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ALLEN COUNT-i PUBLIC LIBRARY
11 II I I II I I II I i ill GENEALOGY
lili'1l|;l'll''ll:l'j|i!illiillllli 977.201
3 1833 02322 2976 F29H
HISTORY
OF
FAYETTE COUNTY
INDIANA
HER PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS
FREDERIC IRVING BARROWS
Editor-in-Chief
With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families
ILLUSTRATED
1917
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana
1139177
DEDICATION. This work i> respect fulK' dedicated to
} long since departed. May the memory of those who laitl down tiieir burdens
> by the wa\ side ever be fragrant as tiie breatli <if summer
flowers, for their toils and sacrifices have made
Fayette County a garden shine and delights
FOREWORD
Titles are usually iiidicati\e of la1)or and responsibilit}', but imt always. The editor-in-chief of this book respectfully disclaims any just ri,L;ht l<> the responsibilities and labors naturally implied by his title.
There was a time when, with full appreciation of the interest and charm to he found in the histiiry oi Fayette county, he accepted a commissiDii to write a ^tor_\- of its founding" and progress, to comprise approximately (Hie hundred and fifty tliousanil words. The pressure tif business with the pub- lisher led to some two and one-half years of delay before it was absolutely positive that the work in full would be needed. In the meantime the mills had turnetl so fast, and responsibilities had gathered so rapidly, that the undertaking just mentioned was manifestly impossible. A conference took l)lace with the publishers and it was agreed that the association of the work with the name announced as editor-in-chief had gone so far that it wnuld be lietter for the work not to change this association. Consequently, the pub- lisher proposed, and it was agreed, that a historian of high ability should perform the work and that the duties of etlit(.»r-in-chief should be reduced to mere consultation and to the reading of so much proof only as was de\T)ted to the general discussion of the county and its institutions, and not including any examination or labor in connection with the biographical department of the work.
The specious ]jhilosophy of Alexander Pope declares "whatever is, is right," and so it sometimes proves. Had the writer of this preface really carried out his original plan and written a history of the county which has for so many years been his home, it woukl have been a far different work from the careful and detailed labor of Dr. Ernest V. Shockley. 'Idie county history is valuable, as it gives detailed and specific facts and definite positive items from which the reader shall construct his own picture of days gone by. Such a w'jrk Doctor Shockley, by reason rif his learning and his association with the liistorical faculty of Indiana University, was amply qualified to ])ro- duce.
The immense labor of searching little items of detail from the records of the state offices at Indianapolis, from the county records of Franklin
county and of Fayette county, from papers and manuscripts, deeds, wills and mortgages, now well nigh effaced by the obliterating finger of time, were a joy to Doctor Shockley and his assistants, but would have been beyond the possibilities of a man absorbed in other things.
Some day, using Doctor Shockley's data, someone will draw sketches of the typical scenes of our county. He will picture the period of the dogged retreat of the Indian ; of the rugged pioneer on the edge of civilization ; of the stately days just before the war, and of the grim determination of Fayette county that the Union should be preserved. Some one will picture the story of the old canal, when Market street and the site of the Big Four freight depot and yards was a great pond, in which canal boats stood at their moor- ings, discharging the cargoes to be distributed throughout all eastern Indiana.
Someone who sees the historic old buildings at the comer of Fifth and Third streets and Central avenue, and who beholds the wide doors from second- and third-story windows, will learn that these were the headquarters of merchant princes handling a quarter of a million dollars a year in mer- chandise— a sum quite equivalent to twenty times that amount under our present conditions.
Someone will some day picture the great herds of cattle, swine and turkeys being driven in from the north and west through Connersville, often miring by the hundred in the ford which was back of where Roots Foundry now stands, in a long pilgrimage to the Cincinnati market. Someone will picture the rattling stage coaches drawing up behind the stately elms which beautified the grounds of the United States Hotel, standing where the Roots building on Central avenue now stands ; he may even step within that hostelry and see in conversation the conspicuous figiu'cs of that day — Senator Smith and the Hon. Sam. Parker, Caleb B. Smith, and not improbably Judge Oliver P. Morton, from the neighboring village of Centerville.
There is also another picture of the days long gone by of which very little actual historic record remains, but legend has it that the great French- man, the Marquis de Lafayette, thought it worth his while to visit the home of John Conner on his way to the New Harmony settlement — and when one reads the striking accounts given by the circuit riders as to the amount of silver plate displayed in the home of the one-time Indian trader, Conner, one can scarcely doubt that the reception of the great Frenchman was such as he little expected in the remote country village of Connersville.
In the hustle of today's industrial activity, when the keyword is, doing the most in the best and quickest way, the stateliness of another day has jjassed away. Connersville and Fayette county are fair standards of industrial, commercial auf! agricultural efficiency, but those of us who are in
tlie thick of the commercial fray of today still love occasionally to think of such reminders of -another period as we can recall.
\Miile I am proud of the productix ity of our farms and tlie efficiency of our factories, I still love once in a while to recall the one stately figure I chanced to see in my boyhood — tiie ?Ionorable Benjamin I*". Clavpool. a .gen- tleman of the old school, a dignified, learned, aristocratic old man, daily marching between his law office and his Central avenue mansion, a heavy, silver-haired figure, with the brow and dignity nf a Roman senator, though withal clothed in the more modern garb.
Had I written this history, it no doubt would ha\e l)een \ery interesting to me. for it would put in words my admiration for the great men w ho have builded this community. It could not possibly have contained the fund of exact information which Doctor Shockley has secured, and which, in a way, is a monument to the great pioneers like John Conner, the great journalists and radical agitators like Matthew Robinson Hull, the great lawyers like Judge Jeremiah M. Wilson, James C. Mcintosh and Reuljen Conner, great manufacturers like William Newkirk, John B. McFarlan and Edward W. Ansted, and the great men in every other line of activity who have been in our midst.
I sincerely congratulate the authors of this work upon their success, and entirely disclaim any credit for having obtained or checked anv of the informa- tion herein.
I wish to bear witness also to the patient persistence of the late Mr. C. M. Cyrus, w-ithout whose efforts to lay the foundation, the publishers would not have been able to bring out so large and creditable a work. I trust that in some other decade some one may take up Doctor Shockley's work where it has been left off and. supplementing it and bringing it down to date, add to this valuable contribution to the local history of our great state.
FREDERIC IRVIXG BARROWS. Connersville, May, 191 7.
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE
All life and achievement is evolution: present wisdom comes from past experience, and present commercial prosi^erity has come only from past exer- tion and sacrifice. The deeds and motives of the men who have gone before ha\e been instrumental in shaping the destinies of later communities and states. The development of a new country was at once a task and a privi- lege. It required great courage, sacrifice and privation, ronijiarc the pres- ent conditions of the people of I'ayette county. Indiana, with what the\- were a century ago. From a trackless wilderness and virgin land, the county has come to be a center of prosperity and cixilization, with millions of wealth, systeius of railways, educational and religious institutions, varied industries and immense agricultural and dair\' interests. Can any thinking person be insensible to the fascination of the study which discloses the aspirations and efforts of the early pioneers who so strongly laid the foundation upon which has been reared the magnificent prosperity of later days? To perpetuate the story of these ]ieople and to trace and record the social, religious, educational. I'olitical and industrial progress of the community fr(jni its first inception, is the function of the local historian. .\ sincere purpose to preserve facts and personal memoirs that are deserving of perpetuation, and which unite the present to the past, is the motive for the present publication. The publishers desire to extend their thanks to those who have so faithfully labored to this end. Thanks are also due to the citizens of Fayette county, for the unifonu kindness with which they have regarded this undertaking, and for their many services rendered in the gaining of necessary information.
In placing the "FTistory of Fayette County, Indiana," before the citizens, the publishers can conscientiously claim that they have carried out the plan as outlined in the prospectus, livery biographical sketch in the work has been submitted to the party interested, for correction, and therefore any error of fact, if there be any, is solel\' due to the person for whom the sketch was prepared. Confident that our effort to please will fully meet the appro- bation of the public, we are.
Respectfully,
THE PUBLISHERS.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I— A SHORT HISTORY OF IXUI.WA : 33
First White Men in Xorthwest Territory — Disputed Claims to tlic Terri- tory— Battle of Fallen Timbers — Territory Xorthwest of the Ohio. 1670- 175-1 — French and Indian War, 1754-63 — Pontiac's Conspiracy — Xorthwest Territory and Quebec Act — Revolutionary Period — Capture of Vincennes — Vincennes, the Oldest Settlement of Indiana — First Survej'S and Early Settlers — Ordinance of 1787 — First Stage of Government Under the Ordi- nance— Second Stage of Government Under the Ordinance — Indian Strug- gles, 1787-1803 — Organization of the Northwest Territory — Representative Stage of Government — First Counties — First Territorial Legislature of Xorthwest Territory — Division of 1800 — Census of Xorthwest Territory in 1800 — First Stage of Territorial Government — Changes in Boundary Lines of Indiana — Second Stage of Territorial Government — Congressional Dele- gates of Indiana Territory — Eflforts to Establish Slavery in Indiana — The Indian Lands — Organization of Counties — Changes in the Constitution of Indiana — Capitals of Xorthwest Territory and of Indiana — Military History — Political History — Governors of Indiana — A Century of Grow-th— Xatural Resources — Educational System — Public Institutions.
CHAPTER II— GEOLOGY 69
Area of Fayette County — White Water River and Other Streams — Drift Formations — Soils and Their Areas.
CHAPTER III— HEIXEMANN'S RESEARCHES 76
Difficulty in Tracing History of County Prior to Its Organization — John Conner, the First White Settler in Connersville— The Twelve Mile Pur- chase— An Inviting Field to the Whites — Financial Side of the Transaction — William Henry Harrison — Hack-ing-poms-kon and the Prophet — Kik- tha-we-nund, or Anderson — Petch-e-ke-ka-pon, Little Turtle and the Beaver — Our Original Pioneer — Proceedings of the Treaty — Verbatim Copy of the Journal — Mr. Heinemann's Third Monograph — The Indian Trail Down the White Water Valley — Indians Loth to Leave — Last Representative of the Aborigines — A Story of Old Ben Davis — Proper Xames of the Aboriginals — Topography of the White Water Country — John Conner Clings to the Frontier — Xew Sites Higher Up — First Attempt to Make Wagon Road — Cincinnati as a Supply Station — Ancient Landmarks Persist — Presence of French Traders — Probable Route of the Trail — War Clouds Begin to Lower — Where was Conner's Post — Early Location of Conner's Saw-mill — Cradle of Connersville's Industries — Conner's First Frame House — Probable Site of Conner!s Post — Crisis in Indian .Affairs — Several Definite Traditions — Minor Changes from Original Trail— Origin of Elephant Hill's Xamc — Site of Old Indian Camp — Location of the Old Block-house — Whole I'rontier in a Tremor — Connersville a Military Station — Business Grouped .\bout the Trail — 'Only a Memory of a Long Past.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV— JOHN CONNER 143
Obscurity Surrounding His Career — His Indian Wife — His Second Mar- riage— Sketch of Conner by O. H. Smith — Sketch by Mrs. Sarah Conner Christian — Further Light on the Pioneer — Diary of David Zeisberger — Sketch of Conner by Baynard R. Hall— An Interesting Old Letter.
CHAPTER V— COUNTY ORGANIZATION 155
First Mention of Fayette County by Name — Motives Back of the Organiza- tion of the County — First Limits of the County — County Government and Early Proceedings — Tavern Rates — Early Finances of the County — Dona- tion Fund — Tax Assessment for 1831 and 1861 — County Receipts and Dis- bursements in .1916 — First Things in the County Records — First Court House — Present Court House — Jails — Benevolent Institutions — Centennial Memorial Hospital — Fayette Sanitarium Association — Population Statistics — Naturalization of Foreigners.
CHAPTER VI— OFFICIAL ROSTER OF FAYETTE COUNTY 186
Difficulty in Determining Accuracy of List of Officers — The List, by Years up to 1852 — Clerks of Circuit Court — Treasurers — Recorders — Surveyors — Auditors — Assessors — Sheriffs — Coroners — County Commissioners — Fayette County in the General Assembly — Congressmen from Fayette County.
CHAPTER VII— TOWNSHIPS OF FAYETTE COUNTY 214
Columbia Township — Boundaries — Land Entries — An Old Residence — Mills and Distilleries — Early Schools — Villages of Columbia, Nulltown, Alpine and Berlin — Connersville Township — Boundaries — Land Entries — John Con- ner and Other Early Settlers — Early Schools — Industries — Longvv'ood and East Connersville — Fairview Township — Boundaries — Land Entries — Early Settlers — First School House — Villages of Fairview and Falmouth — Harrison Township — Boundaries — Land Entries — Early Settlers and Industries — Early Schools — Villages of Harrisburg and Hawkins — Redville, Redtown or Stumptown — Jackson Township — Land Entries — Settlement — Early In- dustries and Schools — Villages of Everton and Bcntle.v — Jennings Town- ship— Boundaries — Land Entries — Settlement — Early Schools and Industries — Villages of Alquina and Lyonsville — Orange Township — Boundaries — Land Entries — Settlement — Early Schools and Industries — Villages of Orange and Glenwood — Posey Township — Boundaries — Land Entries — Settlement — Poll-book of Election of 1826 — Some First Events — Early Schools — Village of Bentonville — Waterloo Township — Boundaries — Land Entries — Voters in 1825 — Early Schools — Villages of Waterloo and Springersville.
CHAPTER VIII— TRANSPORTATION 273
The Old Indian Trail — Character of First Roads — Legislative Acts to En- courage Road-Making — The Era of Toll Roads— Roads Under the Three- Mile Law — Bridges — The 'White Water Canal — Opposition to Its Construc- tion, Serious Financial Difficulties, and Its Final Disposition — Present Use of the Canal in Fayette County — Railroads and Electric Lines.
CHAPTER IX— AGRICULTURE 283
Fertility of the Soil of the White Water V^alley — Radical Changes in Meth- ods of Farming — Scientific Agriculture — Farming Conditions in the Twen- ties and Implements Used by the Pioneers — Striking Contrast to Present Methods — Cattle — Horses — Hogs — Sheep — Report of County Assessor for 1916— Registered Farm Names — County Agent — Agricultural Societies and and Fairs — The Free Fair.
CHAPTER X— MILITARY HISTORY 298
The Military Period of 1816-1846— Muster Day— Mexican War- The Civil War — Relief Funds — Volunteers — Commands With Which Fayette County Men Served — Morgan's Raid — Drafts — Relief and Bounties — End of the War — Assassination of President Lincoln — Spanish-American War — Mis- cellaneous Naval and Military Notes — Military Organizations — Daughters of tlie American Revolution — Grand Army of the Republic — Sons of Vet- erans.
CHAPTER XI— THE BENCH AND THE BAR 323
The First Lawyer in History — Ever-present Need of Lawyers — Pre-eminent Lawyers of the County — Lawyers in Congress — Lawyer and Poet^Lawyers of Fayette County for One Hundred Years — Court History of Fayette County — Associate and Probate Judges — Separate Probate Court — Changes Under the New Constitution — Reorganization of the State Judiciary — Circuit Court Judges — Prosecuting Attorneys.
CHAPTER XII— THE MEDICAL PROFESSION 334
Character of Early Physicians — Account Book of Dr. Wilson Thompson — Early Physicians of Fayette County — A Root Doctor — Diplomas Easily Acquired — Practitioners in 1846 — Fayette County Medical Society — Dentist Made His Own Tools — Roster of Fayette County Physicians.
CHAPTER XIII— BANKS AND BANKING 344
Early Banking History in Connersville Enveloped in More or Less Obscur- ity— The State Bank of 1852 — Development of Banking^-A Brief History of the Various Banks, Trust Companies and Building and Loan Associa- tions of the County.
CHAPTER XIV— EDUCATIONAL HISTORY 351
The First Schools and Teachers — Description of an Early School House^ Establishment of Free Public Schools — County Superintendents of Schools — Enumeration Statistics — Connersville Township — Interesting Notes of "A Rambler" — Decrease in Enumeration — The Schools of Waterloo, Jennings, Orange, Jackson, Posey, Fairview, Columbia and Harrison Townships — Fayette County Schools in 1916-17 — Teachers, by Townships — Fayette County Seminary — Connersville Public Schools — Early Academy for Females — First Free Public School — Graduates of Connersville High School — City School Buildings — School Publications — Schools in 1916-17 — Present High-school Enrollment — Hawkins Playground — Marguerite Thiebaud Scholarship — City School Superintendents — High School Principals — Board of Education — Connersville School Directory, 1916-17 — Elmhurst School for Girls.
CHAPTER XV— LITTERATEURS AND ARTISTS IN FAYETTE COUNTY. 386 Indiana's Wide Reputation as a Literary Center — Fayette County's Writ- ers— Volumes That Deserve Mention — Tlie Poets of Fayette County — Mis- cellaneous Writers — A Few Samples of Local Poetry — Some Artists of Fay- ette County.
CHAPTER XVI— CHURCHES OF FAYETTE COUNTY 398
First Religious Movements in the County — Methodist Episcopal Churches — Baptist Churches — Christian Churches — Presbyterian Churches — United Brethren Churches — Lutheran Churches — Union Evangelical Church — Uni- versalist Churches — Seventh-day Adventists — Friends Societies — Episcopal Church— Church of Christ (Scientist)— Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene — Colored Churches — Catholicity in Fayette County.
CHAPTER XVII— THE PRESS OF FAYETTE COUNTY 463
Difficulty in Tracing the Early History of Fayette County Newspapers — The First Papers, and Others Which Followed — Conncrsvillc Papers and Some Well-known Editors.
CHAPTER XVIII— FRATERNAL AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES 482
Free and Accepted Masons — Royal Arch Masons — Royal and Select Masters — Knights Templar — Order of the Eastern Star — Scottish-Rite Masons — Nobles of the Mystic Shrine — Independent Order of Odd Fellows — Daughters of Rebekah — Knights of Pythias — Pythian Sisters — Fraternal Order of Eagles — Loyal Order of Moose — Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks — Improved Order of Red Men — Haymakers Association — Degree of Pocahontas — Modern Woodmen of America — Royal Neighbors of America — Knights of Columbus — Daughters of Isabelle — Patriotic Order of the Sons of America.
CHAPTER XIX— LITERARY, MUSICAL AND SOCIAL CLUBS 504
Simplicity of Society in Early Days — A Striking Picture of Club Life in 1917 — The Cary Club — The Sesame Club — A Dozen of LTs — The Coterie — The Clio Club— Wednesday Literary Club— The Culture Club— Adelaide Procter Club — The Tri-Kappa Sorority — The Camerata — The Wayside Gleaners — The Merry-go-Round Club — The Labyrinth Club — The Review Club.
CHAPTER XX— THE CITY OF CONNERSVILLE 517
Location and Picturesque Situation — The Original Plat — Additions — The Early Village — An Attorney Without Money — Tavern License Granted — The First Newspaper and the First Library — Regimental Orders — Some Notable Connersville Men — Connersville in 1833 — The Succeeding Decade, 1833-43— Connersville Directory in 1858-9— Connersville in 1861— Some Interesting Statistics — Renaming the Streets — Created a City — The Town Hall — Public Utilities — Fire Department — Waterworks — Public Lighting — Gas and Electricity — Sewerage System — Street Paving — Police Department — Telephones — Cemeteries — Industries — The Romance of Figures — Con- nersville's Peculiar Qualifications — Early Industries of the City — Beginning of the Furniture Industry and Other Well-known Concerns — The Ansted Industries and Other Local Enterprises — Business Directory — The Con- nersville of Today — Evidences of Public Enterprise — Church and School Expansion — The Postoftice — Public Library — Commercial Club — Commer- cial Club Boys' Band — ".\ Little Journey to Connersville"— Business Men's Credit Exchange — Some Historic Landmarks.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXI— FAYETTE COUNTY MEN OF A PAST GENERATION'. . 583 Men Who Have, in Cine Way or Another, Contribnted to the Growth of the County — Oliver Hampton Smith — Caleb Blood Smith — Samuel W. Parker — William Watson Wick — Jonathan McCarty — Minor Meeker — James C. Mcintosh — Col. James C. Rea — Abram B. ConwcU — Francis M. Roots — Lieut. Samuel J. Shipley — Louis T. Michcner.
CHAPTER XXII— GLIMPSES OF FAYETTE COUNTY 597
"Early Indiana Trials and Sketches", by Oliver H. Smith — Arrival in Con- nersville — A Political Preacher in a Fix — A Political Jury — The Story of Betty Frazier — A Divinely Commissioned Thief Catcher — John McCormick — Reminiscences — Pioneer Days in Fayette County — Early Connersville Business Men — The Old Singing School — Independence Day, 1831 — Indus- tries of Fayette County in Early Days— The Wawassa Paper-mill — ^Relics of Fayette County in Indiana University — A Trio of Catastrophes in Conners- ville— Mrs. Nancy Hawkins Hackleman — Connersville as a Show Town — Bunker Hill — Origin of Rural Free Delivery — Loaning Surplus Revenue Fund — Fayette County's Vote on Constitutional Conventions — An Adver- tisement of 1839 — The First German Family — First Things — First Map of the County — Manifestations of Liberal Spirit — Centennial Celebration of 1916.
