Jackson County, Indiana - Chapter 15, 1886 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 15

Towns - Seymour, Its Founding and Early History - Early Build¬ ings - Railroads - Early Business Men - Newspapers - Present Business Interests - Secret Societies - Churches - The Reno Boys - Brownstown Selected as County Seat - Sale of Lots - Early Residents and Business - Incorporation - Churches - Press of Brownstown - Building and Loan - Crotiiersville - Situation and Business - Churches. Secret Societies, etc. - Medora - Business Interests - Newspapers - Murder of Flinn and Reynolds, etc.

SEYMOUR* derived its name from the chief contractor and civil engineer, Mr. Seymour, who had charge of and super¬ intended the construction of the Ohio & Mississippi Railway, from North Vernon, Ind., to St Louis, Mo. The town was laid out April 27, 1852, by Meedy W. and Eliza P. Shields. The original plat embraced that part of the present city lying north of Cincinnati Avenue, south of Fifth Street, east of Indianapolis Avenue and west of Broadway. Within the boundary lines it was traversed east and west by Second, Third and Fourth Streets, and north and south by Ewing and Mill Streets, the latter running south only to Fourth Street The plat included ten blocks and 100 lots, and was duly registered at Brownstown, the county seat.

The ground on which Seymour now stands was pre-empted or purchased as follows: James Shields, father of M. W. Shields, founder of the town, was granted by the Government 1,200 acres of land at an early day, about 1812, and placed in charge of the "block-house," a rude fortress erected and maintained for several years, .on the ground lying just north of the city and now occu-

The ground lying directly south, to what is now known as Bruce Street, was pre-empted or purchased from the Government by Joshua Moore. Seeing the advantages that would accrue from railroads, Mr. M. W. Shields purchased from Samuel Moore, his son, this tract of land, which was owned by the latter, about the year 1850. Butler's addition, comprising the greater part of the Fifth Ward of the city of. Seymour, was purchased direct from the Government at a merely nominal price by Charles Butler. The city of Seymour is located on a part of four separate sections, the corners of all meeting at the intersection of Brown and Wal¬ nut Streets. A parallel line, running south from the east side of the city cemetery on the north to Brown Street on the south, shows the northeastern part of the city located in the west half of Section 17, Township 6, Range 6. All lots and lands west of said parallel and north of Brown Street are located in Section 18, Township 6, Range 6. That part of the city lying south o^ Brown Street and mainly west of Walnut and known as Butler's addition, lies in Section 19, Township 6, Range 6. The fourth division is best known as Pfingst's addition, though much more than this addition is included in or encompassed by Section 20, of Jackson Township.

The First Settlers

Among the first, if not the very first, of the actual settlers in Seymour was John Redinger, Sr., a shoe-maker by occupation who was the first person, after the town was laid out, to occupy an old frame building standing in Second Street, after that street was laid out, directly in front of the ground where J. B. Morrison's dry goods store now stands. Mr. Redinger erected a small frame dwelling, which still stands as the north wing to his saloon build¬ ing and hall. On his departure for his new home the old build- ing mentioned above, which had been the farm dwelling of Samuel Moore, was occupied by Thomas McCollum and wife, who kept the first public house or hotel ever kept in Seymour. After Mr. . McCollum abandoned this house for more commodious quarters, having built what is now known as the McLeland House, on Cin¬ cinnati Avenue, the old house was tom down by a Mr. Griffith, and moved to East Second Street, being a part of the present residence of Mrs. Sophronia Gibson. A small log house stood, in 1852, on the corner of Branch and Chestnut Streets, on the grounds now owned by Mrs. Harriet Ewing. These are doubt¬ less the first human habitations erected within the present city limits of Seymour. Travis Carter came to Jackson Township in September, 1852, and, until he could build, occupied a small log hut, which stood some distance north of the present city park, and beyond the present city limits. But for this fact he would be entitled to the honor of being the first actual settler within the town. In the winter of 1853 he built an "up and down" house of two rooms on Mill Street, which he occupied the following spring. Mr. Carter, who was a carpenter by occupation, soon afterward erected a building on the east side of Ewing Street, be¬ tween Sixth and Seventh. In this building was placed woolcarding machinery, which was propelled by horse power. This power was afterward used by Mr. Carter in the same building for dressing lumber, turning, etc.

Dr. John T. Shields completed the first new residence in Sey¬ mour. This house was a one-story frame, and stood on the lot now occupied by the residence of John Jonas, corner of Indian¬ apolis Avenue and Fourth Street. While this house was being built many other houses were in progress ; hence it would be diffi¬ cult to name other buildings in successive routine. The first storehouse in Seymour was built by Henry B. Wools, and the honor of being Seymour's first merchant belongs to him. His storeroom was built on the southeast corner of Indianapolis

Avenue and Fourth Street, and the same building, greatly en¬ larged and improved, is at present occupied as a residence by Joseph Kling. The second storehouse in Seymour was built by Meedy W. Shields, and was located four or five doors south of Second Street, on the east side of Indianapolis Avenue. The third storehouse in Seymour was erected by Dr. Hagens, who, with E. Cobb, conducted a drug store in the building now occu¬ pied by F. P. Hill's ale-house on Indianapolis Avenue.

Sale Op Lots

The first public sale of lots in Seymour took place Novem¬ ber 11, 1852, and Mr. Shields, the founder of the town, who had nothing to show as an inducement to investment but the projects of railroads (on paper) that were soon to come, was most hap¬ pily surprised at the eagerness of bidders. At that time the ground where the Ohio A Mississippi and Jeffersonville, Madison A Indianapolis depots now stand, was a pond on which water stood nearly all the year, to a depth of several feet. The now well-known Jonas House corner was then the corner of a field which yielded abundant crops of wheat or corn each year. The greater part of what is now known as the First Ward was a dense forest, which was used as a woods pasture by Mr. Shields, the western boundary of which was de¬ fined by a rail fence, running about on the present line of Ewing Street

A saw-mill built by M. W. Shields in the year 1852, and su¬ perintended by Stephen Adams, furnished the lumber used in the erection of most of the new houses built in Seymour during the years 1852 to 1855. This saw-mill stood just east of the Jeffersonville, Madison A Indianapolis Railway and half way between Third and Fourth Streets, beside a ra¬ vine which is now covered by a culvert An old dis¬ tillery, the property of Samuel Moore, which had stood on what

In the summer of 1852 the Jeffersonville A Indianapolis Bail¬ way was completed north as far as Rockford and rapidly pushed from thence to Columbus. A rivalry had for some time existed between M. W. Shields, whose interests were in and near Seymour, and John J. Kester, who was a large property owner in and about Rockford, a village of 500 inhabitants, two miles north, each having contended for the coming of the then prospective Ohio A Mississippi Railroad through their respective towns. The sur¬ vey being completed and Mr. Shields being triumphant, it is not surprising that the denizens of Rockford, taking their cue from Mr. Kester, had no kindly feeling for their new though promising rival. Such influence as they could exert was brought to bear on the officials of the road, and, as a consequence trains did not stop at Seymour for nearly three years after the Jeffersonville A Indianapolis Railroad had been completed through the town. "Mule Crossing," as Seymour was derisively called, was tabooed by her jealous rival, and many and bitter were the personal quar¬ rels that grew out of this jealousy.

First Train On The Ohio & Mississippi

June 29, 1854, Seymour donned her holiday attire to wel¬ come the long-wished-for coming of the Ohio A Mississippi Rail¬ way within her midst. A grand dinner was served by the ladies of the town, under a large wood-shed that stood just south of Cincinnati Avenue and opposite the Ream House, in honor of the officials and others who were to pass over the road that day for the first time. The day's enjoyment was seriously marred by a most sad incident: Upon a flat car, attached to the excursion train, was a cannon, which was manned by six men. On the train's arrival, a salute was fired, and an open keg of powder left standing on the car was ignited, when a terrific explosion took place. All the men on the car were blown off, two of them were killed outright, and the other four more or less seriously injured.

The road had been built from the east, and in its progress westward, which continued, the town profited greatly in furnish¬ ing supplies for the army of men employed. The "Jeff" Bailroad, as it is still called, persisted in its petty spite toward Seymour, refusing to stop even when flagged, thereby causing passengers to embark at Bockford, or at Farmington, an insig¬ nificant village two miles south. Capt. Shields found himself equal to this, as to many other trying emergencies. During the next session of the Legislature, of which body he was a member, he secured the passage of a bill compelling trains to stop at all railroad crossings. For this bill many other towns than Sey¬ mour, in Indiana, have had reasons to be thankful.

After the passage of this bill, the Jefferson & Indianapolis Company built a narrow platform opposite the residence of Joseph Kling, where they made brief halts for passengers, but provided no buildings for the accommodation of freight or passengers, for some years later. The small frame ticket office, still standing, was erected in 1858, about which time the two companies joined in the erection of the freight house still in use.

Early Professional Men, Tradesmen, Etc

Dr. John Tipton Shields was the first physician in the town. He was soon followed by Dr. Hagen. Both came from Jennings County. Samuel W. Smith, deceased, was the first attorney. Bobert M. Patrick came next. Thomas Whitson, who afterward held the office of mayor, was then also an attorney, but resided in the country. Lee B. Osborn was the first justice of the peace. John Bedinger was the first shoe-maker, Travis Carter the first carpenter, Stephen Storey the first blacksmith, George A. K.

Pomeroy the first harness-maker, and Lee B. Osborn the first tanner. One James M. Smith opened the first saloon in the town in October, 1853; but his success was shortlived. About a month after he opened, holes were bored upward through his floor, through which his "stock" made its escape. Thus ended his business.

A daughter of Jesse Smith was the first bom in the town. John A. Carter was the first male child bom here. A little daughter of John Redinger was the first to die. She fell into a vat of slacking lime while her father's house was being built, and the inhalation of its fumes caused her death.

The house now occupied by H. Alwes & Son was the first brick building ever erected in the town. It was first used for a hotel or boarding-house. The McLeland House, on Cincinnati Avenue, was built by Mr. McCollum, in 1854. The same year, the Har¬ vey House, which stood directly north of the Ohio & Mississippi depot, was built by Joseph Newby. The old Faulkconer House, which was on the site of the Jonas House of to-day, was built by Mr. Jonas, in 1857.

