Howard County IN Archives History - Books .....Organization And Early History 1909
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Book Title: History Of Howard County Indiana

ORGANIZATION AND EARLY HISTORY.

   Howard county was organized in 1844. For three years it was known as
Richardville county in memory of the Miami Indian, Chief Richardville, the
successor of Little Turtle.

   The county was formed wholly out of the Miami Indian Reserve. Ervin, Monroe
and Honey Creek townships were a part of the seven mile strip sold off of the
west side of the reserve and given by the government to the state of Indiana to
use the proceeds of the sale of these lands for the completion of the Wabash and
Erie canal. After the Indians had sold this strip, Ervin and Monroe townships
had been annexed to Carroll county, which had been organized in 1828, and Honey
Creek had been annexed to Clinton county, which had been organized about 1830.
The remainder of the county was formed from their final sale of the "'Reserve"
in 1840 and on which the Indians were granted five years to give possession. The
white man had possession of the territory surrounding the "Reserve": he was
anxious to move into the new possessions. It was to the incoming tide of
settlers a real "Promised Land". The Indians had chosen it from all their
possessions as being the choice. It was a goodly land. It originally contained
the choice lands from the Wabash southwards, along Big and Little Deer creeks,
along Big and Little Wild Cats and tributaries and along Kokomo creek. While it
was an almost unbroken forest, the trees were tall and stately, denoting a rich
and productive soil. It is true that those early comers did not see in the giant
poplar, walnut, ash and oak trees the wealth that a later generation would have
found. In those vast sugar orchards they saw an obstruction to the use of the
land as cultivated fields; but in the rolling lands along the creeks they
saw-golden opportunities to make pleasant, comfortable homes.

THE COUNTY OF RICHARDVILLE.

   To prepare this land for settlement as soon as the Indians should go, an act
was passed by the legislature and approved January 15, 1844, to organize the
county of Richardville. In the forming of Richardville county only Ervin and
Monroe townships west of the boundary line were added to the county. Honey Creek
township was not made a part, until several years later. John Moulder, then of
Parke county, Himelias Mendenhall, of Miami county, John Armstrong, of Carroll
county, Oliver Raymond, of Wabash caunty, [sic] and Samuel Calip, of Hamilton
county, were appointed commissioners to permanently fix the seat of justice; and
these commissioners were instructed to meet at the house of John Harrison in
this county on the 2d Monday in May, 1844, to proceed with their duty. And it
was ordered by that act that on and after the 1st day of May of that year, the
county of Richardville should enjoy all the rights and jurisdiction which to a
separate county belong. It was made the duty of the sheriff of Carroll county to
notify the commissioners of their appointment and place of meeting. By this act
the circuit and other courts of Richardville county were ordered to be held at
the house of John Harrison until other accommodations should be provided. The
circuit court was ordered to be held on Thursday succeeding the court of Tipton
county, and "shall continue three days if the business require it." Also by that
act Richardville was attached to Carroll county for representative purposes, and
to Carroll and Clinton for senatorial purposes. The house of John Harrison
referred to in the act was about seven miles wrest of Kokomo, on the south side
of Wild Cat creek, in the northwest quarter of section 2. It was a double log
house, and the largest in this settlement.

   The commissioners appointed to fix the county seat met at the time and place
fixed in their order. All were present. Mr. Armstrong was a surveyor and had his
instruments with him. There was a large gathering of pioneers at Harrison's.
Some of them wanted the site of the county town at Harrison's, others at
Cromwell's mill, about two miles east, but a large majority favored the site at
Kokomo. The commissioners viewed the sites at Harrison's and Cromwell's mill and
then came to Kokomo.

ONE HOUSE IN KOKOMO.

   There was then no improvements at Kokomo except David Foster's log house, log
barn and a small clearing around them. On the south side there were two or three
Indian huts and a small field. What is now- the business district of Kokomo was
covered with a dense forest of great trees and a thick undergrowth, the greater
part being swampy, presenting a very uninviting appearance.

