Greene County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter XV Taylor Township 1884
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Book Title: History Of Greene And Sullivan Counties, Indiana

CHAPTER XV.

TAYLOR TOWNSHIP—OLD PLUMMER TOWNSHIP—PLACE OF HOLDING ELECTIONS—LAND ENTRIES —
THE PERMANENT SETTLEMENT — CORNELIUS WESTFALL — ANECDOTES — NOTED
LOCALITIES—BEAR STORIES—MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS ENTERPRISES—TANNERIES —
MILLS—SCOTLAND — MERCHANDISING — THE SCHOOLS — EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND — CHURCHES.

IN 1821, when Greene County was organized, Plummer Township (named in honor of
Thomas Plummer, a resident of the same and one of the first Board of County
Commissioners) was created with the following boundaries: "Beginning at the
northeast corner of Section 3, Township 6 north, Range 4 west; thence south with
the section line dividing 2 and 3 to the southeast corner of Section 34 in said
township; thence west with the township line dividing 5 and 6 to White River;
thence up said river with the meanders thereof to the township line dividing 6
and 7; thence east with the township line dividing 6 and 7 to the place of
beginning." From this it will be seen that Plummer Township comprised the
present townships of Cass and Taylor. An election of two Justices of the Peace
was ordered held in May, 1821, at the house of Cornelius West fall, with Mr.
Westfall as Inspector. This election resulted in the selection of O. T. Barker
and Frederick Slinkard. Levi Fellows and William Bynum were appointed Overseers
of the Poor; John Slinkard, Levi Fellows and Cornelius Bogard, Fence Viewers;
Andrew Slinkard, Constable; Cornelius Bogard, Road Superintendent. In 1822,
George Westner served as Township Lister or Assessor. Abel Westfall succeeded
Mr. Bogard as Road Superintendent. Cornelius Westfall was continued as
Inspector. Cornelius Bogard, Abel Westfall and John O'Neall became Fence
Viewers, and Peter R. Lester and William Barker, Overseers of the Poor. By this
time, the organization of the township was complete. Many of the early elections
were held at Thomas Bradford's, Peter Lester's, Thomas Plummer's, Cornelius
Bogard's, Frederick Slinkard's and elsewhere.

PLACE OF HOLDING ELECTIONS.

    In March, 1842, trouble which had been brewing for some time over the place
of holding elections resulted in an order from the County Board to settle the
difficulty at the polls, and, accordingly, the two places, Scotland and the
schoolhouse near William Barker's were voted for, resulting in the selection of
the former named place. At the Presidential election in 1844, the electors of
Polk and Dallas received 116 votes, and those of Clay and Frelinghuysen
thirty-eight, showing the strength of the Democratic party in the township. At
the election of 1848, the Cass and Butler electors received 158 votes, the
Taylor and Fillmore electors ninety-five, and the VanBuren and Adams electors
four. In June, 1849, the next year after this election, 151 citizens of Plummer
Township petitioned the County Board to have the township divided. The prayer of
the petitioners was granted, and, owing to the hot political contest of the
previous year which was yet fresh in the minds of the citizens, and in
accordance with their request, the two townships created were named in honor of
the two leading candidates for the Presidency, Cass and Taylor. The elections in
the latter were ordered held at Scotland.

LAND ENTRIES.

   The first entry of land in Taylor was made in October, 1816, on Section 10,
in the northwestern part, by John Hawkins. After that, the following entries
were made in that portion of the township in Congressional Township 6 north,
Range 4 west: John G. Gray, on Section 5, in June, 1817; N. H. Cochran, on
Section 31, in 1822; Robert Anderson, on Section 31, in July, 1820; and David
Wallace, on Section 31, in July, 1820. In that part of the township in
Congressional Township 6 north, Range 5 west, besides the entry of Mr. Hawkins,
were the following: John Shroyer, on Section 3, in 1819; Thomas Barker, on
Section 10, in September, 1819; Abel Burlingame, on Section 15, in 1817; William
Barker & Co., on Section 15, in 1818; Cornelius Bogard, on Section 15, in 1818;
Peter R. Lester, on Section 17 (Cass), in 1819; David Richey, on Section 22, in
1818; Christian Bruner, on Section 22, in 1819; Abel Westfall, on Section 26, in
1818; John S. Ritter, on Section 27, in 1825; and Robert Anderson, on Section
36, in 1820.

THE PERMANENT SETTLEMENT.

