History of Decatur County, Indiana: its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families

Dedication

The historian, who, as Schlegel says, is "a prophet looking backwards," in these jubilee days of Indiana's first centennial, respectfully dedicates this work both to the memory of the pioneers of Decatur county and those departed, to keep their memory fragrant, and to the people of the future for the inspiration this record may be to those who follow in the never-ending flight of future days.

T -

31 Aj^St

Foreword

All life and achievement is evolution; preserjT'wisdom comes from past experience, and present commercial prosperity has come only from past exertion and sacrifice. The deeds and motives of the men who ha\-e gone before have been instrumental in shaping the destinies of later ■c<:immunities and state. The development of a new country was at once a task and a privilege. It required great courage, sacrifice and privation. Compare the present conditions of the people of Decatur county, Indiana, with what they were one hundred years ago. From a trackless wilderness and \-irgin land, it has come to be a center of prosperity and civilization, with millions of wealth, systems of railways, grand educational institutions, splendid industries and valuable agricultural and mineral productions. 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 moti\'e for the present publicati(in. A specially valuable and interesting department is that one devoted to the sketches of representative citizens of this county whose records deserve preservation because of their worth, effort and accomplishment. The publishers desire to extend their thanks to the persons who ha\-e so faithfully labored to this end. Thanks are also due to the citizens of Decatur county for the uniform kindness with which they have regarded this undertaking, and for their many services rendered in the gaining of necessary information.

In placing the "History of Decatur County. Indiana,"" before the citizens, the pulalishers can conscientiously claim that they have carried out the plan as outlined in the prospectus. E\-ery ])iographical sketch in the work has been submitted for corrections to the party interested, and therefore any error of fact, if there lie an}-, is solely due to the person for whom the sketch was prepared. Confident that our eft'ort to please will fully meet the approbation of the public, we are.

Respectfully,

THE PUBLISHERS.

Chapter I— Related State History 33

First White Man 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 Settlements — 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 Settlers — 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 Legislature of Northwest Territory — Division of 1800 — Census of Northwest Territory in 1800 — Settlements in Indiana Territory in 1800 — First Stage of Territorial Government — Changes in Boundary Lines of Indiana — Second Stage of Territorial Government — The Legislative Council — The First General Assemblies — Congressional Delegates of Indiana Territory — Efforts to Establish Slavery in Indiana — The Indian Lands — Organization of Counties — Changes in the Constitution of Indana — Capitals of Northwest Territory and of Indiana — Military History of State — Political History — Governors of Indiana — A Century of Growth — Natural Resources.

Chapter Ii— Geology And Topography 63

Location and Size of Decatur County — Geology and Physiography — The Soils in Detail — Miami Silt Loam — Upland Clay Loam — Miami Sand Loam — Mechanical Analysis of Decatur County Soils.

Chapter Iii— County Organization 69

Early Settlement — Opening of Government Land Office at Brookville — First Land Patent to John Shellhorn — Probable First Settler, John Fugit — Eighty-nine Land Entries the First Year — Newcomers in 1821 — One Hundred and Forty Votes Cast in County That Year — -Creation of Decatur County — First County Election — Beginning of Law and Order — First General Election — Court House History — The Tree on the Court House Tower — The County Jail.

Chapter Iv— County Officers 87

County Commissioner System from 1822 to 1824 — Board of Justices — Second Group of County Commissioners — Second Board of Justices — General County Officers from Date of County Organization to 1915 — Notes on Early Elections — Roster of State Senators and Representatives.

