Tipton, Indiana

The first settlers in the township of Cicero were the Miami Indians, who resented the first few scattering white men who entered the territory to make settlement. The portion north of the Indian reserve line was occu¬ pied by these Indians, and was then called Hamilton county, but later was severed from the name by act of the Legislature, approved January 15, 1844, and the county named Tipton created. The Miamis were forced to relin¬ quish . their hold upon these lands in 1845 and were transported to the reservation set aside for them in the state of Kansas. The first permanent white settlements were made in the territory south of the reserve line, while that portion was still a part of Hamilton county. There were no entries at the government land offices prior to the year of 1834; in fact, there were but twro during that year, Absalom Sumner and Philip W. Barger. During ing the following four years all of the remainder of this portion of the township was entered, several land speculators, among them Stoughton A. Fletcher and Nichols McCarty of Indianapolis, taking a large portion of the ground. The name of the first settler in this locality known as the "Old Purchase" cannot be ascertained with any certainty. Suffice to say he came very early and pitched his rude hut in Hamilton county. One Charles Freel, a trapper, came early and settled in the eastern part of the township, but disappeared when the other settlers begun to build up homes.

Passage source: History of Tipton County Indiana, published 1914.

From Wayne county, Indiana, in 1837, came Isaac J. Parker, and he settled one mile east of the present site of Tipton, where he lived until his death in the year 1866. Parker was a native of New Jersey. He encoun¬ tered the usual strenuous hardships of the pioneer and was forced to carry on his ordinary trade at Strawtown, in Hamilton county, twelve miles distant. Joab E. Parker, a brother, came into the county about the same time and entered land farther south. He passed to his reward in 1859. In 1836 Thomas Corbin located in the eastern portion of the township, with no neighbor within a distance of five miles. Allen and James Goodpasture came in 1836, also, and remained until their death. Land was entered in this same year by Joseph Shank, and he moved his family thereon, died in 1882, and. left a good estate to his widow. James Egler settled later in the western part of the township. He died in 1882. Land was purchased by William Bishop in 1835, but he did not make a settlement on it until a few years later; Daniel Smith also lived in the southern part as early as 1835 or 1836.

Passage source: History of Tipton County Indiana, published 1914.

The Whisler brothers, John and Jacob, settled about two and a half miles east of Tipton prior to the year of 1830. Jacob Whisler was the first treasurer of the county, but later moved into Hamilton county. John Whis¬ ler moved, with his family, to Kansas in T833. Near the opening of the year 1838, if not in that year, William Deal made a settlement in this township, and a trifle later John Emehiser emigrated here. Emehiser was a native of Pennsylvania .and of German descent. His first inroad into Indiana was to Wayne county. In 1838, or a year later, William Dickson came, also Anson King. Samuel King was one of the largest owners of land here, at one time possessing over one thousand acres. He first entered land in 1835. John Forkner entered land south of Tipton in 1839. Dr. Silas Blount moved from Ohio and located just north of the Hamilton county line in 1841. The village of West Kinderhook was afterward established there by him. He was one of the first physicians to practice in Tipton county. He was also one of the first associate judges. For a period of forty years he followed diligently his practice and was esteemed by all who knew him. In the eastern part of the township Jackson Reed settled at an early date. Records show that probably the first Methodist religious services in the county were held in his home. Harvey Goodykoontz locat¬ ed in the southern part of the township near the. subsequent site of the Peru & Indianapolis Railroad. He, during his life, held the positions of justice of the peace and assessor, being the second of the latter officer in the county. His death occurred in 1882. Newton J. Jackson, John S. Ressler, Martin Prilliman, William Buffington, Jesse Brown, William H. Nelson, William F. Brady and others settled in or near the town of Tipton.

Passage source: History of Tipton County Indiana, published 1914.

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 Cicero Township - it names this place 36 more 36 times.