Carroll County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter VIII Old Settlers' Societies 1916
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Book Title: History Of Carroll County Indiana

CHAPTER VIII.

CARROLL COUNTY OLD SETTLERS' SOCIETY—BURLINGTON OLD SETTLERS' SOCIETY.

ORGANIZATION AND PURPOSE.

   The Carroll County Old Settlers' Society was organized on the 9th of June,
1855. The society was the natural outgrowth of the habit and custom of the
pioneer settlers, to meet together and exchange with each other their
experiences, common to all in the early settlement of this country.

   Thirty years had passed, and the county was well settled. The proposition was
to organize a society, the purpose of which was to collect the personal
recollections of those who had been residents of the county during the period of
the first settlement, and to preserve them in a form that might, in after years,
become a part of the history of the county. A further object was to bring
together annually the people and pass a day in rehearsing past events in the
lives of the early settlers and in social enjoyment.

   Dr. James H. Stewart was the prime mover in this proposition, and through his
efforts a call was issued and signed by fourteen old settlers requesting the
citizens of Carroll county, who had settled here prior to the year 1831, to meet
in Delphi on the 9th of June, 1855.

   The call read as follows: "The undersigned hereby request all the citizens of
Carroll county who settled here prior to the year 1831 to meet at the court
house in Delphi at 10 a. m. on the 9th of June next, for the purpose of spending
a social day in reviewing the scenes of the olden time, and also with a view of
forming a society to perpetuate the early history of the county. All persons who
have been inhabitants of this county prior to the time above named are requested
before the day of meeting to reduce to writing the history, so far as they may
remember it, of this county up to the 1st of January, 1831, and particularly
anecdotes of the early settlement and incidents calculated to throw light upon
the early history of the county. (Signed) Abner Robinson, W. B. Givens, A. W.
Gillam, James Aldridge, Daniel Baum, Sr., Thomas Sterling, William McCain, J. R.
Ballard, James Odell, C. M. D. Wilson, G. C. Sanderson, H. M. Graham, Joseph
Kuns and Enoch Stansell."

FIRST MEETING.

   At the appointed time fixed in the above notice, a large number of people
assembled at the court house and the meeting was organized by calling the Hon.
James Odell to preside, and James H. Stewart was selected secretary. The names,
place of birth, age and date of arrival in Carroll county were taken down and
recorded. There were thirty-one names signed on the roll as prospective members
of the proposed organization.

John Little was the oldest person .enrolled, being sixty-six years old. The
youngest person enrolled was James F. Givens, being twenty-eight years old. The
oldest first white settler was Abner Robinson, who was fifty-four years old at
the time of enrollment

   At this meeting a committee was appointed by the chairman, composed of James
H. Stewart, James Odell, Thomas Sterling and Dr. John M. Ewing, to collect
historical and other facts connected with the early settlement of Carroll
county, and to report to a subsequent meeting. Many of the old settlers present
gave brief accounts of their personal experiences, as follows: James Odell,
William McCord, Judge Thomas Gillam and Thomas Sterling. The meeting adjourned
to meet on the 4th of August, 1855.

   The Carroll County Old Settlers' Society met on the 4th of August, 1855. at
the court house in Delphi. Abner Robinson, being selected as its president,
presided, and James H. Stewart, as secretary. Two additional names were
enrolled. The meeting was. addressed by Dr. John M. Ewing, John B. Milroy,
George Royster, James McDowell and Daniel Baum, Sr.

DEATHS OCCURRING UP TO 1830.