Chapter V— Townships And Towns Of Decatur County 95

Date of Organization of the Several Townships — The Squatter — The First Settler in Adams Township — County-Seat Hopes Shattered — Early Mail Fa- .cilities — Primitive Conditions — Early Wearing Apparel — Wolves Numerous and Rattlesnakes Abundant — Fever and Ague — W^ild Game — Distilleries — Pioneer Schools — St. Omer- — Visions of Railroads — Education — Early Subscription Schools — Teacher Killed by Pupil — Village of Adams — Downeyville — Rockville's "Boom" Punctured — St. Paul — Varied Industries — Disastrous Fires — Clay Township — Buck-run, Clifty, Middlefork Settlement, Duck Creek, Milford, Burney, Wyncoop — Fugit Township — First Store in County at Spring Hill — Kingston, St. Maurice, Clarksburg — Jackson Township — Forest Hill. Waynesburg, Alert, Sardinia — Marion Township — Millhousen and Other Villages — Clinton Township — County Poor Farm — Sandusky — Salt Creek Township — Newpoint, Smith's Crossing, Mechanicsburg, New Pennington and Rossburg — Sand Creek Township — Westport, Letts and Harris City — Washington Township Almost Exact Center of the County.

Chapter Vi— The City Of Greensburg 155

Song of an "Inland Town" — Site of Present County Seat Entered by Thomas Hendricks in 1820 — Location of County Seat in 1822 — Prices Paid for First Lots — City's Early Growth — Queer Regulations — Incorporation — Fire Department — Police Department — ^\'aterworks and Sewerage System — City Hall — Street Paving — Business and Professional Directory in 1915 — -Mileage and Valuation of Telegraph and Telephone Lines in County — Greensburg Improvement Association — Commercial Club — Business Men's Association — • Greensburg Chautauqua — Associated Charities — Postoffice — Public Library — Young Men's Christian Association — Mimicipal Financial Statement — City Officers and Heads of Departments.

Chapter Vii— Education 182

Early Rural Schools and Primitive Curriculum — Treating of Pupils at Christmas Time — Roll of Pioneer Teachers — Qualifications of Teachers — Decatur County Seminary and Noted Alumni Thereof — Private Schools — First Free Schools — Graded Schools — Teachers' Gatherings — Normal Schools — Lincoln Flag Raising Creates Riot — School Supervision — First School Building in Greensburg — Creation of High School System — Township and Village Schools — Consolidated School System — School Athletics and Domestic Science and Agricultural Training.

Chapter Viii— Churches Of Decatur County 204

Marked Religious Change During Past Three-Quarters of a Century — Forefathers Not as Good as Usually Painted — Sermons Worked Out With Aid of Flask — Primitive Houses of Worship — Baptists and Methodists First to Come — Interesting Reminiscences — Methodist Episcopal Churches — Organ to Blame for Schism — Methodist Protestant Church — Pastor's Unique Courtship — Early Ministerial Experiences — .\frican Methodist Church — First Methodist Sermon in County in September, 1822 — Baptist Churches — First Congregation .-Vntedated Organization of County — Presbyterian Churches — First Congregation Organized in 1823 — United Presbyterian Church —

CONTENTS.

Christian Cluirches — Beginning of Butler College — L'nited Brethren in Christ — Pentecost Church — German Lutheran Church — Episcopal Church — •Church of God — Christian (Nevvlight) Church — German Methodist Episcopal Church — Christian Science Society — United Brethren — Catholic Churches — Oldest Parish in County at Millhousen.

Chapter Ix— Bench And Bar , 278

Judicial History of Decatur County — Marked Changes Under the Constitution of 1852— A Mystery of the Olden Days— Early Murder Trials — Stepping-Stone to Congress — Early Bar History — Prominent Figures of the Bench and Bar — Roster of Decatur County Attorneys — Dean of the Bar — Some Interesting Reminiscences.

Chapter X— Banks And Banking 298

Citizens Bank of Greensburg — Third National Bank — Greensburg National Bank — Westport National Bank — Clarksburg State Bank — Alert State Bank — The St. Paul Bank — Newpoint State Bank — Burney State Bank — Greensburg Building and Loan Association — Union Trust Company — ^Workmen's Building and Loan Association — St. Paul Building .Association — Decatur County's Only Bank Failure.

Chapter Xi— Secret Societies And Fraternities 307

Free and .Accepted Masons and Allied Organizations — Knights of Pythias — Independent Order of Odd Fellows — Modern Woodmen of .America — Improved Order of Red Men — Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks — Haymakers-i-Lo}'al Order of Moose — Knights of St. John.

