Delaware County, Indiana - Chapter 3: William Jj Ackson's Narrative of Pioneer Incidents. - Harness-Shop, 1881

a I came here, which was in the year 1835, the town presented then, and a few years after, about the following appearance : On the northeast corner of Walnut and Washington streets, the present site of the post office, John Brady kept a harness-shop. The building fronted to the west on Walnut street. It was a frame, one story high, with a very low ceiling, and about, say, 16x24 feet in dimensions. Itwas weather-boarded and very much weather-beaten; inside

"On the northwest corner of Walnut and Washington streets, was an open space of about twenty or twenty-five feet. Immediately to the north of this -space stood an old, dilapidated brick building, unoccupied, at that time nearly in ruins. It fronted on Walnut street also, and. was one story high. The vacant corner, above described, had no fence That corner is the present site of the Muncie National Bank.

"West on Washington street, from the corner and immediately adjoining this vacant space on the west, was a one-story frame building, badly weather-beaten. Its front faced the south, had a door in front, and one window with shutters.' Further west, and on the corner of the alley, stood a story and a half frame building, in which Moses Neely lived, at that time keeping a few boarders, students who were attending the Seminary, then located 'out in the country,' the present site of the West End School Building, on West Jackson street. West, on the other side of the alley, stood a small frame building, occupied, I believe, by aman named Osborn, as a dwelling-house. The building was .a one and a half story, and stood a little way back from the street. It had ventilators over the windows and doors - fan-shaped - peculiar to the architecture of that day, and painted green. I think there were a door and two windows below and one above. From this point west to the corner, a row of frame shanties was located, in one of which, about where Dr. Budd has his dental office, Dr. Clark's office was situated. He was one of the practitioners of that day, and had a good practice. The corner lot, however, was vacant. .

"On the northwest corner of High and Washington streets was a vacant lot, -but shortly after I came, and between 1845 and 1847, Job Swain built the present building, now occupied as a pump-shop by Smell & Puckett. The house was built for a residence and occupied by him for a number of years.

'On the southwest corner of the same streets was located a dwellinghouse, in which John Barnes, a brother of William, resided. On the west side of High street, south of Washington, the present site of the marble-shop, was an old, dilapidated dwelling-house, a small one-story frame, which was finally moved away. .

side of it being vacant. The court house was a two-story frame building, with its gable facing the street. It had two doors and four windows in the front, six*windows in the upper story. The timbers in it were all hewed and put together with wooden pins. - When I saw it first, it was getting very much dilapidated, the floors and timbers getting out of place. When I had been here some time, it took fire, and we all turned out and worked, as for our lives, to put it out, which we succeeded in doing. Afterward, however, reflecting on our foolishness, we wondered why we had been so anxious to save it - it was a nuisance and should have been torn down.

the finest buildings in the town at that time. It was built in the autumn. of 1845, and oceupied as a dry-goods and grocery store. On the southeast corner was a row of old frame buildings. Dr. Samuel P. Anthony occupied the one on the corner as a grocery store and doctor's office. Next to this, and east on Main street, was a one-story frame, standing by itself ; next beyond was Martin Galliher's store. This was on the present site of Hayne's dry-goods store ; it was then a brick, two stories high ; it has since been remodeled. The building and lot are still oceupied, the property of M. Galliher. Part of the time during Mr. Galliher's mercantile transactions, he occupied the second story of this building as a residence This was over what is nowused as a millinery store.

"This brings us tothe alley. Immediately across the alley, to the east, was located aone-story frame, occupied as a dry-goods store, by James Hodge, who, having just purchased a stock of goods of Dr. Anthony, moved in about the time I came here. The next building, and adjoining this, was a two-story-frame, built and formerly occupied by John Marshall as a tavern, but at this time occupied by Ellsroth & Taylor. Immediately west of this was a vacant space, and east, a little one-story frame, occupied at this time, I think, as a gunsmith-shop, or, perhaps, a shoeshop. It was the smallest of all the buildings in that vicinity, had a very low ceiling and was probably not more than 10x15 feet square. Next to this, and on the corner, the present site of the opera house,

Main street, extending back a long distance on Walnut street. A man named Harvy had astore there, and the corner was afterward popularly known as Harvy's Corner. The balance of the building facing on Walnut street was used for dwelling-houses.

