Clinton County, Indiana - Chapter 18: Forest Township, 1913

Valuation Town Of Forest

Forest township occupies the northeast corner of Clinton coimty, bounded on the north by Howard county, on the east by Howard and Tipton counties, on the south by Johnson township, and on the west by Warren township. Parts of it were included in these two townships after they were formed from the original Jackson township. The northeastern line of the township is irregular owing to the fact that what is now Honey Creek township, in Howard county, was taken out of Clinton county for political purposes and not for the purpose of making regular boundaries. The township averages over six miles north and south by over four miles east and west, and contains 16,900 acres. There is not much slope to the surface, and formerly much of the land was swampy, but drainage has reclaimed most of it, and given a rich and well cultivated soil.

It was not until after the Clover Leaf road was built, and the town of Forest laid out on it as station, that the residents of this section were moved to ask for a separate township organization. Then a petition was presented to the county commissioners, and on January 2, 1882, they made an order establishing Forest township, with its present boundaries, taking nine and one-half sections off the east end of Warren township, and seventeen sections off the north end of Johnson. The same order also made Samuel M. Davis trustee of the new township until his successor should be elected and qualified, and also inspector of elections. The voting place of the township was established at the town of Forest.

As the township was originally included in the Rig Miami Reserve, it had no settlers as early as the townships west of it. It is said that the first location was made on the southeast quarter of section eighteen bv a man named Nutter, and his son ; but the first permanent settler, and the first to build a substantial log cabin, was Page Sims. Mr. Sims was a native of Franklin county, Indiana, but his parents removed to Tippecanoe county in 1829. There Page Sims came to manhood, and in 1835 married Sarah

Black. In 1839 they moved to Clinton county, and located in what is now Forest township, where both resided until their death. Mr. Sims became a prosperous farmer, and was for several years assessor of the township.

The first white child born in the township was born to Mr. and Mrs. Nutter, above mentioned, in 1842. The population was sparse and scattered, and there was no church built in the township until 1850, when the Methodists erected what was known as Swamp Creek chapel near the south line of the township, on the northeast quarter of section twenty-one. This was long since replaced by a brick structure known as St. Paul's church. There was no postoffice in the township until i860 when Martinsville was made a station on a contract route. It was a very diminutive village at the northeast corner of section seventeen, and never appeared in the official list of United States postoffices, nor did any other place in this township until Forest was recorded in 1877, with C. G. R. Sims as postmaster. But Martinsville postoffice was an important fact to the people of the locality, nevertheless, and Martin Davis was the first postmaster. Today Martinsville is only a memory. The completion of the Clover Leaf road in 1874, and the establishment of Forest as a station only two miles away, soon wiped Martinsville off the map.

In 1912 Forest township had 16,920 acres in farms, of which 2.373 were pasture; 1.042 timber, and 1 86 orchard. Of wheat there were 978 acres with a product of 10,080 bushels: of corn 5.332 acres with a product of 252,240 bushels: of oats 3,576 acres with a product of 175,015 bushels; of timothy 993 acres, with a product of 1.361 tons; of clover 663 acres, with a product of 417 tons of hay and 61 1 bushels of seed. There were 157 horses sold, leaving on hand 770, valued at $75,115. There were 793 cattle sold, leaving on hand 984, valued at $37,220. There were 5,268 hogs sold, leaving on hand 3,242, valued at $30,027. There were 312 dozens of poultry sold, and 394 dozens of laying hens produced 28,300 dozens of eggs. There were 435 cows milked, producing 164,400 gallons of milk, from which 11,220 gallons of cream were sold, and 40,455 pounds of butter made.

The only town in the township is Forest, unincorporated. It was platted September 1, 1874. by Henry Y. Morrison, as a station on the Frankfort and Kokomo railroad, now Clover Leaf. The name was given because the site was timbered ; and the first railroad tickets were sold with an oak stump for a counter. The first store was opened by Mr. Shackleford. The place was always a strong temperance center. A reckless man undertook to establish a saloon here in the spring of 1886, despite the protests of the citizens, but after his building had been blown up with dynamite he decided to seek another location. The place now has about four hundred inhabitants, and is a considerable business center, with one bank, the Citizens.

Of the seven churches in the township, three are in the town of Forest. There were two churches organized in the town in 1885, the Methodist Protestant church, and the Advent Christian (Disciples) church; but they are now replaced by a Baptist church, with Rev. Tedford in charge; a Methodist church, with Rev. Bailor in charge; and a Christian (Holiness) church, with Rev. Earlwine in charge.

Sexton Lodge No. 592, I. O. O. F. was organized at Forest April 20, 1882, with the following charter members and first officers: G. D. Adams, noble grand; G. \Y. Thompson, vice grand; H. Halfield, secretary: W. A. Gentry, treasurer; and Martin Allison. The lodge now has one hundred and seventy-two members. T. \Y. Armstrong is noble grand, and J. I. Burns financial secretary. Forest Lodge No. 285, Daughters of Rebekah, has a membership of thirty-five brothers and fifty-eight sisters. Margaret Clingham is noble grand, and Emma Alter financial secretary. Forest Encampment No. 194, has twenty-nine members. James Armstrong is grand patriarch, and L. A. Traubarger. financial scribe.

Hoosier Lodge No. 185, I\. of P., was instituted March 12. 1888. It has seventy-seven members. R. F. Dunn is chancellor commander, and John E. McAdams, keeper of records and seals. Myrtle Lodge, A. E. & A. M., was chartered May 25, 1897. It has seventy members. Archie R. Davis is worshipful master, and James A. Hite secretary. Ukiah Tribe No. 418, Improved Order of Red Men, was instituted January 31, 1906. It has fortyeight members, and Earl Kinder is C. of R. Forest Tent No. 10.861. Modern Woodmen of America, was instituted June 8. 1909. It has twentv-six members; and George Auble, Jr., is clerk.