Gibson County, Indiana - Chapter 4: Organization of Gibson County, 1914

Chapter 4: Organization of Gibson County

In the beginning all was a wilderness. This wilderness was situated in the Northwest Territory. In 1784 this part of the American republic was ceded to the United States ijy Virginia. It remained a vast empire, as it were, by itself. The state of Indiana was organized April 19, 1816, and the following June adopted its first constitution. Gen. Arthur St. Clair was first governor of Indiana Territory; William H. Harrison, governor from 1800 to 18 1 2, and Thomas Posey from 1812 to 1816. The first governor of the state of Indiana was Jonathan Jennings, serving from 1816 to 1822.

In March, 1813, what is now Gibson county was made a separate county organization, it having before that been a part of Knox county. Since then portions of its territory have beeen taken off and assisted in making the counties of Posey, ^"anderburg, Pike and Warrick. It derived its name from Gen. John Gibson, a gallant soldier of the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars. By birth he was a Pennsylvanian, born in Lancaster in May, 1740, and was well educated. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. In his youth he served under General Forbes, who commanded an expedition against Fort DuOuesne, the present site of Pittsburgh. In 1763 he was captured In' the Indians and was adopted by an Indian squaw whose son he had slain in battle, \\ith them he had an opportunity to master several languages, as well as learn the customs of various Indian tribes. This made him efficient as a trader and government official. He was finally released and returned to business at Pittsburgh. It was he who later translated and put into fine English the celebrated speech made by Logan the Mingo chief, which every school boy has read and committed to memor)- in his school days. In 1800 he was appointed territorial secretary of Indiana, holding that office until 1816. While Genera! Harrison was engaged in the war of 1812, Gibson was acting governor. In old age he was afflicted with an incurable cataract, and he died while residing with his son-in-law, George ^\^allace, at Braddock's Fields, near Vincennes, in May, 1822.

county and had appointed a committee to attend the I^egislature for that purpose. These things were all taking place an even hundred years ago, and, really, no other century in the world's history has compared in any degree to this for its achievements. Within this century - the lifetime of Gibson county - the submarine telegraph was placed on the vast ocean's bed and transmits news from continent to continent ; McCormick invented the mowing and reaping machine, that has revolutionized agriculture the world over; the Atlantic and Pacific oceans have been connected by highways of steel and iron; great cities have been reared on the wilderness plains of the then unknown West.

Legal Organizing Act

"That from and after the passage hereof all that part of Knox cmmty which is included in the following lioundaries, shall form and constitute two new counties, that is to say, beginning at the mouth of the Wabash, thence up the same, with the meanders thereof to the mouth of White river, thence up White river with the meanders thereof to the forks of White river, thence up the east fork of White river to where the lines between sections number 20 and 29 in township No. i north, of range No. 4 west, thence with said line of Harrison count}', thence with the line dividing the counties of Harrison and Knox, to the Ohio river, thence down the Ohio river to place of beginning.

"Be it further enacted that the tract of country included within the aforesaid boundaries be and is hereby divided into two separate and distinct counties, by a line beginning on the Wabash river and known and designated by the name of Rector's Base Line, and with said line east until it intersects the line of Harrison county and that from and after the 5th day of April, 181 3, the tract of country following within the southern division thereof shall be known and designated by the name and style of Warrick. .\nd the northern division thereof shall be known and designated by the name and style of the county of Gibson. That the said counties shall severally enjoy all the rights, privileges and jurisdictions which to separate counties of the territory do or may properly appertain and belong. Provided always that all suits, pleas, plaints, actions and proceedings which ma\- before the 5th day of May, 1813, have been commenced, instituted and pending within the present county of Knox, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and effect in (5) the same manner as if this act had never heen passed. And provided also that the territorial and county levies which are now due within the said bonds of the said new counties shall be collected and paid in the same manner and by the same officers as they would have been if the creation of the said new counties had not taken place.

