Daviess County, Indiana - Chapter 3: Early Settlement of Daviess County, 1915

Chapter 3: Early Settlement of Daviess County

There is a din'ereiice of opinion as to who was the first actual settler in Daviess county, but most autliorities give this distinction to WiUiam Ballow, who settled in the Sugar Creek hills, sixteen miles southeast of the present city of Washington, in iSoi. Some claim this distinction for Eli Hawkins, who came from South Carolina, in 180'), and settled near the ]jresent site of Maysville. But this can hardlx' he correct, for j\lr. John Thompson, who wrote a series of papers for one of the local publications, several years ago, and who is recognized as good authorit)' on early historic matters, mentions seven others who came to this region before Eli Hawkins arri\etl. ( )ne of these se\'en, mentioned bv Mr. Thomjison, was David JHora. wlio li\ed in a hig caljin, nearly iip].iosite the i)resent site of the Meredith Huuse, in W'ashiugidn. .Xccurding to this authority, David Mora was the second settler, admitting William llallmv td have been the first. The next settler, in order, according to Mr. Tlu,im[)>on, was Thomas l-Juggles; followeil in succession by Doctor Harris, Richard Palmer, William Hawk-ins, and finally. FJi Hawkins, menticined above, in 1806.

That Fdi Hawkins did arrive in what is now Daviess county as early as i8of>, is not a matter of doubt, as the county records contain a cojjy of the deed made to him (ju November 8, 1806, by John Rice Jones and Mary Jones, his wife. The land deeded lay in the \icinit3' of Maysville. Consisting of four huudr(.-d acre>, for which .Mr. Hawkins paiil four lunulred doll.-irs. This land was a jjortion of section d, township _', range 7. This deeil to Eli Hawkins was not, however, the earliest deed made to land in Dax'iess county, l)ut it was jjrobably the first purchase of land on which an actual settlement was made.

Early Settlers

Ill nnler to gi\-e an idea of the ra|)i<Hty witli which settlement was made in ! )a\iess count}-, after the ad\-eiit of the ad\-eiiturous hrst settlers, a nwniher of the tir>t land entries are i^iveii, as shdwn lj_\' the county deed records. This will not (Jiily slmw the lucation, hul alsu the names of ^ome of the first settlers, the mo^t ;uUheiitic recc^rd that can lie dhtained.

In 17S3 Congress made numerous donations of land to the early h^rench settlers about \'incennes, and. in 1N07, the (.."oiigress made what has since been called hreiich Iocati<iiis. These doiiati<ins are mo>tU' in Kno.x county, but a considerable purticni are in Daviess count}-. The boundary lines nf the locations run east and west, and north and south, while thn.se of the donations run at an angle of nearly fiirty-li\e degrees frdin the true meridian. Eli Hawkins settled on location No. (:>J. and his brother, William, on lucation Xo. (>p,. recentl}" the pmperty of Joseph Al. Taxlnr. William .Mclntn^h settled on location ,\'o. William Alnrrisun, on lucation \o. 134: Daviil Flora, on Xo. I5<j: Touissanl l)uliiiis, on Xo. 300; luiianuel \'an Trees, on X(.). 304; Samuel P.aird. on Xo. 144; Jesse I'lircell, mi Xo. 183: Elijah Pnrcell, on Xo. J<j2; John .\llen, on X(j. 238; William i'dint, on .Xo. 189; William Baker, on No. 193: John .\ik'man, mi .Xn. 102; James liarr, on Xo. 210; Amable Godall, on Xo. 202, and John McDonald, the old government surveyor, on No. 242. It is not easy to determine the e.~<acl dates of the abo\-e mentioned settlements, but it is sufhcient to know that most of them were niaile [irior to the War of 1S12.

Others to obtain land titles prior to 1814 w-ere the following; In 1808, Daniel Comer, Richard .Steen, Josiali Cnlbertsmi, Simmi Xicli(.)las, .Amos Rogers, William Piallow, John Wallace, Cla}-ton Rogers, Daniel Gregory, Thomas .\ikmaii, William Tlorrall, Thomas Ilorrall, llezekiah Ragsdale, i'diene/er Jmies, A'aiice huies, Jubu .\ikman. There was no land entr\- in 1812, and only one in 1813, indicating an unsettled, or a disturbed state of society, which made it (piestionable whether DaA'iess countv was the ])roper ])lace to locate. The one land entr}- made in if^i3 was made by Jeremi.'ih Lucas.

Emigration Riicfjves A Setback

All of the above named individuals enteretl lands and settled withinthe present limits of Washington township, except Clayton Rogers, wliose land lay in what is now V'eale towiishi]). Rogers, therefore, was somewdiat i.solated from his neighbors. During the period which elapsed while these entries were lieing niaile, ;ul<litinns were cuu^taiuly cojiiiiiL; into the settlement antl the pojiulatiun was increasinj;' rapid!)-. The pioneers were prusperuns, making steady progress in clearing np their claims and in inipro\-ing antl adding to tlie comforts of their homes, nntil the latter i>art of iSii, in which year the tronliles with the Indians began, niangurating a ])eriod of unrest which coiuinned for a number of years. The Indian tronliles and the War of jKu caused a sutlden cessation in the mmenient of new settlers to Daviess county. Thih is indicated hy the fact that no land entries were made in 1S12, and only one in if>i,v as has already been noted.

Idle \ ictory of General Harrison's army in the battle of Tip]iecanoe gave assurance of more jieaceful conditions regarding the Indians, and the promise ni a settlement of the coutro\-ers\' iinohed in the W'ar of iSij gaye further assurance of a settled condition in the affairs of the pioneers. As an indicatifjn of this, the acti\'ities in land entries were resumed, as shown hy the records. In 1X14 deeds were recorded b\- the individuals named below, for lands eiUered in Daxies.s coiuii_\- : Joseph Case, TItrice Stafford, Robert llay.s, John Tranter. John Case and l'".lia^ Stone. In 1815 the f(jllowing ]iersons cntei'ed lands: Jonathan .Morgan, Daniel Cliff, (ieorge Cliff, William Hallow, William Williams and Jacob Keeder. In iSKc J,,- sei)h Hays, b'.dward Adams, John Da\idson, lleniamin 1 Lawkins, fieorge Gregory. Caleb Hrock, Henry boster, William Patterson, Nicholas llutson, James Montgomery and John Johnson. In I1S17: Kobert ilnrris, .\le.\- ander Stephenson, James Henry, Dennis Clark, Tieorge Keith, Jesse Alorgan. Alexander llruce, Samuel Coiner anil Thomas Patten.

