James Edington Montgomery O'Hair House

The first settlers were Jesse and Rollin James, Elias Gibson and John Powell, who built their cabins in 1821,m the- west part of the township, not far from where Brick Chapel now stands. In 1822 came Isaiah Vermillion, Thomas Head}-, Barnabas Frakes, George W. Hewlett and Philip Ford. During the next two years Levi Stewart, .John, Abner and O. Goodwin and George Pearcy became citizens. Within the years 1825 and 1820 they were joined by William Randall, James W. Hillis, Joseph Logan, Mr. McCorkle, William II. Thornburg, Andy Sigler, Captain Tumbrick, Jonathan, Aaron and Henry Myers, Mr. Glover, John and George Jackson, Mr. Baileys, Thomas Benge, "William Moss, Reuben Slavens, Edward Parish, Andrew Byerly, Joseph Heath, Philip Slater, Hudson and Eli Brackney, Robert N. Allen, Thomas Starks, Mr. Busey, John Allen, Mr. Penny, Abraham Leatherinan and Luke Gardner. The years 1827 and 1828 mark the arrival of Robert C. Brown, Addison and Josiah Lane, Samuel Job, Elswick Risk, George Gibson, John F rakes, J. and P. Clement and W. Hansel. There was a large increase of population in the following two years, among whom were James Montgomery, Daniel Chadd, James Fisk, Phelan and Corbin Priest, dames O'Hair, John Brown, Henry Foster, Alexander Tolin, PeterGraves, John Gilkey, Hiram B. Slavens,

Passage source: Biographical and Historical Record of Putnam County, Indiana .., published 1887.

The marriage of George Jackson and Susannah Tomlinson was the first in the township. The first blacksmith was John Jackson, who built a shop on section 32. Thomas Heady Was the first justice of the peace. Then came Reuben Slavens and Alexander Tolin as his successors in office. The first who died in the township was a man named Lane. He was buried on the farm of George W. Hewlett. The Brick Chapel graveyard is one of the oldest in the township, and has a beautiful 'location. The first school was taught by George Pearcy on section 1, north of Bainbridge. About the year 1826 Addison 'Lane taught a school near the site of Brick Chapel, which was the first in that neighborhood. He was followed by Joseph Farley, Hiram B. Slavens and John Slavens. The Christians held the first meetings in the township at the house of George W. Hewlett in 18^3. Gilbert llaniey preached and conducted the services. This house was used as a place of worship for several years by different denominations. Rev. Benjamin Jones, a Methodist minister, held services also at the house of Mr. Hewlett, shortly after the Christian meetings at the same place, and here the Methodist church was organized by Daniel Anderson and Benjamin C. Stevenson. This must have taken place in the conference year 1820-'27, as Anderson and Stevenson were then pastors of the Eel River Circuit. Meetings were also held in a log schoolhouse that stood where Brick Chapel now stands. The first church-building was erected by the Methodists on the present site of the Montgomery Chapel. It was a small brick

Passage source: Biographical and Historical Record of Putnam County, Indiana .., published 1887.

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 - 741 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.