Tipton County IN Archives History - Books .....Cicero Township 1883 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 8, 2007, 4:30 pm Book Title: Counties Of Howard And Tipton, Indiana CICERO TOWNSHIP. BY M. F. COX. One who attempts to collate into anything like a history the important events and conditions of development of any portion of Tipton County, at once finds himself confronted on the threshold of his investigations with a newness which is inimical to speculation, and utterly destructive to that tendency to high-wrought imagery and to glowing passages of mystery and romance, in which so many writers have in all ages delighted. It is doubtless pleasing to the excursive mind to push back into the mildew and the mold of the semi-unknown and revel in conjecture and fancy; and it is no less gratifying to the reader whether he reads for instruction or amusement. Mankind delights in the skill which portrays in harmonious colors the possibles and the might-have-beens, and re-incarnates the crumbling skeleton of antiquity and clothes it in the apparel which toilsome research has conceived to be most fitting and appropriate. But the task of the present writer is allied to none of these. Its merit will depend upon an accurate statement of facts, stripped of any attempt at poetic veneering or the charm of sound. Many, if not all, of the matters .with which he is called upon to deal, and which it is his duty to rescue from the shadows which will soon deepen into darkness, are within the memory of men still living among us, now gray and venerable, but who came in the strength and vigor of their youth to subdue forests and to endure the trials and privations incident to pioneer life. Cicero Township, although it contains within its borders the seat of the county Government, can boast of nothing erected by civilized man which the world would call old. Until 1845, all that portion of it north of the Indian reserve line was occupied by the Miami Indians, and was their especial territory. But here and there a trespassing white man had located a claim, expecting to perfect his title when the red man should be removed. This-reserve line enters the western boundary of the township about four miles north of its southern limits, and, running north of east, strikes the eastern boundary about five and one-fourth miles north of the southern limit. All that part of the township south of the reserve line was then within Hamilton County, from which it was severed by the act of the Legislature, approved January 15, 1844, creating the county of Tipton. All muniments of title, therefore, to lands situated in this part were, prior to said date, recorded in Hamilton County, but they were afterward transferred to the Recorder's office in Tipton. The title of the Miamis was finally extinguished in 1845, and they were removed in that year to a reservation provided for them in Kansas. At the first session of, the Board of County Commissioners held at the house of Jesse Brown, located about one mile south of where is now the town of Tipton, on the 3d and 4th days of June, 1844, one of the first items of business was to divide the territory of the county into townships. It was accordingly ordered that the township of Cicero should be constituted as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of Section 32, Township 21 north, Range 5 east, thence north six miles, thence west six miles, thence south six miles, thence east to the place of beginning. Subsequently, the township was enlarged to its present dimensions, namely, eight miles north and south and eight and one-half miles east and west. It contains, therefore, 43,520 acres. The land south of the reserve line was surveyed chiefly in the spring of 1820, by William B. Laughlin, Deputy United States Surveyor, assisted by Charles H. Test. Mr. Test afterward held several judicial positions. He is still living, at a very advanced age, making his home most of the time in Indianapolis. The writer has heard Judge Test speak of this survey and of the incidents connected with it. The land north of the reserve line was not surveyed until the winter of 1842-43. It would seem that in the economy of nature this spot which for governmental convenience has been made and named a township, was designed almost solely for agricultural purposes. But, like the precious metals which are concealed in the bosom of the earth, or the pearls of the sea, which are hidden in the deep, it had to be reclaimed by a hard and persistent battle with obstacles not only irritating but stupendous. No soil is deeper, nor could it well be richer, not even by the application of the best known methods of artificial stimulation than is this just as it came from the crucible of the divine and eternal alchemist. That it might be prized more truly, heaven had decreed that, like the Tartar maid, it should yield only to the most daring and persevering of those who desired to possess it. It was necessary to separate it from the dross of superfluous water and timber. The water was valueless for commercial purposes, but the timber, tangled, luxurious and gigantic, was not by any means devoid of usefulness. For uncounted centuries its leaves had fallen each autumn with a profuseness and prodigality rivaling Vallambrosa, unconsciously enriching the ground beneath for the future sons of Jacob, who having grown aweary in the discouraging effort to raise corn among the stones, and hard clay of Canaan, were to find this their more than Egypt. Magnificent oak and walnut trees, with beech and ash scattered among them, thickly covered the soil. Of this timber, the most valuable has long since disappeared, some of it into fencing, some of it into houses and barns, some of it into firewood, and very much of it in the early days "before its value was fully realized and before a market was easy of access, vanished in the flame and smoke of the clearings. That which escaped primal destruction at the hands of the settlers, has been since greatly reduced in quantity, owners in some cases paying for their lands from the proceeds of the sale of the timber, and still finding in their possession a handsome surplus Vith which to meet needed improvements. But it is proper to state that a great deal of valuable timber remains, as each farmer has always been careful to leave sufficient standing upon his land for farm purposes. DRAINAGE. The topography of this township in common with the whole county for many years was not properly understood. It was believed by no inconsiderable number of people who prospected through here that the sur. face of the land was low and excessively flat, and that it was not susceptible of successful drainage. So sincere was this belief and so common was the error that it in a great measure accounts for the tardy and hesitating settlement. But the mistake was remedied as soon as it was known that there was a clear, well-defined elevation in the township which afforded an excellent water-shed and sufficient fall for all necessary drainage. The altitude at Tipton above the sea is over 900 feet. Three miles north it is several feet higher. Large open drains have been contsructed in every part of the township, almost sufficient to afford every farmer an outlet for tile draining. It would be impossible to give anything like an accurate statement, in miles, of the open ditches, as many have been cut by the mutual consent of neighboring owners, of which there is no record, while those which have been petitioned for, and ordered constructed by the proper authority, are scattered throughout the official records of many years. If definite