Madison Township

Madison Township

The first settlement in what is now Washington county was made in Aladison township aliout one mile north of Hardingsburg, in 1803, by- Thomas Hopper, who had emigrated from North Carolina. Hopper possessed considerable property for that early day and entered in this and other cour.ties about ten thousand acres of land. Arriving at the Ohio Falls he struck out on the X'incennes trail and finding lands that exactly suited his fancy settled on his new home. He was soon followed by others, and from 1 80S to 181 5 the country was settled up rapidly. At the latter date probably two-thirds of the land in the township had been entered and settled upon, and they soon were prosperous with good schools, mills and churches.

Alexander Ralston, an Irishman and a storekeeper, settled on the Gen. James .A. Cravens farm. Aaron Hardin was an early settler and Sampson Patton came in 1812. Jacob and Henry Trunkle came in 1813, also John .\lsliit an<l F^aul Kestcr. Robert Mdntire, who was at one time a member (if the I^egislature. settled on section 15. In 1811 David McKinney entered a f|uarter section u]ion which the northeast part of Livonia now lies. Jesse I'>rc;uson. Borland Brown and Elias Williams also took up lands adjoining McKinneys, and these tracts include all of Livonia. Other settlers who came in i)rior t.. iSif. wltc John Wihlc, James McPheeters, Daniel Westfall, .\hraham Rife (who iivcil in what was known as the "Poplar Cabin" and kept a -tore), Adam Wihle, Alexander McPheeters. David Colglazier, Alexander McKimicv. Shadrnck White, Samuel Wible and William McGill.

In the \-icinitv of Sinking spring, besides those already mentioned, wer<' Joel Kedns, James L. .Archer, William Young and .Absalom Sargent. The Litter built a horse mill in 1815, which he operated for a number of \ears. He first tried to o])erate a water mill at the spring, but could not make it run succes'^fully. Up to the date when railroads were first built ;uToS'. the conntrx a constant stream of travel, emigrants for the far Wtst, jioured ihr, .n-li this ]iart of the county.

cattle. Alexander, Jr., drove the wagon while Alexander, Sr., and David McKinney dro\e the hogs. AIcKinney's two daughters, Polly and Elizabeth, drove the cattle. The men with the hogs pushed on ahead. Hogs in those days could travel as fast as most any other kind of stock. As they neared their future home darkness overtook them and they prepared the camp to have it ready when the rest came up On reaching the forks of the road neai where Livonia now is, they had taken the wrong trail, and did not discover their mistake until too late to turn back that night, so they camped where they were with the hogs. Tlie girls with the cattle were some distance ahead of the wagon, and on reaching the forks of the road were at a loss to know which to take, and resolved to wait for the wagon, but the wagon became crippled in sortie way and could not proceed. So the girls were comi>elled to go without supper ur fire, and scraped up a pile of leaves for a bed. where they remained till next morning, sleeping very little on account of the racket kept up by wolves and panthers, for they knew not how soon they might be devoured by those ferocious beasts. The men with the hogs rested easy, thinking the girls were with the wagon, and those with the wagon thought they were with the men.

Among the early industries was a horse mill erected b}' Daniel Sherwood on what was later known as the William Crane farm. The flour was bolted by hand. Aaron Hardin, Sr.. carried on a cheese factory on the Crane farm as early as 1835. He found a ready market for his output at the Ohio Falls. Near Hardin's farm Alexander Ralston built a horse mill and distillery about 1 8 18. He also kept store. Joseph Ash operated a distillery between i8jo and 1830. A Regular Baptist church was organized at Sinking spring in 181 5 by Reverend Pope.

On May 14, 1814, Cyntha Ann, the youngest child of David McKinnev. died, and this child was the first person to be buried at the cemetery now known as the Trimble grave\ard, which has become so noted liy reason of its containing the remains of so many representatives of the numerous families that lived and died in the surronnding country.

The line lietween \'ernon ami Madison townshi[> for a long time ran through the town of Pivonia. which was inconvenient in many ways, so enough land to embrace the entire town was taken from X'ernon ;ind added to Madison township.

Town Of I.Ivoma

lots. Thirty more lots were added on August 31, 1835, by James McPheeters, John McKinney, L. H. Smith, A. R. Orchard, J. C. Wible and J. C. McPhetters. Previous to the laying out of the town there had already been built four log dwelling houses and a store erected by James McKinney, in 181 5. This store was a log building and the stock of goods was small, but of a general character suitable to the times.