Travis Carter was the first postmaster, and used an old family bureau for the reception and safe-keeping. Dr. Haynes was the second. Thomas McCollum was third, perhaps, but the office was in various hands, until 1861, when D. A. Kelly was commissioned by the new administration, by Mr. Lincoln. He was removed by Andrew Johnson in 1865, and was succeeded by J. F. Johnson. Benjamin Carter was commissioned postmaster in 1868, under Grant, but transferred the good-will of the same to Peter Platter, who was duly commissioned, holding the office eight years. L. M. Manis succeeded Mr. Platter, and is in charge at this time (Jan¬ uary 30, 1886).

The first addition to Seymour was recorded by Meedy W. Shields, August 29, 1854, and embraced that portion of the city lying between the Ohio & Mississippi Railway, and Tipton and its extension, High Street, east of Chestnut Street and west of Broadway. Shields' addition, recorded February 13, 1856, em¬ bracing three or four blocks lying south of High Street, and east of the Jeffersonville, Madison <fe Indianapolis Railway. Shields' addition, recorded September 23, 1858 ; twelve blocks west of the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis Railway, and both north and south of the Ohio & Mississippi Railway. Shields' addition, May 15, 1863; six blocks east of the original town plat, and north of the Ohio & Mississippi Railway. Various other minor additions were recorded by Mr. Shields, on the following dates : June 13, 1863; June 17, 1863; June 19, 1863; March 7, 1864; June 17, 1864; November 9, 1864. Butler's addition, September 24, 1863, blocks A, B, D, E, and F. Various other additions have been made to the city.

The first schoolhouse erected for the accomodation of the children of Seymour, was built by Meedy W. Shields, at the cor¬ ner of Ewing and Fifth Streets, on the lot now owned by Mathias Freidman. This building was a frame, and contained three rooms, one above being used for church purposes, and two rooms below for schools. This town's progress being rapid, and its pop¬ ulation increasing apace, several other rooms were rented through¬ out the town for school purposes, between 1853, when this house was built, and 1860, when the first national census of the town was taken, which showed a population of 924. The old school building was destroyed by fire June 9, 1859, and a new? two-story brick school building was at once erected on the lot now occupied by John Sansterer's residence. Even this building, which was then regarded as commodious, was soon found to be inadequate to the demands, and after ten years of waiting, attended by more or less annoyance, in having to adopt any room attainable for the use of ward schools, the main portion of the present Shield's High School building was erected, being opened for the admis¬ sion of pupils from all parts of the city, in October, 1870. It con¬ tained six large and well-equipped rooms, and, despite past ex¬ perience, those were not wanting who were ready to censure the board for their extravagance in building so costly and extensive a structure, when there was no apparent requirement for such outlay. Their judgment was proven to be sadly at fault when, five years later, an addition of six large rooms, the south portion of the present building, was erected at a cost aggregating about $10,000. The same year a large and comfortable school build¬ ing was erected on the south side, for the use of colored children and is still found ample for their use. Good as the school facili¬ ties appeared, they were still found inadequate, with added years. In 1872 the enumeration, between six and twenty-one years, was 875; in 1876, 1,231; and in 1881, 1,528. It will now, doubtless exceed 2,000. In 1881 the Laurel Street building, situated in the southern part of the town, was erected. This house contains four large rooms. The Park School building was begun in 1885, and is almost ready for occupancy. This is similar in size to the Laurel Street building. Another building, of like proportions, is already in contemplation, to be erected in the southeastern part of the city.

The present school board consists of F. M. Swope, Albert P. Charles and Christian C. Frey. The corps of teachers consists of sixteen persons, with William S. Wood as superintendent The financial affairs of the schools are in a sound and prosperous state, and the management throughout gives universal satisfaction.

Town And City Government

a petition, signed by 103 persons, was presented to the county commissioners, praying for a special election to decide upon incor¬ porating the village. The election was held in Justice McCol¬ lum's office June 30, but the incorporation party was defeated. In March, 1864, a like petition was presented to the board, signed by 130 persons. The town then contained 1,553 souls. An elec¬ tion was ordered and held at Dr. S. H. Charlton's office, April 6, 1864, when the proposition for incorporation was carried almost unanimously. The board of election was Maj. J. J. Cummins and Phillip Langel, judges, and Francis W. Brown, clerk. The town was duly incorporated June 22, 1864, the following officers hav¬ ing been chosen: Robert Pattison, president; James L. Gardi¬ ner, Asa B. Carter, F. Duhme, John J. Frey, trustees; Smith Crabb, clerk; George E. Greene, marshal; James A. Thompson. A town election was held May 1, of the following year, resulting in the election of the following officers: Clerk, S. H. Huffman; treasurer, James L. Gardiner; marshal and assessor, John Stegner; board of trustees, R. Pattison, Thomas L. Ewing, John J. Frey, H. Thomas and Asa B. Carter.

June 24, 1864, a city charter was obtained and the first offi¬ cers to serve were George Greene, mayor; Stephen Storey, mar¬ shal; A. A. Davison, clerk; Abel Findley, treasurer; Andrew J. Hamilton, assessor; E. S. Berry, Thomas L. Ewing, Christian Frey, John J. Frey, Dr. Hollingsworth, Thomas Hanley, Henry Massmann, Robert Pattison, G. W. Parsley and Simeon Stockdell, councilmen. Alexander A. Davison was the second mayor of the city. Thomas Whitson and S. W. Holmes, deceased, served as mayor, as did also Albert P. Charles and D. W. John¬ son, each three terms. Reuben F. Everhart was elected in May, 1884. Among the present residents of the city who served as councilmen since its incorporation, and who are not already men¬ tioned, are John C. Groub, John Staudt, James Kennedy, Frank Williams, J. H. Andrews, Charles Leininger, D. W. Johnson, J.

T. Shields, John Humes, James H. Bobinson, John A. Goodall, Joseph Balsley, Louis Schafer, William Christopher and others. Phillip Langel served as treasurer and George Slagle as mar¬ shal. Benjamin F. Price, present county auditor, served as city clerk for a number of years.

The first newspaper in Seymour was the Times , edited and published by Dr. Jasper R. Monroe, present publisher of the Ironclad Age of Indianapolis. The paper was established here in 1857, having been brought here from Rockford, where the Herald had been founded a year previous. The Times was Re¬ publican in politics from the beginning until about 1877 when its political feature was abandoned, Dr. Monroe espousing the cause of infidelity, for which he has since gained widespread no¬ toriety from his forcible, caustic and witty modes of utterance, and his untiring warfare on Christianity. The Times was moved to Indianapolis in the fall of 1881, when its old name was dropped and the Ironclad Age substituted.

The Seymour Democrat was first established as the Seymour Union by Henry M. Beedle. The paper was afterward given its present name, and previous to 1875 was owned in turn by J. H. McCormick, M. W. Shields, A. A. Davison, Shank & Stairs, and perhaps others. In 1875 it was purchased by Emil E. Rettig, when he leased the office and good will to John A. Forsythe. In 1878 Mr. Bettig established the Daily Magnet , afterward the Daily Lever , which he published uninterruptedly for about three years. In October, 1881, Messrs. J. A. Forsythe and E. W. Collins purchased the Democrat and Lever newspapers, with office, good will, etc., and carried on the business under the name of the Lever Printing Company. Previous to the fall of 1883 the Lever was independent, when its name was changed to DemocraU and it has since been conducted as a Democratic paper. The Daily and Weekly Democrat are at present published by F. S. Collins, with John A. Forsythe as editor, and evince signs of great financial prosperity.

The Seymour Sun was established by S. W*. Holmes in 1869, but a year later was removed to North Vernon, and has ever since been run as the North Vernon Sun. The Seymour Sun was Democratic in politics.

A small daily called the Star was started by Charles Patter¬ son and Samuel Stairs in the fall of 1873. It survived but a short time. The Weekly Star followed but soon ceased. In March, 1875, a small five column paper made its appearance under the name of the Experiment It was published by Victor H. and Harry 'C. Monroe, but was continued only for a few months.

In the fall of 1878 a Democratic paper called the Post was started, with I. H. Thomas as editor and publisher. After a pre¬ carious existence of about one year the Post was discontinued, and the material leased to Platter, Sons & Co., who founded the present Seymour Republican. The experiment of publishing a daily in connection with a weekly was tried but soon abandoned. This firm continued the publication for about a year when onehalf the material was purchased by stock subscription in Feb. ruary, 1880, and the publication of the paper continued by James B. Abernathy and L. M. Boland. A campaign daily was started, Mr. Boland withdrew from the paper, and it continued under the management of Mr. Abernathy for about another year. The daily was discontinued and the office purchased outright by Byford E. Cunningham and Samuel V. Cox, December 6, 1881. On April 3, 1882, Messrs. Cunningham & Cox sold one -half in¬ terest in the paper to Emil E. Bettig and L. M. Boland. A large amount of new type, new presses and other material was added, and the firm began the publication of the Daily and Weekly Bus¬ iness , the former independent and the latter Bepublican in pol¬ itics. During the following year Messrs. Cox & Cunningham withdrew and in January, 1884, Mr. Boland purchased Mr. Bettig's interest in the papers. On September 11, 1885, the daily was discontinued from want of support, and the old name Re¬ publican adopted for the weekly. On November 10, the office was purchased by Frank S. Moore, who is its present owner.

In the winter of 1881-82, Harry C. and Victor H. Monroe began the publication of a Bepublican weekly called the Item. This was continued only for a few weeks, but was revived under the name True Republican in June following. Some ten months later it was suspended from want of support.

The Monitor , afterward Monitor -Journal, a paper published in the cause of temperance, was established by M. E. Shiel in the summer of 1877. It met with fair success, and continued to be published here, when it was removed to Indianapolis. On July 4, 1885, Mr. E. E. Bettig began the publication of the Latest News , a weekly publication, Democratic in politics, which he is still conducting. On September 14 he began the publica¬ tion of a daily, but discontinued it some two months later.