statistics could be given, it would, probably, serve no material purpose, except (if we can regard this as material) to create amazement in the minds of persons unacquainted with the necessity. An approximate statement can be made, however, of the amount of tile draining which has been done. Ninety thousand rods is probably not too large an estimate. Not only has this increased the quantity of tillable soil, but has likewise improved the public health. Since this vast drainage, this monument to the thrift and enterprise of man, the books of physicians will show a decrease of from one-half to two-thirds in the number of cases of miasmatic disease. The ague, that torment of the early settlers, has almost disappeared; it is shorn of its terrors. So with other disorders which are traceable to miasmatic influence. The laws of the State for the reclaiming of wet lands have been of various degrees of merit. Formerly, all petitions for drainage had to be directed to the Board of County Commissioners, who ordered the work. Individuals could also form themselves into an association or corporation for ditching purposes, and at least one such, "The Union Draining Association," operated in Cicero Township. Such associations were, however, not subject to all the immunities of corporations generally, for it was provided that the members should be personally liable for all claims for manual labor performed. The Legislature of 1881 enacted a law giving the Circuit Courts jurisdiction of drainage matters, and providing for the appointment of two Commissioners, who, with the County Surveyor, should view all lands affected by the proposed work and make their report, of benefits and damages, to the court. If the report were favorable, and no successful remonstrance intervened, one of the Commissioners was ordered to take charge of the work and superintend its construction. Under this law, which has been in operation only two years, many miles of excellent ditch have been cut in the township. Remonstrances have not been frequent, only being interposed where the objectors believed their grievances were manifest and unmistakable. This right could not be denied them, nor could it well give offense to the most ardent friends of public improvement. FIRST SETTLEMENT. The first permanent white settlements were made south of the reserve line before spoken of. All that portion, being a part of Hamilton County, was open to entry at the land offices at the Government prices, but the books show no entry prior to 1834, and, indeed, there were but two in that year, one by Absalom Sumner and the other by Philip W. Sparger. All of the remainder of this portion of the township was entered during the years 1835, 1836, 1837 and 1838. Some of it was taken by speculators, the late Stoughton A. Fletcher and Nicholas McCarty, of Indianapolis, being of the number. Actual settlements began to be made during the years mentioned upon these lands, which constitute the "Old Purchase." It cannot be said, with accuracy, who the first bona fide settler was. Whoever he was, when he planted his cabin in the un-thinned wilderness he was still within Hamilton County, and was regarded by his fellow-pioneers as only a little more venturesome than they. If the county line had then been established, as it is now, the circumstance might have been noted with some particularity, but as it was, it was suffered to drop from the memories of those who knew, if, indeed, they ever charged their minds with it. Charles Freel, a hunter and trapper, came at a very early day, and made his headquarters in the eastern part of the township. Not very much is known of him, as he left when the settlement began to thicken. Isaac J. Parker came from Wayne County, Ind., in 1837, and settled on the land one mile east of the present town of Tipton, where he lived until he died in 1866. Mr. Parker was a native of New Jersey. For some time after his settlement here, his nearest trading place was at Strawtown, in Hamilton County, a distance ot more than twelve miles. Joab E. Parker, a brother of Isaac J., came about the same time, and entered land further south, where he lived until his death in 1859. Thomas Corbin settled in the east part of the township, probably as early as 1836, and at this time had no neighbor nearer than four or five miles. James Goodpasture and Allan Goodpasture came about the year 1836, and continued to reside here until their deaths. Joseph Shank entered land in 1836, and came here about that time. His widow, Marinda Shank, and his son, Caleb B. Shank, still live and reside in Tipton, where they own excellent property. James Egler came later, and settled in the western part of the township. He died in 1882. His widow is still living, making her home in Tipton, where she has a handsome cottage. William Bishop purchased land of the United States in 1835, on which he settled on a year or two afterward. This was in the southern part of the township, in the immediate neighborhood where now stands the "Bishop Schoolhouse." He is now dead, but, his widow is living. Daniel Smith also settled in the southern part of the township, as early as 1835 or 1836. He subsequently removed to Tipton, and further mention will be made of him and his wife in the history of that town. John Whisler and his brother, Jacob Whisler, located about two miles and one-half east of Tipton some time prior to 1840. Jacob was first Treasurer of the county, and also the first of the brothers to leave the county, going into Hamilton, where he still lives. John Whisler continued to reside in the county until the spring of 1883, at which time he removed, with a portion of his family, to Kansas. William Deal was also one of the early pioneers, coming, probably, as early as 1837 or 1838. He is dead. John Emehiser came in 1838 or 1839, and settled south of Tipton. He was a thrifty German, a native of Pennsylvania, but came here from Wayne County, Ind. He has had two sons, still living in this township, Kenyon and John. William Dickson located in this township in 1837 or 1838. He afterward became a citizen of Tipton, and more will be said of him in that connection. Anson King settled on land west of Tipton prior to 1840. Samuel King entered land in this township as early as 1835, and at one time owned over one thousand acres, including the site of the county seat, but he was never a resident of the county. John Forkner settled south of Tipton, on land now owned by his son, Matthew Forkner, about 1839, Dr. Silas Blount moved from Ohio, and located where he now lives, just north of the Hamilton County line, in 1841. The village of West Kinderhook was subsequently established there by him, and the post office of that name is still continued. Dr. Blount was one of the first physicians to practice in Tipton County and the territory now composing it. He was also one of the first Associate Judges. For forty years he gave his services to this people for nominal compensation, riding over almost impassable roads. He and his good wife are still hale and hearty, and will, likely, live many years to recount the trials and experiences of the early days. Jackson Reed came, also, at an early day, and settled in the eastern part of the township. It is probable the .first religious services held by the Methodist denomination were conducted at his house. Harvey Goodykoontz was one of the first pioneers. He located in the southern part of the township, close to where the Peru & Indianapolis Railroad was afterward built. He held the positions of Justice of the Peace and Assessor, having been the second Assessor of the township. He died in 1882. John