Sparta, Indiana

The county records contain no reference to any townships previous to 1826, when the court house was burned, but in the entries a short time after that date is found this description of the township of Sparta. Commencing on the old Indian boundary line, on the township line between 6 and 7, range 3 west, thence eastwardly following the meanders of North Hogan creek to where the same strikes the line running north and south between sections 8 and 9, township 5, range 2 west; thence east with said line one mile; thence south to the southeast comer of section 21, township 5, range 2; thence west one mile ; thence south to the southeast corner of section 5, township 4, range 2 ; thence west to the old Indian boundary line ; thence northwardly with said line to the place of beginning. As herewith described it included some three and one-half sections that were afterwards set off to Hogan township, and the northwest tier of sections that were added to Qay township when it was cre¬ ated. The township is practically bounded on the north by Manchester, on the east by Hogan, on the south by Clay and on the west by Ripley county.

Passage source: History of Dearborn County Indiana, published 1915.

James Duncan emigrated from Maryland and settled in Sparta in 1815. Moses Musgrove emigrated from Virginia in 1816. Mr. Musgrove is said to have killed the last panther that was ever seen in Dearborn county. It was in the year 1817 and the animal is said to have weighed two hundred pounds and measured nine feet from the end of the nose to the tip of his tail. Mr. Musgrove died in 1819. Samuel and Demoss Moss emigrated from Massa¬ chusetts in 1816, but removed from the county. Riley Truitt emigrated from Maryland in 1817 and died in 1818.

Passage source: History of Dearborn County Indiana, published 1915.

Benjamin Johnson emigrated from Maryland and located in Sparta township in 1817. He was said to be a man of very positive opinions and a strong character. He was the father of Hon. John D. Johnson, who was elected to the Legislature in 1846, re-elected in 1848, and was also a member of the constitutional convention in 1851. He was also the father of Samuel J. Johnson, who was a doorkeeper in the House of Representatives at Wash¬ ington. Frank M. Johnson and Pern Johnson, of California, were his grand¬ sons.

Passage source: History of Dearborn County Indiana, 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 Sparta Township - it names this place 7 more 7 times.