VIGO COUNTY
HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE
At the close of
the war, in 1814, an act was passed by Congress granting lands to
certain Canadian volunteers, who had been citizens of the United
States, but who had during the war joined our forces, and whose
property in Canada had been confiscated in consequence. This act
permitted these lands to be located in the Land District which included
Vigo county, even before the public sale. The sale was announced to
take place in June, 1816, and in anticipation of this many settlers, in
the early spring of that year, had resorted hither and selected
favorite spots, with the intention of purchasing at the sale, and
several had erected log houses thereon; but previous to the sale, their
lands so selected, together with a large proportion of the most
valuable of the county, were located by the claims referred to. This so
disheartened and discouraged the early settlers that many left and
located on the eastern border of the Great Prairie, in Illinois. This,
together with the unconcilatory bearing of many of the prominent
Canadian settlers, engendered hostile feeling, which, for years, it
seemed impossible to allay, and which tended greatly to retard the
settlement of the country.
In 1815, Fort
Harrison was garrisoned by a rifle regiment under the command of Major W. Morgan. In this year he
rebuilt the fort. In the following year this regiment was ordered west,
and the garrison succeeded by a company from Fort Knox, under command
of Major John T. Chunn, who
had command of the fort up to the summer of 1817, when he was ordered
to Detroit and the post finally abandoned as a military fortification.
The early settlers
at the fort, in 1815, were Isaac
Lambort, John Dickson, Joseph Dickson and John Handy. These then were the only
reputed settlers north of Turman's creek, or Fort Turman, as it was
then called. The Indian traders at the fort in 1815, were John A. LaFonde, John Eolland, A. Dashney and
Pierro Laplant. Mitchell Bronillet was the Indian
agent and also the interpreter.
The early settlers
around Fort Harrison prairie, were Mr.
Lane, at Strawberry Hill; R.
Blackman, Thos. Packet,
and some others, at the ravine near Hiram Smith's place; a Mr. Austin, on the hill now occupied
by Joseph Gilbert; John M. Coleman,
at the Early Grove; Capt. John
Hamilton, at the old Dawson place; Peter Allen, two miles east of the
fort; Maj. Markle, at the
mill; Truman Blackman, also
east of the fort; Caleb Crawford,
Ecbert Graham and Solomon
Taverbaugh, at Otter creek; Alexander
Chamberlin and Elisha U. Brown, on the bluff north of the
Hovey Creek Locks; Isaac Lambert,
John Dickson, George Clem, Moses Hoggatt, Ecbert Hopkins, William Walker,
and others, on Hovey creek, and Ezra
Jones, at the Wallace farm.
In the fall of
1816 the town of Terre Haute was laid out, and the first sale of lots
took place on the thirty first of October, of that year, and its
settlement commenced immediately thereafter. Dr. Charles B. Modesitt, who had
lately come on from Virginia, and who then resided near the fort, was
perhaps the first to settle at Terre Haute. He built a log cabin on the
alley, on lot No. 257, at the mouth of Ohio street. Soon thereafter
followed Lewis Hodge, Robert S.
McCabe, John Bailey, Adam Weaver, Nicholas Yeager, Samuel McQuilkin,
Henry Redford, John Harris, Malcom
McFadden, Wm. Haynes, Richard Jaques, Robert Brasher, Nathan Kirk,
Robert Kerr, Gideon Sleeper, Ichabod Wood, John Britton and Lucius H. Scott, and in 1818, came Dr. E. Aspinwall, Dr. Davenport, Lewis B.
Lawrence, Demas Dening and Chauncy
Rose, who had the year previous been at the fort. These persons,
with but two exceptions, have finished their labors and gone to rest.
The second sale of
lots took place in May, 1818. It was made by the county, of lots
donated by the original proprietors, on account of the seat of justice
being established there. The sale was, in all respects, a good success,
but from this period the value of lots began to decline, and in 1821,
when a final sale of the company's property took place, it had declined
more than fifty per cent., and had severely affected those who had made
large purchases.
