Fincastle, Indiana

The first habitation of the white man in the I township was erected in the thirty-sixth sec- ! tion by the first white inhabitant, James ! Gordon. The first blacksmith's forge that I rang its peals in that neighborhood was put | up °and worked in 1828 by Philip Lemon. I The first store was kept by Philip Carpenter, I and was located south of the site of Carpen- ! tersville in the year 1*31. The first white child born in the township was James Gor- don, son of Anderson Gordon. The first I school was taught by a man named Elliott in i 1839, in the neighborhood of Fincastle. i William Elrod was the first justice of the I peace. The present incumbents of that office | are Alexander Picked and Squire Dickerson. I Henry Rogers located here in 1832, and became the first practitioner of medicine in the. township. The present practicing physicians are Drs. Harris, Culver, Stanley and Stephens.

Passage source: Biographical and Historical Record of Putnam County, Indiana .., published 1887.

The first church organization was effected by the Presbyterians, who at an early day held meetings at the house of George Pearey, on section 1, Monroe Township, but soon removed into a church on section 36, in Franklin. This congregation was under the pastoral charge of Rev. James II. Shields. The Presbyterians now have a house of worship and a good membership at Carpentersville. The Christian denomination next organized about the year 1827. Eiders Coombs, Ilaney, Harris and G rider were among their first preachers. Their present church edifice is located at Fincastle. The Regular Baptists were organized in 1829, at James Fiddler's house, by Rev. Nathan Keeney. They at present have a fair membership, who worship ina church-building on section 21. For some cause the Methodists did not push their organization into Franklin as early as into other townships of the county. Their history is, therefore, more meager than that of other denominations. They have a church at Carpentersviile where they are represented by a good membership. They have, also, a brick church at Fincastle, the finest edifice of the kind in the township.

Passage source: Biographical and Historical Record of Putnam County, Indiana .., published 1887.

Fincastle, located in the western part of this township, was laid out in the year 1838, by John Obenchain. A store was soon opened by Allen Pierson, and a blacksmith shop by the Conner Brothers. The first school was taught by Wilson Turner who was also the first resident physician. The moral interests of the community are represented by two churches. The Universalist church was organized by W. W. Carry in 1861, and an elegant brick structure was erected for their accommodation in the same year. The following-named ministers served this church during its early years: S. E. Ballard, E. M. Manford, Miss Prudy LeClerc, B. F. Foster, Mr. Biddlecomb and T. S. Guthrie. The village has about 100 inhabitants.

Passage source: Biographical and Historical Record of Putnam County, Indiana .., published 1887.

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 Franklin Township.