Tipton County IN Archives History - Books .....Wild Cat Township 1883
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Book Title: Counties Of Howard And Tipton, Indiana

WILD CAT TOWNSHIP.
BY G. K. BERRY.

    "The ax rang sharply 'mid these forest shades, 
     Which, from creation's dawn till now, had towered in unshorn beauty."

   In folk lore is the story told of a man who became tired of patient
cultivation of the soil, and who desired to become rich without the drudgery of
labor. The lack of wealth had made life become stale and unprofitable. He
dreamed three nights in succession that there was a rich treasure hidden
somewhere beneath the soil in his orchard. Three is the lucky number that makes
a dream true, so, in an ecstacy of excitement, he imparted the good news to his
wife, and together they at once began to dig for the buried treasure. Around one
tree they dug a mound of earth, and around another, until there was not a
gnarled trunk about whose roots he had not let in the vitalizing air, but the
hidden gold could not be found. Of course, he became angry over his wasted
labors, and a sorry time he had of it when his neighbors passed by and smiled at
his folly. Springtime, however, came, and the trees were full of blossoms.
Autumn followed, and they were loaded with luscious fruit. Years rolled by, and
the orchard became the source of a rich revenue to the old man, who realized
that there was, indeed, a golden treasure in the soil, which only needed proper
exertion to bring it to the light. In the fertile region of Northern Indiana, we
can see the moral of the foregoing story practically demonstrated in the richly
cultivated farms, fine residences, and other evidences of wealth which have been
wrung from the bosom of Mother Earth, by the patient toilers, who first sought
homes among the forests and sloughs forty years ago. Especially is this true of
that portion of Tipton County to which the following pages are devoted, and
where nought but dense woods, thick underbrush and extensive quagmires greeted
the pioneer's first arrival. To remove these formidable obstacles and develop a
region rich in all the resources of agricultural wealth required patient,
arduous toil, hard digging, and manifold privations; but, as years passed by,
the labors of the hardy home-seeker returned a golden reward, as is shown by the
present advanced civilization of the township. Wild Cat occupies the northeast
corner of Tipton County, and was formed in the year 1847, with the following
outline: Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 32, Town 23 north, Range 6
east, thence south five mites, thence west twelve miles, thence north five
miles, thence east twelve miles to the place of beginning. Two years later, this
boundary was modified by taking twenty-five sections from the western part of
the division, and using them in the formation of Liberty Township, leaving the
area thirty-five square miles, its present territory. The surface, is uniformly
level, very flat in certain localities, and was originally heavily timbered, the
leading varieties being walnut, poplar, elm, beech, sugar-tree, ash, linn, etc.,
with a dense undergrowth of spicebrush, dogwood and willows. The soil is a deep
black vegetable mold, resting upon an impervious clay sub-soil, and is well
adapted for general farming. Where its productiveness has been developed by tile
drainage, it yields abundant crops of all the fruits and cereals indigenous to
this part of the State, although but a portion of the land has been properly
reclaimed. Much attention has been given to ditching, and the farmers realize
that successful drainage is their key to wealth. Large public ditches traverse
the country in various directions, by means of which extensive tracts of swamp
land, once looked upon as comparatively valueless, have been brought under a
good state of cultivation, and are now among the best farming districts of the
township.

   The water-courses are Mud Creek and its several tributaries, all of which
play an important part in the drainage of the country. Mud Creek drains the
northwest corner of the township, and passes, in its coarse, through Sections
32, 33 and 34, flowing in a northwesterly direction. Adjacent to the stream, the
land is low and marshy, and, during rainy seasons; is overflowed for
considerable distances on either side. At the present time, active measures are
being inaugurated for the purpose of ditching this creek, and when once that
project has been successfully carried out, a large amount of low, wet land will
be reclaimed, and the contiguous farms increased in value many per cent. The
largest tributary of Mud Creek is Turkey Branch, which enters the township near
the southwest corner. It flows in an irregular channel through Sections 20, 17,
16, 9, 4 and 3, and empties into the main stream in Section 34. A creek not
designated by any name on the county map flows an easterly and southeasterly
course through the central part of the township, and affords the chief means of
drainage for that portion of country. All these water-courses are running
streams throughout the year, and-sometimes, during wet seasons and spring
freshets, become raging torrents, overflowing their banks, and doing
considerable damage to the farms through which they pass.

THE PIONEERS.

   Wild Cat originally formed part of the Miami Reservation, and was not opened
for actual settlement until the year 1847, at which time the Ian came into
market, subject to entry. Prior to that date, however, a number of adventurous
pioneers located in various parts of the township, and selected claims on which
they lived in expectation of procuring the land as soon as the privilege of
entry was granted them. A number of these settlers carried out their original
designs, by holding their respective claims until patents were obtained from the
Government, while others remained only temporarily, and spent most of their time
hunting and trapping, by means of which a livelihood was procured their families
•during their sojourn.