S. Ressler, Newton J. Jackson, Martin Prilliman, William Buffmgton, Jesse Brown, William F. Brady, William H. Nelson and others, who lived in or near the town of Tipton and took an active interest in its organization and growth, are spoken of in the chapter on that town. In addition to the foregoing, the following may be given as the names of early settlers of Cicero Township, some of whom, also, were citizens of Tipton. The list may not be entirely correct, there may be omissions, but the writer has done the best he could in the time at his disposal to make it as complete as possible. Time works many changes; it not only fills the hair with the frost which no sunshine can melt, but it clouds and impairs memory as well. On account of this fact, proper allowance must be made for any errors which may creep into a compilation of this character. The names follow: John Beck, George Smith, Joshua Eliason, Thompson Innis, Andrew Tucker, Peter Hyde, Joseph W. Jackson, William Donaldson, Benjamin Clifford, Daniel Haskett, John Clifford, William Buffington, Isaac Clifford, John Mooney, John Kidwell, Joseph Pfeiffer, John T. Basey, Minor L. Thomas, James Basey, Joseph VanBuskirk, John C. Williams, David Webbard, Alexander Smith, Lewis Jones, William Johnston, James Copley, George Bowser, Brighton Bailey, Thomas G. Carson, Samuel Downhour, John B. Carson, William Williams, Louis Beck, Richard Hall, John Landig, Thomas Jackson, John Craighead, George Osier, Sr., George Rhodes, David King, Joseph Morgan, Michael Short, James Maiden, Minor Malory, Piatt Maiden, John Failey, James Fielding, Caleb Parish, Martin Kleyla, James Ragsdale (colored), David Lilly, Joseph Sumner, George Johnson, William Conoway, March Tucker, Sr., Samuel Paul, George Tucker, Squire Tucker, James Tichenor, Martin Smith, Timothy Tichenor, Simeon Yejton, Eoberfc Barton, John McNeal, John Murphy, Frederick Smelser, Dr. Aaron H. Hensley, Alexander Pennock, William Bracken, Harrison A. Woodruff, George Kane, John Alexander, Conde Bishop, Milton W. Shafer, J am AS King, Andrew J. McClanahan, Henry Kinder, William Ferguson, Jonathan Reed, Justice Meyers, Henry Shoemaker, Charles Meyers, John McCarty, Wilson Crow, James Walker, Gurey Smith, Robert E. Davidson, James Daly, Andrew J. Redmon, David Robinson, Arthur Davis, Seth Buffington, William Buffington, Robert Davis, Joseph Goar, Greorge Cloud, John Lynam, William B. Young, Fleming Eliston, James McElhaney, William Gregory, John W. Chambers, William Welshous, William Stivers, Daniel Welshous, Andrew Evans, Reuben Childers, Daniel B. Redmon, Henry Goar, David J. Caldwell, Matt F. Goar, James Palmer, John Simmons, George Kelly, James McMurtry, George Motes, Jacob Miller, Henry Shirey, Samuel Miller, Solomon Hedrick, William McNeal, Milton Mozingo. George McNeal, James Sparks, Joseph Nelson, Jefferson Cook, Henry Shafer, Robert Stewart, Allan Hopkins, Aaron Steelman, William Innis, Elias R. Conner, David G. Wilks. It must be remembered that many of the names given above are of persons who settled north of the Miami reserve line, and that these lands were not open to purchasers prior to 1848, although there were "squatter" settlers prior to that time several years; hence, the period of their occupancy dates from that time, or about thirty-five to forty-five years ago. While this is not a long time, .it is, nevertheless, sufficient, in a new country, to make old settlers of comparatively young men, paradoxical as it may seem. / Taking the township as a whole, its first settlements were made by a strong and vigorous class of men, most of whom came from older settled parts of Indiana, many from Ohio and Kentucky, and a few from other States. By far the larger portion of the land was purchased from the United States. A few tracts in the northeast corner of the township, which had been patented to the State of Indiana as swamp land, were bought of. the State. It is not to be supposed that the persons who came here expected an easy task in subjugating swamp and wilderness, but it is doubtful if they had in their minds even a shadow of a shade of the colossal undertaking before them. The fact that they remained, and persevered in their labor to redeem the soil from the chaos of thicket and morass, should be an everlasting honor to their names, and should link them inseparably with great deeds well wrought. It is a greater thing to make a home than to win a battle or conquer a province. EABLY HABITATIONS. The houses in which the first pioneers made their homes were of a similar kind to all first habitations erected in a wooded country. Most of them were rude structures of unhewn logs, covered with clapboards rived from some convenient oak, and containing but one room. They were daubed with a kind of mortar made of clay mud, which might, for aught that was known or cared, have contained, among its other ingredients, the ashes of some forest chieftain or pre-historic king. For even "Imperial Caesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole, to keep the wind away." At one side of the room, a very large fire-place was erected, from which rose a stick and mortar chimney. The unthinned wilderness supplied an abundance of fuel, and in that day, with such splendid facilities for destruction, quantity was an object of little importance. The family food was cooked at the open fire. The furniture for the interior was simple and inexpensive, and provided without much difficulty. There was no neighborhood rivalry in the matter of ornamentation or extravagant display. In the absence of a more convenient and sightly bedstead, one was frequently arranged by inserting the ends of two small poles between the logs, at a proper distance apart, while the ends within the room were laid upon forked sticks driven into the ground through holes made in * the puncheon floor. Upon these was laid the foundation for the bed proper. In many instances, the furniture for the entire house was of this cheap and primitive character. If a light were needed at night, it was supplied by a "tallow dip," or by burning shell-bark hickory. Notwithstanding the crudeness and unalloyed simplicity of all these arrangements, notwithstanding the extreme toil and hardship of every-day life, here was to be found home and happiness and personal liberty. No prince could have greater affection for his palace, nor lord for his castle, than these dauntless people cherished for their cabins. ROADS. Of the roads existing at that early period, very little can be said, because there were few, if, perchance, there were any, which truth will permit to be dignified by the application of so respectable a title. It is true that at the September term, 1844, of the Board of County Commissioners (which was the second session after the organization of the county), the township was divided north and south into three road districts, each two miles wide, yet it was impossible that much could then be done in the way of this class of improvement. Highways were petitioned for, granted by the County Board and laid out and worked at periods, but the labor put upon them was, in the nature of things, productive of only temporary benefit. During the wet seasons of the year, they were impassable for any kind of conveyance or vehicle except the homely and useful class called, in the matter-of-fact lauguage [sic] of the time, mudboats. No plank roads were ever laid within this township. Corduroys were built in very bad places, and traces of them may yet be seen. The first Supervisors of Roads in this township were David G. Wilts, Jesse Brown and Allan Goodpasture. BRIDGES. Such conveniences as