Washington Township

Description

Spe civil division of Monroe County was given a separate existence in the year 1829, and was named for the father of our common country. It is a full Congressional township of thirty-six sections, and coincides with Township 10 north, Range 1 west, of the Second Principal Meridian, and is one of the four townships of the county that are crossed by the old Indian boundary. This boundary was established at the treaty of Fort Wayne, September 30, 1809, between the Indians and Gen. Harrison. At this date, all of Washington Township, and indeed all of Monroe County south of the boundary, was obtained from the natives. The northern part of the township belonged' to what became the New Purchase, and was ceded by the Indians to the Government at the treaty of St. Mary's, Ohio, October 3, 1818. Of course that portion of the township north of the boundary, 'or in the new purchase, was not subject to entry until after the Indians' title had been extinguished, and until the land had been surveyed by Thomas Brown during the summer of 1819. It was offered for sale in 1821. That part of the township south of the boundary was surveyed by William Harris and Arthur Henrie in 1812, and was subject to entry in 1816.

The Soil, Timber, Etc

The variety and quality of timber in Washington Township will compare favorably with other portions of the county. Among the more noticeable varieties are white and black walnut, red, black, white and chestnut oaks, sugar tree, white and yellow poplar, chestnut, cherry, hickory, elm, beech, sassafras, sycamore, dogwood, gum tree, etc. The surface rocks of the township belong to the knob-stone and Keokuk groups. There are traces in the township of the action of glaciers, but only traces. A section of the geological deposits about half a mile northwest of Wayport is as follows:

Land Buyers

On the 12th of September, 1817, while Monroe County was yet unorganized, and while it was yet a part of Orange County, James Bennington, at the land office in Vincennes, purchased the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 30, Township 10 north, Range 1 west of the Second Principal Meridian. This was the first purchase of land within the present limits of Washington Township. The second tract or tracts were bought by John Patterson on the 11th of August, 1823 - the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter, and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 31. The third entry was made by Hugh Corr on Section 14, on the 30th of January, 1824. Jehu Buckner bought on Section 12 in 1826, and Andrew Smith on Section 6 the same year. The entry of Mr. Corr was the first of the township in the New Purchase. Samuel Gaskins bought eighty acres on Section 28 in 1827, and Lee Brown bought a similar tract on the same section the following year. William and J. Millikan bought eighty acres on Section 30 in 1828. In October, 1829, John Turner bought eighty acres on Section 33, and the same year Wylie Burns bought a tract on Section 13, and Richard Colier on Section 3. Isaac Gillaspy, in 1830, secured eighty acres on Section 34. In 1831, Robert Walters and Jehu Buckner bought tracts on Section 28, and John Weaver on Section 5. During the following year, land on Section 3 was bought by Thomas J. Nance, on Section 12 by John Bales, on Section 29 by James Mulky, on Section 32 by Allen Sims, on Section 33 by John Turner, and on the same section by A. B. Anderson. In 1833, Goalson Steppe bought on Section 2, John Weaver and Andrew Smith on Section 5, Job Johnson on Section 14, John Neal on Section 17, John Bales on Section 19, William McNeely on Section 29, Henry Putnam on Section 31. Jehu Buckner bought on Section 3 in 1834; John Neal on Section 17 same year; Thomas Gillaspy on Section 21 same year; James Gaskins on Section 28 same year; David Paddock on Section 28 same year; Lee Brown on Section 32 same year; Isaac Gillaspy on Section 33 same year; Andrew S. Tate on Section 33 same year; Benjamin Marshall on Section 34 same year. In 1835, entries were made by Job Johnson on Section 14; William Gaskins, Section 29 ; Daniel Ray, same section; Emsley Wood, Section 31; Allen Sims, Section 31; Daniel Ray, Section 33. The entries of 1836 were numerous and as follows: Jeremiah Colier, Levi Colier, William Tate and William Carlton on Section 16, Richard Colier on Section 17, Solomon Langwell on Section 18, Benoni Denny and William Carlton on Section 19, Alexander W. Leland, 240 acres on Section 19, Stephen Gaskins on Section 29, William Scott, William McNeely and William Carlton also on Section 29; Alexander W. Leland, nearly all of Section 30 in July, 1836, Emsley Wood and Jacob Millikan on Section 31, A. W. Leland and A. M. Poe on Section 32, also Emsley Wood, Fielding W. Poe and William Carlton on the latter section, Solomon Langwell and A. B. Anderson on Section 33. William Scott bought on Section 16 in 1837, Washington Smith on Section 33 the same year, and David Browning on Section 34 the same year. In 1838, Caleb Colier, bought on the school section, Benjamin Ridge on Section 31, and Isaac Gillaspy and William Scott on Section 84. Thomas Gillaspy bought on Section 16 in 1839. The above were the only entries in the township prior to 1840, and among the list of purchasers were some of the earliest settlers and afterward the most prominent and respected men. The settlement in the forties and during the fifties was rapid, nearly all the Government land being taken up. TAX PAYERS OF 1841.