HISTORICAL INDEX
Aboriginals. Proper Names of 112
Aborigines, Last Representative of- 110
Academy for Females 371
Advertisement of 1839 623
African M. E. Church 447
Agriculture 283
Alpine 221. 413. 429. 433
Alquina —
Additions 254
Churches 400. 406
Industries, Early 254
Lodges 493. 497, 499
Merchants, First 254
Origin 254
Physicians, Early 338
Postoffice 255
Ansted, E. W. 181
Ansted Interests 557, 581
Area of County 69
Artists of the County 396
Assessors, County 202
Associate Judges 186, 328
Asylum for the Poor 175
Auditors, County 202
Banks and Banking 344
Baptist Churches . 411
Bar. Members of the 325
Ben Davis, Story of 111
Bench and Bar 323
Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks 495
Benevolent Institutions 174
Benevolent Societies 482
Bentley 249
Bentonville —
Altitude 114
Business Interests 266
Bentonville, Con.—
Churches 429, 433
Location 266
Merchants, Early 266
Name 266
Platted 266
Postoffice 266
Berlin 221
Betty Frazier, Story of 599
Block-house, Old, Location of 136
Boundary Lines of State, Changes
in 47
Bridges 275
Brownsville Township 158
Bunker Hill 407, 619
Canal, White Water 276, 527
Capitals of Territory and State 59
Care for the Poor 175
Catastrophes, A Trio of 615
Catholic Churches 448
Cattle 288
Census of Northwest Territory. 1800 45
Centennial Celebration 628
Centennial Memorial Hospital 177
Christian Churches 421
Church of Christ, Scientist 446
Churches of Fayette County 398
Circuit Court 327
Circuit Judges 331
Civil War 301
Clark. Gen. George Rogers 37
Claypool, Benjamin F 210, 324
Claypool, Newton 161, 199, 210, f 7t
211, 519, 523
Clerks of the Court 186, 198
Clubs 504
Colored Baptists 447
Columbia 218, 404
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Columbia Township —
Boundaries 214
Chuches 432, 440
Creation of 158
Distilleries -- 217
Enumeration 355
Land Entries 214
Mills 217, 221
Officials, First 158
Physicians, Early 338
Population 183
Residence, An Old 216
Schools 217, 365
Settlement - 216
Soil 71, 75
Streams 70
Teachers 368
Commissioners, County 158, 205
Congressional Delegates, Territor- ial 52
Congressmen 212
Conner, John . 76, 86, 104, 107, 115,
118, 124, 127, 129, 143, 161, 186,
203, 224, 240, 548, 580, 605 609
Conner, Reuben 325
Conner's Post 115, 117, 118, 124,
125, 130, 139, 141, 519 Connersville —
Additions 518
Altitude 114
Ansted Industries - 557, 581
Automobile Industry 558
Board of Education 382
Boys' Band 577
Buggy Industry 555
Business Interests, 1821 520
Business Interests, 1830 521
Business Interests, 1858 527
Business Interests, 1917 560
Business Men's Exchange 580
Banks 344
Canal 527
Cemeteries 543
Churches 399, 413, 422, 433,
435, 443, 445, 450, 568
City, Made a 531
Clubs 504
Commercial Club 574
Electric Plant 540
Enumeration 355
Connersville, Con. —
Favorite Meeting Place for In- dians 115
Fifth Street Bridge, Strife 626
Fire Department 533
Furniture Industry 553
Gas Plant 539
Hawkins Playground 378
High School Graduates 374
In 1833 525
In 1861 528
Industries, Early 128, 549
Industries, Present 544
Landmarks, Old 580
Library, First 522
Library History 570
Lighting Service 538
Location 517
Lodges 482, 499
Made County Seat 161
Military Station 138
Mills 549
Newspapers 465, 521
Notable Men 523
Officials, City 532
Original Plat 126
Paving 541
Physicians 336
Plat, Original 517
Police Department 542
Population 183, 184
Population, 1867 531
Postoffice 569
Public Utilities 533
Railroads 280
Roots Interests 566. 575, 581
School Buildings 375
Schools 371, 568
Sewerage System 541
Situation 571
Store, the First 519
Streets, Renaming 531
Superintendents, School 380
Tavern Licenses 520, 521
Teachers z. 383
Telephone 543
Town Hall 532
War Times 301
Water Power 279
Waterworks : 536
Woolen Mills 552
HISTORICAL INDEX.
ConiuTsvillc Township— "
Area ---
Boundaries —
Churches 410. 4J1
Creation of 158
Enumeration -553, J-iS
Industries, Early --8
Land Entries ^2-
Lime 71
Mills -^^8
Officials, First 158
Population 183
Schools ^27. 355
Settlement 223, 325
Soil 75
Streams 09, 70
Teachers 368
Constitutional Convention \'ote — 623 Constitution of Indiana. Changes in 56
Conwell, Abram B. 593
Corn Fair 626
Coroners 186, 204
Counties, Organization of 54
Counties, Territorial 43
County Finances, 1820 162
County Finances, 1916 164
County Government 158
County Medical Society 339
County Officials 186
County Organization 155
County School Superintendents 354
County Seat Located 161
County Seminary 368
Court History 326
Court House History 168
D
Daughters of Isabelle 502
Daughters of Rebekah 491
Daughters of the American Revo- lution 319
Deed, First Recorded 168
Deed Recorded, First 625
Disciples Churches 421
Division of 1800, Territorial 44
Doctors 334
Donation Fund 161
Drafts During Civil War 313
Drift Formations 70
E
liagles, Fraternal Order of 494
I'.ast ConnersviUe —
Churches 403
Enumeration 355
Industries 229
Location 229
I'opulation 184
Schools 358
Teachers 368
Eastern Star, Order of the 488
Editors of Other Days 474
Educational History 351
Educational System of State 66
Electric Lines 282
Elephant Hill, Origin of Name 134
Elks, Order of 495
Elmhurst School for Girls 384
Enlistments from Fayette County 304
Enumeration Statistics 355
Episcopal Church 445
Evangelical Lutheran Cliurcli — '.-- 440 Everton —
Business Interests 249
Churches 400. 409, 442
Incorporation " 248
Location 248
Lodges 492
Merchants. First 248
Name, Changes in 248
Physicians, Early 338
Population 183
Postoffice 249
F
Fairview 2ii. 489, 497
Fairview Township —
Boundaries 229
Creation of 229
Enumeration 355
Industries, Early 2j2
Land Entries 229
Population 183
Schools Zil. 364
Settlement 231
Soil 75
Teachers 368
Fallen Timbers, Battle of 34, 41
Falmouth 2iX 234, 40^), 497
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Farm Prices, Early 285
Farming Conditions, Early 284
Fayette County Created 155
Fayette County, First Limits of 156
Fayette County Seminary 368
Fayette Sanitarium Association 179
Fifth Street Bridge, Strife Over— 626
Finances, Early County 159
First Surveys of State 39
Fraternal Order of Eagles 494
Fraternal Orders 482
Free Public Schools 353
Freemasonry 482
French and Indian War 35
French Settlements in the West-— 34 French Traders 122
Geology of Fayette County 69
German Baptists 418
German Family, the First 624
German Presbyterians 437
Glenwood 184, 260, 261, 400, 443
Glimpses of Fayette County 597
Governors of Indiana 63
Grand Army of the Republic 320
H
Hackleman, Mrs. Nancy H 617
Harrison Township —
Boundaries 234
Clubs 516
Creation of 158
Enumeration 355
Industries, Early 237
Land Entries 234
Mills 237
Officials, First 158
Population 183
Schools 239, 366
Settlement 236
Soil 75
Stone Quarries 70
Teachers 368
Harrisburg 240, 338, 429, 433
Harrison, William Henry 80, 82, 87
Hawkins 240
Hawkins Playground 378
Haymakers Association 498
Heinemann's Researches Id
History of Indiana li
Home for Dependent Children 177
Horseless Vehicle, First 625
Hospitals 177
I
Improved Order of Red Men 496
Independence Day, 1831 612
Independent Order of Odd Fellows- 490
Industries, Early 612
Indian Affairs, A Crisis in 131, 137
Indian Camp, Old 135
Indian Farming Efforts 119
Indian Lands 56
Indian Struggles, 1787-1803 | 41
Indian Trail Down the White Water
Valley 104, 106, 132, 135, 140, 273
Indian Treaties 78
Indian Tribes 80
Indiana, History of 33
Indiana in 1800 (map) 44
Indiana in 1801 (map) 48
Indiana in 1805 (map) 50
Indiana in 1809 (map) 53
Indiana in 1815 (map) 57
Indiana in 1818 (map) 55
Indiana's Natural Resources 66
Indians Resist White Encroachment, 33 Infirmary Farm 176
J
Jackson Township —
Boundaries 242
Churches 407, 411. 439. 442, 444
Creation of 158
Enumeration 355
Industries, Early 246
Land Entries 243
Mills 246
Population 183
Schools 247, 361
Settlement 244
Soil 71, 75
Streams 70
Teachers 368
Jail History . 172
Jennings Township —
Boundaries 250
Enumeration 355
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Jennings Township, Con.— ^
Industries, Early 253
Land Entries 250
Mills 253
Name 249
Officials. First 158
Population 183
Schools 253, 359
Settlement 251
Soil 75
Streams 69
Teachers 368
Journal of Proceedings of the
Treaty of Ft. Wayne. 1809 87
Justices of the Peace 186
K
Knights of Columbus 502
Knights of Pythias 492
Knights Templar 487
L
Landmarks. Ancient 121
Lawyers of the County 323
Lincoln, President, Assassination of. 316
Literary Clubs 504
Litterateurs of the County 386
Lodges 482
Longwood 228, 229. 443
Loyal Order of Moose 494
Lutheran Churches 449
Lyonsville - 255. 419. 440
Mc
McCarty, Jonathan 161, 187. 189,
198, 200, 212, 523, 588
McCormick, John 602
Mcintosh, James C. 591
M
Map of Fayette County, First 626
Margaret Thiebaud Scholarship 379
Marriage License, the First 168, 625
Masonic Order 482
Medical History 334
Medical Society 339
Meeker, Minor 590
Memorial Hospital 177
Men of a Past Generation 583
Methodist Episcopal Churches 399
Mexican War 300
Michener, Louis T. 596
Military History of County 298
Military History of State 00
Military Notes 317
Military Organizations 318
Modern Woodmen of America 501
Moose, Loyal Order of 494
Morgan's Raid 61, 311
Musical Clubs 504
Musical Congress 626
Muster Day 299
Mystic Shrine 489
N
Natural Drainage 69
Naturalization Records 184
Naval Notes 317
Newspaper History 465
Northwest Territory, First White
Men in 33
Northwest Territory Organized 42
NuUtowii 220
O
Odd Fellows, Independent Order of 400
Official Roster of County 186
Orange 260, 400, 406, 429, 433, 497
Orange Township —
Boundaries 256
Churches 410, 431, 436, 440
Enumeration 355
Industries, Early 259
Land Entries 256
Name 256
Orchards 260
Physicians, Early 338
Population 183
Schools 259, 360
Settlement 258
Soil 75
Streams 70
Teachers 368
Order of the Eastern Star 488
Ordinance of 1787 39
HISTORICAL INDEX.
P
Parker, Samuel W. 587
Patriotic Order of the Sons of
America 503
Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene 447
Physicians --- 334
Pioneer, Our Original 86
Pioneer Days 606
Pioneer Farm Implements 286
Pocahontas, Degree of 498
Poetry by Fayette County Writers- 390
Poets of Fayette County 388
Political History of State 62
Pontiac's Conspiracy 36
Population of County 182
Population of the State 65
Posey Township- Boundaries 261
Churches 410
Enumeration 355
First Events 265
Land Entries 262
Name 261
Poll-book of 1826 264
Population 183
Schools 265, 363
Settlement 263
Soil 65
Streams - 69
Presbyterian Churches 434
Press of Fayette County 465
Primitive Baptist Church 420
Probate Judges 328
Prosecuting Attorneys 332
Pythian Sisters 493
Q
Quebec Act 36
R Railroads 280
Rea. Col. James C. 592
Rebekah, Daughters of 491
Recorders 186, 200
Red Men, Improved Order of 496
Redtown 241
Redville 241
Related State History 33
Relics of Fayette County 615
Religious Life 398
Reminiscences 604
Representative Government 42
Representatives 209
Revolutionary Period 36
Rival Claims to Northwest 34
Road. First Attempt to Make 119
Roads, The First 273
Roberts Park 627
Roots, Francis M. 594
Roots Interests 566, 581
Royal and Select Masters 486
Royal Arch Masons 485
Royal Neighbors 501
Rural Free Delivery. Origin of 620
S
St. Clair. Gen. Arthur 41. 42, 45
Sains Creek 433
Sanitarium Association 179
Savings and Loan Associations 349
Saw-mill, Conner's 127
School Enumeration 355
School HousCj An Early 352
School Superintendents, County 354
Schools 351
Scottish Rite 489
Secret Societies 482
Seminary, County 368
Senators, State 209
Settlements in Indiana Territory,
1800 46
Seventh-Day Adventists 443
Sheriff's Residence 173
Sheriffs 186, 203
Shipley, Lieut. Samuel J. 595
Singing School, an Old 610
Slavery, Efforts to Establish, in
Indiana 52
Smith, Caleb B. 212, 323, 482,"
484, 523, S2S, 585 Smith, Oliver H. .109. 110, 144, 148, 212, 284, 323, 332, 336, 386, 482, 519,
523, 526, 584, 597
Social Clubs 504
Soils 71
Soldiers from Fayette County 304
Sons of Veterans 321
Spanish-American War 62. 316
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Springersville - — 272. 431, 433
State Roads lli
Streams 69
Stumptown 241
Surplus Revenue Fund, Loaning of_- 021 Surveyors. County 201
T
Tavern Rates, Early 159
Tax Assessment, 1831 163
Tax Assessment. 1861 164
Tax Assessments, Early 160
Territorial General Assemblies 51
Territorial Government 47. 49
Territorial Legislature. First 43
Toll Roads 274
Township History 214
Townships, First 158
Transportation 273
Treasurers, County 199
Treaties with the Indians 78
Twelve Mile Purchase 11, 87
U
Union Evangelical Church 441
United Brethren Church 439
Universalist Church 442
V
\'incennes. Capture of Zl
Vincennes, Oldest Settlement in Indiana 38
W.
War Relief and Bounties 314
Water Tower from Canal 279
Waterloo 270. 338, 439
Waterloo Township —
Boundaries 2(iO
Churches 405
Creation of 266
Enumeration 355
Land Entries 267
Population 183
Schools 269, 358
Settlement 268
Soil 75
Streams 70
Teachers 368
Voters in 1825 269
Wawassa Paper-mill 613
White Water Canal 276. 527
White W'ater Country. Topography
of 114
White Water River 69
Wliite Water Valley. Natural Ad- vantages of 108
Wick. William Watson 588
Will Recorded, First 168. 625
Writers of Fayette County 388
Z Zeisberger, David, Diary of 149
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX
A
Adams, Alanson 940
Ansted, Edward W. 672
Ansted, Frank B. 715
Archey, Charles M. 1051
B
Baker, David 995
Barker, Virgil J. 738
Barrows, Alvin E. 1056
Barrows, Frederic I. 1096
Basse, William C. 865
Beaver, Hugh E. 1090
Beaver, John M. 1087
Beaver, Raymond S. ^^2,
Beckett, Azariah T. 948
Beeson, Charles 968
Bell, Andrew M. 917
Bilby, Morton L. Hi
Bilby, Palmer T. 951
Blevins, John T. 796
Booher, Irvin E., M. D. 848
Bowen, Gus 842
Bowen, Ralph W, 844
Bower, L. T. 728
Brown, William 853
Brown, William C. 846
Buckley, Michael C. 683
Burger, John J. 835
Byrne, John L. 1011
C
Cain, William J. 687
Caldwell, Cleve T. 1068
Caldwell, Daniel W. 1089
Caldwell, Scott E. 1060
Carr, Clarence G. 991
Carson, William A. 863
Chrisman, Albert L. 755
Chrisman, Jesse S. 726
Clark, John S. 905
Claypool, Austin B. 1033
Claypool, Jefferson H. 644
Clifton, James A. 663
Cokefair, Lafe 1078
Cole, Benjamin W. 692
Cole, Joseph J. 920
Collyer, Alfred 791
Collyer, Fred P. 823
Connor, John, Descendants of 1002
Cook, James F. 874
Cooper, B. W., M. D. 1145
Cressler, Miss Isabel B. 694
Culbertson, John M. 896
Cummins, Frank 994
Cummins, Millard F. 840
Cummins, Murl D. 1010
Cummins, Noah . 793
D
DeVaney, William H. 856
Doenges, Fred 81S
Doenges, John L, 1148
Doenges, Henry P. 1137
Doenges, Simon 701
Doniker, Omer 1128
Downs. Capt. Thomas 688
E
Earl, Morell J. 1038
Eddy, Burl 1134
Edwards, Clarence E. 953
Elliott, Hon. Richard N. 652
Enos, Edward A. 923
Erb, Maynard M. 907
F
Fearis, J. H. 681
Fiant, Oliver T. 1025
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Fisher, Fred W. 1127
Fisher, James T. 900
Fitzgerald, Thomas 786
Fletcher, A. J., M. D. 671
Florea, Joseph D. 1064
Fries, George M. 836
Frost, Hyatt L. 679
G
Gerber, Sam 1022
Goble, Albert E. 967
Goble, George W. 676
Green, George 895
Green, Levi N. 1012
Greenwood, Robert J. 864
Gregg, Vincent H., M. D. 696
H
Hackleman, Frank D. 650
Hackleman, John W. 788
Hadley, Willard 1029
Hahn, Erwin H. 767
Halladay, Warden 764
Hamilton, James M. 1150
Hanson, Frank M. 886
Harlan, James M. 909
Harry, William T. 925
Hawkins, Edward P. 1104
Hawkins, Edward V. 912
Heinemann, George 784
Helvie, A. P., D. V. S. 1144
Hendrickson, William 698
Henry, Jesse O. 1116
Heron, James 636
Heron, James M. 753
Higgs, John M. 664
Plimelick, E. Ralph 720
Hinchman, Marshal!, Jr. 782
Hinchman, Ulysses G. 928
Holland, James F. 1039
Holter, Josephus W. 935
Hull, Charles C. 832
Hussey, Elwood 1092
Huston, Emery 1120
Huston, James 723
Huston, Joseph E. 1112
J
Johnson. J. H., M. D. 700
Johnston, Edgar D. 942
Johnston. G. Edwin 667
Jones, William T. 1042
K
Kennedy, Jasper L. 743
Kensler, Preston H. 760
King, William H. 757
Kline, Leonidas A. 1020
L
Lake, Ellis R. 960
Lake, Franklin Z. 955
Lake, George W. 982
Lake, Willis R. 1114
Leffingwell, Minor E. 741
Leonard, George C. 776
Lewis, Hayden 975
Little, Melancthon R. 849
Little, Thomas M. 800
Lockhart, John 707
Loudenback, William H. 876
Ludlow, Henry L. 867
Ludlow, James 1016
Ludlow, John 888
Lyons, Abram 1118
Mc
McBurney, Thomas C. 933
McConnell, William H. 871
McFarlan, Charles E. J. 712
McFarlan, John B. 1008
McFarlan, John B., Jr. 706
Mcintosh, James M. 963
McKee, David W. 669
McKennan, Roy C. 735
McKennan, Samuel O. 748
McMullen, Richard A. S. 1142
M
Manlove, George E. 816
Martin, Charles W. 898
Mason, Charles W. 989
Mason, Hon. James K. 985
Massey, J. O. 763
Maurer, Ernest A. 1075
Maurer, Henry 1063
Maze, William 1024
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
McnMuir. Cliarles =. 756
Merrilield, Samuel S. 734
Mesker, Rev. Theodore S. 673
Messersinith, George D. 1138
Michener. Edgar M. 6ol
Moffett. Joseph E. 829
Mofifett, Miles K. 745
Moffett, Otho O. 1046
MofTett, Samuel C. 1044
Moncyhon, Charles 750
Montgomery, Franklin V. 877
Moore. Joseph A. 1140
Moore. Lafayette 984
Mount. James 659
Mountain, Joseph R.. M. D. 736
Moyer, William H. 739
Munger. Warren H. 997
Murphy, Elmer E. 826
Murray, Warren B. 1081
Myers, Oliver P. 1105
N
Naylor. John C. 811
Neal, Frederick C. 747
Xewkirk, William 731
Nevvland. Charlie 806
O Oldham. George E. 892
Osborne, H. S., M. D. 828
P
Perkins, Fred B. 1097
Peters, John J. 759
Phillips, William R.. M. D. 809
Porter, Clarence E. 766
Porter, William R. 819
Post, Samuel M. 891
Powell, Gabriel G. 1131
Powell, John G. 7iO
Prifogle. George W. 838
Pyke, Howell G. 1052
R
Rees, Hiram E. 710
Reichle, John W. 719
Rich. A. E. 831
Ri,ggs. James S. 880
Rickert. Edward L. 381
Robinson. Willard 1123
Roots. Daniel T. 640
Roots, Francis M. 033
Ross, Major John W. 649
Rowe, Richard H. 1110
S Saxon, Walter S. 869
Schoenholtz, Frederick 685
Schoenholtz, Adam 7ii
Scott, James W. 957
Scott, John M. 976
Scott, William W. 944
Sherry, William H. 768
Shipley, Hiram 1054
Shipley, Lieut. Samuel J. 656
Shortridge. Sanford 1047
Silvcy. Henry T. 717
Simpkins, Al>salom 1032
Sipe, Richard W., M. D. 813
Smelser, H. W., M. D. 752
Smith, B. R., M. D. 695
Smith. Carl C. 1109
Smith, Harry H. 821
Springer, Hon. Raymond S. 879
Stevens, Elmer E. 858
Stoll, John 722
Stone, Edwin M. 1099
Strong, John A. 1018
Sumner. Miss Caroline L. 792
Sutcliffe. Joseph M, 1014
Sweetland. Dr. A. T., D. C. 703
T
Tate, Curtis L. 1158
Tate, James H. (First) 1146
Tate, James H. (Second) 1157
Tate, William H. 1091
Tatman. Edwin W. 480
Thiebaud, B. F. 824
Thomas. Scott 655
Thompson, William H. H02
Thrasher. John P. 778
Tingley. Lincoln K. 725
Trusler, Prof. Claude L. 704
Trusler. D. E. 481
Trusler, Edmund B. 903
Trusler, Hon. Milton (i41
Trusler. Milton H. 647
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
W
Wainwright, William W. 938
Weaver, Harry E. 979
Weaver, Philip F. 971
Wetherald, Edgar K. 770
White, John M. 803
White, John T. 884
Whiteis, J. N., D. O. --. 751
Wiles, Joseph B. 798
Williams, Charles R. 1152
Williams, George M. 1085
Williams, John J. 914
Williams, John N. 918
Wise, David L. 1067
Worsham, Franklin M. 1121
Worster, Thomas W. 1072
Y Young, Amon 851
Z Zell, Glen 686
HISTORICAL
CHAPTER I. A Short History of Indiana.
The first white men to set foot upon the Northwest Territory were French traders and missionaries under the leadership of La Salle. This was about the year 1670 and subsequent discoveries and explorations in this region by the French gave that nation practically undisputed possession of all the territory organized in 1787 as the Northwest Territory. It is true that the English colonies of Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts claimed that their charters extended their grants westward to the Mississippi river. However, France claimed this territory and successfully maintained posses- sion of it until the close of the French and Indian War in 1763. At that time the treaty of Paris transferred all of the French claims east of the Mississippi river to England, as well as all claims of France to territory on the mainland of North America. For the next twenty years the Northwest Territory was under the undisputed control of England, but became a part of the United States by the treaty which terminated the Revolutionary War in 1783. Thus the flags of three nations have floated over the territory now comprehended within the present state of Indiana — the tri-color of France, the union jack of England and tlie stars and stripes of the Ehiited States.
History will record the fact that there was another nation, however, which claimed jwssession of this territory and, while the Indians can hardly be called a nation, yet they made a gallant fight to retain their hunting grounds. The real owners of this territory struggled against heavy o'dds to maintain their supremacy and it was not until the battle of Tippecanoe, in the fall of 181 1, that the Indians gave up the unequal struggle. Tecumseh, the Washington of his race, fought fiercely to .save this territoiy for his people, but the white man finally overwhelmed him, and "Lo, the poor Indian" was pushed westward across the Mississippi. Tlie liistory of the Northwest Territorv is full of the bitter fights which tlie Indians waged in tning to drive ^3)
34 FAYKTTK COUNTY, INDIANA.
the white man out and the defeat which tlie Indians inflicted on General St. Clair on November 4, 1792, will go down in the annals of American history as the worst defeat which an American army ever suffered at the hands of the Indians. The greatest battle which has ever been fought in the United States against the Indians occurred in the state of Ohio. This was the battle of Fallen Timbers and occurred August 20, 1794, the scene of the battle being within the present county of Defiance. After the close of the Revolutionarv War the Indians, urged on by the British, caused the settlers in the Northwest Territory continual trouble and defeated every de- tachment sent against them previous to their defeat by Gen. Anthony Wayne at the battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Although there was some trouble with the Indians after this time, they did not offer serious resistance after this memorable defeat until the fall of 181 1. when Gen. William Henry Har- rison completely routed them at the battle of Tippecanoe.