modern bridges were, of course, wholly unknown. Within Cicero Township there was no stream of water of any importance except the one bearing the same name; and it, save during flood periods, was in most places easily fordable. If a bridge over any stream were found necessary, one was quickly constructed by throwing from bank to bank the trunks of two trees, parallel with each other, upon which were laid slabs, flat side down, split from other trees, thus providing a safe and substantial passage until carried away, which was frequently the case, by some extraordinary freshet. THE HUNTING OF GAME. Game abounded in quantity, and in quality it probably could not be excelled. Deer, wild turkeys and squirrels were almost as common to the first settlers as the water they waded or the leaves which murmured above them. Black bears were plentiful in the country skirting Cicero Creek, while gray wolves, catamounts and wild hogs numerously roamed the forests.. Settlers never thought of putting up meat in the fall for use, as the farmers do now; for if they wanted it, they went to the woods and easily procured any quantity desired. The contumacious and nimble-footed raccoon existed in such numbers that its pelt almost acquired sufficient dignity to be used and circulated as a medium of exchange. This may seem to the grave and sedate reader an attempt at facetiousness, but such it is not. It was several years from the time of the first settlement before any market for hogs or grain was accessible, and during this period the necessities of the home, which the woods and fields did not yield, were obtained in exchange for the skins of coons, deer and wolves. The methods of capturing these animals were proportioned according to their cunning. Coons were hunted with dogs trained for the purpose, which frequently caught them on the ground. If they took refuge in trees, they were either shot from the limbs or the trees were felled and the dogs did the rest of the work. Wolves were captured in pens or in steel wolf-traps. It was a difficult thing to shoot them. Indeed, an old resident asserts that an inexperienced huntsman would find it almost impossible to kill one of them in this manner. Deer hunting was a favorite occupation, combining as it did both industry and amusement. Along the creeks, fire-hunting was the most usual and successful method. After nightfall, the hunters would get into their boat and proceed to the most frequented resorts of the deer. In the prow of the boat was arranged the light, in the following manner: Two boards, of proper length, were nailed together, so as to form a right angle, the inner surface of each having been previously burned and charred until perfectly black. These were then fastened to the boat, and the light secured to the horizontal board. This, shining both upon it and the charred surface of the upright piece, would cast the entire boat and its occupants into profound shadow. The deer, coming to the water to drink, would see the light and nothing else. Their curiosity being aroused, they would walk close up to the object of their wonder, and thus fall an easy prey to the bullets of their concealed slayers. A single boat would, in this way, frequently be loaded with six or eight deer as the result of one night's sport. Bears were tracked down with dogs and shot. It was a cunning trap indeed into which bruin would obtrude any portion of his shaggy anatomy. AMUSEMENTS. Every person has need of amusement and recreation; the desire for such is inherent in man. In this day, in the cities and populous towns, there are theaters and plays, concerts, dancing and masquerades; and, in the way of field sports, horse-racing and base ball. Of these amusements, the early pioneers of whom we write knew little or nothing. Dancing was indulged in at intervals, to the music of a single violin. Foot races were the substitute for the running, trotting and pacing1 races which their children and grandchildren now witness with delight and enthusiasm at the county fairs. If any settler had more turkeys or chickens than he needed for domestic purposes, he would give out a "shooting match," which all his neighbors would attend. Each participant would pay so much for one or more shots, and the best marksman would carry home the spoils. At these matches much friendly rivalry was shown, for in those days a man's gun was his pride, and his skill in using it in tournaments of this kind had not a little to do in determining his standing among his neighbors. In addition to these sports, there was a species of pastime (if such it-may be called) which was practical in its results. Log rolling and house and barn raising would, no doubt, now be considered very severe and arduous labor, and such it in reality was, even to our strong and hardy fathers; but under the stimulating effect of good cider and pure whisky, with the assurance of an excellent dinner, the labor was transformed into a pleasure, the hardship into an accommodation. This reference to what is termed ardent spirits, in this day, is meant in no sense as anything discreditable to those who used alcoholic stimulants. It was one of the unbroken customs of the times. Liquors were regarded as any other cheer, and were partaken of with equal temperance. Seldom, indeed, were they taken in sufficient quantities to cause inebriation and drunkenness. During the harvest season, a jug of whisky was in every field, and it was considered as almost as indispensable as the cradle, sickle and scythe. And who will say they were wrong, and, in a spasm of assumed virtue, write of them in rebuke? In judging men by the lives they have lived, an intelligent and just opinion can only be formed by taking into account the surrounding circumstances and conditions from which those lives would, almost necessarily, take their direction. Measuring the pioneers of Cicero Township by this standard, they are found abreast of the best classes of men, who have turned the somber silence of dense woods into fair and fruitful fields, rife with industry, and made prairie wastes smile and blossom as a garden of the Lord. Their only intemperance consisted in excessive toil, their only dissipation in sleepless nights spent in watching the fires in the clearings or in hunting the deer and raccoon. A FIGHT WITH WOLVES. The Cicero boys and girls of to-day have, doubtless, read many narratives, some of them fact and some of them fiction, in which desperate encounters with wolves were graphically depicted, without knowing that within an easy walk of their own quiet and cultured homes an actual battle with these scourges of the forest once took place, and that the son of the principal actor therein now resides among them; yet such is the fact. Minor L. Thomas came to Tipton County in 1838, and in that year located in this township, about one mile west of the spot upon which the town of Tipton was subsequently built. He erected a log house, after the custom of the times, and cleared a patch of ground around it for planting. Game was so plentiful that it was no trouble for him to supply the family larder with the choicest of venison and the most palatable of turkey and pheasant, for his fame as an expert hunter and an unerring shot filled all the surrounding settlements. At all the shooting matches his. chances were considered best, for when he glanced along the barrel of "Dirty Camp"--for such his rifle was named-the bullet sped straight and true to the mark, whether it was the "bull's eye" or the breast of a deer. Near where Mr. Thomas lived there was a pond, to which the deer were in the habit of coming at early dawn