   So far as can be learned, the first actual settlers came about the year 1845,
and located near the North Fork of Wild Cat, in the northern part of the
township. These were David Decker, Philemon Plummer, Robert Stephens, Ira
Plummer and their respective families. The first named came from the adjoining
county of Madison, and took his claim where Mr. Plummer lives, which land he
entered four years later. On his claim our pioneer erected a rude pole cabin,
around which afew rods of ground were cleared for a "truck" patch, and began
life in his new home under no very nattering circumstances. The country at that
time was in a very wild state, and the wet condition of the soil precluded the
possibility of gaining a livelihood from its cultivation, consequently Mr.
Decker was obliged to rely upon his rifle as the chief means of procuring a
subsistence for himself and family. Game of all kinds was plentiful and supplied
the table with choice meat, while from the sale of skins and wild honey the
groceries and few articles of wearing apparel necessary, were obtained from the
older settlements, in the southern part of the county. Decker lived upon his
original claim about five years, at the end of which time he disposed of it and
moved a little further south, near the present site of Windfall. Here he became
the possessor of a valuable tract of real estate, which he owned until 1871,
when he sold his property and moved from the township. He appears to have been a
man of considerable prominence in the community and at the first election after
the township organization, was chosen Justice of the Peace, on account of his
peculiar fitness for the office. Philemon Plummer moved from Rush County and
located temporarily near the eastern boundary of the county, where he lived for
a short time, when he changed his location, and took a claim on Turkey Creek, in
the northern part of the township. Like the majority of early pioneers in a new
country he came with but a meager outfit of this world's goods, and for several
years hunted extensively over the greater part of the Indian Reserve, doing but
little in the meantime toward improving his claim. In later years, he became a
minister of the Christian Church, and assisted in the organization of many of
the early congregations of his sect. Stephens located on Turkey Creek, near the
northern boundary of the township, and was a true representative of the original
backswoods pioneer, whose greatest pleasure was rambling over the country in
search of game and wild honey, from the sale of which he managed to eke out an
existence for his family during the period of their sojourn in this part of the
country. He appears to have been a man of roving tendencies. He sold his claim,
after occupying it a short time, to David Gray, who entered the land in the year
1848.

   Ira Plummer, a brother of Philemon Plummer, settled in the northern part of
the township, near Irvin Creek, on land at present owned and occupied by Philip
Armstrong. He sold the claim a short time afterward to Joshua Bailey, and moved
near the site of Windfall, where he entered land and resided until the time of
his death in 1881.

   John Nutter came also in 1845, and is the oldest resident of the township
living at present. He made his first settlement in the western part of the
county, where he lived seven years before taking a claim in Wild Cat Township.
He came to the new country penniless and in debt, but, nothing daunted, went to
work with stout heart and willing hands and soon had a cabin erected on his
claim, where he lived for several years in blissful bachelorhood, monarch of all
he surveyed. He describes his household outfit as consisting of one case knife,
which he found while out hunting, a gallon pot, with one leg broken off, and an
old cracked skillet for which he traded a pound of coffee^ a three-legged stool
which answered the twofold purpose of table and chair, and a large rough trough
in which his stock of provisions was kept. A sad calamity befell him one day,
when the cherished pot slipped from his grasp and fell upon a rock, breaking a
large hole in the bottom. Being unable to procure a new one, and finding it
impossible to get along without his favorite vessel, he set his wits to work,
contriving means to remedy the dire disaster. This he accomplished by running
lead into the opening, a successful operation, which made the utensil as good as
new. The few articles of wearing apparel he brought with him to his new home
soon succumbed to the ravages of time and the wear and tear of rough usage, and
needed to be replaced with others. How to obtain the necessary raiment was a
problem which sorely taxed the ingenuity of our pioneer. To purchase was out of
the question, as the sum total of his available cash aggregated about 3 cents,
and to borrow of his distant neighbors could not be thought of, as they had no
more clothing than was necessary for their own convenience. Necessity, however,
is the mother of invention. A large piece of buckskin was procured, out of which
our Crusoe cut a pair of pants with his hunting knife, sewed them up with thongs
and shoe thread. We are safe in saying that Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like unto Nutter in his leather breeches. These pants served well their
purpose for two years, when they were traded for a more showy pair made of home
spun jeans. The latter were first used by our frontier farmer upon an important
occasion, which terminated his bachelorhood. By hard work and many privations,
Nutter cleared a tract of ten acres of ground, and fitted it for cultivation the
second year after his arrival. Seven acres of this patch were planted in com,
the ground being dug over with a mattock and the crop tended with the same
implement. From the sale of this corn, he realized a sufficient amount of money
to buy a two-year-old colt, which can be termed the beginning of his good
fortune. The first land he owned in this township was a 160-acre tract situated
in Section 9. By persevering industry he has accumulated a handsome property,
and is now passing down the shady side of life, enjoying the well-earned fruits
of his labors.

   Other early settlers who came in a short time after those mentioned were John
Morris, James Hitt, and a man by name of Forbes. Morris took a claim on what is
known as the John Pumphrey land. He was a "squatter" merely, and did nothing in
the way of improving his claim beyond erecting a rude habitation, and clearing a
few acres of ground. His death, in the year 1846, was the first event of the
kind that occurred in the township. Hitt's arrival dates from the spring of
1847. He settled two miles east of Windfall on land at present in possession of
the Widow Miller, where he lived two years, when he disposed of his claim to the
Grharris brothers, and entered land in the vicinity. Forbes located in the
northern part of the township near Mud Creek; and proved a valuable acquisition
to the community. His tastes, however, did not run in the direction of farming,
and thinking there were more easy ways of gaining a livelihood besides digging
and grubbing, he procured a small stock of groceries and notions, which he kept
at his house for the accommodation of the sparse settlement. In after years, he
traveled about the country as a clock peddler, and when that occupation no
longer returned a fair profit, he turned his attention to tinkering.

