Grant County, Indiana - Chapter 14: By William Neal, 1886

Surface, Soil, ete. - What has been said with reference to Liberty and Green Townships in regard to soil, etc., will apply to Sims in a general way. This township is rather more level and flat on the surface than either of the others; but if they have the more uneven surface Sims has even richer soil. If Green has the waters of Wild Cat for its drainage, Sims has those of Pipe Creek, and both systems flow into the Wabash by different mouths.

Streams. - - Pipe Creek enters the township in Section 2, and after a short and circuitous route it passes into Richland Township. It lies several feet below the general surface, but as it is very crooked and has but little fall, its flow is rather sluggish. There is however, at Hardacre's mill, a rapid where the stream flows over the outcrop of a ledge of limestone which at this point furnishes a 'quarry of considerable value' "for foundations, cellar walls and for wells. The creek in flowing over this rock has considerable fall, and a saw-mill has been erected here which has done considerable service for the early settlers. Stony Creek comes into Pipe just above this quarry of limestone. It is so named on account of the great number of bowlders deposited along its course. Taylor's Creek constitutes the main water-course for the drainage of the township. - It passes into Richland Township near the half mile corner on the north side of Section 4. Little Pipe Creek rises near the middle east and west, but in the southern part; and flows west slowly and enters Howard County a little south of the northwest corner of Section 28. The west branch of Big Pipe cuts the southeastern part of the township and is an important factor in the drainage of this part of the township of Sims.

Timber. - It would be palpable neglect if there was a failure to notice the grand forest that clothed the township of Sims, as well as the other townships of western Grant County when in original condition. Here grew and flourished the poplar (tulip), one of the loftiest trees of the forest. The black walnut so little valued in early days and a few such trees as Sims Township produced in those -days would now buy a small farm. The gray ash grew in vast abundance in this township originally, and at first was very little valued, not even for rails, and merely for firewood was it deemed useful. We name besides these the beech, sugar, white oak, hickory, sycamore, lynn, black ash, white elm and red oak, all of which are valuable in their kind and purposes for which they are adapted. The destruction of the old forest suggests to the observer a time in the future when timber may be in great demand, for it would seem at no very distant day the scarcity of timber will be felt, for there are no hill lands here to allow timber to stand where it cannot be tilled, as the custom is in mountainous regions. Here every foot of land is productive and first-class as to price. Each

First Entries. - Some of the first land entries are by Henry Jones in Section 1, April 19, 1848; John Myer in Section 1, Apri} 19, 1848; Henry Renbarger in Section 1, May 22, 1848; Edward Guenin in Section 1, November 11, 1848; Reuben Rowland in Section 1, September 12, 1848; Francis Smith in Section 2, February 25, 1848; Henry Thrailkill in Section 2, February 25, 1848; John W. A. Lawson in Section 2, February 29, 1848; John Grindle in Section 2, April 25, 1848; Thomas Wood in Section 2, April 5, 1848; H. Olinger in Section 3, December 8, 1847; John E. Glass in Section 8, May 3, 1848; Benjamin Harnden in Section 3, August 19, 1848; Joseph Nunn in Section 3, August 19, 1848; Basil W. Hutton in Section 3, October 3, 1848; Jacob Pence in Section 4, November 8, 1848; Joseph Sims in Section 4, February 23, 1848; Shadrach Elliott in Section 4, May 3, 1848; Lewis Pence in Section 4, April 19, 1848; George W. Ammon in Section 9, November 3, 1847; John Brandon in Section 9, February 23, 1848; Jesse Elliott in Section 9, May 6, 1848; David Pence in Section 9, September 29, 1848; H. B. Witherow in Section 9, November 22, 1848; F. Witherow in Section 9, November 22, 1848; Joshua Buraker in Section 10, November 3, 1847; Adolphus R. Long in Section 10, November 3, 1847; George Martin in Section 10, May 3, 1848; Garrett Williams in Section 11, April 19, 1848; Benjamin Pursail in Section 11, April 22, 1848; Joseph T. Barton in Section 11, October 12, 1848; R. Provard in Section 11, September 28, 1848; Hezekiah Sailor in Section 12, June 3, 1848; Hosea Hayden in Section 12, August 21, 1848; Susan A. Sailor in Section 12, September 2, 1848; Jacob Messersmith in Section 12, September 25, 1848; George Streib in Section 12, November 11, 1848; George Miller in Section 14, March 31, 1848; Stephen Hayden in Section 14, April 17, 1848; Reuben Friermood in Section 14, October 4, 1848; Jacob Friermood in Section 15, May 22, 1848; Aaron Betts in Section 15, June 28, 1848; William Friermood in Section 15, October 4, 1848; George Smith in Section 15, October 6, 1848; Peter Rouser in Section 15, October 12, 1848; Benjamin Moore in Section 21, November 22, 1848; John Gettis in Section 21, November 22, 1848; Paul Miller in Section 22. November 1, 1848; John B. Jumper in Section 22, November 18, 1848; William Morehead in Section 22, November 22, 1848; Calvin Miller in Section 36, September 16, 1848.