to slake their matin thirst, and to that place he went one morning, just as the day was breaking, thinking to replenish his stock of meat. Concealing himself in the bushes, he awaited their appearance. Minute after minute passed, but no deer came A noise some distance away attracted the hunter's attention, and he looked in that direction, only to see a gray wolf skulking through the thicket which fringed the water's edge. At the time he gave it no thought, as he had brought no ammunition with him except the load in the rifle, and did not care to waste that upon so worthless an object. He continued waiting, but the passing time brought no deer, while the wolf was still prowling within tempting reach of his bullet. Finally, growing impatient, as the first beams of light began to chase the lazy shadows away, and thinking to leave, he lifted his gun and fired so carelessly that he only wounded the wolf, which raised a howl of pain and distress. The cry was almost on the instant answered by its companions, who came fiercely dashing to the scene to ascertain the cause of the trouble. Mr. Thomas had no doubt they would attack him, and his situation was desperate. His gun was empty, and he had no time to reload, if even he had had powder and ball, and these things he did not have. But he was not given time to think of expedients, for he could barely do more than take the barrel of the rifle in his hands until the assault was made. The entire pack of wolves, numbering, probably, a dozen, rushed toward him, showing their vicious teeth and snarling and snapping ferociously. When the foremost one came within reach, he crushed its skull with the stock of the gun, and then springing backward, fighting as he went, he succeeded in reaching the trunk of a tree that he had previously noticed, which, in its fall, had broken off four or five feet from the ground, the upper end still resting upon the stump. All the wolves were now upon him. He beat them back, and again they came, filling the morning silence with frightful growls and yelps of agony and rage as the heavy gun fell with terrible and relentless force upon their heads and bodies. Again and again they renewed the attack. and were as often beaten off, Thomas, in the meantime, calling loudly for his dogs, which he had left at the house, hoping they would hear and come to his assistance. The minutes passed like hours, and the exertion was tremendous, but the dauntless courage of the pioneer never failed him. His gun was reduced to the barrel, with only a few splintered fragments of the stock still clinging to it. The wolves showed no inclination to retreat, but, maddened and furious, they kept up the battle with the malicious persistence of devils. He had disabled some and wounded and battered others, until their teeth were covered with bloody froth, but he could not continue the unequal contest forever. The brave man's peril was momentarily becoming greater, when, to his great joy and relief, his dogs bounded upon the scene, and at once engaged the savage brutes in conflict. Their attention being thus diverted from himself, Thomas ran to his house, exhausted, torn and bleeding, carrying with him the remnant of his rifle, "Dirty Camp," which was preserved for many years after this memorable struggle. For a long time it was in the possession of Martin Prilliman, of Tipton, where it was looked upon as a rare curiosity and handled with reverence. Mr. Thomas continued to be a resident of the county, and afterward owned its first threshing machine. It was an old-fashioned "traveler." At the breaking-out of the war, he became a soldier; was with Grant before Vicks-burg, and in that siege he contracted a disease from which he died shortly after, while at home, in Windfall, on furlough. His son, Henry H. Thomas, the well-known stock-dealer, is now a resident of Tipton. FIRST INDUSTRIES. The first mill put in operation in what is now Cicero Township was due to the enterprise and thrift of Samuel King. Water was the motive-power, and sawing lumber the principal occupation, although the mill was supplied with a small corn buhr, capable of grinding ten or twelve bushels of corn in a day. This mill was, as may well be supposed, an unpretentious structure. It stood on Cicero Creek, about two and one-haif miles southeast of the site of the county seat, on land then owned by Mr. King, but which, in this day, is known as the Mallory farm. There was not, at that time, a single completed line of railroad in the State of Indiana, as the "Old Madison road," which was chartered in 1831, and taken in charge by the State in 1836, under the "Internal Improvement System," was not completed to Indianapolis until the 1st of October, 1847. The next mill was built in the year 1848, by Samuel King and William Buffington. It was a much more important concern than the one above spoken of. It was located on the north side of Cicero Creek, just immediately west of the point where the Peru & Indianapolis Railroad crossed the stream four years later. This mill was constructed both to saw timber and to grind wheat and corn. It was operated by steam, the boiler and machinery having been hauled by wagon from Indianapolis, a distance, as the roads then ran, of fifty miles. Some of the timbers of this mill may yet be seen. About 1851, George Kane and Newton J. Jackson erected a steam saw mill in the reserve, at the place now known as Jackson Station. Upon the completion of the railroad to Peru, in 1854, thus forming a connection with the Wabash & Erie Canal, something more than the hesitating and uncertain local trade was opened up to this mill and the other mills on the line of the road. In the year 1854, or near that time, Thompson Innis built a steam saw mill four miles west of Tipton, at the place since known, interchangeably, as Parker's Corner or Parker's Mill, which was operated by different persons until very recently. As early, probably, as 1850, Brighton Bailey, who lived two and one-half miles north of Tipton, on a portion of the land now owned by George F. Maxwell, had a horse-mill for grinding corn. Every neighbor who wanted to use this mill, put his own horse to the lever and ground out his grist. This was the custom, and it was invariably followed, except in cases where the customer had no horse. We of this generation may think this method of supplying meal for corn-pone inconvenient and unsatisfactory, but it was one of the necessities of the time, and as such it was recognized by the settlers as a blessing. At any rate, it was far superior to the mortar and pestle with which the dark-eyed Mexican housewife to this day crushes the corn for breakfast tortillas. EARLY ELECTIONS AND OFFICERS. As there was, at the time of the organization of the township, no public building of any kind, elections were first ordered by the Board of County Commissioners, at its first session, to be temporarily held at the house of Jesse Brown, which seems to have been the most convenient, and probably it was the most commodious, then existing in anything like a central location. At the same session, the township was allowed two Justices of the Peace, certainly a sufficient number at that time, to administer the law and perform the marriage ceremonies for the widely-scattered inhabitants. In August, 1844, Jesse Brown was elected the first Justice of the Peace, and commissioned for five years from the 20th day of that month. In September of the same year, Eiias R. Conner received the appointment as Constable, and he was the first for the township. He made a return of the Presidential election in that year, and was allowed 37 1/2 cents