Randolph County, Indiana - Chapter 5: Organization, 1882 (part 1 of 2)

Northwest Territory

ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES. T may be proper at this point to give a brief statement concerning the counties of Indiana as to the time of their creation, that the reader may gain a clear idea of the course and progress of settlement in the different sections of the State, and in our own section as well. Some sketches are given also of governmental matters previous to that time. NORTHWEST TERRITORY. The State of Virginia had, before the Revolution, claimed the body of the territory lying northwest of the Ohio. Connecticut also had a claim, which was quieted by giving her the shore of Lake Erie, embracing what is now known as the '"' Western Reserve,'' and including Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Portage, Summit, Medina, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Huron, Hrie and parts of Ashland and Maltoning Counties, Ohio. Virginia ceded her claim to the United States by an act dated January 2, 1781. Congress accepted the grant, September 13, 1783, as a national domain.

Virginia, by an act passed December 20, 1783, directed her delegates in Congress, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Hardy, Arthur Lee and James Monroe, to accomplish the cession. This was done by them March 1, 1784.

On the 13th of July, 1787, the Congress of the Confederation passed the now famous '' Ordinance of '87" for the government of the Northwest Territory. And on the 5th of October, 1787, Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor thereof. He was President of Congress at the passage of the ordinance, and retained the Governorship for twelve years (1788-1800).

In July, 1788, Gov. St. Clair organized the Territory, making Ft. Harmar (Marietta) the capital. January 9, 1789, he concluded a treaty with some of the leading men among the Indians, at Fort Harmar, but its validity was questioned or absolutely denied and hence the treaty was never enforced.

In 1790, Gov. St. Clair made a journey to Clarksville, Vincennes and Kaskaskia, to conciliate the Indians. His efforts, however, were fruitless.

September 13, 1790, Gen. Harmar moved from Fort Washington (Cincinnati), reaching the vicinity of Fort Wayne, and suffering a disastrous defeat October 19.

May 23 and August 24, 1791, Gens. Scott and Wilkinson led expeditions against the Indians on the Wabash (the Wea Prairie), eight miles below Lafayette, and at Ke-na-purr-a-qua on Eel River, six miles from Logansport. Both expeditions were successful. In September, 1792, Gov. St. Clair marched from Fort Washington, erecting Forts Hamilton and Jefferson on the way. On the third day of November, 1792, the army reached the Wabash at Recovery, and the next day (November 4) was terribly defeated by the Indians under Little Turtle, Blue Jacket and other chiefs.

the ground of St. Clair's defeat, moved onward July 26, 1794, and erected Fort Adams on the St. Mary's, and Fort Defiance at the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers.

August 20, 1794, he defeated the Indians at the rapids ofthe Maumee, and, September 14, he began the erection of Fort Wayne. October 28, Gen. Wayne returned to Greenville.

The treaty of Greenville was framed and ratified at a meeting lasting from June 16 to August 10, 1795. The land embraced in that treaty included much of Ohioand a small portion of southeasternIndiana. The line agreed upon extended (with exceptions and reservations specified) from the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum River, westward by a varying line to Fort Recovery, Ohio, and thence southwest in a straight line to the Ohio opposite the mouth of the Kentucky River.

This is Wayne's boundary, already sufficiently described. Wayne had defeated the Indians so severely, and had so thoroughly convinced them of the hopeless folly of resisting the powers of the United States, that they sincerely and heartily observed the terms of the treaty. Public confidence was restored, and emigration set in to the region ceded thereby, with a strong and steady current.

Oct. 29, 1798, Gov. St. Clair issued a proclamation for a General Assembly for the Northwest Territory, to be held at Cincinnati, January 22, 1799. The Assembly met and ad journed to September 16, 1799, at which time it convened again and continued in session till December 30, of the same year. There were then in the whole northwest only seven counties, and but one of them (Knox) was within the present State of Indiana.

May 7, 1800, Congress divided the Northwest Territory into two parts, Ohio and Indiana. Ohio Territory embraced substantially what is now the State of Ohio, and Indiana Territory took in all the Northwest, containing by census that year only 4,875 souls. Gen. William H. Harrison was appointed Governor of Indiana Territory.

January 10-26, 1800, the judges met at Vincennes, and framed needed regulations. Ohio was made a State in 1802, Michigan Territory was set off in 1805, and Illinois Territory in 1809.

The first General Assembly for Indiana Territory convened at Vincennes July 29, 1805. At this time two more counties had been formed, viz.: Clark, in 1801, and Dearborn in 18038. Dearborn embraced all the territory in Indiana east of Wayne's boundary, and Clark took a large extent of country on the Ohio River.

By 1816, when Indiana became a State, thirteen counties had been formed, in all, to wit: Knox, 1796, (when created), all of Indiana and Michigan; Clark, 1801, on the Ohio River ; Dearborn, 1803, east of Wayne's boundary; Harrison, 1809, on the Ohio near Corydon, the first State capital; Wayne, 1810, north part of Dearborn; Jefferson, 1810, cut off from Clark ; Franklin, 1811, between Dearborn and Wayne, including also Fayette and Union; Gibson, 1813, south of what is now Knox; Warwick, 1818, next east of Gibson; Washington, 1814, north of Harrison and Clark ; Switzerland, 1814, southern part of Dearborn, on' Ohio River; Posey, 1814, southwestern county in the State; Perry, 1815. somewhat west of Harrison County; Jackson, 1815, north of Washington. [This last county, Jackson, though erected in 1815, would seem not to have been represented in the Constitutional Convention of 1816, or it may be that, being small in population, it was united with some other county]. Thus the settlements at this time (1816) were: the settlement of Wayne had been pushed northward into the south part of what is now Randolph, and the Constitutional Convention met at Corydon June 10-19, 1816.

One of the Representatives from Wayne County resided in the bounds of what became 'Randolph County, to wit, Ephraim Overman. He was the fifth settler in Randolph County, coming therein November, 1814. He settled oneand a half miles north of Arba, where Joshua Thomas now lives, on the Pike.

[NorE 1. - Counties having the names of Wayne and Randolph are mentioned as existing in Northwest Territory, in'1805. But Wayne County thus referred to was in Michigan, embracing all of Michigan and some of northern Indiana, etc. Randolph County was in Illinois].

The counties of Indiana were formed with some rapidity. Before 1817, sixteen counties; during 1817, three counties ; during 1818, 'eight counties - Randolph County, being one; 1818-22, seventeen counties; 1823-1828, fourteen counties ; 1830-37, twenty-one counties ; 1843-71, thirteen counties ; making in all ninety-two counties.

after Randolph began to be settled. Winchester was laid out some years before Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Settlement in Randolph began in 1814, but the central and western regions remained Indian land till 1818, and they were not surveyed till 1821-22.

Randolph is the sixteenth in population (1880), and the seventeenth in size. This county, at one time, embraced a large portion of the State northward from her present limits, and Delaware and Grant besides. At its first formation, however, the county included only the country east of the twelve-mile boundary and north of Wayne County, but. the boundary was afterward changed, and other portions were temporarily joined thereto. The regions attached were settled more or less rapidly, and new counties were organized from time to time, till at. length, by the erection of Blackford in 1839, Randolph became "herself and nothing else."

It embraced, at first, all the territory north of Wayne County, and east and south of the twelve mile boundary. It was afterward so changed as to include, temporarily and for judicial purposes, an area outside of the twelve mile strip, and also an immense indetinite territory north and west, comprising, at one time or other, Delaware, Grant, Jay, Adams, Blackford, Wells, Allen, and how much else we do not know, perhaps even to the north line of the state, no county having then been organized in either of those directions. And as settlers moved into those regions they were reckoned as in Randolph until new counties were erected and organized, including them.

The act creating Randolph County was approved by Gov. Jennings, January 10, 1818. The law creating the new county appointed William Majors, Williamson Dunn, of Dearborn County, James Brownlee, of Franklin, members of Constitutional Convention, Stephen C. Stevens and John Bryan, to fix the county seat. The boundaries were described in the act as follows :

'All that part of the county of Wayne which is inclosed in the following bounds shall form and constitute a new county, that is to say, beginning at the state of Ohio line, where the line that divides the 15th and 16th townships strikes said Ohio line, thence westward with said township line until it strikes the old boundary, thence westward with the centre line of the 18th township in the new purchase until it strikes the Indiana boundary, thence northward with said boundary until it strikes the Ohio line, thence south with said line to the place of beginning." Until suitable accommodations could be made, the courts were appointed to be held at the house of William Way.

The locating commissioners met in August, 1818, and fixed the county seat at Winchester. They received and secured to the county donations of land as follows: Charles Conway, 60 acres ; John Wright, 50 acres; David Wright, 10 acres; David Stout, 18 acres; Daniel Petty, 20 acres. 158 acres in all from five men, a splendid donation. Randolph County surely has no right to complain that her county seat did not get a good '"'send off."' All of the land thus donated was in Sections 20 and 21, Township 20 north, Range 14 east of the second principal meridian. The location is on Salt Creek, and some distance south of White River. The town now lies on both sides of Salt Creek, and has extended itself northward nearly to White River.

Some old settlers say that the new county seat would have been located at Sampletown, four miles west, but that the settlers there were unwilling to "'come down'"' sufficiently with donations.

