Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 16: The County in the Eighties, 1926

When the commissioners met September 3, 1882, various citizens of the county appeared before the board and presented petitions praying that the county seat be relocated at English.

William H. Ott with twenty-eight others appeared and filed a petition No. 31, to which many men objected on account of the manner of getting the signatures,

Thomas B. Ridenour and nine others filed petition No. 23 to which a general objection by others was made. Later a large number of petitions for both sides was filed. The board ordered that the auditor should get these petitions and keep them in his office. Also that the auditor was not to draw any salary for this work.

Then John T. Gilliland, Preston Arwick, John W. Stull and James B. Mix filed a remonstrance against W. H. Ott's petition, claiming that many who had signed it now had their names on the remonstrance.

In 1883, June 5, many citizens appeared before the county commissioners and presented a number of petitions to remove the county seat to Grantsburg. Colonel Anthony and Jerry Suddarth were employed as lawyers for them. The petitions numbering 1 to 71 were filed. They represented Ilamilton Martin, Christopher Taylor and Stephen Roberson as responsible petitioners or parties.

The opposing men met and filed objection to certain petitions and requested that petitions Nos. 4, 12, 8, 21, 67, 51, 58 and 68 be not received. The attorneys made motion that the petitioners be allowed to amend their petitions, to which their opponents objected. The board overruled the objection and granted a right to the petitioners to amend the petitions. The petitions No. 4, 51, 67, 86, having been corrected by adding notary seals to them, were presented again. No. 8 was also corrected.

The remonstrators moved that the petitions be cast out but the motion was overruled. Then they submitted a remonstrance on which were one hundred and sixty-seven names who had signed the petitions but later withdrew their names, but the board would not accept the petition. Later W. L. Temple, Josiah Shaw, George Sherron and John E. McFall tried to testify that twenty-five petitioners had signed the remonstrance later. The petitioners objected and the hoard sustained their objection. Then the

That William Barnes, an architect of New Albany, be selected to draw up the plans for a house to be made of stone or brick and cost about $15,000. The property was to be examined and a rate set to raise the tax.

At that time the objectors made an appeal to the circuit court which was granted on filing an appeal bond of $800. The contest had now lasted from July 9 to July 26. The cost of the county seat fight was:

CommissionersAtees, bins act. ie. see oe $178.50 IATGITOTES FECES wepanete tis s Gade BGG. 24.30 Wall GSSESi70 EES .F ]yaie.: saretene le: ccc EM 390.40 Sherilivs: RECOS pa RRR IE OR 78.95 suit ovér English. The hard fighters for Leavenworth were W. L. Temple, M. S. Fleming, David Cole, John Bell, William Ellsworth, W. B. Allen, P. M. Ouerbacker, Josiah Shaw, S. T. Lyons and J. R. Collins.

The next move came in 1886. On March 1, 1886, W. H. H. Toney, Henry Smith, W. T. Carr, W. IH. Denbo, James Pro and 1,469 others, presented a petition praying that an election be held in Crawford County to determine the will of the people on whether a new seat of justice should be located at English. They deposited $200 to pay an architect for the plans and gave two acres of ground on which the house and jail might be built.

The board requested W. L. Temple, who was auditor, to write to the governor about the matter. The case was laid over till next term of court which was held in June, 1886.

In response to the letter of Mr. Temple, Governor Isaac Gray appointed David Jordan, W. H. H. Hudson and George Fielding as commissioners to evaluate the property. The men met at the court house May 20 and assessed the amount as follows:

The board ordered the election held on August 17, 1886. The commissioners who examined the property were allowed $70 which the petitioners paid down for the county commissioners.

faction carried the northwest part of the county, but with the heavy vote of Leavenworth and central part of the county, English was defeated by a small margin of about forty-eight votes.

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The treasurer paid the bill out of the $200 which the English crowd had deposited and gave back the rest, amounting to $50.32. Thus closed another attempt.