   At this meeting a complete list of deaths occurring from the date of the
first settlement to 1830 was presented by Miss Elizabeth Robinson. The names and
date of death were as follow: 
James Gilbreth, September 8, 1825; 
Benjamin D. Angel, September 16, 1825; 
John N. Newman, July 11, 1826; 
Robert Mitchell, August 27, 1826; 
William Sims, September 25, 1826; 
Henry A. Robinson, January 20, 1827; 
Sarah Odell, May 20, 1827; 
Mrs. Hamilton, 1827; 
George Baum, November, 1827; 
Mary Baum, December 5, 1827; 
T. Hughes, May 20,  1828; 
Andrew Forbes, September 11, 1828; 
John Bean, September 20, 1828; 
Sarah Clister, October 3, 1828,; 
William W. Griffith, October 5, 1828; 
Rebecca Lowther, October 6, 1828; 
James McCain, January 7, 1829; 
Emanuel McCombs, January 17, 1829; 
infant .of John Adams, January 27, 1829; 
Benjamin Lowther, March 30, 1829; 
Mrs. Metcalf, May 26, 1829; 
Margaret Adams, June 12, 1829; 
infant of Mrs. Thornberg, June 30, 1829; 
Hervey Dewey, August 19, 1829; 
infant of Mrs. Bross, August 21, 1829; 
James McCellan, August 26, 1829; 
Mr. Bross, August 31, 1829; 
Rebecca George, September 25, 1829; 
Margaret Black, October 2, 1829; 
Samuel Wise, October 21, 1829; 
Daniel Kuns, November 1, 1829: 
James Briggs, December 1, 1829; 
William Wilson, January 22, 1830; 
Mrs. Adkinson, February 10, 1830; 
Hugh Manary, February 16, 1830; 
Susan Wilson, March 31, 1830; 
Mahala Clark, April 5, 1830; 
Harrison Blackburn, June 2, 1830; 
William Roberts, July 26, 1830; 
Elizabeth Pike, August 15, 1830; 
John Baum, August 2y, 1830; 
infant of Mrs. Pike, September 8, 1830; 
Martha Humrickhouse, September 2, 1830; 
M. Silver, September 2, 1830; 
Mrs. Gideon, September, 1830; 
Mr. Clark, September 24, 1830; 
Mrs. Long, September 26, 1830; 
Mrs. Ollinger, September, 1830; 
Mat. H. Ewing, October 6, 1830; 
Sophia Bricker, October 26, 1830; 
Mary McCombs, 1830; 
Mr. Merriman, 1830; 
two children of Mrs. Thomas, 1830, 
and Mrs. Bell, 1830.

   The third meeting of the society was held on the 14th of June, 1856, in a
grove above Delphi. The Hon. Andrew Ingram, of Lafayette, delivered the
principal address. A letter was read at the meeting, written by Robert H.
Milroy, who resided at Rensselaer. A sketch of pioneer life was presented in
writing by Magdalena McCain, wife of Daniel McCain, who resided one mile east of
Delphi. This letter is here set out as being worthy of preservation, and gives
the reader a clear and graphic account of the trials that the early pioneers
endured.

                                          "June, 1855.
A TYPICAL PIONEER EXPERIENCE.

   "My husband and myself were both born and reared near Lebanon, Warren county,
Ohio, our parents having settled there in early times, and suffered the
hardships of a new settlement. When we turned out to seek our fortunes in the
world we thought it best, while we were going, to emigrate still further west.
My husband, having been out, selected and secured a home. We accordingly made
preparations, and on the 9th of November, 1826, we bade adieu to weeping friends
and relatives and to our native country. With two ox-teams we slowly wended our
way toward Indiana, which at that time was almost an unbroken wilderness, where
the sound of the white man's ax was seldom heard, but in the place of it the
chirping of birds or the occasional howl of the wolf, the dismal hoot of the owl
or the shrill screaming of the wildcat. On the 28th of the same month we landed
here on Deer creek, where we still reside.

   "I have not many particular incidents to relate during our journey except
that the road, if such it could be called, was very muddy and difficult to
pass—in many places on account of the trees and gulleys. We had some cold,
disagreeable weather and some snow. The night before we reached here we camped
near what is called 'Little Sugar creek.' Here a dismal night was passed. It had
been snowing occasionally for two days, and after dark the wind began to blow
and it blew almost a hurricane.

