Vanderburgh County, Indiana - Chapter 10: Township Orqanizations, 1897

Chapter 10: Township Orqanizations

At its first meeting, March 10, 1818, the first Board of County Commissioners established Armstrong township with the following boundaries: Beginning at the northwest corner of Vanderburgh county, at the range line dividing ranges 11 and 12, thence south with said line to the township line dividing townships 5 and 6, thence cast with said line to the old Redbanks road, thence north with the meanders thereof to the line dividing Vanderburgh and Gibson counties, thence west of said line to the place of beginning. The county board theu ordered that the remainder of the county be known and designated as Pigeon township. The house of Zadock McNew was designated as the polling place in Armstrong township, with Patrick Calvert as inspector, and that of Hugh McGary in Pigeon township, with Julius Gibson as inspector.

Union township, organized May 10, 1819, includes all of the southwest part of the county bounded on the north by the "big bayou," and on the other side by the Ohio river. The house of Frederick Stacer was named as the first polling place, with Joseph M. McDowell as inspector. The original order for the formation of the township is as follows : "That a new township be laid ofF and established; to include all the inhabitants of the south end of Vanderburgh county, included inside of and bounded by the Big Bayou, and that said township be known by the name of Union township."

Scott township organized August 13, 1821, was bounded as follows : " Beginning at the county line, dividing the counties of Warrick and Vanderburgh (where the same intersects the line dividing the townships 5 and 6 in range 11 west), running north as far as the corner of Vanderburgh extends, thence west on the county line of Vanderburgh seven miles, thence south to the line dividing townships 5 and 6 in range 11 west, thence east one mile on said range west, dividing 10th and 11th; thence east across township No. 11 west to the place of

Perry township was organized September 10, 1840, out of the west end of Pigeon township, M'ith bounds as follows: Commencing on the Ohio river at the line dividing fractional sections 25 and 26, in township 6, south of range 1 1 west, running thence north to the line dividing Congressional townships 5 and 6, thence west to Posey county, thence south with the line of Posey county to the Ohio river, thence up said river to the bayou, thence up said bayou to where it again intersects the Ohio river, thence up said river with the meanders thereof to the place of beginning. The residence of Lewis B. Stinson was designated as the polling place, and David Grimes was appointed inspector. May 14, 1880, a change was made in the township boundary lines by which the following described territory was taken from Perry and added to Pigeon township; commencing at the northeast corner of section 26, township 6, south of range 11 west, and running thence due west along the line dividing sections 26 and 23 in said township and range to the north and south half-section line of said section 26; thence south along said half-section line and the half-section line of section 35 in said township and I'ange, to the Ohio river; thence north and northwest up said river to a point where the east line of said section 26 strikes said river, and thence north along said east line of said section 26 to the place of beginning; the territory embraced being the east fractional half-sections of sections 26 and 35, in township 6, south of range 11 west. On the question of making this change Commissioners Wunderlich and King voted "aye" and Commissioner Bower voted "no."

Knight township was organized September 10, 1840, out of the east end of Pigeon township, with meets and bounds as follows: "Beginning on the Ohio rivor at the line dividing fractional sections 8 and 9, in township 7, south of range 10 west; running thence north to the line dividing Congressional townships 5 and 6; thence east with said township line to Warrick county; thence south with the line of AVarrick county to the Ohio river; thence down said river, with the meanders thereof to the place of beginning - which new township shall be and the same is hereby designated as Knight township."

On September 6, 1843, a new township was carved out of Pigeon, Knight and Scott townships, as follows: "Beginning at the junction of Locust with Pigeon creek, and running along said Pigeon creek to tiie Warrick countv line; theno(> due north witli said Warrick eountv

Hue to the northeast corner of section No. 24, township 5, south of range No. 10 west; thence due west to the east line of Armstrong township; thence with said township line south to the east line of Perry township; thence south along said Perry township line to Locust creek; thence along the said Locust creek to the place of beginning - which said township shall be known and is hereby designated as Center township."