Pursuant to the laws then in force, Gov. Jennings appointed David Wright, Sheriff, to organize the county. He did so by making two precincts, Greensfork and White River, the chief settlements being on these two streams. He created two townships as above, dividing them by an east and west line across the county. An election was held in August, 1818, to choose two Associate Judges, a Sheriff, Clerk, Recorder, Coroner, and three County Commissioners, which officers were chosen as follows: William Edwards, John Wright, Associate Judges; David Wright, Sheriff; Solomon Wright, Coroner; Charles Conway, Clerk and Recorder; Eli Overman, Benjamin Cox, John James, Commissioners. These officers were all commissioned, and the county machinery was put duly into motion. The Wright family furnished three of the eight above named, and that connection was at that time very numerous in the county, some account of which is set down elsewhere.

[Much of the following account of Winchester has been taken substantially from '' Manuscripts'? by Honorable Jere Smith, who came to Randolph County in August, 1817, and resided therein for more than fifty years until his death].

Winchester was the first town established in the county. The site was fixed by the commissioners to locate the county seat in 1818. As already stated, they located it on Sections 20 and 21, Town 20, Range 14 east of second meridian, by donations from five different persons, in all 158 acres.

Lots were laid out in the fall and winter of 1818. The first sale of lots took place February, 1819. The whole plat was an unbroken forest, a primitive wilderness, heavily timbered, with a thick undergrowth.

A large oak, three feet through, stood for years on Inlot No. 9, east front. It was cut down in 1825 or 1826, and the stump was standing there in state when Judge Smith built the Franklin House in 1839.

The Commissioners, Messrs. Cox, Overman and James, and Paul W. Way, Agent, had agreed upon the plan of the town. Overman and Way were both surveyors, backwoods fashion. Charles Connor, who waa also a "'half-surveyor,"' had a little stiffarmed compass, four-inch face, and an old two-pole chain, tied with leather and tow strings. Paul Way did the surveying. As the Commissioners were looking over the ground to locate the public square, Charles Conway told Judge Smith that Old Eli

Overman stuck down the Jacob-staff, saying, '' Here shall be the northeast corner of the public square," and there it was, and there it 78, and zs to be, unless, indeed, as seems not very unlikely in these latter days, some city ''engineer"' shall take it into his overgrown head to plant new corners and turn town, streets and all "awry."

It had a clapboard roof, and a clay and stick chimney. Mr. Smith says, "Ido no: know who built the house, but Martin Comer owned it and lived in it along time. It stood on inlot No. 9, north front, and was built in the early spring of 1819.

The second house was put up by Thomas Wright, father-inlaw of John Coats, still living in the county (1871), in the spring and summer of 1819. It was like the other, and stood on inlot No. 8, north front.

In the summer and fall of 1819, James McCool, a blind man, put up upon inlot No. 1, west front, a good, two-story, hewed-log house. When I first came to Winchester (1819) it was the hotel of the town, kept by the blind man, McCool. When next I came, James Oldham, hatter, kept tavern in it, and a hatter's shop back of it. Old Esquire Odle owned it afterward, and built a little frame store at the north end, and a frame shed back for bedrooms, and he ran it as a hotel, store and residence for some years.

In the winter of 1819-20, James Oldham, the hatter, built a good hewed-log house, story and a half, on inlot No. 11, southeast square; and in the spring of 1820, Alvin C. Graves built a round-log cabin on lot No. 14, in the southeast square.

In that year (1820) Judge Juhn >ample built the first frame house, a small one-story building, on lot No. 8, east front. He set it on the west line of the lot, some distance south of the northwest corner of the lot. He sold it the next year to George Burket, who extended the house north to the corner of the lot, and kept store in it for some years. He then sold it to Jesse Way, and ke also had a store there for awhile."

Mr. Smith goes on, '"' The next frame house was in 1824-25, by David Haworth, which house wag standing in 1871. It was on inlot No. 10, northeast square, where Jacob Elzroth lived so long, and where he died.

"In 1826-27, Abner Overman built a frame house on the northeast corner of lot No. 2, east front. He sold it to John Way in the fall of 1329, who moved into it, and started a blacksmith shop, and lived vhere the rest of hisdays. In 1823, Mrs. Mary Reeder bought inlot No. 2, west front, built a cabin and lived there some years. She then traded it off to Nathaniel Coffif, for inlot No. 12, southeast square, on which last lot she is still living. She (Mrs. Mary Reeder) is the " oldest inhabitant" of Winchester, having lived in it ever since, being (in 1881) fifty-nine years old. She was in the town seven years before I was, and ten years before Jesse Way.

Winchester ~would seem to have had an exceedingly slow growth, remarkably so, considering it was the seat of justice of a county containing at the start 200 voters, and increasing its population with considerable rapidity; considering, moreover, that for ten years not another town was even attempted within its limits.

Judge Smith appears to think that the dozen or so houses which he describes were nearly or quite all that had been built up to 1830. And information from several sources indicates that not more than a dozen families were residents of the cown at the lapse of twelve years after the town had been platted. One jail and two court houses had been built. Court after court had been held ; jurors had heard cases in the court honse, and determined their verdicts.seated upon the stumps and logs outside; lawyers and judges and clients had threaded and waded and swam their way through the primal woods to that frontier town; but lo! almost no town was there. But in those halcyon days small need was there of towns, people lived at home and made wellnigh every thing they used, and had little occasion to buy anything which they could not make. The larger portion of the settlers had come from the Carolinas, where towns were "few and far between,' and what more need was here of such things ?

Early Business

The first-store was kept in Randolph County in November, 1818, by William Connor, an older brother of John Connor (muil-carrier), whose widow lived in Winchester until a short time ago. It was licensed by the Commissioner's Court held in November, 1818. and was kept in a !og cabin on the north bank of the creek, on the southwest quarter of Section 10, Township 18, Range 14 (a little nurthwest of Old Snow Hill).

older, but this of William Connor's was the first licensed mercantile house in the county. He paid $20 for his license, and had perhaps $200 worth of goods. Of David Connor and his trading-posts Mr. Smith says:

"David Connor, of Greenville, Ohio, established a little Indian trading-post on the little (?) Mississinewa near the present site of Allensville. When the war broke out he discontinued it. At the close of the war, or rather during its continuance, he moved farther down the river, and established his post where Lewallyn afterward settled and built his mill. Connor did not enter the land or make any improvement at either place. Meshach Lewallyn, then living seven miles north of where Richmond now is, moved out to Connor's trading-post, and Connor moved his post still farther down the river, nearer the Indians, to @ point two miles below where the town of Wheeling, now stands (Delaware County). After the treaty of 1818 (some years-after), he made another move, following the Indians, and set his trading house near the boundary of the 'thirty-mile reserve and about three miles below the present site of Marion, where he died."

[Norz. - Burkett Bierce, Arthur McKew, Robert Sumption, Thomas Ward, Edward Edger and others, do not agree with the above statement. They make his first location at Fort Recovery, his second two or three miles above Deerfield, his third below Wheeling, and his fourth and Jast below Marion, where he built mills and where he finally died. They say that he never had a post either at Allensville or Ridgeville, and, moreover, that.he was at his station above Deerfield up to perhaps 1833, or afterward.

It will be seen that up to 1830, Winchester as a town was not much of a success. The business of the place was small, the buildings were few and poor. the roads leading to it were new and bad, the people needed but little trade, and all went thoroughly on the slow order. The court sat and did whatever there was for them; Charles Conway, as Clerk and Recorder, had all the county writing to do, which was not as much for the whole eleven years as has been since recorded in a single year. County offices were at a discount then. The Sheriff could not have done much, though he was Collector and Sheriff both, as the county tax for 1829 amounted to a sum less than $900. Jurymen came and returned without any bills to find or cases to try, and were paid the magnificent sum of 50 cents per day; and

_ Winchester was a town in the woods, but for a long time there was decidedly more woods than town. It was an old saying by some odd specimen of humanity concerning a certain town, that '""he could not see the city for the houses." But at Winchester he would have found no such difficulty. The houses were not in the way, the city was all in full view, the buildings were not near enough together to obstruct the vision in any direction. The trees, with their huge trunks and far-reaching branches, may have hindered the sight somewhat. Doubtless they did. But what of that? They were cut down and felled to the ground and reduced to ashes one by one, or else in vast heaps they formed a holocaust to the God of Fire, submitting helpless and palsy-smitten to his terrible power.

And gradually, too, but oh! how exceeding slowly, the town increased its fair proportions until, at last, we behold a city, goodly in size, bustling and thriving in its business, and successful in its-prosperity.

Winchester has been hindered in its growth by the fact that Union City stands on the one side and Farmland on the other, but there is room for her also, and she shall make her victorious way through trial and struggle to assured renown during the days to come. There are those who affirm that Winchester, instead of Union City, might have been the original railroad center for the region. Possibly so. Some who are quick to find fault insist indeed that one prime cause of the slowness of growth of Winchester, is, that the capitalists of the place have not been sufficiently enterprising in investments for business of various kinds. One thing at least is true of the chief citizens of Winchester, which cannot be said of that class of persons in every town, that they are genial, estimable, reliable men, and the form of investment which any man shall adopt must be left to his own volition.

The judicious investment of capital in enterprises affording useful, honorable and remunerative employment to large numbers of people is, in fact, a great advantage to a town, and a great blessing to her people; and wealthy men who thus furnish such means of employment and useful industry are a benefit alike to themselves and to the public.

Official History

William Edwards, elected Associate Judge in 1818, was a younger brother of Jonathan Edwards, who located south of Winchester in 1818. He continued to be Judge some sixteen years ; was Representative two or three times, and then moved to Illinois.