"Be it further enacted that so soon as the place for holding the courts for the said county of Gibson be established, the judges of the courts of common pleas in said county shall within six months thereafter proceed to erect the necessary public buildings for the same, in such place in the same manner as is required by law in respect to other counties, and after the public buildings are so erected, the courts of the said county shall adjourn to the said place at their next term after the same shall have been completed, wliich shall be and the same is hereby declared to be the seat of justice of the county of Gibson. Be it further enacted that imtil the public buildings of the said new county shall be completed the court of common pleas for the county of Gibson shall be held at the house of William Harrington, in said county. Provided also that all officers, both civil and military, in the bounds of the said new county shall continue to exercise the functions of their respective offices as officers of the said new county until some other legal organization shall take place in same manner as if the formation of the said new county had not taken place.

"James Dill, "Speaker of the House of Representatives. "James Beggs, "President of the Legislative Council. "Approved March 9, 1813. "John Gibson,

The first term of the court of common pleas convened at the house of William Harrington, Monday, May 10, 1813. This house was one mile and a half west of the present city of Princeton. It was a double log house. It was blown down in June, 18 14, by a terrible hurricane. The building was roofed with clapboards, which were held in place by weight poles, and when the building fell one of Mr. Harrington's daughters was crippled. The house was immediately rebuilt. Those present at this term of court were William Harrington, Isaac Montgomery and Daniel Putnam, all judges.

The court at once proceeded to set off civil townships, in the followintj order: All that portion of the county east of Consjo's creek, lying in the hounds of Gibson county, f(jrn-! one township to be designated by the name of Aladison township, and that tract of country west of Madison township, and lying between White river and Patoka (spelled in the record erroneously "Pattoco") ri\er. Pike county, form a township known as White Pi\er townshii), and the tract of country lying between Patoka river and Anderson's creek, from the mouth thereof and up the same to where John Barber now lives, thence due south to the line of Warrick county, form a township known as Patoka. Ordered that all that tract of country lying between Anderson's creek, the Wabash river and Black river, up to the plantation of James !\Iutes, thence due south to the line of \A'arrick county, form Montgomery township: that portion of countr}- south and west of Black river, and in the bounds of Gibson count}', to form and be known as Black River township.

Thus were h\e sub-divisions of Gibson county set of¥ by the first court. Commissioners for assessment were appointed by the judges as follows: In Madison township, Hosea Smith; in White River, Jonathan Gulick; in Patoka, John Barker; in Montgomery, John ^^^ I^.Iaddox, and in Black River township, Thomas Robb. Thus was the county's first machinery set in motion.

At a special session of the court of common pleas held February 14, 1814, with Judges \\^illiam Harrington, Joseph Montgomery and Daniel Putnam in charge, matters of great importance came up, including the locating of a seat of justice for Gibson county. It was at that date the locating committee appointed by the territorial Legislature. 1813, made their report. The}' re]iorted that the\' had fi.xed upon the northeast cjuarter of section 7, in township 2 south, range 10 west, one hundred and sixty acres, which was purchased of the United States government, and it was ordered by the court that the first pa}'ment, eighty dollars, l)e made. Henr}' Hoi)kins had previously donated eighty acres adjoining the above purchase. Ui)on request of the commissioners Robert M. l^-ans, as county agent, entered the aforesaid quarter section and afterward transferred it to the county. The commissioners who located the county seat were William I'rince, Robert F.lliott. Abel Westfall and William Polk.

Town Is Named

The court then adjourned until Wednesday, February i6th, at the home of Henry Hopkins, and it was at that session that this action was recorded, the name for the seat of justice having been hit upon by drawing of lots among the commissioners, Captain Prince winning.

"The court took into consideration the propriety of establishing some suita])le name for the seat of justice for Gibson county; whereupon ordered that the seat of justice in and for the county of Gibson be hereafter known and designated by the name and style of Princeton.

"Whereupon the following plan was adopted, viz : The publick square and seat for the publick buildings is to be laid off in the most suitable manner so as to include as near central as convenient a certain stake to be set up by the judges of the court; the said publick square is to be laid off eighteen poles square, making two acres and four poles ; the town, both in and out lots, to be laid oft' from the publick square in such manner as to leave each street in said town sixty feet wide, and the in lots to be laid in squares of eighteen poles each way ; each square is to be divided into f eur equal squares, so as to make each in lot nine rods square containing one-half acre and one square rod each. The out lots to be laid off in such manner as may be thought most suitable b}- the agent when the same comes to be sruveyed.

