Sheridan Town (part 1 of 2)

Sheridan Town

Sheridan, the second town in size in Hamilton county, is situated in the southwestern part of Adams township, on the Monon railroad connecting with Westfield, Carmel and Indianapolis to the south and Chicago to the north. The town was laid out in i860 by Egbert Higbee on the south side of the pike road running east and west. Higbee gave the town the name of Millwood. On the north side of the road, opposite Millwood, Caswell Boxlev laid out an addition to the town. Some years later, when application was made for a postoffice at this point, it was found that there already was a Millwood in the state, so the towns on both sides of the road were united under the one name, Sheridan.

The pioneer business men of Sheridan were P. G. Pearson, 1866, harness shop; Dr. H. Moore, general merchandise. In 1866 Egbert Higbee built the first flouring mill at Sheridan, but for some reason the mill was not, operated for two years. In 1868 three men, Cyrus Jessup, Eliel Jessup and J. P. Peason, went into partnership with Mr. Higbee and under their joint management the mill was put into operation for a short time. It then changed hands and finally was purchased by J. P. Peason and operated for years under the firm style of Peason & Son. In the early years a saw mill was operated in connection with the grist mill.

The Methodists organized the first church in Sheridan. This was in the winter of 1867-68, and Rev. R. A. Newton was the prime mover in the organ¬ ization. Meetings were held in the school house until 1870, when private houses were used for worship. In 1873 two lots were purchased of Caswell Boxley and in August work began on a new house of worship. Owing to the panic of 1873 work was suspended for a year. The church then was com¬ pleted at a, valuation of two thousand four hundred dollars. Rev. J. V. R. Miller preached the dedication sermon. During this service two hundred dollars was raised on the church debt.

A View Of Cicero Main Street, Looking North. Sheridan

The town of Sheridan is situated on section 31 and 32 of Adams civil township, in the northwestern part of the county. It was platted by Egbert Higbee in 1866, and is today the second largest place in the county. Its business interests are varied and rapidly increasing in magnitude. A recent history of the town, compiled by a resident connected with the high schools of that place, gives the following facts : "Sheridan has many progressive leaders to take care of her stores and shops. It would be interesting to know that Egbert Higbee, a resident of Elizaville, was the man who laid the plans for Sheridan and called it Millwood. Doctor Moore established the first store on what is now the comer of Second and Main streets. This was a general store, in which was kept for sale a little of everything. Just a. little later James Heatherington started a store where John Stahl's house now stands. Other stores were soon added, including one by P. Q. Pearson and John Wilson. C. Boxley started his store at the corner of Second and Main streets. These men soon sold to other parties. Hamilton Emmons started the first drug store in the town. John Francis was first to establish an exclusive grocery store. May Emmons was the first person to start in the millinery business. Uncle Tom and Aunt Kercheval kept the first boarding house and entertained travelers. Old Mr. Saxmon started the first undertaker's shop, on the corner of Georgia and Third streets.

"Ten years later, the Union block was erected by various dealers. Frank Gregory had the first clothing store, and Henry Langhner had a small grocery stock; T. M. Smith had a hardware store where the Golden Rule store now stands. Owens Brothers, in Union block, also had the first bakery in town. The first bank was established in 1886, in the same building that the first grocery was established. Ed. Thistlewaite came in about the same date and had three stores and owned much land near by. He marked off a race course, and commenced a park improvement, but it was never completed. Arza Smith had several stores and now owns the flouring mills. By 1890 many dealers came in and business was very lively. Store after store were added, until all kinds of merchandise were to be purchased in the town.

"From the above date on nearly all these names which follow are famil¬ iar to the reader : John Branson, W. E. Cox, Raleigh Davenport and others were in the grocery trade; C. E. Elliott, dealer in drugs, etc. The presentday dealers are inclusive of these : Henry Laughner, a pioneer of the town, Kercheval & Chew, L. Waite, Henry Kinkaid, grocers; druggists, C. E. Elliott and Timmons Brothers; dry goods dealers, C. E. Gregory, Stanley & Willwerth; Hutchins, Norman and Eudaley and Tol Collins, clothing; jew¬ elers, E. Ridgeway, A. S. Rowe and L. E. Heaps. There are two hotels.

"As early as 1872 a saw mill was started by James H. Emmons; the same year the Harding mill was put in operation by J. H. Flanegan; also the same season was established an elevator by Ed. Thistlewaite. The same is now operated by Stahl & Drake.

"From early in the seventies to 1886 the following enterprises were founded in Sheridan: Wagon and buggy shop, by George Dixon; the grist mill, in 1872, by Pearson & Company; the cooper shop of Joseph Beard; the saw mill of Mace & Remson, another by Owens Brothers ; a tile factory, by Eli Hiatt, 1874; brick plant, by Fristoe Brothers; a tile and brick plant, by Henry Thistlewaite; a stave factory, where the Methodist church now stands; the heading factor, in 1886, by Eber Teter & Company, and a planing mill, by Duncan, Baker & Company."

Date Of Incorporation

The town of Sheridan, first known as Millwood, was incorporated in 1886. Owing to the fact that all the municipal records were burned in the great conflagration of May 4, 1913, there cannot be obtained much of the early history of this incorporation, but it is known that the following served as clerks and part of the time as clerks and treasurers of the place: A. C. Scott, Ambrose Colby, W. E. Clements, N. W. Cowgill, E. M. Richardson, F. A. Lovell, Oscar Macy, I. N. Hinshaw. Charles E. Crouch, W. J. Woods and J. W. Lindley.

The officers of 1915 are: President of the board, W. S. Bradfield: town clerk-treasurer, A. E. Dickey: other, members of the board, W. A. Scott, Marshall Billings; town marshal, John T. McCarty. The bonded indebted- ness of the incorporation is at this date nine thousand five hundred sixty dollars. Many years ago the town owned its own electric light plant, but in 1912 it was sold to a private corporation, which also operates the waterworks. This company has two deep wells and a large reservoir. The town has a volunteer fire department, with the marshal as its chief, and there are about a dozen members in the service, but all men who are able-bodied attend fires and do their share of the work. In 1913 the town erected a fine two-story brick city hall, costing six thousand five hundred dollars, in which are the council rooms and town offices, as well as the fire department and its equip¬ ment.

The fire above mentioned destroyed a large part of the business portion of the place and one of the churches. The fire caught in the planing mill and with a wind blowing on that eventful Sunday noon at the rate of forty miles an hour it was impossible to stay the flames, rapid advance over the place. Sparks and cinders were carried by the wind in one case a distance of thirteen miles, at which point it started another fire.

Condensed Milk Factory

The Indiana Condensed Milk Company's plant at Sheridan is among the largest of its kind in the country. It was established about the year 1900 by W. N. Wilson, succeeding the old butter works that had been there many years before this latter organization. Mr. Wilson was accidentally killed by the explosion of a sterilizing equipment. After this sad event his sons and the family carried on the work and soon greatly enlarged what had been commenced in a small way by the father. Today it is an immense concern and uses from six to eight thousand gallons of milk daily. This is collected in a radius of ten miles of Sheridan by means of thirty teams drawing large milk wagons. The company employs about fifty men and women in the work of producing a very superior grade of condensed milk, which is put up in tin cans ranging from one-half pint to one gallon. "Wilson Milk" is known everywhere. The company sells in great quantities to the United States gov¬ ernment and to large steamship lines. At one time, when the milk was scarce, the proprietors had to ship milk from southern Indiana and as far north as Wisconsin in order to fill their orders. They also freighted many hundred tons of milk from Lebanon, this state, a distance of eighteen miles, on motor trucks, but this was not satisfactory and the company established a plant at Lebanon as large as the one at Sheridan, which is still in successful operation. This was installed in 1914, at a cost of forty thousand dollars.

The first receipts of milk at that branch amounted to twelve thousand pounds daily, but has materially increased. Seventy-five persons find employment there. From ten to twenty thousand dollars monthly is paid out to the farmers in the surrounding vicinity of Lebanon.

This industry overcaps all others in the town of Sheridan. It is a great financial benefit to the farming community. Taylor Wilson, son of the founder of the business, is general manager and watches every point in the working of the large concern. The stock of the company is almost entirely in the hands of the Wilson family.

Arcadia

The town of Arcadia is situated nine miles north of Noblesville, in Jackson township, on the Lake Erie & Western railroad and the Indiana Union Traction line. Arcadia was founded in 1849 by John Shafer and Daniel Waltz and laid out the following year by Isaac Martz. Since its founding the town has had a steady, healthy growth, both in business and the number of its good residents.

Except for a few years, during the time natural gas was at its height, Arcadia has been largely the center of a prosperous farming community rather than a factory center.

The first store was opened by Josephus Mundle in 1852 on the corner of Railroad and Main streets. Two years later he disposed of his entire stock of merchandise at auction and Isaac Martz opened a store in the same place. Subsequently early merchants included Mr. Myers, G. B. Scribner, Seth Maker, J. S. Carroll, John I. Caylor and William T. Smith.

The first flour mill was built by Isaac Martz in 1863. The following year he added a saw mill and operated both for about four years. He then rented the milling property to his sons. Subsequent owners included G. W. Myers, Arthur King, G. W. Marsh and R. G. Stannard. The building is a frame structure thirty by forty feet, the main section being two and one-half stories high. It has three runs of burrs and is run as a custom mill. W. B. Gentry erected a steam elevator, a frame building forty bv ninety feet, having a storage capacity of eight thousand-bushels. A steam saw mill was operated by Niedham & Tucker, furniture being one of the products.