Charles Conway continued to be Clerk and Recorder three terms (twenty-one years). In 1832, he was strongly opposed by Daniel Worth, who was beaten. In 1839, he moved to Missouri. He was born in Pennsylvania. His father was in the northwestern army, and was killed in St. Clair's defeat. His mother then moved to Tennessee, where Charles was raised. JHe married there, and came here in 1814 or 1815. [Perhaps not so soon as that]. Mr. Smith says, '" He was truly an honest man, which, the poet says, is the 'noblest work of God.' "'

David Wright resigned as Sheriff, and the Coroner filled the term. David Wright soon died. He had three brothers - William, James and John B. David was the youngest of the four.

Solomon Wright, Coroner, was elected Sheriff in 1820 and 1822. Ten years afterward he moved to Grant County, and died long ago. The Solomon Wright now living in the county is another member of the Wright family.

Of the Commissioners, Eli Overman served two years, and was succeeded by John Wright (blacksmith). Eli moved to Grant County twelve or thirteen years afterward, and died there.

The Commissioners met August, 1818. They accepted the Report of the locating Commissioners; appointed Paul W. Way Agent, and selected grand and petit jurors for the Circuit Court in October.

Petit Jurors

William Diggs (then called old Billy Diggs) was father of Armsbee Diggs, also a juryman. William Diggs has been dead along time. There is now a William Diggs, a very old man - not, however, that William Diggs, but his son - who is nearly ninety years old.

William Way, Sr., had also three sons on the same jury - Paul W., John and William, Jr. Old William lived to a great age, and died at Newport, Wayne County, (Fountain City) some years ago.

Paul W. Way livedand died in Winchester. His children are all dead but his oldest son, William M. Way, who lives in Illinois, and his oldest daughter, Anna, the wife of Nathan Reed. [Mrs. Reed is dead]. Isaac and Jacob Wright, two of three who were triplets, emigrated West years ago.

James Massey was an old man, and died soon after. He lived in (Jackson or) Ward Township. His son-in-law, James Smith; was Commissioner two or three terms. His sons left the county early. One of them was Associate Judge of Grant County a term or two. [Norz - A James Massey settled in Nettle Creek, who may have been the same man].

Travis Adcock lived in the south part of the county. He afterward had his name changed to Travis Emery. The residents near Lynn say Travis Adcock (Emery) removed to Iowa about 1837.

Meshach Lewallyn was an old man, with a large family of sons and daughters. He lived at Ridgeville, and built a mill there. [J.ewallyn seems to have been a resident of Randolph, August, 1817].

Mr. Smith says: "The Connor trading post, Lewallyn's mill, the building of pirogues and flatboats, the killing of two Indians, and the (somewhat frequent) 'mistakes' in killing hogs in the woods, constituted the chief interest in Ridgeville life in those days." Mr. Smith would seem to be in error as to the location of David Connor at Ridgeville. James Jacobs there is no account of. tler on the Mississinewa. David Stout moved to Delaware County; built a mill on White River, and laid out Smithfield near his mill.

First Circuit Court

The first court was held at the house of William Way, October 12, 1818, Associate Judges Edwards and Wright. James Rariden was admitted to the bar and appointed Prosecuting Attorney. The grand jury were impaneled and discharged for lack of business with an allowance of 75 cents each.

The petit jury was not impaneled. The court allowed Mr. Rariden $12. There were no cases and the grand jury returned no indictments. Adjourned to the next term.

Grand Jurors For May, 1819

John Wright (Hominy), Isaac Wright, David Stout, Joshua Cox, James Wright, William Haworth, John Wright (Bl:), James Massey, David Haworth, William Wright, Tence Massey, Armsbee Diggs, Jonathan Hiatt. Five of the above are Wrights. They found no bills, and were discharged the same day. No cases were pending in this court.

Grand Jurors For September, 1819

Board of Commissioners held second term at the house of Benjamin Cox, November 1818. Appointments: Jesse Johnson, County Treasurer, one year.

Board granted license to William Connor to sell merchandise one year - first store in county, Section 10, Town 18, Range 14 (between Snow Hill and Winchester). Special term held December 6, 1818, to let court house and jail (see Public Buildings).

eThird regular session was held February, 1819. Bowles was made Lister (Assessor) for the county. Fourth term Commissioners' Court held May, 1819, George

Bowles made his report and was allowed $10 for assessing the county. : Levy on every horse, beast, etc., 25 cents. And this was all in 1819 (for county taxes).

August, 1820, Commissioners organized all the territory northward, probably to the State line, into a township, calling it Wayne (see elsewhere).

First delinquent list had seventeen names; amount $11.50. Up to 1824, Sheriffs were ex-officio collectors. The county business was done by three Commissioners. But in 1825, the Board of Justices began, embracing every Justice in the county, service gratis. This board had to appoint a Collector each year.

May, 1825 - Present, Justices John Coats, White River; Geo. Ritenour, on Mississinewa River ; David Moore, on West River ; Joshua Wright, on Martinsdale Creek; David Vestal, on Stony Creek ; Joseph Hall, on White River (crossing of Lynn road) ; David Frazier, Greensfork ; Noah Johnson, 8. Sample's Mill.

Levy Taxes

Poll, 50 cents; gold watch, $1; horse, 874 cents; carriage, 50 cents ; ox, 12} cents; liquor license, $5 ; brass clock, 50 cents ; foreign merchandise, $10; silver watch, 25 cents; town lots ($100), $1; covering horse, price of standing.

Land

$ 919 Tavern license, $3; meal, 182 cents; whisky, 64 cents; peach brandy, 124 cents; rum or French brandy, 18{ cents ; horse (one gallon), 64 cents ; horse, all night, 25 cents; lodging, 6} cents.

"I came (for some reason) to Winchester, January 7, 1828. Board of Justices in session, only three present, Woodworth, Nelson, Willson. Esq. Nelson wished me to be collector; I told him 'No, I cannot give security;' he said, 'I will fix that.' 'Well, I will do it then,' said I.

'The board appointed me, and I was sworn in with David Heaston, John Nelson, and Charles Conway for my security. In May, 1828, I was elected Teacher at Richmond. I made my brother, Carey Smith, Deputy, and he did the collection, and I taught school nine months, being my first and last.

As the Justices got no pay for this service, their attendance was very irregular. They would come, for the most part, only when their neighborhood wished or needed something special, and then they would go home again. On one occasion the Sheriff had to go with a subpoena and compel the attendance of two Justices to forma quorum. Hence, after seven years, the Legislature of 1881, restored the Commissioners, and the county business has been done in that way ever since.

During this time, there was but one court of record, consisting of a Presiding Judge and two Associate Judges. The court could be held by the Presiding Judge alone, or by the Associate Judges alone, or, of course, by the Presiding Judge, with one or both Associates. But the Associates could try neither criminal nor chancery cases. The Associates did the probate business with a separate record.

Court, April, 1820, Edwards and Wright. One day Charles Conway took judgment by default against William Connor (store keeper) for $135, with interest at six per cent, from December 26, 1818, with costs and charges. The court did not compute the interest and add it in, but added this clause, ' This execution is entitled to a credit of $1.50, from January 30, 1820."'

This was the first judgment ever rendered in the Randolph Circuit Court, and it was one by the Associates, without a lawyer so far as appears. The judgment might have been considered void for uncertainty of amount. But no advantage was taken of the defect (if it were one). Jesse Johnson '"'stayed the execution' twelve months, and doubtless the amount was duly paid sixty-one years ago.

April, 1820. Solomon Wright, Sheriff. Grand Jurors - William Hunt, foreman, Henry Hill, James Massey, Daniel Petty, Ephraim Bowen, R. McIntyre, John Ballinger, Amos Peacock, Joshua Wright, Isaac Wright, Albert Banta, John Coats, Thomas Wright. No cases, discharged; 75 cents each. The next court was held at Charles Conway's, June, 1820. Court held two days, and had two cases. Grand Jury found one indictment, the first in the county. John P. Huddleston vs. William Frazier, affray.

July, 1821. Associate Judges - two days, Bethuel F. Morris, Cyrus Finch and Isaac M. Johnson were admitted to the bar, and Morris was appointed Prosecutor.

He removed to Indianapolis shortly, and became the first Judge of the Indianapolis Circuit Court. He was the Judge at the trial at Pendleton ( Falls Creek), of the white men convicted and hung for the murder of some Indians. And he is the Judge also, against whom some scribbler in a Philadelphia paper of that day perpetrated the monstrous tale that ''went the rounds," to wit : "He (the writer) came to a hewed log building with a wooden chimney, raised a little above the mantel, and the hearth not filled in. He found a barefooted man sitting on the puncheon floor near the fire-place paring his nails. By and by a man came riding up with a deer's-skin hunting skirt on. The other man (the barefooted man) accosted the 'man on horseback' 'Well, Mr. Sheriff, have you got a jury?' 'Not quite, Judge, I have nine men caught and tied, and I'll soon have three more.' " This picture was intended for Pendleton Court House and Judge Morris, not so far out of the way for the court house, but a vile caricature of an able and upright Judge, by some Philadelphia upstart, prospecting in our far-off Indiana wilderness !

April, 1823. One day, three indictments. Charles H. Test, Lot Bloomfield, and Charles W. Ewing, were admitted to the bar. Test and Ewing both became Judges ofterward.

August, 1823. Court sat two days. Martin M. Ray and William Steele admitted. Divorce (first one) granted. Huldah Way from her husband, Nathan Way.

