Hancock County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 2 of those read), 1882

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 2 of those read)

Hancock county, Indiana, is located a little east of the geographical center of the state. It is in latitude 40" north, and longitude 86" west, of Greenwich, or 9° west from Washington, and is in townships fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen north, and ranges five, six, seven, and eight east. In size it is about an average county of the state, being composed of 307 sections, or square miles, and containing about 196,480 acres. It is bounded on the west by Marion and Hamilton, on the north by Madison and Hamilton, on the east b}^ Henr^- and Rush, and on the south by Shelby, Rush and Henry. It is chiefly bordered, however, by Marion on the west, Madison on the north, Henry on the east, and Shelby on the south. Hamilton forms onh' one mile of the western boundary and four of the northern ; Rush forms six miles of the eastern and two of .the southern, and Henry forms but one mile of the southern boundary. The greatest length of the county is nineteen miles east and west, and its greatest width seventeen miles north and south.

Hancock county was cut oft' from Madison and organized in the vear 1828, and named in honor of John Hancock, president of the convention that adopted the immortal ** Declaration of Independence."

x\t the time ot' the organization of the county it contained but few inhabitants, and they were scattered. At the first presidential election held in the county, which occurred November 3, 1828, the whole number of votes cast were loi, and now the whole number is, according to the census of 1880, 4,170. Then the entire population of the county was about 400; now it is 17,123. Then there were, perhaps, 135 children of school age in the county ; now there are 5,646. Then there was but one clock in the county ; now there is one in nearl}^ every household. Then there were no broad fields of ijolden strain, cut with a selfbinder and threshed with a steam thresher, but only here and there a small patch cleared in the green, cut with a sickle and threshed with a flail. Then our whole territory was almost one unbroken wilderness, in which were numerous Indians, wild deer, bears, panthers, wild cats, rattlesnakes, wolves, owls, turkies, opossums, raccoons, and porcupines. This condition of affairs has changed. The Indian has bid adieu to his native hunting grounds ; the church bell has taken the place of the warwhoop ; the poisonous fanged serpent, at the sight of civilization, has faded away as if under the benign influence of St. Patrick. What changes have taken place ! The old landmarks are nearly gone ; but few of the early pioneers, - our grandfathers and their sires, - are left, and they, one by one, are fast passing away. Our progress, from a small beginning to our present status, has cost untold toil, hardships and privations, not fully appreciated by the youug of the present generation. This book is written, in part, that their names, and the trials they underwent, may, to some extent, be perpetuated. We shall show, step by step, the progress made decade after decade. This chapter is only intended as a bird's-eye view of the territory, preparatory to a more detailed account, in which the townships will be considered separately, and elaborated thoroughly, when our minds will be carried back to the brave pioneers, to learn their names and mode of living, and to follow them up amidst the hardships incident to pio-

Kird S-Eye View

Hancock county is quite flat, there being but tew hills, except in the immediate vicinity of the water-courses, and several of these have no banks worthy of the name. Blue River and Sugar Creek have considerable banks, and Brandy wine at places. Blue-river and Sugar-creek townships are rolling, and somewhat undulating, but the county, on the whole, is remarkably level, and was once considered "low and wet;" but since it has been so thoroughly drained by tile ditches, and good roads built, we hear but little complaint in that direction.

It is now considered healthful, and as free from malaria and miasmatic diseases as any of its border counties ; though there was once a great deal of ague and fever, bilious fever, and considerable milk-sickness.

Our soil, generally speaking, is exceedingly fertile ; indeed, almost exhaustless in resources. The black, low grounds, which in the early history of the country were considered almost worthless, and were, therefore, the last entered, are now, since being drained, found to be the richest and most productive. The first settlements in the county were made on the uplands, hills and knolls, if possible. Thirty years ago, about a hundred feet above Blue River, in the midst of a small field, there stood a tinv log cabin, without roof, window, chimney, or floor, vmfmished, decaying, which the writer passed hundreds of times when a boy, and then learned that it was begun long years since for a pioneer cottage; but in the "raising," there being little help, the proprietor was crushed by the falling of a log on nearing the gable.