   It is likely that Abel Westfall was the first settler in the township,
locating there in 1818. About the same time, however, came the Richeys and the
Bogards, and within the next few years O. T. Barker, Thomas Barker, Ewell
Barker, George Anderson, John Ritter, Daniel Wallace, James Cochran, William
Cochran, Joel Benham, Morris Burnett, Charles Smith, Col. Levi Fellows, Robert
Anderson, John Summerville {a small lad), Nathaniel Cochran, Henry Cochran, old
man Lewis, James Cox, William Cox, John Rooth, Silas Fellows and others. Benham
arrived, it is said, in 1818, and Col. Levi Fellows the same year or the next.
The Cochrans were very early, reaching the township about the same time. The old
man Richey and his sons, Pleasant, William and Barney, were among the very first
in the township. The Wallaces, Andersons and Barkers did not arrive until the
twenties. There were two settlements early in the decade of twenties, around
Scotland (no village there then, of course), and around the old Fellows Mill, in
the extreme northern part. This mill had been erected as early as 1820, and was
the most famous in all the county for many years. The saw mill and grist mill
were combined, and both were well patronized. Another settlement, the first in
the township, was in the western part, where Cornelius Bogard, the Richeys, the
Cochrans and others lived. It is said that old man McDaniel built the second log
cabin in the township. Abel Westfall had participated in the battle of
Tippecanoe in 1811, and, it is said, while on guard was the first to announce
the approach of the Indians under the Prophet by firing his gun. The Andersons,
Wallace, Haigs and others had come from Scotland, and all settled near each
other, which settlement from that time was called Scotland. The first marriage
was that of William Richey and Nelly Rumsers, the ceremony being performed by O.
T. Barker, Justice of the Peace, in September, 1821. The first birth is said to
have been a child of the Riehey family.

ANECDOTES AND NOTED LOCALITIES.

   There are several noted places in the township. The Alum Cave near Scotland
was named thus by the early settlers who found there pure alum in limited
quantities. This cave, though not a large one, was a great resort for bear in
early years. One was chased from there by the Hatfields, and killed near the
center of the township. Snake Hollow was named for the great number of snakes
found there, especially in the spring of the year. In this hollow was a brackish
spring, which was frequented by the deer, and was watched many a night by the
early settlers. Cornelius Bogard killed several bears in the township. One day
he was out deer hunting with his dogs, and while passing along a ridge in
Daviess County, it is said, saw in the light fall of snow the tracks of a large
bear. His dogs took the track, baying as they went, and he followed on as fast
as he could, for the tracks were fresh, and he knew the dogs would soon come up
with bruin. After awhile he could tell from their howls that they had stopped,
and had no doubt treed the animal, and he hurried on, crossing the line of the
county and entering the southwestern part of Taylor Township, and soon arrived
to where his dogs had a large bear treed in an oak. After he reached the spot,
it took him just about two minutes to prime his rifle and to bring the bear down
from the tree dead. Mr. Bogard also killed many deer. Old man Doan, the .pioneer
hunter of Cass Township, killed a panther on Spring Creek, Taylor Township, at a
very early day. He was returning from a hunt at nightfall, so the story runs,
and, while following the bend of the stream, suddenly heard a peculiar purring
noise and a rustling of leaves and a scratching of claws on the bark of a tree,
and, while looking sharply in that direction, saw some large animal leap from
the branches of one tree to the trunk of another. He saw the creature moving
along the limbs as if trying to get away, and, hurrying toward it a few rods,
fired and brought it badly wounded to the ground. It could not escape, and a
second shot ended its life.

BEAR STORIES.

   The Richey family had some thrilling experiences with wild animals. One day
when the men were away from home, and just a short time before dark the women in
the cabin suddenly heard a great commotion among a small drove of hogs that were
feeding within a few yards of the house, and instantly afterward heard one of
them squeal terribly as if in the greatest distress, and looking out of the door
and window saw that a large bear had fastened with teeth and claws upon one of
the fattest porkers, and was busily engaged in tearing it in pieces alive. This
was more than the women could bear, so with clubs they ran out shouting, trying
to scare the bear, but did not succeed, whereupon one of the girls caught up a
heavy handspike, and running up gave the animal such a blow over the back that
its spinal column was broken. A few more blows over the head finished the work
for Mr. Bruin. The unfortunate sus scrofa was so mangled that it died that night.