Seymour To-Day

For the two decades previous to 1880, the growth of Seymour was very rapid, as can be seen by the census, as follows : In 1860 the population was 924; in 1870, 2,372; and in 1880, 4,252.

A census taken in the spring of 1885 showed a population of 5,548. It is reasonable to conclude that in the present year it will reach an aggregate of 6,000.

The Seymour Woolen-mill Company was organized in 1865 by Butler & Love. Be-organized in 1872, with Louis Schneck as president, and A. N. Meyer, secretary. The sales of this estab¬ lishment in 1884 aggregated $136,000. The company employs about 100*persons.

The Seymour Manufacturing Company was organized in 1872 for the manufacture of spokes and cradle frames. About $100,000 is now invested, and an average of ninety hands are constantly employed. F. M. Swope, president; Lynn Faulkconer, secretary.

Travis Carter & Co., manufacturers of sash, doors, blinds, flooring and lumber of all kinds, are also extensive contractors, and employ constantly about seventy-five men. Capital em¬ ployed, $30,000.

Blish & Co.'s Flouring-mill for the manufacture of roller flour was burned in October, 1885, but is now being rebuilt with larger capacity than ever. Estimated investment, $30,000.

Seymour Steam Cooperage Company employ twenty men con¬ stantly, in the manufacture of lard tierces, etc., for the foreign trade. Charles Sauer and John Dummer, proprietors.

Besides the above corporate and individual industries the Ohio & Mississippi Railway established a portion of their shops here in 1873, in which about 125 men have usually been em¬ ployed.

Among the minor industries are Johnson Brothers, J. C. Hill, R. Irwin, Duckworth & Ahlbrand, Kasting & Raesener, and P. Lea, blacksmiths; Burkhart & Johnson, J. C. Hill & Co., Jacob Becker and F. Kinoke, wagon and carriage-makers; A. Berdon, E. O. Krueger, Mike Fox, Hugo Fox, Jacob Loretz, shoe-makers ; T. N. Postlewaite, miller; H. Kaufman and M. Damerich, brewers.

Merchants And Dealers

Miscellaneous. - J. H. Hodapp, grain dealer; Hide and Leather Company, leather and findings ; Platter & Sons, queensware; L. M. Boland, sign printer; James Hibner, fruits.

The following list of physicians are at present practicing in Seymour: John T. Shields, S. H. Charlton, M. F. Gerrish, N. N. Shipman, A. L. Newkirk, Y. H. Monroe, G. Q. Orvis, W. H. Cur¬ tis, William Casey, J. S. Shields, J. M. Shields. Dentists: B. E. Ford, William E. Gerrish. Attorneys: Jason B. Brown, Will¬ iam EL Marshall, Albert P. Charles, W. T. Brannaman, Oscar H. Montgomery, Robert M. Patrick, Daniel H. Long.

The First National Bank of Seymour was chartered in Jan¬ uary, 1864. Capital stock, $100,000. James L. Gardiner, pres¬ ident; John H. Blish, vice-president; George H. Murphy, cashier.

The Jackson County Bank was organized under the laws of Indiana. Capital, $40,000. George F. Harlow, president: C. B. Cole, vice-president; William Acker, cashier.

Free And Accepted Masons

For the data of the first Masonic lodge in Seymour we copy as follows from a hand book published, in 1874, by Albert PCharles, present Grand Master of the State of Indiana: The first lodge organized in Jackson County was organized at Brownstown. The date of dispensation and the names of its officers named therein are unknown, as early records of the lodge are lost or destroyed, and the proceedings of the Grand Lodge made no mention of the lodge until 1819, when it appears that at the annual communication in that year, its dispensation granted dur¬ ing vacation by the Grand Master, was discontinued for departures from landmarks.

The meetings of the lodge were held at Reddington until June 20, 1854, when it was removed to Rockford, the Grand Lodge, at its communication in May, having granted the petition of the members to remove to that place.

The lodge met at Rockford until 1859, when'the rapid increase of the newly founded city of Seymour induced its members to apply to the Grand Lodge for permission to remove to that city, the lodge having unanimously petitioned for removal. The Grand Lodge, at its May communication in that year, consented to the change. Since its location at Seymour the lodge has flour¬ ished. It owns the third story of the brick building in which its meetings are held, and has its rooms well furnished.

Seymour Lodge I. 0. O. F.

A charter was granted this, Seymour Lodge No. 4, March 26, 1859. The following persons who held cards from the various lodges named below were charter members: James L. Gardiner, late of Crescent Lodge 132, Indiana; J. J. Frey, late of Crescent Louisville Lodge 81, Kentucky; S. H. Charlton, late of Crescent Lodge 73, Indiana; John Harton, late of Palmetto Lodge 175, Ohio; Joseph W. Swift, late of Chapman Lodge 78, Indiana; George Williams, late of Chosen Friends Lodge 13, Indiana; J. P. P. Hiller, late of Adair Lodge 86, Indiana; Edward Berry* this number there are less than 100 who still retain their member¬ ship, a few having died and others having left the community. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, probably but few lodges in this jurisdiction have outstripped Hermion in growth and prosperity.

This post was organized June 22, 1880, by Comrade David G. Agnew, of Vincennes, Ind., with twenty-one charter members, and the first officers were John A. Ross, P. C. ; George E. Clow, S. V. C. ; Benjamin Carter, J. V. C. ; Frank Woodmansee, Q. M. ; James H. McGinnis, O. of D. ; Joseph McNelly, O. on G., Joseph Cotton, Chap. ; James R. Abernathy, Adjt. The officers at the present time are William Duckworth, P. C. ; Finley P. Hill, S. V. C. ; August Eisner, J. V. C. ; Joseph F. Blythe, Adji ; Joseph McNelly, Q. M. ; August Winter, Surg. ; Frank Manns, Chap. ; John Bawman, O. D. ; Aaron Greule, O. G. ; Cortez Has¬ kins, S. M. ; Archibald N. Clayton, Q. M. S. The meetings of the post are the first and third Friday nights in each month, in Odd Fellows Hall.

Knights Of Honor

This lodge, under the name of Gerrish Lodge, was organized in 1876 and still exists with a large membership. In 1883 it was supplemented by the K. & L. of H., both of which lodges are reported in a prosperous condition.

Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers

data of organization, membership, etc., could not be secured. Most of the members hold positions on the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, and meetings are held in Pfaffenberger's HalL

Knights Of Labor

Shiel Assembly No. 2317, was organized Saturday evening, October 14, 1882. The meeting was called to order by Jacob Shamback, and John J. Shiel was appointed president He stated the object of the meeting, when Mr. Christian Selmer was introduced as the organizer of the assembly, and the following were the first officers selected: Master Workman, William Duck¬ worth; Worthy Foreman, David L. Peacock; Venerable Sage, Michael Price; Inspector, John K. Peacock; Almoner, Harrod Bannister; Recording Secretary, Henry Hunteman; Financial Secretary, Samuel Thickston; Treasurer, J. H. Clause; Unknown Knight, Henry Lebrant ; Inside Esquire, Samuel Bass ; Outside Esquire, Richard Rinehart ; Statistician, John J. Shiel. The as¬ sembly held their first regular meeting November 25, 1882. The Master Workman called the meeting to order, and seven members were initiated.

Methodist Episcopal Church In Seymour

In the fall of 1852 the Southeast Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized. It included all of that portion of the State south of the National Road, and east of the west lines of Johnson, Brown, Jackson, Scott and Clark Counties. At the same time Bockford Circuit was organized and Seymour was included in it. There was but a small class, and no church building. In the fall of 1855 a Seymour Circuit was organized, and Rev. George L. Key was appointed its pastor. At the end of the next succeeding five years the congregation felt strong enough to begin the erection of a house in which to wor¬ ship, they having the while held their religious services in the old Baptist Church, and a German brick schoolhouse that was then in existence. Peter L. Carter, William Gossett, Valentine S. Vogle, William H. Shockly and Harden Hancock were ap¬ pointed a building committee by the quarterly conference in 1860. Rev. John F. McClain was the pastor. It was not until three years later, and when Rev. A. Kennedy was pastor, that the building was completed and dedicated. No marked growth at¬ tended the church during the next twenty years.

In 1883-84 their present substantial and commodious edifice was erected. The improvement was under the pastoral charge of Rev. Virgil W. Tevis, one of the most talented and sprightly ministers of the State. His culture and oratory drew such audi¬ ences as could not be accommodated in their old church building. A larger and more modem church was demanded by the member¬ ship and community. Such was the origin of their new church edifice. The building is of brick and stone, with basement con¬ taining lecture-room with a seating capacity for 300, and minis¬ ter's study, class-rooms, etc. The main audience-room, which has a seating capacity for 600, is reached by two flights of stairs. In every department it is substantial and neat, and in every way it is a model church for both beauty and convenience. It was erected at a cost of $16,000.

Peter L. Carler, Joseph H. Hodapp, Hezekiah Thomas, Con¬ rad Bolinger, Charles H. Hancock, Albert Bolinger, Washington J. Keeley, C. C. Isaacs and Uriah White are the present board of trustees. The church has a membership of 400, in whom is represented a fair proportion of the wealth of the city and sur¬ rounding country.

The Sunday-school is superintended by Conrad Bolinger, and has an average attendance of 175. It is very well organized and is in a healthy working condition.

The present pastor, Rev. John S. Tevis, D. D., is the father of his immediate predecessor, Rev. Virgil W. Tevis. They are of a family of ministers. The father of Dr. Tevis was the Rev. Dr. Daniel H. Tevis, deceased, who was for years a minister in Ken¬ tucky ; and he has a brother, Rev. Augustus H. Tevis, D. D., who is pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, in Atchison, Kas. Dr. J. S. Tevis was born in Bracken County, Ky., October 3, 1828. During his boyhood days his father came to Indiana and settled upon a farm in Rush County, where his boys were inured to the hardships of farm life as it was in Indiana forty-five years ago. He was educated at such schools as the country had in those days, and some of them were very good schools even then. He made con¬ siderable proficiency in the Greek, Latin and German languages. In 1848-49 he studied medicine, and was in the midst of a lucrative practice in the fall of 1851, when he left the profession of medi¬ cine for the ministry, since which date he has never taken a vaca¬ tion. His theological attainments became such, and his pulpit powers so distinguished, that, upon the recommendation of the faculty of De Pauw University, the board of trustees and visitors of that institution conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. It may be named that the faculty of the university acted upon the request of such men as Thomas A. Hendricks, late Vice-President of the United States, Hon. A. G. Porter, ex-Governor of Indiana, Bishops John M. Walden, of the Methodist-Epicopal Church, and other distinguished ministers and professional men. He has filled most of the important churches in the southeast con¬ ference, and has had several years experience as presiding elder.

