Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 2: Fredonia, 1926

Chapter 2: Fredonia

While Judge Davis Floyd was holding the first session of the Cireuit Court in Crawford County and the good citizens of Mount Sterling were hanging James Ouley, a new town was laid out on the banks of the Ohio River by Allen D. Thom and Robert S. Thorn. These men who had moved from Virginia to Indiana settled in Crawford County. Allen D, Thom made a plat of the town and filed the plat in the Recorder's office. William Samuels, who was the first County Recorder, stated that Allen D. Thom came before him personally and acknowledged the plat to be the true plat for the town of Fredonia, June 22, 1818.

The site where this town was laid out was one of the most picturesque of all river towns. At this point the Ohio River makes a great bend in the shape of an ox-bow or a horse shoe. Hence, it is known in history, as the ox-bows or horse-shoe bend. The river sweeps far northward into Indiana and then glides away gently to the south. Standing on this high bluff one can see down the river as far as Schooner point and up the river to Leavenworth.

From Indian Hollow to Schooner point, the river hill is So very precipitous, that one can not build a road to the river except where some creek runs into the river. So on this high plateau, Allen D. Thom and Robert S. Thom laid out the town site for Fredonia. The site, as already stated, commands a view of the Ohio River for several miles, so that hostile Indians could not approach without being seen. From the Ohio River. bluff the level land extends back about one-half mile west, before the land becomes rough and hilly, and descends to Little Blue River and Turkey Fork. So there was a fine site for a town on this high hill.

The plat of the town shows that the Thoms were patriotic. The streets running east and west are Warren, Green, Washington, Adams, and Taylor. Those streets running north and south are Water, High, Market, Posey, and Poplar. Main street ran east and west through the town.

At that time any man owning land and wishing to sell it could lay out a town plat and try to sell the lots. That way he might make some money out of the land if many people bought lots. The owner generally took the plat to the recorder for record. Many men bought lots in the town. Locust trees were set out on the street, many of which are still standing. Plenty of good water was found by digging several deep wells. Thom's well was about 86 feet deep and six feet in diameter. It has abundance of water in it the year around. This well was walled from bottom to top with stone, much of which was dressed. This indicates that much work must have been done in its construction. The other wells were very deep ones too. They may be seen in the town today.

One serious objection to the growth of Mount Sterling was the absence of good water. Creek water could not be used because of the danger of impurities. After the county seat was located in Fredonia, the General Assembly of Indiana enacted a law providing that the county seat of justice must not be moved again under any condition, unless a good supply of wholsome water was available. This law is found on page 86 of Indiana Laws of 1827.

Allen D. Thom had a very rich brother named Reuben T. Thom. He owned much land in the county in those days. The red on map 3 shows the amount of land owned by the Thom brothers. In all there were 1,468 acres of which Allen D. Thom owned 80 acres. As far as known Reuben T. Thom never lived in the county. He remained at his home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This Reuben T. Thom was very desirous of having the seat of justice moved to Fredonia. The town of Fredonia had several houses erected and had far outgrown the town of Mount Sterling. One can not find much information that many houses were ever built there, except Brashear's, while Tomasson owned a few lots in the town. He felt sure that he could sell his land better if the seat of justice was located there. So he went about the matter in a manly way. He offered to give a tract of land on which the court house could be built and a jail erected. At that time no one had the right to move the seat of justice from Mount Sterling. So James Glenn, who was a prominent citizen of: the county, and one of the associate justices, sent a petition to Henry Green, who represented the county in the General Assembly at Corydon, praying that the seat of justice be re-located and a committee be appointed to locate a permanent seat of justice. This petition being read by Henry Green November 21, 1821, was referred to a select committee of which Green of Crawford County, Tipton of Perry County,

Dewey and Wallace of Orange County, and Kirkpatrick of Floyd County were members, with permission to report by a bill or otherwise. The committee reported out a bill on November 30, which came up in the House on December 2, and was passed on Thursday, December 15, 1821. In the meanwhile many petitions were sent to the General Assembly praying that the bill be enacted. Hence, one can say that the citizens approved the bill. After a few days the Senate passed the bill and the Governor signed it. This new law provided that Samuel Connor of Perry County, Henry Thornton of Scott County, Stephens Rainy of Clark County, Isaac Stewart of Floyd County, and Robert Evans of Vanderburg County should be commissioners whose duty it should be to meet at the court house in Mount Sterling on March 1, 1822, and after due examination to re-locate the seat of justice if the committee thought that it was beneficial to the people of the county. The committee was to value the improvements made on the lots in Mount Sterling and the cost of digging the public well. The state was to pay the men who bought lots in Mount Sterling up to the value of the improvements in case the seat of justice was removed.

