Nulltown, Indiana

The settlement of the township may be said to have been begun in the year 1811; however, it is quite probable that William Eagan, an Irishman, though from Maryland here, settled earlier. His brother, John, it is reliably said, was living in a cabin just over the river from the Nulltown bridge, in Jackson Township, in 1809. The writer has been unable to learn anything definite as to this settlement, but inasmuch as John and his father resided on the east side of the river, and almost on its very banks, and from the fact of William entering land among the first, upon which he lived and died, it is not unreasonable to suppose that he most likely came at the same time the other members of the family came.

Passage source: History of Fayette County, Indiana: Containing a History of the Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies, Etc., Etc. .., published 1885.

Edward Webb, John and perhaps Daniel Conner (the latter brothers) emigrated from Boone County, Ky., and settled on the Big Bottom, where they resided a year or two or more, and while there visited the Whitewater country, and some time prior to the fall of 1813 selected and purchased laud, built cabins, set out two orchards and in the spring of 1814 removed their families. Mr. Webb was a man of considerable ability and figured conspicuously in the early affairs of the county. On the organization of the county he was chosen one of the Associate Judges and was honored with that office for twenty-seven consecutive years, at the expiration of which time he tendered his resignation for the reason that his hearing had become so affected that he could not hear the testimony.

Passage source: History of Fayette County, Indiana: Containing a History of the Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies, Etc., Etc. .., published 1885.

The first mill in the township is thought to have been a saw-mill erected by Allen Crisler. It stood not far from the present site of the barn of William Seals, at the north end of Alpine. This mill was in operation in the summer of 1815, and was built not far from that time, likely in 1814. Dr. Mason in his autobiography speaks of framing a mill-house for Allen Crisler in the summer of 1816. The Doctor traded his farm for the mill that fall, and thus speaks of it: "There was a very good saw-mill, with a separate building, a good stone wall for the first story, on which stood the frame I had put up for a mill-house, with one run of common granite millstones, and a bolting chest with a small bolt, which was turned by hand for bolting flour made from wheat." The mills were operated by the Doctor and his brother Horatio, who became a partner, until in the fall of 1818, when the same parties resumed their old possessions - trading back. In about 1817 John A. White commenced as the miller at this mill. Subsequently a still-house and hemp-mill were added, and all four operated by Col. Crisler, until a change in the coarse of the river destroyed the power and all vrent into disuse.

Passage source: History of Fayette County, Indiana: Containing a History of the Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies, Etc., Etc. .., 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 Columbia Township - it names this place 13 more 13 times.