North Salem, Indiana

Near the southwest corner of the township, from difterent directions, come together five considerable streams, to form Eel River proper. These five streams spread out orer the township like a fan, and make as many beautiful valleys, which are separated bv undulating ridges which were originally covered with a dense growth of sugar maple, walnut, oak and poplar trees. From many points in the township extensive tracts of country may be seen at one view; and as the delighted beholder looks out upon vistas of rich farm land, stretching down the valleya, Tvitli alternating fields of dark green corn or golden wliert, while upon either side stretch away beautiful undulating hills, diversified by open woodland and cleared fields, upon which hundreds of fiit, sleek cattle are feedinoupon the rich carpet of blue grass, or ruminating beneath some mighty old monarch of the primeval forest, he can hardly realize that be lias before him a realitj", and tliat the picture he sees is not a dream about some fairj land. As may be already inferred, there is little land in Eel River Township that is not first-class. The soil is uniformly good, and is adapted to grain and grass alike.

Passage source: History of Hendricks County, Indiana, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History, Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

In the spring of 1S24 Noah Bateman and Eeuben Claypool settled in this township a mile south of North Salem, and were followed in the fall by John Claypool and John S. "Woodward. Among those who located in the township previous to 1830 were James Trotter, Ileury Bales, J. and Martha Page, John F.Benson, Eobert Covey, Enoch Davis and his sons, William, Frank and Jesse; Willian^ Dewitt, Dr. Collins, Andrew Clifton, James Campbell, Mr. Cram and the Fenningtons. John F. Benson built the first mill in the county on Eock Branch, in 1820. Colonel Kichols says it was a very patient and industrious mill, but " rather slow."

Passage source: History of Hendricks County, Indiana, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History, Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

The first school was taught about 1S29, ia a house one-half mile southeast of North Salem, by "William Dewitt. This man had fled from Now Orleans for some crime, joined a pirate vessel, and with it sailed more than once around the world, and finally left the vessel to seek a new and different life in the wilds of the JS'orth. He was a man of intelligence, and was one of the most successful pioneer instructors in Hendricks County. He was one of the principal teachers of Eel River Township for a number of years. He died near North Salem at the advanced age of 115.' He used to say to his neighbors, after he was passed 100 years old, that if he did not get out of this wet country, he would never again be the man he had been.

Passage source: History of Hendricks County, Indiana, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History, Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

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 Eel River Township - it names this place 28 more 28 times.