Vigo County, Indiana - Chapter 26: Terre Haute, 1891 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 26: Terre Haute

BY an act of the legislature of the State of Indiana, entitled "An act for the formation of a new county off the County of Sul¬ livan," approved January 21, 1818, Elisha Stout, Marsten G. Clark and John Allen were appointed commissioners for fixing the seat of justice for Vigo county. Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt, Jona¬ than Lindley, Abraham Markle and Hyacinthe Lasselle, proprietors of Terre Haute, in consideration of said town having been selected for the purpose aforesaid, obligate themselves in the sum of $30,000, to convey to John Hamilton, Isaac Lambert and Ezra Jones, com¬ missioners of Vigo county, and their successors in office, fortyeight lots in the said town, numbered 1, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 57, 62, 68, 74, 80, 86, 92, 98, 104, 108, 111, 117, 126, 132, 138, 143, 150, 155, 158, 163, 168, 174, 180, 186, 192, 198, 204, 210, 213, 218, 224, 230, 236, 242, 248, 256, 262, and 268, in fee as soon as patents from the general government shall be obtained for east fractional Sections 21 and 28, Town 12 north, of Range 9 West, and further obligate themselves to lay off five additional blocks on the south side of the said town to contain forty lots, and to convey in fee to said commissioners twenty-two of said lots, also to convey to the said commissioners the public square, equal to eight lots near the center of said town ; signed and acknowledged March 21, 1818.

In addition to the lots enumerated as given in consideration of the location of the county seat, the company gave $4,000 in cash, this money to be used in erecting court-house and other public buildings. The money was thus spent and other amounts in build¬ ing the first court-house on the public square and the first jail which was due south of Dr. Charles B. Modesitt's dwelling, which was built on the lot on which is the present jail.

John Hamilton, Isaac Lambert and Ezra Jones, commissioners of Vigo county, release and quit-claim to Lucius H. Scott, agent for said county, the lots above mentioned, said agent to convev in fee said lots of land.

The land office records show that on September 13, 1816, Joseph Kitchell enteied east fractional Section 21, Township 12 north, of Range 9 west, 416T^-°¥ acres, and the next day, September 14, the same party entered the east fractional Section 28, Township 12 north, of Range 9 west, 461^ acres. This is the land on which the town was laid out.

These lands were purchased of Kitchell September 19, 1816, by the Terre Haute Town Company, whose names are given above. In the purchase from Kitchell were these two fractional sections and othei lands, thiiteen tracts in all, with the following interests i Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt, two-twelfths; Jonathan Lindley, fourtwelfths; Hyacinthe Lasalle, three-twelfths; and Abraham Markle, three-twelfths; and they agree to pay the balance of the purchase money due to the United States in proportion to their respective interests. Abraham Markle assigned to Eliakim Crosby one-fourth of his tliiee-twelfths, and another one-fourtli each to Messrs. Har¬ low & Trimble, Markle then retaining one-fourth of his threetwelfths.

October 25, 1816, Joseph Kitchell, agent of Cuthbert and ihomas Bullitt, Jonathan Lindley, Abraham Markle and Hyacinthe Lasselle, proprietors of the town of Terre Haute, filed a plat and made oath that it was a true copy of the original plat of the said town of Terre Haute.

This plat shows that part of Terre Haute bounded on the north by Eagle street, east by Fifth street, south by Swan street, and on the west by Water street. It comprised thirty-five blocks, one of which was reserved as a public square, one-fourth of one was marked leseive for church, and one-fourth of another marked "reserve for seminary." The balance was divided into 268 lots, known as in-lots. The plat does not show the location of the town further than that it is situated on the Wabash river. In fact the south onehalf of the south line of blocks is on the north part of east frac¬ tional Section 28, Township 12 north, of Range 9 west, and the bal¬ ance of the town on the south part of east fractional Section 21, Township 12 north, of Range 9 west.

On March 25, 1819, John Owens, agent for the proprietors of the town of Terre Haute, filed an amended plat of the town, and made oath that it was a true copy of the original plat of the said town of Terre Haute.

John Badolett, register of the Vincennes district land office, certifies, that on October 17, 1820, final certificate No. 2210 was granted to Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt, Jonathan Lindley, Hyacinthe Lasselle and Eleazer Aspinwall as assignees of Joseph Kitchell, for east fractional Section 21, Township 12 north, of Range 9 west, and that on the same day final certificate No. 2211 was granted the same parties as assignees of Joseph Kitcliell, for east fractional Section 28, Township 12 north, of Range 9 west.

By his will, which was probated November 24, 1820, Eleazer Aspinwall bequeaths to his wife, Eliza, Lot No. 1 in Terre Haute, giving all his other real estate to his brothers, Chester and Lewis Aspinwall, and his sister Roxa Campbell.

On May 20, 1825, Moses Hoggatt and Robert Sturgus, as trust¬ ees for Cuthbert and Thomas Bullitt, Jonathan Lindley, ei at, filed a plat dated October, 1821, and acknowledged it to be a cor¬ rect plat and survey of the town of Terre Haute and the out-lots adjoining thereto, made before the sale of lots and lands in 1821.

This plat shows the whole of east fractional Sections 21 and 28, Township 12 north, of Range 9 west, divided into 308 in-lots, which are 74 feet 7 inches front by 141 feet 2 inches deep, except Nos. 118, 123, 142 and 147, which are 66 feet 7 inches front by 141 feet 2 inches deep, and 72 out-lots of various sizes. Out-lot No. 3 is a donation for a burying-ground. The streets in general are 65 feet wide, except Third street, which is 99 feet, and Water, First, Sec¬ ond, Wabash (afterward Main, now Wabash avenue) and Ohio streets, which are 81 feet 6^ inches.

James Boord assisted William Hoggatt, who was the surveyor that surveyed and laid off the original town. Not only that, but he selected the site. He was in the employ of the town company, aucl had been sent to look up the best location on the company's land line along the river. William Hoggatt lived in Orange county, Ind., a civil engineer, and was county clerk when requested to come and help in locating the new town. James Boord lived with William Hoggatt at the time. Mr. Boord in his old days tells how this particular spot became Terre Haute. Mr. Hoggatt had been sent in advance two days, and he rode over the ground between Boit Harrison and old Terre Haute, and then made his selection. Jonathan Bindley was a Quaker, and a very pious man. When he arrived, and Hoggatt had explained to him his selection, he said to his engineer; William, don't thee think that thee hast made a mistake1? Don t thee think that thee should have selected Old Terre Haute or Fort Harrison?" Hoggatt replied and gave the Quaker his rea¬ sons, showing him that while Fort Harrison was a beautiful place but there the river takes a bend to the west, the bottom runs out w °7 wnrt' and there£ore i£ was not a good place to build a town. While Old Terre Haute stands on a high bluff, but there again the m-er bends to the west, and the bottom encroaches on the east side. But where lie had selected the river runs straight. The land is high and rises from the river. It is a beautiful place for a town and then told lnm if built where he had selected it would some dav be a great city. " Well, well," said the Quaker, " William, thee is an engineer and thee should know," and it was thus settled. Did dins was then the northern part of Sullivan county, and it was therefore not made a town site simply to have a county seat. The men who conceived the project, therefore, were looking at it solelv as to its natural position to build a town, and at first could not have anticipated that it would ever have the advantage of being a countv seat, lerre Haute is two years older than Vigo county. From the hrst time that the white man's eyes beheld theplace there was a stronopresentiment that if this country were ever settled there would be a town on the river either where Fort Harrison stood, or at some point m the six miles of river bank below the fort. Its name of Terre FLaute (high land) had been given to it nearly one hundred years before it was platted and christened Terre Haute. The Indian made here his wigwam village ; the couriers des hois saw that this was a natural gathering place of men; the hunters and trappers and fur traders came to recognize it as a rendezvous, and resorted here to baitei and trafiic; the soldier came and built his fort, and placed in it armed men as sentinels on the borders between the savage and civilization, and the land-hunting pioneers looked upon it, and as the panorama unfolded before their eyes they pronounced it rich and beautiful, and coveted it. There was not another spot in the entire northwest where nature and man were so completely in ac¬ cord as to the future of the place. At your feet ran the river Wabash (from the Indian, meaning White), the natural artery between the north and the south - the lakes and the gulf bearing the commerce of nations - the world's greatest civilizer.

William Hoggatt's good sense anticipated for all time the wel¬ fare and true interests of the generations of busy men who were to come and make their homes in Terre Haute. Here the river runs straight, nearly north and south, and while the town site lies sixty feet above the waters of the river, yet there are no blutfs, hills or deep gullies and hollows, and yet a natural system of drainage that never was surpassed. In the entire system of street railroads that artery the whole city, and now extend east to the fair grounds, there is nothing more then a gentle rise, a slow incline on any part of the lines, and yet the whole city is high, airy and commanding in views and distant landscapes. From the foot of nearly all the streets pointing east or south you may behold as lovely views as were ever seen, and it is then that you for the first time realize that the city is upon a commanding position. You look down upon the open country as far as the eye can reach, the beautiful farms, orchards, meadows and waving fields in the smoky distance blending with the low horizon. The corporation limits are on a high and level pla¬ teau, on the east bank of the Wabash river, and geographically is in latitude 39° 28' north and longitude 10° 20' west from Wash¬ ington, and forms the hub or center whose spokes run in every direction southward to Louisville, east to Indianapolis, west to St. Louis and north to the lakes as the natural supply point. Naturally a great commercial and manufacturing point, it was the head of navigation on the Wabash - the gateway from the northern lakes to the great system of rivers of the west and south. In the heavy hardwood timber, with water and coal in neverending abundance at its door, were some of the works of nature for Terre Haute, that were inviting intelligent men to come and wel¬ come. To the east lay the rich rolling prairie, and hence it was long familiarly called the " Prairie City," and by this title it was known far and wide.