   Another early settler was Samuel Baldwin, who located about two and a half
miles east of Windfall, where he acquired some prominence as a hunter. He was in
every respect a backwoodsman. He dressed in the conventional buckskin garb, wore
moccasins and treated the usages of society with the most profound indifference.
He had been a soldier during the war of 1812, and never tired of describing the
glorious engagement at New Orleans.

   From 1845 until 1848, the development of the county progressed rather slowly,
and in the latter year there were but forty acres of cultivated land in the
township. The settlements were confined principally to the northern and eastern
parts, and it was not until the beginning of 1849 that any attempts were made to
bring under cultivation the interior and southern portion of the township.

   The actual settlers who came in 1848 were Avery Chase, who pre-empted a claim
in Section 4, which he sold to James B, Fouch six years later; John Smith, who
located on North Fork, where he lived five or six years, when he sold to Cyrus
Halloway and emigrated to Missouri; Theophilus Calmut, who secured land a short
distance west of Windfall; Elisha Pickering who settled near the northeast
corner of the township; Henry Yeakley, who secured land in the same locality;
William Myers, who entered land in Section 5, a short distance north of
Windfall, and Thomas Legg, who made his first entry near Windfall The last named
was one of the prominent citizens of Wild Cat, and a man of more than ordinary
energy and intelligence. He remained in the vicinity of Windfall a few years,
when, becoming dissatisfied with this part of the country, he moved further
north and entered land, where a son had previously settled, and died. Arthur,
Benjamin and William, sons of Thomas Legg, came a few years later, and are still
residents of the township. They are men of character and influence, and have
been prominently connected with all movements calculated to advance the material
resources of the country.

   Other settlers who arrived at an early day and participated in the struggles
of pioneer life, were Silas Mitchell, John Pumphrey, Richard and David Beeson
and T. J. Wheeler. The first named was a native of Kentucky, but came to Wild
Cat from Decatur County, to which place he emigrated in his early manhood. He
became a prominent farmer, and for several years served as Township Trustee.
Pumphrey entered land near the northern boundary of the county, and earned the
reputation of being a good citizen during the period of his residence in the
township. The Beeson brothers rented not far from Windfall, and Wheeler located
on Irvin's Creek.

   During the year 1848, entries of land were made in Wild Cat by the following
persons: Irwin Tennell, John Pierce, John Clifford, James Legg, Joseph Quinn,
William Comer, Salathiel Vickery, A. Chase, L. B. Johnson, Preston Smith, John
Wright, Richard Parker, F. J. Deer, James Fouch, D. B. Martin, Samuel McCrary,
W. A. Boldon, C. B. Nay, R. C. Forsythe, William Alley, John Cochran, Andrew
Pumphrey, Nathan Smith, Hiram Plummer, David Decker and Abel Gibson. In 1849,
entries were made by A. Fletcher, J. W. Beeson, Lewis Mitchell, D. Y. Smith,
Thomas Wheeler, Isaac Eaton, Thomas Cochran, Silas Mitchell, Theodore Parker,
Benjamin Magg, James H. Sherman, Peter Lambrised, J. H. Pumphrey, William A.
Davidson, James Recobs, William Tousley, John W. Wykoff, Robert T. Goon, John W.
Hall, and others.

LIFE IN THE WOODS.

   Life in this country forty years ago was entirely different, from what it is
do-day. In nothing are the manners and customs of the people similar to those
who first introduced civilization into the Western wilds. The dwellings,
clothing, diet and social customs have undergone a total revolution, and it is
difficult to give anything like an adequate picture of the manner in which the
pioneer lived and prospered when the country was a wilderness. Like the settlers
in all new countries, the pioneers of this section depended very largely upon
game for their chief subsistence during the first two or three years, after
which their crops yielded a tolerable support. Wild animals of all kinds
infested the woods, and every settlers table was supplied with choice meat, in
quality and quantity according to demand. Venison was no rarity, but served as a
staple article of food, deer being so numerous as to cause, great injury to the
crops. Hence many were killed even when not needed for food. Some bear were
found by the early hunters. To kill one of these animals was considered a mark
of superior skill, and the man who was fortunate enough to bring down a bruin
enjoyed an enviable reputation in the community. Three of these animals were
killed by Samuel Baldwin a short distance east of Windfall, in the year 1847.
Wolves were especially numerous, and for several years all domestic stock had to
be tightly penned at night in order to protect them from the fangs of these
gaunt scourges. During very cold winters, they became voracious, and old
settlers tell of having to take their dogs into the house to keep them from
being torn to pieces. An old pioneer relates that upon one occasion the wolves
surrounded his house in such numbers as to cause great uneasiness by their
continued loud barking and howling. Thinking to frighten the animals away by
shooting among them, he cautiously opened the door, but before he had time to
bring the gun to bear, his favorite dog leaped from the room into the midst of
the pack, and was literally torn to shreds in a few minutes. The report of the
gun failed to scare the infuriated animals, and the door was closed just in time
to prevent them getting into the house. All that night the family remained awake
listening to the snarling and howling of the brutes as they ran around the house
and scratched upon the door, and it was not until sunrise the next morning that
the animals left the premises. A man by the name of Thomas, while in the woods
one day, was attacked by wolves, and compelled to tight for his life. He kept up
the struggle against great odds for some time, and only saved himself by
climbing a tree, in the branches of which he remained until assistance arrived.
As the country improved, these animals gradually disappeared, and none have been
seen in the township for a number of years.

