ORGANIZATION AND SETTLEMENT OF WARRICK COUNTY
ORGANIZATION OF WARRICK COUNTY — CAPTAIN JACOB WARRICK,
IN HONOR OF WHOM THE COUNTY WAS NAMED REDUCTION OF
TERRITORY REMOVAL OF CAPITOL FROM EVANSVILLE TO DARLINGTON —
FIRST CENSUS ENUMERATION — REPRESENTATIVE IN
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION FIRST COUNTY AND STATE
ELECTION ORGANIZATION OF VANDERBURGH AND SPENCER
COUNTIES FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
The rise and decline of Warrick county follow in quick succession.
Scarcely had it risen as the pioneer county of Indiana
Territory ere the decline of its dominions was marked by the organization
of a county on the east, one on the west, and so on,
reducing its territory on all sides, until Warrick, with its present
limits, only remained.
At the session of the Territorial Legislature of Indiana in 1813
a law was enacted "organizing the county Warrick." The limits
of this county, as described in the bill, were, "All that territory
which lies south of a line commencing at a point on the Wa-
bash river at the southwest corner of Gibson county, and running
east to the western line of Harrison county, thence south
to the Ohio river." This included all the territory which now
comprises the counties of Posey, Vanderburgh. Warrick, Spencer,
Perry, and a portion of Crawford. Evansville, which was
then a mere village, was made the county seat.
The county was named in honor of Captain Jacob Warrick,
who was killed in the memorable battle at Tippecanoe. Little
is known regarding the life of Warrick, except that he was one of
the heroes at Tippecanoe, where he distinguished himself by his
bravery, as an illustration of which we quote from an account of
the battle, in Dillon's History of Indiana, the following: "War-
rick was shot immediately through the body. Being taken to
the surgery to be dressed, as soon as it was over (being a man
of great bodily vigor and able to walk) he insisted on going back
to head his company, although it was evident he had but a few
hours to live."
The county, as organized under the act of 1813 embraced
too much territory, and as the population increased the geographical
greatness of Warrick was reduced. In 1814 the Legislature
passed an act creating out of its territory the county of
Posey on the west, and Perry on the east. This limited Warrick
to what are now Vanderburgh, Warrick and Spencer counties.
The capitol was located at Darlington, then a promising settlement
near the Ohio river, four miles above Newburgh.
On December 4, 1815, the first census of Warrick county was
forwarded to the House of Representatives of the Territory of
Indiana. The population was enumerated: "White males
over 21 years of age, 285; total, 1,415."
As the population was large enough the citizens of Indiana
Territory were now clamoring for its admission to the Union
as a State, and a memorial was prepared and forwarded to Jonathan
Jennings, who was Indiana's delegate in Congress, praying
that the boundaries might be fixed and the Territory admit-
ed to the Union as a State. Mr. Jennings presented the memorial
and had no difficulty in getting a bill passed in conformity
with its requests. In compliance with this law an election was
held on the 13th day of May, 1816, and the people of Warrick
county chose Daniel Grass to represent them in the constitutional
convention which convened at Corydon on the l0th of June
following, for the purpose of framing a constitution for the new
State. The residence of Mr. Grass was in what is now Grass
township (named in honor of him), Spencer county. He was
distinguished in the convention as an active and valuable member,
and was on three of the most important committees.
On the first Monday in August, 1816, occurred the first county
and State election under the new form of government. This
election resulted in Daniel Grass being elected State Senator
from the counties of Posey, Perry and Warrick. Ratlin" Boon
was elected Representative from Warrick in the State Legislature.
This was the debut of Ratliff Boon in public life. It was
marked by no gushes of oratory, but by sound judgment and
honest policy. He was afterwards elected to various offices of
honor, among them that of Representative in Congress for several
terms and Lieutenant-Governor of the State.
In 1818 the Legislature of Indiana passed a bill organizing the
counties of Vanderburgh on the west, and Spencer on the east,
of Warrick, thus reducing the latter to its present limits. However,
Warrick still remains one of the largest counties in the
State.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS
The first white man said to have settled in Warrick county
was John Sprinkle, a native of Pennsylvania, who founded the
town of Sprinklesfeurg, which was superseded by Newburgh.
Mr. Sprinkle removed from his native State to Henderson county,
Kentucky, in the year 1772, where he lived until 1803, when
he removed to where Newburgh now stands, and settled with a
large family of children. During his residence in Kentucky he
had received the title of Major of the State Militia, and was a
man of honor and high social standing in his community. He
died in 1821. Felty Hay and James Lynn also settled in this
vicinity shortly after Mr. Sprinkle.
Early in the year 1805 a man with the homely appearance of
the pioneer arrived at the mouth of Cypress creek on the Ohio
river. His entire baggage consisted of an axe, gun, and supply
of ammunition: limited, though useful. This man was Bailey
Anderson, the first among prominent settlers of what now comprises
Warrick county. The surroundings pleased him and here
he determined to make his home. He selected a place near the
mouth of Cypress creek as a suitable site, and commenced the
erection of a log cabin. At this time the country was very
sparcely settled. There were intervals of miles between the little
homes of the pioneers, and Bailey Anderson's cabin was far
from those of his neighbors. The hardships of pioneer life were
many and to the rising generation appear incredible. It is told
of Bailey Anderson that while building his cabin, he lodged at
night in a tree, which long afterwards was known as "Bailey's
Roost." This novel couch was made by fastening pieces of
timber across two substantial branches of the tr.ee, and over it
were spread the skins of wild animals to make it comfortable,
and it was thus that Bailey Anderson is said to have first sought
repose in his pioneer home.
Following Anderson four other families arrived in a few
months and settled not far from him. These were the Briscoes,
Sheltons, Vannadas and Arnolds. They, too, were soon followed
by others, whose names are more or less familiar to the
people of the county, and since that time immigration has not
ceased. The resources of the county have rapidly developed,
the population gradually increased, and its progress in all matters
relative to the welfare of its citizens has been steadily onward.
All this stands as a memorial to the brave, industrious
and sturdy men who first cut roads through the almost impenetrable
forests, cleared the land, tilled the soil, and gave to our
county its first aspects of civilization.
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