for the work. The first assessment list ever presented to the Board of Commissioners was received by them at their June session, 1844. It had been prepared by Jesse Brown, acting under appointment by Nathan C. Bales, Assessor of Hamilton County. He was allowed $18.75 for twelve and one-half days employed in assessing all the taxable land and personal property in the county. At the June term, 1845, of the County Board, the Congressional townships were authorized to elect Trustees. The electors of Congressional Township 21 north, Range 4 east, were directed to meet at the town of Canton (now Tipton), which had been established the previous year, on the last Saturday in August, 1845, for the purpose of electing three Trustees for the township, for school purposes. Daniel Smith was appointed Inspector of this election, but any further report of it is not found. In September of this year, all elections in Cicero Township were ordered to be held at the town of Canton. Jesse Brown appears to have been in general demand in the public service, for, notwithstanding his election to the judicial office of Justice of the Peace, in 1844, we find him acting as Township Assessor from March, 1846, to March, 1847, being then succeeded in this duty by Harvey Goodykoontz, who performed it for several years and then gave way to George Cloud. Daniel B. Redmon was the second Justice of the Peace, having been commissioned from 1845 to 1850. STATEMENT OF TAXATION, VALUES OF LANDS, ETC. For the year 1844, the tax levy was 25 cents on each $100 in value of property, and 50 cents on each poll. The delinquent tax for that year was returned as being $210.15; of this amount $58.25 was State tax, $70.12 county tax, $78.80 road tax, $2.19 lunatic asylum tax, and 40 cents deaf and dumb asylum tax. The following year, the total amount of unpaid tax was $139.76. For the year 1846, it had advanced immaterially. These figures refer, of course, to the township of Cicero, as do also those which follow, showing, with the exception of the first exhibit, the amount of taxes and the assessed value for taxation of all property: For the year 1846-Number of acres for taxation, 1.7,151; value of land, $55,080; value of improvements, $8,590; value of lots and improvements, $1,330; value of personal property, $12,927; total value of taxables, $77,927; number of polls, 68; total amount of taxes, $709.95; delinquent for former years, $141.29. For the year 1850-Number of acres for taxation, 20,514; value of lands,. $65,003; value of improvements, $14,749; value of lots and improvements, $8,934; value of personal property, $32,261; total value of taxables, $121,847; Number of polls, 158; total amount of taxes, $1,487.86; delinquent for former years, $337.36. For the year 1860-Number of acres for taxation, 42,752; value of lands, "$448,673; value of improvements, $104,733; value of lots and improvements (outside of Tipton), $650; value of personal property, $135,074; total value of taxables, $753,490; number of polls, 310; total amount of taxes, $7,813.22; delinquent for former years, $3,780.38. For the year 1870-Number of acres for taxation, 43,035; value of lands, $443,300; value of improvements, $105,385; value of lots and improvements (outside of Tipton), $1,480; value of personal property, $189,-215: total value of taxables, $739,380; number of polls, 410; total amount of taxes, $21,867; delinquent for former years, $7,526. For the year 1880-Number of acres for taxation, 43,163; value of lands, $619,672; value of improvements, $90,168; value of personal property, $148,880; total value of taxables, $858,720; number of polls, 464; total amount of taxes, $17,971; delinquent for former years, $3,639. The foregoing exhibits do not show the actual value of the property within the township, but only the value placed upon it for purposes of taxation. To make the exhibit complete, from 1860 to 1880, both inclusive, it will be necessary to add the valuation of Tipton town property, which is given elsewhere. SCHOOLS. Education in the mysteries of books is acquired with a difficulty, in all pioneer settlements, which may differ in degree but not in kind. It is not a matter of wonder that the means of learning should be limited to the smallest and rudest proportions; the wonder is that, under such circumstances, they should exist at all. With any other people they probably would not. But American settlers, wherever they went, carried with them the ruling idea that their first duty was to build themselves homes, and the next to build schoolhouses for the education of their children. The first school in what is now Cicero Township was started in West Kinderhook, and was due, in a great measure, to the public spirit of Dr. Silas Blount. The following quotation is from a paper prepared by Prof. B. M. Blount, son of .the former: "In the autumn of 1842, having donated a lot for the purpose, Dr. Blount, with a few of his enterprising neighbors, erected upon it a hewed-log schoolhouse. This, so far as known to the writer, was the beginning of educational efforts in what now composes Tipton County. In this house schools were taught at intervals, as teachers could be found who would teach for such compensation as the poor pioneers were able to give them from their scant earnings. As a specimen of the meager compensation of those times, I may state that David Lilly, a brother of one of our County Commissioners, taught a school for $8 per month; this amount increased, of course, to some extent by boarding around." The first teacher employed at the Kinderhook School was George Howard, a man about forty years of age, who came from Ohio. He gave satisfaction, being well esteemed by the patrons, and was continued in' charge several terms. Prof. Blount was also one of the earliest teachers, beginning about forty years ago, when he was a mere boy of sixteen or seventeen years of age. John Van Buskirk was another early teacher, doing very much of his educational work in the western part of the township. All of the first schoolhouses were log structures, built by private means and labor, and the teachers were paid by subscription. Light was admitted through a window cut in the side, eight and ten feet in horizontal length and two in width. Heat was furnished by a fireplace of such ample dimensions as to consume logs from five to eight feet long and large in proportion. Getting the "back-log" into place was no mean undertaking, requiring the united exertions of the teacher and the big boys. The seats were made of slabs, capable of accomodating a dozen urchins, and frequently put on such high legs that the feet of their occupants would dangle several inches above the floor. If the teacher possessed no bell-and this was a very common thing-the children, at the expiration of the recess, or noon intermission, were called in by the rapping of his rule upon the door or window, or by the exclamation, "Come to books!" and when they had assembled they had "taken up books." The general rules of the school were usually written out by the teacher, and hung up in a conspicuous place on the first day for the information of the pupils. It was the understanding all around that they were to be obeyed, and any infraction was punished according to the aggravation and willfulness of the offense. Beech switches were the common instruments used in enforcing discipline, and if one were not at hand when an emergency arose, one of the boys would be sent out to procure it. It is but just to say, however, that few indeed were the instances where punishment was administered to great excess. It might not always have been nicely