   During the early days of the county, but little money was in circulation
among the pioneers, and in many localities deer skins were used as a circulating
medium. These represested a value of from 25 cents to $1, according to size and
quality, and for several years was the settlers' chief source of revenue. Other
articles of commercial importance were ginseng and wild honey, for which cash
could be obtained at the different market places.

  The first hogs fattened for market in the township were driven to the city of
La Fayette and sold for $1.25 a hundred in "blue pup" money, worth at that time
about 35 cents on the dollar. The year following this transaction, a man by name
of Peck bought up all the hogs in the county for a nominal sum of "canal scrip,"
and drove them to Cincinnati, where he received $1.40 in good money. The tirst
wheat was marketed at Peru, thirty miles distant, and brought the exorbitant
price of 60 cents per bushel, part in cash and part in trade. Twenty bushels was
a large load, and to make the trip with that amount required four or five days,
as roads had to be cut the greater part of the way through a dense woods, which,
with the muddy condition of the ground, made traveling an exceedingly difficult
matter. Flour and meal were first obtained at the Perkinsville Mill, twenty-five
miles distant, and at Somerset in Miami County, to reach which the pioneer was
obliged to travel about thirty miles.

   Many of the first settlers manufactured their own meal by crushing the corn
when dry in a kind of rude mortar, made by chiseling out a hoi low in the top of
a sound stump, The pestle was an iron block or more often an iron wedge made
fast to a sweep, and with this simple contrivence a coarse article of meal could
be made. A still simpler means was often resorted to before the corn became hard
enough to shell, namely, the common tin grater utensil found in every household.
The first mill in Wild Cat was built by James B. Fouch, at the village of
Windfall, about the time the town was platted. It was erected as a saw mill, but
buhrs were afterward attached for grinding both corn and wheat, which met a
long-felt want in the community. This mill was in successful operation several
years, at the end of which time it was destroyed by fire, and another erected in
its place. Of the latter a more extended mention will be given in the history of
the village.

   The first frame house in the township was the residence of James B. Fouch, at
Windfall, and the first brick dwelling was erected by John Nutter, on his farm
near the village.

ROADS, ETC.

   The first road through Wild Cat was surveyed in the year 1849, and traversed
the township in a southwesterly direction toward Tipton. The petition for the
highway was gotten up by John Nutter, and the following viewers appointed: John
Smith, John Nutter and A. Forbes. They reported favorably to the route, and a
scientific surveyor, whose knowledge of engineering was not very profound, was
selected to run the line. Everything progressed favorably until the surveying
party reached a thick woods, where the knight of the theodolite became
completely fuddled, and acknowledged himself unable to proceed further. At this
juncture, Nutter's master mind took in the situation, and procuring a cow bell
he went in advance of the trio, and rang wherever he wanted a stake set. By
means of this ringing, which the engineer followed up with his instrument, the
route was successfully laid out, the letter of the law fulfilled, and the term
"Bell road" attached to the highway. Another early road crossed the northern
part of the township from east to west, about one-half mile from the county
line. It was established in the year 1851, and for a number of years was an
extensively traveled highway. A road leading from the old "Bell Mill" to the
county line, between Sections 4 and 10, was laid out in an early day, and is one
of the leading thoroughfares of the township at the present time. The Windfall &
Howard County pike was constructed in the year 1881. It extends from the village
to the county line, and was made by taxation for free travel. In the year 1882,
the highway leading from Sharpsville to Windfall was gravel, and is also a free
pike. These roads extend through rich agricultural regions, and have been the
means of developing the country in a very marked degree. The Richmond Division
of the Pan Handle Railroad was surveyed through the township in 1852, and
completed in 1855. It crosses the southwest corner, about five miles of the road
being in the township, and has been the direct means of developing the country's
resources by increasing the value of land, and bringing good market places
almost to the doors of the farmers.

EARLY DEATHS-CEMETERIES.

   The first death in the township, to which allusion has already been made,
occurred in the year 1846. The interment took place at the Old Baptist
Graveyard, in the northern part of the township, near the forks of Wild Cat.
This cemetery was laid out about the year 1850, on land belonging to Silas
Mitchell, although a few interments had been made some time prior to that date.
Among the early burials at this place were Mrs. Cash, Elizabeth Bosier and Mrs.
John Nutter. The second place used for burying the dead is the old cemetery on
Irvin Creek, in the northern part of the township. It was laid off for the
purpose in a very early day, and the first interment therein were two small
children of James Pulley.