In 1820, the river
became remarkably low, the wells were all dried up, and general
sickness prevailed, and not a family escaped. Many deaths occurred,
taking oft" some of the most prominent citizens, including Dr. Aspinwall, Dr. Davenport, Lewis B.
Lawrence, Samuel Hill, a Miss Collett, and Mrs. Hussey. This seemed to strike a
fatal blow to the health of Terre Haute, which was felt for years, and
from which it did not fully recover until after the draining of Lost
creek, in 1837. This creek, previous to being drained, had washed down
the prairie east and south of the city, creating an immense morass of
several hundred acres, without any outlet except by absorption and
evaporation.
As already
mentioned, nearly all of the first settlers of Vigo county have passed
away. The first white male child born in the county was William Earl, who became a
successful navigator in foreign seas. He was born in Terre Haute,
September 22, 1818. The first female child born here was Mary McFadden, now Widow Markle, of Terre Haute.
Vigo county was
organized in 1818, and the first county officers were: Curtis Gilbert, clerk and recorder; Truman Blackman, sheriff; Alexander Barnes, coroner; Moses Haggett and James Barnes, associate judges; John
Hamilton, Isaac Lambert and Ezra Jones, county commissioners.
The first session
of the circuit court held in the county, was commenced April twenty
seventh, 1818, and was conducted by the associate judges, at the house
of Truman Blackman. The county
was then attached to the first judicial circuit. The first attorneys
were George E. 0. Sullivan, Samuel
Whittlesey, Jonathan Doty, and Wm.
P. Bennett. The regular term of court in 1819 was held at the
house of Richard Bedford, in
Terre Haute, by Hon. Thomas H. Blake,
presiding judge.
The first court
house was erected on the public square in Terre Haute, in 1821-2. It
was built for the county by Mr. John
Brocklebank. In 1868, becoming unfit for use, it was torn down.
The present building occupied by the county offices, was erected in
1866. The following persons have been judges of the circuit court of
Vigo county since its organization, in the order named: Thomas H. Blake, Gen. W. Johnson, John E.
Potter, David McDonald, John Law, Elisha H. Huntington, Amory Kinney,
Delaney E. Eckels, Wm. P. Bryant, James Hughes, Solomon Claypool, E. W. Thompson,
and C. Y. Patterson.
The old judicial
system required associate judges to set in the circuit courts, and also
probate judges, without separate jurisdiction; but in 1851 the system
was changed by a revision of the constitution of the State into circuit
courts and courts of common pleas. This system continued until 1872,
when the legislature dispensed with the courts of common pleas, since
which time all business has been done by the circuit courts.
The City of Terre Haute, one of the largest and most
flourishing business centres in the State, is beautifully
situated, and, with the possible exception of Evansville, is the
handsomest city in Indiana. It is situated on the eastern banks of the
Wabash river, and is, of course, the county seat of Vigo county. It
derived its name (which signifies high land), from the site on which it
is located, being elevated about fifty feet above the level of the
river, on a rolling table land, which extends back to the adjoining
prairie. Terre Haute is admirably laid out, and has quite a
metropolitan appearance. Many of the business houses are among the
largest in the State, and the principal thoroughfares will compare
favorably with those of any city in the west.
The town of
Terre Haute was laid out in 1816, by a company styled the Terre Haute
Company. The company consisted of Cuthbert
and Thomas Bullitt, of
Louisville, Kentucky; Abraham Markle,
of Fort Harrison ; Hyacinth LaSalle,
of Vincennes; and Jonathan Lindley,
of Orange county, Indiana. The articles of association of the company
bear date of September nineteenth, 1816. The company held patents from
the United States to lands described in their articles as " thirteen
tracts of land on the river Wabash, in the vicinity of Fort Harrison."
These lands were divided into twelve shares, of which Lindley had four, Markle three, LaSalle three, and the Bullitts two. They were the original
proprietors, from whom the first title to lots were derived.
