Scott county is situated in the
southeastern part of the State, near the Ohio river. It is of irregular
shape, and contains about one hundred and eighty square miles. The
county, generally, is level and rolling, except a small area known as
the knobs, which is quite broken. The soil is fair; the county is well
watered by streams, and many springs abound. The timber is of the very
best, and in abundance. The county was organized in 1820, while the
State capital was at Corydon, Harrison county.
It was named in honor of General Charles Scott, an officer of the
revolutionary period, and, at a later period, governor of Kentucky. The
county was formed from portions of Jefferson, Jennings, Clark, and
Washington counties. The first county commissioners were Joseph
Switzer, Reuben Johnson, and John Herod. Win. K. Richey was the first
sheriff, by appointment from the governor. The first sheriff elect was
Jesse Jackson, who afterward served in the legislature, and also as
register of the land office at La Porte. Other original county officers
were: James Ward, clerk; John Prime, recorder; James Lochrane,
treasurer, and Robert Wardell, an old revolutionary soldier as coroner.
The county was, first settled in 1805, by John Kimberlin, who removed
to this section of the State from Kentucky and who built, in the same
year, the first house erected in the county. Among the early settlers
were: Wm. E. Collins, Dr. John Richey, Eliab Collins, Samuel P. Devore,
Robert Wardle, John Morris, Jeremiah Paine, Dr. Jonathan Carter, John
Finley, Dr. James Hicks,. David and Charles Eastin, Eli and Joseph
Harlan, Kindred Ferguson, Wm. Nichols, John Wingate, Zebulon Foster,
James Lemaster, Wm. Norton, John Dickey, Jacob Cutler, Asahel
Passwater, Daniel Rough, John Stucker, Robert Brenton, Win. Fleming,
Peter Storms, Daniel Seers, and many other brave and hardy pioneers,
whose names are in serls.
Kindred Ferguson is
still a resident of Scott county, where he has lived for sixty five
years, and has reached the extraordinary age of one hundred and four
years.
In 1820, the county seat was located at Lexington, by Win. Fleming,
Dennis Pennington, Hardin H. Moore, Abel C. Pepper, and two others. The
town was originally laid out by Jesse Henley, General Win. McFarlane,
Adam Steele, Richard Steele and Nehemiah Hunt, in 1811, on grounds
owned by these gentlemen. The first house in Lexington was erected by
John and Jacob Stucker. Gen. McFarlane built the first brick house. The
first public improvements were made by private enterprise Win. Fleming
and Moses Gray were the pioneer merchants. The first marriage
solemnized in the county was between Daniel Kimberlin and Ursula
Brenton. A child born to them is claimed to be the first white person
born in the county. Among the early citizens 01 Lexington and Scott
county, and. who have since become prominent in the State, may be
mentioned: Henry P. Thornton, the first prosecuting attorney of the
county; the Carpenter Brothers; Major Elisha . English, many years in
State legislature; his son, Hon. Wm. H. English, who for many years
represented the district in Congress, was born in Lexington, as was
also his grandson. Wm. E. English, now a promising lawyer of
Indianapolis.
The seat of justice
was continued in this place for over fifty years, but was removed in
1874 to a more central point, a place formerly called (Centerville, but
now known as Scottsburgh. This town was laid off in 1873, by Lloyd S.
Keith, being surveyed by Thos. K. Wardle and Wm. Estel. It is located
on the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis railroad, eighty miles
south of Indianapolis, and now contains a population of about four
hundred souls. Among the other towns of Scott county, are Austin,
Vienna, New Frankfort. Wooster, and Holman. Iron ore and salt abounds
in the county. A good article of salt is manufactured, and numerous
wells are sunk for salt water near Lexington, one of which is seven
hundred feet deep. Good building stone is had in the same vicinity, and
also a kind used for making a very fine quality of water cement. As
these quarries are located near. the railroad, and of easy access, it
is believed that a factory for the manufacture of this cement will be
erected at no distant day.
This county is the scene of the celebrated Pigeon roost massacre, a
full account of which
will be found elsewhere in this volume. It is also a
witness of the depredations committed by the rebel General John Morgan,
in his raid through southern Indiana during the civil war. The depot at
Vienna was burned by him, and many are the farmers through this county
who have bewailed the day when they swapped their fine fat, sleek
horses, for the worn out, sore-backed jades of the rebels. Scott county
possesses good railroad facilities. The Jeffersonville, Madison and
Indianapolis road north and south, and the Ohio and Mississippi road
traversing the county in the same direction.