   A small graveyard was also started on Turkey Creek in the year 1850, but only
three burials ever took place there. These were a son of John Morris, William
Myer's child and a child of John Deer.

   The largest cemetery in the township is the Windfall Graveyard, which was
consecrated to the burial of the dead a short time after the origin of the
village. Among the first laid to rest in this place were Joseph Keith, James
Knight and Samuel Gill.

FIRST BIRTH.

   The first birth within the present limits of Wild Cat occurred in the family
of David Decker, a short time after their arrival in the township. Other early
births were in the families of Wesley Chase and Robert Stephens.

SCHOOLS.

   The subject of education has from an early date received a good deal of
attention in this township. Before the law authorizing a system of public
schools was in force, the pioneers of Wild Cat took steps toward the education
of the youth in the primary branches of learning. Comparatively few of the first
settlers were men of letters, most of them having been children when "book
learning" in the States where they were brought up was considered a matter of
minor importance. And yet these people seemed to fully realize the Josses they
had sustained in the neglect of their own schooling, and were therefore anxious
to do the next best thing, by making amends in the case of their children. The
first school was taught in a rude little cabin which stood near Mud Creek, in
the northern part of the township, about the year 184.8. This building was
hastily constructed by the few neighbors living in the vicinity, and served its
purpose about three years, at the end of which time it was abandoned and allowed
to fall into decay. The first pedagogue who wielded the rod of authority at this
place was David Decker, who is remembered as a very competent instructor for
that day. As no certificates of qualification were requisite at that time, we
are unable to enlighten our readers as to Prof. Decker's scholastic attainments.
The second house erected for school purposes stood at the village of Windfall,
and was built by voluntary contribution, the majority of the neighbors working
out their subscriptions, so that but few dollars in money were expended upon the
structure. Among the early teachers at the village were Mr. Jackson, Benjamin
Legg and Arthur Legg. The first frame schoolhouse was built near the northeast
corner of the township, in what was known as the Pierce settlement, but the date
of its erection could not be ascertained. An early schoolhouse, known as the
Couch Schoolhouse, was built some time prior to 1855, and stood about two and a
half miles east of Windfall. It was a comfortable log structure, and was in use
a number of years.

   In the year 1855, an election was called to decide whether the township
school land should be sold, but no one coming out to vote for or against the
measure, a petition was gotten up in favor of the project, by John Nutter, to
which the names of all the citizens, except one, were subscribed. As soon as the
section was disposed of, measures were inaugurated to erect public schoolhouses
at proper intervals, and an enumeration of children taken. This enumeration
shows that forty children between the ages of six and twenty-one years were at
that time residing in the township. The enumeration for the school year 1882-83
shows an increase of 477 pupils over the above number, there being at the
present time 517 children of proper age attending the different schools. To
accommodate this large' number requires eleven schoolhouses, one of which, the
Windfall building, is supplied with three departments. The teachers for the year
ending March, 1883, were W. H. Randolph, J. D. Reeve. C. C. Duncan, W. P.
Mulligan, W. O. Legg, J. M. Couch, Mollie V. White, W. C. Legg, A. D. Legg, W.
M. Couch, J. B. Hall, L. S. Barrow, A. F. Swoveland, W. C. John and  J. A.
Butler. The sum required to compensate these teachers was $1,698.48.

RELIGIOUS HISTORY.

   Society, as it circles outward from a common center, has a tendency to
degenerate from its original and higher type to one of a lower tone and
standard. History reveals the fact that every receding circle of civilization
has lessened the forces forming and completing a perfect state of society.

   On nearly every wave of immigration, some good seed is borne to grow up in
the opening soil of the new country. The good seed is usually sufficient to
begin the work of raising society to a higher level of civilization, and its
transforming power counteracts those demoralizing influences which tend to
social degeneration and disruption, as the lawless and vicious seek the
frontiers, where there is less restraint from civil power. This good seed
becomes the nucleus around which gather those loftier feelings necessary to
carry society onward to a state of comparative perfection and happiness.
Christian truth is the great superstructure on which every society approximating
perfection must rest. Said an old minister of the Gospel once: "It used to make
my heart sick in the early days of my ministry to dismiss members of my charge
to churches in distant regions, and have brothers and sisters and neighbors
leave us for settlements in the opening territories. But, as I have grown older,
and followed these emigrants to their new homes, and have found them far more
useful in church and State than they ever could have been in the regions they
left behind, where others held their places and influence, as I have seen them
giving a healthy and vigorous tone to society, while the separation caused a
pang of sorrow, the good accomplished more than compensated for the pleasure
lost." It was to such immigrants as those mentioned in the above extract that
Indiana is indebted for her civilization to-day. The good seed brought hither by
these humble pioneers has brought forth good fruit, and produced blessings more
than a hundred-fold.

