HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY	619

Fifty years from this time, if the house he left standing upon this site,
it will be an historic monument of significance in memory of the status
of society and the struggle waged between the “wets” and the “drys”
in the first years of the century.

The Duncan Settlement.
	The extreme south end of Harrison township has long been popu-
larly known as “The Duncan Settlement,” or “The Duncan Corner,”
as it is, geographically, the southeast corner of the county, for the reason
that it was settled and improved at a very early day by a numerous
family of this name, who, half a century ago, numbered one-half the
population of this territory. Isaiah Duncan, a native of South Carolina,
born October 15, 1785, who, in his native state, acquired a homestead
of five hundred acres, which he sacrificed in the payment of debts for
which he had “gone bail,” came to Indiana in 1831, to start anew and
retrieve his loss, locating on a purchase made from a primitive occupant
named Scritchfield, which has ever since been in possession of the family,
on which now lives Obadiah Duncan, the youngest of a family of sixteen
children. About the same time, came, also, three brothers from the
Carolinas, John, Joshua and Eli Duncan, who, for a time, lived in Clay
county, but later on settled elsewhere, whose descendants are not now
found here.
	Isaiah Duncan did not come directly to Indiana on leaving Carolina,
but went first to Tennessee, thence to Ohio, thence to Illinois, where he
retraced his course, coming to Clay county, Indiana. Soon after locating.
here he made a trip to Ohio for apple-seeds, from which he produced the
original orchard in his territory, and from which, it is said, he gathered
fruit six years from the time of planting. A few years later on he was
joined by his nephews, George W. Duncan and Giles W. Duncan, who
walked all the way through from the Carolinas, whose father, George
Duncan, did not leave his native state. Giles W. Duncan afterward went
to Iowa, where he died, February 6, 1879, aged 82 years. George W.
Duncan acquired land and continued to reside in Clay county, having
owned and occupied what is now known as the Trump place, on the
southeast corner of which is the Duncan cemetery, where he resided
until his death, April 20, 1860, aged 42 years, 8 months and 19 days,
survived by his wife, Lovina Duncan, who died March. 7, 1877, aged 59
years, 3 months and 18 days. Of George W. Duncan’s children there is
but one survivor, Mrs. Mary Fiscus, who resides near the old Winters
place, in the border of Owen county. Patrick, Frank and Benjamin
Duncan, who reside within this territory are grand-sons, whose father,
Giles W. Duncan, was at one time engaged in merchandising at Middle-
bury, where he died thirty years ago.
	At the time of the Mormons’ proselyting this part of the country,
George W. Duncan joined and accompanied them to Nauvoo, but from
change of mind from disappointment or other cause, did not stay with
them, turning about, without as much as unloading his household, and
returning to Indiana. After coming back he proceeded to organize “The
Saints,” establishing churches and ordaining ministers. One society was
organized at the original Duncan school-house, which stood a little dis-
tance west of the Henry Willis residence, where preaching was regularly
maintained. In the work of instituting the church of “The Saints”
Duncan was joined by one John Fiscus, and it was currently said that the
two reciprocally baptized each other into the “Kingdom.” A short time