Fountain, Indiana

They knew of no easj' road to learning, and so while not enervating their own intellects by eff"orts to bring themselves level to the comprehension of the pupils, they did not destroy the pupils' manliness, sense of power and self-reliance by over-much simplifying and explaining. They believed, with Noah Webster, that learning is to be acquired by severe effort, the niemor}' exercised with much that the pnpil may not then understand, and in this way the mind stored as it cannot be later, and that the revelations of time, aroused curiosity, and increase of intellectual dimensions may be trusted for the rest. James H. Martin, who is still an honored citizen of the township, taught first in the Stewart school-house, and then three successive winter terms in the Brown school-house. At Rob Roy wci-e John Bodley, David Brier, and Rufus A. Lockwood. David Brier stood for many years in the front rank of lawyers in Indiana, and was his party's nominee for congress in 1852. He now carries on a lucrative practice of his profession in the capital of Kansas. Rufus A. Lockwood, while teaching at Rob Roy, was an unaided student at law. He rose to eminence and wealth by the practice of it first in the courts of Indiana. Removing to California he was employed by Gen. John C. Fremont to defend his title to the Mariposa purchase, which was brought into question first by private parties and then by the government. His fame was national. Having gained this most famous suit he embarked on the ill-fated Central America, for New York city, where he intended to open a law office. The steamer was wrecked on the ocean, and he, with more than three hundred other passengers, found a watery grave between Panama and his destination. William Miller, a well educated man, and conspicuous figure in the early history of Fountain county, taught in the southeastern part of the township; and Mrs. Mary C. Hovey, wife of Rev. E. 0. Hovey, afterward Prof. Hovey of "Wabash College, opened a school for girls in a room of her house. In the Claypool settlement the succession of teachers for a series of years was Mrs. Sumner, George Wells, James and Celestia Maxwell, Robert Finch, and Stephen Fagg. The township is now laid off into nine school-districts, furnished with well built school-houses and teachers of good grade. Its distributive share in the apportionment of school revenue for tuition is $],83r;.43. There are 3(iS pupils enrolled for tuition.

Passage source: History of Fountain County : Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, published 1881.

Alfred Helms, farmer, Fountain (Portland). His grandfather Helms emigrated with his family from North Carolina and settled in Yan Buren township about the time that John Colvert and Jonathan Burch came. These last arrived early in 1823. It is said that Mr. Helms cleared the first farm in Fountain county. The grandfather of our subject on his mother's side was Matthew Hawkins. He remove from Tennessee, also very early, and stopping on Hone^- Creek prairie died thei-e. His family settled at Chambersburg, where his grandl

Passage source: History of Fountain County : Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, published 1881.

Henry B. Jones, farmer and stock raiser, Rob Roy. His grandfather, Wright Taylor, was a soldier of 1812. His fether, Aaron, was a North Carolinian, and his mother, Sarah Taylor, a Kentucky lady. They were married in the latter state, and in February, 1823, removed to Otter Creek prairie, in Vigo county, and the following winter to Fountain county, settling in the forks of Coal creek, below Veedersburg. In a year or two his father bought the land where Rob Roy stands, and afterward sold it to John I. Foster who had that town laid out. The land eventually fell back to Mr. Jones. He died here January 16, 1878, aged eighty-two, and his wife July 11, 1878, aged seventy- fonr. ^^^'- Jones, the youngest child of these parents, was born where 1)0 lives, one and one-fourth miles south of Kob Roy, October 23, jg40. He was married February 17, 1S61, to Joanna D. Meeker, datic'hter of Usual PI. Meeker. She was born March 18, lSi2. Their two children are Lorenzo E., born May 13, 1862, and Oliver M., Jannary IS, 1867. Mrs. Jones has been a eonamunicant in the Methodist church eighteen years. Mr. Jones is a Mason. He owns 535 acres, 290 of which are under plow ; it is valuable land, being a rich alluvial goil, and lying in the Shawnee and Coal creek bottoms. He is erecting, the present year, a fine brick residence of eight rooms, at a cost of over |4,000. He has been trustee of Shawnee township three terms in succession, beginning with 1870 and ending with 1876. He is a republican in politics, an influential man in his community, and active and enterprising in business.

Passage source: History of Fountain County : Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley, Gleaned from Early Authors, Old Maps and Manuscripts, published 1881.

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 Shawnee Township - it names this place 15 more 15 times.