HENDRICKS COUNTY
INDIANA
GUILFORD TOWNSHIP
TOPOGRAPHY
Guilford township
is situated in the southeast corner of Hendricks county; is bounded on
the north by Washington township, on the east by Marion county, on the
south by Morgan county and on the west by Liberty township. White Lick
creek flows through the central portion, the East fork thereof and
Clark's creek through the east side, and the West fork of White Lick,
with a small tributary, across the west side. This network of streams
supplies perhaps the best natural drainage system of any township in
the county. The water adds greatly to the value of the land also; the
uplands are rolling and the stream valleys are fertile and of high
productive quality. Walnut, poplar and maple timber was at one time
thick over this township, but this has been reduced by the
encroachments of agriculture to a very small per cent, of the original.
SETTLEMENT
Guilford
township was the first in the county to be entered by white settlers.
This was in the year 1820. In that year Samuel Herriman, James Dunn,
Bat Ramsey, Harris Bay, John W. Bryant and George Moore settled on
White Lick, south of Plainfield. near the Morgan county line. Here they
set up their cabins., cleared ground and raised a few small crops of
corn and potatoes. In the spring of 1821 Noah Kellum, Thomas Lockhart,
Mr. Plummer and Felix Balzer settled on the East fork, and Matthew
Lowder, Jesse Hockett and Robert Tomlinson on White Lick, south of
Plainfield. In the spring of 1822 Jeremiah Hadley, Jonathan Hadley and
David Carter settled on adjoining lands: on the hills immediately east
of the present town of Plainfield and were the first to locate in that
neighborhood. In the same year James Downard settled on the state farm.
In 1824 Guilford township contained more people than all the other
townships combined. The Friends were the majority of the early settlers
and to this day this religious denomination is strong in the township. The
civil division was named in honor of Guilford county, North Carolina,
by Samuel Jessup, due to the fact, doubtless, that a large number of
the emigrants came from that place.
FIRST ELECTIONS
Samuel
Jessup was the first justice of the peace in Guilford township and in
Hendricks county. He was elected in the autumn of 1822, under the
jurisdiction of Morgan county, to which Hendricks county was attached
for two years for judicial purposes before its organization. Mr. Jessup
was elected by the first political campaign in the county. John and
Samuel Jessup, on East fork, were also candidates, and Gideon Wilson,
near Shiloh. There were fifteen voters below and eight in Wilson's
vicinity. A caucus was held in the Fairfield neighborhood, and it was
found that there would be no election if all the candidates remained in
the field, and as Samuel had the most votes it was decided that John
should withdraw from the race, which he did, and Samuel was chosen.
The poll book of
the first general election held in Guilford township, on August 7,
1826, at the house of John Jessup, gives a list of forty two voters,
which is manifestly incomplete, namely: Timothy Jessup, Thomas
Lockhart, James McClure, John White, Noah Kellum, Isaac Sanders, Harmon
Hiatt, Adin Ballard, Benjamin Sanders, Henry Bland, Robert Tomlinson,
Joseph Chandler, John Hiatt, Elihu Jackson, Joseph Ballard, Charles
Reynolds, Pratt W. Jessup, Joseph Jessup, Joel Jessup, John
Hawkins, Lee Jessup, Abijah Pinson, John Jessup, Joseph P. Jessup, Levi
Cook, Henry Reynolds, Timothy H. Jessup, James C. Tomlinson, Joseph
Cloud, John Lemon, John Carson, David Statesman, James Ritter, William
Merritt, Solomon Edmundson, John Ballard, David Ballard, Robert Lemon,
Joseph Hiatt, Jesse Kellum, Thomas R. Ballard and John Harris. Guilford
township has always been Republican in politics, following from the
support of the Whig party.
GUILFORD IN 1914
Because of
the location of Plainfield, the second town in the county, Guilford
township is perhaps next to the leading, if not the leading, civil
division in the county. It has the advantage in not only having a good
population, but in having exceptional land, rich and fertile, and
capable of producing record crops. The farmers are of the best class in
the state and are all in a prosperous condition. The
appearance of the farms, the buildings and the residences is the strongest
testimony to this fact. Much attention has been given to the roads of
the township. Gravel highways, and many macadamized, form a network
over the division. Two railroads and two interurban lines cross the
county, all going into Indianapolis.
PLAINFIELD
The town of Plainfield is the
second town in the county in size. It was laid out by Elias Hadley and
Levi Jessup in the year of 1839. Thomas Worth built the first frame
house in the town and Worth & Brothers were the first merchants. In 1839 Plainfield was incorporated as a
town, and the officers of the election made the following report:
"We, the undersigned president and clerk chosen and qualified
according to law, do hereby certify that we did, on the morning of
the 25th of May, 1839, lay off the said town into five districts,
to-wit: That the town lots lying east of Center street and north of the
national road shall be known as the first district; that the lots lying
east of Center street south of the national road shall be known as the
second district; that the lots lying between Center and Mills street
south of the national road, shall be known as the third district; that
the town lots lying between Center and Mills streets, north of the
national road, shall be known as the fourth district; and that the town
lots lying west of Mills street shall be known as the fifth district.