According to a history of the time coni])iled by John Wooldridge, A. M., referred to abo\e, the dillicultie-^ experienced by the early settlers with the Indians in Indiana were inciilental to the effort.s of (Io\-ernor William Henry Harrison to lireak up the Indian confederacy, at the head of which was the noted chief, Tecumseh, and his brother, the Shawnee i)ro]ihet, the head(|narters of whom were at Prophetstown, now (|nite an important village situated in Whiteside county, state of Illinois. The general history of these efforts of Co\ernor Harrison, resulting in the battle of Tippecanoe, Xovember 7. jSii, is so sufficiently detailed in all histories of the United States as not t(j re(|uire recital in this connection. P.nt the incidents with which the early settlers of Daxiess county were immediately connected, and in which .some of them were personally engaged are, necessarily, here introduced.

William McGowcn, one of the earliest settlers, lived near the present site of ]\lt. rieasant, in Martin C(junty, ami kept a farm across the east furk of W'liite river, near his hume.

One evening, early in the spring of 1812, just after Mr. McGowen had retired, an Indian put iiis gun through the opening, about a foot square, in the wall of his log cabin and fired at him as he kiy in bed, lodging several buckshot under his left arm, from the effects of which he almost instantly exi)ired. This Indian was not pursued. Not long after tliis first tragic incident, John and William Smith and a Mr. Perry, while carrying provisions from the "settlement," as Washingtun was then called, to the men at McGowen's farm, were discovereil b)' three Indians while crossing a small prairie. The Indians waylaid them at what was then called "the narrows, 't'r^iear the farm afterward known as the Hougiiton farm. They fired upon the white men, lodging two balls in Perry's back, and sending one ball through Jdhu Smith's thigh and two tlu-ongh William Smith's hat. .'\fter thus empt\'ing their guns they rushed u]jiin the while men, a\'!io, l>y throwing the load^ off their shoulders, \\-ere en;ibled to outrun tlieir enemies and escape to the farm witlunit further injury.

Micasures For Protection

The occurrence of such ditTiculties as these clearly demonstrated to our early pioneers the necessity of devising measures for mutual protection and defense against the common enemy, hence the erection of suitable forts, conveniently located. The entire number of these forts erected in Daviess county was ten, but only li\e of the number were erected in i.Sij. These h\e were as follow, with iheir location: Mawkins fort, located on the Hawkins farm, on the southeast quarter of secti(jn 32, township 3, range 7; t'onuer fort, on llie ^o^uIK-asl (piariei- of section .|. township _'. range 7; L'olemau fori, some distance south of Conner; I'urcell fort, in the I'lu-cell neigbborho(j(l, and 1 'allow fort, on the nortinvest quarter of section 9, townshi]) J, range 7. Tlie (ither five follow: Richard Palmer, David Flora, built across Main street in the town of Washington, from, and almost direcently opposite the Meredith ITouse ; Ebenezer Jones, about cine and oneipiarter miles south of Washington; John Aikman, on the southwest quarter of section 10, township 2, range 7, and one on Prairie creek, on the present site of Lettsville.

Tile f(,ill(i\ving- is a list of tlie heads of families tliat asseinliled in eacii of the first-nanied live forts: llawidiis furt, Cornelius Piogard, I'di Hawkins and a Mr. Lurry, the 3'ouni^- men heinj;- Charles, Fdi, Joseph and William Hawkins; Conner fort, l-"rien(l Spears, James and Thomas Aikman, F.henezer Jones, Alexander Stevens, Chris Gregor)-, John Siringer, William AVhite. John Wallaee, the Widow Wallace and two sons, the Widow I'.llis, Vance Jones, Ephraim Thomp-on, (1. Ixagsdale, Thrice Stati'ord and Alexander Stephenson, beside a large number of young men, among them Wiley 1\. Jones, Jesse Hallem, A\'illiam I'hillips, John and Jacob Stafford, Samuel Aikman, John and Josiah Wallace, John, Ha\'id and William F.llis, Coleman Morgan and Wesley W.allace, John Kagsdale and John Thompson; Coleman fort, Joshua Iveeves, Henry JMlwards, Samuel Coiner, John Smith, Mr. J'erry, Alexander 1 fays, J. Waters, J. b'reeland, Amos Ivigers, Simon Nicholas, Abraliam Dod.amel and Roliert Hays, the young men being John, Hugh and three nihcr lolwards boys and William Percv ; Purcell fori, kolii'rt Prallon, Andrew Piltle. Haniel ( iregory, Josiah Culbertson, John b'orden, "Obe" and William Idint, Richard Palmer, Henry Mattingly and a Air. Carland, the young men being John Pratton, Jdhn, foseph, Samuel and Josiah Culbertson,; Pallow fort, John, Thomas and William Horrall, Jeremiah Lucas, Charles Sinks, Richard Steen, Thomas Scaler and Nathan Davis, the young men and boys being George Mason, Fleming Ballow, John, James and Samuel Steen and Samuel Sinks. Tbe.se names comprise a list of nearly, if not <piile, all the male inhabitants of Daviess county at the breaking out of troubles with the Indians.

Tt will now be ajipropriate to record such other Indian difliculties as occurred within the limits of the country, or in which inhabitants of Daviess county were especially interested by |iarticipation. These Indian troubles will, however, be preceded by a brief descrijition of the forts and blockhouses, used as places of refuge. The fort was nsualK- about nue hundred and fifty feet .srpiare. .\ trench about twenty inches wide and three feet deep was dug, into which were set timbers, twelve feet long, with shar]iened tops, some round, others siihl. The earth was then firmly jiacked on either side of the timbers. Near the middle of the thick wall was a gatewav for wagons. Within the enclosure was a hewed log house, twenly-seven by

Icncountiju With Indians

Not long after the erection of the earliest forts a serious affair occurred on Steele's prairie. A few families, h;i\ing hnilt some cabins there, were mcning in their honsehold go(,(ls. While unloading their second load the)' were attacked h)' Indians, and two of them killed, the elder i\lr, Ilatha- \\a\' being killed outright, and W. liogard after a ])rotractetl struggle in defense of his life. ( )ld .\lr. Sinks was shot in the left slmidder, and Richard Ihathaway through the neclc. 'idle two latter were in die wagon handing out goods, the N'ounger Ilathawa\' falling nncoiiscions in the waL^oii when siiot. I'pon the firing of the gnus, with the attendant war cries of (he ln(lian'^, the four hoj-se- attaclied to the wagi oi became frightened .ami ran to the li.wver end of the prairie. \'<y this time \(inng llathaway had recovered fr(jm his faint, and he and .Mr, .Sinks, ha\ing detached the horses from the wagon by cutting the harness, attempted to ride two of the animals back to the fort, but the rough gait of the horses irritated the wounds n\ the two men to such a degree thai llic\ wcic nbligcd lo walk. .\ Miss C"asc, who had been left at some stables, a short distance from where the killing of Liogard and Hathaway occurred, haltered a two-^ear-old colt and rode nine miles to the nearest fort to give the alarm. The attack" lia\ing been made about sundown, most of her jonrne\- was accom])lished by night, a feat recjuiriiig no small ilegree of courage. L^i)on her arrival at Hawkins fort, runners were despatched to Forts Conner, I'urcell and I'.allow. As many as could jirocure horses collected at llawkins fort and about three o'clock the next morning set tJtit for Steele's prairie, where the murders had been committed. (:)n their way up, the jiartv unknowingly ])as.sed the two wounded men. Sinks and Ifathawav, \\ho, U])on hearing them approach and su])posing them to be Indians, retireil from the path in order to escape notice. The horsemen