First Presbyterian Church

In 1855, M. W. Shields, founder of the town, advertised in the Cincinnati and Louisville papers that he would give suffi¬ cient grounds and $100 to any church organization that would locate in Seymour. April 29, 1855, a Presbyterian society of seven members was organized, with Bev. Charles White, pastor. In September of that year a frame church building was erected on the corner of Second and Chestnut Streets. This house underwent numerous repairs and improvements as time went on, but in 1882, the ground on which it stood having become very valuable, was sold, and the proceeds, with the addition of liberal donations from members and others, were used in the erection of their fine new church, standing on the corner of Walnut and Branch Streets. The congregation has had altogether, to this time, ten pastors; Bev. McKillup being now in charge.

Roman Catholic Church

In the year 1858, Bev. Phillip Doyle began the solicitation of donations for the erection of a church in Seymour. In 1860, a small church was erected on South Chestnut Street, at a cost of $690. At this time, the church did not have a membership to exceed thirty families. This building was afterward used as a schoolhouse; was later purchased by John C. Grant, and is now after being remodeled, used by Mr. Montgomery as a grocery store, on almost the same spot that it was used for a church. Bev. Doyle was the first pastor, and continued in charge until 1867, when he was superseded by Bev. G. H. Orem, who filled the pas¬ torate until 1871. Victor A. Schnell was the third pastor, and continued until December, 1873, when the present pastor, Bev. A. A. Schenck, took charge. The large brick church, still occu-

Through the efforts of Father Schenck, the fine school building*on the church grounds was built, at a toted cost of $10,000. This building has ever since been occupied by the Sisters of Providence, in whose charge the school is. The house contains four large school-rooms, and a hall 24x63 feet The present pupils number 175. In 1880, the parsonage, located on the op¬ posite side of Chestnut Street from the church, was purchased, at a cost of $1,000. In 1884, large additions were made to the church ; a new slate roof supplanted the old one of shingles, and various other improvements were added, costing in the aggregate $4,000. From 1873 to the present time, a total indebtedness of $16,000 has been incurred, which, under the efficient management of Father Schenck, has been reduced to about $7,000. The church has now a total membership of 155 families, or upward of 600 persons. The finances of the church are in a very prosper¬ ous condition, and the pastor is respected and beloved by all who know him.

First Baptist Church

This church was first organized June 29, 1839, as the Liberty Baptist Church, and was situated about three miles east of Sey¬ mour. March 29, 1858, the site now occupied, corner of Tipton and Walnut Streets, was chosen, and the name changed as above. A substantial frame edifice was erected, which served the congregation until 1885. It then gave place to the new and handsome brick structure, which has just been completed at a cost of about $18,000. The membership at present is 209. The first minister was Elder J. W. Robinson; the last was Rev. Albert Ogle, now of Franklin. The present trustees of the church are L. D. Carpenter, C. C. Frey and Daniel Lester. Rev. J. B. Tuttle, of Brookville, has been called, but has been delayed in accepting th<5 pastorate, owing to sickness.

This church was organized in the year 1859, by Henry Massmann, F. Voss, Frank Duhune, Detrich Duhune, Phillip Henser, Phillip Langel, Conrad Haub, John C. Henser, John Heins and others. The first pastor was Eev. Witter Strolen, and those fol¬ lowing, in the order mentioned, were Rev. Julius Frenderling, Rev. Edward Kuster, Rev. G. F. Engelhart, Rev. C. Heinrici, Rev. A. Schaeshter, Rev. K. Fischer, Rev. G. F. Horst and Eev. Henry Krumdedk, who is the present pastor. The present membership is seventy, and the Sunday-school, organized in the year 1860, has an average attendance of seventy, of whom Mr. Fred Voss is the present superintendent. The finances of the church are in a prosperous condition.

The Church Of Christ

The following persons were instrumental in organizing the Church of Christ in this city: W. T. Huff, J. H. Hagens, Gallons Cummins, J. W. Hollenbeck, William Olliver, John Litt, James Blythe, Andrew and Buckles. The wives of all the above named persons were members, except the wife of James H. Blythe, who was a member of the Methodist Church. William Olliver, Sam¬ uel P. Harris, Joseph Hagens, Michael Yontsey, J. W. Hollen¬ beck and Gallons Cummins, were the first board of trustees of the Church of Christ. W. F. Huff was the first minister of the Christian Church in Seymour. The church of this denomination was built in 1866 on a lot lying directly south of the planingmill, now owned by T. Carter & Co. The church was built of brick, at a cost of $4,000. This building was destroyed by fire in 1879, when Carter & Co.'s planing-mill was burned. Pre¬ vious to the building of this house, the society held their meet¬ ings in Griffith's Hall, a building now situated on East Second Street and occupied by D. A. Kelly, as a boarding-house. After over the store now occupied by H. P. Billings. In 1873 their new church building on the north side of Fourth Street, between Broadway and Yine Streets, was completed, and has ever since been used by the society as a house of worship. Thomas Jones is the present pastor, and the present board of trustees are S. P. Harris, John M. Seaman and William Olliver. Two vacancies, caused by death and removal, will be filled at the first meeting of the trustees.

The German Evangelical Lutheran Church

This church was organized by Rev. H. Juengel, from the White Creek neighborhood, February 3, 1870.* The first trustees elected by those present were Henry Buse, E. H. Ahlbrand, and Nik. Deppert. The following were the original members : Nik Deppert, John Rapp, A. Reichel, Louis Messer, Andrew Voegt, Jacob Hutzel, E. H. Ahlbrand, Martin Ahlbrand, William Ahl¬ brand, William Buehner, John Mascher, G. H. Hallow, J. EL Schepmann, J. F. Bettenbrock, George Schad, H. Buse, and John Deppert. In the first meeting held by these members the above named trustees were instructed to at once select a suitable site for a church building. The new church edifice, erected at the cost of about $3,500, was dedicated June 4, 1871. The member¬ ship being small, the church did not feel able to have a pastor of its own, and, therefore, joined with the Lutheran Church of Waymansville, Bartholomew County, and called Rev. Father Wendt, as their minister, who, for two years, divided his time between the two charges. In 1873, the membership meanwhile having handsomely increased, it was resolved by the church at Seymour to have a pas¬ tor of its own. Consequently a call was sent to the Lutheran Theo¬ logical Seminary, at St. Louis, Mo., for one of the graduates there, and Mr. Henry Fischer thus became pastor of the church. Rev. H. Fischer continued his labors for eight years, and during his pas¬ torate new members were added to the church annually. When he

His successor was Rev. Ph. Schmidt, the present pastor. Rev. Schmidt was bom in Wuertemberg, Germany, in 1850; two years later he immigrated with his parents to this country, and passed his boyhood in Auglaize County, Ohio. At the age of fifteen years he entered Concordia College, at Fort Wayne, Ind., where he went through a regular classical course of six years. Having graduated here he, in 1871, entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary at St. Louis, Mo., to prepare for the ministry. In 1874 he graduated, and was stationed at Liverpool, Medina Co., Ohio. This church, however, being small, and there being but little pros¬ pect of increasing its membership, he, after serving it for five years, accepted a call extended to him by three charges in La- Porte and adjoining counties, this State. Here he labored with great zeal and apparent success ; but the many hardships he had to undergo soon caused his health to fail, and, in the fall of 1881, he accepted the call tendered him by the Lutheran church at Seymour, Ind. During his labor here the church has been on a steady increase, and at present numbers 850 members. In the spring of 1883 a handsome parsonage was erected by the church, at an expense of about $1,500. The present officers are : Trus¬ tees, F. Fordermark, H. Bettenbrack and G. H. Hallow; senior elders, William Buse, E. O. Krueger, J. Buehner, E. H. Ahlbrand, F. Heitkamp and G. Schulte.

This church has no Sunday-school, but, what is deemed much bdtter by its members, a parochial school, or Christian week-day school. In this school the children are every day instructed in religion, the German language, the English language, and in all other branches which are taught in our public schools. This parochial school was organized by Rev. H. Fischer, and was for a short time conducted also by the present pastor. Soon, however, it became evident that it was too much work for one man to at- tend to the ministry and to so large a school at the same time. The church, therefore, resolved to have a special teacher for its school, which at that time numbered sixty-five scholars, A call was extended to Mr. H. C. Wagner, which was accepted by him, and in February, 1882, he took charge of the school. Mr. Wag¬ ner accepting a call to a Lutheran school at Chicago, HL, in 1884, the church succeeded in getting Mr. W. H. Kastrup to con¬ duct their school. Mr. Kastrup is a native of Washington County, III, and is a graduate of the Lutheran Normal School, at Addison, Du Page County, Ill. The school at present numbers ninety-five children. The schoolhouse was built in 1874, at a cost of about $1,500. Both church house and schoolhouse hardly afford the necessary space, and the society contemplates building a new church edifice, in the near future - a suitable site having already been purchased for that purpose - and to use the present church building for a school room.

The Emanuel Church has its own cemetery, situated about two miles west of Seymour. The church is connected with the Ger¬ man Evangelical Lutheran Synod, of Missouri, Ohio and other States - the largest Lutheran body in this country.