   "It is now more than twenty-eight years, but the tall trees bending over our
heads are still fresh before my eyes. It appeared as if every tree would be
leveled with the ground by the contending elements; and yet, though there were
seven of us in number, there was not even a hair of our heads injured, for He
who feeds the ravens is able to save us through the greatest dangers.

   "So, we, being spared through that stormy night, soon arranged everything in
the morning and started again with fresh vigor for our destination, which we
reached about the middle of the day. We then pitched a tent and, having
everything arranged, I prepared dinner and we ate a hearty meal for the first
time at our new home. Kings in their palaces with all their dainties never ate
with better relish and with more pleasure than we did, with the hind-gate of the
wagon for a table and nothing but the blue heavens over our heads.

A HOME IN THE WILDERNESS.

   "After we had finished a hearty repast, the men began the work of erecting a
cabin—there being five in number, three of them being my brothers-in-law,
Joseph, William and Ramsey McCain, having accompanied us. In just three days
they had our cabin so that it was possible to live in it, the roof being on, a
door cut and on one side an end, the space between the logs filled in, which
afterwards received a partial supply of mortar. It then commenced raining, and
we put what little we had into our new abode. Right happy were we to have at
last, poor as it was, a shelter from storms.

   "The next morning two of the men took their guns and went out to try their
luck at shooting deer, and they had the good fortune to bring one in. It
required but a few minutes to dress it. Then the men all went about a mile
distant to erect a cabin for William McCain, for it was his intention to move
out the ensuing fall. I was left alone with my son, then a little over two years
old. We were, of course, very lonely, but being busily engaged, I got along very
well, except one little fright. Toward noon, I saw some distance from the
home—for I was continually on the watch-two animals, which I knew could be none
other but the hungry wolf, smelling along the trail of the deer that had been
brought in. As one would naturally suppose, I was very much frightened, and for
a few moments considered in my mind what I should do. I thought if they
attempted to come near or to attack us I would try to scald them, as I had
plenty of hot water. But I suppose they deemed it prudent to keep at a
tolerable' distance, for women are dangerous; they generally fight with
formidable weapons, such as scalding water or the broom. At length they
disappeared and I saw no more of them. This was on Saturday.

   "The first of the next week the men finished their cabin, and William and
John McCain left for their homes in Ohio, leaving the other two with us. The
provisions we were unable to bring with us, such as corn and pork, were to be
provided for the winter; and by the time they were hauled up from Wildcat, for
they could not be had any nearer, cold weather set in so severe that we were
forced to live in our house all winter just as we first went into it. But we did
not suffer, for we kept a good fire in one end of the house and left an opening
in one end of the roof for the smoke to escape.

THE FIRST MILL.

   "There were no mills in reach of us, except Mr. Robinson's mill, which
answered a very good purpose for grinding corn, but even that, because of the
severe cold weather, froze up and we were obliged to make hominy and pound corn
to make meal for bread. We had brought two barrels of flour with us, but that we
had to use up immediately. We were blessed with good health and appetites and we
lived happy and contented. Neighbors} were very scarce, there being no more than
ten or eleven families on Deer creek from the Wabash up to where John Odell
lived, a distance of seven or eight miles, and but as many more a few miles
north of us on Rock creek.

   "The Indians were, for a year or two, more frequent visitors at our cabin
than were the whites, but they were always peaceable. After a long and tedious
winter, spring came at last, and brought with it all the comforts and delights
that a wild country was capable of affording. My husband cleared five acres for
our corn, and he soon made our cabin more comfortable. He laid a floor, having
hauled logs through the deep snow (for it was over two feet deep) to Mr.
Robinson's saw-mill. Mr. Robinson was kind enough to erect a small grist and
saw-mill for the accommodation of himself and those who might chance to follow
him. We also got a chimney up, and added several comforts that we stood in need
of. I believe that I felt as happy as a queen.