37,072 acres, 1,187,328 bushels corn; on 1,665 'icres,. 45,129 bushels oats. The same 3'ear we produced i6,"752 bushels Irish potatoes, 51,160 bushels flaxseed, 42,028 bushels apples, and had in our county 5,228 head of horses, 285 head of mules, 9,609 head of cattle, 9,340 head of sheep, and 23,400 head of hogs old enough to fatten. The county was once heavily timbered with a large per cent, of the best kinds of saw timber, such as walnut, poplar, oak, ash, and cherry. Walnut timber of the finest quality w^as once not onl}^ used for fencing and fire-wood, but was deadened and burned in log-heaps, to get it out of the way.

There are large beds of sand and gravel in various parts of the county. At least seven out of the nine townships have sufficient gravel, of good quality, to make all her roads, public and private, in good order.

Blue River, the largest stream in the county, a fine, clear, lasting mill stream, runs across the south-eastern corner of Blue-river township, entering Shelby county just below^ Bacon's mill. Its bottoms are broad and exceedingly fertile.

Sugar Creek, the next in size, is a clear, rapid, mediumsize mill stream. It rises in the western part of Henry county, near Elizabeth Cit}^ enters Hancock count}- wuthin a few rods of the north-east corner, and runs in a southwest direction to within half a mile of Warrington ; thence northwest, dipping into the edge of Madison a few rods ; thence in a general south-westerly direction through Brown, Green, and across the corner of Vernon ; thence through Center, Buck-creek, and Sugar-creek townships, entering Shelbv countv a mile and a half south of New Palestine.

Brandywine Creek, a rather small-sized mill .stream, rises in Brown township, about a mile west of Warrington, and runs in a south-westerly direction through Brown and Jackson townships, and to the central northern middle portion of Center township, four miles north of Greenfield ; thence nearly south through Center and Brandywine townships, entering Shelby county six miles south of the county seat.

Buck Creek, a small, sluggish stream, rises in Vernon township, about a mile and a half south-west of Fortville, runs south-west through Buck-creek township, across the north-west corner of Sugar-creek township, entering Marion count}' one mile south of the south-west corner of Buck-creek township.

Nameless Creek is a small stream. Risino- in the central portion of Jackson township, it runs south-west in Jackson, and empties into Blue River on the B. P. Butler farm.

Six Mile Creek rises in Henry county, flows south through Jackson, past Charlottesville, across the corner of Rush county, entering Blue-river township at its central eastern border ; thence south-west, emptving into Blue river on the Wm. Cook farm.

Little Brandywine Creek rises near the boundary line between Center and Jackson townships, runs south-west, and empties into Brandywine two miles south bv southeast of Greenfield.

Little Sugar Creek, a small, sluggish stream, rises in the north-west part of Center township, and running south by south-west, empties into Sugar Creek.

Flat Fork of Lick Creek rises in the south-east part of Vernon township, runs north by north-w^est, enters Hamilton county one mile west of Fortville, and empties into Lick Creek. These small streams have all been ditched and cleared out near their heads.

Swamp Creek is a su/ goicris small stream, taking its rise in Madison county. It runs nearlv south, crossing Lick Creek in Madison countv and Sugar-creek in Hancock county ; crossing the National road at the Robert H. Ross farm, and imallv losing itself in Brandvwine Creek. This stream presents the general appearance of the bed of a lost river, being from forty to eighty rods wide, filled with decaved and decaying vegetable matter, more or less

Little Swan Creek rises in the south-western part of Center township, runs south by south-west, crosses Brandywine township, and enters Shelby county at the southern extremity of the boundary line between Sugar-creek and Brand vwine townships.

Hancock county is reasonably well supplied with good grayel road turnpikes, there being one hundred and eighty miles of the same, 104 of which are now incorporated and pay taxes, and seventy-six of which were once taxed, but haye since rescinded their charters and gone back to the public. These pikes are several in number, and were built at an average cost of $1,200 per mile, majcing a total cost of $2 1 6,00a. Her public roads are generally graded, and in many places graveled by her citizens in working out their road taxes, and personal privileges.

Blue-river township was reduced in size and located in the south-east part of the county in 183 1, with thirty sections. Jackson township was the name assigned to the remainder of Blue-river, and was located in the northeastern part of the county, by the commissioners, in 1831.

