History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions

Dedication

To the dear, departed ones, whose busy hands changed the giant for¬ ests into fertile fields; whose love of home established the hearthstones, the tender ties of which yet bind together the heartstrings of the native born; whose patriotism gave the best of their lives and substance for the defense of their country; whose graves make sacred the soil their feet so often trod.

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Preface

The history of Franklin county extends over more than a hundred years, and this makes the task of the historian difficult, in view of the fact that the complete records of the county were not available for examination. It is impossible to write history without records, and the absence of the early records of Franklin county necessarily left a gap which had to be filled from traditional accounts. However, the county is fortunate in having a file of newspapers running back for nearly eighty years, and these proved to be of inestimable value to the historian in getting first-hand information. In addition to the official records and newspapers, frequent use was made of scrap books containing much valuable data. These three sources — records, newspapers and scrap books — have been supplemented with numerous inter¬ views with various people of the county, and the editor is under obligation to scores of persons in all parts of the county who have volunteered information

on a wide variety of subjects. 1386806

Undoubtedly, the most important source of information outside of the records and newspapers was to be found in the scrap books and miscellaneous data furnished by Miss Jennie Miller, of Brookville. Her brother, James M. Miller, was an indefatigable collector of data covering all phases of Franklin county' history and at his death had the best collection of local historical data in the county. Mr. Miller was an invalid from his boyhood, yet, despite his inability to get around, he amassed a wonderful amount of material touching the history of the county. Among other persons who tendered their private collections of historical data, should be mentioned Miss Lucinda Meeks, Mrs. S. S. Harrell, Mrs. W. H. Bracken, Harry M. Stoops, Mrs. Martha Goodwin, Michael Jacobs, Dr. J. E. Morton, George S. Golden, John C. Shirk, T. L. Dickerson, T. B. Thackrey, I. M. Bridgeman and M. H. Irwin. Rev. Andrew Schaaf, pastor of St. Michael’s church of Brookville, gathered all of the data on the Catholic churches of the county for the his¬ tory and rendered valuable assistance in all matters pertaining to history of Catholic affairs in the county.

The Brookville Historical Society was enthusiastic in its support of the history from the beginning, and the editor feels under a debt of gratitude for vJ

V

PREFACE.

its help. 1 he various officials in the court house extended every courtesy in the preparation of the history and helped to gather all the data from the records in their charge. A number of contributed articles, as given in the history, are credited to those preparing them. Finally, thanks are due a large number of people who furnished data in response to letters which were sent out by those in charge of the writing of the history. Whatever merit this history may possess is largely due to the kindly assistance of those people of the community who are proud of their county’s history and have a sincere desire to see it preserved.

Can any thinking person be insensible to the fascination of the study which discloses the aspirations and efforts of the early pioneers who so strongly ’ laid the foundation upon which has been reared the magnificent prosperity of later days? To perpetuate the story of these people and to trace and record the social, political and industrial progress of the community from its first inception is the function of the local historian. A sincere purpose to preserve facts and personal memoirs that are deserving of perpetuation, and which unite the present to the past, is the motive for the present publication. A specially valuable and interesting department is that one devoted to the sketches of representative citizens of these counties whose records deserve preservation because of their worth, effort and accomplishment. The pub¬ lishers desire to extend their thanks to the gentlemen who have so faithfully labored to this end.

In placing the “History of Franklin County, Indiana,” before the cit¬ izens, the publishers can conscientiously claim that they have carried out the plan as outlined in the prospectus. Every biographical sketch in the work has been submitted to the party interested, for correction, and therefore any error of fact, if there be any, is solely due to the person for whom the sketch was prepared. Confident that our effort to please will fully meet the appro¬ bation of the public, we are,

Respectfully,

THE PUBLISHERS.

Chapter I— Related State History _ ' _

First White Men in Northwest Territory — English and French Claims — Three Successive Sovereign Flags Over Present Indiana Territory — Passing of the Indians — Battle of Fallen Timbers — Northwest Territory — Early Set¬ tlements — Activities of the Traders — French and Indian War — Pontiac’s Conspiracy — Northwest Territory and Quebec Act — Revolutionary Period — George Rogers Clark and His Campaign — First Surveys and Early Set¬ tlers— Ordinance of 1787 — First Stage of Government under the Ordinance —Second Stage — Organization of the Northwest Territory — Representative Stage of Government — First Counties Organized — First Territorial Legis¬ lature of Northwest Territory — Division of 1800 — Census of Northwest Ter¬ ritory in 1800 — Settlements in Indiana Territory in 1800 — First Stage of Ter¬ ritorial Government— Changes in Boundary Lines of Indiana — Second Stage of Territorial Government — The Legislative Council — The First Gen¬ eral Assemblies — Congressional Delegates of Indiana Territory — Efforts to Establish Slavery in Indiana — The Indian Lands — Organization of Counties — Changes in the Constitution of Indiana — Capitals of Northwest Territory and Indiana — Military History of State — Political History — Governors of Indiana — A Century of Growth — Natural Resources.