German Methodist Episcopal Church

This church in Seymour is one of three which form a circuit, now known as the Seymour Circuit The one is known as St Peter's Church near Reddington, in this county, of which Mr. William Miller, Joseph Fox, C. Benkmann and others, are promi¬ nent members; in 1870, Mr. C. Ackert, now of Seymour, was then the leading member. The other church is located in the German settlement, about four miles southwest of town. Promi¬ nent among its members are Frederick Kasting, Frederick Thias, George Pfaffenberger and D. Miller. This church was built about only five years ago. The church in Seymour is by far the largest of the three, and has a membership of about 100 while the circuit has about 166. Several appointments in the county, formerly visited regularly by the circuit rider, have been dropped, and everything is concentrated in Seymour. Among the old charter members of the circuit, may be mentioned William Miller, father of H. P. Miller; Conrad Ackert, P. Heller, JonaB Peter, J. Freyhoefer, C. Fill, L: Schnek, and H. P. Miller. The first parsonage was built six miles southwest of town, by the old camp-ground. The second was built in Seymour, at the corner of Bruce and Poplar Streets, in the year 1868, and first occupied by Rev. Charles Lurker.

The church in Seymour was built in 1866, and Rev. William Riechemeier preacher in charge ; it was then about 30x40 feet, but has been enlarged in 1884, and is now large enough to seat 300 per¬ sons, and was improved at a cost of $3,000. About 125 worship here regularly, and its membership is earnest and religiously inclined. The Sunday-school, with H. Siebenburger as its super¬ intendent, numbers about 125, apd meets every Sabbath at 9 A. M. The officers and teachers number about twelve. This school was organized about 1868. Among the persons that have served as superintendent here are L. Schneck, J. Krenwell and Willicun Burkley.

The first preachers that came to this county of the German Methodist were Joseph Kisling, G. A. Breuning, Joseph Schwahlem Fr. Becker, J. Rothweiler and many others. The present pastor (1886) is Rev. J. F. Severinghaus, who took charge in Septem¬ ber, 1884. During his administration the church has been en¬ larged and beautified, and the parsonage improved, now having nine good rooms. The property generally is in good condition, and the finances of the church are also good. The members are hopeful, and look toward a bright future.

Colored Churches

Seymour several years ago, the records of which have not been preserved. In 1872 a brick church house was built in Seymour, and dedicated to the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The present congregation is quite large, and services are held regu¬ larly.

The African Baptist Church was organized here some three years ago. Rev. Benjamin Hines is the present pastor. This organization has not yet erected a church, but are at present solic¬ iting donations to that end.

A history of Seymour would be far from complete without more than a mere allusion to the dark days of 1865 to 1868, inclusive, and the scenes of lawlessness that were enacted in and about the town during that period.

Situated at the junction of two great railways, connecting four of the largest Western cities, namely Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louis¬ ville and Indianapolis, it was of easy access to the camp follow¬ ers, thieves, counterfeiters, garroters and confidence men who gathered at all railway centers to entrap the unwary soldier returning to scenes of peace.

Here, too, was the home of the long famous - or infamous - Reno gang, whose daring feats of robbery have taken front rank in the pages of the criminal history of our country.

Frank Reno, the recognized leader of the gang, was the oldest of five brothers, three of whom met their deaths at the hands of a mob ; another has but recently begun his second term in prison, while the fifth has at all times been adjudged innocent of crime. The family was reared on a farm near Seymour, and, previous to the latter days of the war, were highly respected and prosperous. Frank was a strange compound admixture of good and evil, the latter trait predominating. Among his neighbors and every-day associates he was very^pular, was strictly honorable in business transactions, and more than once he gave warning to friends of impending robberies about to be perpetrated by some of his asso¬ ciates. He was tainted with that dangerous doctrine of the com¬ munist, whose chief tenet is that the rich may be robbed with impunity, having more than their share. Perhaps, to the end that his conscience might find relief, he distributed a part of his ill-gotten gains with a lavish hand among the needy of his native town.

It is the generally accepted belief that the Beno brothers themselves took little or no part in the petty robberies, burglaries and other thefts that were of almost nightly, and sometimes daily, occurrence from 1864 to 1868. They were, no doubt, however, cognizant of what was going on in that regard, but confined their personal operations to more prolific fields. Numerous bank and county-safe robberies, which took place in various parts of the country, during the period named, were, without doubt, their work, or that of some of their more skilled confederates.

Express Robberies

Marshfield, an isolated water-station, is situated about twenty miles south of Seymour, on the Jeffersonville, Madison & In¬ dianapolis Bailway. Here, at 11:45 on the night of May 22, 1868, while the engine was taking water, the engineer was sur¬ rounded by half a dozen men, one of whom knocked him down, while another presented a pistol to his head and threatened to take his life if he uttered a sound of alarm. The fireman shared a like fate. The robbers then uncoupled the combination bag¬ gage and express car from the train, and all were disengaged, getting on board ; the engine with the baggage and express car wore run northward. After passing Austin, the first station north, they forced an entrance to the car, overpowered the messenger, and broke open the safes. They were rewarded for their work in the capture of $90,000 in new notes. Oncnearing Seymour they

Some eighteen months previous, a train on the Ohio & Missis¬ sippi Railway was boarded when a short distance east of Seymour by three robbers, said to have been John and Simeon Reno, and Frank Sparks. The messenger was knocked senseless, and after rifling one safe containing some $15,000, the other, containing $30,000, was rolled from the moving car. The robbers in this in¬ stance being close pushed, the safe and contents were recovered intact.

In December, 1867, Michael Collam, then a mere boy, and Walker Hammond boarded the Ohio & Mississippi train near the same place, and, under almost similar circumstances as related in the foregoing paragraph. They secured $8,000, but were recognized and were soon after arrested, Previous to his arrest, Hammond was decoyed to Rockford, two miles north of Seymour, through a message from a dissolute woman of that village, and, while on his way at night, was set upon by one of his com¬ panions in crime and robbed of his share of the booty. Both himself and Collarn were sent to jail, where they baffled the law for a time, but a plea of guilty and a sentence of seven years each finally saved them, no doubt, from the terrible fate that was meted out to so many of their companions by the vigilance com¬ mittee.

The last of the four great attempts at express robbery, which went so far to give Seymour an unenviable name, was not only not successful, but it proved most disastrous to the gang and was destined to be the beginning of the end of outlawery in this region. James Flanders, an engineer on the Ohio & Mississippi Railway had by some means gotten into the good graces of the robbers, and they counted him as one of them, though he was by no means so regarded by the community. The plot to rob the train at Brownstown was hatched and Flanders agreed to render them all the aid in his power. The plan was that they should come upon him unexpectedly, at the water station, apparently overpower himself and fireman, and uncouple the express car as was done at Marshfield. The attempt was made early on the morning of July 10, 1868 ; the programme worked perfectly to all appearance at first The car was uncoupled without the least alarm being given* and the engine and express car moved swiftly eastward with six robbers on board the former. After going a few miles, the engine was halted in a lonesome spot, and the robbers made a rush for the express car and forced open the door, being eager to finish their work. Flanders had secretly notified the authorities, and six guards, armed to the teeth, were ready to receive them. This was a most grievous surprise to the robbers ; but the guards acted in¬ discreetly in opening fire before the robbers could get into the car. The result was, that after a short resistance, the robbers beat a hasty retreat and escaped, all but Yal. Elliott, who received a severe wound in the shoulder. The engine and express car were returned to Brownstown, and the train went on its way to Cincin¬ nati, where Elliottwas placed in jail. The other robbers proved to be John Moore, Charles Boseberry, Frank Sparks, Frelingheysen, Clifton and Henry Jerrell. In the surprise and shooting from the express car, Sparks had a finger shot away, and Moore received a wound in his side.

The news of the attempted robbery was soon made known, and in less than an hour a squad of thirty men started in pursuit of the robbers. After. a long search, Clifton and Boseberry were found and captured in a dense thicket near Bockford: they were at once heavily ironed and conveyed to Cincinnati for safe keeping.

Whatever the opinion of the casual reader may be, the resi¬ dents of Seymour and vicinity at the time of which this history treats, felt that they were justified in taking steps to check the lawlessness which worked as a menace to honorable trade, ren¬ dered life and property insecure, and offered an example for the rising generation which must ultimately result in ruin. The recognized law being found inadequate, through the manipula¬ tion of the leaders of the gang, whose stolen money was found an ever ready means with which to influence juries, witnesses and prosecutors, the law of might was appealed to. A vigilance com¬ mittee was organized in the ranks of which were the majority of the best and most trustworthy men of the city and county. A brief summary, to follow these details, will enable the reader to judge whether or not the extreme measures they inaugurated for relief were justified:

Ten days after the attempted robbery of Brownstown, July 20, 1868, Roseberry, Clifton and Elliott were taken on board a train at Cincinnati for the purpose of being conveyed to Browns¬ town, where a preliminary hearing was to be given them. The train and prisoners passed Seymour unmolested, but two miles west, the engineer was brought to a sudden halt by a red light vigorously displayed before him. As soon as the train halted a crowd of masked men entered the train and demanded the three prisoners, calling them by name. A slight resistance on the part of the guards was ineffectual, and Elliott, Roseberry and Clifton being taken in charge by the mob, the train was signaled to move on. The train had been halted at the mouth of a narrow lane. A beech tree stood by its side some 200 yards distant from the railroad. Here the prisoners were halted and told that their time had come. A few minutes were given them to prepare for eternity. Roseberry maintained a dogged silence, Elliott was defiant and Clifton begged in vain for mercy, declaring his inno¬ cence to the last. Soon the word of command was given by the leader, ropes were hurriedly placed about the necks of the three wretches, and, at a second command, they were launched into eternity.

So quietly was the work done that a German farmer living but a few rods away was not aroused. Next morning he was horrified to find three stark and stiff bodies dangling from a tree almost at his door. He promptly gave the alarm, and after a coroner's ver¬ dict of strangulation by parties unknown, the bodies were allowed to be taken charge of by relatives.

The Second Hanging

It will be remembered that Frank Sparks, John Moore and Henry Jerrell were concerned in the attempted robbery at Brownstown. They were in the thicket near Bockford when the pursuers were pressing them, but escaped and made their way by rail and on foot to Coles County, Ill. Here, being out of money, they went to work as farm hands, though two of them were suf¬ fering from painful, though not serious wounds. Jerrell had a sweetheart at Louisville, and, unknown to his companions, wrote to her, detailing his distress and that of his friends, and soliciting an answer to be sent under an assumed name. Of course every friend of the outlaws was shadowed by Pinkerton's detectives, who were employed by the Express Company to hunt down the guilty parties. The young woman, being illiterate, asked a second party to read the letter, and the reading was over¬ heard by a detective. Two days later the three were arrested, and on their way to Brownstown jail via Indianapolis.

