Greene County, Indiana - Chapter 2, 1875

^ARLY in the year 1821, Thomas \j^ Bradford, as Sheriff p*o f(?w, called an election, to be held at his house, for the purpose of electing county officers. At that election only County Commissioners were elected, and they were Thomas Plummer, David Deem and Peter Herrington. Thoa. Bradford, who acted as Sheriff" pro fern, seems to have successfully filled all the neccessary offices to constitute a board of election, and to make the election perfect. He gave the ofiicers their certificates of election, and they were sworn into office by Phineas B. Rogers, a Justice of the Peace, of Washington, Daviess county, on the 6th day of jSIarch, 1821. In addition to the usual oath of office, they were required to swear that they had not, since the first day of June, 1816, either directly or indirectly, knowingly given, accepted or carried a challenge to any person or persons, in or out of this State, to fight single combat with any deadly weapon, and that they would not knowingly j give, accept or carry a challenge to | any person or persons in or out of i the State, to fight in single combat I with any deadly weapon during' their I continuance in office. This strin- 1 gent oath in regard to fighting duels j will astonish many persons who do : not remember the olden times. Soon after the Revolutionary war closed, duels became of such frequent occurrence that the attention of Legislative bodies was called to it as a growing public evil. After the celebrated duel between Col. Aaron Burr and General Alexander Hamilton, Avhich resulted in the death of General Hamilton, the public mind was more than ever called to the enormity of thiapractice. Dueling was prohibited in most of the States, and in Indiana, from the time she become a State, in 1816, officers, State and county, were required to take an oath similar to the one taken by our Commissioners, so far as it related to dueling.

On the 10th day of March, 1821, Amos Rogers, Abraham Cass, Charles Polk and William White, as State Commissioners to locate the coutityseat for Greene county, made their report, locating the county-seat on sections 9 and 10, in township 7 north, of range 5 west, and called it Burlington. The land for the countyseat was donated by Thomas Bradford, Frederick Shepherd and Zebu- Ion Ilogue.

On the 6th day of April, the Board of Commissioners appointed John Owen Treasurer of Greene county. Ephraira Owen was appointed Agent for Burlington, and George Shryer was appointed Lister for the year 1821. The county was, at this meeting of the Commissioners, laid off in five townships, as follows : Highland, Richland, Burlingame, Plummer and Stafford. Highland township embraced the present township by that name, and the territory nowcovered by Eel River, Jefferson, Smith and Wright. Richland township embraced the present township by that name, and the territory now covered by Fairplay, Grant and Stockton. Burlingame township embraced the present Jackson, Center and Beech Creek, and was named in honor of Abel Burlingame, who probably then resided on the fnrm nov owned by Lawson (Jliphant. We have no recollection of him or of any of his descendanis. Plummer township embraced the present Cass and Taylor townships, and was named in honor of Thomas Plummer, who then lived in the township. He has left a lar^e number of relatives who still reside in the county. Stafford township embraced the present township by that name and Washington township. This township was named in honor of one of the Staffords who resided in the township (perhaps Jesse Stafford.) Several of the family still reside in the county.

The first Treasurer g&ye bond Avith Peter Herrington and Samuel C. Hall as sureties. Inspectors of elections were appointed for the townships, as follows: John Sanders for Highland, John Fields for Richland, Abel Burlingame for Burlingame, Cornelius Westfall for Plummer, and Benjamin Stafford for Stafford.

At the June term, 1821, overseers of the poor were appointed for the townships: Levi Fellows and William Bynum for Plummer; Thomas Smith and Evan Owen for Highland ; Isaac Hubbel and John Ooldsbury for Stafford ; Hiram Haywood and "William Scott for Richland ; Mark Dugger and Leonard I^icholson for Burlingame. The Commissioners also appointed Superintendents lor the different sixteen sections : John Leamon, Zebnlon Hogue, John S. Buskirk and Eli Dixon.

The responsible office of Fence- Viewer seems to have received earl}- attention by our Commissioners, and the following appointments were made : For Highland, Caleb Jessup, Asa Mounts, and Jonathan Lindley; for Richland, Solomon Dixon, James Warnick and Peter C. VanSlyke ; for Burlingame, John Storm, Garrett Gibson and Adam Morrow ; for Plummer, Cornelius Bogard, John Slinkard and Levi Fellows ; lor Stafford, John Brcece, John Goldsbury a.nd Benjamin Stafford.

At this term James Gallettley was appointed Surveyor, to survey and lay out lots in the seat of justice (Burlington.) This rnan, although not a resident of our county, is identified in many ways with our early history. He was a Scotchman by birth, and in an early day was regarded as a man of education and literar}' culture. When he first came out West to mingle with our early settlers, he was much better informed in regard to the beauties of Burns' poems and the classics, than he was in regard to log cabins and the customs of the far West ;^ but his strong, practical common sense, soon enabled him to conform to frontier -usage. It is said of him, that when he went into the forest to build his first cabin, he proceeded to cut his logs without assistance. Wh«n cut, he invited his neighbors to help raise his cabin, as was the custom in our early 'da3\ - One neighbor asked him the length of his logs. He answered, "well, some are 10 feet, some 15, some 20, and some 25 feet, but they will average 18 feet, which is to be the size of my house." The generous neighbors soon obviated this trouble by joining together and cutting logs the proper length.

