Smith Township

Smith Township

HE first old pioneer settlers on Scaffold prairie were old grandfather Frederick Dayhoff, Eliaa Dayhoff, Abraham Dayhoff and Jesse Elgin. Afterwards came Cyrus W. Conant, Alfred Buskirk, Charles Walker, John Stanley, Rev. Nathaniel Moss, Mr. Goodale and Abraham Wood. Up in the north end of the township, on the old Sand Hill, weie the families of Samuel Wilks. Byram Combs, James Frazier.Geo. Shraykes, and a few others. Afterwards came Rev. Richard Wright, Kinsie Moore, Diinicl Wood, Richard Lambert, Mr. Whittemore and Father Bartholomew Ellinsworth.

The first weddings in this locality, were Cvrus W. Conant and Nancy Dayhoit^, William Y. Dayhoff and. Lucy Goodale, Samuel W^ilks and Celia Wright. Among the first schoolteachers in this neighborhood were Letitia Buskirk, Lucy Goodale and Elijah Godfrey, with several little bright-eyed girls and boys at school ; and among them we hare the names of Philander Buskfrk, Elijah and William Elgin, Mary J.WaIker,Sasan Walker, Eliza, Milley and Julia Ann Elgin, Enos and William Gadbcrry, Rice Elgin and Bat. Ellinsworth ; together with the Dayhoff and Fuller children. The Dayhoif family came from Spencer county, Ke,ntucky. - Kev. C. W. Conant came from PlytnoUth/in Massachusetts, as a duly authorized agent for the American Tract Society ; and he is a direct descendant of that old patriarch family, so closely connected with the history of the Mayflower. Shortly after Mr. Conant came to Greene county, he ^as married to Miss Mancy Dayhoff, a sister of Elias and William Y. DayhoflT. Mr. Conant and wife have had eight children, three boys and five girls ; and the family have always been bufiy workers in the good cause of education, in Clay, Owen and Greene counties.

Elias Dayhoff has lived on the same farm for over fifty years, and Bet out the old apple orchard on the old buffalo trail, where the old Indian trace passed along by the little oak grove, just south of where he afterwards built his present brick dwelling house. Mr. Dayhoff has been a good citizen and a steady advocate of moral and religious principles for so long a time that his name and family history will occupy a page in our pamphlet.

Old Uncle Abe Wood and wife died in that neighborhood, and were buried just west of where Henry R. Strong now lives, in that old evergreen (pine and ce<lar) cluster of bushes. Several other persons that died there in an early day were buried in the old field just south of the Methodist Chapel, and those old graves are now being jdowed over every summer by the work hands employed to work Isaac Dayhoff's farm.

Old Grandfather Dayhoff built the first house and set out the old apple orchard on the Branch, just above the old Indian scaffold at the big salt lick, where the buffaloes and deer ate the dirt out of the bank of the little

Mr. Charles Walker made the faitn, built a house ind set out the old apple orchard at the pine trees where David Fuller now lives, on theTerrc Haute road.

William Y. Dayhoff has lived on his excellent farm, and been a number one farmer for nearly half a century ; and a few years afterward, Goodale settled on the farm where B. F. Dayhoff now lives.

Our old neighbor and sociable IViend, George R. Taylor, established the first store, sold dry goods, and made the farm, set out_, tho apple trees and built a good substantial brick dwelling house on the place where Rice Elgin now lives, on the old Terre Haute State roa(L Mr. Taylor's brick house was destroyed by fire and afterwards he came to Worthington, and is now enjoying good health.

Old Uncle Sammy Wilks and his brother-in-law, Mr. Byram Combs, settled near the old lake on the Sand Hill, made the farm and set out the old apple orchards near where Mrs. Elizabeth Cole now lives, north of the prairie.

Reverend Richard Wright settled on the farm and built a blncksmith shop where the widow Dean now lives. Afterwards Mr. Wright sold that farm to Richard Lambert, and Mr. Lambert buried tnore than half the number of his large family in less than five months time, together with a man by the name of Jntnes Frazier, who was smothered to death by the damps, while he was engaged in the work of cleaning out a well, for Mr. Lambert the same summer, and on the same place that there were so many persons died.

Old Grandfather Jeese Elgin was born in Maryland, and came to Washington county, Indiana, in the year 1!^18, where he remained two years. The Elgin family came to Greene county in the year 1820, and settled on the soutbern ed.:[jo of Scaftohl prairie. Mr Elgin and ^vife had eleven children. Mr. Levi Elgin is the eleventh child oi that family.