The town company was formed by articles dated September 19, 1816, the land purchased and the town immediately platted. The country had hardly yet settled into quiet from the war of 1812-15, and the two log cabins had hardly been erected that was the beginning, before the whole hereabouts was stricken as with a plague of sick¬ ness. There may be said to have been for the following two years no advancement made in the settlement of the town. Dr. Charles B. Modesitt's and Henry Bedford's, with perhaps one or two other cabins, were about all there was of it. So far the immigrant came, and instead of stopping at the town where all was yet so primitive that they would have had to get out and hunt up the town after they had reached it, they went on to Fort Harrison al¬ most invariably. There were far more the appearances in and about the fort of a town than there were at the town proper. Nothing oc¬ curred to change this state of affairs until the year 1818, when tbe good news came that Yigo county had been formed and the com¬ missioners were coming to hunt out a place for the county seat. The entire population was deeply excited. New hope and new life were in this news for the town. The proprietors of the town saw the golden opportunity, and they were eagerly backed by the peo¬ ple. When the county seat commissioners came they were not neg¬ lected by the company or the sparse population. They had to entertain them at the fort, and then put them on saddle horses and ride down to Terre Haute. They wrestled with these men, and every round increased their bid, and when it was up to the figures given above the bargain was closed, and Terre Haute became the county seat of Yigo county, where it has remained without a pos¬ sible rival or dissent ever since.

Nothing was now in the way of assured prosperity to the town except the " fever'nager." Men would collect between shakes and compare notes. One man had "shuck his teeth out;" another had his toe-nails "loosed," and the children seemed to live, not on pound cake, but on "ager cake," till some of them looked like monstrous one-sided tadpoles. But the tide had then set in that would never stop. People armed themselves with jugs of new whisky - best, as remarked by an early settler, when it lacked just six days of being a week old - and adding tansey, dog-wood bark and wild cherries to this family medicine they braved all, and came and "shuck and fit it out."

The young town had reached and successfully passed its first crisis. And still there were but meager vestiges of civilization for more than fifty miles around it. This part of Indiana was still comparatively unknown; the beautiful and fertile prairies were still the blooming meadows, and the rich coal beds beneath the entire surface of the county were yet not only unworked, but unknown. The present splendid city that now crowns the whole plateau and teeming with the vitalities of industry, wealth, smoking factories and whirring wheels, steeples and the steam whistles of the hives of human industry, as well as the beauty, intelligence and thrift of this great mart, were as yet undreamed of by the wildest schemers of that age. Standing upon the banks of the Wabash river, there one could see opposite him on the beautiful high ground a massive, dense, green forest, with its tall trees gracefully swaying in the breeze, clothed in shiny green in the spring and summer, and in its

But could he at that time have stood there and been imbued with the gift of piercing futurity for the space of seventy-four years, then indeed would he have found much to claim his attention. At the moment a straggling cabin or two; a little longer and more of them - the rude " tavern," the little all-around log-cabin store, with its low clapboard eves and its smell of green hides and New Or¬ leans molassas - a few sounds of as and saw and hammer are the first faint indications of the travail of labor-birth. Years speed along as they are ticked off by the vast clock of God; and a frame house takes its place by the side of the log cabin - a hotel " sup¬ plants the tavern, other and even better stores have come and thrown open their inviting doors - a real puffing, smoking steam¬ boat has come, and pushes its nose to the bank lined with keelboats, skiffs and pirogues; the forests are invaded, and surveyors and stakes mark the lines of the future busy streets of the " city." But a little longer and the cabins are gone, and lines of brick blocks take their places - tall warehouses and church steeples are raised high, and a draw-bridge takes the place of the pole-ferry. The seventy-four years' vision ends; but as it fades away the tall mas¬ sive carved stone steeples of the splendid court-house, forty churches, great schools that are the pride of the whole State, rolling-mills, with their tall, black chimneys filled with eager fires, lifting high their pinnacles - -the long line of magnificent residences that line the wide streets of hard and smooth bottom, fringed with their stately maples that arch them over in their entire length, the spacious yards and boulevards clean and smooth as rich velvet, and upon all this fairy view the electric white light flares out in splendor, cast¬ ing its deep shadows here and there, and playing amid the leafy bowers like millions of pendant crystals. As the sounds of this vision fades there comes to his ear the pulsating of the great steam engines, the clang of thousands of hammers, the hoarse scream-sig¬ nals, and the rumbling far-off thunders of the railroad trains, and the hum of a moving populace, each and all busily evolving the problem of progress - -the voices, the hum, the murmur and roar of a great city. This is the transformation of a few years, the short allotment of human life - three-score years and ten - the magical operations of the genius of our civilization. That pest of the beginning, the malarial fevers, have swarmed out their last broods from the disturbed soils, and the bloom of health and hap¬ piness have come to all the people - -the work of two generations- - the founding and building of the beautiful city.

The money secured to the county from the town company enabled it to at once commence the erection of a court-house on the public square as well as a log jail just south of the present jail.

The first Terre Haute merchant was William Earle, father of the William Earle who became a great sailor, and whose interest¬ ing accounts of early Terre Haute, and its people is given else¬ where. The first lawyer who came and located here immediately upon the location of the county seat was Nathaniel Huntington, and probably the next was Judge Thomas H. Blake, the first pres¬ ident judge of the court. James H. Hanna was the first painter. Alvin Hovey, the carpenter; John Davy, the cabinet-maker; Enoch Dole, plasterer; Stephen G. Dexter, blacksmith; William Mars, gunsmith ; Tompkins, shoemaker ; Thomas Clayton, carriage-maker ; J ames M. Random, wagon-maker ; Ross brothers, brickyard ; George Almey, baker; John Britton, tailor; James Moore, barber; William Mais, marshal; John Brott, brick mason; Robert McCabe, hatter; Henry Redford, tavern; James Thayer, school teacher; Fredrick Markle, miller; Charles B. Modesitt, doctor; " Old Louis " (colored) boot black and town chores.

The following were residents of Terre Haute in 1818: Curtis Gilbert, Demas Deming, Chauncey Rose, Thomas Houghton, Will¬ iam Ramage, Henry Redford, John Jenckes, George Hussey, Mrs. Macom McFadden, William Mars, M. M. Hickox, W. M. Modesitfi Di. Chailes B. Modesitt, and about that time or soon after were Chauncey Warren, James Farrington, B. M. Harrison, E. M. Huntington, Mis. Matilda Taylor. These are in addition to some of the "firsts" mentioned above.

The first frame house was that of Curtis Gilbert on Lot 206, coinei of Ohio and Water street, in 1818. The store rooms owned by David Linton, on the west side of the public square were the first brick buildings in the place, except the court-house. The first steamboat to arrive, which was an era in the history of the town was the "Florence," Capt. Donne, in the spring of 1822. The proprietors of the town had offered him a premium of a town lot to make the trip. The general rejoicing of the people on the occasion when all went down to the river bank, and the firing of the anvil and the ringing of dinner and cow bells, were the evi¬ dences of happiness and noisy welcome that met the gallant captain and crew. - r

The first church was erected on the " church lot " donated by the town company in their plat for church purposes, on the corner of Foui th and Poplar streets. It was for general church purposes and opened its doors and welcomed every denomination, though it became a Methodist Church when the other denominations had provided for themselves. The first market-house was in the center of Market street, just south of its intersection with Ohio street. The first ferry was the Modesitt ferry - afterward operated by Modesitt & 1 arrington. The first located preacher was Rev. Isaac Monfort - Presbyterian.

There is still some doubt as to whether William Earle or Mathew Bedford was the first male white child born in Terre Haute, but the general conclusion arrived at was that it was Earle.

Mr. Noble explains that this was a voluntary act, but that it is correct. Also that there are the names of prominent men not given, because he gives only heads of families, and many men, like Cliauncey Rose, were boarding, and they would therefore simply be counted as a part of the household.