On September 2, 1845, German township was established, with bounds as follows: "Commencing at the northeast corner of section No. 24, in township 5, south of range 11 west, running thence west to the northwest corner of section No. 15, same township and range; thence south to the southwest corner of the last named section; thence west to the northwest corner of section No. 19, same township and range; thence south to the southwest corner of section No. 7, in township 6, south, range 11 west, thence east to the southeast corner of section No. 11, in township and range last named above; thence north to the place of beginning. And said township shall be known and designated as German township."

Below will be found in alphabetical order the names of the business men, professional men, and taxpayers including the leading men and taxpayers of Evansville, Indiana, Pigeon township, in the years of 1837 and 1838:

Chute, Daniel, then the leading school teacher of the town, afterwards postmaster, succeeding Benjamin F. Dupuy, known as one of the most accommodating and efficient men in the country rouud.

Cody, Barney, prominent farmer, $200. . Coffits, William, an old German soldier who was in the battle of Waterloo, very old man at this date, $200.

Ingle, John, postmaster of what is known as Inglefield and postmaster under President Monroe, held tlie office until his death. He was the father of the pi-esent John Ingle, Jr.

Jones, Michael P., carpenter and builder. He built what is nowknown as the Old National Bank Building of this city; relatives living in the surrounding country taxed at $5,200.

Lewis, Mrs. Octavia, widow of James Lewis, deceased, of the large business firm of James and Wm. Lewis, were the leading merchants for years, left a large estate which was M'ell managed by the late Mrs. Octavia Lewis.

Lofton, Siner, colored, $1,050; servant of General Robert j\I. Evans, who gave her a full lot, corner Third and Walnut, as a gift for kind services rendered during his life.

Mills, Brackett, for many years a contractor and carpenter, but having met with a severe accident, a fall, while building Carpenter's block, he was elected magistrate during the remainder of his lite.

Barrett, Robert, father of Judge Barrett and others, proprietor of Barrett's addition to the city of Evansville, Ind.; prominent Methodist divine, preached throughout the country.

Stevens, Silas, son-in-law of General Evans, father of the present Mrs. James Scantlin, of this city. He was the first saddle manufacturer of Evansville, Ind.

Vann, John A. and Jesse L. The present 'Squire Vann is a descendant of one of these brothers and occupies the same old farm in Knight township.

Warner, Alanson, stage contractor from Evansville to Vincennes, at that time a very prominent man in the undertakings for the pi-osperity of Evansville, afterwards composed the firm of Setchell & Warner, livery stable men.

County Officials

Cotinty Offices - Complete List of County Officials - Work of the First Meeting of the First Board of County Commissioners - fustices of the Peace as County Cotnmissioncrs - County Agent - State Representatives and Senators.

Recurring to the period of the formation of Vanderburgh county under the act of the legislature passed January 7, 1818, a condensed history of the various county offices and the list of all the county officials to date is here presented.

The first boai'd of commissioners for Vanderburgh county met for the first time March 9, 1818, and consisted of James Anthony, David Brumfield and George Surkles. All that was done at that meeting was to organize the board.

They met the following day and divided the county into two townships. Pigeon township ol Warricii county had previously contained all of that territory of the new county of Vanderburgh. The commissioners at this meeting also passed an order for the election of two justices of the peace, and declared Hugh McGary's warehouse a public warehouse, and inspectors for the same were appointed. Overseers of the poor, superintendents of .school districts, and tax assessors were also appointed.

The opening of the first public highway into the country under the law was provided for by the appointment of Mathias Whetstone, Patriclc Calvert and James Patton as road viewers. Some of the commissioners, viz., Arthur Harbison, John Stephenson and John Allen, appointed by the legislature to fix the seat of justice of the new county, failing to arrive at this meeting, tlie vacancies occasioned thereby were filled by the county commissioners appointing the" following named gentlemen: Thomas E. Casselberry, Wilson Bullett and Elias Barker. These three acted in conjunction with Archibald Scott and Wm. Hargrove, the latter two also having been appointed by the legislature.