   The commissioners examined, both sides of Wild Cat and unanimously decided
that the south side should be selected. Foster refused to make the donation on
the south side, alleging, it is said, that the south side was dry and very
fertile and well suited for the making of a good farm, while the north side was
swampy, hard to clear and not very fit for a farm. The commissioners remained
with him two days trying to induce him to yield to their choice. He was obdurate
and the commissioners finally agreed to the site on the north side. His donation
was forty acres. The donation as made by Foster and accepted by the
commissioners began at the northwest corner of the LaFountain Reserve, thence
east with the north line of the Reserve to the west side of Union street, thence
south along the west side of Union street to a point about seventy-four feet
south of High street, thence west to a point about one hundred feet west of
Washington street, thence north to the beginning. By agreement the rude fence on
the north line of the cleared "patch" about the house and barn was to be the
south line of the donation, and the north line of the float section was to be
the north line of the donation. Looked at from a present day standpoint this was
a magnificent donation. In that early day it was far different. No lands had
been surveyed east of the boundary line except the Indian Reserve, of which this
was a part. The time of the Indians had not then expired and they were still in
the neighborhood. Lands were rated as worth two dollars an acre.

   In addition to the donation of land, Foster paid the expenses of the locating
commissioners. They made their report to the county commissioners in called
session on the 17th day of August following recommending the acceptance of the
Foster donation. The county commissioners formally accepted the report, and
David Foster delivered the deed to the land December 5th following.

FIRST ELECTIONS.

   The first election held in any part of what is now Howard county was in the
presidential election of 1840. The voting precinct was at the house of John
Harrison and included all the voters in that part then attached to Carroll
county. Twenty-four votes were cast and resulted in a tie; twelve Democrat and
twelve Whig votes. The first election under the county organization was held May
27, 1844, at which the following county officers were chosen: clerk, Franklin S.
Price; auditor, Benjamin Newhouse; recorder, Austin North: treasurer, Harless
Ashley; sheriff, John Harrison: county commissioners, John Lamb, Benjamin
Fawcett and David Bailey.

   The county commissioners held their first meeting June 17th, following their
election, meeting at the home of John Harrison. At this session they divided the
county into three townships; the west one being Monroe and including all west of
the boundary line, the middle one Kokomo, extending from the boundary line east
to a line running north and south through or near Vermont and all the remainder
formed Greene township. Little else was done at this session.

   The regular session, meeting on the 1st Monday in September, was held at
David Foster's. At this term Peter Gay was appointed county agent and Austin C.
Sheets, county surveyor, who was directed to plat the donation into town lots
and thus to make the beginning of Kokomo. The other subordinate officers were
appointed so that the local government was ready for the county. The first tax
levy was also made, consisting of twenty-five cents on each one hundred dollars
valuation and twenty-five cents poll tax.

   At the December term, 1844, the board ordered an election to be held in each
of the three townships on the 3d Monday in January, 1845, to elect a justice of
the peace for each township. At this term they granted the first retail liquor
license to Charles J. Allison. His license fee was ten dollars. In the
succeeding year the commissioners raised the fee to fifty dollars. Mr. Allison
was the first licensed retail liquor seller in Howard county; he was also the
first liquor law violator, having been indicted for violating the license law
while holding this first license. At the September term Charles Price had been
appointed county assessor; and at this term he was allowed thirty-four dollars
and fifty cents for his services in making the assessment for the whole county.
At this term the commissioners acted upon the first road report. During the
early history of the county much of the time of the board of commissioners was
taken up in ordering the location of roads or public highways, and in hearing
reports of such roads as were located. As showing the lack of accuracy and
permanency of much of the work then done, a few of these reports are here
transcribed. The first report was made by Isaac Price, Jonathan Hayworth and J.
C. Barnett, viewers: "In pursuance of the order of the board, we have viewed and
laid out a road of public utility, to-wit: Beginning at the forks of Honey
Creek, and running the nearest and best route in the direction of Peter Duncan's
tavern, on the Michigan road, ending at the county line."

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.

   J. C. Barnett and J. C. Chitwood made this report on a road they were ordered
to view: "We viewed the same, commencing near the southwest comer of section 30,
in township 24 north of range 2 east; thence northeast to the south end of
Abraham Brubaker's lane; thence through said lane to the north end of the same;
thence northeast to the quarter post between Judge Ervin and William Cullup's
farms; thence north to Judge Ervin's fence; thence northeast along said fence to
the mouth of Judge Ervin's lane; thence through said lane; thence northeast to
the northeast corner of section 29 and so on, and report the same of public
utility." In a few years this road was lost and could not be found. Another
county road was located by Rich Staunton and George Taylor, as follows:
"Commencing at New London; thence with the Delphi and Muncie state road to Mr.
Walls': thence east via Miles Judkin's lane to James Shank's on Little Wild Cat;
thence east to Laomi Ashley's; thence east to a school house near McCune's."