Center township was, in 1831, located north of Brandywine township, extending three miles north and south and six miles east and west, and containing eighteen sections.

Harrison tow'nship was also organized in the same year, and composed of the remainder of Brandywine north of Center to the north line of the county.

Green was taken from the north part of Jackson and Harrison in 1832, and composed of that part of the county north of congressional line seventeen, and consisted of sixty sections ; being the same territory now embodied in Brown and Green.

Vernon township was cut off from the north part of Buckcreek north of congressional line seventeen, and made to consist of thirt^'-one sections.

Jones township was formed in 1838, by taking two tier of sections from the north part of Sugar-creek, and a like number from the south part of Buck-creek, and composed of twenty-four sections.

Buck-Ckeek

Union township was made up from the eastern part ot Buck-creek, the western part of Harrison, and the southeast corner of Vernon, in 1838, and composed of twenty sections.

At the March term, 1853, the commissioners divided Jones tow^nship between Sugar-creek and Buck-creek ; Union township between Buck-creek, Vernon and Center ; Worth township between Center and Jackson, and attached Harrison to Center ; thereby obliterating Jones, Union, Worth, and Harrison, and leaving nine civil townships, as we now have them.

Blue-river township is located in the south-east corner of the county ; Brown in the north-east ; Brandywine in the south middle ; Buck-creek in the west middle ; Center in the middle ; Green in the central northern portion ; Jackson in the eastern middle portion ; Sugar-creek in the south-west corner ; and Vernon in the north-west corner of the county.

Thus it may be seen that the county is composed of nine civil townships, arranged in three tiers of three townships each. The eastern division, composed of Brown, Jackson and Blue-river, constitutes the lirst commissioner's district ; Green, Center and Brandywine the second ; Vernon, Buck-creek and Sugar-creek the third ; the present commissioners of which are, respectively, Augustus Dennis, Ephraim Bentley and John Dye.

Hancock county was first settled about the year 18 18. Previous to the United States survey of 1819, Andrew Evans and John Montgomery, with their families, and Montgomery McCall, came into this county, and settled on Blue River. At the same time, Piatt and James Montgomery, brothers of John, and Isaac Roberts, with their families, and David Stephenson, settled in Center township. In 1820, Elijah Tyner, Harmon Warrum, Joshua Wilson, and John Foster, with their families, also settled on Blue River. In 1822, Solomon Tyner, John Osborn, and George Penwell, with their families, came and settled with the others on the same historic stream. The above, and a tew others, were all in the count\' at, and before, its organization. After this time the immigrants were more numerous, the more prominent of whom we will notice in the proper place in their respective townships.

The first school-house in the county was a log one, diminutive in size, and exceedingly rude in architecture, erected near Elijah Tyner's old place, on Blue River, in the year 1823.

Story log structure, which, soon after lacing erected, was sold to Henry Watts, on account of some difficulty about the obstruction of water.

In the neighborhood of John Ilinchman's old farm, in Center township, now owned by Abriim llackleman, was organized, in 1820. by the Methodists, the first religious societ}' in the count}'.

The first road in the county was an old Indian trail, known as the " Napoleon Trace," which extended through Blue-river, Jackson, and Green townships, crossing Blue River near Warrum's old home, and Sugar Creek near 'Squire Hatfield's, at a place known as the " Stover Ford,"

When the Montgomery s, McCall, and Evans, first settled, they had to go to White Water to mill, where Connersville now stands, some forty miles distant.

McCall, when he first came to the county, cleared a few acres of ground by yoking his oxen to the grubs and pulling them out by the roots. He then climbed up the Surrounding trees, and trimmed off the branches to considerable height, and with them constructed a fence around his little patch, thus making the first fence in the county.