   "Spring brought with it its troubles as well as its beauties; for the
rattlesnakes were so numerous that we were in danger wherever we went. I was
continually afraid that our little son, in strolling: around, would be bitten by
one, or that one might crawl into the house, as they frequently did among the
neighbors; but we got along very well in that line.

AN OLD-TIME CRADLE.

   "We killed a great many snakes of every description. When I would be out
attending to my domestic affairs, working in the garden and milking, I had no
one to take care of my infant except my eldest child, and he did it well; for he
would sit and watch over his little brother and rock him in a sugar-trough,
which was a very good substitute for a cradle. Although many years have passed
since those events, yet I can never think of them without a shudder; to think
how easily the Indians might have slipped into the house in my absence and
carried off my little treasures. But they were protected and spared, I hope, for
better purposes. Our eldest son is now in the West (Kansas), at a missionary
establishment, teaching the young Indians.

   "Our family was small when we first came here, having but one child. Our
children now number eleven. We came here in high hopes, and our hopes have been
in a great way realized. We have labored and toiled and been greatly blessed
with health and with all the comforts of life. We have seen the great change
from a wilderness to a well-inhabited country of finely-cultivated farms;
comfortable buildings, towns and villages have dotted all over the beautiful
land. What astonishing improvements in the roads and travel.

CONTRAST OF MODERN TRANSPORTATION.

   "For years after we came here, if a man on horseback could ride from here to
Lebanon, Ohio, in five or six days, it was considered a very speedy trip. And
only think of the lazy ox trudging along for weeks, completely worrying down his
driver, who, with uplifted goad, with slow and weary-steps, is continually
trying to urge him on, but to no purpose. Not so with the fierce and warlike
iron horse; he goes thundering along at most fearful speed and carries yon over
the same distance in one day. What a contrast! It is perfectly astonishing, and
yet it is even so.

                    [Signed]  DANIEL and MAGDALENA MCCAIN.

   The husband of this intelligent and excellent woman died on September 5, 1855.

   The Carroll county Old Settler's Society continued to hold its annual
reunions, changing the date from June to the second Saturday in August. In 1858
the meeting was held at the grove, east of the home of Samuel L. Milroy,
situated on the Delphi and Camden road.

   In 1872 the society held its annual meeting at the grove west of Delphi, then
known as "Lenon's Grove," and continued to meet at this grove until the year
1902, when the meetings thereafter were held in the public square in the city of
Delphi. The annual meeting of the year 1915 was the sixtieth annual reunion of
the society.

A LARGE MEMBERSHIP.

   During the sixty years more than eight hundred names of persons, who, for at
least forty years, had resided in Carroll county have been entered on the roll
book. The roll book shows the place and date of the birth of the members, and
when they came to the county. It also shows the date of death of members.

   During this period of sixty years the following named old settlers have
served as president of the society: Abner Robinson, James Odell, Vine Holt, John
B. Milroy, Robert Fisher, Samuel G. Greenup, Isaac Jackson, Dr. Charles Angel,
William Young, David B. Julian, L. B. Sims, Isaac Bragunier, Amos Graham, Joseph
L. Grantham, John W. Jackson, W. H. McCain, John S. Case, John D. Wilson, John
S. Armitage, Charles Buckley, Joseph W. Hanna, A. N. Holmes, William E. Beck. Of
the above, Abner Robinson served twenty-three years consecutively; Dr. Charles
Angel, six years.

   Dr. James H. Stewart was the first secretary, and served twenty-four years.
Enoch Cox served three years. John C. Odell was elected secretary in 1882 and
has been acting in that position to the present date, now thirty-three years.

THE BIG MEETING OF  1884.

   The attendance upon these occasions of the annual reunions has uniformly been
large. The largest meeting, so regarded, was in the year 1884, when the crowd
was estimated at ten thousand persons. Since the meetings were changed from the
West Delphi grove to the public square in the city of Delphi, the reunions have
been financed by the Delphi Business Men's Association, relieving the society of
any expenses.