   On another occasion, Pleasant Richey and John Miller, when hunting near the
edge of Daviess County, found a big bear up in a tree trying to get at a hive of
wild honey that was stored in a branch which was half rotten. The animal seemed
to know what was necessary, for it would gnaw at the limb next the trunk from
the hive, and then would go out on the end as far as possible and sway up and
down, endeavoring to break the limb off. They watched it repeat this intelligent
act many times, until at last the branch broke off, and bear, bees, honey and
limb came down to the ground together. The hunters then killed the bear with two
shots. Many other stories similar to these might be told.

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.

   Various industries have flourished in the township since the earliest time,
which deserve more than a mere mention in these pages. The earliest settlers
went to Washington, Daviess County for all their supplies of store goods,
ammunition, and flour, but after a very short time the old Fellows Mill and
others, some of which were operated by horsepower, were put in operation, and
then these were largely patronized, although the store trade still continued to
come from Washington. As early as 1823 or 1824, John Ritter built a small corn
cracker on Doan's Creek. A dam was built, and on the end of this was the log
mill with frame below. The stones used were "nigger-heads," taken from the hills
in an irregular, oval or circular shape and dressed down by blacksmiths. This
was quite a good mill in its day and was well patronized. It was owned by the
Cochrans later, but went down at a comparatively early period. Mention of the
Fellows Mill will be found in the chapter on Richland Township. Pleasant and
William Richey built a combined grist and saw mill on Doan's Creek below the
Cochran Mill not far from the year 1830. It cracked corn and ground a little
coarse flour which was bolted by hand, and answered the purpose of the immediate
neighborhood. It was afterward owned by various persons, finally by William
Barker. It was abandoned twenty or twenty-five years ago. The second saw mill on
Doan's Creek was built by John and Joseph Wilson, late in the twenties. It was
afterward owned by Cathcart, Higginbottom, Haig, Russell, Stanfield, and went
down on the hands of Akins and Mortland in the fifties. Asa Crook built a saw
mill on Doan's Creek during the forties which was operated ten or fiteen years.
Andrew Allen built a grist mill near Scotland about forty years ago. It was a
two-storied frame structure, about 30x30 feet, had an overshot wheel and was fed
by springs on the creek called Spring Branch. The mill ran until about ten or
twelve years ago, and its later owners were James Stone and Riley Stone. It was
a faithful old mill in its day. Before this mill went down, A. J. Dickey erected
a frame grist mill in the southeastern part, which has become one of the best
ever in the township. It is a steam mill, has two sets of fine buhrs, and the
grade of flour is first class.

   In about the year 1840, John Harrell sunk eight or ten vats below Scotland
and began doing a general tanning business. It is said that he owned a very
savage dog that would let no one approach the building unless some member of the
family was present. One day two boys of a neighbor, who were hunting near the
tannery, saw the dog trotting along through the woods toward home from an
obvious visit to some canine friend, whereupon, after deliberating a moment, one
of them drew up and shot the animal and the hide was taken off and the carcass
hidden in a ravine under a brush heap. As they were returning home with the
skin, it suddenly occurred to them to try the bold experiment of selling it to
the owner. It is said that this was actually done the next day and the boys
received 50 cents for it, and the owner dressed his own dog's hide and knew
nothing of it until years afterward. The tannery ran several years and was a
profitable enterprise. Reuben Bennington built a small distillery in the
twenties, and made a small quantity of corn and rye whisky for a few years,
until his buildings were burned. Alexander Plummer built another in the
thirties. It was a small concern, and ran eight or ten years. The Summit
Brothers operated a small distillery early in the forties for a short time.
Andrew Allen started a distillery about the same time he built his grist mill.
It was one of the best ever in the township, not only for the quantity but for
the quality of work done. Steam was used in its operation. The grist mill
furnished the meal. It was destroyed by fire. At the time Higginbottom owned the
Wilson Saw Mill, he conducted a distillery for a short time. C. C. Paris started
a distillery before the last war, which was continued until after the war.
William George conducted a small distillery after the war. James Stone built a
carding mill about four miles northeast of Scotland in the forties, which he
conducted there with success until the fifties, when he moved it to Scotland and
ran it until ten or twelve years ago, when it was abandoned. Considerable cotton
was grown in the county in early years. Some families raised ten or fifteen
acres, which yielded thousands of pounds. This was taken to the cotton-gins down
in Daviess County, where the seed was removed and the cotton prepared for
carding and spinning. Nearly all the early families made their own clothing—made
rude hats and made their own shoes or moccasins. Leather was bought from the
tanneries by the side, and was made by traveling shoe-makers into foot-wear for
whole families. Tailors traveled the same way, but the mothers were usually the
tailors. Clock peddlers came around and sold large wooden clocks for $30 or $40
each—when they could get that much. Wool was clipped, washed, carded, spun,
woven, colored, dressed, cut into suits and made by the pioneer mothers.