First Settlers. - In 1845 came Jacob Pence, from Champaign County, Ohio, and settled on the northeast quarter of Section 4, where he still lives. George W. Ammon settled on the farm where he now lives. Jesse Elliot settled on the Darby farm in 1846. Henry Olinger settled on the Henry Burns place in the year 1846. James M. Allen came in 1850: and settled where he lives now; Aaron Pennington settled where he lives now in 1852. Meredith Maple settled where he lives in 1858. Jacob Messersmith settled where Elijah Jolly lives in the year 1843. James B. Mark settled the south half of Section 13 in 1849. Joseph Sims, after whom the township was named, came in 1846, and made his home with Jacob Pence; he died in April, 1848. David Pence settled where he lives at present in 1847.. James McLain settled in Sims Township in the fall of 1862, on the farm where he now lives, and was engaged in the manufacture of bowls for ten years in the winter season, and in 1863 he killed the last wild deer in the county so far as he knows; he has cleared eighty acres of land in Sims since he came here, and has killed 200 deer in Grant County during his residence therein. Purnel F. Peters settled in 1851 on the land where his son, J. A. Peters, lives. George K. Allen settled where Isaac Langley lives in 1851. John Gilland settled where he lives at present in 1850. James Gilland settled the David McLane farm in the year 1850. Jacob Friemrood first settled where George Baker lives in 1851. William Friarmood, in 1851, settled on land owned by Jacob Friarmood, then he went to the Rouser place, then to the Laforge place where he still lives. Azur Newton came in 1848, and settled where he still lives. Vinton Miller settled on the R. D. Lenfesty farm in 1850. Ephraim Boswell settled the Grief Matthews farm in 1858. Elias B. Burns settled the J. B. Myres farm in 1854. Isaac Gentis settled the Morris Curless farm in the fall of 1849. Solomon Barngrover settled the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 23 in 1851. Paul Miller settled where Joseph Davis lives in 1849. Garrett Williams settled on the Aaron Pennington farm in 1847. Jolin B. Myer settled the Stanley farm in 1846. James Burns settled the Anthony Hoggatt farm in 1846. Joseph Barton settled where he now lives in 1848.

Swayzee. - This place is on the Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis: Railroad, and has been regularly laid out. Munde & Son, general store; John H. Daugherty, general store; Azariah Haines, general store; J. C. Grindle, general store; M. D. Bish, hardware; William Scott, drugs; W. G. Sims, drugs and hardware; George Stephens, drugs; John Chesterson, postoffice and notions; Moses Lillard, saloon; Henry John Blacksmith, blacksmith; W. P. Brumfield, blacksmith; M. F. Babb, painter; Thomas Hubbard, painter; A. L. McKinney, tinware; J ames Forest, dealer in grain; John Reed & Son, saw-mill; Ben F. and Marion Long, carpenters; Charles Martin, carpenter; Frank Lenox, physician: J. F. Lawshe, physician; William Larkin, principal, and E. D. Covalt, teacher in Swayzee school; Hattie Jones, milliner; C. W. Peters, hotel; A. J. Pence, livery and feed; Azariah Haines, livery and feed; L. B. Robinson, agent,

Christian Church was organized in 1884. Trustees, Abraham Martin, Morton Friermood, Isaac Gentis and Ed Bryante, pastor, Thomas Puckett; members, 150. The house was erected in 1885.

Methodist Protestant Church was organized in 1883, and trustees of 1884 are J. C. Grindle, J. B. Mark, E. E. Barngrover, John Shearer, Stephen Thrailkill, Josephus Davis and John Boswell; pastor, D, W. Evans; members, 100. Church erected 1885. Regular service on Sundays at both churches.

Cleopas. - This place has been regularly laid off, and is of record as "Cleopas," but the postoffice is called Sims, and the public call the place Sims. W. W. Vawters, drugs and general store; A. L. Tillman, general store; William Allen, blacksmith; Stout Wycoff, blacksmith; J. R. Lee, saw-mill; I. N. Seal, physician; W. W. Vawter, dealer in grain. Population seventy.