HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

	In 1832 or 1833, Jackson township was organized out of Washing-
ton and Posey, including the territory as now comprised within Cass and
Van Buren townships, and named in honor of Andrew Jackson, the
president. At some time prior to 1840, Dick Johnson and Van Buren
were organized out of Posey and Jackson. Accepting James M. Halbert
as authority, their organization took place in 1837, succeeding the inaugu-
ration of Martin Van Buren and Richard M. Johnson (known as “Dick
Johnson”) as president and vice-president, for whom these two town-
ships were named at the suggestion of Patrick Archer, a pioneer occu-
pant of the territory. In 1841 Cass township was organized and named
in honor of Lewis Cass, then prominent before the country as a states-
man and militarist and prospective candidate for the presidency, who had
passed through the county, over the old national road, at some time the
year before.
	Among the surviving pioneers of the south end of the county there
is diversity of recollection as to the time when Lewis township was
stricken off from Harrison and separately organized. Of those who
voted at the election of 1840 there are none now living, but it is main-
tained by survivors of those who were then of minor age that at the
election of that year the whole south end voted, as at previous elections,
at Middlebury precinct. However, it must be conceded that there is no
better authority on this point than A. J. Baber, from whose writings we
quote:
	“Lewis township, originally included within Harrison, became a
separate organization about 1835, embracing the territory from the north
line of Greene county to the Old Reservoir, about eleven miles in extent,
and from Eel river to the Vigo and Sullivan. county line, an average
width of four miles. The township was named for John Lewis, who
settled at a very early day and built the first cabin on the little creek just
south of the site of Jasonville, which was supposed to stand on the Clay
county side and within the borders of the new township, but on actual
survey, found to lie within Greene county. ‘Uncle John Lewis,’ as he
was familiarly called, was the pioneer who could play ‘Yankee Doodle’
on a mowing scythe with a whetstone, which he frequently did in the
time of hay harvest just to please ‘the boys.’”
	Carrithers township was organized very soon after the Mexican war
and at the time of the influx of population incident to the construction
of the Wabash and Erie canal and Splunge Creek Reservoir. It was
named for Alexander Carrithers, an exemplary young man raised in this
part of the county, who lost his life at Buena Vista, the only Clay county
soldier killed in battle in the Mexican war. This township had a cor-
porate existence of but five or six years, the territory having been partial-
ly depopulated with the completion of the canal and the feeder. It was
discontinued and dropped from the map at the December term of com-
missioners court, 1853, the territory apportioned out to the several town-
ships from which it had been taken as follows: That part lying south of
Splunge creek and Splunge Creek Reservoir and west of Eel river to
Lewis township; that part lying north of said creek and reservoir and
west of Eel river and Birch creek to Perry township; that part lying
east of Eel river to Harrison township, and that part lying between Eel
river and Birch creek to Washington township. During the time of the
existence of this township, or precinct, the voting place was at Rawley’s,
at the foot of the Old Hill.