It has been said, in illustration of the capacity of one of the rude mills, erected in what was then Vernon township, but now Center, on Sugar Creek, that Rev. Wiley Pilkenton, who was a zealous, long-winded, old-school Baptist, would put in the hopper a two-bushel grist of corn, attend a two days' camp-meeting, and return in time to toll it. This mill was located just above the Sugar Creek bridge, on the Noblesville road. In size, it was about sixteen feet square, one-storv high, constructed of small logs, or poles, and covered with clapboards. A stranger was passing this mill, on a certain occasion, when

J^ost-officcs. - Westland, in Blue-river township ; Warrington and Willow Brach, in Brown township ; Cleveland and Charlottesville, in Jackson township ; McCordsville and Woodbury, in Vernon township ; Philadelphia and Gem, in Sugar-creek township ; Mount Comfort, in Buck-creek township ; Carrollton, in Brandywine township ; Eden and Milner's Corner, in Green township ; Binwood, in Center towmship.

Sugar-creek township. Charlottesville has been an incorporated town f )r a number of years until recentlw when her corporation was dissoh'ed, and a receiver appointed.

Bird S-Eye View

The public buildings of Hancock county consist, at present, of a court-house, jail and sheriff's residence, poor-house, ninety-two public school buildings, and about rifty church buildings.

The present court-house was built by Nathan Crawford, deceased, an old and honored citizen, in the jear 1854, upon a contract of $14,400. It is a substantial, convenient, and commodious building, honestly built by an honest man, and is, perhaps, not equaled by any public building in the state, at as low a cost.

The poor-house is located on the National road, two and a half miles east of Greenfield, in section thirty-five, township sixteen north, and range seven east. The building is a discredit to the county, being old and dilapidated, and not at all in harmony with the wealth and dignity of our citizens. The superintendent's residence is a plain, old-fashioned, stor3^-and-a-half brick, built many years since for a private residence. The infirmary building proper is a cheap frame, known by carpenters as a " plank house," built in the rear of, and attached to, the superintendent's residence. The building is not only cheaply constructed, and poorly ventilated, but small and wholly inadequate to the demands of the unfortunate. A new building has been contemplated for several years ; but, owing to " hard times " and " indebtedness of the county," the matter has been neglected.

The county has a very elegant, commodious, and convenient jail, and sheriff's residence in front, built upon a contract of $32,900 ; but costing, according to the records, $75,000, without interest, before completion. The building is a brick, with stone foundation, slate roof, and neatly finished inside and out. The architecture is modern, and and the work all first-class. The sheriff's residence is large, convenient, and finished in good taste. Considerable complaint has been made on account of the number of escaping convicts, who have succeeded in cutting and breaking out ; but this is not wholly owing to the weakness of the jail, but more, perhaps, to too great leniency to the inmates.

The public school building, in Greenfield, is an elegant two-story brick, with basement, stone foundation, slate roof, and ash linish, and will accommodate nine teachers and five hundred pupils. It was built in the year 1869 ^^^^ 1870 by Harmon Everett, upon a contract of J^20,ooo, pavable in bonds on the corporation of the town of Greenfield. Everett took $10,000 in bonds in part pavment. The architects were Ennis and Hubert, of Indianapolis. The school trustees were A. K. Branham, Philander H. Boyd, and H. B. Wilson, of Greenfield. The stone for the foundation were shipped from St. Paul, in Decatur county. The brick were shipped and hauled, in part, from Knightstown. The. ViLiilding was begun in April, 1869, and the first school wa§ 'taught in the fall of the same year. A comparison of the taxes, mode of collecting, property, and wealth of the county, in its early history, with the present, shows that our growth has not only been steady, but rapid. The total taxes for 1829 were $703,17. The record shows the followina- :

The summary for the year 1833 shows the total tax to have been $787. 88^, signed by Joseph Chapman, C. II. C. C. ; which, when interpreted, means Clerk Hancock Circuit Court. The report for 1833 further shows 616 polls, 606 horses, 168 oxen, twenty-three watches, and two pleasuring carriages ; being an increase in one year of ninety-two polls, twenty-one horses, and four oxen, and a decrease of four watches and one clock, there being no clock returned for the year 1833.

The reader will observe, from an examination of the summary report given above, that the ad valorem system of taxation, now prevalent, was not then used ; but a specified tax was levied on each article of a certain class, regardless of value. This system continued in vogue till the year 1836.

