Washington
County, Indiana
Here
is a little History for Washington County
Indiana
Washington County was organized December 21,
1813, by an act of the Legislature, which became
effective
on January 17, 1814. Washington County was
created out of Clark and Harrison
Counties. Orange and
Jackson counties were taken from it in 1815, and
Scott was carved out in 1820, reducing
Washington
County to it's present boundaries.
The
soil is fully diversified. The range of
hills called the knobs, described in the sketch
of the adjoining counties, passes
along the east line of Washington County,
separating it from Clark and Scott
counties. In
the south are extensive barrens, parts of which
are thickly matted with brush and grubs.
Other parts have
wild grass, and other parts are curiously
diversified with sink-holes, varying in shape
and size, but
all showing cavernous nature of Earth
underneath. In
other parts of the county are swelling ridges,
ever changing their features as you advance
along them. This
presents beautiful groves of walnut, sugar tree
and chestnut.
Washington County was formed in 1814. It was
named for U.S. President George Washington.
Salem
is the County Seat.
Early Settlers
As early as 1802, a man named Frederick
Royce lived among the Ox Indians at a place
known as the Lick, two miles east of Salem, and
is probably the first white man to inhabit this
county. He was a hunter-trader and salt
manufacturer. In 1803, Thomas Hopper was the
first to settle in this county near Hardingburg.
TOWNSHIPS
Brown - Franklin - Gibson - Howard - Jackson -
Jefferson - Madison - Monroe Pierce - Polk -
Posey - Vernon - Washington
CITIES AND TOWNS
Cambellsburg - Frederickburg - Hardinsburg -
Little York - Livonia - New Pekin - Salem -
Saltillo
UNINCORPORATED
COMMUNITIES
Beck's Mill - Blue River - Bunker Hill - Canton
- Claysville - Daisy Hill - Fairview - Farabee -
Haleysbury - Highland - Hitchcock - Kossuth -
Martinsburg - McKinley - Millport - Mount Carmel
- New Philadelphia - New Salem - Organ Springs -
Pekin - Plattsburg - Prowsville - Pumpkin Center
- Rosebud - Rush Creek - Valley - Smedley -
South Boston
County Seat: Salem
Year Organized: 1814
Square Miles: 516.60 (513.72
land, 2.87 water)