The Lone Tree creek and Lone Tree prairie Avcrc named for the old oak tree which stood alone in the brairie for a great number of ycj^rs. That noted old red-oak stood on the north side of the old General ILirri- Bon trace, made by the soldiers in 3B14. Many persons can yet point out the place the Lone tree Ptood, about one mile north-cnst of ^Villiam W. Babcr's. The big lake, on the county line, two miles eust oi l^owesvillc, has, evidently, at one time been the old river bed, and a great many stories could be told for the truth, about the many exploits and adventures of the old pioneer hunters and trappers on the river from Worthington up to the old reservoir.

Smith townships wa never noted Inuch for its bad conduct, but in an early day, two festive young men - own cousins - Samuel Wilks and Byram Comb>?, met at a corn shucking at Richnrd Wright's, and by some little difference of opinion about a girl in the neighborhood, engaged in a fisti-cuff fight, and after a few 1-oundsandhardlicks in the short ribs, Mr. Colnbs hallowed out, "Enough ! enough! Beys, take Sam "Wilks away ! I'm not whipped, but by jinks, I just can't stand it I"

"We are in receipt of the following letter from the pen of Mr. Elias Dayiioflf, one of our very early settlersi ^vhich we take the liberty to publish ih our patnphlet:

"By Request, I give, as one of the first settlers of Scaffold prairie, a sketch of its history from memory, D6 also of the township of Smith, af;

" This township derived its namcj originally, from (dd Thomas Smith, \\\\o kept the ferry across White river, on the old Indian trace from Louisville to Fort Harrison, a short distance below the mouth of Eel river, and embraced the present townships of Smith and Jeffers-on, and c;*tended above the mouth of Eel river a short distance, embrncing the old Craig's mill, at which clet;fions were fir(?t held in the township. In the year 182.5, I nttended the election at this mill for the first time after I came to the State. As this township originally derived its name from the old ferryman? the district that contained his residence should have retained his name ; but, instead of that, it has had given to it the name of Jefferson, and a district west of that, embracing^ Scaffold prairie, ha^^ the name of Smith. On the old trace from Smith's ferry to Fort Harrison or Terre Haute, there Avas no one living from where Worthington now stands to Avhere a family by the name of Shumaker then lived, about where old Mr. Myers noAv lives, until you came to Scaffold prairie. INIy fiither entered one hundred and sixt}' acres of land in Scaffold prairie, on the 9th of August, A. D., 1824, and in the fall, after the lapse of a month or two, moved to his land in the prairie, and took me with him.

" My father, Frederick Dayhoff, as also my mother, were natives of Mrtryland, but were residents for a long time of Kentucky, after which they settled in Scaffold prairie, Greene Co., in 1824. Being single, I came with them and remained until the first crop of grain Avas raised. I then returned to Kentucky, and remained six or nine months, and married a young lady Avhose maiden name Avas Mary Thomas; Avhose character Avas such that it never Avas tarnished by the tongue of malice. She died of consumption and left me tlwec children. My mother died in Scaffohl prairie, in July, 1833, of cholera, the i only person's death by that disease in the country around, aged fifty-seven years, nearly. My father died ten years and two day.i after, by the infirmativcs of age, being over seventyseven years old.

When ray father came to Scaffold prairie, in 1824, he found there two families who had been living there a year or two. The head of one was Jesse Elgin, a native of Kentucky, and son of old Jesse Elgin, of Washington county, in this State, and the other family was by the name of AVoodsworth, from Ohio. Among the subsequent early settlers of this prairie was Charles Walker, a family from Kentucky, who settled where David Fuller now lives, and Geo. R. Taylor, .now of Worthington, who bought out Woodsworth and lived in the settlement many years. But, that I may not weary the reader in speaking of additions and changes in the settlement, I decline this course for the present. I conceive you may inquire of me what gave Scaffold prairie its name. 1 can very briefly and fully satisfy you on this question.

There are, in the central and lower parts of the prairie, licks which were the resort of wild animal?, such as deer, buffaloes and, perhaps, elks, from the commencement of wild animals on our continent until its occupation by white men. At this lick large basins were cat out by wild animals, craving salt or something of the kind, 1 suppose. From these licks diverge in every direction what is generally called buffalo ditches, made by the wear of animals and the of water along their paths. - Now, around this lick were scafFolds, constructed upon four posts set in the ground, and the scaffolds upon them twelve or fifteen feet or more above the ground. Upon these scaffolds the Indians would sit and watch for deer and other wild animals coming in to the lick. And while these animals would come, spying for danger on the surface, never thinking of danger above, towards the smiling heavens, the Indian would pop them through with his fatal .ball. These scaffolds were standing fur years after the prairie was occupied by white men, and from these scaffolds the prairie took its name. And is it not remarkable that no effort has been made to discover what the animals sought at this lick? especially as coal and timber are pentiful arouttd this prairie.

