Grant County, Indiana - Chapter 6: By William Neal, 1886

Range 7 east, and consists of two surveys, the one all that portion lying east of the boundary line and the other west of said line. It is bounded on the east by Mill and Center Townships, on the north by Pleasant, on the west by Sims and on the south by Liberty.

Surface, Soil, ete. - This township is uniformily level, with here and there a moderate elevation rising a few feet above the general level. If there are no hills and valleys to describe in this part of the county, there is a fine, rich soil which is of more value to the tiller of the soil than a scene of hills and valleys diversifying the landscape and lending enchantment to the view. Scarcely ever do we finda substantial soil in this part of the country with romantic surroundings and picturesque scenery. On the contrary productiveness of soil is attended by more or less of monotomy as to scenery. There is, in the southern part, a remarkable ridge of a few feet in elevation between the waters of Deer Creek and Pipe Creek. This elevation contains some fine farm lands, and as you advance down Pipe Creek you find some comparatively high lands. A peculiar ridge of land lies along Pipe Creek and between the Crane Pond and creek, terminating at the prairie. Hailey's Prairie in first settling was a place of considerable note, and in those days several acres of open prairie were to be seen on the northeast corner of Section 22; this, in the spring was but a pond, covered with tall grass in summer and served to mire cattle in the early spring. Pipe Creek Prairie or Small's Prairie, was an open prairie on Pipe Creek, mostly in Section 31, with a beaver dam below it and in the spring was only an open space filled with water and in the latter part of the season was covered with high coarse grass which served for hay at first settling of this locality. Crane Pond was a basin of nearly 400 acres at first and covered with timber, such as cottonwood, maple, and other varieties peculiar to such situations. The central part was open and water stood most the year, often three to four feet deep and with no outlet sufficient to drain it dry. The prairies and pond referred to have all been drained and are mostly tillable land at present.

Streams. - Big Pipe Creek enters the township on the southwest quarter of Section 31, and has a northeasterly and a northwesterly' direction and leaves the township on the northeast quarter of Section 5. This stream and its branches constitute the main system of drainage for the entire township. The west branch of Pipe Creek enters from the southwest in Section 19, and hasa northeasterly course and falls into the main stream near the northeast corner of Section 8. This is an important drain for the part where it flows. In Section 8 on this stream, there has been opened a pit of good gravel for pike building. Big Deer Creek cuts the southeastern corner of the township, with some rolling or hilly lands along the borders of said stream. Dry Fork, a branch of Big Deer Creek, enters the township in Section 32, and has an easterly course bearing north and leaves the township in Section 25. This stream has an extensive drainage and has been cut and re-cut till it has quite a channel for conveying the floods when the great rains prevail.

Hailey's Prairie Branch has its source in Section 26 and 27, and has a general northerly course to a point near the prairie then a westerly course to the Big Creek in Section 21, near Roseburg. Boots Creek has a branch beginning in Section 24 and has a circuitous route and leaves the township near the half mile corner on the east side of Section 12. This branch also receives the Crane Pond ditch and the system of drainage surrounding that basin. This pond was named because a large number of cranes each year built their nests on the tall cottonwood trees about the pond.

forest, as it originally existed in this township, more than has already been said in reference to the same matter in other townships in this part of the county. Suffice it to say that whatever applies to the western and southwestern townships in the way of original forest, applies equally well to this. A large amount of sugar-maple grew on the higher lands and many a one can remember the old © fashioned "stir off" and the "wax pulling" and the " ghost story " all of which came off at the camp where the boiling was done.

Surveys and First Entries. - Franklin Township consists of two surveys, made at different times by United States authority. Some of the first entries were by James M. Dunn, in Section 1, June 12, 1833; Samuel Serrett, in Section 1, November 6, 1833; Susan Coppock, in Section 1, October 24, 1833; Henry Coate, in Section 11, October 23, 1833; Charles Hailey, in Section 12, August 17, 1833; Ziba Marine, in Section 12, November 29, 1833; Nelson Conner, in Section 12, December 10, 1833; John Peette, in Section 12, February 15, 1833; William Jones, in Section 12, April 9, 1833; Eli Overman, in Section 12, June 26, 1830; Caleb Morris, in Section 12, August 10, 1829; Lewis Conner, in Section 10, September 13, 1833; Warren Conner, in Section 13, December 10, 1833; Zebulon Overman, in Section 13, November 29, 1833; Elisha Jones, in Section 13, November 8, 1833; Josiah Marine, in Section 24, November 29, 1833; David M. Harris, in Section 25, October 28, 1833; Thomas Harris, in Section 25, October 28, 1833; Henley Thomas, in Section 25, October 23, 1833; Milton Thomas, in Section 25, November 28, 1833; John Shugart, in Section 25, November 6, 1833; David McCracken, in Section 26, June 19, 1833; G. H. Dyer, in Section 26, November 7, 1833; Joseph Ratliff, in Section 34, November 8, 1883; Robert McCracken, in Section 35, October 28, 1833; David Jones, in Section 36, January 7, 1833; Anderson Hutchins, in Section 36, February 15, 1833.