TERRITORY NORTHWEST OF THE OHIO (167O-I754).
Ohio was the first state created out of the old Northwest Territory, although Indiana had been previously organized as a territory. When the land comprehended within the Northwest Territory was discovered by the French under La Salle about 1670, it was a battle ground of various Indian tribes, although the Fries, who were located along the shores of Lake Erie, were the only ones with a more or less definite territory. From 1670 to 1763, the close of the French and Indian War, the French were in possession of this territory and established their claims in a positive manner by exten- sive exploration and scattered settlements. The chief centers of French settlement were at Detroit, Vincennes, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Fort Crevecour and at several missionary stations around the shores of the great lakes. The French did not succeed in establishing themselves without incurring. the hos- tility of the Iroquois Indians, a bitter enmity which was brought about chiefly because the French helped the Shawnees. Wyandots and Miamis to drive the Iroquois out of the territory west of the Muskingum river in Ohio.
It must not be forgotten that the English also laid claim to the North- west Territory, basing their claim on the discoveries of the Cabots and the subsequent charters of Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut. These charters extended the limits of these three colonies westAvard to the Pacific ocean, although, as a matter of fact, none of the tliree colonies made a settle- ment west of the Alleghanies until after the Revolutionary War. New York sought to strengthen her claim to territory west of the Alleghanies in 1701
FAYETTE COUN'TY, INDIANA.
3$
by getting from the Iroquois, the bitter enemies of the French, a grant to the territory from which the French and their Indian allies had previously ex- pelled them. Although this grant was renewed in 1726 and again confirmed in 1744, it gave New York only a nominal claim and one which was never recognized by the French in any way.
English traders from Pennsylvania and Virginia began in 1730 to pay more attention to the claims of their country west of the Alleghanies and north of the Ohio river. When their activities reached the ears of the FVench the governor of French Canada sent Celeron de Bienville up and down the Ohio and the rivers and streams running into it from the north and took formal possession of the territory by planting lead plates at the mouth of every river and stream of any importance. This peculiar method of the French in seeking to establish their claims occurred in the year 1749 and opened the eyes of England to the necessity of taking some immediate action. George II, the king of England at the time, at once granted a charter to the first Ohio Company ( there were two others by the same name later organ- ized), composed of London merchants and enterprising Virginians, and the company at once proceeded to formulate plans to secure possession of the ter- ritory north of the Ohio and west of the Mississippi. Christopher Gist was sent down the Ohio river in 1750 to explore the country as far west as the mouth of the Scioto river, and made several treaties with the Indians. Things were now rapidly approaching a crisis and it was soon evident that there would be a struggle of arms between England and France for the disputed region. In 1754 the English started to build a fort at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, on the site of the present city of Pitts- hurgii, but before the fort was completed the French a])iieared on the scene, drove the English away and finished the fort which had been begun.
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR ( I 754-63 j . "jLJLSSi » •
The crisis had finally come. The struggle which followed between the two nations ultimately resulted in the expulsion of the French from the mainland of America as well as from the immediate territory in dispute. The war is known in America as the French and Indian War and in the history of the world as the Seven Years' War, the latter designation being due to the fact that it lasted that length of time. The struggle developed into a world-wide conflict and the two nations fought over three continents, America, Europe and Asia. It is not within the province of this resume of the history of Indiana to go into the details of this memorable struggle. It is
36 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
sufficient for the purpose at hand to state that the treaty of Paris, which terminated the war in 1763, left France without any of her former posses- sions on the mainland of America.
PONTIAC'S CONSPIRACY ( 1 763-64).
With the English in control of America east of the Mississippi river and the French regime forever ended, the Indians next command the attention of the historian who deals with the Northwest Territory. The French were undoubtedly responsible for stirring up their former Indian allies and Pontiac's conspiracy must be credited to the influence of that nation. This formidable uprising was successfully overthrown by Henry Bouquet, who led an expedition in 1764 into the present state of Ohio and compelled the Wyandots, Delawares and Shawnees to sue for peace.
NORTHWEST TERRITORY AND QUEBEC ACT.
From 1764 to 1774, no events of particular importance occurred within the territory north of the Ohio river, but in the latter year (June 22, 1774), ■ England, then at the breakihg point with the colonies, passed the Quebec act, which attached this territory to the province of Quebec for administrative purposes. This intensified the feeling of resentment which the colonies bore against their mother country and is given specific mention in their list of grievances which they enumerated in their Declaration of Independence. The Revolutionary War came on at once and this act, of course, was never put into execution.
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD ( I 775-83 ) .
During the War for Independence (1775- 1783), the various states with claims to western lands agreed with the Continental Congress to surrender their claims to the national government. In fact, the Articles of Confedera- tion were not signed until all of the states had agreed to do this and Mary- land withheld her assent to the articles until March i, 1780, on this account. In accordance with this agreement New York ceded her claim to the United States in 1780, Virginia in 1784, Massachusetts in 1785 and Connecticut in 1786, although the latter state excepted a one-hundred-and-twenty-mile strip of three million five hundred thousand acres bordering on Lake Erie. This strip was formally relinquished in 1800, with the imderstanding that the
FAYETTU- COUNTY. INDIANA. 37
United States would guarantee the titles already issued by that state. Vir- ginia was also allowed a reservation, known as the Virginia Military Di;*- trict, w^hich lay between the Little Miami and Scioto rivers, the same being for distribution among her Revolutionary veterans. There is one other fact which should be mentioned in connection with the territory north of the Ohio in the Revolutionary period. This was the memorable conquest of the territory by Gen. George Rogers Clark. During the years 1778 and 1779, this redoubtable leader captured Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Vincennes and thereby drove the English out of the Northwest Territory. It is probable that this notable campaign secured this territory for the Americans and that we would not have had it included in our possessions in the treaty which closed the Revolutionary War if it had not been for its conquest byClark.
CAPTURE OF VINCENNES.
One of the most interesting pages of Indiana history is concerned with the capture of Vincennes by Gen. George Rogers Clark in the spring of 1779. The expedition of this intrepid leader with its successful results marked him as a man of more than usual ability. Prompted by a desire to secure the territory northwest of the Ohio river for the Americans, he sought and obtained permission from the governor of X'irginia the right to raise a lx)dy of troops for this purpose. Early in the spring of 1778 Clark l)egan collecting his men for the proposed expedition. Within a short time he collected alxiut . one hundred and fifty men at Fort Pitt and floated down the Ohio to the falls near Jeffersonville. He picked up a few recruits at this place and in June floated on down the river to the mouth of the Tennessee river. His original intention was to make a descent on Vincennes first, but, having received erroneous reports as to the strength of the garrison located there, he decided to commence active operations at Kaskaskia. After landing his troops near the mouth of the Tennessee in the latter part of June, 1778, he marched them across southern Illinois to Kaskaskia, arriving there on the evening of July 4. The inha1)itants were terror stricken at first, but upon being assured by General Clark that they were in no danger -and that all he wanted was their support of the American cause, their fears were soon (|uieted. Being so far from the scene of the war, the French along the Mississippi knew little or nothing about its progress. One of the most important factors in establishing a friendly relation between the Americans and the French inhabitants was the heartv willingness of Father Gibault,
30 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
the Catholic priest stationed at Kaskaskia, in making his people see that their best interests would be served by aligning themselves with the Americans. Father Gibault not only was of invaluable assistance to General Clark at Kaskaskia, but he also offered to make the overland trip to Vincennes and win over the French in that place to the American side. This he successfully did and returned to Kaskaskia in August with the welcome news that the inhabitants of Vincennes were willing to give their allegiance to the Americans. However, before Clark got his troops together for the trip to Vincennes, General Hamilton, the lieutenant-go\ernor of Detroit, descended the Wabash and captured Vincennes (December 15, 1778). At that time Clark had only two men stationed there, Leonard Helm, who was in command of the fort, and a private by the name of Henry. As soon as Clark heard that the British had captured Vincennes, he began to make plans for retaking it. The terms of enlistment of many of his men had expired and he had difficulty in getting enough of them to re-enlist to make a body large enough to make a successful attack. A number of young Frenchmen joined his command and finally, in January, 1779, Clark set out from Kaskaskia for Vincennes with one hundred and seventy men. This trip of one hundred and sixty miles was made at a time when traveling overland was at its worst. The prairies were wet, the streams were swollen and the rivers overflowing their banks. Notwithstand- ing the difficulties which confronted him and his men, Clark advanced as rapidly as ix)ssible and by February 2;^, 1779, he was in front of Vincennes. Two days later, after considerable parleying and after the fort had suffered from a murderous fire from the Americans, General Hamilton agreed to sur- render. This marked the end of British dominion in Indiana and since that <iay the territory now comprehended in the state has been American soil.
VINCENNES, THE OLDEST SETTLEMENT OF INDIANA.
Historians have never agreed as to the date of the founding of Vin- cennes. The local historians of that city have always claimed that the settle- ment of the town dates from 1702, although those who have examined all the facts and documents have come to the conclusion that 1732 comes nearer to being the correct date. It was in the latter year that George Wash- ington was born, a fact which impresses upon the reader something of the age of the city. Vincennes was an old town and had seen several generations pass away when the Declaration . of Independence was signed. It was in Vincennes and vicinity that the best blood of the Northwest Territory was found at the time of the Revolutionary War. It was made the seat of justice
F-iYETTK COLINTY, INDIANA. 39
of Knox county when it was organized in 1790 and consequently it is l)y many years the oldest county seat in the state. It became the first capital of huliana Territory in 1800 and saw it removed to Corydon in 1813 for the reason, so the Legislature said, that it was too near the outskirts of civiliza- tion. In this oldest city of the Mississippi valley still stands the house into wliich Go\-ernor Harrison moved in 1804. and the house in wliicli the Terri- torial Legislature held its sessions in 1805 is still in an excellent state of preservation.
Today Vincennes is a thriving city of fifteen thousand, with paved streets, street cars, fine public buildings and public utility plants equal to any in the state. It is the seat of a university which dates back more than a century.
FIRST SURVEYS AND EARLY SETTLERS.
The next period in the history of the territory north of the Ohio begins with the passage of a congressional act (May 20, 1785), which provided for the present system of land surveys into townships six miles square. As soon as this was put into operation, settlers — and mostly Revolutionary soldiers — began to pour into the newly surveyed territory. A second Ohio Company was organized in the spring of 1786, made up chiefly of Revolutionary officers and soldiers from New England, and this company proposed to estab- lish a colony somewhere between Lake Erie and the Ohio river. At this junc- ture Congress realized that definite steps sh<iuld be made at once for some kind of government over this extensive territory, a territory which now in- cludes the present states of Ohio, Indiana. Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and about a third of Minnesota, ^^arious plans were proposed in Congress and most of the sessions of 1786 and the first half of 1787 were consumed in trying to formulate a suitable form of government for the extensive terri- tory. The result of all these deliberations resulted in the famous Ordinance of 1787, which was finally passed on July 13, 1787.
ORDINANCE OF 1 787.
There have been many volumes written about this instrument of gov- erninent and to this day there is a difference of opinion as to who was its author. The present article can do no more than merely sketch its outline and set forth the main provisions. It was intended to provide only a tem- porarv government and to serve until such a time as the population of the territorx- woukl warrant the creation oi states with the same rights and
40 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
privileges which the thirteen original states enjoyed. It stipulated that not less than three nor more than five states sliould ever be created out of the whole territory. The maximum numljer was finally organized, although it was not until 1848 that the last state, Wisconsin, was admitted to the Union. The third article. "Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of educa- tion shall forever be encouraged," has given these five states the basis for their excellent system of public schools, state normals, colleges and uni- versities. Probably the most widely discussed article was the sixth, which pro- vided that slavery and involuntary servitude should never be pennitted within the territory and by the use of the word "forever" made the territory free for all time. It is interesting to note in this connection that both Indiana and Illinois before their admission to the Union sought to have this pro- vision set aside, but every petition from the two states was refused by Con- gress in accordance with the provision of the Ordinance.
FIRST STAGE OF GOVERNMENT UNDER THE ORDIN.\NCE.
The Ordinance contemplated two grades of territorial go\'ernment. During the operation of the first grade of government the governor, his secre- tary and the three judges provided by the Ordinance were to be appointed by Congress and the governor in turn was to appoint "such magistrates and other civil officers in each county and township as he shall deem necessary for the preservation of the peace and good will of the same." After the federal government was organized in 17S9, a statutory provision took the appointment of these officers out of the hands of Congress and placed it in the hands of the President of the Ignited States. All executive authority was given to the governor, all judicial authority to the three judges, while the go^•ernor and judges, in joint session, constituted the legislative body. This means that during the first stage of territorial government the people had absolutely no voice in the affairs of government and this state of affairs lasted imtil 1799. a period of twelve years.
SECOND STAGE OF GOVERNMENT UNDER' THE ORDINANCE.
The second stage of government in the territory was to begin whenever the governor was satisfied that it contained at least five thousand free male inhabitants of the age of twenty-one years and above. The main difference between the first and second stages of territorial government lay in the fact
FAvrrTi-: cm:
41
that tlie legislative functions were taken from the ,i,'o\ernor and juiliijes and given to a "general assemhly or legislature." The Ordinance provided for the election of one representative for each five hundred free male inhabitants. the tenure of the office to be two years. While the members of the lower house were to be elected by the i|ualilied voters of the territorv. the ni)])er house, to consist of li\e members, was lo be a])pointed by Congress in a somewhat complicated manner. The house of representatives was lo select ten men and these ten names were to be sent to Congress and out of this number five w'ere to be selected by Congress. Hiis provision, like the ap- pointment of the governor, was later changed so as to make the upper house the appointees of the President of the I'nited States. The five men so selected were called councilors and held office for five years.
iNi)[.\x .sTRiTcr.i.KS (17S7-1803).
The period from 1787 to 1803 in the Northwest Territory was marked by several bitter conflicts with the Indians. Just as at the close of the French and Indian War had the PVcnch stirred up the Indians against the Americans, so at the close of the Revolutionary War did the English do the same. In fact the ^^'ar of 1812 was undoubtedly hastened by the depredations of the Indians, who were urged to malce forax's upon the frontier settlements in the Northwest Territor\- by the P>ritish. The various uiirisings of the Indians during this critical ])eriod greatly retarded the inllux of settlers in the new- territory, and were a constant menace to those hardy pioneers who difl ven- ture to establish homes north of the Ohio river. Three distinct campaigns were waged against the savages before they were finally subdued. The first campaign was under the command of Gen. Josiah Harmar (1790) and re- sulted in a decisive defeat for the whites. The second expedition was under the leadership of Gen. Arthur St. I'lair ( 171)1 ), the governor of the Territory, and was marked by one of the worst defeats e\er suffered by an .\merican army at the hands of the Indians. A lack of knowledge of Indian methods of warefare. combined with reckless mismanagement, sufficiently accounts for both disasters. It remained for (len. Anthony Wayne, the "Mad Anthony" of Revolutionary fame, to bring the Indians to terms. The battle of Fallen Timbers, which closed his campaign against the Indians, was fought August 20, 17Q4, on the Alaumee river within the ])resent limits of Defiance coiuity. Ohio. This crushing defeat of the Indians, a rout in which they lost twelve out of thirteen chiefs, was so complete that the Indians were glad to sue for peace. On June ro, I7()5, delegates from the \arions Indian tribes, headed
42 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Ijy their respecti\-e chiefs, met at Green\ille, Ohio, to formulate a treaty. A treaty wa.s finally consummated on August 3, signed by General Wayne on behalf of the United States and liy ninety chiefs and delegates of twelve interested tribes. Iliis treaty was faithfully kept by the Indians and ever afterwards Little Turtle, the real leader of the Indians at that time, was a true friend of the whites. \Vhile there were several sporadic forays on the I)art nf the Indians up to 1811, there was no battle of any importance with them until the battle of Tippecanoe in the fail of 181 1.
ORGANIZATION OE THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. ,
The first governor of the newly organized territory was Gen. Arthur St. Clair, a gallant soldier of the Re\-olution, who was appointed on October 5, 1787, and ordered to report for dut\' on the first of the following February. He held the office until Novemlier 22. [H02. when he was dismissed by Presi- dent Jefferson "for the disorganizing spirit, and tendency of every example, violating tJie rules of conduct enjoined by his public station, as displayed in his address to the convention." The governor's duties were performed by his secretary, Charles W. Byrd, until March i, 1803, when the state oflicials took their office. The first judges appointed in 1787 ,were Samuel Holden Parsons. James Mitchell Varnum and John :\rmstrong. Before the time came for the judges to qualify, .\rmstrong resigned and John Cleves Symmes was appointed in his place. The first secretary was Winthrop Sargent, who lield the position until he was ajipointed governor of Mississippi Territory by the President on May 2, 1798. Sargent was succeeded by William Henry Harrison, who was appointed by the President on June 26, 1798, and con- firmed by the Senate two days later. Harrison was later elected as the first delegate of the organized Northwest Territor)- to Congress and the President then appointed Charles \\'illing Byrd as secretary of the Territory, Byrd's appointment 1)eing confirmed by the Senate on December 31, 1799.
REPRESENTATIVE STAGE Ol" (lOXERNMENT ( 1799-1803).
The Northwest Territory remained under the government of the first stage until September t6, 1799, when it advanced to the second or repre- sentative stage as the result of a census showing that it had the necessary population. In the summer of 1798 Governor St. Clair had ascertained that the territory had a population of at least five thousand free male inhabi- tants and. in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance of 1787, was
FAYhllh ll)L'.\TV, INDIANA. 4/^
ready to make the change in its tdnn nf _<;()\ernnieiU. ()n ()cliilier _'<), ijwS. the ,£;i)\ernor issued a pniclaniation to tlie qualilied \(itei-s of tlie territory directing tiieni to elioose nienil)er> for tlie lower Imuse of the lerritdrial Legislature at an eleetion to lie held on the third Monda\- of the followint^ Decemher. The twenty-two nienihers so eleeted met on januar\- id. ijijij. and, pursuant to the provisions of the Ordinance, selected the ten men from whom the I'resident of the I'nited States later cliose ti\e fur the Le^islati\e Council. They then adjourned to meet on Septenilter i(). I7i)(), hut since there was not a quorum on that day they held adjourned sessions until the J^rd, at which time a quorum was ]M-esent.
.\t the time the chanjje in the form of .ti;o\ernment went into eti'ect there were only nine counties in the whole territory, and onl\- one, Knox, con- tained territory within the ])resent slate of Indiana. These counties had heen created either by the governor the nine counties organized hef the number of legislators ;q)|)o
County. C
Washington fuly
Hamilton fam
St. Clair \pr
Knox Tunc JO. i-go .
l\andol]ih October 5. 1793
Wayne \ugust A. 1796
.\dams lulv 10, 1707 .
Jefferson July 2q. 1707 .
Ross \ugust 20, 1708
|
is secretar\-. |
The h |
i>llowing table gives |
|
;00 with the |
dates , |
if their creation and |
|
(1 to each l)y |
the g( |
)\ernor : |
|
)ateof |
Xumber of |
|
|
ation. |
representatives. |
|
|
7. T7S8 |
||
|
rv 4 1 700 |
||
|
-'7. I70n . . . |
I |
l-^TRST TERKI'IdRI \l. I.HiUSI.A'n ' Itl-; of .VOKT 1 1 WKSI' TICKKITOKN-.
The twenty-two rei)resentati\es and ti\e councilors were the liist re])- resentati\e body to meet in the Northwest Territorw They re])resented a constitiienty scattered o\-er a terrrilory of more than t\\i> hundred and sixty- five thousand scfuare miles, an area greater than dermany or l'"rance, or even .\ustria-Hungary. It wcuild be interesting to tell something of the <lelibera- tions of these twent\--se\en sterling pioneers, but the linu't of the jiresent discussion forbids. It is necessary, howexer, to make mention of one im])or- tant thing which they did in view of the fact that it throws much light on the subsequent history of the Xorthwest Territory.
FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
DIVISION OF 1800.
The Legislature was authorized to elect a delegate to Congress, and two candidates for the honor presented their names to the Legislature, William
Henry Harrison and .\rthur St. Clair, Jr., the son of the governor. The Legislature, by a joint liallot on ()clo))er 3, 1799, elected Harrison b}- a vote of eleven to ten. The defeat of his son undoubtedly had considerable to do with the subse(|uent estrangement which arose between the governor and his Legislature and incidentally hastened the division of the Northwest Terri-
FAYETTE COUNTV. INDIANA. 45
tory. Within two years from tlie time tiie territurv liad ailvancol to tlu- second stage of government the division had taken iiiace. On May 7, iSoo, Congress passed an^act divichng the Xortliwest Territorv l)v a hne (h"a\vn from the mouth of the Kentucky river to Fort Recovery, in Alercer countv, Ohio, and thence due north to the boundary hne between the United States and Canada. Governor St. Clair favored the division because he thouglit it would delay the organization of a state and thus give him a longer lease on his position, although he did not favor the division as tinallv determined. He was constantly growing in disfavor with the people on account of his ()\er- bearing manner and he felt that he would get rid of some oi his bitterest enemies if the western inhabitants were set ofif into a new territory. How- ever, most of the credit for the division must be given to Harrison, who, as a delegate to Congress, was in a position to have the most influence. Har- rison was satisfied that in case a new territory should be formed he would be appointed its first governor and he was not disappointed. The territory west of the line above mentioned was immediately organized and designated as Indiana Territory, while the eastern portion retained the e.xisting go\-ern- ment and the old name — Northwest Territory. It is frequently overlooked that the Northwest Territory existed in fact and in name uj) until March i . 1803, when Ohio became a state.
CENSUS OF NORTHWEST TERRITORY IN 180O.
The di\ision of 1800 left the Northwest Territory with onl\- about one- third of its original area. The census of the territory taken by the Cnited States government in 1800 showed it to have a total population of forty-flve thousand three hundred and sixty-five, which fell short by about fifteen thou- sand of being sufficient for the creation of a state as provided by the Ordi- nance of 1787, which fixed the minimum population at sixty thousand. The counties left in the Northwest Territory, vvitli their respective populations, are set forth in the ap|)ended table, all of which were witliin tiie present state of Ohio, except ^Vayne:
Adams ,^'43-
Hamilton i4/\3-
Jefiferson 8,766
Ross 8.540
Trumbull '. i ,302
Washington .S.4-'7
Wayne 3.-06
Total 4.T-3'^5
46 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Ilie population as classified by the census with respect to age and sex is interesting and particularly so in showing that considerably more than one- third of the total population were children under ten years of age.
Males. Females.
