Wayne County, Indiana - Abington Township, 1884

Abington Township

ORGANIZED FROM WASHINGTON AND WAYNE TowNsHIps. - SEt- TLED LIKE Boston, IN 1806. - Formep IN FEBRUARY, 1837. - BOUNDARY AND ÅREA. - ITS ASSESSED VaLuatTion. - Popvu- LATION SINCE 1850. - Tue History orits First SETTLEMENT. - VILLAGE or Axsineton. - Its Growtyu. - Business oF 1874 AnD 1884. - CuURCHES AND SOCIETIES.

townships, and was among the first settled portions of the county, while prospectors were in the county as early as 1805. It has been clearly ascertained that no permanent settlement of the county occurred until the winter of 1805 6, and the spring following. It has been stated that Abington Township was settled in 1805, but this is a mistake, with the exception of the fact that lands were selected in 1805, which became permanently settled in 1806.

The township was not organized until February, 1837, and its voting precinct was established at the village of Abington. The western part of the township and the central is good level or slightly rolling agricultural lands. On the east the East Branch of the Whitewater passes through it, first south, then southeasterly and again south, crossing the township line into Union County, one and three-fourths miles from its eastern border. This section is hilly, but the bottoms lands are rich, and the country around is settled by well-to-do farmers, many of them the direct 'descendants of the pioneer settlers of the township. The Elk Horn Branch enters the township in the northeast corner and flows into the Whitewater within a half a mile of its entry into the township. There is one other small tributary on the east and the western side, in the southern part, Butler Creek, which rises in the township, passes out, and a small tributary to Noland's Fork rises near the northern central portion and with two branches flows west, uniting as they pass into Washington Township. It has thus all the water necessary for domestic and stock purposes, and the township is well adapted for stock-raising.

Metes And Bounds, Etc

The township lies in the southern tier and is the central one, being seven miles to the western and six to the eastern line of the county. It has twenty-two sections of land, or an area of 14,089 acres, of which 13,417.34 acres are found upon the assessment roll, leaving 662.66 for water-way or unaccounted for.

It is bounded on the north by Centre Township and a corner of Boston; on the east by Boston; on the south by Union County and one mile of Fayette, and on the west by Washington Township.

The population in 1850 was 1,042; 1860, 924; 1870, 833; 1880, 837, giving a steady decline since the first mentioned date to 1870, and the gain since is far short of the natural increase. There has been very little gain in the county of Wayne tlie past decade outside of its corporated towns.

Early Settlers

John Endsley, formerly from South Carolina, and in 1806 from Ohio, settled in what is now the east part of Abington, on John's Creek. With him, from Ohio, came his brother, Abraham Endsley, who settled on the Whitewater, a mile from the mouth of Elkhorn, and two miles from town. John Endsley traveled the distance between South Carolina and Wayne County seven times, five times on horseback. The farm on which he settled and died was afterward owned and occupied by his younger son, John, until his death in 1870.

James, the elder son, resides on the farm adjoining on the west, being that on which Andrew Endsley had settled, who was the father of Andrew, Jr., John, Sr., Abraham, Hugh, Thomas, Samuel, and Peter Endsley.

In 1806 John Cox, from Kentucky, purchased the land ot which the site of the present town of Abington is a part. He died in March, 1811. His death is said to have been the first in the township. The land was inherited by his son John, whose sons were Joseph and John. Joseph and his father laid out the town.

Charles Hunt, from North Carolina, settled in the southeast part of the present township, in the year 1807. His sons George, John, William, Smith, Charles, and Stephen G. preceded him the same year. Jonathan, James, and Timothy came two or three years later. George was the ñrst surveyor in the county, and the first clerk of the County Courts. Timothy settled about a mile east of town, where he and his wife both died. The farm is owned by his sons Charles, Levi, and Andrew. Smith settled in the northeast part of the township, and died in 1855; Stephen G., near James Endsley's; John Hunt, northeast of town; lands owned by his sons, Levi and Charles Hunt, and Wilson Hunt.

