, 
May  17,  1832,  to  Miss  Matilda  Neal,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  August 
30,  1812,  and  by  this  union  reared  ten  children:  William  W.,  Lewis, 
George,  Jonathan,  Perry,  Eliza,  Melville,  Elias,  Nathan  and  Ezra.  Mr. 
Wilson  assisted  his  father  in  clearing  up  a  good  portion  of  his  present  home 
farm,  and  he  has  done  much  hard  work  in  his  time.  Before  marriage  he 
made  several  trips  down  the  river,  but  since  that  date  has  farmed  exclu- 
sively. He  and  his  amiable  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  he  has  been  steward  for  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  979 

TOM  WINEGAKDNER,  proprietor  of  bookstore  and  news  stand, 
Lawrenceburgh,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  at  Williamsport,  No- 
vember 10,  1846.  His  parents  were  Abram  and  Margaret  (Williams) 
Winegardner,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  both  of  whom  are  deceased,  and 
their  remains  rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Williamsport.  Abram  Winegard- 
ner was  for  a  period  engaged  as  a  merchant  at  Williamsport,  and  subse- 
quently became  an  extensive  lumber  dealer  of  that  place.  Our  subject 
grew  up  in  his  native  town,  and  there  received  a  fair  education  at  Dick- 
inson Seminary.  When  but  a  lad  of  fifteen  years,  fired  by  the  patriotism 
of  youth,  he  answered  his  country's  call,  and  enlisted  in  Company  I, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fii-st  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  for 
nine  months  shared  the  fate  of  that  command,  participating  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Fredericksburg  andChancellorsville,  being  discharged  in  August, 
1862.  He  subsequently  re-enlisted  for  three  months,  serving  in  the 
Thirty-second  Regiment,  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service 
Mr.  W.  entered  his  father's  store  and  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
until  twenty -one  years  of  age.  He  then  went  into  the  oil  country,  and 
was  for  several  years  engaged  in  railroading.  Subsequently  he  returned 
to  his  native  place,  and  in  1876  came  West,  and  for  three  years  was  a 
resident  of  Indianapolis.  In  October,  1879,  he  first  came  to  Lawrence- 
burgh, being  then,  and  for  two  years  after,  engaged  in  railroading.  In 
the  fall  of  1881  he  began  his  career  as  a  business  man  of  Lawrenceburgh, 
as  the  proprietor  of  a  notion  store.  Through  his  energy,  enterprise  and 
genial  ways,  he  has  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  best  and 
most  complete  book  stores  and  news  stands  of  the  city,  where  can  also  be 
found  almost  anything  in  the  line  of  toys,  wall  paper,  etc.  Mr.  W.  is 
also  accent  for  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer,  and  for  the  Adams  Express  Com- 
pany. '*Tom,"  as  he  is  familiarly  called,  is  a  most  genial  and  affable 
gentleman,  and  popular  with  with  the  masses.  He  was  married  on  the 
10th  of  March,  1880,  to  Miss  Annie  M.  Frederick,  of  Carlisle,  Penn.  In 
politics  Mr.  W.  is  a  Republican. 

FRANCIS  WORLEY,  farmer.  Center  Township,  was  born  in  High- 
land County,  Ohio,  December  25,  1810.  His  limited  education  was 
obtained  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  where  the  rays  of  light  and  sunshine  were 
admitted  through  greased  paper,  instead  of  glass  windows,  as  we  enjoy 
in  this  age  of  progression.  His  father,  Nathan  Worley,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  his  mother,  Olive  (Holt)  W^orley,  in  North  Carolina. 
They  moved  to  Ohio  in  1808  and  to  this  county  in  1816,  and  the  former 
was  engaged  in  farming  all  his  life.  He  was  drafted  in  the  war  of  1812, 
went  out,  but  was  in  no  battles.  His  death  occurred  in  1830,  and  that 
of  his  mother    in    1835.      Francis    W^orley,  in    early  life,    farmed,  then 


