Jordan, Indiana

Steen, son of John, kept a house of entertainment where Dunn now lives, and boarding a man sick of cholera was himself stricken by the dread disease, and died soon after. Mr. Robinson, sonin-law of Richard Steen, settled near where his son, Richard Robinson, now lives. James Jordan, who was prominent as a pioneer, settled, at a much later date, in the vicinity of Robinson. N. Burriss and James Burriss, who were from Kentucky, settled near Wheatland between 1816 and 1820. Simon Nicholson, from Pennsylvania, settled on the old State road, a short distance from town. James Young, D. W. Ballow, the Jackson family and Andrew Whitenack, all settled near the same neighborhood. The latter was for a time a justice of the peace. Merrill, another pioneer, lived east of the State road. He kept an "inn" for the public. He lived to be quite old. Andrew Berry lived east of Steen's, at what was known as Berryville. Here was the postoffice, and Berry was postmaster till Wheatland was laid out and the office moved to that place. Sim Harbin lived east of Wheatland; the railroad passes through the farm. Here he built a little horse-mill and a small still-house ; Jesse Harbin also lived near. A. Westfall was another old settler.

Passage source: History of Knox and Daviess County, Indiana : from the Earliest Time to the Present; with Biographical Sketches, Reminiscences, Notes, Etc. ; Together with an Extended History of the Colonial Days of Vincennes, and Its Progress Down to the Formation of the State Government, published 1886.

David Welton built an ox tread-mill on his farm in the southern part of the township. Robert McClure built a horse-mill, as did Noah Purcell a small water-mill. Col. Jordan also owned a water-mill at the head waters of the Deshee. Grists that were not ground at these mills were ground by hand-mills, beaten in a mortar or taken elsewhere. The only tanyard remembered was the one owned by Isaac Purcell. During the Indian troubles of 1812-14 every neighborhood had its forts or block-houses, sufficient for the accommodation of the settlers. The most convenient and commanding place was usually chosen. There were two such defenses in Palmyra, one at Isaac Purcell' s, the other at Martin Rose's, usually known as Rose's fort. These were built in 1812, but neither was ever attacked.

Passage source: History of Knox and Daviess County, Indiana : from the Earliest Time to the Present; with Biographical Sketches, Reminiscences, Notes, Etc. ; Together with an Extended History of the Colonial Days of Vincennes, and Its Progress Down to the Formation of the State Government, published 1886.

The works seen in Kuox County, consist of mounds of habitation, sepulchral and temple mounds, and number over 200, with probably as many more not yet explored. Mounds of habitation are found in the north and southwest parts of Vincennes, along the summit of the high river bluff south of Edwardsport, on the wagon road between the latter town and Sandborn, and on the top and sides of the Dicksburg hills. A group of fifty-two mounds on the Vaulting farm six miles southeast from Purcell, showed more attention to regularity than is elsewhere seen, being arranged somewhat in regular lines from north to south, and from east to west. Sepulchral mounds are rare. The only one certainly identified was situated centrally in the last mentioned group. Explored by Samuel Jordan, it was found to contain human skeletons, and round-bottomed pottery. Plumb-bobs, stone shuttles, spinerets and numerous fragments of pottery have been found on S. Catt's land (Surrey 22) adjoining. Other tumuli of this character will reward the future explorer. This region was well to the center of the Mound Builders Nation. Remote from the dangers incident to a more exposed situation and encircled by a bulwark of loving hearts - forts, walled exclosures, and citadels were unnecessary, and not erected as at exposed points on their frontier. Perhaps the seat of a royal priesthood, their efforts essayed to build a series of temples which constituted at once capital and holy city - the Heliopolis of the AVest. Three sacred mounds thrown upon, or against the sides of the second terrace or bluff east and southeast of Vincenues are the result; and in size, symmetry and grandeur of aspect, rival if not excel any prehistoric remains in the United States. All three are truncated cones or pyramidal, and without doubt erected designedly for sacred purposes ; the flat area on the summit was reserved for an oratory and altar, as in the Teocalli of Mexico. The Pyramid Mound (on the Miller farm, common Lot 83, Division B. ), one mile south of Vincennes, is placed on a slightly elevated terrace surrounded by a cluster of small mounds. It is oblong, with extreme diameter from east to west, at the base of 300 feet, 150 feet wide, and is 47 feet high. The level area on the summit, 15x50 feet, is crowded with intrusive burials of a later race. The Sugar Loaf Mound, on Mr. Fay's land, just east of the city line, is built against and upon the side of the bluff, but stands out in bold relief with sharply inclined sides. Diameter from east to west, 216 feet; from north to south, 180 feet, and towering aloft 140 feet above Vincennes Plain, it commands by 27 feet the high plateau to the east. Area on top 10x25 feet. The following section was developed by sinking a shaft centrally from the top:

Passage source: History of Knox and Daviess County, Indiana : from the Earliest Time to the Present; with Biographical Sketches, Reminiscences, Notes, Etc. ; Together with an Extended History of the Colonial Days of Vincennes, and Its Progress Down to the Formation of the State Government, published 1886.

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 Washington Township - it names this place 2 more 2 times.