Upon arriviii.t; at tlie plaee where I'lo^ai'd and Ihithaway lay dead upon the gT(_]Uiul, a portion of the little hantl of settlers made arrangx'ineuts to carry the hotlies hack to the fort, and in dne time, assisted hy those remaining de[)osited tlie mangled corpses in the Alaysville cenieter\-, tl"- l;r.-i interment to occnr in that resting place for the dead. ln\ esligaii' 'H made at the scene of the mnrders led to the conclusion th;it seven Indians had taken l)art in the attack, this conclusion heing based on the linding of se\en beds, or nests, each evidently ha\'ing been occupied by one pers(jn, so artfully constructed as to conceal its occupant from view. 'J'hose of the horsemen who dii-l not return with the two bodies attempted to fuid the Indian trail, this, howe\'er, pro\-im; a \er\- dilliculi task, b'roni what could he iIisco\'ered, it was coucludefJ that the Indians were making for the mouth oi the Ivel ri\er. 'idle inirsuers, after crossing Smothers creek, skirting along the edge of the ri\er bottom, piassing ihrongh I'jiglish I'rairie, through the timber and on throngh ( )\vl prairie and, ha\-ing l<ist what feeble traces of a trail the\' thought the\- had occa^iouall)' discerned, came to a li.alt at sundown, A jjortion of the couipain- built camp-lires and the remainder went em a few miles still farther U|i the c<iiintry. but failing" to liud any new traces of the red men's fo(]tsteps. they returned to the camp, huring tlie night it was concluded useless to further ]nirsne the indiaus, as, from all that ccaild be observed. the\ had crossed to the west side of tlie river, and so made good their esca|ie. The baflled pursuers, therefore, retunieil to the f(.)rts.

In iNi_:; another incident oecurrt'd. in which, instead of a white man being slain, an Indian lost his life I '.iliner tort wa> built earl\' in the sprjng of that \car. ( )iie raiii\- night three Indians walked around this fort and in the niorning their footprints were discovered. .\ \t^rv large dog, owned bs' a man named liaker, living in the fort scented the Indians and sl.'irted on the trail. The men, armed and on horseback, immediatelv followed them to Prairie creek. The ln<lians had crossed the creek on a drift o]")i)i)site the site of the block house, built that s])ring by (.'aiitain T'attcrson, but at that time abandoned. Tliev evidentlv had occni)ied the blockhouse during the latter part of the night, and had b.aked a johnny-cake on a board before the fire, out of some corn-meal left by Patterson. Mr. Baker's dog and some of the men easilv followed the Indians across the creek on the drift, but it

\vas found necessary to swim the animals across, which caused considerable delay. Aleanwhile, two Indians came uut of a hcuise and darted ut'f at full speed. When the last horse had lieen swum acruss, a third and very large Indian came out of the hl)u^e and lUlluwed his companions. 'Jdu- white men, seven in munher, and all well mounted, started in full pursuit, pre- - ceded by the do;;-. The C(_nuUr_\' l)etweeu J'rairie creek and Smothers creek then consisted of sandy ridges, covered with oak hushes, marshes and ponds, through wdn'ch tlie Indians kept straight on. It was impossible for the mounted men to follow directly, for their liorses would have stuck fast in the mire; hence, considerable time was lost l)y making more or less wide detours. Time also was lost in crossing SuK^thers creek, wliich, like Prarie creek, was too high for fording. Upon reaching the u]ii)er ground of White river bottom, however, the white men, guided by the dog, discovered that they had so well kept the trail as nearly to have overtaken the IiKhans. and began firing upon the latter. The large Indian who had, during the entire chase, which was very exciting, kept in the rear, at length received a slight wound in the right knee, whereupon he climbed a large hackberry tree and made two attempts to shoot his piu-suers, but each time the powder flashed in the ]ian. Being defenseless, he was overpowered and slain, after, liowe\'er, giving his companions time to escape. This was the only Indian killed hereabout during the troublous times.

Some four or tne years after the events related above, a number of friendly Indians were collected on what is ncjw called Owl prairie. Hearing of their presence, a number of settlers from \\'ashington and vicinity went up to trade with them, taking along lead, powder, tobacco and wdiiskey. Among those who went up was Obed i'lint, a .Mr. l-'rosi and Th' lUias ICagle. Mr. Kagle, a \eritable giant of a man, wa^ desirous of exhibiting his strength and to this end bantered one of the smaller Indians to let him throw him o\'er the fire. With the Indian's consent, l^agle made the attein])t and succeeded only in throwing him half way over the fire, the Indian falling u))on the coals and being quite severely burned. An Indian named "Big File," observing the occurrence, and not understanding the reason of the attempt by Eagle, rushed u]ion him and stabbed him to death with a large knife. "Big File" was indicted by the grand jury, but succeeded in escaping the penalty of his crime.

Davikss Couxty, Indiana

It IS related that William Siuutlicrs, ol KoiUucky, whose father had been killed in that slate h)- the Indians, had taken a vnw of vengeance, and hatl ccjine to Indiana fur llie ijnrjxj.^e of execnling that sangninary vmv. ]le had formerly li\'ed near Owenshnro, Kenlneky, and is said t< i lia\ e taken as mneh pleasure ni hunting fmJians as in hnnlmg hears, or uther wild animals. I'Viur or five dead Indians are said to ha\e heeii found on his hnnting grounds, t\\<.i of whom he is said to have confessed to have killed hy the accidental di.scharge of his gun. lie saw one fall through a Imle cut in the ice to catch fish, went to the place, hut could see nothing hut hlood, which he supposed to Ikux' llowed from a wound accideiitalh- indicted upon himself hy the Indian with liis tomahawk, and that he had fainted, fallen through the ice into deei) water, and h;id thus heeii drowned. ( )n another occasion his gun was accidentally di.scharged while he was ]),issiiig down the creek, immediately after which he heard a noise in the water. LIpon going to see what occasioned the iKjise he saw a log with blood on it, but no Indian; so su])posecl tlie Indian had fallen into the water and, becoming entangled, was unajjle to extricate himself and was thu> drowned. .Such became altogether loo common, and Mr. Smothers left for some other hapi)y hunting ground.