The following day, March 11, these state officials came before the board of county commissioners and located the seat of justice, as elsewhere described. At this meeting the county commissioners proceeded to appoint a county agent and treasurer, and made the following allowances, viz., Archibald Scott, $21.00; Wm. Hargrove, $15.00; Wilson Bullett, $9.00; Elias Barker, $9.00; Thomas E. Casselberry $6.00. The board then adjourned until May 11, 1818.

These gentlemen served as county commissioners until the legislature of 1823-24, passed a law providing that the justices of the peace in the county should organize and perform the duties of county commissioners. Before this law went into operation in Vanderburgh county, however, the following gentlemen served as county commissioners, viz., Benjamin McNew, Wm. Olmstead, Jay ^Slooi-eliouse, I). F. Goldsmith Kirby Armstrong.

The first meeting of the board of justices to transact county business was held on the second Monday in September, 1824, at the courthouse. The members of board were as follows:

This board continued unchanged in its personnel until the next election, in September, 1828, when Nathan Rowley was elected in the place of John Connor, whose term of office had expired. At the end of a year's service Esquire Rowley M'as succeeded by James Ross, Esq., who in return was succeeded in 1830 by Esquire Rowley.

The legislature soon saw the impracticability of trying to do the business of the county in this manner, the justices of the peace having their court duties to attend to. Therefore in 1831, provision was made by law for the return to the plan of having a regular board of county commissioners in the state, and on the first Monday in September, 1831, the following were appointed county commissioners under the act of the legislature, viz.: James Ross, John B. Stinson and Amos Clark. They adopted a scroll as a seal and proceeded to business.

Those who have since served as commissioners of the county are as follows: C. D. Bourne, J. B. Stinson, Wm.R. Barker, Everton Kennerley, D. D. Grimes, Edmund Maidlow, Ezekial Saunders, John Burtis, Lerov Calvert, Alauson Warner, Alexander Maddux, Vicissimus

K. Phar, Edward Hopkins, Thomas F. Stockwell, Simpson Ritchie, Willard Carpenter, Everton Kenaerley, Ira P. Grainger, Michael P. Jones, Simeon Long, Jr., Edward Maidlow, Cassimer Schlamp, (appointed in 1853 to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Alanson Warner.)

William Pruitt, John Rheinlander, Michael Mentzer, James Neal, (appointed in 1855 to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of J. Rheinlander.)

M. W. Foster, John Hoguo, Charles Knowles, Philip Decker, Henry W. Hawkins, John Briiub, Bernard Nurre, Joseph B. Parrett, Thomas Bower, Samuel Barker, (appointed in 1869 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of H. W. Hawkins.)

James Erskine, Clark Cody, George Peva, A. A. Swope, Samuel Barker, James D. Fair, Benjamin Young, Christian Heddcrich, Jacob Bennighof, John Laval, Wm. Dean, (appointed in 1882, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of John Laval.)

County Treasurers

The first treasurer of the county was George W. Jacobs, who was appointed by the county commissioners, March 10, 1818. His bondsmen were General Robert M. Evans and Luke Wood. He was reappointed regularly, serving until his death. He was succeeded by Major Alanson Warner, who was appointed January 21, 1829. Warner served one year and was succeeded by Alexander Johnson, who served during 1830, but in the following year Major Warner was again appointed, and served until 1841, except during the four years from 1833 to 1839, inclusive, when John M. Lockwoodheld the office. It should be borne in mind that there were no salaries of any consequence attached to the offices in those days, and it was a common occurrence for citizens voluntarily to quit and ask to be relieved from duty, and it was equally voluntary on the part of those who readily consented to fill their places out of pure public spirit.

The death of Mr. Britton in July, 1883, caused a vacancy which was filled by the appointment ot his deputy, Martin Mann, Jr., who served until the nest election.

County Auditors

The first auditor of A'^anderburgh county was James AlcJohnson. He was appointed in August, 1841, and resigned in January, 1843. His successor was H. C. Gwathmey, who also resigned in June following his appointment. Wm. H. Walker was appointed in 1842 and was elected the following year, his own successor. He continued to hold the office until March, 1862, since which time it has been held by the following gentlemen: Victor Bisch, from 1862 to 1870; Philip Decker, from 1870 to 1874; Joseph J. Reitz, from 1874 to 1878; Wm. Warren, Jr., from 1878 to 1882; Charles F. Yeager, from 1882' to 1886; James D. Parvin, from 1886 to 1894; Louis D. Legler, from 1894 to 1898.