SCOTLAND.

   Late in 1834 or early in 1835, O. T. Barker took out a license and began
selling general merchandise on the present site of Scotland. No town had yet
been laid out, but the vicinity was known as Scotland for many miles around
owing to the half dozen or more prominent families living there. In August of
1835, Thomas Barker, Sr., and O. T. Barker employed Peter B. Lester, County
Surveyor, and laid out twenty-four lots on Section 36, Township 6 north, Range 5
west, and named the town thus begun Scotland. O. T. Barker erected a combined
store and dwelling of brick about this time, and placed in the store room his
goods. Before this was done, however, Charles Smith built a log dwelling where
the Catron store now stands, into which he moved his family; and immediately
afterward Thomas Phillips, a blacksmith, built himself a shop and began working
at his trade. It is said that the brick for the Barker house was burned by a
mulatto named Woodfork, west of town. It is said he had learned the trade of
molder in the penitentiary, where he served a term for some crime of which he
had been convicted.

MERCHANDISING.

   Mr. Barker had a good store and "kept a little wet goods with the dry," as he
himself observed. He started with about $1,000 worth, which was steadily
increased as the years rolled round, for Scotland proved to be a good trading
point, as it is yet Some five or six years later, one or two of the Gaineys
started another store at Scotland, and about the same time Mr. Barker seems to
have secured an interest in a store at Bloomfield; Riley Gainey seems to have
kept the store, though the license was taken out by Giles Gainey. Barker
continued to be the leading merchant at Scotland. James Steel, a shoe-maker,
built early in the village. Asa Crook started the first wagon and cabinet shop.
He is yet in the business. In 1845, George Anderson was selling liquor, and O.
T. Barker, John Barker and Riley W. Gainey were selling goods. A little later,
R. W. Gainey and W. S. Gainey were partners. John Haig, A. J. Vest, Franklin
Stark, Lindsey Stark, Dr. Brown and those named above were among the early
residents. O. T. Barker, it is said, was Postmaster as early as 1825. He held
the office many years, and was succeeded by Henry Owens. Since then the
Postmasters have been Asa Crook, Anderson Crook, Paris King, William Haig, John
Harnbaker, and A. B. Crook at present. Dr. Thomas Dagley was one of the first
resident physicians. Since him have been Brown, Huntington, James Dagley, R. A.
J. Benefiel, Martin, Sharpless, Hanon, Laughead, Beaty, Burk and O'Neall. The
present resident physicians are Hanon, Burk and O'Neall. The leading merchants
in about the order have been, since the town started, O. T. Barker, Riley W.
Gainey, Frank Stark, Barker & Dagley, Zachariah Catron, Sr., Crook & Haig, King
& Haig, Blackmore Bros., Haig & McElroy, Haig & Ingles, McConnell & Morrison and
others. At present are Paris King, Blackmore Bros., Haig & Ingles, Carton &
Laughlin, John Morrison, drugs, and William Woods, drugs. The latter is tavern
keeper at present, and his house is well spoken of by commercial men. He has a
large drug trade, and is a man of extended information. He is an old school
teacher. The present grist mill was erected by Mr. Stone ten or twelve years
ago. It is a two-storied frame building, has two run of stone, a
thirty-horse-power engine, and has a sawmill attached. Stephen Isenogle is
conducting a wagon shop at present. The Temperance Hall was built before the
last war by the Sons of Temperance. It was used as a schoolhouse.

THE TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS.

   No doubt the first term was taught in a small log cabin which stood southeast
of Scotland about one-fourth of a mile. It had been built for a dwelling, and
for a time had been occupied by some early family, but had been abandoned to the
bats and owls until transformed into the first temple of learning the township
had known. In about 1825, O. T. Barker held forth in this unpretentious building
with a flock of about twenty-five pioneer fledglings assembled to learn how to
fly out over the wide world to battle with life. Children from the families of
the Cochrans, the Burnetts, the Millers, the Barkers, the Summervilles, the
Benningtons and others were sent to him. He received $2 a scholar for the term
of three months. His school was highly successful. No other term was taught in
that house, but about the next year a log schoolhouse of the most primitive
description was built in what is now the southwestern part of Scotland, and Mr.
Barker was again installed as teacher. This log house had no window, but a log
was left out on one side, over which was what was very common then, though it
seems very strange now, greased paper, which shed rain and freely admitted the
light—no, not freely; a sickly, limited part of day came in at that source. The
great complement of light was from the roaring fire place, which shed a flood of
ruddy rays and comfort over the dismal room, and sent showers of sparks up the
broad chimney. This house was used about half a dozen years, another teacher
being John Wilson, and was then succeeded by a comfortable hewed-log house,
erected about three quarters of a mile northwest of Scotland. Thomas Barker was
the first teacher in this house. Jesse Wilson taught there, and is maliciously
remembered by some of the boys who went to him for his penchant for whipping. He
was a master of Solomon's specific for incorrigibility. Some time after this the
district was divided and another hewed-log schoolhouse was built near Mr. King's.