980  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

clerked  for  several  parties,  and  flat-boated  for  himself.  He  was  on  the 
"Caledonia"  when  her  boilers  exploded,  and  was  blown  up,  and  took 
a  swim  for  several  hours  down  the  river.  After  which  he  returned  to 
his  lirst  love — farming — and  has  followed  that  vocation  ever  since.  He 
was  married,  May  10,  1S32,  to  Miss  Jane  Dils,  a  native  of  Virginia. 
By  the  union  two  children — George  H.  and  Mary  J.— were  born.  His 
wife  died  March  10,  1834  In  1837  he  married  Miss  Nancy  J. 
Sanks,  a  native  of  Dearborn  County,  and  to  them  have  been  born  eight 
children:  Elizabeth,  born  January  14,  1841;  William  R.,  January  5, 
1843;  Martha,  November  18,  1844;  Francis,  February  18,  1847;  Jennie, 
March  26,  1849;  Ella,  September  20,  1851;  Fannie,  May  26,  1854,  and 
Lilla,  May  28, 1854,  twins.  The  wife  died  in  1858,  and  in  1863  he  married 
Mrs,  Elizabeth  Watts  McCoy,  who  died  in  1875.  June  27,  1877,  he 
married  Miss  Anna  E.  Reihard,  who  was  born  in  Louisville,  Jefferson 
Co.,  Ky.,  March  26, 1828.  Mr.  Worley  has  served  as  township  trustee  for 
about  twelve  years,  and  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  but  would  not 
serve.  He  has  been  school  director  several  times.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Horse  Thief  Association,  and  has  tilled  every  position  in 
the  fair  organization,  acting  as  secretary  for  seven  years.  He  has  wit- 
nessed all  the  changes  in  this  county,  from  a  wilderness  to  its  pres- 
ent improved  condition.  His  estimable  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

HENRY  R.  WOOD,  farmer,  Manchester  Township,  born  in  Cler- 
mont County,  Ohio,  December  1,  1832,  is  a  son  of  George  and  Thurzia 
(King)  Wood,  natives  of  New  York,  the  maternal  grandfather,  Heman 
King  was  also  a  native  of  New  York,  but  his  father,  Heman  King,  was  a 
native  of  Connecticut.  The  grandfather,  Heman  King,  came  with  his 
family  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Clermont  County  in  1818.  In  1828  he 
removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  on  the  place  now  owned  by  Mr.  Wood, 
where  he  resided  till  his  death,  July  16,  1850,  in  the  eighty-sixth  year 
of  his  age.  He  was  a  young  lad  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  but  he 
helped  to  remove  the  troops  from  Saratoga  to  Yorktown  prior  to  its  sur- 
render. Mr.  George  Wood  came  to  Clermont  County  while  a  young, 
single  man,  was  married  there,  where  he  lived  till  1847,  when  he 
removed  to  western  Tennessee,  where  he  died,  June  24,  1884,  aged 
eighty-six  years.  His  wife  died  in  July,  1834,  aged  thirty-five  years. 
They  had  seven  children,  five  now  living:  John  K.  (a  resident  of  Ten- 
nessee), Hannah  (wife  of  George  W.  Lewis),  Laura,  Emeline  and  Henry 
R.  The  last  three  are  unmarried  and  reside  upon  the  old  King  farm  in 
Manchester  Township.  Mr.  Henry  R.  Wood,  after  the  death  of  his 
mother,  was  reared  to  manhood  by  his  uncle,  John  P.  King.  At  Mr. 
King's  death  he  came  into  possession  of  the  home  place,  where  he  has 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  981 

since  resided.  This  farm  consists  of  254  acres  of  good  land  with  good 
improvements.  Mr.  Wood  and  his  sister,  Emeline,  are  members  of  the 
Hogan  Hill  Baptist  Church.  Laura  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church. 

