Alquina, Indiana

The township is in the form of a parallelopipedon and has for its northern boundary Waterloo Township, its eastern boundary Union County, its southern boundary Jackson Township, and its western boundary Connersville and Jackson Townships. It contains eighteen sections or 11,520 acres of land, the surface of which is rolling and of excellent productive quality. The streams of the township are Simpson Creek, Mud Run, Village and a branch of Eli's Creek - all small. It is well piked and the northern portiou is crossed by the C, H. & I. R. R.

Passage source: History of Fayette County, Indiana: Containing a History of the Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies, Etc., Etc. .., published 1885.

It will be noticed that the earliest purchases made were in 1811 and 1812, the lands lying in the northern half of the township, excepting one in Section 3, south of Alquina. While this is true the first settlement effected was on land not entered until 1814. Thomas Simpson, Sr., wJio is credited with being the first to settle within the present limits of the subdivision, was a native of Maryland, born in 1778. He subsequently settled in North Carolina, where he was married to Sarah Mabry or Marberry, and in after years removed to the vicinity of Clinch River, in Tennessee. About the year 1805 or 1806, having in view the purchase of land in the Territory of Indiana, he removed to the vicinity of Harrison, Ohio, and was there awaiting the further preparation of lands for market. Here he lived several years, and when one Vantrees, a Government Surveyor, was making up the party for the survey of the " Twelve-Mile Purchase," Simpson joined them to act as hunter for the party. He accompanied them and remained until the survey was completed (which was in progress in 1808 -09), traveling and hunting over the country from Michigan to the Ohio River. On the approach of winter tho party built a log-cabin by a spring on the northeast quarter of Section 23 (Township 14, Range 13), which they occupied during the survey of that region of the country.

Passage source: History of Fayette County, Indiana: Containing a History of the Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies, Etc., Etc. .., published 1885.

Jacob Darter and family settled just west of Alquina in 1813. He and wife Catharine emigrated from Vii-ginia to Campbell County, Tenn., in 1811, where one winter was passed and in 1812 they removed to the old Adam Eli place on East Fork, in what is now Union County, where the husband rented ground and raised one crop, then came to what is now Fayette County. They are believed to have been the first family that settled in that vicinity. That same season Joseph Vanmeter, who lived on the William Louderback place and John Manley, who lived on the Joseph Rutherford place, came to the neighborhood; the former emigrating from Ohio. About this time Isaac and James Jones settled in that vicinity and it

Passage source: History of Fayette County, Indiana: Containing a History of the Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies, Etc., Etc. .., published 1885.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Jennings Township - it names this place 9 more 9 times.