I will tell you something. Many items of no great interest to the general reader, except so far as the present is concerned, recall to me similar or diverse facts that occurred at Terre Haute in its good young days. For instance, in a late number you mention that recently a house on First street, perhaps, was struck by lightning, and it reminded me of a like incident forty years ago, almost out of town. The damage in each case was comparatively light, though in the older instance, injury to children led to a professional visit. I was living at that time, 1834, and had my office in the only build¬ ing then standing on the east side of the public square, said house being composed of wliat are now two houses, one a two-story frame on Fifth street, back of Hulman's store, whither I had it moved, having purchased of William C. Linton on a quarter (northwest quarter) of the square between Main, Fifth, Sixth and Cherry streets - the other is the old one-story frame dwelling on Ohio, south side, between Third and Fourth streets - and I was sitting after dinner with my wife (we were young and alone then) watching a storm, which, though of short duration, was unusually severe - the rain¬ fall immense, the lightning terrific, when a simultaneous flash and crash blinded and startled us, and in a short time a messenger, out of breath, came, saying, Mr. Harrington's house had been struck by lightning, and asked that I would go and see his children, who were hurt. Mr. Harrington, a blacksmith, a good man, who worked in town, lived in Mr. Gilbert's house, a building then of one story, standing on the corner of Sixth and Ohio streets, names rarely mentioned in those days. It was the only house on the large outlot of Mr. G.'s, now so well occupied, between Sixth and Seventh, Ohio and Main streets; and it was the only house directly east of my residence - I had almost written between my house and the vil¬ lage of Indianapolis - made for the capital, that was down at Corydon, on the Ohio; but I recollect that Joseph S. Jenckes, the Dick¬ insons and others, lived a few miles out on the road, east. And I ran out of the back gate, east side of my premises; ran across the prairie, open and unbroken; ran through water in the grass over my shoes, water not having had time to flow away; I ran directly to Mr. H.'s dwelling - now that of Mr. Beach, back of the postoffice - and found everything in disorder. Scattered bricks and mortar sprinkled the floor and furniture, and the family was sadly deranged by brickbats and fright. The lightning had struck the chimney on the west side of the building, and the debris , thrown everywhere in the room occupied by the family, had fallen upon the bed upon which the children were huddled, bruising some of them severely. I soon succeeded in restoring quiet and in a few days the bruises were healed.

The times and conditions, illustrated in a degree by the com¬ paratively trivial facts of which I write, contrast singularly with things existing at present in and about Terre Haute. But we were very happy. Peace and quiet ruled. Civilization had not in our early days made necessary a band of policemen to sometimes re¬ mind us of the pagan aphorism, quis custodiet ijisos custodes (who shall hold the guards?). The town was very small, the inhabitants good; the majority were intelligent, well-informed people from New York and New England. Our opportunities for enjoyment were mostly such as primitive things supplied in the " far west," yet they appeared sufficient; nobody complained. Our social associa- tions and our intellectual intercourses were pure and instructive, and we could only be, as we were, content. If we had not the fine buildings so numerous there now; if we had not so much improved prairie, etc., we could contemplate with pleasure the grounds for improvement. We viewed the flowers of the wilds of nature, if not as Linnaeus would, at least as Burns regarded the daisy:

We could fancy, and we did imagine, that time and patience and labor would bring cultivation of the country, growth of the town, etc., but our imagination fell short of extravagance and of the facts. We did not then foresee such remarkable improvement and growth as has come to Terre Haute and Vigo county. The slow work on the National road promised something and we were pleased. In 1830 I walked with Mr. Rose upon his recently purchased 640 acres of prairie adjoining the original town plat, when beautiful prairie in a state of nature, stretching widely, was all one could behold, except, perhaps, the mowers - not machines, but men with scythes - cutting the wild grass. We considered the richness of the soil, its peculiar fitness for all agricultural purposes, etc. Mr. Rose understood such things well, but he did not say anything of a canal that would some time traverse it, nor did he speak of the railroads that would later mark it with iron tracks. He considered chiefly its productiveness in suitable crops. He accordingly fenced his magnificent property, and employing William Miller to super¬ intend it, raised corn upon it before he thought of raising a city there. And his first step, at the proper time, toward making a city was building the Prairie House, now the Terre Haute House, and some then wondered that he would build so large a house so far in the country. And now forsooth everybody recognizes the wisdom that guided Mr. Rose's first and also his subsequent steps. Look¬ ing back to Vigo county, as some of us can, nearly half a century, we can see with the "mind's eye" a picture that I think would interest the people of Terre Haute, if they could behold it ; it would at least strikingly illustrate the newness, so to speak, of the country. A crowd of men was gathered on the unfenced court-house square, drawn there by a magnetism peculiar to the force of certain first principles in uncultivated nature. The men were on horseback, and their designs, and the results of their action that day were such as an abundance of deer, wolves, foxes, etc., would invite. We - Judge Downey of the supreme court, Judge Huntington, and Col. Blake were of the number - were fixed for hunting, having the hounds with us, and we rode out of town and caught a wolf where now are streets and dwellings of the city. Farther out we captured other game. The time was 1831. The next year there was a large assemblage about the same old square, and the men there gathered were armed for another kind of a hunt. There was then a fence about the court-house, and horses were tied all around to it. Black Hawks were to be the game this time, and Capt. Backus was the leader of the hunters. I will tell you of another Black Hawk gathering some time. But the game near us was an interesting feature of the time and locality. I have bought a dozen prairie chickens for 50 cents. One day I was riding north from town, when I came across nine deer standing a short distance west of the road, and they remained very quiet while I passed on. I had no gun and did not scare them. Tom Parsons said that on account of the low price of venison they felt cheap and would not run unless a shot urged them.

One of the most singular citizens of Vigo county was Tom Puckett, living about four miles south of Terre Haute. With all his oddities, Tom was a good man, and remarkable for his courage and endurance. In those gamey times of old it was commonly said that a deer could be started any day in Ham¬ ilton's field, on the east side of Harrison prairie (since Early's field), but hunters had to go to Eel river for bears. Wild turkeys sold for a bit (12-| cents) apiece. The fact is we lived on game and dodgers, though we had pork, good pork, not such as has in it trichince, so common nowadays.

Recent articles in The Mail about a very earnest capture, a bandit surrounded and taken, etc., brought to my recollection a queer instance of early days that I may be permitted to mention, and I trust if anyone is disposed to find fault with my story, or with me, he will bear in mind that I was born in 1808, when things were not as they are now. I was riding into town one dajr. I was in my buggy, and had two or three of my little children with me. It was later than the periods I have mentioned above, but the space now so well occupied (built over) between Third street and all the world east of it was still quite bare, and I met the sheriff near where the church is, corner of Fifth and Ohio, and he was excited and out of breath. He had a pistol in his hand - not a Colt's revolver, but a full-grown horse pistol - and it surprised me to see him look so distressed, so forlorn. He was all alone, and I said : "Sheriff, what is the matter?" He asked me if I did not see a man running toward the prairie. I had not seen him, as perhaps a fence hid him when I passed near him. I turned my horse, drove rapidly eastward, and soon saw the fellow running with the earnestness of a "modern bandit" southeast, inclining somewhat toward the Bloom¬ ington road. I got upon his track and tried to run him down, but going zigzag he escaped me, reached the fence to Mr. Rose's field of grass and corn and jumped over - the fence was on the line where the old canal was afterward dug - and T drove into a fence corner, climbed over (not slowly) and overtook Mr. Gilliland before he reached the corn. The large field was meadow and corn ground. He did not want to stop, but having surrounded him, I persuaded him to halt, by holding him, till the sheriff came to us, flourishing his horse pistol, and bringing with him eight or ten men. It was quite a crowd. As the officer approached, the prisoner, who, I believe, was charged with stealing a horse or a saddle, called out: "Don't make a fool of yourself. Put up your pistol. You don't need to shoot. Don't you see, the doctor alone has me?" The man was tried, and I believe, was sent to Jeffersonville. This runaway happened thus: The sheriff had Gilliland at Lange's office, and making some excuse to get out of the back door, the fellow leaped the fence and went with some speed till arrested, as above stated. Squire Lange's office was in the brick row Mr. Linton built on the ground upon wdiich, as above related, I resided and had my garden. Sometimes when I have passed the corner of Third and Main, I have thought of the potatoes, onions, and green things I had cul¬ tivated upon soil which now sustains three-storied stores. It affects us strangely sometimes to consider the small things of the past, since they raise thoughts of large things sometimes. I don't mean to have it understood that I would imagine that brick stores and the like were grown on potato vines or pea sticks, but I recollect as if it were yesterday when I raised tomatoes and cabbages (at least let them grow) where the Buntin house stands, and lettuce, onions and beans where the market house is. I lived in the old cottage house aforesaid on Ohio street, and owned all the lots where the market now stands. On the Buntin house lot (which I pur¬ chased of Yigo county) I had my stable, as well as a "truck patch." The little old original market house stood in the street, nearly in front of where the Buntin House stands.

James Boord settled in Terre Haute in 1823, and in the latter part of his life returned to Corydon. He often returned here to see his old friends. In 1885, he was then eighty-three years of age, he visited Terre Haute, and was interviewed by a reporter. Among other things he said of the laying out of Terre Haute, he wras closely connected for several years with the men composing the " Terre Haute Land Company," and the civil engineer who laid out the town. Mr. Boord says the " Terre Haute Land Company " was composed of Cutlibert and Thomas Bullitt, of Kentucky; Abraham Markle, of Fort Harrison; Jonathan Lindley, of Orange county, Ind., and Hyacinth LeSalle, of Vincennes. The town was laid out in the fall of 1816. William Hoggatt selected the town site. Hoggatt was county clerk of Orange county, Ind. He was the engineer who laid out the town for the company, and Mr. Boord lived with him at the time. He recollects the conversation between Hoggatt, the engineer, and the Bullitts and Bindley, of the land company.

The land company purchased the land with the expectation of securing the county seat. In 1818 Yigo county was organized, and the land company offered, as an inducement to secure the county seat, $4,000 and eighty lots. The offer was accepted, the money paid over, and the deeds to the lots made out. The site of the Fourth street school-house is a portion of the land deeded to the city. Jonathan Lindley was a great school man, and was always working in the interest of education. Mr. Boord was acquainted with the members of the land company, and it was through the glowing descriptions given of Terre Haute by Uncle Jonathan Lindley that he determined to leave Orange county and come to Terre Haute. He arrived here in 1823. The town was very scat¬ tering. Beyond Third and Main streets there were very few build¬ ings. Lots could be bought on Main street, east of Third, for $25 or $40, and were a drug at that price.