In 1873 D. B. Dickover began operating a planing mill at Arcadia, manufacturing all kinds of building material, which he sold principally to the home markets. In 1879 he added a heading mill, which had a daily average output of twenty-five hundred pieces. In 1876 P. D. Horn began the manu¬ facture of wooden suction pumps in the old depot at Arcadia. He did all the work by hand and manufactured about seventy-five pumps a year.

As early as 1872 Arcadia enjoyed the distinction of having a band called the "Arcadia Cornet Band." It consisted of thirteen members, which com¬ bination of numbers did not prove unlucky, for the organization lasted many years.

Schools And Churches

After the passage of the school law of 1852 the people Of Arcadia took added interest in school matters. In 1869 the township trustee erected one story of the school house and a stock company added the second story, thus making four commodious rooms. The first term in the new building was begun in the fall of 1871, with C. T. Ships as principal. He was followed by U. B. McKinsie, who held the position three years. The cost of this build¬ ing was five thousand dollars. The average attendance of pupils in the early days was one hundred and fifty. This building was used until 1913, when a beautiful new building, including a township high school, was erected.

The first church in Arcadia seems to have been erected by the Evangeli¬ cal Association in 1864, but four years afterward the building was sold to the Methodist Episcopal church. The Emanuel church, about two miles east of Arcadia, was built as early as 1848 by the Germans. The first building was destroyed by fire and the following year another one was erected, at the cost of six hundred dollars, the members donating their labor in the construction of the same. The Christian church was organized by Carey Harrison in 1845, an(i ^e first church building was erected in 1850. In 1866 a new church was built on Main street.

The first physician of Arcadia was Hugh McNeal. He was born near here and when very young began studying medicine. After a few years' practice here he moved to Pennsylvania. Perhaps the best known physician of the earlier times was Doctor Startzman. He came from the east and practiced here until his death. During the latter part of Startzman's life Dr. Silas Blount began studying here. His home was east of Atlanta, but most of his practice was obtained here. Doctor Gallaway came here about this time and practiced for three or four years, then moved to Noblesville. The present physicians of Arcadia include Doctors Hicks, Ray, Rodenbeck, Moore and Mercer.

Commerce And Industries

About twenty years ago the first factory was started in Arcadia. Since that time there have been two window glass factories, one lamp chimney factory, one bottle factory, one glass dish factory, one canning factory, one brick factory, two elevators, one feed exchange and one planing mill.

The first factory was a window glass factory. It was destroyed by fire soon after it was started. All the above mentioned factories have burned but the canning factory and the dish factory, which are still running. The brick factory was destroyed in the spring of 1907 and was immediately rebuilt for a bottle house. This was purchased by the High Pressure Bottle Works Company, which sold it in a few months to the Globe Bottle Works Com¬ pany. This latter company made bottles for about two weeks. The firm then ran short of money and the factory was shut down and placed in the hands of a receiver. In the fall of 1913 it was sold to the D. C. Jenkins Glass Com¬ pany, of Kokomo, which rearranged the machinery and on June 3, 1914, the factory started to making glass dishes and has been running since.

Two elevators are owned by the same firm, the old one being used for a storage for baled hay. These are owned by the Hollett-Winders Grain Com¬ pany, which deals in grain, coal, feed, flour, tile and fence posts.

Most of the stores up to about the year 1875 carried general merchandise, no man dealing in one special line. In many cases dry goods and groceries were combined with articles of another order. Kreag first came to Ar¬ cadia in 1874. I11 1880 the Burg & Gentry partnership was formed. This continued, until 1899, when each partner went into business alone. Trietsch & Bardonner were merchants about 1888. In 1885 a partnership between Dickover & Soul was formed. Not long after Dickover sold out to Elmore. Later Soul sold his share to Fenner. In 1889 Elmore & Fenner turned the business over to Wolff Brothers. William Wolff had come to Indiana in 1867 and had been in business for himself for some time before his brother, Frank, joined him. They remained in partnership until 1902. Dickover & Brown first formed a partnership in 1897. There was no change until 1904, when Noble bought out Dickover's share. In 1909 Brown sold out to F. Noble, who continued the business until 1911, when he sold out to Carl Major.

who continued it for a number of years, finally selling out to his son, Charley Orr. The latter held it about two years, then sold it to W. Rodenbeck, who still owns and operates it. Perry Winders, who had been associated with various enterprises in the town before, started a drug store in 1897.

In 1882 John Teal started a small hardware store. It has passed through various hands, John Waltz, Heisser Brothers, Lower, Arcadia Hardware Company, and Bob Myers, who now owns it.

Many changes have been made in the grocery stores and meat markets, but the most important ones remain, Marshall Branson, James Caylor, Mal¬ lory, J. Gentry and Dawson. The dry goods merchants are Frank Wolff, William Wolff, Charles Major, Joseph Triesch and the Xew Bargain store. Kreag & Shaffer have the furniture store.

Cicero is situated in the southeastern part of Jackson township. The first stock of merchandise here was placed on shelves by Duncan Hannaman in 1835 at the corner of Jackson and Van Buren streets. The next dealers were Baird & Beasley, in 1837, at Main and Jackson streets. This building burned in 1861 and other stock was purchased and sold in part for a while by this firm. Later they sold to Jesse and Ellis Evans, who continued in trade until 1843, in which year they retired with a competency, selling their store to W ooster & Loeher.

In 1846 John D. Cottingham opened a store on Buckeye street, selling the same in 1856 to Xeal & Thompson. Among the other pioneer dealers were Daniel Kemp, W. H. Pickerell, G. XV. Myers, W illiam Xeal, Reeves & Sanders and Good Brothers.

In 1880 Cicero was the best town in the county, aside from Xoblesville, the county seat. For many years it was the .only voting place in the town¬ ship, the first election being held in December, 1833. Here the first postoffice in the township of Jackson was established. The early postmasters were as follows: Henry Jones, first; then followed Jesse Evans, John Criswell, William Xeal, John D. Cottingham, Samuel Bissell, Ed. Reeves, Asberry Andrews, Richard Andrews, William Porter and T. D. Xeal, who served from about 1873 through the early eighties. Since then the postmasters have been those named further on in this chapter, where the later history of Cicero is given in detail.

In the early days a tannery flourished here. It was situated in the west part of town and was established in 1845 by Mr* Buskirk, who sold it to Henry Martz, who conducted it till his death. George Ross then assumed con¬ trol and operated it until 1874. He then sold to Simpson & Son, who operated it till in the eighties, when the tanning industry throughout the entire country gravitated to the larger cities and into trusts and combinations. This tannery made large quantities of upper leather from calf, goat and sheep skins and also made a very excellent grade of harness leather.

In 1867 the Cicero flour mills were erected by John Martz and Isaac Grissom. This mill changed hands many times in a decade and in 1879 was in the hands of Jacob Stehman. The dimensions of this mill were thirty by forty feet, with four run of burrs, propelled by a forty horse-power engine and had a capacity of thirty barrels of family flour daily. With time it went down, like most mills in small towns in the country - flour now being produced in the larger milling centers. A saw mill also was operated at Cicero for many years, from 1878 on, and cut thousands of feet of lumber annually for many years.

Later industries, however, overtopped all the pioneer concerns. The great discovery of natural gas brought to this town the two large glass works, one making all sorts of bottles, the other making fancy pressed tableware in great quantities. Over seven hundred men were at one time employed here and business was aglow with prosperity. Four furnaces were run by the bottling plant and all conditions here bid fair for the creation of a large manufacturing center. With the failure of gas, however, the plants re¬ moved to Kansas and other points where gas and cheaper fuel could be secured. This was a hard blow financially to Cicero and the town perhaps has seen her palmiest days as a manufacturing point. Nature and commerce have combined against her enterprising spirit and left her only the support found in the retail selling of goods to the surrounding farming comniunity.

In passing, it may be well to name some of the most important factors of the town in 1880. Good Brothers, Simpson & Son, P. Six & Company, Sanders Brothers, Scherer Brothers, J. N. Kinder, all in the general dealers list; David Hull, cigar maker; J. N. Kinder, hardware; Edmons & Cook, farm implements; physicians, Drs. S. T. Dunham, S. M. Warford, I. M. Sanders, A. R. Tucker. H. H. Stout; attorneys, L. O. Clifford, William Neal, John Neal, W. L. White, Joseph Roberts; furniture, Edson & Gerber and George Jacobs ; meat market, Hauk Brothers and J. Willits.

Present-Day Business

Following is a list of the business firms of Cicero in January, 1915: General dealers, E. E. Clawson, Conaway & Lively, Ralph Crum; grocers (also handling shoes, etc.), A. J. Carey, Marshall Smith, Ed. Stewart, Peter Marshall; hardware, A. Barnes, F. A. McKnight; furniture, George Shoe¬ maker ; drugs, Codings Drug Company, Barnett Drug Company ; blacksmiths, Sorenson & Peterson, John A. Harbaugh; Mr. Turner also does wagon work; news stand, Icel Shoaf; restaurants, A. L. Carey; hotels, The Johnson and The Kessling; livery, Claud Crum and Mr. Vestal; bakery, K. Sperry; harness shop, S. T. Dunham; jewelry, I. Shoaf, James A. Meissen; tobacco stores and pool rooms, Thomas Caughman, Oakley Woodward; barbed shops, Case & Carson, Ralph Crum; tinner, Geotge Buchanan; ice dealers, George Dale, C. B. Shearer; photographer, I. Shoaf: automobile garages, C. L. Wilson, Timmons & Stern; shoe makers, J. W. Havens, Clay Lang¬ ford; grain elevators, E. E. Corthwaite, Robert Porter; lumber, Cicero Lum¬ ber Company, B. B. Woods, manager; stock dealers, V. L. Harrison, John Learning, John Timmons; physicians, Drs. B, A. King, H. H. Stout, Ed. Havens, Dr. Tomlinson, E. B. Mendenhall; dentist, Dr. J. O. Meissen; veter¬ inary, Dr. J. R. Carson; cement block works, Faultsch Brothers; brick con¬ tractors, William Webster; repair shop, Fred Creig; clothing, E. Flannigan; milk station for Polk Company of Indianapolis, E. A. Holmes, manager; realty dealers, John Reed and Mr. Maries; feed stable and tinsmith work, J. R. Smock; fruit and popcorn, George H. Dale, known as the "Hamilton County Popcorn King" ; "Opera Hall," Case & Codings, over Codings' drug store; millinery, Mrs. Staley; farm implements, George W. Wiggins; skating rink and summer park, C. B. Shearer.

