Randolph County, Indiana - Chapter 18: History of Each Township, 1914

White River. - ^This is by far the largest township in the county and' the third largest in the state. It is from ten to eleven miles long.aild seven miles wide, embracing seventy- four sections, as follows: Township 19 north, range 13 east, sections i, 2, 3, 4, 5. Township 20 north, range 13 east, sections I to 4, 9 to 16, 20 to 29 and 32 to 36, inclusive. Township 19 north, range 14 east, sections i to 6, iiiclusive. Township 20 north, range 14 east, sections i to 36, inclusive.

The township is located directly upon White river, being divided by that stream into two somewhat unequal portions, the smaller part being on the north side, which is drained almost wholly into the Mississinewa by Hickory, Mud and Bear creeks. The south side lies wholly in the White River valley, being drained by the upper course of White river itself, and by Salt, Sugar, Sparrow, Eight-Mile and Cabin cr^gks, only a small portion in the southwest corner lying on the latter stream. This region was in the beginning a favorite with emigrants, and large numbers crowded into it from the time of its original settlement.

It is said to have been first reached, not by crossing from Wayne county nor by the exploration from the settlements previously made in the southernpart of Randolph county, but thus : A party of men from South Carolina struck into -the White River valley near its mouth, and threaded its entire extent in its utter wilderness state through what is now ten flourishing counties^Knox, Daviess, Greene, Owen, Morgan, Marion, Hamilton, Madisoii, Delaware and Randolph. They rode through the dense woods, camping out and picketing their horses at night and spending several weeks in the trip. What they lived on we cannot tell ; they subsisted on something, however, for most of them were still in the land of the living full fifty years after that adventurous journey. For some reasons they were not satisfied till they arrived in Randolph county, a few miles west of Winchester. The whole valley of White river was then in possession of the Indians. Not a white man had ever dwelt anywhere throughout its whole vast extent. The French had planted themselves about Vincennes, and that settlement spread from the Wabash across to the White river ; but above the French colony all was wilderness.

This party located lands for, settlement, and finally in the fall of i&iO (some of them remaining), returned to South Carolina to make arrangements to bring a large company of emigrants from that distant country. And; they came - a colony of about thirty persons, with their wagons and theii, goods, from South Carolina, across the Appalachian mountains, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, into Indiana, during the severe winter of 1816-17,. meeting the snow on the summits of the Cumberland range, and keeping company therewith the whole way onward, arriving at White river in March, 1817, with the snow a foot deep, which left not before the April following.

And now just stop and take in that traveling scene : First, a trip from South Carolina to the lower course of White river in Southwestern Indiana., Second, a horseback jaunt through the entire White river wilderness to its sources in Randolph county, and a tarry in the woods ot that region. Third, a return trip also on horseback through the sparse settlements of Ohio, Ken-, tucky, Tennessee and North Carolina to the Palmetto state. Fourth, a wagon journey from that southern land over mountain and stream, over horrible roads, through the cold and snow of that extreme winter, to plant themselves at last in the wilderness, fifteen miles from any other settlers.

When they came, indeed there were some cabins for some of them, as well as for one of the men who tarried in the wilderness, and who, being a believer in the Bible in general, and in that declaration in particular that "It is not good for melh to be alone," had gone down among the settlers of Wayne county, in the White Water valley, and had found a virgin after his own heart, to whom he had been joined in the bonds of holy wedlock; and together they returned to his chosen home, and there for more than forty days that loved and loving couple dwelt in the desolate forest alone. Years afterward that bride used to relate how for six weeks of that first sojourn she saw no white face besides that of her husband. But the company came, and they, too, -went to work, and it was not long till not one alone, but several dwellings were to be seen nestling among the trees.

The party who traversed on horseback the long and desolate valley of the White river were Paul W. Way, Henry. H. Way, William Way, Robert Way (a lad of sixteeen, and nephew of the rest, and son of John Way), and William Diggs, Jr. ; and Paul Way, in the fall of 1816, returned, as has been stated, and conducted a company from that country to this. That group of emigrants was as follows: Paul Way's family, seven in all; John Way's family, seven in all; Armsbee I^iggs and wife, John Moorman and family, six in all ; George Wilson and family, five in all ; making a company of twentyseven persons, belonging to five families. Moorman and Wilson stopped on

Greensfork (Wilson probably in Wayne county), and the rest came on. Meanwhile, William Diggs had married, and, as already stated, wag keeping* house on White river. Henry Way married in the sa.me way, about the same time, so that when the whole colony there united, they amounted to nearly twenty-five persons, all Ways and Diggses. Soon after others of the connection and their acquaintances came from South Carolina, among others the father of William Diggs^ Jr., William Diggs, Sr.