   The first preachers in the Wild Cat were of the Baptist denomination. The
earliest religious services held within the present limits of the township were
conducted by Rev. Archibald Leach at the residences of Silas Mitchell and John
Pumphrey shortly after their arrival in the country. These meetings were held
from time to time, and so increased in numbers that private dwellings were not
sufficient to accommodate the congregations. A log house was built by the
neighbors of the community, on the farm of Mr. Mitchell, and immediately after
its completion a society was organized under the title of Salem Church,
consisting of the following members: John Pumphrey and wife, Silas Mitchell and
wife, Jackson Pumphrey and wife, William Hosier and wife, and John Nutter and
wife. This number was soon afterward increased by several additions, among whom
were Henry Martin and wife, and Moses Martin and wife. The organization was
brought about chiefly by the labors of .Revs. Cobb and Leach, the latter of whom
was the first pastor. He served for a period of about fifteen years. He was a
man of •eminent piety, and worked hard for the success of the church which owes
much of its prosperity to his faithful watch and care. He was succeeded by Rev.
Mr. Cobb, who exercised pastoral control at intervals for several years, and was
in turn followed by Rev. Denton Simpson, who preached acceptably for about the
same length of time. The pastor in charge at the present time is Rev. Mr.
Carver, a man well beloved by the congregation, who give him their hearty
support. There are forty-eight members at the present time, and the church is
reported in good condition. Jacob Barrow is Superintendent of the Sunday school,
which is in good working order, and well attended. The present temple of worship
is a neat frame building, capable of seating 250 persons. It was erected in the
year 1869, and cost the sum of $1,500.

   The Methodist Episcopal Church of Windfall was organized by Rev. George
Havens, at the village schoolhouse, in the year 1857, with an original
membership of four or five families. The schoolhouse was used as a meeting place
until the year .1873, at which time the present church edifice was erected. It
is a frame building, with a seating capacity of 300, and represents a value of
$1,800. Rev. George Havens was the first pastor. After him came in regular
succession the following preachers: R. A. Newton, F. A. Fish, E. M. Baker, D. D.
Powell, R. B. Powell John Kame, P. J. Albright, F. A. Fish, E. W. Osborne, the
present incumbent. From a small and inauspicious beginning, the church has
constantly increased in numbers and influence until at the present time it is
the strongest religious organization in the township. Its present membership is
125. Thomas Durbin and C. B. Nay are class-leaders. The Board of Trustees
consists of W. Austin, J. K. Allen, B. Gifford and A. Riffe. Thomas Durbin is
Superintendent of the large, flourishing Sunday-school.

   The Windfall Christian Church was re-organized from an old church which
formerly existed near Irvin Creek, in the northern part of the township. The
original organization was brought about through the labors of Elders Richard
Cobb and Philemon Plummer. A house of worship was erected on Jefferson Wheeler's
farm about the year 1854, and a good society maintained for a period of twelve
or thirteen years, at the end of which time it was abandoned, the majority of
the members uniting with the Windfall congregation. The first meeting in the
village was held at the schoolhouse about the year 1866, and an organization
effected with fifty members. Meetings were held at the schoolhouse about
eighteen months, when steps were taken to erect a house of worship more in
keeping with the constantly increasing congregation. A lot was purchased in the
northern part of the village, and work on the new edifice began at once. The
building is a frame, 40x50 feet in size, and cost the sum of $2,200. It contains
the most commodious audience room in the village, and will comfortably seat 350
persons. The first pastor was Elder Jacob Blount, who preached one year. He was
succeeded by Elder Wright, who remained the same length of time. The next pastor
was Elder James Blackman, after whom came in regular order C. Quick, Mr. Taylor,
M. W. Jamison, P. Blount, Mr. McGuffin, Hiram Ford and Mr. Franklin. The pastor
in charge at the present time is Elder C. Quick. The present membership is about
seventy-five. The church officers are L. McAlister, J. Sasser and Richard
Freeman, Elders; Benjamin Osborne and D. B. Vice, Deacons; D. B. Vice and Nathan
Bailey, Trustees; George Cook, Sunday School Superintendent.

   The Windfall Baptist Church was organized in the year 1871, by members of the
Salem Church living in the village and vicinity. The constitutional members were
John Nutter and wife, James Edwards and wife, Elizabeth Alexander and Vinnie
Mulligan, a number which was afterward increased to sixteen. Rev. Mr. Cobb
preached two years and was followed by Rev. Denton Simpson, who served as pastor
for several years, preaching at irregular intervals. The other pastors were
Revs. Odell and McDade. The society at the present time is in a very weak
condition, and no services have been held for about six months. The village
schoolhouse was used for a meeting place several months, after which the
Methodist and Christian Churches were thrown open to the -congregation.
   The Hazel Dell Quaker Church was organized in the year 1881, at theHazle Dell
Schoolhouse, a short distance southeast of Windfall. This society has a small
but active membership, and promises to become a healthy organization at no
distant day. The preachers who have minis -tered to the congregation are James
Ellis, Edmund Peelle and Mr. Cox.

VILLAGE OF WINDFALL.