Some of those who settled in Terre Haute, when the town was first formed, have descendants here. Among those early settlers were Curtis Gilbert, John Dickson, Abraham Markle, Joseph Liston, Thomas Pucket and Peter Allen. Peter Allen was a general in the war of 1812. Joseph Gilbert was the first county clerk. Joseph Liston has many descendants, among whom are the Listons of Cole county, Ill., and the Goodmans of Sugar Creek township. After the battle of Fort Harrison many of the soldiers settled on the prairie around the fort, and never returned home to Kentucky. Dr. Modesitt was the first physician here. He built a two-story log house on the corner of Third and Poplar. James Lee received the first marriage license issued in the county. The old court-house was built in 1822-23. The county did not have the money to pay the carpenter, and he took a mechanic's lien on it. It was sold at sheriff's sale, and the county bid it in.

When the town was first laid out, the country west was very wild. The whole territory was covered with a growth of timber. About 1822 settlements were made in that section. John Sheets, James Bennett, John Ray, Micajah Goodman, and John Cruse were the first settlers. They are all dead. Uncle Johnny Cruse lived till within a few years ago. He was a tall, active old man, his hair and beard as white as snow, and his eyes as black and bright as an Indian's. He settled deep in the forest, about eight miles west of Terre Haute. He retained his useful vigor till within a few years before his death. When at that age when most men would be very feeble, he was attacked in bed by two robbers, with a club. Uncle

Jolinny fought them, took their club from them, and drove them out of the house. George Smith is said to have erected the first grist-mill in the county, though there are some that dispute it. It was a few miles from where the town of Bloomton is located. His son, Uncle Davy Smith, was still living within a few years ago. He was a good old man, and preached the gospel for years. He preached to all, and asked no pay, and was a hard worker till the time of his death.

In 1843 was laid the corner-stone of the court-house, the one on the corner of Market and Ohio streets. Among other things placed therein was an elaborate card made by S. P. Crawford, which was really a work of art, made with the old-fasliioned quill pen, and it contained a condensed and valuable history of Terre Haute, as well as much infoimation about the county and State. The corner-stone in which it was deposited was that of the old " Town Hall," the construction of which was commenced July 24, 1843. This build¬ ing was torn down in 1865, and the contents of the corner-stone weie preseived and put in the corner-stone of the old court-house, where they remained until May, 1890, and the building having ceased to be a public building and being sold to private parties, was lemodeled and converted into storerooms below and offices above. In the remodeling the workmen uncovered the old corner¬ stone and the contents were scattered about the street.

The Town Hall was built by the county and city and was owned and occupied in common. It was two stories, 33x50 feet, and cost $2,000. The county rooms below and the city had the second floor. Among the many valuable facts we extract the following:

I he business houses of that time in the city are enumerated and aggregate thirty-four kinds of business and 112 establishments, which included everything . from the gunsmith to the brewer. Among them were two packing-houses, concerning which the fol¬ lowing note was made: " Eleven thousand head of hogs were packed at these houses last winter, the prices of which per 100 pounds ranged from $1.25 to $1.75; wheat at the same time was bought at 31@43 cents per bushel. Flour then sold for $2.50 per barrel, and corn 10@12 per bushel."

"The Wabash & Erie canal is now completed to La Fayette. Wheat there now commands 80 to 86 cents per bushel. The whole line to this place is let out and to be finished in two years. Goods have been received here from New York this month by La Fayette in twenty-three days, at a cost of $1.62 per 100 pounds, being nearly one-half less than formerly."

There were then nine churches and church societies, three female seminaries, six common schools, one high school, ten law¬ yers and fourteen practicing physicians.

"In 1840, by estimate made from authentic data, there was expended for liquors drank by retail at the coffee houses in Terre Haute, $20,000. There are at present but three of these houses here, which are scarcely able to pay expenses. In March, 1842, J. A.' Patterson, a Scotchman, who for twenty years had been a confirmed drunkard, visited this town. Six months before he had signed the total abstinence pledge. For three nights he lectured on the evil effects of intemperance. A Washingtonian temperance society was foimed, which, in a few days, numbered oOO members. Liquor as a beverage is almost unknown."

In May, 1882, the town was incorporated under a general act for incorporating towns, which directed that a tax be assessed upon retailers of spirituous liquors, and the proceeds be converted into a school fund. Previous to the act of incorporation of 1838 this fund aggregated $1,127.45. In 1848 this sum was loaned and was bear¬ ing 10 per cent interest - loaned on personal security.

Population of Vigo county by the census of 1840, 12,076. The officers of Vigo county in 1843 were: President of Seventh Judi¬ cial circuit, William P. Bryant; associate judges, Walter Dickerson and Jacob Jones; probate judge, John H. Watson; prosecuting attorney, John P. Usher; sheriff, William Ray; coroner, Henry Brasher; clerk, Charles T. Noble; recorder, Daniel H. Dickerson; auditor, Wells N. Hamilton; treasurer, Nathan F. Cunningham; school commissioner, C. W. Barbour; assessor, Stephen Taylor; county commissioners, Orin Dowdy, Edward Miles, Joel H. Kester. The court-house built in 1818 cost $18.

The above is but a general and selected account of the facts that were written on the card by Mr. Crawford. Those facts of the greatest local interest have been selected, and in the selection about one-half of the detailed facts have been omitted. His statements included the population of the State and the United States for every census that had been taken, including 1840, and the value of the nation's products in 1840, and many other such data, the reproduc¬ tion of which would require double the space here consumed.

stone of the old town hall. He was one of the wealthiest and most respected citizens of this city at that time, and was the father of Frank Crawford, now paymaster on the Yandalia road. He had a brother, John Crawford, who was also fortunate in business, and was unmarried. They came from Ireland and settled in this city. Mr. Frank Crawford is the only living descendant of the family. Mr. Crawford was assisted in collecting the above facts by Capt. James Hook, who has seen Terre Haute grow from her infancy.

The card also contains prices current in 1843, giving the lowest and highest prices of each of 108 articles, of which the following are most worthy of comparison:

It will be noticed that he says the court-house built in 1818 cost $18. A careful examination of the records does not verify the fact that there was any court-house at all built in 1818. At the second meeting of the county commissioners' court of that year there are bills allowed for work on the walls and foundation of the brick court-house on the public square, and the courts in the mean¬ time were in rooms that they could rent in private houses. This was a fine brick building for that day, and was not finished, espe¬ cially the upper room, for a long time, and then it was done by the Masons for a hall.

Fifty years ago. - On the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of his residence in Terre Haute, April 27, 1887 Capt. J ames Hook prepared, from memory, a list of all who were here fifty years ago. There are omissions, of course, but the list is, nevertheless, remarkably complete, and includes nearly every one of any prominence. But few of those who were here fifty years ago are now living. At that time there were not over 1,600 people in Terre Haute. Indeed, according to the census made by Charles T. Noble, two years after the date mentioned, there were but 1,200 people here, and it is, therefore, more reasonable to conclude that there were not over 1,000 people. The business part of the town was on Water, First, Second and Third streets, from Ohio to Mul¬ berry street. On Water street, and along the river, the pork houses were located; and, also, the cooper shops were in the vicinity of these streets. The pork business, from November to April, made business lively, and the building of flatboats and shipping the pork and other produce to New Orleans, the market then for the west, was the leading business interest at that period.

The panic commenced in June, 1837. A general suspension of all the banks, and gold and silver were things to be talked about - but rarely seen. Yery little was done in the shops, merchants put¬ ting in time at some amusements, hunting, fishing, or playing poker or "red-dog" and "blue-pup" at 5-cent ante. The products of the, farm were at nominal prices; corn, 10 to 15 cents a bushel; wheat, 35 to 37 cents; potatoes, 12 to 15 cents; eggs, 2 to 3 cents a dozen; butter, 5 cents a pound; chickens, 50 to 60 cents a dozen; pork, $1.50 per hundred; lumber, 65 to 85 cents per hundred; me¬ chanics' wages, 75 cents to $1 a day, and usually paid in trade.

Terre Haute was incorporated as a town by virtue of an act of the general assembly, approved January 26, 1832, under the name and style of the president and trustees of the town of Terre Haute. The territory embraced by this act of incorporation included the in-lots of the original plat of the town, together with two tiers of out-lots on the south side, three tiers on the east, two tiers on the north and one tier on the west side of the town. In pursuance of this act a meeting of the citizens was held at the court-house on March 5, 1832, at which James B. McCall presided and William Taylor acted as clerk. This meeting subdivided the town into five wards, and pro¬ ceeded to elect a trustee for each ward. The following persons were chosen: James Wasson, James B. McCall, Thomas Houghton, James Ross and William Herrington. The trustees so elected held a meet- ing on April 7, 1832, and elected the following persons, who were the first municipal officers of the town : James B. McCall, president; James T. Moffatt, clerk; Charles G. Taylor, assessor; Samuel Craw¬ ford, treasurer; William Mars, constable and collector. The trust¬ ees were elected annually thereafter, and adopted sundry ordi¬ nances from time to time for the government of the town, and elected officers. This system of government continued until 1838, when, by a charter from the legislature, approved February 17, 1838, it was changed.

