Town Hall (Castle Hall)

The above town is situated in Worth Township, on the Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette Railroad, seven miles southeast of Lebanon and about the same distance northwest of Zionsville, surrounded by one of the best agricultural districts in the county. It is the center oi a large local trade and where the township elections are held, aud in fact all the elections when held in the county. It has been for years the central point for Worth Township. Whitestown was laid out in the year 1851, or about the time the railroad was built. The first plat was on the land of Abram Nese. The first merchant was Harrison Spencer, followed soon after by Henry' Lucus and William Laughner. The first grist mill built here was by Isaac Dye and Alfred Osburn, which was in a few years burned down; rebuilt by Henry Lucus. The present mill was built by J. W. Bowser, who operated it successfully for years and built up for it a good reputation at home and abroad. He sold it in October, 1886, to Riley & Vaughn. It has all the new milling facilities for making the best flour in the state. It is valued at $12,000. Among those doing business in an early day at Whitestown in the various capacities we might mention the following merchants: W. J.Givens, Daniel Echman, Ceaser Echman, F. M. Moody, Neese & Keefe, J. T. Ross, Dr. I. T. Ross, Dr. Starkey, Dr. Larimore, J. S. Hardy, who is now practicing. Postmasters, Henry Lucus, Dr. Ross, Henry Walters, S. M. Trout. The present one is J. O. Barb. Hotel, G. W. H. Roberts. The school house here is an excellent one of brick, and fully up to the times in every respect, as well as the churches and other buildings. The annual business transactions here amount to thousands of dollars, including the railroad business, which alone is very large.

Passage source: Early Life and Times in Boone County Indiana, published 1861.

Eagle Village, one of the oldest towns in Boone County, was laid out in 1831. It is located on the Michigan Road, in the southeast part of Eagle Township, about one mile east of Zionsville. Until 1852, when the Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette Railroad was built, the village was a place of some importance. From the year 1850, when it was at its zenith, it gradually went down, until now there are but few houses left. Many of the buildings were removed from there to Zionsville in 1852, when the latter place was laid out. Among the early merchants and business men of Eagle Village, most of whom are now deceased, we find the following: Daniel and James M. Larimore, Reuben Price, J. F. Daugherty, John Harden, Addison Nicholas, J. B. Pitzer, John P. Welch, Oel Thayer, T. P. Miller and Fielding Utterback, all of whom sold goods from 1835 until 1851. Among the physicians who practiced here from time to time, were H. G. Larimore, S. W. Rodman, Jeremiah Larimore, J. M. Gaston, Nathan Crosby and Dr. Johnson. H.G. Larimore died in Fayette County, Ind., in 1874, aged near ninety years. S. W. Rodman lives in Washington Territory. J. M. Gaston, who did not remain long in Eagle Village, lives in Indianapolis. Dr. Johnson's whereabouts are unknown. Jeremiah Larimore died in Indianapolis about the year 1880. He is buried at Mount's Run, in this county. Nathan Crosby, quite an old man, lives in Zionsville. He came from the East to Eagle Village in 1849. Of the early merchants we give the following: Daniel Larimore came from Fayette County, Ind., in 183-, was engaged in business only a few years when he died. He died in 1839, and is buried at Eagle Village. J. M., his son, succeeded him, and was engaged in active business until March, 1849, when he died of consumption. He was a fine-looking man, was never married, and is buried by the side of his father. He was the first Odd Fellow in Boone County. J. F. Daugherty came in 1836, and was in business a number of years. He finally moved to Zionsville, where he sold goods a number of years. He now resides in Indianapolis. John Harden engaged in business in 1842. He died in Ohio, February, 1877, and is buried at Zionsville, Boone County. Fielding Utterback was engaged in business several years. He was elected county sheriff in 1845. He went West and died there ten or fifteen years ago. Oel Thayer came to Boone County in 1839; was first a merchant in Clarkstown, then in Eagle Village. He finally removed ta Lebanon, where he died February 4, 1877. John Welch engaged in business with J. B. Pitzer (his brother-in-law), in 1846. He died in September, 1850, and is buried on Eagle Creek, six miles southwest of Zionsville. J. B. Pitzer was in business several years. He was elected county auditor in 1863. He resides in Zionsville, and is seventy-four years old. er. Miller was born in Tennessee. He came with his father to Eagle

Passage source: Early Life and Times in Boone County Indiana, published 1861.

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Read the whole chapter on Zionsville Town - 37,254 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.