   The town of Windfall was laid out by James B. Fouch, the original plat
embracing part of the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter Section 16,
Town 22 north, Range 5 east. Fouch located at this point for the purpose of
engaging in the lumber business, and platted the village in order to secure a
station on the C, C. & I. C. R. R., which had been surveyed through the county
in the year 1852. He erected a large saw mill in 1853, and had the lots surveyed
the same year, the lines being run by William H. Nelson, County Surveyor. The
first house in the new village was erected by Josiah Ross and used by him for a
store. It is a frame building and still stands in the southwest part of the
town, being used at the present time as a residence. Ross sold goods for about
four years, at the end of which time he disposed of his stock and moved h> the
village of Mier. The second stock of goods was brought to the place by James
Knight, who erected for the purpose a frame building in the southwest part of
the town near the railroad. This storeroom now was a small affair, about 16x18
feet in size, and was occupied by Knight with a meager assortment of merchandise
for about ten years. William Dixon erected a warehouse and storeroom near the
rail road, in the year 1858, ard opened up a good business both in buying grain
and selling goods. He kept a large general stock and was identified with the
business interest of the village for several years. In 1859, Messrs. Taylor &
Smith built a large storehouse near the railroad, which they stocked with
merchandise to the amount of several thousand dollars. They did a flourishing
business for several years, when they closed out to other parties and left the
village. Another early merchant was William Hammond, who erected a building at
the "Five Points" where he sold goods about four years, when he disposed of the
stock and house to J. H. Zehner, who occupies it at the present time.

   Among the early business men and firms were, Richard Freeman, Banta & Wines,
William Cummack, Mr. Attenheimer, John Zehner and John Bailey. The oldest
merchant at the present time is D. B. Vice, who commenced business in the
village in 1865, and has been here ever since.

   The manufacturing interests of Windfall have been considerable. The first
enterprise was the saw and grist mill erected by James B. Fouch, prior to the
laying out of the village. It was in successful operation several years, and did
a large business, having been extensively patronized by the citizens of Wild Cat
and surrounding townships. It was burned about the year 1858, and another
combination mill took its place the year following. The second mill was erected
by Fouch also, and stands in the southwest p. rt of the village. It was operated
as a saw and grist mill for several years, when the machinery was taken out and
replaced by a hoop and felloe factory, and as such it is still run. The present
proprietors are Messrs. Conklin and Scott. Michael Null commenced the
manufacture of staves in the year 1865, and erected a factory near the western
limit of the village on the railroad. The enterprise proved remunerative, and
was operated until the proprietor's death, after which it passed into the hands
of his descendants, who conduct a successful business at the present. A large
saw mill and felloe factory was established in the year 1877, by Thornburgh &
Hirous, who ran it in partnership until about the year 1881, at which time the
former sold his interest to B. F. Gifford. They do an extensive business, and
ship as much material as any other factory on the railroad between Richmond and
Kokomo. The Windfall Steam Flouring Mill was built in the year 1873, by a
joint-stock company consisting; of ten members. The building is a substantial
frame struct-nre, three and a half stories high, 36x46 feet in size, and has
three runs of buhrs, with a grinding capacity of 168 bushels of wheat per day.
It stands near the railroad in the southeast part of the village, and was
erected at a cost of about $10,000. The company operated it until 1875, when the
shares were purchased by Messrs. Null & McAlister, who ran it as partners one
year, at the end of which time the entire interest was purchased by McAlister.
The mill was operated under McAlister's supervision until 1879, when it passed
into the hands of Mr. Marshall, who ran it until the time of his death, a short
time afterward. It is operated at the present time by the Farrer Bros., who have
a large custom and merchant trade.

SECRET  SOCIETIES.

   Windfall Lodge, No. 334, A., F. & A. M., was organized in the year 1876, with
a good membership. The organization increased in membership quite rapidly, and
in 1878 was able to build and furnish a neat hall. It stands in the northeastern
part of the village and represents a capital of about $900. The present officers
are B. F. Gilford, W. M.; R. Parish, S. W.; Hall Graham, J. W.; William Newton,
Treasurer; Nathan Bailey, S. D.; A. D. Riffe, J. D.; D. B. Vice, Tiler; and S.
S. Newton, Secretary. The lodge numbers twenty-two members at the present time,
and in reported in good working order.

   Windfall Lodge, No. 438, I. O. O. F., was instituted November 20, 1873, with
the following charter members: F. S. Zeek, George Dunn, William Brooks, G. W.
Boyer, W. S. Armstrong, Joel Reece, S. G. Young and H. H. Lindley. The first
officers were J. H. Zehner, N. G.; John B. Thorn, V. G.; F. S. Zeek, Secretary,
and T. J. Lindley, Treasurer. The officers at the present time are J. D. Baker,
N. G.; R. P. Rice, V. G.: Thomas Hirous, Recording Secretary; E. Perry,
Permanent Secretary; W. J. Miner, Treasurer, and Jacob Barrow, District Deputy
G. M. The Trustees are Jacob Barrow, G. H. Cook and H. N. Steele. The present
membership is about thirty-four. Meetings are held in a hall belonging to the
lodge.

THE PRESS.

   The Windfall News, a five-column weekly quarto, was established in the year
1876 by Messrs. Sweet & Fugit, who issued it regularly until 1877, at which time
a half interest was purchased by P. and J. O. Behymer. They afterward bought the
entire interest, and changed it into a seven-column folio. It was started as a
neutral sheet, but under the management of Messrs. Behymer was conducted as an
independent Democratic paper, and reached a circulation of about 400. It was
issued at Windfall until the year 1880, at which time it was moved to Tipton and
merged into the Times of that place. In 1877 appeared the first number of Our
Home, a juvenile sheet, started by Sweet & Fugit. It reached a good circulation,
but was short-lived, only about five or six numbers having been issued, when the
material was purchased by the proprietor of the Windfall News and the two papers
consolidated.