HOSEA  S.  WOOD,  farmer,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  on  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides,  July  28,  1836.  He  is  one  of  nine  chil 
dren  born  to  Samuel  B.  and  Nancy  (Musgrove)  Wood,  who  immi- 
grated to  this  county  in  a  very  early  day.  The  former  was  a  son 
of  Daniel  Wood,  a  native  of  Maine,  and  of  English  and  French 
parentage.  He  emigrated  from  Maine  to  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y., 
about  1790,  and  was  there  married  to  Mary  Saulsbury,  remaining  in 
that  locality  till  his  death.  They  had  born  to  them  nine  children 
namely  :  Samuel  B.,  Winslo,  Parserved,  Jacob,  Sarah,  Mary,  Cerefta, 
Lydia  and  Asenath.  Samuel  B.  was  born  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y., 
August  13,  1793.  In  1817  he  immigrated  to  Dearborn  Co.,  Ind.,  and 
entered  the  land  on  which  our  subject  now  lives.  It  required  a  strong 
heart  and  determined  mind  to  endure  the  toils  and  hardships  of  clearing 
up  this  forest  farm,  but  he  did  his  part  without  faltering,  fighting  the 
wolf  at  his  cabin  door.  He  labored  dilligently  to  establish  a  home  with 
its  necessary  comforts,  and  succeeded  admirably.  His  death  occurred 
September  23,  1858.  He  was  united  in  marriage  at  Manchester,  Septem 
ber  3,  1820,  to  Nancy  Musgrove,  who  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  Janu- 
ary 5,  1804,  a  daughter  of  Moses  and  Nancy  (Hamilton)  Musgrove.  By 
this  marriage  there  were  nine  children  born  viz. :  Thomas  S.,  Daniel 
H.,  Jacob  H.,  Hezekiah  N.,  Samuel  J.,  Hosea  S.,  George  C.  and  two  in- 
fants, deceased.  Hosea  S.,  our  subject,  was  married  in  Kenton  County, 
Ky.,  November  28,  1867,  to  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
(Calvert)  Rich.  She  was  born  in  Kenton  County,  Ky.,  November  17,  1846, 
the  youngest  of  thirteen  children.  After  our  subject's  marriage  he  settled 
where  he  now  resides.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  252  acres,  well  improved. 
The  only  child  born  to  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Wood,  George  T.,  is  deceased. 
They  raised  an  orphan  boy,  Charles  W.  Campbell,  who  grew  up  to  be  a 
very  worthy  young  man,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  six  years. 

WILLIAM  WOODS,  farmer.  Union  Township,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, June  8,  1816,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Little)  Woods,  na- 
tives of  Ireland,  who  came  to  America  while  in  childhood,  were  reared 
in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  were  married  and  resided  till  the  spring  of 
1817,  when  they  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  in  Ohio  County,  where 
Mr.  Woods  entered  160  acres  of  forest  land,  which  he  cleared  up  and  on 
which  his  sou  William  now  lives.  He  died  in  1837, 'aged  fifty- four  years. 
His  widow  survived  until  1865  and  died,  aged  seventy-seven  years.  They 
were  parents  of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to   maturity  and  five 


982  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

now  surviving  :  Valentine  C,  James  A..,  William,  Joseph,  and  Marga- 
ret, now  the  wife  of  Pryor  Oxley.  William  Woods  grew  to  maturity 
on  the  farm  with  his  parents.  November  29,  1839,  he  married 
Lydia  Downey,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Siisanna  Downey.  He  was  a 
native  of  Maryland  and  she  of  Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  in 
Ohio,  and  in  1818  settled  in  Ohio  County,  where  they  remained  through 
life.  He  died  in  Rising  Sun,  July  19,  1863,  aged  seventy-nine  years, 
she  at  her  daughter's,  Mrs.  Woods,  April  9,  1874,  in  the  eighty-third 
year  of  her  age.  They  had  eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  grew  to  ma- 
turity, five  now  surviving  :  Mary  Ann,  wife  ofjDaniel  Kittle;  Eliza,  wife 
of  Lewis  French;  Phebe,  wife  of  James  Works;  Alexander  C.  and  Lydia. 
Mr.  Woods  and  wife  have  been  blessed  with  six  children,  five  of  whom 
are  still  living:  George  A.,  John  W.,  William  D.,  Orpheus  Alonzo  and 
Robert  E.  Mr.  Woods  still  resides  upon  the  old  home  farm,  where  he 
was  raised  and  where  he  has  now  been  a  resident  for  sixty -eight  years. 
He  now  owns  190  acres  of  land  well  improved.  He  has  reared  his  five 
sons  and  helped  them  to  a  start  in  life,  by  furnishing  each  with  more 
than  $2,000.  He  has  never  been  a  seeker  of  office,  but  was  elected  and 
served  as  county  commissioner  three  years,  in  which  capacity  he  gave 
general  satisfaction  to  the  people.  He  and  Mrs.  Woods  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with  which  they  have  been  identified 
twenty-five  and  forty  years,  respectively. 