The changes that have taken place in this part of the State in fifty or fifty-five years are astonishing. In the fall season of the year, the merchants in this county and wesJ had to have their goods hauled by team from Louisville, there being no railroads at that time, and the Wabash being, at that season of the year, too low for steamboating. So, then, Mr Elgin, myself and brother, having heavy teams for breaking prairie sod, would haul for the Wabash merchants in the fall of the year, and receive one dollar and fifty cents per hundred for hauling to Terre Haute ; and with our big wagons and teams we would haul from twenty-five to thirty hundred. And one of the last loads that I hauled was to Robroy, 1 think, forty miles beyond Terre Haute ; and, what is remarkable, made the trip fromLouisville by Terre Haute, to Robroy and back home without having my wagon-sheet wet. How unlike this season, up to the present! But commerce now goes by the power and speed of steam ; and we would naturally conclude that under the improved state of mechanism and arts of commerce, that wc could get along in the world much easier now than in the old time. But is this the case ? I would ask. Now, let us consider. Our taxes are double and, in some instances, thribble, according to amount and value of property, what they were from thirty to fifty years ago. And, I think, if you will look over yoiir old tax receipts, you will be convinced of the correctness of this assertion. Please examine your old receipts, vhile I YOU the exact copy of a tax receipt of ray father's, for paymejit on land and property in Kentucky, for the year 1814, and consequently since the war of 1812. Now comes the copy :

May, 1814. - Ecoeived of Fredericl: Dayhoff, two dollars and six cents, in full of his h\-x, for the year 1814, on 142^ acres land, one tithe and nine hf»rscs. G. Smith, Deputy Sherifl for

This was a good iarm and well improved. But Hoosiers are to be pitied. They can call up nothing like this. But this taxation is but one item in the bill of expenses ; and, further, 1 would state in reference to our. taxes, that I have a receipt for taxes, paid for a single year on my own property, without including any former delinquencies, amounting to S126 77. N OAV I would gay, if this is not exorbitant oppression on a citizen in Smith township in moderate circumstances, depending upon the labor of his hands and ecouomy to supj ort himself and family, and defray the other expenses incumbent upon a respectable member of society, then 1 may gay the heavens do not cover us.

But, further: have not tbe claims of other public functionaries increased much in the same ratio ? Lawyers' fees, doctors' bills, and all other public characters and agencies. Now, good citizens of Smith township, I leave these brief hints to your consideration ; and it is for you, whether you be called. Whig or Democrat, to say whether you will continue to submit to this extortion. The late floods were beyond your control, but the expenses alluded to may be within the compass of 3'our influence.

The attention given to education in Smith township, and especially in iScaflfold prairie, from the early settlement there, has been commendable. }^ly sister, Litticia Buskirk, mother of Philander Buskirk, was the first school teacher in Scaffold prairie settlement, and I was the second. And I can say with pleasure, that 1 think the morals of this settlement have been above the medium standard. Religion, which is compared to the salt of the earth, has always received attention and respect here ; and I believe there has never been a dram-shop in the township, and trust the fire of Tophet will never burn here. I fear, however, that the morals of this settlement now, are not as good as in its infancy.

Smith township contributed a liberal support to the government during the war of the rebellion, and lost a number of her brave sons ; but, with the rest of our country, enjoys the confidence that our Republic is not to be destroyed by internal diversions nor external foes.

At the first settlement of Smith township by white men, wild game of various descriptions was very plentiful, especially deer and turkeys - the former attracted, I suppose, by the lick in Scaffold prairie. The hunters could have all the venison they wanted. I, besides my venison, according to the recollection of my family, had, at one time, nine pet deer, which I procured, by offering fifty cents a head for fawns, until I got nine. We raised them and the}'' were very pleasant pets. They would on sight distinguish a stranger from one of our family; and, on a particu.- lar occasion, a gentleman from Terre Haute put up with us, and in going from the house to the barn, a young buck spycd something red on the gentleman. Havinga horror of blood or anything redj young Mr. Buck made battle with the stranger. But ordinarily they were very-jjleasant and gentle in the family ; and if I could have some of them for pets at the present time, they would afford a luxurious pastime for amusement.

Now, that I may not make my sketch tedious to its readers, I beg leave to close - but with the request that if it suggests anything for their improvement, they will thus use it.

HIS township was named for Rev. Richard Wi'ight^ the tioted old pioneer preacher, among tne people of the Christian Church, in that neighborhood. Rev. Richard Wright Was one of the leading preachers in the Christian denomination for & great many years, and the first time we saw him was at the meeting on the old Sand Hill, at old Uncle Samthy Wilks', on the day Rev. Mr. \Vright baptised old aunt Sally Combs and George Shraykes, Sen., febout fifty jeats ago. He afterwards tnoved on the old Dick Lambert farm, in Smith township, and sold out there and moved over in Wright township, and bought the farm where Joseph Barnes now livesj half a mile north of Jasonville. Between his fai*ming and blacksmith shop, he made his living by the honest sweat of his brow. He was not a member of the crusaders, but he was an honest man, and preached the gospel from, the Bible, just as as he 1-ead and understood it.