On the 15th day of May, George Shryer, Lister for the county, reported to the Commissioners that he had listed all the propert}'- of the county for taxable purposes. He was allowed for his services the sum of 830 in county-order. This was the first countj'-order ever issued by the officers of Greene ceunty. We are unable to tell when it was paid, but we find that more than three years afterwards, by virtue of a writ of garnishee, served by constable Peter Hill, this count.y-order was seized on a debt against the owner.

At this time the Board of Commissioners rmwle arrangem.ents for a cou'nty seal, and it was expressly provided that there should be a heart in the center, surrounded with an olive branch. Thus Greene county started

On the 4th day of June, 1821, Thomas Warnick was qualified as Clerk of the Circuit Court for seven years, he having been commissioned on the 27th day of April, 1821.

At the August term, 1821, constables were appointed for the various townships : Highland, James Jessup ; Richland, Richard Osborn ; Burlingame, Mark Dugger; Plummer, Andrew Slinkard; Stafford, John Breece. -At this meeting Solomon Dixson, who was our' first representative in the Legislature, had a ferry established, which is now known as the Bradford ferry, at Fairplay.

James Warnick, grandfather of the James Warnick of the present day, and father of the Clerk, was the first supervisor of the roads for Richland township. John Lindley was the first in Highland, Cornelius Bogard in Plummer, and John Breece in Stafford.

The first Circuit Court convened at the house of Thomas Bradford, v.'hich, we have been informed, was one mile south of Bloomfield, in September, 1821. J. Doty was^ President Judge, and John L. Buskirk, Associate Judge. Thomas W^arnick was Clerk, and Thomas Bradford, Sheriff. They seemed to have so much confidence in the fidelity and honesty of their Clerk, that they did not require any security on his official bond.

The first Grand Jury was composed of thirteen jurors, John O'l^eall, John Slinkard, Benson Jones, John Goldsbury, Reuben Hill, Jas. Smith, Levi Fellows, Jonathan Lindley, Benjamin Hashaw, Cornelius Bogard, Cornelius P. VanSlyke, Eli Faucett and Joseph Ramsoners.

At this term of Court, Henry Merrick was appointed Prosecuting Attorney ; Amory Kinney was admitted to practice as an attorney. Amory Kinney afterwards become well known as an eminent Judge.

Thomas Mounts against Zebulon Hogue. This was an action for slander. It appears that even in that early day, when only a fe^Y settlers had gathered together, and when they needed each others' sympathy and assistance, that the strong passion of malignity invaded the settlements, and arrayed one neighbor against another, and that they finally resorted to the law for redress. But in this instance it also appears that finally the "better angel of their nature" prevailed, and the cause was dismissed. And we are induced to believe that these litigants made friends, because, on the same day, Mr. Hogue went on Mr. Mount's bond as surety for his appearance at the next term of court.

At that term of court there was only one other case called for trial, and that Avas the case of Benjamin Hashaw against Thomas Mounts. This case was also dismissed. These were the only cases called for trial during the year 1821. The grand jury found four indictments, and they were continued until the next term.

The first entry of land was made in 1816. Perhaps it will be of interest to some of our readers to know who entered land in the very earliest days of our county. In 1810, entries were made by David Lindley, Jonathan Lindlej', John Johnson, John Hawkins, Ephraim Owen, Samuel Owen, Benjamin Owen, William Hawkins, Joseph Hollingsworth, Solomon Dixon, Joshua Hadley, Joseph Richardson, John N e 1 d o n , Jolm Storms, Isaac Storms, Scott Riggs, John Haddcn, Peter C. ^VanSlyke, Thomas Bradford, and perhaps a few others. In 1817, entries were made by some of these men, and by John Sanders, George Griffith, Jonathan Osborn, Benjamin Shoemaker, James Smith, John G. Gray, Thomas Plummer, Abel Burlingame, .Joseph Dixson, Charles Scanhind, William Carter, Samuel Fields, Seth Fields, Samuel Perry and Thomas Bradford, jr. In 1818, by Alex. Watson, Joseph

During the year 1821 only one conveyance of land seems to have been made in the county, and that was by- David Lindley to Jonathan Lindley, for the west fractional section 13, town 8, range 5, a part of which is now owned by Willis ^Vatson.

During this year only five marriage license were issued. Isaac Jackson was married to Elizabeth GriflSth, by Plugh Barns. M. G. W^illiam Richey to ^elly Ramsoners, by Obediah T. Barker, J. P. David Smith, to Mary Brinson, by Edmund Jeans, J. P. - Simon Drake to Mary Burcham, by Abel Burlingame, J. P. Philip Siler to Sarah Lindlev, by John B. Kelshaw. J. P.

day with the present. Perhaps some of our pepple in this day will think that our ancestors were extravagant. Let us not be too hast3\ Let us remember that it was a year of extra expense, such as giving notice to the State Commissioners to locate a county seat, paying for having the election returns sent to the unusual distance of Merom and Spencer, and many other extra duties incident to the organization of a county.