A comparison of the two reports shows that people were increasing in numbers and wealth, and. could afford more time-pieces, and other luxuries. In 1835, ^^'^ ^^^ one gold watch, the first ever owned and taxed in the count}' ; two brass clocks, and three composition watches.

Under the system of specific taxation, the following were the rates till 1832 : On each poll, 50 cents ; on each horse, 37i cents ; on each ox, i8f cents ; on each silver watch, 25 cents ; on each gold watch, $1.00: on stallions, the rate they stood at per season : for land, half the rate of state taxes. From 1832 to 1834 the rates were : On each poll, 50 cents ; on town lots, | cent on each $1.00 ; work oxen, 25 cents ; horses over three years old, 50 cents ; watches, 50 cents : clocks, ^i.oo ; the tax on every 100 acres of firstrate land, 40 cents : on second-rate land, 30 cents ; on third-rate land, 20 cents. In the year 1834, the commissioners adopted the following list of rates : On each poll, 50 cents : on land, one-half the state tax ; on each horse, valued at over $10.00, 50 cents ; on each watch and pleas^ uring carriage, 50 cents ; on horses and jacks, the price of the season at which they stand ; on each yoke of oxen over three j'ears old, 50 cents ; on each brass clock, 50 cents : tavern license in Greenfield, $15.00: in other parts of the county, $10.00; license to vend wooden clocks, $10.00; foreign goods, $10.00. These rates remained in force for two years, or until the adoption of the ad valorem system, in 1836, when the rates were fixed by the commissioners at 20 cents on each $100 of real and personal property, and 75 cents on each poll.

Prior to the year 1836, watches, clocks and carriages were considered luxuries in which only the' rich were at liberty to indulge, and they were corhpelled to pay for the privilege. Hence, the tax on a watch, though it be ever so old and cheap, was twenty-five per cent more than the tax on one hundred acres of the best land, listed as " firstrate ;" the tax on a brass clock, regardless of its cost and real worth, was just equal to the tax on two hundred and fifty acres of the best land, or five hundred acres of third-rate land ; and the tax on a pleasuring carriage was equal to the tax on one hundred and sixty-six and twothirds acres of second-rate land, or two hundred and fifty acres of third-rate land. Again, the taxes on a clock or gold watch were equal to the tax on two head of horses, or two hundred dollars in money. The policy of the law seems to have been to discourage luxuries by high taxation, and to encourage the purchasing and owning of land by making the tax on it low.

From the year 1834 ^^ the year 1836, it cost one as much to obtain a license to vend wooden clocks or foreign goods as it did to pay the county taxes on two thousand five hundred acres of the best land, or five thousand acres of third-rate land.

Let the critical and curious reader compare the following figures, showing the taxables of the county for 1881, wdth the preceding, and contrast the difference.

It may be seen from the above that the value of lands and improvements was $27.00 per acre. The total value of taxables in the county averages $43.00 per acre. According to the auditor's report, the following is a true exhibit of the financial condition of Hancock county - the amount of funds on hand June i, 1881 :

From other official sources we learn that the county expends, annually, over $40,000 for school purposes. The amount expended for the year ending September i, 1881, was $42,562.83. Of this there was expended for tuition $26,077.07, and for special fund $16,485 86.

In further illustration of the growth of the county and her present wealth, it may be noted that the receipts of the county for the year ending May 31, 1881, were $169,- 449.84, including a balance in the treasury, May 31, 1880, of $51,650.58. The expenditures, including a balance on hand of $42,612.27, are the same. Orders outstanding May 31, 1880, are reported at $695.95; orders issued within the year, $87,665.54; orders redeemed within the year, $87,973.50; orders outstanding May 31, 1881, $387.99; county bonds outstanding, $25,000.

