Montgomery, Indiana

Among the earliest settlers in this township were Hugh Barr, James Montgomery, William Dant, Nicholas Kidwell, Joseph Miller, John Shepard, John Allison, John R. Kendall and Williams. Most if not all of these, with numerous others, whose names occur in connection with some of the early land entries, came from Kentucky. Williams Prairie was named after William Williams, and was located nearly two miles west of Montgomery. Barr Township is the largest in the county, containing seventy-six sections, and a proportionately large number of early land entries; hence only those made previous to 1817 are here recorded. Isaac Burgin, on June 1, 1815, entered the northeast quarter of Section 23, Township 3, Range 5, and on the 26th of December Robert M. Davis entered the northwest quarter of Section 5, Township 2, Range 5. In 1816 the following entries were made: February 7, John Hutson, southwest quarter of Section 23, Township 3, Range 6; March 12, James Barr, southeast quarter Section 31, Township 3, Range 5; October 1, William George, east half of the northeast quarter Section 4, Township 2, Range 5 ; October 25, James Montgomery, the northwest and southwest quarters of the southeast quarter of Section 23, Township 3, Range 6, and the northeast quarter Section 26, Township 3, Range 6; Nicholas Kidwell, northwest quarter of Section 26, and Robert Barr, northeast quarter Section 34, same township and range; November 25, Francis McDonald, southwest quarter Section 9, Township 3, Range 6, and on December 12, John Johnson, northwest quarter Section 6, Township 2, Range 5.

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.

An amusing story is told by Robert Shercliff. One morning Thomas Shercliff heard some one far in the woods calling his name. Jumping on a large horse, and taking Robert behind him, he hastened toward the call of distress. Upon reaching the spot from which the call proceeded, he found James Seal up a large tree, with only a knot for a foothold, a large buck watching at the foot of the tree, and Mr. Seal's dog watching the deer. Mr. Shercliff dismounted, and from a sapling as rest fired at the deer. At this the buck made for Mr. Shercliff, who effected his escape by climbing a tree. Robert, also, not willing to risk his life by remaining on the horse, had recourse to the same means of safety. At this moment the brave and faithful dog seized the deer, which served as a signal for all three to descend from their perches, and the brave but unfortunate buck soon found all his enemies on him at once, and was compelled to sacrifice his life to satisfy the ravenous appetite of a hunter whom he had held a prisoner for three long hours, and whose cries for help had at length been heard and answered, as above recorded.

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.

When first settled, the town was literally "in the woods," a heavy growth of timber surrounding it on all sides. Timber, at that time, was an incumbrance to landowners. After the railroad was completed a considerable im]jetus was given to tiie place, houses springing up on e\ery side ; the mechanic, the merchant, the dealer in coimtry produce found ^Montgomery a desirable place in which to carry on their various viKations. \''alentine Montgomery diti an extensive business in the buying of grain at that station, shipping it to Louisville and Cincinnati.

Passage source: History of Daviess County, Indiana : Its People, Industries and Institutions ... with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, published 1915.

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 Barr Township - it names this place 5 more 5 times.