SOME OF THE SPEAKERS.

   There are noted the names of eminent men who have addressed the meetings, as
an evidence of the efforts to make these reunions something more than a local
affair: Judge Andrew Ingram, in 1856; Gen. R. H. Milroy, 1857; James Blake,
1866; Charles B. Lasselle, 1869; Rev. Aaron Wood, 1873; Judge D. P. Baldwin,
1875; James C. Suit, 1880; Major J. W. Gordon, 1882; Col. W. C. Wilson, 1884;
Col. J. B. Maynard, 1885; Hon. I. D. G. Nelson, 1886; Rev. B. F. Foster, 1887;
Col. J. W. Ray, 1888; Hon. D. H. Chase, 1889; Rev. J. A. Maxwell, 1890; Maj. S.
L. McFaddin, 1891: Hon. John W. Kern, 1892; Hon. Milton Garrigus, 1895; Hon.
William Cumback, 1896; Rev. D. R. Lucas, 1897; United States Senator C. W.
Fairbanks, 1899: Rev. G. W. Switzer, 1904; Judge T. H. Palmer, 1905; Rev. C.
McCain, 1906; Hon. M. E. Foley, 1907: Dr. C. E. Scholl, 1909; Rev. A. R. Delong,
1910; Hon. P. H. O'Donnell, 1911; Rev. M. H. Appleby, 19T2; Rev. W. H. Hickman,
1913; Rev. I. S. Wade and Hon. A. O. Reeser, 1914; Rev. G. M. Myers, 1915.

   The secretary of the society has preserved over one hundred biographies of
deceased old settlers.

ANOTHER REMINISCENCE.

   At the annual meeting, August 8, 1868, the following letter, written by
Frances Sterling, wife of Thomas Sterling, one of the first settlers, vividly
portrays the scenes, conflicts and experiences, incident to life of the
pioneers. The letter follows:

   "On the 16th of February, 1825, I, in company with Mr. Odell's family, left
Wayne county, Indiana, to emigrate to 'the Wabash country. Our journey lasted
fourteen days. We had rain every day except two during our trip. The men would
cut brush on which to lay our beds to sleep. Our clothes would be wet upon our
backs in the morning, sometimes. The country from White river to the Wabash was
an unbroken wilderness, uninhabited except for a few Indians. We got along
tolerably well until we got this side of Thorntown, when our wagon broke down;
then I got into John Odell's wagon and rode to Potatoe creek. There John Little
met us with a horse and a yoke of oxen.

   "My husband went to the South fork of Wildcat creek to old Mr. Odell's, after
a wagon. We encamped at Potatoe creek that night. The next morning I started
with Mr. Little for his home on Flint creek, twenty-five miles distant. I got on
the horse, with my babe in my lap, with Mr. Little on foot in advance. Sometimes
it rained and then it snowed as fast as it could come down. I was on the horse
from sunrise until dark with a two-year-old child in my arms. You may be sure I
was very much fatigued.

CHILLS AND FEVER.

   "The next day, March 2, my husband came with our goods. On the day following
he was taken sick and kept down about six weeks. We thought he would die. We had
no doctor or any medicine. John Odell came to see us and brought a dose of
tartar emetic and some blister flies. These, with some butternut pills, composed
our stock of medicine, with a bottle of Bateman's drops, which we used as a
anodyne. He recovered and we all kept well until August, when he was attacked
again with fever and ague, and was very sick for some time. I was confined the
21st of August, and could procure a nurse but for two days, when I had to get up
and perform my work as best I could. A man named Luce took sick and died near
us. As almost everybody was sick, my husband and myself had to see to him. My
husband was sick and my babe was only a week old. We succeeded in getting help
to dig the grave of Mr. Luce, and Mordecai Ellis made his coffin by splitting a
basswood tree, dressing the boards with a broad ax and jack-plane and painting
them black. He made quite a decent looking coffin.

A PIONEER MOTHER.