February, 1824, one day, three cases. August 1824, full bench. Cyrus Finch was appointed Prosecutor ; Josiah F. Polke admitted. Mr. Smith says: 'I was at this court, and saw and heard my first criminal trial and conviction to the penitentiary. It was asomewhat peculiar case. David Banta had been indicted for hog-stealing, so-called, 2. ¢., taking and killing a marked hog not his own. Cyrus Finch prosecuted and James Rariden defended. It was clearly proved that the hog was marked witha mark not his; that he took the hog home, cleaned, dressed and salted it. Judge Eggleston charged the jury that when he found by the mark that the hog was not his, the asportation of the hog completed the larceny, if he did that with the intent of appropriating it to his own use; and that, if the jury so found, they must bring him in guilty. The jury brought in this verdict :

'Guilty, as charged in the indictment. We do further find that the property has been restored, and do fine the defendant $3 and costs, and that he go to the State prison for one year."

The bailiff called at the door, ''David Banta,'' three times. No answer. Rariden (sotto voce), '"'My client probably has some business in Ohio which he wants attended to just now. "' Some of the jurors had thought that, as the property had been restored, the parties should be quits. But the judge held that recovery of the property did not condone the offense, and gave judgment for $3 and costs, and one year in the State prison. But David was not there to pay the money, nor to go to prison, and he has not, to this day, come and done it, nor any part of it.

That was the first conviction for felony ina Randolph court. But, though there was a conviction and a sentence, there has never been, to this day, an execution of the judgment. "

August, 1824. Twodays, some dozen cases. February, 1825, Edwards & Sample, Judges; Oliver H. Smith, Prosecutor. Five days, half-a-dozen cases. August, 1825, full bench, O. H. Smith, Prosecuting Attorney. Two days, four State cases, two civil cases. February, 1826, full bench. Two days, eight or ten cases. August, 1826. Amos Lane, Prosecutor, full bench. Three days, nine pages of record. Elijah Arnold's name appears for the first time on the record (to keep the peace). It appears often after this, for, perhaps, twenty-five He has been dead some years. He was a wild, troublesome, reckless man. He was reckoned to belong toa gang of counterfeiters, thieves, etc., with headquarters in the " fallen timber" in the south part of the county. Old residents of that region are full of tales of the reckless mischief of Arnold and his comrades in daring and crime. The gang was broken up after a long time.

February, 1827. Two days, seven pages of record. August, 1827. Full bench, Test, Prosecutor. Wilder tried for mayhem, convicted, fine $5 and costs, Rariden, defense.

February, 1828. Full bench, two days, nine pages. Second slander suit, defendant found guilty. August, 1828. Full bench, two days, ten pages. February, 1829. Three days, fifteen pages; M. M. Ray, Prosecutor. Jere Smith first acted as Deputy Clerk that term, serving thus for ten or eleven years.

"At this term. my old friend, Conway,' says Mr. Smith,'' was tried for assault and battery. He owned the fact. 'I'll be punished,' said the old man,' 'if I didn't put him out.' Conway, however, was acquitted by the jury." the building of a court house and jail was let - the first to Abner Overman for $254.50, the second to Albert Banta for $125 - to be completed in eighteen months. The court house was to be 18x24, hewed log and two stories. square hewed logs, thirteen inches on each face, floored above and below, and also a middle floor all of the same timber, two stories, each six feet high in the clear.

In October, 1820, the court house and jail were received by the Commissioners. There was no outer door to the lower story of the jail, but its only entrance was a trap-door from the upper story, and that was entered by a short flight of stairs and a door at the top of the stairs.

In 1826, the Commissioners thought the county needed anew court house, which was the truth. In July, 1826, Paul W. Way was appointed to let the contract for the new building, which he did, and it was finished in 1828.

The public square, three and one-half acres, was cleared about 1820, by David Lasley, a young man who had lately come to the county. The timber was very heavy, sugar-tree, oak, beech, hickory, etc. Some of the trees were three or four feet through. He says it took him three or four days to get a hole in the woods large enough for the sun to shine on the ground. He did the job alone and it took him three and one-half months. He got $35 for the job, boarding himself and working often far into the

It was winter when he burned it, and there had come snow, and to burn it was almost impossible. He says that Moorman Way got $70 for putting new trees in the square, just twice as much as he got for taking the old ones off.

The second court house did not prove 'a good job, and the Commissioners sold it, and from that time till 1877, Randolph County had no court house.

Some years before (1856) two buildings had been erected, one for a jail and one for county offices, brick, two stories. The courts were held in Ward's Hall, on the north side of the public square.

However, in 1875, the Commissioners, Thomas Clevinger, F. G. Morgan and Philip Barger, let the contract for a new court house to A. J. Campfield; architect, J. C. Johnson, Fremont, Ohio, for $73,000. The building was completed in 1877 without the changing of a single dollar in specifications or estimates. What may now seem strange, it was yet a fact, that very strong opposition was made to the measure and a fierce furor of denunciation took place, in so much that, when two of the Board, Messrs. Morgan and Clevinger, were presented as candidates for renomination by the Republican party, they weré defeated because they had been guilty of contracting to build that said court house. But the court house was built nevertheless, and there it stands to-day, the pride and glory of the county, of its architect, and of the Commissioners who had back-bone enough to go forward and secure itsconstruction. It is, indeed, a gem of beauty, a marvel of taste and elegance and of cheapness as well. A man might sooner be the architect of that edifice than be President of the United States, or King of England. A President may be only an ordinary man, and a king may be a dunce or a madman ; but for such a building as that, only genius the most wonderful could conceive, and skill the most consummate could design and execute so beautiful and artistic a structure. It has been justly apg by good judges to be one of the finest buildings in the

One of the Commissioners has since said (and doubtless the others would say the same), that he is not sorry for the part he took in the transaction, and that if he had the thing to determine again he would do just as he did before.

Say what one will as to the time or manner of construction, none can deny that it is one of the most beautiful edifices in the whole land, and well worth the money it cost, and now stands an honor to the county to which it belongs.

It has been claimed since its erection, that two very serious draw-backs and defects exist - that it is not fire proof, and that no sufficient provision was made for heating the building.

The necessity of fire-proof arrangements for the security of the public records is, indeed, the grand, unanswerable, overwhelming reason for the construction of costly public buildings, and no expense should be spared which is really essential to the attainment of that end. And careless or defective flues are in a vast number of cases, the cause of the conflagrations that so often bring dismay, and widespread desolation upon the dwellers of the county.

Among others on the stand were David Wysong, who built the first court house ; David Lasley, who cleared the public square of the native forest; and John Coats, who, at that time, was thought to be the oldest citizen of the county - eighty-eight years old.

Rooms - First floor as follows: Auditor's office, two rooms ; Clerk's office, two rooms; Recorder's office, two rooms. 'Two iron stairways - one large, one small. A large hall lengthwise. A hall crosswise. Four iron doors at the ends of the halls. The halls have tile marble floors, black and white. Second floor as follows: A large hall opening into the various rooms. A large court room ; several other rooms for various purposes.

Construction - Rubble stone foundation with varigus rubble stone walls along and across the basement ; entrance, step:stone ; walls, pressed brick, with cut stone finish ; stairways and outerdoors, iron; cornice, dormer windows, etc., galvanized iron; deck-roofs, etc., tin; mansard roof, slate; framing timber, sqlid pine; floors and inside floor, ash ; inner doors, pine ; court room painted in frescoe.

New Jail

The Commissioners are now (March, 1881) making provision and arrangements for the construction of a new jail, at a cost of between $30,000 and $40,000. They have purchased of Martin A. Reeder, south of the Franklin House, on the east side of Main street, a lot for $1,200, and the intention is to proceed to the erection of the building during the present summer, and the expectation is, that it will be substantially and thoroughly built with modern methods of strength and security for the detention and safe keeping of the persons confined within its walls, not to the neglect, however, of their health and bodily comfort. The following are (in substance) the specifications for its construction :

At the April session, 1881, the building of the jail (and Sheriff's dwelling) was let to A. G. Campfield, contractor, according to specifications by Hodson, Architect, to be completed by December, 1881.

Cost of building, $34,500; compensation of architect, three per cent; dimensions of jail, forty-five by fifty-eight feet ; sheriff's residence, fifty-four by twenty-nine and a half feet; foundation, rubble work ; prison floors, stone flagging ; mansard roof, covered with slate; prison proper, iron cells with passageway seven feet wide all around them inside the outer walls, and a central hall nine feet wide; cornices, chimney-caps, etc., galvanized iron; glass, AA double strength; windows, grated with heavy twisted and riveted iron bars. Upper tier of cells reached by corridors, extending from the stair-cases in the hall, between the jail and the Sheriff's residence. The hospital is over the jail proper, in the second story (in the mansard roof), the lower story being sixteen feet high and including both tiers of prison cells. 'The cells open into the inner hall, and have grated unglazed openings for light, heat and ventilation. The hospital department contains a hospital room and two or three bed-rooms, besides some others.

The sheriff's residence has three stories (with the roof). On the first floor are sitting room, kitchen, parlor, office, hall and stairway, and two other small rooms for no special purpose. On the second floor are two large rooms and two small rooms, the juvenile and the female departments, each of the latter two having two cells apiece, and a larger room to each department. The whole building is to be heated by steam from the court house engine, 400 feet away. Great improvements, so reckoned, and great expense as well, in jail construction, have been made since the days of the hewed log jail built in 1819.

Then, log jails at a cost of $100 or less were strong enough to hold the rogues of that day ; now, whether a jail built wholly of iron will hold the villains of the present time remains yet to be tried.

The old adage is, "The world grows wiser and wickeder,"' and many believe the saying to be the truth. It is, at least, the fact that the shrewdness displayed, both in the commission of crime and the evasion of its penalty, is perfectly amazing. The building is now (July, 1882) completed and in use. The heating from the court house proved a failure. A separate engine for the jail is now employed.

