Wayne County, Indiana - Clay Township, 1884

Clay Township

ORGANIZED IN 1831. - Firsr Exrection at House or Taos. HATFIELD. - ENLARGED 1N 1834. - Reat AND PERSONAL PRorERTY. - POPULATION. - GAIN OF THIRTEEN IN Forty Yerars. - Tur Pioneers wHo Mave IT A HABITATION AND Gave it A Name. - Wasaincoton. - Its FotNDER. - PLATTED IN 1818. - Business or 1819 anp 1884. - VILLAGE Wearra. - Lopers, PoruLaTIoN, RAILRoaDS AND PostTmas- TERS. - BIOGRAPHICAL.

Clay Township was organized by the county commissioners at the May session of 1831, and the first election was ordered held at the house of Thos. Hatfield, in the village ot Washington. It was not very large, and the commissioners at the March term, 1834, made the following:

" Ordered by the board at March term, 1834, That the bounds of Clay Township be extended west so as to include the whole of sections 21, 28 and 33, town 17, range 13."

This gave it its present irregular boundary, which, on the north, is Perry and Green townships; on the east, Green and Centre; on the south, Centre and Harrison, and on the west, Harrison and Jefferson. Its greatest length is five miles, and width, four and one-half, and the whole area of the township contains 12,632.95 acres of land, this amount being the taxable number of acres.

The Early Settlers

Jas. Martindale, a native of North Carolina, settled on Green's Fork, in the township, in 1812, and settled on a farm about a half a mile from Washiagton, where his grandson, Jas. W. Martindale, resides. Jonas Hatfield, Sr., came from Kentucky in 1812, and purchased the land on which the town of Washington now stands. His descendants still live in the township. Abel Jenny came the same year, and joined lands with Hatfield, Sr. Jesse Albertson, from North Carolina, settled on a farm one-half mile east of Washington. His brother Joshua came a few years later and settled south of his brother on the Ratcliff's lands. Wm. Fox came in 1813 and left in 1844, removing to Jefferson Township, where he died in 1860. Joshua Benny settled on section 27, and James Spray finally settled on section 35. Jas. Odell settled in the eastern part of the township, on what is known as Wm. Coftin's place. Miles Murphy came in 1814, and in 1825 sold his farm to John Baldwin, from North Carolina. Mr. Baldwin's four sons - Jonathan, Isaac, David and Caleb - came with him. Jas. Porter settled near the Friends' meeting-house in 1817. Moses Martindale, Wm. Young, Benj. Angell, John Peirson and his son-in-law, Martin Martindale, Wm. Ball, all came in 1814 and 1815, and settled in the eastern part of the township. Benj. Albertson settled on section 36, and was from North Carolina, and Owen Branson on the land now owned by the heirs of Thos. Adams. Jonathan Cloud also settled on section 36,and Wm. Pike, Isaiah Frazier, Jonathan Mendenhall, John Hunt and Israel Ganse all settled in the southeastern section of the township, and came prior to 1816.

South and west of where Washington now stands quite a settlement was made, commencing with the arrival of Jesse Bond in 1813, who settled section 35. Benj. Hall, Jno. Foland, Stephen Horney, Moses Coffin, Absalom Williams, from North Carolina, whose sons occupy the homestead, came in 1814, and died in 1868, aged ninety-three years, and Isaac Mendenhall, all settled in the south, southwest and west section of the township, being among its earliest settlers. Henry Hoover settled on Green's Fork, and Peter Hoover adjoining him; Jno. Fincher not far off, and Valentine Foland in the southwest corner of the township. Ephraim Gentry purchased of David Hoover, on the west side. David Peacock came early, and his son David occupies the home farm. Wm. Wedims, Mason Fitcher, Enos Vei, Sr., Peter Woolfert, Jos. Davis, Jas. Owens, Sr., all came in 1817, and settled in the western portion cf the township, as did Jno. Brockus, who came in 1815, as did Miles Dimet. Job Smith came in 1824, and Ezekiel Bradbury in 1825. They also settled in the western part. Jonathan Shaw settled on section 21, on the west line of the township, and Robt. Walkins and Wm. Elliott north of him, on section 16. John and Josiah Bradbury on the same section, on Morgan's Creek, John subsequently settled on section 27. Win. Ball came in 1818, as did Jas. Starling, Henry Riggs and Frederic Dean, and settled on section 15. Henry Garrett and Abraham Elliott came in 1814, and settled on section 23. Philip and Henry Renberger, in 1819, and settled on section 14, as did Wm. Underwood. Jonathan Ross, David Young and John Ritchie settled on sections 22 and 15, about the last mentioned date. Wm. Osborn, about 1820, settled near Washington, and died in 1831, aged twenty-nine. Cyrus, his son, resides half a mile below town. Daniel Williams, born in North Carolina in 1792, from Pennsylvania in 1838, settled in the northeast part of the township, and later resided one anda half miles east of Washington. Thomas Cook settled, at an early day, where his son, Samuel Cook, lives, two miles north from Washington, and where he died in 1824, aged fifty-six. He was the first saddler in Washington. Samuel Bail, born in Virginia, from Tennessee in 1820, and died in 1849, near where his son John Ball resides. John Wilson, from South Carolina, about 1820, settled two miles northwest from Washington, where he died in 1852, aged thirty-six. Joseph Lamb, from North Carolina, settled in 1529, on land adjoining Perry, where he died in 1855, at the age of seventy-three. Wm. Hindman, from Ohio, in 1839, settled two and a half miles west of Washington, and died in 1843, aged forty-two. Wm. Wright, from Maryland, in 1825 settled two miles southeast from town, where he died in 1854, aged seventy-four. John Brooks, from North Carolina, in 1831.

