Warren Township

Warren Township

Warren township, comprising the first thirty .sections of the congressional township 13, range 4, lies immediately south of Greencastle township, and is bounded on the east by Jefferson, on the south by Clo\-erdale. and on the west bv Washington. The surface of the township is undulating and in parts quite broken. The soil is a clay loam, with some excellent bottom lands along Deer creek. The township was once heavily timbered with oak. poplar, hard maple and beech, with some groves of walnut and hickory, and a plentiful supply of sycamore along the streams. It is drained by Deer creek, together with its tributaries, which traverse the township from northeast to southwest. Along this stream there are numerous never-failing limestone springs. ^

One of the marked features of the township is an excellent stone quarry one-half mile west of Putnamville. on the National road. The ledges of rock in this quarry vary from two inches to five feet in thickness. The following analysis of this stone is given by Professor Cox. state geologist : "Lime, twenty per cent; sand, twenty per cent: gray granite, sixty per cent: almost, if not exactly, like what is called 'English firestone.' He also says, "Granite will last three hundred years, but this stone will last as long as time. lM)r foundation stone, there is probably none superior in America. It is not affected by any change of temperature, and can be f(uarried in winter just as well as summer."

Putnamville is the only postoffice town in the township. Westland, which was laid out soon after Putnamville. had one store for a short time, but now has no inisiness house of any kind. A few houses in close proximity on either side of the National road are the only indications left to remind the passer-by of its former existence.

Putnamville is situated on the National road, and was laid out by James Townsend in 1830 on land purchased from Edward Heath. Townsend also kept the first stiire in Putnamville. He was soon followed by a Mr. McKane.

Archibald Cooper built the first blacksmith shop and carried on the business for several years. John Akin also kept a shop about the same time.

The first grist-mill was erected on Deer creek one-half mile southeast of Putnamville. October 16, 1826, by Alexander Conley. Another was built on the same creek, one-half mile southwest of the town, in 1834. by Samuel Steele and Dr. D. W. Layman.

During the building of the National road the township improveu rapidly and business was quite brisk. In an early day Putnamville also rivaled Greencastle for the location of the county seat, and a little later made a very creditable effort to secure the location of Asbury University. To secure this end, her citizens agreed to give the university a donation of twentyfive thousand dollars.

The Methodist Episcopal church of Putnamville was organized in 1829, at the house of John S. Perry, Rev. Thomas J. Brown officiating. John M. Jenkins. John S. Perry. Luke Davis and wife, and John S warts and wife were among the first members. Soon after the first organization, they erected a neat frame building as a house of worship, which they continued to use until about the vear i860, when they purchased the brick house built by the Presbyterians.

The Presbyterian church was organized at this place November 7. 1830. at the house of James Townsend. by the Rev. Isaac Reed. The following members constituted the first organization : John Robinson. Samuel Moore.

Putnam Col'.Nty, Indiaxa

Mary Moore. Alexander Conley. Jane Conley. James Townsend, Catharine Townsend. Sarah Shell, Martha Ashbaugh and Julia Ann Merrill, not one of whom remains among the living. James Townsend was the first ruling elder. The first ministers were Rev. Jeremiah Hill (deceased). Rev. Samuel G. Lowery. Rev. James H. Shields. Rev. William W. Woods.

.\bout the year 1S34 they erected a neat and commodious brick church, which they occupied until 1849, when the Old and the New School members separated, and the Xew School built a good frame church, which was dedicated in February, 1850. A few years afterward, the Old School sold the brick church to the Methodists. Some of the members joined the Xew School and some went to other churches.

The Rev. Ransom Hawley came to Putnamville in the year 1 841, and acted as pastor of the Presbyterian church till 1S65. a period of twenty-four years. The length of his pastorate is ample evidence of the acceptability of his ministry and the uprightness of his life.

The Christian church was organized by Elder O. P. Badger in 1871. This congregation had a good frame house, erected soon after their organization, in which they still hold services.

Dr. D. W. Layman, who came from Virginia, settled in Putnamville in 1 83 1, being the first medical practitioner in the town or the township. He was so successful in his practice no other physician ever continued long in the attempt to compete with him. For many years he was easily the most prominent and influential citizen in the community. He was a man of upright habits and pleasing manners but of very pronounced political views. He was an ardent Union man during war times and later supported the pnnciples of the Republican party, but he never sought an office or any other political preferment.

.A storv is told that in the fall of 1864 a number of boisterous Warren township citizens who had been attending a Democratic meeting at Greencastle returning home on horseback after night, passed by Layman's house and. knowing his pronounced L'nion sentiments, very loudly and repeatedly cheered for Jeff Davis. Being hidden in the darkness on the opposite side of the road, the Doctor was unable to distinguish the riders as they noisily flew by, but his ire was so instantly and completely aroused he picked up a stone and hurled it with all his might in the direction of the noise. A little later a man came riding up to the Doctor's house and asked the latter to accompany him down the road to see a man who was hurt and needed medical attention. "At first." related the Doctor years afterward, '"I was a little suspicious, but as I had never failed to answer a call for my professional services I complied at once and set out for the scene of trouble. A short distance down the roadside we came upon a group near the fence, in the centre of which reclined a man who was bleeding profusely from a wound in the head which his companions explained had been caused by a fall from a horse. A light was procured and there by its dim rays I gave the wounded man the medical and surgical attention the case seemed to require. Of course there was some risk, and I kept my eyes peeled all the while, but I pretended to be as innocent as they and so far as I could observe there was not the slightest attempt to molest me. In fact, later, the injured man, still maintaining an air of innocence, came to my office and offered to pay me for my services, but I declined, meanwhile reminding him of the dangerous and inevitable results of cheering for Jeff Davis - a lesson I am sure he never forgot."