   It must be remembered that these were the pioneers of a new country; that
they were very busy in clearing and making farms out of the wilderness as well
as attending to the public business; and that they had enough to do in looking
after the pressing needs of the hour without planning for the future.

   At the March term, 1845, the board took preliminary steps for the building of
a court house. They decided that it should be twenty-four feet square, two
stories high, and built out of hewn logs, and covered with boards three feet
long and showing one foot to the weather. David Foster and Dennis McCormack were
appointed to let the contract, which was taken by Rufus L. Blower at
twenty-eight dollars.

   Arrangements also were commenced for the building of a jail. This was built
of hewn timbers twelve inches square throughout, walls, floor and ceiling; the
logs notched down close and boarded on the outside, and double doors of two-inch
oak plank. The lock to the door was made by Judge Thomas A. Long; the key was
about ten inches long and weighed about four pounds. The building was to be
eighteen feet by twelve feet in the clear.

   At this session the report of T. A. Long, one of the commissioners appointed
by the legislature to view a state road from Burlington, in Carroll county, by
the way of Kokomo to Marion, in Grant county, was made to the board, this being
the first state road through the county.

   Most of the time of the board was taken up in making orders directing various
officers and other persons to perform certain services for the public good, and
in appointing various petit officers in the townships where the rapidly
increasing settlement of the country seemed to demand it, and the looking after
public property as is evidenced by this order: "It appearing to the satisfaction
of this court that H. C. Stewart has taken eight pieces of plank from the court
house, and that others have done the same, it is ordered that David Foster be
requested to call on all such persons as have taken lumber and require them to
return it in fifteen days."

   It was no unusual thing in those days for persons to use any lumber
lying-around loose. Lumber was very scarce and in great demand in fitting up
houses to live in, and only one slow going saw mill in many miles. It seems the
lumber was returned as there is no further mention of it.

   At the September term, two state roads were located; one from Kokomo to
Michigantown and one from Kokomo to Peru. At the December term, the court house
was accepted of the contractor. R. L. Blower, after deducting two dollars from
the contract price for some defect in the work.

   At the June term, 1846, Harles Ashley, the first county treasurer, made his
first report to the county commissioners, showing the receipts and expenditures
for the first year of the county: "Received for the year ending June 1st, one
thousand twenty-one dollars and forty-four cents; paid out for the same time
nine hundred and eighty-four dollars and fifty-one cents: balance in treasury,
thirty-six dollars and ninety-three cents." He was paid one hundred and
twenty-five dollars and twenty-five cents for his services. The assessed
valuation of personal property for the year 1846 was sixty thousand one hundred
and forty-three dollars, real estate, fifty-eight thousand six hundred and
ninety-five dollars, total, one hundred and eighteen thousand eight hundred and
thirty-eight dollars. At the same term the board received the jail of
contractor, James H. Johnson, paying him one hundred and seventy-eight dollars
and ten cents for its construction. At the December term, 1846, Howard county
was subdivided into nine townships—Center, Ervin, Monroe, Clay, Harrison,
Taylor, Howard, Jackson and Greene. At this term the board appropriated one
hundred dollars for the building of a bridge across Wild Cat where the New
London road crossed it.

NAME CHANGED TO HOWARD.

   The name Richardville was not satisfactory: many advocated a change. In the
discussions that followed, some advocated the union of Richardville and Tipton
with the county seat at Sharpsville. Others advocated the division of the county
and the formation of a county out of the western part of Howard and the eastern
part of Carroll and the county seat to be at Burlington; others wanted a new
name. N. R. Lindsay, a young attorney, was elected to the legislature this year
and was a staunch friend to Kokomo remaining the county seat, and at the
convening of the legislature in December, 1846, he and John Bohan, C. D. Murry
and David Foster were present as also were the friends of the other interests.
The Hon. T. A. Howard, a popular Democratic politician, who had recently died,
had many friends in the legislature who wished to perpetuate his memory. The
friends of the county and the county seat, remaining the same without change,
took advantage of this sentiment and late in the evening a bill was prepared
changing the name from Richardville to Howard, and the next morning upon the
assembling of the house, one of the friends of Howard, while the other parties
were still in rooms near the legislature hall preparing bills to spring upon the
legislature, arose in his place and offered the following bill:

   An act to change the name of Richardville county.

   Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana,
that the name of the county of Richardville be and the same is hereby changed to
that of Howard.