The county agent was empowered to examine the court house in Fredonia and if he found it better than the one at Mount Sterling he should notify the committee who would authorize the county officers to move their books to the new location which the committee had chosen, or would choose, if it had not done so yet. If the committee moved the seat of justice, then the sheriff was authorized to notify the county commissioners where to meet when the time came for the meeting.

In the meanwhile Mr. Thom had constructed a brick house about thirty-nine feet long and thirty-three feet wide and two stories high. The second story was used for a court room and the first floor for county offices." He offered to give this house to the county for the court house. He also was to build a log jail, all of which were to be given to the county if the seat of justice was located there.

The committee met at Mount Sterling and, after due consideration, decided to accept Mr. Thom's generous offer. Mr. Thom made the deed in due time. It reads: This indenture was made on the 12th day of November, 1822, between Reuben. T. Thom of Fredericksburg, Virginia, by his attorney, Allen D. Thom, on the first part, and Thomas Davis, Cornelius Hall, and Robert Yates, county commissioners of Crawford County on the second part and their successors in office. That the said Reuben T. Thom by his attorney, Allen D. Thom, for in consideration of the county seat being permanently located at Fredonia on the receipt of which is hereby granted and acknowledged and bargained and sold and hath granted to the county commissioners and their successors in office for the use of the county this tract of land: '' Beginning at the center of section 10, township 4 south, range 1 east, run south 91.5 poles, east 89.5 poles, to a certain white oak tree, thence north 91.5 poles, thence west to the starting point, in ali about 50 acres. The said commissioners to have and to hold said land with all of its appurtenances on the land.''

The deed was recorded by the county recorder on December 16, 1822. The court house was constructed out of brick. The men who built the house did good work and used good material. The old court house is still standing. The Methodist Church owns it now. The old log jail has rotted down and gone. It was not used much after 1840. The county has not used the house for court purposes since 1843.

The jail was made out of hewed logs. As far as known only one man ever escaped from the jail until it was condemned in 1840. He was Thomas Farmer. It is said that he burned his way out and was under way well before Sheriff James Totten saw him. Henry Conrad, the stray pen keeper, and the sheriff pursued him to the river bluffs where he eluded the guards and escaped to Kentucky. John Carnes then made a new trap door for the jail. This happened in May, 1825.

In making a summary of the gifts of the Thom brothers one may give these: 1. They built the court house; 2. They built a log jail; 3. They gave a tract of land; and 4. They built a road from the town to the river. Robert S. Thom had agreed to build a road well enough up that steep creek so that two horses could pull 2,000 pounds of freight. When the board doing county business met January, 1825, the members inspected the road. The justices voted to receive the road. Two of the members wanted their votes given as dissenting votes until they saw a man haul 2,000 pounds up the river hill. The experiment was never made and William Course and Samuel Sands have recorded the two dissenting votes.

The county sheriff was not responsible for the prisoners back in the good old days. The board doing county business generally appointed a man jailer. Then he could hire men to help him guard the jail when there were prisoners

When the court house was ready, tradition has it that the citizens of Fredonia went to Mount Sterling and removed the records, carrying them home in meal sacks. The few people who lived near Mount Sterling hated to see the records go. In fact the county seat has been moved in most every case by force.

The county officers at that time were: County commissioners, Thomas Davis, Cornelius Hall, and Robert Yates; Daniel Weathers, who was the first sheriff, held the office till about 1823 when Martin H. Tucker was appointed. William Campbell was coroner, and William Samuels was recorder. The records were placed in the new court house at Fredonia in March, 1822.

