Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 3: Leavenworth, 1926

The town of Leavenworth was named after two men who platted the town and lived there many years. Before proceeding with the narrative about the town one should give a brief account of the lives of those men who did so much to build up the town and the county.

Seth Marshall Leavenworth was the fifth in line from Thomas Leavenworth who moved from England to America in 1664 and settled at Rock! ry, Connecticut. At this place Seth Marshall was born June 13, 1782. His early education was obtained in the grammar schools of Connecticut. Having caught the Western fever, he went West. in 1809 and located in Cincinnati for some time. While here he studied law and taught school. After several years he moved farther west and finally located in what is now Crawford County. He bought a tract of land.

He engaged in business in Crawford County and was very successful. He helped build the first mill at Leavenworth where wheat and corn could be ground and lumber sawed. In 1827 he built a mill at what is now Milltown which for a long time went by the name of Leavenworth's Mill. While he owned the two mills at Milltown and Leavenworth, he was very much interested in the navigation of the Big Blue River. He wanted the General Assembly to enact a law to improve the Big Blue River, but every bill for that purpose failed to pass.

He helped to locate and open up new roads, many of which ran from Leavenworth out into the state. By referring to the map on roads one can get a good idea of how they ran from Leavenworth.

The people soon recognized that Mr. Leavenworth was a leader among men. So he was elected to represent Crawford County in the General Assembly at Indianapolis in 1827. His work in the General Assembly was very important. One of his motives was to remove the county seat from Fredonia to Leavenworth. Of course, this always caused an uproar among the citizens of Fredonia who did not want to see the seat of justice removed. He introduced several petitions, praying that the seat of justice be changed. These petitions produced such an uproar at times that Mr. Read, of Davies and Martin Counties refused to serve on the committee with him, but led the fight against him. On a test vote the House refused to kill the resolution. Later, Mr. Leavenworth withdrew the resolution and the petitions, for he saw that he could not get the law changed. From that time on there was a number of the people in Ohio township who did not like Mr. Leavenworth and always tried to defeat him at the polls.

When he could not get the seat of justice moved, then he began a fight for the new railroad to run from Indianapolis to Leavenworth instead of Madison. He believed the railroads were better than canals. He made a great speech in the Assembly on railroads. A copy of the speech may be seen in the Journal for March 20, 1827. Strange as the matter may seem now, many people then opposed railroads. Men said the cars would run over the children in the street and kill their stock in the woods. At that time all stock ran out to the commons. There was such a wave of sentiment against Mr. Leavenworth that he was defeated at the polls in the next election. Fredonia had sent Allen D. Thom, a very learned citizen of the town, to Indianapolis. He worked hard for Fredonia. In the committee room Thom made one of the greatest speeches of his life. When the committee voted Madison won the railroad by one*vote. So Thom and Leavenworth came home disappointed.

Another far-sighted measi..e which Mr. Leavenworth advocated was a hospital for the sick river men. Often these men and women were exposed to cholera and other dreadful diseases while they were traveling on the boats. Sometimes there would be an epidemic of cholera in New Orleans. A passenger returning from the south might contract the malady and expose all the men on board. After various encounters the measure was defeated in the House.

When his term of office expired in 1828 he returned to Leavenworth and opened up a tavern. He had operated a ferry over the Ohio and Big Blue Rivers besides the mills mentioned above. He was much interested in education and at one time was trustee of Indiana University, from which Seth Marshall Leavenworth, Jr., received his M. A. degree in 1839.

Mr. Leavenworth was engaged in every enterprise which would improve his county. The commissioners' records from 1824 to 1834 have many references to his name. He lived in Leavenworth till about 1850, when he moved to Missouri, where he died in 1853.

Zebulum Leavenworth was also a descendant of Thomas Leavenworth and a cousin of Seth Marshall. He was born at Granville, Massachusetts, January 4, 1792. He attended the public schools of the town until he completed the course of study. When the great tide of immigration began in 1811, he moved west to Cincinnati where he taught school one year. Then he entered the profession of law and studied in the law office of Judge Scott at Chillicothe one year.