The south bound train from Indianapolis to Seymour was late' missing connection with the night train west on the Ohio & Mis¬ sissippi Bailway. There being no place of safety in Seymour the officers having the prisoners in charge determined to convey them by wagon to Brownstown, eleven miles distant. A wagon was at once procured in which they were placed, heavily guarded. Having to pass under the very tree on which their companions were hung but a few days previous, the prisoners were naturally uneasy until beyond that point, when they manifested relief.

Their rising spirits proved without warrant When some 200 yards beyond the fatal tree there arose, as if from the ground, a crowd of men numbering at least 200, all wearing masks. The wagon was promptly surrounded and halted. The guards were ordered out and placed under guard of a detachment of the Vig¬ ilance Committee; the driver was ordered to "right about face" with his team and load, and was again brought to a halt under the hangman's tree. Here Jerrell, Sparks and Moore met a sim¬ ilar fate to their three companions in crime, with no witness to their awful fate save those who were sworn to secrecy.

The New Albany Tragedy

Thus far the Renos had escaped the vengeance of the mob. Simon and William Reno were under arrest and in New Albany jail, charged with participating in the Marshfield robbery. (It is proper here to state that many believe William Reno, who was not more than twenty years of age at the time of his death, inno¬ cent of the charge which cost him his life. ) Frank Reno and Charles Anderson, accused of the same crime, were at Windsor, Canada, well out of the law's reach. Under a solemn pledge of Mr. Seward, then Secretary of State, backed by promises of the express company which had been the sufferer, that Reno and An¬ derson would be granted a fair trial, a writ of extradition was secured, and the two prisoners were brought to New Albany jail to await the action of the court in Scott County, where the crime was committed. Here on the early morning of December 12, 1868, Charles Anderson, Frank, Simeon and William Reno were taken from their cells, presumably by a band of men from Jackson County, and hung until dead from the stairway of the jaiL The details of this tragedy are too well known to need repetition. Let it suffice that the sheriff and turnkey, Mr. Fullenlove, now dead, made every resistance in his power. He was severely wounded in one arm by a shot from one of the band, and his life was threatened in vain, that he might be induced to give up his keys. His wife, at last, to save him, imparted the desired in¬ formation, when the mob found ready access to the cells.

Thus was ended the career of the chief outlaw, his companion, Anderson, and his two younger brothers. Clinton Reno, who, as before stated, was never accused of wrong-doing, was a farmer by occupation, residing near Rockford when the tragedy occurred. He is now a prosperous merchant of a Western town, and through¬ out all he has maintained a reputation for honor and integrity among his fellowmen.

John Reno, who was next in age to Prank, was found guilty of burglarizing a county treasurer's safe in a town in Missouri, and sentenced to the penitentiary for twenty-five years. He began his term about one year previous to the hanging of his brothers. He served ten years and ten months when he was par¬ doned by Hon. B. Gratz Brown, then governor of Missouri. He was rearrested at the threshold of the prispn on the charge of par¬ ticipating in the second mentioned express robbery. On reaching home he readily procured bail of $20,000 through the instrumen¬ tality of well-disposed persons, who believed that himself and family had been sufficiently punished for their misdeeds. Soon after this the case against him was dismissed, and he was once more a free man. He engaged in farming, which he followed with indifferent success for about five years. But the old liking for crime returned, and in the winter of 1885 he was arrested on the charge of passing counterfeit money. Some months later he en¬ tered a plea of guilty, and was sentenced to the northern Indiana penitentiary for a term of three years and three months.

A correspondent of one of the leading daily papers, writing soon after the New Albany tragedy, summed up the other crimes happening in and about Seymour, during the four preceding years, about as follows: Moore Woodmansee, a merchant of Medora, twenty miles west, while on his way to Cincinnati, having on his person $2,800, took lodging at the Rader House, then the leading hotel in Seymour. After retiring to his room he was never again seen. Some decomposed remains, supposed to be his, were afterward found in White River, but were not fully identified.

Grant Wilson, a colored man, who was known to be an impor¬ tant witness against some of the gang, was shot dead, in daylight, while walking from his home to Seymour. A Mr. McKinny, who was also a witness, was called to his door one night and shot dead. William Mower was murdered in a saloon row, but his mur¬ derers were never arrested. Pages could be filled with accounts of burglaries, robberies and thefts of all kinds, but more than enough has already been told. Let the reader judge if the good citizens of Seymour were or were not justified in adopting the summary means they did to check this deluge of crime which they had tried in vain to check in any other way.

To the regret of the numerous descendants of the adventur¬ ous pioneers and to the perplexity of the writer many facts of universal public value and private utility have never passed be¬ yond the circle of their own age, or, if they have, were let perish and disappear long before the compiler began his task. No¬ where have the discrepancies been more numerous, or the opin¬ ions of the best informed at greater variance than was developed in the numerous interviews with regard to the early inhabitants of Brownstown. So we have in all cases given credence to that which to us seemed the most plausible, at all times taking into consideration the credibility of those from whom we sought the information.

The Territorial Legislature, which was in session at Corydon in 1815, passed an act which was to take effect the 1st of Jan¬ uary of the following year, which provided for the organization of Jackson County out of the territory of Washington and Jef- ferson Counties, and to that end appointed commissioners to lo¬ cate the county seat, and appoint a county agent for the sale of lots. The rivals in the county seat contest were Vallonia and a place somewhere between the present site of Brownstown and Seymour, which for the time was called Natchez, but the com¬ missioners wishing to locate as near the geographical center as possible, selected the present site. The land was owned by John Ketcham, from whom it was bought, and the sale of lots adver¬ tised by John Milroy, who was the first county agent Milroy, after acting in that capacity for a short time resigned, and was succeeded by John McCormick. The land on which the town is located was purchased from the United States by entry in the year 1816, by John Ketcham.

Location

Brownstown is located near the geographical center of the county, in Sections 11 and 14, Township 6 north, and Bange 4 east, about one mile and a half from Driftwood Fork of White River, and on either side of the old Indian boundary line. It is surrounded on all sides, but at some distance away, by a range of high hills, the average altitude of which is from 150 to 200 feet The land on which it now stands was, at the time of its se¬ lection as the location of the county seat, a wilderness, covered with a dense growth of forest trees, peculiar to this climate and soil. The deed conveying the land to the county agent bears date of February 27, 1817. The original purchase, was about 153 acres, for which the county paid $1,230.80. The following is the description of the land purchased: Beginning at the south¬ east corner of the northeast quarter of Section 14; thence 140 poles to stake; thence north 146 poles to a post in a field, 12 feet north of a dead bule ash tree, and on the boundary line be¬ tween the old and the new purchases ; thence with said boundary line 143 poles to the comer of fractional Section 11; thence south seven degrees, east 237 poles to the place of beginning, contain¬ ing 153 acres, three-quarters and sixteen poles. The town plat was made and acknowledged April 8, 1816, which, ac¬ cording to the records, was several months before the land was purchased. It consisted of 168 lots and the public square, which was 310 feet square. The streets running north and south were Main, Poplar, Sugar, and Water, and those running east and west, or at right angles with Main, were Cross, Tanners, Com¬ merce, Walnut, Spring and Bridge. The first addition made to the original plat was made by John Milroy, county agent, July 7, 1817, and consisted of sixty lots.

Sales Of Lots

The first sale of lots was ordered advertised for the 5th of March, 1817, and on said day lots were bought by John White, George Paul, William Holeman, Samuel Young, William Coughlan, John Kutch, Nathan B. Derrow, Thomas Ewing and others. After the first sale lots were purchased June 10 by Thomas Ewing; August 18, by John Milroy (who had been succeeded as county agent by John McCormick) and William Naylor; Novem¬ ber 11, R. C. Ford; January 14, 1818, John Prather; May 20, 1818, by Zaqhariah Bell; July 7, 1818, by Jonaathan Lyon; September 19, 1818, by William K. Denny; February 20, 1819, by Rufus Hammon; January, 1819, by Thomas Swan, John Jacobs, William Booen, Jacob Crane, Robert Burge and Alexander Craig. Perhaps the largest number of the purchasers above named never lived in Brownstown, or at least not at an early day.

Early Residents Of Brownstown

When, where or by whom the first residence was built within the present limits of Brownstown is unknown, and will ever re¬ main so. It is remembered by Mr. John R. Hamilton that in 1816, the year in which he with his father, James Hamilton, came to this county, that there were a few log-cabins standing in various parts of the town, but it is quite probable that but few houses of any kind were built until after March, 1817. Among the early residents who lived here prior to 1820 were William Congleton, William Crenshaw, Alexander Craig, John Craig, Samuel Stanley, David Burr, G. Clarke, Walter Benton, William Benton, David Benton, Mary Benton, Dr. Buggies, Dr. Throcmorton, a man by the name of McTagart, and doubtless others whose names are not remembered.

Early Business Interests

As to' who was the first to sell goods or engage in any kind of trade, we are, after numerous inquiries, still in doubt. Some say it was William Burr, who sold goods for a man by the name of Clarke, in a log building that stood on the west side of the public square, not far from where the large brick store-house of Wright Vermilya now stands; others claim that a man by the name of McTagart, who was afterward sheriff of the county, was the first to embark in the mercantile business. His store-house was a small frame building that stood n9ar the present site of David Lubker's hardware store. William Congleton built a frame house a story and a half high on the spot where Charles Durland's provision store stands, in which he kept "tavern." This was oneof the first houses built in the town and was the first hostelry. This being the county seat people from all parts of the county were com¬ pelled to come here to transact public business, which made tavern keeping profitable. This did not escape the notice of the enter¬ prising Alexander Craig, who at once began the erection of iEtna House,- which was the first brick building. It was completed in the year 1819, and was considered a very fine building. Early in the twenties Walter Benton kept a small stock of goods in a log house that stood on the same lot that is now occupied by the blacksmith shop of George Knost. This was a general stock, consisting of dry goods, boots and shoes, hats and caps, groceries, hardware, and possibly a little whisky, as it 'was considered in those days a staple commodity. Samuel Stanley was also one of the early merchants. William Crenshaw, Samuel P. Mooney, a man by the name of Gel wick, John Mooney, Dr. Wort and Dan¬ iel Christ were prominent early residents.