Henry Fender, from North Carolina, after a sojourn ofa year or two eight miles south of Richmond, with six children, settled in 1810 or '11, on the farm, half a mile northwest of town, on the Centreville turnpike. His sons were - Jonathan, who removed from the county; Gabriel, who settled a half mile west of town and is dead; Jacob, who settled and still lives a mile anda half from town, on the Centreville turnpike; Littleton, who died near Kankakee, Ill., and whose sons, John Milton and James H., reside in the township; Henry L., on his father's homestead; and John H.

Gabriel Fender, brother of Henry, Sr., bought of David Railsback the farm three-fourths of a mile northeast of town, since owned by Nicholas Smith.

Thomas Moffitt settled three-fourths of a mile south of town. By a change incounty bounds his farm has been taken into Union County. On it was one of the forts built during the war of 1812, asa means of protection against the Indians. Another was built on the farm of Wm. Lewis, about a mile from the former: David Railsback settled near town in 1807, and died Oct. 17, 1856. Nathan, son of David Railsback, Sr. (not the first settler), settled on the land now owned by his heirs, about two miles north of town.

Thomas Bradbury first settled four miles southeast of the town, now Union County, afterward two miles north of town. Jas. Lamb, from Scotland, settled, about 1818, near the mouth of Elkhorn. He diedin 1841, agedeighty-five. John Lamb son of James, settled near his father. Wm. Jarrett settled about two and a half miles northwest of Abington. George and Levi Jarrett settled near their brother William; and another brother, Eli, where M. Rank now lives.

David Carson settled in the northeast part of the township. His son David now occupies the homestead. He was sonin-law of Richard Rue, one. of the first three settlers in Wayne County. John Plankenhorn bought of Wm. James the land now owned by his son, John Plankenhorn. Henry Long settled on section 17; Edmund Jones, Virginia., on section 18, and John Hendricks early owned the land where now Isam Stevens and John Madden reside.

John Wright settled near the north line of the township. John Ellis, on land now owned by Wright's heirs. Spahr entered early several sections in the northwest part of the township. Michael Helms, from Virginia, bought lands in the southwest part of the township, now principally owned by his son, Isaiah Helms; and Daniel Clevenger, on land now owned by George Rodenberger, in the south part of the township.

The first carding machine - a rude instrament - was put up by Richard Sedgwick and Smith Hunt, at the mouth of Elkhorn. John Brower next (1824, or about that year) built a carding and fulling mill near the north part of Abington. Hugh Endsley, grandson of the first- mentioned settler, put up the first grist-mill (corn cracker) on East Fork, a Tittle be- low the mouth of Elkhorn, in 1808. Henry Whitinger, a few years after, built there a hewed log one, with two runs of stones, one for corn and one for wheat. It was afterward bought by Julius C. Wood, who built a good frame flouring mill, now owned by his son, Valentine Wood. The second grist-mill was built about the year 1826, nearly a mile from the village, by Joseph Cox. He sold it to Ralf Shawmbourie, who put up a better one, having a run of burr stones, and sold it to Merriman Brumfield. The latter another on or near the same site, with a sa w-mill attached.

As in other places along the Whitewater, rattlesnakes abounded here at an early day. About a mile above where the town now is, a number of women who were, ona Sunday, sauntering, for pastime, along the stream, are said to have killed, with clubs and poles, upward of thirty rattlesnakes.

Bethlehem, one of the early villages of the county, exists no longer. It was located on the southwest corner of section 24, In 1825 it had a population of about twenty, a store and a blacksmith shop. It is now part of a farm.

Village Of Abington

Abington is a very pretty village on the west bank of the East Fork of the Whitewater River. It is within less than - one mile of the south line of the county, some ten miles southwest of Richmond, and is one of the oldest settled towns in the county. The village of Abington was laid out on the land of John and Joseph Cox, and platted Dec. 5, 1817. It was surveyed by J. Lewiston, under their supervision, and the record was made of the same soon after. The village was incorporated in August, 1819. Ten years later, January, 1827, Abington had forty-two inhabitants, afulling mill and carding machine, a general store, two taverns, as they were then called, and a blacksmith shop.