The killing of the four white men, l\Icn(]\ven, Tlathaway, Kagle and Rogard, and of the one Imhan, comprises the list of casualties within the limits of Daviess county during, and in consei|uence of, the Indian troubles; but, simultaneously with these difTiculties, were other causes of excitement which seemed to jjrevent the inhabitants of the county from entertaining any proper sense of security. On one (occasion Fort Harrison, then held by Capt. Zachary Taylor, was besieged liy a large body of Indians, and all wdio could procure lior.ses were reipiired to repair to its relief. This fort was completed in October, iSii, and was located on the east bank rif the Wabash, ;ibo\e the ]ireseiit site of Terrc llanle. Probably not o\-er t\vem\- men went, but llu' hurry and bustle ( d' preparation, the mending nf bridles and saddles, the galhering together of the horses, the grinding of corn in the little hand-mill, the baking of f|u.antities of bread, and other preparations fr)r de|Xirture, caused ,as much anxiety and wakefulness, perhajis, as would the preparation for the march of an entire regiment, .\fter the farewell,* full of forebodings, had lieen hidden, for none knew how mam- would fail to return alive, notliing- was heard of the little hand of warriors for sixteen days, at the end of which lime news came that all had returned safelv to- \'incennes. and two davs afterward ihev marched borne.

luirh' in tlie --prin;; of I1S12, when it was ci mliik'ntK- anlicipaled llial .1 war wiiuKl soon break i«iil l)et\\een (ireal Uritain and the United Stales, a call was made ruiinni; the resident^ <if Maviess cnunt)' fur \(ilnnteers to fis^lil the Indians, h'roni litteen to twents' answered the call, nunc i>f them heads of families, liut all of matm'e aye. They were tn serve fur one year, furnish their own horses and horse feed, one s^ood rille each, with shot-has;, powderhnrn and ammunilion ; une leather helt, one tomahawk, one large Initcher knife and a sni.all knife, from four to lj\'e inches loni; ; antl were to receive as \\aj;es one dollar ])er da\'. Thns mounted and accoutered, they were named "rani^ers." Dm-ins; the time for which the\- were enlisted they were called out main- times, liul reference is here made t(.i only one of these ex- ]jeditiuns, mainly to record the killin,!^; of two more of tie early citizens of Daviess conntx- and, incidentally, to illustrate the superior skill'^hd) cunnint^' of the Indian in desultory warfare. In the hitler part of Septeml.)er, iSi_'. (ieneral Samuel Hopkins was in \'incennes in command (d" ahout twn thousand \dluiiteers. The duty assigned to his command was that of breaking up and destroying the settlements of Indians along the W'ahash and Illinois ri\"ers. The destruction of one Kickapoo town at the head of l.al<e I'c(jria was accomplished, and the mountedl forces relnrned lo \'iricennes, most ol them being discharged on account of refusing lo obey their comm.ander. (leneral Hopkins immediately organized another f(jrce. chielly infantry, to (iperale ag.aiiisl the Indians in the vicinity <if 1 'rophctslown. Acconijianying this exijedilion was a number of I)a\'iess county rangers. The Winnebago town, lyiii.g on Wild Cat creek, one mile from the Wabash river, had been surrounded and found deserted, and (ieneral Hopkins's command, to use his own langna-c, w;is "embark-ed in the complete deslruclion of ihe prophel's town, which bad abonl forly cabins and huts, .and llie large Kickajxio \illage adjoining il on the east side of the river. . . Seven miles east of Us a party of Indians was discovered on Ponce Passu (Wild Cat creek). They had fired on a iiartv of ours on the 21st fSeiitember) and killed a man b\ the name of 1 )nnn, a gallant soldier in C;iptain Duval's company. On the 2Jnd, upward of si\i\- horsemen, under command of I.ieulenant-Colonels Miller ami Wilcox, anxious to bury their comrade, as well as to g;nn a more com])lete kiiowdedge of ihe ground, went on to a point near the Indian encam])menl, fell into an ambush, and eighteen of the ])arty were killed. Wounded ;md missing." Two of those killed in ibis ambuscade.

The country immediately annmd the encampment, a short distance above the present site of I.al-ayette, was linely timliered and to all appearances a body of rich land. Some of the men strayed off from the mam body tor the purpose, as they said, of lonkini;- at the country. While one of these parlies, con.sistinj^- ui three, was out sonie distance from the main body, they were f^red on by the Indians and one of their number w.as killed. Ili.s' name Vas Dunn. ' I'pon the return (.f the two ^urvivors to cam]), sixty men wert^de£a«].vil to bury their dead comra.le, and the men from this part (,f the country' were part of ibis detail. A]iproachin- the s|)..t where the slain man lav, they discovered an Indian mounted on (piite a hue horse. Dnii.]iin- their burial to(,ls, they, in a \ cry tumuKuous maimer, started iu pursuit. The Indian at llrst kept a northeast curse, but .^r.adually inclined to the north until he arrival at the bead of a ravine rnnnin.i; <lirectly west to the Wabash river. He entered the ra\ine, which was ipiite stee]) at the sides, and covered with timber and ihick underbrush. W ben bis pursuers had proceede.l about three hundred yards <lown the hollow, they received a verv hea\v lire < m both Hanks, which added much to their disorder and confusion. -\ !.a-ueral rout ensued, an.l every man who could, made the best of bis wav back U, eamp. Those who eltected an escape had to cut their wav thmu.t^h' the enemy's lines. The next day alm.,st the whole army Weill ..ul tn bury the dead, wh- were f-und much mutilated, and s..me that were rep^'ried missin:,' never were loiind.

The earlv settlers of Davie.ss county were lar-ely from Southern states. ft is estimated that about ,nie-hall of the lir.st settlers were fmni Soutji Carolina and one-fMurth from Kentucky .and Tennessee. H he i.rmcipal inducement that broi^bt these people was that they misht obtain cheap lands an<l establish homes for their families, b'inding a desirable locatiMU in the primitive prairie or the unbroken forest was the first cncern of tlie.se ,..oneers- the next concern, and the most im].ortant, was to hud means ot sub- sistcnce fur tlic family. In the acciiiiplishment of tliis purpo.se it was neces- .'^ary tu use all the ini;einiity and all the means nature had placed within their reach. Tiniher must he cleared and the prairie lands must be broken and all brou.!.iht to a state of cultivation. In that jjcrind of iJaviess county histcjry implements of industry for this kind of work were few, and of a very crude sort. Tlie cabin,s, which served for domiciles were built of round logs. These logs usually were not hewn. The roof was made of clapboards held in place liy poles. Th^ spaces between the logs in the side of the cabin were filled with sticks and clay. The fireplace at one end of the cabin was, of course, indispensable, serving both lieating and cooking- purposes. Square openings for the one door, and probably two windows, were cut in the side of the cabin. Greaseti juiper, instead of glass, was the material used for windows in the primitive cabin, and skins of animals. Avf re' "tis^d for the door (openings. Some of the more pretentious cabins haS^'^lfi^, wfndows antl doors made of sawed lumber; the doors hangin^.^^Iiij:^s,QlSrawhide, with a rawhide latch-string hanging outsicje. The syi\}l1iyni for genuine hospitality, "the latch-string is out," had its origin ffoyi tjn's kind of a door in the jjioneer cabin. The floor, of the primitive cabin generally was of clay, hard ])acked, though some cabins had floors made of puncheon, hewn with the broad-axe antl laid on sleepers.

