Carroll County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 19 of those read), 1882

A T a meeting of the old settlers of Carroll Coimty, on the -1-th -' - ^ of August. 1855, Dr. John M. Ewing, one of the vei-y early settlers here, being called upon, gave a brief narrative of his experiences in the early days of our county's history, from which we glean the following items of interest to the surviving few of those who were participants in or cognizant of the incidents related:

" In the year 1827, when I first landed on Deer Creek, there were but forty families living in what now forms Carroll, White and Cass Counties. Wliere the town of Delphi now stands was a hazel and blackberry thicket. Where the town of Logansport stands, everything was in a state of natui-e, except a trading house on the point, occupied by a Mr. McKeen. What is now the city of La Fayette had then but six log cabins, and a one-story hewedlog house, occupied as a tavern.

" There were then no roads, except one that was opened by Father Robinson in December, 1824, his being the fu-st family that crossed the Wild Cat. Traveling had then to be done in Indian trails and deer paths. The face of the country was then covered with a growth of nettles, which were, in the upland, as thick as a crop of flax, and about as high, and on the river bottom, as high as a man's head, on horseback.

" There were then no rabbits, no pai-tridges, larks, thrushes, or other variety of birds that followed civilization. Frogs were abundant. I have traveled for days without ever getting out of hearing of their croaking music. Snakes were also plenty, especially the large rattlesnakes. The settlers watched their dens in the spring, and killed them when they came out to sun themselves. I have killed as many as five at one time. Wolves were also plenty - the large gray wolf - and, like the Indians, the)' surrendered their rights to the country with reluctance. I have seen them walk oflf with a snarl and a growl, looking at me as though they thought me an intruder on their domain.

" Indians were not very numerous in what is now Carroll County. A few came to the settlement occasionally to trade. The principal Indian trade was established at Logansport. It was the Indian trade that made Logansport what it is, by bringing men of capital and enterprise there, and also the Indian agency. The location of the Michigan road also gave it a permanent advantage over Delphi. That road would have been located through Delphi, on a muclj better and nigher route, if any pei-son here had taken the time to show the Commissioners the route. They came to this county for the purpose, and were sent to Cass County, where they found men that were willing to spend the time to gain this important thorough fai-e.

" Hem-y Kobinson was the tu'st Justice of the iPeace elected in CaiToll County, commissioned by Gov. Ray July 14, 1828. The fu-st com-theldin the county was at the house of Daniel Baum, Sr. The first Postmaster in the county was Abner Robinson. The fij-st apples grown from the seed were on the farm of Henry Robinson.

The natm-al advantages of Carroll Coimty in regard to the fertility of soil, the facilities for water-power, and good springs, were not sm-passed by any county on the river. It was the head of steamboat navigation on the Wabash. Boats could always ascend to Delphi, at any time they could come to La J'ayette. Natiu-e did all for Can-oil County that it has ever done for any place : and the early settlers depended on its natm-al advantages bringing in an enterprising population and building them a town. They used no efforts of their own, so that business and capital concentrated at La Fayette and Logansport; and Delphi, with all its natural advantages, was left in the rear.

"There were comparatively few difficulties and privations experienced by the first settlers of Cai-roll County. Provisions were generally plenty in the lower counties on the river, and the settlers soon raised enough to supply themselves, and a surplus for coming emigrants. They were not molested by the Indians, as was so often the case with new settlements. Thej' had nothing to do but to go to work, open their farms, and receive a bountiful retui-n for their labor. In a small prairie near Delphi (now Manary's Addition), Mr. Manary raised 110 bushels of corn to the acre. The labor of the husbandman was boimtifiilly rewarded in the luxm-iant productions of the soil. In the opening of farms and in raising cabins, there was a union of effort and harmony of feeling, in which all joined. I have spent as many as four days in the week at log-rollings and cabin-raisings; have walked at the end of a handspike from morning till night, with some of the stoutest men in the county, or shoved up the end of a log after carrying it on a spike; always trying which end could beat. The 'Hurrah! our end best!" or 'Up with yoiu- switch end!' would surely be heard at the pushing-up of every log.

than I ever have at any social party or gathering since. The social, friendly feeling which existed caused the work to appear , like play. Then the appetite which it created for the bounteous repast, prepared by the no less industrious matrons and their blooming and rosy-cheeked daughters, was a feast good enough for a king.

" It is union of feeling and harmony of effort that form the basis of all true happiness. Such union and harmony then existed to a fargi-eater extent than it has since; and there was more real happiness then than now. Then, there was harmony in schools, harmony in ehiu-ches, harmony in politics, harmony in all the social and domestic relations of society. Biit these fond recollections are among the things that were". That real, fr-iendly feeling which then manifested itself, in being interested in the welfare and prosperity of others, is now concentrated in a spirit of acquisitiveness and selfishness, prevented only from trespassing ujion the rights of others by legal restraints. Civil laws were j then unnecessary; now they are not sufficient to restrain the inordinate selfishness of society. Why the difference in the primary and present condition of society ? Are the people any wiser or better now than they were then ? Or does the change in their social, civil and political relations render them any happier now than they were then ?

" In the fall of each year, for a number of years, there was considerable sickness. My practice then jembraced the whole of the population north of the Wild Oat. I have often visited families in which one was not able to give another a drink. In many '. instances, I have cooked for them, and left their medicine so that each one could get it and take it without distm-bing the others. ' I have often visited and prescribed for as many as fifty patients in a day, riding day and night. I charged ft-om $5 to 110. For like services a physician would now charge $50, and get his pay . I never calculated on getting more than half what I charged, and in one-half the cases I never charged anything.

country that has ever been settled. They had all the substantial necessaries and many of the luxuries of life, such as sugar, coffee, tea, etc. Though they were deprived for a few years of apples, peaches and pears, they had plenty of wild fruit - crab-apples, plums, gi'apes, goosebeiTies, blackberries - and these were excellent I have gathered many a mess of blackberries where the court house, public squai-e, chm-ches, business houses and residences now stand, in the town of Delphi.

'- In conclusion, I will just say that no man labored more for Carroll County than Henry Robinson. He put up the first mill, at a time when it required more labor and capital than it would now, and the profits were not sufficient to keep up the repairs. His labor and money were appropriated more for the benefit of others than for himself. In establishing churches and schools, he was ever foremost. In giving a correct tone to moral and religious sentiment, the influence of his e.iample was always on the side of virtue. He was a most indefatigable opponent of idleness and vice of every description, and hesitated not to reprove it whenever and wherever it came under his notice, regardless of the opinions or censm-es of men. Had all the old settlers labored as much for the benefit of Carroll County as did Father Robinson, Delphi would have been a different town to what it is

The late Dr. James H. Stewart, in his " Recollections of Carroll County," states that: " In the spring of 1830, Delphi could boast of three stores ; Gavin Black, who kept where Anthony Foust has since held forth, in the blacksmith line; Judge Griffith, in a little frame across from the Mai'ket House; and Isaac Martin, on the lot occupied by Dewey and 0. E. Bolles. in a one-story frame, afterward removed down Franklin street and tm-ned into a pottery, and since owned by Kaufman. About the 1st of July,

1830, McCarty & Morris opened a stock of goods in the house now owned by Spears, Case & Co., and formerly occupied byCapt Gist. In the spring of 1831, Robert C. Gist opened a store in the house on the corner above Bowen's brick, formerly occupied by Daniel B. Daggett as a cooper-shop."