Under the old Constitution the business of the county was done by a board of justices. Hach township was supposed to have one. They were elected by the people. The board was known as the board doing county business. There was a board of county commissioners, but they did not perform business. The board doing county business was composed of: William Course, John Good, Thomas Davis, Samuel Burrows, Henry Wakefield and Allen T. Thom.

When the board of justices met at Fredonia in November, 1824, it contracted much business for the county. It appointed Seth M. Leavenworth to lay out a road from Leavenworth to intersect the Mount Sterling road near Jake Enlow's farm. Archibald Allen was appointed to view out a road from his farm to Richard Weathers' farm.

The board also appointed the following men as superintendents of the sixteenth section of the school land: Allen D. Thom, James Glenn, Peter McMichael, James McIntosh, Martin Scott, Archibald Sloan and William Anderson.

The following men were appointed road supervisors: Zebulum Leavenworth had charge of the Leavenworth and Salem road as far as the Jennings township line: Colburn on the Fredonia and Little Blue road; William Harvey on the Leavenworth and Paoli road; Allen D. Thom on the _Leavenworth and Princeton road; William May from Cole's ford to Leavenworth, and Valentine Sauerbeber from Leavenworth to Fredonia,

The board doing county business appointed these men as listers or assessors: John Wood, Patoka township, salary, $5.00; James Spencer, Whisky Run, salary, $6.00; David H. Tucker, Sterling, salary, $7.00; Henry Conrad, Ohio, salary, $6.00; Ben Lyons, Jennings, salary, $6.00.

With the coming of the county seat, business began to grow in Fredonia. Thomas W. Fox was granted a license to run a tavern or hotel in Fredonia. The fee was $20 per year. The prices were fixed by the board for the meals and lodging.

The first grocery was opened in Fredonia in 1830 by William Curry. Much later the name was changed to a saloon, so the word ''grocery'' will mean a saloon wherever found in this book.

David Rice was granted a license to keep store and sell foreign merchandise in 1825. Just what he had in his store would be interesting to see. There were no stoves in the county at that time, so he must have had fire-arms, clothing and salt. In 1829 one finds that the board doing county business granted Nancy Collison a license to sell liquor or keep a grocery. Probably she was the only lady in the county to run a grocery.

Among the many good citizens of the town was Henry Conrad, who moved from Virginia to Fredonia about 1822. He built a two-story log house and became a hotel keeper. This old house, which has been weather-boarded over, is still standing. When Captain Hines made that daring raid into Crawford County in 1863 Esau McFall kept a hotel there. Some of his men stopped for breakfast. Mr. Conrad was jailer and pound master for many years. He built the estray pen for the county, served as lister of Ohio township and overseer of the poor. He died in 1842. His son was William Conrad who moved to Kansas many years ago. The Conrads were the best people of the town, standing for law and order. As road supervisor Henry Conrad was a very efficient man. Uncle Henry Conrad's son was a leading citizen of Fredonia for several years. After the Civil War he moved to Kansas and spent the last years of his life in Winfield, at which place he died and was buried.

While the county seat was located at Fredonia several attempts were made to attach parts of Perry and Harrison Counties to Crawford County. John Ewing of Perry

County presented a petition which was referred to Mr. Tipton. He reported that the reasons were mmreasonahle and the petition ought not be granted. The House concurred in the report. Later on in the history much more will be said concerning this.

The first lots sold in Fredonia and the deeds recorded in the records of Crawford County were lot 27 which was sold to Solomon Byrn by Edward Dailey on November 3, 1819; lot 28 was sold to Israel Butt by Reuben Thom for $100 on December 15, 1824; lot 14 was sold to Lyman Bellman by Alex Carnes for $31. The names of William H. Fullenwider, Delama Riddle, Israel Bulloch, George W. Conrad, Alex Bullington and Henry Martin were among the early settlers.

John Ewing of Perry County, after much work and trouble, presented another petition praying that the following tract of land beginning at the Meridian line south where Perry County begins, thence running north four miles, thence west six miles, thence south four miles, and thence east six miles, be added to Crawford County. The board of justices doing county business ordered that tract. of land joined to Ohio township until the matter might be hetter adjusted. Later on a new township named Union was ereated in 1827. Then this territory formed part of that new township. The new township consisied of the congressional township three south, range one west and six sections of township two south, range one west.

