Hancock County, Indiana - Chapter 6, 1882

Chapter 6

This township took its name from Prior Brown, one of the lirst settlers. It was organized and incorporated in the year 1833, '^t which time it was struck oil' from Green, of which it had formed the eastern part for one 3'ear, prior to which it had been a part of Jackson for a similar time, and preceding that a part of Blue-river for three years.

Brown not being one of the original townships, like Blue-river and Brandywine, just described, and Sugarcreek, yet to consider, it now becomes necessary to digress a little and introduce a map and explanations, in order to make clear to the mind of the young reader the origin and early history of the township now under consideration, and of the other non-original townships to follow.

Explanations^ Siigi^'cstions, and Historical Jurrts. - In order to comprehend the descriptions of the origin and earh" history of the county and several townships, the reader should study carefulh' our outline maps and history connected therewith ; also the wall map published in 1875 by the senior member of this firm. To show the number of the townships and their exact size and location by maps, would require eight illustrations. We hardly deem it necessarv to give all : but with what we shall introduce.

With this brief outline, in connection with the maps given, to w^hich we shall often refer, the reader mav readily locate any and all of the civil and congressional townships, present and historical.

Location^ Boundary , Size,, Topography Timber, ete. - Brow'n tow^nship is located in the north-east corner of the county, and is bounded bv Madison county on the north, Henry on the east, Jackson township and Henrv county on the south, and Green township on the w^est. It is the only township in the county that is not partialh' bounded by Center.

In dimensions, Brown is six miles east and west and five miles north and south ; and, consequently, consists of thirty sections. It is all located in township seventeen north and ranges seven and eight east, the west tier of sections being in range seven and the remainder in range eight east.

In topography, the -face of the township is mainlylevel, though somewhat undulating in the vicinity of the streams: soil, limestone deep, rich and lasting; subsoil, gravel and clay.

oak, elm, walnut, cherry, and poplar, and especiall\- abounded in fine oak. The destroying angel passed over this township and selected out the fine walnut and poplar and claimed them for his owrj.

It is almost wholly an agricultural and grazing district. The only manufactories in the township, outside of the flouring mills, are a saw-mill and a tile factory.

Streams. - Sugar Creek enters the township at the north-east corner and fiows south-west three and one-half miles to the center of section twenty-one, and within half a mile of Warrington ; thence north-west, dipping into Madison countv at the north-west corner of section eight : thence south-west, passing out on the west line of the township, one and a half miles south of the north-west corner, on the west middle line of section thirteen. Brandywine rises west of Warrington, in section twenty, runs south by south-west and passes out of the township one and a half miles east of the south-west corner, and near the middle southern line of section thirty-one. Willow Branch rises in the Western central part of the township, in the eastern part of section twenty-four, and flows south two miles ; thence west, passing out a half mile north of the south-west corner. The Pedee rises in the south-east part of the township, flows north-west four miles, passes Warrington on the north-east, and empties into Suirar Creek in section seventeen. Brandvwine, in Brown, is a small, torpid stream. The flrst of these streams once furnished limited water-power for "corn-crackers" and "muly saw-mills," but has no mills on its banks to-dav. The last two are short, sluggish brooks, rising in wet, marshy land and flowing through level territory. are of little use save for drainage.

Earliest Land Entries. - The flrst land entered in the township was on July 3rd, 1830, by Prior Brown, being the east half of the north-east quarter of section thirtythree, in township seventeen north, and in range eight east. The second entrv was made on December 2d o\

First Settlers. - Among the first settlers of the township were : Prior Brown, after whom the township was named : John and Ezekiel Morgan, Geo. Nance, Mr. Davis, Perry Wilson, Sarah Baldwin and her family of seven children, Morgan McQviery, the Johnses, Nibargers, Sparkses, Hiatts, Seth Walker, Mosby Childers, Stephen Harlan, and Thomas Collins. All of whom are gone to the happy hunting grounds bevond the rolling river, and with the spirit's eye look with pleasure on the pleasant surroundings of their posterit}', now^ enjoying the fruits of their labors. At a later date came Alfred and Jolm Thomas ; Jonas Marsh, the father of William, Montgomery, Ephraim, and Dr. John L. Marsh : William Bussel ; Aaron Cass, grandfather of Annetta Cass, murdered in Green township ; John Havs and Joel Cook, steady, prosperous farmers.

First Flection. - The first election in the township was in 1834, held at the residence of Barzilla Rozell. The ballots were cast in a hat, and covered with a kerchief. There were no complaints of " stufting the ballot box "' in those halcyon days.