A. B. Anderson was on Section 23, his tax was $4.72. Lee Brown lived on Section 28, and paid $4.70 tax. Henry Buston lived on Section 21, his tax being $3.12. Hawkins Bales was on Section 17, his tax was $6.85, including a delinquency of $3.41. James Bales owned Sections 17 and 18, his tax was $15.57. Rachael Bales owned about 200 acres and paid atax of $11.63. Charles Buck paid poll tax. Bartlett Barton paid a poll tax. James H. Baker owned $200 worth of personal property. John Bales paid poll tax. Levi Colier resided on

Section 15; Jeremiah Colier on Section 17; Micajah Colier on Section 18 and Stephen Colier on Sections 4 and 5. Their taxes were $2.70, $4.94, $1.42 and $4.10 respectively.

The Churches

Late in the decade of thirties, probably about 1838, a class of Methodists was organized near the central part of the township, the families of Samuel Gaskins, William Gaskins, Bartlett H. Baston, Jesse Gaston and William McNeeley belonging. The church was erected late in the forties, on the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 21. The land was donated to the church by Mary Ann Gaskins, and comprised one-half of an acre on the quarter above mentioned. In 1848, the Trustees' were William McNeeley. Samuel Gaskins, Jesse Gaskins, Bartlett P. Barton and William Gaskins, who at that time were making arrangements to build their church. This religious class is yet in existence, and has done much good in the township. In the forties, the old Mt. Pleasant Christian Church was organized{in the township, a few of the earliest members being George M. Peery, John Cooter, Alfred Houston, Solomon Langwell, Josiah Goodwin, Benjamin Houston and their: families. In 1849 or 1850, Abraham Lemon sold one acre to the Trustees of this church - Peery, Cooter, Houston, Langwell and Goodwin - from his land on Section 6, in the northwest corner of the township. About this time the church was erected. This society is also yet it existence, and is prosperous. Late in the forties the old Separate Baptist Church, in the vicinity of Hindostan, was organized. Meetings were at first held at the residences of Stephen Havions and John Goodman. The families of Stephen Havions, John Goodman, John McCoy, William McCoy were prominently connected in the origin of the society. In 1853, Stephen Bales sold to the Trustees of this church one acre of land on Section 18, to be used as a site for the church. The class styled itself the Union Church of Separate Baptists. These were the early religious classes of the township, but not the only ones, as one or two were organized in schoolhouses. Late years have seen the organization of several others.

Education

Schools were taught during the thirties in the Colier, the Bales and the Langwell neighborhoods. They were very imperfect in every respect pas & want of comfort and facilities for learning. The schools were taught in the rudest log houses, and were poorly attended, probably by the children of two or three of the nearest families. It was then the custom, as more than one resident of the township can testify from experience, to go to school winter and summer barefoot; that seems unreasonable but it was done, and how? 'The barefooted child, to begin with, had gone thus so long that his feet were hardened and calloused to resist the cold, by several extra layers of epidermis, which necessity compelled Nature to provide. He could stand a degree of cold which would apparently chill him to the bone, and could walk for some time in snow and frost without suffering more than he could bear with reasonable fortitude. When he had to do extra duty in the snow and cold, however, he would take a small piece of a board, say a foot wide and two feet long, which had been seasoned and partially scorched at the fire, and after heating it until it was on the point of burning, he would start on the run toward the schoolhouse with the hot board in his hand, and when his feet became too cold to bear any longer, he would place the board upon the ground and stand upon it until the numbness and cold had been partly overcome, when he would again take his "stove" in his hand and make another dash for the schoolhouse and repeat the process until the building had been reached. 'This was actually done in Washington Township. Sometimes a flat, light piece of rock was substituted for the board, and was much better as it retained heat longer. Three schoolhouses were built in the township in the forties, and two more early in the fifties, and the five stood on Sections 6, 12, 15, 18, 26 and 33. Since then the schools have increased in number and usefulness until they are among the best in the county.

