St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church

At the October Term of court, 1S22, the price of tavern license was fixed at $10, and the number of beds that must be kept for the accommodation of travelers, and the number of stalls in the stable were definitely set forth. The proof of these things was a pre-requisite for the obtaining of the license. Richard Thornberry and Jehu Perkins were the first to avail themselves of this privilege of keeping a tavern. Modern fashion would call these hotels. It may be noticed that both of these were in the country. The very tirst house erected upon the ground now occupied bv Rushville, was a large double cabin built by Dr. W. B. Laughlin, in December of 1820, near the river, back of where John Fouts now resides. This location was selected on account of its nearness to a fine spring that gushes from the river bank. This was an unusually large double cabin, with a hall running through the middle. It was necessarily large to accommodate the doctor's family of three sons and ten daughters.

Passage source: History of Rush County, Indiana, from the Earliest Time to the Present : with Biographical Sketches, Notes, Etc., Together with a Short History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana, published 1888.

Among the first to build after the sale of the lots, may be mentioned Stephen Simms, who built near where Dr. John Moffett lives, Clum, a shoemaker, had his cabin where the Orphans' Home now is. Miner's cabin was just south of Caldwell's livery stable, John Alley's, where Hufford's is, William Hart's, immediateU' west of this, Robert Thompson's, where J. R. Carmichael's store stands, A. Lauman, in the same block, a little north of it. Dr. H. G. Sexton's where the Mauzy double store is, Job Pugh's double twostory house, stood where the National Bank now stands, Joseph Nichols', where James Pattison now lives, Charles Veeder's in the park, where three or four large locust trees now grow, Charles Test, where Dr. W. H. Smith's house stands, this he occupied as an office and dwelling until he married, when he bought William Hart's property on the mill race east of John Carmichael's mill; here he built a two storj- log house, which still remains, though changed from its original appearance by weather-boarding, etc. The first stock of goods was brought by a Mr. Patterson, from Pittsburg, who sold them in a house where Dr. M. Sexton's block is, east of the Windsor Hotel. Reu Pugh opened a dry goods store on the National Bank lot, Deming brought a stock and sold them in a building where the Rush County Bank now stands, he afterward built the brick, south of the court house, where he carried on the business ' for several years. Major Newell built a two-story log house, and sold goods, where Dr. W. A. Pugh lives, then came W. McClear^^ & Co. west of court house. Thomes Wooster opened a dry goods store in 1828. He had previously kept a grocery. The very first tavern, was one kept b}' William Hart, west of Hufford's house. He kept this house for perhaps two j-ears, and then sold out to Charles Test, and moved awa}'. Lauman, in 1823, opened one west of the court house, and Job Pugh, one north of the court house. This he sold to his brother Reu Pugh, after he was elected Recorder, the latter enlarged and improved the house, and carried on the business most successfully for many years. Reu Pugh was a most energetic business man. He kept a first rate tavern, a dr}- goods and grocery store, had an extensive tanj'ard and a shoemaker's shop, thus largely increasing the business of the town. Joseph Hamilton came to Rushville in 1S30, and opened a drv goods and grocerv store, in a room where Toolen's block now stands. He afterward moved it to the McPike corner and finally built a brick building, which is now a part of the Grand Hotel. Here, at the old white corner, as it was usually called, he for many years, carried on successfully, a general mercantile business and also kept a hotel, which made glad the heart of the weary traveler. In later years George Hibben, Laren & Flinn, Hibben & Flinn, Maddux & Havens, Hibben & Mauzy, and William Mauzy & Co., were among the leading merchants of Rushville. Joseph Thrasher was one of the early blacksmiths. His shop stood where Reeve & Burt's store is. Jack Irvin had a tailor's shop where Mrs. Mason's milinerv store stands. Henry Beckwith had a wagonmaker's shop on the south side of the court house. Alexander Glon was a well-known shoemaker in early times. Thomas Pugh carried on the business of hatter, in a .shop that stood where Gwin's livery stable now stands. Hiram Bell had a blacksmith's shop south of the court house.

Passage source: History of Rush County, Indiana, from the Earliest Time to the Present : with Biographical Sketches, Notes, Etc., Together with a Short History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana, published 1888.

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 Rushville Township - 66,939 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.