Support Of Poor

Some provision was made in the first days of the state for the poor. For many years, however, there was no County Asylum. Thirty years probably elapsed before Randolph County did more than to give outside aid, or to "hire out" or to "bind out "' paupers or pauper children. One curious fact appears, that for some years a man was paid for keeping his own mother as a pauper. After that she was "sold out' to another party, who would keep her cheaper than her own son would do it.

Overseers were appointed by law to attend to the poor and afford needful help. 'I'he law required these officers to ''farm out" such as were paupers, on the first Monday in May, allowing, however, the money to be paid, when judged proper, to the pauper himself; and required them, also, to '' bind out" all paupers (females) under eighteen and (males) under twenty-one years of age. Some instances occur in the record of 'farming out"' at a very low price, which, however, room for insertion is lacking.

County Infirmary

Some time previous to 1851, the Commissioners purchased a tract of land two miles southeast of Winchester, on the Lynn pike, for a Poor Farm. A dwelling was on the premises. which for atime was occupied for a Poor House. In March, 1852, William Fitzgerald was as (also he had previously been) employed as Superintendent of the Poor House, as follows: $400 a year, quarterly, in county orders, including food and lodging for himself and family; the family to give all their services, except when "the five younger children'' were in school during the winter season. Before that date two reports are on file, showing the personal property of the county at the Poor House to be about $800 and $900 respectively.

In July, 1852, a County Poor Asylum was put under contract, to be completed by December, 1852; contractor, Joseph Johnson. Dimensions, 65x40 feet, 12 feet high, 16 rooms below, hall 12 feet wide lengthwise the building, and another hall7 feet wide the other way, with rooms also above. Cost, $1,750. This building was burned down in a few years and another one was erected not long after, which is now standing. The first was built of wood but the second is of brick, having two stories. It is large and commodious, being reasonably adapted to its purposes.

The cost of maintaining the poor at the Poor Asylum and otherwise during the years 1868, 1877 and 1880, is given below : 1868 (year ending May 31), $1,369.57 (probably excluding Superintendent's salary); 1877, $4,415.99; 1881, $5,998.22. One would suppose there must be some error in the statement of cost of maintaining the poor for 1868. We give it, however, as set down in the annual exhibit for that year, as spread upon the Commissioners' record at the time.

Superintendents Poor Asylum

GREENSFORK TOWNSHIP was organized in 1818 by David Wright, Sheriff, appointed by Gov. Jennings for that purpose. It included the whole southern half of the county. The north line of the township was a line one mile south of the line between Townships 19 and 20. The northwest part of Greensfork for one and a half miles reaches that line still. The north line of the rest of the township is one mile farther south. This division remained during 1818 and 1819. November, 1819, West River was ereeted, including "all that part of Greensfork lying west of the west line of Section 16, Township 18, Range 14." This line is two and one-half miles west of the present west line of Green's Fork Township. Washington was afterward formed on the west, taking off two and a half miles, and Wayne on the north, taking one mile on the north (except for one and a half miles) in the northwest quarter of Greensfork, leaving that township as at present. WHITE RIVER TOWNSHIP was created in 1818 by David Wright, Sheriff, before the organization of the county and preparatory thereto. It included the whole of the county north of the line between Greensfork and White River as above stated.

[Norre. - The county at that time itself extended only west and north to the outer boundary of the twelve-mile strip, commonly called the '' new boundary."']

21, leaving White River on the north line as it is now. About this time (1820), the boundaries of the county had been enlarged to take in what it includes at present west of the twelve-mile boundary and Delaware County, and Grant County and all the State northward from Randolph County were attached thereto for temporary judicial purposes. Liberty Township (now in Delaware County), was erected in 1825. Delaware was made a separate county in 1827, and Grant in 1831.

Stony Creek was set off July, 1826, embracing at first Townships 19, 20 and 21, Range 12, and perhaps the north half of Township 18. Green and Monroe were afterward formed, and the boundary of Stony Creek moved one mile eastward, making White River stand as it now does.

was created August, 1820, and included all the county north of the line between Sections 20 and 21, to wit: All the present townships of Jackson, Ward, Franklin and Green (if the boundaries of the county had then been extended to its present limits, which is probable.) In fact, the general formation of counties in (this part of ) the purchase of 1818, and the final establishment of the bounds of Randolph County were made by the Legislature at the session commencing December, 1819.

was created July, 1826. It embraced Townships 19, 20 and 21, Range 12 (and, one would suppose), the north half of Township 18. Liberty Township, including perhaps Delaware County, had been formed on the west side of what is now Randolph, in 1825, and Stony Creek embraced the entire west side of Randolph County. It then included (probabl, ' =Il of Nettle Creek Township, the most of Stony Creek and the larger western parts of Monroe and Green. Nettle Creek, Monroe and Green were in due time created with their prescribed limits. The limits of Stony Creek were also enlarged on the east by taking a mile from White River, and thus Stony Creek became as she stands at the present writing.

Note 1. - In August, 1820 (at the same time that Ward was cut off from White River), a township was created, extending northward indefinitely from (probably) the present north line of the county, perhaps to the north end of the State, and named Wayne Township. Mr. Smith says: '' The Commissioners appointed the place of election at the house of Dr. William Turner, at Fort Wayne. They made Ezra Taylor Inspector, and directed an election to be held for the choice of two Justices and one Constable." This territory (as we think), was wholly outside what is now Randolph County.

"In the May term of 1825, David Rowe was allowed $1.50 for making return of the election of two Justices of Liberty Township. From this and from my recollection, I can say that in January, 1825, either the whole or the east part of Delaware County was made into Liberty Township. The township containing Smithfield is still called Liberty. And as Daniel Stout had been County Commissioner in Randolph, and had moved to what is now Delaware County, built a mill and laid out Smithfield, I presume he had that county erected into Liberty Township. There were but few inhabitants in that region, and David Rowe, who brought the election returns, lived pretty well up on Prairie Creek, at least six miles from Smithfield. Also, May, 1826, John J. Deeds, who had settled on White River and built a mill above Smithfield, was appointed Supervisor on the West Fork of White River from the mouth of Cabin Creek to

John Sample was at the same time made supervisor on West Fork of White River from Sampletown to the mouth of Creek. It should be stated that the Legislature had declared the West Fork of White River to be a navigable stream, and had ordered it to be worked as such. Thus, up to 1830, the townships stood as stated below :

Was erected at the term in May, 1831, beginning at the corner between Sections 14 and 15, Township 18, Range 14; thence north eight miles; then west seven miles; thence south eight miles; thence east seven miles to the place of beginning.

The line between Washington and West River was then exactly through Huntsville north and south, and the line between Greensfork and Washington was half a mile west of the present line.

West River was created at the same time (1881) and extended to the Delaware line. It embraced all west of the west line of Washington Township, @. e., the west half of the present township of West River, westward from a line north and south through Huntsville, all of Nettle Creek Township and two miles at the south end of the present Stony Creek Township.'

Was first formed May, 1881, embracing at that time all west of Huntsville, and eight miles from north to south, including thus the west part of West River, all of Nettle Creek and two miles at the south end of the present Stony Creek Township.

In January, 1835, West River Township was made to be thus: Beginning at the southwest corner of Township 19, Range 18, and extending northward seven miles, and four miles eastward, the east line being one mile west of the present line of West River.

Afterward one mile was taken from the west side of Washington and attached to the east side of West River, making West River and Washington as at present.

Was first laid out by the Commissioners at the November term, 1833. The bounds of the township at first were all of what is now Jackson and Wayne Townships. But in September, 1838, Wayne Township was cut off from Jackson, leaving Jackson, Greensfork and Wayne as they are at present.

Was created in January, 1834, embracing its present limits and two and a half miles of what is now the north part of Monroe. Afterward Monroe was formed from parts of Green and Stony Creek, leaving Green as it now appears on the map.

Was created January, 1835, lying in Range 12, and extending seven miles north from the Wayne County line, and including one mile at the south end of what is now Stony Creek. Afterward (probably when Monroe was formed ) one mile was given to Stony Creek from the north end of Nettle Creek, making Stony Creek to stand as it now does.

Was in existence in 1851 and must have been created before that time. It was formed by taking parts of Stony Creek and Green Townships, and Stony Creek was extended southward by taking two miles from the north end of Nettle Creek Township.

Was created with its present limits, in June, 1859, being cut from the west side of Ward Township, leaving Ward as it is found at the present time, Franklin being the last township formed in the county.

Union Township was created by the Commissioners in March, 1838, four miles square, at the north end of West River, leaving West River four miles square. A remonstrance was afterward presénted against the formation of Union Township, and it is to be presumed that the township was dissolved asi t is not now in existence, though no record has been found of such action on the books of the Commissioners.

Union Township included the village of Unionsport. Why action was taken for so small a township, and what was to be done with the remainder of West River, deponent saith not. Both Union and West River were far too small. The name, Union, would seem to indicate some connection between the formation of the new township and the '"'community'' movement which established Unionsport Village about that time.

Salamonie Township (Jay County), was erected by the Randolph Commissioners September, 1834, embracing all of Jay County (then a part of Randolph). Jay County was formed by the Legislature shortly afterward. Allen County had been laid off before and Blackford was made a few years later.

Madison Township (Jay County), was erected in May, 1835, embracing five miles on the east side of Jay County. se County was afterward organized, including Salamonie and Madison Townships.

On the north side of the County are four townships, making a strip across the north side of six miles wide, except Green, which is four and one-half miles wide. They are arranged thus, reckoning from the west :

On the south side of the county are four townships, bounded on the north by an irregular line, with location and size as follows, beginning at the east side of the county :

Greensfork, six and one-eighth miles from east to west and about seven miles from north to south, with a corner in the northwestern part, one mile north and south and one-half mile east and west.