Chapter Ii— Geology _ ' _

Report of State Geologist — Prefatory — Farm Statistics — Standing Timber — Physiography and Geology — Soils — Their Areas — Miami Silt Loam — Limestone Slope Clay Loam — Huntington Loam — Hamburg Loam — Ancient Earthworks — Blue Limestone Region — Drift Deposit — Bowlders — Terraces —Mineral Springs — Precious Metals — Salt in the County — Building Ma¬ terials.

Chapter Iii— Organization Of Franklin County _

Organization of First Counties in Indiana — Purchases of Indian Lands — Twelve-Mile Purchase — Legislative Act Establishing Franklin County — The County Seat — Change of County Territorial Limits — Population of Decades — The First Year of Statehood — Election of 1816 — Court Procedure Under Constitution of 1816 — First Circuit Court — First Grand Jury — A Quartet of Pugilistic Lawyers — First Board of Commissioners — First Townships De¬ fined — Constitutional Conventions of 1816 and 1850 — Land Entries of Frank¬ lin County in the Ohio Survey — Tax Duplicate of 1811.

Chapter Iv— History Of Court Houses _

The Knight Tavern — Court-House Trustees — Second Court House — Build¬ ing Specifications — Stray Pen — Destruction of Court House by Fire — Court House of 1852 — Remodeling of same into the Present Building — Jail History — County Office Buildings.

CONTENTS.

Chapter V— Organization And Boundary Changes Of Town¬ Ships _ 110

Absence of Early Records — Date of Organization of Townships — Brookville Township- — Natural Features — Pioneer Settlement — Some Pioneer Families — Towns and Villages — Union (Whitcomb) — Buncombe — Butler’s Run — Woodville — Yung — Township Officers — Bath Township — Natural Fea¬ tures — Land Entries — First and Important Events — Villages — Colter’s Cor¬ ner — Bath — Mixersville — Posey Township — Organization and Boundaries — Physical Features — Land Entries — Saw-Mills — First Events — Villages — Andersonville — Bulltown — Buena Vista — Township Officers — White Water Township — Boundaries — Natural Features — Settlement — Township Officers — An Old Land-mark — New Trenton — Milling Interests — Butler Township — Pioneer Settlement — Interesting Events — Towns and Villages — Haymond — Jennings — Oak Forest — Franldin — New Vernon — Township Officers — Blooming Grove Township — Boundaries — Streams, Soil, Etc. — Pioneer Set¬ tlement — Blooming Grove Village — Springfield Township — Natural Features — Settlement — Events of Interest — Mt. Carmel — Highland Township — Boun¬ dary — Settlement — Cedar Grove — South Gate — St. Peters — Highland Center — Klemme’s Corner — Fairfield Township — Boundary — Natural Features — Settlement — Character of the Pioneers — First and Important Events — Fairfield Village — Ray Township — Natural Features — Settlement — Huntersville St. Bernard — Hamburg — Enochburg — Oldenburg — Township Officers — Salt Creek Township— Boundaries — Land Entries and Pioneers — Reminiscences

— Stip’s Hill — Laurel Township — Boundaries — Natural Features — Land Entries and First Settlers — Indian Aggression — Laurel — Metamora Town¬ ship — Natural Features — Settlement — Town of Metamora — Former Town¬ ships of Franklin Township.

Chapter Vi— Town Of Brookville _ 193

Situation — First Land Entries — Plats — Beginnings — Early Market Quota¬ tions — Early Business Men — The Brookville Land Office — A Critical Period — Early Milling Operations — Paper-making Industry — Other Industries — Telephone Lines — Municipal Incorporation — Town Officers — Fire Depart¬ ment — Water Works — Postoffice — Commercial Club — Public Library — Ceme¬ teries — Centennial Celebration — McKinley Memorial Services — Floods of 1898 and 1913 — Insurance.

Chapter Vii— Courts Of Franklin County _ 232

Changes in Court Practice — First County Court — Commissioners Court — Board of Justices — First Common Pleas Court — First Circuit Court — Law¬ yers of Franklin County.

Chapter Viii— County Officials _ 238

Auditors — Treasurers — Clerks of the Court — Sheriffs — Recorders — County Commissioners — Coroners — Surveyors — Miscellaneous Officers — Pound Keepers — Inspector of Flour, Beef and Pork — Collector of County and State Revenue — Listers and County Assessors — Judges of the Circuit Court — Prose¬ cuting Attorneys.

Chapter Ix— Highways And Transportation _

Transportation, a Difficult Early Problem — Rough Character of the Land — Floods — Cost of Road Maintenance — River Transportation — White Water

CONTENTS.

Canal — Blue Creek Canal — Bridges and Locks — Reminiscences of Josiah McCafferty — Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad — Big Four Railroad — Proposed Brookville & Richmond Canal.

