Plattsburg, Indiana

At quite an early day the backbone of land extending north from Salem to the Muscatatuck river was called "Wahiut Ridge'" on account of the fine groves of black-walnut trees that grew on these lands. Along the ridge, extending from the headwaters of Blue river to the Muscatatuck, there was an old Indian trail- that had, no doubt, been traveled over a great deal by redmen, for it was easily traced from one end to the other. The first white men coming into this county', finding this trail, rightly concluded that there must be a fertile country lying to the north, and would have gone there, but for some se;ven or eight years after they first located in this county, the river was considered the "dead-line," between the whites and the warring savages, and it was very liazardous for the pioneers to venture over into disputed territory. The Indians, who remained south of Muscatatuck and White rivers were friendly to the whites and never gave them any trouble. The depredations that were committed were by Indians who came across into the county from the north and west. Walnut ridge, which is now included within the boundaries of Monroe township, was for several years rather a dangerous place for scattered settlers, some of whom were killed by the Indians, and they frequently lost stock by thieving bands of these savages that roamed about through the country.

Passage source: Centennial History of Washington County, Indiana : Its People, Industies and Institutions : with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, published 1916.

The first settlers to venture into the township were Adam Housh and Solomon Rink, in 1808. The first cabin built in the township was Housh's, which stood a few rods south of the Kossuth store. Rink had a sort of pen made of poles on his land about a half mile south of where Plattsburg stands. In the spring of 1809, several others moved in, including Jacob Hattabough, \\'illiam Logan and Thomas Denney. In 1810 George Hattabough, Jacob Rink, Michael Rink, Dempsey Rice and many others came in. Shortly after landing here Jacob Hattabough purchased Rink's right to the land he had squatted on. In those days lands sold at the land office for two dollars and fifty cents per acre, on the installment plan. Hattabough had been to Jeffersonville to make a payment on his land and had paid out all but fifty dollars and had a certificate showing that to be a fact, but on his way home he lost his receipt. The word went round that this certificate was lost, when Adam Housh went to Jeftersonville and finished paying out on the land, getting a land warrant in his own name. This gave rise to a lawsuit which came off at Corydon, in which nattabough was winner. Someone had found the certificate he had lost and left it at Royse's Lick, with Doctor Lamb, which put in evidence, with the other facts in the case, won the suit for Hattabough.

Passage source: Centennial History of Washington County, Indiana : Its People, Industies and Institutions : with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, published 1916.

In 1819 John DePauw erected a saw and grist-mill on the Muscatatuck. and named the place "Millport." It was a water mil! and was operated regularly until about 1850, when the dam washed out during a spring freshet. From this point several flat-boats were sent out every spring as the waters subsided; many of the Salem merchants put their surplus farm products in these boats, it being then the most convenient method of getting their stuff to the southern market - New Orleans then being the only outlet for farm products for all the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. After the dam at Millport washed away the farmers owning lands about the mill seriously objected to its being replaced, whereupon W. C. DePauw put in a steam power which he operated for several years; Jonathan Pidgeon being the head man of the entire plant, he being the owner of the mill when the dam washed out. ^Vhen the Salem and Millport plank road was completed in the fall of 1851 and the spring of 1852, most of the lumber used was sawed at Millport; there being much fine timljer on the knobs near the mill. This was the only plank mad ever completed in the county, se\'eral nthers being talked of and even rights of way being secured for the saiue. One was to lead from Harrstown from Delaney's creek and on to Brownstown, and some grading was begun on the same, but work ceased for lack of funds.

Passage source: Centennial History of Washington County, Indiana : Its People, Industies and Institutions : with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, published 1916.

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 Monroe Township - it names this place 6 more 6 times.