H.  R.  WOLF,  farmer,  Cesar  Creek  Township,  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  December  6,  1833.  His  parents,  Herman  F.  and  Charlotte 
(Fishford)  Wolf,  were  also  natives  of  Hanover.  The  father  was  born  in 
1790;  the  mother  in  1795.  They  were  married  in  Haoover  in  1819, 
after  which  they  located  on  his  father's  farm  and  remained  till  their 
deaths.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children;  namely:  Frederick  H., 
Garrett  F.,  Lewis  H.,  George  H.,  Sophia,  Margaret,  Louisa,  Henry  R., 
Wilhelmine  and  Dorothea.  In  August  1854  Henry  R.  immigrated  to 
the  United  States,  and  after  a  voyage  of  nine  weeks  he  landed  at  Balti- 
more, coming  immediately  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  remained  for  some 
time.  He  was  married  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  February  25,  1858,  to 
Louisa  D.  F.  Ripking,  who  was  born  in  Hanover,  Gei'many,  February 
24,  1837,  a  daughter  of  Barnhard  F.  and  Sophia  L.  (Orning)  Ripking. 
About  one  year  after  his  marriage  he  settled  on  his  present  farm,  which 
he  purchased  in  1863.  It  comprises  200  acres  of  laud,  well  im- 
proved. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wolf  are  parents  of  eight  children ;  viz. :  Ida 
L.,  Louisa  A.,  Emilie  W.  A.,  Amalie  F.  D.,  George  R.,  Emma  M.,  Hen- 
riette  D.  and  William  R.  Mr.  Wolf  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order 
and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES.  983 

WILLIAM  C.  WIILBER,  farmer,  Clay  Township,  was  bora  in 
Cesar  Creek  Township,  Dearborn  County,  January  6,  1847.  His  parents, 
John  F.  and  Louisa  M.  (Ellei'man)  Wulber,  were  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many, the  former  born  at  Newbrockhausen,  Hanover,  October  7,  1807. 
John  F.  Wulber's  parents  died  when  he  was  very  young,  and  he  was 
.  brought  up  by  his  sister.  In  1834  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
landing  at  New  York  City  and  coming  immediately  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Here  he  was  united  in  marriage  in  the  same  year  to  Louisa  M.  Ellerman, 
who  was  born  near  Osnobruck,  Hanover,  in  1812.  In  1835  Mr.  Wulber 
moved  to  Franklin  County,  Ind.,  where  he  purchased  land  and  remained 
until  1837,  in  which  year  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  1838  moved 
to  Dearborn  County,  where  he  died  March  14,  1880.  His  wife  still  sur- 
vives and  lives  with  our  subject,  on  the  old  homestead.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  children;  viz.:  Louisa,  Mary  (deceased),  W^illiam  C.  and 
three  who  died  in  infancy.  William  C.  was  married  in  Cesar  Creek 
Township,  Dearborn  County,  in  1868  to  Sophia  M.,  daughter  of  John  F. 
and  Mary  E.  Pruss,  and  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  owns 
231  acres  of  fine  land.  He  and  Mrs.  Wulber  are  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren; viz.:  Emma  L.  (deceased),  Amelia  M.,  Theodore  J.  F.,  Laura  W. 
and  Louisa  D.  Mr.  Wulber  was  elected  trustee  of  Clay  Township  in 
1884,  which  olHce  he  at  present  hdlds. 

SAMUEL  WYMOND,  of  Aurora,  was  born  in  England  in  1816,  and 
with  his  father,  brothers  and  sisters  was  brought  to  Dearborn  County  in 
1829,  where  he  lived  until  his  death  in  Aurora,  in  1884.  In  1847  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Abbott,  to  whom  seven  children  were  born.  He 
for  a  time  followed  coopering  and  was  in  mei-cantile  pursuits  in  Dills- 
borough.  He  subsequently  purchased  the  mammoth  cooperage  establish- 
ment owned  and  previously  operated  so  successfully  by  W.  E.  Gibson, 
which  he  owned  and  managed  by  the  skillful  and  wise  assistance  of  his 
sons  and  brothers  in  his  employ  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  business 
was  a  success.  "  Samuel  Wymond  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character 
and  those  who  knew  him  well  found  in  him  the  strongest  elements  of  true 
manhood.  A  brave,  honest,  energetic  man  has  fallen  and  the  community 
mourns.  *  *  Very  many,  indeed,will  be  the  years  before  the  memory,  now 
80  green  and  cherished,  of  the  noble  traits  of  character  of  this  plain,  un- 
assuming, enterprising  and  public  spirited  citizen  shall  fade  awaj'^  and 
be  forgotten  in  the  hearts  of  the  many  who  knew  him." 