Before leaving the subject of Fredonia one ought to say that Allen D. Thom and Robert S. Thom were two of the most important men who helped build up the town of Fredonia. After the death of General Robert Thom, Allen

Davenport Thom maryied his widow. At one time the Thoms were the richest people in the county, but during the panic of 1837 they lost most of their wealth. Allen Thom built a large two-story frame house on the edge of the river bluff. The old house was torn down in 1918. Part of the old foundation could still be seen in 1920. The old well which he dug was ecighty-six feet deep and about six feet in diameter. This well was walled from bottom to top with rock, most of which was dressed. The well stands almost full of water the year round. Thom was a very queer man in many respects. He never drank any water and he wore an overcoat almost the entire year. The writer has been informed that he would make a hand in the harvest. field wearing that overcoat. He always wore a high silk hat. Later in life he was appointed postmaster at Fredonia. He generally carried what few letters came in the crown of his hat. When men asked about mail, Mr. Thom took off his hat and ran over the letters to see if there was any mail for them. He gave them what letters were theirs and placed the rest in his hat and went on with his work. Mr. Thom served the people in various ways. Ile was superintendent of the 16th section of township four, range one east, on January 3, 1825. He opened up a - road twenty feet wide from Fredonia to the mouth of Little Blue River that same year. When the agitation for railroads was at its height our General Assembly proposed to have a road built from Indianapolis to the Ohio River. Madison and Fredonia made bids for the road. Many other towns, no doubt, were anxious to have the road run to them. Fredonia sent Allen D. Thom to Indianapolis. IIe met the committee and made one of the greatest speeches of his life, pleading that the road be built to Fredonia. But the committee chose Madison by a vote of one majority. While Mr. Thom and Seth Marshall Leavenworth were trying to build up the county, many people opposed them, Leavenworth was defeated at the polls for re-election to the General Assembly and Thom was accused of overcharging for certain supphes he furnished the county. Later it was found out that Thom was correct and he was reimbursed for the money he was compelled to refund illegally. But the people never sent S. M. Leavenworth to the General Assembly again. The people were afraid of railroads in those good old days. They said that the ''cars'' would run over the stock in the woods and kill their children in the streets. Thom died in Fredonia in January, 1862, and was buried there. To-day no monument marks the site of his grave. It was with difficulty that the writer was able to locate his grave and only by the help of friends was he enabled to do so. This is but one example of how people appreciate a man who labors for the people's welfare. ''How are the mighty fallen!''

In 1827 an exciting election was held in Crawford County. The point at issue was whether Seth M. Leavenworth was duly elected to represent Crawford County in the General Assembly at Indianapolis. He was in favor of moving the county seat from Fredonia to Leavenworth. Gorry Jones of Ohio township contested the election and the board doing county business heard the complaint. It appeared that James Coeputs, Will Hooten, David Swarens, Ephriam Mansfield and John Maxwell had cast illegal votes in the election at Leavenworth. After much debate

FREDONIA 43 the board voted to seat Leavenworth. The ''ayes'' were: Nesen, McMichael, Wood, Flinn, Tadlock, Blackwell, Woodford and Leavenworth. The ''nays'' were: Nesen, Rice, Thom and Suggs. It was plain to be seen that Thom did not want Leavenworth to go to the General Assembly.

Fredonia, after the county seat was located there, soon grew into a town. Locust trees were set along the streets. After one hundred years the trees are still standing, many of which are very large now, although not many houses remain to-day.

One of the prominent business men of the town was a man named Best. He lived in Louisville where he owned a large hotel. He put a large mortgage upon his hotel to secure money to buy a sawmill. He sawed the large white oaks into plow beams. <A period of depression came and Best could not sell his plow beams. Matters looked bad for Mr. Best. The mortgage was coming due and he had no money to pay. William Conrad, who was the owner of a large store in Fredonia, was watching Mr. Best. One day he called Best into the store and told him that he would lend him the money. So Conrad and Best went to Louisville and paid off the mortgage. Best came back, and after business revived, sold his plow beams and paid Mr. Conrad in full.