'On the southeast corner of Walnut and Main was located the then famous Central Hotel, kept by Jo Dayis, and afterward known as 'Jo Davis' Corner.' This point is now the site of the Patterson Block. The original building had been erected by Minus Turner before I came. It was a two-story brick, and had an entrance on Walnut street, where there was a hall leading up a flight of stairs. There was also an entrance on Walnut street, immediately on the corner, and another just around the corner on Main street. These two last led into the bar-room. Next east, on Main street, was an entrance into the parlor, or sitting-room.

came here, and he atid Mr. Kirby were keeping storeinit. This building is yet standing, and is occupied by Lyman & Whippo as a store, and is about the same in general appearance as it was then. The roof, however, has been changed from a hip-roof to a double pitch, with some interior changes. This is among the last of Muncie's old buildings now standing, and among the first erected. ._In a short time it must be taken away to make room for a more commodious building. "Next, north of the Willard building, on Walnut street, was a row of one-story frames, extending down to the alley, and were occupied as shoe-shops, tailor-shops, ete. The one adjoining the alley stood back some fifteen feet from the street. There was a frame building, one story in height, located on the north side of the alley, and was occupied by a Mr. Lockwood. Beyond this, to the north, were two business rooms, one of them occupied by Ed Keasby as a hat store. He was a hatter by trade and manufactured hats. Further along was another one-story frame building, occupied by James Martin as a drug store. Then came the old building on the corner, the same building standing there now. . Coffeen had a store there for a short time. Twoor three years after I came here, Theodore Riley put a stock of clothing in it. 'Immediately to the west of the court house, and on the public , square, stood the old jail and Sheriff's residence combined, the jail | occupying the south end and the residence the north. The whole was | built of brick, two stories high. The jail was made of logs, laid up tight, hewed, and surrounded with brick; the second story was the debtor's room, ete. The jail was very insecure, and many escapes were

"The public square was not inclosed. At the southwest corner, and in the street some fifteen feet, stood a fine, large elm tree, the last of the forest growth, which was probably left on account of its beauty and luxurious shade. The farmers used to hitch and feed their horses under its boughs, and people used to gather there and sit and talk

" About where the west end of Wysor & Kline's mill now stands, was then located a woolen-mill (possibly a little further west, near the north end of Franklin street, about where the race puts into the river). The building and contents were burned some time in the year 1851. It was a large frame structure, and four stories high, built by Goldsmith Gilbert, before I came to the county. It was run by him up to the time of his death. John Marshall subsequently married his widow, and was operating the factory when I came, doing a good business, carding wool, ete. During the conflagration, the entire town was lighted up (the fire being at night). On the site of the Kirby House a newspaper was easily read, as related by a man who was lying sick in the tavern.

"'The post office was situated on the corner of Main and Jefferson streets, immediately to the east of the Kirby House. The entrance was on Jefferson street, and a small space in the hallway of the building, about 4x8 feet, did service for the office. There was just room enough for four or five persons at a time, and when a rush occurred the citizens had to bide their time. There were about from thirty-six to forty boxes of very rude make. Keasby was the Postmaster.

