MORGAN COUNTY INDIANA
CLAY TOWNSHIP

THE   BARNES  FAMILY

    In the month of December, 1819, Benjamin Barnes, a resident of Connersville, Ind., packed what little household goods he owned in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen, and with his wife and family of two sons and four daughters started westward for the " White River Country." This country, or that portion of it known as the New Purchase, had been secured by treaty from the Indians only a little more than a year before, and was already attracting the attention of settlers seeking homes. Mr. Barnes and family were accompanied by John Butterfield, Sr., and Hiatt Butterfield (who was not a relative of John Butterfield's), both of whom came out with him to look at the country with a view to future settlement. Not a hog, sheep, horse or a head of cattle except the yoke of oxen, was brought out. Mr. Barnes was poor, and had not even enough money to enter a tract of land had the same been in market, which was not yet the case. The family crossed White River, either at the bluffs, or. which is more likely, at the Stotts settlement, a few miles farther down the river, and soon arrived at a point about two miles southeast of Center-ton, where Mr. Barnes decided to make a permanent location. The weather was cold, and a temporary camp was prepared for the comfort of the family, and the men immediately afterward began to cut logs for a cajbin. The rude building was completed in two or three days, and the family were soon ensconced therein, and made as comfortable as possible. The floor was the bare earth, the roof was bark and clap-boards hastily cut out, and the door was of the same material. The most important feature in the room was a big fire-place, filled with blazing logs which im­parted heat, cheerfulness and comfort to the small room. A floor of puncheons was afterward added as soon as possible. Mr. Barnes and all the members of his family, as soon as their home was made comfortable, went to work to clear and deaden a tract of land for a crop for the coming season. By April, 1820, they had thirty acres deadened, and partly cleared, the greater portion of which was planted with corn and vegetables, the former having been brought out the December before, and the latter about seeding time. Here the Barnes family lived for several years. Their first land was bought on the 5th of September, 1820, the second day of the sale.
OTHER  EARLY   SETTLERS

As soon as the Barnes cabin had been built, John Butterfield went back to Connorsville where his family resided. In the following Septem­ber, he went to Terre Haute, and bought 160 acres of land on Section 1. Township 12 north, Range 1 east, lying about a mile and a half south­east of Centerton, and early the following spring (1821) came out with his sons Velorns and John H., and three hired men, named respectively Adams, Sanford and Bliven, and in a few weeks cleared about six acres,
and erected a cabin. A crop of corn was cultivated during the summer by one of the boys, who boarded jwith the Barnes family. In the fall of 1821, the Butterfield family, consisting of the father, mother, five sons and one daughter, took up their permanent residence in this new home.
Some time after the establishment of the Stotts settlement in Green Township in 1819, the date not being known, but certainly prior to the 1st of March, 1820, Maj. James Stotts and his son Robert C. built a cabin, and permanently located on a tract of land about three miles south­east of Centerton. It is likely that this occurred during the fall of 1819, or the winter of 1819—20. About the same time the family of John Hodge located in the same neighborhood. On Tuesday the 3d of April, 1820, George Matthews and his three sons, John, Alfred and Calvin, ac­companied by a man named William Dorman, came in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen to the cabin of Maj. Stotts. There the rude wagon road that had been cut out ended, and the men were obliged to cut their way onward. After several hours they reached the present site of Centerton, where Mr. Matthews concluded to locate permanently. A log cabin was built and the work of clearing and deadening was begun. John Matthews says that there were but three families in Clay Township when he arrived as above stated, and they lived on the east side of White Lick Creek. They were those of Benjamin Barnes, Maj. James Stotts and John Hodge. Several other families arrived later in 1820, among them being those of Jacob Case, John Clark, Isaiah Drury, Elijah Lang. With­in the next three or four years there came John Stipp, George A. Phelps, Alexander Cox, Jonathan Lyon, Ezekiel Slaughter, James Lang, David Matlock, Benjamin and Enoch McCarty, Francis Brock, Martin McDan-iel, William Jones, John McMahon, William Matlock, Hiram Matthews, John A. Stipp, Abraham Stipp, David Spencer, Lewis Deaton, William Powell, G. W. Bryant, John, David, Samuel and William Scott, Michael Stipp, Edward Brady, John McDaniel, Moses Slaughter, Dr. Eli Run­nels and many others. Still later came William Morgan, Eli Rinker, David Collins, Jesse and Eli Overton, Abraham Griggs, James Noble. J. B. Maxwell, Dabney Gooch, John Robb, John Albertson, Adam Spoon, Jesse, William and Jeremiah Poe, Jesse Gooch, William Moss, Levi Col­lins, William Collins and others. The sons of John Butterfield were Velorus, John H. and Merannoe. Those of Alexander Cox were John, Paul and William. Those of George Matthews were John, Alfred, Cal­vin, James and George. Those of Jonathan Lyon were Harrison and Jonathan, Jr.