The lodges of the town are: Masons, Odd Fellows, Red Men and Knights of Pythias. The church organizations are the Methodist Eposcipal, Christian, Evangelical Lutheran, Wesleyan Methodists and Roman Catholic. Until recently there have been Maccabees and Woodmen lodges, but both these latter have disbanded.

The postoffice at this point has had for its postmasters during more recent years: Thomas Neal, J. A. Had, Albert Slack, J. A. Had, second term, S. R. Young and Charles F. Bordonner, present incumbent, who was commissioned June 17, 1913. There are now running out from this office three rural free delivery routes, each being about twenty-six miles in length. It is a third-class postoffice, issues money orders, has a postal savings de-

Some Early History

In the Indiana Gazetteer for 1850 we find Cicero disposed of in a bare score of words, as follows : "Cicerotown, a small village in Hamilton county, on Cicero creek, six miles north of Noblesville, with a population of two hundred/'

This town was laid out by Dennis Pickerill and James B. Freel, January 15, 1835. We find no record of the first settlement, but the earliest merchant was Duncan Hannaman, who began business in the same year, 1835. There must have been quite a settlement at that time in and around Cicero, for we find "His trade was -lucrative and he continued in business for about three years," at which time he sold his business to Ira Kingsbury and moved to Illinois, and he, in turn, sold out to Jesse and Ellis Evans. In the meantime, in 1837, another firm had been doing business along the same line, Baird & Beasley. Jesse and Ellis Evans bought out this firm also and combined the business in one, which they continued as Evans & Evans until 1843, when they retired from business, their venture having been a profitable one. The Baird & Beasley firm erected a frame building on the corner of Main and Jackson streets, which stood till 1861, when it was destroyed by fire. The Evanses did business on Jackson and Van Buren streets. Ellis Evans remained in Cicero till his death, but Jesse moved to Illinois. Woaster & Loeher bought the Evans stock and continued the business in the same place for three years, then sold to Robert Forkner. Forkner, in time, sold to John Threlkeld, who moved the stock to Acton, Indiana. About 1846 John Cottingham opened a store on Buckeye street and subsequently moved to Jackson and Main. The firm changed hands several times, Neal, Thompson & Leonard being the successive owners.

Jesse Lutz, another early merchant, opened his business in 1847. It passed through several hands, among them being Pickerill, Kemp, Kinder Brothers and others. In 1880 it was the firm of Good & Brother. At that time it was said of Cicero, "Unlike many towns of equal age, the commer¬ cial prosperity of Cicero is not a thing of the past; it is today ( 1880) a busy, hustling, enterprising town, and with the single exception of Noblesville is the largest in the county. Its streets teem with activity, and its business houses are almost metropolitan in their appointments, representing a large amount of invested capital/' Among the leading business men of that time are found the names of Simpson & Son, P. Six & Company, Sanders Brothers and others, dry goods and groceries; C. E. Xelson and T. D. Neal, groceries; Warford & Codings and A. R. Tucker, drugs; J. N. Kinder, hardware, jew¬ elry, etc.; A. Meisen, cigars; David Hull, cigar manufacturer; Edward & Cook, agricultural implements; S. T. Dunham, harness; Drs. F. M. Warford, I. M. Sanders, A. R. Tucker, H. H. Stout, physicians; William Neal, John Neal, W. L. White, Joseph Roberts, attorneys.

Cicero was the only voting precinct in Jackson township for many years. In December, 1833, the first election was held, Elijah Redman and Elias Evans being chosen justices of the peace. The first postoffice was estab¬ lished at Cicero about 1839, Henry James being the first postmaster. He held the office for several years.

At the town of Cicero was located the first school in the township. Probably as early as 1834 a school was opened in a little log cabin right in the "forest primeval," for Cicero, as a town, was a thing of the future. On the farm of William Taylor a similar school house was erected the next year. In 1840 a hewed log school was built on the farm of Moses Martz and three years later a similar building was erected on Jacob Stehman's land. These schools were all kept up by private subscription as were all the earliest schools. The teacher received one dollar fifty cents for each pupil, the term being three months. In 1841 a school house was built in the western part of Cicero, for which purpose the trustees received fifty dollars of the public money. A teacher was engaged for three months, but the public money barely paid one-third of the expenses, the remainder being raised by sub¬ scription.

In 1870 a large three-story building was begun, at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars. It was erected by a corporation trust and was not com¬ pleted for several years, although school was taught in the meantime in the first and second stories. The third story was never used for school purposes till 1897 or 1898, when the number of pupils far exceeded the accommoda¬ tions. The schools were graded in the fall of 1876 and the following were the teachers that year : O. H. Blackledge, principal ; S. T. Dunham, Lillian Taylor and Anna Bray, grammar, intermediate and primary teachers, re¬ spectively. The town was heavily in debt on this building for many years. About the year 1900 a two-rqpmed building was added for the accommoda¬ tion of the increasing number of pupils. About 1906 the old building was

As early as 1868 Cicero had a band organized under the leadership of Marion Harbaugh. A second soon followed, under the direction of Charles Six. In 1875 these were merged into one, under the name of the Cicero Cornet Band, which organization continued for several years.

John Martz and Isaac Grisson built a flour mill in 1867, but it did not remain in their hands very long. Dale & Turner ran the pioneer steam saw mill, beginning the business in 1878. Sanders & Cook first operated the grain trade at Cicero, beginning in 1879. Mr. Buskirk owned the first tan yard, which he finally sold to Henry Martz, who operated it until his death.

Up to the discovery of gas Cicero was a thriving town. Like many other towns in the natural gas belt, it became a "boom town" then. For years the sign along the railroad for passengers to see and notice read : "You are in a growing town," and it was a very true statement. With the advent of natural gas all industries took on new life. A large glass bottle factory was located just south of Cicero and immediately the town sprang up to meet it. Everything was on the "boom." The factory brought some very desirable citizens and some not so desirable. As a class the glass blowers were not property owners. They earned large wages and they spent their money freely. They lived the adage, "Eat, drink and be merry," for the majority of them gave no thought to tomorrow. The new citizens were good livers and so all business was flourishing, A second glass factory was built in 1898, but it was operated only a short time, as about that time the supply of gas was on the wane.

At the present time Cicero is not as large or thriving perhaps as at the high time of the boom, but it is still a prosperous town with many good busi¬ ness interests and large stores.

Atlanta

Atlanta is the town lying the farthest north of any in Hamilton county, being situated on the line between Tipton and Hamilton counties. It is on the Lake Erie & Western railroad and the Indiana Union Traction interurban line. Atlanta is at present a thriving, prosperous town with good business interests and thrifty, well-to-do citizens within its boundaries. The present town of Atlanta is a combination of three older towns. An early settler named Caleb Sparger owned land west of the present*Lake Erie & Western railroad line. Wishing to perpetuate his name and increase the value of his land he laid out a town, calling it Spargerville. He sold a few lots, kept a store for a short time and then moved away from his town namesake. East of Sparger¬ ville lived Michael Shiel, and he likewise laid out a town on his land in the year 1839, named the town Shiel ville, and sold a few lots. Two towns laid out and named almost in one place were not enough, so, on March 21, 1851, Andrew Tucker laid out and platted a town, calling it Buena Vista. For many years then the town was known as Shielville, and the postoffice as Buena Vista. There being another town by the name of Buena Vista, it was decided to combine the three into an entirely new one - Atlanta, by which name it continues to be known to the present day.

Early Development

At the time the town was first laid out the country was all new. The land was wet and swampy and covered with a dense growth of timber and underbrush. In time, however, the land was cleared and properly drained and the corduroy roads gave place to fine gravel highways, until now the country around Atlanta has become a very rich farming community. The early merchants of Atlanta were Caleb Sparger, Michael Shiel, Bicknell Cole and Eshleman Brothers. The latter was the first firm to sell goods in a frame building. Following these were E. S. Tyler of Indianapolis, William Rooker, John S. Wolf and others. There was a noticeable improvement after the completion of the Lake Erie & Western railroad to this point, new enterprises springing up and more people being added to the town. About this time Messrs. Walton and Whitestone formed a partnership to carry on the lumber and timber business. They purchased timber in log form, which was con¬ verted into lumber, staves and heading stock. In this business they were very successful. Mr. Walton, while retaining his interest in the lumber busi¬ ness, also went into partnership with Mr. Niedhammer. In 1865, under the name of Walton & Niedhammer, they erected a flour mill at a cost of sixteen thousand dollars. This mill had an average daily output of fifteen hundred barrels.

With the discovery of gas in central Indiana, Atlanta grew and pros¬ pered by leaps and bounds. A plate glass factory was located there and oper¬ ated for several years. When gas became scarce as a factory fuel the factory was moved elsewhere. Upon the failure of natural gas the growth of the town halted. Upon the heels of the seeming decline, however, was estab¬ lished a more permanent and healthy growth and Atlanta has become an enterprising business center as well as a splendid residence town.

Churches And Schools

The first church built in Atlanta, or Buena Vista, as the village then was known, was built by all denominations and by contributions from those not belonging to anv church. This church was appropriately called Union church. Besides being used by all denominations in perfect harmony, the building was used for other purposes, such as public meetings, etc. No other church was erected until after the Civil War.

