History
of Hendricks County Indiana
Hendricks County
was officially formed by an act of the Indiana legislature in April,
1824. It was formed from the area of Putnam County and some unorganized
territory, and named Hendricks in honor of Indiana's governor, William
Hendricks. Guilford Township was one of the first places to be settled.
Hendricks County also acquired some land from Morgan County in 1868.
Hendricks County has the following townships in 1850 Belville, Brown
Brownsburg, Center, Clay, Danville, Eel River, Franklin, Guilford,
Liberty, Marion, Middle, Plainfield, and Washington in 1870
the townships were Brown, Center, Clay, Danville, Eel River,
Franklin, Guilford, House of Refuge, Liberty, Lincoln, Marion,
Middle, Plainfield, Stilesville, Union, and Washington .
By 1900 the
townships were Brown, Franklin, Marion, Center, Guilford, Middle, Clay,
Liberty, Union, Eel River, Lincoln and Washington
Hendricks county is
located near the centre of the State of Indiana. It contains about one
hundred and thirty five thousand acres of land. The county was
organized in 1824, and was named in honor of Governor William
Hendricks. The surface of the county is gently rolling, and the soil is
generally very good. The county is well timbered, especially in the
northern portion.
It is well watered by Eel river, Mill creek, Mud
creek, White Lick creek, and their numerous tributary streams.
The first settlers
of the county emigrated from North Carolina to this county about the
year 1818, and settled on goverment lands prior to entry. The first
lands were entered in the county in 1821, about three years before the
organization of the county. The first settlements were made in the
southeast portion of the county, in what is now Liberty and Gillford
townships. Among the first settlers were David Downs, Boss Nicholas,
Richard Christie, George and David Matock, William Ballard, Jonathan
Rodgers, James Thompson, Thomas Hadley, Josiah Tomlinson, John Bryant
and Thomas Lockhart.
The county was
organized in 1824, and Danville was chosen as the seat of justice. The
first settlements were made in the county in 1818, when the first trees
were felled and the first rude cabins erected. This population
increased so rapidly that in 1824 there were more than one thousand
inhabitants in the county. In 1870, the population of the county was
twenty thousand two hundred and seventy seven. The growth of wealth and
public improvements in the county have been commensurate with this
growth in population. The old court house has long since perished, and
a new and substantial building has taken its place. The new jail and
county asylum are substantial and well conducted institutions. The
pioneer log school houses of the county have gone, and now over one
hundred fine brick and frame school buildings attest the educational
advantages of Hendricks county. Excellent turnpike roads bisect each
other in all parts of the county, and ample railroad facilities are
presented. The county has now over one hundred and thirty thousand
acres of improved land, valued at twelve million dollars. The products
of the farms have always been largely remunerative. The taxable
property in the county is worth over twenty million dollars. In every
sense, the people of Hendricks county are intelligent, progressive, and
enterprising citizens.
The Indiana House of Refuge is located
on the State farm adjoining Plainfield, in Hendricks county.
This is
one of the State's most worthy and benevolent institutions, and it is
doing a good work for the benefit of the boys who have been sent there.
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