MORGAN COUNTY INDIANA
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP
FORMATION AND BOUNDARY
This township, as
it now is, was formed out of Ray Township soon
after the close of the rebellion. Some portions are hilly, with a
predominating clay soil, especially on the ridge; but, on the whole,
the township is well suited for agriculture. Enormous crops of all the
cereals are grown annually on the lower lands, which are as rich and
fertile as any in the Mississippi Valley. The township is made up of
Sections 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29 and 30 in Township 12 north, Range 1
west, and all of Township 12 north, Range 2 west, except Sections 19,
20, 21. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, the last three being in Ray
Township and the others in Owen County.
THE EARLY
SETTLEMENT
No doubt
Joseph Rhodes was the first settler of the township. He
located on the creek which bears his name in 1822. and built a rude log
cabin. He had no personal property worth mentioning, but went
resolutely to work to prepare a more comfortable home. George
Nicholas appeared soon afterward, locating on the same section (16).
John Manr non also bought land in 1822 on Section 17. Benjamin Dunkin
came in 1825 and located on Section 17. Aaron Blunk established himself
on Section 17 in 1824, and William Evans on Section 18 in 1825.
Solomon Watson came to Section 18 in 1829, and R. R. Manning in
1832. K. S. Whitaker located on Section 22 in 1825, John Matlock in
1826, William Asher in 1824, Levi Whitaker in 1829, William Cotter in
1833, William Brown 1834, and Elisha Brown in 1834. Jacob Bullen bought
land on Section 23 in 1828, David Seachrist in 1830, Daniel Seachristin
1834, William Johns in 1834, Mathias Zink in 1834, and Felix Seachrist
in 1836. George Knoy bought land on Section 24 in 1829, Henry Hedrick
in 1831, John Knoy in 1832, Lewis Tucker in 1834, and James Foster in
1838. George Shultz bought land on Section 26 in 1824, William Johnson
the same year, Hiram Alexander in 1825, Levi Meafield in 1825, Jacob
Bullen in 1826, and Jacob Seachrist in 1829. On Section 27, Elijah
Bowen entered land in 1831, Benjamin Beels in 1834, John Snodgrass in
1835, Levi Whitaker in 1829, and Joel Skelton in 1839. On Section 25,
Ephraim Goss bought land in 1825, David Myers in 1826, Street Cox in
1826, and J. S. Harlan in 1837. On Section 17, David W. Gray bought
land in 1836. On Section 15, Isaac Skelton "bought in 1836, E. B.
Chenoweth, 1836, and John Brown in 1837. On Section 14, Eli Myers in
1837. On Section 13, Adam Lingle, Sr., in 1829, H. Knox 1833, Lewis
Tucker, 1834, Eli Pomeroy, 1836, John Wingler, 1836, James Foster,
1838, and John Fouts, 1839. On Section 12, George Moore, 1835,
B. G. Edwards, 1835, Daniel Shultz,
1835, Jeremiah
Sturgeon, Henry Whitaker,
1836, and William Ball, 1839. On
Section 11, S. D. Spain, 1886,
Napoleon B. Chambers, 1839, and David Lipps, 1839. On
Section 9, William Elmore, 1836, William Cotter, 1837, and A. J.
Proctor, 1839. On Section 8, William Baldwin, 1835, and W. R. Mannon,
1837. On Section 7, Isaac Wamsley, 1839. On Section 6, Abe Fletcher,
1837, J. W. Gladson, 1838, James Ogle, 1838, Richard Bittle, 1839, and
Isaac A Bolden, 1839. On Section 5, William Asher, 1832,. Simeon
Watson, 1833, Andrew Ogle, 1835, George Pattorff, 1837, and Solomon
Watson, 1839. On Section 4. G. W. Shake, 1836, Henry Littimore, 1838,
and K. S. Risinger, 1839. On Section 3, Benjamin Edwards, 1837. On
Section 2, William Brasier, 1834, Jesse Shoemaker, 1835, John
Cartright, 1836, Isaac Carter, 1837, S. D. Spain, 1837, and George
Blunk, 1839. On Section 1, M. M. Taylor, 1835, Tobias Moser, 1835,
Jacob Moser, 1836, J. L. Ashbough, 1836, and Alexander Moser, 1838.
During the thirties the following men bought land on the six
sections in the eastern part: John Knoy, Jesse Thacker, Edward Powers,
J. T. Murphey, William Murphey, A. C. Murphey, Alfred Powers, W. H.
Bryant, Peter Shuler, Daniel Bayliff, William Greenlee, Henry Ratts,
George Boss, Hezekiah Butler, Henry Hedrick, David Hedrick, Jacob
Johns, Henry Lee, Elijah Rogers, John Litterman, Dempsey Trowbridge and
Noah Gallimore.
PARTIAL LIST OF POLL
TAX PAYEES
In 1842,
the following men among others were assessed poll tax in what
is now Ashland Township, then a part of Ray Township: James Craycroft,
Isaac Carter. Lewis Caston, Isaac Caston, Jesse Coffey, W. K. Mannon,
William Massey, George Elliott, David Hedrick, Henry Hedrick,
Joshua Kenoy, George McKinley, Ephraim Ratts, Elijah Rogers, John
Shuler, Joel Skekoh, John Carpenter, Wiat Carpenter, Philip Foxworthy,
Benjamin Gray, Adam Lingle, Jeremiah Moser, David Myers, Eli Pomeroy,
Kinner Risinger, Stephen Spain, Jacob Seachrist, Jesse Shoemaker,
Daniel Seachrist, Felix Seachrist, David Seachrist, John Skelton, Lewis
Tucker, Daniel Thompson, Simon Watson, John Whitaker, K. Whitaker, John
Wingler and others whose names cannot be given.
