Hamilton County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter III - Clearing The Forest 1901
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 16, 2006, 5:08 pm

Book Title: A History Pf The Formation, Settlement And Development Of Hamilton County, Indiana

CHAPTER III.
Clearing the Forest.

   The east line of Hamilton County is crossed by White River near the town of
Perkinsville, and the river runs west on the north side of Strawtown and
continues to flow to the west for some distance after passing Strawtown, then
its course is a little west of south to the south line of Hamilton County,
passing into Marion County at the north line of what was once known as the Stipp
farm.

   The first settlers in this county found numerous small prairies on either
side of White River. They also found a few old Indian fields not far from the
river. Prior to the year 1822 these places were fenced in, improved and
cultivated by the pioneers and others. Cabins were built near by and when the
land came into the market this land was the first land entered, and if the
pioneers were not in a position to enter them, others more fortunate did so.

   Up to this time no organized effort had been made to attack the forest, but
the time was at hand for this attack to be made. So, soon after the land came
into market the pioneers who had failed to enter the lands upon which they had
at first settled, and others who came in for permanent settlement, entered lands
farther from the river, covered with a heavy growth of timber. A site for the
cabin was selected and the cabin built. These cabins were built the same as the
cabins heretofore described. Then the work of conquering the forest began. This
was done by selecting the portion or part of the land to be afterwards
cultivated. The timber upon such portion of the land as was intended to be
cleared, except so much as it was proper to reserve as rail timber or building
timber, was deadened or girdled. The settlers as a rule had no money to spend
upon improvements, so that the work in building houses and stables was done by
the settler and his family. The heavy work, such as erecting buildings and
rolling logs, was done by the pioneers joining forces and helping each other. It
was frequently the case that the pioneers in this exchange of work would be
required to travel from three to four miles from home. After the timbers that
had been deadened began to die and decay, the pioneer and his sons cut this
timber smooth. Then fires were built upon the bodies of the fallen trees about
eight feet apart. These fires were kept up until the logs were burned through,
rolling lengths. Then the work of rolling the logs into heaps began. This was a
heavy job. The pioneers were known to put in from ten to thirty days each in
this kind of work in one season. After the logs had been rolled into heaps the
business of picking the brush and trash left on the ground began. This was, as a
rule, a tedious and laborious job. Such work frequently extended until late into
the night, and it was not uncommon or unusual to see the pioneers' wives
assisting their husbands in this work. When we reflect that these pioneer cabins
were built upon forty, eighty or one hundred and sixty acres of heavily timbered
land, with not a stick amiss, except what had been taken for the buildings, it
would seem to be a hopeless task to convert it into farming lands. Yet by
perseverance and patience in time it was done. These early settlers also had to
contend with the wild animals found in the forests. Bears, wolves and panthers
were plenty and were a constant menace to the fowls and young stock, and even
small children were liable to attacks from some of them. Hundreds of acts of
heroism could be recorded in behalf of the pioneer men, women, boys and girls in
repelling the attacks of these wild beasts, some of which will be noticed in
this work as they occurred.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF THE FORMATION, SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF
HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA,
FROM THE YEAR 1818 TO THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR.
BY
AUGUSTUS PINCH SHIRTS.
1901.

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