David Cook, from Virginia, about 1831, settled one mile south of Washington, where he died in 1870, aged fifty-nine. Emsley Hoover, from Ohio, about 1811, settled on Green's Fork, southwest from Washington, where his son Owen P. lives; died in 1865, aged sixty-nine.

Abraham Elliott is supposed to have been the first Justice of the Peace within what is now Clay Township; the next, perhaps, was John Martindale.

A block-house without a fort was built in war-time on or near Joshua Benny's farm, a mile north of Washington. On John Martindale's land, four miles west of this town, a fort and block-house were built by Martindale and his sons, Elijah and William, Charles Morgan, Reynolds Fielder, Jacob Galion and Jonathan Shaw.

Henry Garret built the first grist-mill, a mile and a halt above town, about the year 1815. Jonas Hatfield soon after commenced building a saw-mill that year at Washington, but not living to finish it, it was completed the next year by his son Thomas, who four or five years after also built a grist-mill at the same place. Henry Hoover (not of Richmond), about the year 1840, built a saw-mill two miles below Washington, and afterward sold it to Samnel Boyd, who, about the year 1855, also built a grist-mill at the same place.

About the year 1825, perhaps later, Thomas Hattield built a carding machine and a fulling-mill near his other mills, and after running them about a year, he procured of Jesse Bond a site a fourth of a mile below, to which he removed them, and soon after sold them to the Bonds, who removed them further down to near where Nathan Bond resides.

Washington Village

The town of Washington was laid out by Thomas Hatfield, and the description of the original plat, certified by him as proprietor, and Abraham Elliott, surveyor, Sept. 28, 1818, was acknowledged for record Nov. 19, 1818. It is situated near the center of the township, on section 26, and is the only town within its border. Itis a station on tbe P., C. & St. Louis Railroad, some ten miles northwest from Richmond.

Lisbon Basey and John Russell, in partnership, were the first merchants, in the year 1818; next, Allen Osborn and Wm. Bunnell; and next, John Martindale, son of James, who, in 1830, sold out to Mark E. Reeves, who, with an additional stock, established a store which he continued until 1840, when he removed to Hagerstown, continuing an interest in the store at Washington in partnership with James W. Scott for about five years. Jonathan and Stephen Coffin commenced trade in 1843, and the business was continued by Stephen. The merchants in 1872 were: Dry-goods - Dr. Lorenzo D. Personett and John M. McCown; grocers, Allen Daugherty, Wm. S. Hatfield. Jan. 1, 1884, Wm. S. Hatfield and Allen K. Daugherty is still continuing the grocery business, and Messrs. Osborne and Bunnell are the proprietors of the dry-goods store. There is also at this date a drug store, owned by S. D. Sample. This includes the entire mercantile interest at the last date mentioned.

The first physician was a Dr. Howard, who was soon followed by Dr. Johnson. Dr. William Bunnell, who came about the year 1523, is said by some to have been the first " regular," licensed physician. He died in 1853, of cholera. He was succeeded by his son, Rhodes W. Bunnell. Lorenzo D. Personett came in 1844. The latter was in practice up to 1875. Dr. Rhodes W. Bunnell is still in practice at this date, January, 1884, and also Dr. E. A. Buntin, Dr. S. H. Moore and Dr. N. P. Carter.

A Friends meeting-house was built as early as 1814 or 1815, by Jesse Bond, below the town, near the grave-yard. A frame house was afterward built at or near the same place. After the schism of 1828 those calling themselves " Orthodox " built a house about a mile northeast of town, on land given for that purpose by John Baldwin. The only society in the vicinity holds its meetings in this house. Its present pastor is the Rev. J. E. West.

M. E. Church

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized about the year 1818. There was preaching at the houses of some of the settlers as early as 1814 and 1815. In the latter year the Rev. Wm. Hunt was placed on the Whitewater Circuit, and preached in the township at different times, at the house ot Jas. Porter, Wm. Fox and others, who were, a few years later, instrumental in organizing a society. Among the early members were: James Porter, James Odell, William Fox, and their wives, and Polly Morgan, whose husband had been killed by Indians at Morgan's Creek. The ministers who were appointed to the Whitewater Circuit held their meeting first, after the residences of the members, at the schoolhouse, until the erection of the church. The present efficient pastor is the Rev. W. A. Peck.

United Brethren

While this church is not so old as the others in the township, the churches at Jacksonburg and at Hagerstown were attended by members from Clay Township. Just when the church society was formed is not now on record, but it was in the thirties'.

They built a church near Green's Fork, which they occupied for many years. In 1870 they erected their present brick church in town, and the society is in a flourishing condition. Their present able pastor is the Rev. R. W. Small.

A Lodge of Free Masons, Acacia, No. 242, was organized under dispensation Jan. 29, 1859, and held its first meeting Feb. 15, 1859. Its charter is dated May 25, 1859. Its were, Rhodes W. Bunnell, W. M.; Wm. McCafferty, S. W.; Hugh H. Keys, J. W.; Charles Evans, Treasurer; Daniel D. Rogers, Secretary; Walter Rogers, Sr., Deacon; Samuel Cook, Deacon. :