POLL TAX 1842

    The following men were assessed a poll tax in Clay Township in 1842 : J. P. Anderson, Samuel Allen. A. Ayres, M. Brody, Cyrus Bowles, John Bowles, W. T. Bull, John Boyd, Lorenzo D. Bain, William Boyd, J. S. Bryant, Eli Bray, Anderson Brown, Valorus Butterfield, Thomas Bryant, Eli Bowles, Archibald Boyd, David Bowles, L. G. Butterfield, D. A. Butterfield, Wesley Creed, Charles Cox, William Cox, Paul Cox, James Carder, Alexander Clark, W. F. Childs, James Cox, William Kennedy, Robert A, Childs, James Cross, John Creed, D. L. Collins, W. E. Carter, Joseph Claghorn, David Collins, John Crank, John Cox, William Dorman, Brently Deaton, A. J. Deaton, James Deaton, John
Dunegan, White Davidson, James Donavan, David Ely, Reuben Ely, Elijah Ervin, John Edwards, Simeon K. Ely, G. W. Fields, Evis Fowlerr John Fowler, Dabney Gooch, James Griggs, Eli Greeson, Franklin Gar­rison, Nathan Goble, Jesse Gooch, A. Hutchinson, Garrison Hubbard, S. H. Harcoat, Jesse Hubbard, Beverly Gregory's heirs, William Hard-rick, Samuel Jackson, Thomas Kirkendorf, David Kirkendorf, James-Kitchen, Jonathan Lyon, Jr., Harrison Lyon, Hardin Leggett, William Lang, M. T. Lang, James Lowder, James Lang, Emery Lloyd, William McNeff, H. R. McPherson, John McDaniel, Simeon McDaniel, Henry Myers, Calvin Matthews, George Matthews, James Matthews, Alfred Matthews, John Maxwell, Joseph Monica!, Thomas Morgan, George Monical, John McCracken, Cary Matthews, James Noble, G. W. Olds, Eli Overton, Jared Olds, Francis Patram, Anthony Poe, William Poe, Jeremiah Poe, Andrew Parsley, Andrew Paul, William Pinter, Noah Rinker, Alexander Rich, S. H. Reynolds, William Rinker, Eli Rinker, Samuel Ray, Daniel Reeves, John Ramsey, Thomas Ray, Simeon Robbr Alfred Robinson, George Sheets, Andrew Stafford, David Spencer, John S. Spurdock, John Scott, John Sheets, Nathaniel Simpson, Peter Spoon, Adam Spoon, Robert C. Stotts, John C. Stotts, Robert Stewart, David Scott, Benjamin Stipp, Joseph Strade, Isaac Strader, Ezekiel Slaughter, Moses Slaughter, Young Sellers, W. H. Sailor, Abraham Stipp, Benja­min Stafford, John Stuart, Jeremiah Tacket, Jacob Tinkle, William J"aeket, William Wall, J. W. Wakefield, Solomon Wear, Samuel Wilson, David Wear, William Wear, Joshua Wilson, Jr., Jeptha Williams, John Wright, Andrew Wright, William Whitrel, Samuel R. Wright and Sam­uel Zollinger. The heaviest tax-payers were as follows: John Butter-field, §19.58: Aiken Daken, $14.02; John Hodge, $19.12; Jonathan Lyon, Jr., $18.58; Harrison Lyon, $17.16; M. T. Lang, $12.50 ; Calvin Matthews, $11.46; Robert C. Stotts, $14.93 ; Ezekiel Slaughter, $19.93; G. A. Worth, $13.53.