After the town was mapped out the first house erected was a doubleroom two-story log tavern, by John Scott. A shed room in the rear served for both kitchen and dining hall. Scott operated a store in one of the front rooms. McPharen & Young began the merchandising business in 1821, and in 1826 built and opened up a new store and up to 1829 carried on an extensive business, when they sold out to John B. Shryer. Among the subsequent merchants were John Wright, Andrew Orchard, George McPheeters, Frazier & McPheeters. Asa McKinney, Andrew McPheeters, Leonard H. Smith, McCoy Brothers, William M. Greenshade, W. B. Knox, James McCoy, Leander Hopper, Jeremiah McColough and others. A tread-mill did the first grinding, built by Daniel Sherwood, about 1836. In 1840 the Sherwood Brothers built a steam saw- and grist-mill, on the old mill site. After changing hands a number of times the mill burned in 1853. John and Isaac Martin soon after ])ut up a saw-mill on the same lot, afterward selling to McCoy & Warren. Some years later Samuel and Claude Banks put up another gristmill.

Livonia is situated very near the Orange county boundary, twenty miles east of the famous French Lick and West Baden springs, the world-famous resort. It has many old buildings and these show a most wonderful building skill of the carpenters at the period they were erected. The farming land around this village is of the best and is noted all over southern Indiana. The principal field crops are corn, oats, wheat, barley, rye, cow peas, and alfalfa has been introduced with much success by quite a number of the farmers. Also gardening has Ijeen carried on successfully with a numljer who have a limited number of acres of land, and the only thing that prevents this occupation from becoming more extended is the great distance to the city market. As to fruits, many farmers are fast setting out a great variety of the best \arieties of trees and in a few years what is now the poorest land on the farm will l:>e a large-paying investment.

Li\nnia has an excellent school building, two churches, one flouringniill. three 'itr)res. one restaurant, two blacksmith shops, one barber shop and one exchan;;e building. These are all flourishing business enterprises. The roads are nearly all rock roads leading into Livunia and show that the ])eople are always awake to better the aihantages ui the town. The names of the merchants at Livonia in 191 3 are Stone & Summers, Dallas Daugherty. J. P. Tarr and the restaurant n;an is W. !-". Bowles. Drs. E. C. Mead and W. S. Workman are practicing i)h}sicians.

The following have served as postmaster at Livonia; Mr. Mcl'heeters, Colonel McPheeters, Dr. Jack McPheeters, Mr. Holmes, John 1 tanks, .\manda H. Martin, G. W. T. Gardner, Dempsley L. Hutchison. .\nna Z. Coulter, W". O. Hackney, Charles M. Redus.

The Livonia Flouring Mills have been owned In- Mr. McPheeters, Nathaniel Kimbell, Riley McCoy, J. D. Sims, George King, Piowdes & Warren, Boss Wible, Mr. Banks, Charles King, George King, Sam Patton, Sr., Frazier & McPheeters, Nolan Armstr(jng, H. H. Phillips, .Vrnold & Clements, Tarr & Coulter, Dallas Daugherty is the present owner.

In Madison township, in the long ago, Livonia was noted for its educational facilities. The early emigrants were mostly from the East where they had enjoyed the very best educational advantages. They realized what a good education meant and spared no available means to spread information among their children. Livonia possessed a classical school almost planted the seeds of one which brought forth fruit, and ni today a well-read people.

In 1818 Rev. William W. Martin became pastor of church at Li\onia. (^n his settlement tliere the educational community were not up to his standard, consequentl}" he took the work of estalilishing a good ckiv-ical school. Spe eiTorts were crowned with success. .\ coinniodiou-- house 1 erected and man}- young men and women from this and oihe his school. The training they recei\ed jirepared them ic in life and increased their ability to .assist their fellows.

The pupils of this school, not satisfied with the les "academy," fcjllow ing the exaiii|ile of the pupils of a "Ian vania school, called Mr. .Martin's venture "The Log ( oikfor many }-ears, and its beiietits upon the eoininunit\- may Ix teachers conducted summer schools, especially for the little ones who were not able to trudge long distances through mud, snow and sleet in winter.

Providence church was amo;ig the earliest of the township, and was located in the southwestern part. Its name was given it on account of an incident which is related as follows by old settlers ; By the willing labors of the early settlers the building was completed after the usual method of the pioneers, and upon its completion a large flock of wild turkeys alighted near it, and the somewhat scanty stores of food of the builders were thus replenished in an unexpected \\ay. Considering this a special dispensation of Providence, the church was so named in recognition of this bounty.