WILLIAM  W.  WYMOND,  a  native  of  Lawrenceburgh,  and  a  former 
well-known  merchant  of  that  city,  was  a  son  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Walk) 
Wymond,  born  in  1841.  He  grew  into  manhood  in  his  native  city,  and 
early  in  life  began  merchandising.  He  began  the  wholesale  hardware 
and  grocery  business  in  Lawrenceburgh  but  soon   after  removed  to  Cin- 


984  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

cinnati, where, in  partnership  with  his  father  he  conducted  the  same  busi- 
ness very  successfully  for  about  nineteen  years.  Ill-health  prevented  a 
continuance  of  his  business  operations  in  Cincinnati  and  after  two  years 
in  the  carriage  business  at  Indianapolis  and  about  the  same  length  of 
time  as  book-keeper  for  the  Halliday  Bros.,  of  Cairo,  111.,  he  gave  up 
business  entirely,  having  met  with  severe  financial  reverses  in  the  mean- 
time. He  subsequently  removed  to  Chicago,  still  in  hope  of  regaining 
his  health  and  died  in  that  city  in  October,  1880.  In, 1867  Mr.  Wymond 
married  Mrs.  Laura  F.  McKeehan,  widow  of  Samuel  F.  McKeehan,  and 
daughter  of  Dr.  M.  H.  Harding,  and  their  three  children  are  Laura, 
Paul  and  Grace.  Mrs.  Wymond's  first  marriage  occurred  in  1860,  her 
husband  going  immediately  to  the  civil  war,  from  which  he  never  re- 
turned. Mr.  Wymond  was  one  of  the  most  successful  business  men  that 
Lawrenceburgh  has  produced,  and  as  a  citizen  possessed  a  character  of 
high  rank  and  esteem. 

FREDERICK  A.  YORK,  superintendent  of  the  gas  works,  Aurora, 
is  a  native  of  New  York  State,  where  he  was  born  November  13,  1824. 
His  father,  John  York,  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1798,  and  his  mother, 
Eunice  (Willby)  York,  was  born  in  the  same  State  in  1800.  After  their 
marriage  they  settled  in  the  State  of  New  York,  where  Frederick  was 
reared  and  educated.  In  1845  he  came  West  and  located  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  worked  as  a  machinist  for  four  years.  In  September, 
1849,  he  located  permanently  at  Aurora  and  engaged  with  Stedman  & 
Co.,  remaining  seven  years.  For  two  years  succeeding  ]  856  he  was  deal- 
ing in  hay,  then  went  into  the  livery  business  in  connection  with  buying 
and  selling  horses.  In  1862  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Mahala 
M.  (Isgrigg)  Briddell,  who  was  born  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  in  1834, 
and  by  a  former  marriage  was  the  mother  of  one  child — Frances  M.  Brid- 
dell. To  the  marriage  of  our  subject  and  wi  fe,  one  child  was  born — 
Anna  S.  (now  the  wife  of  John  A.  Parks,  an  attorney  of  Aurora).  Our 
subject,  since  1852,  has  been  identified  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  he  is  also  a 
member  of  Lodge  No.  51,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Aurora  Chapter  No.  13. 
He  is  an  estimable  citizen  and  a  prudent  business  man. 

