Madison County, Indiana - Chapter 2, 1897

Of that lair territory King witliin the boundaries of Indiana which was named in lienor of the fourtli president of the United States, it is the purpose of this work to treat, not alone that the early pioneers who settled here and bl:t/.ed the way for tlie splendid civilization thai now oljtains within its borders may be appropriately remembered, but that their descendants may be made ac((uainted with tiie diftlculties and iiardships thev encountered as well as the pleasures that fell to their portion as the lirave heralds of a destiny that lias made the county at this writing (lSi)(")) the second in importance in the Slate. As the work will be conlined entirely to local use the authors have adopted a form in its construction that admits of biography and personal anecdote, and consequently a greater latitude in certain directions than is deemed permissible in more pretentious annals.

Madison county is in the sliape of a parallelogram an<l has an area of 450 square miles. It is situated a little to the east of the center of the state, anil is bounded as follows ; On the north by Grant county, on the east by Delaware and Henr\' counties, on the south by Hancock county, anil on the west, by Hamilton and Tipton coimties. The county is thirty miles long from the soutli to the north line, and is fifteen miles wide. '

Indiana originally constituted a part of the Northwest Territory and was first e.xplored probably in KISO anil first settled by the French at \incennes in 17<ll'. although this has been questioned, there being considerable authority indicating Ft. Wayne as the first place of settlement in the State. The territoiy of Indiana was admitted as a stale, December 11, 181(5. INladison county was subsequently organized. During the territorial period and previous thereto, the territory comprising the county, was owned and occupied by the Delaware and Miami Indians, the former making their home along White river, and the latter in the territory to the north along tfie Alississinewa unci Wabash rivers, tliev Inning acl<no\vlfdged by ^Article II., of the treaty at Fort Wayne, September 3(1, 18()'.l, the equal rights of the Delawares with themselves to the country " watered h\ the White river." This treaty was signed on the part of tiie Delawares by Captain Anderson or Kik-tha-we-nund. Captain Killbuck and others, and on tlie [lart of the .Miainis by i'ucan. Little Turtle and other prominent chiefs.

On the third day of October. J,sl>, the Delawares, at .""^t. Mary'.s, ceded to the United States all claim to their lands in Indiana. Ry this treaty, " the United States agree to provide for the Delawares a country to reside in, upon the west side of the ^Sli.'sissippi, and to yuarantee to them the peaceable possession of tlie same."

This treaty was signed by Capt. Anderson, also James Nanticoke and Capt. Killbuck. along with other chiefs of the Delawares. The names of these chiefs are given for the reason that they once made what are now the fertile fields of this counly their home and hunting ground. That they were cliiefs of influence and prominence is evidenced by the fact that their names are attached to the various treaties made by the United States with their tribe. .\nother Delaware chief. Captain White Eyes, maj- be mentioned in this connection for th'.' reason that he once lived in this county, his lodge being situated near the land now owned bv the comitv. and used as a poor-farm.

The city of Anderson was named in iionor of Captain Anderson, and occupies the site of liis principal village. Anderson's domicile consisted of a large, double log-cabin, one side of which was occupied by his son. This cabin stood about where the Madison county jail now stands, the spot being regarded by the early pioneers of this loctilitv as not only very picturesque, but convenient, there being a large spring of clear, cold water at the foot of the hill a little east of the brick block recently erected bv Major Doxev on the north side of East Ninth street : also White river flowing at the base of the hill, or liluff. on the north, whose waters at that time afl'orded abundance of fish.

lames Xanticoke also had a village in this counly. an<l was jirominent among his people. There is a tradition to the efiect that his sc|uaw was a very handsome woman, and ga\e tl c name of -' Our Town ' to the principal village.

ill what i^ now Richland township, and near thf hirger of the creeks that hear his name. Next to Captain .\ndcrson, perhaps, lie is entitled to consideration as a chief and warrior.

These chiefs were on friendly terms with tiie whites, ami advocated peaceful measures in --ettlin"^ the ilift'erences that arose between their people and their pale-face brethren. The early settlers found them tractable, and were not mole-ted either in their persons or pio[ierlv. It is pmliahle that this friendly feeling for the whites had been transmitted to the Indians of that day in this county from their fathers, who had been \isiled Liv the Moravians. In fact, a mission was established bv these people on the farm owned by Mathias Ilughel in Anderson township, and tiie dim outlines of this villasre were vet visible to the earlv settlers of (his part of the county. In 18-1. a house supposed to have been used as a fort, was still standing on the site of this mission. All evidence of tlie existence of this \illage has long since been obliteraled.

.\fter the treaty at St. Mary's the Delavvares began preparing to leave for their new home beyond the Father of Waters, and on the I'Oth of September, IfSlM, they started. They went by way of Xoblesville to V^incennes, their chattels being conve\ed on horses. Manv, preferred to go bv water, anil as the Government had proxided theni with a large number of canoes, thev left for their new home by way of the river. " Uncle"' Jo'in Allen, who is still kindly remembered bv the remaining old settlers and their descendants in .\nderson township, recalled distinctly the departure of tiie Indians from this locality. lie stated that no less than twenty canoe loads of them left at one point, and that tliey were the last <if the Indians in Madison county.