The schools did not advance very rapidly until after 1865. The first school building was erected in 1875. This building cost thirty-three hundred dollars, contained four rooms, and had a seating capacity of two hundred fifty pupils. In*the fall of the same year M. P. Goodykoontz, assisted by Mrs. Elsie Bovs, taught the first term. One year later a third teacher was added. For several years the school had but three departments, viz. : grammar, inter¬ mediate and primary, with an average attendance of ninety.

The names of the three merchants of Atlanta who had general stores in the town before 186c are as follows: Goolsbury, who established a store in 1851 : John W olf, 1853 ; Alsmans, i860. The present business men of the town are as follows : S. M. Scherer, hardware ; Wilson & Ramsey, hard¬ ware; I. Honnold, grocery; C. Essig, grocery; Scott Brothers, drugs; Goody¬ koontz, drugs; J. B. Aldridge, meat market; I. B. Mitchell, meat market and grocery; W'alton & Wrhistler, general merchandise; William Hobbs, general merchandise; Cochran & Son, lumber and coal.

Banks And Industries

The Bank of Atlanta was organized in 1900, and the three owners, A. G. W alton, E. S. W'alton and S. S. W alton, are the officers of the bank, being president, cashier and assistant cashier, respectively. The bank, on March 4, 1914, reported as follows: Resources, distributed as follows - loans and discounts, $91,470.72; overdrafts, $176.21 ; other bonds and securities, $15,- 287.50; furniture and fixtures, $2,144.15; due from bank and trust com¬ panies, $30,534.22; cash on hand, $5068.99; cash .items, $2,344.54; current expenses, $263.70; interest paid, $462.13; total resources, $148,252.16. Liabilities - Capital stock, $10,000; exchange, discounts and interest, $943.20; profit and loss, $92.06; demand deposits, $72,768.55; demand certificates.

A canning factory which restricts its output to tomatoes was built in Atlanta in 1912 by J. E. and J. A. Scott. The acreage and output for the three years the factory has been in operation is as follows: 1912, acreage one hundred and ten, output one hundred and fourteen thousand cans; 1913, acreage one hundred and twenty-five, output two hundred and forty thou¬ sand cans; 1914, acreage one hundred and thirty-eight, output three hundred eighty-four thousand cans.

A flour mill was established in Atlanta by Xiedhammer & Walton, in 1877. A roller system was installed in 1881 and in the same year James W. Whistler bought Niedhammer's share in the mill. For a number of years it was operated day and night making "Kitchen Queen" flour. Since the price of spring wheat flour has dropped, many of the winter wheat mills in Indiana have either suspended operations or else curtailed their output. With this change in conditions the owners have installed machinery to handle spring wheat but the mill does not grind as much flour as it formerly did.

Westfield is situated six miles west of Noblesville on the Noblesville and Lebanon gravel road and the Monon railroad and Central Indiana railroad. It was laid out by Ambrose Osborn, Asa Beales and Simon Moon on March 6, 1834. The original plat contained forty-eight lots eighty-two and onehalf feet front by one hundred fifty-six and one-half feet deep. Additions were made as necessity demanded. The first, which was made by Asa Beales in 1837, consisted of eighteen lots the same size as the original lots. Asa Beales also was the first store keeper in Westfield. In the year 1832, two years before the town was laid out, he kept a good store for that early time and his business was a success. His store evidently was a training school, as Isaac Williams clerked for him for a number of years and then, profiting by his experience in a good merchant's employ, opened a store for himself after serving faithfully as clerk. Isaac Williams was associated in business partnership at different times with other men, among them being his brother B. W. Williams, and L. R. Bowman. Isaac Williams continued in the mercantile business continuously for thirty-five or forty years. The firm of Bowman, Kenyon & Poe also were prominent and successful early merchants.

V. M. Arnett is said by authority to be one of the first blacksmiths in the county and the very first in Westfield, though another historian gives the honor to Nathan Parker and a man named Rains. It is certain, however, that Mr. Arnett began in 1854 and continued longer as a blacksmith than any other man in Westfield though Mr. Parker and Rains may have antedated him in the beginning. A pottery was conducted for a number of years by a man named Washburn. Mr. Shy was the pioneer shoemaker. Mr. Jackson owned a hatter's shop and spinning wheels were manufactured by Mr. Hunt. B. F. Pfaff. repaired and manufactured wagons for a number of years.

In the early days operating a tannery was a very important business. A. E. Funderburg and Joseph Conklin were the pioneer tanners in Westfield, operating prior to '61, on Pennsylvania street. When the Civil War broke out Conklin sold his interest to his partner and enlisted in the army. He never came back into the business again as he was killed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1863. J. F. Yow was later a partner with Fundenburg, the business being then moved to West Main street into a property formerly owned by Mordecai White. This tannery operated twelve vats and produced reliable goods sold exclusively to home markets.

The first wagon shop was situated in the north part of town in a building owned prior to 1861 by James Antrim and used first as a hotel. On the above date John Maulsby purchased the building and used it as a wagon shop. Later A. L. Baker, who eventually became sole proprietor, became a partner. Mr. Maulsby soon enlisted in the army and starved to death in Libby prison. Mr. Baker than continued the business for many years, employing from three to five men.

The Westfield flour mill was built in 1848 by Isaac Williams & Company, which firm operated it till 1854, at which time J. L. Seaman purchased the interest of Isaac Williams. Mr. Seaman purchased from time to time from the company till he and Peter Rich became equal partners. In 1855 Rich sold his share to J. E. Pike and a year later Pike sold to Micajah White & Com¬ pany. This share again changed hands several times until 1871 when part of it was sold at a sheriff's sale, Mr. Seaman being the purchaser and thus becoming sole owner. In 1862 Mr. Seaman made an addition which in¬ cluded a woolen mill which operated successfully till 1873. The mill proper was a frame structure thirty-seven by forty feet, three stories high, capacity, sixty barrels of flour per day, which was considered a large mill in those days.

An Early Postoffice Report

The Westfield postoffice was established in 1837, the first post master being Isaat Williams. An idea of the postal business carried on in a pioneer town may be gained from the first report which is as follows : "From May 10 to June 30, 1837, postage on unpaid letters received from other offices dur¬ ing this quarter, one dollar ten and three-fourths cents; postage .on paid let¬ ters sent from this office during this quarter, thirty-five cents ; aggregate, one dollar and thirty-three cents ; revenue of postmaster for this quarter, thirtynine and three-fourth cents." Successors of Mr. Williams as postmaster in¬ cluded George White, Harrison Goodwin, B. T. Miller, Nathan Overman, A. V. Talbot, John Wade, Joel Denny, Mrs. Evelyn Conklin, Henry Wicker, Caleb Mills and J. W. Davis. The first money order issued from this postoffice was on August 4, 1871 for forty-five dollars.

The first election held in Westfield was at the house of Asa Beals, on December 7, 1833, f°r the purpose of electing two justices of the peace and other township officers. Westfield was incorporated in June, 1848, the fol¬ lowing persons being elected trustees: William N. Jackson, first district; William Haines, second district; George White, third district; Anslom Rayle, fourth district; and Nathaniel White, fifth district.

Early Quaker Influence

Westfield was settled almost entirely by members of the Friends church. For many years this town was known as a Quaker town. In pursuance of their belief these early settlers did everything possible to promote the cause of education, peace and universal brotherhood. In an equally decisive manner they set their faces against slavery, war and all intoxicating drinks. To pro¬ mote education they employed a teacher in 1835 who opened the first school in the old log meeting house of the Friends. This school and all others until 1852, when the constitution provided for public schools, were conducted on the subscription plan, excepting for such assistance as they may have received as their share of the seminary fund. In 1837 some men of means donated lands to be sold for the benefit of the school. A considerable sum of money was raised this way. This fund was created in the interests of the Monthly Meeting House, which was really the beginning of Union high school. Many donations, large and small afterward were added to this fund. This was the small beginning of education in a community which always has stood for education and the higher life.

The first high school building was erected in Westfield in 1858. It was a frame building thirty by forty feet, two stories high. The first term began in September, 1858, with A. P. Howe as teacher. The first story being the only one completed, the school had only one department until the fall of i860, when it was first organized as a graded school. Another teacher was added then with Mr. Howe as principal. This school continued as a two-grade school for about twenty years. The further progress of education in Westfield is traced elsewhere in this history.

In those things to \yhich the Quakers were opposed, such as slavery, they were as firm in their opposition as they were ardent supporters of education. During the war many homes were turned into houses of refuge for the run¬ away slaves. Westfield was one of the noted stations on the famous "under¬ ground railroad" running from the south to Canada and freedom. Many were the poor, hunted black men and women who were fed, warmed and clothed at the hands of the Quakers at Westfield, who hated with a deadly hatred the institution that made men of one color the chattels of men of an¬ other color. Hiding the unfortunates by day and helping them on to the next station by night were common occurrences in Westfield during the stirring days before slavery was abolished. Many a night raid by the searchers, many a hurried flitting by the slaves, happened in the quiet little Quaker town. But no threats, however terrible, nor raids or fights by infuriated masters of runaway slaves, deterred the quiet persistent men and women from what they believed to be their duty to God and their brother man. In no other town in Hamilton county were the colored people treated with as near an equality as in Westfield. To them the colored man was a brother in need and as such he was treated. Even to this day there is no sharply drawn line between the races in Westfield. The colored children have the same educational advan¬ tages as those of the white population. The colored man attends any public gathering he desires on an equal plane with the white man.