The original site
selected for the town was a spot some three miles below the present
location, but it was soon abandoned for the more desirable situation
now occupied. One of the principal objects, however, in moving was that
the national road crossed the Wabash at the latter point. In 1817, this
town presented a truly pioneer appearance. There were only a few log
cabins, situated along the river, and these were of the rudest style of
architecture. But in 1818, when the town was made the county seat,
there was a new life diffused among the somewhat dull inhabitants, and
the village settlement improved. The company referred to, that laid out
the town, deeded to the county eighty lots, besides the public square,
and paid into the county treasurer four thousand dollars in cash and
mortgage bonds. These liberal inducements secured the location of the
county seat at Terre Haute. The spirit of liberality, as well as the
location of the county seat at Terre Haute, was instrumental in
creating a new feeling of enterprise.
The first settlers
of Terre Haute were Dr. C. B.
Modesitt, Lewis Hodge, Henry Reedford, Robert Carr, John Earle, Abner
Scott, Ezekiel Buxton, and William
Ramage. These pioneers settled in 1816, and built the first
cabins in the town. The settlement grew very slow, at first, from the
causes noted in the previous chapter; but, in 1823-4, it took a new
start, and has prospered until the present.
Terre Haute was
incorporated as a town in 1832. The town was divided into five wards,
and one trustee elected from each. These trustees elected the first
municipal officers of the town as follows : James B. McCall, president; James T. Moffat, clerk; Charles B. Taylor, assessor; Samuel Crawford, treasurer William Mars, constable and
collector.
In 1838, a new charter was granted to
the town by the Legislature, which provided for the election of a mayor
and ten councilmen. This charter was adopted by the inhabitants in
March, 1838, and, in the May following, an election was held, which
resulted in the election of Elijah
Tillotson as the first mayor of the town.
In 1853, Terre Haute was incorporated
as a city under the general laws of the State, and the first city
election was held in May, 1853, at which William K. Edwards was chosen the
first mayor.
Present
Condition. A popular city directory, of recent date, gives the
population of Terre Haute at 28,000. This is, probably, a little too
high. It is about 23,500, or, perhaps, 24,000. The census of 1870
places it at a little more than 16,000 at that date. The growth since
then, however, has been marvelous. No city in Indiana has made greater
progress in all material interests. Only ten years ago Terre Haute was
but an agricultural town, " and had," says a recent writer, " reached
about the height in population and business usually attained by towns
whose chief dependence is on the farming interests immediately around
them; but, by a system of expansion through railroads, manufacturing
interests, and wholesale business, the area of its influence and
resources has been greatly extended, so that now Terre Haute draws its
sustenance and wealth from a wide extent of country, and from many
cities connected with it by its numerous railroads. As the country
itself is inexhaustible, and the channels of trade and communication
are already fixed, like the veins and arteries which circulate the
blood through the human system, we may expect no premature decay or
death of a city which has become the vital center of so extensive a
commercial and business system". The business interests of the city are
increasing every year. Some of the largest wholesale houses are located
there. The manufacturing interest of the city is represented by blast
furnaces, with a capacity of fifty tons of iron daily; nail works,
3,000 kegs, weekly; waterworks, 3,000,000 gallons, daily; a successful
rolling mill, and other very extensive establishments. Terre Haute is
fast becoming one of the leading manufacturing cities of the west.
The schools and
churches of Terre Haute, and, indeed, the whole of Vigo county, are in
a high and efficient condition. In the various professions are found
men of superior talent and education, under whose care the schools and
churches have attained the highest degree of usefulness.
The State Normal
School is located there. The building is one of the finest in the
United States, having a capacity of accommodating over a thousand
pupils. This institution has already achieved a national good name, and
is fast becoming the pride of Indiana.
Another
educational institution is now being established in Terre Haute, which
has already elicited the attention of the philanthropic citizens of
half the world. We refer to the " Terre Haute School of Industrial
Sciences," in support of which the Hon.
Chauncey Rose is devoting his immense fortune. In
short, Terre Haute lacks none of those higher phases of material and
intellectual enterprise that characterize the modern American city,
while, on the other hand, it excels in many of them.