   Sec. 2. Nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to in any
manner affect any of the rights or liabilities of said county or any of the
citizens thereof, but the said county shall be entitled, under the name of
Howard, to all the rights, and be subject to all the liabilities the present
county of Richardville is entitled or liable to.

   Sec. 3, This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage
and it is hereby made the duty of the secretary of state to forward a certified
copy of this act to the clerk of the circuit court of said county.

   The bill was immediately put upon its passage, quickly taken to the other
house and passed, taken to the governor and approved and the name was Howard
before the others knew what was happening. It is related that some of the other
parties coming in later and calling up the matter of Richardville county, a
member arose and called the gentleman to order saying—"there was no such county
as Richardville in Indiana; there was a county of Howard, but Richardville,
Richardville—that county must be in some other state." A good natured laugh was
had and after some explanation all seemed to be satisfied.

   The act was approved by the Governor, December 28, 1846, and the act was
filed with the clerk of the circuit court on the 13th of February, 1847, and
from that date all business was transacted in Howard county.

COUNTY TREASURER'S REPORT.

   At the June term, 1847, the county treasurer's report showed, receipts one
thousand two hundred and ten dollars and seventy-four cents, expenditures one
thousand one hundred and fifty-three dollars and thirty-three cents. The
previous year the receipts were one thousand twenty-one dollars and forty-four
cents and expenditures nine hundred and eighty-four dollars and fifty-one cents.
For the following year, 1848, receipts were two thousand one hundred and
ninety-seven dollars and eighty-six cents, expenditures one thousand six hundred
and eighty-five dollars and ninety-seven cents. For the year 1849, receipts were
two thousand eight hundred and ninety-two dollars and three cents, and
expenditures two thousand four hundred and fifty dollars and fifty-six cents.
For the year 1849 the assessed valuation of property was one hundred and
forty-eight thousand three hundred and ninety dollars. The assessed valuation in
1846 was one hundred and eighteen thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight dollars.

   These figures show a very gradual increase in Howard county values. It must,
however, be borne in mind that the people who came to Howard county to make
homes were of very limited means when they came here and any increase must come
from the ground by their labor; that this land was covered with heavy forests
that had to be largely cleared away before growing a crop. While clearing their
lands they did well to provide themselves with food and clothing. The privation
and hardships endured by them can not be realized by those who have never gone
through similar experience. These men of limited means and opportunity for
anything but hard work had all the public business to attend to in addition to
making their clearings and paying for their lands when the time came for making
the entries. They also came from different localities, each having a method of
its own for transacting business, many of them without experience. Thus it is
not a matter of wonder that much of their public work was crude and imperfect
and without any regular form.   Experience in their case proved a good teacher,
and they soon acquired habits of correct and regular transaction of the public
business. It is said of the officers of these early years of the county, that
they were not controlled by rings nor special interests; that they put forth
their best efforts to serve the people. In 1853 Greene and Jackson townships
were subdivided into three townships—Liberty, Jackson and Union, and in 1858
Samuel Woody and Elijah Johnson presented a petition of several citizens of
Clinton county asking to be annexed to Howard county. Early in 1859 the formal
proceedings were completed and Honey Creek township was added to the roll of
Howard county townships, making, as it has since remained, a county of eleven
townships.

SURVEYS.

   The boundary line and all lands west of that line were surveyed in 1838.
Because of the fact, that the seven mile strip was first surveyed and the lands
placed on the market, the first settlements were in this part of the county. The
remainder of the county was not surveyed until 1846-7. In this survey Benjamin
Harden, of Johnson county, Indiana, ran out the range and township lines; that
is, he blocked out the lands into districts six miles square. Van Ness, of
Logansport, subdivided these squares into sections one mile square, and on each
side of each section at the middle point a corner was established subdividing
the section into quarter sections. The whole system of range lines, township
lines and section lines is in accordance with directions from the general land
office at Washington. These general instructions for the survey of public lands
in Indiana required that all lands should be located with reference to two
principal lines—one running east and west and called the Base Line, and the
other running north and south and called the First Principal Meridian. The Base
Line is in the southern part of the state and the First Principal Meridian is
slightly west of the middle of the state and is five miles west of Howard
county. They intersect each other in the southern part of Orange county.