The First Saw-Mill

The first lumber was made witli the whip-saw^ This kind of a saw continued in use for some time after saw-mills had been introduced. It is generally conceded that James C. V'eale built the first saw-mill in Daviess county, some time between i.So.S and 1810. This mill was located on \^eale's creek, but did not make enough lumber to supply the demand. Slabs from this mill were in great demand for the flooring of cabins, being more desirable for that purpose than the roughly-hewn |)unchcon. \'eale's mill \\as carried away by a freshet, in the spring of 1812, and after a considerable time was re1)ui!t. The second mill of this kind was built, also on \'^eale's creek, by \-Ai Chapman, in 1S15. It was of greater capacity than Veale's mill, furnished more lumber, and continued in operation for a longer time. The third mill was a different design than either of (he two mentioned. The moti\'e ])(j\ver, instead of being waler, consisted of two or three yoke of o.Ken haltered within a tread-nu'll. This ox-mill was located in the town of \\'ashingtiin. and was erected liy William McConnick. 7'he next sawmill cjf the pioneer period was erected in Washington by P>. Duncan, Wil-

Ham and R. C'lraham, ami J. Thompson. This was the first mill to manufacture lumber for export, considerable quantities being shijiped down the river to a mountain market. In the course of a few years steam saw-mills began to be erected and superseded, to a large extent, mills operated by motive power. In the time further back than is within the memory of anyone now living, the lumber Ijusiness was one of the important industries of Daviess county.

The First Grain Mills

The first mills to grind both corn and wheat were turned Iw hand. Richard Palmer is creditetl with having i)een llie pioneer in the erection and of a, .mill of this kind in Daviess county. Dis mill was ])uilt on I*almers-.preek,'';mj.l^t'^d.afterwar(l owned by William McCluskey. This tnill was e(|uipped ,with a^olHng api)aratus and other facilities for the manufacture of a fairly . goocTartide of dour, for those times. Another mill was built on thisiifhie creek, on the Hawkins farm, by William Hawkins. Roth of these mills were built, it is said, in iSi6. The Palmer mill was built of rcjiuul logs, without chinking, which made it a rather uncomfortable place in wdiich to do liusiness in cold weather. The Hawkins mill was neatly built of hewed logs and was much more convenient and comfortable. The oldfashioned tub wheel was used in both these mills, the tub wheel embodying substantially the same principle as the turliine wheel of modern times. The capacity of each of these mills was about two and one-half bushels the hour. While they were both equipped for the manufacture of llonr and corn-meal, the latter product was most in demand. Very little ilom- was used by the pioneer families. WHieat bread was regarded as a luxury, only to be indulged in, if at all, on special occasions. Corn-meal was the staff of life; corn bread, the corn-dodger, the hoc-cake, the jnhnny-cakc, as made by the tlirift\' housewife of those times, being the food that furnished the brawn and muscle for the men who cleared the forest and culti\atc(l the fields in the early days of Daviess county.

The question of securing houses in which to live, and the food necessary to sustain life, was not the most perplexing problem of the pioneers. Houses easily could be built, sufficiently stable tf) afford shelter for the family, from material with which the forest abounded. Food for the family was produced

.All the fahric for clotln'ng, from the materi.al from which the fahric was made, was made h\- the wonien. I,inse\'-woii]sey, as it was called, was the idmmon cloth from which Wdinen's dresses wei-e made. The chain oi this cloth was of coarse cotton, and the lilling of wool. lihie, turke\'-red and copperas, were the faxorite colors id' this rather fantastic cloth. The loom was a necessary article of furniture; as necessary as were the hcd and diningtahle. The loom and the spinning wheel of that day filled the place of the piano and jihonograph of the ])resent day.

Another difficulty experienced hy the jiioneer farmer was in the preparation <if the grcnind for seed; as the plow, harrow, and other farm implements.

were iieitlier so comiiKin nor su perfect as they are at present. Tlnw-irons, liues, niattncks and similar iinplenieiils were limus^ht here fmni tlieir nri.i^'inal hunies liy the settlers, and hy dint of ingeninty and hard wnrk the latter managed to stock them, i>v furnish the nece.s^ary woiulen parts to lit lliem ii>r the iises intended. The wonden parts were made fmni ,t;reen timher, w nrked intii the desired shape li\' the liro.ad-axe and drawdonfe, the ilejiendahle tnols uf the mechanic ni tlmse times. Th.e implements thus made were nnwield_\- and unsha])e!v. hut ser\ice rather than shape was the point aimed at.

The hrst and c/nh thrashin.i;-machine made in Daxiess county, according;- to an old historical authority, was in\ented and huilt hy James and William Thompson, in what was known as tlie McT.aL^.gari liarn, a huildius.; thirty hy forty feel in size. Thirty feet of the west vw\ of the harii was used for tlie horse-])ower. liorse-])o\ver was a large dm ing-w heel, si.xteeii leet in diameter, wit{CJea:fi'nji and helting, h\- which the thrasher and cleaner were propelledf T^ie cyltiidi- of the thr;ishiiiL; part id' this machine was a wooden shaft, three'X^t long,' IU^>viug on an iron a.xle. l''rom each end ol this wooden -iKi^irojected eight arin-^, to the outer ends of whicli eight ril)s were fastened. Tlie rihs were laced with heavy h.iop-iron, and as this cylinder, or reel, revoked, the sheaves of wheal were ivil into it through rollers, and thus the grain was lieaten <iut of the straw. The grain was .separated from the straw hy passing into a hopper, through a wire grating, three feet wide and six feet long, fixed in the lloor, the straw heing i)assed out of an up])er window in the harn. h'rom the hopper, the grain was fed to the cleaner as fast as thrashed. Two horses were reiptired to run this machine, and it rc(|nired six hands - three men and three hoy.s - to perform the necessary labor. The thrashing of one hundred hu-,liels of wheat was considered a good day's work for this outfit. The first portahle thrashingmacliine was introduced hy a Mr. I'arsoiis. 'fhis was a four-horse-power machine, with a center gearing-wheel, ilriving a shaft which operated an iron c\linder hv which the grtiin was thrashed out. 'I'o the center driying-wheel were attached four arms, or shafts; t(j the outer end of each of these arms one of the four horses was hitched; the>e horses. mo\ ing in a circle, tlie wheel was maile to go around. .\ driver stood on a ])l;\tforni oyer the driying-wheel in the center, and it was hi- duty to see that the horses kej)! uKwing. This machine only tlirashed the wheat; the sheayes heing fed into the cylinder, the grain, .straw and chaff all coming out in a i)ile togetiier. The man witli the rake separated the straw from the wheat and the chaff', as it c;ime from the machine, and the fanning-mill, operated hy han(k did the rest. P.ecau.se of the manner of its operati(/n, this machine \vas known as the "straw- piler," by the people of that period. Some of the citizens of Daviess county can measure a memory of thrashint^'-machines from the "straw-piler" age, to that of tlie "cyclone" thresher, operated by steam power. The improvement in farming- imjilements, farm machinery and methoils of farming, has kept pace with the imjiroxed facilities in e\'ery other industrial vocation, for the past scventy-hve years; and tiie farmers of Da\'iess county have kept fully abreast of the times.