Westfield never has had a saloon within her limits for anv length of time. At one time a saloon was started in the north part of town, but the ladies took the matter in hand and with aid of coal oil the shack made a good bonfire. Two other attempts at running saloons likewise ended in failure.

From 1880 to 1890 several new enterprises were started although there were several running successfully before. The increase may have been due to the fact that the Monon railroad was built in 1880-83 and the Midland began operation in 1885.

A flour mill had been established long before. O. F. Brown established his saddle and harness shop in 1853. One or more sawmills had been in opera¬ tion in Westfield since its settlement. A tile factory had been running quite a while before this time and several stores and machine shops had been estab¬ lished. In 1883, A. J. Sole, of Xoblesville, built the elevator which* stands in the southwest part of town. Harvey Hare and Richard McShane managed it until 1885. It has changed hands several times since and now Goodrich Brothers, of Winchester, own it and Clyde Keys is manager.

A stock company was formed in 1888 which erected a shoe factory in the southwest part of town near the Midland railroad. After a few years they met with financial difficulties and closed the factory. After remaining vacant for a few years the building was converted into a furniture factory which also ended in bankruptcy. After a period of time it was overhauled and a canning factory was established therein under the name of the Hamil¬ ton Packing Company, which packed only tomatoes. This company also went into the hands of a receiver. The Van Camp Packing Company then purchased the building, adding corn and peas to the product and for several years did a paying business. In 1914, George Van Camp & Sons bought the plant and are now successfully running it.

In March, 1884, the Westfield State Bank was organized with Louis Estes, Robert Estes, Elem Conklin, Able Doan and J. N. Parr directors. Louis Estes was cashier. ' In September, 1898, the bank building burned and the following year the present building was erected. M. E. Cox is now cashier.

A man of the name of Rose began the printing of a newspaper in the town in 1884. Westfield has not been without a newspaper since then. A. E. Pinkham is now the editor.

About the same time a co-operative creamery was started but ended in financial failure. The R. W. Furnas Ice Cream Company purchased the creamery and is now successfully operating it.

In 1885 Bin ford, Talbott & Company moved the present saw mill here from Spiceland, Henry county. I. B. Anderson was connected with it for some time, Then Mr. Talbott became sole owner and has held this ownership ever since. Recently he erected new sheds and has established a builders' hardware department.

Westfield has always been well supplied with merchants and mechanics. In a list of dry goods merchants appear the names of L. R. Bowman, Isaac Williams, Hoxie Kenyon, William Pfaff, Hugh Hetherington, J. M. Chappie and William McAvoy. The more prominent grocery men have been Edmund Black, T. T. Bray, Henry Boyd, Funderburgh & Son, and Clyde Johns.

Mechanics always have found good business here, as attested by the number supported. T. P. Pfaff & Sons were among the first smiths and wagon makers. Calvin Hunt a little later was a smith and plow maker. Also Jacob and Gastoy Stout were smiths and plow makers. O. F. Brown has been manufacturing saddles and harness for the last sixty years and is still at his old stand. The Hess brothers were shoemakers here for several years. A. E. Funderburgh and Milton Stanley operated a tannery for some time.

Even the best of village people sometime become ill and require the at¬ tention of a physician. Westfield always has been well supplied with efficient doctors. Dr. Albertson and Dr. Hunt were here before 1850. Dr. Pfaff came here in 1852; Dr. Benson, i860; Pettijohn, 1865; Coffin, i860; Kane, 1873 ; Baker, 1875 ; Harold, 1885 and Dove in 1863. At the present time the town has three efficient physicians - Drs. Fodera, Baldwin and Bond.

During Mr. Milton Bray's administration as trustee of Washington township, the township took charge of the schools. The high school then was at Union high and the grades at the town school building. A V. Hodgen was superintendent. This was the first public high school in Westfield. In September, 1898, the township high school began with W. C. Day, superin¬ tendent. In January, 1904, the high school was destroyed by fire. A few years later the present splendid building was erected.

Westfield Public Library

Westfield always has held the distinction of including among its citizens some very well read men and women. A community as a whole cannot be a reading community without libraries. We have no account of the libraries earlier than 1902, though there were probably some reading rooms prior to that date. Sometime in 1901 the literary clubs of Westfield started a move¬ ment which resulted in the opening of the Westfield public library January 11, 1902. This library contained about seven hundred books. Miss Mercia Hoagland, state library organizer assisted in classifying the books and sys¬ tematizing the work. This library was maintained for eight years by gifts and subscriptions from people living in the township.

In 1910 Andrew Carnegie gave the sum of five thousand dollars for the erection of a Carnegie library. The lot cost four hundred dollars. Westfield was the first town in Hamilton county to obtain a Carnegie library. At present there are about twenty-four hundred books on the library shelves with a branch library of fifty books at Jolietville. The library is open daily, ex¬ cept Sunday, from twelve to seven-thirty o'clock. On Saturday it is open from one-thirty to seven-thirty o'clock. The present librarian is Miss Louis Benson. Her predecessor was Miss Elizabeth Horton. There is also an assistant librarian. About eight hundred and thirty persons are enrolled as patrons of the Westfield library. The present library board consists of the following: Mrs. Alma Bray, president; Mrs. Anna F. Pinkham. treasurer; W. C. McAvoy, secretary ; R. A. Funderburg, Dr. Z. H. Fodrea, Mrs. Lena Sherrick, Mrs. Martha Horton, Mrs. Lela Carey and the trustee of Washing¬ ton township.

Carmel

The town of Carmel, formerly known as Bethlehem, is situated on the dividing line between Clay, and Delaware townships, a part of the town lying in each township. It is ten miles southwest of Noblesville, with which it is connected by the Indiana Union Traction interurban railway line. It also is connected with other towns of the county, viz., Westfield and Sheridan, by the Monon railroad. The original plat of the town consisted of fourteen lots and was laid out on April 13, 1837, by Daniel Warren, Alexander Mills, John Phelps and Seth Green. Z. Warren, son of Daniel Warren, gives the follow¬ ing account of "Starting a Town" :

"In 1837, my father set about starting a town here, being the intersection of the roads and where four farms cornered, the southwest being his own. Two others. Alexander Mills, on the northeast and John Phelps on the south¬ east, were willing to have land platted and sell lots, but on the northwest the owner was unwilling. My father offered him one hundred dollars for an acre, enough for four lots. That being such a big price he accepted it. Then the grounds were platted and recorded under the name of Bethlehem.

"There were a plenty of tadpoles then, and my father meeting a neigh¬ bor who was opposed to having a town, told him that we had a town and its name was Bethlehem, and his answer was, 'Yes, Tadpoles' Glory.'

"My father sold lots at whatever he could get for them in order to start the town. One he sold for five yards of home-made jeans of indifferent quality, and the purchaser was to build a house on it and did of small round logs, the cracks filled with clay, and about large enough for a poultry house; but it filled the contract.

"The postoffice was named Carmel, because there was one in the state by the name of Bethlehem. In the early sixties when the town was incor¬ porated the name was changed to Carmel to accord with the name of the postoffice."

Additions were made to the original fourteen lots at various times. Amon gthe first were those by Samuel Carey, 1849; by Nathan Hawkins, eight lots, 1857; eight lots by Isaac J. Bales and J. H. Davis and others.

On January 20, 1846, a postoffice was granted to the town under the name of Carmel the name being suggested by Levi Haines, Sr. The new town received mail once a week by mounted carrier. Joseph W. Macy was the first postmaster. He served in this capacity for only one year. Levi Haines, Sr., then was appointed and held the post till 1858. His successors were Isaac W. Stanton, Alfred. T. Jessup, John H. Kenyon, Jonathan J. Griffin and Alfred W. Brown. Then Z. Warren took charge of the office a few months as assistant and in July, 1864, took full charge. He held the office until November 28, 1885 anc' was then superseded by Eli G. Binford during Cleveland's administration. Postoffice boxes were installed June 10, 1864. The same year a bi-weekly and later a tri-weekly mail system was petitioned for and granted by way of Noblesville. At the same time a hack was run for the accommodation of passengers. Later the mail came via Indianapolis and then changed back to Noblesville till 1883. In that year the Monon rail¬ road went through northward bound. The present postmaster of Carmel is Everet Stroud. The town is the center of a network of rural mail routes extending for several miles in all directions.

The first grist mill and saw mill in Carmel we are told by Z. Warren was built by Benjamin Mendenhall on the creek east of town and it is said that later the Wise boys had a steam circle mill near there. William Wilkinson had a saw mill in the Mattsville settlement, which he later turned into a grist mill. There were saw mills at Gray, Poplar Ridge and Mulberry Comer, the latter with a grist-mill attachment ; one at Pleasant Grove and one south of there. There also was a mill north of here run by the Jeffries brothers, and at one time there was a mill on Old Town Run. A band-saw mill was operated here by Charles Wilkinson. Buck and Crago bought this mill and changed it to a circle mill. Later it was destroyed by fire. John E. Buck then built another mill which finally was removed from here. A mill operated by the Laycock Manufacturing Company also burned down, after which the present mill was erected. There was a grist mill in the Mattsville settlement known as the Macy Bond mill, which was run by water power.

hauled up into the second story on an inclined plane, and stood near where the present school building stands. This mill was later known as the Gideon Newby mill. Newby changed it into a circle mill on the ground story. Later, in partnership with Silas Beeson, he added a grist mill. When this saw mill was first started clear poplar lumber sold at thirty-seven and one-half cents per hundred but later was raised fo fifty cents.

In operating this saw mill when first built sometimes there was insuffici¬ ent power, the safety valve rising and letting steam off. On these occasions, Mr. Harvey, one of the firm, was wont to climb on top of the boiler and sit on the end of the lever to hold down the valve. One of the mill men visited the machine shop at the city where the engine was made and related the incident. The answer he received was: "Jeff Davis is a liar! ' He said the Indiana soldiers would not stand battle. Anyone who would sit on that lever would face the cannon's mouth."

