HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

                        CHAPTER 1

        LOCATION, ORGANIZATION, AREA, ALTITUDES, SOILS, ETC.

    In the year 1800, the territory northwest of the Ohio river, including
Indiana, comprised seven counties—Brown, Crawford, Jersey, Knox,
Michilimacinac, Randolph and St. Clair. The Brown and Crawford coun-
ties of that day are now found upon the map of the state of Wisconsin,
Jersey, Randolph and St. Clair within the state of Illinois, Michilimacinac
within the state of Michigan, while Knox, named in honor of General
Henry Knox, of the Revolution and Secretary of War under President
Washington, comprised, in the main, what is now the state of Indiana.
By the terms of treaties made with General Harrison, in 1809, at
Vincennes and Fort Wayne, this territory was ceded by the Delaware,
Miami and other Indians.
    In the year 1810, Indiana Territory proper comprised four counties
—Clark, Dearborn, Harrison and Knox, the last named including what
is now Clay county. In 1820, at the time of the taking of the first
census succeeding the admission of the state, the number of counties had
increased to thirty-five, when the territory of what is now Clay county
was included within Sullivan, Vigo and Owen counties.
    In 1817 Sullivan county was organized out of Knox and included
all the territory now comprised within Vigo and Clay counties and parts
of Greene and Owen. When Vigo and Owen were organized, in 1818,
the former included 132 square miles and the latter 168 square miles of the
area afterward organized into Clay county. In other words, the dividing
line between Vigo and Owen was range line number 6 west of the second
principal meridian. By observing the map it is seen that Clay county ex-
tends six miles farther south than Vigo—that town line number 8 north is
the south boundary line of Clay, and town line number 9 north the south
boundary line of Vigo. Then, that part of Clay county lying in town 9,
which is 60 square miles, continued to be a part of Sullivan county
until the organization of Clay, in 1825. Thus, it is seen, that in the
make-up of Clay county, territory was taken from Vigo, Owen and
Sullivan. not with standing the prevailing impression that the whole area
of the county was previously comprised within the two counties, Vigo
and Owen. Range line number 6, which was the dividing line between
Vigo and Owen counties to the point of intersection with town line

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