.Section i. He it enacted hy the (k-neral Assemhly of the Stale of Indiana. 1dial from and after the 13th d;iy nf I'ehruarv next all thai |)art of the ciiiintv <>\ Knox which is contained within the follin\ing linundary shall constitute and fcirm ;i new count)', \'iz ; llegiiming at the fork's of While river, rurining thence with the east fork- (>\ White ri\er to the month (jf Lick creek; thence with -aid creek lu the line nf ( )range cnunl) : thence nnrth with the said line in where it -irikes the west hranch nf White ri\er, ihence dnwii the said \\e>t forl^ lo the place ni hcL^inning.

nature or kind asscssetl or which may be assessed previous to the said 15th day of l'"eljrnary, or now due, or which may hcconie due before that time within (lie bounds of the said new county, shall be collectetl in the same manner and by the same officers as if the aforesaid new county liad never been enacted.

Section 3. That William Bruce ami Henry Ruble, of the county of Knox; David Rol)b and William Harker, of the county of (Jibson, and Thomas Fulton, of the county of Orange, be, and they are hereljy appointed commissioners to fix the seat of justice f(jr said county of Daviess; and the several sherififs of the counties of Knox, Gibson and Orange shall notify the said commissioners of their said appointments; and the said sheriffs shall receive from the said county of Daviess so much as the county court of said county of Daviess shall decree just and reasonable, who are herebv authorized to allow the same out (jf any nidiiey^ in the county treasury^ not otherwise apiiropriated ; and the said commissioners shall on the first Atonday of .March, next, meet at the house of Alexander Bruce, <>f said^ounty.r'and shall immediately proceed to estalilish the seat of justice for said couiity of Daviess; and until suitable public buildings be erected, so as to accommodate the courts aforesaid, the said courts shall meet at the house of said Alexander Bruce, and shall then adjourn the said court to the courthouse, after which time the said courts for the county of Daviess shall be holden at the countv seat as aforesaid established: Provided, that the agent or person appointed by law to lay off the town and sell the lots at the seat of justice of the county of Daviess, shfll! reserve ten jier centum out of the ])roceeds of the sale of the town lots, and shall jiay the same over t(j such ])erson as shall be ap])ointed to receive it by law, for the use of the jiublic library for .said countv, in such installments, and at such times, as shall be prescribed by law.

Section 3. 'fliat the said cunnty of Daviess shall constitute and form a [uirt of the repre.seiuati\ e aiul senatorial district for the counl\- of Kiiux.

Tliis ciiuiity \v;iN naineil in liDiinr nf faplaiii Joseph IT. ^)avie^s. who was a hra\A' and iiilrc|ii(l soliher. lie was killed earl}' <ni the nioriiiny of Novenilier 7, iSii, while leading;- his men in a desperate eharf,'e in the hattle of Tippecanoe. The state of Illinois also named one uf its counties after this pioneer hero-warrior, this latter county appearins; on the map as To Daviess county.

Daviess county, Indiana, when llrst formed, contained all of its jiresent territory and also all of ?\fartin county, except that |)iirtion lyinj:;- south of Tick creek; all of (Jreene county, east of the west fork of White river, and all of Owen county, east of the west fork of White river. At the time of its enaction Daviess county was .'diout fifty-seven miles in length and in its t^reatest width ab6ut ttjirty-one miles. It is now twenty-ei.<;iit miles in len,!:;th, from north to south, ajad in width eighteen miles.

The organizing slieriff of Daviess county was Ohed Flint, who was commissioned hj'-'the governor of the state and authorized to e;ill an election for the selection of county ofticials. I'he sheril'f performed his dnt\- hv selecting the day and i)asting notices for the first election held in this countv. On the appointed day, which was in h'ehruary, 1817, the electors of the county met at their several ])olling places ami elected William P.alknv, lohn Aikman and Rphraim Thompson, county commissioners; William II. Routt, Tames G. Kead, associ;ite judges; Kmanuel A'anTrees, clerk of the hoard of conunissioners and ex-olllcio clerk of the circm't court.

Two persons from Knox county, two from riihsun count}' and one from Orange county \\ere mnitioucil \)y n.uue in the act enacting the county, to scr\'c as commissioners to select a site for the county seat. Onlv two of them, howe\er, laid a claim for their scr\-ices in this cajjacit}', namely : William Itrnce and Henry Rnhle. If the others ]ierformed the office assigned them, no record is extant to that effect. He that as it may, Emanuel \'anTrees and I'eter Wilkins donated to the newly- formed county tliirty-seven and onehalf acres of land for a count}' seat, and on the 17th clay of March, 1817, the hoard of commissioners ordered that iMuannel V'anTrees "shall sur\ev the land gi\en as a donation for the count\' seat." On the iStli, the hoard "proceeded to lay out the town and ordered the survey, and called the name

The lores^uins^ ([Udtalions were taken from tlie minute^ of the bnard n\ coniniissioners, the original entries heing in the handwriting nf lunanuel V'anTrees, and it is of reeoril that when the seat of jusliee was laitl off and I)latle(l it was given the name it al\\a)s has borne. I'rexious to this e\'ent, however, the town of Lixerpuul was laid out and platted in the fall of 1813, hy Isaac Galland, David Idnra and ( ieorge Curtis, the same heing a tract of land containing forty-nine and si.\teen hundredths acres. The plat of the town is thus described in the Kuo.v county records, the land then being jjart and jjarcel of that county:

"A plan of the town of Li\-erpool, in Indiana Territory, as laid out in the fork's of White ri\-er, in Knox count)', l)y Isaac (ialland, George Curtis and I )a\id l'"l(jra. It contains one hundred and eight5T6ij®lots, each one being sixty feet in width and one hundred twenty fe^t in length^'each street sixty feet wide, to remain open and comimin higljw.Tfs forever. yi^ots hi. 'ij. hT,. '14, yj, 98 and 99 to form a public s(|uare, to remain f^ the beneht of the jniblic forever." Adjoining this slri]) of lots on the north the town of Washington was laid out: immediately Li\'erpool lost its identity and was henceforth known and designated as Washingttin.

