Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 5: The County in the Thirties, 1926

Under the old Constitution the board doing county ° business or the county justices of the peace did all the business of the county. In Crawford the former board did most of the business up to 1831. So on July 5, 1830, John L. Smith, who had-been county treasurer, resighed and the board appointed Isaac Sands to complete the term. Julius Woodford was the collector of the revenues for 1831.

The new law which authorized the three county commissioners to do all the county business was passed in 1831, so the county was divided into three districts from which they were to elect a commissioner. The first district consisted of Ohio and Union townships; the second district consisted of Jennings and Whisky Run townships, and the third district consisted of Patoka and Sterling townships. The above law was approved January 19, 1831.

The election of 1831 was held on the usual date. Jacob Rice, James Glenn and Zebulum Leavenworth were elected county commissioners. The seal which had been in use was 'still used, but with these words in a circle: ''Commissioners Court, Crawford County, Indiana,'' and a design of a girl holding a pair of balances.

ported that he had $294.18 in November, 1831. This money was being collected to pay for a seminary building which was to be constructed in the near future.

The townships at this time had no permanent boundary. For instance, on the north of Jennings there might be a strip of Congress land two miles square before one came to Whisky Run township, so the board of county commissioners ordered Jennings extended north and Whisky Run extended south till they met. Also, that Sterling and Whisky Run should let the Paoli road be the boundary of each. In that way the squatter on Congress land was under the rule of the township in which he was situated.

The three per cent. fund was divided up and used on the roads as follows: On the Bono road, and for a bridge over Slick Run $50 was expended, and $95 on the Leavenworth and Princeton roads. Fc better service on the roads the townships were divided into iad districts: Ohio had four districts; Union two districts; Patoka had four districts; Sterling had four, Jennings had six, and Whisky Run had six.

Under the new way of doing county business the county commissioners were in session two days each three months. They received $48 at the end of the year, These facts may interest candidates. ,

About this time Thomas Farmer, who was in jail for some minor offense, secured a rod and burned out. He did the burning at night when the guard was not watching him. He was out and under way running before Sheriff Totten saw him. Henry Conrad, the pound keeper and jailer, and Sheriff Totten gave pursuit, but Farmer eluded the men and went down over the high bluff to the river where he swam across. Then a new door was made for the jail. It was made out of oak beams which were six inches by four inches and crossed three times and were bolted together. Such a door would be a relic now which would take the prize at a side show. He was allowed $20 for making the door and hanging it on hinges. Of course he furnished the lumber. Mr. Morgan did the work on the door.

The commissioners in those days had the right to appoint two students for the county to attend Indiana University. The law provided that these students be exempt from certain fees. At the meeting in November, 1834, William Ridge of Crawford County was appointed to attend school there and David Tadlock.

The election of 1834 showed that James Glenn, Jeremiah Tadlock, and Julius Woodford were elected county commissioners. James Totten was elected sheriff of the county and William Course was seminary agent. He then had on hands $427.66.

The commissioners at their meeting in May ordered part of section 2, township four south, range one east, attached to Jennings township, to which it has belonged since 1835.

Such items as the following one may amuse one at the price of the article: In January, 1836, allowed Jephtha Williams $3 for furnishing a coffin for a pauper.

After the law of 1835, establishing the county seminary, the people of Leavenworth decided to build one. Good lots were secured on high ground on Court Street just west of Nelson. Street. The building was a substantial stone and brick house. The house was forty feet by

In the year of 1836 in June the board doing county business was authorized to manage the county business again instead of the board of county commissioners.

November, 1837, Jacob Wiseman became supervisor of district No. 4 in Ohio township. The same month the Potash Hollow road to the Mason Bird farm on the river bluff was ordered opened as far as G. W. Chapin's home.

During the year of 1832 a very high water occurred on the Ohio. It came near washing Leavenworth and Alton away. This was the first very high water Leavenworth had ever had, but it will not be the last.

In 1830 Perry George Wilks had built a new horse mill near his home in what is now Boone township. Mr. Wilks was born in England and came to America and took out his naturalization papers and settled near Alton. His horse mill was a great help to the settlers who wanted their grists ground. Later in life he was elected county commissioner of our county.

The election in 1832 for Crawford County showed that James Spencer was elected sheriff, and Isaac Sands, treasurer. Jackson for president received 222 votes and Clay 165. Samuel Frishie was elected state senator for a term of three years. Zebulum Leavenworth on the Whig ticket was elected to the General Assembly.