A tannery was built at Brownstown as early as 1817 by John Elliott, and was well patronized. It was built near where James Clarke now lives. There were probably a dozen vats, and its capacity for work was considerable. He tanned many deer, bear,* wolf and coon skins, as well as those of wild and domestic animals. This tan¬ nery was a prominent feature of the early business enterprises of the town. It continued under the management of Elliott for several years, when it was sold to Gabriel Woodmansee, who sus¬ pended operations after seven or eight years. This was succeeded by William (Tieford, who built a small tannery near the residence of Dr. Hodman, but soon sold to Morgan & Fifer, who did an extensive business for several years. John Staley commenced the erection of a foundry near Brownstown as early as 1816, and if ever completed it was not of sufficient importance to deserve special notice.

The Brownstown Manufacturing Company was organized by an act of the Legislature February 2, 1832. The purposes set forth in the act were to prosecute the agricultural, manufacturing, ex¬ porting and importing business within the State of Indiana. The principal movers were Andrew C. Griffith, Samuel Wort and Will¬ iam C. Crenshaw. The authorized capital stock was $300,000, with the provision that when $10,000 was subscribed directors were to be elected and operations begun. It was further provided that the company should engage in no species of banking nor issue any bills of credit in the form of bank notes.

The first flouring-mill that was ever built within the corporate limits of Brownstown, was a large frame building on the lot now owned by Lucy Benton. It was built by Balkman & Hamilton some time in the thirties. The last and only one now standing is that owned and operated by Frank Miller.

Later Business Enterprises

In its early days Brownstown was the principal town of the county, and might have been the metropolis to-day (though not probable), had the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad passed within its borders. The failure may be attributed to three principal causes, viz. : the lack of public enterprise on the part of a few of the wealthiest citizens of Brownstown, the influence brought to bear by and in behalf of the proprietors of Ewing, and the impractica¬ bility of the route to the former. All these causes combined to locate the road and depot at the present site. Many regarded this as a death-blow to Brownstown, as will be seen in the fol¬ lowing verses that appeared in one of the principal county news¬ papers of that day:

A Funeral Ode To Brownstown Incorporation Of Brownstown

The first* effort made to incorporate Brownstown was at the September term of commissioners court of 1833, at which time a petition was presented, and an election ordered to be held the last Saturday in September. This election must have resulted in favor of incorporation, from the fact that another, doubtless

*It 1b said that the town was incorporated aboat the beginning of the twenties, but of that there seems to be no evidence, at least no proof.

for the purpose of electing officers, was ordered held November 4 of same year. Further than this the records show nothing, and the writer has been unable to find any one who remembers what the result was, though it is probable that it resulted in a failure to incorporate.

The next election for this purpose was held at the court house, May 20, 1837 ; Joseph B. Shoebridge was chosen temporary chair¬ man, E. H. Parsley clerk. The town was divided into five dis¬ tricts, as follows: First - all east of Main and north of Gross Street; Second - all west of Main and north of Walnut Street; Third - all between Main, Walnut and Cross Streets; Fourth, all west of Main and south of Cross Street ; Fifth - all of Cross and east of Main Street. The election resulted as follows: The First Ward, A. C. Griffith received 28 votes, and George H. Murphy 6 votes; Second Ward, John A. Crabb 18 votes, and Walter Ben¬ ton 15 votes; Third Ward, John Hamilton 26 votes; Fourth Ward, William D. Crenshaw 33 votes; Fifth Ward, William H. Ewing 30 votes, and Nelson C. Durland 6 votes. This lapsed after a short time, but was incorporated the second time in 1847, and the following municipal officers elected: Walter Benton, First Ward; Harrison Durham, Second Ward; John P. Mooney, Third Ward; E. H. Parsley, Fourth Word, and Shiveral Gamer, Fifth Ward. It is said that the first case tried under the ordi¬ nances of this board was for an act of public indecency, and the pressure was so great that the corporation "bursted."

The present corporation began its existence in the summer of 1870. A petition signed by W. C. Benton, Frank Fassold, Will¬ iam Frysinger, Hamlin Smith and sixty-eight others, was pre¬ sented at the June term of Commissioners' Court, and an election ordered held at Frank Fassold's office, June 28, 1870. The vote stood 67 for and 15 against incorporation. The following is a partial list of the officers, as correct as could be obtained, owing to the incompleteness of the records: Trustees, 1870, O. F.

Lowell, S. S. Earley, H. Smith, Joseph England and Frank Miller. 1871, Daniel H. Long, B. H. Burrell, C. A. Robinson, Joseph England, and S. S. Earley. 1872, Daniel H. Long, B. H. Bur¬ rell, Hamlin Smith, Joseph England andG. N. Gallimore. 1873, D. H. Long, B. H. Burrell, H. Smith, D. H. Brown and Joseph England. 1874, William Duckworth, Martin Harbert, John B. Johnson, W. M. Clarke and D. H. Long. 1875, A. F. Lowell, William Duckworth, Martin Harbert, D. A. Kochenour and W. Clarke. 1876, A. M. Wood took the place of Martin Harbet, which was the only change. 1877, D. A. Kochenour, C. H. Durland, J. H. Finley and J. H. Clarke. 1878, Lewis Heller, Joseph England, R. M. J. Cox and F. M. Miller. 1879, R. J. Winscott, Lewis Heller, O. Campton, C. W. Ford and Andrew Vanover.

Churches Of Brownstown

It is probable that the Baptist was the first denomination to hold services in Brownstown, yet opinions differ, and many claim this credit for the Methodist. About the time the town was laid out an old pioneer preacher by the name of Daniel Keath located near here, and, being the first resident minister, and a Baptist, we are led to the above conclusion; although it is quite probable that services were held at the houses of some of the families before the coming of Keath ; but as to this no reliable informa¬ tion can be obtained. John Strange was also an early preacher at this point, who came some time after Keath. He was a good scholar and a man of great ability, far surpassing in scholarly attainments the average minister of that day. Previous to the year 1826, church services were held in the houses of the different families of each denomination, except during the summer season, when they would repair to the woods, where they would worship under the trees of the many beautiful groves which surrounded the settlement At the date above mentioned, the first court house ever used for the courts of Jackson County being insufficient for county purposes, it was abandoned and sold. Mr. Walter Benton bought it and moved it to Lot No. 110, just east of the present site of the court house, and near where Dr. Hamlin Smith now lives, and converted it into a church house. It was a hewed-log building 20x30 feet, and two stories high, equipped with pulpit, seats, gallery, and the other conveniences common to the more modern structures. Mr. Benton, being a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, very naturally gave this denomi¬ nation the preference in the use of the building, although it was open to use by every denomination who desired to worship beneath its roof. Hypocrisy, selfishness and deceit were unknown to the Christian of sixty years ago, and when they met for worship within the walls of this old log church their eyes were turned heavenward and their thoughts upon God, rather than upon the fashionable dress of some of their neighbors. Many souls were saved, many sinners converted, and many happy hours spent in devotional exercises at that altar. The Brownstown Baptist Church was doubtless permanently organized by Daniel Keath, some time in the twenties, but not until about 1834 did they undertake the erection of a church edifice. This was a small frame building located on Sugar Street, a short distance from the Public Square, near the residence now owned by George W* Cummins. The building was used for probably thirty years; and prominent among some of the early members who .worshiped there were John Weathers and wife, William Crenshaw and wife, Mrs. Johnson, mother of Mrs. William Benton, and Abra¬ ham and Margaret Miller. After thirty years this organization practically died, and not until April 2, 1873, was it revived and reorganized. At the above date a council of elders and members from the following churches was held at Brownstown: Elders John Bell and George Bohall, Mount Pleasant, J. R. McCoy and James K. Matlock, of Clear Spring, Albert Ogle, of Seymour, William Gillaspy, Uniontown, Deacon J. H. Crane, of Drift¬ wood, and A. J. Essex, of Mitchell, with William Gillaspy as moderator, and A. J. Essex clerk. The constituent members were Rebecca Miller, Prances Woodman see, Mary E. Woodmansee, Catharine Cawling, Ann Miller, Celistis Cox, Asher Woodmansee, Thomas Crawling, Margaret Miller, Uriah M. Blank, James F. Martin, John Allen and Richard M. J. Cox; Elders J. R. McCoy, Comfort T. Beebe, Washington Hogg, S. P. Smith and R. C. Childs. The .church building was erected in 1874, and is a frame house 30x40 feet, which was donated by Driftwood Church, A parsonage is also owned by the congregation, and is located on the corner of Sycamore and Bridge Streets. The church property is valued at $1,000. The total membership is about ninety, the active membership being somewhat less. A prosper¬ ous Sunday-school has been maintained since 1873, with an average attendance of about twenty-eight pupils.

Methodist Episcopal Church

To Walter Benton is due the credit of being the procreator of the move to organize a Methodist denomination at this place. The old gentleman was a devout Christian, and a firm believer in the creed of the Methodist Church, and has since 1819 been an important factor in the church organization, contributing both time and money to sustain it. He bought and dedicated to all religious denominations, as a place of worship, the old hewed-log court house, of which mention is elsewhere made. In speaking of the old house and the many pleasant recollections, we note his words: "Ah! is it any wonder that the memory of the old house is precious to me ? Is it any wonder that I seem to see it, with its doors, and walls and seats just as they were, and with its con¬ secrated altar standing before my mind's eye as an objective reality? My heart leaps within me as I linger in memory about those old walls, and think of the scores, aye, of the congrega¬ tions, with whom I worshiped almost three-quarters of a century ago, and who have now ascended to worship in ' a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' Is it strange that my soul is filled when I think that it will not be long till I hear the summons of my blessed Master to ascend and join those wijbhi whom I mingled so long ago?"