The Government at that time needed a large number of surveyors to survey the land in Indiana and Ohio. He went to Illinois with a party of surveyors and spent most of the year surveying. The Indians finally became so hostile that the men were obliged to retreat to Shawneetown. From Shawneetown he came in a keel boat to Cincinnati. Later he moved to Jeffersonville about 1816 and two years later he located at Leavenworth.

He served in the General Assembly of Indiana during the sessions of 1830, 1832 and 1833. He worked hard for the benefit of the county. He was on the Committee of Education, on the management of the city of Indianapolis, and on the ways and means committee. He opposed the law to change the way of doing business in Crawford County, but the law was enacted. At that time a board of justices from each township did the county's business. The new law provided for a board of county commissioners of three members. When he returned home in 1831, the people elected him county commissioner of the second district.

Mr. Leavenworth was one of the stockholders in the Clay Turnpike Company and helped run the stage line to Bloomington and Indianapolis. As late as 1860 one of the old coaches might be seen standing on the vacant lots in Leavenworth.

In 1858 he was elected township trustee. Benton D. Tucker and Joseph Thornton went on his bond for $2,000. As a school trustee he did much good work.

In 1858 Mr. Leavenworth \,-nt over Scott township in Harrison County and secured the signatures of seventytwo real estate' owners, praying that a certain part of the township be annexed to Crawford County. The matter was carried to the courts by the citizens of Harrison County. When the case was called for trial Walter Q. Gresham represented Leavenworth and Judge Wolf was the attorney for the other side. The eounty judge was just about to give his decision in favor of Leavenworth when Attorney Wolf whispered something in the judge's ear and told him that he wanted to see him privately before he decided the matter. So the judge postponed the decision till the next day. In the meanwhile Attorney Wolf said that if Scott township was given to Crawford County it would endanger the political situation. Scott township was heavily Democratic. So if that majority was given to Crawford Coanty it would lessen the majority in the county so much that the Republicans would probably carry the county. When the court convened the next day, the judge decided that it would be unconstitutional to let Scott township join to Crawford County. Mr. Leavenworth could have appealed the case to the Supreme Court for $50, but he could not get a man in the town of Leavenworth to help raise the $50. Later in the year a similar case was carried to the Supreme Court where the court decided that the land could be annexed. In the great county seat fight from 1894 to 1896 Leavenworth would not have lost the seat of justice if that territory had been part of Crawford County.

Mr. Leavenworth lived to celebrate his golden wedding at Leavenworth in 1871. The Leavenworth Independent has the following account of the celebration: ''Golden Wedding. A Half Century of Wedded Life. A Rare Occasion and a Splendid Good Time, The first golden wedding ever celebrated in Crawford County took place at the residence of Oliver Leavenworth near the town last Wednesday. The parties celebrating their golden wedding were Zebulum Leavenworth and his wife, Margaret Leavenworth; ages 79 and 69 respectively.

''At the dinner party given on Wednesday at noon to a number of friends and members of the family Mr. Leavenworth arose and in a voice choked with emotion gave a history of their married life in poem form. The poem was full of sublime thoughts and pathos. When the aged gentleman resumed his seat every eye was filled with tears. Below is the poem in full:

In the speech Mr. Leavenworth said that he had never given his wife a cross word. She had never quarreled with him about anything. He lived till 1878, when he died and was buried in the Cedar Cemetery overlooking the town he loved so well. In politics he was a Whig and later became a Republican. His son, Elias Phelps Leavenworth, lived in Leavenworth till 1920, when he died. He gave the writer much valuable information concerning the town.

The site of Leavenworth lies on the Ohio River about three miles above the town of Fredonia. There the rich bottom land is about one-fourth of a mile wide between the river and the hill. Here the town was platted. A large spring of wholesome drinking water ran out of the bluff from which a good supply of drinking water at all times was available. The site was much superior to the site of Fredonia. The town of Leavy worth is 363 feet above the sea level. Boats can land at the wharf up which freight can be easily hauled to the stores. The plot which was made by the Leavenworths can still be seen in the recorder's office at the court house in English. The streets on the plat were 50 feet wide except Front street which is 60 feet wide. The alleys were 12 feet wide. The original plat was filed in the recorder's office July 14, 1819, at Old Mount Sterling, William Samuels being the recorder of the county.

