Greene County, Indiana - Chapter 29: Grant Township, 1875

^^HE first old settlers in this part Cviy ^^ Greene count}' were, David ^^ 0. Harrah, Hiram Howard, Noah Wagoner, David Osborn, Daniel Frields and others.

When this settlement was first made (about fifty years ago,) the neighbors were some distance apart ; and Mr. David 0. Harrah says that ]M. Thomas Flannagan went from where Linton now stands to old Uncle Robert Harrahs', on a very cold morning, for fire, a distance of three miles.

Mr. David Osborn, the son-in-law of Honorable Thomas Butler, was a great hero in this neighborhood. We will here state one fact that ^.ttracted the public attention, and the newspapers of that early day ; Mr. David Osborn was a farmer, and was at work cutting buckwheat, over in the edge of Wright township, and, as he always started from home early, he was sure to see or hear the wolves and bears in the woods, about the north edge of the Nine-mile prairie. On one occasion, as Mr. Osborn was going to work as usual, he heard a iiog squealing in the woods. Upon going to the relief of the hog, he found him in the clutches of a huge bear. As he came up, he hissed at the bear which caused him to let the hog go, and start lor Mr. Osborn. Being a very active man, he ran up a little bush with the bear right after liim. The bear chawed and eat the man's shoes off*, and tore the flesh in many places. The only thing that Mr. Osborn could do was to break off little switches and whip the bear over the head, when he climbed down and took a scare at the man, and left him bleeding and weak in mind and body. Mr. Osborn then returned home badly hurt; but he finally recovered from that sore conflict* He afterwards joined the Mormons, and was in the fight at Nauvoo, at the time the Prophets Joe Smith and Riggs were killed.

Hiram Howard came over here from Fairplay, and built the first blacksmith shop near Mr. Buzan's. He was a native of Vermont and fully enjoyed frontier life. He was also a great trapper and caught many wolves and bears. He had one steel bear trap that weighed just one hundred and ten pounds.

Mr. Osborn Harrah first settled on the place where he now lives in the northwest corner of Grant township, where the old Hart trace crossed the old Buffalo trail near the Harrah chapel. lie is a weaver's reed maker by trade and h^s yet a great quantity

David O. Harrali has the oldest vatch in Greene county and also the oldest plow and bell, and he regulates all the Avatches in the family by this old time piece.