White River, seven miles from north to south and ten miles from east to west, and also a strip at the southwest four miles from north to south and one mile from east to west.

Stony Creek, five miles from north to south and five and fiveeighths miles from east to west, excepting one square mile in the southeast corner.

Roads And Bridges

ROADS AND BRIDGES. There were, at first, no roads. Every man picked his way according to his own fancy, as a hunter roams through the woods. The earliest regular track, perhaps, through the Randolph forest

Squire Bowen says: '' The 'Quaker Trace' was begun in 1817. James Clark and twenty-five or thirty others took three wagons with provisions and a surveyor with his compass and chain and measured distances and blazed trees and marked mile trees, cutting out the road wide enough for a wagon to pass. They wound around ponds and big logs and trees, and quagmires, forded the Mississinewa and the Wabash, and so on to Fort Wayne. James Bowen went as one of the company twenty-five miles to beyond the Mississinewa Crossing, till one wagon load had been used up. That team returned, and James came back with them. The route passed through Arba, Spartansburg, Bartonia, South Salem, (west of) Union City, through Mount Holly, through Allensville, crossing the Mississinewa just north of that place, through North Salem, and crossing the Wabash at Jay City, Jay County, near Corydon. There was but one house between (what is now) Dan Comer's, one mile north of Spartansburg and Fort Wayne, viz., at Thomson's Prairie, eight miles north of the Wabash."

This road or trace was, for a long time, a famous thoroughfare, being known far and near, and it obtained much travel. Most of it came to be at length a public highway, and much of it remains so to thisday. Except the "' Quaker Trace," there were, up to May, 1819, no regular traveled roads. There were simply blazed paths, or tracks haphazard through the woods wherever a settler might happen to go.

First Roads

At the session of the Board of County Commissioners, held May, 1819, Jesse Johnson and others, residents of the south part of the county, petitioned for a road as follows :

Beginning at Winchester, thence the nearest and best way to go between Jesse Johnson's and Paul Beard's, thence the nearest and best way to the county line at the southwest corner of Section 14, Township 18, Range 14. The petition was granted and the road was laid. It took chiefly the route now the Winchester and Lynn pike and southward to the county line.

The fourth road was the extension of the " Lawrenceburg road" from the house of Ephraim Overman to that of William Yates (August, 1819) [the road through Arba northward]. William Yates entered the north half, Section 9, Township 16, Range 1, northwest of Spartansburg.

The eighth road (May, 1820), was from Winchester to John Foster's (Griffig farm). This afterward became substantially the State road to Muncie, Indianapolis, etc., the route, however, being somewhat changed.

the ninth road (May, 1820), was from Sample's Mill to Huntsville. [Sample's Mill was on White River west of Winchester, somewhat east of the '"' twelve mile boundary ]."

The twelfth road (May, 1825) was from southeast corner Section 35, Township 16, Range 1 west, to Obadiah Small's. The point of beginning is on the county line two miles east of Arba, and Obadiah Small owned the land that Spartansburg now stands on. This road is thought to be the one now running from Bethel, Wayne County, by '' Pinhook," Charles Crist's, and Jeremiah Middleton's to Spartansburg.

January, 1830, a road was laid from the west end of Hockett's lane to the Wayne County line, at the southeast corner of '* Martindale's Deadening."" A wonderfully, clear and exact description. The settlers knew where the ''road"' was as easily as the "boy knew his daddy."'

May, 1831. Road from the southwest corner of Samuel Smith's fence to the crossway south of Jackson's, thence to the new road at the north end of William Smith's lane. (Another description worthy of special notice).

September, 1832. State road from Winchester to Newcastle. May, 1833. Richmond and Fort Wayne State Road. May, 1833. State Road from (toward) Greenville, Ohio,

Doubtless many roads have been laid at some time or other not herein mentioned. Enough are named to give a general idea of the system of highways established and maintained by the county for the use of the citizens.

These roads, laid out, as we have said, by public authority, were opened and worked to some extent, yet for a long time most of them were but poor indeed. The trees were cut away somewhat, a few bridges were made, and log ways were built in some places, yet for the most part they were horrid enough. David Lasley relates in his '' reminiscences'' how he (with another man) built three-quarters of a mile of '"log-way" on the road west of Winchester. As late as 1859 there was one and a quarter miles of log-way, nearly in one "'string,'' north between Winchester and Deerfield. Often logs a foot or eighteen inches through would be laid down and sometimes absolutely nothing on them, and the wagon had to go "bumping" across that continuous log-heap. Each new road would be divided into districts an overseer appointed, and '' hands" given him for his '"' gang'' to open and work the highway, e. g., Francis Frazier (bellmaker, east of Lynn), James Wright and William Hockett, were appointed to mark and lay off the road leading through Lynn, which they did. Albert Banta claimed damages, and John Ballinger, John Way, William Haworth, Joshua Cox and Henry Hill were chosen to consider and assess damages. They reported '"'no damage." The road was laid, and Paul Beard was made Supervisor of the south end and John Elzroth of the northend. Beard had all the east part Greensfork Township (in the south end of the county) for his district, and Elzroth had all the north end for his, east of Sugar Creek.

John Elzroth lived near the '' Poor Farm." After residing in Randolph a long time he moved to the '" Reserve,' in Grant County. In 1871 he came back by rail to Deerfield, and on foot to Winchester, hale and hearty, then eighty years gld. He was an older brother of Jacob Elzroth, so long a magistrate in Winchester.

[Notr. - KHither he or a brother of his died June, 1880, at Crawfordsville Ind., aged ninety-four years. He was in Randolph County on a visit five weeks before his death, being then hale and sprightly ].

Dr. Beard's district was eight miles long and about four miles wide, with thirty-two sections and perhaps thirty road-hands, and nine miles of road to open and work.

Mr. Elzroth's district was nine to ten miles long and seven miles wide, containing sixty-six section and about forty hands and four and a half miles of road.

March, 1831. From John Moorman's, via Arba to Ohio | each per year, and that was all the road tax there was. Hands ] State line. could be hired from 25 to 50 cents a day. Mr. Smith says: Saas oe

And it may be added, how did the "' bridle paths' and "logways," 'pole bridges" and ''mud-beds" then compare with the roads now. It must be confessed that, even now, road work is often laid out to poor advantage. A better method of highway labor is sadly needed.

For the second road (west from Winchester) Judge John Wright was made Supervisor, with all the hands in White River Township west of Sugar Creek and south of White River.

On the third road (Winchester to Bloomingport) is a point of some interest, Joseph Gass'. Mr. Smith says: '' His house stood on the north side of a brushy prairie in Section 29, Town 19, Range 14, some three miles north of Bloomingport. He built there in early days on the main Indian trail between Muncie (an Indian town at that time) to Greenville. where the Indian annuities were paid from Wayne's treaty in 1795 to 1815 or 1816, at which time the place of payment was changed from Greenville to Fort Wayne. The Indians traveled from Muncie (which they called Mont-see-town) up White River on the south side till they crossed Prairie Creek at its mouth. They then took a ''bee-line'' for Greenville, which none but an Indian can do. The trail passed north of Huntsville and Spartansburg, and was about as straight as a surveyor could have made it. The trace was quite a plain one and was much traveled even by whites in those days.

Joseph Gass was a brother of the Gass who went with Lewis and Clark across the continent to the mouth of the Columbia River (1805-07), and who published a journal which he kept on that expedition. Joseph Gass built and settled on that trace at that point when there was no white settler from six miles west of Greenville to '' Mont-see-town," and he lodged travelers who passed on that trace, and hence his house was a noted place to mention on the route of that road. Mr. Smith says he had often seen him and the house he built there.

The town of Springboro was afterward laid out February 15, 1834, at the point where Joseph Gass lived, but the town was not 4 success, and it is now extinct.

Mr. Gass probably settled there before he entered his land. He was there when the 'Way company'"' came through from Carolina to White River, March, 1817. But the date of his land entry is August 11,1817. How much earlier than March, 1817, Mr. Gass settled at that place we are not able to state. He seems to have been one of that enterprising class quite common in those days, whose activity took the form of trading with the Indians, which perhaps might have been well enough except that it often included the practice of selling strong drink to the poor red men. That business, whether among white men or Indians, however lucrative it may be to the trader, brings evil and only evil to him who uses the fearful fluid. And as now, so of old, the traffic in strong drinks was one great source of trouble between the settlers and the savages. A sober Indian was commonly peaceable but a drunken savage was an object of fear and dread.

However, in those days, the manufacture of intoxicating liquors and the traffic in them was not regarded as otherwise than proper and honorable.

The fourth road (north from Arba) was viewed by Ephraim Bowen, Ephraim Overman, Jr., and David Bowles; and Jonathan Small was made Supervisor, with all the hands on Nolan's Fork and Greenville Creek to work the road. Lawrenceburg, at the mouth of the Great Miami was then expected to be 'the town '' on the Ohio, and roads had been extended (among others) up White River, past Richmond, to Randolph County line, and it was called the *' Lawrenceburg road."