BROOKLYN

    So far as can be learned, the first improvement made by white men in the township of Clay was the corn-cracker erected on the creek at Brooklyn, in the summer of 1819, by Benjamin Cuthbert. The struct­ure was built of logs, was about 18x18 feet, and was operating when Ben­jamin Barnes came to the township in December, 1819. The stones were " nigger-heads" which had been made from granite bowlders by Mr. Cuthbert, and the dam was built of brush, logs, stones, etc. Mr. Cuth­bert lived northward in Brown Township, about two miles above the mill. He would go down to his little mill and remain there nearly a week without going home, doing in the meantime the most of his own cooking in the fire-place in the mill. It is said that he could bake an excellent johnny-cake, and was an expert at roasting meat. He no doubt lived on the fat of the land. All the settlers throughout the northern part of the county went to his mill for their meal, and all complained of the c*grit" contained in the corn-bread baked therefrom. As this bread was the chief article of diet, the complaints from the women, especially, multiplied. Mrs. Barnes was probably the only ex­ception to this statement.    She had an impediment in her speech which limited her conversation to the merest monosyllables. Mr. Barnes was envied as the luckiest man in his domestic relations in all the surround­ing countr-
    In 1823, Jonathan Lyon, who had, in 1820, purchased quite a tract of land at what is now Brooklyn, came to the township, secured the old mill of Mr. Cuthbert, greatly improved it and the dam, built a saw mill on the opposite side, and soon afterward built a storehouse, in which he placed a stock of goods worth about $2,000. It is likely that the goods were not brought on until 1824. Mr. Lyon had several grown sons, who managed the mills and the store for him, while he remained the most of the time at his home in another portion of the State. In 1825, or pos­sibly 1826, Mr. Lyon erected a distillery and a tannery, and paid James S. Kelley $600 to conduct them both for a few years, at the end of which time they were to be returned to the owner, Mr. Lyon. The profits as well as the expenses of the enterprises were to be borne by the owner. Mr. Lyon also started a hattery soon afterward. The store, the distillery, the tannery, the hattery, the grist mill and the saw mill were conducted successfully by Mr. Kelley, the Lyon boys and considerable hired help until about the year 1830, when Mr. Kelly's contract with Mr. Lyon ex­pired, and the former went to Mooresville and engaged in the mercantile pursuit. The sons of Mr. Lyon continued the enterprises. Early in the thirties, in addition to the other pursuits, pork-packing was commenced, and was carried on for many years quite extensively. These industries served to make the place one of the most important industrial points in the county. Of course, no town had yet been started there. Late in the forties, the Lyons sold out their interests or abandoned them. Long before this, however, or about 1835, they had built a steam distillery, which took the place of the one first built, and had a much greater capacity. Probably as high as 100 barrels of whisky were manufactured annually, a considerable portion of which found a ready sale at home, the remainder being shipped to distant points. This distillery was destroyed by fire about the year 1843, and thereby hangs a tale which the old set­tlers may tell. Ask them.
    The township had all the distilleries necessary in early years. Eli Bray owned one; also William Darman, Thomas Richardson and Ben­jamin Barnes. The latter built a small corn cracker, which was propelled by horses. It was erected for the purpose of supplying the distillery. Rye was also ground there.  It is said that at some of these early dis­tilleries, pumpkins, potatoes, etc., were manufactured into whisky or brandy. All old settlers agree that the liquor of that day was far supe­rior to the poisonous stuff of thees4ater degenerate days. They probably know what they are talking about. And then, again, people did not get drunk as often as they do now. The halcyon days have indeed gone by.

MODERN   BROOKLYN.
In about 1853, Frank Landers opened a store. He began about Christmas, and the following March laid out the town, which began to grow as the railroad was being built, that is, the grading had commenced. Quite a number of families soon located in the town. Griggs, Cook & Scott opened a store about 1859.    The merchants since then, in order,
have been Dill & Griggs, Cox & Landers (near the close of the last war), Gregory & Clark, Gregory & Council, Gregory & Bobbins, J. N. Gregory, P. S. McNeff & Bro. (1872), Silas Rinker, McNeff & Rinker, Gregory & Son, Ira McDaniel, P. S. McNeff, Richardson & Morgan, William McNeff. The present merchants are P. S. McNeff, Philips & Bro., Richard Lash, F. R. Miller, Daniel Thornburg.
M. 0. & F. M. Pierce started a woolen factory about 1866, in a building that had been built by William Sparks. They carded and spun for about two years, and then retired from the business. The present grist mill was built in 1852 by William and John Paddock. After a few years, they were succeeded by John and William Butterfield, and a year later by Griggs & Clark. William Sparks bought it during the war. The present owner, John McDaniel, bought it late in the sixties. It has been an excellent mill. It is now being refitted, iron rolls being inserted in the place of stone buhrs. The town has had one or more saw mills since the earliest time. J. R. Hardin is the present owner. The popu­lation of the town is greater now than ever before, and is about 360.
CENTERTON.