"And we do
further certify that David G. Worth, Eli K. Caviness, James M. Long,
Andrew Prather and James M. Blair were duly elected trustees of the
town of Plainfield according to law.
"David G. Worth,
President.
"Attest:
Isaac Osborn, Clerk."
At this election the following
twenty three persons voted: Daniel Barker, David G. Worth, M. G.
Taylor, David Barker, Jesse Hocket, James M. Blair, A. C. Logan, A.
Prather, Luther Sikes, James M. Long, James T. Downard, Eli K.
Caviness, M. G. Corlew, Joel Hodgin, Muling Miller, Thomas J. Worth,
Benjamin Lawrence, David Phillips, V. C. Gitchens, John Shelley, Isaac
Osborn, Isaac Holton and William Osborn. These were among the prominent
first settlers of the town of Plainfield. This incorporation charter
was later given up, due to unsuccessful attempts at town government.
Township rule was considered to be the best. However, on June 25, 1904,
the town of Plainfield was again incorporated as a town. In
the second incorporation the
first officers were: M. M. Fraser, J. A. Johnson and John L. Gunn,
trustees; Charles R. Harvey, clerk; Jacob Wickliff, marshal. The
present town officers are as follows: Joseph Pruitt, Charles Harvey and
E. E. Watson, trustees; R. M. Hadley, clerk and treasurer; Frank
Fields, marshal.
The Plainfield
water works is a municipally owned plant, built in 1913, at a cost of
eighteen thousand dollars. Electricity is supplied by the Danville
Light, Heat and Power Company.
THE PRESENT TOWN
The town of
Plainfield had a population in 1910 of one thousand three hundred and
three. The town has the appearance of a much larger city; the
residences are commodious and of pleasing architecture and the business
section has the air of prosperity and civic excellence. The town is
reached by the Vandalia and the Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern
lines and much commercial and social intercourse is held with the city
of Indianapolis and other towns on the lines.
The Citizens'
State Bank of Plainfield was organized in 1889 by George W. Bell. It
was chartered in that year and in 1909 this charter was renewed. The
first officers of the bank were: Harlan Hadley, president; John A.
Miles, vice-president; George W. Bell, cashier. William Lewis, Ezra H.
Cox, T. F. Roberts, David Hadley and John R. Weer were associated with
the institution. The present officers are: John L. Gunn, president;
John M. Brown, vice president; Emil B. Mills, cashier; Ralph B.
Hornaday, assistant cashier. The capital stock is $25,000; deposits,
$145,000; surplus and undivided profits, $30,000.
Plainfield Lodge
No. 286, Free and Accepted Masons, was organized October 21, 1862, with
the following officers: Amos Easterling, worshipful master; Caleb
Easterling, senior warden; Amos Alderson, junior warden; Madison
Osborn, secretary; Carey Regan, treasurer; N. Y. Parsons, senior
deacon; William D. Cooper, junior deacon; Thomas Powell, tyler. This
lodge is now Plainfield Lodge No. 653, and has a good membership.
McCarty Lodge No.
233, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Plainfield, is over forty
years old. They now have a membership of one hundred and sixty.
Plainfield Lodge No. 50, Knights of
Pythias, has a membership of two hundred and is very prosperous.
There is also a tribe of the Improved
Order of Red Men and a camp of the Modern Woodmen of America in the
town.
Virgil H. Lyon Post No. 186, Grand Army of the Republic, at
Plain-field, was chartered June n, 1883, with forty members. This post
is not active at the present time, due to the decease of so many
members.
PLAINFIELD
PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Plainfield library is a
partial realization of the dreams and desires of some of the women of
Plainfield. Feeling the need of such an institution in the town and
believing an honest effort to establish such a means of directing and
cultivating the literary tastes of the young and satisfying the demands
of the old would be rewarded by success, the Woman's Reading Club asked
the local Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Friday Club to
enter into an association for the above purpose. A corporation was
formed and a board of trustees appointed. With these organizations as
charter members, the association membership was increased by adding the
name of any person in the township who gave a dollar or more in money
or books. Donations in both were solicited, with the result that in a.
short time the library opened with about four hundred volumes and money
to buy more.
The opening took
place in June, 1901, and work began in a front room of a private
residence on Main street, with Mrs. Edward Lawrence as librarian. She
served until the fall of 1903, when failing health compelled her to
resign, and she was succeeded by Miss Melissa Carter.