Whites up to ten years of age 9.362 8,644
Whites from ten to sixteen 3.647 3.353
Whites from sixteen to twenty-six 4.636 3.861
Whites from twenty- six to forty-five... 4,833 3,342
Whites forty-fi\e and upward 1.955 '.395
Total -24.433 ^0,595
Total of both sexes 45,028
Total of other persons, not Indians .... 337
Grand total 45,365
The above tables show in detail the character and distribution of the population of the Northwest Territory after the division of 1800. It is at this point that the history of Indiana properly begins and it is pertinent to set forth witli as much detail as possible the population of Indiana Territory at that time. The population of 5,6.4 1 was grouped about a dozen or more settlements scattered at wide intervals throughout the territory. The follow- ing table gives the settlements in Indiana Territory in 1800 with their respec- tive number of inhabitants:
Mackinaw, in northern Michigan 251
Green Bay, Wisconsin 50
Prairie du Chien. Wisconsin 65
Cahokia, Monroe county, Illinois 719
Belle Fontaine, Monroe county. Illinois 286
L".\igle, St. Clair county. Illinois 250
Kaskaskia, Randolph county, Illinois 467
Prairie du Rocher, Randolph county. Illinois 212
Settlement in Mitchel township, Randolph county, 111 334
Fort Massac, southern Illinois 90
Clark's Grant. Clark county. Indiana . . . ., 929
Vincennes. Knox county. Indiana 714
Vicinity of Vincennes (traders and trappers) 819
Traders and trappers at Ouitenon and Fort Wayne 155
Fur traders, scattered along the lakes 300
FAYETTK COVN'IV, INDIANA. 4/
']'his total iiopulation of nearly six thousand was about equally (li\i(le(l between what is now Indiana and Illinois. There were one hundred and sixty-three free negroes reported, while there were one hundred and thirty- tive slaves of color. I'ndoubtedly, this census of 1800 failed to give all of the slave population. It is interesting to note that there were efforts to enslave the Indian as well as the negro, but statistics are not available to show the extent of the effort.
.\11 of these settlements, with the exce])tion of the one in Clark's (Irani, were largely French. The settlement at Jeffersonville was made in large part by soldiers of the Rexolutionary War and was the only real .\merican settlement in Indiana Territory when it was organized in 1800.
FIRST st.\c;k of TKRurroKi.M, (;o\i-;kxmfxt.
The .government of Indiana Territory was formally organized July 4. 1800, and in a large book, now in the secretary of state's office at Indianajiolis, there appears in the large legible hjind of John Gibson thfe account of tlie first meeting of the officials of the Territory. It reads as follows:
"St. Vincennes, July 4, 1800. This day the government of the Indiana Territory commenced, \\'illiam Henry Harrison having been api)ointed .governor, John Gibson, secretary, ^^'illiam Clarke, Henr\- Vanderburgh \- John Griffin Judges in and over said Territory,"
L'ntil Governor Harrison a])peared at Vincennes, his secretar\ , John (jibson, acted as governor. The first territorial court met March .^. 1801, the first session of the governor and judges having convened on the i Jth of the preceding January. The governor and judges, in accordance with the provisicMis of the Ordinance of 1787. continued to ]>erform all le,gislati\e and judicial functions of the territor\- until it was advanced to the representative .stage of government in 180.S. The governor had sole executive jiower and appointed all officials, territorial and county.
CHANGES IN BOfXDAKY LIMITS OF INDI.VNA.
During this period from 1800 to 180.S, the territ(jry ni Indiana was con- siderably augmented as a result of the organization of the state of ( )hio in 1803. At that date Ohio was given its present territorial limits, and all of the rest of the Northwest Territor\- was included within Indiana Territory from this date until 180.S. During this interim Louisiana was divided and the northern part was attached to Indiana Territor\- for purposes of ci\il and
48
FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA. -7-
BY EUXEST \'. SHOCKI.EY.
FAYETTK COUNTY. INDIANA. 49
criminal jurisdiction. Tliis was, howex'er. only a teniiiorary arran.t^cnient. lasting- about a year after the purchase of Louisiana from l-^-ance. The next change in the limits of Indiana Territory occurred in 1S05. in which year the territory of Alichigan was set off. The southern line of Alichigan was made tangent to the soutiiern extreme of Lake Michigan, and it so remained until Indiana was admitted to the L'nion in iSi(). i'Vom 1S05 to 1809 Indiana included all of the present states of Indiana, Illinois. Wiscon- sin, about one-third of Minnesota and a small portion of Michigan, in the latter year Illinois was set off as a territory and Indiana was left with its ])resent limits with the exception of a ten-mile strip along the northern boundary. This stri]) was detached from Michigan in tXi6 and this subse- (|uently led to friction between the two states which was not settled until the United States government ga\e Michigan a large tract of land west of Lake Michigan. Thus it is seen how Indiana has receixed its present bound- ar\' limits as the result of the successive changes in rSo:;. 1803. [8og and 1816.
si-:co\M) sTAr.K ok territoriai covkrx.mknt ( 1803-1816.)
The Ordinance of \-/?'j provided that whenever the population of the territory reaclliedTive thousand free male inhabitants it should \-ote u])on the (|uestion of advancing to the second or representati\-e stage. Goxernor Har- rison issued a proclamation .\ugusl 4, 1804. directing an election to be held in the various counties of Indiana territory on the nth of the following" month. In the entire territory, then comprehending six counties, there were tmly three hundred and ninety-one votes cast. The following table gives the result of this election :
County. i'or .\d\ance. .\gainst .\d\ance. Total.
Clark 35 13 48
Dearborn o 26 26
Knox 103 12 173
Randolph 40 21 61
St. Clair 22 59 8r
Wayne o o o
Total 2(<o 131 391
It will be noticed that there is no \iite returned from Wayne and this is accounted for bv the fact that the proclamation notifving the sheriff of that (4)
50
FAYKTTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Indiana on June 30, 1805, when Michigan was set off as a separate territory.
BY EKNEST X. SHOCKI.EY.
FAYETTF COUNTY. INDIANA. 5I
county was not received in time to gi\e it tlie proper advertisement. Wayne count}' at that time included practically all of the present state of Michigan and is not to be confused with the Wayne county later formed within the present limits of Indiana. As result of this election and its majority of one hundred and twenty-nine in favor of advancing- to the second stage of gov- ernment, the governor issued a proclamation calling for an election on Janu- ar}' 3, 1805, for nine representati\ es, the same being apportioned to the counties as follows: Wayne, three; Knox, two: Dearborn, Clark, Randolph and St. Clair, one each. The members of the first territorial Legislature of Indiana convened at X'incennes on July _'<;, 1805. The members of the house \\ere as follows; Dr. Ceorge 1^'isher, of Randolph; William Beggs and Shadrach Bond, of St. Clair; Benjamin Parke and John Johnson, of Knox ; Da\is Floyd, of Clark, and Jesse B. Thomas, of Dearborn. This gives, however, onh' seven representatives, Wayne county ha\ing been set off as the territory of Michigan in the spring of this same year. .\ re-a])por- tionment was made b}- the goxernor in order to bring the quota of re])re- sentati\es u)) to the required number.
The T^egislative Council consisted of five men as provided by the Ordin- ance of 1787, namely; Benjamin Chambers, of Dearborn; Sanuiel (nv.'itb- mey, of Clark; John Rice Jones, of Knox; Pierre Menard, of Randolph, and Tohn Hay, of St. Clair. It is not possible in this connection to give a detailed history of the territory of Indiana from 1805 until its admission to the Union in i8t6. Readers who wish to make a study of our .state's history can find volumes which will treat the history of the state in a much better manner than is possible in a brief summary of this character. It may be noted thai there were five general assemblies of the Territorial Legislature during this period of eleven vears. Each one of the five general assemblies was divided into two sessions, which, with the dates of convening, are given in the appended summary :
First General .As.sembly — h'irst session, July _'(). 1805; second session. Xovember 7,, t8o6.
Second General .\ssembly — JMrst session. August 12, 1807; second session, Se])teniber 26, 1808.
Third (leneral .Assembly — l-'irst sessinu, Xovember u, 1810; second session. .Xovember 12, 181 i.
Fourth General Assembly — b'irst session, February i, 1813: second .session, December 6. 181 3.
b'ifth General Assembly — First session. August 15. 1814: second session, December 4, 181 5.
52 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES OE INDIANA TERRITORY.
Indiana Territory was allowed a delegate in Congress from 1805 until the close of the territorial period. The first three delegates were elected by the Territorial T..egislature, while the last four were elected by the qualified voters of the territory. The first delegate was Benjamin Parke, who was elected to succeed himself in 1807 over John Rice Jones, Waller Taylor and Shadrach Bond. Parke resigned March i, 1808, to accept a seat on the supreme judiciary of Indiana Territory, and remained on the supreme bench of Indiana after it was admitted to the Union, holding the position until his death at Salem, Indiana, July 12, T835. Jesse B. Thomas was elected Octo- l)er 22, t8o8, to succeed Parke as delegate to Congress. It is this same Thomas who went to Brookville in 1808 with .-Xmos Butler. He was a tricky, .shifty, and, so his enemies said, an unscrupulous politician. Pie was later elected to Congress in Illinois and became the author of the Missouri Compromise. In the spring of 1809 the inhabitants of the territory were permitted to cast their first vote for the delegate to Congress. Three candi- dates presented themselves for the consideration of the voters, Jonathan Jennings, Thomas Randolph and John Johnson. There were onl\- four counties in the state at this time, Knox. Harrison, Clark and Dearborn. Two counties, St. Clair and Randolph, were a part of the new territory of Illinois which was cut off from Indiana Territory in the spring of 1809. The one newspaper of the territory waged a losing fight against Jennings, tlie latter appealing for support on the ground of his anti-slavery views. The result of the election was as follows: Jennings, 428: Randolph, 402; Johnson, 81. Jonathan Jennings may be said to be the first successful politician produced in Indiana. His congressional career began in 1809 and he was elected to Cxjngress four successive terms before 18 16. He was president of the con- stitutional convention of 18 16, first governor of the state and was elected a .second time, but resigned to go to Congress, where he was sent for four more terms by the voters of his district.
EEEORTS TO ESTABLISH Sr.AVERY IN INDIANA.
The Ordinance of 1787 specifically provided that neither slavery nor invt>luntary ser\-itude should ever exist in the Northwest Territory. Notwith- .standing this prohibition, slavery actually did exist, not only in the North- west Territory, but in the sixteen years while Indiana was a territory as well. The Constitution of Indiana in 18 16 expressly forbade slavery and yet the
■AYETTE COUNTY. INDIANA.
census of 1820 reported one hundred and ninet\' slaves in Indiana, which was only forty-seven less than there was in rSio. Most of these slaves were
Indiana Territory after February 3, 1809, .hen Illlnol
HY ERNEST X. SHOCKLEY.
held in the southwestern counties of the state, there being one hundred and eighteen in Knox, thirty in Gibson, eleven in Posey, ten in Vanderburgh and
54 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
the remainder widely scattered throughout the state. As late as 1817 Frank- lin count)' scheduled slaves for taxation, listing- them at three dollars each. The tax schedule for 181 3 says that the property tax on "horses, town lots, servants of color and free males of color shall be the same as in 1814." Franklin county did not return slaves at the census of 1810 or 1820, but the above extract from the commissioners' record of Franklin county proved con- clusively that slaves were held there. Whether any of these slaves in Frank- lin county were in that part detached in 181 9 to form a part of Fayette is not known. No record has been found to show that slaves were ever held in Fayette county after its organization. Congress was petitioned on more than one occasion dtiring the territorial period to set aside the prohibition against slavery, but on each occasion refused to assent to the appeal of the slaverv advocates. While the constitutional convention of 181 6 was in session, there was an attempt made to introduce a provision permitting the holding of slaves, but the effort failed.
THE INDIAN LANDS.
The United States government bought from the Indians all of the land within the present state of Indiana with the exception of the Vincennes and Clark grants. The first purchase of land was made in 1795, at which time a triangular strip in the southeastern part of the state was secured by the treaty of Greenville. Bv the time Indiana was admitted to the L'nion in 1816, the following tracts had been purchased: Vincennes tract, June 7, 1803: Vincennes treaty tract. .August iS and 27, 1804: Grouseland tract, August 21. 1805; Harrison's purchase, September 30, 1809: Twelve-mile purchase, .September 30, 1809.
X'o more purchases were made from the Indians until the fall of 18 18, at which time a large tract of land in the central part of the state was pur- chased from the Indians. This tract, known in Indiana history as the "New Purchase," included all of the land north of the Indian boundary lines of 1805 and 1809. and south of the Wabash river with the exception of what was known as the Miami reservatidu. This treaty, known as St. .Mary's, was tinallv signed on October 6, t8i8, and the next Legislature proceeded to divide it into two counties, Wabash and Delaware.
ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES.
.As fast as the population would warrant, new counties were established in this New Purchase and Favette county was the first to be so organized '
FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIAN.
which inckuled any portion ot it. 'I1ii.>^ count}- was ere; act of December j8, i8i8. and 1)e_<;"an its fdrnial carei
hy the legislative . an in(le])cn(lent
The map also ail Indian ces- made previously.
BY KKNKST V
county on the ist of the foll^winj^- month. Imh" purpose of reference, a list of tlie counties organized u]) until 1819, when I-'ayette comity was established, is
56 FAYETTE COUNTY. INDIANA.
here appended. The dates given represent the time when the organization of the county became effective, since in many instances it was from a few- months to as much as seven years after the act estabhshing- the county was passed before it became efifective.
1. Knox June 20, 1790 [6. SulHvan Jan. 15, 1817
2. Clark Feb. 3. 1801 17. Jennings Feb. 1,1817
3. Dearborn Mch. 7, 1803 18. Pike Feb. i, 1817
4. Harrison Dec. i, 1808 [9. Daviess Feb. 15, 1817
5. Jefferson Feb. i, 181 1 20. Dubois Feb. i, 1818
6. Franklin Feb. i, 1811 21. Spencer Feb. i, 1818
7. Wayne Feb. i, t8ii 22. Vanderburgh . . . .Feb. 1, 1818
8. Warrick Apr. 1,1813 -\H- Vigo Feb. 15, 1818
9. Gibson Apr. 1,1813 24. Crawford Mch. 1,1818
10. Wasliington Jan. 17, 1814 25. Lawrence Mch. i, 1818
11. Switzerland Oct. i, 1814 26. Monroe Apr. 10. 1818
12. Posey Nov. i, 1814 2y. Ripley Apr. 10, 1818
13. Perry Nov. i, 1814 2'^. Randolph Aug. 10, 1818
14. Jackson Jan. i, 1816 29. Owen Jan. i, 1819
15. Orange Feb. i, 1816 30. Fayette Jan. i, 1819
The first tiiirteen counties in the above list were all that were organized when the territory of Indiana petitioned Congress for an enabling act in 181 5. They were in the southern part of the state and had a total population of sixty-three thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven. At that time the total state tax was only about fi\'e tliousand dollars, while the assessment of the whole state in 1816 amounted to onlv six thousand forty-three dollars and thirty-six cents.
CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION OF INDI.AN.A.
The Constitution of 1S16 was framed by forty-three delegates who met at Corydon from June 10 to June 29 of that year. It was provided in the Constitution of 1816 diat a vote might be taken every twelve years on tlie <|uestion of amending, revising or writing a wholly new instrument of gov- ernment. Altliough several efforts were made to hold constitutional conven- tions between 1816 and 1850. the vote failed each time until 1848. Flections were held in 1823, 1828, 1840 and 1846, but each time there was returned an adverse vote against the calling of a constitutional convention. There were no amendments to the 1816 Constitution, ahhough the revision of 1824, h\
FNVETTr. COUNTY, INUIAX.
INDIANA AS IT APPEAKEI) IN 1S15, WHKN IT APl'LIKI) FOJ{ ADMISSION TO THE UNION.
BY ERNEST V. SHOCKLEY.
58 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
William Hendricks was so thorough that it was said that the Governor had done as much as a constitutional convention could have done.
It was not until 1848 that a successful vote on the question of calling a constitutional convention vi'as carried. There were many reasons which in- duced the people of the state to favor a convention. Among these may be mentioned the following: The old Constitution provided that all the state officers except the go\ernor and lieutenant-governor should be elected by the Legislature. Many of the county and township officers were appointed by the county commissioners. .Vgain, the old Constitution ,attempted to handle too man}- matters of local concern. All di\-orces from 1816 to 1848 were granted b\' the Legislature. Special laws were passed which would apply to ])articular counties and even to particular tt)wnships in the county. If Nobles- ville wanted an alley vacated or a street closed, it had to appeal to the Legis- lature for permission to do so. If a man wanted to ferry people across a stream in Posey county, his representatixe i)resented a bill to the Legislature asking that the proposed ferryman l)e gi\en permission to ferry people across the stream. The agitation for free scliools attracted the support of the edu- cated people of tlie state, and most of the newspapers were outspoken in their advocacy of better educational privileges. The desire for better schools, for the election of state and county officials by the voters, for less interference by the Legislature in local aft'airs, led to a desire on the part of majority of the ])eople of the state for a new Constitution.
The second constitutional convention of Indiana met at Indianapolis, ■Octol)er 7, 1850, and continued in session for four months. The one hun- dred and fifty delegates labored faithfully to give the state a Constitution full}- abreast of the times and in accordance with the best ideas of the day. More power was given the people by allowing them to select not only all of the state officials, but also their county officers as well. The convention of 1850 took a decided stand against the negro and proposed a referendum on the question of prohibiting the further emigration of negroes into the state. The subsequent vote on this question showed that the people were not dis- posed to tolerate the colored race. .\s a matter of fact no negro or mulatto could legally come into Indiana from 1832 until 18S1. when the restriction was removed by an amendment to the Constitution. Another important featm-e of the new Constitution was the ])ro\-ision for free schools. AVhat Ave now know as a public school, supported at the expense of the state, was unknown under the 1816 Constitution. The new Constitution established a s}-stem of free public schools, and subsequent statutory legislation strength- ened the constitutional prox'ision so that the state now ranks among the lead-
KAyr.TTK COL'NTY. INDIANA. 59
eis in educational matters througliout the nation. The people of the slate had voted on the question of free schools in 1848 and had decided that the\ should be established, but there was such a strong minority opjiosed to tiiem tiiat nothing was done. Orange county gave only an eight per cent, vote in favor of free schools, while Putnam and Monroe, containing DePauw and Indiana I'niversities, resjiectively, voted adversely hy large majorities. lUit. with the backing of the Constitution, tlie ad\'ocates of free schools began to l)ush the fight for their establishment, and as a result of the legislative acts of 1835. 1857 and 1867, the public schools were placed upon a sound basis. Such in brief were the most important features of the 1852 Constitution. It has remained substantially to this day as it was written sixty-five >ears ago. It is true there have been some amendments, but the changes of 1878 and 1 88 1 did not alter the Constitution in any important particular. There was no concerted effort toward calling a constitutional convention until the Legislature of 191 3 provided for a referendum on the question at the polls, November 4, 19 14. Despite the fact that all the ix)litical parties had declared in favor of a constitutional convention in their platforms, the question was voted down by a large majority. .\n efYort was made to have the question submitted by the Legislature of 191 5, but the Legislature refused to submit the question to the voters of the state. The Legislature of 19 17, however, passed an act authorizing the calling of a constitutional convention. The election of the one hundred and ten delegates will be held September 2(k 1917. and the con\-ention will meet in January, 19 18.
The present state of Indiana was comprehended within the Northwest Territory from 1787 to 1800, and during that time the capital was located within the present state of Ohio. When the Ordinance of 1787 was jnit in operation on July 17, 1788, the capital was established at Marietta, the name being chosen by the directors of the Ohio Company on July 2, of the same year. The name Marietta was selected in honor of the French Queen, Marie Antoinette, compounded by curious combination of the first and last syllables of her name.
When Indiana was set oft by the act of May 7, 1800. the same act kicated the capital at \'incennes where it remained for nearh thirteen years. The old building in which the Territorial Assembly first met in 1803 is still standing in \'incennes. In the spring of 1813 the cajjital of the territory T^as moved to Corydon and it was in that cpiaint little village that the first
6o FAYETTE COX'NTY, INDIANA.
session of the Indiana Legislature convened on November 4, 1816. It remained there until November, 1824. when Samuel Merrill loaded up all of the state's effects in three large wagons and hauled them overland to the new capital — Indianapolis. Indianapolis had been chosen as the seat of government by a committee of ten men, appointed in 1820 by the Legis- lature. It was not until 1824, however, that a building was erected in the new capital which wovild accommodate the state officials and the General Assembly. The first court house in Marion county was built on the site of the present building, and was erected with a view of utilizing it as a state house until a suitable capitol building could be erected. The state continued to use the Marion county court house until 1835, by which time an imposing state house had been erected. This building was in use until 1877, when it was razed to make way for the present imposing building.
MILITARY HISTORY.
Indiana has had some of its citizens in four wars in which United States has 'engaged since 1800: The War of 181 2, the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. One of the most important engage- ments ever fought against the Indians in tiie United States was that of the battle of Tippecanoe, November 7, 181 1. For the two or three years pre- ceding, Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, had been getting the Indians ready for an uprising. Tecumseh made a long trip throughout the west- ern and southern part of the United States for the purpose of getting the Indians all (U-er the country to rise up and drive out the white man. While he was still in the South, Governor Harrison descended upon the Indians at Tippecanoe and dealt them a blow from which they never recovered. The British had been urging the Indians to rise up against the settlers along the frontier, and the repeated depredations of the savages but increased the hos- tility of the United States toward England. General Harrison had about seven hundred fighting men, while the Indians numbered over a thousand. The .\mericans lost thirty-seven by death on the battlefield, twenty-five were mortally wounded and one hundred and twenty-six more or less seriously wounded. The savages carried most of their dead away, but it is known that about forty were actually killed in the battle and a proportionately large num- ber wounded. In addition to the men who fought at Ti])pecanoe, the pio- neers of the territory sent their (|uota to the front during the War of 181 2. Unfortunately, records are not available to show the enlistment by counties.
During the administration of Governor Whitcomb (1846-49) the United
FWl.TTK CorXTV. INDIWA. 6l
States was engaged in a' war with .Mexico. Indiana cunlrihuled live regi- ments to the government ihnang tliis struggle, and her tr()(i[)s perfurnied with a spirit of singular promptness and patriotism iluring all the time thev were at the front.
Xo Northern state had a nmre i)atrit)tic go\ ernor during the Civil War than Indiana, and had e\ery goverudr in the North (k)ne his dul\ as eoiiseien- tiously as did Goverudr Morton that terribly struggle would undduhtedly have been materiallx- .shortened. When President Lineoln issued his call i m April 15. r86i. for 75.000 volunteers. Indiana was asked to furnisii 4.6f<3 men as its quota. A week later there were no less than 12,000 volunteers at Camp Morton at Indianapolis. This loyal uprising was a tribute to the ])atriotism of the people, and accounts for the fact that Indiana sent nmre than joo.ooo men to the front during the war. Indiana furnished i)rae- tically seventy-five per cent, of its total poijulatidu eajrable nf bearing arms. and on this basis Delaware was the only state in the Union which exceeded Indiana. Of the troops sent from Indiana, 7,-'43 were killed or mortally wounded, and iy.4-'9 died from other causes, making a total death lo>^ of over thirteen per cent, for all the troops furnished.