The town, which was situated on the deepest bend of the Ohio River, soon became a landing port for all the trade which went to Salem, Paoli, Bono, Jasper and Bloomington. Of course, not all the trade of these towns passed through Leavenworth, but one will be safe in saying a large quantity did pass through Leavenworth till the railroads en- tirely changed commercial relations. After the Monon railroad was built from New Albany to Salem, Bedford and Bloomington, many of the old bus lines ceased to run wagons. The old bus line ran from Leavenworth to Bedford and Bloomington. This bus, which carried the mail, left Bedford each Monday at 6:00 a. m. and came by the way of Mount Sterling and Fredonia. The mail arrived at Fredonia about noon on Tuesday. After the Salem and Paoli roads were built the bus ran directly to these towns. By a careful observation of the roads running out from Leavenworth one can see and form some idea of the work done and the traffic on the roads.

The freight could be landed on the banks of the river at Leavenworth very easily. A road was built up the side of the bluff around the Big Spring. This road ran to Jasper. One who had not seen the hill cannot tell how much work was done in building such a road. In many places the road was very dangerous. One man was coming down the hill with a load of barrels. His horses became frightened at a pig and turned the wagon partly over as they ran. The barrels were scattered over the hillside in every direction.

The Salem and Leavenworth road was built up Poison creek and through the Dug way. This was the best way out from the town. The grade is not so steep. The river hill is about 400 feet above the town. In some places this difference in elevation is almost perpendicular. So it is very hard to build a road up such a steep hill.

Many town lots were sold in Leavenworth after the plat was filed in the recorder's office. One finds these lots recorded: Seth M. Leavenworth and Zebulum Leavenworth sold lot 18 to Patrick Clark on October 29, 1818, for

$400; Joseph Cooper bought lots 12 and 13 from Julius Woodford for $1,800 on May 1, 1825; William Course bought lots 21 and 22 for $1,000 on Jan. 9, 1835; other early settlers were Joseph Phelps, William Cathcart, Horace Williams, Caldwell and Kendall, William Mansfield, David Cole, Andrew Tadlock; Pleasant Royce, Malinda Smith, Joseph Caldwell, Jacob Sauerheber, James Baker, John M. Clark, Peter Springer, Albert Conn, William Jackson, John Carnes, Orville Smith, Lyda Garnder, William Scott, and Andrew Caskins were owners of lots in Leavenworth. Also the following men and women were living in Leavenworth in the early days: Wilham Reynolds, J. S. B. Kelso, Elam Wiley, James Kendall, J. A. MeKoon, Lydia Kine, Joel Lyons, Daniel Lyons, William Lake, William Butt, Joshua Landers, William H. Long, Marilda Lain, Daniel McIntosh, Nathan Morgan, Reuben Tucker, G. K. Miller, William Parker, John B. Panky, Titus Barker, Andrew Beers, Titus Barbour, Allien Thom, Joseph Cooper, Henry Bailey, and Rebecca MeCallister.

Elisha Tadlock who represented Crawford County in the General Assembly in 1825, was the first man to open a tavern in Leavenworth. He began business in May, 1827. Seth Leavenworth opened a hotel in 1828. H. H. Samuels opened a store in the town on January 1, 1833. Just how many men lived in Leavenworth in 1830, one cannot tell. In that year there were 3,234 people in the county. In 1820, there were 2,583. By 1830, there were 128 farms sold. Hence one can see that several must have lived in towns. Yet one cannot tell how many were squatters.. Anyhow Leavenworth must have had 100 people.