The hrst building in which court was held in Dax'iess count}' antl wliich by courtesy became known as "the court house," was a log structure, the home of Alexander iJruce. This ]jrimiti\e and lem[)orary temple of justice stood on the southeast corner of Main and Second streets and was used Ijy the county for court piu-poses from .\pril Ji, 1817, until i8_'3, when the lirst court hon-c bmll b\' the couiUy was linished.

ill May, 1818, the board of counts' commissioners asked lor plans to I>e snbnultcd for a court house, \\hich was designed to be two stories in height, tlnrt\-li\e by forty-tive feet, ground dimension, cd" brick ci.inslrnction. (For full details of ])lans see chapter on Political History, under early proceedings of the board of commissioners.) James (i. Jvead. an associate judge and prominently identified with the county's early history, was awarded the contract for tlie sum of two thousand nine hundred seventy-nine dollars, hut did not turn the linished work over to the county until se\eral V'cars had ela]ised.

tliu l>uikliii,y was j)artially C(jnipk'lL'(l a _\-(.'ar latur. l!iil, by reason of various causes aiul excuses, tliis niuch-needecl ol'ticial l)uililiu_i; was not ready for occupancy wlicn the }ear i<Sj4 rolleil an.iund, six years after the laving of the founiiatioii. One reason for ihe delay was pr(/hahly the cxtrcinelv low condition of the c<iunty treasury and the [nihlic credit. In the \-ear last mentioned, a contract was let [o the lowest l)idder for furnishin.iL;' the court house and in the followin,^ year the liuildin^' was occupicrl. Hut in order to complete the work the lio.ird uf commissioners |iermitled a subscription [laper to be circulated, by which means a small amount oi money was secured for the ])ur[)ose. The inducement held out lo subscribers to the court house liuildini,^ fund was the promised remission it\ taxes eipial to ilie amount of each individual subscription. The structure stood <in the "public scjuare," donated for the purpose, a^a^jeach of its successors.

'J"he county's initial attempt at Ijuikhni; a court house did not jirox'e a yery Ikitteriui; success. There alwaws seemed to be .--omething wrong with the structure and llie roof had a chronic habit of leaking. It was an incon- \'enient, uncomfortable, cheerless box of a concern, to say the least; and not many years after its occupancx' the need of a belter and more commodious place for the coiuuy's oliices, sale receptacles for the count\' records and actions, and a light, air\' and habitable conrtrocjui, became apparent. In January, JN33, Jcjhn Murphy, (ieoj-ge Roddick', Daniel McDonald, George A. Waller, J'arton I'eck, James Whitehead and John X'auTrees, were apjiointed a committee to report on the a(l\'isal)ility of building a new coui"t house. This committee was ])ractically uu.animous in facor of the proposition and so repoi'ied it> deliberations to the boai'd. Thercupou, John X'anTrecs, P,arton ik'ck and James Hraza. in Maw ap]Kpinlcd a commillce to superintend the work of constructing the new cnurt house in contemplation. .\(l\-ertisements a|)|)earecl in the newspaper, calling for bids for the contract, to follow plans and s])ecilications already pre])ared, but the actual work was delayed. In September, 1837, the il'asliiiuj/oii I'hilaii/ln a/^ist contained a call for iiids I'or constructing the Ijuildings and in Noyeml)er of that year the committee was instructed by the board to ])rocee(l without further dela\-. and was authorized to borrow one thousand dollars or one thousand fiye hundred dollars for the purjiose. Contracts were let, Lewis Jones taking the l)rick and stone work, ami the lirm of W'hitehead & llerry, the woodwork-. Jones complied with Ins contract and turned oyer the tiuished ])rodnct in NovemJK-r, 1N38, for wliicli lie was paiil tlic sum of three tliousaiul seven luuKlred seventy-six dollars and twenty-tive cents. Not so with Whitehead & Berry, who failed to meet their ohligations. Their sureties were finally called upon to "make good," hut the county was not ahle to occupy the huilding until late in the year 1841. Even then the officials were not properly hupplied with office furniture and apparatus, and most of what they did have was borrowed from the ;\leth(jdist clun-ch, in which latter edifice the county officials had fomid shelter while the new court house was in the coin-se of construction.

As early as the year 1868, the h(jard of comnfissioners, having in \'ie\v the cunstruction of a modern and expensive building fo&tcoiifity offices and the courts, began to levy a small tax as the nucleus olaiJ^uilding^ fund. On the first day of June, 1869, this fund aiuuunted to $,:;,i6^2.S2; June' i, 1870, $9,130.57; June 1, 1871, $10,078.41 ; June i, ILS7J, $14,580.88; --Jtlhe 1, 1876,

In the nidnth of September, 1873, by a concerted movement of citizens, tile need and desirabilit)' of a new cniu't house were brought to the attention of the board of ccmnty commissioners, which led to the ai)])ointment by that - body of Matthew L. I'rett, I-iichard N. I'^ead and Josejih (i. Thompson, as a committee lu mature ])]ans f^r a building lh;U wmild meet the re(|uirenients of the cuiuitv and alsd harmonize with the wislies and tastes of the commuifits' generallv; at the same time keeping in mind the financial capacity of the cijunty, and the stale o\ the trerisurw .\ small apprnpriatinn was made lo defray ex])enses uf the ccmimitlee in visiting x-arimis h.icalities and inspecting court houses in the state, but the contract fur the building was not awarded until earh- in llu- vear 1877, the contracting fu-m of .Mctfornnck »S: .'>\\eeiic\- ln.-ing the succes>ful bidders (I. .\. Kunling w.as selected as the archi- Icct and superiiUendent of the work'.

As soon as the weather became favorable, in the spring of 1878, excavation for the Infilding commenced anil by the end of the year the structure was under roof and nearing completion. To meet the financial needs of contractor and superintendent and to pay for material, the county was forced to place bonds to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars on the market, but before the year had begun to grow old the court house was finished and occul)ied. In the spring of 1878 a two-thousand-ponnd bell was placed in the tower of the building, at a cost of one thousand five hundred and twenty-five dollars, the i)resent, beautiful and substantial temple of justice standing as a

Splendid niunumtnt to the excellent business capacity and judgment of the coiuity's public officials. Taking the material of which it is constructed and the workmanship employed, the building could not today be put up in the same workmanlike manner for double the cost, which was eighty-eight thousand twenty-one dollars and fifteen cents, not including the bell.

County Jails

A detailed descri|jtion of the plans for the first county jail erected in Washington in iSd), is set (jiit in one of the succeeding chapters of this volume. The first move by the board of commissioners in the relation was made in May, iSic;, when ]ilans, s])ecifications and bids were asked for l)y the board f(ir a jail building. The structure was to be built of logs, to be eighteen by twenty-eight feet in dimensions, two stories high, walls one foot thick and to contaiii"^a criminals' room and a debtors' room. The contract was let to .-\ai"(Tn b'reeland and le^se I'urcell for one tlirmsand and ten dollars, and aiH'iirding to agreement the jail was turned over to the board in :\ finished condition in December, iSio. It stood on the corner of tlie tract ol land now occupied by llu' court house, which was carK' known as the public sr|iiare.