It will be noticed by comparison of dates that this office is of more recent origin than the other county offices, and the fact that several of the first auditors of the. county resigned before the expiration of their terms would indicate that the pay was but small in those daj^s. Wm. H. Walker must have made a living in the office as he held it for a period of about nineteen years. Victor Bisch made perhaps more money out ot the office, or at least through its medium, than any of his predecessors. Like all places of public trust, in later years it grew to be an office that paid the incumbent very well, as the emoluments increased, through the system of professional politics.

However, under an act of the legislature of 1895, which regulated the salary of auditors, it was regarded as doubtful whether it would prove a position that would be sought after by politicians. The legislatures (if ISfll and 1S93 also passed acts affecting the salary of

County Agent

This is an office that was created in March, 1818, and may have served a temporary purpose but the people became convinced that it was a sinecure and it was abolished in 1852. In an early day the business of "County Agent" was to sell property belonging to the county, make purchases for the use of the county, execute papers in its behalf, etc., and report his doings to the county commissioners. In other words, he did jjractically all of the work for the board of egunty commissioners, a goodly portion of which the county auditor has performed since the office of "County Agent" was abolished. The first "County Agent" was Daniel Miller, who was appointed March 10, 1818. His bondsmen were Wm. Wagnon and Wm. R. McGary. His successors in their order were: Harley B. Chandler, Amos Clark, James Lockhart, Jacob Zimmerman, Levi Price, Jay Moorehouse, and others who were lured to do duty temporarily. The last to hold the position regularly was the Hon. Thomas E. Garvin, who made his final report and surrendered his trust in December, 1852, the legislature having abolished the office in the month of May preceeding. When the new state constitution was adopted, the duties of the office, by that act of the legislature, were merged into the auditor's office.

County Sheriffs

The sheriifs iu the county in their order were as follows: John B. Stinson, 1818; Hazael Putnam, August 24th, 1818; Alanson "Warner, 1822; James Newman, 1824; Alanson Warner, February, 1827; Daniel Miller, September, 1827, (Warner having been elected and having turned the office of sheriff over to Daniel Miller); Levi Price, 1831; Edward Hopkins, 1834; Daniel Miller, 1835; Thomas F. Stockwell, 1839; Wm. W. Walker, 1843; John Echols, 1847; John S. Terry, 1849; John S. Gavitt, 1853; John B. Hall, 1857; John S. Gavitt, 1859; Geo. Wolflin, 1863; Robert Early, August, 1865; Alex Darling, October, 1865; Jacob H. Miller, 1867; Adolph Pfafflin, 1870; Christ Wunderlich, 1874; J. A. Lemcke, 1878; Thomas Kerth, 1880; Charles Schaum, 1884; Frank Pritchett, 1888; Andrew Richardt, 1892; Charles G. Covert, 1894 to 1898.

County Surveyors

The records of this office liave been poorly kept. Tiie first we find on record is Joseph M. McDowell, June 17th, 1819. Then there is a jump of many years, during which time it seems that everybody did their own surveying, or occasionally employed a surveyor to run lines or drive stakes. It seems that there was not a competent surveyor in the country until the time of George G. Olmstead, who served until 1853. Azariah Whittlesey, 1855; James W. Saunders, 1856; J. R. Frick, 1860; James D. Saunders, 1862; S. C. Rogers, 1864; Charles B. Bateman, 1870; August Pfaffiin, 1872; James D. Saunders, 1876;

County Assessors

This office was created by the legislature in 1891. After the act went into effect, the county commissioners appointed William Dean to fill the new office until his successor could be elected and qualified. He served fi"om 1891 to 1892. Henry Haynie succeeded him in 1892 and served until 1896. His successor was William Diedrich, whose official term expires in 1900.