Mills ^ ninly and modern. - The first grist-mill in the township was simply a corn-cracker, built by Stephen Harlan in 1835. '^^""^ located on Sugar Creek, one and onehalf miles north-east of Warrington, near where the Concord church now stands. This mill was run successfullv tor several years, when Harlan abandoned it and erected a new one on a more extensive scale lower down the stream propelled In- an overshot wheel. The older citizens declare that the wheel was too large and set too high to secure the proper fall for the water, which in the dry season was low ; so that on the occasion of letting the water into the race, it passed down ver}^ slowly till it came to a craw-fish hole, when it suddenh' disappeared, to the utter chagrin of tlie enterprising miller and the amazement of the rural spectators.

central southern portion of the township, whicli tliey run for a number of years, wiien thev sold to Dr. S. A. Troy, who refitted it and kept it in operation for two years, and then traded it off, and it was moved away.

Daniel Blakely, in about 1836, erected a small sawmill on Sugar Creek, near Nashville, which fed upon the choice logs of the vicinity for a number of 3^ears.

Harlan & Brown, about 1855, erected a steam sawmill near the old Harlan mill, referred to above, which was successfully operated for, probabh', ten years.

Trees & Company erected a steam circular saw-mill in Warrington about 1863, just across the road east from where the present flouring mill now stands.

A little west of Nashville, on the pike, Allen Walton & Brother built, about 1868, the largest and most successful circular saw-mill ever erected in the township, if not in the county, which continued in operation till 1879, when it was removed.

I^oads. - This township is reasonab]\' well supplied with good public roads, many of which have been graded and graveled by her enterprising citizens. There are in the township nine and three-fourth miles of toll pike, besides about six miles surrendered to the public. To this township belongs the credit of having the first gra\'el road toll pike in the county, built in 1859, ^^^ known as the '- Knightstown and Warrington Gravel Road."'

Railroads. - This township has no railroad completed. The I., B. and W. are extending a line through the county, which will pass through the township, entering at the S')uth-west corner and passing out near the central middle line on the east.

It has two villages, - Warrington and Nashville, - and two post-ofilces, - Warrington and Willow Branch. The former is the only voting precinct.

She has a tile factory, flour mill, saw-mill, three pikes, one county officer, one mill stream, two border counties, and is democratic by about sixty majority.

Remarks. - These several schools are numbered similar to the numbering of the sections in a congressional township, No. I being found in the north-east corner and No. 9 in the south-west, there being three tiers of houses of three each. The Buchanan school-house is located in the western middle part, near J. N. Martindales farm. The senior member of this lirm once swayed the green birch with regal authority at this point, and had the honor of having under his instruction the future count}^ clerk, Ephraim Marsh ; Dr. John L. Marsh ; . and 13r. David Myers, since deceased. At the old original Spiceland school-house, Dr. J. G. Stuart, of Fortville ; Wm. Sagers, and Montgomery Marsh, also received his instruction.

In 1838, Montgomer}' Marsh attended a school located just north of the Buchanan, the building of which w'as made entirely of buckeve logs. The teacher was David McKinse\-, now in the poor-house of this countw

Brown Townshii'

Value of Real and Personal Property. - Brown township has 19,248 acres of assessed land, valued at $423,620. Her improvements on the same are valued at $53,810. Value of town lots, $2,330; with improvements on the same valued at $6,380. Personal propert}^ $158,605. Total value of real and personal property. $644,745.

Taxes. - This township is assessed for the current year, to be paid in 1882, for $7,141.45 taxes. Of this amount, the following men pay $40 and upward, viz. :

Mtirdcrs, Suicides^ and Remarkable Deaths. - It was in this townsliip that a Mr. Bell, brother of Senator Bell, ot' Madison county, was eaten by the wolves in 1838. His body was found by Mosby Childers north-west of Nashville in a badly mutilated condition. His bones, and fragments of his clothing and pocket-book, were picked up in different places. Cause of death never known.

In 1832, a child of Vincent Cooper was frozen to death on the banks of Sugar Creek, in this township. It had wandered from home and w^as lost.

In 1856, William Mitchell, a 3'oung man, was killed by horse-racing, being thrown against a tree by the horse taking an opposite side of the tree from what the rider intended he should, and supposed he would, take.

Alfred Jones' wife committed suicide in 1875, ^J h^i^li'- ing in a small house near her residence. Cause unknown. Her husband was absent from home at the time.

Tozvuship Trustees. - The following are the names of the township trustees from the time they were empowered with authority to lev}' taxes, together with the date of their appointment :

It will be seen from the abo\'e that William Marsii held the office of trustee for more than a dozen years, and we speak from our own personal knowledge in testifying to his earnestness and efficiency. William L. Garriott swa3's the scepter at this date, being the first and last trustee in the township under the new regime. Attorney Marsh and Esquire Ree\'es carried the township safely through the perilous times of the civil war.

of the peace for Brown township from its organization to the present time. We copy from the records since 1840. Prior to that time we find no records either in our own court-house or at Indianapolis in the state records.

residence of the various county officers, it must be taken from memory and hearsay, which are not always rehable. Exports. - The chief exports of Brown are corn, wheat, hogs, cattle, horses, lumber, and flaxseed, with small quantities of apples, potatoes, and sheep.