Hall, Indiana

Then there would be a scattering. All of the prominent early settlers who owned hogs had their individual ear-marks. Solomon Dunegan's mark was " a swallow fork in the left ear, and a slit in the right." His number was 133, showing that 132 had established before him. Mr. Foxworthy, in 1829, had a fine drove of sus scrofa. One night they were attacked by one or more bears where Hall now is, and one or more of them was killed and partly consumed. A bear did not stop long to inquire the name of the owner before falling upon wandering swine and making a merry meal of them. It is even doubted whether they cared . seriously who the owner was. '^hey probably thought that " possession was nine points in law," and accordingly took possession without further ceremony. They would rush upon a drove of hogs, seize one by the back of the neck, and begin to tear with teeth and claws regardless of the piercing death cries of the struggling victim. In a few minutes the hog would be torn to pieces, and would then furnish a sweet repast for bruin. Mr. Dunegan had hogs killed by bears, as did many others of the earliest settlers.

Passage source: Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and Biographical, published 1884.

The township of Gregg has three spots that are called villages. Wilbur and Herbemont are of a late origin, and consist of one or two stores, a blacksmith or two, a carpenter, a saw mill, a post oflSce, and from a half dozen to fifteen families. The only, village of note is Hall. The first residences there were built long before the town was thought of. Philip Foxworthy and Michael Pruitt both erected dwellings there soon after 1830. The town really started about the year 1861 or 1852. A man named Breedlove erected a storehouse, and he and a Mr. Porter, under the partnership name of Porter & Breedlove, placed therein about $1,500 worth of a general assortment of goods. The store soon attracted a few families, and soon a blacksmith, a carpenter and other tradesmen appeared. " Mr. Brewer bad some interest in the store of Porter & Breedlove. John Whitaker opened a store soon afterward. Jacob Stogsdill was connected with him. John Williams and Benjamin Young began selling goods some time afterward. After them, from time to time, in about the order here given, the following merchants were present in the village : Brewer & Mattox, Joshua Wilhite, Col. Hendricks, A. J. McCoy,

Passage source: Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and Biographical, published 1884.

The first school in the township was taught near Hall, but when- it was or what the teacher's name was cannot be stated. It was not far from the year 1884. The children of Solomon Dunegan, Philip Foxworthy, Joseph Moser, John Williams, Daniel Smith, Allen Seaton and others attended the school. After a few years, probably about 1838, a log schoolhouse was erected in the northern part of the township, which, for many years, was the principal seat of learning. Schools were started in the eastern and southern portions about 1840, or very soon thereafter. In 1840, if reports are reliable, there were only three established schools in the township, and one of them was not in a house that had been built expressly for school purposes. A dwelling which had been vacated was transformed into a temple of learning. During the forties, several new houses were erected, and by 1850 there were five or six good schools. Now there are seven schoolhouses.

Passage source: Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and Biographical, published 1884.

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 Gregg Township - it names this place 13 more 13 times.