Mr. Best brought with him to Fredonia a man named Frye to be his head sawyer. Mr. Frye, who was born in Scotland, was put at the head of the business. For a long time he did well with the business, but the love for the bottle overcame his better judgment and Frye died a pauper in Fredonia. On his death bed he requested that a quart of brandy and his favorite chopping axe be buried

Another old settler of the town was Walter Gowan. He was also a Scotchman, born in 1767. Ife moved to Fredonia in 1821. When the terrible plague of cholera broke out in New Orleans about 1832, Mr. Gowan contracted the disease from passengers on the steamboats which landed at Fredonia. He died and was buried in the cemetery. A large tombstone marks his grave.

Another important industry at Fredonia in those good old days was tanning. Mr. Collingwood built a large tannery just out of town. He usually employed about three men. Hides were hauled from far and near to the tannery. At the present day no sign of the tannery remains but the little hollow which was called tan bark hollow until the present day.

During all these days while the county seat was at Fredonia, only one man was killed in that town. His name was Hoback. One night he attended a dance at Mrs. Cummins' home. Here trouble arose between him and another man. A fight ensued in which Hoback was killed with a wooden hammer. The court acquitted the defendant on the grounds of self-defense.

Many interesting stories are told woul William Conrad who was justice of the peace. He kept a large store in Fredonia. One may see his old account books any time by calling on his grandson, Perey Allen, of Fredonia. Saturday was the most trying day of all then. On that day the country people from far and near came to Fredonia to trade. West of the town about three miles lived two large men named Wiseman. They weighed over three hundred pounds each. There were three large Moads in the county, too. They were about as strong as the Wisemans. A feud grew up between these men. When they came to town on Saturdays and did their trading and put their groceries into the wagons, they bought a quart of brandy and went out into the yard to drink under the shade trees. In those early days men boasted much of their deeds of prowess. Of course, these large men competed against each other. With the brandy to help them, a friendly wrestle usually culminated in a bloody fight. Then William Conrad would go out and arrest them, try the case, fine them fifty cents, and when they had paid the fine would make them shake hands and be friends. When this was done he gave each one a pint of brandy and made them get into their wagons and go home. Of course they went home happy.

Debit Credit

The above debit and credit refers to Mrs. Allen Thom's account which dates back to the fifties. After Allen Thom's death in 1862, she lived until 1875. Her granddaughter, Mrs. Hattie Henly, was made administratrix of her estate which was settled about 1918.

In 1833 Fredonia had about 110 people, three stores, one tavern or hotel, a teacher, two doctors, one carding machine, one spinning machine, one steam sawmill and grist mill, one ship yard, and a scientific school. The postoffice was established in 1840. Horace Stevens was the postmaster. By 1860 there were 150 people living in Fredonia. This was as large as the town ever grew.*

The mail routes to Fredonia came from Princeton. The mail left Princeton on Friday morning at six o'elock and arrived at Fredonia Saturday night at six o'clock. The distance was about seventy-five miles. Another route came in from Bedford. The mail left Fredonia Wednesday at six o'clock in the morning and arrived in Princeton at six o'clock on Thursday evening.

When the new law was enacted to build the road from New Albany to Princeton by Leavenworth and Fredonia, John L. Smith of Leavenworth was appointed general superintendent of the road. Ie did notswish to run the road through Fredonia, but instead he wished to open that state road due west from Leavenworth to Beechwood, West Fork and Princeton. Fredonia was much displeased about the matter. Next year a new law was enacted compelling John L. Smith to run the road through Fredonia, as provided for in the original act of the General Assembly.*

A scientific school was started in Fredonia about 1833. A bill passed the General Assembly to incorporate the Fredonia School Society and was approved February 2, 1832. A notice of the meeting of the Agricultural Scientific Society appeared in The Leavenworth Area in 1839. The meeting was for the citizens of Ohio township. The minutes are not found.

By 1837 the old jail was not very safe. One finds in January, 1839, that Moses Smith was taken to Corydon for safe keeping. Thomas Cummins was appointed to repair the jail as early as June, 1836. In 1840 prisoners were taken to Corydon, This was rather expensive to the county. In December, 1842, the board ordered the county agent to see if the logs could not be put back in the jail.