PIONEER INCIDENTS
The first
thing to be done was to erect a log cabin in which to live,
and usually these huts were of the rudest description. They were often
built of small logs or poles, and often the head of a tall man would
sweep the studding above. Short men and women were fortunate. Their
heads escaped the bumps not located by phrenologists; and then again,
which was perhaps a more important consideration in view of the
alarming scarcity of victuals, short people did not have so much bony
surface over which to spread their fleshiness. Tall men and women in
the woods were always so thin that dogs would follow them, thinking no
doubt that they were bones. After the house was up, the men (and women,
too) worked day and night to prepare a "truck patch." Potatoes, garden
" sass," corn and a few acres of wheat were the first considerations of
an agricultural character. The men would cut down the trees, cut
and roll the logs, and the women would burn the brush. Ten o'clock at
night often found them thus engaged. Deer were everywhere,
and venison was in
almost every house. Some were not
followers of Nimrod and did not try
to hunt, but they could easily get venison of those who did.
Rattlesnakes were as thick as pioneer children. A large den of
them was discovered in an opening on Stone Ridge in 1824. The
repulsive reptiles were forced out and killed by hundreds during the
period of several years. On Section 16 was an Indian burying ground. It
consisted of a mound of earth, and when opened in 1837, by John Brown
and Isaac Skeleton (two of the bravest men that could be found), six
Indian skeletons were disclosed, each reposing in a stone coffin, made
by placing flat stones up endwise, and then others over the top. The
skeletons were left undisturbed, and the mound was rebuilt. The
old settlers did not care to be haunted like Macbeth by the spirit of
some ferocious and revengeful old warrior.
MANUFACTURES
The first
mill in the township was a small corn cracker, erected on the
west bank of Rhodes' Creek, by Benjamin Gray, in 1836. It was operated
by water-power, and owing to the lack of that propelling element,
could run only about three months of the year, during the spring
months. When a heavy shower came up during any other month, the owner
would drop all other business, and operate the mill to its fullest
capacity as long as there was sufficient water to conduct it. It did
not run many years. After a few years, horse mills were adopted in
other portions of the township, by Solomon Knoy, George Pottorff (who
had served in the war of 1812), Jacob Bullen and others. Many steam saw
mills have been conducted from time to time in later years in different
portions of the township
SCHOOLS
AND SCHOOLHOUSES
If any term
of school was taught in the township prior to 1830, such
fact is not now known. In that year the first school edifice of the
township was built by Solomon Watson, John Reeves, Daniel Stevens,
William Mannon, Sr., and John Brown, on the line between Sections
16 and 17. Hickory and ash poles were used in the construction. The
roof was of rough, hewed planks, held in their place by heavy poles
fastened on with wooden pins. The fire-place could take in a huge log
six or eight feet in length, and was built of limestone, and sent its
roaring flames and smoke up a tall stick-and-mud chimney. Slab seats
were fashionable, but not soft. The first pedagogue was Stephen F.
Hancock. He handled his hickory gad like a sword-player. But his system
was to educate as well as to stimulate. The latter exceeded the former,
not because there was an abundance of gads, but because there was not
an abundance of books or even of scholars. The school, despite these
drawbacks, was regarded as a surprising success. In the following
three or four years, other schools of a similar character were
established in the southern part of the township, in the eastern part,
in the northeastern part and in the northwestern part. Districts were
divided and subdivided as time passed and as the center of settlement
in neighborhoods shifted. The first houses were logs, but after the
school law of 1852, which provided a fund by tax upon property, frame
houses took their place. Several brick houses have been built of late years. Now
there are
seven or eight established schools. Ashland is
above the average in matters of education.
EARLY
CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS
The Samaria
Baptist Church was organized in 1830, the first
members being Street Cox, John Brown and their families only. The
first meetings were held in the houses of these old settlers, but later
in schoolhouses, and still later in their church. The Trustees in 1835
were Levi Whitaker, William Mannon, Grafton B. Whitaker and Elijah
Baum. About this time, David Gibbon donated about an acre of land for a
church, which was soon erected. The old Liberty Church was built in
1838, on Section 16, by David Gray, Sr., S. W. Young, Ephraim Goss,
Daniel Y. Smith, John Brown and others. The carpenters were Fred
Caveness and Henry York. This was the first frame building in the
township. So rapid did this congregation grow that in 1847 the
membership numbered over 200. It was the leading church of all that
vicinity for years, and is yet in existence, though greatly changed.
Many of the leading Christian families of the township have worshiped
in this building. Temporary church organizations were established
in several portions of the township during the thirties, forties and
fifties, and indeed up to the present. Schoolhouses were the churches.
Much good was accomplished by these small classes,, which gave
localities without other churches a place to attend and worship.
The Salem Lutheran Church was organized in the thirties, among the
leading families being those of David Seachrist, Adam Lingle, Amos
Myers, Jacob Seachrist, Felix Seachrist, Enoch Myers, George
Lechenbill and John Wingler. This church was large and prosperous for
many years. At present there are five church organizations in the
township, which can be said to the credit of the citizens
.
ALASKA
This is a small village near the Owen County line, started up many
years ago. It was first known as Sheasville, and has usually contained
about a dozen families. A store and post office have been there the
most of the time, also a blacksmith shop, wagon shop, cooper shop and
milliner shop. Several prominent physicians reside there. A church and
a resident pastor adds dignity and piety to the unpretentious
little village. The name Lewisville was applied a number of years ago
to a small collection of houses half a mile east of Alaska. The
latter town is not as frigid as its name would seem to imply.