"There shall be four streets laid out, two on each side of the square of lots on which the publick square lies, extending from the north to the south side of the town tract - the said lots to be sold on the following terms, viz: One-third of the purchase money to be paid within six months from the day of sale, the balance in twelve months from the day of sale, the sale to commence on the fourth Monday of March next, and continue three days, viz: from ten o'clock in the forenoon until three o'clock in the afternoon of each day."

However, at the next session, March lo. 1814, at the Harrington home, some alterations were made so that each lot should contain one-half acre and one square rod. ]Meantime action relative to the public Iniildings was Ijeing taken.

The surveys had been made by l^benezer Buckingham and John Breathitt and on tlie date in ]\Iarch when sale opened the first lot was sold to Alexander Devin for sixty-one dollars and fifty cents, at the southeast corner ui the public square where the Shoptaugh drug store now is. Mr. De\'in alsci l)ought other lots at smaller sums. April ist James Stone bought a lot for sixty-one dollars and fift\- cents and A. Donnell got one for fifty-three dollars. The next day Joseph Stoker paid one hundred and fifty dollars f(jr one on the square, and William Barker bought a number of lots. . Barker went in for speculation, and lot business was real lively for a while.

"In making the selection for the seat of justice for Gibson county your commissioners have had due regard to future divisions of said county, as well as the present, and future prospects of population and the country that will admit population. Previous to fixing any site your commissioners examined that district of countr\- acknowledged by all to be the most central as well as the most eligible point for the seat of justice of Gibson county Although the point fixed upon is not the very spot on which the center \vill fall (taking into view a future division), yet your commissioners were of the opinion that local advantages would justify their receding a mile or two from the Aery center itself. In giving your honors a view of the inducements which led to this point as the proper site for the seat of justice, it ma}' not be improper to show that in the opinion of your commissioners the future division of the county of Gibson will be by the range line which divides ranges 7 and 8, and if so, the place now fixed upon will ever remain the permanent seat of justice for that part which lies west of the contemplated division line.

"In ascertaining whether the northeast quarter of section 7. township 2 south, range No. i west, could be procured it was necessary to prevent speculation that some one in whom your commissioners could confide should be consulted on that subject. They, therefore, consulted Robert M. Evans and Isaac Montgomery, Esqs., from whom they learned that that quarter section' could be secured at the United States price for the county. Colonel Evans now informs us that he has made the entry and paid the dejiosit for the ipiarter section and is ready to transfer it to any person whom the court may appoint for that purpose. The bond of Henry Hopkins for the conveyance of his donation, with the exception therein specified, as also the offers of donations which we received, are herewith submitted."

The court then appointed Gen. Robert M. Evans agent for the county. It was this Evans for whom the city of Evansville was named, when later organized by him. Agent Evans gave two thousand dollars bond for the faithful performance of his duties, James McClure and William Lathom being his bondsmen.

Concerning this organization of Princeton the following item published in the J'incenncs Sun, March 12, 1814, will be of interest here: "A notice of the first sale of lots in Princeton, Indiana, to take place on the fourth Monday in March, 1814, described Princeton as situated in Gibson county, on Richland creek, a beautiful and never failing system, about three miles from Severn's ferry, on Pattoco, and about fotir miles from Columbia, on the same river, at each of which places there is an excellent mill site, where nothing but labor is wanting to the erection of good saw mills. Princeton being situate about central between the mouth of Big Pigeon and Vincennes, at a place where nearly all the public roads leading through the county will naturally concentrate, cannot fail to become a flourishing and populous town."

A perusal of this prospectus of Princeton, and the advantages of its location, issued by a prophet a hundred years ago, will cause a smile by people of Princeton today, especially when they think of the advantages afforded by the location on the beautiful and never failing stream of Richland creek, which is now the verv insignificant town branch.