Clinton County, Indiana - Chapter 20: Johnson Township, 1913

Valuation Scircleville Hillisburg

Johnson township is one of the later settled townships of the county, owing primarily to the fact that it was included in the Big Miami Reserve, and therefore was not open to settlement until after the cession of 183S: and secondarily to the fact that much of the land was lowr and wet, and was not available for agriculture until it had been drained. I'he principal natural drainage is by tributaries of Killmore creek: though a small part of the township on the south is drained by tributaries of Sugar creek. It is evident that originally most of the township wa^ a lake bed. and this makes a rich soil after the drainage has been effected.

The first white settlers of the township were three brothers, George, William and James Thomas, w ho located in 1S39, cleared the first land, and raised the first crop. For two years they were the only residents of the township. In 1841 came William Burget. Jacob Kirkindall. John Bradburn, John Stevens and John Kirkindall. In 1842. three more were added to the settlement, Isaac McLelland, David Galbraith and John Merritt. In 1843 Uriah Edwards, Adam Merritt,. William Hobbs, Joseph Munnell. and Mr. Rockwell came to open farms. The settlement thereafter was much more rapid.

The social and business center of the early settlement was Burget's Corner, two and one-half miles north of Scircleville. The first store was opened there, and the first postoffice located in Burget's store. For over a third of a century it remained a postoffice, sharing the postal facilities of the north end of the township in the latter part of the period with "Martinsville" - some three miles northwest of Burget's, and now in Forest township. Here was born the first white child native of the towmship - Jane, daughter of William and Lida Burget, on October 7, 1841.

In March, 1843, Johnson township was established by the county commissioners, and the first election was held in April at the house of William Burget, who was inspector for the election. The trustees then elected were

Matthew Orr, Jacob Stroup and John Bristow. At this same election William Burget was elected justice of the peace, and he was continuously kept in this office for eighteen years. The second board of trustees were Lewis Vencill, Geo. A. Kent and James Frier.

The first school house was built in 1844 on the farm of Matthew Orr. and it was an unusual manifestation of public enterprise by the citizens who proposed to have school privileges for their families. William Burget, Matthew Orr and Isaac McLelland united in building the log school house on Orr's farm, which was the first temple of learning; and they also furnished the compensation for the first priest in the temple. This was Peter Stowers, who taught the first school in the winter of 1844-5, receiving in payment $10 a month and board. Other early teachers of the township were Elijah Boxley, Nelson Purdum, William Lowden, Geo. H. Merritt and Alfred Carver. The first school examiner of the township was Isaac McLelland.

The first religious meeting in the township was held at the cabin of William Burget, in 1844, by the Baptists. But the Christians (Disciples) were soon after their fellow immersionists with meetings at the cabins of David Gallbraith and Isaac McLelland. The first preachers in the township were Lewis Wolcott and Solomon McKinney. No church was erected until 1850, when the Christians put up a hewed log church, with puncheon floor. There are now five churches in the township outside of the towns of Ilillis burg and Scircleville. The first marrige in the township was that of Samuel Thompson and Lucinda Bradburn, in 1844.

After Johnson township got started, it developed quite steadily. In 1850 the population was 777. In i860 it had grown to 1,521. In 1870 it was 1,666, and in 1880, 2,103. The acreage reported in farms in 1845 was 7,395, but a large part of it was not under cultivation. In 1886 the farm acreage of 16,992. In 1912 the reported farm acreage was 16,695, °f ''Inch 1,700 acres was pasture, and 1.560 acres timber. Only 65 acres of orchard were reported from the township.

In 1912 the acerage of wheat was 540, with a product of 315.000 bushels; 4.120 acres in oats, with a product of 164,800 bushels. Johnson township led in clover production in 1912. having 2.360 in clover, with a product of 2,610 tons of clover hay and 1,000 bushels of seed. A movement towards diversified crops was shown by the report of 24 acres of tomatoes, with a product of 80 tons - the largest in the county.

The valuation of the township in 1912 was real estate, $910,565 ; personal and corporation property, $326,615: total, $1,237,280. The polls were 186; and the total tax levied was $33,582.64. The tax rate is at the rather high figure of $2.70 on account of the large school tax. The comparison with earlier dates is striking. In 1886 the total valuation was S390.755. and the total taxes levied. $8,298.30. In 1845 the t» >tal valuation was $15.307 - less than half of the annual tax of today - and the total taxes levied, $102.56. Austin Orr. Scircleville. R. R. Xo. r. is township trustee, and Arthur Smith, Hillisburg, is township assessor.

The Lake Erie and Western Railroad crosses the southern part of the township, and on this line the two towns. Scircleville and Hillisburg are located. The old town of Berlin, in the southeast corner of the township, on Indian I'rairie. which was platted in 1847. is now off the map. as well as Burget's Corner and Martinsville. The building in which Burget's s||>re and the postoffice were kept was moved to Scircleville and used as a saloon many years ago, before the dry season set in. Scircleville was laid out in r873 by Adam Scircle. and soon became a thriv ing little village, Josiah Drake opened the first general store here, and John Scircle was the owner of the first drug store. Scirclev ille is quite a local trade center. The Farmers Bank located here furnishes banking facilities for the town and surrounding country.

There was formerly at Scircleville Joe Hooker Post Xo. 97. G. A. R., which was chartered August 28. 1882, and held its first meeting on September 2, with the following officers and charter members: Commander, William Hobson: senior vice commander, Joseph Gross: junior vice commander, William M. Wicker: surgeon. W. G. Smith: quartermaster, ,S. J. Keever ; adjutant. W. T. Cooper: additional members, J. R. Galbraith. L. D. Richards, T. A. Hayden, John Stroup, L. H. Stroup, Thomas Orr and E. Burget. This organization was kept up for a number of years, but is now disbanded.

J. O. Welshhamich, A. P. Stroup and H. C. Atkinson. This lodge is still in existence. At the beginning of 1913 it had seventy-one members. Ed. W. Moore was noble grand, and Walter S. Weaver, financial secretary. Twilight Lodge, Daughters of Rebekah, at Scircleville, has a membership of eight brothers and nineteen sisters. Ella Brown is noble grand, and Maud Brandenburg, financial secretary.

Swastika Tribe Xo. 451, Improved Order of Red Men was instituted at Scircleville August 28, 1907. It is a flourishing organization with one hundred and four members; Jesse Bishop. C. of R. Scircleville Lodge Xo. 684, F. & A. M.. was chartered May 29. 1812. Robert G. Orr is worshipful master, and Giles W. Trask, secretary. It has thirty-eight members.

Hillisburg was laid out in 1874 by John E. Hillis, and within the next dozen years had two general stores, two drug stores, a blacksmith shop, a saw mill, a grist mill, and a grain elevator. It is now a considerable business center with a local bank, the Hillisburg Bank. There were two churches, Methodist Episcopal and Christian. The former is now discontinued and the latter is not very active. The Baptists are showing the greatest energy in this township at present. They have a church at Scircleville. which has just been remodeled and refurnished, and will soon call a pastor. It has one hundred members and over one hundred in the Sunday School. They have also a country church known as Hdls Church, with a membership of one hundred and eighty.

Hillisburg Lodge Xo. 550, A. F. & A. M., was chartered May 28, 1878. Its first officers were J. Sanlin, worshipful master; Dr. D. M. Cook, secretary; A. J. Sharp, senior warden: Hugh Sharp, junior warden. Other charter members were Hugh Shearer. W illiam b razier. Samuel Boyer and Mr. Walter. The lodge now lias a membership of sixty-four. Josiah Snodgrass is worshipful master, and Walter White, secretary.