Chapter Xii— Social And Literary Clubs 329

Greensburg Department Club — Kappa Kappa Kappa — The Cycle — The Mothers' Circle — The Progress Club — The Woman's Club — The Tourist Club — The Fortnightly Club — The Research Club — Literary Club of 191-1 — Married Ladies' Musicale — The Cecilians — The -Athenaeum.

Chapter Xiii— The Medical Profession 341

A Woman Probably the First Medical Practitioner in County — Roster of Early Physicians and Those Now Practicing in County — Interesting Reminiscences by Dr. J. H. .Alexander — Decatur County Medical Society — Trained X'urses — Opticians — Pension Board.

Chapter Xiv— Newspapers Of Decatur County 365

-Apostrophe to the Newspaper — Reckless Use of Adjectives— Struggles of the Early Editors — Greensburg Chronicle, First Paper in County. Started in Spring of 1830 — Orville Thompson's Review of Decatur Count}' Newspapers I'p to the Year 1895 — "Unmarked and Forgotten" Papers — Present Newspapers of the County.

Chapter Xv— Agriculture 379

Greeley's Estimate of Indiana Farmers — Flax, Most Important Crop of the Pioneer, No Longer Cultivated — Leading Breeders of Fancy Stock — Cattle

CONTENTS.

Feeding — Tomato-Growing Industry — The County Agent — Agricultural Statistics — County Agricultural Society — Waynesburg Farmers' Club — Farmers' Club of Springfield — Farmers' Institute — Patrons of Husbandry — Decatur County Fairs.

Chapter Xvi— Roads Axd Transportation 390

Blazed Trails and the Wilson Trace — First Movement Toward Roads — Turnpikes — Water Transportation — Railroads of Decatur County — Greensburg Union Depot — Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction Line — Railroad Statistics.

Chapter Xvii— The "underground Railroad" 398

Pronounced Anti-Slavery Sentiment — Decatur County Colonization Society and Its Rival, the .Anti-Slavery Society — Bickerings Between Neighbors and Schisms in Churches — Main Trunks of "Underground Railroad" — Its Officers and Conductors — The Donnell Rescue Case and Other Incidents — Fugitive Slave Law — Knights of the Golden Circle.

Chapter Xviii— Dec.vtur County's Military Record. 408

Soldiers of the Revolution in Decatur County — The Case of Hugh Montgomery — Soldiers of the War of 1812 — Mexican War — The Civil War- Roster of Commissioned Officers — Regiments Represented by Decatur County Soldiers — Wilder Battery — Artillery and Rifle Companies — Greensburg Band Goes to Front — Decatur County Losses: Killed in Action, Died of Wound's and Died in Prison — Morgan's Raid — A War-Time Convention — Riot in Greensburg — Civil War Statistics — Relief for Soldiers' Families — Roll of Honor — Grand .Army of the Republic — Woman's Relief Corps — Daughters of the .American Revolution.

Chapter Xix— Germans And The German Influence 464

Immigration from the Fatherland — Teutonic Settlements in Decatur County — A Self-Reliant People — Maximillian Schneider and the Millhousen Settlement — List of Naturalized Citizens.

Chapter Xx— Early Elections In Decatur County 470

State Politics from 1816 to 1824 — Straw V'otes at County Musters — First Presidential Election — Rapid Increase in Voting Population — First County Election in 1823 — First Township Elections — Election During Civil War — Bitter Contest of 1S60.

Chapter Xxi— Literary Glimpses 479

Efforts to Emulate the Bard of Avon — Poets of More Than Local Fame — Some Interesting Samples of Decatur County Poetry — The Late Will Cumback and Others Who Have Brought to the County a Measure of Literary Distinction — Lewis -A. Harding and "The Call of the Hour."

Chapter Xxii— Decatur County Industries 497

Primitive Mills of the Pioneers — The First Tanyard — Blacksmiths Manufacturers of Farm Implements — Early Woolen Mills — First Furniture Fac-

CONTENTS.

tory — Manufacturing Industries in 1874 — Greeley Limestone Company — Contractors — Meek Ice Company — Bromwell Brush and Wire Works — Garland Milling Company.