Reminiscences Of Pioneer Days

In the year 1874 Geurge S. Trabue was in his eighty-first year and one of the few remaining old settlers in Madison township. His story of the early settlement of that part of the county was as follows: "I was born in Virginia in 1793. My father emigrated to Kentucky in 1804. Fortunately we always resitled in neighborhoods where there were schools and from the time I was seven years old until I was seventeen was sent to school every winter. I began teaching at seventeen in Kentucky and having laid by enough money to enter a little farm, came across to Indiana and entered a quarter section in 1816. I made up a school the same fall and taught where Livonia is now located. I boarded with Col. James McKinney, who kept a little store near 1)\-. The next summer I found em]>loyment in a store owned by .\. Rulston, a Scotchman, who owned what was afterwards known as ".Scotland Farm,"' the home of Gen. James A. Cravens. This was the east half of section 34. In the winter of 1818 I went back to Kentucky, returning the following spring. I built a primitive c;ibin on the land I had entered and continued for a few _\e,-irs tn teach school in winter and farm in ''Unmier.

'Tn tlio'^e day< we were compelled t'l practice Ihc very strictest economy tn i^ci (in in the wiiij. 1 stockcfl my nwn i)l(iws, made horse collars out of nirii hii-k-, in.ide banics (nit nf rrdckcd while nak ^.iphngs taken from near the ground \\bere it \\a^ lough and n^eil trace- of home-made rope. Our dining-taliK- \\a- m;ide out of a slal) plank, with k.ole-- liored in each corner into which -IkIx- were drnen for legs. Tlii'- ver\ei| our ])iiriiose for several year> luuil in\ wife made cloth enough aiul to sjiare, which she exchanged with a neighboring cabinet-maker for a breakfast table. We did our own butchering, tanned all the leather we used and made all our shoes on homemade lasts with shoe pegs made by hand. An ax, a saw, hammer and a few augers were the main tou's we had to do our carpenter and cabinet work with. Our wheat was cut with the sickle, threshed out with flail or treaded out with horses and then hauled to Clarksville or Louisville and sold for thirty-seven and a half cents per bushel. Hogs were usually driven to the nearest point on the Ohio river, which was Leavenworth, where they brought two dollars a hundred. They were weighed one at a time then on the oldfashioned steelyard, which was not always correct and oftentimes we were badly cheated.

"It was the custom to have whisky in harvest time, at corn-shuckings, log-rollings, house- and barn-raisings, sales and weddings. At a sale in the neighborhood I prevailed upon the administrator to a!)andon the practice of using whisky, and he agreed to try it. The auctioneer offered some small articles to begin with, but there were no bidders. LIsually it was the custom when offering an article for sale to say, 'a dram for the first bidder,' or 'a treat for the highest bidder,' and this kept things going lively. A consultation was held and the conclusion was reached that the whisky liad better be secured; after which the property went like hot cakes.

"When I came to the state there were plenty of bear and deer. In the winter of 1816-17 a large bear foraged around in our immediate settlement. A deep snow having fallen a party of seven or eight was made up to track old Bruin to his hole and capture him if possible. The track was readily found and the trail was followed up until we reached the mouth of a cave in a hillside about a mile and a quarter from where I now live. The trees around the mouth of the cave still bore the marks of the Indian's tomahawk. With torches prepared and guns in hand we all entered the den. The entrance to the cave was quite low and we went some distance before we could stand erect. It was probably the first time any white man had ever entered the cavern. We picked up a number of hickory clubs about two feet in length, whicli had no doulit been used by Indians in their attacks upon ferocious animals. We searched for quite a while before the bear was found, ensconced in his wallow in a small hole on one side of the cave. His head and shoulders were hidden behind a bank of clay, which we proceetled to dig away so as to get a fair shot at his head, not caring to risk a shot that might not prove instantly fatal. One man would dig while the rest stood guard and manipulated the torches.

"While huddled together thus promiscuously one of the guns was accidentally discharged, making a deafening report in the cave and causing a general panic. One of the party cried out that he was shot and rushed for the mouth of the cave. The rest followed as fast as they could go, inquiring where he had been shot. He felt on the back of his head for a bullet hole, but luckily found none, only some singed hair and a scalp slightly powder burnt. After the scare was over some of the party ventured back again but the bear was nowhere to be found, having retreated to more secure quarters. A short time after this the same bear was tracked to another cave not far distant where he was smoked out and killed. About the same time a neighbor found two cubs in a cave. They came out almost every day to play. Cutting a long forked pole the man stood above the mouth of the cave and as they ventured forth the fork was jabbed over their necks which pinned them to the ground. One was sold and the other was domesticated. It was quite common to see pet bears around the settlements in those days."

Trabue lived to be nearly ninety years old, one of the last connecting links between the days of early settlement of the county and the progressiveness of the latter part of the nineteenth century.