Wayport And Hindostan

Two villages have been founded in Washington Township: The first, Wayport, was laid out on Sections 28 and 83, in April, 1851, by Isaac Gillaspy, Thomas Gillaspy and G. W. Smith, proprietors, and James Washburn, surveyor. Sixteen lots were laid out. One store, a blacksmith shop, a post office, etc., sum up the history of the town. Hindostan was laid out in June, 1853, on the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 14, by Charles G. Corr, proprietor, and James Woodburn, surveyor. Twelve lots were laid out on the Martinsville & Bloomington State Road, and just north of the Columbus & Gosport State Road. One store, a few shops and offices also sums up the importance of this little hamlet.

THOMAS J. BROWN is the eldest child of George W. and Susanna (Wright) Brown, a native of Kentucky, and was born November 18, 1837. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were respectively of Irish and German extraction, and both natives of Kentucky. After living on a farm until 1842, they moved from the State cf their nativity to this State and township, and here entered {land for a home. In 1865, they removed to where the former yet lives, his wife having died some years before. Thomas J. Brown attended the township schools and remained at home, having almost the entire support of the family, until his twenty-third year, his father having long been unable to labor. In 1859, he married Mrs. Cynthia A. McNeely, a native of Kentucky, after which event he moved to the farm owned by his wife, where they still reside, and to which he has added 200 acres, making an aggregate of 440 acres, one of the best farms in the township. In connection with agriculture, Mr. Brown has had a country store for about two years. Mr. Brown is a life-long Democrat, a worthy citizen, and, with his wife, a member of the Christian Church.

FRANCIS M. CARROLL is a native of this county, was born June 15, 1840, and is one of the six children of Lewis and Betsy (Smith) Carroll, the former of Irish, the latter of German descent. Lewis Carroll was a native of Virginia, where he grew to manhood, and afterward moved to Bloomington, this county, and followed his trade of carpenter and millwright for several years before engaging in farming on tho land now owned by our subject. He was for years an ordained minister of the Methodist Protestant Church, and died in March, 1864. Francis M. Carroll acquired a practical education at the county schools. Two years after his father's decease his mother died. July 20, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Eighteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until February, 1862, having participated at Pea Ridge, Ark., Paw-Paw, Mo., and in other engagements. March 11, 1866, he married Martha Campbell, a native of Marion County, Ind., to which union succeeded five children - Arthur J., Schuyler C., Mary F., Frank R. and Daisy. After his marriage, he purchased his father's farm of 120 acres, on which he now resides, and being one of the finest of the township. Mr. Carroll is a stanch Republican and a representative citizen.

W. H. CREAGER is a native of Bloomington, Ind., was born October 14, 1844, and is one of the nine children of John and Mary (Payne) Creager; the former a native of this county, the latter of North Carolina. John Creager was a blacksmith and worked as such until about 1856, when he moved to this township, and remained until death, March 4, 1860. W. H. Creager received his education from the common schools. He was fifteen years old when his father died, and then beeame the head of the household. In 1863, he taught his first school term in Benton Township, from which time until the present he has taught during the winter sessions. July 14, 1870, be married Miss Lucinda, daughter of Philip and Elizabeth Smith. Three children were born to this union, of which two are living - Henry V., born April 7, 1871, and Mag- gio B., born March 1, 1875. Mr. Creager has from time to time purchased the interests of the heirs of his father's farm, which consists of 100 acres of improved tand, on which he has made his residence. During 1870-71, he leased this farm and lived successively in Johnson and Morgan Counties. Mr. Creager was for four years Township Trustee, and still holds said office. He is a Democrat and a representative citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Creager are members of the Baptist Church.

ELIJAH A. KNIGHT is a native of Marion County Ind., was born March 2, 1839, and is one of the eight children of Elijah and Nancy (Northern) Knight; the former a native of Kentucky, and born sbout 1800 After marriage, he moved to Morgan County, Ind., where he lived until 1838 or 1839, and then became one of the contractors, building the Wabash & Erie Canal, after completing which contract he settled in Boone County, and died in 1845. Elijah A. Knight obtained his education in the primitive schools of the time, and afterward studied at home by tho firelight. His father died when he was six years old, and he remained with his mother until his majority, and then purchased the farm of 110 acres, most of which he has retained. In August, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Thirty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served eleven months; then returned, and in September, 1864, entered an unassigned company of the Thirty-third Indiana Regiment, and served therein until the end of the war. February 22, 1871, he married Sarah E. Matlock, a native of this county, and to this union have been bestowed five children - four being yet alive - Anna E., Elijah E., John P. and Clarence F. Mr. Knight is a Democrat, has held several civil offices, and is one of the most prominent men of his township.