The new charter provided for the election of a mayor and ten councilmen, and was to be submitted to a vote of the citizens for adoption or rejection. At an election held March 17, 1838, the charter was accepted by a majority of 63 votes. On the first Mon¬ day of the following May, at an election for mayor and councilmen, the following persons were elected, who were the first officers under this charter, viz.: Elijah Tillotson, mayor; Curtis Gilbert, Robert Wallace, Tindall A. Madison, Samuel W. Edmunds, John F. Cruft, Thomas Houghton, Jacob D. Early, Ransom Miller, Russell Ross, and John Burton, councilmen.

On August 10, 1838, Mayor Tillotson resigned his office, and Dr. Marcus Hitchcock was elected to fill the vacancy, who held the office until June, 1839, when he resigned. On June 4, 1839, Brit¬ ain M. Harrison was elected by the people as mayor. Mr. Harrison was re-elected in January, 1840, 1841, 1842 and 1843, at the regular elections.

February 9, 1843, the office of mayor was abolished by a special act of the legislature, the ordinances were to be enforced by magis¬ trates, and all the other duties of that office were transferred to the president of the common council.

Under the new constitution of the State of Indiana, a general law was enacted by the legislature, providing for the incorporation of cities, approved June 18, 1852, authorizing towns having a popula¬ tion of 3,000 and upward, upon petition of one-third the voters of any town to cause a census to be taken. It appears by the United States census of 1850 that the population of Terre Haute reached then 4,051. An election was ordered on April 30, 1843, to take the sense of the voters whether or not the town should become incorpor¬ ated as a city under said act. The result of this election showed a majority of 121 in favor 'of such incorporation. The first elec¬ tion of city officers was then ordered and held on May 30, 1832. the whole number of votes cast was 752. The following per¬ sons were elected: William Iv. Edwards, mayor; Noah Beymer,

At the election held May 7, 1855, the whole number of votes cast was 992. The following persons were elected: James Hook, mayor; Henry Ross, James Wyethe, Arba Holmes, T. A. Madison, H. Jamison, R. Wharry, N. W. Conn, B. M. Harrison, J. B. Edmunds, George M. Sibley, councilmen; E. B. Allen, clerk; T. Houghton, treasurer; William P. Bennett, assessor; William J. Ball, civil engineer; John L. Humaston, street commissioner; Samuel Dodson, marshal.

At an election held on May 7, 1857, the whole number of votes cast was 1,231. Under a revised act for the incorporation of cities the terms of office of the mayor and one-half of the councilmen, were extended to two years. The result of the election was as follows: C. Y. Patterson, mayor; Erza Reed, T. C. Buntin, J.

years the other half holding over. First ward - James Turner, 2 years; John S. Beach, 1 year; John S. Beach, 1 year. Second ward - Ralph Tousey, 1 year; Pat Shannon, 2 years. Third ward - Joel H. Kester, 1 year; Allen Pence, 2 years. Fourth ward - B. M. Harrison, 2 years; John Haney, 1 year. Fifth ward - George Hedges, 2 years ; A. B. Barton, 1 year. *

Street commissioner, William McNutt; civil engineer, Benjamin Ebbitt; attorneys, Scott and Booth; board of health, Drs Helm, Young and Thompson; superintendent of cemetery, H. D. Milns; assessor, William Naylor.

A. P. Willard, governor; A. A. Hammond, lieutenant-governor; Daniel McClure, secretary of State; John W. Dodd, auditor; A. Jones, treasurer; William C. Larabee, superintendent of public instruction; William E. McLean, State senator,

Solomon Claypool, judge of circuit court; John W. Jones, county judge; Andrew Wilkins, clerk of county and circuit courts; W. H. Stewart, sheriff; Charles M. Crooks, deputy sheriff; N. F. Cunningham, treasurer; Alber Lange, auditor; David Bell, sur¬ veyor; Thomas B. Long, prosecuting attorney common pleas court; M. A. Osbourne, prosecuting attorney circuit court; Paul K. Mc- Cosky, coroner.

Mohawk Fire Company No. 1, engine house Fourth street, south of Ohio; Joseph H. Blake, president; Vigo Engine and Hose Company No. 2, engine house Fourth street, south of Ohio, W. C. Lupton, president; Northern Liberty Company No. 3, engine house Lafayette street, north of Market, W. A. Thomas president; Union Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, house Fourth street, betiveen Ohio and Walnut, C. Reichert, president.

May 7, 1878, was election for the purpose of electing a mayor to fill the vacancy, caused by the death of Hon. Henry Fairbanks, to fill the term expiring May, 1879, the vote was as follows:

First ward - Adam R. Link, 230 votes; Joseph M. Wildy, 280 votes; William K. Edwards, 421 votes. For councilmen in said ward: Phillip Scliloss, 365 votes; Samuel McKeen, 337 and F. H. McElfresh, 224 votes.

Sixth ward - Mayor: W. K. Edwards, 199 votes; Adam R. Link, 291 votes; Joseph M. Wildy, 212 votes. Councilmen: J. Lockhard, 82 votes; Patrick C. Mohan, 362 votes; S. Owen, 260 votes. Joseph M. AVildy was duly elected, and the following coun¬ cilmen: Phillip Schloss, J. AV. Cruft, Herman Appman, Jacob White, James B. Harris and Patrick C. Mohan.

At the May election, 1879, Benjamin F. Havins was elected mayor, receiving 2,022 votes; Joseph M. AVildy, 1,942 votes, and James Hook, 920 votes. Treasurer: James P. Foley, 1,987 votes; Frank Smith, 911 votes; Hugo Duenweg, 1,988 votes. The latter's plurality was one. For clerk: Eugene V. Debs, 2,468 votes; Grove R. Crofts, 1,054 votes; Clifford AV. Ross, 1,331 votes. Marshal: John H. Kidd, 1,928 votes; James Hogan, 1,283 votes; Albert M. Buckingham, 1,651 votes. Assessor: Joseph Kuntz, 1,932 votes; Charles H. Paige, 895 votes; Jackson Stepp, 2,056 votes.

At the opening session of the new council the mayor submitted a list of committees. Dr. B. F. Swofford then offered his list as a substitute, and it was adopted. Council then elected as follows: William Mack, city attorney; city engineer, George R. Grimes; chief of fire department, John Kenedy; board of health, Drs. A. AY. Spair, J. R. Crapo, AY. B. Spencer ; street commissioner, Barney Dougherty; city sexton, Martin Kerclieval; board of public improve¬ ments, L. S. Briggs, James Grace and Kelogg ; police board, Crapo, Grace and AVildy; market master, Charles Kelinger.

May election, 1884, to elect one councilman from each ward. - First ward, Leonard S. Briggs; Second ward, AATlliam F. Arnold; Third ward, William Potlis; Fourth ward, Joseph H. Briggs; Fifth ward, Joseph A. AYimer; Sixth ward, Jacob C. Kolsem.

Officers 1886-87. - Mayor, J. C. Kolsem; treasurer, J. Fitzpat¬ rick; clerk, George W. Davis; marshal, John F. Morrison; assessor, Shepherd Watson; attorney, T. A. Foley; civil engineer, George R. Grimes; street commissioner, J. R. S. Garrettson; superintendent police, M. D. Lawlor; chief of fire department, Joseph H. Schell; superintendent cemeteries, James Bain; market master, D. O'Hearn;

1887-88. - Mayor, J. C. Kolsem; treasurer, J. Fitzpatrick; clerk, A. C. Duddleston; marshal, A. J. Thompson; assessor, James AV. Haley; attorney, H. C. Nevitt; civil engineer, George R. Grimes; street commissioner, Joseph A. AYimer; superintendent of police, M. D. Lawlor; chief of fire department, Martin Hunter; superin¬ tendent of cemeteries, James Bain; market master, F. A. Boyd.

1888-89. - Mayor, J. C. Kolsem; treasurer, J. Fitzpatrick; clerk, A. C. Duddleson; marshal, A. J. Thompson; assessor, James W. Haley; attorney, David N. Taylor; civil engineer, George H. Simp¬ son; street commissioner, Thomas W. Kinser; superintendent of police, J. W. Stout; chief fire department, John Kennedy; superin¬ tendent of cemeteries, James Bain; market master, David H. Berger.

Councilmen: First ward, L. J. Weinstein and J. B. Walsh; Sec¬ ond ward, R. W. Van Valzahand Fred. W. Hertwig; Third ward, H. H. Sanderson and Fred Siedentopf ; Fourth ward, J. H. O'Sulli¬ van and S. H. Hybarger; Fifth ward, John Hirt and H. C. Steeg; Sixth ward, Frank Storz and Thomas Donliam.

Officers 1889-90. - Mayor, Frank C. Danaldson ; treasurer, James Fitzpatrick (treasurer-elect, whose term begau September 2, 1889, William M. Hanck) ; clerk, A. C. Duddleston; marshal, A. J. Thomp¬ son; assessor, James W. Haley; attorney, David N. Taylor; civil en¬ gineer, Donn M. Roberts ; street commissioner, Thomas W. Ivinser ; superintendent police, J. W. Stout; chief fire department, John Kennedy; superintendent cemeteries, James Bain; market master, David H. Berger.

Councilmen: First ward, John B. Walsh and William E. Burns; Second ward, Fred W. Hertwig and Worth B. Steele; Third ward, Fred Siedentopf and John J. Thomas; Fourth ward, Samuel H. Hybarger and William O. Weldele; Fifth ward, Henry C. Steeg and James P. Leinberger; Sixth ward, Thomas L. Donham and Frank Storz.