The Louisville and St. Louis Airline Railroad was completed in the early eighties. The trains ran over the road. Many men said that it could not be done. Two tunnels were cut through the hills between Marengo and Taswell, Condra tunnel and Patton's tunnel. The work had been delayed for several years when the first company failed, but later it was reorganized with new capital. The railroad suit to collect $32,000 from the county failed. The ease was carried to the higher courts when the county won the decision. Then trouble came up over whether the county should receive any tax from the railroad. On September 12, 1885, one finds the commissioners ordering R. N. Peckinpaugh to get up the proper papers to file, if necessary, in the United States Courts at Chicago for collecting the tax which was then due the county. The papers were to be given to John Pankey, who was to proceed to Indianapolis and Chicago and collect the tax if necessary. The amount due the county then was $4,544.

When the new railroad was completed, and the people actually saw that the trains would run, a company was organized to build a road from New Albany to Tell City. The survey of this road ran through Jennings, Ohio and Union townships. Then these people were eager to help build the railroad. So an election was held in Union township at which 236 votes were east. Of that number 145 were for the railroad and 91 were against it. John W. Senn, inspector and John Seaton, judge. The above election was held May 20, 1884. :

Jennings township voted on the proposition May 16, 1884. They were to give $3,380 if the road was built. There were 288 votes cast, 271 of which were for the road and 17 were against it. Later they asked for $5,380 and tax was levied.

The vote in Ohio township was 203, of which 34 were for the New Albany, Leavenworth and Cannelton Railroad Company and 169 were against it. Jacob Wiseman, inspec-

The new stock law was enacted in the early eighties. This law put the power to some extent in the hands of the commissioners of the county. Much bitter opposition arose relative to the law. In Jennings township not many people favored the stock law. Captain William Everdon, who ran a big sawmill up near Sharptown, favored the law. The good citizens up there held a meeting to protest against the law. Many thought that it would ruin them if they had to build fences and keep up their stock. A committee was appointed to wait on Captain Everdon and keep him from advocating the new law. Oliver Miller came down to the sawmill and warned Everdon. But Everdon gave him a ''cursing'' and Miller went home to mind his own business after that.

On the hill above Magnolia one day A. J. Batman met him and told him that he would get hanged if he did not stop advocating pike roads and stock laws.

On April 21, 1884, William H. Conrad and 191 others came and petitioned the board to make a record allowing certain animals to run out. The board allowed hogs, cattle, sheep and horses to run out but not bulls, stallions and jacks.

Then H. B. Meylin and 101 others came and begged that the board allow certain stock to run out. The board granted them the right to let hogs, cattle and sheep run out in Boone township.

Then came A. J. Small and 278 others who asked the board to let stock run out. The board let hogs, cattle and sheep run out till further notice in Jennings township. .

At the December term in 1884 Lewis Pierson and H. K. Batman with 252 others, appeared and asked that hogs and sheep be kept up. Later the board ordered that sheep and hogs be kept up in Jennings and Ohio townships.

March 3, 1886, the board cancelled all orders relative to stock running out and issued a new order that cows and calves might run out, but not bulls. Later the law became general so that all stock had to be kept up. This was one of the best laws ever enacted.

The poor farm was still an item of expense to the taxpayer of the county. John Archibald was selected to build a house on the poor farm about 1882. The room was to be 20 feet by 14 feet. The crazy people were to be put into this new house for safe keeping. On March 4, 1880, the commissioners, William Gibbs, James Gilmore and William Wilks, ordered all the paupers taken to the poor farm.

June 6, 1887, the board voted to selk the poor farm and buy another near the center of the county. One day in September, 1887, Hamilton Martin and William Landiss voted to sell the old farm to James Froman and buy Froman's farm for $5,500. Froman offered $1,000 for the old farm back. HH. K. Batman, the other commissioner, voted against the proposition. The new farm was situated in the northwest corner of Jennings township, about six miles from Leavenworth. It had 23814 acres in the farm. One

The people of Boone township needed a bridge over Mill Creek very much. A petition being presented to the board, March 3, 1885, the board met April 7, 1885, and asked for bids on April 9, 1885, to the 15th of April. The Wrought Iron Bridge Company submitted a bid for $2,655 ; Champion Bridge Company, Williamsport, Ohio, one for $2,936.25; and the Massillon Company from Ohio at $1,200. The board rejected all the bids. The Indianapolis Bridge Company bid $1,180 and received the contract. The same company received the contract for the Whisky Run bridge.

The board held a joint session, at which Edward Powers was employed to superintend the repairs on the Milltown bridge. M. C. Froman was to superintend the work, while J. J. Clark was appointed to supervise the work on the Dry Run bridge.