During the summer of 1863 Indiana was thrown into a frenzy of excite- ment when it was learned that General Morgan had crossed the Ohio with J, 000 cavalrymen under his command. Probably Indiana never experienced a more exciting month than Jul\- of that year. Morgan entered the state in Harrison county and adxanced northward through Corydon to Salem in Washington county. As his men went along they robbed orchards, looted farm houses, stole all the horses which the\ could find and burned consider- able property. bVom Salem, Morgan turned with his men to the east, having been deterred from his threatenecl advance on Indianapolis by the knowled.ge that the local militia of the state would soon be too strong for him. He hur- ried with his men toward the Ohio line, stopping at Versailles long enough to loot the county treasury. Morgan ])as,sed through Dearborn county over into Ohio, near Harrison, and a few days later, he and most of his band were captured.
During the latter part of the war there was considerable opposition to its prosecution on the ])art of the Democrats of this state. .\n organization known as the Knights of the fiolden (."ircle at first, .•nid later as the Sons of Liberty, was instrumental in stirring up much trouble throughout the state. Probably historians will never be able to agree as to the degree of their culpabilit\- in thwarting the govermiient authorities in the conduct of the war.
62 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
That they did many overt acts cannot be questioned and that they collected arms for traitorous designs cannot be denied. The famous battle of Pogue's Run was the result of the activities of this secret organization. Governor Mor- ton and General Carrington, by a system of close espionage, were able to know at all times just what was transpiring in the councils of these orders. In the campaign of 1864 there was an open denunciation through the Republican press of the Sons of Liberty. On October 8 of that year the Republican news- papers carried these startling headlines: "You can rebuke this treason. The traitors intend to bring war to your liome. Meet them at the ballot box while (irant and Sherman meet them on the liattle-field." A number of the leaders were arrested, convicted in a military court and sentenced to be .shot. However, they were later pardoned by the President.
The 'Spanish- American War of 1898 was the next one in which troops from Indiana pla3-ed a part. When President McKinley issued a call for 75,000 volunteers on April 25, 1898, Indiana was called upon to furnish three regiments. War was officially declared April 25, and formally came to an end bv the signing of a protocol on August 12 of the same year. The main engagements of importance were the sea battles of Manila and Santiago and the land engagements of El Caney and San Juan Hill. Accord- ing to the treaty of Paris, signed December 12, 1898, Spain relinquished her sovereignty over Cuba, ceded to the United States Porto Rico and her other West India Island possessions, as well as the island of Guam, in the Pacific. Spain also transferred her rights in the Philippines for the sum of twentv million dollars paid to her for jxihlic works and improvemssnts con- structed by the Spanish government.
In 1916 Indiana sent three regiments to the Mexican front, but none of them saw fighting service. Tiie last two regiments were ordered back to the state in February, 191 7.
POLITICAL HISTORY.
It is not possible to trace in detail the political history of Indiana for the ])ast centurx- and in this connection an attempt is made only to survey it brief! v. l'"or more than half a century Indiana has been known as a pivotal state in politics. In 1816 there was only one political party and Jennings, Noble, Taylor, Hendricks and all of the politicians of that day were grouped into this one — the Democratic party. Whatever dififerences in views they might ha\e held were due to local issues and not to any questions of national portent. Chiestions concerning the improvements of rivers, the building of
KAVKITK COr.NTY. INDIAXA. 63
canals, the reiiio\-al of a>urt houses aiul similar (|uesti<ins of stale and eountv importance divided the politicians in the early history of Indiana into <;rou])^. There was one group known as the White Water faction, another called the Vincennes crowd, and still another designated as the White River dele- gation. I'Voni 1816 until as late as iS^J, Indiana was the scene of personal politics, and (.luring the years .\dams. ( 'la\- and Jackson were candidates for the presidency on the same ticket, men were known politically as .\dams men. Clay men or j.ackson men. The election returns in the twenties and thirties disclose no tickets laheled Democrat. Whig or Republican, hut instead the words "Adams," "Clay," or "Jackson."
The question of internal improvements which arose in the Legislature of 1836 was a large contributing factor in the division of the politicians of the state. The Whig party ma\' be dated from 1832, although it was not until four years later that it came into national |5rominence. The Democrats elected the state officials, including the go\ernor, down to 1831, but in that year the opposition i)arty. later called the Whigs, elected Xoah Noble gov- ernor. h"or the ne.xt twelve years the W'higs, with their cry of internal improvements, controlled the state. The Whigs went out of power with Samuel Rigger in 1843, and when they came into power again they appeared under the name of Republican in t8Cii. Since the Civil War the two parties ha\e practically divided the leadership between them, there having been eight Republicans and six Democrats elected governor of the state. The following table gives a list of the governors of the Northwest Territory, Indiana Terri- tcn-y and the state of Indiana. The b'ederalists were in control up to 1800 and Harrison antl his followers ma\- be classed as Democratic-Republicans. The politics of the go\ernors of the state are indicated in the table.
GOVEKNOKS OF INDIANA.
Of the Territory Northwest of the Ohio —
Arthur St. Clair 1787-1800
( )f the Territory of Indiana —
John Cibson (acting! July 4, 1800-1801
William H. Harri.son 1801-1812
Thomas Posey 1812-1816
Of the State of Indiana —
Jonathan Jennings, Dem. 1816-1822
Ratliff Boon (acting), Dem Sept. 12 to Dec. 5, 1822
William Hendricks, Dem. 1822-182=;
64 FAYETTF. COUNTY, INDIANA.
James B. Ray (acting), Dem. Feb. 12 to Dec. 11, 1825
James B. Ray, Dem. 1825-1831
Noah Noble, Whig 1831-1837
David Wallace, Whig 1837-1840
Samel Bigger, Whig . 1840-1843
James Whitcomb, Dem. 1843-1848
Paris C. Dunning (acting), Dem. 1848- 1849
Joseph A. Wright, Dem. 1849-1857
Ashbel P. Willard, Dem. 1857-1860
Abraham A. Hammond (acting), Dem. 1860-1861
Henry S. Lane, Rep. . January 14 to January 16, 1861
Oliver P. Morton (acting), Rep. 1861-1865
Oliver P. Morton, Rep. 1865-1867
Conrad Baker (acting). Rep. 1867-1869
Conrad Baker, Rep. 1869-1873
Thomas A. Hendricks, Dem. -1873-1877
James D. Williams, Dem. 1877-1880
Isaac P. Cray (acting), Dem 1 880-1 881
Albert G. Porter, Rep. 1881-1885
Isaac P. Gray, Dem. 1885-1889
Alvin P. Hovey, Rep. 1889-1891
Ira J. Chase (acting). Rep Nov. 24, 1891, to Jan. 9, 1893
Claude Matthews, Dem. , 1893-1897
James A. Mount, Rep. 1897-1901
Winfield T. Durbin, Rep. 1901-1905
J. Frank Hanh', Rep. 1905-1909
Thomas R. Marshall, Dem. 1909-1913
Samuel M. Ralston, Dem 1913-1917
James P. Goodrich, Rep. 1917-
A CENTURY OF GROWTH.
Indiana was the first territory and the second state created out of the old Northwest Territorw It has just celebrated its one hundred anniversary, and it becomes the purpose of the historian in this connection to give a brief survey of what these one hundred \ears have done for the state. There has been no change in territorial limits, I)ut the original territorv has been subdivided into counties year by year, as the poinilation warranted, until from
FWETTK Cm'NTY. INDIANA. 65
thirteen counties in 1816 the state grew to ninety-two counties in 1859. I'^nmi 18 16 to 1840 new counties were organized every year with the exception of one year. Starting in with a papulation of 5.64 1 in 1800, Indiana has increa.sed by leaps and bounds and in itjio had a population of two million seven hundred thousand eight hundred and seventy-six. The appended table is interesting in showing the growth of po])ulation by decades since 1800:
Census Decades. f'o])ulation. Increase. I'ct. of Inc.
1800 5.041
1810 -'4.3-0 18,879 334-7
1820 147.17-^ 122,658 500.2
1 830 343.03 1 195.853 • ii- •
1840 hS-:..H'V, 34-^.835 99-9
1850 988.416 302,550 44-1
i860 1.350.4-8 362,012 36.6
1870 1,680,637 330.209 24.5
1880 1,978.301 297,664 17.7
1890 2,192,404 214.T03 10.8
1900 2,516,462 3-^4.058 14-8
1910 2,700.876 184,414 7.3
.Statistics are usually \ery dr\- and uninteresting, but tliere are a few- figures which are at least instructive if not interesting, b^ir instance, in i(;io. 1,143,835 people of Indiana lived in cities and towns of more than 2,500. There were 822,434 voters, and 580,557 men between the ages of eighteen and forty- four were eligible for military service. The interesting book of statistics from which these figures are taken, covering e\ery phase of the growth of the state, is the biennial report of the state statistician.
The state has increaserl in wealth as well as population and the total stale tax of six thousand forty-three dollars and thirty-six cents of i8i() increased in roi6 to more than six nn'llion. In 181(1 the only factories in the state were grist- and saw-mills; all of the clothing, fiu-nitm-e and most of the farming tools were made bv the pioneers themsehes. .\t that time tlie farmer was his <i\\n doctor, his own blacksmidi. Ins own lawyer, bis own dentist and, if be had divine services, he had to be the preacher. But now it is changed. The spin- ning wheel finds its resting place in the attic; a score of occupations ha\e arisen to satisfv the manifold wants of the farmer. Millions of dollars are now in- vested in factories, other millions are invested in steam and electric roads, still other millions in jniblic utilitv i)lants of all kinds. The governor now receives (5)
66 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
a larger salary than did all the state officials put together in 1816, while the county slieriff has a salary which is more than double the compensation allowed the first governor of the state.
Indiana is rich in natural resources. It not only has millions of acres of good farming land, but it has had fine forests in the past. From the timber of its woods have been built the homes for the past one hundred years and, if rightly conserved, there is timber for many years yet to come. The state has beds of coal and quarries of stone which are not surpassed in any state in the Union. For many years natural gas was a boon to Indiana manufacturing. but it was used so extravagantly that it soon became exhausted. Some of the largest factories of their kind in the country are to be found in the Iloosier state. The steel works at Gary employs tens of thousands of men and are constantly increasing in importance. .\t Elwood is the largest tin plate fac- tory in the world, while Evansville boasts of the largest cigar factory in the world. At South Bend the Studebaker and Oliver manufacturing plants turn out millions of dollars worth of goods every year. When it is known that over half of the population of the state is now living in towns .and cities, it must be readily seen that farming is no longer the sole occupation.
A system of railroads has been built which brings every corner of the state in close touch with Indianapolis. In fact, tvery county seat but four is in railroad connection with the capital of the state. Since iQOO electric lines have been built all over the state, no less than nine lines radiating from Indi- anapolis. Every county has its local telephone systems, its rural free deliveries and its good roads unifying the various parts of the county. All of this makes for better civilization and a happier and more contented people.
Indiana prides herself on her educational system. With sixteen thousand public and parochial school teachers, with three state institutions of learning, a score of church schools of all kinds as well as private institutions of learning. Indiana stands high in educational circles. The state maintains universities at Bloomington and Lafayette and a normal school at Terre Haute. ^lany of the churches have schools supported in part by their denominations, 'i'he Catholics have the largest Catholic university in the United States at Notre Dame, while St. Mary's of the Woods at Terre Haute is known all over the world, .\cademies under Catholic supervision are maintained at Indianapolis, Terre Haute, F"ort Wayne, Rensselaer, St. Meinrad, Jasper and Oldenburg. The Methodists have institutions at DePauw. Moore's Hill and U])land. The Presbyterian schools are Wabash and Hanover Colleges. The Christian church is in control of Butler and Merom Colleges. Concordia at Ft. Wayne is one of the largest Lutheran schools in the United States. The Quakers
-FAYKTTK COUNTY. INDIANA. 67
support l"~ailliam College, as well as academies at i'ainnount. Bloominf^dale, Plaintield and Spiceland. The Baptists are in cliari^e of Kranklin College, wliile the Cnited ihethren give their allegiance to Indiana Central University at Indianapolis. The Seventh-Day .Kdventists have a school at Boggstown. The Dunkards at North Manchester and the Mennonites at Goshen maintain schools for their respecti\e churches.
The state seeks to take care of all of its unfortunates. Its charitable, benevolent and correctional institutions rank high among similar institutions in the countr\-. Insane asylums are located at Indianapolis, Richmond, Logaiispiirt, K\ans\ille and Madison. The State Soldiers' Home is at Lafayette, while the National Soldiers' Home is at Marion. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home at Knightstown, is maintained for the care and education of the orphan children of Union soldiers and sailors. The state educates and keeps them until they are sixteen years of age if they have not been gi\en homes in families before they reach that age. Institutions for the education of the blind and also the deaf and dumb are located at In(hana]K)lis. The state educates all children so afflicted and teaches them some usefid trade which will enable them to make their own way in the world. The School for I'eeble Minded at Fort Wayne has had more than one thousand children in attendance annually for several years. Within the ])ast few vears an epileptic village has been established at New Castle, Indiana, for the care of those so afflicted.
.\ prison is located at Michigan City for the incarceration of male crim- inals convicted in any of the courts of the state of treason, murder in the first or second degree, and of all persons convicted of any felony who at the time of conviction are thirty years of age and over. The Reformatory at Jefifer- sonville takes care of male criminals between the ages of sixteen and thirty, who are guilty of crimes other than those just mentioned. .\ state penal farm was established by the 1013 Legislature and it is now in successful o])era- tion in Putnam count}". h>male criminals from the ages of fifteen upwards are ke])t in tiie women's ]irison at Indianapolis. .\ school for incorrigible boys is maintained at I'lainfield. It receives boys between the ages of seven and eighteen, although no boy can be kept after he reaches the age of twenty- one. Each county provides for its own jxu^r and ])ractically every countv in the state has a poor farm and many of them have homes for orphaned or indigent children, hiach countv in the state alsf) maintains a correctional institution known as the jail, in which |)risoncrs are committed while waiting for trial or as jjunishment for conxicted crime.
But Indiana is great not alone in its material prosperity, but also in tho.se
68 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
things which make for a better appreciation of Hfe. Within the limits of our state have been born men who were destined to become known through- out the nation. Statesmen, ministers, diplomats, educators, artists and literar}^ men of Hoosier birth have given the state a reputation which is envied by her sister states. Indiana has furnished Presidents and Vice- Presidents, distinguished members of the cabinet and diplomats of world wide fame; her literar}- men have spread the fame of Indiana from coast to coast. Who has not heard of Wallace, Thompson, Nicholson, Tarking- ton, McCutcheon, Bolton, Ade, Major, Stratton-Porter, Riley and hundreds of others who have courted the muses?
And we would like to he living one hundred years from today and see whether as mutrh progress will have been made in the growth of the state as in the first one hundred years of its history. In 2017 poverty and crime will be reduced to a minimum. Poor houses will be unknown, orphanages will have vanished and society will have reached the stage where happiness and con- tentment reign su])reine. iMery loyal Hoosier should feel as our poetess, Sarah T. Bolton, has said :
"The heavens never spanned. The breelzes never fanned, A fairer, brighter land Than our Indiana."
CHAPTER II.
Geoi.ocy.
The last geological survey fif I'^ayette county was made by the state geological department in 1909 and this chapter is largely a summary of the report made that year by A. E. Taylor, one of the field assistants attached to the department. The chapter is supplemented by data secured from other sources, but the main facts have Ix^en gleaned from the report of 1909.
Fayette county covers 215 scpiare miles, or a total of 138,240 acres. In 1909 there were 82,732 acres under cultivation, 21,000 were in jxisture, 11.000 in woodland i>asturc, anfl 8.500 in woodland.
WHITF. W ATEK UP.'EK.
Traversing the county almost centrally from north to south is the large valley of the West fork of White Water river. Its width varies from one tf) two miles, and its lower bottom is from one hundred to two hundred feet below the adjacent uplands. This valley, together with the valleys of many tributary streams, has developed ;i deeply dissected surface over the greater part of the county. In the eastern jiart of the county the areas which have escaped the eroding jxiwer of the streams have generally been found bv the tributaries of the East fork of White W'ater. which runs through I'nion county, about one mile east of the bayette-Union county line. The only gently rolling surface in the count\ is found in I'ose}- and b^airview town- ships and the western half of (Grange.
STREAMS.
The main streams tributary to White W'ater river in the count\- are as follow: Williams creek, which rises in I'osey township and, meandering south and east, empties into W hite Water about three miles south of Con- nersville, its main tributary being known as Little Williams creek ; Lick creek, also rising in Posey township, and coursing .south and east, empties into W^hite Water about two miles north of C'onner.sville ; Village creek, ris- ing in LInion county, and running through Jennings and ("onnersville town-
70 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
ships, empties into White Water two miles l>elow the county seat ; Wilson creek, rising in Jennings township, flows through Jennings and Jackson townships and, uniting with White Water river at Nulltown; Fall creek, rising in Connersville township, passes through that township and Columhia and empties into White Water about four miles below the county seat ; Gar- rison creek, and one large tributary, both rising in Orange township, flow- ing through Orange and Columbia townships, empty into White Water in Franklin county. The only other stream of any size emptying into White Water in the county is Noland's fork, which rises in Delaware county and empties in White Water about four miles north of Connersville. Simpson creek runs south through the eastern part of Waterloo township and empties into the East fork of White Water in Union county.
DRIFT FORMATIONS.
With the exception of a small district in the southern part of the county, situated on either side of the White Water, where the Illinoisan drift appears as the surface formation, the later Wisconsin drift covers the entire county. The southern boundary of this drift on the west side of ^Vhite Water is marked by a morainic ridge entering Fayette county from northwestern Franklin county, and continuing north in a northeasterly direction to a point along the White Water about four miles south of Connersville. Here it meets a morainic ridge on the east side, which extends south into Franklin county, also marking the southern limit of the Wisconsin drift. From the point four miles south of Coimersville, along White Water, an interlobate moraine was formed, extending northward into Henry and Wayne counties. In the upland the moraine is seldom less than fifty feet in thickness and is generally one himdred feet or more.
In addition to these drifts which have been described, all bekmging to the Pleistocene period, there are outcrops of the laurel limestone of the Silurian period in the southwestern part of the county, and of the Cincin- nati limestone and shales of the Ordovician in the western portion of the county. Much of the stone is valuable for building purposes, the best being about six inches in thickness. There was considerable stone cjuarried in the southeastern part of Harrison township and the northwestern part of Con- nersville township during the years when the canal and railroads were being liuilt through the county, '("his stone was used for locks on the canals and alnitments on railroad bridges. It was also largely used for the foundations of houses, and at least one house in Harrison township was wholly con-
i-'ayi:ttk forxTV, Indiana. 71
stnictcd nf tliis stratilKNl stmic. In ilic sDuthwcstcrn part nf (.'(ninersville tinviisliip there w a>- fdnnerly ciinsi(leral)le lime produced by the huniinj^ of tlie stiiiie. A udDil (|ualit\- nf elay is found in large areas, which is suitable for the manufacture of tile and brick.
SOILS.
There are eii^ht tyi>es of soil found in l'"a\ette county, six of which are ui)land and two bottom >oils. The Miami series, which is l>y far the most e.\tensi\e, occurs as the .Miami clay loam. Miami silt loam, Miami loam and .Miami black clav loam, and has had its derivation from the Later Wisconsin drift. With the exception of some small spots of Miami black clay loam in the western and northwestern portions of the county, some very limited areas of the .Miami loam alongr the .slopes of White Water and the Miami silt loam of the southeastern ciuarter of the county, the Miami clay loam covers all the county except Jackson and Columbia townships. The southern half of Columbia and a small area in southwestern Jackson have Oak Forest silt loam as the surface soil. The first and second terraces along the W^est Fork of White Water are mantled with Huntin,i,^on loam, while the bottoms of the smaller valleys contain an im])ure form of the same type. On a very few narrow \alley Hoors in Columbia and Jackson townshijis, where the limestone talus has accunnilated c.xtensi\'ely, the bottom-land soils should be more ]iroperl\- termed Hamburq- loam.
The follow int^- table shows the extent of each of the types:
ART \S OF DIKFKRE.N'T SOILS.
Soil. Square Per
miles. cent.
Miami clay loam 149-5 ^-5
Miami silt loam 34.0 15.8
Miami black cla\' loam I.o .5
Miami loam i.O .5
Oak b'oresi silt loam 12.0 5.5
Huntington Icjam 16.0 7.4
Hamburg loam i.o .5
Limestone slojje cla\- loam .5 .2
Totals 21S.0 QQ.g
72 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
MIAMI CLAY EOAM.
Miami clay loam is very closely allied to its occurrences in Union, south- ern Rush and southern Wayne counties. It is a light brown or ash-gray clay loam or silt loam, with a depth of from six to eleven inches. When rubbed between the fingers it imparts a smooth feeling, which is indicative of a high percentage of silt.
rhe .subsoil is a brown or yellow clay loam, becoming a sandy clay at a depth of two and one-half feet. This subsoil, because of the hillside wash, often appears as plow soil. In such cases the crops yield poorly and the land may be clas.sed as untillable. Many farmers remember when these hillsides produced as well as any of the upland, but through careless plow- ing and cropping, so as to leave the land bare, the soil has been carried down into the bottoms. .\ few suggestions from successful farmers jis to how to improve a soil of this character have been taken up in general discussion. Blue grass and crops that hold the soil should be grown on the slopes instead of corn.
There are a number of farmers on the Miami clay loam who hold that tiling is not necessar\- where there is sufficient slo]ie for the water to run off from the surface, but those who have experimented along this line are of an entirely different oinnion. They find that it not only makes a decided differ- ence in the surface wash, but that it drains the water from the little inter- vening spaces between the grains of dirt and so permits the air to circulate more readily. This facilitates the conveying of the nitrogenous foods to the roots of the legtnninous plants, which results in a richer soil and better yields. In one case in the northeastern part of Waterloo township the corn crop was more than trebled li}- tiling a rolling surface which would ordinaril\- be said to drain itself.
An average corn crop for this type is about thirt}-three bushels to the acre, while the leading farmers are getting fifty-five and sixty. Wheat aver- ages fourteen bushels to the acre and oats about thirty. Clover ranges between one and two tons, and timothy from one to one and a half tons to the acre.
MIAMI .SILT LOAM.
Miami silt loam is an extension of the Miami silt loam areas of Union and Franklin counties. It has a similar texture, color and subsoil, and bears about the same relation to the Miami clav loanL It differs, however, from
FAYETTK CorNTV, IXDIANA. 73
the Union connty soil in tliat a iar,t,aT |)<.Tcenla,y;f of its area occurs on a decidedly rolling surface, thus permitting a large auKiunt of wash, which has left either a very thin soil or has uncovered the subsoil. This results in cheaper land as a result of lighter crops. The axerage farmer is getting about thirty-two bushels of corn and fourteen of wheat to the acre, while the best farmers get fifty of corn and seventeen of wheat.
MIAMI r.OAM.
Miami loam occupies ;i \ cry limited area (one s(|uare mile I along \\'hite \\'ater river in the northern jiart of the countx. it is found on the steeper slojies and has conseouenlly i)een subjected to a greater surface wash.
MIAMI 1U..\C"K C[..\y LOAM.