   "Another family came to the neighborhood, who settled on Deer creek, on what
is now known as the Milroy farm, who all got sick and lost a child, who is
buried near the spot we now occupy. Their name was Galbraith. They wanted me to
wash for them, as they had no washing done for six, weeks. I told them I would
try and I did try and performed as large a day's work as ever I did, when my
babe was but three weeks old.

   "The next December my husband came up to Deer creek and built a cabin. On
February 15, 1826, we started for our new home. We arrived here on Deer creek on
the 19th. The weather was very cold, and we stopped at John Carey's and got some
fire—we had no matches those times. We drove up to the cabin; I crawled under
the wall, scraped away the snow and kindled a fire while the men sawed out a
door. The snow was about shoe-top deep in the house.

   "We threw down some clapboards and on them we placed our beds. We slept
inside, and the hogs outside. The next morning the mud was as deep in our cabin
as the snow had been the evening before. The weather was cold. We built a log
heap in our cabin, but still we almost froze. My husband would hew puncheons all
day and chink our cabin at night We were nearly three miles from our nearest
neighbor.

A LONG TRIP TO MILL.

   "We brought corn meal with us sufficient, as we thought, to last until after
planting; but it gave out, and I had to pound corn in an iron pot with an iron
wedge driven into the end of a handspike, and sift it through a basket lid. We
used the finest of the meal for breakfast and the coarse for dinner and supper.
We got our corn planted about the first of June and then went to mill in a
pirogue, down the Wabash, to a little corn-cracker, near where Lafayette now
stands. I was taken sick about the first of July, and both our children were
sick. I shook for forty days with the ague, without cessation. We then got some
quinine, which stopped it for ten days. I got able to ride on horseback and
while going to see John Ballard, who was sick at Mr. Odell's, my horse became
frightened and threw me off; that brought on the ague more severely than ever
and it held on to me until Christmas. I never saw a woman, except Sarah Odell,
for three months. My husband was cook, washerwoman and milkmaid during that
time. In October my husband had to leave home for three days and I was left
alone with my two children.

DANGER FROM WILD ANIMALS.

   "One night our dog fought some animal near the door, which had no shutter but
a quilt. I was very much frightened and our faithful dog was almost killed. He
could not walk the next day. John Ballard stayed at our house after that till my
husband returned.

   "Forty-two years have passed since those times. I have seen our country
rapidly settling and improving. There were but eleven families in Carroll county
in 1826. One generation has passed away, another has succeeded. There are but
two families left whose united heads still live,— Abner Robinson and ours.

   "A few of the old settlers have emigrated to distant lands, but the greater
number have passed to that bourne from whence no traveler returns. We who are
left expect soon to cross the river and join them in that better land, where
sickness and sorrow, pain and death are feared and felt no more."
                                  [Signed] "FRANCES STERLING."

BURLINGTON  OLD SETTLERS' SOCIETY.

   The Burlington Old Settlers' Society was organized in the year 1874, at
Burlington, and is composed of pioneers of the counties of Carroll, Clinton and
Howard. The officers were: William Runnion, president; Dudley Millner,
vice-president, and Samuel C. Rodkey, secretary. John T. Gwinn, S. C. Rodkey,
Clark Gwinn, Susie Anderson, Catharine Smith, James Stonebraker, Sarah E.
Robertson, Samuel Fellows, Lydia Harmon, B. Stockton, J. A. Miller, Hannah
Miller, O. M. Barnard, Joseph Gwinn, J. M. Darnell, William Harness, Harvey
Runion, J. L. Johnson, Isaac Watson, Samuel Weaver, Robert Johnson, A. G. Moore,
J. T. Johnson, J. C. Smith and others were members of the society. The meetings
are held on the last Saturday of August, at Burlington, and immense crowds
attend. The president, James L. Johnson, died on August 3, 1915.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY INDIANA

ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS
BY
JOHN C ODELL
With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and
Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families

ILLUSTRATED
1916
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana


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