proportioned, but seldom was it inflicted in cruelty. Reading, writing and arithmetic, with Webster's spelling book, constituted the curriculum of that day, while here and there a more ambitious pupil would take a timid excursion into grammar and the wonders of geography. The latter study, when it was taught generally, was learned, to a great extent, by the singing method, in which the whole school would join in thundering chorus. What child's memory that ever sang " Maine-Augusta-on the Kennebec River," will prove false to its trust? He may forget the names of the continents, and the width of the seas, but the fact that Augusta is the capital of Maine, and that it is situated on the Kennebec River, is a part of himself. Spelling was a favorite study, and there were classes, graded along from the "b-a, ba," of the sturdy five-year-olds, to the mighty words of seven syllables reserved for the champions of the spelling-matches. The backwoods spelling school was revered in its day, next to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and when a night was appointed for one, every person in the neighborhood for miles around, who prided himself on his correct orthography, would be present, to compete for the honors of the occasion. When the momentous hour arrived, two of the best spellers would "choose up," having previously determined by chance who should have first choice. The members of the opposing force were selected alternately, according to the chief's knowledge of their ability to "stand up," and never did Generals select soldiers for a service of special importance with greater caution. Having completed this work, they were arranged on different sides of the room, in the order in which they were named, and the words given out, beginning at the head and spelling toward the foot of the row. If a word were missed by a speller on one side, the unlucky person would sit down disconsolately, and it would be passed to the opposite side, and so on. Those least accomplished in the art would soon be in their seats; but the better equipped, who had performed prodigies of valor in other closely contested fields, would, not infrequently, remain on their feet until compelled by sheer weariness to succumb. Such were spelling schools in the old days, but their glory has departed, Hike the scepter from Judah, and in its place are found the refinements of rhetoric and the mysteries of algebra and philosophy. Another feature of the early school, and one not yet obsolete, was the manner in which Friday afternoon of each week was employed. The time not taken up with spelling and singing the capitals of the States was devoted to declamations, covering a wide range, from the first effort of the bashful child to the confident orator of sixteen, who repeated, with animation and eloquence, Rienzi's Address to the Romans or Dr. Knott's Sermon on Duelling. It was the custom, also, in the country schools, for the teacher to treat his pupils, on Christmas or New Year's Day, usually with candy, and this custom he violated at the peril of personal inconvenience and discomfort. Early on the morning of the important day, the large boys would take possession of the schoolhouse and "bar the teacher out." If, when he arrived, he brought the expected sweets, the barricading was removed and he was admitted. But if he had unluckily forgotten to procure them, or in his own mind concluded not to do so, he was kept out in the cold until a compromise of some sort was effected. If he should prove obstinate, and refuse to yield to the propositions of his fortified scholars, the chances were that they would emerge from their stronghold, capture him, and either roll him in the snow or dip him in some neighboring pond. It was a rare thing, however, for the matter to be pushed to such extremities, as overtures of peace were apt to be made by one or the other of the belligerents, and the affair amicably settled. The modern rule of adjourning over these holidays saves the weary pedagogue, no doubt, much trouble and sore tribulation. For the decade prior to 1852, the schools were mainly supported by private subscriptions, and in no instance were they kept open for a longer period than three months in a year. The teachers were paid from $8 to $12 a month, and boarded around among the patrons in rotation, staying, usually, one week at a place. Beginning with 1852, public schools, for which teachers were employed at $30 and $35 per month, commenced to make their appearance for three months in the year, but they were far between for several years, as may well be supposed. They have gradually increased, with the constantly multiplying population, until the present day. Terms have been lengthened, the wages of teachers have been increased, the log schoolhouses have disappeared, and in their places have come substantial brick and frame structures, with all the appliances for comfort and instruction which the ingenuity of the age has suggested. The number of schoolhouses in this township, outside of the town of Tipton, is now twenty. Of this number, eleven are of brick and nine frame. Four of the frame buildings will soon give way to brick. During the school term of 1882-83, each of the twenty districts was open the full term of five and one-half months. Of the twenty teachers, sixteen were men and four were women. The average pay was $2 per day. The number of children in the township (not including Tipton), between the ages of six and twenty-one years, is 1,143, and of this number only six are colored. Out of this total number, 1,023 attended the district schools during the last term. There are only fifteen persons in the township between the ages of ten and twenty one years who cannot read or write. In District No. 4, in a total enrollment of seventy-five, there was an attendance, during the last term, of that number. For 1882-83, the revenue for tuition was $4,359.72. An education is prized in proportion to the difficulties which have to be overcome in securing it, and the fathers and grandfathers of the present generation, who trudged through woods and swamps to the rude cabins of learning, fully understand this truth. The youths of the year of grace 1883, with the modern schoolhouse at their doors, with its comfortable seats, its maps, charts, black-boards and libraries, can only appreciate the advantages they enjoy by contrast with the past. The hardships, and the toil, and the self-denial of that early time made the ease and the comfort of to-day possible, and a knowledge of these things ought to be sufficient in itself to awaken and stimulate the energies of the boys and girls who are reaping a harvest growu from seeds planted in the midst of gigantic obstacles, and in the face of ever-present dangers. PRODUCTS AND MARKETS. Prior to the completion of the old Peru & Indianapolis Railroad to Peru, in 1854, there was no convenient market for the products of the farm. The Wabash & Erie Canal was finished through Peru and other towns north in 1837, and trade naturally flowed in that direction. But the railroad opened up a local and home market at Tipton, from which point grain was shipped either south, through Indianapolis and over the Madison Railroad to the Ohio River, or north to the canal, and thence to the lakes. With the increase in cleared and drained land, the producing capacities of this township have grown to very large proportions -so large, indeed, that they are probably not excelled anywhere in the State. From the latest official statistics, an estimate has been made, for an average year, of the principal products, and the result given below. If must