Miami black clay loam also occupies but about one s(|uare mile in the county. Since stream erosion has been the prevalent factor in shaping the topography of I<"ayette county, most of the old marshes, lakes and ponds, renuiants of the glacial epoch, have l<ing since lieen drained, and the organic matter which accumulated in them has lieen thoroughl\- dcconi])osed or dis- solved out of the soil. .\ verv few of these basins have left traces in the scattered, isolated .-uid sm;di s])ois of lilack land occupying the sags in Orange. !''air\ie\\ and I'osey to\\nsbi])s. These spots ;ire known as the liest corn land in the county.
OAK KOKI'ST Ml.T r.O.\M.
The Oak |-"orest silt loam, covering about twelve S(|nare miles in the county, is a tyjie h;i\ing its main dexelopment in I'Vanklin county. The limited area in l'"a\elte count\- is found on the ridge summits in the southern part of the county. ()\\ing to the ridges l)eing narrow :uid high the soil is badly wa.sbed and is as likel\ to have lieen re|)laceil by the silt loam subsoil as it is to be present. Ibe soil is considered the poorest in the countv, being an ashen grav silt li:,im, cold, sour and very deficient in organic matter and lime. The improvements of this soil are \ery poor, tiling, green manuring and crop rotation being almost entirel\ neglected. \'er\' little stock is raised, most of the grain being marketed. ( orn ranges from se\enteen to twenty- tive bushels to the acre, and wheat from ten to eighteen. This t\pe of soil, with tiling, green manure, lime, stable manure, commercial fertilizer and crop rotation. ma\' be made to double its yield, and each succeeding vear finds more of this soil bringing satisfactory returns.
74 FAYETTE COUNTY,
Hl'NTINGTON LOAM.
Huntington lo;ini. cosering sixteen square miles in the county, is found in sporadic areas in the smaller \alleys, hut hy far the more important occur- rences are in the first and second terraces of the ^Vhite Water valley. The farms located on these terraces are considered superior to those on the upland. With their natural underdrainage through the gravel heds, which are generally from three to live feet below the surface, and the loo.se, open, brown loam or sand)' loam, this soil is the earliest of all the types found in the county. Corn is planted two weeks earlier than on the upland and can be tended several da\s sooner after a heavy rain. The result is that the average farmer is getting fort}- bushels of corn to the acre, while the best farmers get sixty, as against thirty-three for the average fanner and fifty- five to sixty f(5r the best on the upland. \\'heat does not do as well on the first bottom, but sometimes yields twent\- bushels to the acre on the second terrace.
The first bottom is not as desiralile lanfl as the second. This is due in part to the damage done by the flood, and partly to a more sandy and gravelly texture, with beds of sand or gravel near the surface which causes it to suffer more from droughts. Often old bars of sand and gravel are encountered on the first bottom which are classed as worthless, but which might make very good alfalfa soil. The most desirable land fif both bottoms is found north of Connersville.
LIMESTONE SLOPE CLAY LOAM.
There is only half a square mile of Limestone Slope clay loam in the county, and this is found scattered through the southern part of the county on the hillsides. It is not cultivated to an\- extent, and because of its tend- ency to wash it should not be tilled at all, but be kept in blue grass, alfalfa, or some crop that will hold the soil. Some farmers have even attempted to grow tobacco on these slopes, but for reasons just given the crop cannot be profitable after a few years. A^lost of the tobacco is grown in Jackson and Columbia townships.
The following table compiled by the state geologist for the 1910 report, shows the types of soil found in each township in Fayette county, together with the total acreage in famis, acres of tillable land and acres of woodland.
)rNTV. INDIANA. 75
Township. Soil types.
Columbia .Miami clay loam
( )ak iMirest clay loai
1 luntingtoii loam Conners\ille .Miami clay loam
AH other types l''airvie\v Miami clay loam
AH other types Harrison .Miami clay loam
Huntino^on loam
AH other tyjies Jackson Aliami silt loam
llunting^ton loam Jennings Miami clay loam
.\11 other types Orange Miami clay loam
Oak Forest silt loam
Huntington loam
.\11 other types i,v4.i.^ 8.828 3,411
Posey Miami clay loam
All other types ^7,415 O.834 -',46f>
Waterloo Miami clay loam
Huntington loam
All other types 10.7Q4 8,653 2,000
|
Total |
Tilled |
Wood- |
|
acres. |
acres. |
land. |
|
1 4.og2 |
6.003 |
2.027 |
|
i.vji.i |
T 1 . 1 56 |
2,0(,6 |
|
I r .607 |
0.614 |
1 ms |
|
16,667 |
8,750 |
''74 |
|
i7.T5<) |
7-77^' |
.Vorj |
|
n.8.vS |
10,118 |
1,720 |
Total 128,718 82,733 iy.644
CHAPTER III. Heinkmann's Researches.
The history of the region now comprised in Fayette county and of its county seat prior to the organization of the county in January, 1819, is very difficult to trace. It is well known that when the county was organized there were nearly three thousand people within its limits, but where they came from, how they reached the various parts of the county or what steps they took to get the Legislature to organize the county are matters about which there has been very little ascertained until within the past few years. With the organization of the county in 1819 and the keeping of official records the historian is able to find some definite data on which to base the early history of the county, but the history of the decade following the first settlement of John Conner on the i^resent site of Conner sville in 1808 or 1809 has been practically a closed record until 1909 — just one hundred years after John Conner, a young man who had not yet reached his ma- jority, first pitched his camp within the limits of the city now bearing his name, and thereb}- became the first white man to settle in the city of Con- nersville.
This history of Conner's career in b"a}ette county is fairly well known, but an account of liis jjarticipation in state afi^airs seems to have been neglected by local historians until recently. Every citizen of Fayette county has more or less of a hazy idea of the fact that all of the land within the limits of the county was bought by the United States government from the Indians, but just when the purchase was made, who consummated it or how much was paid for it are matters which are not generally known. Like- wise most of the ]jeople now living in the county have heard of the old Indian trail up the White Water, but where it ran, how much it was used or anything definite about its connection with the history of Fayette county, in general or of Connersville in particular are cjuestions which have been unanswered until within the past few years. And of the city of Conners- ville itself — the location of the trading post of Conner, or the exact site of the block house where soldiers of the regular army were once stationed or the location of the proposed public square — these questions and many more ha\e been answered onh' witliin Ihe ])ast few vears.
It lias remained for a local historian to delve into the dim and mistv
' FAYETTK COlXTY. IN'DIANA. "7
liistory (if tlie decade imuK-diatcly iirccfdiiij;- the (irtianizati<in vi llie cmiiUy and brino" to light a lari^e nunil)er of facts which had apparently been lost forever. This historian wiio deserves the gratitude of every citizen of the county for his jjatient and exhaustive researches into this neglected field of the county's histor\' is J. ],. Heineniann. of L'onnersviile. i-'or twenty years Mr. Heinemann has ))een collecting every available bit of information con- cerning the early history- of the county, but it was not until 1909 that he gave to the public the results of any of his lalxirs. in that year he issued his first brochure dealing with Fayette count\-, under the title of "The Twelve-Mile Purchase." in which he sets forth the provisions of the treaty which included practically all of the present territory of Fayette county. The treaty which resulted in the purchase of the strip from the Indians has peculiar interest to b'ayette countw not only because it resulted in the acquisi- tion of most of the land now in the countw but more particularly l)ecause John Conner was one of the interpreters present at the making of the treaty and the onl\- citizen of the future county of Fayette to have his name signed to the document which was to iriake possible the formation of the county just ten years later.
Mr. Heinemann has made extensive researches into all of the events surrounding the making of this treaty, and for the benefit of future gene- rations of F'ayette county it seems apjirojiriate to give the result of his ■Studies as it was originally jiublislied in looi). under the title of "The Twelve Mile Purchase."
The Twelve Mile Purchase is a descripti\e phrase which became popu- larly the name for the ac(|uisition of the Indian lands Ijy the United States. of the territor}- in \\-liich I-'a_\"ette connt\- almost wliolh- lies. .\ map will show an uneven stri]i on the west l\'ing nutside of the purchase. The ex- pression is accurate, however, only, so far as it pertains to our neighborhood. The treaty with the Indians which took place at Vt. Wayne, Indiana, was concluded September 30. 1809. and provided for the cession of two sepa- rated portions of territor)-. The larger portion lies in the Wabash region, extending southwardly and eastwardly. but still not far enough east to make it contiguous to our own. .\s we expect to employ the local terminology, and call it The Twelve Mile Purchase, it may be well at the start to give the official rendering of the act. thus luaintaining accuracy as well as showing the origin of the title our forbears ga\e it.
78 FAYETTE COITNTY, TNOIANTA.
In Volume II (Treaties) page 101 of "Indian Affairs" (Senate Docu- ments ) it will be found complete, with the following title :
Treaty with the Deliiwares, etc., (Sept. MDth ) 1.S0!». A treaty between the United States of An^eriea, and ,the tribes of Indians called the Delawares., I'ntawatiiuies, Miamies aud Eel River Miamies.
The first paragraph is as follows:
James Madison, President of the llnited States of America, by William Henry Harrison, governor and conniiander-ln-chief of the Indian Territoi-j-, superintendent of Indian .ilfjiirs. and commissioner pleiiiiioteutiary of the United States for treating with the said Indi.m tribes, and the saciienis. head-men and warriors of the Delaware, rnt.iwatiniie. Miami and Kel River tribes of Indians, h.ive agreed and concluded upon tile following treaty: which, when, ratified by the said I'resident. with the advice and conseni of the Senate of the T'nited States, shall be binding on the said parties.
Conse(iuently, it is pfii]jerly called, Treaty of Ft. Wayne. September 30. 180C); and, in text hooks, it will he found under that title. Our localism, "Twelve Mile I'urchase" s])rings from the use of a detail to describe the whole act, which fact will be readiK- seen, when it is noted that the west boundary of this purchase follows practicallx- the watershed dividing the basins of the White ri\er on the west and south and the White Water river on the east. It is seemingly made twehe miles wide because the basin of the White Water river a])i)roxiniates that distance and would he entirely covered by such a descri|)tion. In other words, the described stri]) of territory, the beautiful and fertile valley of the White Water, is enclosed exactly by the metes and bounds set down in the terms of the TweKe Mile Purchase.
AN INVITINC, FIET.n TO THE WHITES.
In article I of the treat}-, the territory is mimitely described. The first .set of details covers the tract which lies in the \\'abash region, extending to the southeast till it ititersects the boundary of an earlier treaty, that of 1805. Then follows this descri]ition of land :
led between the following bound- .irdly .(long the general boundary r!)."i) to its intersection with the (A. II.. ISO.-,): thence .along said the fir.st mentioned line, will be id parallel line to its intersection el to the line established bv Oie
In this description, the old boundary line established in 1795. by Gen- eral Wayne, is made the base, and a parallel line westward twelve miles
|
— And. also, all tli;it Ir.-ic |
t which sh;ill be inc |
|
aries. viz: beginning at Fori 1 |
Itecovery. tlien<-c sont |
|
line, established by Irt'aty of |
(Jreenville. (A. 1 >.. |
|
boundary line established by |
treat.v of (Jrouseland |
|
line to a point from which a |
line drawn parallel |
|
twelve miles distant from the |
s.ime. and along the |
|
with a line to be drawn fror |
n Fort Recovery ii.n- |
|
said treaty of (Ji'ouseland. |
fav!:ttk (.(M'Xtv. inihana. 70
(.iistant is made llif ik-w limit dI the red man's Ikhiic. ( '(inse(|iK'ntly. in \ie\\ nt the tact, that nn communications existed between us and the settlements in tlie Waliasli coiuitr\ . it was an eas\- matter tor our pioneers to ii^nore the part of the purchase wliich la\ m that re.^ioii. and simply call the new ac(|ui- sition. "The Twehe Mile I'nrchase": which term, accm-ately enout^h describes our own portion since it is twelve miles wide, and conutint;' its t^reatest eloui^a- tion — about ninety miles north and south.
How inviting- a lield to the whites wlio lirst trod its surface! it was a fan- country, destined to become the lionie of ci\ili/.ation. of the arts and com- merce, alniost instantly. Tlie strip became the heart of what is now the c;onnties of l'"ranklin. |-'ayette. Wayne and l\andol])h, and is tlie watersiied or valley of the west fork of the White Water river. lint the briefest jjcriod is needed to convert it into a well settled nei,!-liborhoo<l. The first settlers haxe left an abundance of monuments to mark the sta.tjes of their rapid i)ros.;-- ress. in domestic and ci\il ii-istitutions. in itidustries that still obtain, and in moral im])ulses that cannot be effaced, so that these are well remembered. They are still with us in their works and are honoretl in their jiosteritv. Anil in conse(|uence. it is llttint;- at this time, when liie centenary of his extinu-uish- ment dawns ui)on us. to consider t^enerously. for a few- niotuents, the known facts of the lone Indian who has departed.
There are not many thint^s to say of him. Mis traditions are effacing- themselves year by year; and. as for written history, his takes the form mostly of land relint|nislinients and transfers of habitation. That he had ignoble traits is allowably the case; btit he had noble ones also. He may ha\e been uncouth and shiftless and susj^icious, and in the possession of plent\- of other undesirable traits, as judged by the white men who had to do with hini ; but then, the contact was not of his seeking, and. unfler the circumstance, it is l)robable that the futin-e will more and more reco.gnize iri him a courage, a tenacit}- and a daring, beyond the ordinary, in contending as he did for his hunting grounds, a.gainst the flood of whites that our colonial growth jjoured out oxer him.
i-.'X.WCT \I. SIDK Of Till-: TR \.\-S.\CTIOX.
'i'lie third and the seventh article of the treaty set forth the tinancial sule of the transaction, and they read as follows:
Article 3: The coiiipensatioii to he given for tlie cession ni;i(lc in ilic first .irtirle sli.ill he as follows: viz., to the Delawjires, i\ pennjinent annnil.v of tivc Imnched (lol- lai-s; to the Miamies. a like annuit.v of five hundred dollars; to the lOel Hiver trihe. .1 like annuit.v of two liundred Mn<l tifty dolhu-s; and to tin- I'ottawatiinies a like annuit.v of five hundred dollars.
<50 FAYKTTi: CfJl'XTY, INDIANA.
Article 7 : The tribes wlio are parties to tliis treaty being desirous of putting an end to the depredations which are committed by abandoned individuals of their own color, upon the cattle, horses, etc., of the more industrious , and careful, agree to adopt (lie following regulations: viz., when any theft or other depredation shall be committed by any individual or individuals of one of the tribes above mentioned, upon the prop- ♦^rty of an.v individual or individuals of anotlier tribe, the chiefs of the party Injured shall malie apiilication to the agent of the T'nited States, who shall be charged with the delivery of the annuities of the tribe to which the offending party belong.s, whose duty it .shall be to hear the proofs and allegations on either side and determine be- tween them. And the amount of his award shall be immediately deducted from the annuity of the tribe to which the offending party lielongs. and given to the person in.iured. or to the chiefs of his village- tor his use.
It is more than interesting to know who were the signatories to this treaty. The names present a curious admixture of \ocal sounds now lost to us. hut which once were familiar enougli to tliose who had acquired a knowl- edge of the pecuhar structure of the Indian's Hugo. Tliey are reproduced verhatim, below, as found in the original document.
First, appears that of ^^'illiam Henry Harrison, who as plenipotentiary, sufficed to bind his government.
Following his signature, and under the caption "Delawares" come the followins':
-Anderson, for Hackingponiskon who is absent
Anderson
Petchekekapon
The Beaver
Capt. Killbuck
Under the cajjti Winemac
Five Medals, by his son Mogawgo Shis.sahecon, for himself and h
his x mark his X mark his X mark his X mark his X mark
■"ottawatimas," come the follow
Ossnieet, brother of Five Medals
Nanousekah, Penamo's son
Mosser
Checiuinimo
Sockanackshut
Conengee
ng names : his X mark his X mark his X mark her Tuthimpee his x mark his X mark his X mark his X mark his X mark his X mark his X mark
L'nder the Pucan Hie Owl
i])tion, ".Miamies," cou.ie the following;
his X mark his X mark
|
ic l.ittlc Turtle |
his X mark |
|
.1X111 |
his X mark |
|
his X mark |
|
|
his X mark |
|
|
\crs." tlie following: |
|
|
his X mark |
|
|
• wallow |
his X mark |
|
I Miami of !':ik Hart |
his X mark |
|
of certain witnesses. |
under the captic |
|
the commissioner. |
KAVhrTK COINTY. INI)I.\N.\. 8l
Meshekeno-iKiua. or Tl W'apemanqua. or The 1. Silver Heels Shawaiienonio
liuler the name. "I^el Ri- Charlie
Sheshangometinah. or S The Vonno- Vvandol. ;
Xext come the signatures the presence of" :
I'eter Jones, secretary of
John Johnson, Indian agent.
.\. Heakl, captain. L'. S. A.
A. luhvards, surgeon's mate.
IMi. Ostr.-mder. lieutenant. L'. S. .\.
John Shaw.
Stejihen Johnston.
I'"in;illy under the title. ".Sworn Inleri)reters," come these names:
J. Hamilton, sheriff Dearliorn county.
Henr\- Aupaumut.
William Wells,
John Conner.
Joseph Barron.
.\hraliam Ash.
Here are grouped the high plenipotentiaries, whose conduct in solemn conclave, passed the so\ereignty over our lands, from one hand, nature's own children, the aborigines, the true sons of the soil, to that of another, the I'nited .States of America, the white man's government, lately installed on this contineiU with momentous promise, and even greater realization judged hy the standard of things done. Tlow rapid the progress, and how dazing to the children of our forests, the white men's ;ichievements were, is now difficult for us to ajipreciate. .\11 we know of the Indian's view-point is frag- mentary. We are acquainted with his history not at all, in completeness or with any -great degree of accuracy, h'ootprints here and there are left to us, hut, beyond this. the\- ha\e \anislied — the race is gone. '(6)
Sz FAYKTTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
WII-LIAM HENRY HARRISON.
In noting the signatures to the treaty, it may be permissible to dismiss the first one, WilHam Henry Harrison, who became the first governor of Indiana Territory when organized in 1800, as too well known to bring it into contrast with the other names. He ser\ed continuously in public life for many years, and in tlie year 1840 was honored with the Presidency of the United States. His intimate connection with our Indian affairs follows after the campaigning of General Wayne which culminated in the treaty of Greenville, Ohio, under date of 1795. Subsequent to it, and up to the time of the Twelve Mile Purchase, he had negotiated five treaties for Indian lands.
In the treaty which concerns us now, that of [8oy, the first family of Indians represented in the signing of the document, are the Delawares. This is the proper place for them, owing to the important bearing its terms are to have on their future life. Their hunting grounds are now to be dimin- ished exactly to the extent of the Twelve Mile Purchase, and it is they, prin- cipally, who are to move out of their homes into new quarters.
The Delawares belong to the general group, Algonquin, and originally were at home on the banks of the Delaware ri\'er, whence their name as used by the whites. .\m(ing themselves they were Lenni Lenape (manly men). They occu])ied territory successi\•el^• in what is Pennsylvania, Ohio, and after that, following the establishment of the Indian boundary of 1795, found their abode in the White Water \alley. In establishing themselves here, thev had evidently displaced the Miamis: for the second article of the treaty of 1809. clearly foresees a further encroachment by them. It reads as follows :
The Miamies explioitl.v ;iekiimvlt>(lge the wiual right of the DelMwares 'with them- selves to the country watered by the White river. But it is .-ilso to be clearly under- .stood, that neither party shall have the right of disposing of the same without the consent of the other: .ind, any improvemepts which shall be made on said land li.v the Delawares, nr their friends, the Mohicans, shall be theirs forever.
The country watered by the White river liegins exactly west of the boundary agreed on in 1809. Thi.'^ west line of the Twelve Mile Purchase is about where the traction line crosses Williams creek, and as is well known, all the small streams, beyond the limits described. How in the opposite direc- tion, forming the headwaters of the east fork of the \Vhite river, which river courses southwestwardly to its junction with the east fork (of the White river) not far from Vincennes. .'^o that, acknowledging the ec|ual right of the Delawares to the country watered by the ^^^hite ri\er, simply allowed
- F\YF.TTF. rOl-NTY. INDIANA. 83
tlie latter Tmlians. tlie Delawares from this neislil)(>rhoo(l. to push their al)o(le lieyoiid WilHains creek.
H AtK-IMM-OM.S-KON AND TIIK PROPHET.
In the study of iiuii\i(luaiity — the personal element in man — there is oftentimes as much interest in the doings of a savage as any other humanV being. His nature moves in simple grooves, and in consequence, it is easier to weigh his silent motives. At the treaty of 1809. Hack-ing-poms-kon was not present at the close of the i)roceedings. His name .is at the head of the li.st of l^eiawares. as befits his station in his tribe, but he was not there to sign for himself. Why? The answer will likely never be known positively. He was tlieir senior sachem, and a genuine Indian with -long seasoning in the arts of his people. As much as fourteen years before (1795) he was a head warrior, for his name appears under the caption f)f Sandusky Delawares, in the treaty of Greenville. Perhaps liis name was considered essential to the j)resent treat}', and under jiressure he consented to its use by another. Wliether this \iew be truth or fancy, it is known that land relinquishment had become a liitter morsel to the aborigines ere this : and the important place in Indian affairs of the career of the Prophet and his brother Tecumseh, grows out of this fact. Their active labors originated only a few years before the events now considered, and the>- reached their upmost power immediately following, and because of the terms of the treaty of 1809. ''^^ Prophet had set himself u]) for the guidance of his brother redskins in the towns of the Delaware Indians, esijecially along the liead waters of the west fork of the White river. His doctrines were a mixture of self-reform and hostility to the whites : and, in view of recent events, carried consideral)le argumentative force with the natives. .\s e\ents proved, be completely alienated the Shawnees from the white man's compacts, and induced many Delawares, wlio. biu lately, had been neighbors with the Shawnees in Ohio, individually to join ni the aloofness. That Hack-ing-]3oms-kon was fully cognizant of these things is attested b\' one personal episode known to historv. It occurred near Muncie about i8of). where a momentary craze was worked up by the Prophet against the whites, under the title of "witchcraft," indirectly attack- ing them and the Indians favorable to the white man's methods. Several executions harl been enacted, when the case of Hack-ing-i)oms-kon was taken up.
.Xdditional light on this subject is shed by J. P. Dunn in his "True Indian .Stories," as follows:
84 FAYETTE COUNTY, IWDIANA.
This chief was of different stuff from the others. He did not wait for any addi- tional accusation. Advancing to the Prophet, he denounced him as a liar and an im- postor, and threatened him with personal vengeance if he made any charge of witch- craft against him. This was a very practical test of divine protection, from the Indian point of view, to which the Prophet was not prepared to submit, and after some dis- cussion Haclv-ing-poms-lvon was remanded to custody to await further proceedings, but without being deprived of his standing and authority as a chief. No further action was talien against him.
The crusade against supposed witchcraft wore itself out shortly and whilst the council was still sitting, a leader of a Chri.stian hand of mission- aries appeared hefore them to learn authoritatively, the mind of the Indians, as to the future stay of Christians ;unong- them. The council gave little encouragement, and finally referred die leader of the Christian band to Hack- ing-poms-kon. This chief coincided with the council in the view that their services were not particularly desirable to the Indians, especially in view of the surplus of religion ftu"nished by the Prophet.
KIK-THA-WK-NrND, OR ANDERSON.
During the three years that followed — leading up to the treaty of 1809 — the same sad tale of disa])pointment and discomfiture in his contests with the wliites continued, and that the old chief — typical redskin that he was — took on suUenness, where braxery failed, is at least a plausible theor\- for his absence during the closing hours of Se])tember 30, 1809, with permission to Anderson to sign for him, at that treaty.
But who is Anderson ? Certainly not an Indian name, "^'et .Anderson himself is an Indian, notwithstanding this fact. As a Delaware he had been in contact for long years with border-land white folks, and for this reason, perhaps, should be held blameless for his English name — others gave it to him. In the treaty of 1795 his name ajjpears as "Kik-tha-we-nund, or Ander- .son." In other records it is found as Kith-til-kand : and as the s])elling is merely the white man's attempt to reproduce on paper, by means of the alpha- bet, a sound which an unlutored savage utters, the variation is not surprising. Our best ]3resent-day authority on Indiana Indians, J. P. Dunn, says, "Kok- to-wha." in Delaware language means, "making a cracking noise," i. e., as of a house or a tree abf)ut to fall ; and the suffix, "nund" indicates that the noise js caused by some ])erson. Consequently, he recoinmends "Kok-to-wha-nund" with accent on the second syllable, as a phonetic rendering in English of an Indian sound u.sed by them as the name of this chief. The same authority says Hack-ink-]3om-ska, pronounced with accent on the second last syllable, means "He Walks on the Ground."
- FAYKTTK COUNTY, INDIANA. 85
A (|uery ccnild he made licre, wliicli dues not helDno tn the sul)jecl pn)])er. It sugjj-ests itself, ho\ve\er, and may 1)e asked withmit prnfferin^- a definite answer.
It, in the l)ela\\are dialect, Hack-ing-[)(Hii.s-k()n means "lie Walks on tile (iruund." wliy limk further for a source whence comes our Americanism '"hiking." C'axalrymen do not "hike"; but a commf)n description with u.s for the infantrymen's, or any other footman's, mode of travel, he who walks on the ground, is "hiking." Is it an Indian word?
Sometimes valuable aid is derixed from geographical terms and descrip- tions, for tracing Indian history. We will always have Ander.son to the north and Andersonville to tlie soutli; tlie former ])lace is situate just beyond the new Ixnuidary established in iSoo; and it was an Indian rendezvous of importance for some time after that date. Chief .Knderson continued prpm^ inent in their councils and still maintained his eminence at the time of the treaty of iSiS, which finall}- extinguished Indian possessions throughout central and soutliern Indiana. Thus taking the two periods, the treaty of 1795 and tlie one of 181.'^, there is a chieftainship of twenty-three years between tliem to Kok-to-wha-nund,. known better to the whites as \\''illiani Anderson.
PETCH-E-KH-KA-l>O.V, I.m I,r. TIHTLK .\ND THE BEA\ER.
Of the Delawares who signed the treaty of i.Sot), the next in order is I'etch-e-ke-ka-pon. Xo other trace of jiis career has come under notice. The same is true of the next one to sign, namel\- Captain Killbuck. except that the family name of Killbuck is connected with the afifairs of the Delawares before coming to us, while they still held sites in central Ohio.
The only other signature remaining, under the title of Delawares is "The Beaver."
\\'hat his subsequent career was cannot l)e said, hut tw(i years ])revious (1807) ^'1 event came into liis life, which, though a reflected glory, still lent some splendors to his re]Kitati(in at this time, no doubt. In describing it, it is necessary first to say that I ])ass o\ er the names of all the Pottawatomie Indians, for the reason that they were at home i)rinci])ally further north than our locality. And, also, for a similar reason I cannot take time td exann'ne all the Miami names, which come next in order. Rut there is one name among the latter that cannot be omitted. It is that of Meshekenoghqua (pronounced Mi-ski-kin-noq-kwa) or Tlie Little Turtle, 'i'his chief is the one who stood at the head of the great .Miami confederacv of two decades
86 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
liefore ; and who successfully combated a superior white force on several occa- sions in the war which "Mad Anthony Wayne" eventually closed.
Little Turtle will remain a permanent figure in American history. His talents were recognized by all who met him at the time under a great variety of circumstances, and he easily adjusted himself to whatever exigencies arose. It is natural, consequently, that with the close of hostilities (1795) he should wish to learn more of the white man's ways, and his travels to the "Big Council" (the City of Washington) brought him into contact with many capable men, some of whom left records of their impressions of this leading representative of the Indian race.
One who met him east in 1807, which is two years before the Twelve Mile Purchase, speaks of "The Beaver" as one of the chiefs in the party of which Little Turtle was the leading spirit. The description which he gives cannot fail to enhance our story.
(They) were dressed iu ;i costume usually worn by our own citizens of the time — coats of blue cloth, gilt buttons, pantaloons of the same color, and buff waist-coats; hut they all wore leggings, moccasins and large gold rings in their ears. The Little Ttirtle exceeded all his brother chiefs iu dignity of appearance — a dignity which re- sulted from the character of his mind. He was of medium stature, with a complexion of the palest copper shade, and did not wear paint. Itis hair was a full suit, and without any admixture of gray, although from what he said of his age, at Ft. Wayne in 18(>4, being then flfty-three, he must at this time have been tifty-seven years old. His dress was comijleted by a long red military sash around the waist, and his hat (a chapeau braze) was ornamented by a red feather. Immediately on entering the house, he took off his hat and carried it under his arm during the rest of the visit. His ap- pearance and manners, which were graceful and agreeable in an uncommon <legree, were admired by .'ill who made his acquaintance.
In such company il is to l)e ex)3ected that "The Beaver" learned things, and took on accomplishments that leave nothing to be desired. And, that if a full biography of him could be written, his life would lie found creditable by the best standards of Tndianhood.
Ot:R ORIGINAL PIONEER.
As this completes the list of names attached to the treaty under the title. "Delaware Indians." the ones who predominated in the Fayette county neigh- borhood, the -Story curtails itself and finds a finish. As to the whites who joined as witnesses to the treaty of 1809, it is not necessary to study them in this connection. Vet, there is one man whose name is attached to it — our original pioneer. John Conner, woodsman, scout and inter])reter — who
- FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA. 87
<leser\es special c(in>iclerati(Mi, l)ut another cliapter in this vohinie treats of his life in detail and it is unnecessary to expand upon it in this connection. It is perhaps appropriate to repeat a moral reflection which arises with- out effort, and is contained in a statement made by Governor Harrison upon a notable occasion when be said, that this land "seems destined by the Creator to give support to a large population, and be the seat of civilization, of science and the true religion." The centurv which has passed since this fair tract of land became a pari of the state of Indiana has seen the fulfillment of the l)ropKecy made by our first governor : and we of Fayette county are not only full sharers oir the Inuxlens, but also of the honors and emoluments which ha\ e come to those who ha\e made their homes in the Twelve Mile Purchase.
PROCEEDINGS OE THE TREATY.
Following the a|>i)earance of this monogra])hic study of Mr. Heinemann the newspa))ers of the state began making favorable comments on the char- acter of the i)ublication. It was to be expected that the people of Fayette county andof the White Water valley should be interested, but it was some- what of a surprise to note that many papers over the state took the oppor- tunity to speak of it in \ ery complimentary terms.
The second brochure of .\lr. Heinemann was also concerned with the Twelve Mile Purchase, the subject of his first monograph. It had not been known e\en to Indiana historians that Gen. William Henry Harrison had a journal ke])t of the proceedings of the deliberations at Ft. Wayne, Septem- ber 30, 1809. which finally resulted in the actual signing of the treaty, but the original of the journal had been hidden away in the archives at Wash- ington, D. C. for more than a hundred years. It was due to the indefatig- able efforts, .of. Mr. Heinemann that this rlocument was found and — but let him tell the story in his own words. It appeared for the first time in print in the brochure of Mr. Heinemann.
TOURN.M. OE PROCEEDINGS.
This pamphlet contains a reproduction without typographical alteration of the diary kept b}' Peter Jones, secretary to Governor Harrison, one of the commissioners appointed by President Jefferson to deal with the Indians (ju this occasion.
It seems ti-uly deserving of ])reservation in the popular form here given
iSa FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
to it, and of an lionored place in any collection of original data of those early days.
Besides the local appreciation attached to its every detail, in a wider sense, the treaty is likewise not without some value to every student of Indi- ana history in general, because of the subsequent events that arose from it. The Indians under the influence of the Prophet and Tecumseh were some- what advanced in the formation of their plans at this time, but it was only in the progression of events that their real designs were uncovered. With the new treaty in existence, evasion ceased to be possible, and their hostile sentiments and their determination to fight were made manifest in the conduct that followed.
What transpired after the treaty of Fort Wayne, can be indicated by a few brief extracts from Dillon's History. This book was written at a time when the local atmosphere of the pioneer days still surrounded our ancestors, and, consequently, the emphasis of e\ents as found there, is quite likely a verv true picture of one view of the pioneer period of our commonwealth.
We quote from the edition of 1859:
Tecumseh cleai-ly iutiiuated that he would resist auy attempt that might be made to survey lands which had been ceded to the United States by the treaty of Fort Wayne. (p. 431.)
Throughout the course of the year ISIO, various rumors of the growing power and the hostile intentions of the Shawnee Prophet, produced a state of some alarm among the people, and retarded the progress of settlements and improvements in several counties of the Indiana territory. (p. 430.)
In an interview with one of the messengers (of Governor Harrison), who visited the Prophet's Town in the month of June, 1810. the prophet declared that it was not his intention to make war on the white people; and he said that some of the Delawares. and some other Indians, "had been bribed with whiskey, to make false charges against him." When pressed by the messenger, Mr. Dubois, to state the grounds of his com- plaints against the United States, the prophet said that "the Indians had been cheateil out of their lands; that no sale was good unless made by all the tribes; that he had settled near the mouth of the Tippecanoe, by oivJer of the Great Spirit ; and that he was, likewise, ordered to assemble as many Indians as he could collect at that place." (p. 440.)
"Brother: this land that was sold, and the goods that were given for it. was only done by a few. . . . The treaty at Fort Wayne w;is made through the threats of Winaniiic; but in the future, we iire pre]iared to punish those chiefs who may come forward to propo.se to sell land. . . . Those that did sell, did not own it. It was me. These tribes set up a claim; but the tribes with me will not agree to their claim. If the land is not restored to us, you will see, when we return to our homes, how it will be settled. We shall have a great council, at which all of the tribes shall be present, when we shall show to those that sold, that they had no right to the claim they set up; and we shall see what will be done with those chiefs that did sell the land to you. (p. 443.)
|
1 WUIlld iMlU- |
liil.v (lu llif |
red |pei>i]|e. and do wU.il 1 have re- |
|
i;ive up the |
land, and do |
cross the boinidary of our present |
|
,• bard. Mild |
liriidvict" grent |
troubles auiong us. ... As we |
|
at tlie lliir |
on villaf;e. tlui |
1) is near the British, we may prob- |
|
ShouUl they |
oflVr u.s any |
presents of goods, we will not take |
|
ItVr us powtl :.•■ (p. 444. |
lev .-md Ihc Ic |
iiiiahawk, we will talce Ihc piiwder |
|
) |
FAYKTrK CHrXTY,
•Krother: 1 wish y<.u unested. If you do not ; settlement, it will be veri intend to bold our council ably make them a visit, them: but should they ol and refuse the tomahawk
The governor then re(iuesled Tecumseh lo stale, plainly, whether the surveyors who might be sent to survey the lands— purchased by the treaty of Fort Wayne, in tWlSI — would be interrupted by the Indi.ius: and whether the Kikapoos would, or would not. receive their, aauiuitie-s. Te<'.uiU}*eh. in reply, sjiid : "Brother: when you speak of annuities to me,' I' look at the' land, and pity the women and children. 1 am author- i/.eil to say that they will not receive them. Brother, we want to save that piece of laud. We do not wish you to take i|. It is siiial! enough for our purjii'sc. If you take it. you must lil.inic yourself .-is the cause of trouble between us and the tribes who sold it lo you. 1 waul the present boundary line to continue. Should you <'ross it, 1 assure you it will be productive of bad consequences." The council, which was
held in a small grove that si 1 ueai- the dwelling house of the goveru(U'. was then
brought to a close.
On tile ne.xt day (oivcnior ll.iirisoii, .UleHdeii only by his iutcriireler. visited the camp of Tecumseh. where he was ie<fived politely. In the <-ourse of .i long interview Tecumf<eh r<?peated the principal dei-laration and sentiments which he had previously uttered and avowed in open council; and when Goveriuu- Harrison told him that his claims and pretensions woulil not be acknowledged by the I'resident of the Fnited States — "Well." said Tecumseh. ".-is the great chief is to determine the matter. I hope the (Jreaf Spirit will jiut sense enough into his head to induce him to direct you t give uj) this land. It is true, be is so far off be will not be in.iuied by the war. He may sit still in his town, .-iiid drink his wine, \\hiie y<ni and I will have to fight it out." (I>. 44G1.
'!"() enuiiierale fiirtlicr tlie liappeiiinos tliat fnlliiwed. wi'mld lie enttring- into the liistun- of tlie iiiilitai-y caniiiai.s^iis that culminated at Tippecanoe, in iXij, and e\en to the battles of .Maiden and tlie ri\er 'i'haines. in iHi^^j. whefe Teciiniseh in a forlofii lio])e laid dciwii his life, weririno- .a r.ritish tiniforni.
l*'or some unknown reason. "The journal of the rroceedinos," printed hefewith, was omitted from the oii\ernment ])nhlications in the last century, when these matters were hrst collected in American State I'ajiers. and it remained hidden ;iwa\- for a hundred years, ;is a niaiuiscript in the files of the Dei)artment of War at \\ashinj.;ton.
How it was hrnncrht to lijaht is shown hy a letter and its several answers, wliich follow: and their puhlication. also will render credit for the part per- formed by the eminent Indianian. Senator Beveridge. throug;h whose influence the .search, by the War Departiiient oflfcials. for the inissinq- diar\- was under- taken.
go FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
A I.ETT£R AND ITS SEVERAL ANSWERS.
Couneisville. Indiimji, June ISth, 1909. Hon. Albert J. Beveridge.
Semite, Washiugtou, D. C.
llEAK .Sir: — In the iiuthorizatioii t'loiii (he war ilepai-tiiieut to William Heury llariisoii. .Jul.v l.'ill). isnit. to luixeed witli a fuitbcr tieat.v witli tlie Indians, occurs tills instruction:
"A diary of the iiroceedings. .sliould be lieiit by the commissioner or the
secretary, and a carefully certified copy thereof forwarded with the treaty
to this ilepjtrtment.'" (American State Pajiers. Vol. I, p. 761.)
Tile treaty \v;is ccincluded September ;!(l. l.sdll. and is printed in full in the volume quoted .-ibovc, and also in \ol. II. Indian .Vffiiirs. Treaties, Senate Documents. But 1 can find no ac<-ount of the diary retpured b.v the otHcial instructions.
.Vic the minutes of the proceedings preserved in the archives of the department of w.ir, and are they accessible to the general public? To the best of my knowledge, the state lilirary. at Indianapolis, contains no reference to them e.xcept that to be found in the volume referred to, and if the minutes still exist, but have never been put into print. I should be exceedingly favored by whatever interest you manifest ill this belated exploration into Indiana history.
The copy of the same b.v a suit.-ible stenographer is an expense which I shall gladly defray, if ,vou see tit to use your sujierior opportunities in locating the original manuscript.
AVith the assurance that whatever aid yon give will lie very greatly appreciated, and thanking yon in advance for overlooking whatever trouble or inconvenience this letter gives yon. I beg to remain very resniectfull.v.
Yours truly,
J. li. Heinemann.
Department of the Interior. Office of Indian Affairs.
\Vasb!iigt(Mi. .lune 8(1. l!»(l'.». Hon. Albert J. Beveridge,
T'nited States Senate. Sir : — The office is in receipt, by your reference of .June 2,Hrd, of a letter addressed to you by the war deiiartment returning a eoniniunication from Mr. .T. L. Heinemann, t'onnersville, Indiana, relative to his desire to obtain a copy of the Journal of Pro- ceedings of the commission that concluded a treaty with the Delaware, Pottawatomie, Miami and Eel River Indians at Ft. Wayne on September 30. 1S09 (7 Stat. L., 113-115). The .Journal referred to, which was found recently in the files of the war depart- ment, was referred to this oflSce by that department on June 23. 19<>9, and a certified <'opy thereof is being prepared and will be forwarded to you for Mr. Heinemann's use ;is soon ;is it is completed. Very respectfully,
R. I. Walentein,
Commissioner.
Indianapolis, Indiana, August 10, 1909. liKAR Mr. Heinemann:
I have your letter of August oth, enclosing draft for the bureau of Indian affairs
FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA. 9I
iu iiayuieiit of certilietl cuiiy cif Journal of the Proteediiiss of the Indian Treaty of ISiV.). I am i-etuniiiis the ilraft to y<iu. and he« to suKKe^'l that yon have same maih- pnyalile to Mr. Ahhott. artuis conunissionor, and forward it to him at Washin;,'ton direct.
Assuring' you tliat I was very pleased to do what I tinild in this matter, I am, \'ery truly yours.
Alhkrt J. Bevkbidgk. .Mu. .T. I.. Heine.\i.u\n.
I'onnersville. Ind.
The ft)ll()\ving i,'^ a \erl)atiiii copy of the letter from Cieii. Wilham Henry Harrison to the Secretary of War, accompanyin"- tlie Journal alxjve referred to:
Vincennes 15th Nov. ^S.m. Sir
I have now the honor to enclose the slietch of the lands lately ceded hy the Indians to the United States and the Journal liept by Captain Jones, the secretary. There appears to be much more land in these tracts than I e.xpected being upwards of 2,900,0(10 acres. I believe there are two or three excellent salt springs on the tract near this. General William Clarke who is now at Washington can give you some information on this siib.iect. The one marked in the sltetch has been visited since the treatj- b,v some of our citizens who say that it promises well.
The sketch is principally intended to show the advantages which would arise from opening a road to Dayton in the state of Ohio it would bring us 120 miles nearer the seat of government. I believe that the Indians would consent to have the road ojiened through that part of their country which it must necessarily pass through.
I have Honor to be with
great Uespect Sir your Humble Servant. The Honorable Wn.tAi Henry Harrison.
Wn.r.i.\M I<>usTis. Ksq..
Secretary of War.
\"erb.\t;m copy of the journal.
On h'riday the i st of .Se])teniher (ioxernor Harrison, as commissioner for Treatino- with the Indian Trihes set out from Vincennes for Fort Wayne accompanied h}- his Secretary I'eter Jones one Interpreter a I-'rench Man as a guide a Servant of the tldverndr tS: two Indians, .\fter !ea\ing- tlie Settlement of Knox Connt_\- nur route was along the road newly cut out hy the orders of the Government in the direction of the Xorth liend to its termination, & tlien along the frontier of the Count\- oi ]J)earhorn to I'^ort Wayne, at which place we arrived on the fifteenth. Directions had 1)een gixen to Mr. John Johnston the Indian .\gent to assemhle the Inflians, against that time. The Deliware Trihe with their Interpreter) Mr. John Conner
92 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
reached Fort Wayne at the very moment of our arrival. Two principal Chiefs HockinmioniscDn and tiie Bea^-er were however absent on a visit to Detroit.
1 6th. Tart of the Putawatiniies arrived under their Chief VVinemack.
The Governor learned witli regret that the head Chief Tipinipe of the I'ulawatimies & Five A-Iedals were not returned from Detroit but authorized their son & nephew to act for them. Tn the evening the Eel River Tribe arri\ed & more of the Putawatimies.
i/th. The Miami Chief Peccan Oul Osage and some inferior ones arrived. A messenger was sent for the little Turtle who returned for answer that he would come in on the igth Inst. -\ mischievf)us report was circulated amongst the Indians that a Detacliment of American Troops were marching against them. Some of the young men were much frightened but the Chiefs treated it with the ridicule it deserved. The Putawatimies waited on the Governor & requested a little liquor which was refused. The Governor observed that he was determined to .shut up the liquor casks until all the busi- ness was finished.
]8th. .\n express was despatched to Detroit to hasten the arrival of the Deliware & F'utawatimie Chiefs who had gone to that place & whose presence was \ery much desired 1)y the Governor. Mr. Barron the Inter- preter was also sent to the Miami Towns sixty miles distant to bring Richard- ville the Principal Chief of that Tribe who had excused himself under pre- tence of real or pretended sickness from comeing in withe the other Chiefs.
The Governor had a conference with a Deputation from the Deliwares who reside west of the Mississi])])i who came for the purpose of prevailing on those of that Tribe who reside in this Territory to join their brethren in Louisiana. .\ reciprocal ])romi.se was made by the Governor to promote the above object as much as jiossible :uid In" tlie Chiefs to aid his views in respect to the proposfed Treaty. Measures were taken also to explain the wishes of the Government to the Putawatimies & to engage their cooperation. More of the Putawatimies & Miamies ari\ed the whole number on the ground this day was eight hundred and ninety-two.
iQth. The Turtle arrived this day with a number of Miamies & Puta- watimies. The Goxernor visited the Putawatimies in their Camjj as had prex'iously done the Deliwares. Measures were also taken to sound several of the most influential Chiefs on the subject of the proposed Treaty. Captain Hendricks the Mohecan Chief informed the Governor that the British Agent of Indian affairs had ad\-ised all the Indian Tribes ne\-er to listen to any
- FAYKTTK COl'NTY, INDIANA. t)^
proposition to sell tlifir lands to the L'nited States, l^inncvva a I'utawatiniie Cliiet ari\-ed with oiie hundred Indians of his Tribe.
JOth. The (io\ern,.r had a conference with all the Miami .S: lud Kner Chiefs & e-xjilained to them at great lens^th the object of his \isit to this |)lace and the great advantage which they would derive from causeing the W'eas to move from the neighborhood of our Settlements an<l join their bretluxii the Miamies & Eel River Tribes) these three tribes are all ])ro])erly s])eaking Miamies see the Treaty of ("imnseland i Their Xation w<iuld then become mucii more respectable an<l thev would be enabled greatly to increase their anmiit)- b\' selling a Tract of hnul which was exausted of game and which was no longer useful lo them. They were desired to take the Governor's proposal inti> consideration iK: I'nolly iS: deliberatelx" to weigh all the argu- ments he had used to adopt his ad\ ice. .Mr. \\'ells remained with them at their conference and in the e\ening reported to the (io\ernor that they had determined on no account e\er to part from another foot of their lands. Tliere is some reason to beliexe lio\\e\er that this was a mere titiesse to enhance the ])rice of their land. This exening .Mr. liarron returned from the Mississinway &• rep(«rted that the Chief RicharcK ille was contined to his P>ed & obserxed that it was im])ossible for him to attend at i)i-esent ])ut he reipiested the Governor to be informed that he would come up in a few days if he should find himself able X: that he had advised the other Chiefs by all means to comiilx- with Governor's wishes.