First Settlers. - Caleb Morris came in 1829 and located on the land in Section 12 now owned by Nathan Coggeshall. Robert McCracken settled where John 8. Harris lives in 1833. In 1834 Thomas Harris settled where his son Newton lives. David McCracken settled where Oliver Davis lives. Charles Hailey settled in 1834, where the County Poor Farm is now located. John Webb came from North Carolina and settled on O. H. P. Carey's farm in 1833. William Webb settled on the William I. Smith farm in

1833. In 1831 Aaron Morris settled the Tharp farm and died in 1832. Rey. Alfred Tharp settled here in 1834. Henry Shugart in 1837 settled where he lives now. John Overman in 1836 settled where Sylvanus Thomas lives. In 1838 Francis Jones settled the Evan Massey farm he bought of Daniel James, and he of Eli Overman. In 1840 Dillon Baldwin settled on the Ledbetter farm, but Hodgins lived there before this date. William Jones settled where Mrs. Tibbits lives in 1833. He lived there fifteen years; then moved on the George Osborn farm. Ziba Marine settled the north part of Doc Druckemiller's farm, just south of the pond, in 1837. Jonathan Willcuts settled, in 1837, the Druckemiller farm. Sampson Reeves, in 1843, settled where his widow now lives; Ziba Marine had lived there before. Jemma Knight settled on the west part of Mat Fenstermaker's farm in 1846; he settled on lands now owned by Clarkson Willcuts. Orton Philips and Daniel Sloderbeck settled the John Shield's farm'in 1848. Job Mills settled where Clark Mills lives in the year 1851. William Bailey came in 1851. Enoch Lane came in 1849 and settled where D. T. Lindsey lives. Joseph Brown bought a claim of T. A. Shup and settled where he lives in 1850. Henry Babb settled on lands now owned by George Lane in 1849. James Roy came in 1850 and settled where he lives now. Elijah King settled where George Lane lives in 1850. Elijah Jolly settled where William Johnson lives in 1849, but he sold and went to Sims. A. J. Heavilin settled where he lives now in the year 1852. Newton Parks came in 1867 and settled where he now lives. Riley Nun settled the John Comer farm in 18053; Comer came in 1857. Martin Moon settled the Barclay Johnson farm in 1867. Eli T. Hunt bought of Routsaw and settled where Elisha Farley lives in 1855. Archibald Rhea settled where he lives in 1852. Amos Small settled on south part of A. Hogston's farm, over where the old orchard stands, in 1845. Jerry Harrell settled where he lives in 1854. David Kelley settled where he lives in 1848. Gideon Small settled where John Smith lives in 1846. Milton Thomas settled where Elam Harris lives in 1835. Manoah Knight settled the west part of same farm in 1838. Thomas Branson bought a claim of the Widow Jessop, where Peter Gutschall _ lives, and settled thereon in 1851. Gabriel P. Poe settled the north part of the Burrier farm about 1847. Charles Scott settled where Samuel Burrier lives in 1850. John Willcuts bought a claim of,

Clark Willcuts and settled, in December, 1847, where George Fenstermaker lives now. Jehu Willcuts bought the claim of Clark Willcuts and settled, in the spring of 1847, on the land owned by John Druckemiller, on the west side of the creek.

Reuben Overman in 1848 settled where his son Willis Overman's widow lives, Samuel Ladd settled where Joshua Marshall lives at present, in 1848. David Hill was first settler on the Mary M. Kelley farm. David Harris was first settler on the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 25. Manoah Knight settled the Levi Ratliff farm about 1847. Lem Hiatt settled the Eli B. Marshall farm in 1845. Dr. Henry Charles settled the Nicholas Prior farm in 1860. H. M. Shugart's farm was settled by William Wright in 1843. Clark Willeuts settled the Henry Murray farm in 1843; Thomas Willcuts lived there in the meantime. Joshua Marshall settled where John Glessner lives, in 1847. Phineas Harris settled on the southeast quarter of Section 16 about 1847, where the little orchard is west of the creek; Clark Willcuts bought the claim of him, and Clarkson Willcuts settled there in 1862. Clark Willcuts built a saw-mill at Roseburg in 1853 on the same site where the mill now stands. Joseph Smith settled where he lives in 1865. Azariah Haines came in 1849 and settled where Alex Haines lives. ° John Ratliff settled where he now lives in 1850, but improvements had been going on since 1842. Nathan Small settled at an early day at the Pipe Creek. prairie (he says 1840) where Thaddeus Brown now owns. Nelson and Warren Conner were old settlers in this township.