The year of 1884 was noted for the high water on the Ohio River. Much damage was done to the river towns. The bridge over Little Blue at Marion Archibald's farm was in danger. The back water came up the Little Blue River and covered the bridge. The board allowed Marion Archibald $500 for caring for the bridge till the high water went down.

July 6, 1883, the board granted a contract to the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, to erect a bridge over Dry Run Creek. It was 50 feet long, of one span 47 feet in the clear. The roadway was 12 feet. The bridge was to be completed by August 30, 1883, at a cost of $495.

The high water of 1883 did much damage to the bridge at Cole's ford over Big Blue. The board ordered on March 3, 1883, estimations made for the bridge. The two boards were to meet at Cole's ford on April 4, 1883. Bids were advertised for and specifications drawn on April 4, 1883.

On May 23, 1883, a joint meeting of the board was held at Corydon. These men were present: William Wilks, M. C. Froman and Anthony Allstott. From Harrison County were Edward Walbur, Henry Lush and George Crawford. The two boards advertised for bids for the repairing of thr bridge and when the bids were opened these were submitted :

The Wrought Iron Bridge Company was awarded the contract for $2,549; the Bru and Hudson Company for the masonry at $8.00 per yard; filling at 25¢ per yard; concrete macadamizing at $3.00. The bridge was to be completed by September 2, 1883. C. F. Crecelius was to supervise the work at $1.50 per day.

The election of 1888 was a very important event in Crawford County. The people, generally speaking, enjoy elections. Much vote buying was done on all sides. The Republican plan was to put so much money in the hands of certain men and hold them responsible for delivering the votes. One neighbor of the writer had $22 of the boodle given him and was told to put it where it would do the most good. He paid out about $4 of it and decided that it would do the most good in his own pocket So there it stayed. The results were: Cleveland carried the county by a safe margin. Arthur Stewart was elected treasurer ; James Bobbitt, county auditor; Burton Brown, sheriff; Mr. Stewart and Mr. Bobbitt were Republicans. He had been county superintendent two years just previous to his elec-

It was during the eighties that the first telephone line was built in Crawford County. The Ohio Valley Telephone Company, with J. B. Speed, president; William H. Munday, secretary and treasurer, and Captain Gifford, general manager, came from New Albany by way of Corydon. The exchange was installed about the year of 1882. The news of the outside world could be heard then.

The year of 1883 occurred the death of Doctor Hawn, who was the biggest man who ever lived in our county He was a native of Ohio and came west in the late fifties. When the boat stopped at Alton to load and unload goods he engaged in conversation with several of the town people. When they learned that he was a doctor they persuaded him to land there and locate, for the town of Alton needed a doctor. One day he had a call to visit a patient near Mason Bird's home on the river bluff north of Fredonia. He was entertained at the home of Mr. Hollecroft, at whose home he met Mr. Hollcroft's daughter, whom he afterward married. Doctor Hawn served in the Civil War. with distinction. Ile was nominated to run for secretary of state in 1880 and was elected. When called upon to make a speech at the convention he said: ''Boys, I was placed on this ticket to give weight to it. When the frost is on the pumpkin I shall be with you, boys."'

One day a lady stopped him on the street and inquired about his weight. He said: '' Madam, I weigh exactly 365 pounds, one pound for each day in the year. Here is my card with my compliments. Emanuel Hawn, Secretary of State.''

During the late eighties a young man named William Neal came into Crawford County and introduced baseball. The records are not clear about the matter, but as far as can now be known, a field was used near Mansfield school on the Adams farm. From that day till this the game has been a favorite of all the sports of the county.

Crawford County commissioners on December 7, 1886, voted to pay $100 to the State Soldiers' Monument Association to place a stone as a monument to the boys who fought and those who died in the Civil War, in that monument.

According to the law of 1889 the county commissioners divided thé county into voting precincts on June 10, 1889. The townships and places were thus:

On June 9, 1880, John H. Stewart, of Marengo, brought suit against John N. Breeden, who had been trustee of Liberty township, to recover the books and funds which Breeden was supposed to have. Stewart had employed

The county commissioners decided that John Stewart was legally elected township trustee of Liberty township and was entitled to the books, records, all legal papers, and all the funds of the township. Breeden had run away, but the records showed a balance of: