h[$torioatog - The Henry County Historical Society and Museum

Vol. 14 Number
Spring, -1986
THO HONRY OOUNTY
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JACK PBEIPS
HÊNRY COUNTY III5TORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM COMPLEX
"Bringing history to life
..
.and life
to history."
Tnn BUNIIuÀL Punureatron 0n Tnn Hnlvnv CIounnv HrsronuoÀL $00rüTy, [Nc.
I
THE HENRY COUNTY HISTORICALOG
is the
biannual publication
of the
HENRY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
606 So. 14th St.
New Castle, Indiana
47362
Founded
April, 1887
Telephone:
31.71529-4028
-
Officers
- President
Mrs. Wilma L. Wampler Kern,
(Mt. Summit)
Mrs. Dorotha Hoover White, Vice-Pres.
Trustees
Richard Pickering Ratcliff,- Chai¡man
"v
(Spiceland)
Don Copeland
(Ashland)
(New Castle)
Mrs. Eleanor Jessup Painter, Secretary
Richard Scott Bouslog
(New Castle)
(New Castle)
Richard McKnight
(New Castle)
Mrs. Mary Phyllis Scott Hayes
Membership Secretary
(New Castle)
Douglas W. Wilson, Tleasure¡
Mrs. Mary Clift Morris
(New Castle)
(Knightstown)
Curators
-
Mrs. Evelyn S. Clift, Head Curator
Mrs. Mildred Davis, Assistanb Curaüor
Mrs. Mary E. Caldwell, Curator Emeritus
"Unless you cherish the
memory of your ancestors,
you deserve to be forgotten by your Posterity."
EdmundBwke
"I know of no way of judging
futwe but by the past."
the
-PatrickHenry
-
ciluE f,ilD tn¡ümtts SuLrutt 0t
99Tf,
ilnfttü. UEEî¡ilo
The 99th annual meeting of the Henry County Historical
Society will convene at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, April 24, 1986, in
the Victorian living room of the General William Grose home
with Wilma L. Kern, Society president, presiding. Reports of
the officers, trustees, society treasurer, and museum curator
will be followed by an election of officers for 1986-87. At 6:30
we'll adjourn for a country supper, prepared by Donna Matthews of Pleasant Hill Parüy House in Harrison Township. The
program will be presented at 7:30 in the Grose home by Wiley
'W.
"Bill"
Spurgeon of Muncie.
Mr. Spurgeon, Executive Editor of the "Muncie Sta¡" and
"Muncie Evening Press," has chosen "Easte¡¡ Indiana Crimes
and Criminals" as the subject of his address. A fifth generation
Delaware counbian he is the conductor of the "Our Neighborhood" column in the "Muncie Star" and the author of A PictoriaJ History of Muncie and Delaware County, published in f984.
Currently he is writing a history of Ball Memorial Hospital,
Muncie, and Syracuse and Wawasee, Indiana.
\{iley Spurgeon is a gtaduate of Benjamin Burris High
School, Muncie, and attended Washington and Lee, Sta¡rford
and Indiana universities, majoring in history. Wilma Kern is
one of his former Burris teachers. Active in various civic organi-
kd;-b::åii'å'ifil:"*T:'iå'iï'if
"""$::*"countvHis'
\
Wiley W.
"Bill"
Spurgeon
Shown in 1984 with a copy of his book
A Pictorial Hístory of Muncie and, Delaware County
PmflilG
IIESSICE
rnou TilE
PnES¡DINT
esi
ic
wth
ave
so
that time I have served as secretary, trustee, and president;
that long tenure of association with and responsibility to the
Henry Cãunty Historical Society have constituted a rewarding
and meaningful chapter of mY life.
Within a fet" *eek. of my coming to the executive board of
HCHS, the mystique of the Grose Home took hold of me. I have
hea¡d others makã the sarne comment. I began to feel that I
And so
I say: Thank you, thank you, each and every
-
HEm WE GnoW
organization bY oneself.
concern of manY Persons
tENE[t0Glt[¡.tï sPElß!ilú
Warning! Genealogy Pox! Very Contagious to Adults! No
Known Cure! Symptoms: Continual complaint as to need for
names, dates and places. Patient has blank expression, sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste for work of any
kind, except feverishly looking through records at libraries and
courthouses. Has compulsion to write letters. Swears at mailman when he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places such
as cemeteries, ruins, and remote, desolate country areas. Makes
secret night calls. Hides phone bills from spouse' Mumbles to
self. Has strange, faraway look in eyes. Treatment: Medication
is useless. Disease is not fatal, but gets progressively worse.
Patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe to genealogical magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house
where he can be alone. Remarks: The unusual nature of this dis'
ease
the sicker the patient gets, the more he enjoys it . . '
-
All Those Kisses - Remember when you used to get letters (or
still do) that closed with a lot of "X's"? You knew what was
meant, but do you know why an "X" rather than any other letters? During the Middle Ages, when few persons were able to
write, many documents were signed with an "X." Signers kissed the letter to affi¡m their sinceriby in the sarne way they kiss'
ed the Bible when taking an oath. The letter "X" was not se-
lected at random. It was the sign of Saint Andrew and implied a
sacred promise to fulfill one's obligation in the saint's name
[GNll!
New Members: August 1, 1985
Mr. Paul B. Whelchel, Anderson
Liz York, New Castle
Mr. William L. Walker, New Castle
one!
WilmaL. Kern
-
Feb.20, 1986
Adrian Wheeler, Shirley
Mrs. Raymond Albrecht, New Castle
Mr. Randy A. Clark, New Castle
Mrs. Stanley Knisely, Huntertown
Mrs. W. R. Larson, Columbus, Ohio
Peggy E. McKinney, Indianapolis
Mrs. Georgia L. Gillespie, St. Joseph, Missouri
Mr. Thomas L. Bowen, Nashville
Mrs. Betty Joyce Foster, Charlottesville
Mr. Jerry \{. Miller, Knightstown
Mr. Ted L. Moyer, New Castle
Freda Rawlins, Knightstown
June Dege, New Castle
Mrs. D. W. Grossman, Knightstown
Mr. Clyde Kirkpatrick, New Castle
Mr. O. J. Stocker, Indianapolis
Mr. Lowell W. Lacy, Losantville
Mrs. Donetta Ratliff, Middletown
Debby K. Hisey, Creswell, Oregon
Frances J. Jones, Tacoma, Washington
Thelma O'Reilly, New Castle
Mr. Chris G. Sweigart, Rosemead, California
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Burkhart, New Castle
Odessa Rising, New Castle
Mrs. Margaret E. Day, New Castle
Mrs. Mary Catherine Sample, Zionsville
Mrs. Robert N. Jennings, New Castle
Mr. Andy Majewski, Shelbyville
Mrs. Beth Gallien, Knightstown
"I
am seeking the parents of Eliza Jane lüood, born in Virginia
1846, in Henry
County and died in 1861 in Henry County. Believe she could be
a daughber of Jacob, Edwa¡d, Joseph or Patrick \{ood. Does
anyone have information on these men? Who were the parents
of Ephraim Anderson, born in 1793 in Wayne County, North
Carolina, and died in Henry County in 18õ7? His will mentions
his wife Elizabeth and children Messhich, John, Lucretia, Frankey, Elza, Hugh, Pamela and Didismy. Believe Jesse Anderson
who was listed in the 1840 Llenry County census with Ephraim
is also related. Also seek parents of Mary Nestor Flanagan Dol-
in 1830. She ma¡ried John Anderson Dec. 10,
an whose obituary appeared in the New Castle "Courier" December 14, 1905. She lived at l?th and Shopp Avenue, New
Castle, and owned a fa¡m in Franklin Township. She was buried
in St. Anne's Catholic Cemetery, New Castle. Anyone know of
her Irish origins?"
- William H. Griffy, 550 Casta¡o Avenue,
Pasadena, California 91107 . . .
nt !,tEu0nnu
The following members of the Henry County Historical
Society have passed away in recent months: Mrs' Joseph
(Mary Helen) Mcshurley, Columbus, Ohio; Mrs. Orville
(Flossie A.) Clevenger, 84, Middletown; Mrs. Paul B.
(Mary H.) Welchel, Anderson; Mrs. E. G. (Dorothy Hall)
Scotten, Richmond, formerly of New Castle; Mrs. Fred C.
(Mary S. Pfeiffer) Wayman, 90, New Castle, former trea-
surer of the Society; and Mrs. Paul (Ramona Poer)
Haynes, 54, and William L. Gephart, 65, both of Spice-
land.
I
SIMPHNG F[nT ¡n
SoUTH !,l0Uiltl tEl,lETEnT ¡NSCRPTI0NS [N¡t EPITIPHS:
10. Frank J. DeHart, born May 7, 1900, died May 19, 1943.
(Editor's note: In the Fall, 1981 issue of the "Historicalog" I
"We will always remember."
Mound
from
South
and
epitaphs
listed several inscriptions
Park11. Willie A. Owens, wife of Obie, 1898-f 972. "Ea¡th has no
Cem
1995,
sorrow that Heaven cannot heal."
view
right,
anot
12. Betty Blevins Lee, born July 25, 1897, died July 3, 1976.
Scott Lundy, Kenney Montgomery, Andy Majewski, Darra Lu"Quicken thou me according to thy word."
ellen and Christina Rutherford - returned to the cemetery in
13.
Wendell
W. Morgan, born September 18, 1918, died June
search of other inscriptions and epitaphs of interest. Here is a
"Those who knew him could not help loving
29,
1974.
partial list of their findings.)
him."
1. Florine L. Rogers, born September 14, 1925, died March 16,
14. Joseph Pickard, 1904-1941, and Georgia 1898-1985, his
19?8. "Truly a lovely lady."
wife. "The light of life glows beyond its span."
2. Albert D. Ogborn. "Is this a better town because I live in
ft."
3. Arvid P. Zetterberg, born April 9, 1923, died February 7,
1945. "Gave his life for his country. Counterattack, Battle of the Bulge, Simmerath, Germany."
4. Lillie May Caldwell, wife of Elmer D', 1907-1979' "To live
in the hea¡ts we leave behind is not to die"'
5. Willie Allen Brown, 1920-197l. "Death will not pa-rt us."
6. Rebecca J. Whittle, born November 8, 1967, died May 15'
1968. "A darling on earth, an angel in Heaven."
7. Walter G. Lee, 1914-1979. "The western gates close only to
have the eastern gates open."
8. Everett Brummett, husband of Gracie, 1916-1976' "God is
love. Love endures forever."
9. Claude Cowan, Jr., born January 26, 1925, died October
1982. "A day of duty done/ A night of rest begun."
26,
1õ. Clyde John Salyers, born February 11, 1914, died Novem'
ber 14, 19?0. "He built a monument of love in the hearts
of all he knew."
16. Mary E. Smith, wife of Henry, 1902'1929. "4 place is vacant in our home that can never be filled."
Brenda
S. Hasty, born January 1õ, 1956, died November 6,
17.
1984. "This is my life. It belongs to you. For you are my
life. This monument placed in loving memory by husand
and son."
18. Dr. George W. Sweigart, 1874-1958. "Founded the Mt'
Lawn Park and Speedway, 1930."
19. Wally H. "Wally" Wiatt, 1933-1979. "I did it my way."
20. Harlan Roy Prater, Jr., born June 25, 1938, died November
?, 1970. "I called but nobody answered."
21. Juanita Smith, wife of Cassel, 1931-f 980. "She is a flower
blooming in my life forever."
EilTilES tßou lHE DmHES 0t
(Editor's note: Recently the diaries
of Aldona
&ltolü Tf,Uff
Yauky
(187?-1956), a lifelong resident of Liberty Township and President of the Henry County Historical Society from 1945 to 1947
a¡d 1948 to 1949, were given to me to peruse. Mr' Yauky kept
combining wheat, butchering, planting garden, "going to
town," etc. Deaths of his neighbors and friends were method-
I have also mentioned some events far beyond the confines of
his fa¡m home. Information recorded in parenthesis has been
added by this editor with the help of Mrs. Robert K. (Dorotha
Hoover) White, Society trustee and former neighbor of Mr'
Yauky's, for the sake of claritY.
1934
May 28
John Dillinger escapes Crown Point jail.
Big freight wreck at Millville.
Corn 32Q a bushel.
Jan. 6
Lutheran church dismantled west of Hagers-
Mar. 29
town.
Th¡ee houses burn in Liberty Township in one
Aug.
day.
Will Rogers killed in plane crash.
Ma¡ch
May
3
1
1935
15
r$6
Jan.
23
Coldest day since January 12, 1918. Milked with
gloves on.
AldonaYauky
Ma¡ch 13, 187?-November 30, 1956
Ja¡rt.2O-27
July
Burned one ton of coal.
Ten days averaged over 100o. Shaved twice in
one day.
r937
April
Woman killed her man wibh an ax north of
May
Interurban service discontinued.
First telephone message sent halfway a¡ound
Mooreland.
Dec. 15
world.
May 27
June 10
Aug.
19
Aug. 24
Aug. 28
Sept.
5
Sept.
7
1939
Apr.
1
Sept.
Greensboro.)
Airplane wedding at Terre Haute.
Sun hid for a week.
1940
July
17
"Willkie Day" at Elwood. Temperature 101o
5
Corn 850; Eggs 250.
Roosevelt elected third time.
Sept.
Nov.
Sept.11
Went to State Fair.
Attended Blountsville homecoming.
Sept. 13
Sept. 24
Dr. (R. E.) Kepner vaccinated pigs.
Nov.
Nov.
Mrs. (Evelyn) Taylor at the (Millville) switch-
18
21
60o above. Wheat $1.20.
Sugar rationing.
Auto at Mooreland. Battery real dead.
Feb. 9
Finished shucking corn. Hogs the lowest since
1949
Dec.
Gas rationing.
Dec.
Eight men killed in a plane at Lewisville.
Virgil Hoover killed in Australia.
Apr.
194t
Sears store burned in New Castle.
Nov. 1
Nov. 18
Nov. 28
Dec.2
1947.
Butchered beef and hauled wood to town.
Man shot in Shirley.
To church and attended two funerals.
Cut potato vines.
Finished shucking. To ditch meeting in evening.
Vice-President Barkley first to marry in office.
Frank Goff shot a¡d hung himself.
A seagull was spotted in Mooreland. E. (Elmer)
Dec. 13
Dec. 14
Dec. 15
To town with meat.
Sold hogs at Cambridge City.
Butchered seventh hog.
Jan.
13
Worst grave (digging) experience. Grave caved
Jan.
15
in. Wet and rainy.
Lines and poles down due to ice. No phone ser-
Ma¡.
7
12
Apr.
Aug. 28
in four
May
Attended four funerals
Aug.8
J. A. T\tlly's barn burned.
Batson Cemetery torn up by vandals.
Dec.
5
days. Millville
church dismantled.
1944
in January. On January 26 tlrre
Jan.
June weather
Ma¡
temperature was 62o.
3ê postage required on letters.
Al Smith died.
3
Oct. 4
Oct. 8
Sept. 14
Ball upset tractor.
1950
Wendell Willkrìe died.
1945
Apr.
12
Roosevelt died.
May
2
Hitler is dead.
June 3
Princess Elizabeth had a baby boy.
boa¡d had a baby.
Dec. L2
20
Hauled manure.
Dec. 9
lg42
Jan. 20
May 4
Graded (Batson) Cemetery lane.
Big freight, train wreck at Dunreith.
Babe Ruth buried.
Horace Yergin (New Castle attorney) died.
(Charles) Evans Hughes died.
Attended Milton and Minnie Stafford's 50th anniversary. (They were prominent residents of
vice.
Jan. 23
Men wearing overcoats.
John R. Millikan died.
to sell (Millville) phone company. (The
Millville exchange was sold to the New Lis-
Decided
July
July
Four accidents of four men in four days in four
different ways in Liberty Township.
Will Wiseha¡t sold (the Millville) elevator.
Elmer Hoover's barn burned.
Office of Price Administration discontinued.
Rev. L. C. Howe buried.
Aug.
15
Nov.9
Ed Wiseha¡t died.
Amos Paul died.
bon Telephone Company.)
Hauled wood. Attended Farm Bureau meeting in
evening.
Bob Gordon died. Put in tombstone base.
To town (New Castle). Dug grave in the p.m.
Done making hay.
Began combining wheat.
(Lawrence) Wissler began painting barn.
Painted lane fence at (Batson) cemetery.
At cemetery pulling hedge. To Millville and Hag-
Aug.
19
Nov. 30
Dec.2
Joe Leakey buried.
New Lisbon elevator burned.
erstown in the evening.
Attended Mooreland Fair tractor pulling
Nov,
15
1946
Apr
June 6
4
6
July 16
Aug. 15
1947
Jan.20
Mar.2
Mar. 3
May
I
Aug.9
Oct.23
Nov. 4
Golden Payne died.
Ten-inch snow.
Claud Forrest killed at Millville.
Neighbors came in and plowed for Clyde Hatfield
who was in the hospital.
Earthquake here at night.
Historical Society meeting. Extra nice.
On election boa¡d. (Ralph) Harvey elected to Congress. (Harold L.) Meadows elected Mayor (of
New Castle).
1948
Ja¡.
28
June
June
14
15
10
11
July
July
July 24
Aug. ?
Sept. 6
Sept. 7
Went to State Fai¡ with Orlo Pierce.
Oct.
To Rushville corn contest. To town in the evening. Had to be pulled home.
Auto bad. Auto at Vestals. (Tom Vestal's garage
was located in the old Odd Fellows building at
1
Oct. t2
Millville.)
To "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in the evening.
Cold! Sold hogs at Cambridge City.
Sold hogs. To election. (John) Snyder elected
(Liberty Township trustee.)
Jart. 7
Feb. 14
Asa Brown's widow buried.
Butchered beef. Got auto plates. Rained all day.
Roads awful slick. Did not go to church.
12o above zero. Home all day. Took more cold.
3' below zero. Vestal got auto battery off.
Roads slick. No school. Home all day. Auto at
Feb. 25
To town (New Castle) and to Apollo Club.
1951
Jan.
10
Vinton Ward died.
Shirley Temple had a baby.
Ja¡.
Feb.
My Jersey had a dead calf.
On election boa¡d at Millville. Rained hard most
Jan. 30
May 4
Jart. 25
29
of day.
May
18
Made garden.
Scraped sod off cemetery lane.
Oct. 19
Oct.27
Nov. 7
Jan. 6
Jan. 20
1
con-
test.
Vestals.
Ma¡. 10
Ma¡. 16
Apr. 28
Vint Boyd died.
May
May
May
2
May
19
May
23
Nelson Cross died. Saw four dead men in week'
Nice warm day. Jersey has blood poisoning.
May Conwell died. Hot - 80o. To Ridgway funeral.
At cemetery putting in bases. To Millville and
town (New Castle) in the evening' Auto off.
Big airplane crash near New Lisbon.
Vaccinated pigs.
Finished hay. To town (New Castle) in evening.
To church and Sunday School.
Began combining wheat. Picked berries.
Boys cut big tree. Walter Miller died.
Hottest since 1906. To town in a.m. Not feeling
good.
12
16
July 13
July 14
July 15
July 16
Aug. 13
Sept. 27
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
6
7
14
15
Nov. 28
Nov. 15
Dec.24
Dec. 28
Dallas Harry died.
Big fire at New Lisbon.
Paul McCormack elected mayor (of New Castle).
AII poles and lines south of Millville down to
Road 38.
To church and Ed Waltz's funeral.
Sold hogs at Blountsville. Rained all day. Farm
Bureau meeting at Ashla¡d.
28". Sawed wood. To Mooreland in the a.m' Sold
hogs at Blountsville.
Rea gets a television. (Rea was Mr' Yauky's son.)
Standard store in New Castle robbed of $5'000.
Butchered hogs. Ike Covalt died.
Jan.
15
Jan.
16
r953
Doctor told Orlo Pierce he had six months to live.
Has cancer and a tumor.
20o. To John Deere Day. To see Orlo Pierce i¡r
Jan.20
Jan. 30
evening. He is very discouraged.
Greatest Presidential inauguration ever.
Orlo (Pierce) died at midnight. I was there. No
phone. Went
to town for Main (Funeral
Feb. 25
Tested calf. Got Orlo's suit. Some surprise.
To town (New Castle) at noon for dinner. To Farlows in evening. They not in good humor.
C. (Cha¡les) Miller and I appraise Pierce farm for
$200 per acre. (The farm is presently owned
by Mrs. Jesse Hagner. Donald Miller is the
son of Charles.)
Mar.
My ?6th birthday.
Pierce farm sold for
Feb. 6
Feb. 7
May
13
15
9
June
8
June
14
April
June 15
June 19
July
July
July
July
4
20
22
27
July
31
July
Sept. 4
Sept. 8
Sept.15
Sept. 28
Oct.
31
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
1
Dec.
Dec.
Benjamin Strattan Parker: Man With a Cause
first set aside one day
each year to honor those Americans - our ancestors, our
fathers, our husbands, brothers, sons, daughters - who have
fallen in battle.
It
has been well over 100 years since we
On Memorial Day or Decoration Day we mourn them, and we
try once more to comprehend why so ghastly a thing as war exists and how its terrible harvests can be avoided.
In Lewisville in 1863, while the Civil War was still going on, a
pioneer school teacher and poet, who was born February 10,
1833, and raised just north of that community, wrote President
Lincoln urging him to set aside one day each year to honor
America's fallen heroes.
As the dead were returned to Lewisville from the battlefields
and hospitals of the wa¡, it was this teacher and poet and his associates who saw to it that flowers were placed on their graves
as May came every year.
Soon after the Civil War ended, he contributed articles and
poems to the newspapers of this state and across the nation
urging that a day be set aside in May for placing gifts of flowers
upon the graves of Civil War soldiers.
It is told that this teacher and poet when the funeral train
carrying the remains of President Lincoln passed slowly
through Lewisville on the morning of April 30, 1865, from
Washington to Indianapolis and Springfield, boarded the train
em upon the coffin. This friend of the
others also distributed copies of a
the funeral train memorializing the
"Great Emaacipator." The next day several national newspapers reproduced the handbill. One of these handbills has
somehow survived the passage of time and is on display at the
Henry County Historical Society Museum.
In 1868 President Andrew Johnson proclaimed the first national Memorial Day, three years after Lincoln's assassinaüion
4
15
18
11
17
Dec.27
Home).
uNr0ltt HEilRT
2
S28,000.
Claudiana (Claudia Ann Larson, his great-grandchild) operated on for appendicitis.
93'. Rained in a.m. I not good.
60'. To church. Leg bad.
78". Picked cherries and gooseberries.
Rosenbergs (Julius and Ethel) die just before
sundown,
Frank Frazier died.
Washed auto. My hip bad. Rainy.
Hot. Sold chickens.
Summit Taylor cut his finger off mowing.
Hot. To town (New Castle) three times and to
Mooreland twice.
Senator (Robert A.) Taft died of cancer.
First rain since August
8.
Poor Carrie gone 24 years. (Ca¡rie was his wife).
R.E.M.C. boys change poles in field.
D. E. Bowman buried.
Warmer. To doctor. Legs bad. Can't walk with-
out cane.
To church and Elmo Woods for dinner.
Democrats feeling good again. So many elected.
To church. Boys dig Cha¡les Stone's grave.
Baker Pa¡k on fire. Ralph Manifold dead.
Sarah Hutchens died.
5o below. To Hagerstown. Wright brothers
5O-year celebration. Big crowd. I fair.
Nancy Bond told me to send her a baby ca¡d ten
years from now.
toullTlills
and the end of the Civil War. And we a¡e certain that this smalltown teacher helped influence our national leader to proclaim
such a day, for copies of his a¡ticles and poems urging such an
observance have, somehow, survived over the yeals.
Today he is remembered mainly because of the former elementary school in New Castle named in his honor. Quoting
A Centenníal Landmark: A History of the New Castle
Friends Meeting, 1881-1981 by Thomas D. Hamm and Wilma
L. Kern: "At the beginning of this century he fit every qualification required for the title of public-spirited man: author, teacher, merchant, editor, public servant. Among his writings were
five published volumes of poetry. The second, The Cabin in the
Clearing, which appeared in 188?, attracted considerable notice, although today his works a¡e known to but few readers.
Better known is an historical work, Poets and Poetry of Indiana, still favorably regarded by writers and historia¡s. While he
did not achieve lasting fame as a writer, through his work with
the Western Association of Writers and personal friendships,
he encouraged the work of better-known authors like James
\{hitcomb Riley and Booth Tarkington."
It seems strange that an obscure teacher and poet residing in
a small Indiana town at the close of the Civil Wa¡ could have so
much influence; but it is not unusual that great movements are
born in out-of-the-way places of our country.
Who was this man? His name was Benjamin Strattan Parker,
born in the Rich Square community, Franklin Township, Henry
County, Indiana, of Quaker parents.
Walter S. Chambers: He Loved His Hometown
(Editor's note: The following story is from the November 18,
1985 edition of the New Castle Courier-Times.)
Walter S. Chambers' father had wanted his son to follow in
his footsteps and become a lawyer. When funds ran low, having
had two years' work at Indiana University and a year atWisconsin, young Chambers came home to read law in his father's
from
F,tffi[
LELSVIETLD, IiTDI,,[NA, APRIL 8l0th, lt6õ.
fr
@
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I
Thre ,ãayior
of ¿r Race,
pHl'
"oln
,AL,h
st ls {.,t1{F4 TFTT;
ihe ¡inÍa}icrarÅtron
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Tliurnph¡ óver l)eath, anrl mounts Victoriotþty upwarilwlth åis olrl frmili¿w trear,l!
Handbill written by Benjamin S. Pa¡ker and distributed on Lin-
coln's funeral train by Parker and others. Hundreds were
printed at the office of the "Ha¡cock Democrat," Greenfield,
law office, in New Castle.
\{hen Walter Chambers became editor of The Democrat,ntnning a newspaper amounted to doing the talking in the community for some political party, and there was nothing more natural than that he should hold a poll book in the fall and agree to
take on the job of county chairman.
In 1914 he was elected to the state senate, and served there
until 1942 with the exception of the years from 1918 to L922
and 1926 to 1930, representing the joint district of Henry, Hancock and Madison counties.
His record in the legislature was that of a liberal. He was relentless in his opposition to special privilege; was sympathetic
to social reform legislation, and insistent in the protection of
public morality. He was an advocate of Indiana's first prohibi
tion law, and at his insistence woman suffrage was made a par-
ty measure.
With the thirties came social security legislation, in which he
had by study and research prepared himself. He was called by
Governor Paul V. McNutt to be chairman of a study commis'
sion and the reports of this commission became the basis of In'
diana's Social Security plan.
He was influential in getting a special appropriabion of $10
million for Indiana University and a like amount for Purdue for
the construction of new buildings. \{hen this amount in the regular budget seemed uncertain of passage, he helped gain support for it as a special measure.
He served as chairman of the Democra''c State Committee
from 1922 to 1926, and conducted the campaign which elected
Samuel M. Ralston to the U.S. Senate. The Klan was rampant
then in the state, and into communities where this issue had
divided the party, he went telling party officials and candidates
to suppcrt the ticket from "stem to stern" or resigrt.
for distribution upon the platforms of the train cars. This copy
was preserved by Dayton H. Fenstomaker and was presented
to the Museum many years ago by Mrs. Sallie Fenstamaker.
In the 1920's a good friend of Chambers wanted him to
be-
come the owner and editor of a newspaper in a certain large city.
Two-thirds of the stock was for sale. "Buy it for what you think
it is worth, and give them a check. I'll see that the money is in
the bank, and you can repay me when you find it easy to do so,"
Chambers was told. Acceptance meant a $75,000 a year salary.
His income never had been so much as one-tenth of that
amount, a¡d the first of his five child¡en was about to enter college. It was a great temptation. But he was possessed of a profound wisdom of life and the offer was declined that he might
continue to live in his own hometown with the people he loved.
He was blessed after that with more than a quarter of a century
in which to enjoy the persons and places so dear to him.
For over 50 years prior to his death on March 13, 1951, the
name of Walter S. Chambers and New Castle had been synonymous. He saw New Castle grow from a village and had an active
part in its growth. There never vr'as a movement for the benefit
of his hometown that he was not the leader, devoting his time
and energy and his means towa¡d making New Castle a bigger
and better place in which to live.
Ernest Mills and nuv st"*li,-;;"rr*..
of our Past
(Editor's note: The following article is reprinted from the
January, 1986, issue of "Genealogy," a publication of the Family History Section of the Indiana Historical Society. Willard
Heiss is editor of the publication and the author of this particular article.)
The number of cemeteries in Indiana that a¡e abandoned or
"lost" is incalculable. One might estimate 25 in each county,
which would total 2,300. By adding small family plots, Chis esti
mate might double.
The West Union ma¡ker is located on the roadside. To do this,
permission was secured from the Wayne County commission-
ers. Nothing exists to the west except a plowed field a¡d
OLD HOPEIIJELL CEMETIRY
'415 \l0nt rfìnRK5 rHt c.rnrt R 0r rHt BURTRI ptí]r
:t- : rìlnf klDl tn(,r rUt l:r BV sl\tin Rt-tD5 n0RIH
sSuIH
frT lH[ 0Rt(,tflnt :,Ii nt H0piUJil.t tRrtnû\ mttltní,
; t''
tltì(,1 f Rllttr ',./qìfìl'ì\ ( Rf tr( it/pPtR Stlrttmtnl)
'F.
fRltfltì(, r',1ßÍJll:,lltD lltRt ln i8Z2'Ht tlRSl
,"t¡ï
'ìfì.,Rn11tlr fìtllCi[)l]': 8l)lì\/ ln HtnRV (0Unly
tRfclFD t985
#
a
woods.
What has been done by these dedicated retirees can be done
by others. Just get up off your fat expectations and quit waiting for someone else to do it. Kindly, old Mr. Someone Else seldom gets a¡ound to it.
From the October, 1985 "Indiana Friend"
l.i
'-.1
-a.:
These patches of ground
- forgotten, lost, unattended - are
sometimes sea¡ched for by present-day descenda¡ts of those
who were buried there. Ofüimes this is in vain, as many sites a¡e
located in what is now the middle of a corn field. Few farmers
a¡e affected with any sentiment for crumbling tombstones
when plowing a field. Mechanical behemoths used in agriculture
can pulverize marble in a season or two. That which survived
generations of horse-drawn equipment is now quickly disappearing.
Preservation of old cemeteries is beyond the efforts of most
local historical or genealogical societies. They do well to get the
tombstone inscriptions copied and preserved. In this area some
remarkable efforts have resulted, Two examples from among
many include Tipton County a¡d Greene County.
Many persons sit on their fat expectations and bemoa¡ the
loss of these patches of ground, but few hunch to their feet to do
anything about it.
Two of the few who did are Ray Stewart and Ernest Mills.
Both a¡e recently retired and interested in history and Quakers.
They are members of Hopewell Friends Meeting, which is located in southeastern Henry County, near Straughn.
About a mile from the present meetinghouse Friends built a
log meetinghouse in 1823 or 1824 on land belonging to Richard
Ratliff. The building was also used for school purposes. Several
years later a larger building was needed, a¡d a frame structure
was built nea¡ the log meetinghouse.
About this time the roads were being surveyed, and these
buildings were left fa¡ from the new roads as they were cut
through. It was soon decided to move the frame structure to
what is now known as Hopewell corner. The house was put on
heavy poles, the ends of which were inserted in holes of big
pieces of wood shaped like great wheels. The power for locomotion was eight yokes of oxen. Thus it was moved to the destina-
tion a mile away.
The present meetinghouse was built in 1876 at a cost of
$1,600. A new burying ground was started at the new location,
and "Old" Hopewell was seldom used. After nearly a century of
neglect it was acquired by the Fowler family (Mormons who
have some concern for the dead). They fenced the plot and stop-
ped the incursion of the plow.
Ray Stewart and Ernest Mills, as a witness to their concerns
for the future of such sites, have acquired and had set (with the
help of others) a huge block of limestone. On it is inscribed:
"Old Hopewell Cemetery. This stone marks the center
of the burial plot nine rods east-west by seven rods
north-south at the original site of Hopewell Friends
Meeting first called Symons Creek (Upper Settlement).
Friends established here in 1822the first organized religious body held in Henry County. Erected 1985."
Subsequent owners should have no doubt as to the location
and size of the ground used by the Hopewell Meeting. This is
not to say that John Deere will not eventually have a farm tractor that would make short work of a block of limestone.
Stewa¡t and Mills have located more modest markers at other
locations nearby in Wayne County. These a¡e: Bethel Friends
Cemetery, Meeting existed 1825-1878; Milford Friends Cemetery, Meeting existed 1819-1882; Milford Friends Meeting
(Hicksite) and Cemetery, 1828-1911; and West Union Friencls
Cemetery, 60 rods west, Meeting existed 1817-1829.
POTITT ON TONTN¡BUT¡ONS OT
TOTIECIIBLES TO THE HEIIRT TOUTITÏ
Htsr0nE[t sf]clEîT
!,lusÞu!,|
The trustees of the Henry Counùy Historical Society
will accept only objects to preserve in the Henry County
Historical Society Museum which have been made, used
or found in Henry County.
Since our facitty is limited in space as time goes by, objects will be evaluated according to what space we have to
exhibit, ca¡e for and preserve them. Evaluation will include potential use as educational tools to resea¡ch the
history of Henry County.
TIIE 1927 KNITHTSTOTYN ffIITENNIII
With flags a¡d ba¡ners flyirrg, Knightstown ushered in its
centennial birthday with a two-day celebration, August 23 and
24, 1927 , under the auspices of the local Kiwanis and Commercial Clubs and the local Federation of Women's Clubs. More
than 3,000 visitors from Henr¡' County and other parts of the
state attended.
An extensive industrial exhibit, which included products
made in Knightstown in 1927 and those that were made there
years ago, was displayed on one side of the Public Square. On
another side of the Square a fine exhibit of farm products was
shown. Hundreds of interesting old relics, quainü old furniture,
clothes of different periods, ancient guns and revolvers, muskets, knapsacks, old dishes and books, displayed in different
store windows, attracted much attention. A particularly curious padlock, said to be more than 400 years old, brought from
the Old World, and a mailbag carried on the stagecoach that
plied between Indianapolis and Richmond in pioneer days, were
also objects of special interest.
One of the principal features of the celebration was the
pageant presented at the Alhambra Theater. With a prologue
and eleven episodes, the beginning of the little village on the
banks of BIue River, the coming of Jonathan Knight in 1827 to
choose a path for the National Road, the establishment of
Knight's camp, the first Presbyterian Church, the first school,
the first railroad in 1850, the period during the Civil Wa¡, the
social side of the town life, the coming of natural gas, then later
the period during the Spanish-American War and the World
War, were well-portrayed. The closing act symbolized the hundred years of progress made by the town.
The chief feature of the last day of the celebration was an
elaborate parade. The commercial, agricultural and industrial
life of the community was well-represented by many attractive
floats, the parade and celebration terminating with a dance at
the gymnasium.
GET NEf,DT!
GEl SET!
For the Centennial observance of the Henry County Historical Society.
1887
-
1987
Plan on being a part of the year-long celebration'
50
*
*
*
IIIDIT¡OIIil B¡TS OT HENNT COUNTT H¡SMNT
(Continued from the Fall, 1983, the Spring, 1984
and the Fall, l9S4 "Historicalogs")
Bob Hope performed at New Castle's Princess Theater during the days of vaudeville.
The late Frank A. Wisehart practiced law in Middletown for
sixty-five years. His son Robert is currently a lawyer in the
*
community.
The town of Honey Creek was once nicknamed "Pucker Sta-
tion."
Lucille McKee (Berry) Beal and Gladys Gordnier organized
the first Girl Scout troop in New Castle in 1917.
* The famous editor, publisher, and presidential candidate
Horace Greeley once lectured at Spiceland Academy.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
J. Douglas Reeves of Knightstown is president and chairman
of the board of Hook's Drugs, Inc. His late father Norman P.
Reeves served in the same capacity. Hook's, with 267 stores
in India¡a and thirty-three in Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky,
merged with the Kroger Company May 28, 1985.
Otis Skinner, Francis X. Bushman, Busby Berkley and Irene
Dunne were only a few of the famous stars performing at New
Castle's Alcaza¡ theater.
The famous Mt. Lawn Speedway west of New Castle celebrated its fiftiebh season of racing in 1985.
A 1910 advertisement for the Lawter Sixteen, one of three
automobiles manufactured in New Castle: "It is a four-passenger car, real seat removable, making a splendid runabout
or fa¡mer's delivery. It is fitted with Swinehart's endless
clincher tires, or pneumatics, at the option of the purchaser.
In addition to being a car of splendid appearance, it is built
right throughout and especially designed to see hard service
at any season of the year. We predict that the Lawter Sixteen
will be a winner, and that they may be in great demand for
the season of 1910."
In 1980 Henry County had the highest teenage pregnancy
rate (2l.\Vol in the State of Indiana. The rate in 1984 was
may still be found in the vicinity of his former Spicelald
*
*
*
farms northwest of Knightstown.
Mattie Talbot Fay was the first art teacher in a Henry County school. She went to Spiceland Academy to teach in 1879.
Joseph Yount built the first brick house in Middletown, just
a yea¡ or so prior to 1856. Dr. Robert Summers buiìt the
town's second brick residence. Fra¡k Summers' home on Locust Street was probably the third such structure. The brick
home presently serving as the Balla¡d and Shirey Funeral
Home was also built at an early date.
The Montezuma Hayloft of Haymakers was chartered in Fall
Creek Township in 1892 with James O. Painter as the first
Chief Haymaker.
Barba¡a P. Bush, the vice-president's wife, was the featured
speaker at an adult literacy conference at Bundy Auditorium,
New Castle, May 13, 1985. After her remarks she was presented a 1948 volume of Ross Lockridge's novel Raintree
Countyby Dr. Philip L. Borders, Superintendent of the New
Castle Community School Corporation, who wouldn't explain
how he had acquired the ra¡e early edition of the novel set in
Henry County. With a straight face Mrs. Bush asked Dr.
Borders, "Do I have to return it to the library?"
home.)
Nativity of Henry County's United States-born residents, according to the 1850 census: Ohio 1,907; Kentucky 321; Pennsylvania 1,147; Virginia 1,486; North Ca¡olina 1,836; New
York 83; Tennessee 189; Ma¡yland 170 and New England 36.
The automotive history at New Castle's Chrysler plant was
interrupted somewhat by World War II during which time
the facility played a major role in defense activities. The plant
produced millions of .50 caliber ammunition cores, 20 mm
projectiles, 150 separate parts for the Bofors gun, aircraft
land gear parts and tank engine parts. The New Castle plant
was awarded the Army-Navy "E" pennant for excellence in
production. The awa¡d was renewed three times before the
close of the war.
Where better than Indiana to make a movie about basketball
in Indiana? And how about Knightstown in particular? For a
few months in 1985 Hoosiers got a chance to be in "Hoosiers," a $7 million Hollywood film about a small town basketball team's rise to the pinnacle of high school glory. Hundreds of Knightstown residents had the opportunity to be
movie "extras." Shots of the "home" team were filmed in the
old. Knightstown g'ym and locker rooms. School scenes were
shot at Nineveh (Johnson County) and town scenes were shot
t7.3Vo.
Cathoìics first began settling in New Castle in 1839. The first
mass was celebrated in 1849 by Rev. \{illiam Doyle of Richmond,
Maude Risk James, mother of eighty-four-year-old Marion G.
Risk of Spiceland, passed away in 1984 at the age of 103.
Remember when the V-8 tomato juice drink was made at the
Louden Packing Company at Shirley?
Over 300,000 persons from throughout the United States
and severa-l foreign countries attended the 1985 Farm Progress Show, held October 1, 2, and 3 on the Ma¡tin and Haase
Writing in Trees of Indiana many yea¡s ago about the pawpaw, the "Hoosier banana," Charles Deam, the Dean of Indiana forestry, reported: "Some relish the fruit, while others reject it. The late Arthur W. Osborn (1859-1924) of Spiceland
was much interested and made an effort to find the most palatable forms of the fruit. He reports that he knew of a lady
whose skin would become irritated by the presence of pawpaws. He also reported that some individuals, after eating the
fruit, would develop a rash with intense itching. In one instance, he peeled a pawpaw and fed it to the subject with a
spoon so that the person never touched the fruit and the results were the same." (Editor's note: Even though Arthur Osborn has been dead over sixty years numerous paw¡raw trees
in New Richmond (Montgomery County). The movie, starring
Gene Hackman,
is based loosely on the 1954 basketball
squad of tiny Milan High School. With three seconds left on
the clock, it knocked off giant Muncie Central 32-30 in the
state championship game and became a symbol of Indiana's
passion for basketball. And so during October, November
and December it was "cameras, lights and action" in
Knightstown as residents got out their 19õ0s clothing and
headed for the bleachers of the old gym for their chance to appear for a few fleeting moments on the silver screen. Knights-
town insurance agent Dick Leakey and attorney Ed Dunsmore were given substantial acting parts in the film.
* Former Middletown resident Ross Grimsley once pitched for
the Cincinnati Reds.
* The late Gladys Colburn of New Castle was a former dancer
in the "Ziegfeld Follies."
* In 1918 New Castle defeated Noblesville in a basketball
game. The score: 112 to 0.
l|.
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*
Honey Creek, the
little stream meandering through Fall
Creek Township, was so named because of the "bee trees"
that lined its banks. These were black locusts, the blossoms
of which attracted honeybees. The bees lived in the trees that
were hollow and stored their winter's supply of honey there.
Middletown's Van Noy movie theater opened September 2,
1945. The featured picture that day was "Black Gold." The
theater closed in the early 1970s.
The Middletown Volunteer Fire Department was organized
in 1896 when water hydrants were installed in the town. The
original hose cart, pulled by man, is displayed today at the
fire station.
Who remembers the Rozell House, a popular Mooreland hos-
telry at the turn of the century?
*
*
*
*
When Charles R. Ernest and Anna Sanders made application
for a marriage license in July of 1881, someone in the county
clerk's office made this notation on the application: "Don't
publish or someone will be butchered."
Eli Herman erected a distillery in Jefferson Township in
1839-40. Employing twelve men, the price of the whiskey was
eighteen cents a gallon. Much of the whiskey was hauled to
Cincinnati for sale.
Strange bub true: Washing machines a¡d mittens were once
made in Millville.
Who remembers \{ise's Smorgasbord restaurant at Honey
Creek? The accommodations were not quite like the Waldorf,
*
but the food was excellent.
Schools once located in Jefferson Township: Hale, Bouslog,
Mud Hole, Gorman, Sanders, Lyons, Chapman, Maple Grove,
and, of course, Sulphur Springs Elementary and High School.
* In the files of the Henry County Historical Museum is a
handwritten copy of Vol. 1, No. 1 of the "Hawk Eye News,"
written by some industrious Grant City resident long before
the turn of the century. The paper's motto: "Not how much,
but how well." Terms: "Patience and good attention." Office:
"V¿ mile west of Custer's Store on the mud road."
* During the winter of 1922 William and Susan Schaffer were
found hatcheted to death - gangland style - nea¡ their
Honey Creek home. Their bodies were found by a couple of
men whose ca¡ broke down in front of the Schaffer home.
Cries of a child atbracted the men to the house and upon entering bhe dwelling they found the body of Mrs. Schaffer, still
clad in her night clothing, on the bed. The hatchet was found
on a table in the kitchen. Beside Mrs. Schaffer's body, suffering from hunger, thirst and cold was little Billy Huffstickler,
bhree-year-old nephew of Mrs. Schaffer. Perched on the bed,
snapping at all intruders, was a poodle dog. Evidence indicated the boy and dog had lived on bread and water in the
death house for several days. Investigators found liquor
(then illegal) and a hypodermic needle in the house, and it was
suggested that the farm 'vas a "half-way" stop for peddlers
of liquid contraband. The murder was never solved.
* A Dr. Griest once practiced medicine at Kenna¡d. He later
moved to Alaska and was part of the rescue party that searched for and found Will Rogers and Wiley Post following
their fatal air crash in 1935.
* According to Miles Ma¡shall, Henry County has the distinction of having no waters flowing into it - only out from.
Stony Creek and Buck Creek head up in Henry, flow out and
The old Knightstown High School gymnasium is the locale for
the home games in the movie "Hoosiers." Photo from the October, 1985 "Indianapolis Monthly" magazine.
*
streets. By 1910 the principal streets - South Main, Broad,
llth, 12th and 14th - had been paved. Before 1900 electricity was used very little in New Castle homes. Before 1900
there were many blacksmith shops in New Castle but noi a
plumber. By 1910 there were a half dozen livery barns in town
but not a single garage. Prior to 1900 there were no gasoline
stations. Today there a¡e many. Before 1900 practically
every home was enclosed with a fence to keep out cows and
*
*
*
back in. Henry County also provides one of the state's largest
rivers with its sources. Big Blue River and Flat Rock both
head up in Blue River Township and flow several miles apart
but parallel for a hundred miles then converge near Edinburg
to form Driftwood Creek. A couple of miles downstream
Driftwood converges with Sugar Creek which, a hundred
miles upstream, has sprung out of a field tile in Harrison
Township of Henry County. The confluence of Driftwood and
Sugar Creek is the headwaters of the East Fork of White River which is the largest tributary to the Wabash.
* Aloysius James "4. J." Carr of Knightstown, born in 1894'
invented the first corrugated paper machine in the 1920s. Inberviewed February 18, 1986, he stated that during Worlrl
Wa¡ I he flew small planes over France as a member of the
U.S. Marines. According to Mr. Ca¡r in those days bombs
were dropped directly from the cockpit. Since technology
wasn't as precise as today, he and his crew would drop a
bomb about two miles from its target, depending on wind
velocity. "And we bombed trenches, not cities," he said.
* Citizens State Bank, New Castle, may be the oldest statechartered bank in Indiana. Citizens has Indiana Bank Cha¡ter No. 3, dated July 3, 18?3, just three days after the state's
banking laws went into effect. The question is, then, who received cha¡ters I and 2? No ba¡k with those numbers has
been found. The names may have changed, possibly through
consolidations or acquisitions, or they may simply have gone
oub of business.
Before 1900 not a single automobile was seen on the streets
of New Castle. Prior to 1900 New Castle had no paved
other animals running at large.
The new West Lawn addition
to South Mound Cemetery,
Nqw Castle, was officially dedicated on Memorial Day, 1982.
The first "baby show" or "baby review" in New Castle took
place February 5, 1886.
The roller skating craze hit Spiceland in 1888. The New Castle "Courier" recorded the phenomena as follows: "Even
Spiceland, the New Jerusalem of Eastern Indiana, is said to
be nursing a mild case of the deadly craze. Shades of William
Penn! Spiceland with all her piety, morality, christianity and
. . . It is regarded as a thing of the past and is cherished only as a relic of
antiquity and no well regulated progressive town in the Indi-
prohibition encouraging a roller skating rink
*
*
*
Ì
ana gas belt can afford to support one. Spiceland should introd-rc¿ a reform."
Approximabely 40Vo of the 52,000 people in Henry County
co-rld be seated in the five high school gyrnnasiums in the
county. This fact dramatically illusbrates the importance
placed on basketball by the residents of the Hoosier State.
New Castle's 9,325 seat facility is billed as the largest high
school fieldhouse in the world.
Shortly after Lewisville's Guyer Opera House opened June 3,
1901, the touring show "Ten Nights in a Ba¡room" played
there.
Henry County's average media¡ household income in 1984
was $16,168, 51st in the state. The average median famity income was $18,636, or 54th best in the stat'e.
Our county in 1984 ranked 40th in the number of residents
who a¡e below the poverty level. The study showed that 10.1
percent of bhe county's population was below the poverty level. And 8.3 percent of the families ranked below the poverty
level.
*
Mt. Summit Natural Gas Company was formed May 24,
1888, for the purpose of "boring, sinking and constructing
natural gas wells and to mine coal and to dig and bore for
coal, oil and water and to furnish and supply fuel and light
and water and do such other manufacturing, mining and
mechanical business as may be determined by such company." And you guessed it. Several familia¡ Mt. Summit and
The
*
Betty O'Neal Giboney, for years a reporter at the New Castle
"Courier-Times," used to perform as a dancer at New York's
Roxy Theater.
TIPTON
Prairie Township families signed the a¡ticles of association Rifner, Veach, Bouslog, Ice and Beavers, only to mention a
few.
HAMILTON
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WILBUR IYRIGHT BIRÎH
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RUSHYILLE
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Flat Rock meanders to the southwest from its point of origin in
Blue River Township.
The flow of Big Blue River. Origin in Blue River Township near
Mooreland.
BEVOIUNONINT WIN SONENS BUN¡ED III TEilNT MUilTT
on horseback to the battle site, intending to deliver clothing
(Editor's note: In 1976 the booklet "Henry County Celebrates
the Bicentennial" was published by the Henry County Historical Society as part of our contribution to America's year-long
birthday celebration. In the publication mention was made of
the Revolutionary \{ar veterans buried in Henry County. Now,
ten years later, additional information has been gathered on
many of these old soldiers. Recent research suggests that one or
two of the veterans in the 1976 list actually lived and died outside Henry County and should, therefore, be eliminated from
our initial findings. Thus, a series of additions and corrections
are in order. We are delighted Thomas D. Hamm found the time
to make them for us.)
John Bouslog
(17õ6-Apr.4, 185õ)
Born in Germany. Settled in Prairie Township in 1828. Buried
in the Harvey Cemetery, Prairie Township. Original stone, but
no mention of Revolutionary service. Married Catherine (maiden name unknown).
Jacob Brown
(Jan. 14, 1755-June 9, 1831)
Born in Guilford County, North Ca¡olina. Buried in the Flat
Rock Friends Cemetery, Liberty Township. Government marker erected in 1983. Revolutiona¡y service: Enlisted August 10,
1?80, in the North Carolina
Militia. He served as a private un-
der Gen. Greene and took part in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Ma¡ried Mary Armfield in North Ca¡olina November 1,
1776. She was also at the battle mentioned. Mrs. Brown went
and provisions to her husband. Mary Brown, born March 29,
1759, died in 1827 or 1828 and is buried in ¿n unmarked grave
in the Flat Rock Friends Cemetery.
Revel Colburn
(Sept. 16, 1764-Sept.4, 1838)
Born in North Carolina. Came to Henry County with his wife,
Margaret, Nov. 22, 1827, settling in New Castle, to be near
their daughter and son-in-law, Sally and George Hobson. They
brought with them from North Carolina probably the first glass
mirror to grace a New Castle home. Even though advanced in
years, Revel taught several terms of school after arriving in
New Castle. Buried in the Hobson Cemetery (sometimes called
the 9th Street Cemetery), New Castle, now the site of the gth
Street Wesleyan Church. Revolutionary service: In 1?80, when
he was 16 years old, he volunteered to go to \Ãrar as a substitute
for a man who had been d¡afted. He served in Captain William
Polk's Company and was promoted to lieutenant. A friendship
sprang up between the young soldier and his superior officer
which led to the marriage of Lt. Colburn to Captain Polk's
daughter, Margaret (1768-1837). Mrs. Colburn, a doctor who
practiced after coming to Henry County, is also buried in the
Hobson Cemetery. Both gtaves are unma¡ked. They had at
least 8 children.
Richa¡d Conway
(1760 or 1762-185õ?)
Born in Queen Anne County, Maryland. Came to Henry
County in 1821 from Wayne County and purchased 160 acres of
land in Liberty Township on December 5 of that year. On December 11, 1823, he purchased 80 acres in what is now Blue Riv-
er Township. Buried in the Kissinger Cemetery, Blue River
Township, located south of Mooreland on the Brown Road. A
government stone was erected in1922. The cemetery, small and
in poor condition, occupies a portion of the land Mr. Conway
puichased in 1823. Revolutionary service: Living in Hampshire
ate
County, Virginia, at
nia
in Captain Meal's C
ain
Regiment. In 1781
John Simeral in Col. Holmes' Regiment. Applied for a government pension Nov. 13, 1832. He may be th
whom there a¡e estate papers on file in
Watson in Kentucky. Supposedly Mrs. Co
the Kissinger Cemetery. They had at least 5 child¡en.
Rodrick Craig
hair and blue
eyes.
1780, at Botetcourt
sylvania County, Vi
died in June, 1847, in Henry CountY.
Samuel Griffith
(June 13, 17õ5-Dec. 25' 1838)
Born in Da¡tmouth, Massachusetts. He is believed to have
settled and died in Fall Creek Township. D.A.R. records indicate this and an old countY historY
came to Fall Creek TownshiP in
father with them." Revolutionary
Canaan, New York. Orderly sergeant in Captain John Smith's
Company. Discharged November 16,ll79.In 1?80 he was a private in Captain Jonathan \ilarner's Company.
Ebenezer Harper
(Jan., 1740-Aug. 14, 1835)
(174O-t8441
Hugh Healey
Becky (maiden name unknown).
Caleb Dille
(1759-1839)
fi¡st sheriff of Henry County.
Philip Hedrick
(1755-1833)
Born in Germany. Settled in Franklin Township in 1822.
Buried in the Ebenezer Baptist Cemetery, Franklin Township.
tation, Washington County Militia.
(1?61-1834) in 1781. She was born in
Government stone. Revolutionary service: Captain in Col' John
in the Pioneer'Cemetery. They were
Matt Farley
(Oct. 29, 1?59'Feb. 2l
'18311
Born in Culpeper or Chesterfield County, Vi¡Cinia' q3d sgtbled in Frankún-Township, purchasing two 80-acre plots inr
farm in an un-
Patton's Battalion, Berks County, Pennsylve'ia Militia, Jan'
26, 1776. May 12, 1?80 listed as Captain of 5th Company, 2nd
Battalion. His first wife, name unknown, died before 1795.
They had 2 children. His second wife was Lovicey (maidgn nq19
unknown). Two child¡en resulted from this marriage. In 1927
for generations,
an exhaustive
stone left to de-
Thomas Hilman
was present at Vincennes when Clark recaptured the fort in
1??9 from the British commander Col. Henry "The Hair Buy-
er" Hamilton. After the Revolution (during the 1790s)
he
ing in Virginia and Ohio.
Bo
from
near
and
dren'
Aa¡on Dunn
(Ma¡. ?, 1?63-SePt. 25' 1843)
Born in northeastern Pennsylvania. Probably buried in Prairie Township. Revolutiona¡y service: 1781 drafted in company
of Captain Ãndrew Millikin's in Ulster County, New Yo¡k' Dischareìd four months later. In 1782 agar\ d¡afted in Goshen,
Oran-ge County, New York, in Captain John \{ood's Company
of militia for three -o.tnT*U",
(June 10, 1?53-Jan''
"". 1842)
Lived in Henry County the last four or five years of his life'
Place of burial unkno*n. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, had da¡k
Jacob Houser
(1758?-July, r842)
to HenrY CountY
wiüh his wife to be
Ditch. The Ditch
corner of LibertY
1777.Married about 1783 Lovicey Brombaugh who died before
1820. He then married Hannah (maiden name unkno$rn). A
1841, is on file in the
eum. Four children are
s will reads as follows:
ah, three beds and bed-
ding with six quilts and one coverlid, one copper kettle . . one
little wagon, one sorrel horse, also the dresser ware in the dresser, one milk cow and one heifer, four head of sheep, one breeding
sow with two shoats, one bureau, one dining table, th¡ee Windsor chairs and rocking chair, and I give and bequeath to my said
wife my present home place consisting of 80 acres of land for
her lifetime . ."
John Hubbell
(Sept., 1754-APr. 17, 1834)
Born in New Jersey. Settled in Dudley or Liberty Township
in
1829. Buried in the Leakey-Wisehart Cemetery, Liberty
Township. Grave ma¡ked by original stone and a government
stone. Revolubionary service: Enlisted 17?? under Col. Matthew Ogden, New Jersey Line. Private, 1st New Jersey Regi
ment and later Sergeant in New Jersey Line for 5 years. John
Hubbell ma¡ried Mary Robertson in 1778 aad they had a family
of 8 children. Mary Hubbell is also buried at Leakey-Wiseha¡t.
It is thought by some that she died in 1864 at the age of 105, although there are no dates on her tombstone and definite proof
has not been uncovered. John and Mary Hubbell were the
grandparents of Civil War general William Grose.
And¡ew Ice
(Oct.16, 17õ7-Mar. 13, 1848)
Born in Hampshire County, Virginia. Settled in Henry County in 1832, in Prairie Township. He was buried on the fa¡m of
his son, Frederick Ice, near Hillsboro, but his remains were
later removed to the Mt. Summit Cemetery. The D.A.R. erected
a government stone over the gtave in 1907. Revolutionary service: Private in Virginia troops, 1777; 6 months under Captain
Owen Davy and Col. Zaccheus Morgan. In 1778, 6 months under Captain Brinton and Col. Charles Eva¡s and was out
against the Indians in the "Northwest." Also served 2 months
under Captain Jacob Prickett at Scott's Mills and 2 months under Captain Warman at Ha¡rison's Fort. Ma¡ried twice. His
first wife was Mary Boyles (1763-?). His second wife was Sa¡ah
Hudson Fleming, the widow of William F. Fleming.
George J. Isham
(Aug.17,1843)
Settled in Wayne Township and no doubt buried there, but
exact location unknown. Revolutionary service: Enlisted at Colchester, Connecticut, for 3 years and served under the name
"Jonathan" Isham, Honorably discharged at Morristown, New
Jersey. In battles of Stony Point and Monmouth. Wounded in
left a¡m.
where his wife is buried. Revolutionary service: Early in the war
he drove a baggage wagon, was afterwa¡ds assistant wagon
master and forage master. He was subsequently promoted to
captain in the New Jersey Militia and served until the close of
the war. Fought in the Battle of Monmouth. Ma¡ried Esther
Heabh (1765-18a6) and they had a family of 11 children.
Christopher Long
(May, 1746-Aug. 14, 1829)
Born in Culpeper County, Virginia. Mr. Long lived in th¡ee
Virginia counties - Culpeper, Botetcourt and Henry - before
moving in 1807 to Gallia, Jackson County, Ohio. Settled in Liberty Township in 1821. Buried with his wife, Sa¡ah T\¡rner
Long, at the intersection of county roads 200 South and 500
East in Liberty Township, near the site of the old Devon (Boyd)
School. Monument is 9Yz feet high and is surrounded by an iron
railing. The monument was erected by a grandson in 187?. Revolutionary service: Private at Great Bridge, Norfolk, Virginia,
December, 1?75, in Lord l)unmore's War; Private in New Jersey, 1776. At Valley Forge 1777-1778 and took part in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Ca¡olina. A color sergeant
at the Bat0ìe of Yorktown in 1781. Name appears in list of 6
Long brothers of Culpeper County, Virginia, who served
throughout the war. Sarah Turner ma¡ried Christopher Long in
Culpeper County in 17?3. Mrs. Long died September 11, 1822 in
her 66th year. Her death was the first recorded in Liberty
Township.
Jacob Morris
(Mar. 22, 1 763-Oct. 27, 18401
Born in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Served at various
times in New Jersey Militia between 1778 and 1781 under Captain Jacob Piatt and Captain Garrison as a spy and as a substi
tuti¡ foi his uncle William Armstrong. He moved from New
Jersey to Kentucky in 1805 and to Wayne County, Indiana, in
1838. By 1840 he was living in Wayne Township, Henry Coun-
tY'
John McDonard
(Sept., 17õ8-Dec. 12, L8451
Born in King George County, Virginia. Living in Henry County in 1835 and received a pension that year. Revolutionary service: Served under Captain John Poindexter in Bedford County,
Virginia. Ma¡ried Elizabeth English. Buried in the Pioneer Bap-
tist cemeterv' KnightstowÏiuo
po*utt
(r739?-1833?)
John Keesling
(Mar. 25, 1759-Dec. 25, 1839)
Born in Virginia, although two sources say Berks County,
Pennsylvania. Lived in Preble County, Ohio before moving to
Indiana. Settled in Fall Creek Township with his wife and 5
sons in 1827, purchasing land near present-day Mechanicsburg.
There is some evidence indicating that he came to Henry County as early as 1824, although he did not purchase land until
1827. Buried in Fatic Cemetery, Fall Creek Township. Govern-
Came to Henry Township, Henry County, in 1819. Buried on
the grounds of the New Castle Developmental Center with his
son-in-law Alan Shepherd (1781-1832). Graves marked in 1976.
Revolutiona¡y service: Served in the New Jersey Militia. Applied for a Revolutionary pension in Henry County in 1833. Unfortunately, the papers apparently have been lost.
stone's Company as a substitute for his father, Jacob; from November, 1776, 2 months in Captain Lindemoot's Company; in
1777,2 months in Captain Lindemott's Company, a¡d in 1779,
2 months as a wagoner. Ma¡ried Eve Miller in Wythe County,
Virginia in 1788. Mrs. Keesling was born Feb. 21, 1762 and died
months under Captain Jacob Rinker. Enlisted again in May,
1781 for 3 weeks as a private under Captain Rinker and Col.
Darke. Enlisted Sept., 1781, for 2 months under Captain Auld
and Col. Da¡ke. Present at the Battle of Yorktown. Married
Mary Coffma¡ (1?66-1863). Father of 6 children.
Orr Scovell
ment stone. Soon after arriving in Henry County, one son,
Daniel, was killed in a fall from a horse. He was the first person
buried in the Fatic Cemetery where his father was later buried.
Revolutionary service: Enlisted at Reading, Berks County,
Pennsylvania, and served with the Pennsylvania troops as follows: From Sept., 1776, 2 months in Captain Jacob Whet-
October 4, 1804. After the death of his first wife, John Keesling
married Barbara Staley.
Nathaniel Leona¡d
(Oct. 10, 1749-Oct.13, 1824)
Born in Trenton, New Jersey and settled in Henry County in
1824. Buried originally in the Herr Farm Cemetery, Dudley
Township. Remains removed to the New Lisbon Cemetery,
Dudley Township, August 23, 1960. Grave marked by original
stone. Interestingly enough, there is also a government stone
for him in South Lawn Cemetery, Dublin, Wayne County,
George Rinker
(1766-Mar.3, 1843)
Born in Virginia and settled in Fall Creek Township, purchasing 80 acres Oct. 9, 1835. Buried in the Painter Cemetery, Fall
Creek Township. Original stone, but no mention of Revolutionary service. (Editor's note: There is some confusion on Mr.
Rinker. The D.A.R. records state that he was born in La¡caster
County, Pennsylvania,inlTS2 and died Dec. 11, 1835). Revolutionary service: Enlisted October, 1780, in Virginia. Served 6
(1767-May 6, 1850)
Born in New Jersey and settled in Wayne Township in 1824.
Buried in the Raysville Cemetery. Grave ma¡ked by the original
stone, but no mention of Revolutionary service. At the time of
his death he lived on what was later called the Graham fa¡m,
near the "Old Stone Quarry Mill" in Spiceland Township. Revolutionary service: Served in a New Jersey of Connecticut regi
ment. Married Lydia (maiden name unknown) who died April
24, 1855, aged 70 years, 3 months and 29 days. She is also
huried at Ravsville.
John See
(Oct. r0, I767-Jan.2,1834 or 1837)
firsl twelve lots sold. Mr. Tackett was a member of
lhe Henry County Board of Justices from 1825 until 182?.
Harman Wayman
eleven of the
(Aug. 14, 1?50-Jan. 20, 1837)
Born in Culpeper County, Virginia. Place of burial uncertain.
Certain evidence indicates he.might be buried in Boone County
tionary service: Served as a private in the Virginia Militia. Ma¡ried Sðpftmber 3, 1?80, Margaret Ja¡rett (1761-183?). They had
a familY of 9 children
Joel simmons
(June 10, 1757-SePt.4' 1838)
Born in Albemarle County, Virginia. Settled in Jefferson
Township.
marked Ëy
in 1??6 for
Grave
enlisted
1777
lor
1 month under William Davis. In 1?79 or 1780 he served 6
months under Henry Burke, James Ma¡tin, and Col' Hola Richa¡dson. Father of l0 children'
S"-uel Stanley
(1?54-July 7, 1840)
Born in Ha¡over County, Virginia. Came to Henry Cot'nty
about 1830 with one of his several child¡en, settling in Dudley
Friends
about Jan. 2,1782.
Henry Williamson
(Ja¡. 6, 1749-MaY 4, 18321
Born in New Jersey. Came to Henry County around 1830 and
of burial unknown. Revolution-
st Regiment, New JerseY Line,
He served in Canada, fought in
the Battle of Three Rivers, a¡d was discharged at Fort Ticonderoga. In 1?76 and1777 he was called into service in the New
Jersõy
Militia and was present at the battles of Trenton, Prince-
ton, Morristown, and Germantown. Ma¡ried in 7777 to Anna
(maiden name unknown), born April 3, 1757, died after 1842 in
Jasper County, Illinois. They had nine children' They lived in
Sorierset County, New Jersey, until 1812, when they moved to
Scioto County, Ohio.
Jacob Wimmer
(Oct. 23, 1762-June 7, 1838)
ever, he
Vz
mile
Friends
e: Served from Bedford
and was Present at Yorked ending the Revolution.
Ma¡ried Susanna Tennyson (1766-1838) who is also buried at
Hopewell. At the time his will was written in early 1840, !e had
S living children. The witl is on file in the Henry County Historical Society Museum.
Lewis Tackett
Born in Somerset County, New Jersey and settled in Liberty
Buried in the family cemetery on his fa¡m
cent to the railroad). Some state that a tombat the grave site and a photo of it was on file
at the Henry Co. Historical Society Museum. Neither can be
found. Jacob Wimmer, Jr., the Revolutionary veteran, is unique
in the fact that when he came to Henry County, he brought
with him his father, Jacob Wimmer, Sr., who was born July 12,
1?33 and died in 1821. This Jacob Sr. supposedly served in the
French and Indian Wa¡ (1?54-1763). Revolutionary service: Volunteered
in
1778
in
Somerset County, New Jersey. Served
terms under Captains Stout and Murphey in Gen. \{inan's command. In 1??9 he served 6 months under Captain Lott, Col.
marker on the front lawn of the Knightstown Public Library,
dedicated to the memory of the Revolutionary soldiers of Henry
County. Listed on the plaque a¡e the names of three additional
veterans who once lived in Henry County but were not buried
here. They are:
* James Stinson or Stevenson (Dec. 10, 1754-May 24, 18451Settled in Henry Township in1822, but living at the time of his
death in Wayne County. Buried in the Jacksonburg Cemetery,
Wayne County. Government stone.
* William Wilson (1?39-1843?). Born in County Armagh, Ireliving in
as a resi-
r to 1843
assumed
that he is buried in St. Joseph County as his last pension payment was made October 11, 1843.
* Isaac Cox or Cocks (1?55-1832?). May have lived in Henry
County for
Township,
in Marylan
The late
Buried in Indiana says that Jacob Pickering (1750-1832) died in
Henry County. All other indications, however, suggests that he
died and was buried in Harrison County, Ohio.
The Webster Parry Papers also say that Daniel Presnall
(1748-1830), buried at Greensboro, was,a Revolutionary soldier.
Little evidence exists to substantiate this claim.
A John Shadlow mentioned in the 1976 list, as a Revolutionary soldier was probably John Shetlaw (1?88-f852), buried in
the White Union Cemetery, Fall Creek Township. Could it be
that this man's service in the War of 1812 was confused with
the Revolution?
Robert Watkins mentioned in the 1976 booklet lived and died
in Delaware County.
On November 13, 1832, Ebenezer Heaton and Benjamin Fort,
probable Wayne Township residents, made application for Revolutionary pensions. This information is found in the county
probate data.
lowilsnrP oncfiilrzlîtoil
IENNT MUilTT SCAOü SUPEN¡ilTE¡IIIEIITS
Name
Enos Adamson...
George Hufford.
Timothy Wilson
W. R. Wilson
F. A. Cotton....
Joseph A. Greenstreet...
William F. Byrket
JosephA. Greenstreet...
William F. Byrket
H. B. Roberts...
J. H.Eilar
A. F. Byrne
T.DonEdington
* Hershel D. Ank¡om
Term
...1873-18?5
....18?5-18?7
.....1877-1883
. .1883-1889
....1889-1895
...1895-189?
Township
Dudley.
Founding Date
. June 7I, t822
...
Wayne....
Prairie. . .
Liberty. . . .
.
Stony Creek
...1900-1902
FaIl Creek.
Franklin. .
. . .1902-1907
Greensboro.
. . .189?-1900
....1907-1926
....1926-1933
. . .1933-193?
.....1937-1963
.June 11,7822
June 11, 1822
.June I7, L822
.Feb.12,1823
. Nov. 11, 1828
. August, 1829
Henry.....
Harrison. .
Spiceland.
..Jan.5,
.
.
Sept. 7, 1831
.
Nov. 7, 1838
...June,
.
Jefferson..,
Blue River.
1830
.
1842
. .Sept.5,1843
. .June 6, 1848
. .1963-1966
*Note: Mr. Ankrom was the last county school superintendent. The office was discontinued as a resúlt of
school reorgâni zation.
IEilNT MUillT III I9TO
ilEWSPff[nS 0r [Eilnï [ouilTr t9E6
"The Courier-Times" (Daily New Castle). Founded in
1841 by John W. Grubbs.
"îli-County Banner" (Weekly Knightstown). Formerly the "Knightstown Banner."- Founded in 186? by
John A. Deem.
"Middletown News" (Weekly Middletown). Founded
-
in
1885.
"Eastem lndiana Farmer" (Weekly
- Knightstown).
Founded by R. Thomas Mayhill.
"Tri-State Trader" (Weekly
Knightstown). Founded
in 1968 by R. Thomas Mayhill."Henry County News Republican" (Weekly
- New
Castle). Founded in 1931 by J. H. Parker.
Education
+ 67 school houses
* 13 high schools
* 218 teachers
* $532,600 (value of school property)
Agriculture
* 2,500 farms
t 94.9 (average acres per farm)
t $27,000,000 (value of farm property)
* $82.86 (average value of land per acre)
Population
* 29,758 (total county population)
* 465 (of foreign birth)
{' 7,661 (families)
* '1,422 (dwellings)
Railroads (Steam)
* c.&o.
* Ft. Wayne, Cincinnati
* c.w.&M.
* Big Four
& Louisville
'r' (108.29 total railroad mileage)
Railroads (Electric)
* Indianapolis, New Castle & Eastern Traction Co.
* Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern Traction Co.
* Union Traction Co. of Indiana
* (S6.tt total electric railroad mileage)
TO BRTIIG BICK UEUONþS
Some Things
You Don't Know About
I\EW CASTLE
THE SPRINGPORT MUSEUM
FOUNOED lN NEW YORK CITY lN t8il6 BY E. M' IIORIH
SPRINGPORT, INDIANA
SHE HAS
About 15,000 Population
EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAININGI A GOOE) PLACE TO
SPENO THE DAY, PICNIC PARTIES ESPECIALLY WELCOME
Police Department
CHAS. O. EDì^,AROS. MGR.
2
with 9 men
Fire Departments
with
Business card publicizing Professor E. M. I{orth's museum at
Springport. Opened in 190?, it burned in 1916. From the Museum files.
13 men
4 Railroads
2 Traction Lines
6 School Buildings
15 Churches
2 Daily Papers
4 Banks
8 Lodges
4 Theaters
3 Hotels
It's Spring!
Clean Up Your Car
Now
Protect
lVashing 'Polishing - Simonizing
CROW SATES CO
Spring,1986
No.1
12 Drug Stores
52 Groceries
5 Shoe Stores
3 Hardware Stores
5 Jewelery Stores
17 Re$taurants
2
20
Laundries
Dodtors
11 DentiSts
I
Multigraph Shop
CO.
.F.RESH ROASTED COFFEE EVERY DAI
WILL FEGLEY. Prop2()6 S. MÂIN ST.
PEED'S MEAT MARKET
1126 W. Broad
Vol.14
Wholesale Grocery
3 Drygoods Stores
7 Clothing Stores
ROSE CITY
TEA & COFFEE
Call 28 Today for your Appointment
THE HENRY COUNTY HISTORICÂLOG
f
Factories
OUR AIM IS TO FLEASE YOU. WILL Yc'U
HELP US BY TELLING US WHAT YOU LIKE?
it for Summer Driving
From the New Castle "Cou¡ier-Times" April 13, 1945.
15
This undated New Castle advertisement is from the Museum
files.
Non Profit Org.
U. S, POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 67
Published twice a year by the Henry
County Historical Society, Inc., 606
South 14th Street, New Castle, Indiana
47362.
Richard Pickering Ratcliff, Editor,
303 South Pearl Street,
Spiceland, Indiana 47385