In May, 1833, the men who had been selected met at Leavenworth and proceeded to blaze out a road from Leavenworth to Mt. Pleasant. William Harris was the surveyor. James Pittman and Hinan Hasles were chain carriers. The other men in the party were Jacob Denbo,

John Daily, John Green, Joseph Kinkaid, James Kellams, and William Land. Stephen Golden was allowed fifty cents for piloting the road commissioners to Jasper.

The elections of 1833 and 1834 resulted in Julius Woodford being elected county commissioner from Leavenworth district. Thomas Cummings, of Fredonia, became county treasurer and J. N. Phelps was elected representative.

The assessors of the county who had listed all the property of the county in 1834 were: John Wood, Ohio township; Same Lowe, Whisky Run; Archibald Sloan, Sterling; Thomas L. Golden, Patoka; G. Good, Union. Their salaries were: Wood, $6; Lowe, $12; Sloan, $6; Golden, $3 and G. Goad, $3.

Also, Jeremiah Tadlock was elected county commissioner in 1834. For a long time the assessors were appointed in Crawford County. Then the new constitution made the office elective. The other members now were Julius Woodford and William Riley.

The election returns were brought to the county seat by Gab, Goad, Union; Dayle Tater, Jennings; Dan Mc- Intosh, Whisky Run; Tom Roberts, Ohio; William Tucker, Patoka. These men were paid as follows: Goad, 75 cents; Tater, 75 cents; McIntosh, 75 cents; Roberts, 75 cents and Tucker, 75 cents; Archibald Sloan, Sterling, 75 cents also.

Daniel McIntosh was allowed $2.50 for making a box for some man who was found 'dead in the town of Leavenworth. He furnished the lumber and the nails.

For many years travel between Corydon and Leavenworth was hindered much on account of no bridge over Big Blue at Cole's ford. In January, 1835, the board appointed Zebulum Leavenworth, John L. Smith and Allen

The election of 1835 and appointments placed these men in office: Thomas Cummings, treasurer; John S. Smith to sueceed Cummings. Assessors were: Patoka, William Highfill; Sterling, A. Sloan; Whisky Run, Ben Totten; Union, G. Goad; Jennings, Gustavius Chapin; Ohio, Henry Conor. Same Lowe was appointed county assessor under the act of February 7, 1835. Julius Woodford was elected county commissioner for a term of three years.

The state of Indiana frequently made appropriations to build bridges. In March, 1836, one finds this article: There was set aside a sum of $300 to build a bridge over Little Blue, west of Fredonia; $50 was paid for the dugway; $450 was to be spent on the Jasper road and $100 on the Salem road.

At the March term of court in 1836, L. N. Phelps was appointed to act as an agent for receiving the land Mr. Thomasson was to donate to the county for a poor farm.

In May, 1836, when the county commissioners met, the law had put the right in the hands of the board doing county business. These men were members: Thomas Roberts, James Gaither, Allen D. Thom, John L. Me- Naughton, Abram Edwards, Dudley Gresham, Jesse Barnett, W. M. Taylor, Joel Ray, Peter Sower, Thomas Golden, William Highfill, Gabriel Goad and John Martin. Allen D. Thom was elected president of the board.

A new seal was ordered made. It consisted of a tree and a plow in the center of a circle. This seal was for the board doing county business.

In 1837 a new law was enacted which provided for three county school commissioners or examiners. It seems that Isaac Sands and Sam Lathop were the only two elected.

The election of 1836 was a memorable one. Whig politics was growing warm. Many Democrats did not like Van Buren because he had a surrey to which he would harness two fine horses and drive away. To make matters worse, about this time some prince of Arabia sent him a fine pair of Arabian horses and a beautiful necklace of pearls for his wife. Congress refused to let him receive them. The horses were sold and the money put into the treasury while the necklace of pearls was left in the archives of the Treasury Building. This did not help Van Buren any in his race. On the other hand, Harrison was born in a log cabin in Virginia. He wore a homespun suit and a cap made of coon-skin. Naturally such a man appealed to the hardy pioneers. The vote for President in 1828 was: Jackson, 230, Adams, 206; in 1832, Jackson, 222, Clay, 165; in 1836, Harrison, 196, Van Buren, 166. Harrison's majority over Van Buren was 33 votes. Robert Sands was elected representative to the General Assembly. Local tradition says that he wore a homespun

The board ordered the jail repaired by putting certain logs back or new ones and bars of iron over the windows. J. F. and N. Morgan painted the windows, furnished seats and made necessary repairs in May, 1839. One finds such a note as this, that Moses Smith was taken to Corydon for safe keeping. The writer was informed that Smith had lost his mind at times. Henry Little was given $7.56 for keeping Smith at Corydon. Mr. Smith at one time was an able citizen.