SCHOOLS OF SCOTLAND.

   The first schoolhouse in Scotland was built a few years before the last war,
and was a substantial frame building. Before that, various subscription schools
had been taught in business rooms, in the Temperance Hall and elsewhere by
Jackson Kelly, W. O'Neall, Ben Blackmore and others. In 1855, the scholars
barred Kelly out during the holidays and demanded a treat, and upon his positive
refusal captured him in a hand-to-hand contest, bound him securely, took him to
Doan's Creek, cut a hole in the ice and prepared to douse him, but just as his
head was about to be immersed, he capitulated unconditionally and treated the
scholars royally to candy and apples. This schoolhouse was used until the
present one was built, fourteen years ago.

   Another early and famous school was on the hill near the old Fellows Mill. It
is said that Elisha P. Cushman was either the first or one of the first teachers
in this rude log house. A Miss Cushman also taught there, and a man named
Patterson. School was taught in the western part at a very early date also. In
1831, the School Trustees of Plummer Township were Cornelius Bogard, Thomas
Plummer and William Richey. At this time there were four schools in the
township, that is, in the present Taylor Township. In 1846, there were seven or
eight. In 1853, the new school law came into effect, and new and better houses
were built.

THE TOWNSHIP CHURCHES.

   Late in the thirties, a Methodist class was formed near the center of the
township, and early in the forties a log church was built. Among the members
were the Millers, the Andersons, the Cuters, the Smiths, the Robertses, the
Haywoods and others. The class existed for many years, but finally church and
all disappeared. The Christian Church east of the old Methodist Church was
erected later. It is a comfortable frame building. Among the earliest members
were the Aults, the Feitzes, the Haywoods, the Connells, the Williamses and
others. The house is yet standing and the class still lives. The log Methodist
Church near Bogard's was built over thirty years ago, and among the members were
the Bogards, the Benhams, the Doneys, the Lesters, the Cramers and others.
Within the last ten or twelve years, a new frame church has been erected. The
Methodists organized a class in Scotland soon after the town was laid out. In
1846, Riley W. Gainey deeded to Cornelius Bogard, Lewis Chapman, John Miller,
Henry C. Owen and George S. Guthrie two lots in town, to be used upon which to
build a church and a parsonage. Among other members who belonged were A. B.
Crook, Cornelius Roberts, David Gordon, O'Donnell, Dagley, Nicholson, Wright,
Haig and many others in town and country. The church was built late in the
forties, and was the first in town. The class has been prosperous to the present
day. The old church was replaced with a new in 1SS2-83, at a cost of about
$1,000. The Baptists started next in town. Among the members were Riley W.
Gainey, John George, Thomas Sharpless, William Manley, Jabez Coombs, Frank
Whitaker, David Ledgerwood, and their families and others. Their church built
before the last war was soon destroyed by fire, but another was soon ready for
occupancy and is yet used. A Christian Church was also organized there early,
but they have owned no building. Joseph and John Wilson were ministers. O. T.
Barker, Isaac Cooper, William Dowden, James Sexton and members of their families
belonged The class ceased to exist long ago. The Presbyterians organized some
time before the last war, with Samuel McElroy, George McElroy, Robert Dobbs,
Joseph Wilson, Walter Garret, Robert Caldwell, David Asdell, old Mr. Rankin, and
members of their families and others were leading members. Their church was
built before the war and is yet used. The class is prosperous. Scotland is one
of the best towns in the State—not merely as regards business, but as regards
morals and intelligence.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF GREENE AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES,
STATE OF INDIANA,
FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE PRESENT; TOGETHER WITH INTERESTING BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES, REMINISCENCES, NOTES, ETC.

ILLUSTRATED.

CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROS. & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1884.

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