FREDERICK  M.  ZEH,farmer,Hogan  Township, was  born  in  Germany, 
February  8,  1839.  His  educational  advantages  were  moderately  embraced. 
His  father,  George  Zeh,  was  born  in  Germany,  September  1,  1810;  his 
mother,  Barbara  Geigoldt,  in  the  same  locality,  January  7,  1811.  They 
came  to  America  in  1841  and  to  Hogan  Township  in  the  spring  of  1842. 
He  followed  farming  for  a  livelihood.  The  father  and  mother  both  belonged 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  was  leader  and  one  of 
the  stewards.  The  father  died  July  17, 1877,  mother  July  9,  1884.  Mr. 
F.  M.  Zeh  was  married  in  1862  to  Miss  Mary  E.    Cornforth,    who  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.       ,  985 

born  in  Hogan  Township,  March  21,  1843.  Unto  them  were  given  three 
children:  Eva  L.,  Charles  A.,  Mary  M,  Mr.  Zeh  enlisted  August  9,  1862, 
in  Company  E,  Sixteenth  Indiana,  and  served  three  years;  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  and  kept  a  few  days,  then  paroled  and  af- 
terward exchanged.  He  was  with  Gen.  Sherman  in  1862  and  1863  in 
the  Seventeenth  Corps,  afterward  the  Thirteenth  Corps,  in  department  of 
the  Gulf.  He  lost  his  health  in  the  army,  and,  though  recovering,  is  not 
strong.  He  was  a  mill-wright  and  carpenter  by  trade,  but  abandoned 
these  vocations  and  is  now  a  farmer. 

JOHN  ZEH,  farmer,  resides  in  Hogan  Township.  He  was  born  in 
Byrne,  Germany,  March  29,  1834.  His  parents  were  George  and 
Barbara  (Geigoldt)  Zeh,  who  are  referred  to  in  the  preceding  sketch. 
John  Zeh  was  married  March  31, 1859,  to  Miss  Harriet  A.  Powell.  She 
was  born  in  Hogan  Township,  April  20,  1836.  They  have  three  children: 
Luella,  Oliva  A.,  George E.  He  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life,  and  with 
his  estimable  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  he  is  one  of  the  stewards. 

JOHN  ZIMMER,  farmer,  Kelso  Township,  is  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  April  14,  1833.  His  parents,  Charles  and  Elizabeth  (Meyer)  Zim- 
mer,  were  also  natives  of  Germany,  where  they  married,  and  resided 
several  years.  Mrs.  Z.  died  there,  in  February,  1850,  and  her  husband 
in  1853,  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  located  in  Dearborn 
County,  where  he  died  September  24,  1879,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years.  Their  children  were  Catherine,  Casper,  John,  Elizabeth,  Mary 
and  Nicholas.  John  Zimmer  carae  to  Dearborn  County  with  his  parents, 
and  was  united  in  marriage  in  New  Alsace,  Ind.,  June  18,  1861,  to  Eliz- 
abeth Kalb,  who  was  born  in  York  Township,  May  26,  1842,  a  daughter 
of  Wolfgang  and  Barbara  (Schiderer)  Kalb,  natives  of  Germany.  After 
his  marriage  he  settled  where  he  now  lives.  He  has  had  born  to  him 
nine  children,  viz.:  Joseph  W.,  Charles  F.,  Elizabeth  P.,  Susanna  M., 
Margaret  B.,  Magadalena  P.,  Jacob  H.,  Annie  M.  and  Peter  J.  (de- 
ceased).    Mr.  Zimmer  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

JACOB  ZINKHON,  farmer,  Yorkville.  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1838.  His  parents,  Kasper  and  Anna  M.  (Roth)  Zinkhon,  were  both  na- 
tives of  Germany  and  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1837.  They  first 
located  in  Pennsylvania  and  later  moved  west  to  Adams  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  resided  till  their  deaths,  that  of  the  mother  occurring  about 
1860,  and  the  father  passing  away  in  1877.  Jacob  Zinkhon  grew  to  ma- 
turity under  the  paternal  roof,  working  with  his  parents  till  he  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  then  beginning  operations  for  himself  as  a  day 
laborer.  For  about  eight  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  nursery  business, 
and  after  that  was  for   some  time  occupied  in  quarrying  stone.     In  No- 