In 1834, the leading citizens of Leavenworth secured a number of lots near where the Big Spring branch runs into the Ohio River and started a manufacturing company. One finds a record of the matter in the grantor and grantee book, but not much is known of its histery. The charter was granted and the Leavenworth Manufacturing Company was incorporated by law Sa: 1, 1834. The chief sections of the law were:

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State that John Peckinpaugh, Dudley Gresham, and Elam Wiley together with such other persons as may associate with them for the purpose of prosecuting the manufacturing, exporting and importing business within the State to be established and located at Leavenworth or near the town in Crawford County be and the same are hereby ordained and declared to be a body politic to all interests and purposes to be known by the name of the Leavenworth Manufacturing Company, by which name they and their successors in office shall have continued succession, and be entitled to use all the privileges and immunities of the laws of the state of Indiana. The said corporation shall exist for a period of 50 years.

Section 2: The capital stock of the company shall consist of $100,000 and shall consist of $100 shares. The said corporation shall begin business when $4,000 worth of stock is sold. Dudley Gresham, Elam Wiley, and John Peckinpaugh shall receive subscriptions to the capital stock.

Section 7: The board of directors shall elect a secretary and a treasurer who shall report to the board of directors at least once each month.

The Cannelton Cotton Mills was to be established here, but a dispute arose over various matters and the manager located the mills at Cannelton. So the factory never materialized.

Among the early business men of Leavenworth were A. Edwards, 8. M. and Z. Leavenworth, David Dodson, William and James Mansfield, Elam Wiley, and James Kendall. In May, 1841, one finds a petition presented to the Board doing county business, begging that a license

November 3, 1826, Zebulum Leavenworth introduced a resolution declaring that the bonds and contracts fixing the county seat at Fredonia had all expired and had not been complied with. The Board voted, ''yes.'' Later in the year the committee voted against re-locating the county seat. Zebulum Leavenworth was trying to get the seat of justice located at Leavenworth.

At the meeting of the Board on September 3, 1827, Daniel Lyons was granted a license to keep a tavern in Leavenworth. <A tavern was a hotel. The tavern tax in Leavenworth and Fredonia that year was $10.

The Board Doing County Business was in session September 1, 1828. It ordered a warehouse to be built on the wharf for storing tobacco until one could ship it.

At the meeting of the Board Doing County Business in January, 1830, one finds that William Curry was given a license to run 'a grocery in Leavenworth. The name ''orocery'' was the old name for a saloon.

In January, 1840, Zebulum Leavenworth was authorized to lay out of the monies collected from the 3% funds a sum not to exceed $500, to pave the wharf from the low water mark to the Front Street if the town would pay half of the cost. Leavenworth did a good piece of work. The work was done. Rocks were used. They were set on edge and various other ways. The old stone walls were built up on each side of the drive-way down to the river.

By 1830, Leavenworth was anxious to have the seat of justice located there. A law had been enacted in 1827, which provided for the re-locating of the county seat by a committee consisting of Henry McGee of Orange County, John McPheeters and Robert MeIntire of Washington County, George Boone of Harrison County, and David Murr of Jackson County.

- The law provided that this committee should meet at Fredonia on the first Monday in March, 1828, and make a careful survey of the situation. Should the committee think that a change ought to be made, then it was em- ' powered to choose a site. After a thorough investigation the committee decided that the seat of justice ought not be moved.

In 1831, the law of Indiana made a change in the way of doing the business of the county. Before this date most of the business was done by a board of justices of the peace. There was about one for each township. By the new law the county was divided into three districts. Each district was to elect one commissioner. At the election held in August, 1831, Zebulum Leavenworth was elected from the second district which was composed of Jennings and Whisky Run townships, Jacob Rice was elected from the first district which was composed of Ohio and Union townships. James Glenn was elected from the third district composed of Sterling and Patoka townships. The seal consisted of a round device containing these words: '""Commissioners' Court of Crawford County,'' and the likeness of a girl holding a pair of balances.

The people of Leavenworth tried hard to build up a town seminary. On December 24, 1830, a law was enacted providing for the incorporation of a seminary. The principal men who composed the body corporate and politic were John L. Smith, Elam Wiley, Andrew Beers, James B. Davidson, and Seth M. Leavenworth. They were styled '*President and trustees of the Leavenworth seminary'"' and in that name could be sued and could sue.

The law provided that the trustees should be elected annually on the first Monday in April by the subscribers of the seminary. These trustees should take an oath before entering upon their duty after which they should elect one of their number president who should be competent to manage the business.