PHYSICIANS.

   The first practicing physician in Windfall was Dr. Zimmerman, a man of good
abilities, who commenced practice soon after the town was laid out, and
continued several years. Dr. S. Murray was also an early physician, and perhaps
the next to Zimmerman. Afterward, came Perry Shockney and Austin Zeek, the
former of whom died in the village several years ago. The medical profession is
well represented at the present time by the following: L. McAlister, T. S. Zeek,
W. L. Price, W. Austin, J. L. Spitzmesser, J. A. Horine, Dr. Hermann and George
Woods.

INCORPORATION OF WINDFALL.

   On the 24th of March, 1871, the village, by a unanimous vote of the citizens,
took upon itself the dignity of an incorporated town, and elected the following
Board of Councilmen: J. H. Zehner, T. J. Alexander, W. A. Dennis and L. B.
Carver. This board organized for work, by electing J. H. Zehner, President, and
T. J. Alexander, Clerk. Other officers, whose names could not be ascertained,
were appointed at the same time. The present Board of Councilmen is composed of
the following gentlemen: Dr. Zeek, Thomas Hirous, J. I. Seward and B. F. Vice,
J. I. Seward being President. The other town officers are Madison Wright,
Marshal; D. D. John, Clerk and Treasurer; and Perry Behyoier, Attorney.

THE CRIME RECORD.

   While Windfall claims to be a law-abiding village, and can probably boast as
many upright citizens as any other place of its population, it has in years past
been the scene of several bloody tragedies, of which the following is very brief
mention. In the year 1865, a man by name of Noble Goff was murdered in his bed,
the assassin using for the purpose a large old-fashioned hatchet. Goff had been
at one time a reputable citizen, but in later years became very dissipated, a
fact which led to many family quarrels. His wife, a woman of very fiery temper,
had been heard to make frequent threats of violence. She was arrested on
suspicion, and tried for the murder. The case was stubbornly contested by the
attorneys on both sides, but the evidence of guilt was so clearly established
that she was convicted and sentenced to a long term in the penitentiary.

   In the year 1864 or 1865, Dr. Armstrong shot and killed Henry Thomas. The
motive which prompted the bloody deed was jealousy on the part of the former.
Armstrong was arrested for the crime, and had his trial at Muncie, to which
place a change of venue had been taken. He pleaded "not guilty" to the charge of
murder, and was successful.

   During a drunken altercation which took place in one of the village saloons a
number of years ago, a man by the name of Perry was killed by A. Balser. The
deed was the culmination of a quarrel which grew out of a game of cards.

   A fatal shooting affray occurred near the village about the year 1867, in
which a man by the name of Gifford was killed by James Stewart. It seems that
the former went to Stewart's place for the purpose of attaching some cattle, and
not being very warm friends, soon got into a bitter quarrel, during the progress
of which the shooting was done. Stewart was arrested and tried, but got cleared
on the plea of self-defense.

A BIG FIRE.

   On the 13th of March, 1883, occurred a very destructive fire, which laid in
ruins several fine business houses, and entailed heavy losses on the owners. The
fire originated in the large brick drug store belonging to Dr. McAlister, from
which it leaped to his residence, near by, which was soon enveloped in flames.
Every possible effort was made to check the devouring element, but without
avail, and it soon spread to the store buildings of Vice & Nutter and Legg &
Patterson, both of which were in a few moments, reduced to a moldering mass of
ruins. The fire is supposed to have been the work of an incendiary.

WHAT THIRTY-ONE YEARS HAVE DONE.

   This brings us to the end of our sketch of Windfall. Thirty-one years laden
with sorrows and joys, bright anticipations and vanished hopes, have added both
age and dignity to the little city. Many of the old citizens who were wont to
indulge in pleasant dreams of what the town would some day be are quietly
sleeping in their last resting-places. The boys and girls of those early years
are children no longer, but have taken their places in the ranks of men and
women, and are doing the work assigned them. During these years, almost a third
of a century, the village has steadily gained in business importance and
financial strength, until, at the present time, it is the second town in the
county, and boasts a population of 800 souls. Its business houses are as
follows: J. H. Zehner, dry goods and general store; W. H. Crafton, general
merchandise; Vice & Nutter, general merchandise; W. J. Miner, hardware: A. H.
Zehner, groceries and notions; W. R. Bailey, groceries; R. McAlister, E. L.
Pickering and J. A. Schell, drug stores; H. N. Steele, undertaker and furniture
dealer; I. P. Emery, harness shop; Samuel King, E. H. Farrington and P. Hoffman,
shoe shops; Thomas Flatt, Peter Applegate, John Carr and C. C. Gray,
blacksmiths; William Clawson, hotel; E. Osborne, wagon-maker; Mrs. Gray,
boarding-house; Clawson & Bailey and Jones & Son, livery stables; Perry Behymer
and W. A. Dean, attorneys.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

COUNTIES OF HOWARD AND TIPTON, INDIANA.

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
ILLUSTRATED.

CHARLES BLANCHARD. EDITOR.
CHICAGO: F. A. BATTEY & CO.
1883.


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