Early in the history of our county, the poor were left to depend upon their own resources, supplemented by the gratuitous favors of their friends. But now it is otherwise. The poor and infirm, the sick and unfortunate, who are unable to care for themselves, are provided for at the county's expense. For the year ending June i, i83j, the orders issued by the trustees of the different townships of the county amounted to $4,601.55. Of this amount Center township issued orders to the extent of $2,296.17, which was the largest amount expended by any one township, and Blue-river township issued orders for the same purpose to the amount of $54.25, being the smallest amount expended by any one township. The trustee of Sugar-creek township issued orders which foot up $92.11, being next to Blue-river township in the ascending scale. The trustee of Jackson township issued orders to the

The county is reasonably well supplied with railroads. The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis passes east and west through the central portion ; the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis (Bee Line) crosses the north-western portion ; and the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Indianapolis (Old Junction) crosses the south-western portion. The Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western railroad company is now extending a line across the county, entering Buck-creek, crossing Center and the north-west corner of Jackson, and out through Brown. This road will probably be completed early in 1882. The county will then have about fifty-six miles of completed road. Another road is contemplated, to extend north and south through the county, past Eden and the Junction, and through Greenfield to Shelbyville. The road is completed to Anderson, and if sufficient assistance is voted along the proposed route, it will be completed through to Shelbyville. Should this road be built, as projected, there will not be a township in the county without a railroad ; and without it, all but Green are partially, or wholly, crossed by roads completed, or being completed. The P., C. and St. L,, being the old "Indiana Central,'' has a line of about nineteen miles in the county; the "Junction'' ten; the " Bee Line" nearly seven ; and the I., B. and W. will have twenty miles when completed.

We have four papers now published in the county ; all in Greenfield. Three political news and miscellaneous weeklies, and one educational monthlv.

Our p'eople are generally industrious, moral, thrifty, and intelligent. There is less illiteracy in the countv than in the average counties of the state. Accordin<j to the official returns, there were, for the year 1880, but two persons between ten and twenty-one years of age in the county unable to read and write ; while in Madison, on the north, there were fifty, in Hamilton there were thirty-nine, and in the state there were two thousand and forty-seven, which number divided by ninety-two, the number of counties, shows Hancock, on that basis, to be above an average county. The people are naturally very conservative ; and it may be recorded as a historical fact that Hancock county once bitterl}^ opposed the establishment of free schools, as shown by the official vote, when the question was submitted to the ballot-box. Though our voting population was then comparatively small, the county stood four hundred strong against the proposed establishment of free schools, and one township is said to have cast but two votes in favor of the same. But to-day she is not inferior to adjoining counties in the support of "free schools, the hope of our country ;" and the individual that would publiclv advocate their abolition would be considered, if not non combos mentis, at least a relic of the dark ages.

Hancock county is the home, and has been the residence, of several prominent men - politicians, poets, and educators. Milton B. Hopkins, late state superintendent of public instrviction, and A. C. Shortridge, formerly superintendent of the Indianapolis schools, and for a time president of Purdue University, were once citizens of the county. This is the home of Judge David S. Gooding, a personal r;ketch of whom is given elsewhere, and of the poets James i\. Riley and Lee O. Harris, who have more than a state reputation.

The churches principally represented are the Methodist, Baptist, Presb3'terian, Christian, Friends, Catholic, and Dunkard. The Methodists are found all over the county ; the Friends are principally in Blue-river township ; the Presbyterians in Center township ; and the Catholics in Center, Sugar-creek and Vernon townships.

Hancock count}' is not behind her sister counties in loyaltv and patriotism ; but has ever been prompt and liberal in response to the country's call. In the war with Mexico she furnished a full company, organized by Captain James R. Bracken, and called into the service of the

United States by the President, under the act of Congress approved May 13, 1846, at Madison, Indiana, the phice of general rendezvous, on the 8th day of October, 1847. In the war of the RebelHon she furnished, in response to the various calls of the President, nearl}' twelve hundred brave boys in blue, many of whom bled and died for their country's good.

R. A. Riley, David S. Gooding, Lemuel W. Gooding, James L. Mason, Wm. R. Hough, Montgomery Marsh, Charles G. Oftutt, Geoi'ge Barnett, James A. New, Israel P. Poulson, James J. Walsh, S. A. Wray, John A. Hughes, W. S. Denton,

School Trustees

In the foregoing we have endeavored to take a brief general view of the county as to history, resources, and other matters of interest, which is intended to give the reader some idea of the territory to be surveyed before entering upon the work proper. This closes the first chapter, after which we will engage in more specific definite work, and will take up each of the townships in order, and speak of them separately ; and will, in the course of the work, give a full detailed account of the several points mentioned herein.