At a meeting of the board of justices in May, 1839, licenses were issued to men as follows: Isaac Sands, William Mansfield, D. Dodson, Joseph Denbo, T. Tresbie, Joseph Caldwell, A. E. Edwards, Henry Buck, James Kendall, S. M. Leavenworth, Elam Wiley, and William Proctor. The board doing county business then consisted of John Martin, Libris Frisbie, William M. Taylor, James Sloan, Philip Crecelius, Haley Good, Abram Edwards, Thomas Roberts, Shimea Hughes, and Allen D. Thom. They entered on their duties in January, 1840.

Zebulum Leavenworth was postmaster at Leavenworth for several years in the thirties. On' one oceasion the Corydon postmaster found the mail sent out unchanged. He placed the following article in the Corydon Investigator:

'""The mail came up from Leavenworth the other day without being opened. Several packages of letters and papers intended for that town were unopened. They were stopped here till the mail returned. The driver of the stage had to wait one-half hour for some one to open the mail and then came away without it. This is not the first time such has happened. Will the good people of Leavenworth submit to such treatment? We are not acquainted with the gentleman who is the postmaster and do not complain beeause of any hostility. We do not know whether it is due to ignorance or carelessness, but we shall feel constrained to inform the postmaster-general if such is not stopped. '«Signed : CorRYDON INVESTIGATOR. "'

Mr. Leavenworth replied that the stage driver was late and did not wait five minutes till the postmaster came. He hoped that Mr. Mattingly would attend to his own business after this. Leavenworth's conduct was approved by certain citizens and passengers in the stage.

The Leavenworth Arena was published in Leavenworth May 17, 1838. Isaac Smith was the editor. He was a Whig. The Leavenworth market for May, 1838, was: Flour, $6.50 per barrel; wheat, 75 cents per bushel; corn, 50 cents; meal, 50 cents per bushel; oats, 3114 cents per bushel; potatoes, 50 cents per bushel; ham, 7 cents per pound ; butter, 1214, cents per pound; eggs, 614 cents per dozen; salt, 6214, cents per barrel.

The main stage lines ran from Leavenworth to Indianapolis by Milltown, Paoli, and Orleans. Leavenworth and Woodford were the proprietors on this stage line. The drivers put up at various towns for the night. No driving was done after night. None but the very best of men were entrusted to drive the stages. In all cases drivers were not allowed to drink liquor.

John L. Smith and Company operated a stage line from Leavenworth to New Albany till his death on July 31, 1838, at the age of 42 vears. Later his stage line was under separate management. The best of horses were used for driving. Men were required to be sober while driving but on many occasions the drivers were not.

The Leavenworths fought hard to keep the stage line from Leavenworth to Indianapolis. There was a move to buy out the stage line and run it from Indianapolis to New Albany by Bedford, Paoli and Palmyra. Seth M. Leavenworth, who was a candidate for representative, went to Washington in July, 1838, and did the best he could to hold the line, but J. Orchard bought out the stage line on September 15, 1838. Leavenworth did not get back till after the election, so his name was withdrawn from the race. Probably Seth might have won had he been at home to manage his campaign, but he lost popularity over advocating railroads back in the early days.

The following notice was taken from the Arena: 'Teacher wanted: The subscribers are desirous of securing an energetic teacher who has had much experience to teach a school in Ohio township about three miles below Fredonia on the Ohio river. Liberal, wages will be paid for the work. Veter Peckinpaugh, John Stone, and Rice Peckinpaugh - trustees.''

At William Anderson's farm Mr. Lewis Payton was accidentally shot and instantly killed while butchering hogs in November, 1838. He picked up one of the Kentucky rifles to shoot a hog when another man told him that the gun he had was empty. He put his foot on the lock and pushed the hammer back, intending to blow into the muzzle of the gun to see if it was really empty. Just as he put his mouth over the end of the barrel the toe of his shoe slipped off of the hammer, letting the gun fire, thus killing him outright.

The Leavenworth-Bloomington Railroad was one of the big objective features of the day in December. The corporation sold enough stock to pay for the grading.

One can hardly get an idea of the business done at Leavenworth in the late thirties. The following table was copied from the Leavenworth Arena for February 22, 1839 :

MED At UOT PON, ow ER RET DIRS 400 Cieiiead of lWorses 24 Ake, 0 s/o ees? 2800 Pee iead- of anee Doo 55 a ARS ENG 240 Pan TeBd OF ORS aig cn AOS DIS LPR EPS 800 PeGeRit Gets IESE. ARS. PO 400

Salt was a leading article. One finds that one of the leading merchants bought 1,400 barrels of steam salt on June 14, 1838. Again on June 28, 1838, he bought 200 more barrels.