The records do not st;ile how the county jail JKqjpened to get in the way (jf fire and was destroyed. lUit that is neither here nor there. The building was IcAeleil to the ground by fire in iN_>(j aiul for some time thereafter the clerk of the bixird. in malting up his minutes, tjfteii mentioned the bastile as "the late count\' jail."

The lo^^ of this public institution was ipiite serious. .Mthough ilie cili.'.ens of W asbingioii and iIic county generally were law-ai)iding and peaceloN'ing. still llie same could not be said of all. There were unruly ones. Wliiskv was oiil\- worth .about twenty cents a gallon and a good many people made daih' use of the stiilT thai both cheers and inebriates. Horse-racing, bull-baiting, cock-fighting, gambling .and other intensix'e amusements were quite rife in those callow days of Dax'iess county, and now and then hilarity degenerated into misdemeanors .and sometimes crime. The need of a ])lace to incarcerate the unruh' and law-defying citizens, therefore, went without serisous question and the county found itself absolutely compelled to furnish a successor to "the late jail." This necessarily found exjiression in the action -of the board of justices when, in January, 1830, that august body let and

Da\iess county huilt, at different jjerinds, two \n'^ jails, small affairs, one ol which was destroyed Iiy lire and the nther, a^ the coiuny increasetl its population and malefact(jrs hecanie more numerous, was found inadei|uate and ohholete. I'"ach buildint;' was ]iro\'ided with a room tor that cla>s of dehtcjrs who either were unahle or unwilliui;- to meet their ol)li,!,'ations and, by reason thereof, were liable to imprisonment until their debts were canceled or compromised. Happily, the law under which unfortunates of this class were deprived o\ iheir libert)- long since has been abolished ^d no "debtor's room" lii^ures in modern plans for county jails in the j^rcit commonwealth 'of Indiana.

The count)- baslile, built of 1o.l;s in i8_:;(j, which lasted until the year 1N59, stood on the northwest corner of the public s(juare. The i|nestion of replaciiii^' this crude structure with one of i^reater dimensions and more substantial material was considered by the board in the year last mentioned above. Matthew L. Brett and .Andrew .Martin were a])])ointed by the board as a committee to prepare plans and pei"f(jrm other pertinent duties, amon^' which was the letting of the contr.act for the proposed impro\'ement. Following instruction, this committee presented designs for the jail and aw'arded the l>uilding ccjutract to the firm of Kichards & Harris, for the sum of fi\'e ihousand two hundred twenty-nine dollars. To finance the undertaking the board appropriated the sum of se\eu thousand dollars. Thom.as V. llaker put in the iron \\-ork for the cells and when the structiu-e was turned over to (he board in its linished state, 1 )eceiuber _', 1 Soo, the ap]iropriation had been consumed.

In the vear 1883, the board of county commissioners issued twenty-live thousaiul dollars in bonds, to secure the means wherewith to erect a combined jail and turnkey's residence that would meet the requirements of that period and several future generations. These bonds were arranged in series and t)f different denominations. They sold at a iiremium, which indicates the splendid financial condition of the county at that time. Brentwood 'J'olan, of Fort Wayne, was selected as the architect and, although not the

In all coniinunilies under ci\ il i.;n\ernmenl it i^ necessary ami obligatorv to pr(j\ide way^ and means for the care and CMinTort of the unfurtunate citizens, who are incapacitated h\' disease, ph_\'sical (jr mental deformities or the ravages of tinie.V .S(jme time h;id elapsed after l)a\iess county had gatheredWell alongWi its way in gniwth and pr.iNperity, before the antlmrities were called ii])on fur assistance by a helpless ..r indigent ])ers(.n. Wiieii the time came in which it was apparent that public assistance to the needy was nievitahlc. certain perxms in the community, willing and trustworthy, were empowered h_\' the trustees of the townships to render assistance to worthy n.iendicants, in the way of food an<l shelter, h'or the lirst three years of the county's existence the expense in this relation was negligible. In iS:;3, the amount of money expended throughout the cijimty in |)uh]ic charities only reached the sum of two hundred and fifty d(.illars. Hut the system of jiroviding lor the poor was incomeiiieiil and unsatisfactory, so that, in March, 1841, the board of justices issued bids for the sale to the county of a tract of land, to contain either forty or eighty acres of land. A committee made uj) of jo.seph Warner, Samuel K'eko and Abner Davis, was appointed in June, i,X|j, lo t'xamine several tr;icts of land (.ffered for sale and after coiisideralioii, the hoard purchased eighty ;icres, three and one-half miles south of Washington, in section i_|, \'eale township, the jirice being two iiuiidred and eighty ilollars. Half <if the farm was secured of l)a\id Hogshead and the (.ither "forty" of l^ewis Jones.

On tiie county f;irin when purchased were a small Iiouse and barn. William 'f. W;illace and John Risho]) were selected as a committee to sii])erintend the construction of other neces.sary buildings, but if any were put up no record of the f.-ict has been made. Willi;im Ilarlin was a])|)oinled su])erintendent of the infirmary and, in i<S43, |u- m;maged the farm and the two inmates of the newdy-erected eleemosynary institution. Hamlet .Saiiford ;ind hiseph Allison were selecteil as the "visitors," or inspectors and, while in the peryO DAVIESS COUNTY, INDIANA.

furniance of their onerous duties, the "\isitors" found three inmates on tlie farm in 1S45. ^^^^ superintendent reported for the hseal year 1846-7 that the institution's expenses amounted to four hundred ninety-two dollars and six cents, in 1848 Dr. Samuel W. h'eck was appointed county physician.

John Jones was the superintendent in 1853 '^^'I'-l was under contract to niaintam the inmates at one dollar and thirty-hve cents each per week and have the use of the farm. There is nothing to show what profit jVlr. Jones made out of this contract or whether any of the inmates were able to walk at the end of the year. However, the old farm, by the year 1864, proved a failure in serving its purpose and was sold to Thomas Cunningham for one thousand dollars. Another place, containing one hundred acres, situatetl in section 12, Washington township, was bought of John iMcCarey, for which three thousand ti\'e hundred ilollars was jjaid. J.aler, different tracts of land were added to the farm which now contains two hundred and forty-four acres, a [jart of which lies in section 13, and valued at forty thousarid dollars.

That structure stands today and is performing the duties for which it originally was inleiided, although saill\- out nf date in it.i arraiigemeut and appiiiutnu'iits. Some niiimr impro\eiiieiits lia\'e been made to the farm in recent \cars, but nothing 'i\'cr which the county parlicularb- exults.

(juill W'hile, the present superintendent of the I )a\ie--s cnunl\' infirmary, in hi-. r(])nrl fur the \'ear n;i4, stated that the farm's receipts for that )'ear to two tbou^and li\x' hundred sixty-nine dollar-^ and thirty-three cents, and the aninunt disbursed was three thousand fwi^ Imndrecl tweiitxiiMir dollar^ and liitN'-lbree cents.