This was in the time of the Mexican War. After the Monon railroad came, T. E. Carey and W. P. Dixon erected the present flour mill now oper¬ ated by R. J. Follett & Company.

The first dry goods store was opened by Boggs & Boggs, the store room being a log cabin. This opening of the first store was a great event in a little town. Even before the floor was laid or shelves had been placed in the log cabin the young men gathered there one Sunday afternoon to discuss the "great event." Some of the staple articles kept in this first store were Orleans sugar and molasses, mackerel, blacksmith's iron, dog irons, odd lids for skil¬ lets and ovens, calico, coarse muslin, called "factory," bandana handkerchiefs, jew's-harps, bonnet boards and wires, iron lamps, etc.

Boggs & Boggs did not remain longer than about a year. Then at differ¬ ent times other persons kept a store for short periods of time, with a period in between when there was no store in Carmel. But after a time Levi Haines, Sr., opened a store in the original log store building and later went into part¬ nership with Caleb Harvey. From that time on Carmel never was without a store. Later merchants included Little, Drum and Anderson of Indian¬ apolis, Elijah King, Sylvanus Carey, Josiah E. King, Frank H. King, Pucket and Stanley, T. H. Burkhart and T. A. Painter. Other early merchants where Elam & Brown, Mendenhall & Stanton and John Kenyon. In i860 the Griffin brothers were succeeded by Alfred Brown, who in turn was suc¬ ceeded by Randall, who sold out the stock. James Stanley opened a drug store in the room vacated by Stanley. Carey & Simons were the successors of Stanley in the drug business. Then Warren & Kinzer were followed by L. J. Small. David Kinzer opened the first variety store at an early date.

The first blacksmith shop in the community was that of Barnaby Newby whose shop was one-half mile west, the second being that of John Hunt, an equal dis¬ tance east of the town. Franklin Hunt and Martin Phelps opened the first blacksmith shop in the town. When this shop was all ready for operation, Mr. Hunt said, ''Now let's make a jews-harp so we can say that was the first thing made on an anvil in Bethlehem," and it was done accordingly. Suc¬ cessors in the smithy business were Moses Puckett, Enos Haines, Joseph P. Cook, Richard George, John Patty, Sr., John A. Haines, David Stewart, Albert A. Haines, and others.

The first shoemaker was George Gibson, and Joseph Wilson was the pio¬ neer harnessmaker while Asaph Hiatt began the .window sash business. Will¬ iam Frost who was a tailor in the forties later took up the practice of dentistry. Jacob Green, Sr., & Sons, and Joseph, John and Nathan Hawkins were the first coopers. The first carpenters were Thomas Mills, John West and Joseph W. Macv. The first house painter and paper hanger was William S. Warren. In 1857 Simeon Hawkins operated a tile factory in Carmel. The men who made wagon-wood work were Mahlon Haines, the Patty and Kane brothers, and Henry Harvey, Sr. The first cabinet work was done by George Davis. Among the early regular physicians are found the names .of Drs. Woodyard, the two Vickrys, L. S. Campbell, S. C. Dove, J. S. Losey, J. L. McShane, Daniel Carey, C. W. Cook, George Kane, Zenas Carey, Milton Carey, N. G. Harold, C. W. Mendenhall; K. C. Hershey, 1892; F. C. Hershey, 1894, and Dr. Cooper, 1910.

The first newspaper, called the Carmel Signal , issued its initial number October 13, 1889. L. J. Patty and L. J. Small were the publishers and pro¬ prietors. Later editors of this paper were Ed E. Small, Vern Patty, George Bowen and Hall Small, but the paper was discontinued August 10, 1893. Later papers which also were short lived were the Carmel Register and the Carmel Scar. The Carmel Standard , which at present represents the village, is published by Roberts & Patty.

Soon after the town was established, a tanyard was started bv Caleb Harvey. Cowhides, calf, sheep, dog or any other kinds of skins were tanned and made into shoe soles and upper leather, the latter being colored black. This yard later was owned by Isaac W. Stanton and Bohan Harvey. In 1855 Isaac Wright owned and operated it. Sometime after that the home product was superseded by factory-made goods and the tan yard became a thing of the past. In 1842, Caleb Harvey also ventured into the pork-packing busi¬ ness but this venture was a failure and he lost by the enterprise.

"The Crago residence building on the northeast corner of south Main street and Vine alley, originally standing further north on that lot, with the side to the street, and which has since been reweatherboarded, was the first house painted. It was occupied at the time by the builder's widow, who kept a boarding house. It was much weatherbeaten and it cost her forty dollars to paint it nice and white. With the chimney tops painted red it made quite an appearance. The widow-owner's nam$ was Bathsheba Harvey. The painter's name was William S. Warren.''

Serious Losses By Fire

There have been several destructive fires in Carmel at different times. The first building thus to go was Terry Templin's little grocery. The second was John W. Crew's shoe shop. Others were the saw mill of John E. Buck, the Lay cock Company's saw mill and drying house, the residence of Mrs. Kesiah Roberts in 1898 and the millinery store and nearby law office of L. J. Patty. John Jeffries' livery barn burned July 26, 1905, and before this fire could be checked the rest of the block south of the interurban railroad track also went up in the flames. As there is no regular fire department in Carmel a fire is a very serious affair. In March, 1913, fire was discovered early one Sunday morning in the rear of the old post office building. A west wind was blowing, carrying the flames eastward. This fire quickly spread till it seemed the whole eastern part of the town would go. The news was sent to Noblesville at six in the morning that "all Carmel was burning up." Happily the blaze did not prove as disastrous as that, though the rest of that block to the corner of Main street and north including Kinzer's store and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows' building was totally destroyed before the flames could be checked.

Early Settlement

The first house in Carmel was the Phelps's log farm house which was built prior to the laying out of the town. The first frame house completed was erected on lot thirteen by Thomas Mills. It has been since torn down. There were several attempts at building frame houses previous to this, but the skeleton of the house, sometimes partially roofed, would stand just a "frame" until it rotted and, becoming unsafe, would be pulled down. The reason for this was the hard times, the owner not being able to go on with that which he had begun.

tioned in the Indiana Gazetteer (1850) : "Bethlehem, a small village inhabited mostly by Friends, in the southwest corner of Hamilton county."

The first meeting for divine worship ever held in the county was con¬ ducted by the Society of Friends in 1830 at a point a little north and west of Carmel, in the south part of what is now the cemetery. About three years later a church building was erected and called Richland. Benjamin Menden¬ hall named the house, taking the name from his former home meeting in Ohio.

The following is an account of Richland from Shirts' history: "Rich¬ land belonged to the Fairfield Monthly Meeting, which was located in Hen¬ dricks county. It was at first an Indulged Meeting, but in 1833 a Preparative Meeting was established by the Fairfield Monthly Meeting. In 1835, Rich¬ land Preparative joined with Westfield Preparative, and the Westfield Monthly Meeting was established by the White Lick Quarterly Meeting, held in Morgan county. The committee appointed to attend this monthly meeting was Eleazer Beales, Robert W. Hudson, John Carte, Jr., Richard Day, Eliza¬ beth Mendenhall, Ann Beales, Esther Newlin and Asenath Moore. These persons were all present with the exception of Richard Day and Elizabeth Mendenhall. The Westfield Quarterly Meeting was held alternately at Rich¬ land and Westfield. In 1840 the Richland Monthly Meeting was set off from Westfield by the White Lick Quarterly Meeting. Those appointed to attend the opening of the Richland Monthly Meeting were Samuel Spray, Robert W. Hudson, William Whitson, James Kersey, Samuel Millhouse, Ester Spray, Rhoda Carey, Asenath Moore, Margaret Coffin and Lydia Tomlinson. The first clerks of the Richland Monthly Meeting were Levi Haines and Lydia P. Cook. In 1868 the Richland Quarterly Meeting was established. It was composed of Richland, Poplar Ridge and East Branch Monthly Meetings. Later the name of both Monthly and Quarterly Meeting was changed from Richland to Carmel."

Elizabeth Ann Stanton daughter of Benjamin Mendenhall was the first child born among the Friends. The first marriage according to the customs of the Friends was that of William Hiatt and Mary Moon. In accordance with the belief of the church a Sabbath school was organized and here youth of the Meeting received proper instruction along religious lines. The first preacher who belonged to this Meeting was Samuel Stafford, 1836, while Asaph Hiatt was the first recorded minister, 1841. The first church was of logs and was replaced bv a frame structure commenced in 1843 and finished in 1845.

a membership of about twelve. The first meetings were in a log house formerly used as a blacksmith shop. In 1850 a frame building was erected, was used until the completion of the present church which was dedicated March 4, 1906.

In 1874 at a session of the county commissioners a petition was pre¬ sented by the citizens of Bethlehem asking to have the name of the town changed to Carmel, that being already the name of the post office, and that the town be authorized to hold an election for incorporation. The petition was granted and the election was held March 21, 1874, resulting in a vote of thirty-three for incorporation and twelve against.

Early in the history of Carmel, education, the best the pioneers could provide for their children, was provided. Education always claimed the first interest of the Friends. The schools of Carmel were for some time connected with Union High at Westfield and the latter received many students and financial aid from Carmel and Poplar Ridge.

The first school was opened in the old Friends' church built in 1833. At first a sheet was used as a door till sufficient lumber could be procured for the door. An addition was built to this house in 1835, which doubled its seating capacity. For stoves the early worshipers had boxes of clay and mortar in which they burned charcoal. Later they put in plain box stoves.