THE INDIANA BOYS SCHOOL
Just a mile
from Plainfield is located the Indiana Boys' School. It is a beautiful
place, well kept, and an admirable home for the class of boys sent
within its grounds. This school was established by the Legislature of
Indiana in 1867, under the name of "The House of Refuge for Juvenile
Offenders." In 1883 this name was changed to "The Indiana Reform School
for Boys," and in 1903 to the present title, "The Indiana Boys'
School." The institution is governed by a bi-partisan board of control
of four members appointed by the governor for a term of four years. The
present board is: Harry T. Schloss, president; Joseph B. Homan, of
Danville, vice president; Guy H. Humphreys, treasurer, and George
Webster, Jr., secretary. Guy C. Hanna is superintendent of the
institution.
Boys are received
on commitments from the courts of the state between the ages of eight and seventeen. On a
general charge of incorrigibility or delinquency, boys are received
between ten and seventeen and on a criminal charge between eight and
sixteen. All boys are retained here until they reach the age of twenty
one years, unless sooner released by the board of control under general
rules. At present these rules are such that with good conduct a boy may
gain his release on parole in eighteen months. The average time is a
little under two years. Boys may be returned to the institution at any
time for the violation of their parole while under twenty one years of
age. A statute proposed by the executive officers of the institution
was enacted by the Legislature of 1913, giving the board of control the
right to finally discharge any boy over the age of eighteen years.
Under this law six hundred and one boys already on parole have been
discharged.
The present number
of inmates, which has remained nearly stationary for the past year, is
about five hundred and sixty. One hundred of these are colored boys.
The institution had, four years ago, six hundred and ninety nine boys.
The falling oft" has been due to the overcrowded condition of the
school and the pressure exerted on the courts to hold boys out as long
as possible.
The ordinary
capacity of the institution is four hundred and twenty six. A new
building for housing purposes, Washington 'Barracks, is now under
construction and will accommodate eighty boys. It will replace an old
building. A new school house is being constructed also, named Charlton
school, in honor of Major T. J. Charlton, superintendent of the school
for twenty one years. The institution is supported entirely by direct
appropriation from the Legislature. In 1910 the total maintenance cost
was $113,-284.74; in 1911, $107,164.81; in 1912, $102,224.63; in 1913,
$100,583.66.
The purpose of the
institution is the reformation of criminal and incorrigible boys.
School is maintained the year round. The course covers the eight grades
of the common school system. Two graduations are held each year, spring
and fall. Sixteen boys were graduated in September, 1913. During the
twelve months each grade is given a two weeks vacation out of doors. A
director of music and a physical director are included in the teaching
force. The schools are in charge of a school principal, who is an
experienced school man.
The institution
maintains the following shops and trades: Manual training, printing,
carpenter, blacksmith, shoe shop, plumbing, tin shop, bakery, laundry,
barber, tailor, paint shop, florist, farm and garden and
telegraphy. All the furniture of the institution is
built at the manual training
shop. The printing office does all of the job work for the institution
and issues monthly and weekly publications. The ordinary repairs of the
institution are kept up by the carpenter, painting, plumbing,
blacksmith and tinsmith forces. The garden produces a large variety of
vegetables for the institution's use. An orchard of twenty five acres
produces five thousand bushels of apples yearly. These are all consumed
by the boys. The farm, of three hundred acres, produces all the feed
used by the institution and a large quantity of wheat per year, which
is milled into flour. This year's crop of wheat amounted to over
eighteen hundred bushels and last year's corn crop to five thousand
bushels.
The institution
owns five hundred and twenty seven acres of land and has fifty four
buildings. The place is heated by steam and is lighted by electricity
produced at the institution's central power plant. It has its own water
works system, equipped with fine, pure water wells pumped by electric
pumps. The power plant also supplies steam for cooking and for the
steam laundry. It has a capacity for nine hundred horse
power.
The officers,
including everybody employed, number sixty. These are all appointed by
the superintendent and are subject to dismissal at his pleasure. The
present board of control started two years ago, with the erection of
the new chapel, to gradually rebuild the entire institution. The plan
of housing in the future will include barracks, cottages and buildings,
with single rooms for the boys.
CENTRAL
ACADEMY
The first
school taught in the Central Academy at Plainfield was in 1881-2. This
school was originated and supported by four quarterly meetings of the
Friends' church, Plainfield, Fairfield, White Lick and Danville, until
the year 1912, when the support of the school was transferred to the
Plainfield quarterly meeting alone. It is a commissioned high school
with a four year course, having now thirty pupils and three teachers,
including Simon N. Hester, the principal. The old building was burned
in 1905 and in the next year a new one was constructed at a cost of ten
thousand dollars. The first building was a two story brick, with four
rooms above and one below; the new one is the same, with the addition
of a basement