be borne in mind that the acreage in cultivation is not given as accurate, and it is, likely, too small: Wheat, 5,000 acres, 15 bushels per acre, total bushels, 75,000; corn, 6,000 acres, 35 bushels per acre, total bushels, 210,000; oats, 500 acres, 25 bushels per acre, total bushels, 12,500; potatoes, 200 acres, 20 bushels per acre, total bushels, 4,000; hay, 1,500 acres, 2 tons per acre, total tons, 3,000; tobacco, 15 acres, 656 pounds per acre, total pounds, 9,750. In addition to the above, there is a small acreage of barley and rye. To all this must be added the cattle, hogs, horsesŤand sheep, which are marketed in large numbers, and constitute a very considerable part of the farmer's income. Tipton dealers buy of the farmers nearly all of their various commodities, and pay the ruling prices. These dealers ship to Indianapolis, Chicago and the East. JACKSON STATION. There are no villages in the township of any importance in size, and none, with the exception of Jackson Station, possessing any commercial importance. This place, which is situated three and one-half miles north of Tipton, owes the name, and probably its existence, to the fact that about 1851, three years prior to the time of the completion of the Peru & Indianapolis Railroad, in 1854, Newton J. Jackson and George Kane built and operated a steam saw mill in that immediate neighborhood, and began the sawing, and subsequently the shipment of lumber. Trains began to stop there, a side-track was laid, and from that time Jackson Station has been known on the time cards and conductors' checks. As the country surrounding it has improved, the amount of shipping from that point has grown. Shortly after the war, Elijah C. Elliott located there, and established a general store, and still conducts it. By his energy and enterprise, he has built up a thriving trade. He has also, for several years, operated a stave and heading factory, giving employment to several hands. In 1882, he erected an elevator of large capacity, thus enabling him to buy and ship large quantities of the grain of the farmers in that vicinity. Mr. Elliott is also Postmaster and station agent. He has the entire confidence of all his neighbors, as he has always been found a man of integrity, upright in business, and paying the best prices in the market. His business building is a two-story brick, and his handsome frame residence is adjoining. There is an excellent brick schoolhouse at this point, and in it religious services are sometimes held. Several private dwelling houses have been erected here, but the population of the place is small. WEST KINDERHOOK. In 1841, Dr. Silas Blount had the village of West Kinderhook, situated on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 32, Township 21 north, of Range 5 east, laid off and surveyed. The plat was recorded in Hamilton County, of which that territory was then a part, on the 4th day of September, 1841. There were thirty-one lots in the plat, sixty-six feet wide and 132 feet long. Upon one of these lots, a hewed log schoolhouse was built in 1842, as spoken of elsewhere. A few other lots were sold at various times, but when the railroad was built, a decade of years later, two and one-half miles west, the town of Buena Vista sprang up, just south of the Tipton County line, and what promised to be the nourishing village of West Kinderhook became so in fact only on the pages of the records and on the maps. Dr. Blount remained true to this child of his earlier years, and is again the proprietor of it all, living where he located nearly a half century ago. PARROTSVILLE. Parrotsville was surveyed on the 29th day of September, 1853, by Edward M. Sharp, and the plat filed for record on the 5th day of October, of the same year. It was located on the railroad, on the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 27, Township 22, Range 4, about one-half mile south of Jackson Station. Benjamin F. Goar was the proprietor. The recorded plat shows thirty-six lots, and of this number several were subsequently sold by Mr. Goar, but all have since been resolved into com and wheat fields. Andrew J. McClannahan, for many years a Justice of the Peace of Cicero Township, was one of the early dwellers in this neighborhood. INDEPENDENCE. Independence, or Parker's Mill, four miles west of Tipton, was never platted, but is composed of a straggling cluster of a half dozen houses and a two-story schoolhouse, which shows the wear of time. This school-house was built on a plan furnished by Jehu Van Buskirk, a man who has been prominent in the educational matters of the township almost since its organization. The name "Independence" was given to this school to signify that it was independent of any other organization, as it was built by private subscription. Noah Parker is one of the old residents, and he was the early proprietor of the saw mill from which originated the term "Parker's Mill," by which the place is frequently called. CHURCHES. The Christian Church at Independence, four miles west of Tipton, is in a very flourishing condition. About ten years ago, the congregation erected a large and substantial frame church building, pleasantly located, in which they hold worship. The Centre Grove Presbyterian Church, in the western part of the township, has a large membership and an excellent building, located on high ground. The members are prosperous, meet regularly and are doing good work. Albright Chapel, in the southwestern part of the township, belongs to the denomination indicated by its name. The only other church is "Newhope," belonging to the New-Light denomination. It is south of Tipton. RETROSPECTIVE. Until within the last decade, the subject of gravel roads was not seriously broached. Such roads were thought of, it is true, many years before, but only in that vague, indefinite way in which matters are considered that barely fall within the limits of the possible. It was long supposed that there was little, if any, accessible gravel, but sufficient quantities of it have recently been discovered, and substantial roads have been constructed, and others are now in process of construction. And so the citizen of to-day sees the handsome carriage where the early settlers saw principally mudboats. He not only sees this, but he sees large and elegant brick and frame farmhouses where formerly stood rude log cabins, with stick and mortar chimneys. He sees commodious barns where stood the straw covered sheds; he sees well-tilled and well-drained fields where stood wildernesses of water and wood; he sees a machine binding the wheat as it cuts it, where the pioneer saw only the sickle and the cradle; he sees the steam thresher doing the work which the flail once did; be sees the children going to school five and one-half months in the year where in the past they went a precarious two and three; he sees horses, and sheep, and cows, and hogs where the original settlers saw deer and wolves and wild cats; he sees the ralroad train where once was only the packhorse and wagon. But why repeat? It is merely the story of a development of twoscore years, with which almost every child of to-day is familiar. The present population of the township, not including the town of Tipton, is considerably in excess of three thousand. Additional Comments: Extracted from: COUNTIES OF HOWARD AND TIPTON, INDIANA. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. ILLUSTRATED. CHARLES BLANCHARD. EDITOR. CHICAGO: F. A. BATTEY & CO. 1883. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/tipton/history/1883/counties/ciceroto432gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 61.3 Kb