In 1825, through the efforts of Mr. Benton, assisted by Rev. E. Patrick, a local preacher from Salem, a class was organized, of which Mr. Benton became the leader. In 1826, the Brownstown Class was attached to Flat Fork Circuit, of which Rev. C. B. Jones was the preacher in charge, and Rev. John Strange the presiding elder. This was the first organization of the Meth¬ odists in Brownstown, which has continued without cessation to the present time. Among the members of that first organization the following were some of the most prominent: Walter Benton and wife, John Weathers and wife, William Crenshaw and wife, Abraham Miller and Margaret Miller, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Will¬ iam Benton, Samuel J. Murphy and wife, J. L. Murphy and wife, Hiram Noe, Mrs. Plaffenburger, W. T. Dobbs and Theodore Benkler. They continued to worship in the old log church until the early part of the forties, when it was sold, and the proceeds .donated to the church to be applied on the erection of a new building, which was completed not long after the abandonment of the old. This is a frame building, about 30x45 feet, and was built at a cost of about $600 or $700. It was sold to Walter

The new brick church, as it is called, was commenced in the latter part of 1859, and was dedicated May 19, 1861. It stands on Lot 49, corner of Poplar and Walnut Streets, and is a com¬ modious and well-arranged church house, built at a cost of about $3,500. We append a list of the Methodist ministers who have at different times had charge of the congregation since 1827: Constant B. Jones, Asa Beck, John Vancleve, Ashel L. Risley, Henry S. Talbert, Michael S. Taylor, Amos Sparks, John T. Johnson, Lewis Hurlburt, E. Patrick, Ezra L. Kemp, Emmons Rutledge, Draper Chipman, Phillip May, Morris Benton, William McGinnis, Seth Smith, Daniel Mclntire, L. M. Reaves, B. F. Crary, Sampson Tucker, Thomas Ray, Amos Bussy, E. B. Tucker, J. C. King. L. M. Hancock, Charles Tinsley, E. R. Lathrop, WS. Carter, S. Layton, A. W. Sherely, Stephen Bowers, Francis Walker, Jacob Wharton, William Zaring, F. A. Huring, G. W. Durment, T. B. McClain, J. S. Reager, J. C. Gullett, G. M. Bar¬ ber, A. Wade, W. S. Falkenbing, B. F. Owen, Virgil W. Tevis, Thomas Harrison and George Cochran. The last named, who is in charge at the present time, is a native of Dearborn County, Ind., where he was born December 9, 1851. Mr. Cochran gradu¬ ated at Moore's Hill College in 1882, and was ordained in 1879, and for three years previous to his appointment at this place he was located at Versailles, county seat of Ripley County, Indiana.

Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterians, if there were any among the early inhab¬ itants of Brownstown, were so few in a number that an organiza¬ tion was impossible, and if there were any meetings held by this sect at an early day, the writer has been unable to learn of the par¬ ticulars. In fact we doubt if there was an organization of this faith previous to 1865; however, a Presbyterian minister by the name of Nice lived here prior to that time, and preached often in the buildings of other church organizations, and in the court house and schoolhouse. Rev. John Bishop, of Bedford, and Levi Hughes, an old deaf preacher of Bloomington, Ind., visited Brownstown and preached for the people of his faith. To Dr. C. B. Davidson of Louisville, Ky., is propably due the credit of inspiring the organization of a Presbyterian class. He was officiating at the funeral of Samuel P. Mooney, and by his pleasant address, match¬ less oratory, and wonderful ability, the people became so infat¬ uated that they agreed to pay him $800 for his services for one year, and to that end a not9 was given signed by the following members: Samuel W. Homes, St. Clair S. Earley, Martin Ferris, James H. Green, John B. Robinson, Jason B. Brown, James A. Clarke, W. W. Wamsley, C. A. Bain, Daniel H. Long, W. A. Erwin, John H. Burrell, Lewis /I. Stage, Frank Emerson, Will¬ iam H. Hamilton, James R. Hamilton, Robert H. Sawyer, C. R. Dunbar, W. F. F. Cunningham and George V. Benton. A meeting was held and a committee was appointed to solicit subscription for the building of a church. The committee received subscriptions amounting to about $3,500, and a contract for the building of said church was let, but before its completion suit was brought on a mechanics' lien, and the church was sold for $300. Through the efforts of Rev. R. C. McKinney, the property was redeemed and the church completed in 1874. The church is a brick building situated on the corner of Sugar and Walnut Streets, on Lot 112.

The first elders of the church were John H. Burrell, Robert H. Sawyer and James K. Hamilton, deacons; Phillip Gossman, J. L. Kester and James H. Hamilton, trustees; James H. Finley, Martin Harbert and Henry Gossman, Sr. The following are some of the ministers who have preached here since 1874: R. C. McKin¬ ney, F. M. Symmes, E. C. Trumble, J. L. Taylor, J ohn T. Beard, J. H. Brattan, Rev. McMillen, J. A. Campbel, Arthur Brown, E. L.

Lord and L. L. Lorimor. The following were some of the most active members: John H. Burrell and wife, Robert H. Sayer, Mrs. Lizzie Weddle, James K. Hamilton, Margaret Hamilton, Mrs. Lucy Ford, Mrs. Mary Moreland, George W. Fitch and wife, and James Chambers. Under the pastorate of Rev. R. C. Mc¬ Kinney, the membership increased from seven to 120. A well regulated Sabbath-school was organized in 1874, under the super¬ vision of James K. Hamilton, by John Kestler, and he in turn suc¬ ceeded by Bartholomew H. Burrell, who is now in charge. There is an average attendance of about sixty pupils and nine regular teachers.

This church was built about the year 1864, at a cost of about $2,000. Some of the ministers who have been employed here since the organization are C. L. Way man, Rev. Hubbard, Wesley Hartley, Rev. Moore, William Beck, Elijah White, W. H. Cutsinger, Joseph Lockhart, H. S. Cribb, Rev. Dale and M. Shields. The following are some of the earliest members: C. L. Wayman, Mary E. Robertson, Sarah Ewing, William Burrell, Catharine Ireland, Lidia Miller, C. A. Robertson, James P. Tidwell, Mrs.

Secret Societies

M. , stands first This lodge was organized some time in the twenties, and its membership consisted of the old and substantial settlers of the county. Having no other suitable place in the town to hold their meetings the county commissioner granted them the privilege of meeting in the court house. Some of the early members were Daniel Kress, Samuel P. Mooney, Andrew Gelwick, William Williams and James Grant. Some time in the forties the lodge surrendered its charter, but June 24, 1848, they were reorganized under a dispensation from the grand lodge. The first officers were William Williams, W. M. ; Harri¬ son Durham, S. W. ; Samuel P. Mooney, J. W. ; Hawley Scott, treasurer : Thomas L. Long, secretary ; Daniel H. Long, S. D. ; Washington L. Woody, J. D., and Benjamin L. Tuell, S. T. The following' are some of the most prominent early members: S. P. Mooney, Rawley Scott, J. P. Mooney, S. W. Ewing, H. Durham, W. L. Woody, James Ireland, D. H. Long, Frank Emerson, G. H. Murphy, J. L. Ford, S. W. Smith, B. H. Burrell, G. L. Robert¬ son, R. S. Braman, Gordon Turner, J. H. Burrell, Isaac Ireland, J. H. Green, J. H. Benton, G. W. Shepherd, J. .P. Wright, Theo¬ dore Buckler, J. L. Owens, George King, D. A. Kelley, Ralph Applewhite, M. G. C. W. Williams, Elijah Applegate and Joseph A. Stillwell. The present officers are James F. Applewhite, W. M. ; Leroy Miller, S. W. ; Oscar Allen, J. W. ; F. M, Moles, treas¬ urer ; D. A. Kochenour, secretary ; J. B. Burrell, S. D. ; Martin Kaber, J. D., and O. F. Lowell, tiler.

Odd Fellows Knights Of Pythias

Brownstown Lodge, No. 60, was instituted March 30, 1875, by Hermion Lodge, No. 44, of Seymour, with the following charter members: Frank Burrell, W. L. Benton, Edwin H. Wade, W. E. Benton, W. W. Reynolds, Charles Lawhead, D. A. Kochenour, Mathew M. Hamilton, Joel H. Matlock, James F. Applewhite, Sylvester N. Eddy, John B. Burrell, James S. Clements, Frank Brannaman and O. E. Cooper. The first officers were Charles Lawhead, P. C. ; D. A. Kochenour, C. C. ; Mathew M. Hamilton, Y. C. ; Joel H. Matlock, P. ; James F. Applewhite, K. of R. and S. ; Sylvester N. Eddy, M. at F. ; John B. Burrell, M. of E. ; James S. Clemens, M. at A. ; Frank Brannaman, I. G., and O. E. Cooper, O. G. One of the principal features of this lodge was the early organization of a drill corps, with about twenty-five men uniformed and equipped at considerable expense. This has been an important agency in the building up of the order. The lodge meets in the attic of the county court house, which has been neatly fitted up and appropriately furnished for the purpose. The lodge is in good condition financially, and has a consider¬ able amount safely invested. The officers for the term ending January, 1886, are Thomas B. Boyatt, P. C. ; S. Newton Early, C. C. ; Fred L. Benton, V. C, ; George S. Gray, P. ; James F. Applewhite, M. of E. ; Horace T. Bennett, M. of F. ; D. A. Koch¬ enour, K. of R. and S. ; Charles Allen, M. at A. ; Frank Branna¬ man, I. G. ; Martin Kober, O. G.

The Brownstown Press

It is now nearly forty years since the first newspaper was established in Brownstown, and during that time no less than a dozen others have started out to seek their fortunes in the same field. None have circulated to any considerable extent beyond the limits of the county, and but two have ever become conspic- nous in the journalistic annals of Jackson County. Not a few of the number have met with sudden deaths, and all of them have experienced the fiery trials and vicissitudes which have ever char¬ acterized the profession. These journals, with their contempora¬ ries, have contributed more toward the progress and advancement of the county than any other agency.