Old Uncle Richard Wright was a Justice of the Peace and a good citizen in his neighborhood, and passed from this world to the next by a very Ffrange accidental gun shot through his head, while he was well and hear^ ty, and was at work in his blacksmith shop. Hardeh Walkefj his step-son, had been otit hunting, and had shot a gquiffel, and in reloading his gun the gun got choked, and the bo)'- came to the shop to get his old Btep-father to fix the gtin, ot to get the bullet down. After trying many ways to move the bullet doWn, the old man just took the gUn barrel oiit of the stock, unbreeched her, poured water in the gun barrel, and laid the barrel across the fire, and while it was heating, so as to make the water fry, old Uncle Richard put down his car to the gun, where he had taken out the britch pin, the gun went off, the bullet entering the old man's ear, and killing him instantly, in the presence of several persons. We will give our opinion of that sad accident: When the boy shot at the squiri'el. the gun flashed, or did not fire, ana left the bullet in the gun barrel, up a foot or two from the breech, and when the boy poured down the powder, it lodged on the first bullet, and then he put down the other bullet on top of the powder, thus leaving two bullets in the gun, and a charge of pewder between the bullets.

Old John Lewis, and his son-inlaw, Isaac Taylor, built the first log cabin in the township, on the creek, about a half mile south of where James Gibson now lives, one mile from Jasonville.

David Ingram built a little log cabin, at the spring of water, wherd Joseph Barnes now lives. Afterwards many new comers eattle in theiieighborhood, _ and among the number' were Benjamin Fry, James Heims, James Frazier, Samuel Wilks, Revi Richard Wright,Uncle Petet Wright^ and a bachelor, old Billy Wright, Alexander Poe, Mr. Cantrell, Joab Witcher, Isom Farris, James Maloy, Edward ComlTs and a few others.

Rev. Alexander Poe was an elder' and preacher in the Christian church for many years in that old neighborhood. Besides it was said of him that he was the best bee hUnter, and could catch more fish, and kill more deer" than any other matt. At one time when tho Big Lake had been frozen over with very thick ice for several weeks, in the winter of 1834, Mr. Poe and his boys Went over on the ice at the lake, east of the old Lone Tree, and within two days they caught at least a hundred wagon loads of big fish, and every person in that country" had fish for the next three months.

a very large old bear and her three young cub bears among the bushcsi, over on Lick creek and the old negro shot at the old bear, -vvhich frightened her away from the young ones, whilst the three young bears ran up a small tree, and Mr. Poe stood guard at the i-ootof the tree while the old darkey negro went up the tree and shook off the three cub bears, killing one of them in its fall, and capturing the other two. Those two young bears were made pets of by Mr. Poe's family, and were afterwards taken to Louisville, Kentucky, and sold for a good price.

The old red-oak thicket ol brush at the school house just east ofHumphrev Shepherd's, was named and called Red Ruff by old Uncle Tom Puckett, the man that drove the wild bear from the neighborhood across the country to Terre Haute, a distance of thirty miles, and that red-oak thicket has been a wonderful place for wolves, bears, deer, wild turkeys, pigeon-roosts, and all kinds of game for the past sixty years or more.

The old White Oak Lick on the creek west of Howesville, has always been marked as one of the best places in that locality to kill deer ; besides it was the downfall of William Stew' art, a young hunter. Mr. Stewart and some of James Maloy's*boys had gone there to watch the lick for deer 1 one night, and a storm was coming up and the boj'S were climbing down the white oak tree from the scaffold, and by a mishap or miss step Bill Stewart tumbled out of the tree and fell about twenty feet. Fortunately he was not much hurt and got home all right.

Slate Lick, near the head waters of Latta's creek, was named by old Allen McBride, the oldest settler and the most prominent man in the easteren part of Sullivan county. He built his house and set out the old orcha^d^ and made bells at his blackfmith shop fox forty years, at the Bateham post office place.

gun-smith, and made the best guns that were taken to all of oUr early shooting matches. Mr. McBride and wife raised a large family of boye and girls. Some of them yet live in Greene county.

Enoch Sexton and Mr. Wyatt Johnson aro now the oldest pioneer settlers in Wright township, and these gentlemen arc both common farmers and live just west of Jasonvillc, in the extreme north-west corner of Greene county.

Robert Birtch was a drinking man and a widower, and by a mistake, ho afterwards married a very high-tempered young girl, only seventeen years old. When Mr. Birtch was under the influence of whisk}', he would often abuse his young wife, and she would get angry and say to him : "Why, Robert, what made you marry meV" etc. He would reply by saying, "I just married you to get shed of you and your folks."