"On the 17th of June, 1852, there was a grand railroad celebration here, made-in honor of the completion of the Bellefontaine Railroad from Indianapolis to Muncie. A train of cars was made up here, and run down to Indianapolis and back. The cars were open flat cars, and had been provided with plank seats, etc. A large crowdof people came in from points on the line between Indianapolis and Muncie.. Before they arrived, however, and during their stay, a very heavy rain set in, which somewhat dampened their clothes and bodies, but not their ardor, as the celebration was a very enthusiastic one. Many were soaked through and through, and the ladies and children presented a sad and ludicrous sight. - little interruption. The building and completion of the road was theprincipal theme of conversation. Old farmers, especially, when learning the cost per mile, would shake their heads in doubt as to its ever paying. When the county made the appropriation of $12,000, it was considered an enormous sum, and was thought by some to be very impolitic. Prior to the completion of the road, the wheat, corn, etc., were hauled over the roads to Cincinnati, and there disposed of very frequently at from 50 cents to 60 cents per bushel. Pork was hauled there, also, and, in one instance at least, was sold as low as from $1.50 to $2 per hundred. After the completion of the road, Muncie took a new start. Additions were laid off, business houses were erected, and new wagon roads were opened, while old ones began to improve. The main object, then, among the citizens and farmers, was to make the highways passable to the points on the railroad. From that time on, marked improvements were made every year. Populations incredsed, and the slow growth of years was outdone in almost a few months, or at least in a very few years, comparatively speaking. People began to improve their property; the streets and walks were made passable; shade trees and evergreens, etc., began to be set out here and there. All the people felt that Muncie would soon be a rival town, nay,acity. All classes of improvements, from this time forward, were better and more stable. The town began to improve and puton metropolitan airs and small, low ceiling, a one-story frame, with a room partitioned off in the rear. In this room Rouser kept a barrel of whisky, and, not having any authority under the law to retail the ' stuff,' he permitted his friends - who were numerous - to help themselves, which they usually did, leaving the money on the head of the barrel, and took their 'swig,' without any invitation, and leaving without any compensation to Rouser. The frequency of this kind of visit reduced the gauge of the barrel and shortened the purse of Rouser, who, in a fit of desperation, consulted Dr. Anthony, hard by. A prescription from the doctor, properly administered by Rouser, made his customers fewer, but raised the profits on the next barrel. Some of the older citizens yet living will remember this circumstance, as well as Rouser, who, by the way, was nicknamed after an itinerant auctioneer, who traveled through this part of the country in and about this time (1835-36), whose peculiarity was in his method of displaying his goods on hooks attached to his arms in various ways and places. 'Rouser Bill,' as he was familiarly known, was always welcomed here, as he was a small circus, and drew admiring crowds, whom he never failed to entertain with the latest joke or yarn.

"On the present site of the Little Block, and immediately to the east of the corner, next and adjoining the corner building, was a onestory frame building, standing back from the street, a distance of five or seven feet. The eave of this building faced Main street. In this house, when I came in 1835, J. C. Osborn taught a subscription school. Next to this building, on the east, was located a small frame building, occupied by Charles Rickard as a wagon-shop. Hast of this, on the alley, was then situated Lawrence Waters' blacksmith-shop, he having succeeded Thomas 8. Neeley in that business, subsequently as a wagonshop also.

-Huntington, Ind., by way of Granville, Hartford City, ete. The mail was carried by my brother, Frank Jackson. The route, of course, was through woods, and the road was very poor, having been but recently laid out. This mail was carried on horseback. There was also a horse mail from Muncie to Connersville, via Newcastle. My recollection is that this was at that time once, or may-be, twice, a week. William P. Williams had the contract, but I don't remember vho carried the mail. This was in about 1846. 'There was also mail by hack about three times a week, to Richmond, Ind. This route was a very important one, as it connected with the mails both ways on the National road at Centerville. It was the principal outlet to the east, and offered good facilities for both mail and passenger accommodations.

"Some years ago, an old man who had traveled over a considerable portion of the country, related to me and others that at avery early day a small number of soldiers, United States Regulars, passed through or near Muncie, on their way north to re-enforce some of the Generals operating, perhaps, 'in the vicinity of the Maumee of the Lakes. He said there were about one company of them, or more; that they crossed the river at this point over the 'old ford,' and passed to the northward over the prairie immediately north of town.

"The old Indian village and. graveyard stood on the north bank of _White River, a short distance to the westward of the bridge, on the Muncie and Granville pike. When I came here, many distinct features of the graveyard, were still visible. The graves, in many instances, were surrounded with pens, or poles piled around them. Many skeletons were exhumed, and a number of skulls have been preserved. South of the town, on the farm of Charles Mansfield, in the southwest quarter of Section 27, a short distance below the creek, is a small mound. <A few years ago, Mr. Mansfield made an excavation in this mound, for a cellar, over which to build his present dwelling-house. In making this excavation, a number of bones were exhumed. The tradition is, that some soldiers were buried here. | But itis more probable that this mound and the remains found therein were those of the ancient Mound Builders, who, at a remote period, inhabited this local- 'ity.| At the east end of the city, between the saw-mill on Main street and my residence, was a private burying-ground, where a number of

"An old Indian trace was visible when I came. Its direction was generally to the north. I remember of seeing the rotten and decayed corduroy which had been put into it by the early settlers, as this evidently was their only road from Muncie, north. The point where I saw the corduroy was in Hamilton Township, where I lived at that time. It crossed Mud Creek, near the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of Section 10. It was very circuitous, and wound around through the timber and around the swamps and swails. IJ don't remember any other points of interest on the road.