Chapter X— Agriculture And Agricultural Societies _ 264

First Agricultural Society in Franklin County — Fairs at Brookville — Frank¬ lin County Soil — Live Stock — Horticulture — Assessor’s Return, 1913 — Farmers’ Institutes.

Chapter Xi— Physicians Of The County _ 269

Incompleteness of Records — List of Physicians, Past and Present, Who Have Practiced in the County — Present Physicians — Dentists.

Chapter Xii— Military History Of Franklin County _ 275

Uneasiness of Pioneers on Account of Indians — William McClure’s Account of Early Troubles — Killing of Bill Killbuck — Revolutionary Soldiers of Franklin County — Soldiers of the War of 1812 — The Militia Period — Muster Day — The Mexican War — The Franklin Guards — The Civil War — Lincoln’s First Call for Volunteers — Brief Record of Regiments in Which Franklin Men Served — Some Civil-War Statistics — The Draft, by Townships — Relief and Bounties — Home Guards — Morgan’s Raid — Grand Army of the Re¬ public — Soldiers’ Monument — Spanish-American and Philippine Wars.

Chapter Xiii— Banks And Banking _ 323

Territorial Banks — Brookville Branch of the State Bank — “Wildcat” Cur¬ rency — The Brookville Bank, Brookville National Bank and National Brook¬ ville Bank — Franklin County National Bank — People’s Trust Company — Farmers and Merchants Bank — The Laurel Bank — Farmers Bank of Metamora.

Chapter Xiv— Benevolent Institutions _ 329

Overseers of the Poor, 1811-1816 — 1816-1834 — Legislative Provisions of 1844 Relative to Care of the Poor — Authorization of Poor Asylums — County and Township Relief Statistics — Franklin, Fayette and Union Joint Asylum — Poor Farm Superintendents — Children’s Home — Board of Children’s Guar¬ dians.

Chapter Xv— Secret Societies _ 338

Free and Accepted Masons — Independent Order of Odd Fellows — Knights of Pythias — Improved Order of Red Men — Fraternal Order of Eagles — Modern Woodmen of America.

Chapter Xvi— Literary Clubs And Social Organizations _ 352

Julia Dumont Society — Married Women’s Social Club — The N Y Club — Brookville Study Club — Mothers’ Club — Needlecraft Club — Domestic Science Club — Physical Culture Class — Women’s Franchise League — The Saturday Club — Brookville Indiana Historical Society — Anthropological Club — Ladies’ Social Club of Whitcomb — -Scotus Gaul Picti — Brookville Society of Natural History — Academy of Music.

CHAPTER XVII— EDUCATIONAL HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, 370 Early Subscription Schools — Description of Pioneer School House — John Collins, Teacher — Nimrod Kerrick — Franklin County Academies — The Franklin County Seminary — Brookville High School — Brookville College —

CONTENTS.

Peoria Academy — Laurel Academy — Springfield Academy — Early Schools of Brookville— Graduates of Brookville High School-Teachers of Brookville Schools of Franklin County — Franklin County Teachers’ Institute.

Chapter Xviii— Churches Of Franklin County _ _ 413

First Religious Societies in the County— A List of Churches of the County Church Statistics — Methodism in the County — Methodist Protestant Churches German Methodists — Baptist Churches — Presbyterian Churches — Ihe Christian Church — Lutheran Church — Evangelical Protestant Luth¬ eran Church— United Brethren— The Universalist Church— Moravian Mis¬ sionaries — Catholic Churches and Auxiliary Societies — Convent of the Im¬ maculate Conception — Academy of the Immaculate Conception.

CHAPTER XIX— NEWSPAPERS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY _ 482 Incomplete Files a Handicap in Writing Local History— The First Papers

and Those Which Have Served the People During the Subsequent Years _

The Monthly Visitor — Sporadic Sheets of Brookville — Newspapers at Laurel — Andersonville — Oldenburg.

Chapter Xx— Franklin County Ornithology _ 497

An Instructs e and Interesting Contribution by Joseph F. Honecker on the Birds of the County— Birds as Man’s Allies— Slaughter of the Innocents— Universality of Bird Life — Egg Peculiarities — Building the Home — The Periodic Exodus— Contents of Bird Stomachs— Franklin County’s Feathered Tribes.

CHAPTER XXI — SIDELIGHTS ON FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORY _ 529 Towns and Villages — Some Defunct Towns — Baltimore, a Paper Town

Slavery in Franklin County— The Franklin County Oil Fever— A Duello in

Brookville — The story of Samuel Fields — Prices Then and Now _ Early

Mills of Franklin County— Indian Stories— Reminiscences by Mrs. Bracken —Incidents Concerning Amos Butler— Unique Private Museum— Poetical Ad\ettising Franklin County First Events — An Early Insurance Company.