Herbst. - This place on the Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad has been regularly laid out and platted, and lies in both townships of Sims and Franklin.

Henry Baum, dealer in dry goods and notions; R. W. Sanders, dealer in dry goods and groceries; Samuel Babb, hardware and notions; Elkana Nipp, blacksmith; F. M. Stilwell, dealer in grain; John Rust, tile-maker; Humphrey Gauntt, saw-mill.

Methodist Protestant Church was organized in 1884, is used by both Methodist Protestants and United Brethren. Frank Smith and Nathaniel Fults are Methodist Protestant trustees; their members number about fifty; Charles Love, pastor - Bolden, United Brethren, pastor.

but we find G. W. Hiatt, general store and postoffice; Ella Smith, general store; Thomas Brown and David Price, blacksmiths; Hiatt, Schooley & Co., saw-mill; John Sloderbeck, handle factory; N. P. Haines, physician; Hannah Brewer, milliner; Weston Mackey, justice of the peace; Joseph Martin, carpenter.

Wesleyan Methodist Churgh - William Price, Samuel Burrier, N. T. Davis and George W. Fenstermaker, trustees; David Price, class leader; C. S. Smith, circuit rider; Thomas Pucket, Christian class leader. Wesleyans, sixty; Christians twelve.

Fairfield Church (Methodist Episcopal) was the first erected in the township; it was located first on Section 12, where it stood for several years; during its location on Section 12, the building was of logs and the prominent members were Caleb Morris, William Jones, William J. Smith, Ziba Marine and John Webb. A new building has lately been erected one-half mile west of the old site, on the opposite side of the road, which is good and substantial and shows the church to be in good condition.

Westfield Church (Wesleyan Methodist), one-half mile south of Fairfield, and has for a long time been a popular place of worship, and they have a large membership.

The colored Baptist Church in the southwestern portion of the township is on the lands of the late John Jones, who was a leading member, and also Jerry Shew Craft, Nathan Jones, Isaiah Jones, Rebecca Jones and Henry Williams.

Maple Run Friends' Church was organized December 16, 1857. The leading members at that time were Nathan Small, Gideon Small, William Cook and Joshua Marshall.

West Branch Friends' Church was established in February, 1872. Some of the leading members then were H. M. Shugart, B. C. Harris, Edward Davis, Robert Smith.

Incidents. - About the year 1854 Andrew Ferguson and a son eight years old went from Marion to Mordecai Cross' on some business, and on returning were lost in the woods near what was known as the Crane Pond. Some anxiety was expressed by Mrs. Ferguson for fear it might not be as well with them as could be wished, and soon an extended search was made which resulted in finding him on the north side of the pond in the midst of swarms of mosquitos. He was lying in the water with his face up, wholly unable to speak, and the boy seated near was unable to rise without assis- tance, but his faithful dog had not forsaken him. D. F. Horton found them first, he being one of the party in search. The boy and dog were taken to the house of Jonathan Willcuts, a mile and a half away, where the boy was taken care of. D. F. Horton set out on his return and fell in with some of the party in search, who aided in taking Ferguson to J. Willcuts' house, where he soon died.

About 1846 a son of John Murray, nearly six years old, was lost in the woods.. Great effort was soon made to rescue him from his lonely situation. O. V. Lemon, minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Marion, was made foreman and the boy was soon found. Although in the night, light was made by torches of hickory bark, and he was taken to his parents and friends to their great joy and delight. It was sugar-making, and the little fellow had undertaken a trip by himself and failed to keep the path.

D. S. Hogin, George W. Steele and William G. Brandon were coon hunting around the Crane Pond and in attempting to cross on a log - Hogin had the torch - he stepped off the end of the log into two and one-half feet of water of course the torch was extinguished. The party then waded out, and following the dogs by sound came up with them and caught the coon.

Henry Shugart, Sr., caught a wolf in a pen; he shot the wolf, but when he opened the pen it came out furiously at him. He closed the trap-lid and shot it till its hide was valueless in the market.