This village was laid out in March, 1854, by Calvin Matthews, ad­ministrator of the estate of James Matthews, deceased. Hiram T. Craig was the surveyor, and is said to have named the town from its location in the county. There was a time when Centerton could have secured the prize of the county seat. This was in the fifties, just before the present court house was built, and later just before the railroad was completed. Sufficient influence was not brought to bear upon the points of success. Almost every unprejudiced person will readily say that the county seat should be located either at Centerton or on the railroad in its immediate vicinity. There can be no question of the justice and future public pol­icy of this fact. It is well known that pecuniary interests are the only considerations which keep it where it is. Might, not right, rules. Of course there are parties at Martinsville, who, wise as serpents, will not admit these statements, though the heavens fall. The citizens of the county should see that the next court house is built at Centerton.
The first store in Centerton was opened by William Spencer soon after the lots were laid out. He became the first agent of Uncle Sam. Thom­as Hardrick was the second merchant, and S. S. Cox the third. The leading merchants since then have been Silas Rinker, J. T. Piercy, Stipp & Green, Alexander Hardrick, William Gooch, D. S. Clements, Allen English, Bush Brothers, Miles Matthews and Lewis Campbell. The lat­ter and Bush Brothers are yet in business. Among the early families in Centerton were those of Calvin Matthews, William Spencer, William Cox, Thomas Hardrick, Dr. Skelton, Paul Sims, Joseph Robb, John Shields, Mr. Hunt, James Adams and John Butterfield. The present population of the village is about 200. The first blacksmith was Hiram Cox. W. J. Manker owned and conducted the first saw mill. Saw mills have since been owned and operated by Madison Matthews, Dixon & Shields, John Butterfield, Washington Patrick, Gamble Brothers. Centerton has in its vicinity the best fire brick clay in the State. The brick for the new State house are being manufactured about two miles
southwest of the town. Jackson Record, an old settler of the county, who located in Washington Township in 1833, has been a resident of Clay Township since 1853. Tne county has had no citizen of greater prominence and worth.
TEACHERS.
The first schoolhouse built in Clay Township was erected in the But­terfield neighborhood in 1823, and during the summer of that year the first school in the township was taught therein by Hiram Collins. The house was a round-log structure, with a big fire-place, paper windows, puncheon seats and door. Butterfield, Barnes, Case, Hodge, Stotts and others helped to erect the building. Collins was a good teacher, but was affected with the phthisic, which often made him cross. That was the sig­nal for indiscriminate whipping. Hiatt Thomas taught in the same house the following winter. He was a jovial fellow, and at noon would hunt coons with his larger boys. George A. Phelps was an early teacher in this house. After several years, this house was succeeded by a better one built a short distance east. Another early teacher in the first house was a Mr. Williams. A school was taught in the neighborhood of the Matthews at Centerton very early, but the facts could not be learned. Several schools started up in the thirties, and additional ones in the for­ties. The frame schoolhouse in Brooklyn was built early in the fifties. It was destroyed by fire in 1883. The first teacher in Brooklyn is for­gotten. A new brick schoolhouse will be built there within the next year or two, at a cost of about $5,000. The first schoolhouse in Center-ton was built early in the fifties. Thomas Skelton was probably the first teacher. A man named Moore was the second. This house was used until 1883, when a fine brick structure was constructed at a cost of about $5,000. The building is 44x58 feet, is two stories high, has four rooms, two above and two below, has a wide hall and stairway on the west side, and the cost is borne by the township. The first teacher in this building was Prof. Smith.    Clay has excellent schools.
PREACHERS.
It is said that the first sermon preached in the township was delivered by Rev. Proctor, an eminent minister of the Presbyterian Church, who was on his way, in 1823, from his home in Indianapolis to Bloomington, Ind., where he had an appointment to hold religious services. He stopped at the house of John Butterfield, and entertained that family and a few of the neighbors who gathered to hear him. The Church of Christ, in the southeastern part, was organized in the thirties, and for some time meet­ings were held at the houses of Yelorus Butterfield, Thomas Morgan and family, Abraham Griggs and family, James Noble, Levi Plummer. The ground for the church was furnished by Mr. Plummer, and was on Section 30, Township 13 north. Range 2 east. The log church was erected early in the forties. A number of years afterward it was burned down, and a frame' church was erected in its place. The Methodists had an early organization in the Rinker neighborhood, and in the forties a log church was erected at what was called Rinker's Corner. After many years a frame house took its place. The Methodist Church in Brooklyn was erected in 1869, and dedicated in 1870.    The membership is now quite
large. The Christian Church in Brooklyn was built three or four years after the Methodist Church, and the class is in a prosperous condition. The Christian Church at Centerton was moved there about two years ago. It formerly stood in the Rinker neighborhood, in the eastern part of the township, and then was occupied by the Methodists.