At nearly the same time, say iff 181 7, families of the Wrights came, and also some of the Haworths, and by the summer of 1818 a large company of Wrights and others were present, insomuch that at the first election of county officers (held August, 1818), three had the name of Wright - John Wright, judge; David Wright, sheriff, and Solomon Wright, coroner. This John Wright in partictilar seems to have been an estimable man, since he was retained as judge by successive elections for twenty-eight years - 1818 to 1846 - an event probably without a parallel in the history of the county.

David Wright, Solomon Wright and Thomas Wright were sheriffs from 1818 to 1827. Another John Wright was commissioner from 1820 to 1822. Two of the grand jury were Isaac Wright and William Wright. Two of the first petit jury were Solomon Wright and Abram Wright. Thus in one year after they began to come, seven Wrights were holding official positions in the newly formed county.. The Ways also were prominent. Paul W. Way was appointed couhty agent, at that time a very important and responsible position. Four Ways were on the first juries in 18 18 - John Way, William Way, Sr., William Way, Jr., and Paul W. Way. In August, 1818, there were, according to Hon. Jere Smith's statement, fifty or sixty families on White river and' Salt and Sugar creeks, all of whom are supposed, to have been in the present bounds of White River township.

181 7 - Simon Cox, east of Winchester; Benjamin Cox, east of Winchester ; William Kennedy, near Mount Zion church ; Solomon Reynard, on Eight- Mile creek; John Wright (Hominy), west of Winchester. 1818 - Absalom

Lasley, south of Winchester; David Lasley, south of Winchester; Peter Lasley, south of Winchester; Robinson Mclntyre, near Ma'xville; Zachariah Puckett, near Dunkirk; Joseph Puckett, near Dunkirk. 1820 - Henry D. Huffman, west of Winchester; Tarlton Moorman, west of Winchester; Albert Macy, west of Winchester; Thomas Puckett, near Dunkirk; Isom. Puckett, near Dunkirk. 1821 - James Driver, west of Winchester; Morgan Mills, west of Winchester. 1822 - Stephen Clayton, west of Winchester; James

Clayton, west of Winchester ; John' Robison, east of Winchester ; W. Robison,, east of Winchester; Mary Reeder, near Winchester; Martin A. Reeder, near Winchester. Of course there were other prominent families, among whom were the Wysongs, the Elzroths, the Edwardses and the Starbucks, besides others too numerous to mention, and very many of whom are to the writer utterly unknown.

Maxville. - Location, section 20, township 20, range 13, on White river; Robison Mclntyre and Robert Cox, proprietors ; twenty-six lots; streets, north and south, Rairoad avenue. East ; east and west, Main. Recorded May ,28, 1850. [Note. - The town was established many years before that date, about 1832.]

The town was laid out in about 1832 by Robison Mclntyre. The town plat seems not to have been recorded till May 28, 1850. The commencement of business and the establishment of the town, however dates back to 1832. Solomon Seamans built the first house, and kept the first store; he also had a hotel and was a physician. For a time a large amount of business was done. Maxville became the center of a brisk and thriving trade: There have been at one time places of business as follows: Two" smith shops, one grist-mill, three stores, two physicians, one saw-mill, one church, one school house, two limekilns, one lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, one lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, one postoffice. It might in time have become an important town, if the old order of things had continued, but the Bellefontaine railroad was built and missed the town about two miles.

New Dayton. - It is a hamlet; not incorporated. It is not laid out as a town, but is simply a little hamlet with a name. There has been a store for twenty-five years, and a smith shop for thirtyysix years. There is a church and a graveyard. The meeting-house was built in 1877. It belongs to the Methodist Episcopal denomination.

Sampletown. - Was on. White river, two miles east of Maxville. Judge Sample entered land there January 16, 1817, and laid out Sampletown very early, but it never flourished. In May, 1820, a road was laid from Sample's, mill to Huntsville, and another, in 1825, from Sample's mill to Lewallyn's mill (Ridgeville).

Vernon. - There seems to have been, at some time away back in the "beginning of things," a town by the name of Vernon. One of the roads laid out by the commissioners is said to end at the principal street of the town of Vernon. No one now seems to know the location of that" ancient site. Probably it is identical with what is popularly known as "Sampletown," on the Windsor road, west of Winchester. A town' was begun there, but it did not flourish and soon died away. The name which lived in the popular memory is Sampletown, from Mr. Sample, who settled there very early, as soon, as 1820, or sooner. He built a mill on White river; his gon established a tanyard and laid out a town, and the locality is called Sampletown to this day, yet the real name may have been (and probably was) Vernon.