"In May, 1820, Viewers were appointed to mark out a road from Winchester to the State line, near Foster's (Griffis farm). The road was reported and established in August, 1820. John Coates was made Supervisor from Winchester to the ford of White River, and Amos Peacock from White River to the State line. In 1822 or 1823 the Legislature authorized the laying of a State road from the State line near Fostet's, through Winchester to Indianapolis. Joshua Foster, John Sample and John Way were appointed Commissioners to lay the road. They took Paul W. Way for their surveyor, and started from Foster's to run to Winchester. But they ran too much south, so they made a " bend"' to the north before reaching White River. But being still too far south they veered again northward, west of George Hyatt's, and came in at the end of Broad (now Washington ) street and ran on that street through Winchester. Then diverging to the south till they got opposite (west of) the middle of the public square in Winchester, they struck west on the route of the present State road (Pike now) to the west side of the county. Thence down White River (south side) to Old Town (Indian town) six miles above Muncie, thence down the river by Anderson, Strawtown, etc.. to Indianapolis. The county road from the State line west to Winchester was merged in this State road." Again Mr. Smith says (of the thirteenth road above): ''September, 1825, a road was reported beginning at the Greenville road northwest from Greenville (Connor's old trace to his trading post) by Daniel B. Miller's to Lewallyn's Mill. This was not opened and worked till 1832. February 2, 1832, the Legislature passed an act appointing Daniel B. Miller Commissioner to lay out a State road from the State line (same point as the thirteenth road) to Parson's Mill, thence to Lewallyn's Mill, thence to intersect the Miamisport road, near Sanders', in Delaware County. Judge Miller appointed me his surveyor, and in August or September, 1832, we began the survey.

We started where Connor's trace crossed the State line, a little north of Union City, went nearly straight to the east side of Deerfield, thence to Parsons' Mill, half mile below Deerfield, thence to Lewallyn's Mill, near Ridgeville, thence onward beyond Emmettsville, keeping in a straight line to Sanders' in Delaware County, passing north of Fairview. The county road from the State line to Lewallyn's Mill was merged in this State road. The road remains substantially as we laid it out, having on it Middletown, Deerfield, Ridgeville and Emmettsville."

Of the "Quaker Trace'? Mr. Smith says (among other things ): '"' One Baker settled at the Wabash Crossing and kept entertainment many years, as also a canoe for crossing the river. It was a prominent point for a long time.'"' A Mr. Storms settled very early near the Mississinewa Crossing. But at first and for some years there were none anywhere on the route except a single house on Thomson's Prairie, as already stated.

Note Mr. Smith says the "'Quaker Trace'' was opened in 1818 or 1819. The Bowens say in 1817; which date is correct we do not know. The Bowens are more likely to be right, since they lived on the route, and one of them helped to make the "trace."

The first road (through Lynn) crossed White River in its upper course about a mile north of (old) Snow Hill, and the East Branch of Green's Fork, south of Lynn. The road west to Windsor crossed Cabin Creek near Solomon Wright's, and Stony Creek east of Windsor. The road north toward Deerfield crossed White River north of Winchester, and Mississinewa north of Deerfield.

There are now several large bridges, some of which are of iron. A bridge crosses the Mississinewa in connection with the Allensville pike running north. Another one is south of New Pittsburg. There is one north of Deerfield, one at Ridgeville and one at Fairview, besides one or two between the two places lagt named.

There is a bridge across White River east of Winchester, and one on each of the pikes leading thence to Union City, one across White River northwest of Winchester, one still west of that, one south of Farmland, and one near Parker. There is a large bridge across Stony Creek east of Windsor on the Winchester Pike. There are, of course, bridges innumerable across the several creeks that course through the county in various directions.

Some of the streams are still crossed by fords, as Cabin Creek just west of Unionsport, Greenville Creek northeast of Bartonia (between Elihu Cammack's and William Macy's), Salt Creek northwest of Winchester, Mississinewa east of Ridgeville, and perhaps many other places.

eighteen and forty-five having to work the road. A law passed the Legislature of 1880-1881 making important and radical changes, putting the roads into the hands of a new officer styled Township Superintendent. The law goes practically into effect April, 1882, since no Superintendent can be appointed until that time.

Mills, Machinery, Etc

As to mills, etc., before 1820, we have not been able to gain any certain or exact information. 'There were some mills built on Nolan's and Green's Forks (as, also, some horse-mill corncrackers and hominy-pounders ).

William Smith, father of Hon. Jeremiah Smith, built a mill in 1819, on West River. Meshach Lewallyn built one at Ridgeville on Mississinewa, about the same time. Jere Cox erected one on White River, some miles east of Winchester, in 1825. Jessop hada mill on Greenville Creek as soon as 1820 or before. Aaron Hill's father, as also a Mr. Hawkins, in the region of Arba, had hominy-pounders, and perhaps, corncrackers, run by horse-power, shortly after the first settlers came. However, Aaron Hill's father came to this county in 18381.

Jesse Way says he thinks the first water mill in the county was built by John Wright, on Salt Creek, just north of Winchester, in 1818 or 1819.

But to find exact dates, and to determine the locations of those early mills, has been a difficult, and in many cases an impossible task. In the statement herein given, locality has been followed rather than priority of date; and no doubt many, after all the labor expended in the work, have been omitted.

Water-Mills

A mill was built at (just below) Macksville by Robert Cox about thirty-two years ago (1848). It is now owned by Roberts & Goode. It is a good (grist) mill, and does a thriving business.

At the mouth of Cabin Creek Mr. Bunker built a saw-mill very early. Afterward John H. Bond rebuilt the saw-mill and added a grist-mill. William Roberts bought and rebuilt the mill soon after 1854. It is standing yet and is owned by Dick & Cowgill.

Up Cabin Creek (three-quarters of a mile) is another gristmill; Jacob Boles built one on that site very early. Afterward it was rebuilt by Peter S. Miller (from Bucks County, Penn.), and again by William Marine (about) 1844. It was owned by John H. Bond and Solomon Wright, and now by Studebaker. Steam was used at one time but now water alone. A portable sawmill was there once but it has been taken away. The mill now has a good reputation for work.

Just above that (also on Cabin Creek), William Mariné had built another mill (about) 1839. He at one time owned both these mills (called Marine's upper and lower mills). The upper one has gone down.

While Marine was running both these mills, Nathan Mendenhall undertook to build still another mill between Marine's upper dam and the lower mill connected with that dam. He built his dam, dug the race, got the timber on the ground but finally he stopped. Why we donot know, for one would think a man might as well go clear through as to begin such a job as that. It is a pity he had not put to actual test the project of running a watermill without water !

Two miles above (on Cabin Creek still) stood Mendenhall's (lower) mill, built before 1840. It has been rebuilt once or twice, and was discontinued not long ago. The works were taken to Parker, and the mill is in operation there now.

The mill was rebuilt by his son Hiram. It has since been changed into a woolen factory, and is now used as such. It is at Unionsport, and is run by both water and steam. It has had a good reputation, and with the requisite capital a fine business might be maintained.

Thomas Gillum built a "' corn-cracker'' one-fourth ofa mile south of Buena Vista, one of the first water-mills in the county. It was gone long ago.

Below Macksville mill (on White River), Mr. Spiller built a saw-mill (about) 1850. It was rebuilt by David Harris. The mill was running five years ago, but is gone now.

On Sparrow Creek, a saw-mill was erected (before the Macksville grist-mill was built) by Morgan Mills. He used to saw day and night. He would set his log and start the saw, and then lie down and take a nap. When the saw got through the log, the snapping of the trigger would wake him up, and he would set the log again. That mill went down twenty-five years or more ago. Robert Cox rebuilt the mill and used it to saw the lumber for the mill he built (at Macksville) on White River.

Noah Johnson built a grist-mill on Sparrow Creek at the crossing of the Huntsville and Sampletown road, southeast of Macksville, very early, about the same time as Gillum's mill on Cabin Creek there was also a saw-mill. Both have been gone many years (twenty-five years or more).

Lewallyn's grist-mill on the Mississinewa near Ridgeville, was built (say) 1819 or 1820. It was afterward owned by William Addington, and then by his son Joab Addington, afterward by Addington & House. Still again by Arthur McKew, and now by Whipple. It goes by water and steam both, and is an extensive and valuable establishment, having done a large business for many years.

Frederick Miller had a grist-mill and saw-mill on Bear Creek, three miles southwest of Ridgeville, perhaps forty years ago. They have been gone many years..

The old Sampletown Mill between Macksville and Winchester, just east of the '"'twelve-mile boundary," was built very early, but has been gone a long time. Some of the old timbers are to be seen yet.

Jere Cox built a grist-mill above Winchester on White River in 1825, on the farm now owned by William Pickett. Joseph and Benjamin Pickett built a saw-mill, William Pickett in 1853 purchased the place and both mills. They were operated till about 1864, and were torn down in 1870. Mr. Pickett says there were five dry years (from 1864 to 1869), in which the water was so low that the mills could not run, and they were left to go to wreck, and were taken away in 1870.

A grist-mill used to stand on Greenville Creek northwest of the Griffis farm in Wayne Township. It was there in 1850, but has been gone many years. The timbers are there still.

A Mr. Hinchy had a saw-mill and grist-mill on the Mississinewa, east of Allensville, in the early settlement of Jackson Township, which were somewhat important for several years.

John Wright is said to have had a corn-cracker water-mill on Salt Creek, north of Winchester, thought by some to have been the first water-mill in the county. Jesse Way says Wrights mill was built in 1818 or 1819.

Township, had an oil mill (perhaps the only one in the county), as, also, a grist-mill, both run by horse-power, near Winchester, very early - perhaps as long ago as 1820, or thereabouts. Benjamin Bond was married in 1826, and he spent most of several previous years with his uncle Joshua, working in that mill.

Joshua Bond settled near Winchester about 1818, and set up his mills soon after; and about 1835 or so, he removed to Jay County, building a horse mill there also, and running the same till a comparatively late day, dying about 1878, at the age of ninety-four.