_'ist. The Governor had determined not to assemble the Chiefs in a Creneral Council until the arrival of the b'ive .Medals, the rutawatimie Chief, but finding that his object had been \ery much tnisre])resented to them, lie commenced on this da\- both to the Deliwares & I'utawatimies the wishes of the Go\-erninent in relation to a furtlier cession of Latids.
In the e\"ening the I'vitaw ntimie Chiefs sent a message to the (loveruor to inform him that the_\- had delennined that the other Tribes should agree to make the proposed cession.
_'2iid. In Council i)re'*eut. Go\enK)r Harrison as Commissioner i'leni- ])otentiary on the ])art of the i'nited States and a full re])resentation of the Deliware, .Miami, Rel Kixei" i\; Ptttawatimie Tribes of Indians 1)\- their Chiefs & Head Men.
William Wells Joseph liarr.ni John Conner and .\brahatn .\sh were sworn Interpreters. The Governor addressed the Chiefs in a speech of con- siderable leneth showing the pro])riety of their agreeing to his ])roposition to sell a tract of Country binding on the Wabash the Vincemies tract and the Ijoundary established by the Treatv of Grouseland and another bounded b\-
94 KAYKTTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
the latter on the st)uth & the old boundary line running from Mouth of Ken- tucky River on the East. He urged the vast benefit which they derived from their annuities without which they would not be able to cloathe their woman & children, l^he great advance in the price of Goods and the depression of the value of their peltries from the troubles in Europe to which their was ni> probability of a speedy termination. The little game which remained in their country particularly in that part of it which he proposed to purchase. The usurpation of it by a Banditti of Muscoes & other Tribes that the sale of it would not prevent them from hunting upon it as long as any game remained. But that it was absolutely necessary that they should adopt some other plan for their su))]:)ort. That the raising of Cattle & Hogs required little labor and would be the surest resourse as a substitute for the wild ani- mals which thev had so unfortunately destroyed for the sake of their skins. Their fondness for hunting might still be gratified if they would prevent their young men from hunting at improper seasons of the year. But t(> do this effectually it will be necessary that they should find a certain support in their Villages in the summer season. That the proposed addition to their annuities would enable them to jjrocure the Domestic Animals necessary to commence raising them on a large scale. He observed also that they were too a])t to im])ute their i)0\'ertv and the scarsity of Game to the encroach- ments of the White Settlers. But this is not the true cause. It is owing to their own im])ro\i(lence & the advice of the British Traders by whom they were stimulated to kill the wild animals for the skins alone when the flesh was not wanted. That this was the cause of their scarsity is evident from their being found in much greater quantitx- on the south than on the north side of the Wabash where no white man but traders were ever seen.
The remnant of the W'eas who inhabit the Tract of Country which was wanted were from the \icinit\ to the Whites poor & miserable all the pro- ceeds of their hunts & the great ])arl of their annuities expended in Whiskey. The .Miami Xation would be much more respectable & formidable if its scat- tered members were all assemljled in the center of their Country.
A rough sketch of the Country in which the two tracts which were wanted were ]>articularly delineated was shewn to them, after which the Owl a Miami Chief addressed the Governor.
Father we are \ery hap]:)\- to here your address. We shall take what you ba\'e said into consideration & will return you an answer.
23rd. The Chiefs met in Council at the Deli ware Camp to consider the Governor's ])roposition it was understood that the Putawatimies declared unequi\ocally in faxour of the sale and were seconded bv the Deliwares.
" FAYKTTE CdlNTY. INDIANA. <>5
The iniamics reiiiainecl silent. The (ioxernor had a private interview witli the Turtle who expres.sed some solicitude tn know whether tiie dismission of Mr. U'ells from his employment as X^ent wduld effect his standing with the (ro\-ernment. The (^lovernor assured him that he should be treated in all respects as he had heen heretofore so lonq as he conducted himself with pro- priety. He then assured the Governor unequivocally that he would exert himself to the utmost of his power to effect the proposed Treaty, hut that many difficulties were to he encountered before it could be accomplished. That great complaints were made by the Indians on account of the compen- sation formerly allowed That those who were in favour of the Treaty were decidedlv of opinion that they aught to be alloweil for the larger tribes at least a further annuitv of Siooo 6v; for the smaller ones $500 besides a con- siderable sum in hand. In the evening the Miami Chiefs waited on the Governor at his lodgings and spent the evening with him. The rec|uested to have a little li(|uor for their \oung man. Two Gallons were given to each Tribe. .\ Potawatomie Chief ^^ ineiuack waited on the Governor late in the evening and tokl him that he came to make him sleep well by communi- cating the agreeable information that his ]iroposition would be acceeded to by the Indians.
J4tli. The Indians met in Council to determine upon the answer to be given to the (iovernor. When the .Miamies declared their determination not to sell a foot of Land. Observing that it was time to put a sto]) to the encroachments of the whites who were eternally ])urchasing their lands for less than the real value of them. That they had also heard that the Governor had no instructions from the President to make the purchase but that he was luaking it upon his own authority to please the \Miite peo])le whoom he governed. The Pnlawatimies vehementlv urged the sale & rejiroached the Miamies in the most bitter terms. "That the I'utawatimies had taken the Mianu'es under their ])rotection when they were in danger of being extenuin- ated & saved them. That the}' had always agreed to the .sale of lands for the benefit of the Miannes and they were now determined that the .Miamies should sell for their benefit."
The Delawares would tJike no active ])art on either side.
J^th. All the Tribes were assembled in Council and the (lovernor addressed them as follows
My Children
My lle.-irt is (ipiin'sscd. If I cdiilil hnvf hclieved tliiit I should Imve experiencwl liMlf (if tlic iii(ii-titi(;iti(iii .111(1 dis.i|iii(,iMtniciil wlik-li I now fwl. I would have eutrpiited your Fiitlipi- till- I'rcsidcnl to li.ivc chosen some otlior Ueprcsentative to have made
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u liave united |
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len by tlie Se |
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& whenever yim take |
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brothers on the Miss |
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90 K.'.VKTTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Ivnown bis wislies to you. The proposition which I have uiade you, I foudly hoped would h.-ive iieen .uceptable to all, because I knew it would be beneficial to all. Why then this dis,i};reeinent auioughst you. Is there some evil spirit amonghst us'? That lias set Brothers against Brothers & the Children against the Father? The Wind I hear h;is blown from the North, no good Las ever yet come from that quarter. If we who inh.-ibit this great Isleand. who were liorn here, are not friends to each other, who will be our Friends.
Believe me my ("hildren. the people u]ion the other side of the big water would desire nothing better than to set , us on<-e more to cut each others throats. Glad enough would they be to see us contending againsl e;iih other in battle provided the.v were secured behind the Walls of a strong fort. .Miamies be not offended with your brothers the I'utawatimies. If they have di.<covered to(j much eagerness to compiy with the wishes of their Father. Look .it their Woman & Childreu see>,tlieiii exposed to the winds & the rain as tlic.\' will he in .1 short time to the snows of the Winter. I'utawatimies do not suffer your love for ycmr Father and your own distresses to make you angry with your brothers the Mi.-imics. I know that they are .attached to vet be- ti.xed to youi- satisfaction, re. 1 li.ive put i-outidence in you and you have vith your grand Children the Puttawatimies to n-. he will remlier you for it. Tlie proceedings -tary will be sent to him. his eyes will see it id you will know tli:it his heart is .vours. Your 1 feel the good eftVrts of your fathers affection for .vou.
I promise you that the Osages shall not molest you in your hunting grounds. My Children the Miamies, what disconcerts youV Il.ive you not always received justice from the hands ef your- faftierV What is it he asks of you? Nothing but what .vou. can spare. Will not your situation be made better by agreeing to his proposal? I kuow that you have long desired to have your brothers the Weas along- .side of you. It will add to your strength -a< present they are of no use to you — bring .vour scattered members together & you will he strong, besides there is danger that this distant member may fall off it is already we.ikened by the excessive use of of licpior. My Children your father will never be the cause of breaking the chain of friendship that connects you with each other.
I'uttawatimtes & Miamies look upon each other .-is brothers and at the same time look upon your grand fathers the Del.iw.ires. 1 love to see you all untied. I wish a strong chain to bind you all together in the bonds of friendship. I wish to hear you speak with one voice the dictates of our He.irt. All must go together. The con- sent of all is necessarj-.
Delawares and Putawatimies. I told yon that I would do nothing with the Miamies without yoin- consent. Miamies I now tell you tli.it nothing can be done without your consent. The consent of the whole is necessary. This is the first request your new Father (President Madison) has ever made you it will lie the last, he wants no more of your land agree to the proposition which I now make you & send on some of your wise men to take him by the hand. lie will set .vour Hearts at ease. He will tell you that -he will never make ■•mother |iro|io.sition to you to sell your lands. My Children the Miamies will you not listen to the voice of your father will .vou not iijien your ears to the recommendjition of your grand fathers the Deliwares & vour brothers the Puttawatimies. Consult together mice more if any ill will remain
' FAVETTK cor NTY. INDIANA. 97
in your hre.-ists ;i-.iiiist c.-i.-li ntlicr li.-iMisli il. throw il mwm.v. nnd return ii f;ivor;ililo iinsucr lo tliis List roqiiesl of your Father.
Tlu' Turtk- -\ Miami Cliit-t ilu-n s|Kike as follows
We h.-ivo listfiUMl to wli.-it our l''allicr li:is s;ii(l. I'titnwMtiniies .V: 1 icliw.iros we liitvi' licMnl liiiu say lliat yon worr niiilcil for the iiurpose of c-onii'lyini: with his wi.slics I .iin sorry thiit he has met with so inncli dillii-nlty. It is true that we the Miamie.s are not unileil with the Deliw.ires .iinl rntawatimies in opinion. Father it appears that the thiiifi is now left with the .\Iianiies. tliey will withdraw and consult together .111(1 .-iftei- they h.-ive made n]) their minds yon shall hear our answer.
hi the fveiiiti.y the .Miami Chiefs from two \"illaoes met with the l':el River Chiefs muler the .aiispices of the 'i'urtle iS; asfeed to meet the Gov- ernor's wishes.
_>'.th. A meetin.ti- of the several Tribes took i)lace. The I'utawatimies m-i^ed ati immediate conii)liaiice to the i)roposal of the I'nited States. The Miamies from .Mississiinvay took the lead in the debate & declared tliat they would ne\ei- consent to sell any more of tlieir lands that they had been advi.sed liv the b'atlier the P.ritish nc\er to sell another foot. The I'utawatimies |)ourcd ni>on them a tori-eiU of abuse and declared that they wnuld no lousier consider them as I'.rothers but that they would loose the chain which had united tliem with the Toiuah.iwk & setting up a shout of Defiance which was echoed 1)\- all the warriors jtroceeded immediately to the Council House to inform the (roventor of what the\- bad done, the Governor blamed them for their rashness & made tliem i)i-omise not to otfer the Miamies any further insult to put their cause in bis liauds.
Tt a])])eai-ed that such of the .Miamies as bad determined in fa\dur of the Treaty were intiniidated b\ the vehemence <if the Chiefs of the Mississiii- v\a\- N'illatje & remained silent. 1 Jm'ino- the whole of this dav and the pre- ceedin,<,r one. ])arties of youno nieii of the .Miami Tribe were constantl_\- ari\- ino- loaded with goods from the liritisb .\gents at Maiden and cbaroed also with strong remonstrances against the pro]X)sed I'reaty.
In the evening the Go\-ernor bad the greater ])art of the Miami Chiefs at his lodgings and in a con\ ersation of some boin's e.xjxised ])rof'idious con- duct of t!ie British towards them from the commencement of the Rexolu- tiotiar}- War untill the present mometU. "To them all their misfortunes were to be attribnteil & tlteir present l<in(lness to them j)roceeded from ikj other cause but a wish to embroil them with the United States. In case of a War with tlie latter, the 1-jiglish know that they are unable to defend Can- ada with their own force, ihev are therefore desirous of interiiosing the (7)
98 FAYKTTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Indians lietween them and danger." --\ ccimplimentary answer was returned by tlie Head Cliief Paccon & they returned aliout ten o'clock a little inchm'cd with AVine.
27th. The Miami Chiefs were this da\- debating on the proposed Treat}-, the Chief Silver heels ]jarticularly distingnisbed himself in favour of the Treaty. They came howe\-er to nt) decision. In the e\'ening the Governor recommended to the Putawatimies to accommodate their difference with the Miamies they immediately assented & a proper (|uantity of W'ampon was pre- pared for the purpose.
28th. The Putawatimies & Miamies met & the bad words spoken by the former on the 26th being- recalled the>- shook hands and became again friends. The pro])osed Treaty was again taken under consideration and various objections \vere started by the ]\liamies , amonghst other things it was insisted that they ought to sell their lands In- the acre & that they should receive two Dollars for it. In the evening the Ciovernor was informed that they had agreed to sell the small tract near h\)rt Recovery only, and none on the Wabash.
29th. In Council present the Cro\ernor and the Deliware, Putawatimies, Miamies & Eel River Miamies.
The Owl a Miami Chief said "That it bad pleased the great Spirit to unite again all who were ])resent in the bands of friendship.
Yesterday the fiiendsLi]i was ,ill afloat to-day it is made tinii. You the people of the T'Uited States h.ive as-seiiihled us all here, our Chiefs, &c. You remher the time when we first took each other by the h;iiid at Greenville. You there told us where the line would he between us. You told us to love our woman & children and take care of our lands, you told us that the Si)anish bad a sreat deal of money the English & some of your peo]ile likewise. I)ut that we should not sell our lands to any of them. In consequence of wbicb last fjill we ;ill |iut our band.s upon our lands & determined not to sell our lands. We all love our bauds. .\.fter this determination you sent for us ;it the end of out' year bul we did not ex|iecl to bea.r from you what we have beard. Imt we yesterday determined to sive you an answer. You have told us not to let ,iny pei-son have our lands hut consider well before we sell fbem. This was iioiid .idvii*'. you know when things are scasce the.v are dear, you know the price of lands. We .are willing to sell some for the price that it sells for jimouKhst yourselves. The land yon want on the Wabasb we have nolbini; to say to al ]a-esent as the Weas are not here. If i)eoiile have auytbini; that tbey do u<it waul tliey will jiart from it easily, -^'e yet find Kanie on this land when there is none. We will let you know it. Father you know the Mi.iniies. .vou know fh.-it when tbey do business with ,iny other Indians no resjiect is paid to what they say. Father at this Council you have told the Jliamies to si)eak. We therefore exfiect that you will he governed by what they say. When you spoke to ns you wished that we should comply. \A'e now wish that you would comply with what we wish. The land we propose selling to you will be measured and when it is we wish to he iiresent. Father the land you
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FAVKT'lE (■or>
luoiilioiieil t(i us .III Ibf \V:ih.isli we liiivc n
Id f;o lioiiie imsiiccessfui. We will li'l yon liiivi' senile land near Fort Uecovery. Ilii- land on the Wabash our younger Brotlieis (i(iu|i.\. I >on"t be dissjitisfied. This is oiii ili'ti>iiiiiuati(iii. We liavc dispntPil almiil yiinr pruiiDsal but our disinites were t'or- limali'ly si'lllcil yesterday. Kalher you kimw e\ cryrliing. you will immediately iiiider- siauil wlial 1 new say -we wisli tii Ueep as far as jiossible from the White people, we know that when your Horses are lost you hianie the Indinns, we wish to keep our people and yours as sei)arate as possilile. This is the sentiments of your ("hildreii here present. We have nothing more to sjiy. Our Chiefs. Warriors. Women & ("hildreii salute you, the former annuity due to us by the ruiteil Sl,ites we li,ive eonie to re<eive ami w isli them deliverert as soon as ixissible.
The (iovernor then nddressed them in a .speech ut two h(jnr.s in which lie _oa\e a History of the Coiuhict of tlie L'nited States towards the red |)eo])le contrasted with that of Great P.ritain. "The loss of the conntrv from Pitts- luirs^h to the Miami was entireh- to he .-ittfihtited lo the hitter who urj^ed the Indians to commence all those Wars, which ha<l terminated so fatally to them, if all the lands wliich had heen taken from them in those Wars which they had enoatjed in hy the ad\ ice of the P.ritish had heen sold on the same terms as those ceded since ihc Treaty of (jreeinille tlieir .\mniity would now have heen e(|iial to all their wants nor would they have to lament the numerous warriors who had fallen in fighting the battles of the linghsh. How differ- ent was the conduct of the Uiu'ted States? Consious of their ability lo punish their enemies thev had never asked the assistance of their red children but ha\e always adxised them to remain at jieace in their Cabbitis & suffer the white jieople to fight their own battles." The Gosernor e.\])lained to them the nature of a Treaty "Xo other jiower but tlie I'nired St.'ites had e\er Treated with them. Other Civilized Xations considered the lands of the Indians as ilieir own and appropriated them to their own use whene\er they ])leased. .\ Treaty was considered by white ])eo])le as a mo.st solemn thing and tho.se which were made by the L'nited States with the Indian Tribes \\ere considered as binding as those which were made with tlie most ]io\\er- ful Kings on the other side of the P.ig Water. The\- were all concluded with the same forms and printed in tlic same I'.ook so that alt the world might see them and brand with infamy the ]iart\ which violated them. The l'nited States would alwa\s adhere to their engagements. To do otherwise woidd be offensive to the great spirit and all the world would locik ujion them as a faithless ])eople. \\'ith res])ect to your selling the land bv the acre it is entirely out of the question. But if the L'nited States were to agree to ii, \ou have no one that could sur\ey it for you or who could tell whether it was accurately done or not. If it was sold by the acre we would onlv take what was good and leave the rest ujion your hands. When it is bought in the
lOO FWETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
large (|uaiitit}- xou are paid for good and bad togetlier and }-ou all know that in every tract that is purchased that there is a great portion of bad land not fit for our pur])ose. This idea must have been suggested to you by some person who is as much your enemy as the enemy of the United States." The Governor then told them that he was tired of waiting and that on the next day he wduld submit to them the form of a Treaty which he wished them to signe and if they would not agree to it he would extinguish the coun- cil fire.
Winemack a i'utawatimie Chief then addressed the Go\-ernor as follows FMther
All the I'utMWMtimies ;i(l(lres>< you. listen to \vL;it the.v .s;iy. which come from them .ill. Fiither the Fnrawatimies are of the same o))inion that they have ever been, that .voiir iiroiio.«itioii is right and .just. We all know that our Father never deceived U.S. we therefore agree to his jiroijosal. All the Chiefs & Warrior.s have heard you say that they may go and see their great Father tlie I'resideut and that he would tell them as you have done.
You have now lieard the sentiments of all the Putawatimies. Fatlier after we conclude the Treaty some of our young men would be glad to go and see their Father. Father your t'hildren have listened to you with attention all that .you have said is good, yon have asked for l:ind. we will give it to you. We have heard you say that the piece of land .-it the Wea Towjis which we li:id formerly given, you were willing to retore Ibis hiis laadc us lia|i|)y wc have always heard from you and our
Father .Tefferson iiotbing but g 1. We wish lo conrnr with all the nations who
are present. We your cbihln.n coiisider llic laud as belonging to us ;ill not to one nation alone, we know Ibal everytbiiig you have said to us is true. Vou have also recdinniended to us to be moderate & friendly to each other.
A Deliware Chief then amse and ol),ser\ed that the Deliwares had always kept fa.st hold of the chain of friendshi]) which united them to the se\enteen fires at the 'I'reaty of Green\ille. That they had alwa^'s listened to the \-oice of their Fatlier and were now willing to agree to liis ])roposals.
As .soon as the Putawatimie Chief began to speak all the Mississinway Aliamies left the Council House.
30tli. It \\;is now the opinion of all the Gentlemen about the b^irt that the .Missisinwav Miamies could never be brought to sign the Treaty and all the attempts which the Governor had made through the Inteqireters and scjme confidential Chiefs to find out the real cause of their obstinacx- had hitlierto failed. Tie therefore determined to make them a \isit to their cani]) in ])erson for tlie purpose of ascertaining whether their opposition pmceded from a fixed determination ( rts they had asserted) not \o sell an}- more lands uid'ess they could get two Dollars pr. Acre, or some other cause which he might be enabled to remo\e. He accordingly \\ent to their camp about sun rise attended onl}- b\' his Tnterjjreter Mr. P.arron in whose integritv he had
FAYr.TTK C(U'NIV. IMHANA. 1(11
tlie utmost confidence. He was received In all the Chiefs with the ulinn>i cni])lacencv and liaviny collected them all in the Tent (if the principal he tnld them "that he had ])aid them that visit not as the representative ni the Presi- dent but as an old frienti with whom they had been many years acc|uainted and wiio always endeaxored to promote tlieir happiness b}- every means in bis l)ower. That be ]ilainly saw that there was something; in their hearts which was not ccinsistent with the attachment which they oug-ht to bear to tlieir threat b'ather and he was afraid that they bad listened to bad birds. That he had come there for the ])urpose of hearint]^ ever\- cause nf coni])lainl as^amst the L'nited States and he would not leave them untill they laid open esery- thint^- that o])))ressed their Hearts. lie knew that thev could ha\e no solid objection to the pnjimsed Treaty for they were all nieti of sense and rellection and well knew that they would be mush benefited b\- it." The ( iovernor requested that all the Chiefs present would speak in their turn, and callins.^ upon the principal Chief of the Eel Ri\er Tribe who was an old friend of his that bad serve<l with him in General Waynes .\rmy he demanded what his objections were to the Treaty. He drew out the Treaty of Crouseland. "P'ather — Here are your own wtirds, in this paper you jiromised that you would consider the Miann'es as the owners of the latul on the Wabash why tlien are you about to ])urchase it from others? The (".overuor assured them that it nexer was his intention to pm'chase the land from the other Tribes that be had always said and was ready now to confess that the land belonged to the Miamies and to no other Tribe that if the other Tribes had been inxited to the Treaty it was at their particular request (The Miamies). The Tula watimies bad indeed taken bi,a:her g^round than either the C.overnor or the Miamies e.xjjected they claimed an equal right to the lands in question with the Miamies. hut what of this their claiming it ga\e them no right and it \\a> not the intention of the C.overnor to ])ul anything in the Treat)' which would in the least alter their claim to their lands on the W'al)asb as established by the Treaty of Grouseland unless they cho.se to satisfy the Deliwares with lespect to their claim to the Countrv- Watered by the White i\i\er. 'That e\ en the whole compensation pro])osed to he gi\en for the lands w(ju1(1 be given to the Miamies if they insisted u|)on it but that tlie\ knew the offence which this would give to the other 'Tribes and that it was alwavs the C.ov- ernor's intention so to draw up the 'Treat}' that the I 'utawatimies iK: Deliwares would be considered as participating in the advantages of the 'Treat\ as allien of the Miamies. not as having- any right to the land." I'".ver\' countenance brightened at this declaration, the other Chiefs s|)oke in theii- tm-n, each had some grievance to complain of. 'They had been told that justice should he
102 FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
(lone to them in their (hsi)utes with the White People, the principal War Chief complained that he had heen cheated hy a Air. Audrain a connection of Mr. Wells