The trustees were to employ competent men as teachers and dismiss the same when they thought best. The above law looked well on paper but so many difficulties existed that not much was done in education. Fredonia had a school society about that time but it did not fare much better than Leavenworth.

acted to incorporate a seminary for the county. The board of trustees located the site of this seminary at Leavenworth. The law was enacted in 1835, the chief sections of which were:

Section 1: Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State that the qualified voters living in Crawford County are hereby authorized to elect at their next annual election one commissioner or a seminary trustee of the county for each township by a vote of the whole county.

Section 2: The trustees so elected or two-thirds of them shall meet in the town of Leavenworth on the first Monday in May next, and each before entering upon his duties as trustee execute a bond with security payable to the State of Indiana in a penalty of $400, conditioned for the faith- 'ful performance of his duties which bond shall be filed in the clerk's office.

Section 3: The trustees so elected and their successors in office shall constitute a body politic by the name and style of the President and the trustees of the Crawford County Seminary and by that name may sue and be sued and by that name have perpetual successors.

Section 4: The trustees at their first meeting or any subsequent meeting, which a majority of them may appoint, designate, fix and determine, at which place in said county the seminary shall be located and a suitable building erected. When a majority of the trustees has selected a suitable lot on which to build the house they may demand the seminary funds of the county which may be on hand at that time.

Section 6: The treasurer of Crawford County is hereby authorized to pay over to the trustees of the Seminary whatever funds he may have on hands.

The trustees met at Leavenworth, and after being duly organized and having considered the different locations, selected Leavenworth as the site for the county seminary. Ebenezer E. Morgan, who was county clerk, sold the trustees certain lots on which the seminary building should be constructed. At that time William Course who was seminary trustee, had on hands $427.66. The trustees began work on the building at once. The house was 40 feet by 25 feet and two stories high. It was to be constructed of stone and brick. Stone foundation and brick walls. The house was completed at a cost of $1,042. In 1848, the house was rented at these rates: Lower rooms, $2 per month; upper rooms, $1.50 per month. This historic old building is still standing. At the present day, it is used for a dwelling. One may see the house which stands on Court Street near the Leavenworth State Bank now. This house was used for a public school until the trustees built the new school house about 1870. Since that date it has been worked over and used for a dwelling. At the date of owns it. The board at its March meeting in 1846 ordered the Seminary rented at 6 cents per night for the upper rooms and 8 cents per day for the lower rooms.

seat of justice. The jail at Fredonia was in poor condition, and the prisoners were taken to Corydon for safe keeping. Our county had to pay the expenses for the prisoners over there. Since a new jail had to be built anyhow, why not re-locate it at Leavenworth? The county seat was moved to Leavenworth after due consideration. The County Commissioners appointed David Stewart, William Highfill, and T. W. Fox to supervise the construction of the new court house. The new house which was built of brick was not much larger than the one at Fredonia. The court room. was on the second floor while the offices were on the first floor and in other buildings. The lots chosen for the site were at the end of Nelson Street near the hill. David Stewart, Thomas W. Fox, and William Highfill were commissioners to locate the site for the new house as well as to choose the town in which it was to be built.

The first term of court was held in Leavenworth June 5, 1848. The County Board ordered William Mansfield to build a stray pen upon the most suitable spot. This pen which was to be 30 feet by 30 feet was built of red cedar and black locust posts. The posts were placed 7 feet apart and set two feet deep. The pen was planked on the outside with poplar and capped six feet high. He was ordered to use No. 10 nails. The gate was to be well made and the whole pen must be completed by next meeting of the board. At the same meeting of the court an additional justice was appointed for Leavenworth since the county seat was moved there.

A new set of rates was ordered by the board for the ferries on the Ohio. Persons, 1214 cents; children under 14, 614 cents; horses and wagon with driver, 50 cents; cattle, horses and donkeys, 10 cents each; sheep, goats and hogs 3 cents each. The rate on Big Blue was one-half of the above. The amount of traffic on the river was enormous in these good old days.

At the same meeting the board ordered Seth M. Leavenworth to get the county surveyor to run off the lots and get the exact size of each so that the jail might be built.