The first cook stoves were brought to Leavenworth about August 30, 1839. One finds on that day that Elam Wiley advertised that he had three cook stoves for sale in his store.

The good people of Ohio township, including Fredonia, had organized an agricultural society. They had a general farmers' institute on the last Saturday in October, 1840. The following prizes were offered:

The following account of the three Bulls is worth reading: Smith Bull and Alfred Bull were the sons of Squire Bull. They came to Leavenworth in 1840 and boasted what they intended to do. Old Squire Bull claimed that he was going to set up a cabinet shop at Milltown and Leavenworth. He soon had men believing that he had a large amount of money, some of which he had with him. He and Smith Bull contracted some debts on all sides. Smith Bull tried to escape one night but the people caught him and brought him back. He eluded the officers and escaped. That night Alfred Bull tried to get his horse out of the stable and escape but was detected. The horse was locked up but later in the night he broke the lock, secured his horse, and fled. Despite the vigilance of the citizens, Squire Bull, too, escaped, leaving all their debts not paid. Editor Smith claims that the town is better off since the three Bulls left on March 19, 1840.

The census of 1840 showed that the following people lived in Crawford County: Whites, 5,270; blacks, 6 boys and 6 girls. There were three pensioners: George Keysucker, age 90; John Ruth, age 89; and Jesse Toney, age 78.

James H. Hayes taught school in Leavenworth. He completed the first half July 11, 1839. He intended to start the second half soon. He was a man of long experience in school work. He wished to thank all the patrons for the help they had given him during the past - half and begged their aid during the second half.

Mr. J. Woodford wished to announce that he would begin a school in the old Universalist church in September, 1839. He would charge $3.25 a term for the higher branches and $2.50 a term for children. The ad appeared August 19, 1839.

Certificate of character for Mr. Joseph T. Fell: ''This is to certify that Joseph T. Fell traveled with me during the time I was engaged in Foster and Hunt's circus last season. He is a man in every sense of the word worthy of the estimation being placed in him, being upright before God and man. There being certain slanderous reports out in this place and Leavenworth concerning a chest and its contents belonging to a certain William Lake, which have been circulated by no other person than Lake himself. Knowing him to be a dangerous man with his mouth and tongue I give this report to justify Mr. Fell. William Hubble, Boss of the canvas of Foster and Hunt's Circus, August 12, 1839, Fredonia, Indiana.''

On October 17, 1839, John Tadlock opened up a hotel called the Flag Hotel. He had a good bar, plenty to eat on the table, and a good stable room for horses. Later in the winter, on February 13, 1840, he established the first ferry over the Ohio River where horses could be ferried over any time.

The election in 1839 was a warm affair in Crawford County. Mr. Sands was elected to represent Crawford County in the General Assembly. The Corydon Investigator, which was the leading paper, referred to the elections by saying that ''Old Mocecasin'' would be well represented now. To which the Arena replied: ''Thank you, sir, for your insinuation. The compliment you pay to 'Old Moceasin', the daughter of 'Old Granny Shoe String', is well taken. As we do not have the gift of prophecy we shall not attempt to foretell the future of 'Old Granny Shoe String.' '' The above names were pet names for Crawford and Harrison Counties. At that time Sands wore homespun suits.

The Whigs had nominated Proffer of Petersburg and the Democrats had selected Robert Dale Owen of New Harmony. Both men spoke at Leavenworth and Fredonia during the campaign. Owen spoke at Fredonia July 17, 1839. The result of the election is given below:

The following notice will be interesting to the descendants of Jesse Riddle: ''Lost or stolen - from my pocket while attending the election in Leavenworth on August 6, 1838, a pocket book containing $9 in cash and a note on Mr. Sharpe for $10 besides many other papers. Any person who will return the same to me or the office will be rewarded. Signed - Jesse Riddle, August 6, 1838, Ohio township.'' worth on January 10, 1839. J. M. Conrad was chairman and T. Holmes was secretary. Meetings were held in the seminary building or the Universalist church which was the oldest church built in the town of Leavenworth as far as one can find. The meeting, which was held on February 22, 1839, was addressed by William Course. Course was a very interesting man who did much to build up the town till one day he fell in love with another man's wife, with whom he ran away. The writer could not find that the other man ever complained about the affair.

A much needed industry was started in Leavenworth on June 13, 1839, when Horatio Sharp completed his building and established a carding machine. Many of the old citizens remember where the carding machine stood. He charged 8 cents a pound for white wool and 121% cents a pound for all other kinds.

Squire Weathers opened up a chair factory in Leavenworth on April 25, 1839. He had installed all kinds of turning tools with which he would make most any kind of a chair. .