Alto, Indiana

Harrison Township is situated in the southwestern part of Howard -County, and contains nearly twenty -one and a half sections of land. The surface is somewhat undulating, especially through the central and northern part. Of the Little Wild Cat Creek, the West Fork begins near the Tipton County line in Section 26, flows through Sections 23 and 15 in a northwesterly direction to a point near Greeson's saw mill, south of Alto, where it meets with the East Fork that flows north of west through Sections 24, 13 and 14 to the conjunction. Thence the creek flows north of west through Sections 15, 16, 17, 8 and 7. Along on each side are frequent affluents of small spring branches. The Big Wild Cat forms a part of the northern boundary, flowing in a westward direction in a very irregular manner through Sections 4, 5 and 6. This portion of the " Reserve" was once covered with a very fine growth of maple, white oak, poplar and black walnut, but the woodman's ax has made great inroads in the rich forests. Along the streams there are large deposits of gravel and sand ; and in the southern part of the township a clay forms a subsoil for a rich black loam, thus making it one of the best tracts in Howard County for agricultural purposes. The history of this section extends back over a period of forty-four years, while the organization 6f the township will date back to 1846. It is probable that no histories of this section extend farther back and are any more interesting than those of Judge T. A. Long and James Brooks.

Passage source: Counties of Howard and Tipton, Indiana. Historical and Biographical.., published 1883.

The first saw mill in this township was built in 1846 by John Test on the banks of the Little Wild Cat, on the place formerly owned by A. C. RatcliflF. The mill was afterward owned by the Rels Bros. & Bates, and in 1848 was purchased by Jonathan and Samuel Stratton and Richard Bates, and was traded in 1852 to Isaac Hollingsworth. The Strattons then purchased a small mill down the creek, which had- been recently erected, and this they ran some four years. In 1856, Mr. Samuel Stratton purchased the former site and erected a grist mill in connection with the saw mill. In 1848, Stephen Brooks built a small corn-cracker and wheat mill south of Alto. A part of the frame is yet to be seen ; the bolting box is now being used by Mr. George Greeson as a grain bin. In 1853, the Fred Bros, built a mill on the creek, near where George Greeson's house stands.

Passage source: Counties of Howard and Tipton, Indiana. Historical and Biographical.., published 1883.

Most all the families who settled in the Reserve were those who tenaciously held to the religious dogmas of some sect, and they early felt the need of a place of worship. The pioneers living in the vicinity of Twin Springs started to work at building a large log church house, each member agreeing to furnish so many logs on the ground. When the walls were up ready for the roof, the project was abandoned and a large log church house was erected in Alto, and here the people met for some time and sang their psalms in common meter, unmolested by the savage warwhoop of the dusky denizen of the forest. But a short time after the church at Alto was built, one was erected by the Baptists and Methodists in the west end of the township on Martin Crist's place.

Passage source: Counties of Howard and Tipton, Indiana. Historical and Biographical.., published 1883.

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 Harrison Township - it names this place 8 more 8 times.