Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 10: English, 1926

The first man who bought land in the vicinity of English was Moses Smith, who bought the east half of the northwest quarter of section 24, township 2 south, range 1 west. This was in 1814. This was near the three forks of Little Blue River, namely, Camp Fork, Dog Creek and Brownstown Fork. Later others came and a town grew up. W. W. Cummins made the first plat of the town in 1839. It was recorded in the recorder's office in February, 1840, at Fredonia by the name of ''Hartford.'' Later the town was named after William H. English who was elected to Congress from this district in 1852 and was Hancock's running mate in 1880.

A few of the early settlers who lived there before the war were Bry Gregory, James A. Brown, W. W. Cummins, J. R. Brown, Joseph W. Brown and Joseph K. Landiss.

The county commissioners ordered ,the elections held there in 1840. Before that time they selected some citizen's home at which the election was held. On January 7, 1828, the board of justices doing county business ordered the elections held at the house of John Crawford until further notice.

The Blue River meeting house was built not far from the main part of the town. At first there were only thirteen members. Kinkaid and D. M. Stewart were working hard for the success of the church. Later more members came and at the beginning of the Civil War the Christian church was firmly established.

The autumn election of 1842 was held in Hartford. Woodson W. Cummins was the inspector of that election. That same year Joseph Denbo and Bry Gregory both had stores in Hartford. ;

The town of English was a settlement of a few log huts till late after the Civil War. A log school house was built in the early days. In a subsequent chapter more will be said about English and its growth.

Milltown, which for a long time was named Leavenworth's Mill, was settled about 1830. Seth Leavenworth made the plat about 1827 and filed it in the recorder's office at Fredonia about that time. The plat was extended by other men and the town grew. The old plat made by Leavenworth shows two still houses.

The Indiana Gazeteer of 1833 states that Milltown had about fifty people, three stores, a carding machine, sawmill, a grist mill and a merchant's mill.

Sheriff Totten was authorized to hold an election in Milltown in 1828. This was to accommodate the voters. The year of 1833 Elijah Mathews was granted a license to keep store in Milltown.

A bridge was needed very much at Milltown now. The board allowed Dave Miller $125 with which to construct the bridge in 1836. Next year the board doing county business removed David Miller from the agency and compelled him to turn over all funds on hands at that: time to Zebulum Leavenworth, road commissioner.

The first licensed grocery or saloon was opened in June, 1845. The proprietor was Chris Lentz. He was put under a bond of $500. A. Black and Martin Hanger were on his bond. Elizabeth Lentz, who made application to sell liquor in Milltown, was refused license June, 1848.

By a law of the state enacted June, 1848, The Milltown Bridge Company was organized and incorporated. Libbens Frisbie completed the bridge over the river at Milltown. The cost was $580, which sum Frisbie had paid out.

The Indiana Gazetteer of 1850 states that Milltown had 150 people. There was one flour mill, a grist and sawmill, and several still houses and carding machines at that time.

Henry Hollowell squatted on the site of Marengo or Big Springs in 1811. Later Stewart bought him out and built his home there. Soon Malachi Monk moved into the county and located there. He with others built the famous old block house about 1812. There were many Indians prowling around then, but one finds no record of any conflict between them and the white people. The block house was built of logs. It was two stories high, the second story extended out over the first so that the whites could fire down on the Indians and give them a warm reception in case of an attack.

David Stewart bought the farm from the Government in April, 1833. Mr. Stewart, who was a minister, was much in demand those days. He assisted the two Kinkaid brothers to establish the first Christian church in the county. The church was organized in a little log house over on Dog Creek, near English, in October, 1819. At first there were thirteen members.

The town never grew very rapidly. The town was located about fourteen miles from Leavenworth on the Leavenworth and Paoli road. The first postoffice was called Tuckerville. Later it was changed to Proctorsville. Here it was kept until about 1851.. A committee consisting of Doctor Mattingly, Hugh Taylor, Robert Walts, D. 8. Tucker and M. T. Stewart was appointed to arrange for the moving of the postoffice. A new name was then necessary. Doctor Mattingly suggested ''Marengo."'

General William H. Harrison, who was a great friend of David M. Stewart, visited him at Marengo, once cut his name on the stump of a tree. This name was visible till a few years ago. The tree stood in what is now the old academy yards. At that time Harrison lived in Corydon.

'Several of the early settlers were Ezra Eavens, Robert Bell, John Wood, John A. Barnet, James H. Turner, Jacob Crecelius, Cornelius Riley and Martin T. Stewart.

The first store opened in Marengo was in May, 1838. That year William Proctor received a license to keep store at Marengo. In May, 1840, David M. Stewart also began keeping a store in Marengo.

In March, 1842, Liberty township was laid out with about the same boundaries as it has now. An election was held in Big Springs on the first Monday of April, 1842, for two justices for Liberty township. In the future all elections are to be held in Big Springs.

The first saloon opened in Marengo was probably in June, 1848. David S. Tucker that year opened a grocery, or a grog shop, or a tippling house. The names mean the same as a Saloon.

there were about one hundred people in the town. The town has a remarkable war record. The loyal patriot men up there never allowed a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle to wear a butternut badge into town and get away with it. During the war a member of the order came into town wearing the '"'butternut'' badge. Some one sitting down saw him pass into a gun shop. He wore two revolvers and carried a gun but that did not scare W. T. Stewart and Ben Goodman who was at home on a sick furlough, he having been shot through at Stone's River. Stewart snatched off the badge and Ben hit him in the head with a pair of knucks. The poor fellow was almost killed. He crawled part of the way home till he was found and helped home. His name was Dave Miller.

The New Albany Ledger, which was a prominent paper in those days, declared that such assaults on our peaceful citizens were outrages and ought not to occur. Of course, the Ledger was in sympathy with the South and the Golden Circle. At one time it was silenced for a while during the war for some of its statements.

On December 18, 1824, the men met at Cornelius Hall's and elected trustees for the Big Spring church and school. Lots were deeded for the school and church purposes. The church house was reserved for the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. William B. Johnson was the secretary. One may find the constitution and by-laws of the order on pages 107 and 244 of book 7 in the county records.