   The township lines run east and west, parallel to the Base Line and are six
miles apart. The first six mile strip north of the Base Line is in township 1,
north: the next six mile strip is in township 2, north, and so on north. Kokomo
is chiefly in township 24 north. Meridians or range lines run north and south,
parallel with the First Principal Meridian and are six miles apart. The first
six mile strip east of the First Principal Meridian is in range 1, east, and so
on east. A congressional township is one of these six miles square tracts
bounded on the east and west by range lines and on the north and south by
township lines. A congressional township is a square territory containing
thirty-six square miles or thirty-six sections. The sections in a township are
numbered by beginning at the section in the northeast corner and numbering that
1, and the next one west 2, the next one west 3, and thus to the west line, the
last one being 6, and then beginning at the west end of the next row- south
calling the first one 7, the next east 8 and thus until the east side is reached
and then starting at the east end of the next row south and going west and thus
back and forth until the south side is reached and the last section is number 36.

   From the organization of the county until the survey of the lands in 1846-7,
there had been a large incoming tide of settlers, and the county was rapidly
settled; but no one was able to tell where his lines were and two or more
settlers were liable to make improvements on the same tract of land, and it
actually occurred that some failed to get their improvements on the right tract
of land. There was more or less confusion in these first settlements.

THE PRE-EMPTION LAW.

   The pre-emption law was passed in congress, August 3, 1846. After its passage
settlers rapidly endeavored to secure homes in accordance with its provision.
The usual procedure in a claim was first to select a building site, then to cut
down the saplings and make some brush heaps and then to build a shanty ten or
twelve feet square of poles and cover it with bark or clapboards, and sleep in
it at least one night.

   It was his claim then and he could go back to move his family and no one else
could "jump" his claim. Some people did quite a business in taking and selling
claims. They would take as desirable a claim as they could and make some
improvement, and then sell out to a new comer and then take another and make
other improvements and sell again. A new comer often was willing to pay fifty
dollars or one hundred dollars rather than go back into marshy level lands away
from the rolling lands along the streams of water.

   That the public lands might become the homes of actual settlers certain
improvement and evidences of intention to settle upon them were required in
addition to the purchase price before the issuance of patents by the government
for the lands. The land offices for riling claims to these lands were at
Indianapolis for all south of township 24; at Winamac for all north of township
23, and west of range line 5; at Ft. Wayne for all east of range line 5 and
north of township 23.

   The old state constitution before its revision in 1850, attempted to make the
civil township identical with the congressional township. There were then three
township trustees for each township instead of one as now.

   By law the sixteenth section of land in each congressional township was set
apart for school purposes and when sold the money was to go into the permanent
school fund.

   Reference has already been made to the fact that at the first election held
in the county, the result was a tie, twelve Democrat and twelve Whig votes; that
was in the presidential election of 1840, and was in the portion of the county
west of the boundary line. In the fall of 1847 Dr. Corydon Richmond defeated Dr.
J. H. Kern (father of John W. Kern), by seventeen votes. Adam Clark, Democrat,
was elected county clerk in 1854 and again in 1858. In the election of 1858 the
county was so evenly balanced that the result of the election of county auditor
hinged on the admission of the vote of Honey Creek township. If the vote of
Honey Creek township was counted in the vote of Howard county, James A. Wildman,
Republican, was elected; if the vote of Honey Creek was not counted, Peter
Hersleb, Democrat, was elected. Honey Creek was attached to Howard county and
that gave Wildman, Republican, a majority. The political campaign of 1860 was
the most intense of any in its history. The Democrats were disposed to concede a
small majority in the county. Certain wagers were made by local Democrats that
Morton, Republican, would have a-majority not exceeding three hundred in the
county over Hendricks, Democrat. Morton's majority of more than six hundred was
a mighty surprise. The county since then has been overwhelmingly and uniformly
Republican, except in two instances, a Democrat having been twice elected surveyor.

   Since the county has taken fixed and permanent form it has been eleven miles
wide and twenty-seven miles long and has an area of two hundred and ninety-five
and one half square miles. Cass and Miami counties bound it on the north, Grant
on the east, Tipton and Clinton on the south and Clinton and Carroll on the west.

   The natural drainage of the county is good; Wild Cat flows through the entire
county from east to west; on the south side Kokomo creek and Little Wild Cat
creek and Honey creek flow into Wild Cat and thus drain or afford outlets for
drains for the south part of the county; On the north side Lilly creek, Pipe
creek and Deer creek drain or afford outlets for drains for that part of the
county.



Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA
BY
JACKSON MORROW, B. A.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. I
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

(circa 1909)


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