Scottville Township

Scottville Township

Scottville township is located in town 12, range 9. It is bounded on the north by Morgan county, on the east by North Palmyra township, on the south by Barr township, and on the west by Greene county. The surface is undulating and both timber and prairie land is to be found here. It is well drained for Apple, Panther, Turner, Joe's and Big Nigger creeks all flow through the township.

Jn 1825 Andrew ilettick came with his wife and six children and located at the head of Xegro Lick. He put up a small log cabin, which was the first building of any kind in the township. His nearest neighbor was Edward Prather, in Greene county, eleven miles distant. It was not until three years later that other settlers came into the township.

Isaac E. Pruitt entered the first land in the township, one hundred and sixty acres on section 21, in 1828. The sesond entry of land was made by Jacob S. Gibson, which was an eight-acre tract on section 12, on the 8th of January, 1829. Andrew Hettick entered eighty acres on section 27 in the spring of the same year.

Those who came here during the years 1828, 1829 and 1830 were William Thompson, Lawrence McManus, John Record, Colonel Powell H. Sharp, James H. Cherry, William Watson, John Redfern and a Mr. Sego.

The first schoolhouse was built of logs and located on the south side of Negro Lick. This was in the summer of 1829 and that year a Mr. Scruggs became the first teacher.

The first mill in the locality was erected in 1828 by Hugh Conoway. It was located in the southern portion of the township and was operated by horse power. A little later a second mill was erected in the same locality by Fountain Land. About the same time James H. Cherry put up a tread mill and Thomas Lutrell built a water mill on Apple creek. Prior to the building of these mills the settlers had to go to Allen's mill on Apple creek, four miles north of Carrollton, in Greene county.

A Baptist society was formed in the south part of the township by Rev. Stephen Coonrod, a Baptist minister, who preached the first sermon in the township, holding services for some time in the homes of the settlers. Eventually ministers* of the Methodist, Christian and Presbyterian denominations came into the township, holding services either in private homes or in a schoolhouse until churches could be erected. The first church edifice was erected by the Christian denomination in Scottville.

The first marriage in the township was in 1828, the contracting parties being Samuel Thompson and Miss Artemesia Hettick, a daughter of Andrew Hettick. Dr. W. H. Palmer was the first physician to locate here.

The village of Scottville is located on sections 16 and 21. The proprietors of the town were Jefferson Weatherford and Tristram P. Hoxey. It was laid out by Benjamin Stephenson in 1835.

The first postmaster in the town was Sargeant Gobble, and Dr. John Candle was proprietor of the first hotel. Alfred Ruyle opened the first blacksmith shop in the town.

Scottville is another of the villages of the county that has gone backward. In 1890 it had 363 people within its limits. At the time of the census in 1900, the population had increased by one and the census of 1910 shows only 301 for that year.