Upon the site of this early log church and school in later years the Carmel Academy, a brick building, was erected. Previous to this there was a frame school building which was used in the fifties. The present school building is in the south part of Carmel. Some of the early school teachers were Thomas Charles, Jonathan Evans, Cyrus Cook and Charles Lane.

Carmel today is a prosperous town with a steady, healthy growth. Especially has Carmel increased in size and importance since the Indiana Union Traction interurban railroad was built through the town. Among the present merchants are L. J. Small, druggist; William Kinzer, general mer¬ chandise and groceries; O. W. Nutt, hardware and undertaking. Carmel is a fine residence town, having many beautiful modern homes within its borders.

The Carmel Cornet Band

The Carmel Cornet Band was organized in 1872 with R. L. Carlin as teacher. Some of the members were Frank King, George Scott, the Nutt boys, John A. Haines, Elain Comer. The instruments were what were called "over-shoulder" horns, even the E-flat cornets 'being of this type. These instruments had rotary valves and the players always carried a supply of fish- in g line to repair the strings that worked the valves. Each player bought a blank music book and the teacher wrote the music in these books. Selections were called by number. Two favorite numbers in this band were "48" and "49-"

In 1883 the Carmel Band was reorganized and new instruments were purchased. The instruments were of the ''upright" style and the cornets of the modern style. Instead of the rotary valve, the piston valve was used. Uniforms were also purchased and an almost entirely new set of musical selections were used. At this time there were twelve members, eight of whom belonged to the Haines family. The writer was the director, or "leader," as he was called, for four years. During these years, in addition to the marches and quicksteps, the band played overtures, selections and waltzes. It played for fairs, old settlers' meetings, political gatherings, and gave concerts. At some of these meetings, rival bands would attempt to "play each other down." It was not unusual for these bands to play for almost an hour trying to out-wind each other.

The fun the band boys had in the seventies and eighties can not be told. It had to be experienced. The bovs were the heroes of the occasion and were treated as such. They were the pride of the village and though the music was not always equal to that of the modern band, it was perhaps better appreciated. The Carmel Band, as an organization, ceased to exist in 1887.

Fishers Station or Fishers, as it is now generally called, is a small town on the Lake Erie & Western railroad between Noblesville and Indianapolis. It is the center of a farming community and has a few good stores, good schools and churches. The town was laid out by Salathiel Fisher, the original owner of the land upon which the town is now situated. It was divided into town lots by him in June, 1872.

The Fishers flour mill was built and fitted up as a grist and saw mill in 1S73 bv George Hamilton and W. H. Mock. It was located east of the Lake Erie ik Western railroad. Soon after the mill was opened Mr. Mock retired, leaving Mr. Hamilton sole proprietor. He removed the saws and sold them and thereafter the mill was operated solely as a flour mill. In 1879 Mr. Hamilton sold the mill to W. G. Lowe., who continued as owner for some years. The mill ran two burrs, one for wheat and one for corn, and had a capacity of ten bushels per hour. It was a custom mill. This mill has not been in operation for some time.

Mills and factories have not flourished in Fishers to any great extent. In 1912, a canning factory and grain elevator were built and are still in opera¬ tion. A saw mill was erected some years ago but was removed to Fortville in 1910 by Mr. Deakyne.

In 1874 Rev. D. D. Powell organized the first class of the Methodist Episcopal church in Fishers. There were fourteen original members and the first meetings were held in the school house. In 1875 the Methodists pur¬ chased the ground floor of the building in which it held meetings for years. This building was erected as a union church and the Masonic order purchased the upper story, in which lodge meetings were held. Reverend Powell re¬ mained in charge three years. His immediate successors were Reverends Beall, I. J. Rhoades, R. B. Powell and Carpenter Curry. In 1873 a Sunday school was organized which had an average attendance of forty scholars. The new church was built in the early eighties and the pastors included Rev¬ erends Graham, Hunt, South, Dewitt, Kirk, Allbright, Bruner and Perry, who is still in charge.

One of the first merchants of Fishers was Wilev Dickson, who had a grocery and dry goods store here. He sold this store to Goodwin Flannagan, who later sold it to Jacob Demoret. The town then began to thrive rapidly and Mr. Demoret realized that his store was a very good investment. Owing to his shiftless disposition, however, Mr. Demoret had to sell his store after a few years to Henry Fisher. .After a few months the store again changed hands and R. J. Craig became the possessor, but disliking the place he sold it to Anthony Snyder. Mr. Snyder kept the store awhile and then removed to another town. He sold it to Allen Harrison, who closed out the grocery and dry goods departments and opened a drug store. Then Mr. Harrison sold this and Arthur West opened a pool room and restaurant in the building. It passed from his hands to that of V. Trittipo, the present owner. Another store was that of S. W. Trittipo. His son. A. W. Trittipo, succeeded him and is the present owner. A few years afterward the Lefforge brothers started a store in Fishers, but they soon sold it to Eller & Beaver. This store handled groceries and meats. The store was later sold to T. List, who owned it about twro years and then sold it to its present owner, Mr. Guilkey.

Noah Manship owned a store here which he sold to H. Eller, who in turn sold it to R. Harold, the present owner. This is now a hardware store. A

The present school building at Fishers was built in the year 1907. There was an old school building at the present site of the new one. When the old one was torn down the records seem to have been lost. However, two reg¬ isters were found for the years 1900 and 1905. E. J. Lewellen was superin¬ tendent in the first year while W. M. Stafford held the office in the latter year. Mr. Hershman, Mr. Randall and Mr. Craig were some of the superintendents of the new building.

Strawtown And Woodville

Strawtown is situated on the south bank of White river in White River township, seven miles northeast of Noblesville. Woodville, no longer in existence, was situated on the bank of the river south of the bridge now span¬ ning the river at that point. Woodville was laid out by Jesse M. Wood, July 23, 1829. The first taverns were kept by Wood, Carey, Wallace and Cole, all in Woodville. Bicknell Cole started the first general store in this village in 1836. The first license to sell liquor in the county was granted to James Hughv at his home in Woodville in January, 1831.

Strawtown was laid out by Bicknell Cole and William Conner just west of and adjoining Woodville. Gradually Woodville lost its identity and was merged with that of the younger town till the whole became known, as at the present time, as Strawtown. Among the first settlers in Strawtown and vicinity besides those already mentioned, we find the names of Zenas Beck¬ with, Henry Foland, Lambert and Jerry Heath, A. Johnson, Jacob Hyer, John Shintaffer and Caleb Harrison. The latter belonged to a notable family. Besides being a soldier in the War of 1812, he was in the battle of Tippe¬ canoe, assisted in firing the first alarm guns on that memorable occasion and had a bullet shot through the top of his hat. He was a relative of Colonel Harrison of the Thirty-ninth Indiana Regiment of 1861. He died at Strawtown in 1833, leaving three or four sons, all now deceased. Some of his grandchildren are yet living in Hamilton county.

John Shintaffer's cabin stood on the first hill from the north of Strawtown near the brick house afterward erected by Dr. Grubbs. It was at this place Shintaffer had his trading post in the early days. Chief among his stock was whiskey and his post was largely patronized by the Indians. Be¬ cause of the presence of the demon rum here was enacted the historic battle between the white men and the Indians resulting in the murder of Fisher, an innocent white man, and two or three Indians. Shintaffer, the guilty man, gathered a few of his effects into a canoe and departed for parts unknown. He never was heard of afterward. A full account of this battle is given elsewhere in this history.

Strawtown is mentioned by early historians as being an important Dela¬ ware town from the fact that it was located on one of the principal routes from the White River towns to the ancient capital of the Miami nation. Subse¬ quently occupying a position on the leading route from the older settlements in Wayne county across the state to the Indian towns on the Wabash and Lower Tippecanoe, it early acquired prominence among travelers as a convenient stopping place and the primitive highway became known as the "Strawtown Route.,,

Various reasons are assigned for the name Strawtown. An early in¬ habitant attributes the derivation of the name to an old Indian chief of the name of Strawbridge, the head of the Indian band living in the, old village. In Chamberlain's Indiana Gazetteer (1850), we find a description of the vil¬ lage. Professor Cox, another authority, says, "Strawtown, so named after an Indian chief.''

It frequently has been stated that Strawtown was one of the rival points in the canvass for the state capital. Quoting Professor Cox again : "Strawtown was, in an early day, a noted trading post, directly on the route from the Ohio to the Indian towns on the Wabash river. It was also one of the sites mentioned as a suitable location for the capital of the state." While there seems to be no direct account that Strawtown missed being the capital by one vote except as a sort of tradition handed down from one generation to another, yet it is difficult to set aside a belief so general as purely legendary, for it evidently has some foundation in fact.

If the early citizens of Strawtown expected the state capital at that place, they met then their first great defeat. Again, in the selection of the county seat, if Strawtown hoped for the honor she again was doomed to disappoint- ment for the report of the board of county commissioners said expressly that they examined all sites offered "with the exception of Strawtown, which we thought not necessary, it being at so great a distance from the center of the county."

Doctor Palmer was the first physician in Strawtown or Woodville, as he was there before Strawtown was laid out. J. K. Learning kept a store at his farm below Strawtown even before Bicknell Cole started his general store in the village. Other merchants were Conner & Cole, Conner & Stephenson, and Cole & Ross. A great deal of business and trade was carried on here in the early days, especially with the travelers. When this ceased to be an ob¬ jective point for travelers, trade fell off and the town finally settled down into a quiet country village with its country store, blacksmith shop and dis¬ trict school. At the present time it does not even boast a postoflfice. Since the rural mail routes came into operation, it is but a "rural route." South¬ east of Strawtown there was an addition to the town called "Neck of the Woods." It never was regularly laid out, but a few cabins were built there and for many years it was known as "the annex."