1889- 90. - Councilmen: First ward, John B. Walsh and Will¬ iam E. Burns; Second ward, Fred W. Hertwig and Worth B. Steele; Third ward, Fred Siedentopf and John J, Thomas; Fourth Ward, Samuel Hybarger and William O. Weldele; Fifth ward, Henry C. Steeg and James P. Leinberger; Sixth ward, Thomas L. Donham and Frank Storz.

1890- 91. ; - Officers: Mayor, Frank C. Danaldson; treasurer, William W. Houck; clerk, A. C. Duddleston; marshal, A. J. Thomp¬ son; assessor, James W. Haley; attorney, Robert B. Stimson; civil engineer, Frank H. Cooper; street commissioner, Andrew Nehf; superintendent of police, Robert P. Davis; chief of fire department, Josiali D. Jones; superintendent of cemeteries, James Bain; market master, Cliauncey Deming.

Fire Department , June 9 , 1838. - The first engine house in Terre Haute was ordered built by the common council, and I. W. Edwards, T. A. Madison and Curtis Gilbert were appointed by the council as a committee to obtain a suitable situation. Mr. J. D. Early, representing the council, effected the purchase of an engine from Merrick & Agnew, of Philadelphia, at a cost of $511.11, upon which a cash payment of $88.32 was made. July 14, 1838, the fol¬ lowing gentlemen were appointed fire wardens, the first wardens selected: First ward, John Crawford; Second ward, Zenas Smith; Third ward, Thomas Houghton; Fourth ward, John S. Burget; Fifth ward, Thomas C. Clayton. These gentlemen were appointed to hold office five years. May 1, 1839, Thomas Houghton was ap¬ pointed to take care of the engine and engine house. May 17, 1839, ordered that the following premiums be awarded by the common council: For the first hogshead of water delivered at a fire, $3; for the second, $2, for the third, $1, and that the sum of 25 cents be awarded by the common council for each on every hogshead of water so delivered until the fire be extinguished. There were then no public cisterns and few private ones. The people used well water, and would hire draymen to haul water from the river for washing purposes. When a fire alarm came every drayman in town started in a wild mad race to the fire, but first it was helter-skelter to the river where his hogshead was quickly filled. It was all a wild and exciting scramble of odd-looking men and old drays and spav¬ ined horses. John B. Hager drew a picture of one of these scenes at a fire fifty years ago. Drayman Foreman with his dray and hogshead tipping over and water spilling out is in the lead of the procession, closely pressed by Sam Earle and " Old Lot " - the col¬ ored drayman laying the whip on his mule and his hat sailing away unheeded. The old cut is very animated indeed - in those days everybody went to the fire and the volunteer bucket brigade was a lively institution.

January 3, 1840, an appropriation of $300 was made for the pur¬ pose of constructing cisterns in each ward, and a hook and ladder apparatus ordered to be purchased. January 3, 1840, ordered that Samuel Easly be allowed $6 for water hauled at the late fire; also $5 to Tilliam B. Taylor, same account.

February 12, 1840, the fire guards appointed in pursuance of the order, regulating the same, reported as having organized them¬ selves into a company, with Demas Deming, captain; James Was¬ son, first assistant; Thomas H. Blake, second assistant; Joseph Cooper, third assistant; Chauncey Bose, fourth assistant.

First Hook and Ladder Company. - The hook and ladder appara¬ tus previously ordered having been procured, a company was organ¬ ized as follows: Foreman, T. A. Madison; laddermen, John Craw¬ ford and A. L. Chamberlain; axmen, F. McGrew and James Hook; bookmen, John Warner and P. H. Hardy; ropemen, Z. Smith and B. Miner; pikemen, John O'Brien and Mahlon Newman; steward, William Bamage; secretary, WTilliam Porterfield; treasurer, John Crawford.

May 16, 1854, Mr. S. E. Gibbs was elected chief, the first after the incorporation of the city. August 14, 1856, Mr. T. C. Buntin was elected chief. May 19, 1857, Mr. Bobert S. Cox was elected chief. Mr. Cox's administration of the affairs of the de¬ partment was a vigorous and valuable one, and produced much of good in the way of developing the system. June 13, 1859, Joseph C. Yates was elected chief. May 13, 1861, John D. Bell

December 18, 1857, Mr. Haney reported to the council that the oi them Libeity Engine house was completed. (House now occu¬ pied by the No. 1 hose company of the present department. ) The Northern Liberty fire engine cost the citv $1,837; purchased of Button & Blake.

May 15, 1860, the chief of the fire department reported the membeiship of the department, as follows: Chief, engineer and assist¬ ants, 3; Mohawk Engine and Hose Company No. 1, 94; Vigo En¬ gine and Hose Company No. 2, 42; Northern Liberty Engine and Hose Company No. 3, 75; Union Hook and Ladder Company No. 4, 36; total 250. He reported fourteen fires during the year with kisses of $4,410, of which $1,500 was covered by insurance. May 5, 1868, an order was issued establishing a paid fire department and was adopted by the council.

April 20, 1869, hand engine No. 1 was sold to the Crawfordsvdle authorities for $600; shipped C. O. D. April 20, 1869 an alarm bell was purchased at a cost of $300 and placed on the furni¬ ture factory. May 11, 1869, John D. Bell was re-elected chief of the fire department. May 13, 1868, the expenses of the department for the fiscal year ending May 18, 1869, were $13,269.27. The cost of the hook and ladder wagon was $750.

May 17, 1870, John D. Bell was again elected chief. July 12, 1870, Mahoney and McManimee were appointed engineers. July 1_, 1870, the first steps were taken toward establishing a system of watei Avorks. April 18, 1871, John D. Bell resigned his position.

September 21, 1869, the Mohawk hand engine ivas sold to Effing¬ ham for $1,380, of which $500 was paid cash. May 12 1871 William Van Brunt Avas elected chief.

December 19,1870, the Volunteer Hook and Ladder Company Avas disbanded and the chief was ordered to employ five men at the same salary as liosemen, for a period of one year.

October 1, 1872, the American fire alarm system was adopted and six boxes, one repeater and a three large and one small gonopurchased and placed at a cost of $2,500. May 21, 1872, William V an Brunt was re-elected chief.

September 8, 1874, the lot on the corner of Farrington and 4 ourth streets Avas ordered purchased, and the old engine house on hourtli, between Ohio and Walnut, was ordered torn down.

May 9, 1876, Henry Ramme was elected chief of the depart¬ ment. May 14, 1878, Joseph H. Schell was elected chief. May 16, 1879, Y. G. Dickout was elected chief. May 24, 1880, V. G. Dickout was re-elected. September 21, 1880, William Burnett was elected chief, vice Dickout, resigned. May 17, 1881, William Bur¬ nett was re-elected, and on May 9, 1882, again elected. December 5, 1882, William Burnett was suspended. December 19, 1882, Mr. L. G. Kretz was elected chief. His control of the department dur¬ ing a long term of service was productive of the best possible re¬ sults. He Avas a natural and practical fireman, and it can be justly said that the perfect working of the fire-alarm system in this city is mainly due to his intelligent management.

In June, 1885, the department was made metropolitan, or non¬ partisan, as to its membership, and placed in charge of Chief Joseph Schell, who displayed to a remarkable degree a faculty for perfectly managing the entire system.

This was the disappearance of the last vestige of the old volun¬ teer fire department, a great institution in its day, that grew up from the old drays and hogsheads and the bucket brigade. The city had built a system of cisterns all over the city. These are still here, but are used only in the suburbs, where the Avater mains do not reach, except in emergencies, and then the water-Avorks are aided by the use of the cisterns. In the old volunteer days there was a standing premium of $5 to the company that turned on the first stream of Avater. This little premium Avas the bone of con¬ tention. To hurry and hustle and run for it Avas the Avaking and. sleeping dream of the fire laddies, and then to cut the hose of a rival company and turn the Avhole Avild frolic into a fight and break a dozen heads was the fun of a lifetime. It was anything before being beaten in getting the first stream on the fire. No men could be more active and vigilant than these old volunteer companies, and their effectiveness could not have been excelled except for the dis¬ position to play tricks on each other and cease fighting the fire to fight one another.

1886. - Joseph Schell, chief; George Beglein, assistant, and LaAvrence Kretz, superintendent fire alarm; companies, four men each; steamers Nos. 2 and 3 and hook and ladder company, Avitli four men; tAvo extra men.

There are two steamers, six hose companies, one hook and lad¬ der company, forty-one members, and twenty-two horses. An aerial truck was purchased in 1890, and that takes the place of one of the old ladder companies.

The most disastrous fires that have occurred in the city were the distillery of the Terre Haute Distilling Company, January 21, 1886; loss, $60,000. The Terre Haute Car Works, July 17, 1887; loss, $240,012. The Normal Institute, April 9, 1888; loss, $100,000.