The work on the court house did not progress as fast as the board thought it should. The county agent was ordered to sue Elam Wiley and others to force them to hasten the construction in June, 1844.

The treasurer's report of the county was given at the June meeting in 1845: Cash on hands, $1,085.90; paid out, $1,053.40. Balance on hands, $32.50. At the same meeting the jail was received by the board. The new jail was much better than the old one. It was located in a brick house in which there were other offices.

Section 1: Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana that John L. Smith, Elam Wiley, Zebulum Leavenworth, Abraham Edwards and William A. Reynolds be and are hereby appointed trustees of the town of Leavenworth to serve as such until the first Monday in September, 1835, until their successors are elected and qualifies.

ber president whose duty it is to preside over all their meetings and preserve order, give the casting vote in case of a tie, and at the close of each meeting sign the minutes of the same. The trustees shall appoint all officers necessary to carry out this act.

Section 3: The President and the board of trustees shall form a body politic and may sue and be sued and have all the rights and privileges of the state. They may make and use a common seal and make all rules and regulations necessary for the proper government of the town.

Section 4: On the first Monday in September, in 1835, and each succeeding year, there shall be an election at some place in the town to elect five trustees by ballot. At which election only duly qualified voters may vote. Twenty days notice of the election must be given.

Section 5: The president shall act as inspector of the elections and call to his assistance two other qualified voters who with himself shall be judges of the elections. The polls shall be open at 10:00 a. m. to 6:00 p. m. . The five receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected.

Section 6: The trustees being duly elected shall meet after taking the oath to discharge their duties faithfully and elect one of their members president. All trustees must be qualified voters and real estate owners. The President and the board of trustees shall fill all vacancies which may happen during the year. A majority of the trustees shall constitute a quorum and shall meet on their own adjournment.

Section 7: At the first meeting of the trustees or as soon as possible they shall proceed to elect a clerk, treasurer, assessor and marshal, each of whom shall serve for one year or i. . his successor is elected and qualifies. They shall be under bond to the President and the board of trustees for the faithful performance of their duties.

Section 8: The President and the board of trustees shall have full power to assess and collect taxes on all real estate not to exceed one-half per cent. of the value. Poll tax of 50 cents on each person. The board may levy a tax on all shows and expositions that may be held in the town, or prohibit the same it they think the show is injurious to morality.

Section 9: It shall be the duty of the marshal to carry out all orders of the President and board of trustees. The marshal shall have power to conduct sales of all properties when taxes are not paid. It shall be his duty to keep order in the town.

Section 10: The President and the board of trustees shall have power to improve the town by building sidewalks, piers, wharves, and harbors at public expense, each man paying his part of the expense.

Section 11: The men living on any street shall petition the President and the board of trustees if they desire any improvements made and the President and board of trustees shall act upon said petition.

Section 12: The boundary of the town plot shall extend to the limits of the town plot as it now is or may be extended and recorded in the recorder's office. It shall include all that part lying in between Front Street and the Ohio River and-to the territory here given: Commencing at the northwest part of the plot and following the Big Spring branch to the river. Thence up the river to the east end of the plot, thence north to the river hill and thence west to the beginning.

Section 16: The assessor shall make out a roll of all the property owners of the town and deliver the same to the board of trustees. So that the tax may be assessed.

Section 17: No one shall sell in the bounds of the town any intoxicants in less quantities than a quart unless he shall obtain a license from the trustees.

_ The oldest Methodist Church in the county was organized at Leavenworth. The early history of the church is not clear. One finds that the Emanuel Episcopal Church of Leavenworth had selected John Prentice, William Ellsworth, and S. M. Leavenworth, and Dodd as warden and vestryman on August 10, 1844. .

The Presbyterian church, too, was built in those early days. A fine brick parsonage was erected. In 1849 an election was held at which Reuben D. Tucker, William Ellsworth, and Joseph Thornton were elected trustees of the Presbyterian Church. .

The old Universalist people built a church in Leavenworth in those early days. The Arena, which was published from 1838 to 1841, speaks of it.