Early Lawlessness

Among the attractions at Strawtown in the early days was a race track near Jacob liver's distillery where whisky could be had at any and all times.

One feature which worked greatly against the healthy growth of the town was the lawlessness of a majority of the early inhabitants. An early citizen is reported to have said, "We had our groceries, which were little more than low drinking saloons, and some good men were ruined by their evil sur¬ roundings. We had bad citizens, and there was a lack of enterprise; other towns outgrew us, and, by the time we had relieved ourselves of the lawless element and our good men had taken control, we awoke to the fact that the business which formerly came to Strawtown had been diverted to other points, and our loss was beyond retrieve." The establishment of the "groceries" (properly spelled "groggeries") gave the town and vicinity a most unenviable reputation for evil and bad conditions. Not a single church building was erected in Strawtown until after the Civil War. Most of the influences were on the wrong side. There were some good men and women in the com¬ munity, but they were in the minority. Mr. Shirts gives this incident to show the moral standing of the community : "One of the evidences of the state of society as late as 1849, was shown in the murder of a man by the name of Davis by John Murphy. Davis and Murphy had a quarrel which did not at that time result in a fight. Murphy was a clerk in a store in the town. Davis afterwards came into the store. A quarrel ensued and Davis was stabbed by Murphy with a knife, causing his death. Murphy was in¬ dicted by the grand jury for murder in the first degree. He was tried on this charge at the October term of the Hamilton circuit court. The jury failed to agree. It was reported that all of the jurors favored conviction. The jury was discharged. Murphy asked" for a change of venue from the county, which was granted. The case lingered for a long time in another county and was either dismissed or tried, resulting in an acquittal. Murphy was prose¬ cuted by G. H. Voss and defended by Stone and Garver at the first trial."

But in spite of the unpleasant facts in much of her history, nevertheless Strawtown has many things of which she may well boast. Almost every foot of ground is historic soil, for here were enacted many stirring events in those early days. Here were made some of the earliest settlements of the county. Here, too, was the home of the Indians, and before them, so long that not even the oldest Indians had any idea as to the identity of the earlier occupants of these lands, lived the ancient Mound Builders. One of the most notable mounds or fortifications is to be found in the vicinity of Strawtown and is elsewhere described minutely. In 1880 the following names were among the business men: Coy & Ross', postoffice and general merchandise; Samuel Sperry, groceries; I. D. Fenley and A. Knapp, blacksmiths; Dr. J. S. Brown and Dr. T. J. Smith, physicians.

. At present this town, with a state-wide reputation for what it was in the past is now a quiet country hamlet distinguished only by its former greatness. Present merchants are Roy Foust, general store; Otto Stage, hardware; Roll Moore, blacksmith. Lee Groves was the last postmaster.

The Fort And Mound

The work of the Mound Builders found in Hamilton county is not as extensive or varied in character as in other counties in our state, but neverthe¬ less the Strawtown Mound is very interesting to the residents of Hamilton county and in some ways is distinctive and different from mounds in general. The Strawtown Mound is situated on the Roy Castor farm in White River township* in the southeast part of the northwest quarter of section 3, town¬ ship 19 north, range 5 east, near the center of the section. In 1875 the state geologist, Professor E. T. Cox, made a visit to the mounds and gave the fol¬ lowing description of his trip: 'Through the kindness of General Moss and William M. Locke, I obtained the skull and ornaments for the state collection.

I was taken by General Moss and Mr. Locke to Strawtown, seven miles from Noblesville, to see some prehistoric earth works. They are now in a cultivated field owned by J. R. Parker. The corn and weeds were so thick it was im¬ possible to make an accurate or even satisfactory examination of the works. The main work is a circle about three hundred feet in diameter, thrown up in the center, but apparently level and surrounded by a ditch that Mr. Parker says was about six feet deep when he first saw it. Fifty yards to the south of the large circle is a lesser circle about fifty feet in diameter and now almost obliterated. The site of these works is on the second bottom of White river about a quarter of a mile from the bank and thirty feet above the overflow. Be¬ tween the earth inclosures and the river there is a mound which commands an extensive view up and down White river. The large inclosure is one of the very few in the Mississippi valley that has the ditch on the outside, and it therefore is worthy of more careful study/'

Later, accurate measurements were made of the mound. It was found that the principle inclosure is situated about seven hundred feet west of the river on an elevated point of land extending in a northwesterly direction into the bend of White river. This elevated point of land overlooks a strip of low bottom land varying in width from four hundred feet on the east to three thousand feet on the west, with a similar view north and south. The prin¬ cipal mound is a circle with a diameter measuring two hundred eighty feet from side to side. From this point the outer slope to the middle of the ditch surrounding it is about twenty feet, the ditch originally having been about thirty feet wide and nine feet deep, the earth and gravel therefrom forming the mound in the center. Inside the inclosure the middle area was originally, no doubt, of equal elevation with the surface outside. There is very little doubt that the purpose of this mound was for defense, the ditch outside being de¬ signed to resist assault. From time to time various specimens of bones, pot¬ tery, flint, arrow heads, etc., have been found, though no thorough and sys¬ tematic search has ever been made of the contents of the mound. In the spring of 1914 some men were plowing over that part of the field included in the ancient tnound and they unearthed about two bushel baskets full of human bones. At various times in the past such discoveries had been made but this -was the first disclosure of this sort for several years. The ditch surrounding the fort is becoming less and less distinct as the years go by, and, though it still can be plainly seen, in the course of a few more years the hand of Father Time probably will completely obliterate it.

Clarksville was laid out in September of the year 1849 by Abraham Nicholson. It was named after the founder, Nicholsonville, which later was changed to its present name, Clarksville. This town is situated five and one-half miles southeast of Noblesville, on the Noblesville and Pendleton road. Mr. Nicholson, the founder of the early town, was the first merchant and the first postmaster. His store was the only one at that point for several years. Besides his other interests, he also operated a tannery. Mr. Commons opened the first blacksmith shop in the town. The successors of Abraham Nicholson in the mercantile business were Conners & Massey, Henry P. Crull and Henry Heiny. William Nicholson succeeded his father in the tannery business. Later on Garrett Wall purchased the tannery. At an early date Benjamin Heiny built a saw mill and operated it successfully. Henry Heiny was the first justice of the peace and Dr. P. P. Whitesell was one of the pioneer physicians.

In 1867, by a vote of its citizens, the village became an incorporated town. Dr. P. P. Whitesell, D. D. Caylor and J. R. Leonard were elected school trustees, and also served as councilmen for that year. In 1868 Arm¬ strong Bealtain, Harrison Nicholson and J. R. Leonard were elected councilmen; Edward Heiny, marshal, and Edward Randall, clerk. These were the first officers of the town. After serving for two years they were succeeded by others. In 1880 there were several stores in town, Joseph Beckwith, drugs and groceries ; W. A. Alcon, groceries ; John Kepler, wagon maker ; McCarty & Shawcross, blacksmiths, and Dr. P. P. Whitesell being among those now recalled as having been in business.

For many years Clarksville was quite an important little town, but with the advent of railroads it lost its early prestige. Clarksville was not situated so that any railroad came near its limits and its early importance gradually waned. It is still a pleasant residence village, but the only business interest now are its country store operated by Samuel Crull and its blacksmith shop, owned by Ross Layton.

The huckster wagon makes its daily rounds of the country and village and the churches and schools compose the religious, educational and social

The early schools of Clarksville were taught about three-quarters of a mile west of the town and were kept up by the subscription methods until 1854. Free public schools under the new law then were inaugurated and ever since that time Clarksville has had excellent graded schools. The present school is about one-fourth of a mile east of the village and has two rooms, a primary room and a grammar-grade room.

The first school house in Clarksville was erected in 1867. This school originally was conducted as a graded school and so continued for a few terms. Later the school declined and was conducted as a district school. At present the school is under the township trustee, but is graded, as are all the schools in the county.

The Methodist congregation has no church within the limits of Clarks¬ ville, but those living in and near the town belong to Bethel church, one and one-half miles west of town.

The Christian church is the only denomination having a church house within the limits of Clarksville. This congregation was organized in i860 by Rev. Thomas Burnan. The organization met at school houses until its church was built, two years later. The immediate successors of the first pastor in¬ cluded Reverends Hodson, Exline, Butterfield, Dale, White and others. The church always has been in a flourishing condition and its members are loyal and true to their religious faith.

Omega is a small place in White River township, twelve miles north and ^ four miles east of Noblesville. It usually is called Dog Town. This latter name originated with Finley Smock, a mail carrier of the earlier days, who is reported to have declared that he never saw so many dogs as there were in the settlement and he thought it ought to be called Dog Town. Since then Omega has been known by that name. Omega has three stores, two hardware stores and a grocery. The hardware store is in the east end of town and is owned by Jesse Qtiear. It formerly was a grocery and drug store combined, but in 1892 Mr. Ouear discontinued this line and opened a hardware store. The important feature of the grocery store is the numerous owners it has had. It first was owned in partnership by Jacob Millegan, Willis Carpenter, John Carroll, Franklin Newby and O. C. Lower. They moved it across the road and rebuilt it. The next owners were L. L. Hankley and Lemuel Darrow. Mr. Darrow soon sold his share to Frank Hobbs and the new firm of Hankley & Hobbs soon sold it to G. B. Moore. Next it was sold to A. G. Worley, who owns it at the present time. The other hardware store always has been combined with the grocery. In the east part of Omega is the black¬ smith shop. It has had the following owners : James Quear, Dayton Paff, Joseph PafT and Berlin Rogers, the latter now owning the shop. In the north end of the town is the poultry house owned by Charles Caca. The saw mill in the west end of town is owned by Grant Caca. Omega has one church. It started with about sixty members, but now has about five hundred en¬ rolled. It was rebuilt in 1909.