We have now passed over the leading events in the social life and civil affairs of the city from the time of its founding to the present. From the two log cabins - Dr. Modesitt's and William Mars' - all there was of the town, we are assured by Chauncey Rose when his eyes first beheld it, or the first beginnings that Lucius Scott says he saw here when he came in 1817, June 27, three or four cabins and Henry Bedford's large hewed-log house that he was hurrying to finish, which afterward was famed as the " Eagle and Lion." The roof was on and the floors laid and great efforts were being made to prepare it for the reception of the large company ex¬ pected there to participate in the festivities of the Fourth of July approaching. That was the first national day .celebration in the county. It was a notable one. Maj. Cliunn and his officers Levit Sturgus and Drs. Clark and McCullough, with several other gen¬ tlemen and their ladies were of the happy crowd of celebrants. They came down from the fort where they resided. There were people here all the way from Shaker Prairie, Knox county. The fort band was on hand, the Declaration read, and from the "medicine chests " the men drank glowing and patriotic toasts (if such things can "glow"); a great dinner and a ball at night was the crowning of the patriotic day. In your dreams can you see those heavy old fellows in phantom shadows dancing the stately minuet?

As remarked in this beginning we have traced the story along down the three-score and ten years, and here is now the splendid city. From three or four log houses in 1816 there has sprung up, as if by magic, in the short space of time a beautiful and flourish¬ ing city with a population of 31,000. And a very large part of this increase has been in the last twenty years. In the first years of the history of the town, the best houses were built on the bank of the river, and on First street. In about ten or fifteen years, Second street began to vie with First street for the supremacy. And in a few years afterward, Third, then called Market street, became the Broadway of the village. At this time all east of Sixth street was out on the prairie on the hill. "Sibley town" was then a thicket of oak saplings and hazel bushes. " The Indian Orchard," one of the oldest landmarks of early days, was way up the river, where the boys went on Saturdays for green apples. " Strawberry hill," an¬ other of the time-honored landmarks, which has not to this day altogether lost its identity, was way down in the country. And " Pucket's lane," a celebrated locality of the olden times, but now almost unknown, was way down south of the village. Even so late as the year 1840, Seventh street was a county road, and all east of it fields of clover and corn - Seventh which to-day claims the honor of being the central avenue of the city, though the honor rightly belongs to Sixth street. Consequently to the pioneer of 1816 and 1824, or even to the old resident of 1840, without a change. The old landmarks have disappeared or are forgotten. From a few scat¬ tered white houses on the river bank, we have become a beautiful city on the prairie.

Returning now and taking up the thread of the material or busi¬ ness trade and commercial life of the place we may hope to find quite as interesting and instructive a study as was presented in the preceding chapters. From the little stump hominy-mills, where they pounded their corn for the family bread to the horse, the water, and finally the great steam mills; from the whip-saw and its slow and painful cutting the log into rough, uneven planks to the great gang-saws moving through the timber with such perfect accu¬ racy, and counting its products by the millions, where once it was by hundreds; from the bark canoe to the pirogue, the flatboat, the keel, to the canal, and then to the rude first steamboat on to the floating, swift palace, walking the waters with its hundreds of tons burden like a thing of life, and still on to the steel-tracked railroad taking the place of the dim trails of the buffaloes, and the couriers des bois, and bringing the world to one common focus, enabling each people to participate of the advantages of all other people, and a part of all these is the land filled with great factories, mills, foundries and farm machinery, where the puffing and whistling of the steam engines girdle the earth in their eternal whir and hum. Then the telegraph, telephone, electric lights and electric motors, and busy men boring into the granite bowels of the earth more persistent than the borers in the stone columns for gold, silver, precious stones, and far more important yet, for fuel, gas and oil, and for granite and marble. With his puny hand striking the wheeling earth to its depths, and transforming beyond the magi¬ cian's dream the rough, the dark and the noisome into the good and the beautiful. These materialists, in the sense of progressive man, have toiled, invented and created that we might have and enjoy. They are the unpoetic, practical side of life, giving us, however, as bounteous God's largesses, the mere contemplation of which may numb the brain and stagger the mind.

A Cincinnati directory of 1831 makes elaborate mention of the "Wabash trade." The writer says: "It has been suggested to us b} a meicantile friend that some notice of this trade would be inter¬ esting to a large class of our citizens. A commerce of great and increasing importance is carried on between this city and the towns on that river. Some idea of the value of this trade may be formed from the fact that from the 5th of March last to the 10th of April fifty-four steamboats arrived and departed at Vincennes alone. It is also estimated that at least 1,000 flatboats entered the Ohio from the W abash atthesame time." There may be exaggeration in this flatboat estimate, but the lesson is there nevertheless. Then follows a list of the important trading points on the Wabash that Cincinnati should carefully cultivate, prominent of which is Terre Haute. The directory adds: "Merchandise for Greencastle and Blakesburoshould be shipped to Terre Haute." This was then a natural dis¬ tributing point, because not only was it shipped here for the places named, but for points (nearly all points) west in Illinois for fifty and seventy-five miles. At one time mention is made of "a fleet o*f steamboats, laden with salt, wending their way up the W abash." Tins would seem strange to a shipping clerk nowadays, but at that time it was the only way that that section of country could be sup¬ plied with salt except at enormous prices. In the thirties Capt W olfe came up the river with a salt fleet, and for many miles the farmers would come and exchange their wheat for salt, bushel for bushel, both the wheat and the salt being hauled by the farmer both ways. An old Cincinnati merchant said that he remembered when in the spring boats were laden at that place as regularly for the Wa¬ bash as for any other river points. Capt. B. Tarleton, once a sea captain, attempted to establish a packet line between Logansport and Cincinnati. Capt. John J. Eoe, afterward one of the noted steamboat men of St. Louis, got his "start in life" in the Wabash trade with his steamboat Concord, which craft is well remembered by the few old citizens remaining of those early times. Some of the largest of Western steamboats would ascend the river to La Favette. A boat that could pass the canal at the Ohio falls, it was con¬ sidered, could ascend the V7 abash to the head of navigation. They would come laden from New Orleans with sugar, molasses, salt and other merchandise, and get a return load of pork, corn, wheat and fiour. Ihis was m the old three-boiler-boat days, when the river

The W abash flatboats were small, generally not more than sixty teet long by sixteen wide; often not more than twenty or twentyfive feet long. There was quite an industry in Terre Haute build - mg these flatboats, loading them and going down the river.

Hist011Y Of Vigo County

The first boat, as related, came in 1822 to Terre Haute. The old Terre Haute cannon was rolled out to greet her. The people were out on a great holiday. A premium of a town lot was given the bold captain, and feasting and dining and dancing celebrated the trip from Vincennes all the way up. This was soon followed by the arrival of the " Plow Boy," when again the old cannon belched forth a royal welcome, to be answered in her salutes by the little brass cannon on the boat, and everybody was down to the wharf to shake hands with the boatmen and welcome them to Terre Haute. One venerable old pioneer tells me that he heard a conversation on the occasion of the arrival of the first boat, when one bold man pre¬ dicted that the day would come when a boat carrying 300 tons would at some time in our history come as often as once a week, fully laden both ways. One of the men doubted this, pronounced it impossible, and finally figured out 300 tons each way for a whole year, and the man's prediction was looked upon as incipient lunacy. The crowd decided that such a rate of transportation would compel them to come laden with water to pour into the stream on arrival, and then dig sand from the bank for the return load, to be floated out on the water they had brought. For a quarter of a century all commerce in this section was borne on the waters of the Wabash. The rapid increase of boats always found it difficult to keep pace with the rapid increase in the demands upon them.

In 1826 the agitating question among the people was the improve¬ ment of the Wabash river. A man writing on the subject June 18, 1821, said: " From the best information within our reach we believe that about 1,700 flatboats have descended the Wabash this spring. The boats without cargoes, valued at $100 each, would amount to $17,000. Estimating cargoes at $500 each, the total amount of value that descends this stream will be $1,200,000, taking no account of the downward freight on steamboats."

March, 1.828, the river reached 28 feet and 7 inches; May and June, 1858, 28 feet 7 inches; the wagon grade then broke, and this lowered it; August, 1867, 27 feet 6 inches; August, 1875, 27 feet 6 inches.

Old Boat Advertisements. - Regular Terre Haute and Evansville packet. Daniel Boone will hereafter run as a regular weekly packet, leaving Terre Haute every Tuesday, at 3 o'clock p. m. Burton & Tilly, agents. N. B. - The public can rely on the boat making her trips in time, being the fastest boat ever in this trade.

Regular Evansville, Terre Haute and Lafayette packet. The new fast running boat Visitor, N. F. Webb, master, will run as a regular weekly packet between the above ports throughout the season. Draws only seventeen inches.

The Western sunk March, 1849, near Horseshoe Bend, heavily laden with pork, flour and lard, valued at $3,500, owned by Capt. S. 8. Paxon and Clerk Bauce.

March, 1849, steamer Boone lost at York, Ill., a party of pleasure seekers on board from Lafayette. She left the main river and was carried out on shore. Owned by Capt. Jordan. They dug a canal to get her back to the river.

In 1831, between March 5 and April 15, fifty -four steamboats arrived and departed from Vincennes. In February, March and April of the same year there were sixty arrivals and departures from Lafayette, then a village of about 300 inhabitants. Many of these boats were large side- wheelers, built for the Ohio and Mississippi, and known as New Orleans boats.

February 16, 1854, the first boat passed through the I. & St. L. bridge at Terre Haute. In 1855 a 400-ton boat, built wholly of cedar, from the Tennessee river, while descending struck the bridge pier and stripped her port side from bow to stern.

December 17, 1862, the propeller Buffalo in descending struck the bridge pier and stove a hole. Sank at the foot of Chestnut street. The owner of the boat was knocked into the river; rescued by Cliauncey Miller.