Old Paul Beard had a saw-mill on Greensfork, which was old in 1837. There was a mill site where a grist-mill had been, but had gone down in 1839, and a new mill by Levi Stout (same man) two miles lower down on Greensfork, a mile and a half

There were other mills built from time to time, particularly saw-mills, concerning which no information has been obtained. These early mills must not be reckoned to be like the great mills of the present day. They were, indeed, but small and insignificant affairs. It is related of one of the first mills in Jackson Township, that the owner boasted that his whole " fixings" had cost him only $2.50. What in particular that same $2.50 was expended for "' Dame Rumor'' has not condescended to furnish information. Whether it was for dressing the '' gray heads"' into mill-stones, or to purchase the iron gearing (if they had any), or for something else, it matters not. The money was spent, and it has gone past recovery, and the mill has gone, too, and no relic of either remains. '' Sic transit gloria mundi.' And so "passeth the glory '' of those old-time marvels of machinery as well.

Those old-time mills were very humble, unpretending establishments. Cox's mill above Winchester, built fifty-six years ago, and eleven years after the first settlement of the county, bolted flour in a hand bolt. The 'corn crackers, '' so called (Jessup's on Greenville Creek, for instance), uséd to grind about a peck anhour. The stones employed in many of the first mills were simply the native boulders of the region, dressed to suit the purpose. Still they served the needs of the settlers in a small way for many years. Some half-dressed mill stones are lying beside the highways still.

The grist would be sent on the back of a horse or a mule with a half-grown lad, and one by one these grists would be slowly, oh, how slowly, worked through the machinery of the mill.

Men, however, who were able to command a wagon and team and enough grain to warrant the labor required, would take a trip to the more extensive and better appointed mills on the White Water, or the Stillwater, or even the Miami. In the earliest times, boys have been sent on horseback twenty miles or more, from the Arba settlement to the mills on the White Water below Richmond, both to buy corn and to get it ground in one of the mills in that region.

The story told by the old settlers of nearly every one of the first mills in the whole region, though perhaps not an actual fact as to even a single one of them, is yet painfully suggestive of the more important real fact that the mills did actually grind so " awful slow "' that everybody would naturally believe that a dog might " lick the meal by spirts," and lift up his head and how! between the "jets'' for moré. But let us not laugh at these small beginnings of things. The settlers used far more labor, and displayed much greater energy in undertaking what they

Steam Mills

For years after the opening of the country for settlement, the use of steam power was unknown. To fit up a steam establishment required a large amount of money, more, in fact, than most could command. Still as the country grew, and the milling necessities began to surpass the capacities of the water-power, and the "corn cracker' and the hand-bolt mills of the region, men ventured to try how steam would answer the purpose, and one by one, mills were built away from thestreams. The result has been that water-power has dwindled and almost grown out of use, and steam has nearly carried the day.

One of the first steam mills in the county, possibly the first, was built by Elias Kizer at Winchester, as early perhaps as 1835, in the east part of the town. It was discontinued perhaps twenty-five years ago.

Mr. Roberts had a steam grist-mill at Winchester (in the west part of the city). It was running say in 1860, but its rumbling has been silent for some years.

The brick mill and warehouse near the depot has been standing for some twenty years. It was built for a warehouse by John Mumma. Martin owned it awhile, then Heaston & Riley, then Colton & Bates, now Bates Brothers. It is an extensive mill. has a high reputation, performing good, thorough, reliable work, and a large amount of it.

Deerfield Steam Mill was built by Jason Whipple thirty-seven years ago (1845). It has been in operation ever since, andis a good mill. For many years it had a very large patronage, and does still an extensive business. At one time it drew custom for thirty or forty milesin every direction. Customers had the privilege, by staying through the night, of having their grists ground in turn, and many availed themselves thereof. Sometimes a dozen or twenty teams would wait through the darkness of the night, rather than go home through the long and tedious journey, and then be obliged to return at a future day.

People came from Centerville, 'Wabash, Greenville, etc. Other mills have been built, and its business has decreased, though it does well still. It is now owned by Willis Whipple, son of Jason Whipple.

The mill at Allensville is fixed so as to run by water or steam. It was built in about 1850, and has been running under various control] ever since. It has a fair reputation for quality of work.

A saw-mill (water and steam) was built, and afterward a gristmill, by McNeely before 1845. Both are there still, and doing good work. 'The establishment was rebuilt by Thomas Reese & Co.

ears. : Stanley Brothers had a steam grist-mill at Farmland before 1860. Having been burned, it was rebuilt with new machinery by Hawkins. It is now in operation.

A steam-mill was built at Ridgeville on the railroad, by Arthur McKew. It was burned and rebuilt of brick ; is now owned by Starr & Co. The mill is a good one, and does much work.

A large steam grist-mill was erected at Union City, Ind., It is a grand establishment ; is owned by Converse & Co.; has a capacity of 200 barrels per day; has an extensive run of custom, and does also a large amount of merchant work.

A steam saw-mill has been in operation for several years on the State line pike, two miles south of Union City, but it was removed a year or so ago.

A steam grist-mill has been for many years, and still is, in operation in Union City, Ohio. It has a good reputation, and does a large business.

A saw-mill has stood not far east of Deerfield, on the State road, from early times until a year or two ago, owned latterly by John H. Sipe.

A saw-mill was in operation for twenty years or more near Salem. When Union City began to need lumber for building, that mill, among others, helped much to supply the demand.

Anthony McKinney built a saw-mill on Mississinewa, one and a quarter miles below Fairview, about 1839, put in a corn-cracker about 1840, and built a new and more extensive mill, putting in '"'wheat buhrs"' about 1842. He had three run of buhrs - and a bolt carried by machinery. It was a good mill for awhile, and is still in operation. Mr. McKinney sold the millto Samuel Zafer. He owned it about a year and sold to Abner Wolverton, about 1864, who owns it yet. There are now two runs, one for corn and one for wheat. Steam was put in in 1875, and now water and steam are both employed.

John Foust had a saw-mill and corn-cracker in about 1856, in Franklin Township, just at the township line, on Mississinewa, which stood five or six years.

Creek, near Windsor. Before completing it, he sold out to John Thornburg, who finished the grist-mill and also built a saw-mill. [See record of John Thornburg]. After four years, he sold to Andrew G. Dye, and he to Moses Neely, and still again the mills were transferred to Thomas W. Reece, who built them anew. Their owners since have been Neely, Mark Pattis, Johnson & Dye, William A. Thornburg, Keece & Sons, Mahlon Clevenger, John Thornburg, and now, Robert Cowgill.

Other Machinery

Peter Cable had a carding machine, etc., in the west part of the county. At first Mr. Cable had a little carding machine in the garret of John H. Bond's grist-mill. He was very poor, and got the use of Bond's "' power." After awhile he bought a waste farm that was too wet for tillage. He ditched the prairie and drained the ponds, springs and swamps, and collected the water, and got enough to run a carding machine and woolen factory. For a long time it was a famous establishment, getting. custom far and near, and Mr. Cable made a fortune. His factory is gone now. There are pleasant anecdotes about Mr. Cable and his mill. Somebody had at one time turned the water upon the wheel and made the mill run empty through the night. He was provoked, and on Saturday he sawed the foot-bridge over the fore-bay almost in two, and laid it in its place. Monday morning he came to start his mill, and, forgetting all about his "trap," he stepped upon the sawed plank and went, souse, into the fore-bay. He scrambled out just as Thomas Addington was going to the mill. He ran to meet Thomas, laughing and crying out: ''O, Thomas, Thomas, I caught mine self, I caught mine self!'' Another. Mr. Cable was one day walking along a muddy road, near a horse. The animal stepped in a water-hole and the water flew fiercely into the honest German's face. Wiping the muddy slosh from his eyes, he cried out, '" Vell, dat vas right mutty, didn't it?" Mr. Cable lives there still, three miles south of Macksville.

The old county seminary, at Winchester, was fitted up and run as a woolen factory for several years. It was quite extensive and did much work, but it has been discontinued.

There was, for many years, a carding machine and woolen factory at Deerfield. It was burned down and rebuilt, and burned again, and, since the last fire, hag not been rebuilt.

There is a large amount of machinery at Union City, Ind., and Ohio, as also at Winchester, Farmland and Ridgeville, for various purposes which will be described under the head of Union City, and the rest.

It is told us, as a matter of curiosity, that Moorman Way once undertook to fit up a carding machine at Winchester, and run it by ox-power. The establishment did some work for awhile.

A carding machine was built and operated in very early days, near Winchester. It is thought to have been the first in the county, but has been gone for many, many years. It belonged to Daniel Petty, and was operated by horse-power.

The second was the Greenville State Line Company, granted also September, 1858. Its officers were: N. Kemp, President ; Daniel Hill, Secretary ; James Griffis, George Hiatt, Alexander White} Directors. The whole length of this line was some ten miles. But it is remarkable that of this pike has been built only about four miles; three and half miles at the westward, and three-quarters of a mile next the State line, leaving a wretched gap of some six miles of the worst road in the county.

Since 1858, a great number of pikes have been projected, many of which have been made, and the difference between the '"'old time mud" and the new "regime'' is very great indeed, though it must be confessed that even the pikes are by no means what they ought to be; since in the '' muddy, rainy time,'' some of them get so badly cut up that the imagination has to be brought into service considerably to succeed in considering them actual gravel pikes and not old-fashioned mud roads.

Below is given a statement of the assessed valuation of some of the pikes now in Randolph County for the year 1880, as also the estimated cost of different pikes as contained in the statements to the Commissioners by the parties asking permission to build them.