986  HISTORY  OF  DEARBORN  AND  OHIO  COUNTIES. 

vember,  1876,  he  removed  to  Dearborn  County  and  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm  of  seventy-five  acres,  and  his  entire  attention  has  since  been 
turned  to  agriculture  up  to  the  present  date.  Mr.  Zinkhon  was  married 
in  1870  to  Miss  H.  M.  FitzPatrick,  of  Adams  County,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Ellen  (Gifford)  FitzPatrick,  her  father  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
her  mother  of  Adams  County,  Ohio.  Five  children  have  resulted  from 
this  union:  Ornettie  E.,  James  H.,  Louella  M.,  Charles  W.  and  Anna 
N.  Mr.  Zinkhon,  by  the  aid  of  a  most  estimable  wife,  has  been  fairly 
successful  in  his  business  relations,  and  they  are  kindly  regarded  by  a 
large  circle  of  friends  in  the  community  in  which  they  reside.  In  1864 
Mr.  Zinkhon  enlisted  in  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Eighty-eighth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  Capt.  Sanders,  and  spent  about  eight  months  in  the 
service  doing  guard  duty  chiefly,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  at 
Columbus,  Ohio. 

JOSEPH  ZIX,  farmer  and  brewer,  Kelso  Township,  was  born  in 
Baden,  Germany,  March  19,  1825.  His  parents,  Charles  and  Catharine 
(Brannagel)  Zix,  were  also  natives  of  Baden,  both  born  in  1800.  They 
were  married  in  Baden,  and  in  the  spring  of  1848  immigrated  to  Ripley 
County,  Ind.,  where  she  died  in  1849,  he  in  1868.  Their  children  were 
Frank,  Helena,  Joseph,  Wilhelmina,  Walburga,  Victoria,  Mary  and 
Matthew.  Joseph  came  with  his  parents  to  Ripley  County  in  1848, 
marrying  in  Baden,  April  23, 1848,  Geneveva  Buchdunger,  who  was  born 
in  that  State,  December  29,  1824,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Josephine 
(Eisen)  Buchdunger.  In  1850  he  purchased  land  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  1856,  in  which  year  he  opened  a  store  at  Pennslyvaniaburgh, 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  about  six  years,  after  which  he  moved 
back  on  his  farm.  In  1865  he  moved  to  Dearborn  County,  and  pur- 
chased the  brewery,  owned  by  Martin  Wilhelm,  and  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  "common  beer,"  until  1877,  at  which  time  he  rented  the 
establishment  to  his  son,  who  still  continues  an  extensive  business  at  the 
same  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zix  are  parents  of  twelve  children,  viz. : 
Joseph  (deceased),  Elizabeth,  Charles  (deceased),  Michael,  Joseph,  Caro- 
line (deceased),  John,  Herman,  Charles,  George,  Josephine  and  August. 
Mr.  Zix  is  a  good  citizen,  and  has  an  excellent  family.  He  owns  120 
acres  of  fine  land,  the  brewing  establishment,  and  other  property  which 
insure  him  a  fair  annual  income. 

JOHN  SMITH,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Miller  Township,  came 
there  from  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1818,  and  settled  near  Guilford,  on 
the  east  branch  of  Tanner's  Creek, there  being  ten  children  in  the  family. 
The  family  were  of  pure  English  blood,  the  ancestors  tracing  their  lin- 
eage from  the  British  island.  Mr.  Smith  entered  land  (or  purchased  it 
from    the  government  at  11.25  per    acre),  and  resided  upon  the    same 


U.Je?9 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  987 

until  his  death.  William  Smith,  the  eldest  son,  lived  and  died  in  Dear- 
born County.  He  married  Ann  Ewbank,  and  reared  six  children  to  ma- 
turity. He  died  in  1874;  his  wife  in  1865.  His  son,  David  E.,  was 
born  in  Dearborn  County  in  1821;  grew  up  a  farmer;  married  Martha 
Grubbs  in  1844,  and  reared  twelve  children  to  maturity,  viz.:  Jane,  Eliza- 
beth, Mary  L.,  Honor,  Laura  M.  and  Jarius  (twins),  Jonathan  G., George 
M.,  Eva,  Scott  and  IraC,  all  yet  living.  The  father  died  in  1875;  the 
mother  still  surviving  in  her  fifty-ninth  year.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  thrifty 
farmer,  owning  200  acres  of  land  at  his  death,  and  an  esteemed  citizen. 
His  son,  William  J.  Smith  is  elsewhere  mentioned  in  this  work. 


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