The first merchant in Abington was Moses Oox, son of John Cox, Jr., about the year 1818. Some of his earlier successors, though, perhaps, not in the order mentioned, were Samuel Hall, Hafer & Glanten, Middlecough & Beeks, Bonebrake & Manning. Later, the following were as early, at least, as at the dates mentioned: Whitinger & Matchett, Thomas Ellis, and Michael Dolon & Co., in 1839; William A. Beeks, William Lipscomb, John Leach in 1840; Williams & Dunbar, in 1841; James Rubey, Simpson Dye, in 1842; White & Hunt, in 1843; David M. Dunbar, Whitinger & Dye, E. F. Donlan, 1845.

A saw-mill was built by Thomas Manning, at Abington, who, some years after (about 1839) sold it to D. & J. Weaver, who attached a carding machine and fulling-mill, and in 1845 built a large woolen factory. This proving unprofitable, the building was sold and turned into a wagon and carriage shop. The same firm built a large flouring mill a short distance below the old site, also a saw-mill in 1849, which are now owned by Jno. B. Craft & Co.

The first wagon-maker was John Gilbert; the next, William Harp. The present ones are the four Green brothers, Thomas, Thaddeus, Daniel and Charles.

The village grew fairly until the advent of turnpikes and railroads, and in 1850 had a population of 206. From that date the village has gradually declined in population and has not gained in general business, but it is solid so far as its business interests are concerned.

In 1870 the population had fallen to 161, and the business interests were one dry-goods store, Haman Dobbs, proprietor; one grocery store, Joshua Dye, proprietor; three blacksmiths, Thomas Stevens, Caswell Hollar, and Moses Mitchel. Harness-makers, Samuel and Frank Lell. Carpenters, Andrew Hunt, Ferdinand and Harrison Weber. Shoemaker, Daniel Jennings.

There were two saw and grist mills, one Masonic lodge, one I. O. O. F., and one encampment. The latter have a fine hall, handsomely furnished. There are three churches, viz.: United Brethren, Methodist Episcopal and Christian. There have been few changes in the village the past decade, excepta slight falling off in population, being in 1880 put down in the census report at 148, and is probably fully that number at this writing.

was W. J. Matchett, in 1828. He was succeeded by James Ruby, who practiced some ten or twelve years, within which period, he took into partnership a former student of his, John M. Swallow, who is said to have had a very extensive practice, and died in 1849 at the early age of thirty-three. After him came Dr. John Cleveland, a successful practitioner, later residing at Centreville. He was followed by Moses G. Mitchell, of Ohio, now a Universalist preacher, John Q. A. Robbins, and James E. Swallow, son of John M. Swallow, above mentioned.

Methodist Episcopal Church. - The first religious society, says "Young's History," was the Methodist Episcopal, organized at an early period of the settlement of the township. Among its early members were Thomas Moffitt and his wife; John Cox, his wife and son James; Peter Stevens, a preacher and also the first school-teacher, near Moffitt's; Henry Long, also a preacher, and his wife; Eli and Clark Penwell, and David Railsback and their wives; Henry Fender, his son Jacob, and John Fender, Sr. The first preaching was in dwellings. Their first meeting-honse was a log building on the hill, near the site of their present brick house.

The United Brethren formed a society about the year 1818. Among their early members were Isaac Shelby, an exhorter, Thomas Manning, William Dye, Daniel Clevenger, with their wives, and George Bonebrake, a preacher. The first regular preacher is believed to have been John Ross. The society built a frame house about the year 1828; the present brick house in 1854°55. This was a well-built house, and its interior was well and neatly finished. [It has, since the above was written, been nearly or quite destroyed by fire. ]