Ihe Canal. - -In 1824 Col. Thomas H. Blake was a member of the Legislature from Vigo county. He introduced the first measure looking to the building of the Erie & Wabash canal. The capital was then at Corydon. Col. Blake made a lengthy and able report on the canal question, recommending State aid to the project. In this report he assumed, correctly too, that Terre Haute was the head of navigation, and therefore the imperative demand of the age was for ample transportation facilities from this route to Lake Erie.

This was the step that led to the complete work that went on for twenty-six years before the first canal boat from the north hove in sight of Terre Haute. One after another took up the project. First there was, of course, much discussion as to the main route, even if one were ever built. The canal act passed the legislature in January, 1830. In 1841 matters had progressed until there was every probability it would be built somewhere near where it was at last located. Col. R. W. Thompson was in the legislature of 1840 - 41, and advocated changing it, although work had been done to a railroad. The country was not ready for this advanced idea, and the common voice was for the canal. The people of Vigo county could see that farm products were selling at Lafayette for double what they brought here.

In 1848 the canal was completed from Toledo to Lafayette, and both packets and line boats were running to the latter place. Peter McKenna says lie arrived from New York in 1848, and went to work for Samuel Dodson (afterward city marshal), contractor on the canal at the summit near Lockport, ten miles southeast of Terre Haute. The contracts were in half-mile sections, and when he arrived no work had yet been done through the limits of Terre Haute. The whole line was completed and the water turned in the latter part of May, 1850. K. B. Osborn was superintendent, and William J. Ball was resident engineer. Thomas Dowling was one of the canal trustees. It may be here noted that William J. Ball was the first practical and able civil engineer to locate in Terre Haute. He was brought here by the building of the canal. He came in 1840, and was chief engineer on several of the early rail¬ roads. He died in 1875. Two of his sons, William C. and Spencer Ball, are the proprietors and publishers of the Terre Haute Evening Gazette. The first line boat to arrive was the Iolus, Capt. Spear - ance, in June following, filled with officers of the canal and many prominent citizens - jolly sailors on the "raging" - afestive crowd painting a storm on the troubled waters. The canal was then com¬ pleted to the reservoir junction. Soon afterward the work was finished to Worthington, and from there on to Evansville, and was opened to that place in 1852, the terminus. The first regular Terre Haute packet was the " Eliza," Capt. David Dodson, and the next was a small boat of Samuel Dodson's. Her full name, no doubt, was " Eliza Jane," but the, space was too small for the contractor to put it all on the queen of the waters. The canal era, as well as the Erie canal, in Terre Haute, lasted just ten years, commencing in 1850 and practically ending in 1860. The Rothschilds gave up the enterprise, abandoned it, in fact, in 1858, when it ceased to be a commercial highway. Then some of the leading men of Terre Haute, at the head of whom was Chauncey Rose, organized a com- pany to keep up the canal and operate it for the local trade from Terre Haute to Worthington. W. D. Griswold was vice-president and Gen. Charles Cruft, treasurer. After two years, or a little more, this finally stopped. The west bank of the canal within the limits of Terre Haute had been invaded by the wash of the river, and the career of the Wabash and Erie canal was at an end. No trace of it can now be found in the corporate limits. It came down from the lower line of the city cemetery, running close to the river bank, to the foot of Mulberry street, and then turned east on Eagle street, and then bending to the north to Canal street, then east on Canal street to Tenth street, following that to Oak street, thence south¬ easterly, passing out of the city. The grounds at the Union depot and the road tracks occupy nearly the entire old canal, and steam engines fly along where was once the patient canal mule. The sin ill railroad whistle was the knell of the canal, emptying its waters, shriveling its banks and giving back its well-trodden tow paths to the briars and brambles, and where once floated its boats are now great solid houses rooted in the firm earth, and young men smile at the palace-car dining table when told of the joy and bright anticipations that came to their fathers with the arrival of the first line boat on the canal. Yesterday is dead forever. To-day, with its ambitions, joys, hopes and laughter, will go to to-morrow's charnel house, and thus goes on forever the whirligig of time. We smile in pity for those who have gone before us, just as those who are to come after us will smile at our simplicity and our ambitions and hopes.

The Age of Fire and Steam. - To the people of Terre Haute this is the great era in her history - the power lifting the strug¬ gling young town into the present splendid city. The dawn of tins great age was the beginning of the town's life, and they have come and grown together. And now comes to the most thoughtful the interesting problem of whether we are not now fairly entering upon the new age of electricity, much in the same way as the founda¬ tion builders were upon their age of fire and steam, and that before us are the same unknown advances that lay before them. Civiliza¬ tion is not yet a finished work, and there is labor for us all who can think, invent or combine and utilize the wonderful powers and secrets of nature, and that passes on higher and ever higher to where nations shall cease to decay and perish, and when men shall no longer suffer the whips and scorpions of ignorance.

National Road. - We have already seen that the railroad trains now fly along the route where was once the canal, as on the old National road, in its day a great government project of building from the ocean to the Mississippi a wagon road, that would better enable people to go and come from the east to the west.

The old National road, from Baltimore to the Mississippi river, was the government's vast undertaking in the early part of this century, when our Union itself was young, weak and poor. To enable the people to reach the national capital was one of the origi¬ nal objects of the stupendous undertaking, starting in the east and coming with its builders it was creeping slowly along, and as com¬ pleted, section by section, throwing up embankments and spanning streams with its great wooden covered bridges, the people mar¬ veled at the greatness and enterprise of their government.

Indianians were alive to the project. The legislature took the promptest action. Every State then had big ideas of " State policy," that is, of bending all public works to the building up of great cities within their own borders. This fascinating delusion cost some of the western States heavily. For instance, Illinois lost millions of dollars in the foolish attempt to build her great cities at Alton (this to rival St. Louis), and at Swaneetown and Cairo. The latter points were not rivals particularly of any other place, but the statesmen supposed it was their business to found and fos¬ ter great cities, and they went to work at it in dead earnest. They were ignorant of the simple fact that the laws of commerce are far more powerful than statesmen or statute laws.

The building of the National road through Indiana reached the, eastern line of the State, and during the thirties the work was pushed on to that point of completion, where the work was stopped never to be taken up again.

A large force of men as early as 1884 were at work through Vigo county. This was the county's first army of invaders as workers and builders. To supply the men and teams was the first home market for the small farmers. The work encouraged immi¬ gration, and the people realized that good effects were to come from it in every way. As contractors and employes it brought here some excellent people, who were pleased with the new country, and became permanent settlers. It was, too, the first uplift from the seas of impassable mud and mire, that at certain seasons fairly locked the whole country. Grades were thrown up across swampy and boggy places, culverts made, and substantial bridges thrown across streams by engineers who understood the science, and placed them safely out of the way of the raging spring freshets, that had mocked at the feeble attempts of the people to bridge the small streams of their neighborhood. The heaviest force of workmen about Terre Haute and immediately east of the town were here in 1888-39 and 1840. The long bridge east of the town, the " yellow bridge " across the swamp, and the road macadamized several miles through the swampy overflows to the south of Lost Creek. The stone was hauled and prepared to bridge the Wabash at this place, but the work was stopped and the bridge was not built. The great pile of stone was in time taken away and appropriated by the people.

The work and its partial completion was an important improve¬ ment, and with it came the halcyon days of the Concord stage coaches - stage stands, stage drivers, every one an old Samuel Weller, and a young Sam, too, and were experts in writing letters to the merry cooks along the route - splendid scribes if they could get a, pen with a " hard nib " and fresh " pope-berry " juice - their love would never " fale." This was when people would rush to their front door to see the stage coach come with its high prancing horses. " Whoa! Emma."

The trains now spin along over the road bed where was once the National road. The road's, era and glory have passed away. Good and great in its time, it had worked out its destiny and lingered and died and like many other of the good things of its day and age is now but a brief paragraph in history.

The growth of our great manufactories and railroads as well as the systems of education and leading institutions of learning are of such importance as to deserve separate chapters in this volume, and are not, therefore, given in their more natural place here. These with other subjects can be better treated in the different topical chapters where they can be more fully written. The remainder of this chapter therefore will be devoted to viewing those changes and general spread of the town's growth from time to time down to the present.

In 1823, one year after the arrival of the first steamboat, James Love, advertises his "regular line of keelboats, to ply between Terre Haute and Shawneetown; freight taken on the most accommodating terms," and Dr. Modesitt says publicly his ferry " is ready to ac¬ commodate all who may favor him with their patronage." Church and other public meetings were then held in the court-house, and political discussions were confined to the subject of making this a slave State.

In 1823 there were as many as seventy advertisers in the entire town and county. We may assume that in that year there were as many as six men and firms who were advertising their business and seeking customers. The other ads. were runaways, strays, stolen and sheriff sales, etc. One of the advertisements is the sale of an ox-mill - that is the stones for grinding, run by ox power.

The literary bent of that time is to be seen in the fact that as early as 1824 a library was established in Terre Haute. The offi¬ cers thereof: W. C. Linton, president; trustees, James Farrington, Curtis Gilbert, William Clark, Nathaniel Huntington, D. H. John¬ son, D. F. Durkee and George Hussey; librarian, John Britton. It was open Tuesdays and Saturdays.

John F. King built a distillery as early as 1821 ; this was burned in 1825, and was no doubt Terre Haute's first fire. An hundred years ago nearly every large farm had its still. This was more particularly so in the old eastern States than it ever was in the west. Osborn came in 1823 and established the first paper in the county - the Western Register and General Advertiser.